BXBX NOVEL Chapter 173: Reasons of #1
Cedric blinked, not because he hadn't seen this man coming, but because he wasn't expecting to be called by their superiors right now.
He looked back at his squad who's playing with the hell puppies, his gaze zoned to #5, and said:
"#5 you're in charge. Continue the drills, take a break at 12:00, and resume at 13:00 if I haven't returned by then."
"Order acknowledged, Sir."
Cedric turned back to the man who summoned him and nodded before they left. Cedric saw that his team continued with drills right away even after he left, he did not doubt that they would obey his orders since they knew how valuable this exercise was for their survival here.
Their day off already passed, and most of them spent that time resting since they badly needed it. Cedric, not as much as the others, but it felt good to know that they're in safe territory right now. Even with stamina, being exposed to the overwhelming density of corruption tires him out.
The man led him to an office where he sensed several presences. His batchmates were there but not all of them. More specifically, it's the leaders like him that were here, as well as the Knight Captains.
After leading him here, the officer gestured for him to go in, it didn't look like he's gonna follow him inside. He muttered a small thanks before pushing the door open and entering the room. As soon as he did, all eyes landed on him.
"Ah, he's here..." One of the Knight Captains stated after seeing him.
Cedric performed a salute towards his superiors before saying: "Interim Squad Leader #1, reporting for duty. How may I be of service?"
"Spoken like a true comrade." Another Knight Captain commented before turning to the rest of the leaders within the room. "See that, brats? That's just one of the reasons why he's #1, learn a thing or two from him will you?"
Cedric fought the urge to blink in confusion. He didn't know what was happening here, though he was aware that it had something to do with him, considering how they were playing a video of him and his team doing their drills.
"At ease, Squad Leader #1. Take a seat." Silverwing ordered, which Cedric followed right away. He found an empty seat and took it, waiting for whatever's gonna happen next.
"This meeting is to discuss your collective performance so far." One of the Knight Captains stated, "Which, if we're being honest, was horrible."
"I'm sure that some of you knew the casualties you suffered already." He swept his gaze among them, "After all, a few of you are more concerned about seeking comfort in each other's arms instead of focusing on strengthening yourselves to prevent such accidents from occurring...muddleheaded fools."
Cedric saw some of his fellow leaders bowing their heads in shame and guilt. It seems that this Knight Captain was talking about them in particular.
"Only half of you are left." Another Knight Captain spoke this time. "90 died and 10 were crippled, putting them out of commission permanently. They can be healed but the trauma of death will stay with them. For how long? Even we can't tell. What's certain is that they won't be returning for duty, or even at the academy."
"Aside from Squad #1..." The previous Knight Captain who jeered at the leaders earlier spoke once more. "...all of your squads experienced casualties. The fact that all of you are here, means that they died for your sake and that you are to be blamed for their deaths."
That cold logic in addition to his stern and authoritative tone caused the other leaders to feel even more shame and guilt.
Cedric already knew how many casualties they accrued due to his sharp senses. He personally relayed this information to his team yesterday.
It wasn't pretty. This report just solidified the already established idea of their vulnerability here. It proves that they're really dancing at the edge of a blade right now, and one wrong move will kill them.
Cedric allowed his team to process their emotions and find their resolve back, which wasn't hard since he already cushioned the blow due to his conditioning. However, they can't grieve for too long since there's just no time for it. They have to continue training to ensure their safety. If they can get out of here alive, they can continue grieving then.
"#1." Silverwing called out to him.
"Sir!" He responded.
"As you can see, we are watching you and your team's performance here." Silverwing gestured at the video that was paused on the screen. "Can you tell me when you started these drills?"
"Yes, Sir. We started as soon as our Squad was formed. Day 1 of Official Duty, Sir." He replied.
Of course, he didn't miss the looks sent his way by his fellow leaders.
"I see...I remember giving you the whistle to call the Hellhounds, but I don't recall giving you explicit orders to use it. So, why did you? Was it to scare your team to establish your authority and gain their obedience?"
"Gaining their obedience is a side-effect, Sir. A bonus. My main goal is to prove a point and to improve our teamwork and dynamics."
Cedric could almost see the question marks hanging above his fellow leaders' heads as they listened to him.
"Pray tell me what is this point you're trying to prove? And why the Hellhounds specifically? Are you not able to lead and inspire your team on your own?" Silverwing continued his interrogation.
" 'Demons are strong, fearsome, and vicious. There are hordes of them out there and they won't hesitate to drive Humanity into extinction to reach their goals. There's a lot of reasons to be afraid of them and most of them are valid...but in reality, they're not as scary.' "
" 'Demons are many things...living beings included. Since they're alive, they can be killed. Their tough exterior and ferocity, boosted by the effect of their corruption give an impression that we, Humans, are hopeless against them, but that's false. It's nothing but a mere veil of illusion. Demons are just as vulnerable as we are. Humans are just as talented at destruction and killing as they are.' "
" 'Demons a complacent race. Humans thirst for progress. We have all the means of killing them, so why not use it? Demons being a threat to our world is enough for us to eradicate them with extreme prejudice. Demons can be killed. If they cannot, then they can be broken'.
"
"That's my point, Sir. The very first thing I wanted to do, as a Leader, to get things going, is to shatter the false immortality and invulnerability that the Demons left in their minds. Once the veil is lifted, turning them into soldiers capable of resisting Demonic Influence will be easier."
His lengthy explanation earned the admiration and praise of the Knight Captains. Silverwing didn't even bother hiding his smug expression which practically yelled: 'Yeah, yeah, that's my brat right there!'
"As for using the Hellhounds, they are tools that could expedite the process of perfecting our formations and teamwork. During our Team Assignments, where some of us were punished for being late at the assembly, I discovered that the hell puppies..."
"Skrnt...Hell Puppies he says, yeah that sounds about right." One of the Knight Captains snorted in amusement.
"...ahem, the Hellhounds attack their target at the most vulnerable spot. They hit where it hurts the most. If the punished understood that instead of drowning from their fear, I assume that it will make them stronger."
"I tested that theory on my team and myself." Cedric paused, looking at the scene where the video was paused, it was the scene where he was wrestling with the Cerberus.
"And it turns out that I was right. Besides, the army would rear demons for absolutely no reason. Especially when it was meant to protect us from them. The things on their neck are slave collars, so they were meant to be used as tools."
"Since they're readily available and I was allowed access to them, I figured I should use them to increase our efficiency."
"If I was given enough time, I certainly could push this level of unity even without the help of the hounds. However, given that we're on a limited time here and we're about to be sent to a dangerous territory, I figured that it's best to use all the tools necessary to increase our chances of survival. After all, I accepted the role of their Leader.
The least I could do is to make sure they return to their families alive and intact. If I had to hurt them so that they could learn their lesson, so be it. We have healers here anyway." Cedric concluded his lengthy explanation there.
He saw Silverwing nodding at him before he, and the rest of the Knight Captains looked at the dumbfounded leaders in the room.
"If you lot had discovered even a fraction of what he noticed, I bet the casualties you accrued would be far lesser than what it is right now." Silverwing calmly stated at the ashamed leaders.