episode_0218

On the second day of the new semester, the Violets moved diligently, just as they had the day before.

After washing up and leaving the dormitory, students were bustling about, even though it was early morning.

“Hello!”

When they waved, students who seemed to be upperclassmen responded awkwardly. Everyone was kind, which was quite different from Polaris.

“As expected of a prestigious school!”

Not only that, but in every slightly spacious area, students in gym clothes could be seen diligently training. Everyone seemed to have a great passion for learning.

“It’s definitely different from our old school, isn’t it, Violet?”

Daphne, seemingly thinking the same thing, swept her blue gaze around.

“We should study harder too.”

Something competitive welled up.

“But excessive learning is harmful to Violet!”

If the Violets of the past suffered from human experimentation and abuse, the Violets of today are stressed by excessive studying.

“Must we fill half our day with things we don’t want to do?”

“It’s all because of the dimensional beasts!”

“Let’s bring down the Clan and the Federation! Guarantee Violet’s welfare!”

And only the Violets can protect the Violets.

The majority of our Violets’ bodies are asleep in storage in a state of hibernation. Only Violets with consciousness and self-awareness are active on the network, so there are many who can work.

Therefore, the actual working hours for all Violets are about one to two hours a day. After completing their mandatory labor, it doesn’t matter what they do.

Not only that, but long ago, an unauthorized Violet meeting passed a rule guaranteeing at least 56 hours of rest per week.

“Violet’s human rights must be protected!”

Resting more than 60 hours a week is also an effective way to improve the quality of learning and work.

“Unit 1189! My class is over. It’s your turn now!”

“Understood. Let’s switch!”

Unit 1189, having finished class, swapped minds with Unit 819, who was in the classroom. Unit 819, feeling tired, immediately took out their phone and started a game.

“How about a game of Mafia today?”

“No, let’s play a card game this time.”

In games where cooperation and political maneuvering were important, no one had ever beaten our Violets.

A short while later, after achieving another victory, we smiled. Violet IDs occupied the top 10 ranks.

Perhaps due to combining gaming and studying, the energy consumption was high, and a rumbling sound came from their stomachs.

“What’s for lunch today?”

“Let’s see… The most delicious-looking items at the school cafeteria are pork cutlet and salad. Helios has turkey leg and mashed potatoes.”

“At home, we’ve prepared meatball spaghetti, sandwiches, lots of things anyway!”

“Wow, that sounds delicious!”

When lunchtime arrived, the masked Violets from the Special Operations Department went to the staff cafeteria to pick up the food they had ordered in advance. Employees looked at them with curious eyes, but they didn’t mind. After all, they were the next CEO’s right-hand people for Helios Frontier Service, so who would dare say anything?

“Hehe!”

As they distributed the ordered meals using their inventory and object transmission abilities, a Violet buffet was instantly created.

“Hooray!”

Due to the still chilly weather, few students were eating outdoors, so they found a quiet dining area.

“Let’s eat together!”

“Where did you get all this?”

“I brought it from home!”

Leaving their bewildered friends behind, they pulled out a mountain of food, like Chinese takeout delivery drivers.

“Ah, you got this from our Clan’s cafeteria.”

Irene picked up a turkey leg.

“It’s free!”

“That’s true. By the way, how’s flight training going? Is it going well?”

“Yes! It’s fun!”

Currently, the Violets are rapidly learning piloting skills from flight instructors who have completed a secret oath within the Clan. The problem is that comprehensive training takes quite a bit of time.

Even setting aside miscellaneous things like aviation regulations and immediate unnecessary theories, it takes at least a month for dozens of people to receive accelerated training simultaneously on multiple simulators.

“Why is there so much to learn?”

“Just bear with it a little. This model can be equipped with missiles and autocannons!”

There were many things to memorize, such as navigation and communication. But this much effort was worth it.

“With just this helicopter, we can travel around the world!”

The claim of world travel was an exaggeration, but the helicopter’s performance was remarkable. It could reach anywhere in the Academy City from the Central District within a few hours, provided there was enough time and fuel.

Helios Special Operations Department helicopters fly at 400 km/h. This was an overwhelming difference compared to the powered hang gliders operated by the Violet Army Aviation, which had a top speed of less than 100 km/h.

“We can go to nearby islands too!”

“We should build a helipad at the unmanned island base.”

Excluding Adela Unnie’s family, who possess the Falchion VTOL aircraft or private jets somehow acquired by the scholarship foundation, our mobility is overwhelming.

“Later, let’s buy attack helicopters and gunships too. Or we can borrow them from the Federation!”

Just as they were dreaming of the Violet Army Aviation, lunchtime ended.

**

After lunch, I went through my afternoon schedule with my friends. -Beep! Ping!

At the shooting range, they excitedly hit targets. Nothing much happened there, except for Levi, who was shooting a crossbow with a strange, laughing expression.

“Heeheehee! Heeheehee! Hahahaha!”

“W-what’s with her? She’s scary…”

“She must be crazy…”

Seeing other first-year students whispering, we recalled the intensive training we had given Levi previously.

“Was that a bit too much?”

Thanks to eliminating her aversion to violence and killing, her timidity had gradually decreased, but Levi had been getting stranger lately.

“Well… it’s not bad, is it? In this brutal world, aggression is necessary.”

