EP.215 The Story of the Past, The Pied Piper of Hameln - 1
In the spacious training ground, young faces stood at regular intervals.
Thick logs rested across their narrow shoulders like stepping stones as they stood in formation. Enduring the heavy weight of the logs bearing down on their waists and legs through sheer grit, their faces flushed red as they stared ahead. The moment the vanguard blew a whistle, they all stamped their feet in unison.
-Hall of learning on the gentle hill. Oh, embrace of Hameln.
Small, deep footprints overlapped closely on the sandy ground as children, carrying logs several times their size on their shoulders, began to double-time in their uniform-like school uniforms. Clenching their fists, the children shouted out, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie blooming amidst the pain.
-Burn all your blood and sweat to defeat the enemies...
That was brief. The body's pain made them forget all of it.
With their steps, the sound of the whistle also wavered, and the heavy logs pressed the children down even more. Adding the pressure as if their flesh was being crushed, the children squeezed their lungs and screamed even harder.
-For the glorious nation, we march onward, dedicating our lives...
The double-time was coming to an end. Even the screaming voices gradually lost their strength. The children, who had almost reached their limits, matched their pace and approached the finish line visible in the distance.
-Forward, forward.
They advanced to the lyrics of the song.
And the moment the vanguard stepped on the finish line, the song ended.
-To the future of the military nation.
"Ugh! I'm out of breath!"
I threw away the whistle I was holding in my mouth and exhaled heavily. My sweat-soaked clothes clung to me stickily. It was hard to tell whether this was my skin or my clothes.
Log double-time, one of the training curriculums of the Military Middle Academy.
They made up the excuse that it was to build the stamina and solidarity of students who were not yet mature as soldiers. But in reality, it was closer to just hazing forced by the nation.
"What solidarity. It'll only teach them politicking."
People's heights are all different. Their stride length, shoulder height, walking style, and even their breathing intervals—nothing matches. Yet with the logs forcibly pressing down on the students, they had no choice but to exert every ounce of effort they had to match their breathing.
If their breathing didn't match, the log would tilt or roll off, and someone would receive a harsh punishment.
"Oh, my shoulders. Ugh. If I don't grow taller or my shoulders become lopsided, it's all because of this damn school..."
It was when I had flopped down and was groaning during the short break.
A light, shuffling sound came from the ground. There was no need to look to see who it was. While everyone else was collapsed on the ground groaning from training that was no different from exploitation, there was only one being who could walk around so lightly.
Historia approached my side without shedding a single drop of sweat. Looking more bored than tired.
"Ria. You came at the right time. Come and massage my shoulder eeeaaaargh! Cancel! I surrender!"
Tremendous pressure! Even heavier than the log!
As I, engulfed in pain, bent my knees and declared surrender, only then did Historia release her grip.
"Huey. You remember our promise, right?"
"What prom... aaargh! I remember! I remember, so stop!"
The grip threatening my shoulder disappeared. I rubbed my shoulder and looked at the owner of that grip.
In the dusty training ground of Hameln, Historia alone was an anomaly. Her breathing alone hadn't grown ragged, and not a single speck of dust clung to her long hair swaying at her waist. I couldn't confirm it here, but if she rolled up her sleeves, I would feel it even more certainly.
The shoulders that should have bright red pressure marks would be completely spotless.
To anyone looking, it seemed as if she alone had skipped the double-time.
"Thanks for participating in the log double-time. We were a bit short on personnel today, so it was slightly dangerous, but thanks to you, there are no dropouts today!"
"Skip the lip service. So. You're going to keep your promise, right?"
"...Uh, about that."
"If I fill in for the missing personnel, in return, you become my sparring partner for an hour. That was the promise, wasn't it?"
However, the truth was, it was no exaggeration to say that she moved the log all by herself in today's double-time.
Even if she wasn't the strongest existence in the military nation, Historia was the strongest student in the military nation.
Having possessed an extraordinary aptitude for Qigong since birth, she had already mastered Heaven and Earth, and even grasped the essence at the age of eighteen. Her strength had already surpassed that of a field-grade officer, rivaling that of a general. It was just that, lacking the light of official rank, her stars did not shine yet.
