WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: HidingTurtle
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◈ How the Child of Prophecy Survives ◈
Chapter 19: Remember Death
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The entire morning was spent on drill training for the Founding Proclamation Day parade. Thanks to the hard training they had received right after entering the academy, none of the cadets made any major mistakes, but the pressure was on a different level.
“You're reacting too slowly because you're trying to copy the person in front of you! Again!”
The disciplinary officers tolerated not even the slightest mistake and pushed the cadets without pause. Even so, not a single cadet complained.
“It's good to see them working so hard. I'm relieved to see that the Cadet Corps is following its commander so well.”
“My carelessness will never cause another problem.”
“Hohoho, when have you ever been careless? I know very well that you're doing your best.”
The academy's principal, Major General Armin Mannheim, and Cadet Corps Commander Brigadier General Gauss Schultz had come to the training grounds in person to observe the drills. With them watching, it would have been stranger to find anyone trying to get away with slacking off.
“You third-years are taking part in the Founding Proclamation Day parade for the third time this year! The third time! There will be no mercy for any mistakes you make! Stay sharp!”
“Yes!”
All the cadets at the Imperial Military Academy trained together for the parade, so cadets from every year, from first to fourth, were present on the training grounds.
“Stop! Stop! Get your heads straight! Do you think your mistakes will be forgiven just because you're young?”
“S-Sorry! We're sorry!”
Naturally, those cadets included the Valtlacher cadets of the Special Training Department. The Special Training Department did not divide its cadets by year. Once they were judged ready for combat, they immediately graduated from the academy and became senior captains.
As a result, young men nearing twenty trained alongside newly enrolled ten-year-olds. Naturally, the cadets who were barely ten struggled to keep up and made one mistake after another.
Above all, the Special Training Department's doors were open to commoners, and even to street orphans and slaves. Since it made no distinction between social classes, there was no reason to distinguish between men and women. Its cadets came from every class, and the numbers of men and women were evenly split.
How well could a ten-year-old boy who had been a slave follow the parade drills when he could barely walk properly, let alone march? After making repeated mistakes, the young cadet was eventually pulled out of formation and dragged away somewhere. He did not return before training ended.
The ordinary cadets had neither a way to know what was happening to him nor any interest in finding out. That was especially true of the first-years.
“The best cadet will serve as the flag bearer during the parade.”
Unlike the other years, which had already chosen their flag bearers, the first-years had yet to select theirs. The honor of carrying the flag representing the Imperial Military Academy's first-year cadets in the Founding Proclamation Day parade was not given to just anyone. Determined to claim that honor, the first-years gritted their teeth and devoted themselves to the drills.
“...”
In that sense, first-year cadet Ernst Krieger, who was barely concentrating on the drills, was a very unusual fellow. To be precise, it was because of the “tonic” he was taking, but still.
With all the Imperial Military Academy's cadets gathered on the training grounds, Ernst was far too curious about far too many things to let this chance pass. His ability to concentrate was also far too pathetic.
Having quickly lost interest in the drills, Ernst restlessly shifted his bright black eyes around. He looked at the cadets from the other years, glanced back and forth between Gauss's smooth bald head and Armin's thick white hair, then closely observed the Special Training Department's cadets.
“You're slowing down! Keep up!”
“Yes!”
The younger, shorter children were sweating heavily just trying to keep up with the marching pace. Since they belonged to the Special Training Department, they were at least Second-Class Valtlachers. Give one of them a Valt battery, and they could kill dozens of people alone, but physically, they were no different from ordinary people.
As Ernst observed the Valtlacher cadets, he discovered the clearest difference between them and the ordinary cadets.
'Fear.'
Through his “games” with Hires, Ernst had learned to read the countless signs people showed on the surface and peer into even their most private secrets. He spotted it at once.
Deep-rooted fear crept across most of the Valtlacher cadets' faces, as impossible to erase as a brand burned into them with hot iron. The only exceptions were the hereditary noble cadets.
'Why? They should have become nobles the moment they entered the Special Training Department.'
Even commoners and slaves became nobles if they entered the academy with the aptitude of a Second-Class Valtlacher or higher. They were granted the surname “Fidus” and placed under the protection of His Majesty the Emperor's authority. Though they were nonhereditary nobles, their status was secure.
'Even instructors and disciplinary officers can't mistreat cadets as they please.'
Ernst narrowed his eyes and studied their faces, trying to read the fear that showed there more closely.
Soon, his well-trained powers of observation allowed him to realize that they were not simply afraid of the instructors or disciplinary officers.
Then what on earth was it?
“Krieger!”
“Yes!”
Ernst, who had been intensely observing the Valtlacher cadets, answered the disciplinary officer's shout at the top of his lungs.
“You haven't seen women for a few days, and you've already lost your mind!”
The disciplinary officer growled at him. Living among nothing but men at the academy, more than a few cadets found themselves distracted by the female Valtlacher cadets.
