In Tactical Combat, if you follow the academy route as the standard path and engage in monster subjugation battles, the subjugation locations are always randomly determined. This is a method commonly used by games to control tension and the pace of content consumption. Especially in games that encourage multiple playthroughs, this tendency is more pronounced. While it does help eliminate the boredom of the game, it doesn’t work in all cases. In some instances, it even increases the game’s fatigue factor. Assuming the difficulty is already high even in normal play, encountering non-standardized patterns makes the gameplay more challenging. This increases game fatigue, and responding to real-time changing patterns is never easy. Unfortunately, Tactical Combat is a game that embodies all these unfavorable conditions. Particularly, monster subjugation battles force long-term engagements and are mandatory events, leading many users to avoid them. Unless you’re like Gilbert, who aims to clear achievements related to subjugation battles, few people voluntarily participate in them. Of course, even Gilbert, who no longer has the goal of clearing achievements, isn’t thrilled about joining these battles. “Ugh! There are so many bugs!” Camilla waved her hands around, shooing away the flies. Since they were setting up camp at the foot of the mountain, even as winter approached, mountain mosquitoes were still rampant. Perhaps it was because the southern region, where winter arrives latest, wasn’t yet cold enough. “You’re weak.” “You’re the weird one!” “I think I’m better off than you, who’s so frail.” “Ugh…” Camilla, who had been alternating between checking her own body and Brynhild’s, suddenly made a face and stepped back. Brynhild was from the Sigurd clan, known for their exceptional physical abilities. She had inherited the blood of her ancestor Sigurd so strongly that she even received the characteristic skill of Sixth Sense, and her physical perfection mirrored that of her ancestor. Her body could be described as explosive—muscular, elastic, flexible, and firm. In every aspect, her physical condition was outstanding. No matter how talented Camilla was, she couldn’t even compare to Brynhild in terms of physicality. Camilla’s eyes lingered on a certain part of Brynhild’s body, and her face fell again. There was an insurmountable gap in that area. “Muscle girl…” “It’s not just muscles.” Brynhild smirked and crossed her arms. Camilla’s trembling eyes caught sight of two large things swaying. “Enough chit-chat. Finish setting up the camp.” Gilbert, who was setting up his own tent, pointed out the two who were fooling around. He judged it best to establish discipline now, as there would be tough battles ahead. Although the two continued to bicker, they started moving to set up the camp, unlike before. After about half a day of setting up the camp, the punitive force had a quick meal and rested. However, since monsters could appear at any moment, they deployed sentries. Once the camp was set up and the sentries were in place, Seraphina summoned the commanders of each unit. The purpose was to brief them on the upcoming subjugation battle and discuss the overall strategy. At the call of Seraphina, the commander, the commanders quickly gathered at the command post. “From this moment on, I will address you not as the student council president of Demia Empire Academy but as the commander of the punitive force.” Seraphina’s demeanor had changed. Having experienced war before, she had now become the commander leading the punitive force, not the student council president or the imperial princess. Gilbert secretly smiled at her sudden shift in aura. This was one of the things he liked about Seraphina. “Commander Gilbert. You and I have been deployed in quite a few operations. So I ask you, what is the biggest problem with the current punitive force?” The question was sudden, but he wasn’t flustered. While he might be out of his depth in political battles, he was well-versed in actual combat. “The problem is that the punitive force is composed of cadets who have never experienced war and are on their first operation.” “You’re right. I don’t think the current punitive force’s level is low. However, I must admit that they lack experience.” The other commanders nodded in agreement. Even the student council executives who were given command positions here were ultimately cadets with no war experience. They theoretically knew what a commander should do, but there was a difference between knowing and actually performing the duties. In reality, the only commander who could properly lead a unit and issue orders was the experienced Gilbert. Ian, who was assisted by Fressia, was doing well, but since his orders had to go through an extra step, they lacked the speed and precision of Gilbert’s. “This applies to the commanders as well. This punitive force is the first time you’ve taken on a command role. I am considering this situation, so I have no intention of reprimanding you.” Seraphina made eye contact with each commander. Her red eyes were firm and unwavering. “But we are facing a subjugation battle. Even though our opponents are monsters and not colossal mechs, we cannot underestimate them. Among the monsters, there are large ones like ogres and trolls.” Ogres and trolls are representative bipedal monsters among large monsters. Before colossal mechs appeared in the world, it was said that an entire knight order was needed to take down an ogre, and the knight who beheaded an ogre was given the honorable title of Ogre Slayer, showing that they were not to be taken lightly. Since humans started piloting colossal mechs, hunting ogres became easier, but with insufficient control skills, it was still challenging to keep up with the movements of these living creatures. For cadets still learning at the academy, a moment of carelessness could mean death. “Even though their intelligence is low, they possess tremendous strength. Even in a colossal mech, monsters are formidable opponents. Do not