The reason she, who could lift the log from a seated position, participated in a double-time she didn't need to do was because of the condition I had proposed.
"Ah. I'm going to get beaten to death again."
"Don't be dramatic. It's on the condition that neither of us uses Qigong anyway."
"There's no difference in the fact that I'm getting beaten, even without Qigong. How about you spar with someone else who's good at Qigong instead?"
"No. The other guys are swung around by their own power. The instructors hold back. You're the only one I can exchange moves with."
That's not exchanging moves; it's reading her mind beforehand and dodging. And it's not long before Historia gets into the mood and I get ruthlessly beaten.
But what could I do? A promise is a promise.
"Sigh. Alright. I'll just get beaten a bit today. If you want to hit me that much."
"In the first place, if you hadn't wasted time and learned Qigong seriously, you would have been a sufficient match for me."
"I doubt that."
Seeing as I get unilaterally beaten even with the cheat-like skill of mind-reading and the condition that the opponent doesn't use Qigong, the difference in talent is extreme. I don't think learning a little Qigong would change anything.
Historia, dissatisfied with my lukewarm attitude, poured out her complaints now that the topic was brought up.
"You're weird too. Why do you waste your time on useless things like the log double-time?"
"Useless? The log double-time is a huge help in fostering teamwork and building stamina."
"Don't say things you don't mean, and listen well. Huey, I'm telling you once again."
As if admonishing me as I sat still, Historia pronounced each word clearly.
"You, the top student, have no need to sacrifice yourself for them."
Historia, who roughly brushed her hair back, looked around at everyone. A nonchalant gaze, slightly different from when she looked at me, like one would regard a pebble by the roadside.
The most prominently revealed emotion was annoyance.
After entering Hameln, the endlessly frail and young other classmates were nothing more than existences holding Historia back. The only somewhat equal friend was me.
And while I faithfully played the role of class president, Historia thought I was unable to spread my own wings because of them.
Perhaps because of that. Historia spoke as if addressing me, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Even if you lead a flock of rabbits, you'll only become the head rabbit. Hanging out with dropouts, or those destined to drop out, will only drag you down. Please, I'm begging you, save your time, Huey."
It was a remark that dug into the children's hearts.
However, no one who heard those words rebutted Historia. The emotions were entirely their own, yet none of them could even meet Historia's eyes.
They only gritted their teeth and turned their heads away.
Because Historia didn't mock them and simply let it slide, the sense of inferiority the other classmates felt grew even greater.
"Your time is much more precious than those destined to drop out who lack both courage and spirit. Please, don't turn your attention to useless things."
One strong person overwhelms a thousand. Historia was a single example proving that. An overwhelming powerhouse.
Literally. Because Historia, during joint combat training... had once achieved victory against all the students of Hameln, except for exactly one person.
...Except for exactly one person.
A boy who had been reading a book in the shade without even participating in the double-time, heard Historia's voice and approached, scowling deeply.
"Try living with a little bit of thought."
A boy with bright red hair and an intellectual yet neurotic impression walked toward us. He slammed the thick book shut and tapped his own forehead.
"Still don't get it? The world isn't solved just by smashing everything. Huey, the top student, class president, and model for all students, is currently scoring points to look good for the military nation."
At his sudden appearance, Historia let out a short sigh, as if saying 'here we go'.
"I didn't ask you, Lankart."
"Instead of the top student who is so zealous about image management, I, the second-ranked, am answering on your behalf. Take it to heart."
Swish. His finger pointed toward the instructors. The instructors, who had ordered the log double-time from the podium, were looking at Historia and me while eagerly discussing something.
Lankart, glancing at the instructors who were whispering so as not to be heard by our side, sneered and said.
"Our greedy top student here. Is planning to become ambidextrous. Not only to handle the heterogeneous left-handers like you and me, but also to show the instructors that he can handle even those ordinary right-handers, that's what I'm saying."
