Chapter 214

“Let me post an illustration of Eli! Please take a look just once!”

******

The time for practice was approaching. Each team moved to their designated positions under the guidance of the professors.

Eventually, all teams arrived at their respective command centers, and as usual, the professors began observing them closely.

This time, it seemed they came fully prepared, bringing snacks like popcorn. The atmosphere had turned into a spectator’s delight.

“I didn’t expect Sivar to enter the command center,” someone remarked.

“Isn’t that what makes it more interesting?” another replied.

At Yeonhwa’s comment, Malboro chimed in. Sivar’s presence was a wildcard in this situation.

Although they piled on restrictions to manage Sivar’s ridiculous strength, Sivar was still Sivar.

It’s like trying to catch a rabbit with a butcher’s knife — incredibly inefficient.

“This might actually be better. We can see just how smart Sivar really is,” someone added.

“The idea itself is brilliant, so it should yield good results.”

“As long as he doesn’t use that brain in weird ways.”

But the professors didn’t seem particularly worried. If it came down to it, the figures in the command center could take direct action themselves.

Most importantly, judging them was quite easy for the professors. Sivar usually received mixed evaluations.

He was smart, but his physical prowess often overshadowed his intellect. A perfect description of Sivar.

In reality, he was incredibly powerful and had a strong tendency to solve problems through brute force.

As a commander, he was an unrivaled sword and shield, but there were times when he needed to use his head.

“Surely, he won’t do anything weird again like last semester? Remember how many reports I had to write after that water torture and bombing incident?”

“Ah, there won’t be anything like that during this practice. Save your worries for the next brawl.”

“Speaking of which, there is a brawl right after this practice, isn’t there?”

As Malboro mentioned the brawl, Sara reminded the group, and an odd tension fell among the professors.

Following this practice, there would be an event to replace the midterms: the duel and brawl. A duel meant facing off against opposing teams.

The high-stakes concern was obviously for the brawl. As the name suggests, it involved teams fighting against one another.

“A brawl… is there anyone in the other class like Sivar? At least someone of Kara’s caliber would be fine.”

“Well, strangely enough, our class has gathered a lot of talented individuals. The other class is just mediocre.”

“I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.”

Outstandingly talented students gathered in one class. Looking at it this way, one could question the reasoning behind such divisions.

But from the academy’s standpoint, it was unavoidable. Classes were sorted based on entrance exam ranks.

Moreover, Sivar was an outlier; the other class wasn’t necessarily weak.

“Oh, but I’ve heard some strange rumors about another class lately. Who was it… Erica?”

“Erica? Oh, isn’t that the one rumored to be Gwonseong’s descendant?”

“Not the Saint’s descendant?”

Soon, professors were collecting the rumors, given that a significant event was on the horizon.

As mentioned before, political tensions run deep among the professors, so they were quite insular.

This meant they only knew about accidents happening in other classes or the exceptionally talented ones, making it difficult to grasp anything beyond that.

Nonetheless, well-known rumors have a way of spreading throughout the academy.

Sivar, for instance, was infamous for various reasons, so information was bound to leak.

“Even last semester, he was just a run-of-the-mill priest, but he transformed immensely from this semester onwards. His fighting style is quite similar to the Saint’s.”

“Could that student be an ordinary person who just transforms?”

“We’ll find out during the brawl. Either way, I believe Sivar will emerge victorious.”

Malboro had strong faith in Sivar. And he wasn’t the only one; others felt the same.

Sivar’s might was something even the professors struggled to contend with. They just hoped he wouldn’t pull any stunts during the brawl.

“By the way…”

Malboro glanced at the observation screen. Each team in the command center began to move.

Kara’s team command center consisted of Karas, Grace, and Sivar.

Meanwhile, the opposing team’s command center included Danyerin and Antonio, along with a wizard.

Overall, the composition of the command center mostly hit its mark, except for Sivar.

Malboro watched the command structure of Karas’s team closely, crossing his arms.

“While he’s with Grace, Sivar won’t create any accidents, right? That’s my biggest worry.”

