Chapter 10

4. To the Northeast Military Academy... (1)

After completing the examination for the mana awakeners, Jaden and the other trainees immediately followed the knight to the northern headquarters.

Upon entering the massive building, they saw numerous soldiers passing by.

They walked past them and continued up the stairs.

"Salute! I have brought the trainees."

"Come in."

With the invitation, the knight carefully opened the door.

Inside, there were two clovers, and on one of the nameplates, it read "Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee."

"Are these the new trainees?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see. You can leave now."

At the man's words, the knight submitted the report, saluted, and closed the door as he left.

After briefly checking the documents, he cleared them away and looked intently at Jaden and the other trainees.

"Everyone, applying to the northern army means you are willing to take on a certain level of risk, right?"

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone answered immediately, as if to prove they had properly completed their training camp.

"Good. Then it will be easier to talk. The fact that you've made it here means you all have a certain level of talent. Therefore, I plan to give you some choices."

The lieutenant colonel placed a sheet of paper on the table.

"This is the application for the military academy. Graduates will start as officers."

He waved it as if it were something significant.

"Since you all haven't grasped the full picture yet, let me explain the benefits of enrolling here. First, your military service will be reduced by at least two years."

At Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee's words, the children's eyes began to waver.

In contrast, Jaden remained calm. He already knew this much and was well aware that serving on the front lines for two years was the trade-off.

Some of the other children also seemed uninterested, as they knew this fact as well.

Then, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee smiled and said, "There's another way to further reduce your military service. By applying to the Northeast Military Academy, you can reduce it by an additional two years."

At this, the children's interest quickly waned.

None of the children present were unaware of the notorious reputation of the northeast. Being a mana awakener without training usually meant they came from relatively wealthy families, which meant they had heard the basic information.

"By performing well at the Northeast Military Academy, you can graduate two years early. This means you can further reduce your military service by two years."

An opportunity to reduce a total of six years of military service.

An opportunity to reduce a 20-year service to 14 years.

This also meant that, excluding the military academy, you could complete your service in just 10 years.

While this might seem worth considering, the northeast was known as the most dangerous front in the north. It was always listed among the top three most dangerous regions on the continent, so even with these conditions, many would still avoid it.

"Are there any other benefits?"

At Jaden's question, the nearby children looked at him strangely.

They seemed to be wondering if he hadn't heard of the northeast's notorious reputation.

In contrast, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee smiled. He was pleased that the best of the children, as mentioned in the report, was interested in the northeast.

"First, you know that the basic salary in the north is twice that of other armies, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"The northeast is three times the salary of a regular northern officer. Additionally, promotions will be the fastest. In particular, the northeast is the only place in the empire where you can be promoted even while in the military academy."

Jaden wasn't particularly interested in what Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee said.

Generally, veterans of the northern army were well-respected wherever they went on the continent.

They could work as mercenaries and be treated as elites, or they could work as knights for noble families or guards for merchant families in the capital and accumulate wealth.

Thus, it was natural for him not to be particularly interested in money.

"Additionally, you will be provided with the weapon of your choice. At least 10% of it will be made of mithril, and you can keep it even after your service."

The children's expressions changed at the mention of mithril weapons.

Generally, mithril and rare metals were not readily available in the market and maintained very high prices.

"There will also be drawbacks, I assume."

"Indeed. The northeast is notoriously dangerous, known to all on the continent. The death rate is overwhelmingly high among all the empire's armies."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, the high salary you mentioned will not be available until you complete your service. Instead, it will be saved for you with an annual interest of 5% until your discharge. Additionally, you cannot take leave."

Jaden nodded as if he understood.

To take leave from the northeast, which was located in a dangerous area, would require at least a month, and even then, you would only be home for a few days, making it meaningless.

"However, you can take a six-month leave before your discharge. This means you can avoid military service for a total of six years and six months. Additionally, instead of a salary, you will receive special mission fees, which you can use to buy weapons or drinks as you see fit."

Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee finished speaking and looked at Jaden.

"From my perspective, I would be grateful if you applied to the northeast, but I can't recommend it lightly. It's that dangerous. However, there is one thing I want you to understand."

"What is it?"

"At least, those in the northeast do not abandon their comrades."

Jaden fell into thought.

He knew the northeast was dangerous, but from his experience in the previous life with monster waves, he didn't think it was that dangerous.

Moreover, he believed he could reduce his service to the maximum six years.

'Six years...'

Thinking that this time would be enough to prepare for anything, he quietly pondered.

