Preparations for training went smoothly under Rivelia’s leadership. Instructors associated with the College strolled around the area with disparaging expressions, ready to criticize at any opportunity. But it seemed Duke Corduroy had given a stern order, and the instructors could only stare menacingly from afar before returning.

The new recruits to Central seemed to be in the middle of their training season, as the training ground was filled with shouts and roars every morning. It seemed the rumours of Isaac have already spread, and these trainees often sent curious looks toward the tent. Those who volunteered themselves for the Directorate of Security went further by approaching the tent, but they could only stare from afar, intimidated by the fierce watch of the instructors.

But even if it weren’t for Isaac, witnessing Rivelia, a living legend within College, was the dream for the majority of the students. Their eyes never left the tent’s direction.

As the days went by and the number of trainees grew, so too did the friction between Isaac and Rivelia.

“Why so?!”

“Because I don’t need it.”

“How could you say that you have no need of lodgings for the trainees! And how can the defensive coat be the only thing we’re giving them! What about all the other basic necessities?!”

As Rivelia pushed on with her argument, Isaac made a brief and annoyed sigh.

“Oi, damsel, I think you are misunderstanding something.”

“… What do you mean?”

“Damsel’s job is to watch me, not to nitpick and nag at everything I do. I will overlook this since the training has yet to begin, but there will be problems if you continue with this attitude once the training begins.”

“…”

Isaac and Rivelia stared at each other, sparks flying. Everyone else watched silently from a distance, noticing the sour mood. Then, Kunette pulled at Isaac’s sleeve and spoke.

“… Isaac, don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. I’m just annoyed.”

Kunette nodded at Isaac’s reply, and Rivelia grit her teeth as she declared.

“If none of that is of concern to you, then I’ll make preparations myself!”

“Whatever.”

Isaac briefly watched the back of Rivelia as she stomped out of the tent before grabbing at his cigarette, when Kunette pulled at Isaac’s sleeve once more.

“… Isaac, are you really going to do it?”

“Hm? What do you think I have in mind?”

“…”

Kunette and Isaac’s eyes met. As Isaac stared at Kunette’s black puppy-like eyes, Kunette turned her head and spoke.

“… I’m on Isaac’s side.”

Isaac patted Kunette on her head.

“Thank you.”

‘I wonder how long that will last.’

Isaac spoke those words in his mind and lit his cigarette. Everything he was about to do was something that needed to be stopped by all means.

“So it begins. I wonder how far I can get…”

“Hm. There’s quite the variety.”

The goods Isaac asked Mazelan to send had arrived, neatly arranged in front of him. Isaac began inspecting the goods. They ranged from pistols to rifles and included its ammo and accessories. 

Kunette and Reisha rushed over to the guns sparkling eyes and started playing with their new toys.

“Isaac, look at this!”

“Hm? That’s a Glock?”

EDN: The Glock is a line of semi-automatic pistols commonly used as a sidearm. Read more about it here.

Kunette handed the pistol at Isaac, and Isaac’s eyes trembled when he received it. It was one of his favorite weapons that he stole from US armoury when the US troops withdrew. 

He killed many with this gun. Enemies, allies, and in the end…

Isaac smirked, shaking off the memories of sergeant Min Won-hoo, who died in his hands. Isaac pulled the slide to check the chamber was empty and handed the pistol back at Kunette.

“… I want to try shooting it.”

“Then shall we have some target practice? Rizzly, put up some boards in the distance.”

Isaac took the Glock from Kunette once again and stood up.

As ordered by Isaac, Rizzly tied a thick board to a tree and walked to a safe distance. Isaac loaded the pistol and pulled the slide.

With a ‘click,’ the gun was now live.

“It’s been a while since I’ve used this.”

So Isaac didn’t even aim with a proper stance, simply raising the barrel to where the board would be and pulled the trigger. He never intended to try to hit the board, and the gun didn’t boast of great accuracy in the first place.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The smell of burnt gunpowder wafted from the barrel as shells were ejected from the chamber.

“Hot! Hot!”

Kunette, who was sticking right next to Isaac with eyes full of curiosity, curled up in surprise while her hands covered her ears at the sound of gunfire, but one of the empty canisters landed in her fluffy fur. Kunette shook off the canister in a hurry.

