After the brief conversation with Armand, Elyandra and Celestina followed the teacher towards the vast testing ground he had presented the day before. Phase two of the test, as Armand explained, would be "Concept Analysis and Strategy".
When they arrived at the place, they were met with a crowd of nobles, including the high-class ones that Elyandra already knew. Celestina said goodbye to Elyandra, addressing the group she had led the day before. Elyandra, in turn, even though she found it surreal to be at the head of a group again, walked towards the same one she had previously led. Soon, the teachers approached their respective groups, and Armand Velacroix was again in charge of Elyandra's group.
He then separated the students into groups of five. Elyandra was left with four other nobles who, at first glance, seemed to be well below average. Elyandra noticed this immediately: the look of defeat and inferiority on the faces of her new groupmates. A bead of sweat ran down his face. Discreetly, she glanced at Armand and noticed a somewhat mischievous smile on his face as he stared at her. "This damn thing... Is he trying to test me?" Elyandra thought.
Armand then began to prepare the fictional magical scenario. To Elyandra's surprise, the scenario given to her group was a war, and the battlefield given to her group put them in extreme difficulty. The nobles who accompanied her broke out in a cold sweat when they saw the situation. They would have to come up with written and oral solutions on how they could win that battle. Elyandra, in turn, realized that that scenario had been chosen literally to test her. "A war scenario with such a disadvantage is ridiculous. How to win a lost war? He must have thought of it for me because I was from the military affairs house!"
Armand addressed Elyandra's group:
"For the current scenario, you will have to formalize how the group would react to such a situation, how you would make the choices and how you would win based on what you were given. Take into account the communication time on a battlefield and the lack of information. "He made it clear that the entire basis should be focused on logic and that he would only debate the result. He then turned and said. "Good luck."
While the other nobles broke out in a cold sweat, Elyandra surveyed the battlefield, building the scenario in her mind and pondering the possibilities.
Elyandra closed her eyes for a moment, mentally visualizing the scenario Armand had imposed. A vast battlefield stretched out in his mind. The goal was clear: to protect the imperial capital from an all-out attack. There was no retreat beyond the capital, and the distance was considerable, which made the mission even more critical.
The numerical disadvantage was glaring: they had five units, each with five thousand men, totaling twenty-five thousand soldiers. The enemy, in turn, had fifty thousand men, twenty-five thousand more. In the magical aspect, the superiority was theirs, but the capital had several sides to defend, fragmenting its advantage.
Elyandra sighed, opening her eyes and turning her gaze to her groupmates. The other nobles read the test sheets, their faces pale and confused, without seeing any solution.
"Let's start at the root of the problem," Elyandra thought, a thread of determination emerging through the bewilderment.
Elyandra observed the nobles in front of her: only four young men, each exuding a tactical inexperience and a clear lack of interest in military matters. A slight air of indecision crossed Elyandra's face. She tried in her mind to discern what the hell was possible to do with that group.
It was then that one of the nobles, a young man with an anxious countenance, approached.
"Lady Valemortis, what do you think of this test?" He asked, his voice somewhat apprehensive.
Elyandra stared at him, noticing the complete absence of answers in her gaze at the infinite possibilities that that battlefield could present.
"Don't ask silly questions!" Another noblewoman, with an air of superiority, intervened. "Lady Valemortis is a Saint, there's no way she can understand wars!"
"But... she is a Valemortis, the House responsible for the security and militarism of the Empire, isn't she? Another nobleman pondered, somewhat confused.
It was then that a noblewoman with blond hair, voluminous and with an almost ethereal delicacy, stepped forward.
"We need to calm down. Lady Valemortis should not be burdened with a collective task. We need to collaborate in some way to understand this test.
Elyandra noticed that girl, feeling that she stood out among the other nobles for her wit. At that very moment, with a fluid and noble movement, Elyandra knelt on the ground. Her colleagues watched her with their mouths. That was not the posture expected of a high-class lady, much less a Saint.
Elyandra, however, had other reasons for such a gesture. She took the test sheet and carefully placed it on the floor. The nobles approached, some even extended their hands, asking her to stand up, murmuring that this was not the posture that a Saint should show.
