Ch.123123. Main Scenario – Slaves

Gilbert felt burdened by Seraphina’s gaze, filled with curiosity.

Her question was valid.

Judging by objective standards, Ian was a cadet whose academic performance was top-tier enough to be selected for the student council.

In terms of personality, many people unanimously described Ian as cheerful, kind, and deeply considerate.

In other words, his public evaluation portrayed him as a perfect human being with both skill and character.

To put it differently, there were few people as qualified as Ian to be part of the special detachment for this Slaves communication operation.

Moreover, as Seraphina herself mentioned, since he was on her talent recruitment list, it seemed only natural to select him for this special detachment.

However, Gilbert thought that Ian’s personality might create unpredictable variables.

While he usually concealed that aspect of his character well enough to avoid issues in normal situations, there was no guarantee he would do the same in combat conditions.

Was there a reason they called it “chuunibyou” syndrome?

Driven by a desire for glory or heroic psychology, he might suddenly engage in impulsive actions.

Of course, such actions could be heroic and admirable.

Considering his potential, they might even yield better results.

But what they were doing wasn’t playing hero—it was a military operation.

Not everything would go according to plan, but such judgments should be made by commanders, not individuals.

That’s why there was a chain of command and rank structure.

Making exceptions to this meant a breakdown in military discipline, essentially advertising that the army was nothing but a disorganized rabble.

For these various reasons, Gilbert had chosen Camilla as the final member of the special detachment, despite her skills being somewhat inferior to Ian’s.

Though she too had an unpredictable and bubbly personality, she showed frightening focus and thoroughness when it came to things that interested her.

If this special detachment operation was packaged as a secret mission, Camilla, finding interest in that very aspect, would clearly perform her duties diligently as a detachment member.

All things considered, Camilla seemed more reliable than Ian with his chuunibyou syndrome.

However, separate from that, Gilbert didn’t have the confidence to explain all this to Seraphina.

The image Ian had cultivated was too solid to explain that his personality and unpredictability were reasons for not selecting him for the detachment.

If Gilbert cited Ian’s personality as a reason, it would only appear as if he was making up excuses.

In the end, Gilbert needed to prove that choosing Camilla was better than choosing Ian.

After taking a moment to choose his words, Gilbert presented the most plausible reason he could.

“I believe Cadet Ian certainly possesses outstanding talent. However, Cadet Camilla also has exceptional abilities. Moreover, Cadet Camilla has close relationships with the current detachment members, which would allow for more organic movement during the operation. I believe that the cohesion among detachment members is most important for this operation, as it requires a tight command structure between the main force and the reserve force.”

“One of the reasons Cadet Ian is highly regarded is his ability to blend well with any cadet. Conversely, the reason Cadet Camilla is rated somewhat lower is because she moves solely based on her interests. Despite this, does Cadet Gilbert have a reason why Cadet Camilla should be selected for the detachment?”

Gilbert straightened his posture at Seraphina’s sharp question.

His slightly scattered mind also sharpened, just like hers.

A moment ago, Seraphina had addressed him as “Cadet Gilbert” instead of using the title of disciple. This implied that she was addressing him not as her disciple but as the commander who would lead this operation.

Therefore, it was right for Gilbert to treat her not as his master but as his superior officer.

“You are correct. It’s true that some cadets are wary of Cadet Camilla due to her unique temperament. Conversely, Cadet Ian is followed by many cadets, and his evaluation is indeed superior to Cadet Camilla’s. However, when redefining relationships centered around the current detachment members, Cadet Camilla has closer relationships than Cadet Ian.”

“Cadet Gilbert. I understand what you’re trying to tell me. However, the most important thing in this operation is individual combat power above all else. The meaning of a special detachment is to serve as a reserve force to assist the main force in encirclement and annihilation. As such, if an individual’s combat power is inferior, wouldn’t it be relegated to a lower priority, even if they harmonize well with the detachment members?”

Gilbert couldn’t readily answer Seraphina’s pointed question.

Her words were absolutely correct. Gilbert had selected Camilla to eliminate variables, but from a third-party perspective, Ian was a better option than Camilla.

