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The cadets of Demia Empire Academy, though unwilling, faced the dawn of the final assessment day. According to the academy’s rules, no hints about the day’s assignments were given until the very last moment, leaving everyone seated with tense expressions.

The theory assessment, based on what they had learned so far, wasn’t something to be nervous about. However, what really worried them was the practical assessment. The academy’s tradition of assigning different tasks each year meant that any information from seniors was of little help.

Burdened with the weight of the upcoming practical assessment, they dove into the written exam.

Of course, not everyone felt the same. A few, including Gilbert, took the exam with calm expressions. The final assessment was an event experienced every time Tactical Combat was played. While the tasks were always unpredictable, there were still patterns to be found.

Though each round presented different challenges, playing long enough allowed one to experience all possible patterns. Such players were often called veterans, and Gilbert was one of them, having repeated countless rounds.

Given that the game had become reality, there was a chance he might face a pattern he hadn’t encountered before, but he wasn’t worried. It wasn’t overconfidence or complacency—just an objective conclusion based on analysis.

His current level and stats showed faster growth than any previous round, indicating he had already surpassed the average academy cadet.

He wasn’t sure how the final assessment would measure up, but unless they asked him to face a Colossal Mech bare-handed, he was confident he could pass. If he couldn’t handle that much, he wouldn’t deserve the title of veteran.

The written exam was a breeze, thanks to the knowledge he had gained from countless playthroughs. He had practically memorized the answers, but considering they were all from the textbooks, it still counted as diligent studying.

Moreover, he wasn’t exactly lacking in intelligence. He might not be as sharp as Angelina in theory, but he had the brains to aim for high scores.

As the long theory assessment ended, the cadets groaned and left the examination room. The difficulty of this year’s exam was evident from the less-than-enthusiastic expressions on their faces.

“Is this even a reasonable difficulty level?”

“It felt like they wanted us to memorize the entire textbook…”

Most of them walked like zombies, muttering negative comments about the exam. It seemed they hadn’t performed as well as they had hoped.

“The exam was way too hard…”

Hans, who was weak in theory, slumped and sighed deeply. Ilene, too, seemed to be in a similar situation, her expression more rigid than usual.

“Those from noble families with private tutors probably have an advantage.”

Angelina’s sharp observation hit the mark. Despite the academy’s emphasis on equal education, the gap between noble and commoner families was inevitable.

Noble children, groomed from a young age by various tutors, often excelled in theory assessments.

Even Camilla, who pursued only her interests, ranked high in theory scores, highlighting the unavoidable imbalance.

“At least we didn’t completely fail, right?”

Hans, ever the optimist, tried to lighten the mood. Thanks to Gilbert’s group, he had improved significantly in theory since before enrollment.

This was largely due to Angelina, who was well-versed in theory and had helped both Hans and Ilene with their studies.

“I’m better at practicals than theory.”

Brynhild, however, still looked displeased. Having been on the battlefield from a young age, she was naturally weaker in theory.

Specifically, she struggled with the Empire’s history, culture, and etiquette—understandable, given her background as a Grand Warrior of the Sigurd clan.

“You worked hard. I’m sure you’ll get good results.”

Lily tried to comfort Brynhild, but her expression remained unchanged. For someone as competitive as Brynhild, this was hard to accept.

Gilbert, meanwhile, smiled inwardly at the rare peaceful moment. Since enrolling at Demia Empire Academy, he had faced numerous challenges in the Main Scenario, making this tranquil daily life all the more appreciated.

With no life-threatening Main Scenarios until the Heir Succession War began, he could relax a bit.

Though the academy’s final assessment wasn’t without danger, it was still much safer than the Main Scenario. But then…

[Main Scenario: Internal Enemy has begun.]

What?

Gilbert’s calm expression twisted in confusion.

***

Main Scenario: Internal Enemy.

This was a new scenario, even for Gilbert, who had repeated countless rounds.

Tactical Combat, with its high degree of freedom, had numerous Main Scenarios. Some, like the Academy Raid or Sigurdian Assault, were inevitable, while others only triggered under specific conditions.

Gilbert had played through all of them, some dozens, others hundreds of times, to achieve every achievement.

He might not remember every scenario name, but he could instantly recognize what each one was about.

Among all those scenarios, he had never encountered one called “Internal Enemy.”

Rebellion or treason, maybe, but those usually appeared after the Heir Succession War. It was abnormal for a Main Scenario to trigger during the final assessment.

But unless the system was lying, the “Internal Enemy” Main Scenario had indeed begun.

Even if it was something he hadn’t seen in Tactical Combat, saving Briana had already rendered such reasoning meaningless. It was just an assumption.

Looking back, while the overall flow resembled Tactical Combat, the details had already diverged significantly.

Briana’s survival, the change in the Resistance’s Chairman, Layla’s normal eyes—all these differed from the original Tactical Combat storyline.

Moreover, opening the mission window now revealed a Sub Scenario titled “Possessor of Desire,” something he had never seen before.

With unknown Sub Scenarios already appearing, he should have expected unknown Main Scenarios as well.

Quickly shaking off his frustration and confusion, Gilbert headed to the outdoor lecture hall to receive the final assessment task, deep in thought.

First, he needed to figure out what the “Internal Enemy” Main Scenario was about. Unlike previous situations, he couldn’t access the scenario’s content, but he could infer from the title.

Main Scenario names usually encapsulated the core theme, making it easy for new players to understand the scenario’s focus.

Gilbert focused on the title “Internal Enemy,” pondering the scenario’s theme.

The term “Internal Enemy” suggested betrayal, but he wondered if there was any reason for a traitor to emerge in the current situation.

It was an open secret that spies were sent by various nations for intelligence and sabotage, but having a Main Scenario trigger now was unusual.

Unless those spies suddenly decided to launch a terrorist attack, but that only happened in specific routes, which didn’t seem relevant here.

Wait, a terrorist attack?

The word “terror” sparked an idea in Gilbert’s mind.

“Internal Enemy” and “terror” were a perfect match. In many genres, planting an internal enemy to carry out a terrorist attack was a common trope.

If that was the case, this Main Scenario likely focused on identifying the internal enemy and preventing the resulting terrorist attack.

But then the question arose: where was the internal enemy, and where would the attack occur?

Gilbert smirked, as if the answer was obvious.

The place recently attacked multiple times.

The place that, despite its thick defenses, had been breached.

Demia Empire Academy.

That was the most likely target.

Gilbert didn’t outright conclude it, but he was almost certain. He had already suspected that there was a Resistance mole within the academy.

He had, of course, relayed this to Seraphina, but stirring up the academy was politically unwise, especially with prideful noble professors making investigations difficult.

But now, with the Main Scenario confirming it, he was sure.

There was an internal enemy within Demia Empire Academy, colluding with the Resistance.

“Gilbert?”

Camilla called out to him, noticing his grim expression, but he didn’t respond. He simply stared at the message announcing the start of the Main Scenario.

 

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