Chapter 36 – If You Can

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Meanwhile, at the military academy.

“I hear there are idiots who lost in an eight-to-one fight against a kid?”

At the mocking voice drifting from somewhere, the seven who had participated in the training simulation with Haydam closed their eyes tightly in distress.

Right after getting thrashed by Haydam in the training simulation.

The eight cadets who had participated in the training were being ridiculed by the other cadets day in and day out.

Because Director Meursault had told them to keep quiet about the details of the training, they all kept their mouths firmly shut regarding how they ended up losing, which made the criticism even harsher.

“To think he is scheduled to graduate at the top of our school… it was all thanks to his daddy.”

Although Plato was criticized as well,

he lived his daily life as usual with his clear, madness-filled eyes.

“There’s no way Senior Plato would lose. The other seven must have dragged him down!”

Because other cadets who respected Plato blamed the other seven for the defeat in this manner, only the seven excluding Plato became more miserable.

They were afraid that even if they said Haydam had won through cowardly means now, it would be dismissed as making excuses after losing to a kid.

Conversely, the cadets who acknowledged Haydam’s ability also could not speak of how outstanding Haydam’s skills were for similar reasons.

This was because it was obvious that if they did, others would dismiss it as the losers overhyping the winner.

A situation where they were mocked by the entire school simply because they had lost to a child.

It was impossible not to be in pain.

To them, the following news was no different from despair.

“…And so, for the time being until Lord Haydam participates in the subjugation battle, he will be training with us at the military academy.”

Standing on the platform alongside the principal who explained so, Haydam spotted them and flashed a faint smile.

The seven shrieked inwardly.

‘No……!’

The level of criticism they received from the cadets was not low even now.

If they were to train together with that Haydam for the time being?

Judging only by his appearance, Haydam had a very small and angelic face.

Harsher criticism would undoubtedly fly toward them from the cadets who saw Haydam in person.

‘It’s not like Lord Haydam will shield us either…….’

Haydam had absolutely no interest in them.

Because once the training was over, he had left without any lingering attachment, as if he had obtained everything there was to get.

The only fortunate thing was that Haydam’s ability was at least real, so before long, none of the cadets at the academy would consider it a disgrace to lose to that child.

…Although I do not know if we should call it fortunate that the cadets of the military academy were inferior to a mere ten-year-old child.

The principal’s explanation continued.

“Although it is more like a transfer rather than an admission… since it appears his qualification is sufficient just by his complete victory in the last training simulation, there are no cadets with objections, right?”

Just then, someone among the cadets raised their hand.

Witnessing the smile on Haydam’s lips turn crooked, the seven offered their condolences to that cadet.

“Do you have an objection to Lord Haydam’s transfer?”

At the principal’s question, the cadet who raised his hand shook his head and slowly opened his mouth to speak.

“No. I think Lord Haydam’s qualifications are sufficient.”

“Then?”

“I have something I want to say to Lord Haydam in this place.”

As the cadet looked at Haydam while saying so, Haydam asked back with interest.

“To me?”

“Yes. There is one thing I hope you do not misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand? What kind of misunderstanding?”

“Lord Haydam. The eight who lost to you. It is true that those cadets are idiots, but I want you to know this. Not all of us cadets are idiots like them.”

“…….”

The other cadets also stared straight at Haydam as if in agreement.

In the place where everyone had gathered, and with Haydam right in front of them, the seven cadets who were called idiots hung their heads in shame.

Although they were publicly humiliated, it was a fact that eight cadets about to graduate from the academy had lost to a single ten-year-old child.

But Haydam’s reaction was peculiar.

After staring intently for a moment at the cadet who spoke to him, Haydam asked in a gentle voice.

“I’d like to ask one thing… so do you all think that you would be able to defeat me?”

“Excuse me?”

Perhaps because it was an unexpected question, the cadet seemed flustered for a moment, but he soon regained his composure and replied in a confident voice.

“Of course.”

“Of course?”

“This is not said to look down on Lord Haydam. Since a cadet who thinks they will lose without even trying has no right to be in this military academy.”

“Hmm.”

Haydam seemed to contemplate for a moment, then looked down at the assembly and opened his mouth.

“Father acknowledged me after just a single training session… but it seems you all require one more round of verification. Since someone who thinks I won by luck would never become my comrade… I intend to make it clear this time.”

“Make what clear?”

“I will conduct another training simulation, not with cadets chosen by me, but with eight cadet representatives chosen by you.”

“……!”

At those words, the lined-up cadets broke into a stir.

Even without this, it was a story that had been circulating among the cadets since the training simulation.

A story about picking the cadet representatives again to have a revenge match with Haydam.

However, because suggesting another training session with healthy, grown cadets to a ten-year-old child was not an easy thing to do no matter what, it had been difficult to bring up the topic readily.

Since Haydam brought up the topic first, they were rather grateful.

“Wait a moment.”

Just then, another cadet raised their hand and asked.

“Thank you for the proposal itself. Since making such a decision is not an easy thing, I express my respect for Lord Haydam’s decision. But surely… you don’t mean you will do an eight-to-one again, right?”

At those words, Haydam smirked.

“I guess an eight-to-one is unacceptable to you as well?”

