The foundation of all actions is stamina.
You need it when repositioning swiftly, when firing a gun, and even when staying vigilant of your surroundings.
That's why I had them wear "armor" on their limbs, overall weighing close to 100 kilograms—to build the most basic and essential stamina.
It was all to cultivate that fundamental strength.
"Huff, huff..."
"Ghhkk..."
Contrary to expectations, no one strongly opposed my method.
Dmitri grumbled a little, of course, but that was within my expectations—nothing worth mentioning.
"...Hey, brother."
"Speak."
"I'm sure you have your reasons, since you're the one in charge, but considering the mission's objective, I don't think we need these accessories."
Calling over 100 kilograms of metal mere "accessories" was just so Kurilta.
"Kurilta, my goal isn't just to complete the mission."
"...It's not just about completing the mission?"
"All of this will come to mean something—for the soldiers and for you."
Momentarily taken aback, Kurilta soon burst into hearty laughter.
"Ha! You really are my brother. Got it. What are you all doing?! Keep moving!"
There was no need for complex explanations—just letting them know there was meaning behind these actions was enough for Kurilta to accept it.
'It's not exactly a lie.'
Or rather, to be precise, it was closer to telling the truth as it is.
In any case, my goal was to make the soldiers stronger.
The journey continued.
Humans really are creatures of adaptation—though the soldiers could barely walk at first, they now continued on steadily.
"Ghhhrk...!"
"Ughk, ughk!"
Granted, the teeth-grinding noises seemed more frequent than before, but that was just part of exerting effort.
"I feel like I'm gonna die..."
"Just hold on a little longer. Just a bit more and there'll be a rest point."
"Rest? You really think that barbarian will let us rest?"
"Don't paint our brother as a cruel brute. Carl does have some consideration."
"I don't even know what's what anymore."
While the recon team chattered among themselves, I kept scanning the surroundings.
You could call it a type of perimeter watch.
At that moment—
'Hmm, they've arrived.'
Though the recon team hadn't noticed yet, a horde of beasts was beginning to appear over the horizon.
'This worked out perfectly.'
I'd figured it was about time we ran into them, and here they were.
"Everyone, stop."
"...Huh? Why?"
"A horde of beasts are approaching. Prepare for battle."
The recon team's expressions immediately stiffened.
Running into beasts while outside the Ark was inevitable, but actually engaging them in combat was another matter.
"...At this distance, I think we could avoid them. Maybe we should take a detour?"
"I agree. There's no need for unnecessary combat."
Hildegard and Iris voiced their thoughts.
Reasonable at first glance.
That is, if the mission's goal were just the mission.
"If we do that, we'll be delayed longer than we can afford. There's no time for detours."
It might have sounded odd coming from the guy who strapped weights on the team, but I didn't bother to explain.
The recon team probably knew that too—yet no one said it aloud.
An unspoken agreement, of sorts.
Just as Klutz began to remove his weights in preparation for battle—
"Ah, keep the armor on. Fight with it."
"...What? That's too difficult. This is going to be a chaotic melee, and wearing this crude thing will just get us hurt."
Klutz's protest was valid.
Not that I intended to listen.
"Just do it."
"But—"
Klutz looked to the others for support, but no helping hands came.
"...Just do it. I'm sure Carl Marcus has a reason."
"His judgment in past battles has always been right. We should follow him again."
"I hate to admit it, but they're right. In battle, even that barbarian's opinion is worth respecting."
"It's our brother speaking. Of course we should obey."
Though I wouldn't say it out loud, I could understand why Klutz might think they were fanatics of some Mart religion.
'Well, works for me.'
It meant I had earned the soldiers' trust.
'Now then...'
I watched the magical beast horde approaching from the horizon.
They were roughly class 6 and up.
On top of that, there was even a named beast leading them.
'With the current level of the troops, close combat won't be easy.'
But that's exactly why they were worth fighting.
You don't grow from only doing easy things.
True growth only comes when you hit your limits.
"Beast horde approaching 1.3 km far. Entering combat mode now."
1.3 kilometers might sound far, but when dealing with magical beasts, it's hardly a safe distance.
I wasn't about to sit idly by either. I took out my Ark-34 automatic rifle and waited.
I wasn't planning to actively join the fight, but I had to be ready in case of emergencies.
Rrrrummble...
A quake.
It meant the horde was heading straight for us.
'At this range, we could repel them with sheer firepower, but...'
That would defeat the purpose of this training.
"Our mission is to observe the Church of Morte's movements. We can't waste ammunition out here."
"So, you mean...?"