“Sunbaenim, I want to try shooting it too!”

Reisha came over with bright eyes, her ears seemingly not bothered by the gunfire. In her hands was an M16 and a fistful of bullets.

“Me too! Me too!”

Even Kunette, who was flustered just moments ago, begged Isaac to let her shoot along with Reisha. Isaac briefly taught the two how to place the bullets in the magazine, how to load the gun, how to aim, and then threw the guns at the two to play with on their own.

Reisha quickly caught on as Isaac had taught, but Kunette seemed to struggle greatly due to anatomical reasons. After much struggling, she gave up and sat next to Isaac, enviously looking at Reisha who was shooting the gun enthusiastically.

“Reisha, don’t touch it! It’s dangerous!”

Rivelia, who was elsewhere for her duties, rushed over to the scene in a hurry at the unexpected sound of gunfire. Her face was stricken with shock when she saw Reisha shooting the gun and quickly scolded Isaac.

“W, what is all this?!”

“They are everything I asked for.”

“What are you going to use it on?!”

“I’m going to use it.”

“How can you just say that! Do you have any idea how dangerous these things are?!”

Isaac couldn’t help but burst out in laughter at Rivelia’s scream.

“Are you seriously saying that to me?”

Rivelia quickly realised her blunder and pursed her lips with a red face. To think she was trying to teach an invader, a man who fought in wars, what these things were.

“Just what are you thinking?”

“Hey, damsel. I’ve been telling you time and time again, but don’t think about interfering with what I’m doing. All you need to do is tell the others just what kind of trouble I’ve been causing.”

“That’s not the problem! This place here is the training ground for Central’s agents!”

“Is that a problem?”

“Of course it’s a problem.”

An old man with a sharp, fierce appearance replied in Rivelia’s stead. Next to the old men stood ten or so others. The North Bears immediately gave them a firm salute to show their respect. Reisha threw the gun in her hand in a panic and Kunette growled at them like a puppy would at a foreign object, slowly grabbing at Isaac’s pants.

“Who are you?”

“You don’t know who I am?”

“I see that you’re a man who thinks everyone knows you.”

“How dare you!”

The group behind the old man shouted at Isaac’s insolent response, but Rivelia quickly intervened and let Isaac know who he was.

“That is Duke Lopez, the Chief Instructor of Central.”

“Is that higher than a Director?”

“That’s…”

While Rivelia was at a loss for words, Lopez sighed and shook his head.

“Dear me. I tried my best not to get involved in this as requested by the Queen, but to think I’d hear that abominable sound again on the training grounds of Central.”

“The Queen did? What did she say?”

“She told me it’d be better for my sanity if I ignored you, as you have a special personality.”

“Well she got that right.”

Lopez sent a cold stare at Isaac, who was smirking and nodding at the description.

“Just what are you plotting?”

“I thought the Queen told you to ignore it?”

“…”

The instructors that stood behind Lopez grew furious at Isaac’s answer, glaring daggers at him. Lopez briefly looked at Isaac before speaking.

“Everyone that volunteered for the Directorate of Security are agents who have been trained thoroughly under our efforts. You can say they are already perfectly trained. But the fact that you are training them again yourself makes it sound like our training is lacking in your eyes.”

“I wonder? I can’t say anything since I never watched how you guys train them. But there’s one thing I am sure of. I will train them in a way that none of you can replicate.”

“May I take that as a direct insult to our instructors?”

Isaac looked at Lopez with a smile in response.

“Shall we make a bet?”

“A bet?”

Rivelia wanted to urge Lopez not to take the bet in her mind but couldn’t act so. Duke Lopez was not only the master of all agents of Central, but he was also a sword master and her teacher.

Not only did Lopez have a great reputation, but he had the absolute support and respect of Central’s agents. If she were to intervene, it could even hurt Lopez’s pride and worsen the situation. But that piece of scum never did anything that he could lose out on.

Which was why she herself lived each day paranoid over the bet she made with Isaac. Now her respected master and teacher, Duke Lopez, was about to go through the same suffering she was now, manipulated by that treacherous schemer! She desperately wanted to interrupt, but without a good way to intervene, she could only watch.

