Gartel shook the protective gear he had prepared in advance on the open field table.

“Last year, there was a case of a cadet dying during sparring. Everyone be careful, and I hope you fully understand the safety precautions.”

“Yes, understood──!”

“Each team come and take your gear. Maintain order.”

The cadets replied in unison, then received their equipment in order.

Perhaps the instructor’s strong warning had an effect, as the children lined up in an orderly manner that hadn’t been seen before.

I wish our team was like that too.

“……”

I scratched my cheek while observing my team members. It was quite a sight. Unlike the other children who were displaying teamwork, the team I belonged to didn’t gather, and everyone maintained their own distance.

“Tch, we could just go get it, how annoying…”

To be precise, Wolf was the culprit.

For the trivial reason that I was a commoner, he took the superior instructor’s orders lightly and moved prioritizing his own emotions.

Crunch!

What a disgustingly repulsive behavior. I clenched my teeth seeing his sneering attitude.

To think there are still such inferior beings in the Empire who put nobility before soldiers, it made my blood boil as someone who respects the pride of soldiers more than anyone.

It’s guys like him who ruined the Empire.

Using connections and money to occupy important positions that incompetent humans shouldn’t hold, and pushing out or eliminating capable talents due to inferiority complexes and greed for power.

Vermin-like bastards.

During the hundreds of repetitions of the Great War before achieving victory, hysteria had built up against incompetent officers.

It was the only type I couldn’t tolerate, even though I made coolness my creed.

“Sigh……”

“Ye-Yena?”

“Hm?”

Erika asked worriedly, probably having seen my deeply furrowed expression.

“Did something happen?”

“No, let’s quickly go get our equipment too.”

“Okay!”

As if nothing had happened, I answered with a smile to her eyes adorned with innocence, and we walked side by side to the table where the protective gear was placed.

I’m glad at least this child is here.

I regained my composure seeing Erika’s innocent face. She was the only cadet I could trust in a situation where I wondered if we could even do team activities.

【Yena Freud】

【Erika von Rosehilt】

Erika and I returned to our seats carrying boxes with our names written on them, and,

Click, clack!

We put them on one by one according to body parts.

It seemed the products were made to fit each cadet’s measurements, as they felt comfortably snug when put on the body. The joint areas moved flexibly too, and the hardness wasn’t bad either.

They used mana stones.

From the smooth surface with a hint of purple color, I easily inferred that the expensive mineral had been used.

“The gloves too…”

They seem similar, but what’s this?

Click, clatter─

The material was the same as the body armor, but uniquely, mana stones were embedded whole near the back of the hand bones.

It was certainly a structure I had seen somewhere before.

“…Ah.”

After some deliberation, I succeeded in grasping a memory that flashed through my mind. It was something I always wore during training in the past.

Probably the effect is,

“For safety reasons, the use of mana is prohibited in this sparring. Even if you try to use it, it’s impossible as long as you’re wearing those gloves, so don’t waste your energy unnecessarily.”

Right, mana suppression.

Gartel, who had just finished inspecting the ranks, introduced the effect of the protective gear. These gloves were one of the essentials for sparring.

Zing, whoosh─

To think the mana gets sucked into the protective gear as soon as it’s drawn up, how impressive. Considering the era, it was cutting-edge performance. Worthy of the reputation of an Awakened military academy, I’d say.

But unfortunately, it didn’t boast perfect functionality.

Because the user was me.

No matter how much of a product it was created by specialized personnel throwing themselves at it, before me who had tested countless weapons, the military equipment of the year 134 was nothing more than outdated.

Whoosh─

Therefore, it was possible to use mana. At best, it was a first-generation item from the interwar period, so it was easy to neutralize.

That’s why I intended to make good use of this loophole.

The fact that only I knew how to break through it held considerable advantage.

Some might ask, “Isn’t it right to compete fairly and maintain manners?” But this isn’t a sports arena. There’s no sportsmanship here.

Either win.

Or lose.

One of the two will be determined as your fate.

“The plan is to select a winner from each team and narrow down the cadets in a tournament format. In other words, the comrades next to you are now enemies you must face.”

Gartel finished the final announcement about the class.

“Then let’s begin the sparring.”

Soon after, he started calling the cadets’ names.

“I’ll beat you.”

“The loser buys lunch?”

The candidates waited for the instructor’s roll call with half tension, half excitement.

“Let’s do well, Erika.”

“Yeah!”

As I tightly tied my ponytail with a string, I hoped that at least Erika wouldn’t be my opponent.

Except for Erika and Rina, there was one opponent I really wanted to fight.

Rustle!

“Be careful, I’ll kill you if we meet.”