“I'm sorry!”
Ernst wanted to say that was not the case, but explaining the situation in detail would have been difficult too, so he simply apologized.
“Hehehe...”
“Don't laugh! Do you think I haven't seen your eyes wandering?”
The other cadets, who had been snickering, flinched at the disciplinary officer's shout and pretended to be looking elsewhere. Whatever they pretended, they were all interested in the Valtlacher cadets and had glanced at them several times during the drills. Some really had become distracted by girls their age or older.
“The lecherous Mr. Ernst.”
“You...”
“Pay attention!”
Ernst glared at Robert's snickering whisper, but the disciplinary officer's shout prevented him from doing anything more.
Ernst swore not to forget this. He would save up every offense and pay Robert back someday. Only then would he feel better.
Anyway, Robert was definitely the worst of the lot.
* * *
“The age when a single monarch and their army could wage war alone has long since passed.”
To everyone's great surprise, the afternoon military studies class took place normally in the classroom.
After shocking everyone in the first lesson and abruptly making them fight a mock battle in the second, no one had expected the third to be such an ordinary lecture.
“During its wars of conquest, the Mihanil Empire suffered heavy losses of supplies and manpower. The front was too broad, and the empire could not bear all those losses. Yet the war had already grown too large to stop. Thus, war expanded from the task of the military to the task of the entire nation.”
Thomas discussed the current nature of warfare in a calm voice.
At the start of the lesson, he had said there would be no mock battles until Founding Proclamation Day. Even so, every cadet watched him anxiously. Their last training session had probably taught them that Thomas Koller was a man who valued experience over theory.
The cadets were waiting for the moment Thomas would say, 'And so, while you sit there at ease like this, war will come crashing down on you and kill you in an instant. Would you just sit there and let it happen then, too? Get your weapons and report outside at once.'
And since Thomas was, in fact, enjoying the sight of these youngsters on edge, the lecture was filled with tension as tight as a thread pulled almost to its breaking point.
In the end, Thomas calmly finished the lecture without launching a shocking surprise attack that would plunge everyone into terror.
“I've felt this before.”
“I'm getting déjà vu too...”
The cadets recalled the final battle of yesterday's mock combat training. It was that unpleasant feeling of waiting anxiously for an enemy who should have arrived but never did, unable to relax.
“...I haven't done anything wrong today.”
“Oh, of course you haven't, lecherous Mr. Ernst.”
“It wasn't like that! I was just curious because they were Valtlachers!”
“You were staring awfully passionately for someone who was just curious. Who was it? Who stole our Mr. Ernst's heart?”
“You all looked too! I saw every one of you looking!”
“I never looked.”
“Ferdinand, you looked at that tall older girl too!”
“No, I didn't.”
Having needlessly joined Ernst and Robert's conversation only to get burned, Ferdinand flushed and growled at Ernst.
“You did! Four times in a row!”
“I only looked over everyone once.”
Ferdinand firmly denied Ernst's claim. Yet the back of the fourteen-year-old boy, who had briefly become distracted by the tall older girl and stolen four glances at her in a row, was growing damp with cold sweat.
“Let's stop this and head back to the dormitory. At this rate, we'll be late for dinner formation.”
Only after Wilfried, the sole first-year cadet capable of settling the chaos, stepped in did Ferdinand finally escape Ernst's threat to his honor.
In truth, Wilfried, who had stepped in to settle the matter, also felt seriously threatened. He had not actually been distracted by the girls, but he had been interested in the Valtlacher cadets and had observed them closely.
“Ah, I'm hungry. Let's hurry.”
“Right. We have letters to write too.”
“Oh, right. Letters.”
The cadets chattered as they hurried out of the classroom. Reminded of the letter he needed to write to his father, Ernst quickly got up and headed toward the dormitory as well, bringing the little commotion to an end.
“...So did Hartmann really look at that tall older girl four times?”
“Zimmermann.”
Ferdinand threatened Robert, who was walking beside Ernst and digging up a matter they had barely managed to put to rest. Ernst watched them for a moment, then spoke with a very serious face.
“I'm not certain about that, but I am certain you stared quite persistently at the blonde women, Robert.”
“Hey!”
Robert was so flustered that his usually teasing tongue froze, leaving him unable to do anything but shout.
“...”
Wilfried, who had the prettiest blond hair among the cadets, looked slightly offended. He moved to the edge of the corridor, gave Robert a wide berth, and strode away.
“Th-This is slander!”
Robert looked around and cried out desperately, but the cadets thoroughly ignored him. They wanted to escape the notice of Ernst, that thorough hunter and relentless observer.
In truth, their consciences were not clear either.
* * *
「Dear Father,
Father, it feels as if a long time has already passed since I entered the academy. It hasn't actually been that long, but I suppose it feels that way because so much has happened.」
Ernst carefully wrote his letter to Hires. His quill, cut short so it would not get in the way, was of poor quality. The slightest mistake could send ink spilling out.
