Bastard Homunculus: Reborn in the Corpse Pit
Chapter 191: Training Exercise

Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Training Exercise

"Thank you all for coming. The reason why I called this meeting is to discuss holding a training exercise we’ve been planning for a while," Remarked Jules, as she looked around at the others.

It was the 5th of May, 1920, about a week had passed since Raven was attacked by that young boy. The boy and his mother were being cared for by the church, getting some much needed therapy.

The boy had been placed in the care of an orphanage run by the church, where he’d be until his mother recovered.

There was a lot of work to be done, so that would likely take some time, the boy’s mother was completely unstable from the grief and trauma of losing her husband.

And the boy needed a lot of help too, his mother had lashed out at him a lot, traumatizing him. Jules had instructed the church to take good care of the two of them, and nurse them back to being mentally well again.

There hadn’t been any other incidents since then, and a few days ago, Jules had decided that the Knights should conduct training exercises from time to time to help raise the overall quality of the forces in the Order.

While they had a few heavy hitters in The Irregulars, the Captains, Jules and a few others, but there was a wide gap in quality beyond those individuals, so Jules wanted to rectify that by grooming and nurturing those Knights who were talented but had not realized their potential yet.

To get a clearer idea of how to accomplish that, she asked a few of the members of her squad for any suggestions or ideas, and Akila came up with one that she found appealing.

"That’s a good idea, a lot of our lower-ranked Knights could stand to improve. Since things have been pretty peaceful lately, it’s a good opportunity to get stronger," Responded Aster with a thoughtful nod.

Jules had called a meeting to discuss the training exercise with the Captains and Vice-Captains, all of whom were in attendance.

"Sounds like a pain, this is bound to take a lot of effort and energy," Sighed Tacitus lazily.

"Come on, man, you’re the last person who should complain, considering how you’re exempt from patrol duties and all," Responded Raven dryly.

"Whatever, that’s a separate issue, it has nothing to do with this..."

"Let’s stay on topic, please, try not to derail the discussion. Now, then, the main purpose of this training exercise is to improve the unity and cohesion between the high-ranked Knights of each squad. I know that The Irregulars have excellent teamwork, well beyonds the standards in the rest of the Order, so I’d like for the other Knights to reach a similar level in that regard," Jules informed them.

"Yeah, that sounds good, that’s definitely an area where we’ve got a lot of room for improvement," Nodded Rione in approval.

"Mhm, even the lower-ranked Knights can fight more effectively if they improve their coordination with their squad mates, so we should set the example for them," Spoke up Celia in agreement.

"Yes, even if they can’t attain the level of power that our top Knights possess, they can make up for their individuals weaknesses by supporting each other better," Remarked Wein thoughtfully.

"Right, exactly. Now, then, regarding the training exercise we have in mind...Akila, since it was your idea, I shall let you explain the details. Go ahead," Jules prompted him.

Akila nodded and stood up, glancing around at the others before clearing his throat and speaking...

"So, the idea I came up with is pretty simple, but I think it should be quite effective. Basically, it’s a game of capture the flag, sort of a battle royale. We’ll have four teams, one representing each squad, and each team will be made up of all the squad members ranked First-Class or above. All four teams will play at the same time, last one standing wins.

I think it’ll serve as good training for how to react and adapt in chaotic, unpredictable situations. Things rarely go exactly as planned in battle, so I figured this training should prove to be pretty practical. We can decide on the rules and stuff later, but yeah, that’s the general concept I had in mind. So, uh...what do you guys think?" Inquired Akila nervously.

"I think it sounds good, it should prove to be a valuable experience," Replied Wein with a nod of approval.

"Yeah, and it sounds like it’ll be pretty fun too, the competition aspect should serve as strong motivation," Chimed in Raven.

"Agreed, and that aside, it’ll be a good way to keep ourselves sharp and in shape. While these peaceful times are nice, there’s no guarantee that they’ll last forever, so we should make sure that we don’t get rusty," Pointe out Aster.

"Yes, that’s a good point. Alright, seems there are no objections, so we’ll proceed with planning out this exercise. Let’s start with the rules," Suggested Jules.

"So, the basic premise is that each time will be given a flag that they have to protect, and if a team’s flag is destroyed or captured, they’re eliminated. We’ll need a fairly large playing field, with stuff like trees and boulders for the teams to hide out in. Each team will start in a different location, and will have to find and capture or destroy the other teams’ flags while protecting their own," Explained Akila.

"Can teams join forces to take out the other teams?" Celia asked him.

"Hm...I say let’s make a rule that prohibits that. Everyone’s an enemy except your own teammates, so you can’t team up with members of another team. Also, let’s make the highest-ranked members of each team-...meaning the Commander and the Captains...-responsible for guarding their respective flags. The flags can’t be moved, they have to stay rooted to the same spot. So, while the leaders of each team stay behind to guard their flag, the other members will head out and try to locate the other teams’ flags, before their own flag is discovered. If we have every member of each squad that’s ranked above First-Class participate, how many members will each team have?" Inquired Akila, as he glanced at Jules and the Captains.

"It’ll mostly be even, but my squad has seven Knights ranked at or above First-Class, while the other squads have six each, right? Since that would mean my team has a slight advantage, I can have one of our squad members sit out-...," Rione began to suggest.

"Nah, I think it’s fine," Shrugged Aster, before adding jokingly, "The First Squad is probably the weakest, just by a little bit, so I’d say it’s fair."

"That’s not-...," Began Rione with an annoyed smile.

"Yes, that is true. Thanks to The Irregulars, the Second and Third Squads have First-Class Knights at around the same level as the Captains and Vice-Captains, so the First Squad having an extra member on their team would make the contest more balanced," Nodded Jules thoughtfully, failing to realize that Aster was joking.

"Wha-...?! Seriously? Well, I mean...I can’t deny that there is some truth to that, but still. Alright, then, I’ll just have to win the game and make them eat their words," Rione thought to himself with a determined look on his face, feeling a tad riled up.

"Heh, my team will have this in the bag. With me defending the flag, no way anyone’s capturing it," Smirked Aster confidently.

"I wouldn’t be so cocky if I were you, Captain Aster," Stated Jules defiantly.

"Oh? Alright, then, bring it on," Responded Aster with a grin.

"I fully intend to."

"Uh...what’s this vibe, it almost feels as if they’re flirting. How infuriating, they aren’t taking me seriously and then they just start flirting? And the fact that it isn’t intentional makes it all the more annoying," Rione thought to himself in exasperation.

"Hm? By the way, did you get a haircut?" Aster asked her.

"Huh? Uh, yes, I did," She nodded, averting her gaze as a slight smile spread out across her lips, before blurting out before she could stop herself, "What do you think?"

"It looks good," Replied Aster with a thumbs up, flustering her.

"D-Damn it, why do I feel so warm and happy? This is so embarrassing..."

"Yeah...they’re definitely flirting. I’ve never seen her with an expression like that before, it’s a bit unsettling," Thought Rione in bemusement.

"Ahem, I hope you aren’t writing me off. Most people might not be able to get to your flag, Aster, but I certainly can," Declared Raven with a smirk.

"Oh, that’s right...in that case, I’ll just have to find your flag first and eliminate you before you can get to mine," Countered Aster tauntingly.

"Uh, actually...since the leaders will be tasked with protecting their own flags, they won’t be able to go after the other flags, only their teammates can do that," Akila reminded them.

"Oh...right."

"Well, that sucks."