Elyandra raised her hand, palm open, in a gesture that called for silence. Her golden eyes scanned the ground in front of her, as if she saw an invisible map, drawn just for her. She then looked at them, her voice calm and steady.
"Dear colleagues, we need to think of a solution to our test. So, I ask for everyone's understanding and that we focus now on what matters, the defense of our capital. I'm taking it seriously, in a war, social status doesn't matter.
That caused an astonished silence, followed by a murmur of surprise among the nobles. That illuminated speech made the golden-haired noblewoman visibly fascinated. She approached Elyandra, kneeling beside her. He stared into the void on the floor that Elyandra was watching, a burning curiosity in his eyes.
"What do you see, Lady Valemortis?" The blonde asked, her voice a whisper.
Without looking away from the floor, Elyandra pointed with her finger, as if drawing invisible contours.
"Here we have the capital. According to the notes, we are not on uneven ground, but on flat ground. That is, they didn't detail the place too much, which puts us at a somewhat disadvantage because we don't know the terrain, but also allows us to see where enemies might come from. Having a clear view of each place is the basics of war. Now, we must think about possibilities. In this case, where could they come from?
Elyandra put her hand to her chin, pondering the possibilities. The other nobles still didn't understand her reasoning, but the golden-haired noblewoman began to stare at the notes and the floor that Elyandra referred to more closely. Slowly, a mental model of the capital began to form in her mind, her eyes lit up, and she felt an aura spring from Elyandra, an energy of focus and intellect. The other nobles, noticing the intensity that came from Elyandra's thoughts, soon tried to sit in a circle around the leaf, trying to somehow follow the reasoning.
The golden-haired noblewoman, with a new understanding, asked:
"Lady Valemortis, are we considering a war on established lines or siege defense?"
At that moment, Elyandra stopped, her eyes widened slightly.
"That's it!" A testuda!
The nobles looked at the girl, not understanding that strange word. The golden-haired girl repeated:
"Testuda?" What do you mean by that, Lady Valemortis?
Elyandra put her hand to her chin, a flash of frustration on her face. "Damn, did I forget I'm in another world? They must not know what a testuda is because it is a Roman battle tactic of my world."
With a discreet sigh, she rephrased the explanation.
"Testuda"... It's a battle tactic that I visualized thinking of a turtle. Inside, it is soft and unprotected, an easy prey for hunters. But on the outside, it has a hard, tough shell that protects it from future dangers. So, if we gather our troops and distribute them so that they can lay siege around the capital, we can at the same time defend the city as well as mobilize support troops in case a specific place is being attacked more than the other. Communication between the nuclei would be fast and the flow of information would be more accurate. The capital would be the turtle, and the troops, the shell. I call it testuda.
The nobles were surprised, some even exclaimed in admiration and praised her for her genius. Elyandra, in turn, thought: "Are these people idiots by any chance? That's a logical basic sense!"
The blond-haired noblewoman, however, stared at Elyandra with a somewhat strange look, a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
"Lady Valemortis, did you happen to specialize in battle tactics?" Even though she is a Saint? The question, loaded with a dangerous doubt, hit Elyandra squarely.
Answering that wrongly would create an unfavorable image for others. Elyandra then smiled sweetly, her voice brimming with serenity.
"I'm not an expert in battle tactics, but I've witnessed my father making preparations for many scenarios, so I understand some of these things. But if possible, I would like not to participate in these kinds of scenarios, if it were possible.
Elyandra's response could not be more noble, woven with the finest diplomacy. Those around her saw in her the image of serenity and tranquility, a model of impeccable conduct. The golden-haired noblewoman caught an almost golden glimpse of the girl, which made her lips quiver into a smile of admiration. Elyandra, in turn, thought: "Well... I think that was the best answer. I can't say I've played a lot of RTS games, so using my dad as an excuse was the best I could imagine."
The golden-haired noblewoman took her leaf and the pencil danced in her hands with an agility that made Elyandra notice immediately. The girl paused for a moment and looked at Elyandra.
"Maybe that's the kind of description you need?" She asked.
