Ancient Dragon in Arknights

The Crimson Sky Sword Technique... Once she fully masters it, she will be virtually unmatched among her peers.

"Captain, how are you? You didn't go to enjoy a noble lady's salon, did you?"

Nesario and Rita haven't yet revealed an overly close relationship—a relationship that could potentially affect team cohesion—so they need to take it slow.

"It's a pity that she was the daughter of an officer—which is also the most basic upbringing."

Rita remained calm and composed, as if it were her natural state of mind; it seems everyone's fighting spirit is very high.

"Hey? Did you all preview the material? Am I the only one who didn't read it?"

Fiona, who had been in high spirits, felt increasingly uneasy as she listened—she was reminded of her life over the past two months.

Working in the fields, doing manual labor, driving tractors, roasting potatoes, having barbecues, hunting in winter, building snowmen... their physical fitness is definitely not lacking, but when it comes to studying... well, that's another story.

Nesario, Chen, and Rita: "As expected of you."

Chapter 138 Mentor

“Very good, fifty people, all present. No idiots who were late or died on the way.”

After completing all the necessary procedures for the start of the school year, each class naturally returned to working under the guidance of their respective teachers.

Angelia wasn't exaggerating. On the continent of Terra, any cross-border matter carries risks—darkness lurks within mobile cities, and thugs in the wilderness; so it's quite normal for students to fail to return to school sometimes.

"Last year, you all mastered all the skills on the battlefield. Of course, those who didn't have probably been expelled. Luckily, there are no such idiots in our class."

"This year—you will move beyond the ranks of ordinary soldiers and begin learning more advanced battlefield skills, such as command and situation control."

"Of course, everyone has their own ambitions—the school offers three routes for you to choose from. Today's lesson is mainly to help you understand the differences between each route. In three days, you will need to submit your applications. Then the school will assign each of you a professional mentor, and you will need to complete your studies and assessments under their guidance. This is the task for this academic year."

Nesario had already heard what Angelia had said—he had even just told his three teammates—so the four of them weren't surprised. The other students, however, reacted in different ways: some were completely unaware and were surprised and curious; others had already made their choices and decided to fill out the forms after class.

What type of form are you planning to fill out?

Rita: "Officer."

Chen: "Non-commissioned officer."

Fiona: "Um... I guess I'm a sergeant."

Nesario is also a sergeant—it seems everyone's choices are quite similar to their usual style.

Rita was in charge of command, and her family was also a military family, so it wasn't surprising; as for the other two... Fiona wasn't good at paperwork or command, and her physical attributes were more suited to charging into battle, so being an officer was reasonable.

Chen's choice surprised Nesario.

"The military system in Yan seems quite different from that in Victoria, doesn't it? Are you sure you want to choose a non-commissioned officer instead of an officer?"

Officers are taught tactical command and battlefield deployment, skills shared across all armies. However, this is different for non-commissioned officers (NCOs)—the Yan Kingdom's military structure seems to have been adjusted and modified for NCOs. This choice is not conducive to Chen's future development in the Yan Kingdom.

“I don’t intend to join the Yan Kingdom’s military. I plan to apply for a police inspector position in Longmen—the police inspector’s duties don’t involve large-scale operations. The non-commissioned officer position is a perfect fit for me.”

So that's how it is—it seems Chen already had his own plans.

Angelia's explanation was very detailed, and through today's lesson, all the students understood the differences between guards, officers, and sergeants.

A small number of people planned to serve as guards, and most of the remaining people were officers, while a small number were non-commissioned officers.

This is normal—most graduates of the Imperial Guard Academy are officers; the risks and pressures of being a non-commissioned officer are too high, and it's not worth it.

......

"You guys have already made your decisions, right?"

"Yes."

"Don't you want to reconsider? That can't be changed."

"We know."

Angelia took out the documents—the four of them wrote down their information on the paper, and then the school confirmed and assigned them. In this way, their courses were decided.

"Nesario, you stay."

"Yes, sir!"

The three girls left the office, leaving Nessario alone.

“I had already sensed your decision to choose the sergeant route a long time ago. I originally thought you would definitely fall into my hands.”

"But now an unexpected event has occurred?"

"Yes, the military has transferred a major to Londinium—that guy will probably be your mentor."

Nesario cursed under his breath; this guy's got bad intentions.

"Can I find out what kind of person the other person is?"

"Hmm... As far as I know, that guy is Gaul. But he's a major in Victoria now, with a fairly impressive combat record, and his political background check is probably pretty good too."

"Sounds...very impressive?"

Nesario initially thought the other party would be a disgusting beast, a threat sent by the military—if that were the case, Nesario did not recommend letting him die "accidentally" in the rainstorm.

