"I’ve called you here today to discuss the Far East Campaign."
They were in the briefing room. Every member of the Special Selection Unit Astral was present, their faces uniformly solemn. They had been told in advance what the meeting was about.
The Far East Campaign.
The conflict was already making headlines around the world, not just in the Kingdom. Modern civilization had achieved great heights thanks to the systematization of sorcery, and this was the first large-scale war involving sorcery that the world had ever seen.
The scale of the fighting was already immense. Reported casualties had exceeded a thousand, but that was just the official number; the actual death toll was rumored to be far higher.
The Kingdom had received a formal request for intervention from an allied nation. It was a foregone conclusion that a magical powerhouse like the Arnold Kingdom would have to step in eventually.
On the surface, the conflict was a religious dispute between minor nations, but there was no doubt that the shadow of the Empire loomed behind the scenes.
In practical terms, this was a war between the Kingdom and the Empire— a clash between the two most prosperous nations on the planet. It was no exaggeration to view it as such. That was how chaotic the Far East Campaign had become.
"Flor. Give us the overview."
"Sir."
Flor stood before the board and began sketching out the layout of the battlefields in the Far East as she spoke.
"The enemy forces number between one and two thousand. Normally, such a force could be suppressed quickly, but the problem lies in the presence of highly skilled sorcerers. There are even reports of individual sorcerers capable of overwhelming entire battalions. While those claims remain unverified, the fact remains that some soldiers have begun to run wild, turning the battlefield into a literal hell."
She delivered the intelligence gathered by the Kingdom's agencies with clinical calm. Casualties were mounting, and the chaos was being exacerbated by soldiers rampaging uncontrollably.
"As Flor explained, some of the soldiers are suffering from Overheat," Henrick added. "They’re attacking friend and foe alike, turning the front lines into a nightmare."
"...Overheat, huh," Lydia whispered.
She knew the dangers of Overheat better than anyone. Though she was lauded as the Girl Loved by God and possessed talent beyond measure, she hadn't reached her current heights without taking risks.
In fact, Lydia had once pushed her Magic Area so far that she had stood on the very precipice of an Overheat herself.
Overheat was often described as a disease of modern magic. It was believed that the causes stemmed not only from the excessive use of sorcery but from psychological factors as well.
The battlefield forced people to use sorcery. It forced them to kill. The extreme stress of those conditions battered a sorcerer’s psyche, and the combination of factors led many to succumb to Overheat.
"Permission to speak?"
"Is that you, Ainsworth? Go ahead."
"Do we have an estimate on how many soldiers have been affected by Overheat?"
"No, we don't. However, it seems that Overheat is most common among the younger soldiers."
"The young... I see."
"Did you realize something?"
"No. It’s still just speculation. I’ll share my thoughts once I have something concrete."
The discussion ended there for the moment.
"Now, regarding Ray..."
Henrick shifted the subject to the boy. It was a given that the Special Selection Unit Astral would be deployed to the Far East; everyone was prepared for that.
The real question was whether Ray should be among them.
From Henrick’s perspective, Ray's participation was highly desirable. Purely in terms of combat power, there was likely no one in the Kingdom who could replace him. Without him, the unit’s overall strength would be significantly diminished.
Everyone in the room acknowledged it: the current Ray was already closing in on Lydia. He had surpassed Carol and Abby, reaching toward a domain that lay even further beyond the reach of a mere genius.
"Personally, I believe that if Ray is willing, we should take him. As you all know, his combat capabilities are exceptional. We cannot afford to hold back someone of his caliber when he rivals even Ainsworth. High command has also instructed me to include him. However, I want to ask you directly. Ray, do you intend to join this campaign?"
Every eye in the room turned toward Ray. His gaze was already steady with resolve. He had never killed a person in actual combat, but going to the battlefield meant facing that possibility.
No matter how strong he was, he was still just a child.
"Ray. What will you do?"
Lydia’s voice rang clear through the room. She looked down, meeting Ray’s eyes as he looked up at her. That single exchange of looks was enough. She knew he was going.
"I... want to fight. This unit is like a family to me... no, it is my family. That’s why I want to move forward with everyone else. Besides, I feel like I'm being called."
"Called? What do you mean?"
"Master... I can't really explain it. It's just a feeling, but I believe I need to go."
"Are you prepared for what comes next?"
"Yes. Responsibility follows talent. I believe it’s time I fulfilled mine."
"I see... I suppose you're right."
He had grown so much.
Not just physically, but mentally. Looking at the mature expression on Ray’s face, Lydia felt a wave of deep emotion.
The boy he once was had vanished. Standing before her now was a soldier with a firm resolve. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder what was driving him so hard.
She had thought she knew everything about Ray. She thought she understood him completely. But the truth was, she couldn't grasp his true intentions. Ultimately, she realized that perfectly understanding another person was an impossible task.
He was right there next to her, yet she felt as if he had drifted somewhere far away.
"It seems Ray has given his consent," Henrick said. "Then, let’s move on to the specifics."
Henrick’s briefing continued for another two hours.
Once the briefing ended, the unit was dismissed. They were scheduled to depart the Kingdom in one week, leaving them seven days to prepare.
"Ray. Up for some muscle training?"
"Yeah. I was just about to ask you guys."
Deruku and Howard were standing in front of him. Ray had been planning to head home with Lydia, but...
"Go on," Lydia said. "I’ll head back ahead of you."
"Understood."
With Lydia’s permission, Ray headed off to train with Deruku and Howard as he always did. When it came to building muscle, no one could hold a candle to those two. Lydia trained hard, but as a woman, she couldn't quite match the raw bulk of the men.
That was why she was happy to leave Ray in their care for this.
"Ray, you've really been packing it on lately, haven't you?" Deruku remarked as they walked toward the base’s training room.
"You think so?"
"Yeah! And you've shot up in height, too! I can hardly believe how much you've changed since we first met."
"I agree," Howard chimed in. "You've gotten big in more ways than one, Ray."
Ray really had grown. He acted more like an adult now, but his physique was also rapidly catching up. Thanks in part to the influence of the Inside Code, his physical development was accelerated.
"Alright! Should we try 'that' today?"
"That? But we're leaving the country in a week," Howard said. "Is that really a good idea?"
"It’ll be fine! Probably...?"
"Haa. Deruku, you really are too reckless. Let's keep it light for today," Ray said with a sigh.
Looking at them, it was hard to tell who the real adult was, but all three of them cherished this dynamic.
This was what it meant to be brothers-in-arms.
With that, the three of them threw themselves into their training.