Along with the threat dripping with murderous intent, I prayed to meet this Wolf, who roughly stomped the ground with his military boots, kicking up dust, on that marble floor.

It was an opportunity to vent the anger I had been holding back for external reasons by punching his face legitimately without violating school rules.

Even if not, there’s a lot to gain.

If I overwhelmingly defeat Wolf, leaving him in a miserable state, how would Gartel and the cadets’ attitudes change? At least it was clear they wouldn’t look down on me.

My status would rise.

“Yena. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“But you’ve gotten so dirty…”

“It’s okay. We’ll get covered in dirt after sparring anyway.”

I deliberately refused Erika’s attempt to dust me off, and waited only for the moment when ‘Yena Freud’ would burst from Gartel’s lips.

I couldn’t hear anything but Gartel’s voice.

“Bruner and Klein! Lanya and Bell…”

And then,

“Third team! Erika von Rosehilt and Rina Wilhelm Victor Hohenzollern! Wait at sparring ground number 8.”

Finally, as his words came to an end,

“And fourth, Wolf von Streman and Yena Freud, you two go to sparring ground number 10.”

“Hehehe…”

I shuddered and cupped my flushed cheeks.

---

Wolf licked his lips while brushing his bangs.

“Ha, she’s got some pride for her status.”

“Did something happen?”

He chatted with his gang gathered in threes and fives.

“Because of that girl.”

Talking about Yena standing blankly over there.

We’re not of the same level, what was that instructor thinking when he formed the teams? He was quite displeased. At least venting with these guys relieved his irritation.

‘Her face is decent though.’

Wolf quietly suppressed his anger while looking over Yena standing there blankly.

Black hair like obsidian, coldly set eyes that were somehow decadent. Her appearance was not inferior even compared to Rina.

However, she had no manners.

Yena was as prideful as her appearance. Even if a democratic system was introduced and the class system was abolished, there are clear lines that should be kept, but she showed no will to keep them.

“Wolf, you’re right, she does seem off.”

“How did a commoner get in here?”

Wolf sneered as he glanced at his friends who were eagerly tearing into Yena when he subtly directed his gaze.

‘She’s nothing but trash.’

If her talent was outstanding, he might understand, but she doesn’t even have comrades who respond to her surroundings like I do now.

A girl with nothing but looks running around, it was irritating.

On that day when we first met, if she had realized her place and bowed her head in the square, if she had knelt like a proper commoner, she could have had a comfortable cadet life.

‘How foolish.’

Crack, crunch─!

Wolf licked his lips while cracking his fingers back and forth. He intended to make her clearly feel the difference between her and him in this sparring.

Given his kind nature, he wasn’t comfortable bullying a fragile girl like playing with her, but what could he do?

Yena brought this on herself, right?

“Next, Wolf and Yena, enter the sparring ground.”

And who knows. If he shows an overwhelming difference in power this time, maybe even that Gartel, who looks stubborn right down to his mustache, will realize his mistake and change the teams.

“I’ll be back.”

“Hehehe, finish it quickly.”

Wolf answered his guys’ greetings and leisurely headed to the sparring ground. The relaxed atmosphere in his gait showed an attitude already certain of victory.

Thud─ Thud─

“Don’t blame me. You brought this on yourself.”

“……”

Finally reaching the marble-floored sparring ground, Wolf tightened the straps of his protective gear and spoke to Yena.

There was no tension. He didn’t even consider the possibility of losing.

‘Tch, silent again?’

Perhaps because of this, he felt sorry for Yena. From Wolf’s perspective, Yena, who was keeping her mouth tightly shut, looked as if she was trying to appear calm while ignoring the fear that had engulfed her entire body.

If she begged for forgiveness now, he was willing to end it quickly, but since she wouldn’t bend her convictions until the end,

It was pathetic.

“It-It’s starting.”

“Shouldn’t we stop this? Even if it’s training, it looks like someone might get hurt…”

“Be quiet.”

Before long, silence enveloped the surroundings. Without exception, everyone focused on the fight between Yena and Wolf.

More precisely, they were interested in how Wolf would finish Yena. The difference in their abilities was so great that no one suggested Yena might beat Wolf.

Except for one person.

“……”

Rina Victor Wilhelm Hohenzollern.

Despite being the person who knew Wolf’s strength best, she didn’t confirm Wolf’s victory.

No, she couldn’t.

She had seen something. As the only person who had confirmed Yena’s shocking aspect, she merely observed the situation of the sparring from afar.

“Ready──!”

Amidst many conflicting opinions, the procedure continued.

Gartel’s hand went up in the air, and in sync with that, Wolf lowered his upper body, preparing himself thoroughly.

“Begin!”

And the moment the loud voice burst out,

Patter─!

Wolf immediately charged at Yena.