18: New smoldering

A month has passed since when I joined the training camp

During that time, we trained every day without even a day off, but luckily no one dropped out.

「Okay, let's start today's training. Are your physical conditions perfect? If you have an injury, flu or anything abnormal, please speak out immediately. Just a small abnormal condition may lead to serious injury」

「Now, please step forward」

At the same time, my sister Selen who also visit the training camp today starts to do the roll-call

「No, wait, wait」

Then, my comrade Gashi retorts

「Why do you take control of the training? Isn't that the instructor's job?」

「I thought so too, but for some reasons the instructor didn't want to work」

When I called him at his room, the instructor seemed to start drinking early in the morning and said something like 『Just do self-training』

「That piece of trash who abandons his own job should die」

At that time, Seki-kun is merciless

「Hey, boss! Can't you just dismiss that idiot? You can complain as much as you can using younger sister-san's connection, right?」

「Un, let's fire him」

The imperial army officers are not idiots, so soon they will find out about Atekoro abandoning his job

Using his position as an instructor to harass the trainees, losing his nerve and acting like a shut-in, that guy is like an uneducated brat

The empire is strict against useless people

I can't help but  thinking about that attitude, but right now let's do it

「For the time being, I will be in charge of today's training. It can't be helped. The subject of training is, to have a sham battle with my sister」

「You want to kill us!?」

Within this 1 month, the ability of everyone in the camp have been increased greatly

They gained enough stamina, and also firmly remembered the collective action in the army

Their expression also became masculine

No matter when actual combat happens, they can finish it without any problem

The training period for new recruits lasted about 1 month

In other words, the end is near

If the trainees here pass the final examination that would be held tomorrow and become regular imperial soldiers,  they will be sent to the battlefield

「It's unexpectedly short...」

The training period here would end shortly

Then, surely real combat is next

I can feel that the scenario in 『Beast Fantasy 4』 is approaching closer and closer.

「Ano..., real instructor...!?」

Who is real instructor?

A trainee in the same camp timidly talks. Right, we are from the same camp, you know?

「Other guys haven't arrived yet...!?」

「Aah, those guys, huh?」

No matter where, if a certain number of people gather, problem children will appear

Eh? Me?

...Perhaps I'm also a problem child though

There are some in this place too

Then they tardily came

「Oh, I appreciate your efforts, plebeians」

A guy with excessively gaudy outfit appeared

He should be a trainee like us, but instead of the armor for training, he is wearing something like a mantle, and there is also a rose-like decoration on his chest

There are 4 or 5 followers behind him...they only wear normal armor though

He should be a trainee, but from his outward appearance, he doesn't seem to have been training diligently at all

「Gilly, you need to be on time for the training」

「I want to fulfill the duty of an imperial noble though. Having to work along with you plebeians and your uncouth smell is unbearable. I hope you understand」

Trainee Gilly is the son of an imperial noble or something

Mixing the high ranked nobles with commoners for training is the empire's doing

The merit system can be seen clearly there

But this Gilly doesn't seem to understand the empire's way of thinking, he gathers the follower from branch families and acts like a noble even in the camp.

「The training period would end soon. Just thinking about when I publicity become an imperial officer and leave your plebeians' uncouth smell behind make me relieved」

「I can't see you passing the final examination though」

「Us nobles have different standard to advance unlike your plebeians. Well, the lower classes need to struggle as much as possible for a cheap piece of pie. However, Jira-kun, you are only a foolish plebeian, but I have high evaluation toward you, you know?」

The bocchama's thick coaxing voice keep coming

「How about it? Won't you become my subordinate after becoming a soldier? If you are under the patronage of an imperial noble like me, you can receive fame and success as much as you want」

「The story after passing should be thought about after passing」

Honestly, this guy won't be able to pass the final examination

Gilly takes the empire too lightly

If something like "if you are a noble, then you will unconditionally become a regular soldier" was real, then he wouldn't be thrown into the training camp together with us commoners from the beginning

Before the empire's merit system, pedigree is meaningless

There is no way I would meet this guy who couldn't realize that in the army again

「Well, don't say that. In fact I have a tempting news for you. It's something I know from the connection with the central figures of the empire」

Without giving me a chance to refuse, he holds my shoulder and half-forcibly pulls me to a place far away from other trainees

Just like a secret talk

「...Soon, the elite guards of his majesty the emperor would be reorganized. The selection would be made from the currently active imperial guards to the new recruits」

「What the hell is that」

I know that already

The same story as the one Forte told me previously

「Speaking of the timing, don't you think it's lucky that the selection test will start at the same time we become regular soldier? We have such a big chance immediately after entering the army! I'm sure that's how the god are telling us to run to the highway to success!」

What god are you referring to?

You mean the beast god Beast who contracted with Emperor Harod?

「Jira-kun! If you want, I can give you a recommendation as a preferential candidate with my authority! Together with me, let's have our name on the list of the top brass of the empire!!」

「But I refuse」

Irritated, I shook off the arm on my shoulder

In fact, I am super irritated

「I know about the imperial guard reorganization. But that's trivial. I will be accepted regardless of with your help or not」

The new imperial guards are undoubtedly the Twelve Apostles

If I really become one of them, then the chance will naturally appear even if I do nothing

It's not necessary to curry favor with this idiot

「I don't feel like entrusting my future to you. You will surely fail the final examination and won't become a regular soldier. If you still act like that」

「What!?」

「Just try to enter the imperial army officially and show you power. Then we can talk」

Let fate decide when he realize how cruel the empire is

It would be happier for him not to realize it until his death

「You dare to refuse the invitation of a noble like me...!? A plebeian, a plebeian like you!!」

Gilly raises his hand

Responding to that, four people surround me

They are the cronies walking together with him

As sons of the lower grade nobles, they can't go against Gilly

「Jira-kun? Even if it's you, you can't handle a large amount of enemies at once, right? How about you prostrate yourself and pledge your allegiance to me now?」

「A large amount of enemies?」

To me, even a thousand men at your level can't be considered "large amount"

"it can't be helped", just when I'm about to act....

「Please wait」

Behind Gilly, someone spoke

One of his followers?

「To Jira, 4 or 5 people at our level can't be considered "a large amount". The table would be turned on us. Please withdraw from here」

「Tsk, if you say so, it can't be helped」

Gilly gave the signal again, and the surrounding people withdrew

They looked relieved

「...I'm feeling sick! Gentlemen, let's forget our troubles at the bar!」

Saying so, he left with his companions.

...How about the training?

「I am sorry for his action」

The one saying so while standing is the guy who stopped Gilly a while ago

He's really tall and slender, his height is comparable to Gashi

「My name is Rei. I'm the son of a lower aristocrat in name only. Because of our houses' connection, I have to follow him」

「Oh thank you...」

Another person with difficult situation came

「Just as you said, Gilly-sama took the empire too lightly. Being the son of a high ranking aristocrat doesn't mean he can be careless about the selection to the army. I told him many times, but he didn't listen」

Rei showed an exhausted expression.

He seemed like a hard-worker

「I know it's not honor to ask this, but if you have chance, please warm him. It may be unreasonable, but please」

With a deep bow, Rei left and followed his master

Someone full of hardship, huh?

I lived in this words for a long time so I understand, but lower aristocrat are also poor and live just like commoners

Despite having no hereditary stipends, there are lots of obligations to be fulfilled, that's a troublesome situation

There are various kinds of people in this world, too