8. Jaden’s Value (1)
Thanks to the exploits of Jaden and the other first-years, the Northeastern Military Academy was thrown into chaos.
It had produced the largest number of students held back and students advanced ahead in the academy’s history.
Since they had lifted the limit that had been set at thirty, it was, to some extent, something that had been expected.
Moreover, with so many students being promoted by two grades, the confusion that followed was considerable as well. Since it was unprecedented, both the academy’s professors and students were thrown into disorder.
But as time passed, even this phenomenon slowly began to be accepted.
Rather, more and more professors began to say that the system had been far too restrictive until now, insisting that they should continue this way for the future of the Northeast.
Because, in reality, the children’s level had improved far more than before.
Graduates of the Northeastern Academy were already being treated like weapons of war, and now they seemed intent on turning them into outright monsters.
On top of that, they also discarded the idea of selecting only high-level elites.
Considering how Jaden and the first-year students had all grown together, they judged that as long as the gap was not too severe, more students could become stronger by riding that atmosphere.
The training methods, which had been limited to some extent because they had thought of them as children, were also drastically changed.
The free time they had allowed indoors to a certain degree out of consideration for the children’s human rights was taken away again. Instead, they made them spend time outside.
They called it camping activities, giving it the meaning of letting them feel nature outdoors and have different experiences, but in truth, it was no different from making them build practical combat experience.
“Huff…… huff…… Did the seniors really do all of this?”
“Last year, they probably went through three times this much.”
“True. If you think about how much those madmen trained, they must’ve gone through at least that.”
At one student’s question, the Rangers nodded as they thought of them. In particular, Number 13, who had led the children from the very front, had gone around hunting monsters on his own.
“That guy did everything by himself even without being taught……”
“Exactly. He’s a monster. He’s the top of the fourth-years now, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks to him, there’s a rumor that even that arrogant bastard is being kept under control to some extent.”
As the Rangers said that, they thought of Number 13, who had now become a fourth-year.
As they chatted among themselves, thinking of the student who had entered as First-Year Number 13 and was now Fourth-Year Number 1, a new student beside them asked.
“Is that senior really a monster?”
“Number 13?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…… His talent itself is a bit ambiguous. But when you look at how his skills improve, it seems like he might be……”
The Ranger tilted his head as if he found it difficult to assess.
He was building his skills through basic swordsmanship, and his ability did improve at a rapid pace, but there was something about him that made it difficult to call him a genius.
“If anything, in terms of pure martial talent, Number 3 is insane.”
“That’s true. But when it comes to everything else—combat sense, field of vision, experience—Number 13 is absurd. Both of them are monsters.”
As the Rangers said that, they explained to the new students about the two monsters who had been with them. The new students listening wondered if it could really be true.
This year’s new students were, on average, all children over the age of ten.
In the first place, it was difficult for a nine-year-old to enter this place, but what was even more ridiculous was that those two children were currently ranked first and second among the fourth-years.
“You lot are training in real comfort. Last year, the children rolled around like mad trying to catch up to those two.”
“Thanks to that, most of them skipped grades, and the rest are scheduled to skip grades too.”
“That’s true.”
In last year’s ranking match, there had ultimately been many children who failed to break through their seniors and could not skip grades. However, perhaps because of their stubborn determination to catch up no matter what, they had all climbed into the upper ranks this time and were scheduled to advance ahead.
From the fourth year onward, there were required trainings they had to take, so in the end, they would not be able to stay together with Number 13 and Number 3, who had been promoted two grades, but the previous year’s new students had worked like mad to catch up even a little.
“More importantly, the problem is that because of that guy, the fourth-year curriculum got harsher.”
“I know. Ah! Did you hear? Recently, that guy proposed a new method for hunting large monsters, and the professors are supposedly working overtime every day because of it.”
“Ah! I heard. Because of that, even the fourth-year Rangers are making a fuss about actually trying it out.”
The Rangers chuckled as they chatted, thinking of the fourth-year professors who were agonizing every day over the direction of their classes.
The Rangers teaching the first-years could chuckle comfortably because it was not their job, but the professors directly involved were going out of their minds.
At first, when a new student took the top spot in the ranking match, they had thought it was merely an anomaly.
But the problem began after that.
From the fourth year onward, the Northeastern Academy began teaching special subjects: tactics and combat methods that utilized special ecosystems.
In the case of the fourth year, they taught methods of dealing with medium and large monsters. Generally, the first half of the year focused on theory classes, and in the latter half, to build practical experience, students underwent live training against large monsters that the Rangers had already hunted down almost completely.
The problem was Jaden, the current top fourth-year.
“Ha…… Just what is this boy?”
The professor of general magical beast studies sighed as he looked at the professor of large monster tactics.
Then he looked down at the exam paper Jaden had submitted.
The answer sheet Jaden submitted for the exam given by the professor of large monster tactics was extremely peculiar.
The question had asked students to describe countermeasures against trolls, and the first part was a standard answer.
It said to cauterize the wounds made by cutting them open with magic or fire so they could not recover, or to destroy the area around the heart in one blow.