"Except for precision shots, engage at close range."
It's obvious—accuracy drops with distance.
Precision sniping is another matter, but we don't have the luxury for that against a beast horde.
Normally, the Ark's basic tactics call for overwhelming firepower, but this time, we can't do that.
"Aim."
At my command, the soldiers switched their Ark-15s to anti-materiel sniper mode and took aim at the beasts.
"Fire."
Flashes erupted from the Ark-15s, instantly downing several beasts in front.
Range was about 1 km.
No one here would miss with an Ark-15 from that distance.
[Grrrrrrr!]
[Kyaooooh!]
Despite the fallen beasts, the horde kept charging—faster, fiercer.
"Reload."
I gave several more orders for precision fire.
It was only right to thin them out before they got too close.
Bang!────
Bang!!!
The sniper rifles kept spitting fire.
Now they were just 300 meters away.
As the beasts neared, I holstered my Ark-34 sniper rifle.
"Prepare for close combat."
That one sentence was enough to mobilize the Ark's soldiers in perfect sync.
'I thought at least one would ditch the armor... guess not.'
Probably because Hildegard and the others trusted me, and Klutz had just been swept along.
Either way, it worked out.
[Kyaoooorgh!]
The beasts were finally right in front of us.
The real battle had begun.
I switched the Ark-34 to automatic rifle mode and stepped back to observe.
'Hmm.'
Even in close combat, the soldiers—hardened from passing the Red Line stage—fought well.
Hildegard led a textbook-perfect formation, which was impressive.
"Beast type at 75 degrees! Focus fire!"
"Got it!"
The five soldiers moved seamlessly to confront the horde.
Still, the heavy weights on them created some vulnerabilities.
'Can't be helped.'
Even realistic training has limits—if they get seriously hurt, it's a net loss.
So, I decided to step in.
Clack—
Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger on my Ark-34.
Loaded with standard rounds.
Since the soldiers and beasts were mixed together, I couldn't use high-powered explosive rounds like the A-985.
[Kaaaargh──!]
Supporting the soldiers like this, the battle soon neared its end.
'Hmm...'
As I watched, I felt something lacking.
Yes, this would be enough to build stamina—but strength wasn't just about that.
Rich combat experience.
Quick judgment from that experience.
Building stamina was only the base to enable those things.
'Then we need more real combat experience.'
There'd be more chances to run into magical beasts as the journey continued.
But that wouldn't be enough.
'Maybe a little push wouldn't hurt.'
I looked behind.
"Hildegard."
"...Y-yes?"
Clearly drained from the weight, she responded half-dazed.
"You'll lead the team from now on."
"...Huh?"
"I have somewhere to be. Keep heading this direction."
With the battle winding down, leaving for a bit shouldn't cause trouble.
"Uh... are you sure? Maybe we should just wait here—"
"No, keep going. I'll rejoin you."
She started to protest, then gave up.
"...Got it. I'll do that."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
Leaving the team in Hildegard's hands, I turned away.
* * *
After Carl Marcus disappeared.
They had assumed he'd be back shortly, but as time passed with no sign of his return, the recon team had no choice but to settle in for the night.
"I think we should make camp around here."
Following Hildegard's judgment, the recon team decided to camp at this spot.
On a journey like this, managing stamina was crucial, and traveling the plains outside the Ark at night was a dangerous endeavor.
In many ways, resting at night was the wiser choice.
"We'll take turns standing watch for an hour each. Anyone want to take first watch?"
"I'll take it."
Dmitri stepped forward.
First watch was usually the easiest, but no one here was the type to nitpick over something so trivial.
"I think it'd be safer to have two people on watch, but... considering rest is more important tonight, we'll go one at a time. Beasts likely won't approach easily in this area anyway."
"Don't worry. I can handle it alone."
"Sure, sure."
Just as the team members began heading into their tents one by one—
"Wait..."
Dmitri's low voice stopped them in their tracks.
"What is it?"
"...Over there."
His gaze had gone rigid, unmoving.
Sensing something was wrong, Hildegard narrowed her eyes, sharpening her focus.
And then, she saw it.
Something approaching in the darkness.
A bone mask glowing with a sinister light.
A black cloak draped over its entire body.
Dozens of bone tentacles writhing out between its folds.
There wasn't a single person in the recon team who didn't recognize that figure.
And no wonder—
That figure was classified as one of the highest-priority threats within the Ark.
"The Skull Turncoat..."
Turncoat Pawn.
Among the turncoats categorized by Ark, it was the most recent to appear.
And now, it had appeared before the soldiers.