Elan and Maxim had both fallen in battle. Almost four companies worth of soldiers—an entire battalion—had been wiped out too, and those who survived had fled in disarray.
The northern stronghold, appropriated by Godolphen and his forces, fell silent upon receiving the report.
Having been “killed in action,” the fallen battalion commanders and soldiers couldn’t be questioned until the scenario was won. Therefore, Godolphen and his strategists only had the broken accounts of those who’d fled to rely on as they attempted to piece together the situation.
First was the battle at the western stronghold. Under Kate Sancalpar’s command, the defenders had assembled a large unit of monsters in the forest, presumably with the assistance of Allen Rovene’s wind magic. As soon as the second company had joined the first in the forest, they’d unleashed them upon the attackers. A stampede—directed by Charme Harlonbay and Larla von Liencoul—had ensued, trapping the companies on all sides. In the chaos, Battalion Commander Maxim Achilles had been quickly struck down by Stella Achilles. The attackers had been forced to prioritize the monsters, but as the monster’s numbers had dwindled, so had their own. No Trouverean soldiers had fallen to a monster, however; instead, whenever they began to gain the upper hand against their new foes, Class A would “kill” just enough of them to push them back to the brink of collapse. By the time the monsters were all but wiped out, both companies had fallen too, save for a handful of deserters.
Then there was the eastern stronghold, defended by a team led by Aldor Engravier. From what they could piece together, the massacre there had been even worse. The companies had been caught in a pincer maneuver, with their only retreat—a steep scramble to the river below—immediately cut off by a further flank attack. A barrage of exploding pebbles had sent them toppling down anyway, with any attempts to regain their footing hindered by the large sheets of ice, likely courtesy of Aldor Engravier.
Despite their attempts to stop, a human avalanche had ensued, sending the two companies to a watery grave. Battalion Commander Elan had quickly surrendered in the hope of avoiding actual injury while thanking her lucky stars that it had only been a mock battle. In a real war, the waterlogged soldiers would have been effortlessly dispatched by a few well-placed archers or mages. Only a few Trouvereans had managed to escape the onslaught.
“How...? In no time at all, they made two perfect traps... How?” Tim murmured, aghast. No one replied. In fact, no one spoke at all for nearly a full minute, until Godolphen finally broke the silence.
“How frightening... Even knowing better, I find myself struggling to believe this is their first defensive battle. They’ve done their research. They studied the terrain, the monsters inhabiting it, everything, and turned it all to their advantage. When you told me Rovene had spent the length of the third scenario gathering materials, I considered it an unusually wasteful use of his time... Alas, he was merely pretending, Tim. In reality, he was surveying the environment, dissecting it into tools to be used as required—and, given how successfully they’ve used it, I can only regard it as time well spent. We both know full well how difficult warfare in terrain like this can be.” Godolphen sighed. “I thought I understood my students much better... They’ve exceeded my expectations by far. Their preparations were meticulous—obsessive, some might say. Combat readiness, indeed... Once again, I find myself caught off guard by the masterful training of Soldo Vineforce,” he finished, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
It was then that Jipro, the third battalion commander, returned from the southern stronghold, having led a second company of reinforcements to assist in the battle there. “I apologize, Sage... The first company had already been annihilated by the time we arrived. While it pained me to allow the enemy a reprieve, I could see that a similar fate awaited us if we continued in their place. We withdrew without engaging, and await your orders.”
Though everyone clearly felt the same reluctant acceptance upon hearing the report, Tim still pressed him to elaborate.
“The only path to the stronghold was guarded by Leo Seizinger...” Jipro replied, frowning. “He took out the entire company by himself, one after another. At first, he was supported with buffing spells from Jewelry Reverence, but she’d already retreated inside the stronghold per Vesta von Stocklode’s orders by the time we arrived, according to the witnesses. Even after defeating over a hundred men by himself, Seizinger doesn’t appear to be tired at all. Seeing that, I deemed further battle futile, and gave the order to retreat.”
Tim rubbed his temples. “Buffing spells...? Fighting under the effects of a buff is no easy thing. Obviously, it means you need a lot less mana to achieve the same result, but it also means you lose all awareness for how much mana you’re actually using, making it a hell of a lot easier to run out... It’s not something that can be mastered overnight, especially since there’s only a few mages who can cast buffing spells in the first place. How long have you had Jewelry and Leo practicing together, Sage?”
Godolphen shook his head. “I haven’t, Tim. I’ve heard that Jewelry could cast such spells, but I’ve never seen her do so myself. They must have taken it upon themselves to practice—I imagine it forms part of their training in the Emissive Magic Club.”
Tim frowned. “First there was Allen Rovene’s wind magic, and now this... Why in the world does that club of theirs have such a terrible reputation, Sage? You could easily dispel the rumors about it if you wanted to, unless...” He narrowed his eyes. “Unless you’re behind the rumors yourself? It’s not hard to think of a few reasons why you’d prefer to keep the true potential of that club and its members hidden.”
Godolphen shook his head again. “I had no part to play in any of those rumors. When I offhandedly mentioned them to the boy, he merely shrugged them off, saying that the masses would tire of the gossip before long... He’s an odd one, Rovene. Most children his age think of little else but how the world sees them, but he shows no interest in the games of society. If anything, he seems to purposefully distance himself from them.”
Tim was certain of it now. Class 1-A’s abnormal, unfathomable willpower was the result of Allen Rovene’s strange influence. They’re not just aiming to complete Godolphen’s challenge—they intend to surpass it... By how much, though?
A flustered messenger burst into the room, interrupting any further musing. “Urgent report for the Sage! An envoy just arrived on behalf of Vesta von Stocklode with a message for you!”
All eyes were now on Godolphen. “Speak.”
The messenger wiped away a few beads of sweat. “Yes, Sage... The message was, ‘We’ve taken 120 of your soldiers prisoner. If you desire their safe return, withdraw your forces and depart Yugria within the hour. If you do not, I cannot guarantee their safety.’ That was it, Sage...”