NOVEL NEXT Chapter 212
New Year’s greeting ceremony. And the cleanup of the southern sea mobilized by the Imperial Navy.
After that, fortunately, there were no significant events to speak of.
Then, around the time the cold breeze began to lessen, finally, that day came.
“The Crown Princess is entering. Cadets, stand tall.”
Imperial Military Academy. The place where the pillars that will lead the Empire’s military are shaped.
After nearly a year of preparation, today marks the beginning.
“Ah. I am truly delighted to see you. They say that speaking at such occasions should be brief for everyone’s benefit, so let me pass the floor to the one you are all eagerly awaiting.”
The Crown Princess smiled while glancing back at me.
Please, sister-in-law. You really don’t have to say such things.
“My one wish for you cadets is this: never forget why you are here. Though the world may be in disarray, you must stand firm until the very end. That is the essence of being a cadet at the Imperial Military Academy and an officer in the Imperial Army.”
And that was truly it. I expected a lengthy address, but…
Other distinguished guests hurriedly rose from their seats, applauding her brief speech.
“Now it’s your turn, brother-in-law. Hurry up.”
“Y-your Highness, if you keep it short like this, wouldn’t it be strange for the next one, me, to speak at great length?”
“Oh dear. The best way to give a speech is to be concise and impactful, brother-in-law.”
“Then I’ll keep it short too…”
“Of course, you are the exception. Speak plenty of good words. This is an order from the Crown Princess, Chief of Staff.”
Aah! Is that not an abuse of power? Why waste the Crown Princess’s authority in such a place!
Huff. Taking a deep breath, I ascended to the podium in the academy square.
Below, hundreds of first-year cadets fixed their eyes solely on me.
Their gazes sparkled so brilliantly that, without realizing it, I found myself trembling from the pressure.
I wasn’t completely unprepared. In fact, I had been promoting my name since the academy’s early construction days.
It was necessary; without enough authority, it was a tough battle to secure the budget.
Building such a vast academy while reconstruction and recovery were underway? It was only natural for the Ministry of Finance to look a bit bewildered.
But once my name was associated with the academy’s construction, alongside the Ministry of War, the atmosphere changed.
The Ministry of Education united right away, and the Ministry of the Palace conveyed the Imperial family’s wishes.
Thus, the Ministry of Finance swiftly allocated a budget, granting us possession of the academy in just one year.
…So, it was my name that promoted it, so it better be worth it.
If I just say a few words and leave like our sister-in-law, expectations will dull significantly.
We are already receiving more than enough attention; I wish to decline any more.
But for the sake of our juniors, and for their juniors too, I must do my part.
“Ahem.”
—Clap clap clap!
Umm, juniors? I haven’t even said a word yet. I merely cleared my throat.
If they applaud this quickly, I might take flight like the Chief of Staff!
“First of all, I sincerely welcome you all, the first cadets of the Empire, having passed through high competition. It’s quite remarkable. You’ll have a military academy diploma that I never attained!”
I sensed the atmosphere tightening, so I tried to throw in a joke.
But not a single soul laughed; instead, confusion loomed larger.
I feel like they thought, “Wait? The Chief of Staff doesn’t have a diploma, can we really act like this?”
“But! That diploma will not be handed out easily. Remember, the educational process here will not be a walk in the park. You’ll have to continue the lessons built by your esteemed seniors with nothing but your sweat.”
“You may find yourself regretting your decision. You’ll want to abandon everything and return to a peaceful life. You’ll test yourself against that temptation and encounter your limits repeatedly.”
The academy is not a place like an academy. If you expect harmony, it would be best to drop out immediately.
In the event that war may arise, it’s a place to lessen the bloodshed as much as possible.
It’s a learning ground for those who must ensure the safe return of valuable children from other houses.
Thus, it must be strict, it must be harsh, and above all, there can be no exceptions.
“Yet, I dare to encourage you: do not give up. Endure, persevere, and hang on until the very end. Only then may we collectively shout that we have proudly become officers of the Empire!”
Kids, it’s still not over! Don’t applaud at strange timings. There’s still more to go.
“Whoa.”
Let’s begin. It may seem like a self-destructive move, but regardless, it’s a path for everyone.
If that’s the case, then sacrificing like this isn’t so bad after all.
