At night, on the warship.
Sakarski, bandaged from head to toe, was eating in the dining hall to replenish his energy. His body was no longer in critical condition, but his severe injuries required a period of recovery.
Enel sat on the "Ark," floating in mid-air, quietly watching Sakarski. After a moment, he said, "Mr. Sakarski, I want to become stronger."
Sakarski was slightly surprised. He felt as if Enel had suddenly matured a bit.
Looking at Enel's determined young face, Sakarski spoke, "Let Carol make a training plan for you first. In a couple of years, when you're old enough, you can enter the Navy Academy."
Enel nodded solemnly after hearing Sakarski's words, then with a determined expression, went to find Carol.
Sakarski watched Enel turn and leave, a faint smile appearing on his face, as if recalling something amusing. He shook his head and continued to replenish his energy.
In the副官's (adjutant's) private quarters, Carol was at a desk, writing and planning something.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
A knock sounded at the door. Carol, without looking up, called out, "Come in."
Enel pushed the door open and entered, stating his purpose. Carol had just finished writing and handed Enel the paper, saying with a smile,
"This is your temporary training plan."
Although the plan looked extensive, filling an entire page, it was merely divided into many sections, with each segment's duration kept within a reasonable range.
Carol also wanted to see Enel's surprised reaction and watched him with a smile.
After a long while, looking at the training plan with a solemn and serious expression, Enel spoke,
"Brother Carol..."
A flicker of sharpness seemed to flash in Carol's smiling eyes as he responded, "Hmm?"
Enel looked up, gazing at Carol, who was sitting backward in his chair, hugging the backrest.
"I can't read."
Like a bolt from the blue, the words struck Carol's mind.
Carol's eyes widened, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"I'm so foolish... so foolish..."
Holding his forehead, Carol's face was completely darkened. He had completely overlooked it. How could a child who had been wandering since he was young know how to read...
Moreover, he was only three years old. Even children in normal families might not know all their letters yet.
Carol, feeling utterly dejected, retrieved the training plan from Enel's hands and walked to the desk. He picked up a notebook and wrote a few characters, then handed them to Enel, telling him the pronunciation and how to write them.
He told Enel to practice on his own. There were no beginner books for children on the warship; they would have to purchase some on the next island.
Enel took Carol's notebook back to his small bedroom. Under the bright lamplight, Enel sat on a chair, reading aloud and writing crookedly on the desk:
"E—n—e—l."
"Jus—tice."
The warship sailed slowly through the brightly lit night sky...
------------------------
The border between the nation of Endless War and the nation of Galzburg.
In the border town shrouded by the night, it was quiet. A group of youths in black military uniforms departed from here, their destination unknown.
Among them, one youth was out of place, like a lone wolf.
He was a youth with a well-built, muscular body, short dark golden hair, and a medal on his black military uniform.
The lapel pin on his collar bore the insignia of the "Galzburg Nation's" army, the "Galzforth" emblem. He wore an armband on his left arm with the letters "gf," representing the Galzforth troops.
This group was the Ninth Unit under the command of Galzforth Unit Leader "Douglas Gray," known as the "Ninth Bullet" demolition team.
The youth who was out of place among the others was the Unit Leader Douglas Gray's adopted son, nine-year-old Douglas Barrett.
Barrett had gone to the battlefield at the age of eight. Because he was too powerful, his comrades became jealous. They betrayed him on the battlefield and stole the medal that should have belonged to Barrett.
However, they did not expect that Barrett, who had been critically wounded, had stubbornly escaped. Barrett, in his pain, realized the reason for his failure.
From then on, he trusted no one, and everything was for "his own victory."
Later, Barrett successfully took revenge on those people. He broke their limbs, dragged them to a corner... and retrieved his medal, becoming even more solitary and taciturn...
At the border junction between the two countries, below a highland, the captain of the "Ninth Bullet" lay prone on the ground with the others, each carrying two satchels of explosives.
To avoid the patrol's moving lights, no one stood up. The captain assigned their missions:
"Mori, Terry, you two will go blow up the ammunition depot later."
"Anderson, Gibble, you two go to that watchtower."
"Wickley, Barrett, you two..."
Barrett's indifferent voice cut through, his face expressionless, interrupting the captain assigning tasks:
"No need. I can do it alone."
He said no more. Everyone present felt a bit displeased, but they said nothing, considering Barrett's status.
The captain remained silent for a moment, then reassigned Barrett's task.
A moment later, the distribution of tasks for everyone was complete. He made a tactical gesture, and everyone nodded, splitting up to act.
Barrett, carrying two satchels of explosives, melted into the night, heading towards his target as time slowly ticked by.
*Boom!!!*
The ammunition depot on the highland suddenly exploded, like a signal. The roar of gunfire and cannons, accompanied by deafening explosions, signaled countless hidden soldiers to action.
"Kill!!!"
"Second wave, advance!"
"Where are the snipers! Take down that enemy commanding officer!!!"
"Quick!!!"
"Where's the demolition team, why haven't they blown up that watchtower yet!"
"We must take this highland today!"
"Advance! Advance!"
The army of "Galzburg Nation" launched an assault on the border highland of the "Nation of Endless War." The artillerymen on the highland were nervously loading shells and adjusting their angles.
No one noticed a youth in a black military uniform sneak up and light a satchel of explosives.
As the fuse was about to burn out, he threw it towards the pile of shell boxes. The massive explosion and raging flames violently engulfed everything around, momentarily turning night into day.
The flames scorched Barrett's upper body, and the deafening roar ruptured the eardrum of his right ear. Blood trickled down, but Barrett remained expressionless, pulling out two grenades and throwing them.
*Boom! Boom!*
Then, he pulled out a dagger and plunged into the chaotic ranks of soldiers alone.
"Only one's own victory is victory"—Douglas Barrett