The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 21: Astrid Meets Veracien

“I’m Veracien. Now that Prayer Week is over, I’ll be joining the training sessions.”

The purple-haired nun, who wore a bright smile, drew the attention of the squad members but didn’t seem the least bit burdened by it.

“I’m a week late, but that’s because the Goddess Eteranne really doesn’t like it when Prayer Week is interrupted. I’m sure you’ll understand, right?”

Her violet eyes, the same color as her hair, sparkled brightly beneath her headband.

Her eyes, adorned with a soft smile, scanned the gathered squad members, exuding a peaceful aura.

Since she was joining a week late, the other squad members had naturally grown quite close with one another. Yet Veracien showed no sign of being bothered by it.

“Even though I’m a military chaplain, I’ve received proper combat training too. Of course, not to the level of a knight, but I’m more than capable of protecting myself.”

With a confident smile, Veracien lifted the mace hanging at her side. Astrid gave an awkward smile in response and reached out her right hand.

“You probably already know, but I’m Astrid, the squad leader. Looking forward to working with you, Sister Veracien.”

“Yes, it’s been a week. Looking forward to it. But, everyone seems a bit down, don’t they?”

“Well, that’s…”

Astrid’s smile turned awkward.

Under the pretense of “experiencing wartime hardship,” the past week’s meals had been nothing short of brutal.

Ground turnips weren’t the worst of it.

They’d been served bread mixed with sawdust, soup with a few tiny pieces of meat floating in it, and similar fare for an entire week. Everyone’s faces had grown more gaunt by the day due to the lack of proper sustenance.

Leopold had suffered the most.

“Ah, I see now.”

“Looks like you’ve been eating well, Veracien.”

Even Eranya, who had bragged about being used to vegetarian meals as an elf, had begun to struggle after three days. By the fourth day, she’d started rolling around in a grassy field, saying she’d “finally found some meat.”

“I’ve been eating just fine. The Goddess Eteranne is the goddess of abundance and fertility, after all. She’s generous when it comes to food.”

“…How enviable.”

Astein, who had collapsed face-down on the table, muttered weakly.

Even Astein, who’d held up better than most, seemed to have reached his limit.

“Still, Cadet Astrid seems to be holding up better than the others. Or should I call you Squad Leader instead?”

“No, it’s fine. Call me whatever’s comfortable.”

It wasn’t exactly “fine,” but Astrid’s small appetite and habit of eating whatever was served allowed her to manage even the rough rye bread and ground turnips.

But the poor quality of the meals was taking a toll on everyone.

“Anyway, today’s the last day of it. The store’s reopening too, so I’ll treat everyone to dinner tomorrow night. Let’s have a little celebration.”

On the first day of this wartime ration event, some cadets had tried to secretly buy food from the store but got caught. Because of that, the store had been closed for the entire week, adding to everyone’s misery.

Hearing that it would reopen, Leopold and Eranya’s faces lit up.

“Ooh… a celebration…!”

“Anyway, come on. Time to head to today’s training session.”

Today was the day the entire squad would receive a lecture in the auditorium.

The first-year students’ auditorium was no small place. It was their first time back there since the entrance ceremony.

The atmosphere was notably different compared to the entrance ceremony.

Having spent a week together, the cadets had become more familiar with one another, and the once-awkward mood had eased significantly.

“What’s today’s lesson about, Squad Leader?” Astein asked.

“I’m not sure either,” Astrid replied with a shake of her head.

The training schedule had no details for the day’s session. All it said was “auditorium assembly.” Even the squad leaders hadn’t been given any information on what the lesson would be about.

“I’m not sure. No additional information was provided.”

Astrid glanced at Leopold.

Since “that day,” the two hadn’t spoken much. Even when they passed each other, they’d only offer a slight nod, barely acknowledging one another’s presence. They’d spent the past week in a state of quiet indifference toward each other.

Leopold’s expression remained unchanged as he gazed at the podium and the large blackboard set up in the auditorium.

What were they planning to do?

The already-prepared podium and large blackboard seemed to suggest something important.

