Chapter 61 02.0061: "Problem Group"

"Archie?" Horatio called.

The young man who was putting things under the bed was stunned for a moment, then looked behind him.

"Horatio?! I didn't expect you to be my roommate. These are your daily necessities. I left them in front of the door. I brought them in."

"Thank you."

"Hurry, there are 11 minutes left before we gather for reporting."

The chief officer of the Naval Loyalty Department looked at his watch. Next to him sat Brigadier General Edward Peru, to his left was Major General Alexander Hood, in the middle seat C sat the old admiral, to his right was the famous Admiral Rodney, and to his right was Lieutenant General Samuel Hood.

It is not always possible to gather the top ace bosses of the Gothic Fleet to attend the entrance ceremony. This rare scene can only appear when the entrance ceremony is held and the bosses are all available.

Horatio's admission time coincided with the last batch of students of the 3810th class, when the 3806th class was promoted from the Zhongsi Education School.

Due to the nature of Zhongsi College, casualties are always present and the number of students in the same class is often reduced. Therefore, older preparatory students or Zhongsi students are recruited to supplement the admission.

Those loyal students who had entered school not long before Horatio would also attend the ceremony here with him.

Horatio and Archie arrived at the venue. There were 3 minutes left before the ceremony began, and the freshmen would line up in front of the seniors of the same class.

The two men quickly found a place to stand. Horatio discovered that the person standing opposite him was the female sergeant named Louise, whom he had met once in Vegas. The two stood face to face, and her face was still as stern as ice.

"Today is the last batch of students to be recruited for the 3810th class. In the past, we have lost many students, and you have also lost many classmates. But sacrificing for the Emperor is the honor of each of us. What is His best reward?!"

"Loyalty! Honesty!" The deafening shouts rose and fell above the parade ground like a tsunami, creating a huge wave of air.

[Loyalty is the best reward.] Horatio remembered this famous quote from Warhammer.

"May their souls return to the Golden Throne. Freshmen, we are His navy. From today on, you will serve the God-Emperor and the Imperial Navy. Always stay vigilant and do not let your guard down. Any slackness may lead to meaningless sacrifice!" Admiral Anson's voice was old but very loud.

"Now, answer me, what is the best reward from the Divine Emperor?"

"loyalty!"

Except for Horatio's louder voice, the sounds from the freshmen's untrained voices were completely incomparable to those of their predecessors.

"You think you can be an officer of the Imperial Navy when your voice is so soft? With such a low voice, your subordinates won't be able to hear what you are shouting once the cannon opens fire!" Major General Alexander Hood scolded without mercy.

Under the merciless scolding of the imperial hero and facing the contemptuous gazes of rows of seniors, many freshmen's faces turned red with shame to their earlobes.

"Do it again!"

"Loyalty! Honesty!" The freshmen, filled with shame and indignation, shouted at the top of their lungs again, their momentum barely able to be described as majestic.

"Hmph, that's still quite decent." Lieutenant General Samuel Hood snorted coldly.

"Imagine what would happen if the torpedoes of the empire's enemies were close at hand and your shouting could not reach the sailors near the noisy engines to hear your orders clearly?!" Commodore Edward Peru said in a loud and resonant voice.

"Remember, if you want to be a naval officer, your voice must be loud enough and resonant enough! On a warship that is more than ten kilometers long, your voice will determine the transmission of orders! And the transmission of orders will determine the survival of a warship! The survival of a warship will determine the victory or defeat of the fleet! The victory or defeat of the fleet will determine the fate of dozens of worlds behind you!"

Major General Alexander Hood said in a shocking voice, his voice alone could match the first round of roars of the recruits.

"Now, the new students of the 3810th class, please introduce yourselves. Where did you receive your education? What is your name, your school record, your family's naval origins, and any honors you have. Start from the first person on the left!"

"I am David Betty von Ravensburg, the first grammar school in the capital of Gothic. I am currently a student of the loyal son. My ancestor was the commander-in-chief of the Gothic Fleet of the Imperial Navy and was promoted to Lord Admiral. He united the Gothic Sector, commanded the Gothic Fleet, won the Gothic War, and thwarted Abaddon's conspiracy. My father is a brigadier general, and died on the front line of the Eye of Terror."

The second son of the Ravensburg family was wearing a luxurious military uniform. He was beaming with joy, his voice getting louder and louder, and he was showing off in a very proud manner.

The students of Class 3816 exchanged glances in surprise.

Even though David Betty was dressed in a riot of jewels and spoke in a proud and conceited tone, acting like a complete dandy, the leaders in public couldn't help but give him face.

"May his soul rest on the Golden Throne, next."

The students were introduced one by one, with the number of Zhongsi students and preparatory students roughly equal.

Horatio glanced to his left. The sound was surging, getting closer and closer to him.

"Archie Cuthbert Collingwood, from the First Grammar School in the Gothic Capital, is currently a student at the Officers' Preparatory College at public expense. His grandfather was a rear admiral before he passed away. He served as the tribune of the giant PW-P-15 starport cargo for a long time. His father was a captain in the navy and died in the boarding battle against the traitors last year."

His self-introduction attracted a lot of attention from the students.

[So they are from a declining naval family. No wonder they go to the same school as the second son of the Ravensburg family. Their family situation is so complicated.] Horatio glanced at the young man next to him.