Ernst did not want to write a letter to his father on cheap paper, and good paper was hard to obtain, so he had to write carefully.
“Ah, how nice for our lecherous, slanderous Mr. Ernst! He gets to write to his family and invite them!”
Robert, who was thoroughly sulking, said something, but it did not particularly matter.
「I've made a friend too. His name is Robert Zimmermann, and he's a very bad fellow who's astonishingly frivolous and has a gift for annoying people. Unfortunately, we share a room.」
In fact, it might have mattered a great deal.
「We had mock combat training yesterday, and I think I did fairly well thanks to what you taught me. The instructor seemed pleased too.」
Ernst was about to tell his father that Senior Instructor Thomas Koller had changed the rules solely to keep him in check, but decided against it. That would have been too childish.
「Actually, not long after I entered the academy」
Ernst's pen, made from a trimmed bird's feather, came to an abrupt stop. He began to think carefully, then turned his head slightly to look at Robert.
“Wh-What?”
Robert flinched at Ernst's strange gaze.
“Good grief.”
Ernst looked Robert up and down, gave a small sigh, then began writing again.
「Actually, not long after I entered the academy, I got caught up in a minor mishap because of Robert. But I handled it well, and thanks to that, I received three merit points all at once.」
It was true that Robert had caused it, and that Ernst had received three merit points. But even in the kindest light, it had been an incident, not a mishap. It had not been minor, and he had not handled it well.
The diligent boy Ernst could hardly bring himself to reveal the full truth of the incident to his respected father, so he had no choice but to gloss over it like that.
In the process, the letter had turned Robert into a very bad fellow who was frivolous, unpleasant, and dragged his friend into trouble, but that was not important anyway.
「And today, we started drill training for the Founding Proclamation Day parade. I'll be in the same parade we watched together. I've only just entered the academy, but I already feel as if I've achieved something. Of course, I'm always careful not to grow lazy. I'm working hard every day.」
Ernst grew a little excited as he wrote, then felt that his words sounded slightly arrogant and added that he would always work hard.
「They say there will be a party at the academy in the evening after the Founding Proclamation Day parade. We're allowed to invite our families, and I really hope you'll come too, Father.」
Ernst wondered whether he had been a little too hasty in writing that. But Hires disliked unnecessary words, so it would be best to explain his reason for sending the letter quickly.
Had seeing Wilfried's letter, full of flowery language, made him feel a little discouraged?
「I'll be waiting for your reply.
Ernst.
P.S. Are you keeping the house well lit? You aren't leaving the whole place in darkness just because you're alone, are you?」
Remembering his father sitting in a dark room, buried in shadows that seemed about to swallow him, Ernst added the worried postscript.
The ink would need a little time to dry. Ernst carefully reread his letter, checking for any mistakes, ugly letters, or uneven lines.
Fortunately, Ernst's letter looked just like his father's, written in neat handwriting with tidy, even lines.
“So, our lecherous, slanderous Mr. Ernst, just which lady stole your attention during this morning's training?”
As Ernst smiled in satisfaction and nodded, Robert launched another attack.
“Unlike you, who lose your head at the sight of any blonde woman, I was just curious about the Valtlacher cadets.”
“...Isn't blond hair pretty?”
“It is, but so what? Then Wilfried too...”
“Are you crazy? One more word, and it's a duel.”
“Go ahead, if you're confident.”
“Damn it. I'll let you off, since I can't beat you.”
Robert grumbled, then let out a deep sigh.
“So what on earth had you so distracted? I mean, you getting distracted by everything isn't exactly a big deal anymore, but it was pretty serious back then.”
Ernst constantly suffered from poor concentration because of his “tonic,” and Robert knew very well how terrible his concentration was. However, Ernst had managed it well in his own way, so it was extremely rare for him to seem completely distracted as he had during that morning's drills.
His expression settling into calm seriousness, Ernst looked again at the letter he had written to his father. Then he spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper.
“The boy who was dragged away earlier...”
“What?”
Robert, who had been sweating through the drills, had not seen the young boy being dragged away.
Ernst recalled the terrified face of the ten-year-old boy, who had probably entered the Imperial Military Academy immediately after taking his Valt aptitude test that year, and slowly brushed his fingertips over the desk.
“It's nothing.”
Ernst spoke lightly, then focused on folding the letter, its ink now dry, into neat, straight folds.
Yet unlike his light voice, his gaze was heavy and somber.
Ernst recognized the fear in the eyes of the Valtlacher cadets he had seen that morning.
Through their “games,” Hires had taught Ernst many things: the traits of soldiers, fallen nobles, men and women having affairs, thieves, murderers, and more.
That was how Ernst knew that the fear in their eyes was rooted in death.
Just what sort of training were the Valtlacher cadets in the Special Training Department receiving?
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