This Universe Needs Old People - Chapter 87



Only Noblemtl

Apocalypse Needs Old People Episode 087

63. Entrance Exam (1)

Eighteen years old this year.

Johann, who is about a year away from graduating from the military academy, is Josef’s son.

After Joseph died in an accident, he inherited everything.

Everything except his rank.

“John, things really aren’t going well for your father.”

“Your father would have wanted to see you graduate too… … .”

“If you have any trouble in the future, just tell me.”

Father, all of Josef’s classmates at the military academy felt sorry for Johann who was left behind, and they were busy promising each other that they would take their father’s place in the future.

Since most of the powerful people in the district tried to take care of him in some way, Yohan was not that sad about his father’s death.

‘Slow or fast… I had to retire at some point. It might have been better for me if I had done it before I graduated.’

Joseph was not usually a very gentle father.

His father always put the Commander before himself, and after Haytham showed up, he was so busy worrying about Haytham that he probably didn’t even realize that he was graduating this year.

‘It’s obvious, because even before he died, he took care of Senior Bones’ business for that illegitimate child.’

Well, even so, I don’t really resent him, since his dedication is what allowed him to get to that position.

So, the reason John was holding back his anger now was not because of his father’s indifference.

“What did Haydam prepare for the entrance exam?”

“You must have prepared something amazing again.”

“Oh, if you could do a training simulation with us too… … .”

Whenever his classmates who had been mobilized as entrance exam supervisors with him talked about Haydam, Yohan would grit his teeth inwardly.

‘My father devoted himself to the district until the day he died. But Haytham, that bastard, didn’t even show up for my father’s funeral. He was an illegitimate child from the slums… ‘

The entrance exam that Haydam had prepared for was also ridiculous.

In John’s opinion, the recommendation system and the test system were not very different.

‘Do you think the executives recommend just anyone? They only pick and choose the kids they think are worthy of sponsorship and send them to the military academy? How dare you ignore their efforts and talk about them as if the executives are committing corruption.’

Of course, he himself was not a particularly chosen talent, but he was recommended to enter the military academy because he was Joseph’s son.

He is an elite who received systematic education from Joseph from a young age.

So it was natural for him to enroll in the military academy, and he did not like the fact that orphaned boy soldiers were flocking to the academy, which was only for the ‘selected’ children.

It’s called an entrance exam, but not even half of those orphans will pass the exam.

‘You have to learn something to take the test.’

As evidence, the sponsored children immediately recognized that Johann was Josef’s son and greeted him politely first, but the orphaned boy soldiers did not even recognize him and were busy whispering among themselves.

‘Even though Plato was the first to insist on an entrance exam and other graduates agreed with it… this is not right.’

Not all of the students who were attending agreed, including John.

I know that among my fellow supervisors who are here now, there are several who are as dissatisfied as Yohan.

At that moment, the eyes of the boy soldiers who were busy chatting among themselves all turned to one place.

As I absentmindedly looked in that direction, a child who looked frighteningly like the commander was walking into the entrance examination room with a gait that was unusual for his age.

“Hello, Heydam!”

“Are you here, Heydam?”

“Heydam, are you feeling better?”

Johan frowned as he watched the children, who had pretended not to see him, stand up from their seats with eyes that seemed to be filled with genuine respect when Haydam appeared.

Johan also knows that Haydam holds a charity party for children his age every month.

So, if you know grace, such a reaction is a natural result.

but.

‘Winning someone’s favor with food is the kind of idea a slum-born illegitimate child would come up with.’

As I was thinking that, I looked at Haydam with displeasure, and then my eyes met with his deep, dark eyes.

John lowered his head in a hurry without realizing it.

John, who realized belatedly that he had avoided eye contact, was quite embarrassed.

‘What, what? Why did I avoid eye contact?’

Even Johan himself couldn’t figure out why he was avoiding eye contact, so he tried to calm his pounding heart, but then he noticed Haytham’s small shoes walking towards him through the children surrounding them.

For a moment, Yohan was nervous, not knowing why he was being approached, but he soon remembered that he was standing on a platform and raised his head, trying to keep a calm expression.

Haydam was now standing with his back to him, looking at the children below him on the stage.

An unexpected word came out from Haydam, who turned around.

“The entrance exam will be held at a location moved to a snowy field.”

“yes?”

The content of the entrance exam was kept confidential, so I still didn’t know how it would be administered, but I vaguely assumed that they would hand out test papers and grade them.

But it’s a snowy field.

“Snowfield? Are you saying you’re going to take these kids out of the area?”

Haytham looked Johan up and down, interrupting him and answering briefly.

“okay.”

‘Informal speech?’

But now was not the time to point out Haytham’s informality.

“Hey, what’s the content of the entrance exam that requires you to go outside the area?”

Haytham glanced at Johan, then turned his head back to the children and said.

“The entrance exam is a hunt.”

“Hunting?”

“I’m going to spend a night in the snowfield and hunt monsters.”

The supervisor cadets were in an uproar when they heard that, but the children seemed to have no idea what it meant.