Malboro pointed out the current hot topic: Sivar and Grace living together.

Other professors also shared their opinions.

“Are you worried about Sivar causing trouble?”

“No. I’m more afraid that other students will cause trouble, especially Luna and Kara. I’ve heard a non-combat major is involved too.”

“Yeah, I think I understand what you mean.”

While it might seem like a trivial concern, Yeonhwa nodded seriously.

The affairs of the world always start from human relationships. When relationships evolve, they can turn into political battles, too.

Especially those surrounding Sivar hold political significance. Well, except for Luna.

“Recently, Kara has been somewhat subdued, but he still retains that fiery side. Remember how he sneakily kissed Grace as a provocation?”

“Still, I doubt she’d mind much. The reason Grace lives with Sivar is due to that incident.”

Normally, cohabitation between the opposite genders would be impossible. Nonetheless, Grace was an exception.

This was also a highly scandalous event for the academy’s reputation, not to mention Grace’s connections.

Had the academy refused, who knows how the Verche Duke’s Family might have reacted? It could reduce the chances for intervention.

“That’s a different matter entirely. The moment Grace crosses that line, the other students will surely make a fuss.”

“Cross the line how?”

“Pregnancy? I’d say sexual relations are forgivable.”

“……”

Godin grimaced at Yeonhwa’s blunt statement, momentarily speechless.

“Why the grim face? Several students have dropped out due to not using contraception. Regardless of anything else, contraception must be a must.”

“Uh… I see your point. But I just can’t imagine Sivar causing such incidents…”

“That’s true. Sivar would be the one getting caught, not the other way around.”

Malboro chuckled at Sara’s apt metaphor. It was painfully accurate, making it hard to suppress laughter.

To third parties, especially those in the know, Sivar was as innocent as a kitten.

He keeps getting into trouble, yet he’s so lovable. The issue is the size and strength of that kitten.

Although he’s no tiger, his aggression level is low. And like any creature, if you touch them first, they’ll get angry.

“It’s like someone adopted a stray cat.”

“Are we calling him a caretaker now? It fits in some way.”

“Still, at least the kid is nice.”

“Nice doesn’t mean he’s dumb. If he had grown up in a typical household instead of the wild, everyone would be drooling over him.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Sara’s words. Sivar was a diamond discovered too late.

If he had grown up in a normal family, the state would have taken action to educate him. Yet he suddenly popped out from the wilderness.

“I’m curious. Why did Sivar’s parents abandon him in the forest? What was their reason?”

“It might not be abandonment but simply forgotten memories. Do you really think a kid can survive alone in the woods?”

“With Sivar’s talents, it doesn’t seem impossible. No one knows how the world works.”

The argument between Yeonhwa and Sara resumed as Malboro let them bicker while keeping an eye on the screen.

As Godin explained, the distance between the command center and the territories was quite far, with all teams still on the move.

“Anyway, let’s see what kind of codes each team has devised.”

“Chances are both teams focused primarily on phonetics for their codes.”

Godin made a precise analysis based on the data gathered from their past exercises.

What mattered more was the rules they applied to create those codes. For that, communication was crucial.

To that end, Godin increased the volume while monitoring their radio transmissions. Understanding what was being exchanged was the priority.

“Hey, baldy. This is the mouthpiece. We’ve arrived at Point A. There’s nothing in sight.”

Luna was the first to start communicating. Her unique pronunciation was notable.

“What… bald? That’s a first for me.”

“Seems they just wrote whatever came to mind.”

“That’s how call signs usually go.”

They brushed off the “bald” call sign. What really counted was the opposition.

“What about the tiger’s appearance?”

“None. It’s completely clear.”

“Great. Secure that point and hold position.”

It was communication between Danyerin’s team and the students below. Their faces were already filled with a nervous look.

“The tiger is probably referring to Sivar, right?”

“For sure. It seems they still don’t know Sivar’s in the command center.”

You’d think that after all the ruckus, they wouldn’t be unaware, right? One might think that.

