The Strategy Hall was different from all other classrooms.
There were no desks, no windows facing the courtyard. The walls were made of thick gray stone, like a military bunker, and floating crystals suspended from the ceiling, casting a cold light over the hall.
In the center of the hall stood a massive stone table; twenty meters by twenty meters. Its surface rippled like undulating water, ready to take shape.
All the first-year students had gathered around the table. In the past weeks, they had theory classes and small maneuvers, but today... today was real war.
A cane struck the cobblestones.
Tap!
General Gregory, with a face full of scars and a wooden leg, came forward.
"Listen up, little soldiers!"
The hall went silent.
"War isn't just throwing fireballs and swinging swords. War is about brains. It means a decision that keeps a hundred people alive or kills them."
Command crystals were distributed.
"Each student receives 30 clay golems. The golems have their own energy and are not dependent on your mana. Any golem that runs out of energy or is destroyed is removed from the battle. Objective: Destroy the opponent's army or capture the flag."
The draw took place.
Names appeared on the magical board.
Arthur Valerion vs... Elizabeth.
Brook vs... Thomas.
...
And finally, the name that cut the whispers short.
Maria Alessandra... vs... Damian Von Taurus.
A murmur rippled through the hall.
"Oh, she's done for."
"Damian is a tactical genius. Poor girl."
Gregory slammed his cane down.
"Battlefield: 'Phantom Plains'."
The map formed on the table. A vast plain, a shallow river in the middle, and upstream, two high rocky hills. At both ends of the table were their respective castles. Thick night fog lay like a white curtain on the ground, limiting visibility.
Maria and Damian stood on opposite sides of the table.
Their eyes locked for a moment. Both faces were serious.
Damian's Formation:
14 Heavy Armored Golems, 8 Fast Knights, 6 Night-Vision Archers with Mana Sensors, and 2 Scouts.
Classic "Line Breaker" formation. Powerful and direct.
A few people whispered: "It's over..."
Maria's Formation:
Strange and scattered. 16 Light Infantry, 4 Disruptors (Anti-Sensor), 2 Scouts, 4 Trappers, and 4 Fast Infiltrators.
Unlike Damian's orderly formation, Maria's forces scattered the moment the battle began and vanished into the fog, as if each had a separate mission.
Damian raised an eyebrow.
"Spreading forces? Mistake."
He ordered the advance. His army entered the fog.
Damian's heavy golems entered the plain like an iron wall. The ground shook beneath their feet.
But reports reached Damian: "Archers' sensors not working."
Maria's disruptor units in the fog had blinded the signals.
Damian frowned.
"Doesn't matter. Continue the pressure."
At the same moment, out of everyone's sight, Maria's trapper units went toward the rocky hill.
They started pushing boulders. The rocks crashed into the river, blocking the water's path.
The water changed course and flowed toward the plain.
At first, no one noticed. But a few minutes later...
The soft ground of the plain turned into a swamp.
Damian's heavy golems slowed down. Their armor sank into the mud.
One student said: "The ground is turning a swamp!"
Damian's eyes sharpened.
This isn't natural...
His mind analyzed quickly. His gaze fell on the upstream hills.
"I got it! Center line retreat! Knights, charge the hills! Open the dam!"
Maria's pulse stuttered.
He read my plan...
If Damian took the hill and opened the water path, his heavy army would be freed and reach the castle directly.
Maria's light infantry were her only hope.
She clenched her jaw.
"All reserve units, defend the hill! Don't let them pass!"
On the map, two groups met in the fog. A short, brutal battle on the slippery hills.
Damian's knights were powerful, but Maria's infantry used the height advantage.
The hill did not fall. Damian's knights were defeated.
But... Damian smiled.
"You spent your reserves too early, Maria. Now who stops my armored forces?"
Even with the mud, Damian's heavy soldiers (who now faced no obstacles) were slowly but steadily advancing toward Maria's defenseless castle.
Maria ordered a retreat, but her forces were too far away to arrive in time.
Damian said with a triumphant smile:
"Haven't given up yet? There's no way back for you. Now it's just a matter of time."
Maria squeezed the crystal with a sweaty, trembling palm, her breath heavy, but she tried to keep her appearance calm.
" We'll see."
Just at the moment Damian's soldiers neared the gate of Maria's castle...
On the opposite flank, Maria's 4 infiltrator units, which had been hidden in the fog the whole time and had bypassed the dry path of the hill, reached Damian's castle.
Damian just realized. His eyes narrowed.
"So this was the main plan... you wanted to buy time..."
He tried to turn his forces back, but the heavy units were stuck in the mud. It was too late.