“A bet… interesting offer. What’s the bet on?”

Lopez muttered, intrigued by Isaac’s gesture. Isaac answered as he took out a cigarette.

“I will allow the instructors to stop my training if the instructors can replicate my training to the volunteers themselves. If you aren’t confident, then you cannot intervene and can only watch. How about it – are you confident?”

“Ha! I see you underestimate the training curriculum for Central’s agents. Only after going through training that pushes you to the limits and beyond, to the point we have casualties during training, do we produce a single agent. I don’t know what your training will consist of, but it cannot be more perfect than our curriculum.”

“Man, you talk a lot. So what, are you calling it or not?”

“Fine! I accept your challenge. I will shatter whatever scheme you are plotting!”

Lopez declared those words, and the instructors behind him nodded in unison, swearing upon the declaration. Rivelia could only falter with a pale face at what had happened.

As expected of Central’s complete monopoly over the intelligence network, it was only moments before the word spread about the bet between Isaac and Lopez – not just throughout the Campus but to all of Central’s agents throughout the continent.

If it was New Port City, they would have gambled on the many possible outcomes , but this group of elites from Central took it as a mere hobby and pastime and simply tried to predict Isaac’s moves through deduction.

As that happened, the Campus’s graduation ceremony finished, and when the island was empty, those who volunteered for the Directorate of Security began arriving at the Campus. Those who had been assigned to missions on the outside felt nostalgic as they looked upon their former training grounds, where they had once sacrificed oceans of sweat and blood at the mercy of their instructors.

“Ah! Never thought I’d be returning here again.”

“Ah! Reminds me of the old times. It was so hard back then, but now they’re just good memories.”

“Huh? Did you volunteer too?”

“Of course! How could I possibly pass up these benefits?”

“True, I mean you gain the title of a Count the moment you pass, pretty much.”

“Have you got any information on that invader Isaac?”

“… It’s obvious. It’s the same no matter who you ask.”

“That he’s insane?”

“No ordinary man would come up with the idea of burning down a city.”

“But is it true that he is acquainted with the Queen?”

“I heard this from my colleague in the Directorate of Analysis. Remember how Isaac was captured by the demonic turncoats? That lot immediately ran off the information they extracted from his head when we began following their trail.”

“I heard that too. Is it true he managed to defeat tens of combat knights?”

“Seems so. That’s why the Laboratory was in an uproar.”

“I mean, the Laboratory does have that weird sense of pride in being the creators of the strangest inventions of this world. .”

“Anyway, listen here. The Directorate of Analysis came to a conclusion that Isaac could have only done so because he possesses the Queen’s Artifact.”

“Don’t’ we all know of that?”

“What’s more important is that the Queen’s Artifact was safely protected in Isaac’s mind even as the demonic turncoats extracted his memories.”

“He’s perfectly fine after going through that destructive extraction process that even we’re defenceless against?”

“That’s right! And they managed to recover the information they extracted from Isaac from their headquarters.”

“So what did this Isaac fella do in the previous world?”

“Says he was a soldier.”

“A soldier? An occupation similar to ours?”

“According to my colleague, they thought he was normal at first but twisted into what he is now after fighting in wars for too long.”

“Wow! That’s scary! Are we going to end up like him in the future too?”

The veteran agents immediately began exchanging greetings and information with their acquaintances, while the new agents who were close to graduation from College made small groups of their own, leaving behind the cold eyes of the instructors and the troubled looks of the fellow students. They occasionally glimpsed at their senior agents and reaffirmed to each other that they’d pass.

“Look over there. That’s the Rodetz medal that was given to those that participated in demonic turncoat extermination that happened in Arioden Province 7 years ago.”

“You think that’s all? I saw someone with a Laflower medal, given only to those that participated in subduing an angelic turncoat.”

“Man, every veteran here’s at least a team leader or higher, aren’t they?”

“Can we really survive here?”

The new recruits grew more restless the more medals they saw on the senior agents’, a constant reminder of their illustrious careers. Suddenly, one of the new graduates moaned in astonishment and spoke out to his friends.

