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When Gilbert arrived at the classroom, the lecture had just begun. Professor Alexander didn’t say much to Gilbert, who was late. He had already been informed about Gilbert’s situation a week ago by Professor Horizon, so he knew exactly what was going on.

It seemed Gilbert had narrowly avoided expulsion, given that he managed to make it to the classroom.

“Did he really win a bet against that stubborn Great Sage?”

Professor Alexander found it hard to believe that the Great Sage, who had never once backed down from his opinions, had retracted his statement. The Great Sage’s stubbornness was rooted in his vast knowledge. Having lived longer than most, the weight of his accumulated wisdom was anything but light.

Though “stubborn” was the word used, the Great Sage had always been right, so most disputes ended in his favor. Professor Alexander couldn’t recall a single instance where Horizon had lost an argument.

Except for this time.

Professor Alexander glanced briefly at Gilbert as he found a seat, then resumed the lecture that had been interrupted.

“Let’s continue. It’s been a month since you cadets last attended my lecture on Colossal Mech operations. So far, we’ve focused on theory, but theory alone won’t significantly improve your survival rates. Starting today, we’ll move on to practical training.”

Gilbert realized that the theoretical part of the course had concluded during the week he was absent. Since he had already grasped the necessary concepts, moving on to practical training was a welcome change.

In Tactical Combat, the main story begins a month after entering the Academy, and the first major event is the Colossal Mech operation training. Given that the game’s story revolves around Colossal Mechs, it made sense for the main story to kick off with this training.

“Everyone, please proceed to the hangar.”

At Professor Alexander’s words, the cadets eagerly headed toward the hangar where the Colossal Mechs were stored. Practical training with the mechs was far more exciting than the monotonous theory lectures.

“Lord Gilbert!”

As Gilbert walked with the group toward the hangar, he heard someone call his name. Turning around, he saw Hans and Angelina, who had been with him since the Entrance Mock Battle, approaching.

“Ah, Hans.”

“It’s been a week. Where on earth did you go without a word? We were worried when you suddenly disappeared.”

“I had some matters to attend to.”

“Rumors say you got into trouble again… and it seems there’s some truth to that.”

Gilbert couldn’t help but chuckle at Hans’s exaggerated concern and Angelina’s calm demeanor. When he first took over Gilbert’s body, he had been worried about his terrible reputation, but thankfully, the connections he made at the Academy had lasted longer than expected.

Recruiting Ian Tigress Line Barrel as a companion was out of the question, and given Gilbert’s current reputation, bringing anyone else into his circle was nearly impossible. Even if he could, Ian also needed companions, so it wasn’t feasible to pull everyone to his side.

Moreover, Ian had already started forming his own group within the first-year class, making it difficult for Gilbert to recruit him. In this situation, Angelina and Hans, who had naturally aligned with him since the Entrance Mock Battle, were like a godsend.

Angelina, with her quick judgment and command skills, and Hans, who had the potential to become at least a third-tier knight, were better than any named companion characters. Ian could gather his own allies, and Gilbert could build his own faction.

As they briefly caught up on what had happened during Gilbert’s absence, they arrived at the hangar.

The cadets lined up in four rows in front of Professor Alexander, who had already arrived. The latecomers quickly joined the formation.

“Everyone seems to be here. Let me briefly explain today’s lecture topic.”

Professor Alexander picked up a board from the side of the hangar and wrote the topic in bold letters.

“The core of today’s lecture is the tactical operation of Colossal Mechs. Many people think Colossal Mechs are only used to fight other Colossal Mechs. Some of you might even think that way.”

Professor Alexander glanced at the attentive cadets and continued.

“However, Colossal Mech operations are not limited to that. The reason is simple: the best use of a Colossal Mech is not to fight another Colossal Mech. Using a Colossal Mech against regular troops can cause significant damage. Therefore, depending on the mission, special tasks like destroying strategic magic weapons or striking the enemy’s rear are often assigned.”

This was the essence of tactical Colossal Mech operations. Colossal Mechs had clear mobility limitations, but their tactical applications were endless.

Even tasks that seemed impossible with human strength alone could be accomplished with a skilled knight and a powerful Colossal Mech.

Professor Alexander’s point was to instill the idea that while Colossal Mechs are used against other Colossal Mechs, that’s not always the most efficient strategy.

Once you’re trapped in a mindset, your limits are set, and you only see what you want to see.

In his time on the battlefield, Professor Alexander had often been assigned special missions where he led a Colossal Mech alone to attack key enemy positions. These missions were high-risk but could turn the tide of a battle if successful.

“To add to this, when assigned such special missions, knights may need to disembark from the Colossal Mech due to its size. Utilizing the autonomous functions of Artificial Spirits to support the mission is a prime example.”

While rear strikes and base attacks rarely required disembarking, additional tasks like retrieving intelligence often did. The advancement in Artificial Spirit technology had made such proactive operations possible.

Professor Alexander, being an exceptional knight himself, had been involved in many such missions and had earned numerous accolades. The battle that cost him an arm was one of those missions.

“Today’s lecture will proceed under the assumption that you’ve been assigned such a special mission. First, I’ll take volunteers.”

Gilbert, who had been quietly listening, finally felt the main story progressing.

Depending on the player, the events might differ slightly, but the first boss of the main story appears during this special mission training.

The protagonist, regardless of their grades, is always the first to be chosen for the practical training. Due to Cook Yan Scott’s jealousy, the protagonist ends up facing him in a boss battle. The reason for Cook’s jealousy varies based on the protagonist’s performance in the Entrance Mock Battle.

If the protagonist performed exceptionally well, Cook would be jealous of their superior skills. If they performed poorly, Cook would be jealous of their popularity despite their lack of skill.

Gilbert glanced at Ian, who stood relaxed, and then at Cook Yan Scott, the first boss.

As expected, Cook was the first to volunteer.

Professor Alexander gave him the authority to choose a partner for the training.

Gilbert didn’t think Ian would lose, but even if he did, it would serve as motivation for growth. He was prepared to watch their training session calmly.

But then, Gilbert locked eyes with Cook. At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but the intense glare made it clear it wasn’t.

Gilbert immediately sensed something was wrong. There was only one reason Cook would stare at him like that at this moment.

“Let’s have Cadet Gilbert Lion Heart as my partner.”

“Cadet Gilbert, please step forward.”

Gilbert clicked his tongue, realizing his intuition was correct. He stepped forward, glancing at Ian, who looked frustrated at not being chosen.

As he walked over to stand next to Cook, he looked at Professor Alexander.

His mind was racing, but there was no time to think.

“I’ll assign each of you a mission. The mock training field is set up for a data retrieval scenario. One of you will be tasked with retrieving the data, while the other will try to stop it. Note that the mission cannot be completed using only the Colossal Mech. Any questions?”

“None.”

“None here either.”

At their responses, Professor Alexander nodded and began the training.

As Gilbert boarded the Colossal Mech and headed to the mock training field, he was momentarily thrown off by the sudden turn of events. But he quickly cleared his mind, focusing on the task at hand. Adapting was something he had always been good at.

Assigned the data retrieval mission, Gilbert positioned himself at the retrieval point.

He took a deep breath and focused.

He didn’t know why the main story had shifted from Ian to him, but it wasn’t the first time things hadn’t gone as they did in the game. Considering Cook’s jealousy, it made sense that he would target the top performer from the Entrance Mock Battle.

As Professor Alexander signaled the start of the training, Gilbert quickly pulled the control lever.

 

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