Then, after 2 more days....
Finally, the final examination began
Its actual name is 『Training period's final examination』
It's a training to temper the youths, who are originally amateurs, to an acceptable degree before entering the army
And this is a test to decide if they have reached that predetermined level properly
People who passed this test will officially become a regular soldier of the Behemoth empire
But don't get me wrong. In the first place, working hard to become a soldier is not a reward, it's a duty
Men of the empire are decided to become soldier regardless of who they are, thus the military service
If they fail the test and are branded 『not qualified to be a soldier』, that means they couldn't accomplish the natural duty of a citizen of the empire, and they will not be treated as a proper citizen of the empire
They cannot receive the various welfare given by the country, they cannot receive normal jobs, they cannot buy a house, and of course marriage is not possible
Therefore, all men who was born in the empire desperately try to become soldiers
Not purely because they want to become soldiers
It's because they don't want to lose their ordinary life
And it's time for us, men of the empire, to face the test we must pass
Again
The final examination, begins!
◆
At night
The final examination started at night
At the usual bedtime, we were woken up just when we were about to enter the bed
It's a bit annoying to have your sleep disturbed
「Oraa! Stop making that sleepy face and line up, you trashy insects! Do you know what would happen if this was a battlefield? Your enemies would not hold back just because it's nighttime!!」
The enemies would want to sleep since it's nighttime
Well, that is not correct
The one yelling is instructor Atekoro. He has returned to work after a while
「After all, this is the final examination so the instructor cannot afford to not appear, huh」
The fact that he hasn't come out until now is another matter....
But, this feels unpleasant
This is the test that will decide the life of not just me, but also about a hundred of people in the training camp
I really want the one who would get in our way to withdraw....
「It's finally here, Jira...」
Under the night sky, the giant man Gashi walks heavily toward
His giant body has a presence in the dark night where vision is unreliable
「We will finally become official soldiers if we clear this test. I will surely pass this. Let's do our best together」
「Aah」
The determination of Gashi, who must become a soldier, is strong
But it's not necessary for him to be worked up. Gashi himself has an unique giant body and power, so he naturally has enough power to be an imperial soldier.
If he couldn't pass then most of the trainees here would surely fail too
The empire itself always wishes for more new soldiers, so they won't prepare something with brutal difficulty like that
As for Gashi, becoming a soldier is already like a destiny
「However, why do the examination start at night? Can't it start in the morning?」
「I will explain it immediately」
Instructor Atekoro said smugly
「Listen here! I will explain the content of the final test! I will only say this once so listen carefully!」
I'm feeling relieved that I would never have to see his face again if I pass the examination, but the final sounds quite hard
「The content of the final examination is marching! Just like what you trashy insects have been doing until now! How about that? Relieved, right? Because you shitty insects have been doing it every day ever since you came here! If you have practiced seriously then you can do it!!」
The preface is too long
「However, since this is a test so it's not just the normal marching! ...It's night march!」
I see
That's why it begins at night
「Listen here! Marching during daytime and nighttime are completely different! Even if it's the same road, it's easy to get lost and be unable to advance! You can't understand the harshness of night march without experiencing it!」
The final examination seems to be "to challenge the nighttime marching without practicing beforehand"
「As for the location, it will be the mountain outside of the training camp! You will start at the foot! If you reach the summit, you pass!...Fufufu, the night mountain is like a different world. Be careful not to get stranded, okay?」
Atekoro let out a nasty smile
Does he even care if his disciples could become soldier or not?
「The instructor is as annoying as ever, huh? Jira, how's your sister-chan? If she comes here then that idiot will shut up immediately」
「At this time? She's sleeping soundly at home」
It's nighttime
Selen is still in her growth period, I want her to sleep a lot to grow up more
Thus, right now there is no one to crush Atekoro's ecstasy
The final examination starts with some anxiety
「Boss! Boss Jira!」
The well-informed Seki rushed toward here.
「What, Seki? I didn't see you so I thought you gave up becoming a soldier and returned to the slum already?」
「I won't do that! I investigated something boss Jira requested!」
The siblings-like Gashi and Seki argued to each other
「...Then, boss. Regarding the matter about Rei you requested, I have investigated」
「the certain matter?」 (1)
Not like that, Gashi
「Thank you. As expected, Seki's intelligence gathering skill is good」
Regarding that lower aristocrat Rei, something piqued my interest so I tried investigating
In fact, I have Seki, whose forte is going around to gather information, to do that for me. Having a comrade who has such a strong point helped me a lot
「Just as boss's evaluation, that Rei is quite a strong person」
「Hmm」
「That guy received the scout to be an elite candidate. As for the elite candidate, it's a system to gather talented person before they have fully developed, regardless of their social statuses. He can skip the all the training we received and head to the stair to become one of the empire's top brass!」
I know that
After all, my sister is also that elite candidate
「Oh, I didn't receive a scout...!」
「It's fine, aniki! It's because they didn't keep an eye on the slum, I'm sure!」
Seki encourages the dispirited Gashi
However, that tall guy called Rei was such a capable person?
Just from his appearance, everyone can understand he's not just a normal person
In a war, perhaps he would be the most useful person among the trainees here
Perhaps Rei and Gashi are the strongest here
「...,? Then why was Rei in this training camp? If he was an elite candidate then he didn't need to be here, right?」
「That is correct...,it seemed like he refused」
Refuse to become an elite candidate!?
Why, that is wasteful!
Eh? I'm not the one to talk like that?
「You are thinking 『Why』, right? Of course, it's because of that super duper idiotic bocchama」
Gilly, huh?
「Gilly is the son of an imperial noble, right? Rei-san's lower aristocrat house is a branch of that guy's house. Because they are at the same age, he was requested by the main house to become their bocchama's babysitter」
By the way
「Gilly is quite a blockhead. Children of high-ranking nobles will receive gifted education, therefore usually they would be chosen as either elite candidate or executive candidate, but that's impossible for that guy」
He couldn't learn anything no matter how hard he trained, huh?
I think I can feel the futile effort of the private tutor in charge of him
「He can only enter the training camp filled with commoners, but his parents, saying that they were worry if that guy was left alone, requested the genius Rei-san to become his assistant...」
「He refused the elite candidate scout because of that?」
「He couldn't go to the training camp if he became an elite candidate, no?」
It's like skipping a grade
People in the elite course would be exempted from the troublesome courses for ordinary people
「it's also rare for lower aristocrat to become elite candidate. If his effort pays off and he can become the elite guards, even the lower aristocrat can rise to become high-ranking aristocrat at once」
Rei lost the chance to advance because of the unreasonable demand from the main house
His life was sacrificed
Even so, without having an unpleasant face, he serves the idiotic master who was born from a higher family
「Noble itself is troublesome...!」
Gashi, who is from the slum and is distant from the concept of bonds in the noble society, sighed
While wrapping up the difference between the ones who have and the ones who don't have, the final examination begins
「Even so, Seki, You gathered this much information despite such a short amount of time. Thank you」
「No no! I barely made it before the final examination!」
Barely made it is good enough
This guy is also a talented person that should not be underestimated
—————-
TN: MC keep forgetting about himself
(1): this part is a pun: Rei no ken = the matter about Rei, but rei no / 例の…. = you-know-what/the certain… . Rei no pool is also a famous meme