Even if Camilla got along well with the selected members, it wasn’t as if Ian had bad relationships with them.

In that case, the cohesion with detachment members that Gilbert had been emphasizing wouldn’t be a major issue. Rather, it made more sense to select Ian, who was superior in terms of combat power, as a detachment member.

This was troublesome.

As expected, getting Seraphina’s approval seemed more difficult than he had anticipated.

“Cadet Gilbert. Present me with a valid reason why Cadet Camilla must be selected instead of Cadet Ian.”

Gilbert felt intense pressure from Seraphina, who was urging him without even giving him time to think.

The logic he had initially prepared had already been dismantled by Seraphina’s reasoning. It was unreasonable to continue arguing about cohesion among members.

“The reason I chose Cadet Camilla instead of Cadet Ian is not only because I value cohesion, but also because I considered her family.”

“Family… You mean the Tristitia Earldom?”

“Yes. Looking at the family backgrounds of the current members, we have the Hart Earldom, one of the Empire’s three earldoms, and the Nobilitas family participating. In such a situation, if we exclude a member from the Tristitia Earldom, there could be political issues.”

“Political issues.”

“Your Highness, we are not currently fighting a war that stakes the fate of the Empire. We are merely eradicating parasites that infest the cancerous parts of the Empire. If it were a war staking the Empire’s fate, selecting Cadet Ian would be correct. But this is not the case.”

Gilbert didn’t know much about politics. He was just rambling based on memories of seeing all kinds of political slander stemming from trivial matters.

If this didn’t work either, he was prepared to simply give up and embrace Ian, who was like a time bomb.

His plan had been to bring Camilla into the detachment to facilitate smooth operation execution and promote her growth, but there was no need to force the issue.

Though Camilla might be treated as an outcast now, as long as she continued her training, she would soon proudly join the ranks of the strongest.

Gilbert simply wanted to accelerate that time as much as possible.

“I see. There’s logic in what you say. Having the children of three noble houses as my special detachment would be beneficial in the future as well. Very well. I shall grant your request.”

Gilbert almost let out a sigh of relief at Seraphina’s final approval of the special detachment.

The psychological pressure he felt from her was beyond imagination. He even thought it might be better to fight dozens of giant soldiers instead.

“Then, disciple, form the special detachment as soon as possible by recruiting the selected personnel. The operation begins in three days. You must not take too much time.”

“Understood. I shall take my leave now.”

Gilbert left the office, relieved to have overcome the great mountain that was Seraphina.

Seraphina gazed endlessly at the door through which he had left, then smiled slightly.

“I want to possess him. I want to possess him so badly. Has there ever been anything I’ve wanted to possess this much?”

Her words, dripping with possessiveness, echoed in the empty room. If Yanik, who had temporarily left to prepare for the annihilation operation, had heard Seraphina’s words just now, he would have doubted his ears due to the stickiness in her tone.

But this was an emotion that even Seraphina found difficult to control.

Having lived her entire life without lacking anything, she realized for the first time what it meant to lack something.

It was within reach if she extended her hand, but it would never actually be touched.

As if mocking the thought that she could obtain it by now.

Seraphina gladly embraced this unfamiliar emotion. Having been stagnant because she knew no lack, she began to move forward slowly, enjoying the deficiency given by this burning desire to possess.

She didn’t consider the possibility of not obtaining it.

As always, she would get what she wanted.

Seraphina smiled, thinking of Gilbert who had shown political insight, but then realized that Yanik’s presence was approaching the office.

Her expression returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Soon the door opened, and Yanik entered.

Seraphina greeted him with a benevolent smile.

The expression of intense desire that had surged just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

But that was natural.

It was an undignified appearance that couldn’t be revealed to anyone.

That appearance had to be known only to herself.

***

[The status of “Seeker of Twisted Possession” is changing.]

[Danger level is generated for this scenario only.]

[Current Danger Level: Lv. 1]

What the hell is a danger level?!

Gilbert, who was gathering the special detachment members, was startled by the sudden flood of messages.