CH 214

CHAPTER 214: THOMAS’S PREDICTION

~3rd Person Perspective~

“No! It’s too late! You won’t be able to win the battles you could win!” (Thomas)

Thomas screamed in the barracks.

A large barracks has been built just outside of Canale Castle, where a large number of soldiers live and train in preparation for war.

Since Thomas came to Canale and was assigned to train the soldiers, he had been living in the Canale barracks while training the soldiers.

His instruction is very strict.

Ritsu has never been gentle, but he was even more strict than him.

He was extremely rugged and massive, so the soldiers were terrified of him.

However, as a trainer, the worst thing he could do was to make the soldiers feel worthless, so he intentionally adopted an attitude that would make them terrified of him.

(…After all, the soldiers in Canale are very well trained) (Thomas)

Despite his constant verbal abuse, in his heart, Thomas held Canale’s soldiers in high regard.

(I heard that that Marcan named Ritsu has been training them until now, but… I wonder how he trained them up to this level.) (Thomas)

Thomas was impressed with Ritsu’s ability to train his soldiers.

As he continued to train the soldiers, suddenly, “Boom!” The sound of an explosion echoed.

Next to the barracks was the Magic Training Center, a facility where mages trained. Since the work of mages differs greatly from that of regular soldiers, they usually practice separately. Sometimes they trained together several times a month.

“W-Woah, Charlotte-sama’s magic is… so amazing!” (Soldier)

“No, maybe it’s the magic of a new girl named Musha… who I hear has been growing rapidly since the last defensive battle…” (Soldier)

“You, there! Stop talking!” (Thomas)

“”Yes!”” (Soldiers)

Thomas issued a warning to the soldiers, who were engaged in a private conversation about the state of the magic soldiers. The soldiers hurriedly resumed their training.

(In the previous battle at Beltud, one of the reasons for their defeat was that they had misjudged the strength of the Clan Army’s mages. Especially that Charlotte’s magic was nothing short of a threat…) (Thomas)

Thomas recalls the time when he was defeated by Clan’s army at Beltud.

(Ritsu and Charlotte… both are extremely competent individuals who are rarely found in the province of Messiaen… Heck, even all of Somerforce. Then, there’s Russell who is still a child and immature in a lot of areas, but he has a phenomenal brain. Canale also has a lot of other talented people, which is hard to believe for a small frontier county.)

It was an odd sight for Thomas, who knows how difficult it is to get the right people.

Thomas remembered what Mireille had whispered to him in his imprisonment in Alcantes.

“The lad I’m working for now is an interesting boy. He may eventually become the man who will rule Messiaen or even Somerforce. I think he will soon leap past Clan who you don’t like. So, would you like to meet him at least once?” (Mireille)

I hardly believed it when she said those words, and in fact, when I met with Ars, I didn’t believe him to be of that caliber at first glance.

(If Ars had gathered this group of people, then surely her words were not a lie…) (Thomas)

Thomas was beginning to revise his assessment of Ars.

(Could it be that the defeat in the previous battle was also due to the presence of Ars…? Then, would he be the one to avenge Basamark-sama’s soul…) (Thomas)

I thought so but quickly reconsidered that was not the case.

(It is true that Ars may have been very powerful, but he was only working on the orders of Clan. After all, the only one who killed Basamark-sama was Clan, who gave the order to execute him.

And… I will never serve Clan since Basamark-sama knows that Clan doesn’t have the spirit to become the Governor. I have no intention of serving a man who is not fit to be governor.) (Thomas)

Thomas believed the words of his former master, Basamark, with all his heart.

(If Ars is that good… he might clash against Clan… sooner or later. It’s not that Ars will be blinded by ambition and revolt, but that Clan will not be able to handle Ars. If that happens… I’ll side with Ars.) (Thomas)

Thomas predicted a future for himself and Ars.

(Well, it’s only hypothetical. I don’t know what will actually happen. I should keep training the soldiers for a while, at the moment.) (Thomas)