“If you can remain calm when you lose everything and everyone blames you.”
“If everyone doubts you, and you must acknowledge their doubts, yet you can still trust yourself.”
“If you can dream without becoming a slave to your dreams, and can entertain thoughts without making them your goal.”
“If you can treat victory and disaster the same without differentiating between those schemers.”
“If all that you devoted your life to crumbles, if you can bend down with old tools and lift it up again.”
“Then at last, you will be. You all will be. Cadets!”
*
Finally, the official first semester of the Imperial Military Academy has begun.
When that news reached the Empire’s administration, everyone was half excited, half worried.
This was truly the first time in the Empire’s history, and most importantly, those involved were all drastically different.
Children of great noble families that even someone from a remote village might have heard of.
While their names weren’t widely known, those in the know recognized their families.
Even ordinary citizens of the Empire, as well as individuals arriving from the Dedorant region.
I hope it doesn’t happen, but the situation is ripe for factions to form.
It’s already frightening enough for factions to emerge in the administration, but how about within the military?
At any moment, the Imperial family could say, “Are you joking?” And that would be the end.
Particularly, the greatest concern lies with the Ministry of War and the General Staff.
If those who graduated from the academy are to enter anywhere, those two are the most representative.
Thus, they have an obligation to ensure no strange atmosphere forms.
“I will be back.”
Once the academy semester started, a few individuals were secretly dispatched from the Ministry of War and the General Staff.
Are our juniors managing well? Are they already beginning to form sides?
If they are pushing aside commoners and are hostile towards those from Dedorant…
[b][Live a life unafraid of death. Respect everyone’s opinions, and you too shall be respected in return.][/b]
When they finally entered the academy, what awaited them was not those imaginations.
It was the voice of a certain man streaming from the recording device.
[b][Love your life, make it perfect, and beautify it. Prepare for the day of decision, always ready for death.][/b]
[b][Even when death finds you, do not tremble in fear like others. Do not humiliate yourself by begging for a little more life.][/b]
[b][Embrace death. Like a hero returning home.][/b]
“Isn’t this the Chief of Staff’s voice?”
“It seems like it. And now that I think about it, I recognize this content. It was said to the cadets before the academy officially opened.”
At the time, I merely thought it was nice. I believed it would serve as a good milestone for my juniors.
But experiencing it firsthand exceeded all of that. It wasn’t just a simple video archive in action.
Every time the video rolled and Kael’s words played, the cadets stood still in formation.
And then, solemnly, as if taking a sacred oath, they began reciting the content in unison.
“Live a life unafraid of death! Respect everyone’s opinions, and you too shall be respected!”
“Love your life, make it perfect, and beautify it! Always be ready for death for the day of decision!”
“Even when death finds you, do not tremble in fear like others! Do not humiliate yourself by begging for a little more life!”
“Embrace death! Like a hero returning home!”
Something feels like it’s stirring beyond mere admiration or respect.
Is this the Military Academy? Or is it a shrine venerating the Chief of Staff?
In a curious urge, I decided to enter the lecture hall, only to find… what I saw earlier was nothing.
[b][If you can remain calm when you lose everything and everyone blames you.] [/b]
[b][If everyone doubts you, and you must acknowledge their doubts, yet you can still trust yourself.] [/b]
[b][If you can dream without becoming a slave to your dreams, and can entertain thoughts without making them your goal.] [/b]
[b][If you can treat victory and disaster the same without differentiating between those schemers.] [/b]
[b][If all that you devoted your life to crumbles, if you can bend down with old tools and lift it up again.] [/b]
Somewhen, the “If” that Kael spoke became renowned words.
Each classroom displayed those words, and everyone was memorizing them with their eyes sparkling with a kind of madness.
Here, who cares who is noble or who is common? Who’s from the Empire or who came from Dedorant?
They are just cadets of the academy, giving it their all as juniors mentioned by the Chief of Staff.
“…Umm, is this good or not?”
“Well, at least there are no factions forming among the cadets, so that’s a relief…”
Those scratching their heads returned to compile their report.
[b][Imperial Military Academy. The enthusiasm of each cadet is top-notch.][/b]
[b][Rather, we should worry if next year’s incoming second-year cadets can handle this atmosphere.][/b]