Chapter 86
The early morning of the day of the training exercise departure.
I poked my face out from the cotton blanket I was wrapped in, glanced at the still-dark window, and sluggishly got out of bed. After washing my face at the sink installed in the room to wake myself up, I dressed myself appropriately and strapped on my gear for the two-day exercise.
I quietly left my room and walked through the dormitory, mentally reviewing the equipment I had packed in my backpack last night, and touched the dog tag at my neck with my fingertips. It was still unscathed and clean, and the long chain against my skin felt foreign, but I'd heard it would become familiar with frequent exercises and expeditions.
—Creak, creak...
The dormitory was so quiet that the creaking of the wooden floor was clearly audible when I walked.
"......Ellie? And Lilin and Luna?"
Even though it was still the time when everyone was usually asleep, I blinked in surprise as I descended the stairs, seeing my friends standing in their pajamas at the dormitory entrance.
"Ah, Celes! Good morning."
"Isn't it still too early to be up? What are you doing here...?"
"Yes, stop right there! I'm going to open your backpack for a second."
"Ellie?"
"Look at this. I knew this would happen. Ellie, take that."
"Even you, Lilin... Hey, what are you stuffing in there without permission...!?"
Ellie and Lilin quickly approached and slipped behind me, opened my backpack, and began stuffing things into it. Confused, I looked to Luna, who was watching us, for help, but she just smiled and shook her head.
"Um, sorry for all this so early. Ellie and Lilin said Celes would only bring the bare minimum."
It's only a two-day exercise, so isn't the bare minimum enough...?
"This is terrible. There's nothing but equipment in here."
"I thought at least a change of shirts or a towel would be in here... but there's nothing."
"There's water at the camp, right?"
"We're supposed to camp near a river, aren't we? So there's definitely water."
"And yet... you didn't even bring a towel."
"Ah, maybe that thing covering the equipment is a towel."
"You've got to be kidding..."
Behind me, Lilin and Ellie were whispering, but I could hear every word.
Scolded by my friends from the morning, I left the dorm with the daily necessities they had packed into my backpack.
Though it had been hot and humid for days, today the sky was covered in gray clouds, and it felt a bit cooler. Even if it's just one night, not being able to bathe makes cooler weather preferable, I thought, smiling as I jogged toward the iron gate, the meeting point.
"......Hm?"
As I walked past the school building and down the tree-lined path, I saw a figure at the edge of the road.
At this time of day, only students participating in the training or instructors would be walking this path.
There was still time before the meeting, but as I wondered what they were doing standing at the edge of the road, the moment I recognized who it was, my eyes widened and I ran toward the figure.
"Renato."
"Celes...! I'm glad I caught you. You're starting the training today, right? So I came to see you off."
First Ellie and the others, and now Renato this early in the morning—am I heading to a battlefield instead of a training exercise...?
"It's just one night, though?"
"I know, but I had this strange feeling and got worried."
"A strange feeling?"
"Ah, I didn't mean to make you anxious, it's just, uh, I was worried..."
Watching Renato mumble and repeat the word "worried" made me smile.
"You don't need to worry so much. The training is just a few kilometers outside the city, and each group has an instructor. Besides, we're not moving in separate groups this time, we're all moving together, so I won't be isolated."
"Even so, I'm still worried."
Maybe it's because he's growing, but Renato had gotten taller than me over the past few months. His once-adorable face was now becoming beautiful like a piece of art.
And yet, with his teary eyes and tilted head, he looked like a puppy, and I couldn't help but reach out and pat his head—this kid is just too charming.
"So, here, take this..."
He handed me something wrapped in cloth. I opened it and pulled out a small dagger from its sheath, my eyes widening. The blade was black, thin, and light—more like a knife than a dagger. It was clearly different from the daggers issued at the fortress or military school.
"What is this?"
"I heard it's a prototype of a new weapon the Marshal is having made."
"Grandfather..."
I remembered Father saying that rare metals were being mined, and wondered if this was one of them. I held the dagger above my head, examining it from every angle.
It was thin and light, but there's no way Grandfather would have a weak weapon made, so even as a prototype, it's probably not much different from the standard daggers.
"It's small, so you can attach it to your leg instead of your waist. It's sharp and rust-resistant, so I thought it might come in handy if something happens..."
"Is it really okay for me to borrow this?"
"Yeah. Just don't get hurt and come back safely."
"......"
"Celes?"
Renato's tearful, pleading expression overlapped with the image of the ladies in town seeing off their husbands heading out as scouts to other countries.
"......No, I just felt like I'd become a soldier heading to the front lines."
Maybe that's why my inner thoughts accidentally slipped out of my mouth.
"Eh, h-husband...? You, Celes? Then that means I'm...!?"
"So when I come back, will I get a hug?"
"......A hug..."
I lightly tapped Renato's shoulder, his face flushed red, and said "I'm off" as I headed toward the iron gate. In response to the "Take care!" I heard from behind, I raised my hand, stifling a laugh at how typical that was of him.
