A few days had passed since I began researching the Soul Stigmata Amplifier Potion with Professor Bastion. We had been so absorbed in the project that the weekend slipped by in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, it was Monday again.
There was only one class on Monday. It was the most important core subject that every third-year cadet, regardless of their division, was required to attend: the Practical Combat Training.
Not only did this class have the greatest influence on the cadets’ overall rankings, but it was also considered the first true step toward becoming a hero. Naturally, it had some unique characteristics that set it apart from other courses.
First, it took absolute priority over all other classes. If the schedule for Practical Combat Training was shifted or extended, cadets were officially excused from any other classes affected by it.
Second, injuries, or even deaths, that occurred during the class were not held against the professor in charge. Sure, there were basic safety measures in place, but this was not an educational institution for producing scholars or professionals. It was a training ground for heroes who would fight on the frontlines of humanity’s defense. In that context, casualties during training were simply part of the job.
Third, the class lasted for long hours. Unlike most classes that ran for two or three hours, Practical Combat Training occupied the entire Monday. Lunch and break times were entirely at the professor’s discretion, which meant that at times, like during last week’s outdoor training, we didn’t get any lunch break at all.
Professor Kane looked at the cadets and said, “Today’s training theme is ‘Mental Training.’ If you fail the morning test, you’ll go straight into the afternoon session without a lunch break. You’ve been warned.”
Even in the chaos of the past few days, I had been quietly looking forward to a peaceful lunch with Iris. Now, it turned out I would have to overcome the obstacle that was Professor Kane first.
Come on, man. At least let us eat. I let out a deep sigh, shooting a death glare at Professor Kane, who stood at the podium.
I wasn’t the only one groaning at the announcement. All around me, cadets threw sharp looks at Professor Kane and muttered resentfully.
“A full day of training without even a lunch break.”
“T-that’s just inhuman!”
“We already suffered enough in last week’s outdoor training!”
It seemed as if they wanted to say, “The other Practical Combat Training classes get regular breaks, why are we the only ones suffering?!”
Professor Kane looked at them and said, “What? Anyone got a problem with that?”
“N-no, sir!”
“No complaints here!”
Of course not. Complaining never worked on him anyway.
“Tsk tsk. You think I want to starve a bunch of brats like you?” he said.
“Uh, but during the outdoor training...” a cadet said.
“That wasn’t my fault. You were the ones who forgot to bring food. Right?” the professor retorted.
A painful truth we couldn’t argue with silenced us completely. In the quiet that followed, Albert hesitantly raised a trembling hand. “U-um, Professor? Did you just say that cadets who fail the test won’t get lunch?”
“I did.”
“Then, isn’t that kind of like forcing us to starve?”
With a mischievous grin, Professor Kane pulled out a transparent container from inside his coat and placed it on the podium. “I said you wouldn’t get a lunch break. I never said you wouldn’t get to eat.”
There was a mysterious green liquid inside the container.
“This is a special juice I made myself. One bottle of this will keep you going through lunch and dinner.”
Complete silence ensued. It wasn’t heated, and yet the eerie green liquid was bubbling. The cadets stared at it in horror, their faces going pale.
“Professor, what exactly is that?” Albert asked.
“Hmm? Didn’t I just say? It’s a special juice I made myself.”
“Yes, we know that, but what is it made of?”
Instead of words, Professor Kane replied with a laugh.
“No, seriously.”
Seeing Albert’s face, I could tell what he was thinking: Stop laughing and just answer the question, please.
“Albert, are you curious about what’s in it?” Professor Kane asked.
“Uh, y-yes. A little bit.”
“Then come on up and have a taste.”
Albert froze. “What? N-no, thank you! I’m not curious anymore!”
“But you just said you were,” Professor Kane said playfully.
“I take it back! Not curious at all!”
“Alright then, let’s take a fair vote. Raise your hand if you think Albert should be the one to taste it.”
Every cadet in the room raised their hand, including me.
Albert trembled as the vote passed with unanimous agreement. “Y-you traitors!”
Professor Kane calmly stepped toward him.
“E-eek!”
“Relax. Don’t make a fuss. You’re not going to die from drinking it.”
“Ugh...”
“Yeah... You probably won’t die. I think.”
As Albert screamed and tried to run, Professor Kane grabbed him by the shoulder and forced the juice into his mouth.
Albert’s eyes went wide as he choked it down. “Blegh BLEHH!”
“Hey! Don’t throw up,” Professor Kane said.
“W-what did you put in this—BLEH! How can anything taste like this?!”
“Do you know what kind of food source is made entirely of protein, Albert?”
“Uh, chicken breast?”
“Haha! Chicken breast is nothing compared to this high-protein ingredient!”
