We have safely reached the dark mountain's summit.
We have cleared the test's subject, that means everyone can safely become formal imperial soldier
That was what we thought
「Jira, Gashi, Rei, Seki...」
However, the matter has not come to an end yet
「You all are disqualified」
「What?」
The one who says so with smugness on his face is instructor Atekoro
This guy again?
「What are you saying, old fart!!」
Gashi voiced his dissatisfaction
「Me, Jira, Rei, Seki, we struggled and properly reached the summit! That is the subject of the test, right! We have properly cleared it then why are we disqualified!?」
Like that
Because he himself was confident that he had passed, it was like having cold water thrown to his face
「Isn't it clear already? This is a marching exam, right!? The one who separated from the formation are disqualified even if they reach the summit!!」
「You haven't said that before! Don't just decide that arbitrarily after departure, you incompetent fart」
Atekoro's evaluation from the trainees has reached the bottom, so Gashi doesn't hold back his protest at all
「...Instructor Atekoro, it was because of me and Gilly's misdeed that Jira, Gashi and Seki separated from the formation. It doesn't matter if I am disqualified. Please reconsider these three!」
「No, your misdeed is not relevant」
To hold back Rei's self-sacrifice..., it can't be helped, I should protest too
「Well, I thought it was strange」
「Huh?」
「That bastard Gilly, even if he had the item to control demon beasts, how could he bring those demon beasts to this examination ground without being noticed by anyone? There were several of them too, that was too much, right? Anyone would notice if they saw such a ferocious monster」
It would cause a fuss
It would never happen unless there was a collaborator who helped with the transportation
Moreover, a normal collaborator is not good enough
Unless it is someone with a power to control this place....
Atekoro
Other than this guy, I can't think of anyone else
「The one who decided the examination subject and examination ground was you, right? Rather, it was you who arranged and helped that guy's attack, right?」
「......!?」
「If you think about it, Gilly's attitude during the attack was incomprehensible. He was too calm, although he would fail if he couldn't reach the summit...he has a backroom deal with you, correct?」
"It doesn't matter if you reach the summit or not, you will pass anyway" kind of deal
Gilly is the son of an imperial noble, moreover a quite influential one
Something like bribing an instructor for a pass is easy
「Just say it! How much did he bribe you? The pride of a person who takes part in the imperial army, how much does it cost?」
「Annoying! Don't randomly guess without any proof! I was bribed!? If that's the case then bring out the proof!」
Yes, it came
The cliché phrase the cornered criminal always said
When they cannot object, they will always bring out the 『show me the proof!』 in the end
Right now, there is no proof!
「No matter what kind of false accusation you bring out, it won't change the truth! I am the instructor! You are trashy insects! Your live or death depends on my whim! Now, if you want to pass then kneel down! Apologize for your rudeness until now and ask for my forgiveness! The ones who throw away your pride are you guys!!」
「That is not necessary」
「!?」
On the dark mountain's summit, a dignified voice resounded
Sharp crescent moon just like beast's claw appeared on the dark sky
The voice seemed to come from that crescent moon
「Since when did a normal instructor from the training ground have such high authority?」
「Heh?」
「The new recruits are the cornerstones of the imperial army, the treasure of our country. The one who can judge the new recruits' disqualification is not you. A single person like you dares to decide such a serious matter, that conceited thought is intolerable」
「Ah, aaaah...! You are!?」
A demon was shined white under the shining moonlight
His whole body is covered by a pure white armor, the upper half of his head was hidden by the helmet so his expression can't be seen
But, everyone here knew how dignified he was
That armor, that tranquil expression
I also recognized it
In my previous life...!
