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For freedom!

It was a phrase that expressed the ideology running through the Resistance, which had risen up against the Infractus Empire. Standing up for the commoners trampled by the nobility, they waged a bloody struggle under the banner of freedom and rights for the people.

To be more human. To be even more human.

The Resistance acted, sacrificed, and moved forward solely for that purpose. Their actions and ideology were rooted in nothing but a noble cause.

“Let us honor the souls of our comrades who died today for the sake of this noble cause.”

And today, they gathered to commemorate their comrades who had carried the noble cause and departed before them.

Not long ago, a tragedy occurred when comrades heading to the Demia Empire Academy were unable to fulfill their mission and never returned. Seven comrades, including the always cheerful Ferdi and the cool-headed Wendel, who had always breathed life into the Resistance, had become stars in the sky.

“Thanks to their sacrifice, we will be able to take another step forward, and it will serve as the foundation for a better world to come. So let us now stand and honor their noble sacrifice. A moment of silence.”

The leaders of the Resistance each prayed for the souls of the departed in their own way. They fervently prayed to God that those who had embarked on the long journey would not lose their way.

“Now, let’s proceed with the meeting. The first agenda is the recent Academy Revolution.”

After the moment of silence, Bandike, the leader of the Resistance, brought up the Academy Revolution, in which seven comrades had been sacrificed, as the first agenda.

They had thought it was a perfect plan, but an unexpected variable had caused everything to go awry, resulting in the deaths of seven comrades. No one in the leadership had anticipated that a new cadet at the Academy could easily handle seven seasoned comrades.

The shock was even greater because Ferdi, in particular, was known within the Resistance for his exceptional skill in piloting Colossal Mechs.

“The new cadet who killed our comrades is Gilbert Lion Heart. His father is the infamous Iron-Blooded Frontier Count, the Count of Lithuania.”

“That must be the scoundrel from the Count family, known as the black sheep.”

Bandike stroked his chin. He had heard rumors about Gilbert. He was a twisted character, a trash who took out his frustrations on innocent commoners. According to the rumors, he would drag any attractive commoner into his bedroom without hesitation.

“That’s correct. However, there’s information that he seems to have changed somewhat a few weeks before entering the Demia Empire Academy. Since enrolling, he has shown a competent side, contrary to the rumors of him being an irredeemable scoundrel. From what we’ve gathered, his attitude toward commoners has also changed.”

“Even so, the fact that he did such trashy things doesn’t change.”

At Bandike’s cold words, the leaders all nodded. The reason they had taken up their cause was because they could no longer tolerate the tyranny of nobles like Gilbert. Their goal was to shatter the irrationality of a system where those within the safe fences of the class hierarchy could be forgiven for any wrongdoing.

So what if he’s changed now?

That doesn’t matter. Unless he pays a fitting price, the sins he committed won’t just disappear.

“But does that scoundrel really have the skill to take on seven of our comrades?”

“According to our informants, yes. He’s said to be unrivaled among the new cadets. His piloting skills are described as being at the level of an art.”

“Heaven must be blind. To bestow such talent on that trash…”

“It seems we can’t ignore the fact that his father is the Iron-Blooded Frontier Count.”

Bandike felt his throat dry up as he recalled the Iron-Blooded Frontier Count. The image of the Count of Lithuania from the old battlefields came to mind.

“Recent information suggests that he has become the priestess of the Princess.”

“…You mean he’s become the disciple of that sword-crazed woman?”

“Correct. He’s now the personal disciple of Briana Tepeo Malchirab.”

The atmosphere grew tense.

Gilbert had already become a top-priority target after killing seven comrades, but his connection to Briana and Seraphina had significantly increased the danger level.

Though the extent of their bond was unclear, the moment Gilbert was touched, Briana and Seraphina would undoubtedly step forward. Just associating with them could tarnish their honor.

“We’ll raise Gilbert Lion Heart’s threat level. Messing with him carelessly could be like poking a hornet’s nest.”

“I agree with the Chairman, but it might already be too late. The Princess has already drawn her sword.”

“What has that warmonger done now?”

“She’s declared that she will uproot the Resistance.”

“So she’s finally making her move…” It was somewhat expected. From the moment they planned the revolution at the Demia Empire Academy, they had prepared for this. The only problem was that the Empire’s response was faster than they had anticipated.

If the revolution had succeeded, they could have used the aftermath to buy time, but unfortunately, the revolution failed. Now, it was the Resistance that needed time to regroup.

“First, instruct all members to halt all activities and lay low. It would be wise to avoid the Princess now that she’s drawn her sword.”

“What about Gilbert Lion Heart?”

“He needs to be eliminated, but now is not the right time. It would be wise to wait for an opportunity. Let’s move on to the second agenda.”

Bandike set aside his thoughts about Gilbert and moved on to the next important agenda within the Resistance.

***

Even after obtaining CT-777, Gilbert’s daily routine remained unchanged. He trained his body and mana, and received swordsmanship lessons from Professor Briana.

The accumulated merit badges, which doubled the effectiveness of training, left him with no time to rest.

The Star’s Proof he had recently received was the best among the merit badges, doubling learning efficiency and speeding up his mana growth. If he continued training like this, reaching a Mana Ability Stat of 60 before his second year wouldn’t be impossible.

After finishing his training in the personal mana meditation room, Gilbert calmly collected his mana and left the training facility. It was a holiday morning, so there were few people around.

“Quite the passion for a holiday morning. Is that your secret?”

“Angelina.”

Angelina, who had just entered the training facility, spotted Gilbert and approached him. After the Resistance incident, she had been inspired by Gilbert and increased the intensity of her training. While it was practically impossible to match his monstrous piloting skills, she couldn’t tolerate falling too far behind.

“You’re not lacking in passion either.”

“Chasing after such an outstanding commander leaves no time to spare.”

“Who was it that said they wouldn’t be a deputy?”

“…Men who make unnecessary remarks aren’t popular.”

Gilbert burst out laughing at her feigned indifference, which made Angelina’s cheeks turn slightly red.

It was true that she often felt like she was always ready to assist as his deputy.

“By the way, Gilbert. I heard that the Princess is forming a team to root out the Resistance… Is that true?”

“It is. The Princess plans to uproot the Resistance this time.”

“I assume you’ll be joining the operation, of course.”

“The Princess personally requested it, so I have no choice. In that sense, I have a proposal for you.”

It was perfect timing. He had been thinking of recruiting Angelina and Hans for the Resistance eradication team. Their skills would make it easier to coordinate within the team, and it would be a good opportunity to impress Seraphina for future plans.

He also wanted them to gain more experience, as he would need their help in the main story moving forward.

“The announcement for the eradication team will be out soon, but aside from the Empire, cadets from the Academy will also be included. I’d like to recommend you and Hans. What do you think?”

“Of course. I also think it’s better to suppress the Resistance quickly, but aside from that, I owe you.”

“I’ll talk to Hans then.”

“You probably don’t even need to ask. Hans may be a bit foolish, but when it comes to you, he’s almost like a follower, ready to jump in at any moment.”

Gilbert nodded at Angelina’s words. Hans somewhat idolized Gilbert and was always trying to follow in his footsteps. He would likely volunteer for the eradication operation as soon as he heard Gilbert was participating.

“Then we’ll discuss the details once the team is formed.”

“Understood. I’ll see you then.”

After exchanging a few more words, the two went their separate ways to attend to their own tasks.

 

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