'I'll try it out.'

After making his decision, Jaden said to Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee.

"I will apply."

"Let me ask again. Are you sure you want to apply to the Northeast Military Academy?"

At the colonel's final chance to back out, Jaden bowed with a determined expression and answered.

"Yes, I will apply."

"Good. Sign here."

Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee handed over the document, and Jaden immediately signed it and stepped back.

In fact, Jaden also wanted to avoid dangerous places if possible.

The reason he left the Leonhardt family was because he thought it would be hard to survive in a crazy family.

However, after considering various factors, he realized it wasn't all drawbacks.

First, the northeast, despite being emphasized as a dangerous area, was home to many unique creatures.

This meant there was a possibility of another divine beast contracting with him.

Moreover, the northeast military was so thoroughly hidden that even the powerful Leonhardt family couldn't extend their surveillance there.

In other words, it would be safer for him when he was discharged.

"I might seem disappointed that you don't ask about the Northeast Military Academy, but I want you to remember how dangerous it is."

At Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee's words, the children, who had been slightly disappointed, began to look more serious.

It would be the most unjust if someone with no talent went to the northeast and died.

From the northern army's perspective, it would be a headache if already scarce troops were sent to the northeast and died, so they don't accept just anyone, despite the constant shortage of troops.

"If you really want to go to the northeast, go to one of the northern military academies and build a good record. That's how you get into the Northeast Military Academy."

"What about 1223?"

"He has that much talent. You can see it, can't you?"

At Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee's words, all the children fell silent.

They had all seen Jaden's skills during the sparring with the knight. He already showed a level of authority that they wondered if they could achieve in 2-3 years.

"He's not a genius, but he can survive in the northeast."

"Survive?"

Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee nodded without scolding the child who added the "yo" at the end.

"Yes, those who go to the Northeast Military Academy are all monsters. If you really want to go there, become a monster yourself."

After finishing his speech, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee recommended suitable academies to the children, consulted with each of them, and had them sign the application forms.

"The northern military academy is not the end. Surviving here is the real challenge, so I hope you all survive and become northern army officers."

After saying this, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee opened the door, and the knight came in to lead Jaden and the other trainees.

Since everyone was deep in thought, the knight didn't walk hurriedly or urge them. Especially, he didn't touch Jaden, who seemed to be deep in thought after hearing about the northeast.

The northeast was so dangerous that just applying was worthy of praise.

"Hey! He's here!"

"Our team's pride is here!"

Seeing his teammates cheer for him, the only mana awakener in the team, Jaden smiled.

"1223! Are you going to the military academy?"

"Looks like it."

"Where are you going?"

"Northeast."

The children, who had been asking with bright eyes, fell silent.

It seemed none of the children gathered here were unaware of the northeast's notorious reputation, and they all looked at Jaden with concern.

"Why are you going there? Just go somewhere else."

"It's a crazy place."

"People who come back from there are all crazy."

"More than half die."

The children expressed their worries, but Jaden reassured them and subtly asked about the other team members.

"How are the others doing?"

"1225 and 1221 might go to the military academy if they do well."

"What about you?"

"I might become a non-commissioned officer after serving as a soldier if I do well! The rest should pass."

It seemed they had undergone the mana awakening tests one by one after he left.

In the north, it was customary for non-commissioned officers to be selected from among the soldiers, as they needed to understand soldier life.

As a rank that connects officers and soldiers, they needed to be closer to the soldiers.

"1230 might be eliminated."

"Oh! That's right."

Seeing a boy sitting in a corner looking depressed, Jaden approached 1230.

"Why are you so depressed?"

"If I get kicked out of here, I'll have to live as a beggar again."

"That won't happen. Even if you can't awaken your mana, you can undergo forced awakening."

"They said that might be difficult too."

Jaden sighed at the depressed 1230.

"You won't know until you try. So, stay. If it's really difficult, we can implant a mana stone to force the circuit."

"Really?"

"Of course. The northern army never abandons talented individuals."

The northern army would use even the slightest talent to the fullest.

If someone had no talent at all, they would have been filtered out in the large training ground.

"That's right. The fact that you're still here means you have a good chance."

"I secretly saw that other team members were leaving."

"Yes. I heard that more than half of one team left."

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes."

At Jaden's words, the boy's depressed expression began to brighten.

The children, being children, started chatting again and encouraged each other to live well wherever they went.

Seeing this, Jaden also cheered for his teammates and wrapped up his final days at the training camp.

Duke's Eldest Son Runs Away to the Military (10)