Episode 141. Explosion Plan (3)
‘Damn it!’
Eric’s eyes turned bloodshot as he saw Rubin passing by.
At that moment, Eric noticed Dahlia’s movements. Dahlia was facing the center relatively steadily.
‘There were rules this time too.’
If the square pillars were a kind of terrain, Dahlia was choosing a terrain that suited her and heading towards the center.
Eric eventually changes his strategy to chasing after Dahlia.
Dahlia was aware of Eric following behind her, but she was physically unable to shake him off.
“flag……!’
Dahlia’s eyes sparkled as she reached the center of the pillars.
I looked up and saw a flag planted on the central pillar. From now on, it was important to find the most efficient route to the summit.
It was pointless to follow Rubin. Rubin was jumping lightly, revealing his true nature as an unmanned being.
“Haa… haa… … .”
Dahlia went ahead, Eric followed, and so on for a while. The flags were waving as if they could be reached right away, but the square pillars blocked the way.
If only magic was possible… . Feeling frustrated, Dahlia felt inside, but nothing had changed. The mana ring was still frozen.
Dahlia glanced back.
‘Eric… I’m nervous.’
Eric was still following, but he neither overtook Dahlia nor dropped her.
“… … !”
But at some point, Dahlia felt that Eric, who had been targeting her, was taking action.
It was a point where the path to the flag was clearly visible. Eric was not in Dahlia’s sight when she looked back.
Instead, for a moment, I lost my balance and fell downward, into an endlessly deep and dizzying downward spiral.
“Oh, no!”
I came to my senses and twisted my body as much as I could. Whatever it was! To grab hold of something.
“What! Let go!”
What Dahlia caught in her hand was Eric’s ankle, which was pushing her away and running away.
“Haa… I can’t let go. No, I won’t let go.”
Eric also lost his balance. He moved his legs wildly as if he was shaking off a bug.
“Get off, Dahlia! If you keep doing this, I’ll fall too!”
“I told you I can’t let it go.”
But then a hand grabbed Dahlia’s wrist.
I turned my head and saw Rubin hanging from another square pillar.
“Luden, are you… trying to throw me off?”
Dahlia spoke urgently, but Rubin’s hand began to tighten. He was crushing the arm that was holding Eric’s ankle.
Dahlia screamed without realizing it.
‘As expected, you too… … .’
At that moment, Dahlia thought that even Rubin had become subservient to Eric. At the same time, she remembered the advice she had given Rubin.
The first day of school. That was when Professor Benitez used a quill and a slate to lead a natural conversation among the students.
‘Next time I see you, I’ll bend over backwards to please Eric. This is advice from a classmate… a friend.’
Is this the advice I gave back then coming back to me? Dahlia bit her lip bitterly. In the end, it was like this… … .
“… … ?”
It didn’t fall off.
Instead, his body was being pulled upwards. It was Luden who was pulling himself up.
“Are you saying we should stick together?”
Eric sneered as Dahlia, who should have fallen, settled on the pillar.
“Haa… Luden, thank you. I thought you were going to drop me, to look good in front of Eric… … .”
Whether so or not, Rubin neither flaunted nor was humble.
He just shrugged his shoulders as if it was the obvious choice, as if there was a reason not to eliminate Dahlia.
“Can you walk? Let’s go.”
Meanwhile, the professors and officers watching the end of stage 8 showed mixed reactions.
“Eventually, three of them passed. Eric, Dahlia, and Luden.”
“That look on Cadet Luden’s face! I was so touched! And did you see the strength in his arms as he lifted Dahlia?”
Assistant Professor Quining of Healing Magic was almost tearful behind his large glasses.
Rubin’s decision was equally impressive to other professors, although their reactions weren’t as dramatic as hers.
Keegan, who was happily stroking his beard, patted Benitez on the shoulder standing next to him.
Eric pushing Dahlia, and Dahlia grabbing Eric’s ankle. Even Professor Solana, who found the two cadets fiercely competing interesting, thought this harmonious scene wasn’t all that bad.
However, the officers were different.
“You’re stupid.”
It was a sharp word from Pondrian.
Camaraderie? Fellowship?
The way Rubin showed himself had its own merits. However, from the perspective of a commander’s choice, it cannot be said to be the best.
Because it was almost like losing the victory, and in the end, it was Eric who ended up picking up the flag first.
If it had been a battlefield or a real situation, it could have led to the failure of an important mission.
‘Of course, based on the points earned so far, it doesn’t change the fact that that guy Luden is in first place.’
* * *
-Rubin. Can you come into my inner world for a moment?
Haneke found Rubin.
It was just before the last 9 stages began, and there was an hour of rest. Rubin went to a corner of the testing room and sat down.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
The message could be conveyed through words alone, but Haneke seemed to be trying to show us something by asking us to enter his inner world.
‘I felt something thumping while I was taking the test… I see you were making this.’
The scenery in my inner world had suddenly changed. Where once there had been an endless expanse of natural wilderness, now it seemed as if large-scale construction had been done.
A torn cliff, an overturned land… .
It was all done by Haneke alone.
-I can only use physical force here.
‘It would have been quick if you had told me.’
In his inner world, Rubin was a god who could change everything, be it the terrain or the climate, with just a snap of his fingers, but Haneke could not do that.
