When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 139

Episode 139

The traditional event for new students at the Royal Academy is a 4-night, 5-day orientation camp. This event involves each class traveling to different locations within the Tashman Kingdom to deepen their class bonds.

At first glance, this might seem like a typical freshman event, but…

“…Isn’t this just a serious military march?”

On the first day of orientation, the new students gathered in the academy’s large auditorium were immediately handed backpacks weighing about 20 kg each and informed of their class destinations.

Even the lower classes, which are the closest, have destinations about 100 km away from the capital. For Class 1, Jez and the others, the destination was set as the Eldoa Lake/Tiris Forest area, about 200 km from the capital.

The Eldoa Lake/Tiris Forest area is a popular summer retreat for nobles and residents of the capital due to its moderate distance. However, it is also known for being a spot where wild monsters appear.

The scenario given to the new students by the teachers was that monsters would suddenly appear at a certain point. They were to go on a rescue mission within two days and defeat the monsters. Reinforcements would arrive in four days, so they were to hold out until then.

Even though it was a scenario, it was an actual combat exercise where they would hunt monsters upon arriving at the site.

The purpose of this camp, being a traditional event of the Tashman Kingdom, was well-known among the new students. It served several objectives:

1. 1. Assessing Abilities: Providing an opportunity for new students to understand their own and their classmates’ strengths and weaknesses through realistic exercises.

1. 1. Setting Goals: Applying significant pressure to make first-year students aware of the heights they should aim for.

1. 1. Early Combat Experience: Giving students a chance to engage in actual combat by having them defeat monsters in various locations. Although many students already had combat experience, this was particularly relevant for exchange students and those aiming for non-combat professions.

1. 1. Domestic Monster Eradication: Using the orientation camp to clean up potential monster hotspots near the capital. This event served a dual purpose by benefiting both the students and the country.

The camp, while relatively low-risk, was a practical exercise that contributed to society. After the orientation, the citizens of the capital expressed their gratitude to the students in various ways.

Students became aware that their abilities and efforts were directly linked to the lives of others. In this sense, it was a crucial event for instilling a sense of responsibility in students who would eventually be responsible for the country’s security.

As for the orientation, it was not left entirely to the students. The 1st Legion, consisting of 1,500 soldiers, provided support.

Each of the three battalions of the 1st Legion took turns assisting with the orientation. A hundred-man team for each of the 10 classes provided support, while five additional hundred-man teams operated in a mobile manner to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

Performance was evaluated based on the time taken to reach the destination and the amount of monsters defeated afterward. The results of this orientation would be used as a reference for class placements in the following year. It was customary for the Royal Academy to approach this with full effort from the start.

Once the 1,000 students from all 10 classes were briefed in the auditorium, the orientation began.

Students were provided with necessary equipment, including a 20 kg backpack per person and 50 military horses with one military carriage per class. Each class then began their respective operations.

・　・　・

The members of Class 1 returned to their classroom for a strategy meeting on the march and other operations. Erin Saylor was leading the discussion, with Miriam joining Erin at the teacher’s desk to guide the debate.

Jez was absent-mindedly observing the classroom from the back window, while Victor diligently wrote in his notebook beside him. Seraphina, sitting behind Jez, was playfully twirling his hair.

“Let’s confirm once more. Our destination this time is the Eldoa Lake/Tiris Forest area, approximately 200 km from here. We need to cover this distance within two days and then spend an additional two days on monster hunting and defense.”

Everyone nodded in response to Erin’s words.

“I’m sure everyone understands, but with the 50 military horses and one military carriage we’ve been given, it’s challenging to cover 200 km in two days with this number of people.”

Everyone agreed with this as well. Typically, infantry using enhancement magic can march 40 to 60 km in a day, while cavalry with magic can cover around 100 km.

Thus, with only 50 horses for 100 people, the maximum distance that could be covered in two days is around 120 km. The choice of destinations for lower classes, like the 10th class, being about 100 km from the capital takes these factors into account.

So, what should Erin’s Class 1 do? The answer is simple.

“As we anticipated, we’ve prepared additional military horses and carriages, mainly through the Saylor and Stonewell families. The costs will be covered by the rewards from the monsters we defeat during this exercise.”

This exercise, being a Royal Academy specialty, sees the students preparing accordingly. The key aspect of the exercise is that “anything that can be used, beyond the supplied equipment, is allowed.” In the Tashman Kingdom, the approach is literally to achieve the objective by any means necessary—if it can be used, it should be used.

Especially for Class 1, which always includes members from noble or wealthy families, such unreasonable challenges are set. Gathering information is also an important part of military exercises. Collecting necessary information from last year’s seniors or teachers was not only allowed but encouraged.

With this background, Erin and Miriam, along with other members, had prepared extensively beforehand.

As the classroom was filled with the atmosphere of gearing up for departure…

“…Uh, excuse me for a moment?”

Victor, who had been diligently calculating beside Jez, stood up and addressed the classroom. Jez found it unusual and also paid attention.

“Considering everyone’s magic capacity and marching speed, even if everyone were to ride and the supplies were loaded onto the military carriage, covering 200 km in two days would be quite challenging.”

Saying this, Victor rummaged through his own bag and pulled out something. It was a different backpack separate from the academy-issued ones.

“So, I’ve brought my special magic potions. Could you all dilute these by ten times and drink them? This should help maintain your magical power.”

Victor then approached the teacher’s desk and handed ten bottles of magic potion to Miriam.

As everyone in the classroom remarked on how impressive the Alchemis family was or how unexpectedly nice Victor seemed, they began to dilute and prepare to drink the potions.

Amidst this, Jez thought he heard a faint, unsettling chuckle.