But there’s also the possibility of bluffing. Logically speaking, it makes no sense.

The professors surveyed each of the teams before looking back at Karas’s command center. What they witnessed was quite entertaining.

“Alright, Sivar. Let me teach you how to write a message. Put your magic power in here…”

“Put my magic power in…?”

Sivar was following Grace’s instructions, inserting magic into the communicator.

As pleasant as it seemed at first glance…

Creak!

“Uh? Why is it breaking?”

Could Sivar’s red magic have exceeded the communicator’s limits? Cracks appeared on it.

Definitely not a good sign, and communication was cut off as cracks emerged. Upon witnessing this, Yeonhwa muttered.

“That was supposed to be expensive… It shouldn’t break…”

“……”

“I’ll go get a replacement.”

Already, another report was added to the pile.

*****

Fortunately, the broken communicator was quickly replaced. Given the importance of communication, they’d supply a new one right away.

Of course, Godin was seen wiping away tears, lamenting about the immense cost and pleading for no further breakages.

Honestly, he hadn’t expected it to break. They had instructed him to put in magic, and that’s exactly what he did.

In the end, I was tasked with eavesdropping or translating the communications. Truthfully, this was my main job.

“Zone 5 is clear. We will capture it.”

“Enemy detected at Zone 2! Team Lion spotted!”

“Understood. Team Two will head to Zone 2 immediately.”

Eavesdropping was incredibly simple. Just using an eavesdropping communication crystal did the trick.

Though it required magic, it was still better than the previous communicator. The magic consumption was notably less.

Thus, even with power input, it remained intact, allowing me to listen in comfortably.

“I’m at Zone 5. Engaged in combat at Zone 2. Heading for support.”

“Great. That means this area and that area are clear…”

When I relayed the eavesdropping results, Karas took command accordingly.

In the command center, they could only determine the situation through communication, making it similar to having map hacks.

For now, they could communicate solely through radio, but once they reached a stalemate and began exchanging messages, things would get complicated.

‘This is cheating.’

They were also using call signs to create confusion as we were.

However, they hadn’t used call signs for the territory names, possibly due to the early phase of the exercise.

The essence of this practice was land capture. The real fight began once it turned into mind games after the stalemate.

“Baldy! Baldy! This is the mouthpiece! One team has fallen! We will retreat!”

“Pfft…!”

A call sign inappropriate for the grave situation contrasted sharply with Luna’s urgent voice, causing laughter to bubble up.

I tried my best to suppress my laughter. Another laugh now could lead to serious repercussions.

“One team has fallen… Speaking of which, what happens if you get knocked out? Nobody told us.”

“Perhaps they return here? That would take some time.”

“Then it might be better to just wipe out in one go.”

As Karas mentioned, a simultaneous wipe might serve as a more effective exercise. It’s often said that respawning could get messy.

The professors’ cleverness was palpable. It looked like an exciting practice was about to unfold.

Bleep! Bleep!

Right then, a peculiar noise filled our ears, prompting us to look immediately in that direction.

Turning our gaze revealed something appearing on the eavesdropping communication crystal, almost like a message.

“It seems they’re sending a communication over there.”

“Indeed.”

Given that they were already sending something, it suggested they were plotting something. I keenly observed the content.

As expected, it was written in code. As Grace saw it, she promptly began jotting it down on paper.

From here on, deciphering this would be our duty and…

[B3 zone. Team Hwarang moving. 10:30 AM.]

“……?”

What’s this? Why is it automatically translating (?)?

I blinked my eyes in disbelief, staring at the decoded message.

It wasn’t even a common language, but somehow, it felt like I just understood it instinctively.

Although I didn’t recognize the call signs, I could read everything else without issue.

‘Oh, come to think of it…’

After some pondering, a thought struck me.

‘I haven’t really seen much of other countries’ languages, have I? Wait, this is code, not language.’

What could it be? In any case, it doesn’t matter.

‘Regardless, this confirms we’re at an advantage.’

We were already getting a leg up in this battle.

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