‘Last time you created a training ground, and this time you implemented the ‘Battle of Laskien’.’
Rubin looked down the hill.
There was a battlefield in a condensed form, the Laskien Plateau, spread out in small proportions.
-They say that before a war, you make a tactical plan.
‘I heard that the General is the sole absolute ruler of the ‘Battle of Laskien’.’
Haneke stroked his white beard with a pleased expression, without necessarily denying the old praise that still remains in the world.
-I guarantee you that no one in the world can beat me.
‘I’m looking forward to it, Haneke.’
Although the Battle of Laskien is a strategic board game, it is based on actual history.
The Continent’s Warring States Period. When the Lilic Empire was still a kingdom. There were eight kingdoms on the continent, and they actually fought a war on the Laskien Plateau.
A literal war of attrition, with neither allies nor enemies.
That was the motif of the board game ‘The Battle of Laskien’.
-To put it simply, it is a game of chess played by eight people without knowing the opponents’ positions.
However, the concept of 8-person chess was not enough. The pieces in the ‘Battle of Laskien’ were closer to actual units.
Infantry, archers, heavy infantry, cavalry, horse archers, and magic units… … .
The operation of the unit was also based on actual combat, and the unit’s own characteristics were applied. In addition, the influence of terrain and climate was also taken into account.
-I don’t know how the wizards applied this board game to their exams, but I heard that they augmented the actual battlefield.
‘Yes, that’s what I know too. When the commander moves the pieces on the battle board, the actual units move in the same way.’
Naturally, the most mana is bound to be concentrated inside the test magic tool. In the past, it was at this very moment that the magic tool that had cracked eventually exploded.
-What did the report say that you remember? That there was an explosion at stage 9?
Knock knock knock.
Instead of answering, it would be quicker to show him. Rubin chose one of the many objects placed on the virtual battlefield.
As if by some high-dimensional telekinesis, a group of magicians rose into the air according to Rubin’s will.
-Wizard Unit?
‘Yes. The cause of the mana explosion was the magic units mingling together and attacking simultaneously.’
-All at the same time? That probably won’t happen often.
‘That doesn’t mean they don’t exist at all. Just like archers, magic units are also set up to make long-range attacks.’
Of course, in terms of power, they would be dozens of times more powerful than archers.
Haneke nodded as if he understood.
‘They say that the mana of the test magic tools is consumed more quickly when operating and attacking with the magic unit. But unfortunately, the magic unit got entangled with each other.’
With those words, the magic unit’s pieces were added one by one before Haneke’s eyes. There were four magic units in total, each with a different color, representing a different kingdom.
‘If the situation is the same as before, the magic units of the four kingdoms should be in one place.’
-So you’re saying we need to lure at least four countries’ magic units?
‘Yes, that’s right.’
Lure and turn.
It was one of the many tactics used in war. Haneke stroked his beard and seemed to be thinking hard. Rubin thought that it was difficult after all.
‘Will it be difficult?’
-Huh? What?
‘That’s the strategy I was talking about.’
-Luring the magic units of the four countries? No, that’s easy.
‘But why do you have such a worried look on your face?’
-Wouldn’t it be dangerous with only 4 countries? To be sure, we need to lure all 7 countries’ magic units. I’ve been thinking about how to do that. It seems completely possible… … .
As expected, it was a needless worry. Rather, the general was quite excited at the fact that he could once again command his troops.
-Okay, that will do. Rubin, keep this in mind. If you want your plan to succeed, you must first understand my thoughts perfectly.
And Haneke’s subsequent plans far exceeded Rubin’s imagination.
-Okay, Rubin. First, north. Move the kingdom’s infantry this way. And… … .
Haneke’s strategies and tactics were all meticulous and meaningful. They were a series of quick and clean decisions without any unnecessary details.
During the one hour given as a break, Rubin gradually understood Haneke’s tactics. Although it was a short time, at least he was able to grasp the pulse of tactical operation.
After the break, Rubin opened his eyes. All the examiners were coming down to the ground. Soon, they were standing in a line in front of the three examinees.
Among them, Pondrian opened his mouth.
“Thank you for your hard work so far. Now, only the final step remains.”
He then went on to explain the 9 stages: what the ‘Laskien Challenge’ is and why he makes the candidates try it.
“… We have succeeded in materializing this strategic board game with phenomenal magic. Now, you will be dropped into the middle of the battlefield. In this stage, we will test all the abilities you must possess as a commander.”
Then, his gaze turned towards Rubin.
“You have to do your best. Even if you are a magician, commanding a unit is a different matter.”
It was a word aimed squarely at Rubin. The overwhelming appearance Rubin had shown so far must have had the advantage of being a magician.
Of course, Rubin didn’t really care.
“We don’t want you to survive the ‘Battle of Laskien’ to the end and become the victorious nation. In fact, that’s impossible. So think of it as showing your qualities.”
The same was true for Rubin. For Rubin, it was easier to win this virtual war.
“Let me start explaining. This ‘Last Battle of Laskien’ requires at least 8 people. But only 3 cadets survived. The remaining 5 people will be filled by the examiners.”
“Are you also going to participate, sir?”
At Rubin’s cheeky question, Pondrian snickered.
“Of course. I will never forgive you.”
However, Pondrian did not know that he was facing the legendary general of the Empire, Haneke Brion.