Turning her attention from Leopold, Astrid looked toward the podium. Moments later, an instructor climbed onto it, clapping his hands to draw the cadets’ attention.

“Is everyone gathered?”

“Yes!”

Only the squad leaders responded energetically. Since having every cadet respond could create chaos, they’d been instructed to let only the squad leaders reply, and everyone was now following that order faithfully.

Even though it had only been a week, they’d already adapted considerably.

“Good. I’ll be direct. I’m sure you’re all curious about what today’s training will be.”

The instructor’s eyes swept over the cadets with a faint smile. Judging from his tone, it was clear that something significant was coming. Astrid’s unease grew. Nobody enjoyed harsh training, and Astrid was no exception.

“The academy’s founding principle is to cultivate powerful knights dedicated to the everlasting glory and peace of the Einthafen Empire, a nation that unified the continent. You’ve taken your first step toward that goal, and over the past week, you’ve received your initial training.”

The instructor paused and moved toward the blackboard, where he began to write something.

“Squad-Based Basic Combat Training…”

Astrid unconsciously read the words aloud, one letter at a time.

Squad-Based Basic Combat Training. Even the sound of it was unpleasant.

“You can probably guess what it means, but I’ll explain it anyway.”

With a light clap of his hands, the instructor signaled to the assistants, who rushed forward carrying stacks of documents. They distributed them to each table where the squads were gathered.

The term “Squad-Based Combat Training” referred to a training session held at the academy’s mountain training grounds. The area had been filled with hungry monsters released just the night before.

“In simple terms, you’re going to enter the training grounds and eliminate the monsters inside. Monsters are classified as small or medium. Small monsters are worth 1 point, and medium monsters are worth 2 points. Your score will be automatically tallied, so you don’t need to worry about it. The squad with the highest score will receive a reward.”

Real combat.

For many cadets, this would be their first time facing actual monsters.

Knights of the Central Cavalry or employed knights of noble families often engaged in battles outside of war, fighting off barbarians, bandits, and monsters near their territories.

The academy’s curriculum naturally included training for such encounters. This training was part of that preparation.

‘It’s necessary, but it’s still unsettling.’

The original Astrid might have been indifferent to killing monsters or barbarians, but the current Astrid was not.

‘Will I be able to do it…?’

Her strength had already been proven, and she’d demonstrated her ability to fight. But would that be enough here? Doubt crept in.

Since there were dozens of squads, it was impossible to prepare individual training grounds for each squad.

Instead, a spatial barrier was set up. While the entrance was the same, once inside, each squad would be sent into a separate space.

Checkpoints were scattered throughout, serving as both rest areas and shared zones where squads could encounter one another.

“The monsters you’ll face will be relatively weak. Since it’s only been a week since you started, we’re not going to throw anything too dangerous at you. This training is meant to help you get used to squad-based combat. Understood?”

“Yes!”

The time for real combat had arrived.

Astrid gripped the handle of the iron greatsword they’d been supplied for the training. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The mighty Astrid couldn’t afford to show signs of nervousness. But even she couldn’t completely suppress the tension.

“Squad Leader, don’t worry. We’ve been training hard, and you’ve been doing a great job.”

It was Astein who spoke, offering encouragement.

“I’m not worried. But thank you for your concern.”

“Well, if you say so.”

“Whoa, Astein! Are you trying to score points with the Squad Leader? That’s sneaky! Astrid, don’t worry! I’ll handle everything!”

Eranya, holding her bow, mimicked the sound of arrows shooting—”pew, pew!”

Astrid couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics. Seeing her laugh, Eranya laughed along as well.

As they shared this brief moment of levity, the instructor, who’d been reviewing his chart, raised his head and called out in a loud voice.

“Alright, Squad 1, you’re up first!”

A semi-circular door, large enough for five people to walk through side by side, slowly opened. With Astrid leading the way, Squad 1 stepped forward, entering slowly.

What awaited them was not the familiar open-air training ground they’d seen earlier. Instead, they found themselves in a dense, overgrown forest clearing.

A cold wind blew through the trees.