NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 8: A peacefull time
Only a few weeks had passed when the shipments arrived with the tanks agreed upon from St. Gloriana, Pravda, and Jatkosota. The girls of Carolus Rex were excited to try them out, especially Gudrun, who loved tanks so much that you could practically call her an otaku on the subject.
Gudrun: "How exciting to have these new additions! I can't wait to try you out," — she said while hugging a Pravda T-34-85.
I noticed that the mark showing it was previously owned by Pravda had been removed, so I requested that the maintenance team begin general servicing and repaint them white. Each crew would then be able to place a decal of their choice along with the Carolus Rex emblem.
Astrid approached the group of newly arrived tanks with her arms crossed and a broad smile on her face. Her gaze swept over the Centurions, T-34-85s, and PT-76s, evaluating them with interest.
Astrid: "Well, well… looks like we finally have something that can take more than one hit," — she said mockingly while patting the armor of a Centurion. "With these, we won't just be fast; we'll have resilience and firepower too."
Then, her eyes landed on Gudrun, who was still hugging the T-34-85 with an ecstatic expression. Astrid let out a laugh.
Astrid: "Gudrun, do you want us to leave you two alone? I wouldn't want to interrupt your romantic moment."
Gudrun ignored her, too excited about her new "companion."
On the other hand, Freya, with her more reserved demeanor, observed the tanks with crossed arms and a serious expression. She walked around the PT-76, examining it carefully.
Freya: "This amphibious tank gives us a tactical advantage we didn't have before," — she commented, never taking her eyes off the vehicle. "With the right terrain, we could use it to flank from the water or set up ambushes in rivers and lakes."
She then looked at the T-34-85s and Centurions, nodding to herself.
Freya: "I'm a little concerned about how we'll integrate them into our current strategies," — she added. "But if we manage to coordinate properly, we could greatly expand our range of tactics."
Astrid, still smiling, placed a hand on her shoulder.
Astrid: "That's the fun part, isn't it? Now Erik will have to break his head figuring out how to use them."
Freya: "Oh, that's for sure," — she replied with a slight smile. "But I have confidence he'll find a way."
Meanwhile, the Carolus Rex girls began moving to prepare the new tanks, excited about the possibilities they brought. The academy was entering a new phase, and with these reinforcements, Erik's strategies could reach a whole new level.
After giving them some time to check out the new tanks, I instructed them to line up so we could assign the tanks to their crews and give them their names and some nicknames.
Erik: "Alright, Freya will keep the same name as always since it represents the goddess of love and fertility. However, Astrid will now have the nickname 'Viking,' while Gudrun will be called 'Valkyrie.' Understood?"
Girls: "Yes!!"
Erik: "As such, Viking and Valkyrie will remain in my crew, but I want them to train in different scenarios as well. Since the Strv 103 can be operated by a single crew member and is typically used as a sniper, I think this setup will work better."
Astrid crossed her arms, nodding with a slight smirk of satisfaction.
Astrid (Viking): "Sounds fitting. I have no objections, though I hope this doesn't mean I have to wear a horned helmet."
Her tone was playful, but her eyes showed the pride of receiving a nickname that evoked strength and tradition. To her, the image of a Viking symbolized resilience and boldness—something she deeply identified with.
Meanwhile, Gudrun seemed lost in thought, her expression glowing as she murmured her new nickname to herself.
Gudrun (Valkyrie): "Valkyrie... I like it. It's powerful."
She fell silent for a moment before grinning widely and pounding her fist against the armor of a nearby tank.
Gudrun (Valkyrie): "That means I get to decide which souls go to Valhalla in each battle!"
The passion in her voice made some of her teammates laugh, but it also made it clear that she was taking her role seriously.
Freya, for her part, maintained her firm and professional posture, but her subtle smile showed she approved of the choices.
Freya: "Good choices, Commander. This will make it easier to refer to each other in combat."
Freya used to be a taller and chubbier child than the others, but now in high school, she's slightly taller than Nonna (around 178 cm). What surprises me the most is that her bust has grown exponentially—I have no idea about measurements or cup sizes, so I wouldn't know exactly—but another thing that stands out is her toned body, with slightly defined muscles that don't compromise her feminine figure in the slightest.
Her uniform is a modified version of the Carolus Rex standard, styled like a Yankee or delinquent student, similar to what you'd see in anime like Rokudou no Onna-tachi. She's nothing like the freckled blonde girl I remember from our childhood.
Gudrun, on the other hand, is about 158 cm tall, has a medium-sized bust, and short reddish hair that reaches her shoulders. She wears thick red-framed glasses, and her most distinctive feature is a black beret on her head. Her vest is camouflage-patterned instead of the school's official colors.
Astrid, in contrast, is the shortest of the group at 154 cm, but surprisingly, her bust is almost as large as Freya's... I wonder how anatomy or genetics like to play jokes. Unlike the others, she wears the uniform properly, but she has added a black cape over it, almost as if she were embracing a chuunibyou (eighth-grader syndrome) phase. She even has replicas of her mother's military medals... Honestly, I'd rather not say anything, because I went through that phase myself back in high school.
Erik: "Alright, choose your decals—whether they're animals, coats of arms, letters, or numbers—then report back to me so I can register them and permanently assign the keys to your respective tanks."
For her PT-76, Freya—who had reassigned her Lago I to another teammate—chose a Valknut as her emblem.