"I suspect the main reason is his Gaulish identity—to become a major with that identity, his loyalty to Victoria is almost fanatical. The military probably wants him to guide you."

I see, so you're planning to use this tactic, right?

Show sincerity – “Look, he’s a Gaul, from a former enemy of Victoria. He should have been a commoner, but thanks to the military’s support, he lives a life of high society; Victoria treats every hero equally.”

Unfortunately, Neltharion had wanted to escape for a long time, but he hadn't had the chance. Now, the power of Kushala Daora and Nergigante has made that option no longer a distant possibility.

The only thing that can keep Victoria around right now is... campus life?

Nesario originally intended to come here for serious study abroad—now, he has a reliable and somewhat ambiguous relationship with a strong female captain; a spy girl with whom he has a particularly close personal relationship; and several friends, each with their own unique characteristics.

If it weren't for the various threats and troubles, Nesario wouldn't mind staying here for several years.

"Thank you for reminding me, I will keep quiet."

"Hmph, it's your choice. I personally like it when you join Victoria, it's a good thing."

"I hope so."

Leaving the office—the three girls were waiting in the hallway, not intending to leave Nesario behind; after all... he was treating everyone to dinner tonight.

......

A week later, the results for each student's advisor were released.

Rita was assigned to a teacher named Slim, and according to her research, this teacher had served under her father in his youth—that was truly...

Fiona and Chen were assigned to Angelia's care. They were old acquaintances and both were very reliable, so there were no problems.

Nesario, on the other hand, was assigned to the Gallic major alone.

"Hello, is this Major Leto's office?"

"Welcome, I am Jared Leto."

The officer sitting at the desk was a Liberian man in his forties. He had short brown hair and a beard, sharp and bright eyes, and his Victorian uniform was neat and clean, as if it were brand new, with several badges hanging on his chest.

Officers are allowed to wear badges on any occasion, as it is an honor for them.

However, ordinary officers usually only wear badges to display their status when attending important events. Wearing them at other times would be too high-profile and there is a risk of losing or misplacing them.

The person in front of me is probably not doing this to show off, but rather to truly dedicate his loyalty to Victoria.

Chapter 139 Major Leto

"Looking forward to your guidance over the next year, Major Leto."

Nesario gave a salute; in short, he just needed to maintain a normal attitude until his opponent made a move.

The relationship between military academy students and their instructors is very close. Many students' recommendation letters are written by their instructors, which means that instructors can influence students' future military careers.

To encounter a teacher with extraordinary connections is to be extremely lucky.

Of course, Nesario doesn't plan to work in Victoria, and he doesn't care who his advisor is, as long as he can graduate smoothly.

"Nesario...the most outstanding student in this cohort. It is an honor for me to be your teacher."

"I dare not take the responsibility."

"There's nothing you wouldn't dare to do. In the military, the strong can hold high positions, and glory, flowers, fame and fortune—all of these require military achievements. Since you have that strength, you deserve to be called that."

Is this considered teaching? Nesario knew that in the army, relying on strength to rise to the top would ultimately only get you down to the rank of general—a general is not just a position, but also represents a huge interest group.

Without help, commoner generals cannot rise to the rank of general. Throughout history, behind every general lies the figure of a family, a tycoon, or a powerful nobleman.

Of course, when the previous Ursus Emperor was alive, it was true that everyone in Ursus could be a general.

As long as you remain loyal to Ursus and are capable of shouldering the responsibilities of a general, you have a chance to become a general.

This is why Ursus is known as a military superpower—military achievements can get you anything you want! Every Ursus soldier you fight may have a long-dormant beast lurking in their heart, and anyone could be torn apart by it.

Of course, after the death of the previous emperor of Ursus, the current emperor was unable to control the complex situation.

Traditional aristocratic power began to rise—the military power that had been dispersed was being rapidly consolidated, and the helpless commoner generals either joined forces with them or died under political persecution; it is said that in the past ten years, Ursus has executed dozens of generals.

Most of the charges are capital offenses with no chance of redress, but the veracity of these charges remains to be seen.

When will my studies begin?

"Hmm... Even with exceptional talent, he still works incredibly hard, which is commendable."

Leto stroked his beard, seemingly quite pleased with Nesario.

"But this is too tense. How about this, we need to get to know each other first. Let's go out and relax."

"?"

......

The interior of a billiards hall in a neighborhood in Sadien.

This billiards hall opened three months ago, and the owner has put a lot of effort into the renovation compared to the previous haphazard modifications.

For example, it features many of Colombia's popular billiards traditions, brighter and more standardized lighting, brand-new equipment and facilities—and surveillance cameras throughout the building.

The owner explained: "In public places, this is installed to prevent loss or theft of our guests' property."