Chapter 4

'This is magic...'

Honestly, I was surprised.

A mere 1 unit of mana.

The minimum amount that could be transferred through the training system.

But even that was enough to make my body feel revitalized.

D&K's heroes all possessed bodies that transcended human limits.

Strength that could smash rocks, legs faster than most quadrupeds, endurance that wouldn't tire even after fighting all day, durability that could withstand blades, and even natural healing power that meant there was no need to see a doctor for most injuries.

Just looking at that, most soldiers wouldn't even dare to fight them.

Although I was still far from that level, if I continued to accumulate mana like this, someday I too might reach the realm of heroes.

However, several times more important than a body strengthened by mana was 'Authority', which, simply put, was a superpower.

'Yong'an (Dragon Eye)... I've never heard that name before.'

Heroes, through training, would awaken to various Authorities in addition to physical enhancement each time a certain amount of mana was injected.

When and what Authority they would gain was completely unknown.

In severe cases, a hero's performance was determined by the number and combination of Authorities they possessed, regardless of their physical abilities.

The first Authority I gained was Yong'an.

It was an Authority whose name I had never seen once while playing D&K.

If it was an Authority I had never seen, despite having raised a considerable number of heroes worthy of a Rank 2 player, it would be one of two things: it was either a very rare Authority, or a new Authority that only appeared in the training system established by the Alliance.

Fortunately, its effect was clearly stated in the system message that appeared before my eyes.

Yong'an: It is possible to confirm part of the system message.

"......"

My anticipation for the grand name quickly turned into disappointment as I froze at the content, which was of no help in combat.

Because I knew the training system well, unlike other soldiers.

Because I understood better than anyone how important the first Authority was.

It felt like my breath was being choked.

Was an Authority that allowed me to check system messages really necessary?

I could check them anytime with the help of a magician anyway.

I wondered if there was any more meaningless Authority in the world.

[Damn it!]

A harsh curse word reached my ears.

The cute rabbit plush toy was jumping up and down in frustration.

It was such dynamic movement that I could guess that if that face could express emotions, it would be making the most menacing face with a bright red color.

[Yong'an? A mere soldier... How dare a refugee from a fallen nation use the name of a dragon! How presumptuous! You are shaming me!]

It was not a joke; the anger was so intense that if he had been next to me, he would have unhesitatingly shot magic at me.

I thought Viscount Leming, who only sent familiars to the scene, was a terrible commander, but at this moment, I was glad he wasn't physically present.

[Or shouldn't it possess a majestic ability befitting the name of a dragon! Confirming system content? Any magician can do that!]

"...I'm sorry."

It wasn't my fault.

I was just unlucky.

But I felt that if I stayed silent, something big might happen, so I bowed my head.

Viscount Leming fumed for a long time, unable to contain his anger, then gave up and sat down on the floor.

And he let out a big breath.

[...Hmph. As you've seen, you who benefit from the system receive mana from me, your commander, and gain transcendent abilities like Purity's heroes. The blooming of Authorities is also part of that. Now, one by one, come forward. I shall bestow Authority.]

Viscount Leming glared at me once more, then sequentially bestowed mana upon the other soldiers.

Not everyone gained a new Authority.

As mentioned earlier, the mana requirements for an Authority to bloom differed for each individual.

Viscount Leming injected up to 4 units of mana into everyone until an Authority bloomed.

And twice, he smiled with satisfaction.

Lilisa, and Blondie.

Because those two had manifested quite decent Authorities.

Conversely, Theo, despite receiving 4 units of mana, failed to manifest an Authority.

[The training of this batch will focus on these two.]

"......"

Viscount Leming's murmur pierced me like a dagger.

I couldn't speak, only profusely sweat.

'This is the worst.'

Viscount Leming had just declared that he would focus on training Lilisa and Blondie.

The other soldiers, who didn't know much about the training system, had puzzled expressions, but I couldn't possibly misunderstand the meaning behind his murmur.

It was a sad truth, but in D&K, the training of heroes was treated as more important than anything else.

Heroes in D&K could not level up and increase their abilities by killing enemies and gaining experience points like in typical RPGs.

Of course, it was possible to strengthen the body through training, but its efficiency was extremely low compared to injecting mana.

As the one-armed magician who examined my suitability said, mana was a kind of cheat function that allowed ordinary knights to acquire abilities gained through decades of training in a short period.

In other words, if you weren't chosen by the player character, you would only face a tragic end: being pushed around without ever growing stronger, then eventually dying to increasingly powerful enemies.

Here, Viscount Leming was no different from a player character.

In such a situation, not being chosen by Viscount Leming meant that my path to growth beyond my current state was blocked.

Moreover, I wasn't just not chosen; I was even disliked.

I could almost hear the sound of my survival chances plummeting vertically.

[We have arrived at our destination.]

While I was in turmoil, the airship had already reached the skies above our destination.

The airship slowly landed in a suitable open space.

[Now, there are surely some of you whose minds have gone blank in the meantime, so I will explain again. The purpose of this operation is to capture Outpost 28, located halfway up Mount Driel. The operation begins simultaneously with the airship's landing!]

"Yes!"

The voices of two people, excluding me and Blondie, resonated loudly.

Gazing at the ground that was getting closer, I gripped my weapon even harder.

'I'll die like this.'

To survive in this world, I needed strength that wouldn't be crushed by Purity's heroes, and for that, I needed Viscount Leming's choice.