“Look! It’s Lady Rivelia!”

Rivelia showed herself in the training ground where the volunteers had gathered.

Wearing the Central’s uniform and her sword at her side, not just the graduates but even the veterans couldn’t help but stare at her beauty.

Rivelia got on the stage and announced to the volunteers who were scattered all over.

“I will now begin the entrance ceremony. Everyone, assemble.”

With Rivelia’s orders, everyone naturally shuffled over, maintaining equal distances to each other in all directions. It seemed that this had been drilled into their bodies; it was almost second nature.

Rivelia gave a troubled look at the volunteers who in turn looked at her with eyes full of affection. Some of these volunteers were much more senior than she was.

Some have volunteered because they had no other options, but there were also those that rose up to the challenge, oblivious to everything. The bright, sparkling eyes of these baby chicks were rested entirely on her, weighing heavily on her shoulders.

Suddenly, their eyes quickly refocused, and the volunteers stood to attention without a slightest delay. Rivelia looked behind her to see Lopez and the instructors standing behind her.

It was doubtful they attended the ceremony to decorate it with their wise words. They were most likely here to witness just how well that piece of scum would train their students.

Rivelia greeted Lopez with a slight bow, when some North Bears quickly shuffled over to the stage and placed a table. On top of the table, they began arranging the other world’s weapons.

A commotion grew in the group. The graduates were excited to see the weapons they only saw in videos during their training, while the veterans were puzzled as to why they were here.

“Tsk!”

Lopez licked his tongue, unsatisfied at their reaction. The ground quickly turned silent. This was testament to just how much influence the instructors had over the agents.

“I see everyone’s here.”

Isaac made his appearance, and everyone’s eyes were gathered on him. With a cigarette in his mouth and both his hands in his pockets, he slowly shuffled over to the stage. Everyone frowned at his appearance; he looked like your average scoundrel on the streets. Their eyes then turned wide, seeing Reisha’s beauty follow him, and they couldn’t help but smile warmly at the adorable sight of Kunette rushing to keep up with them.

Behind them followed the North Bears, and Rizzly was holding a large bell.

As Isaac got on the stage, Lopez and the other instructors glared at him coldly. Isaac smirked in return and ignored them, standing next to Rivelia and looking down at his audience.

On the stage stood Isaac, Rivelia, Kunette, and Reisha at the front and the North Bears standing behind them in a line. Rizzly hung the bell he brought on one of the pillars next to the stage.

While Isaac was the subject of everyone’s curious looks, Isaac was feeling very nostalgic at the sight. He remembered the sight of morning assemblies he led after his watch duties during the peaceful days, seeing the faces of his company.

New recruits stiff as a stone. Privates and corporals who had begun to loosen up. Sergeants with their perpetual yawns of boredom. An everyday sight until the war began. Those days were gone, and Isaac shook off the faces whose names he couldn’t remember anymore. Isaac smiled brightly and made his speech.

“Greetings. I welcome you all who volunteered to join the Directorate of Security.”

The audience seemed to gloss over Isaac’s performance without a problem, but those who had suffered under Isaac’s tyranny for a long time couldn’t help but look at him in terror.

Unperturbed by the reactions, Isaac continued to speak with a smile ever-present on his face.

“You will be going through Directorate of Security’s training from today onward to become my most elite agents. If you find the training too difficult, you may simply announce your forfeiture by ringing that bell on the pillar and make your way back. Simple, right? Any questions?”

“I have a question!”

Even before Isaac finished his words, the man who stood at the front of the row raised his hand, and Isaac couldn’t help but feel confused at who it was.

“… Why are you there?”

Isaac never cared about the faces of the volunteers. He never cared for them as a whole. But he couldn’t help but be surprised when he saw who was at the head of the audience.

“It’s to recover my family’s honour and undo the lies that my family had joined hands with demonic turncoats. I am now the only successor to my family, after all.”

Although his choice of words were deferential to Isaac, his tone was as cold and unforgiving as a winter storm.

“Ha. I see you’ve got some balls. Alright. You pass.”

“… What?”

Isaac nodded with satisfaction, and Kainen spoke back, dumbfounded.