If Historia was the one for Qigong, then Lankart was the one for Magic. A figure standing precisely at the extreme opposite end of Historia. The military nation's only mystery.
Lankart Spendrive.
He was a mage who had awakened his unique magical path, as well as a magic scholar, and though only affiliated with Hameln, he was already an unparalleled genius leading magical officers. Even the instructors found him difficult to deal with.
Of course, that didn't apply to Historia.
"Right-handers, left-handers. Making up words only you know again. Lankart, isn't it uncomfortable living like that?"
"Bitch. Can't admit her own ignorance and muddles the point."
The genius of Qigong and the genius of Magic. The twin horses expected to lead the future of the military nation... growled whenever they saw each other. Historia crumpled the canteen she was holding and glared at Lankart.
"Do you think Huey is a calculating careerist like you?"
"No. A far greater careerist than me."
"They say you only see what you want to see, but you think everyone is like that."
"Probably far more objective than you, who is blinded by infatuation."
Lankart walked over calmly, even facing Historia's sharp aura. Stepping into striking range without hesitation, he let out a sigh of mockery.
"There are many Qigong practitioners in the military nation. Boar, no matter how strong you are, snagging one of the Five General seats will be your limit. You might be very important, but you're just an important part. You'll make the giant machine called the military nation run well, but even without you, there would only be a difference in performance; nothing would really change."
If one viewed the world pessimistically and calculatingly, they would have a perspective similar to Lankart. To him, everything that existed in the world was merely an explainable phenomenon, an object to be understood and utilized.
Possessing a mindset more like a mage than a mage, he looked at me with eyes as if seeing a kindred spirit.
"In contrast, Huey has risen to a unique position. Magic is inferior to mine. Qigong is inferior to yours... but he is proficient in all fields. He can deploy personnel in the right places. He's popular even among the rabble because he knows a lot. He can communicate with peculiar cases like you and me. Huey is the only talent like this."
"...Are you saying all his actions are calculating?"
"Yes. Huey is going to become the command headquarters itself."
It wasn't a guess, but a conviction. Lankart said so without a single inch of doubt. Anyone looking would think he was the mind reader.
Countering him, Historia picked her ear and retorted.
"What a frog-in-the-well thing to say. You think everyone in the world is like you, so that's all you can see. You'd know if you had directly faced off against Huey."
"Aah. I didn't expect a thick-headed girl to understand."
"...But why is this inferior student picking a fight so much today of all days? Do you want to die?"
Historia hurled the crumpled canteen at Lankart. Paang! Along with the sound of tearing air, the canteen shot out like a cannonball. It was a force that would instantly kill a person if it hit them.
However, neither Historia nor Lankart felt any particular threat.
The canteen twisted in mid-air as if someone had snatched it, then smashed into the nearby ground and embedded itself.
As if he knew from the start that the attack wouldn't reach him, Lankart wasn't the least bit perturbed.
"How barbaric. This is exactly why I hate talking to idiots."
"...For someone who'd be completely useless without magic."
The two growling at each other as always. But it had never escalated to a real fight. Because I always mediated between them.
But today, I was tired too. And I figured if I stayed, Historia would grab me and beat me up. So I left them to their fight and quickly slipped away. The two were still growling, not even realizing I was gone.
I walk across the training ground. Amidst the rustling sand, various emotions are felt among the children who have finished the log double-time and are struggling to compose themselves.
Pain, ache, hostility, regret, fear, inferiority, and despair.
And resentment towards me.
Unlike those two with their shining talents, my talent was ambiguous.
Lankart and Historia had each reached a realm in their respective fields of magic and Qigong that no one could follow. So dizzyingly high that one dared not even look up, whereas I was merely a step or two ahead on the stairs.
No one resents a natural disaster. Existences so vast they are beyond comprehension naturally do not harbor human emotions.
Even if I am the top student, I, who am frustratingly advancing right before their noses, must be more resented.
Dark emotions direct toward me. Instead of the stars in the night sky they cannot dare to hate, they resent the ordinary me who audaciously mingles with them without reserve.
I passed through the land swirling with dark emotions, and headed toward the instructor calling for me.