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“Ugh!”

Ian, who had just opened his eyes wide and tried to get up, swallowed a groan as pain shot through his entire body, forcing him to lie back down. It felt like he had been thoroughly beaten by someone, as even the slightest movement brought excruciating pain.

Where am I?

Instead of forcing himself to sit up, Ian looked around to figure out where he had woken up.

The khaki-colored tent and ceiling weren’t exactly familiar, but they weren’t entirely foreign either. However, compared to the personal tents he knew, this one was about five times taller and at least ten times wider.

Enduring the pain, he slightly lifted his upper body to look around and saw other cadets in the same state, covered with blankets and asleep. The sharp smell of disinfectant in the air suggested this was a place for treating the injured.

Realizing this was a temporary medical tent, Ian began piecing together his fragmented memories. Though his thoughts were still hazy, he needed to recall why he was here.

The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was being directly hit by the massive club of a monster ogre. Rushing in without checking his condition, thinking Gilbert was fighting it alone, had been his downfall.

When his decisive attack failed, the monster ogre’s strike came immediately. With all his strength focused on the attack, dodging was impossible.

So, Ian had no choice but to take the hit…?

Wait.

Ian’s face stiffened as another memory surfaced.

He hadn’t been knocked down by that attack. Sure, he had been hit by the club, but it wasn’t the ogre’s first strike that had taken him down.

In that brief moment of vulnerability after his failed attack, Ian had been saved. By the last person he wanted help from.

“Gilbert…”

Ian muttered his rival’s name without realizing it.

In that life-or-death moment when he couldn’t possibly dodge, Gilbert had saved him.

No matter how skilled Ian was in piloting colossal mechs, his characteristic skill was still incomplete. Even if it were fully developed, dodging the ogre’s attack in that situation would have been impossible.

His characteristic skill, though impressive, couldn’t make the impossible possible. At that moment, Ian hadn’t fully shaken off the influence of fear, and his stance was completely disrupted from the full-force strike.

There was nothing Ian’s piloting skill could have done in that situation.

Realizing this, Ian gritted his teeth in frustration. He was already struggling to make a mark, and now he had been saved by his rival.

Wait, where’s Fressia?

Struggling with feelings of helplessness and self-reproach, Ian noticed that Fressia’s artificial spirit core, which he always carried, was missing.

Forgetting his pain, he abruptly sat up and looked around. Fressia wasn’t on the bed either.

A sudden thought struck him—maybe she was still in the cockpit of the colossal mech he had been piloting.

Whipping his aching body into action, Ian got up from the bed. The absence of Fressia, a symbol of his self-esteem, filled him with anxiety.

I need to find her. I need to find Fressia!

His vision blurry, Ian began to tremble as he put on his shoes and got up from the bed.

“Ian, Commander.”

“Commander Talismann…?”

Just as Ian was about to leave the medical tent, Talismann, the deputy commander of this punitive force, entered. He was accompanied by several commanders, including Commander Courtney, who was practically his nemesis.

“Where are you going?”

“I, uh, have something to find.”

“Is that so? But put that aside for now. The Commander is looking for you.”

“The Commander?”

Ian began weighing his options—finding Fressia or responding to Seraphina’s summons.

In his heart, he wanted to find Fressia first, but they were no longer academy cadets. They were now part of a military unit on a punitive mission, and Seraphina’s orders took precedence.

Though conflicted, his decision was swift.

“Understood. But why is the Commander looking for me?”

Talismann stared intently at Ian before relaying Seraphina’s orders.

“Ian Tigress Line Barrel. You are under arrest for disobedience to command.”

“Wait, what?!”

Ian looked at the punitive force members restraining him with a bewildered expression.

He tried to protest his innocence, but Talismann and Courtney avoided his gaze.

Something was clearly wrong.

Ian had never disobeyed or resisted Seraphina’s orders before.

He considered resisting out of frustration, but fearing the situation might escalate, he suppressed his impulse and quietly followed them.

It must be a misunderstanding.

Once he met Seraphina, the misunderstanding would be cleared up in no time, so there was no need to make a scene.

Fortunately, the unit members escorting him weren’t hostile, and the atmosphere wasn’t oppressive. They seemed to understand that the charge of disobedience was based on a misunderstanding.

Thus, Ian was escorted out of the medical tent and taken to the command post.

The distance between the medical tent and the command post wasn’t far. After about a minute of walking, they arrived at the familiar command post.

Talismann, leading the way, straightened his collar in front of the command post.

“Commander, I’ve brought Commander Ian.”

“Bring him in.”

With Seraphina’s permission, Talismann led Ian inside.

Ian, still restrained, stood before Seraphina. He didn’t want to be in such a humiliating position in front of her, but he believed the misunderstanding would be cleared up soon.

“Commander Ian Tigress Line Barrel.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Do you know why you’ve been summoned here?”

“I’ve been told it’s for disobedience to command.”

“Correct, disobedience to command. That’s precisely why you’re here. Commander Ian, as you know, we are in a state of war. Even in a monster subjugation mission, life and death are at stake. In such an urgent situation, you blatantly disregarded my orders. How do you think I should take this?”

Seraphina’s icy gaze pierced through Ian. Even though Ian believed he had done nothing wrong, her sharp, emotionless eyes made him flinch.

“But Commander, I—!”

“Enough. I don’t want to hear it. No matter what you say, the fact remains that you disobeyed my orders. Do you admit to this?”

“Commander! That’s not—!”

Ian was on the verge of losing his mind from frustration.

He had always faithfully followed orders. When had he ever disobeyed Seraphina, the supreme commander?

No matter how much he racked his brain, he had always followed orders strictly.

Even though he had aligned himself with the prince’s faction, he would never do something as insane as openly defying Seraphina’s orders.

