Chapter 562
Mages are, by nature, intelligent people.
No, to be more precise, it is geniuses who become Mages.
Yet, it was amusing how they all shared similar habits.
They showed an obsessive compulsion for encryption and security, fearing that their research might be stolen. It's probably because such incidents were quite common.
Naturally, the places where Mages conducted their experiments and research were heavily secured, and there were so many of them that it would take a considerable amount of time to break into each one.
Debating whether I should call upon Kono Lint, I eventually returned to the Royal Class garrison.
In the end, wandering around trying to pick up on something was the best I could do.
As a result, just like the previous day, I couldn't help but encounter various people from the Royal Class.
"Huh? You're back. Where have you been all this time?"
Adelia, carrying a bundle of something in her arms, looked like she wanted to pat me but couldn't because her hands were full. Instead, she shuffled her feet.
Despite being the core developer of Titan, which would undoubtedly play a significant role in this war, she still appeared clumsy.
Throughout the winter, Adelia would likely be occupied with the maintenance and improvement of Titan without a moment's rest.
Ironically, people like Adelia seemed busier during these days of rest.
Adelia had the talent for summoning magic, but she was, in fact, considered non-combat personnel. Applying magic crafting proved to be more helpful in battle, given the current reality.
Eventually, with both hands full, Adelia glanced at me with an apologetic look and left the Royal Class garrison.
There was no point in following Adelia, as her work throughout the winter would be related to Titan.
As I walked around the tents, I tried to focus on any sounds coming from within.
"Ludwig, even in the capital, there's work you can do."
From one tent, I heard the voice of Teacher Mustlang, whom I hadn't heard in a long time.
Could it be a consultation?
I sat near the tent and focused on the voices.
"You have experience fighting monsters, so you could work as an instructor at a recruit training center, or even teach Magic Body Strengthening to Moonshine users. Both of these would be meaningful, no, very important tasks. You know that, right?"
"Yes…"
Yesterday, Cliffmann harshly told Ludwig to go to the rear lines. He didn't want him acting like a dead man and ruining the atmosphere.
But that was because Cliffmann didn't want Ludwig to die. He knew Ludwig was a stubborn person, and if he genuinely cared for others, he would disappear from their sight.
However, Teacher Mustlang was different.
"Participating in battle and killing monsters isn't the only meaningful work in a war. Quartermasters, instructors, recruitment officers—all of their efforts and support make it possible for the allied forces to move as they do. Who would think their work is not important?"
"Yes, it's important. Of course… I don't ignore or think that they're unnecessary…"
Teacher Mustlang seemed to be trying to comfort Ludwig and convince him that there was plenty of work to be done in the rear, and that those tasks were not any lighter than what was happening on the battlefield.
Ludwig was not without options for contributing.
"Yes, it's important. Of course… I don't mean to ignore those people or think they're not needed…"
It seemed like he was trying to persuade Ludwig with kind words, that there were many things he could do from the rear, and that their tasks were by no means lighter than those on the battlefield.
Ludwig was not without capabilities.
As Teacher Mustlang had said, Ludwig had plenty of experience fighting monsters. Not only in this war, but ever since the Gate Incident, Ludwig had survived nearly three years of battling monsters.
In the end, he couldn't be called anything but a veteran.
Monsters were unpredictable, but Ludwig had seen that unpredictability time and time again, so he could teach it to the rookies and those unfamiliar with fighting monsters.
He could be an instructor, teach Magic Body Strengthening, and even join the Imperial Guard.
In the vast refugee residential area, just one small monster appearing could result in a massacre.
Ludwig, having lost an arm, might have a limited role in the coalition forces facing hundreds, thousands, or even millions of powerful monsters, but in the rear, he could crush such insignificant monsters with his bare hands.
"Return to the Imperial Capital, there are many things you can do there."
Though he couldn't see Teacher Mustlang and Ludwig's expressions, despair could be felt in Ludwig's silence.
The sorrow and guilt of not being able to fight anymore and causing the morale of the people to drop because of his presence.
It was impossible not to think it was cruel.
In the end, Ludwig lost his arm and Delphin died.
But it was a fact that they saved Scarlett.
Everyone knew that but wanted Ludwig to live, so they tried to force him back.
I didn't know what was right.
Whether it was right to let him continue fighting, even if he had to risk death.
Or if it was right to forcibly send him back to the rear, treating him like a burden.
"Ludwig, there's no need to rush your decision. The coalition forces will be staying in Serandia for a while. Going back to the Imperial Capital to cool your head and think slowly might be a good idea."
