At Marine Headquarters' training grounds.
The energetic recruits were enthusiastically sweating it out, while the five-man group stood nearby with riding crops in hand.
"It really is strange. Who would've thought we'd become instructors one day?" Rice said with deep emotion. "Looking at them reminds me of our own youthful days over the past two years!"
"Idiot!" Herbert nitpicked. "That's because, in Teacher Zephyr's eyes, it takes all five of us together to equal one instructor."
"Isn't that only natural?" Rice shrugged indifferently. "Besides, the trend of having trainees serve as instructors started with Senior Longinus. Now that we can serve as instructors too, doesn't that prove this teaching model has been a huge success?"
"Speaking of which, we'll soon be heading to various branches for field training. Have you guys decided where you want to go?" Strawberry asked.
"The New World, G5 Branch!" Doberman answered bluntly.
"Tsk, tsk, that's a genuine meat grinder." Dalmatia said. "The War for Supremacy that swept through the New World two years ago broke out in those waters!"
"Hehe, I'm planning to stick with Senior Longinus when the time comes." Rice said smugly. "I'm calling dibs now. None of you are allowed to compete with me."
"That assumes the instructor is granted a general officer's rank first." Dalmatia frowned slightly. "I admit that both his strength and accomplishments qualify him for that status. Forget brigadier general or major general—even vice admiral wouldn't be excessive."
"But the instructor is still too young. By the end of this year, he'll only be seventeen, right? Even Vice Admiral Kuzan, who broke the promotion record, was twenty-one when he became a brigadier general!"
"So-called records are made to be broken. Didn't Vice Admiral Kuzan himself break the records of those before him?"
Rice continued, "Besides, Vice Admiral Kuzan