If he had, Fressia would have stopped him…

Wait. Fressia stopping him?

Ian managed to recall a few more fragmented memories.

Before he charged at the monster ogre, Fressia had tried to stop him. His sync rate with the colossal mech was low due to the lingering effects of fear.

Despite this, Ian had attacked the ogre, and only now did he remember another voice trying to stop him.

“Commander Ian, hold your position!”

It was Seraphina’s command.

Finally recalling the disobedience Seraphina was referring to, Ian struggled to keep his expression neutral. If his expression changed now, it would be like admitting to the disobedience.

Of course, keeping a straight face wouldn’t make others unaware of his disobedience. Seraphina had called him out over the public magic channel, so everyone in the punitive force knew.

Feeling suddenly anxious, Ian subtly avoided Seraphina’s cold gaze.

“Commander, please calm down. Although Commander Ian disobeyed your orders, there must have been a reason. Please give him a chance to explain.”

“Deputy Commander Talismann, are you suggesting I make an exception for him?”

“Yes, Commander. I’m not defending his actions. It’s true that he acted recklessly and disregarded orders. But if you punish him without considering his strong sense of camaraderie, it could negatively affect the morale of the punitive force.”

Ian listened intently to Seraphina and Talismann’s conversation, perking up at the mention of camaraderie. Now that he thought about it, the other commanders’ gazes hadn’t been hostile during his escort—perhaps they thought he had been framed.

His sharp mind began to spin rapidly.

Connecting Talismann’s mention of his strong camaraderie with the situation where he had disobeyed orders, Ian could form one hypothesis.

‘Ian, unable to leave a comrade to face the monster ogre alone, disobeyed orders and charged in.’

This was the hypothesis he could form from the fragmented information.

“Camaraderie? Commander Ian, is that true?”

Snapping out of his thoughts at Seraphina’s sudden question, Ian realized this wasn’t the time to be forming hypotheses. He needed to seize the opportunity presented.

“Yes. I couldn’t stand by and watch Commander Gilbert face the monster ogre alone. I will accept the punishment for disobeying orders, but I do not regret my decision at all.”

Nailed it.

Though it was an improvised response, Ian couldn’t deny that it sounded impressive. The other commanders’ sparkling eyes confirmed it was the best thing he could have said.

However, Seraphina’s eyes remained as cold as ice.

As if she could see through all his lies.

“Very well. In consideration of your strong camaraderie, I will order you to reflect on your actions. However, if you disobey my orders again, I will have no choice but to judge you according to military law. You may go.”

“Understood. I am deeply grateful for your magnanimity, Commander.”

As Seraphina dismissed him, the commanders who had been restraining Ian also saluted her and left the command post.

Once outside, Ian felt like he could finally breathe again.

“Ian, hold your head high. You’ve done something honorable as a noble.”

Talismann laughed heartily and clapped Ian on the shoulder. As someone who valued honor, Talismann seemed to hold Ian in high regard for stepping up for a comrade, his smile unwavering.

“No, it’s still wrong to disobey orders.”

“Still, your heroic actions left a deep impression on the other members. I look forward to working with you in the future, Commander Ian.”

At Courtney’s praise, Ian smiled faintly, not forgetting to keep up the act. Though he had been flustered by the sudden turn of events, the positive outcome made everything seem fine.

“By the way, how is Gilbert?”

Originally, he wanted to ask about Fressia’s whereabouts, but given what he had just said, he inquired about Gilbert’s condition. Honestly, he thought the monster-like guy would be fine, so he asked casually.

“Well…”

Talismann’s expression darkened slightly.

Is there a problem?

Ian glanced at Courtney.

“We successfully subjugated the monster ogre, but it seems he overexerted himself. His mana road is severely damaged… He hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

“I see…”

Ian felt a twinge of guilt.

Ultimately, Gilbert’s injury was due to his own reckless actions. Having lied about stepping up for a comrade, it was only natural for him to feel some remorse.

“Then, by any chance, was there an artificial spirit in the colossal mech I was piloting?”

“Ian, if you’re talking about your artificial spirit, it’s in the tent. I don’t know when you got such a fine artificial spirit, but someone like you should have one.”

“No, it’s just that I was too impulsive.”

“Always so humble. You’ve just woken up, so go back and rest. I’ll fill you in on what happened after you recover.”

Thanking Talismann for his consideration, Ian headed straight to his tent. There, he found Fressia’s artificial spirit core, which he had been desperately searching for.

“Fressia!”

[Ian?! Are you okay?]

“Yeah, not in perfect condition, but I’m fine.”

[That’s a relief. I was worried about what had happened.]

“Who do you think I am? Fressia’s contractor, right? This much is nothing. Besides, I handled the situation well!”

Ian excitedly recounted the events to Fressia, not forgetting to praise himself for his quick thinking.

[…So, you’re saying you’ve been portrayed as the hero who stepped up to save that reckless guy?]

“Yeah. I mean, come on. That kind of quick thinking in such a situation? Impressive, right?”

Laughing heartily, Ian lay down on the bed, noticing Fressia was quieter than usual.

Had today’s battle been too much for her?

The thought crossed his mind that the sudden appearance of a monster tainted by magic might have affected her.

“Are you okay? Did the magic affect you?”

[No, it’s not that. I just have some things to think about.]

“Alright. I’m going to rest for a bit. My body isn’t fully recovered yet, so I need some sleep.”

[Got it. Rest is important. Should I wake you in a few hours?]

“Yeah, please. The subjugation mission isn’t over yet.”

[Alright. Rest well, Ian.]

Ian felt a slight unease at Fressia’s unusually subdued demeanor, but as soon as he lay down, exhaustion overwhelmed him.

Yawning a few times, he blinked a couple of times before falling asleep.

 

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