let your guard down.” “Understood.” The commanders answered in unison to Seraphina’s reminder. Seeing the commanders start to feel the tension, Seraphina nodded in satisfaction. “Then let’s begin the detailed briefing.” *** After the situation briefing and strategy discussion for the subjugation battle, Seraphina sent the commanders back to their units, except for Gilbert. The reason was to discuss detailed tactics with him. The other commanders, knowing that Gilbert, already a 5th Grade Knight, would be helpful in formulating detailed tactics, left the command post without complaint. Ian, the last to leave, shot Gilbert a jealous glance, but he couldn’t defy the commander’s orders. What would he do if he saw? Gilbert snorted at the sticky gaze and examined the tactical map Seraphina had unfolded. They had set up camp at the foot of Nyord Mountain, the starting point of the Skadi Mountain Range that stretches across the southern region. The mountain, influenced by the warm southern climate, was densely forested. Nyord Mountain was particularly rich in food, making the animals there larger than in other regions. Consequently, the monsters that preyed on them reproduced faster, and the overall level of monsters was higher. The title of Ogre Slayer, though a relic of the past, was still awarded for subjugating ogres in Nyord Mountain. “It’s a mountainous forest terrain. The dense trees will narrow our vision and likely increase the tension among the punitive force.” “At least colossal mechs can move here. Since bipedal monsters like ogres and trolls also move, tactics involving colossal mechs are still valid.” “But we can’t assume high-speed maneuvering. The current punitive force is mainly composed of first-year academy cadets. In this mountainous terrain, only Commander Gilbert can skillfully maneuver a colossal mech.” “Add Brynhild to that. She’s actually more accustomed to mountainous terrain.” “I overlooked that. Cadet Brynhild is a grand warrior from the Sigurd clan. Then let’s adjust the tactics like this.” Gilbert and Seraphina exchanged opinions and revised the detailed tactics. Wanting to minimize casualties and finish the subjugation battle, they continued their discussion for hours. “This should be good for now. No commander can plan for every possible situation.” After the long discussion, Seraphina let out a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. At that moment, she returned from being the commander to her usual self. “Priest.” “Yes, speak.” “I have high expectations of you, Priest.” “Is that so?” “So far, you’ve exceeded my expectations, Priest. And in a good way.” Seraphina spoke calmly, but a fleeting desire flashed in her eyes. Gilbert, who prided himself on being quick-witted, didn’t miss that brief glimpse of desire. Is this a faction proposal? Gilbert thought so. Now that Prince Richard has officially entered the race for the throne, the reason no crown prince or princess has been designated is that the current emperor wants to complete his final task. The emperor has already achieved almost everything possible in his era. He expanded the territory and relieved the suffering of the people caused by war. This is enough to solidify his position as both a conqueror and a benevolent ruler. The only thing left is to designate a worthy successor to continue his reign. Choosing the wrong successor would render all his achievements meaningless, leaving a blemish on his otherwise flawless legacy in the empire’s history. The emperor couldn’t accept that. Therefore, he wanted his children to compete. He wanted the most outstanding child to inherit the throne, proving that his legacy was perfect, without a single flaw. Gilbert didn’t think that was a bad idea. Once a crown prince or princess was appointed, it was nearly impossible to depose them without a special reason. Premature deposition would undermine the imperial authority. “To be honest, I didn’t think highly of you at first, Priest.” “That’s a fair judgment. The troublemaker from the count family was a detriment to the empire.” “True. Before entering the academy, you were a troublemaker. I heard about it even while I was at the academy.” Information about the empire easily reached Seraphina’s ears, but she didn’t point it out. Even if she didn’t have an intelligence agency, it wouldn’t have been hard to hear about Gilbert’s notorious reputation. By the time he became ‘Gilbert,’ his infamy had already spread beyond the empire to the continent. “But after entering the academy, you showed a different side. You performed better than anyone else and gave me the best results.” “I was just lucky.” Seraphina’s smile deepened. At the same time, the flame of desire that had disappeared reappeared in her eyes. For some reason, Gilbert felt that flame looked dark. “Just lucky, you say? I’ll admit, maybe it was luck at first. But when that luck continues and coincidences pile up, they become inevitabilities.” Gilbert swallowed hard. He had thought it was just a faction proposal, but seeing the look in her eyes, he felt something was wrong. “Priest.” Her voice was seductive. It was the kind of voice used to coax someone into giving you what you want. Gilbert felt a chill. He didn’t want to answer her call. But she was the princess. Ignoring her would be an insult to the imperial family. Reluctantly, he had to answer. “Yes, Priest.” “To be honest, I need you, Priest.” It was a direct proposal. Unlike the previous roundabout suggestions, this was straightforward. Seraphina’s smile looked like she was about to burst something she had been stacking up. This isn’t good. Gilbert’s expression stiffened. “I want you, Priest.” Finally, what Seraphina had been stacking up burst. It was a thick, sticky mass of desire called the desire for possession. [Sub Scenario: Possessor of Desire progress has significantly increased.] [Sub Scenario: Possessor of Desire has reached the first branching point.] [Sub Scenario: Possessor of Desire progress has reached a certain threshold, allowing information access.]