He had also written that severing the neck could be an answer, but that trolls were uniquely difficult in that regard because thick hide surrounded the area around their necks.
Up to that point, it was a perfect answer.
The problem was what came next.
※Methods by Which Ordinary Soldiers Can Oppose Trolls
○General Methods
1. Dig traps to delay the troll’s advance.
2. Detonate gunpowder to collapse the ground and trap it.
3. Concentrate fire on the area around the armpits, the testicles, the inner thighs, and so on. In this case, there is a chance it will suffer as if bitten by mosquitoes and retreat.
○Special Methods
1. Inflict wounds through explosions, then burst Sharnea acidic fluid on those areas.
In this case, that part will be unable to recover for one to two days.
2. Use Arachne poison.
In this case, unless the troll severs the affected body part, it will be unable to stop the rot from spreading.
However, while the attacks above can buy time, they cannot kill it.
○If There Is Even One Knight Present
If even one knight is included, the situation can change.
In the case of a troll whose movements have been restricted by the methods above, it can be made so that the knight can kill it with ease.
The methods for assisting a knight can be applied not only to ordinary soldiers but also to boy soldiers.
Boy soldiers can be used for the work of detonating gunpowder and digging traps, and it is also possible for them to buy time by using magic bullets from a distance.
If unavoidable circumstances require even boy soldiers to be conscripted, they can be operated effectively by using the tactics above.
In a large-scale war against trolls, if only ten boy soldiers are assigned to each knight, it should be possible to form an effective defensive line.
And it did not even end there.
That student had written down the advantages and disadvantages of two methods—hunting trolls by utilizing boy soldiers and knights, and hunting them with a group made up only of knights—and had even written in what situations each method’s strengths would stand out more.
The meaning of this answer sheet was enormous.
If the number of trolls was small, a hunting method made up solely of knights would be faster and more convenient, but in a large-scale war, such a method would necessarily have to be employed.
However, in the Northeast’s case, although they conducted continuous subjugations, they selected only elites for every role, so they did not think of measures like this.
Then would such a measure be discussed in the Central region?
It would not. Usually, in the imperial capital, they discussed wars against other kingdoms—that is, wars between humans—in depth.
In other words, the only place that discussed large-scale wars against monsters in depth was about the Northeast, and even the Northeast only studied tactics centered on having elites sweep everything away.
“What are you planning to do about this?”
“For now, all the answers I wanted are here, so it’s full marks. However…… as for that answer in question, even I’m not sure.”
“The Rangers are making a fuss about actually trying this out. This isn’t the time for you to sit there so calmly.”
At the words of the professor of general magical beast studies, the old professor let out a low sigh.
“As it happens, I asked that fellow today whether he really thought this would be possible.”
“And what did he say?”
“He gave me this.”
“Methods for Utilizing Modern Weapons, is it……”
The professor of general monster studies, who had been quietly reading it, let out a sigh.
“These are all his own ideas, aren’t they?”
“Yes. But they’re not the least bit fanciful. He’s laid out tactical methods using magic bullets and bombs based on the monsters’ weaknesses. They say even the Rangers make use of such things from time to time.”
The professor, who had already gone and asked the Rangers as well, sighed.
The methods Jayden had described were far too realistic to be dismissed as something a child had simply imagined.
They were detailed, and since he had accurately written down each monster’s weaknesses and how to exploit them, even veteran Rangers were getting excited and making a fuss about testing them out.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“For now, we’ll have to gather the professors of monster studies and tactics and discuss it.”
“I don’t think it’ll end with that.”
“I’ve already sent it to Northern Command. They say they’ll conduct their own experiments as well.”
At the words of the professor of large-monster tactics, the professor of general monster studies let out a low sigh.
“One monster of a student shows up, and now we’re really in for it.”
“Still, it’s a happy burden. If what this student said proves correct, it will be an enormous matter for the Northeast.”
“I suppose so. Hoo…… Perhaps the youngest general in history might be born.”
As he said that, the professor of general monster studies looked once more at Jayden’s exam paper.
Jayden’s answer sheet, which seemed to be ahead of its time, had given the professors far more than a simple shock.
And for good reason: recently, the monsters’ movements in the Northeast had been anything but ordinary.
Archaeologists were warning that it looked like a precursor to a monster wave, while monster scholars were saying it might be the result of something powerful awakening.
If even one of their warnings proved correct, the Northeast might have to wage a large-scale all-out war against the monsters.
In such a situation, Jayden was no different from a blessing that had rolled right into the Northeast.
Even if a large-scale monster wave did not occur, it did not matter. The mere fact that he was capable of such tactical thinking made Jayden’s value inevitably high.
If they raised him well for at least ten years—no, even just six or seven—he was a talent who would more than pull his weight.
That thought had not changed even now, and in fact, all the professors believed Jayden would become a core talent of the Northeast.
However, the thoughts of a few professors were beginning to change little by little.
To the idea that Jayden, not in the future but right now, was already a fully realized talent in one particular field……