"A prototype, huh..."
I spun the dagger once in my hand, then slipped it into the thin belt strapped to my left thigh.
※※※
Since this is our first training exercise, we've been assigned into groups in advance, but we're not acting separately—we'll be moving together. It was explained that once we get used to the exercises, we'll transition to group activities.
My training group consists of my buddy Finn, Sil, and Severi. Also, each group will have one instructor, making a total of five members.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
More than half the students had already gathered at the iron gate, and after glancing around, I ran over to Finn, Sil, and Severi, who were standing in the shade of a tree.
"It's fine. We just got here too. Roll call starts five minutes before the meeting time."
"Good, we still have time then."
"It's rare for you to be late, Celes. Did something happen?"
"Was I really late?"
"Normally, you'd arrive before us, you know, Severino said so."
"Severi did?"
"Severi said Celes was still asleep."
Who would oversleep... I glared at Severi, who casually replied, "I was just worried."
"Ellie and the others added more stuff to my bag at the dorm, and I ran into Renato on the way here."
"Well, knowing it's you, Celes, I'd be worried about your luggage too."
Watching Finn and Severi nod at Sil's words, I started to wonder what they really thought of me.
"So, that prince was lying in wait for Celes this early in the morning, huh?"
"Silvio, that's not how you say it... He came to see her off."
"Not knowing when she'd pass by, he must've been waiting from a really early hour, right? Wow, he's so devoted, that prince."
"Unlike Severi, he genuinely seemed worried about me."
"I was genuinely worried about you oversleeping t—mmph!"
"Severino, I think you should be quiet for a bit."
"Mmph, mmph...!"
"You always say one thing too many."
Finn restrained the struggling Severi with one hand and covered his mouth with the other. Sil pointed and laughed at the two of them. While the others waited with tense expressions, these three seemed completely carefree.
"You all look like you're having fun."
"......Instructor Doan."
As I watched the three of them, Instructor Doan suddenly popped up from the side.
"Good morning. Looking forward to working with you starting today."
Speaking loud enough for the three to hear, Instructor Doan is the instructor in charge of our training group.
I heard he injured his arm last year, and though it healed, he didn't return to the military and instead became an instructor at the military school.
He's still young, with a gentle demeanor and a good reputation among the students. Since he's close in age, many look up to him like an older brother.
The day after we first met him, Sil somehow gathered information about Instructor Doan and told us.
"It's been a while since we met. Once again, I'm Doan, the instructor supporting your training group. I'm from the countryside, so I never imagined I'd be in charge of such amazing students. I'm still new as an instructor, but let's do our best together."
Instructor Doan smiled cheerfully, looking slightly bashful. That smile alone showed why he was so well-liked by students.
"After roll call, we'll leave the city and walk to the campsite several dozen kilometers away. Along with your own gear, each of you will carry one of those bags over there."
At the spot Instructor Doan pointed to, there were several long bags laid out.
"They look heavy... those bags."
"They are heavy."
In response to Sil's reluctant mutter, Instructor Doan replied with a serious face, then added with a grin, "But—"
"They're filled with supplies, so by the time we're heading back, the contents will be gone. Thinking of it that way, doesn't it feel more manageable?"
"True, I guess?"
If someone can handle Sil like that, then we can feel at ease—Severi and I exchanged glances and nodded.
"Finn... ah, huh?"
Thinking Finn, who's always teased by Sil, must also be relieved, I turned around—only to find Instructor Tseri standing next to Finn for some reason.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Ah, yes."
"I see, that's good. I'll be counting on you for the next two days."
Instructor Tseri said a greeting similar to what Instructor Doan had said earlier. Feeling something was off, I looked to Finn for answers, but he too looked shaken and avoided eye contact.
We had heard they would participate in the training, but this makes it seem like they're going to accompany us directly...
Maybe Instructor Doan thought the same, because he looked clearly confused and said, "Instructor Tseri?"
"Ah, Instructor Doan, right? Just like you, I've also been assigned to this group, so I'll be in your care."
"...Um, I wasn't told anything about this."
"Apparently it was decided last night. You see, these students are among the highest-ranking in the class, right? If anything were to happen, some terrifying man from the Fortress might storm in. That's why I was told to join this group too."
Instructor Doan frowned for a moment at Instructor Tseri's joking tone, then said, "I'll go confirm," and ran off toward where the instructors were gathered.
"So, that's why I'll be accompanying your group as well."
"What about the other groups?"
"Only this group will have two instructors. But I'll be assisting the other groups too, so don't worry about it."
Instructor Tseri mentioned something about status, but in a merit-based school like this, it's hard to believe such considerations would be made. There must be another reason, though they probably won't tell us.
—Peeeeep!
The roll call whistle blew, its high-pitched sound shrill enough to hurt our ears.
"Now then, this training might be a bit tough for you all..."
Instructor Tseri's words, spoken as they were drowned out by the whistle, never reached our ears.