Three of the infiltrator units engaged the castle guard; one of them was crushed by the guard. But the fourth infiltrator, while the other two kept the guard busy, pulled down Damian's flag.
End of Battle.
The field's light went out.
The hall went still.
Then the murmur exploded in the hall.
"I can't believe it!"
"Damian lost?!"
Damian stared at the table. He wasn't angry, nor was he flushed. He was just... thinking deeply.
On the other side, Maria lowered her hands, which were trembling slightly.
She had won. But she knew if she had acted just a few minutes later, Damian would have leveled her castle to the ground.
Damian raised his head. His gaze settled directly on Maria.
No mockery, no anger. Just recognition.
Under his breath, so only Maria could hear, he said:
"A commander who changes the terrain... is more dangerous than one who just attacks."
Maria looked away and said in her heart:
Next time... Damian won't repeat his mistake. I won't have an easy win.
And General Gregory, in silence, gave a faint smile.
"Finally... we saw a real battle."
The murmur and excitement of the hall hadn't subsided yet. A few students gathered around the table, reviewing the battle scene on the magical surface.
"Did you see that swamp? It destroyed him!"
"Damian didn't expect it at all!"
"Maria, that was amazing!"
A few people came toward her, but Maria just gave a short smile. Applause reached her as if from underwater.
Her mind was elsewhere.
Now is the time... if I'm late, they'll find it.
The command crystal was still warm in her hand, but her fingers trembled restlessly on it. The image of the wounded cub, shivering in the dark, didn't leave her for a moment.
One student said:
"Hey, Maria! We're going to celebrate! Come on! Damian's first loss in the first year!"
Maria answered without pause:
"You go. I have something to do."
Before anyone had a chance to ask, Maria pulled away from the circle of the crowd. While the sound of laughter and excitement still came from behind her, she silently exited the Strategy Hall.
Arthur was also looking for Maria in the crowded hall to congratulate her on her victory, unaware that Maria had left.
The heavy doors closed behind Maria, and the noise of the celebration suddenly cut off.
Now only the wind echoed through the empty corridor.
She broke into a faster stride.
Wait, little one... I'm coming.
She sprinted toward the abandoned western building without slowing down. The cold autumn wind bit her face. The mental fatigue from controlling the golems was catching up to her, a slight headache throbbing in her temple, but she ignored it.
I have to get there before them. They said they set a trap.
She reached the back area.
It had gotten dark. Everything was quiet.
"Where are you, little one?"
She narrowed her eyes and searched among the bushes.
Suddenly, she heard a weak, muffled whimper.
Maria ran toward the sound. It came from inside an old storage shed.
Behind a pile of broken wooden crates, she saw that black creature.
The monster cub had fallen on the ground. A glowing purple ring (a magical cage trap) surrounded it, and every time the creature tried to move, a spark zapped its body, paralyzing it.
"Found you..."
Maria stepped forward. Seeing her, the creature whimpered. Its ruby eyes glistened.
Maria reached her hand toward the trap, but a spark burned her hand.
"Ouch!"
She pulled back.
If I touch the trap, it probably sends an alert to whoever set it.
She remembered Master Albert's talk about magical equipment. "I must look for its mana source."
She looked carefully around the ring. Three small crystals were placed at the corners of the trap, creating the magical current.
Maria drew her dagger.
I don't know how to turn off this trap, but if I could somehow disconnect its mana source...
She wanted to smash the mana crystals with the hilt of her dagger to cut the current, but she immediately regretted it. Mana was still stored inside the crystals; breaking them could cause anything to happen.
Think, Maria... Think.
She remembered her bracelet that Sarah charged for her.
She took off her gold bracelet. The bracelet's mana was almost empty.
She placed the bracelet in the middle of the crystals.
" Come on... absorb it. Pull the mana into yourself."
The bracelet started to glow. The purple current of the trap was drawn toward the bracelet like water flowing toward a drain.
The glowing ring around the creature became weaker and weaker.
"Now!"
Maria struck a precise blow to the weakened crystal with the pommel of her dagger.
Crack!
The crystal broke, but since its mana was drained, nothing happened. She carefully broke the other crystals too. The trap turned off.
The black creature was free.
She gathered it into her arms. Its body was cold and trembling.
"It's over"
The creature put its head on Maria's chest and closed its eyes. A quiet purring sound, a sign of trust.
At that same moment, a shout was heard from afar:
"Hey! Who's there?!"
The little creature shivered in Maria's arms.
Maria realized:
If she didn't escape now, neither of them would make it out of this mess alive this time...