“I said you passed. Get out of the line.”

“T, that’s not fair!”

All of the other volunteers complained at Isaac’s decision, and Isaac turned his head to ask Rivelia.

“What are the conditions to be selected as my agent?”

“… They must have your approval.”

“You heard that? When I say he passes, he passes.”

“That’s…”

Everyone begrudgingly glared at Kainen, seeing that a seat had already been cheated from them. Kainen seemed unsatisfied by Isaac’s decision and glared back at Isaac as he announced.

“I refuse. I will gain my seat by competing with my rivals under equal conditions. I have no need of your goodwill.”

“So be it.”

Isaac nodded at Kainen’s cold, sharp shout and turned to speak at Rizzly.

“Hand them out.”

With that, the North Bears began distributing the defensive coats to the volunteers one by one.

“They are going to provide these defensive coats just for training?”

“No. The crystals are manufactured.”

“Then its defensive capability will be horrible.”

The veteran agents muttered to each other, while the new graduates seemed excited that they got to wear the defensive coats that were the symbol of Central agents. After some time, all of the volunteers had donned their coats and were awaiting their next orders. Isaac nodded with satisfaction.

“Are you all wondering how the training will go?”

Everyone focused when Isaac said those words.

“I’m sure you are all aware of the benefits once you have been selected for the Directorate of Security.”

Everyone’s eyes went ablaze with determination at those words. They would never be standing here if it weren’t for those benefits.

“Our great Emperor wished to provide all of you with the benefits and couldn’t help but feel sorry that it was impossible with the current situation of the Empire. So, by scraping together everything the Empire had, only 50 of you can receive the Emperor’s favour. What a glorious honour he has bestowed upon us. So, as a College graduate, rank 1 knight, the Administrator and Lord’s Representative of New Port City, and the Director of Security, I will repay the Emperor’s kindness by reducing the number of those that pass, easing the strain it puts on the Empire.”

Not only the volunteers, but even those that stood behind him sent a look of confusion.

“The training is simple.”

Isaac looked at the weapons arranged in front of him and picked a suitable candidate.

“I will kill you. Your job is to survive. Simple right?”

“What are you-”

But Isaac was a step faster before Rivelia could say something.

“Then let the training begin.”

Tick!

Pulling the pin off the grenade, Isaac threw it into the middle of the volunteers. The recent graduates simply watched the grenade blankly as it traveled in a parabola, while the veteran agents instinctively moved out of the way.

“Get away from it!”

The sight of everyone running away from the grenade was like watching a ripple as some of the slower, inexperienced graduates were caught in the blast.

“Aaack!”

The sudden turn of events thrust the new graduates into a state of confusion, panicking instead of acting. Meanwhile, the veterans demonstrated the difference of experience by taking control of the situation and giving orders.

“Those who learned healing should heal the injured now!”

But Isaac wasn’t the sort to simply watch.

“Now, here’s the next one.”

Click!

Isaac loaded the magazine onto the rifle and pulled the bolt to load it. He then started aiming the barrel at the volunteers, and the veteran agents who were on guard shouted out.

“Everyone get away!”

Tatatata!

Just as the volunteers were about to spread out in all directions at the gunfire, Isaac turned over to Rivelia like a naughty child who had been stopped by his mother.

“I think it’s problematic that you’re stopping me.”

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Just as Isaac was about to direct his fire into the crowd, his gun was pushed up by Rivelia. The two stood right next to each other, perhaps intimately so. But that was not what Rivelia was concerned about at this point.

To think he’d actually attack them. It was fortunate they were wearing the defensive coats despite how inefficient they were; otherwise there would have been casualties.

“You… have you truly gone mad?”

The instructors were just as shocked as everyone else. Lopez especially didn’t hold his fury back, stepping onto the stage slowly. Rivelia quickly realised Lopez intended to kill Isaac and took the gun off Isaac’s hand and blocked Lopez’s path.

“Wait! Master, calm yourself!”

“Do you think this is a scene I should be calm about! How dare he attack my students in front of me!”

Isaac sighed at Lopez’s fury, taking out a cigarette.

“So you’re going to step in? Does that mean I win the bet?”

