Chapter 224

The beginning of the second semester of my first year, learning about experiential learning was easy. The bulletin boards and online notices were plastered with announcements.

“Is it acceptable to be unaware? They announced it every other day.”

“Right…”

“You didn’t attend class, did you?”

I scratched my head, feeling a little embarrassed by Daphne’s light teasing.

“I did, but I forgot!”

The look I received in return was one of utter disbelief.

I couldn’t help but feel awkward inside.

How had none of the countless Violets paid attention to the announcements?

Feeling the seriousness of the situation, I urgently called for the other Violets.

In the Plaza of the Violet Network, I pointed at the wave of blonde girls who had gathered hastily.

“Alright, as the first Violet, I’m going to set things straight. Who was in charge of the academy? Raise your hand!”

Though it was a nation of Violets, I felt like it was a bit too much and wanted to self-critique.

As I struggled to find the right words to criticize the Violets’ laziness, countless hands shot up from the Violet field.

More than half of the Violets raised their hands.

“Wait, were there this many?”

The Violets in the plaza responded.

“Are you an idiot? The responsibility of the academy was changed every 30 minutes to 1 hour.”

“When it got too boring, it was shifted every 5 to 10 minutes.”

“Oh, right…”

I felt dizzy under the bombardment of their gazes.

As I was too flustered to look around, I suddenly attacked myself.

“Ugh! Who are you to scold us? Think about it, I was just about to give a lecture!”

“You were also playing around with the rest Violets during class breaks!”

“Aah, I’ve been found out! Don’t shoot me!”

I retreated after getting shot by the first Violet.

As the powerless king withdrew, the other Violets shouted briefly but soon began blaming and attacking each other.

“Did you hear that? From now on, focus properly during school hours. Hoo-hoo.”

“You do it too! Take my sword!”

“Eek!”

Seeing that, moderate Violets calmed the others down.

“Okay, settle down! We all share the blame, right? Just focus from now on.”

“Let’s ask friends about the academy schedule and mark it on a calendar!”

“I didn’t know we could do that!”

Once we found a solution, everyone dispersed, satisfied as if we had never fought.

“Violet? What are you thinking?”

The marathon meeting in the Violet Agora reached a conclusion in just a minute.

As the meeting wrapped up, Daphne’s voice pulled me back to reality like an alarm clock.

“Hmm, nothing much. Just had a brief meeting. So, Daphne, can you tell me the first-year schedule?”

“Ugh, fine. Seriously…”

With my roommate’s help, I checked all the academy schedules and marked them.

“Wow, sometimes I wonder why the Violets even came to the academy. Their grades are good, but they don’t seem to study. They seem to train hard but sometimes get distracted…”

“That’s because it’s fun hanging out with friends! The academy food is delicious too. They serve it to you automatically when you go, right?”

“Honestly, it seems like you go to the academy just to eat!”

“Hehe…”

Daphne’s critique was half-correct. The academy food is indeed tasty.

However, our friend was having a hard time accepting the gourmet Violet.

“Violet, since you struggled through the transfer, I think it’s better to take your studies seriously from now on.”

“Okay…”

As I listened to the scolding about proper academy life and the mindset of a student, my smartphone on the desk vibrated.

“Here, Irene’s calling.”

I was inwardly delighted at this unexpected rescue as I accepted the call.

– Remember that thing you left in the dungeon last time? I’ve retrieved it. Come check it out.

“Got it!”

I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe my reaction was surprising, as Daphne questioned me.

“Is it good news?”

“Yeah, you know the Vittorio Dungeon? They said they retrieved something I left there. Let’s go check it out together!”

The item that was reclaimed from outside the dungeon had supposedly been taken out hours ago.

I led Daphne back into the academy.

“Wait a minute, Violet. Don’t we need to go outside the academy to get to the Vittorio Arcade?”

“Are we taking a car or a train? That’s too slow. There’s a much faster method!”

Even with my words, confusion filled Daphne’s face. The way she tilted her head was amusing.

“What on earth are you thinking…”

Muttering, Daphne, who was following my lead, finally looked up at the sky.

A large helicopter was flying towards us.

The Helios logo was clear even from a distance. The rotor blades whirred like a tempest.

– Thwud-thwud-thwud!

“Oh, so that’s why you came here?”

Daphne, holding onto her hair blown by the gust, seemed to finally realize we were standing at the academy’s helipad.

But the surprises weren’t over yet. The girl who stepped out of the cockpit was me.

I was wearing a disguise with a mask and wig, but if you were familiar with me, you’d recognize me instantly.

Unit 1912 waved brightly with a smile.

“Hello, everyone!”

