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The Demia Empire Academy, though not one to fuss over formalities, certainly didn’t skimp on grandeur when it came to its entrance ceremony. In fact, for major events, they spared no expense, and the scale of the entrance and graduation ceremonies was beyond imagination.

The reason was simple.

The entrance ceremony was attended by the scions of noble families, those with blue blood, and the talents who would shoulder the future of the empire. High-ranking nobles participated in the event for this very reason.

The graduation ceremony was similar. It was a tribute to the nobles who had already proven themselves and the talents who had become the future of the empire, making it almost akin to an official imperial event.

Especially since members of the imperial family, close to the line of succession, took turns attending, the Demia Empire Academy couldn’t afford to prepare the entrance and graduation ceremonies haphazardly.

Gilbert, marveling at the dazzling interior decorations he had only seen in virtual reality, followed the servants’ guidance and took his assigned seat. Judging by its position in the front row, it seemed there was a hierarchy based on status.

Even in a place where skill was supposed to speak for everything, it was impractical to place nobles and commoners on equal footing in such formal settings.

Moreover, if such a thing were to happen at an entrance ceremony attended by the imperial family, it could be seen as an extreme act of praising the republic, akin to being treated as a member of the Resistance.

Of course, that was an extreme example. Usually, such situations would end with subtle complaints of discomfort, but it was better to avoid creating such scenarios altogether.

After some time passed, Gilbert glanced around to see where the protagonist was. Meanwhile, the previously empty seats were filled, and the distinguished guests also took their places.

Soon, the academy head of the Demia Empire Academy ascended the podium to begin the entrance ceremony, and the murmuring crowd fell silent.

The academy head of the Demia Empire Academy held a position of significant power within the empire.

Given that all nobles were required to attend the academy and that it gathered the talents the empire sought, the moment the academy head turned against the empire, an irreversible catastrophe could occur.

Thus, the position of academy head had traditionally been held by the Duramentum Marquis family, staunch supporters of the emperor, who had even been granted the middle name “Demia” by the emperor himself.

The current academy head, Marquis Lucas, was a figure who had achieved remarkable feats on the battlefield before inheriting the position from his predecessor. He was a first-class knight and one of the empire’s strongest swordsmen, truly deserving of his title.

During his time as a field commander, he was renowned for his popularity among his subordinates. Gilbert, who had played Tactical Combat, had also admired Marquis Lucas for his integrity and the trust he inspired in his subordinates.

Even in the community, he was referred to as “old-man charisma,” and many cosplayed as him, which showed just how popular he was.

In that sense, Gilbert felt a strange sense of awe seeing Marquis Lucas Demia Duramentum on the podium. He had felt the same when he met Seraphina, but seeing a game character he had only encountered in virtual reality in real life was surreal.

Marquis Lucas, now on the podium, surveyed the new students. From the scions of famous noble families to commoners without even a surname, the diverse group of freshmen all looked at him.

He had come to love this scene, which he saw every year after becoming academy head. While on the battlefield, he had to watch the empire’s stars fade, but at the academy, it was the opposite.

Facing the shining stars who would shoulder the empire’s future filled him with vitality.

He was curious about what talented individuals had entered the academy this year. And he looked forward to the first opportunity to assess them: the Entrance Mock Battle.

Standing on the podium, Lucas cleared his throat and spoke into the enchanted microphone.

“Welcome, everyone. I am Lucas Demia Duramentum, the academy head of the Demia Empire Academy.”

His words, delivered like a commander’s speech before a battle, immediately captured the audience’s attention.

A single word from a commander could sway the morale of their troops. A single word could turn the tide of a losing battle.

Among them, Lucas, who had served as the field commander of the Infractus front, was particularly exceptional in this talent.

“I have no interest in what you did before coming to the Demia Empire Academy. This is a place where you must prove yourself. This is a battlefield.”

In an instant, Lucas drew the attention of everyone present at the entrance ceremony and continued his speech, which doubled as the opening remarks for the mock battle.

“Do not rely on your family’s background. If you are a noble, you must prove your blue blood. If you are a commoner, you must draw out your talents. Prove yourself endlessly. That is the purpose of your being here.”

His words were blunt, devoid of any embellishment, but that was precisely why they struck a chord.

“I will conclude my opening remarks here. I now declare the commencement of the Demia Empire Academy’s Entrance Mock Battle.”

