Chapter 1: Interview
As I opened the door and entered with a bow, the interviewer looked at me with a very sour expression.
“Applicant number 17? The interview will start now. Please take a seat.”
With those words, I quickly bowed to the interviewer in front of me, introducing myself.
“Applicant number 17, Peter! Understood!”
After saying that, he signaled me with his eyes to sit down.
The interviewer, wearing a black military uniform that seemed like something out of a fantasy novel, realized I was a commoner without a surname. He gave a dismissive, almost mocking look.
I’d been belittled like this multiple times since being reincarnated as an orphaned commoner in a fantasy world. But to face such treatment in this interview, which I saw as my last chance in this life, was absolutely frustrating.
It really sucks.
“Then, let me ask you. Why did you apply to the Empire Academy?”
Deep down, I wanted to retort...
‘Because if I get kicked out of the orphanage with nothing, I’ll freeze to death on the streets! Damn it!’
But...
Doing so would instantly result in my elimination from the interview. I would miss my last chance.
“I wish to serve the great Reich Empire and His Majesty the Emperor!”
The interviewer, hearing that, clearly showed his annoyance at my clichéd response.
“Fine, let’s proceed to the main part of the interview.”
As I tried to suppress a nervous hiccup, the interviewer began.
“From now on, assume you’re a battalion commander leading a battalion. Answer according to the given situation.”
From what I’ve overheard, nobles applying to the Empire Academy were asked easy questions about a soldier’s attitude or morals, essentially guaranteeing their admission.
These noble students, already paying for expensive special training to prepare for the Empire Academy’s interview, practically had a guaranteed pass since even the interview questions were easy for them.
This was because, even if the path to becoming an officer in the Empire was open to everyone regardless of status, in a state with a class system, it was preferred for nobles to become the commanders.
Interestingly, despite this discrimination, due to the teachings of the founding Emperor, at least 2-3% of each batch included commoners.
However, most of these commoners came from wealthy merchant families, which was the catch.
Certainly, someone like me, who came from an orphan background, might be admitted only once every 10 years.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.
To ask an orphan, who seemingly had no knowledge about strategic commands, such a question...
It was essentially the interviewer subtly asking me to fail.
After pondering for a moment, I provided my best answer.
“I would mobilize the archer units and magicians in the rear to support the battalion that requested assistance. Additionally, I’d deploy half of the reserve forces as backup. Anticipating that the enemy would also urgently deploy infantry to prevent a major breakthrough, I would utilize the knights to flank and delay the enemy reinforcements, causing more damage.”
After hearing my answer, the interviewer, now sounding much friendlier than at the start of our conversation, said,
“Understood. Our interview time is now up. You may leave. I hope to see you next time as a student interacting with the academy instructors.”
While these might be customary words from the interviewers, considering my background, such words weren’t easily spoken. It seemed to hint at a positive outcome, perhaps even acceptance.
I sincerely hoped it meant I passed.
No, I’m sure I passed.
Then, as when I entered, I saluted and exited the room with proper posture.
Exiting the door, while I had felt my heart constricting with anxiety about needing to pass when I first arrived for the interview, a sense of relief washed over me, thinking that I had perfectly concluded the interview.
The interviewer, Lieutenant Colonel Hans Weber, who had just finished interviewing candidate number 17, murmured in a voice laden with astonishment,
“When the Lieutenant Colonel instructed me to be an interviewer for the academy, I thought it would be tedious, and frankly, I didn’t expect much. I had intended to just go through the motions. Especially after seeing the dismal results that the orphan upstart had in written subjects like Imperial History and Sociology. I saw his audacity in applying without any knowledge of the subject. My intention was to reprimand him with a few words, disgrace him, and then disqualify him.”
It was understandable. It was because even if the main duty of a commander was to fight and win, an officer was treated with a status almost equivalent to nobility and, therefore, must be equipped with knowledge and refinement fitting to that rank.
Aspiring officers, or academy cadets, were also expected to have similar attributes. And if one failed a test designed to ascertain this knowledge in advance?
It would be appropriate to disqualify them to maintain the dignity of the Raich Empire.
Lieutenant Colonel Hans Weber recalled how candidate number 17, or rather, Peter, responded with such confidence.
Could an officer, educated in a noble family and graduating from the academy, answer so crisply and decisively?
Lieutenant Hans, whose intellect had put him in the top 2% of his academy class in terms of career advancement, answered himself,
“Unless they are an exceptional prodigy, or rather, a one-in-a-million genius, they wouldn’t be able to provide such a rapid and insightful answer.”
Considering Peter’s background as an orphan, prior to receiving military education at the academy, he would have only been familiar with the basic military terminology as a mere soldier.
“If that boy isn’t a genius, producing such a strategic perspective would be impossible.”
And as a noble and commander of the Empire, Hans felt it unjust to deprive such a genius of the opportunity to enter the academy simply because he was an orphan and lacked the refined background.
Moreover, the very system was established with the intention that...
“If there are individuals amongst the commoners who possess a strong ambition and genius talent, they should be given an opportunity for the advancement of the Empire.”
Hans believed this to be the solid basis for admitting a genius like Peter to the academy.
With these thoughts, Lieutenant Hans wrote in the interviewee’s special remarks:
[Despite being an orphan of commoner origin, if given the opportunity, he will be a significant asset to His Majesty the Emperor. I believe he absolutely deserves a chance. Interview Score: 100/100..