However, I was already out of favor with Viscount Leming during the first Authority manifestation stage.

To reverse his decision, I had to show something remarkable in this operation.

But this operation was merely about occupying an empty outpost after the enemies had retreated.

It was impossible to create noticeable achievements.

'No choice, I guess. It's not good to stand out too much, but I have to avoid a situation where Viscount Leming gives up on training me altogether. If so, I have no choice but to use it, even at the risk...'

Even though the airship hadn't fully landed yet, my heart was already pounding rapidly.

***

One minute after the operation began.

Problems arose promptly.

"......"

"......"

The open space where the airship had departed.

The four of us just stood there, staring at each other's faces and blinking.

The reason was truly absurd.

'That foolish man. What am I supposed to do if he doesn't even designate a field commander...'

That damn man, who didn't even have the qualifications of a commander, had simply left without designating the most crucial "head" for carrying out the operation.

In fact, it would be best if I stepped forward.

This wasn't arrogance but a purely objective judgment.

If everyone here was a refugee who had never commanded soldiers, then I, who had some experience through D&K and knew the strategies for each stage, could minimize our casualties even if the worst happened.

Perhaps it could even be an opportunity for Viscount Leming to change his mind.

However, since I had decided to use that 'trick', I couldn't take on the role of a field commander where everyone's attention would be focused, and I would have to lead the way.

What was most important to me right now was returning to my original world.

But since I didn't know how, survival had to be my top priority.

That's why I decided to use a cowardly method, risking shame.

"As everyone knows, a field commander... that is, a squad leader is absolutely necessary. In my opinion, I hope Theo will take on the temporary role until Viscount Leming makes an additional statement."

"Uh... me?"

Theo seemed quite flustered by the sudden nomination.

"Well, Theo is the eldest, after all. In my case, I'm not capable of leading anyone. As for Blondie... let's keep quiet about her. Lilisa... what do you think?"

When the gaze fell on her, Lilisa desperately shook her head as if a knife was being held to her throat.

"I-I can't do it! You might not believe me, but I'm really bad at saying harsh things to anyone..."

"You certainly look like it."

"...If I look like that, then fine. And a field commander would have to give all sorts of orders... given my personality, I just can't do it. How about Ryan does it? You seem like you'd do well, proposing this."

"My personality is autocratic. If I become the field commander, there's a high probability I'll give commands for my personal benefit, not the unit's, depending on the situation. Is that okay?"

"That's a bit..."

In the end, Theo nodded and agreed.

"It seems we can't even start the operation like this, so I'll temporarily take on the role of field commander."

With my and Lilisa's active agreement, Theo was chosen as the temporary squad leader.

"Shall we depart then?"

With Theo, wearing the armband, at the lead, the 707th Unit's first operation began.

Theo, a burly figure with an axe, walked at the forefront, and Lilisa, holding a map, guided the way to his left.

I took the very rear, and Blondie was walking clinging to Theo, clearly terrified.

Essentially, Theo felt like he was carrying dead weight.

'How can I make a person out of that?'

I was deeply worried about Blondie, who clearly looked like she would cause a huge accident if something went wrong.

'...No, this isn't the time to worry about others.'

I put aside my worries about a dark future and unfolded the map I had been given beforehand.

Outpost 28, our destination, was located about an hour's walk away, considering the winding mountain path.

Besides a warning about occasional wild animals appearing on the road, there seemed to be nothing special.

'And my destination is...'

The midway point between the starting point and Outpost 28.

If I veered off the path to the west for about five minutes, there was a small cave cleverly hidden in dense bushes.

There was a secret there unknown to others.

Commonly called an Easter egg.

A hidden piece.

I was sure that the number of people who knew about this Easter egg among D&K players wouldn't exceed five.

The fact that I was one of them was a point of pride as a gamer.

Now that I knew the location, all that remained was to figure out a way to naturally head to the cave without arousing the suspicion of the other unit members.

The fortunate thing was that I had the small title of "hunter's son."

If I used this well, I might be able to create an opportunity with a suitable excuse like reconnaissance or something similar.

After walking for about 20 minutes, the outpost's watchtower began to appear in the distance.

It was the moment I thought we would reach our destination without issue...

Static.

"......?"

A slight pain occurred in my left eye, accompanied by a sound like crackling electricity.

Simultaneously, my vision shimmered, and then something translucent suddenly appeared.

It was a system message.

However, its content was somehow different from what I knew, which was simply a message window that only displayed information about the training target.

First, the design was different.

Unlike typical system messages with a white background and roughly outlined blue lines without patterns, this one was neatly and beautifully decorated.

More importantly, it was not the appearance but the content.

Message Haa... Seriously, what is this?

Stuck again at Stage 2-3. - All heroes wiped out?

I barely saved the account by keeping the player character alive so they wouldn't be wiped out.

just thinking about raising them again from scratch makes me dizzy.

Hang in there... That's just D&K's daily life.

Guys! I just started and am challenging Stage 1-1, can anyone give me some tips?

Oh, there's a newbie in this game?

I was so flustered that my feet stopped.

I closed my eyes, touched my left eye that was emitting a faint pain, then opened them again.

But nothing changed.

"...What is this?"

I was so startled that at first, I didn't understand what on earth was going on.

But anyone who had played D&K even once, or even anyone with a little thought, would know what this system message meant.

"This is D&K's chat window...!"