novelraw Chapter 115 : No Surrender (1)
Chapter 115 : No Surrender (1)
Chapter 115: No Surrender (1)
Michelle’s resolute attitude, coupled with my heartfelt appeal, had shifted the atmosphere in the room quite a bit.
Though there were still no voices of agreement, the sounds of opposition had sharply diminished.
After that, Michelle began to calmly lay out the operation plan step by step.
Those who had missed their chance to leave sat in silence, merely glancing around nervously.
As I quietly observed the scene, Clina suddenly asked a question.
― Is it all right for them to know even the details of the plan?
‘Yeah.’
― They could leak the information to those Dellowell bastards.
‘That’s what I want them to do.’
― …Hm?
‘If we can’t completely filter out the traitors anyway, it’s better to spread false information and create some variables.’
On the way back to Karbenna, I had already gone over this with Michelle to a certain extent.
Both of us were well aware that this place was crawling with insiders.
“You mean we should alter the figures when we announce them?”
“Yes.”
The number of troops the Special Task Force agreed to support was around 200.
In addition, they had promised to supply various military provisions and four secret Artifacts.
If converted to rough numbers, it was enough supplies for a thousand soldiers to hold out for about a week to ten days.
Including Karbenna’s support and Mallet’s own supplies, the Magic Tower could sustain a siege for at least half a month.
‘It’d be troublesome if an informant found out about that.’
That was why I had suggested shortening the duration—to three days.
“With that, wouldn’t the enemy get a bit complacent?”
“Well, whether there’s support or not, they’ll always be fighting at full power. That’s what Dellowell fanatics are.”
“I wasn’t talking about Dellowell, but Bernhardt.”
“……”
One might say it was too early to be preparing for a fight against Bernhardt when we hadn’t even started the battle with Dellowell yet.
Even so, no.
When it came to them, nothing could be overlooked.
While we would be occupied with Dellowell, they’d surely be moving to secure their own positions.
So, we needed to do everything we could.
These behind-the-scenes maneuvers, seemingly trivial as they might be, could very well alter the course of the future.
“For now, let’s make the announcement and watch how things unfold. It’ll help us identify the insiders too.”
“…Fine. Let’s do that.”
Among the plans shared with the relevant parties, the only truth was the number of troops to be dispatched to Mallet.
“We’ll conscript a total of 100 people, combining instructors and cadet candidates. We’ll prioritize volunteers first, then select based on the overall evaluation ranking.”
Some looked as though they were ready to protest at any moment, thinking she intended to drag in underage cadet candidates.
But Michelle spoke over them firmly, refusing even to hear their objections.
“Karbenna’s official statement will be given at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Volunteers must visit the Training Support Office before then to complete the necessary paperwork.”
“……”
“Instructors in charge of each class, please make sure to inform your groups. Assistants, gather the lists through the Cadet Affairs Office.”
After finishing her words, Michelle added one last line with a gentle smile.
“Then, I wish you all good fortune.”
An hour had passed since the discussion at the main hall ended.
Eugene Carter gathered the cadets of his assigned class, 2nd-year, Class 3, in the dormitory lobby.
“…That’s the situation.”
The students stood silently, unable to utter a word.
“Any questions?”
After some hesitation, a few cautiously raised their hands.
“State your name and number.”
“Trainee No.10, Eight! Um… will there be any kind of special benefit for volunteers…?”
“Of course. Anyone hoping to join the Imperial Special Task Force or get a position under Duel’s Magic Tower in the future, speak up. I’ll write a recommendation.”
“……”
“Anything else?”
“N-no, sir! Thank you!”
“Next.”
Once one student broke the silence, the rest began raising their hands one after another.
The flood of questions continued for over thirty minutes.
“Any more?”
When Eugene finally finished answering everyone’s questions, Cadet Candidate No.12, Francia Brida, raised her hand at the very end.
She asked the one question no one else dared to voice.
“…There’s a chance we could die, right?”
It was something that needed to be acknowledged eventually.
And—
“Yes.”
Eugene’s answer was brutally honest.
“Of course, it’s our instructors’ duty to make sure that doesn’t happen, so don’t worry too much.”
Francia looked up into her instructor’s eyes and carefully asked,
“Then… what about you, Instructor?”
“……”
“What are the chances that you might die?”
Seeing the tremor in her eyes, Eugene gently patted her head.
“Thanks for worrying about me, Cadet Candidate Francia.”
But it’s all right.
“At the very least, right now—I’ve got no plans on dying.”
“Right now…?”
“So just focus on keeping yourself safe. Understood?”
No answer came.
Eugene didn’t seem to mind and continued.
“As I’ve said before, no one will force you to fight. The choice is entirely yours.”
But remember this one thing.
“Sometimes, standing and fighting can be the best choice there is.”
With that, Eugene briskly left the dormitory.
His steps were far swifter than before.
The moment he was gone, the lobby instantly erupted into chaos.
“Holy shit, I can’t believe we’re really going up against Dellowell!”
“Hey, Eight! What are you gonna do now?”
“…What do you think? I’m obviously running.”
“Huh? Then why’d you even ask earlier?”
“Can’t even ask a question now? Who the hell would risk their life just for a damn recommendation letter?”
