Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 65 (Part 1)

As soon as Rodin entered the inn, he immediately used an invisibility spell. He had spotted someone he recognized among the group inside.

‘So the first batch of trainees is staying here.’

Keline, a member of the committee, and the first batch of trainees had been deployed as a search party to find the magic corps of the Ingram Empire. They had left the special forces training center at the start of the war, meaning it had already been a year and a half.

‘I wonder if they know that the training center has collapsed?’

Judging by their behavior here, they might not know. If they did, they would have either fled or returned to the training center—one of the two.

‘No, if they decided to stay loyal to the Kingdom of Riyaz, it makes sense that they’re here.’

They might have given up their independent operational rights and handed over the special forces in their entirety. With the Kingdom of Riyaz suffering defeat after defeat, there was no reason for them to refuse.

“Hey? Where did he go?”

“Did he head to the clothing store first?”

“Would Rodin ever get lost? But here… are there even any seats available?”

Bron was looking around, trying to find Rodin. Marlon and Ellice were also concerned about Rodin’s sudden disappearance and kept glancing back.

‘Let’s observe the situation for a bit.’

In his invisible state, Rodin took a seat in a secluded corner of the first-floor dining area. From his position, he had a clear view of several familiar faces from the first batch of trainees.

At the special forces training center, it was common for trainees from different batches to attend the same classes.

Rodin had shared classes with trainee number 11 and trainee number 20, both magic majors from the first batch, for quite some time. Additionally, Keline, the committee member, was also likely familiar with Rodin’s face.

“Hey, are you a mercenary? We’re in the middle of an important conversation, so I’d appreciate it if you could leave.”

“Yes, we’ll go. We don’t want to get involved in unnecessary disputes.”

Under the pressure from a knight, Bron and his group had no choice but to leave. Although it felt like they were being chased away, they couldn’t risk fighting a regular army that included knights.

Once Bron’s group vacated their seats, the serious conversation began.

“Sigh, so what’s this all about now? There are people around.”

“Our situation may be laughable, but our strength is no joke. So we expect to be treated accordingly.”

Keline retorted to the middle-aged knight, keeping his head held high to avoid showing any psychological weakness.

‘How did it come to this?’

Keline was dumbfounded by the current situation.

For a year and a half, they had wandered from front to front, pursuing their goal of finding the magic corps of the Ingram Empire. They had suffered so much that his waistline had shrunk to the point where he looked like his younger self again.

During that long period, they had often cooperated with other units from the Kingdom of Riyaz and even worked with search teams from other countries.

The first batch of trainees had always performed well, no matter who they were with. They never lagged behind and could anticipate the magic corps’ ambushes and surprise attacks.

Up until recently, everyone acknowledged Keline and the first batch of trainees as their leaders.

‘What were the committee members doing while the training center was collapsing?’

The sudden shift in the atmosphere began when the news of the special forces training center’s collapse spread.

The first batch of trainees had lost their home. With the loss of their base, they could no longer receive financial support for their activities.

They were on the brink of starvation, so Keline had no choice but to seek help from the royal family. He gave up his independent command rights and agreed to do whatever they asked if they would take them in.

Today’s meeting was precisely for that negotiation.

“Sir Keline, you have nowhere else to go, do you?”

“Even so, stripping me of my command is too much. I’ve been actively involved in the war across all fronts since it began.”

“Active involvement… Sure, you were. But now you can’t even afford to buy them a single meal. Am I wrong?”

The reason Keline had no choice but to lower his stance was because of money.

For four days, he had personally funded the food and lodging of the first batch of trainees. He had put them up in shabby places and provided meager meals, but he hadn’t let them starve.

But continuing to spend money was painful.

He didn’t even have the slave sticks of the first batch of trainees. Without them, he wasn’t their master and couldn’t justify spending money on them indefinitely.

“Sigh, this seems too harsh. I’ve built up achievements.”

“Sir Keline, the slave sticks have already been retrieved by the royal family. The trainees are no longer under your command; they belong to the royal family now. So why do you keep trying to act as their commander?”

Their conflict ultimately stemmed from the issue of command rights.

The person who had been granted the appropriate command over the first batch of trainees by the royal family was Edward Kite. From that moment on, Keline was nothing.

However, Keline was reluctant to hand over the first batch of trainees entirely. They had been together for a long time, and he wanted to be compensated for his efforts in teaching them for over ten years.

“Please, try to understand my position, Sir Kite.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Listen up, you first batch trainees! Your slave sticks have already been retrieved by the royal family. You no longer have to obey Sir Keline’s orders. So, put away your weapons and follow my orders.”

Listening to the conversation, Rodin quickly grasped the situation.

‘Keline was planning to hand over the entire first batch, but when it came time to do so, he found it difficult.’

Keline was merely lingering, trying to gain some small advantage, while the first batch of trainees was in a state of confusion, unable to make a decision.

Suddenly, their command structure had changed. The slave sticks had been taken by the royal family.

So far, so good. They had always lived by following orders, and the only difference now was who gave the commands.

The problem lay in the orders themselves.

The royal family of the Kingdom of Riyaz had sent Edward Kite as their new commander and wanted to scatter the first batch of trainees all over.

From the far west to the far east of the front lines, they planned to disperse the trainees into the smallest possible units, preventing them from forming groups.

“These trainees have trained and grown together for over ten years. Instead of scattering them, it would be more effective to keep them together and exercise command…”

“Enough. The royal family’s orders have been issued. I am their new commander, and I have already given my orders.”

“Sigh.”

The first batch of trainees was bewildered by the sudden command.

Disperse? They had anticipated that this might happen someday. It wasn’t realistic for the first batch of trainees to stay together forever.

But the order had come too suddenly. They weren’t mentally prepared at all.

‘Ah, the royal family is indeed different.’

The royal family of the Kingdom of Riyaz had instructed Sir Kite to scatter the first batch of trainees among various units. They found it burdensome to have them together and feared they couldn’t completely control them.

‘They’ve realized that the slave sticks were fake.’

When managing slaves, if they disobey or become less useful, they are usually disposed of by breaking the slave stick.

But the slave sticks were fake.

To dispose of someone from the first batch of trainees now, they would have to catch and kill them directly. They couldn’t use the easy method of breaking the slave stick.

When such things happen, the surviving trainees might start to suspect something.

‘Why would they choose such a complicated method when there’s an easier way?’

These suspicions would naturally lead to thoughts of ‘what if?’

To prevent this, the royal family had decided to scatter the first batch of trainees.

‘This is interesting. I understand the royal family’s choice. But what should I do? I overheard everything.’

Rodin’s gaze fell on trainee number 11 and trainee number 20, who were both familiar to him. They were magic majors who could objectively assess the situation.

‘This is interesting.’

Rodin discreetly slipped a note into the pockets of trainee number 11 and trainee number 20. The rest was up to them.

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