Professor Kane pulled out another container from his coat. Still clenching his mouth shut to avoid vomiting, Albert glanced at it. Something inside it was squirming.
“Wait! Is that a bug?” Albert asked.
“Hey now. Bug? Please. This is a carefully cultivated edible larva, bred with the Republic’s farming technology,” Professor Kane answered.
“So, it is a bug,” Albert said in disgust.
“Hey, once it’s in your stomach, it’s just nutrients like anything else.”
Albert collapsed into his seat with the blank, lifeless expression of someone who had lost all faith in the world. He had just barely managed to hold himself back from throwing up, but judging from how pale and sickly his face looked, it wasn’t hard to guess just how horrifying that “special juice” had tasted.
A heavy silence settled over the classroom. An unspoken yet ironclad consensus filled the air: “No matter what happens, I am never drinking that stuff.”
Professor Kane grinned as he walked back up to the podium. “Good. Now you’re starting to look like real cadets. As I said earlier, today’s lesson is about mental training. In real combat, your mind is just as important as your body, if not more.”
He looked around the classroom, continuing his speech about how even the strongest body meant nothing if the mind collapsed. “Today’s lecture is a special one. We’ll be joined by Professor Morpheus from the Mage Division.”
The name resulted in murmurs among the cadets.
“Professor Morpheus? As in the Morpheus?”
“The master of illusion magic?”
Professor Morpheus was a hero from the Holy Empire known for wielding all manner of illusion spells with unrivaled skill.
The classroom door opened, and a young man with deep brown hair stepped inside. He looked so youthful that he could have passed for a cadet, but everyone knew better that heroes aged slowly. You couldn’t judge their age by appearance alone.
He bowed gracefully, the movement so smooth it was almost artistic. “Pleasure to meet you, cadets. I’m Morpheus, and I’m here to assist with today’s mental training class.”
Compared to the antics of that bastard, I mean, Professor Kane, Professor Morpheus’s gentle smile felt like a breath of fresh air. The cadets’ moods visibly brightened.
Professor Morpheus explained, “The lesson is simple. One by one, you’ll step forward and endure an illusion I cast for one minute.”
“So, we just have to endure it? That’s all?” a cadet asked.
“Yes. That’s all.” Professor Morpheus confirmed.
The cadets tilted their heads. No matter how realistic an illusion was, if they knew it was fake going in, it made sense that it would lose most of its effect. Moreover, on top of that, the professors hadn’t asked the cadets to fight anything. They just wanted the cadets to hold still for one minute.
Pfft. This sounds like it’s going to be a piece of cake. That exact thought flickered across more than a few minds.
The cadets let out sighs of relief, some even chuckling nervously.
“Whew! Thank god!”
“I really thought I was going to have to drink bug juice for lunch.”
Professor Kane twisted his lips into a nasty little smirk as he looked over at the relaxed cadets, then he said, “Professor Morpheus, how about a demonstration? Just one cadet, as an example?”
“Sure. Any volunteers?”
“Albert says he’d love to give it a try,” Professor Kane said.
“Wait, what? No, I never said— AAAH!”
Professor Kane grabbed Albert by the collar and dragged him toward the front of the room. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just an illusion, after all.”
As Albert trembled like a leaf, Professor Morpheus gently said, “Just sit in the chair, close your eyes, and relax.”
Albert slowly sat down, following the professor’s instructions. “O-okay.”
Professor Morpheus placed a hand on his forehead, and then, hell broke loose.
“AH—AAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” With a blood-curdling scream, Albert fell backward out of the chair, flailing on the floor.
Let alone one minute, not even ten seconds had passed.
Gasping, one cadet said, “T-this is...”
“Are you alright?” Professor Morpheus reached out a hand to help him up.
Albert batted the hand away and curled into a ball on the floor, shaking all over. “S-stay away! Get away from me!”
He whimpered and sobbed, completely disoriented. “P-please... don’t kill me. I don’t want to die.”
Professor Morpheus shrugged and took a few steps back, calmly waiting for Albert to recover. About a minute passed, and finally, Albert lifted his head, face flushed red from crying.
“Feeling a little better?” Professor Morpheus asked.
“Y-yes. I’m so sorry!”
“Haha, no need to apologize. That kind of reaction is normal for first-timers. Happens all the time.”
The cadets’ faces, which had just moments ago been full of relief, now stiffened in fear.
Professor Morpheus scanned the room with a pleasant smile. “Alright then. Who’s next?”
Only now, that once-gentle smile seemed more like a grim reaper’s grin.
“Let’s see... Ah, the cadet with the gray hair over there.” His eyes landed on me. “Would you like to give it a try?”