“Violet, no way…”

“I came for a practice flight! Let’s take this to go together. Don’t worry, I brought an instructor along!”

I grabbed Daphne’s hand and led her into the helicopter.

The noise of the helicopter drew the attention of passing students, but I paid it no mind.

As soon as the door closed, the helicopter roared to life and took off.

“Let’s go!”

The landscape around us began to fade away. The city, roads, forests, and hills unfolded before us.

How long had it been? Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed at our destination. The Helios people and Irene were waiting to guide us.

“Seems you’ve gotten somewhat comfortable with flying. How does it feel to soar above the city?”

“It was fun!”

It was my first time flying far after practicing near the airfield.

“I can’t believe you can pilot alone… That’s impressive.”

“Of course! I’ve been doing simulations for 24 hours a day and memorizing the manuals. I’ve crashed hundreds of times, so there’s no way I’m going down in reality.”

“…Let’s take a car back.”

As we chatted, we soon arrived at the hangar.

Inside, two large vehicles covered in tarpaulin were hidden.

“How did they get them out? I thought the federal guys were inside the dungeon all this time.”

“They withdrew since their investigation was complete and there was nothing more to see.”

That was a relief.

“From what I heard from Chief Harbor, the Atlas Clan has been through quite a bit too. I took it on since you requested it, but when a furious federal army came rushing in, I think they hid it well to avoid the hassle of explanation.”

I must remember to thank that unnamed chief from the Atlas Clan when we meet later. Thanks to him, we didn’t lose our friend.

As Irene gave the signal, the workers pulled the tarp away.

Two armored vehicles, covered in dust and bearing numerous knife marks, revealed themselves.

I cheered at their imposing figure.

“Rugilinn’s Iron Fist!”

The Violets in the network rejoiced at this historic reunion with an old comrade.

“Our friend has returned!”

“A comrade!”

Once the workers all exited, Irene opened her mouth.

“Due to the dungeon’s interior environment, there’s no rust or moisture at all. Although the outer armor has started to deform from eroding Ether, the internal mechanisms and weapons are intact. You can use it right away.”

“Hooray!”

I approached the tank and thumped my fist on the armor.

Despite being the smallest class of vehicle used by the federals, it felt sturdy.

While we were excitedly examining the tank, Daphne looked at it with interest.

“I heard they seized the soldiers’ equipment, and it was true. But what did you say earlier? I didn’t catch that.”

“Oh, the name!”

“The name?”

“Yeah, this is the first tank friend of our armored unit. Of course it has a name!”

Unit 1891 excitedly began the explanation.

“First off, this buddy’s name is Rugilinn’s Iron Fist! It’s our friend who first defeated those nasty Vanguard guys.”

Rugilinn’s Iron Fist was the one who first brought down the seemingly invincible Magnavis Vanguard.

That glorious moment came flooding back.

This tank proves that the Violet’s fighting spirit and physical strength are stronger than the elite soldiers fostered by a magician as a personal trainee.

“When you charge in and use it as a shield, they can’t move at all! And then I strike with my sword…!”

As I passionately recounted that honorable battle, I looked forward to my friends’ next reactions.

And they threw unexpected questions at me.

“What did you say earlier…? Friend?”

“Yeah, Rugilinn’s Iron Fist is our friend!”

Irene stared at me with a look of disbelief. Daphne also looked perplexed and asked.

“A friend? But it’s a tank. It’s an object, you know?”

“What’s the problem? Rugilinn’s Iron Fist is our closest friend!”

In an instant, Daphne’s eyes narrowed.

“Closest friend?”

“Yeah, closest…”

“…What about me?”

Daphne’s expression began to darken. Like the moon beginning to obscure the sun on an eclipse.

Sensing some danger, I quickly added clarification.

“Ah, saying closest friend doesn’t mean it’s the closest among cars!”

“I see!”

Daphne’s face brightened as if the shadows had lifted.

Irene, who had glanced at Daphne’s face, hurriedly returned to the main topic.

“Anyway, since you asked me to take it out, I contacted them right away and got it back. As I mentioned earlier, it won’t take much to get it up and running.”

“That’s a relief. Then I should start practicing driving immediately.”

If all goes well, we should be able to properly deploy the Violet Armored Unit for actual combat soon.

“By the way, what are you planning to use the tank for?”

I mentioned the earlier incident with the Ilshimdan guys, along with my unease that the experiential learning was coming up soon.

“Sure, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. But don’t go taking it out for practice. Using cannons is absolutely out of the question. We need to repaint it as if we brought it in legally. Got it?”

“Understood, I’ll be careful during practice!”

We pulled out the manual that Captain Klein had given us after a long time. Soon, the tank raised its previously dormant body and moved forward.

“Advance!”