Lopez flinched, hearing that, and both the instructors and Rivelia’s faces went pale in realisation.

‘This was what he was aiming at!’

Rivelia finally understood why Isaac made such a bet. If he intervened, Lopez had to repeat Isaac’s actions in his stead. If he were to watch, he has to sit and watch volunteers die in front of him. A rock and a hard place. Isaac had sealed the instructors’ fate since the start. 

“This is not training!”

Lopez shouted, and Isaac tilted his head in return.

“Haven’t you heard the phrase, ‘train like it’s a battle, battle like it’s training?’”

“That’s not what that phrase means!”

“How is it any different?”

“What kind of training wants to cause casualties!”

Isaac smiled mockingly at Lopez.

“Hey now, that’s different from what you said last time. Didn’t you say your training is so harsh that some die in the process? It’s the same for me. It’s just that my training is so harsh that they die in droves. Did I force them to do this? I gave them defensive coats to help them survive and even provided them with a bell for those who aren’t determined enough to die.”

“…”

The eyes of Lopez grew colder and colder. After a moment of staring, he spoke in a grim tone.

“Leaving you alive now will cause untold disasters for the Empire.”

When Lopez took one step forward, his body disappeared like the fog. Immediately, a blue barrier was projected from Isaac’s coat, but it was cut into shreds like paper. Just as Lopez’s sword was about to pierce Isaac’s neck, Rivelia’s sword cut in between Lopez’s attack and Isaac’s neck..

“Rivelia!”

Lopez cried out in anger, having never expected that she would ever stop him. Rivelia also cried out desperately with a pained expression on her face.

“Please, calm down master!”

“Why do you stop me! He is a danger to us all!”

“… He’s the Director of Security. What you are doing right now is high treason.”

“Just who here actually accepts that joke of a position that is the Director of Security?”

“… I have no choice but to take that as a challenge to the authority of the Emperor and the Grand Council.”

Lopez could only grunt out one more time in anger when his dearest student was pointing her sword at him.

“Rivelia!”

“I have no choice but to stop you, master.”

Rivelia stepped in front of Isaac to protect him, her hands firmly grasping her blade. She too did not like the current situation, but she had no choice.

“Then try as you might to stop me. I will kill that man for the future of the Empire.”

Lopez declared his intentions, and the instructors stepped forward to join Lopez. Kunette grabbed at Isaac’s leg and growled, and the North Bears transformed into bears to protect Isaac and Kunette. Reisha seemed to hesitate for a moment and then sighed as she stood by Isaac’s side.

EDN: In case you don’t remember, the North Bears regularly take a human form because being in their bear form consumes their mana (ref. Isaac 33).

The new graduates watched the perilous scene in a blank, while the veteran agents were placed in a predicament.

Rivelia’s warning stopped them from taking the instructors’ side. But joining Rivelia’s side was bound to get them on the instructors’ bad side, which would ruin their relationship with all the other agents.

Isaac simply watched the scene unfold as he smoked. He then threw away the burnt cigarette and spoke.

“So you’re going to kill me? I’m sure the Ark Royale has been dying to have some work on their hands.”

Everyone flinched at Isaac’s words. Considering that the Ark Royale’s greatest hobby was taking things out of scale, not only the instructors that directly challenged the emperor’s authority but their families and even the students that were taught under them would be embroiled in a bloody storm at their hands.

Considering they weren’t an organization that could be conversed with, they may even target the students’ families if their fanaticism went out of control. Was that even the worst case scenario? 

Crack!

Lopez’s hands trembled wildly. He wouldn’t hesitate to cut down Isaac if it was a personal issue between the two, but considering that he was the Chief Instructor, the Ark Royale would have many loose ends to tie up.

‘Does he not know the Ark Royale had been reprogrammed? I guess that would be considered top secret. The amount of information he can get while stuck in the Campus as an instructor would be limited too. Is his power lacking in comparison to his title?’

Deducing possibilities from Lopez’s reaction, Isaac grabbed at another cigarette.

“Why don’t you buzz off if you’re not going to intervene? I need to continue my training, and you’re in the way.”

“… Do you really plan on continuing this madness?”