“Yeah, my family would be a hundred percent against it too.”
“They’re even giving attendance credit, so I might as well rest at home for a while.”
“It’ll last at least a week anyway, maybe I should just take a trip somewhere?”
“Oh, a trip? Where to?”
“I heard there are a bunch of new concert halls in Niprel lately….”
Before they knew it, the topic had shifted from volunteering to recommending travel destinations.
Watching her classmates chatter even more excitedly than before, Francia quietly turned and headed outside.
Class representative Chloe followed her.
“Wait a moment, Miss Francia!”
“What is it?”
“I…”
Chloe brushed her lips nervously, then asked carefully.
“I was wondering… if you were planning to take part in this battle too.”
Francia was caught off guard—it was a question she hadn’t expected.
“…Does that mean you are too, Miss Chloe?”
“Yes.”
The two stepped out of the dormitory and continued their conversation for a while.
“Honestly, I’m surprised. I thought you had no interest in this sort of thing.”
“Interest…? No, I don’t, even now.”
Chloe glanced around the empty corridor and gave a bitter smile.
“But still, someone has to do it.”
“They sure don’t seem to think that way,” Francia said, glancing back toward the dormitory.
“…It’s not exactly a normal reaction.”
That was true.
Even the cadets of the Empire’s only Imperial Academy behaved so thoughtlessly—it would make any of the higher-ups sigh in disbelief.
Yet ironically, that was the state of the Ribenia Empire.
Even Karbenna, said to gather the best elites of the nation, was like this.
Those who should truly feel the crisis weren’t students like them, but the adults who ruled the country.
But even those adults had split into factions, chasing nothing but their own interests.
“Instead of waiting for someone else to act and collapsing together, I decided to step forward first.”
“…I see.”
“You think the same, don’t you, Miss Francia? That’s why you’re stepping up like this… right?”
“……”
She couldn’t nod, even though she fully understood.
Because that wasn’t the real reason she had decided to join this fight.
The two parted ways right after leaving Building G.
One headed toward the Cadet Affairs Office, the other toward the Training Grounds.
All the while, Francia was sorting through her own feelings.
The biggest reason she had refused Eric’s offer and stayed in Karbenna—was, in the end, Eugene Carter.
If she had followed Eric and joined the Resistance, she would naturally have grown distant from her instructor.
Though they were both from fallen noble families, he wouldn’t take the same stance as she did.
Their reputations were different, their achievements worlds apart.
Her reluctance to be separated from her instructor was part of it, but more than that—
From the first time they met until now… every step he had shown her kept her here.
Because of him, she had learned the truth behind a friend’s unjust resentment, and who the real enemy was.
He had shown her, through his own actions, choices she had been too bound by fear to see—and led her to a new path of awakening.
Perhaps, for the first and last time, she had met a teacher she could truly rely on.
That thought alone was enough.
Which was precisely why—she could never let him die.
Francia knew full well how powerful Dellowell was.
But even so, giving up without even trying wasn’t something found in Francia Brida’s dictionary.
If she were to stand before the death of someone precious after doing nothing at all—
She knew she would never forgive herself.
After walking for a while, she spotted a familiar silhouette at the entrance to the training grounds.
Francia stopped in her tracks and murmured softly.
“…Professor Rubia.”
There stood—
“It’s been a while, Miss Francia.”
Another potential ally, Rubia Magnus, greeting her with a faint, melancholic smile.
It wasn’t inside the familiar library, but a private meeting at the training grounds.
The two faced each other, each leaning against a wooden pillar.
“It’s the first time we’ve met since the summit, isn’t it, Miss Francia?”
“…That’s right.”
“You’ve decided to join the battle, haven’t you?”
Francia replied with a faint nod.
Rubia gazed quietly for a moment, then looked up toward the sky.
“The truth is… I came because there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
She scratched her cheek nervously and continued.
“Do you remember the time you saved Cadet Eric Halenber?”
“…I could never forget.”
“I’ve been curious—how did you feel back then?”
“How I felt…”
Since she’d never properly recalled that moment before, Francia closed her eyes and traced back through her memories.
After a few minutes, she slowly opened them again.
“…I was scared.”
“Scared that Cadet Eric would die?”
“That too, but… it was scarier to accept that I had done nothing.”
“……”
“So I denied it. I told myself that if I didn’t save him now, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
Then, I saw it—like a flash of light.
It was the vision of someone saving Eric.
“All I wanted was to recreate that sight exactly as it was.”
And as you saw, it was a complete success.
Francia recounted the event plainly, without emotion.
But to Rubia, it was impossible not to notice—
The faint tremor escaping between her trembling lips.
So as a teacher, Rubia bowed her head deeply.
“I’m truly sorry—for placing such a heavy burden on young students like you.”
Still, shameless as it may be, I have to ask.
“Please fight with us, Miss Francia.”
The resolve burning in the woman’s eyes was so much like her own that just looking at her rekindled Francia’s spirit.
Her decision had already been made, but even so, she took a step forward and spoke briefly.
“Of course.”
That was all that needed to be said.
For a while, the two exchanged silent gazes, solidifying their determination.
The sun that had hung high above was now slowly sinking beyond the horizon.