Telling him not to decide right away but to take his time and think.
"…I'll think about it."
Ludwig wanted to stay on the battlefield, but no one else wished for that.
——
Cliffman's harsh words and Teacher Mustlang's persuasion.
I watched from a distance as Ludwig left Teacher Mustlang's tent with a subdued expression.
What would become of Ludwig now?
It might be better for him to completely withdraw from this fight.
Being reckless, he might die in the very next battle if left as is. I agree with Teacher Mustlang's words that staying in the rear, whether as a trainee, a rookie, or anything else, would undoubtedly be a meaningful task.
Is the original protagonist going to leave like this?
I continued to explore the Royal Class garrison with Ludwig's lonely figure behind me.
Ellen was gone, and Anna hadn't returned either.
I was planning to call Kono Lint soon, but he was also absent from the garrison.
So.
As I wandered around here and there, picking up stories.
"Pat, pat."
Somehow, after some time had passed, he found himself sitting on Adriana's lap, entrusting his body to the caressing fingers that tickled his chin.
"Do you want some?"
-Meow.
As he accepted and ate the thinly torn jerky that Adriana offered…
Am I just a beast now…
Somehow, this side of me is slowly starting to feel more comfortable…
No, it doesn't make sense how I'm so cute just by being alive.
Honestly, did I save someone or establish some kind of specialty in this form? I receive praise just for not dying, for following the allied forces, and for merely hanging around.
How comfortable must the lives of beasts be? Of course, under the premise of being cute.
As if everyone in this position did the same, Adriana had me sitting on her lap, caressing me, but she also seemed to have many concerns.
Her expression was far from bright.
Adriana sat on a wooden box installed near the training grounds of the Royal Class garrison.
Next to the wooden box were the large hammer and shield that Adriana had been wielding so far, leaning against each other.
Adriana, who used to use a sword, was now using a shield and hammer on this battlefield.
Superhumans have abnormal strength compared to ordinary people, so the weight of the weapons themselves isn't a big problem.
There are quite a few people who changed their main weapons to hammers, axes, two-handed swords, or other heavy weapons, including greatswords, as they began to fight monsters, and Adriana was one of them.
The hammer Adriana uses is a weapon that an ordinary person can barely lift with both hands, and even then, only if they are strong.
Adriana fights with it in one hand.
She blocks with the shield, and crushes with the hammer.
Ludwig could probably handle such a large weapon with one hand as well.
The important thing is not whether Ludwig is used to that fighting style, but his gloomy attitude, which makes it seem like he might die in the process.
Everyone tries to dissuade the guy who is bound to become a moth to the flame.
Anyway, Adriana had been practicing her combat skills in the training grounds when she found me and decided to take a break.
"It's quiet…"
Adriana muttered to herself, looking at the peaceful training grounds.
There were people in the training grounds, but it wasn't bustling. After all, the Royal Class didn't have many members to begin with.
"Adriana…"
"Ah, Redina."
When Adriana turned her head to the voice coming from the side, there stood Redina.
Redina sat down next to Adriana with a gloomy expression, and silently hugged Adriana's waist.
As if accustomed to it, Adriana opened her arms and embraced Redina's shoulders.
Redina snuggled into Adriana's arms.
"…"
"…"
Ard de Gritis had died.
The death of a classmate was as shocking to the third-year students as it was to the second-year students.
Without saying a word, the two hugged each other quietly.
They knew that merely bringing up the topic would be hard for both of them.
Redina cried silently in Adriana's embrace, and Adriana, with her eyes brimming with tears, comforted Redina's shoulders.
Tears would easily flow at any time.
It would only get worse from here.
"I don't know what to do…"
"Are you talking about the Cayer incident…?"
"…Yes."
Cayer.
And Redina.
Yesterday, I saw the two of them having something like an argument.
But the situation seemed to have changed slightly from what had been observed.
Adriana seemed to know what was going on.
"If I had known that…"
"…Did you apologize?"
"I did… but I don't know. It seems like he won't even listen to me… He says it's not for my sake that he's doing this… just saying that…"
"Is his life really in danger?"
Listening to their conversation, it was inevitable to understand the situation.
As he charged the Arc Crystal, Cayer occasionally tried to charge mana beyond his limits. This was shortening his lifespan.
It wasn't a problem during normal times, but in battle, urgent situations were frequent. Even knowing he was out of strength, there were times when Cayer charged his mana until he was exhausted.
Moreover, there were many cases where even Redina urged him to charge until he collapsed.
However, Redina did not know that it was shortening Cayer's life, and Cayer did not tell her. If she found out, she would worry needlessly.