Rivelia shouted out sharply and Isaac sighed before speaking to her.

“Hey, Damsel. It’ll be a problem if you interfere with me any more. Didn’t I tell you before? Just do what you were told to do. Damsel’s job is to watch my actions and report it to your higher-ups. You don’t have the authority to decide what I do. If you want to stop me, bring an order from the Grand Council. You interfere one more time and I’m just going to let go of everything.”

With that brief warning, Isaac mockingly smirked at Rivelia and Lopez before turning to the volunteers, who simply stood where they were. Isaac clapped to gain their attention and spoke.

“Now, now! Shall we continue our training? Ah! I forgot to say this before, but you fail if you leave the training ground. Now, do continue to survive.”

Isaac grabbed at another rifle on the table and loaded it before sending a hail of bullets at the volunteers.

Tatata!

“Aack!”

“Watch out!”

The volunteers scattered across the yard like drops of water on a hot oiled pan. Isaac emptied the magazine in mere moments. He threw a few more grenades before reloading and continuing to shoot away at the volunteers once more.

Having been firing away without a thought, Isaac frowned, seeing that the volunteers were still completely fine after being shot. Even if its efficiency was poor, it was still a defensive coat. He looked around to find something more suitable and found something that stole his heart.

With the bullet storm ended, everyone let out a sigh of relief. Isaac threw away the smoking rifle and shouted at the volunteers.

“Now, we will have a break. Those who wish to quit may ring the bell now.”

“Th, this is madness. I’m getting out of here!”

Some of the new graduates who had been overcome with fear immediately ran over to the bell, fighting one another to ring the bell first.

Isaac snickered at the sight and commented on it to Lopez.

“I guess your training doesn’t consist of camaraderie?”

Crack!

A drop of blood ran down Lopez’s lip as he fiercely grit his teeth.

“When you’re talking about firepower, it has to be the .50 cal.”

Isaac nodded pleasingly seeing the heavy machine gun that was placed one edge of the table. He began feeding the gun with a belt of bullets larger than an adult’s finger. Lopez quickly shouted out in a panic, knowing just how powerful that weapon was.

“You cannot use that!”

Despite Lopez’s outcry, Isaac pulled the bolt to load the gun and began shooting at the volunteers who stood idly.

Tututu!

With heavy thuds, the bullets pierced the weak barrier from the coat and drove into weak flesh.

“Kuaack!”

“No!”

Blood and flesh flew about in the air amidst the screams before Rivelia stepped forward.

“Stop!”

The wave of mana fired by Rivelia cut the heavy machine gun in half, along with the table it was on. As the machine gun was cut in half, one of the bullets exploded and fragments of the gun flew in all directions.

Isaac looked at the piece of metal that floated in front of his eye. A blue barrier held it in place, and Isaac looked down to see the remnants of the machine gun, which was just a handle at this point. He clicked his tongue and threw it away as if his mood had been ruined.

“I’m done. You can forget about everything that happened.”

Isaac passed Rivelia as he grumbled, before Rivelia stopped Isaac in his tracks.

“Is that all you’re going to say? That’s all you’re going to say after killing someone?!”

Isaac turned to look at Rivelia who shouted out in anger behind his back.

“Hey, damsel. Were any of them forced to come here? Didn’t they all volunteer, tempted by the million Giga and the title and fiefdom of a Count? You’re going to have to put your life on the line for such a reward. Well, I guess even that’s cancelled thanks to a spoiled damsel stepping in. I guess it’s just too bad for the dead. Make sure you give them a funeral at least.”

Rivelia shouted out at Isaac’s back who continued to walk away.

“Stop right there!”

Rivelia tried to grab at Isaac, but she was stopped by the North Bears.

“Why are you stopping me!”

“… Don’t.”

“Kunette!”

“… I’m on Isaac’s side.”

“Me too, probably…”

Reisha stepped up to join Kunette’s side with her hand raised. Rivelia looked at Kunette and Reisha bitterly  before shouting out at Isaac once more, who continued to walk farther away.

“This is absolutely unforgivable! I will tell the Grand Council of this!”

Isaac didn’t even turn to look at Rivelia, only waving his hand once to let her know to try her best.