「The second of the Twelve Apostles, Wartaiga!?」
「Hou, you are quick-eared」
To my unintentionally leaked murmur, the sharp-sighted tiger warrior replied
There is a tiger-like sharpness in his look
「Right now, the most elite group newly organized by his majesty the emperor is called 『The Imperial Guardian's Twelve Apostles』」
The moment that name is mentioned, the surrounding becomes noisy
「The Imperial Guardian...!?」
「...Twelve Apostles?」
「The rumored new super elite force...!?」
While ignoring the trainees' bewilderment, Wartaiga continues
「We are the twelve beast warriors who protect the empire from 4 sides and 8 directions, who run thousand Li to kill the enemies for his Highness the emperor, who receive more power from beast god Beast than anyone. That is the 『The Imperial Guardian's Twelve Apostles』」
「Pleas wait!」
For now, I will try asking first
「I heard that the selection of the Twelve Apostles will soon be carried out! But the second place, you, was already decided, does that mean the selection was already done?」
「To be correct, it's still being carried out...Among the twelve people who would join the Twelve Apostles, it was already decided that the first place will be the empire's strongest, Grey Ryuuga-sama and the second will be me」
The two names famed to be the empire's matchless duo
In the game, the strength of the first place Grey Ryuuga and second place Wartaiga was completely different compared to that of the third place and below
Keeping the morale after beating the third place and keep advancing, just to be instantly killed. I wonder how many player have become the victim of that
「...In the upcoming gathering, we will pick out the third place and below of the Twelve Apostles. His highness the emperor wished for the truly strongest group, he ordered to give all strong people a chance regardless of their ranks. And you who just become the soldiers of the Empire are not an exception」
A commotion occurred again to those words
Some kind of quarrel continues, but one of the most elite people of the empire just formally recognized us as imperial soldiers
「Therefore, the final examination of the new recruit training period was directly observed by me. If there are capable people among them, I will grant them the chance to join the Twelve Apostles」
「That! I haven't heard something like that! I thought it was just the annual, unchanged, normal examination...!?」
「For complete fairness, I hid myself from all the instructors. Thanks to that, I ended up seeing such an ugly thing...!」
Wartaiga's sharp gazed changed toward Atekoro
It reminded me of the old tale where a wise tiger gained power and bit the evil governor to death (not sure what the tale is)
「It's already clear that you have given Gilly, son of the high officer Harogi, various benefits. It can't be hidden from the eyes of the tiger which can see through darkness」
「That's just false accusation! Proof! Where is the proof!?」
Atekoro once again threw the same excuse he used when I asked, but
「The Twelve Apostles is the most elite organization of the guard. We receive his highness the emperor's direct order, we don't have any obligation to follow the order of anyone else」
To the warrior who hold such power....
「Do you think I need every proof to judge someone like you?」
「Hiiiiiiiiiii!?」
Evil empire is so coool!
No, that's wrong!
「Wait! It can't be helped, right!? He is a big noble! A lowly instructor like me can't disobey his request, right!?」
「The one you disobey is the spirit of the empire. For the empire, what is justice? It's strength! Strength will decide everything, strength is the scale to measure any ranking」
For the new recruits which is the foundation of the imperial army, that scale should be applied more strictly than anything else, and yet....
「You bended the most important law of the empire to flatter a criminal. You attempted to make a weak, unworthy son of a high noble a soldier, also tried to disqualify four promising people」
Is he talking about us?
「Take the weak and abandon the strong. That means go against the empire's intention to gather strong people. Your act was a great act of treachery against the empire」
「Wait! Please wait! I made a mistake! I will reform! I will be more devoted to the empire! I will work for the empire's sake! So please have mercy!」
The dogeza'd Atekoro begged for forgiveness
That is his most unsightly figure
Doing the act of humiliation he has been trying to make us do previously, in front of the trainees who he dominated until today
Too unsightly
「Too late」
Under the moonlight, the tiger calmly said
「My tiger claws already finish the judgment」
「He? Are?」
A line appeared on Atekoro's body
At the middle of his body, a single vertical line perfectly divides his body into two, and that line begins to tear
Tearing his body
「Eh? Wait? My body!? My body is splittingggggg!? Into twoooooooo!?」
「Evil beast magic
Atekoro's body burst and is split into two equal parts
Naturally, it was fatal
This is how someone who committed a crime against the empire is purged