His attitude was that he would willingly sacrifice a little of his lifespan if it meant being able to help where magic was needed at the moment.
Redina no longer had any intention of urging or nagging Cayer.
But Cayer wasn't exhausting himself for Redina's sake in the first place. So there was no point in what she had to say.
If Cayer dies, the Arc Crystal will become useless.
Then Redina won't be able to cast magic as freely as she does now.
Of course, it's not like she's crying and leaning on Adriana because she's afraid of becoming useless.
"I don't know what to do…"
Can the two of them apologize and reconcile?
Even if they reconcile, would anything change?
Since Cayer isn't overdoing it for Redina, her apologies and dissuasion mean nothing to him. So even if they reconcile, Cayer will push himself when necessary.
He's not going to die right away, so it's okay.
Even if he pushes himself for a while, Cayer won't die immediately, and that's true.
But no one knows when that "right away" will be.
War takes lives.
And it keeps devouring those who survive.
——
Redina, disheartened, went back after talking with Adriana, who focused on training alone after putting me down from her lap.
I left the training ground and wandered around the Royal Class garrison again.
Perhaps because of winter, or the atmosphere, the garrison was quiet and desolate. The weather wasn't that warm, so it was better to rest in a warm barracks, and there was no need to go outside unless there was a mission.
Anna hadn't returned, and Ellen wasn't there either.
Rather than waiting endlessly for Anna, who I didn't know when she would return, I thought it would be better to wait for Kono Lint.
Somehow, I wanted to use the Kono Lint chance again. He was most likely to appear in the place where he was most likely to come if he returned to the garrison.
The dining tent.
At lunchtime, people couldn't help but flock here to eat.
Both Adriana, who was training, and Ludwig joined the students gathered at the dining tent at lunchtime.
And I, too, waited for Kono Lint to appear among the students, as this dining tent was pretty much my usual spot.
However, something was a bit strange.
The bowl of milk placed before me was just as it was.
Let's say it's fine that Anna and Ellen are not here.
Kono Lint didn't even appear in the dining tent. Let's assume that he had some other task and couldn't come.
I was watching the B-class members gathered around a long table, eating their meal.
B-3, Scarlett
B-10, Ranian Sesor
B-11, Ludwig
There were only three second-year B-class members in the dining hall.
Only three showed up at lunchtime.
There were two casualties in the B-class.
B-4, Asher; B-9, Delphin Izzard.
Dettomorian was known to be in the Imperial Capital.
Charlotte couldn't possibly be here.
The telepath, B-9 Evia, practically lives in the garrison.
It was then that I realized what I was missing.
Since I had only been searching for Anna, I hadn't thought of who else might be missing.
Excluding those who couldn't be here, there were two more people whom I hadn't encountered at all in the past couple of days.
B-5, Christina
B-2, Louis Ancton
Like Anna, I had no memory of ever meeting them even once.
I had been so focused on Anna de Gerna that I hadn't noticed the others.
Let's say that Anna is one thing.
But what about the other two? Why aren't they here?
“Ludwig, what will you do?”
As I listened to Ranian Sesor's cautious question.
I finally realized what I had been overlooking.
If Ludwig were to return to the rear, he would go back to the Imperial Capital, so it's obvious where he would be.
Shouldn't he return to the temple?
The temple.
I need some time to think.
With permission, some students would be able to return to and stay at the temple.
I completely forgot about the soldiers on leave who were directly seen in the Imperial Capital.
I hadn't thought of such a simple thing.
There's no reason for the royal family to conduct secret research in a base with many prying eyes like the allied forces.
The temple is practically empty now.
But it was once the cradle of academia and research, even housing a university.
The facilities would be more than enough.
Rather, it would be incredibly risky to conduct research at the allied forces base, so there's no reason to do it here.
It was a problem that I assumed they would naturally do experiments related to the undead here since they had developed the Titan on-site due to unavoidable circumstances.
If they wanted to conduct secret and discreet research, they could simply do it at the temple instead of here.
If Anna were a research associate, she wouldn't be somewhere in this base but at the temple.
However.
When I thought about the missing people and my speculation, my mind couldn't help but wander in a different direction.
What if they hadn't returned to the temple simply for a winter break but for research purposes?
Let's say that's the case for Anna.
But why Louis Ancton and Christina?
No, in the first place…
Louis Ancton wasn't a researcher on a large project like the Titan. Despite having sufficient skills and knowledge to assist in that research, Louis Ancton wasn't included in Adelia's and the Archduke's project.
So what had he been doing all this time?