Elyandra stared at her for a few moments and then took the paper from her hand. In it, the defense strategy that Elyandra had shared was defined, in a precise and detailed way. That was, basically, the whole skeleton of that issue. Elyandra smiled, thinking inside, "This looks amazing, how did she manage to develop something like this so fast?"
Elyandra then turned to the blonde girl.
"Exactly, this already helps us in many aspects! Now we just need to separate the roles of each noble and detail the communication channels, and we will have a defense strong enough to withstand any attack.
At that moment, a nobleman caught Elyandra's attention.
"Isn't that wrong?" I mean, the test has a clear objective: how would we win this war. How are we going to win something if we are not even going to face the enemy head-on?
Elyandra looked at the nobleman with a somewhat vacant look. She sighed, which attracted the attention of the other nobles.
"You don't win a fight just by advancing and striking without plans, dear colleagues. We don't have the strength or information to fight against an army bigger than our own. But we have everything it takes to defend the capital, which is their goal. If we stand between them and their goal, the math is logical: either they defeat us, or they lose. We don't have the strength to fight them scattered, simply because there is no way to stop an army that is twice its size. But if you stand between them and their goal, either they walk over you, or they back off. This is where we have a chance.
The nobleman, still with a furrowed brow, questioned:
"But how would we stand a chance if we were facing an enemy with a larger army than ours?"
Elyandra pointed to him, her voice firm and didactic.
"With quality instead of quantity. As previously specified, we are superior in magical matters. And their goal is the capital. We don't need to defeat all of them to win this war, we just need to stop them from reaching their final goal.
Elyandra immersed herself in her thoughts, observing the invisible model in front of her. "In games, I would normally want to destroy all enemies that tried to attack me. It is logical, yes. But in a real world, this need to destroy everyone does not exist. It's a war, a real war. So, if we take the idea of war seriously, we only need to protect the capital. This is not difficult if we are superior in magic. We just need to bring them to us and stop their momentum."
The golden-haired girl, who had already demonstrated her wits, completed Elyandra's reasoning, her eyes shining with understanding.
"Exactly!" If we make a good defense strategy, we won't need to go to the fight, but wait for it to come to us. After all, in order to achieve our goal, they need to want to achieve theirs. If they don't get what they want, then we will get it one way or another.
Elyandra smiled noblely, realizing that this test was finally moving forward. She joined the golden-haired girl and, together, they shared their points of view with the rest of the group, mixing explanations and adapting possible scenarios. It was at this point that Elyandra and her group came to the conclusion of the test.
His eyes watched with a certain fear the approach of Armand Velacroix. He stopped ahead of Elyandra's group, noting that they had already come to a conclusion. The teacher looked at the group with the same smile as always.
"It seems that you have come to a conclusion, doesn't it?" He said.
Elyandra held out her hands, which held the paperwork meticulously prepared by her group. Armand picked up the papers and began to read, flipping through each page carefully. His serious face read every line, while Elyandra maintained her noble pose, a countenance of serenity and tranquility accompanied by a serene smile. However, inside, Elyandra reviewed each point they had addressed, looking for possible flaws, which made her anxious.
After finishing reading, Armand organized the papers and stored them safely inside a bag that was on his back. He then looked at Elyandra's group.
"Amazing." See you at tomorrow's test. Until then, they can enjoy the campus.
That left Elyandra somewhat surprised. It was not the answer that pleased her; She wanted something more precise and assertive. But there wasn't much she could do or how to approach the subject without compromising her social image. She then thanked Armand for his services.
"Thank you all for your cooperation," Elyandra said, turning to her group.
The nobles of Elyandra's group thanked her in a tone that mirrored her own formality and grace. Elyandra then turned and began to walk, her eyes scanning the other groups that were still hard at work on their projects. She was surprised to note that her group had been one of the first to finish the test.
That made her even more anxious. She didn't like being one of the first to finish at all, as it made her doubt her own answer, believing that she might have made a mistake. This feeling intensified when he observed that Celestina and Seraphina were still immersed in their tests.
Elyandra shook her head, trying to shake off her restlessness, and continued walking. As she walked through the campus garden, a bad feeling invaded her. She paused for a few seconds and looked back, coming across the blond-haired girl who was following her.