Gudrun picked a symbol I immediately recognized: the insignia of the Florian Geyer division of the Waffen SS, placing it on the T-34-85 she had claimed.
Astrid, however, was the most creative, painting a burning Drakkar on her new Centurion.
Their reactions varied, but all of them shared the same excitement about finally having their own tanks.
Freya ran her hand over the PT-76's armor and nodded in satisfaction.
Freya: Perfect.
She then looked nostalgically at her old Lago I, now in the hands of a teammate.
Freya: Take good care of it, okay? It was with me for a long time.
Gudrun was fascinated with her T-34-85, examining every detail of the turret before carefully placing a decal with the Florian Geyer emblem with millimeter precision.
Gudrun: A symbol of chivalry and determination. This tank deserves a shield that represents its history.
She paused and turned to Erik with a mischievous smile.
Gudrun: Don't worry, boss, I didn't put it on for political reasons, just because it looks amazing.
Meanwhile, Astrid admired her work with crossed arms and a proud smile on her Centurion.
Astrid: Look at this, pure art. A Drakkar in flames sailing towards glory.
She turned to Erik, her eyes shining with excitement.
Astrid: If this tank doesn't inspire terror on the battlefield, I don't know what will.
The other girls from Carolus Rex were already in the process of choosing their own emblems, and Erik could feel the excitement in the air. It was a new phase for the academy.
In the end, several crews of the Strv m/38 switched to the new Centurion MK I, T-34-85, and the second PT-76.
It was expected that they would want to switch to a more powerful and durable tank, as some of them must have felt frustrated at not being able to do more in battle.
So, the crew list is as follows:
PT-76 with Freyja; her crew will be called Fólkvangr, and the other PT-76 will be named Tyr. The T-34-85 led by Gudrun will be named Florian Geyer. Meanwhile, Astrid's team with the Drakkar will be called Valhalla, and their crew will be named Skíðblaðnir. As for me, my name will be Nord, and my emblem is a Nordic round shield with two crossed axes. I will be the only crew member of the Strv 103 since, thanks to its design, that's possible.
All the girls started entering their tanks, and with me leading the charge in mine, we created an initial tactic where I would find the highest ground while the rest would hide. But since they were bigger tanks, we decided to cover them with grass.
Erik: I'm using the tactic of those I hated the most, turning tanks into walking lettuces.-I said with an ironic laugh on my face.
In cities, we would hide inside certain buildings that allowed it, like closed parking lots, among bushes for light tanks, or even in alleyways. The usual tactic was for the medium tanks to charge and search the city, while the Strv m/38 and Sav m/43 used the narrow alleys to their advantage, aiming directly at the tracks to immobilize enemy tanks. Then, the medium tanks like the Lago I or other T-34-85s would emerge from another alley to finish off the enemy tanks.
Astrid: This feels more like a game of hide-and-seek than a tank battle.
I was using binoculars to observe the training, but Astrid, Freya, and Gudrun were with me since they were the commanders of their respective teams.
Gudrun: Ah, the Suomi team is as reckless as ever.
The Suomi team was the one we gave the Swedish-made BT-42 to. I gave them operational freedom because they admired Mika's crew so much that they wanted to follow their example.
Erik: Let them be. It's their way of showing admiration for Jatkosota.
Astrid: If they admire them so much, why don't they just go with them?
Freya: I remind you that we all have a reason for choosing to stay.
Astrid: Tch.
In some ways, she reminds me of a slightly older Katyusha, which I find amusing.
Erik: By the way, since you have your own seat, why are you sitting on top of me?
Astrid: Why not?
Astrid was sitting on my lap while also looking through her binoculars at her squad. Despite facing Freya's threatening glare, she just flipped her off and remained in place.
The training was going well, although I noticed some mistakes. I noted them in a small notebook, and once the training was over, I handed it to Freya for her to read.
Freya: For those entering an alleyway, I recommend making sure there is an exit first to avoid getting trapped.
This was for the light and small tanks, as I noticed that after taking a shot and destroying an enemy tank, they couldn't leave because the wreckage blocked their way, or a bigger tank spotted them, and they had no other escape route.
And so it went, and a ranking was established for those with the best performance. For some reason, they agreed that the top-scoring team would have the right to visit my mansion for a cup of tea or hot chocolate with me.
Even though I told them they could ask for something else, since I found it odd that they only wanted that, they insisted it was enough for them.
Weird, but oh well. If they like it, then it's fine.
The squad commanders decided to hold their own training sessions, dividing the academy girls into factions that supported Astrid, Freya, or Gudrun.
It wasn't a real conflict that divided us, but I found it interesting that they had managed to form a friendly rivalry as motivation. Gudrun, in the end, was seen as the neutral faction.
To be honest, I like Gudrun better since she's the only one who understands my love for tanks. Over time, we became good friends, talking about history in our free time and playing strategy games like Age of Empires, World of Tanks, or Civilization.
She's the only one who can defeat me strategically, and if it weren't for her social anxiety, I would have chosen her as my vice-commander. But I picked Freya instead because she has the most charisma among the girls and knows how to maintain discipline.
Astrid, on the other hand, often argues with Freya, teasing her and playing pranks on each other.
I take a sip of my energy drink while watching them fight.
Erik: What a great friendship they have.
A smug smile unintentionally appears on my face. It's fun watching the chaos without being involved.
And so, our days remained peaceful—until the day of the tournament arrived.