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The uninhabited island, which had become the stage for the General Assessment, was taken over by the Resistance, sending the Demia Empire Academy into chaos.

It was widely known that the Resistance harbored grievances not only against the Empire but also against the Demia Empire Academy. However, this direct attack was unprecedented.

The academy was attended not only by the children of the Empire’s key figures but also by descendants of the imperial family who might one day rule the Empire. This was no trivial matter.

Lucas, the Academy Head, along with all the staff, hastily convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation.

“Do we have any information on the island’s situation?”

“It seems the Resistance is serious. They’ve deployed interference fields across the island, disrupting long-range communication and spatial magic.”

Briana gritted her teeth. She had heard rumors of unusual movements by the Resistance, but she never expected them to launch a direct attack.

Regret washed over her—she should have dealt with those radical terrorists earlier. She vowed to tear them apart once this crisis was over.

But for now, the priority was ensuring the safety of the cadets. Just before communications were cut, she had lifted the formal contract restrictions on Ian. However, the Resistance had deployed seven colossal mechs.

Even if Ian had superior piloting skills compared to other cadets, facing seven Resistance mechs was a long shot. Ian might already be in their hands.

“How long would it take to reach the island from the nearest territory?”

“At least a day.”

“Even if we dispatched troops immediately, time is against us.”

Troops were swiftly sent from the nearest territory, but the physical distance was too great. The decision to create a training ground on an island a day’s sail away had backfired.

Lucas felt the urge to clutch his throbbing head. All the faculty could do now was pray the cadets survived. A sense of helplessness and despair filled the meeting room.

“Headmaster!”

A professor who had been maintaining communication with the dispatched troops shouted in an excited voice. His face was a mix of disbelief and relief.

Lucas sensed something unusual.

“What is it? Speak quickly.”

“We just received a communication from the uninhabited island.”

“From the Resistance?”

“No, from a cadet! Gilbert Lion Heart has made contact!”

“Gilbert? That troublemaker?”

Though his reputation had improved, some faculty still saw Gilbert as a delinquent. However, professors who had taught him recently, like Alexander and Briana, held a different view.

“Patch the communication through.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lucas, sharing the same hope as Alexander and Briana, ordered the communication magic to be connected. Soon, Gilbert’s voice echoed through the room.

[First-class cadet Gilbert Lion Heart reporting. I request a briefing on the current situation.]

Gilbert’s voice was steady, though his sharp eyes showed signs of exhaustion.

Lucas skipped formalities and asked for a briefing.

“Gilbert, can you give us a quick update on the situation?”

[At around 3 PM, seven unidentified colossal mechs, presumed to be from the Resistance, were spotted. Their target appeared to be the new cadets. Cadet Ian Tigress Line Barrel responded using the academy’s general-purpose mech but was overwhelmed by the numerical disadvantage and was knocked unconscious.]

“Knocked unconscious? Never mind that, continue.”

[I rescued Ian and continued the mission. All seven unidentified mechs have been neutralized. Excluding cadets who were eliminated early in the General Assessment, there are 30 lightly injured, 20 seriously injured, and no fatalities. Detailed reports can be found in the Artificial Spirit’s records.]

-Seven mechs neutralized?

-By a newly enrolled cadet?

The faculty was in an uproar. The fact that the Resistance had deployed seven mechs was shocking, but the idea that a new cadet had taken them all down was hard to believe. However, since the Artificial Spirit’s records would confirm Gilbert’s claims, the commotion soon subsided.

“Good work. We’ll send a recovery team shortly. Hold on until then.”

[Understood.]

Lucas ended the communication and sighed in relief. The worst-case scenario had been avoided. While the aftermath would be a headache, he was relieved the cadets were safe.

“Professors Briana and Alexander, head to the island immediately to retrieve the cadets and investigate. Additional personnel will follow once the investigation team is assembled.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll prepare right away.”

Briana and Alexander left the room, heading straight for the teleportation circle. The faculty meeting continued to handle the aftermath.

***

After the Resistance attack, Gilbert found himself busier than usual. Having single-handedly taken down seven Resistance mechs, he was needed as a reference for the investigation team. The Artificial Spirit’s records had limitations, so Gilbert’s firsthand account was crucial.

Additionally, the fact that he had bypassed Ian’s formal contract to pilot the mech became an issue. In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t considered the consequences, but it was generally accepted that a mech under a formal contract couldn’t be piloted by anyone else.

The formal contract system used a knight’s unique mana pattern to bind with the Artificial Spirit, allowing only the contracted knight to operate the mech. To pilot another’s mech, the Artificial Spirit would need to be replaced.

However, Gilbert had operated Ian’s mech without replacing the Artificial Spirit, causing controversy. Fortunately, it was concluded that the mech’s errors during the attack had caused the issue.

For Gilbert, it was a relief. His Characteristic Skill, “Your Mech is Awesome,” had strict activation conditions he had set during character customization. He had intentionally made them stringent, limiting the skill to mechs with a formally contracted Artificial Spirit.

At the time, he had laughed, thinking he was balancing humor and performance. But the penalty was more severe than he had anticipated.

The Demia Empire Academy, despite being a military institution, had implemented a simplified contract system for cadet safety. This system, introduced to reduce injuries and fatalities during training, had lowered accident rates by nearly 90%.

In other words, Gilbert’s Characteristic Skill was virtually unusable within the academy. He had never expected to use it so effectively. It was a stroke of luck.

Regardless, Gilbert’s feat of taking down seven Resistance mechs and saving numerous cadets earned him recognition from both the academy and the Empire. The exact rewards were still under discussion, but Gilbert was more concerned with the Count of Lithuania’s approval.

‘Speaking of which, Professor Briana probably called me because of the Winter Sword.’

Gilbert was on his way to Briana’s lab, guessing she wanted to discuss his use of the Winter Sword’s ultimate technique during the battle. He had demonstrated it once before, and using it in a mech would naturally raise questions.

He hadn’t figured out how to explain it yet, but he figured he could just say he did it because he could.

With that thought, Gilbert knocked on Briana’s lab door.

 

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