‘You’re going out into the snowfield and hunting monsters yourself. How is that hunting? It’s subjugation! You’re going to take eleven-year-old kids on a subjugation trip? And that’s just for the entrance exam?’

Johan, who was momentarily dumbfounded by the remark that defied common sense, hurriedly walked towards Haydam.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“What is nonsense, Cadet John?”

Johan paused for a moment at the thought that Haytham knew him, then coughed a couple of times and opened his mouth in a voice that was a little more polite than before.

“It’s sudden… and isn’t it unfair?”

“Unfair?”

“Some of the child soldiers may have already been to the punitive battles, but the sponsored children have never been outside the snowy fields-”

“Can you call that unfair?”

Haytham had an interested smile on his lips.

“If I were to give a test question related to military strategy, which side would be disadvantaged by that?”

“That, that is… … .”

Until a little while ago, Yohan had been thinking that the sponsored children would have an advantage since they had already learned something, so he couldn’t actively refute it and just mumbled.

Haydam, who was staring blankly at Johan, smiled and said.

“I know what John is worried about. He’s worried that he’ll get hurt while hunting.”

“yes?”

“Right? Surely you’re not worried that the child soldiers will pass the entrance exam.”

John, stung by Haytham’s words, quickly denied it.

“Oh, no. I was just worried that the children might get hurt.”

“Yeah. I don’t want kids to get hurt because of the entrance exam either.”

“then……?”

“The hunt starts the day after tomorrow. Everyone, prepare and gather at the entrance of the area. As supervisors, you should also prepare for camping. You can also actively help the children so that they don’t get hurt.”

Each of you should prepare the items needed for hunting?

And you can help the kids?

‘If this is the case, then the sponsored child will definitely benefit.’

Unlike the child soldiers who did not receive any support, the sponsored children were able to prepare sufficient supplies for hunting and were able to learn the knowledge necessary for subjugation.

Moreover, they may even help hunt candidates they support under the pretext of helping children avoid getting hurt.

‘Isn’t it because you didn’t like the idea of ​​high-ranking officials’ children being admitted? What on earth are you thinking?’

Haydam, the one who had complicated Johan’s mind, was just looking at the children with an incomprehensible smile.

“Then tomorrow or the day after. Everyone, come out on time.”

* * *

“Meursault, what’s going on?”

The day when the entrance exam content is announced.

Because Meursault and Heydam kept it a secret until the end, the commander, who found out about the entrance exam through someone else, immediately called Meursault in and asked him the whole story.

“The entrance exam is like hunting? If you go outside the area, isn’t it hunting rather than subjugation?”

“It’s true that we’re going out of the area, but it’s not a subjugation-”

“There were already accidents due to the abnormal weather, so how can you plan on sending the children out of the area?”

It was only a few weeks after Josef had been struck by lightning and died.

Moreover, as far as the commander knew, one of the examiners for this entrance exam was Josef’s son.

If Josef’s son, Johann, were injured during this expedition, public opinion toward Haytham, who had forced the entrance exam, would certainly turn against him.

There is no way Meursault didn’t know this.

The commander looked at Meursault as if he didn’t understand.

“John, what about that child? What if that child has bad intentions and deliberately fails the entrance exam… … .”

“Not all children in the world are like Haydam, Your Majesty.”

The commander frowned at those words.

“You said you didn’t want my son as your son-in-law, but now you’re openly badmouthing me in front of me.”

“No, why is the conversation going that way?”

Meursault sighed inwardly.

‘You were so cool when you divorced Daphne, but as soon as you said you didn’t want Haydam as your son-in-law, you started nagging me without any reason.’

“Anyway, even if a young child who hasn’t even graduated from the military academy tries to plot a scheme, it will end up in the palm of Heydam’s hand anyway. Don’t you know that, Your Majesty?”

“hmm…….”

The commander seemed to soften a little, perhaps thinking that it made sense, but then shook his head as if to say that it wasn’t right.

“Even so, I oppose children going out of the area together.”

“There are also child soldiers, and most importantly, Lord Haydam-”

“I’m worried that a situation will arise where Haydam will have to take full responsibility.”

“That won’t happen. Several supervisors will follow, and the subjugation will be done first-”

“After all, aren’t the supervisors still cadets and children?”

Meursault closed his mouth when the continuation cut off his speech.

The commander tapped his desk impatiently.

“Even so, during the last expedition, there was chaos caused by a surprise attack by large monsters, so what on earth was Haydam thinking about hunting monsters… ?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier.”

“Is the commander going to cut me off again?” Meursault said in an urgent tone.

“What children have to deal with aren’t real monsters.”

“… What does that mean? Are you saying we have to catch fake monsters?”

“The target of the subjugation is Lord Haydam.”

“… … .”

The commander looked at Meursault for a moment, speechless.

“… He’s my son, but I really don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“Anyway, since that’s what happened, you don’t have to worry about the kids… … .”

“What are you talking about, Meursault?”

The commander said with a serious face.

“I’d rather worry less about defeating real monsters.”

“… … .”

‘You thought the same thing and asked me to take you as my son-in-law?’

Meursault swallowed the words that were rising to his throat.