"Well, we all know your grandfather, and I'm familiar with your father too. They are good soldiers who perform their duties conscientiously. Now your mother is the only one left at home, right? I remember that her health is not good." Brigadier General Edward Peru asked with a sad look on his face.

"Yes, sir."

"Perform your duties well, trainee sergeant. The revival of the Collingwood family depends on you. The navy will help you if you have any difficulties." "Thank you, sir." Although Archie agreed, he pursed his lips and looked embarrassed.

Horatio glanced at him and could see that he, like himself, was one of those people who would not accept charity.

Begging for help was also a disgrace to the dignity of the naval family. Although he didn't want to ask, his mother had been ill for many years, and her health was particularly poor after his father died in battle.

The family also supported too many families of non-commissioned officers and marines who had died in battle under my grandfather and father.

Apart from an old house in Shangchao, he sold almost all unnecessary things, and could even be described as "penniless". He could not even afford the benefit of competing for a candidate officer position. In order to revitalize the family, he chose to serve in the military and become a public-funded preparatory student.

"Next person!"

"Abyss Harbor Social High School, Horatio Cochrane!" Horatio called out seriously and solemnly.

After these words were spoken, the whole audience fell silent.

It was not until Lieutenant General Samuel Hood on the stage burst into laughter that the students below also burst into laughter.

Louise, who was at the head of the first row, kept looking at Horatio seriously and did not laugh with the others.

"What an interesting young man." The lieutenant general wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.

"Brother, he..." Major General Alexander Hood was about to remind his brother when Horatio spoke up.

"My father was the chief lord captain, and once sank more ships than the second and third lord colonels combined! My ancestor was Admiral Speyer, a legendary hero of the Empire, the terminator of the 12th Black Crusade, the victor of the traitor leader Abaddon, and the commander of the Gothic Main Fleet."

The laughter stopped almost instantly, and the whole audience fell into a strange silence.

"Ahem. Turns out he's Thomas Cochrane's son. You should have told me earlier, brother." Lieutenant General Samuel Hood adjusted his scarf, sat upright in his seat, pursed his lips, cleared his throat, and said nothing more.

The little kids from the class of 3816 who had just graduated from the Loyalty Training School all looked at Horatio with shining eyes.

What kind of coincidence was it that the descendants of the two legendary figures of Ravensburg and Speyer actually stood in front of them and enrolled in school together.

"Tsk, why are you pretending, you are my subordinate's child."

David Betty, the second son of the Ravensburg family, leaned out and glanced at Horatio unhappily.
Even when I said it myself, it didn't shock others so much. All the limelight was suddenly stolen by this kid who appeared out of nowhere.

"Now, the leaders of the 3810th class will select their team members, preparatory students against preparatory students, loyal students against loyal students. Let's start with David Betty!"

As expected, David Betty was instantly accepted into a group of loyal heirs composed entirely of students from aristocratic families, and Archie joined the preparatory student group.

The selection process was very quick, with new students stepping out one by one, returning to the team, and integrating into the 3810th class of students.

"Horatio Cochrane!"

This was a very awkward position, as most teams were already full or had already formed a fixed understanding. As Horatio was a new blood from the lower nest, most of the loyal descendants team leaders could not guarantee that they could reach a tacit understanding with him in a short period of time - this could be fatal given the risk level of the loyal descendants' missions.

More than ten seconds passed and no one came forward. The atmosphere became a little subtle.

Sergeant Louise glanced at the other team leaders, and after making sure that no one was about to speak, she stepped forward.

Horatio met her purple eyes and the two saluted each other.

"Is it appropriate for him to join the 'Problem Group'? Should he be transferred to another group?" The chief officer of the Navy Loyalty Department turned his head and asked Brigadier General Edward Peru.

"What's the question?" asked Brigadier General Edward, half turning his head.

"Sgt. Louise was already quite old when she entered the 3810th class, and now she is 19 years old, so she should have reached the candidate officer stage, and then she should have become a sergeant major.

But because she failed every exam, she had to take make-up exams and was deducted points, so she is still a sergeant. She is excellent in other aspects, but her grades are not good, especially math. I guess she will definitely be the armed chief of the boarding team. The same goes for the other two team members. Although Leidos barely passed the exams in all subjects, he is a troublemaker, and Fideo has good grades, but his fighting performance is terrible. Joining such a team may not be suitable for newcomers. "

"Is this Louise the daughter of the two Cadian biologists? She moved to Abyssal Port with the anti-toxin reagent found in the Eye of Terror. As a result, a plague broke out on the passenger ship and it became a plague ship. Everyone on the ship turned into zombies, and she was the only survivor."

“Yes, it’s her, Louise Tavira. Her parents gave her the only vaccine they had. Although it did work, it seemed that her physique had become strange. Installing mechanical parts in her body would make her machine soul violent, causing malfunctions.

Even if he becomes an officer, it will be troublesome to install the command hub in the future. It's a pity that the sample and research report of the reagent were destroyed, otherwise the Navy Department and the Pharmaceutical Guild might be able to improve it to a mature version without side effects.

So, should we change Horatio's group? This group may become an obstacle for him to become a candidate officer."

Brigadier General Edward fell into deep thought.

"No need, such a unique group is great."

　Starfighter 2 is now available for pre-order. Today, I'm releasing both copies together! (●''●) Mina-san has finished reading it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)