Volume 1 Chapter 60 My First Battle II
Hey, can I go to the battlefield too?
"Benjamin, wait! Why on earth does Cain have to be the one going out there?!"
Lydia, starting to panic, quickly presses Benjamin for answers.
"Mother, please calm down. Let me explain. Randolph, I'm sorry, could you help Cain with his armor?"
"Understood. Alright, young master Cain, we're short on time. Let's move quickly."
Randolph picked up Cain and carried him out of the meeting.
* * *
"Mother, first, please try to calm down. This is something Father requested."
Benjamin reassured Lydia while explaining the situation.
"I'm sure you've noticed, but Cain's been acting a bit... different since the 'ceremony of baptism.' Is it because of some new [skill]? Or perhaps the knowledge he gained? He's become much more mature."
Lydia, silently thinking it over, listened intently.
"On the other hand, he seems to be observing things from a higher perspective. That's why, even if his [magic] gets out of control, he still tries to learn it. Normally, a child not even ten years old would be too scared to use [magic] if they were injured badly enough to need both hands on potions. They'd shy away from it when the pain hits."
Benjamin added that he knew several students at the academy who were like that.
"So, Father asked us to let Cain experience 'life-threatening' danger while we're here, to teach him how to protect himself. Father said he might spoil him too much to make it work otherwise."
"But why now? It's too dangerous!"
"Precisely because it's dangerous. If we just keep him out of battle, he'll come to think, 'This isn't a big deal' ── unless someone actually dies."
Lydia gasped.
"Don't worry. The 3 of us will be fine. And I'll protect Cain, too. But we're going to let him experience danger ── so when he comes back, be gentle with him."
Benjamin winked with a quick "snap."
Lydia seemed to have made up her mind, returning to her usual calm self as she silently bowed.
"Make sure all of you come back safely. May fortune favor you."
She watched Benjamin walk away.
* * *
Around that time, Cain was getting help from Randolph zipping into a leather vest.
It fit his body pretty well──maybe it was a kid's size.
But, wow, it really stunk.
"Hey, Randolph? Whose hand-me-down is this? It reeks!"
"Can't recall, young master. Just put up with the stench. Beats being dead."
"Cain, you ready?"
The group stood ready, decked out in their gear.
Arthur, who wore full plate armor and carried a spear, said to Cain.
Benjamin was cloaked in a black leather robe.
Chris sported half-plate, sword, and shield.
"You all look splendid, young masters."
"""Seriously, could you stop calling us 'young master' already?"""
And once again, the mood lightened.
"Take care out there. May fortune favor you."
"Yeah." "Thanks." "We got this."
All 3 answered at once.
Then, they headed toward Wayne, captain of the Third Squad.
In front of the castle gates, squads of soldiers gathered, ready for action.
Everyone double-checked their gear and practiced formation drills.
Wayne was standing a little off by himself.
"Sorry we're late, Captain Wayne."
Arthur bowed his head as he spoke.
"No need for that, Sir Arthur."
Captain Wayne rushed over, waving his hands to stop him.
"In the army, the captain's word is law. Use us as you would any soldier. However, as I told my father──I can't guarantee cooperation, so please assign us to the rear guard."
The whole squad burst out, "Wait, what?!"
Rear guard duty is the second most dangerous──and most important──for an assault team.
It's only natural people would react if someone volunteered for that spot.
"We're here to help. Please let us do this."
And with that, he bowed his head again.
"Understood. Looking forward to your efforts. No──I'm *really* looking forward to it. You can ride, right? Use a squad horse. Third Squad! Mount up and stand by!"
Wayne barked orders, and everyone in Third Squad mounted up.
Arthur and the others borrowed 3 horses from the Order's stables and climbed into their saddles.
Cain still couldn't ride alone, so he shared a saddle with Benjamin.
Benjamin buckled the two of them together with a belt, just in case Cain slipped.
"Cain, make sure to never cut off the 'Circulation'. This morning, figure out how to 'Circulate' about ten of those Mana chunks you went to check on. Think you can handle it?"
Cain started to follow the instructions, even though he thought it was a bit of a pain to create the Mana chunks.
But once he imagined a train, the 'Circulation' went smoothly.
"In battle, if you can't cast a spell in time, use 'Release' to attack. Not bad, huh?"
"Yes, if my brothers get hurt, Cain will heal them, won't you?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself! You, who've never seen battle, need to think first about protecting yourself and not getting in your allies' way. If you have the chance, follow My orders! Acknowledge!"
"Yes, Elder Brothers!"
'Sheesh, no need to yell. Monsters, sure, but they're just goblins and orcs, right? I guess I'll level up eventually.'
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