—Maxim and Elan both were out of commission. A total of four companies, equivalent to one battalion, suffered devastating losses and were routed.

    A deafening silence reigned in the headquarters of the attackers led by Godorfun when they received the shocking news.

    It was impossible to ask what had happened from the eliminated people while the scenario was underway.

    There was no use crying over spilled milk, so they turned to the routed soldiers and heard their share of the details before finally putting the pieces together to some extent.

    First, the western outpost, which had been commanded by Kate Salkanp, had a monster nest hidden nearby on the northern side of the forest, which was, presumably, intentionally set up by Allen Rovenne. They then released the gathered monsters in the direction of the reinforcements.

    Ths stampede was controlled by Shalum Halloween and Lala Von Liancool as they crushed the two companies from the side. Using the split second opening the chaos brought her, Stella Achilies took down Battalion Commander Maxim Achilies.

    At the moment the chaos erupted, Battalion Commander Maxim Achilies was easily defeated and eliminated by Stella Achilies.

    Subsequently, the battle turned strange as the attacking force became preoccupied with dealing with the monsters. In the end, they were either forced to retire by the monsters or the defending force.

    There were barely any soldiers left of the two companies by the time they finished dealing with the monsters.

    Then moving on to the eastern outpost commanded by Aldol Engraver, the attacking force was in an even sorrier state.

    Caught in between a pincer attack, and being showered with explosion magic that burst with a loud sound, the attacking force rushed toward the river channel.

    However, about halfway down the barren slope, the river below had been frozen solid by Aldol Engraver’s ice magic. Though the soldiers closer to the river had stopped when they noticed that, the squads behind them were too confused to act normally and continued going down, eventually causing a human avalanche.

    As Elan saw her people begin jumping into the river one after another, she immediately realized such a situation could lead to their deaths, and raised the white flag of surrender.

    Aside from a few who managed to escape to the mountain side, they suffered devastating losses here.

    If this had been an actual battle rather than a drill and if they hadn''t surrendered, had they continued to push toward the river, they would have fallen one by one and become perfect targets, and the battalion would have suffered catastrophic damage.

    "...Did they really set up two big hunting grounds in such a short time?..."

    Tim was left speechless after saying this. But the same could be said about the rest of the people present as well.

    After a moment, Godolfen spoke with a heavy tone.

    "These children are terrifying... It’s hard to believe this is their first defensive battle. Not only have they keenly perceived what could be their trump cards, but they even thoroughly grasped the terrain, the local flora, and the nearby monsters as they made us dance to their tune.

    I had felt slightly let down when I heard that the brat barely gathered any local supplies while I was tagging along with the 3rd scenario team... but it seems I was the one lacking, in hindsight. Even the procurement of materials was merely a guise to them actually surveying the terrain. It’s no wonder why they needed to look around if they wanted to fully utilize the terrain for themselves. It’s something that seems easy on paper, but is actually quite difficult in practice.

    It was my oversight that I thought that I understood them and their abilities down to the last detail. Now, here we see their multi-layered preparations they’ve set up with such tenacity... The teachings of Schord Bainfaust have me in awe again.”

    Godolfen stroked his snowy-white beard as he spoke.

    “This isn’t a time for a moral lesson, Tim. No, that doesn’t even matter in a situation like this. They have the soldiers in their grasp, and we''re a foreign force who had crossed someone else''s border. Plus, neither side has given up fighting yet. We’re out for their blood, and allowing us to make a retreat means our soldiers can kill the innocent civilians of the kingdom another day.

    Until we surrender or agree to a ceasefire, I can’t even think of saying that they should treat the prisoners with respect. If anything, keeping them alive as prisoners is already too lenient of a measure.”

    Tim grimaced as Godorfun taught him the realities of military duty, regardless of the fact that he was here only to inspect the outdoor classes, and then ask Godorfun.

    “Then what are they plotting by keeping the prisoners alive?.....”

    Godolfen narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

    “The commotion outside is loud... so I presume the envoy had relayed the message in quite a loud tone. Now, if we let them have their way and kill the prisoners, it’ll crush the morale of our army...... This is an outright challenge. It’s their attempt to turn the tables on us.”

    Tim, however, still had a confused expression.

    Even during the most intense drills with the Knight Order, he had never encountered such a taboo-like situation. It was truly like a real battle—

    As Tim was contemplating this, the old man in front of him said something shocking.

    “...I’ll go. Jipro, take one company and accompany me. We’ll rescue the captured prisoners.”

    Godorfun declared in a clear voice.

    “...That’s too much, Sir. Isn’t it a bit cruel to the children? They’re just 12 or 13-year-old kids, and if you take the helm, everything they’ve set up will be shattered like glass. Let’s keep the activities within the confines of the military— I mean, in the outdoor class’ range.”

    “I know that well enough. They certainly wouldn’t receive any supplementary classes even if they lose their three bases in the following events. Plus, the score is based on difficulty. This, alongside their previous scenarios, is actually going to grant them an unprecedented score, I’m sure.

    But there’s something you’ve yet to learn, Tim. A teacher’s duty is to bring out the latent potential of their students. After all, a battlefield is an ever-changing place... Hold the fort here, Tim.”

    “Excuse me?! There’s no way I could do that as a judge, Sir. There''s definitely no reason why—”

    Time was about to talk back, but only saw Godorfun glaring at him.

    “According to the reports, there have been no sightings of Allen Rovenne or Daniel Sardos. So you have to assume that they have another goal in mind. With someone like you, who can control such a large force, present here, it would be a waste not to utilize you. Don’t worry. Those kids have undoubtedly factored you in as an enemy force. We have long since fallen into Allen Rovenne’s trap the moment we got the surrounding army grouped up in one place.”

    Godorfun said, and then he left the headquarters with Jipro in tow.

    A trap?

    Had there been a hidden goal behind Allene Rovenne’s demand for the whole army to be their opponent, apart from being a foolhardy decision?

    Tim, still unable to fully grasp Godorfun’s final words, focused on issuing instructions to the nearby senior officers regarding the reorganization of the troops.

    E/N - How exciting! With how familiar Allen is with Godorfun, he most likely knew this would happen, and he probably has something in mind for the guy who supposedly ruined his youthful outdoor class. I''m excited to see how this''ll go down. Any guesses?