Chapter 30
A FEW MORE HOURS AFTER Mira began watching Alfina and the others’ training session, it finally came to an end.
Having observed everything, Mira decided she could very much sympathize with Christina.
“I really understand just how hard you all work day in and day out. It was actually very informative watching you all,” Mira said, reflecting on the day inside the dining hall, which now felt more or less like an assembly hall.
On a side note, likely because the training had been so intense, Helknae and her sisters were once more slumped over the table in the corner. What’s more, Bruce had joined them. Having fought a long and fierce battle against the ashen knight, he too was completely burnt out.
Meanwhile, Mira praised the seven sisters for their hard work and extended her thanks to them.
The one who reacted most dramatically to this was Alfina. “You’re too kind,” she answered, quivering and overcome with emotion. The rest of the sisters all wore contented expressions as well, but they appeared to be eagerly anticipating what Mira might say next.
“So… Now, regarding my findings…”
Even when trying to give Alfina the benefit of the doubt, Mira had found the training to be insanely grueling. And she thought the sheer number of repetitions was its most concerning aspect. She considered it a bit excessive not only with the sword-swinging practice, but with running and their basic drills as well.
Touching on this, Mira suggested that Alfina adjust this particular aspect a bit. She suggested that there was a point of diminishing returns when it came to training one’s body, and that their training would be more effective if they trained in moderation and allotted more time to properly recover.
But, more than anything, it’d become quite clear to Mira just how far ahead of her sisters Alfina was. And so, Mira pointed out that using herself as the benchmark for how many times to perform each exercise was indeed overdoing it.
“You think so…?!”
Alfina had trained her sisters to become capable warriors, and her eyes opened wide in astonishment as she listened intently to what Mira was saying. Then she said that she’d revise their training routine just as Mira suggested.
Hearing this, Christina and her sisters looked relieved that someone had finally gotten through to her. And inside of each of their hearts, they applauded their master’s words as being very well said.
However, Mira wasn’t finished.
“So, once you’ve shaved down how many times you do each exercise, some of your time will be freed up, won’t it? So, with that time…”
From the very beginning, this had been Mira’s true objective. And so, she proposed that they use their newfound time for more meaningful training.
This training would consist of newly formed squads as well as formations. She wanted to focus on her newly equipped armor spirits, which she’d experimented with back at her tower and which she’d tested in combat several times. Mira wanted the sisters, who were something akin to captains, to obtain the relevant skills and know-how that’d help her use these armor spirits more efficiently in squads or battle formations. This had also been one of her main reasons for observing their training.
“First, I’ll have you guys take a look at this,” Mira said, her eyes darting to both sides of the room before she instantaneously summoned three of her signature dark knights. However, these were different from the earlier ones.
These dark knights weren’t holding the black swords that they usually wielded.
Instead, they clutched a long spear, a battle axe, and a bow. Indeed, the armor spirits’ new power was the ability to use new weapons.
The next stage of evolution displayed by the dark knights was the ability to extract power from spirits inhabiting weapons other than swords.
Having discovered their capability to do so after lots of research, Mira quickly went to an old battleground to look for weapon spirits and found three types there.
“I see, is that…?”
When the weapon they used was changed, the way they fought changed as well. And so, while the dark knights looked the same, they were entirely different. Though quite surprised, Alfina nevertheless picked up what Mira was implying.
A battle axe, which was capable of more destructive power than a sword, could more easily break through an enemy’s guard.
Meanwhile, one could keep an enemy in check simply by holding a long spear, which far surpassed a sword in terms of range.
And the usefulness of the bow was already obvious.
Were Mira to employ squads composed of these new dark knights, her forces could certainly execute an even wider range of tactics on the battlefield.
But right now, they were still in the planning stage. In order to have complete control over the force of well over a thousand, she’d need help from Alfina and her sisters, who commanded each squad.
And so, announcing that she wanted to tack on something to their training that involved using the revamped dark knights, Mira took out a book.
“To do that, I made a little request to Solomon, and he prepared something like this.”
It was the special book that Solomon had put together regarding how Alcait utilized their troops. It contained detailed descriptions of the tactics they used, particularly involving the way units operated.
On that note, the ones whom Solomon had asked to help compile the book were Reynard, the knight-commander of the King’s Guard, and his close aid, Joachim. What’s more, he’d even asked the heads of each unit and each squad commander, in addition to Aaron, who was employed as an instructor for them.
The volume, which Mira had casually taken, had been compiled by bringing together the full expertise of Alcait’s armed forces. In other words, it was the culmination of all the tactics and knowhow that they’d come up with up until that point.
“I see… This is…! It’s incredible!” Alfina cried.
After taking the book and quickly looking it over, Alfina seemed to have realized just how valuable the volume was. Her wide eyes showed how surprised she was, and then an eager look flashed onto her face.
It was the kind of look that believed, without a doubt, that they could create the strongest possible fighting force once they’d thoroughly studied those wisdom-filled pages and acquired every ounce of knowledge from them.
“So, what do you think? Would you be willing to give it a shot?”
She was suggesting that they use their forces in a different way. And yet, this was just a proposal, so she looked at the seven sisters to gauge their reactions.
“Let’s do it!” Christina exclaimed, answering before any of her sisters.
She’d likely done so in part because Mira had been the one to suggest it, but most of all, she’d answered so quickly because she couldn’t be sure what kind of hellish training might be added to fill up their newly open schedule. Mira’s proposal clearly seemed to involve less physical exertion.
“In that case, I’ll be in charge of the bow unit,” Elezina added after Christina, agreeing as well.
The other sisters all followed suit. What’s more, strangely enough, all of them seemed to have taken quite a keen interest in the new training. None of them looked displeased and, if anything, they all seemed to be looking forward to it.
Due to the grueling training they’d undergone so far, they seemed to have developed quite a bit of inner fortitude when it came to training. Therefore, so long as it was just a normal level of training, they had the mettle to do it with a smile on their faces.
Though their training for the day was over, everyone still seemed quite interested in their new training, which involved operating their revamped squads, as that was all they talked about during dinner.
While Alfina and her sisters continued chatting about this and that, Bruce, who’d managed to recover while dinner was going on, began leafing through the pages of the special compilation of battlefield tactics.
“…Solomon gave this to you…? Wow, it really is something else…” he said, just about lost for words.
The book contained details on how each respective unit operated, and yet it was clearly much different from other similar books on combat tactics.
“I’ve also dabbled in military strategy from a young age, but it’s my first time seeing battlefield tactics quite this extreme.”
Bruce had originally been the son of a nobleman, and since his father was involved in the military, he’d apparently been exposed to various kinds of battlefield tactics and strategy. However, he continued that this particular text was unique in comparison to what he’d encountered before.
What was unique about the text, which had been created by the leading minds in Alcait’s military from Solomon on down, was that it didn’t seem to care one bit how many casualties were incurred.
The emphasis was on achieving the best possible results, regardless of how many fell in the process. The only goal was victory, no matter how much blood had to be shed.
If some future historian were to see it, they’d definitely describe Solomon as a heartless tyrant.
He seemed willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure victory.
Sensing as much, Bruce shuddered.
And yet, the text had quite obviously been created for Mira and Mira alone.
The tactics described in it would likely never be used for real, human soldiers. They were only feasible if one were to use indestructible soldiers who would get right back up, no matter how badly they were injured.
And indeed, Mira could deploy just such soldiers through her army of armor spirits.
Indeed, all of the tactics outlined in the text had been created on the assumption that they’d be used for those very forces.
According to Bruce, Alcait would acquire a rock-solid defensive force once the tactics were implemented.