With that short but impactful speech, Lucas descended from the podium.

Gilbert watched the familiar tutorial introduction and observed the professors moving with precision. The Demia Entrance Mock Battle began by dividing the freshmen into four teams.

Dividing into two teams would result in a straightforward head-to-head battle, while dividing into three would lead to two teams allying against one, creating an imbalance.

Thus, dividing into four teams was the solution. Of course, three teams could ally against one, or two teams could form alliances for a full-scale battle.

However, if one team were to fall, the dynamics would change. The alliance that maintained its strength would turn on each other after defeating the opposing alliance.

Even within the same alliance, one had to ensure there was no betrayal and manage the preservation of strength. Since the Entrance Mock Battle was conducted in a short time frame, split-second decision-making was crucial.

Therefore, cadets who took on the role of commander received high bonus points but were also subjected to harsh judgment. Commanders were given full authority, and their evaluations were rigorous.

‘Shall we begin?’

Due to the unique nature of the commander’s evaluation, volunteers were first sought. If there were no volunteers, a commander cadet would be selected at random, and the mock battle would proceed.

This was where the character-making in Tactical Combat began. A choice would appear asking whether to volunteer as a commander cadet, and selecting it would affect special stats like authority and leadership.

Volunteering as a commander cadet naturally increased the difficulty. Gilbert, during his newbie days, had once experienced the commander difficulty and ended up with his evaluation plummeting, struggling throughout the game before eventually restarting.

He had been too cocky, relying on his military experience.

Gilbert shook his head. That was just when he was still getting used to it.

Of course, he couldn’t guarantee it would be the same now that it was reality, but his experience wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, it might be easier to apply his military experience in real life.

“I am Rojas, in charge of this mock battle. Cadets who wish to volunteer as commanders, please speak up.”

Gilbert glanced around before stepping forward. Everyone seemed to be scouting each other, hesitant to step up.

Commoner cadets felt burdened by the idea of giving orders to nobles, while noble cadets were gauging the situation, waiting for the right moment. They were considering potential variables, but Gilbert wasn’t.

“I’ll do it.”

Faster than anyone else, and before anyone else.

This act, which even existed as an achievement, was the first step in character-making: volunteering to be the commander. Choosing this route came with the penalty of being targeted by alliances if one team fell, but successfully leading the mock battle to victory granted significant stat bonuses.

You get what you show. That was the advantage of this route.

“Gilbert Lion Heart, appointed as commander of Team 1. Please come this way.”

All eyes turned to Gilbert. The curious glances wondering who would volunteer first soon turned into looks of disdain and disgust.

Trash, hopeless, scoundrel.

The judgments in their eyes were far from kind. Gilbert knew this well but chose to ignore it. Even if he hadn’t personally done anything, the public’s perception was already set.

From noble-born cadets to commoners, his infamy was already widespread. He had been branded as an irredeemable scoundrel within his territory, so it was no surprise that his reputation had reached the Demia Empire Academy.

Thus, his plan for changing perceptions was simple. No matter how many good deeds he did, he couldn’t escape the label of being a trash trying to clean up his image.

But if he could highlight that even a scoundrel had some redeeming qualities, the narrative would shift slightly. If a bad person consistently did good deeds, they’d be accused of trying to clean up their image, but if they occasionally did good, people would start to see them in a different light.

Gilbert aimed for that subtle difference. Just showing that even he had some good in him could turn evaluations around. And the starting point for that was this Entrance Mock Battle.

“Are there any other cadets who wish to volunteer as commanders?”

At Rojas’s words, Gilbert carefully observed the cadets still hesitating. He was curious about who might step up as a competitor, but more importantly, he wanted to see which route the protagonist would take.

Gilbert had chosen this route not only to change perceptions but also to gain bonus points for special stats, aiming for the commander route instead of relying on his flawed characteristic skill.

If the protagonist didn’t take the commander route, Gilbert planned to use them as a subordinate. If they did, he would use them as a fellow commander. Thus, he was curious about the protagonist’s choice.

After a brief moment, another cadet finally stepped forward to volunteer as commander.

“I’ll do it.”

With rare black hair and a gentle, handsome appearance, the complete opposite of Gilbert, the man raised his hand.

Gilbert’s eyes lit up for a moment.

Finally, the protagonist of Tactical Combat had arrived.

 

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