Military Training?

Benjamin enjoyed a rare stretch of peace for the next few days.

He got up on time, ate on time, and sent Jeremy on errands on time. He didn't go out again, either. The constant stream of events seemed to have suddenly quieted down. His father, Claude, was away inspecting the territory, and the few people left in the house got along well enough. They exchanged greetings each day, but rarely said much more.

After finishing Introduction to Divine Arts, he'd returned the book to Grant's desk long ago. The incident in Grant's bedroom that night had been treated as if it had never happened. They understood each other without a word, and neither of them brought it up.

Every day, Benjamin hid in his bedroom and pretended to sleep, then practiced in the Consciousness Space. Sometimes he meditated to strengthen the Triangle Glyph; other times, he sped up the formation of new glyphs. In between, he didn't run into any more problems.

Everything went along as smoothly as a news broadcast, steadily moving forward. Benjamin was quite satisfied.

Still, he knew this peaceful stretch wouldn't last long.

What he hadn't expected was that the first to disrupt his peaceful training routine would be his father, Claude.

Claude returned from the territory, and the first thing he did was summon Benjamin to his study early one morning.

"You're getting more and more unruly. At this rate, are you going to start having gun duels with other nobles?" The moment Benjamin entered the study, Claude, standing with his hands behind his back, launched into a furious scolding.

It seemed Claude had heard about the noble boys' farce of a "war simulation game," too.

Benjamin was at a loss.

He was the victim, wasn't he? Why was he the one getting scolded? It wasn't Benjamin who'd brought a gun. If anyone was to blame, it was Dick. Why pin it on him? Wasn't anyone going to be reasonable?

Of course, he didn't let any of that show. He knew that in this situation, all he had to do was keep his head down and take the scolding. Once Claude had scolded him to his heart's content, he'd naturally let him go. It would be nothing more than a minor episode, with no effect on his life.

However, he'd guessed the process right but not the outcome.

After he'd finished lecturing Benjamin, Claude fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You've turned out this way because you've spent your whole life enjoying yourself and never had to suffer. I've already contacted a friend in the army. From now on, you'll go train with them every morning. That'll stop you from lying in bed all morning!"

Benjamin was stunned.

What was going on?

Before he could say anything, Claude called a servant in without giving him a chance to object. It was the same maid who'd escorted him to solitary confinement last time. Her name had been Jessica, or something like that.

"Take Benjamin to the military camp in the city. Tell them he's been sent by General Gray, and leave him with them." Claude gave the order, then added for emphasis, "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him run off!"

The maid replied, her expression as blank as a nun's, "Understood, sir."

Then she turned to Benjamin.

Benjamin's hair stood on end.

"Um... I don't think I've had breakfast yet..."

"Right this way, young master."

The maid cut him off without mercy and escorted him out of the study.

Watching Benjamin leave, Claude shook his head in disappointment.

And so, not long after waking up, still half-asleep and groggy, Benjamin was taken to the military camp stationed in Havenlight.

On the way there.

"Um... your name's Jessica, right? I'm not mistaken, am I?"

The maid replied icily, "Yes, young master."

"Jessica, could we stop for a bit so I can get something to eat? Don't worry, I'm not trying to run away. I really did just wake up, and I didn't have time to eat breakfast. I'm starving." Benjamin made his plea.

It wasn't that he was actually looking for an excuse to escape. If he really ran away, Claude would be furious. He might even kick Benjamin out of the house. So although Benjamin wanted to stay in his room and practice, he didn't dare object.

He genuinely wanted something to eat and fill his stomach. Given the situation, he was basically being sent off to military training. Who knew what kind of activities they had in store for him? He couldn't afford to let his guard down. From the look on Claude's face, he was clearly serious.

Military training was one thing; he'd been through it before. But going on an empty stomach was a bit inhumane.

If they made him stand at attention for an hour, do two hundred frog jumps, and three hundred push-ups, what was he supposed to do? Before Michelle's curse killed him, he'd starve and collapse from exhaustion first.

So asking for something to eat was the simplest, most reasonable thing he could ask for in this situation.

Jessica's answer was just as simple:

"No."

"..."

Benjamin couldn't help complaining to the system in his mind:

"This woman's even harder to talk to than you are."

The system was indignant. "Don't compare me to some random extra. Do you really think anyone will remember her name after a few more chapters? Putting me on the same level as her is an insult to my dignity as a cheat!"

"...Sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Benjamin was even more speechless. "It's much harder to talk to you than to her. I underestimated you."

Hearing that, the system said smugly, "That's more like it."

Benjamin nearly died of frustration.

With the maid in front of him and the system in his head, Benjamin had no way out. Before long, he was at the military camp.

Perhaps because the Royal Capital had experienced several uprisings, the military camp stationed in Havenlight was inside the inner city, not far from The Church, the nobles' quarter, or the Royal Palace. In terms of combat strength, the army was widely regarded as the best of the best. It held a lofty position in the hearts of both commoners and nobles.

Claude had managed to get Benjamin in, even if it was only for military training. That alone showed how close he was to his "friend in the army." After all, the military had never been one to bend to the nobles.

After handing him over to the guards at the entrance to the camp, the maid had completed her duty and left. Benjamin was then led to a camp by a soldier whose armor covered him from head to toe, hiding his face.

Along the way, Benjamin tried chatting with the soldier escorting him, hoping he might be able to get something to eat. The soldier ignored him completely, much to the system's amusement.

Only when they finally reached their destination did the soldier speak, delivering his one and only line:

"We're here."

Benjamin thought the soldier sounded like a little kid, with that childish voice. What was he acting so tough for...

He was just about to say something when the soldier turned and walked off without hesitation.

"..."

The little brat of a soldier left just like that. His attitude made Benjamin realize that his days of military training were probably going to be rough.

Sure enough.

"Hey, you there, the kid looking all around! I'm talking to you. Get over here!" A voice like a broken gong rang in Benjamin's ears. He turned and saw a middle-aged man in uniform, unshaven and looking impatient, standing in the camp.