Elyandra felt a start, but kept her composure. "Why is she following me?" he turned to the blonde-haired girl, a polite smile on his lips.
"Can I help, miss?"
The girl bowed gracefully.
" Eliora Belladonna, it's a pleasure to be able to talk to you in person, Lady Valemortis.
Elyandra returned Eliora's reverence with her usual grace.
"It's my pleasure, Lady Belladonna. Since you'd like to talk, how about coming with me to the flower bed? It's a very quiet place, I believe you'll enjoy it as much as I do.
Eliora accepted Elyandra's invitation with a smile, and the two walked together towards the flower bed. There, they sat on a stone bench, flanked by flowers that, in their vibrant colors, further enhanced the noble aura of both. The atmosphere was singularly calm, and Elyandra felt deeply at ease in that place.
The silence was broken by Eliora, her voice a whisper charged with curiosity.
"Lady Valemortis... Are you really a Saint?
Elyandra absorbed Eliora's question, a slight trace of surprise crossing her face. She fixed her gaze on the field of flowers ahead, her voice soft, almost a whisper.
"Is that how you see me?"
"Many say you're a Saint." I would like to see what the Saint was like in person. I then saw Celestina, and the first impression I had of her is of a shy and somewhat lost girl, someone who seems to just follow what others say to her. But that's different when I look at you.
Elyandra turned to Eliora, her golden eyes fixed on the blonde.
"And what do you see when you look at me, Lady Belladonna?"
Elyandra's question made Eliora reflect for a few moments. She then looked at Elyandra, her eyes meeting hers.
"You're different. Eliora began, her voice almost a whisper. "Something in you emanates with a warm and, in a way, attractive glow. I can see in you a light that surrounds you. You don't even look real. Does this sound strange?
Elyandra heard Eliora's words and, inside, thought, "This is bizarre. What the hell goes through this crazy woman's head?"
With a subtle smile and unwavering calm, she replied:
"People are weird in their own way, Lady Belladonna. In fact, we are not normal, we live in a world that preaches abnormality. But that doesn't mean we're complete strangers. I think we're all the same, at least... That's how my eyes show me.
Eliora continued to stare at the sea of flowers in front of them.
"I didn't come here with the intention of joining the Academy, Lady Valemortis. In fact, I belong to the Church.
Elyandra felt a twinge of confusion.
"What, then, would be your interest in coming to the Academy?"
Eliora, without looking away from the flowers, replied:
"Expectation. I wanted to see with my own eyes who the Saints would be. I was somewhat confused when I found out that the Saints were choosing to join the Academy rather than join the Church.
Eliora's hand reached out and touched Elyandra's, a gesture that surprised Valemortis.
"Tell me, Lady Valemortis, wouldn't you agree to join the Church instead of joining the Academy?" Eliora asked, her eyes conveying a sparkle and a frightening aura that sent shivers down Elyandra's spine.
However, Elyandra remained serene on the outside. She placed her other hand on Eliora's.
"That's not yet the path the Goddess would like me to take, at least, I haven't received the Goddess's call yet."
Elyandra looked at the flower garden, her voice calm.
"I believe there's still something the Goddess would like me to see, so I can't join the Church yet.
Eliora's eyes sparkled.
"So you'll join the Church?" His expression changed for a brief moment, revealing an intense expectation.
Elyandra, observing the change, thought, "I need to play this crazy woman's game, or she'll stick to me in worse ways." She turned her eyes to Eliora.
"The Goddess has something in store for each of us. I believe that my path will sooner or later join the Church. We will all be able to walk together towards a greater destination.
Elyandra thought: "That's it, I gave her some hope and now it's just her getting off my feet." However, she was surprised to notice Eliora's smile, as affectionate as it is bizarre.
"I understand, Lady Valemortis. There's no need to be in a hurry. Our doors will always be open to you.
Eliora's speech left Elyandra with a trembling smile. Eliora stood up and bowed to Elyandra.
"Goodbye.
She turned and began to walk, and Elyandra followed her with her gaze as she walked away. "That smells like trouble to me..." thought Elyandra.