“Of course! While it is an honor to compete with Lord Haydam, winning eight-to-one does not save our face. Nine people, adding Lord Haydam and the eight who lost, versus the eight cadets representing us. I believe only this way can it be a fair match.”

“You all are eight people, but my team is nine?”

“Because Lord Haydam is not yet a cadet formally admitted to the military academy.”

“…….”

Haydam’s eyes, which had been looking at the cadets with a degree of goodwill until just a moment ago, instantly sank cold.

While still maintaining his politeness, Haydam spoke in a slightly cold voice.

“Let’s just make it a clean eight-on-eight. Otherwise, I feel like you all will say again that I couldn’t pull my own weight.”

As the situation turned strange, the ones who were flustered were the seven cadets.

‘What, we didn’t even agree to this…….’

‘Another training simulation?’

‘Us, on the same side as Lord Haydam?’

The seven cadets came up with the exact same thought simultaneously.

‘If we win here, the cursing is over too……!’

Although the expressions of the seven cadets brightened at the thought that this treatment as criminals would soon end, a few still had discouraged faces.

That was because.

‘If we lose again this time…….’

They had lost against Haydam regardless.

Just when they were beginning to think that perhaps… they had truly lost due to their own lack of ability.

Their self-esteem was hitting rock bottom to the point where they even wondered if they really lost because they dragged Plato down.

Just then, Haydam opened his mouth.

“Let’s make it eight-on-eight. Instead, I’ll add one condition.”

When the words to add a condition came out of Haydam’s mouth, the ordinary cadets wore ‘as expected’ expressions.

‘There must be a reason why Lord Haydam insisted on eight-to-one. Those guys probably let their guard down because they thought they had the advantage in numbers. That must be why they lost. But if the number of people is equal, the story changes. Because we will absolutely not let our guard down. You can tell just by looking at how he’s trying to add a condition now.’

Well, actually, although the Haydam they faced in person possessed a boldness that in no way looked ten years old to their eyes, a child was a child regardless.

Just when they were willing to accept any additional conditions because they felt like there was no way they would lose to the cute boy before them, the words that came from Haydam’s mouth kicked their expectations away beautifully.

“I will set the victory condition for my team as ‘not a single person dies’.”

“……Yes?”

The cadets who heard Haydam’s additional condition blinked their eyes blankly.

“Does… that mean you will only recognize it as a victory if not a single one of us dies?”

“It’s the opposite, actually.”

Haydam tilted his head and spoke.

“The moment even one of my team members dies, it is your victory. Whether you have even one person survive, or plant the flag first, it is your victory.”

The seven cadets who heard those words were astonished.

‘We never agreed to that condition, Lord Haydam?!’

The rest of the cadets, excluding the seven, were equally bewildered.

‘The condition he went out of his way to add… is a condition disadvantageous to themselves?’

The cadets could not help but ask Haydam.

“Are you looking down on us? Or are you setting an unreasonable condition to use as an excuse when you lose later?”

“It’s neither. I don’t know why you think I would keep defeat in mind……”

Staring intently at the cadet who had first raised his hand and spoken to him, Haydam spoke.

“I am not ignoring you all either. Just… because a cadet who thinks they will lose without even trying has no right to be in this academy. Isn’t that right, Cadet Lucas?”

“……!”

Lucas was surprised that Haydam knew his name, but he was also surprised by the spirit felt from that small child.

It was not a spirit that could be felt from a child who had not even enlisted yet.

‘Like a company commander who has come to enforce military discipline…….’

Just then, in place of the dazed Lucas, another cadet stepped forward and offered words of acceptance and provocation.

“Fine. Since we plan to annihilate Lord Haydam’s team anyway.”

The other cadets also nodded their heads in agreement, and Haydam smiled brightly and replied briefly.

“If you can.”

* * *

“Lord Haydam is doing another training simulation!”

Hearing from the military academy principal that Haydam was doing an eight-on-eight training simulation with the cadets, Meursault ran straight to the commander to report.

Although it was a relatively urgent report, the commander spoke indifferently as if he had already expected it.

“What a fuss.”

“What do you mean, a fuss! You must stop him!”

Meursault hurriedly added.

“Lord Haydam was shot just a few days ago! No matter how minor that wound was… the training simulation is not light enough to be done twice in succession.”

“But we can’t go around blabbing that Haydam was shot outside the zone, can we, Meursault?”

A gag order had been issued regarding Haydam getting shot.

Because the fact that the successor of the military faction was shot outside the zone could escalate into a major issue if handled incorrectly.

The cadets of the military academy must have accepted Haydam’s training simulation proposal without knowing that fact.

The commander spoke with his usual calm expression.

“Since we can’t say he was injured… if we deny the training simulation now, they will think it strange.”

“That may be true, but……!”

“If Haydam accepted, that’s enough.”

“The guys who lost to Lord Haydam are on his team. Some of them even hold bad feelings toward Haydam! What if they lose on purpose?”

“It doesn’t matter. I think I know what Haydam is thinking.”

“You think you know? That complicated head of his?”

“Yes.”

Looking toward the direction of the military academy through the window, the commander spoke.

“He knows how to stand above people……”