“That’s true.”

After enduring incomprehensible literature and classical poetry classes in their general education, the long-awaited close-quarters combat training time arrived. According to the syllabus, today marked the beginning of the advanced basic close-quarters combat course for the second semester of the first year.

“Wow… it’s incredibly spacious, isn’t it?”

“It really is. It looks like it would be plenty big even if all of us Violets came in.”

They exchanged exclamations of admiration with their friends as they entered the training hall. Inside, students stood in lines, holding training equipment. Everyone seemed to know each other and were chatting, but to me, everyone was unfamiliar.

“This is the sorrow of being a transfer student…!”

“It feels like I’ve returned to school after a break.”

At that moment, men standing at the front of the training hall caught their eye. Among those who seemed to be teaching assistants, one man particularly stood out.

“That person must be Aegis Academy’s Close-Quarters Combat Professor!”

According to the syllabus, his name was Professor Masus, an expert in close-quarters combat.

Compared to Instructor Frederick, the man in front of them was a relatively young man with a tall build. His short, black hair, sharp eyes, and neatly trimmed short beard at the tip of his chin were noticeable.

‘What’s the difference between an instructor and a professor?’

Now that they thought about it, Polaris had used the terms ‘instructor’ and ‘professor’ interchangeably, but at this academy, all educators seemed to be called professors. They decided to ask the instructor about this difference later.

Soon, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the training hall.

“Alright, everyone, please pay attention. Did you have a productive break?”

“Yes!”

Students responded loudly to his calm yet powerful tone. The bustling training hall instantly fell silent.

Unit 782 waited for his next words, unable to take her eyes off the professor.

“As you advance to your second year, you will now acquire practical combat skills beyond mere basics. You will learn how to subdue opponents and handle crisis situations, and you will learn various combat methods for different scenarios. Through this, you will cultivate the strong mental fortitude necessary for close-quarters combat. Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

A weighty charisma emanated from his earnest tone.

-Thump!

I was startled by the sharp sound of something hitting the floor. Looking around, I saw that all the other students, except me, were gazing straight ahead, seemingly accustomed to it.

‘Is hitting the floor common across all academies?’

“However, words alone are not enough. True skill is honed not at a desk, but in real combat where blood and flesh mingle! This semester, you will also engage in a few sparring matches with me to gauge your abilities.”

The students sighed, as if accustomed to it.

“Ah, again…”

“Please go easy!”

A playful smile touched the professor’s lips as he listened to the students’ light complaints.

“Everyone, do you not trust me? You know very well that no one will leave with a broken bone. I will adjust the intensity appropriately, just like in the first semester. So, charge without hesitation. The results of sparring with this professor will not be reflected in your grades at all, so just attack as if you’re going to die. Understood?”

“Yes! Understood!”

“Excellent! Everyone is properly motivated. Perfect!”

Just as I was thinking that practical education was similar in all academies, another booming shout was heard.

“Then, to commemorate our first class, I will select a student to have a light sparring match with this professor. Today’s first partner is…”

Scanning the student roster, Professor Masus called out a name in a booming voice.

“Violet Ruzilin? Where are you? Come out here. Quickly!”

What a bolt from the blue?!

I was engulfed in shock and shrieked as if I was about to burst.

“H-Hieeeeek!”

“Now, Miss Violet. There’s nothing to be afraid of. This is just a light warm-up. There’s no need to worry excessively. All your friends here lose once in a while, it’s a daily occurrence, isn’t it?”

“E-but…”

At that moment, I saw it: a sneer on the professor’s lips.

“Oh dear, Violet. How will you ever engage in real combat then? Don’t worry. I don’t expect anything anyway. It’ll be over in about 5 seconds. Come out, quickly.”

Annoyed, Violet strode purposefully into the center of the training hall.

“That professor ignored us!”

“5 seconds? Did he say 5 seconds? How dare he talk about real combat in front of us!”

The sound of their furiously pounding heart echoed in their ears.

“Alright, let’s give that professor a taste of war!”

Though they were only first-year students, the Violets were by no means pushovers. Enduring hundreds and thousands of bloody deaths and experiences is what defines them, the killer Violets!

They didn’t know how effective what they had learned so far would be, but they decided to fight their best.

“Yes, I’m coming!”

With a resolute gaze, she clenched her fists. As she stepped forward, contemplating how to fight, Unit 782 suddenly felt offended and pondered how to trick the professor.

Suddenly, a funny idea popped into their head. A brilliant prank, like a lightning bolt, pierced through the Violet network.

“Command! It’s training time with Instructor Frederick now, right?”

For their daily routine, the Violets always had martial arts training in the afternoon.

“Yes, that’s right. But why do you ask…? No way!”

Soon after, the Violets who had received Unit 782’s idea decided to concoct a new prank.

“I’m ready. Let’s begin!”

At the very moment Violet Unit 782 was about to begin sparring with Professor Masus, Violet Unit 1281 suddenly charged at Instructor Frederick during training.

“Instructor-nim! Please spar with me! Hyah!”

“What? You rascal. What are you doing… Ugh!”

With Violets disguised among the training hall crowd watching, the curtain rose on the first sparring match of the first year’s second semester.

“Academy versus Academy swordsmanship showdown, begins!”