The battle is intense.

Sounds of sword slashes and screams echo within the deep night. Terrifying noises of war continue to proceed into my ears, reminding me of my horrid past as a Knight.

I am forced to relive the brutality of war in this single moment, trying my hardest to survive as a nigh powerless soldier.

But it is all for naught.

Believe it or not, the captain eventually got taken down by several of those arrows of light, effectively taking him down for the count.

Once the captain dies, the battle completely shifts. Our side becomes overwhelmed by the sheer number and brutality of our opponents, and in a predictable fashion… we lose.

Just like last time, the third carriage is targeted first, and those two—the dwarf and the dignified man—are pulled out.

I see their faces once more.

Then—

FSHUUUU!

Yet again, the world around me blurs, and I am returned to the start of my Trial Scenario.

I am forced to relive it all.

Although it is frustrating, and the sheer repetition is maddening, to say the least, I hold no complaints when the alternative to consider is death.

'Now that I'm back, I have to figure out exactly what went wrong the last time and correct that mistake this time around.'

After thinking for some time, I realized the main problem with my last try.

I was too late.

Although I warned the captain on time, we were still caught off guard. With everyone so exhausted and expecting to rest once we crossed the border, it made sense that they would not be at peak condition when they were ambushed.

The Captain was especially tired as well, the most exhausted out of everyone.

Those barbarians kept trying to take him down, whittling down his strength. In the end, those arrows of light did him in and he died.

'If I want this turn to be any different… I have to make sure the captain and everyone else aren't as exhausted when we face our opponents. If possible, I have to find a way to alert them of the possibility of an ambush.' My thought rings as I glance around me while focusing on the third carriage.

I am still curious about the identity of those two inside.

But now is not the time to satisfy that curiosity. I also cannot afford to be too overt with my warnings, else they'll suspect that I am a spy.

This is my major drawback.

I wish I could help everyone preserve their strength for the upcoming battle.

But how can I do that?

Everyone is in a panicked state, retreating as fast as they can until they reach the border. If I were the captain, or even a deputy, I would have more options at my disposal thanks to authority.

But my current options are too limited.

What should I do?

No…

What can I do? Nothing.

I know the answer already, but it's too frustrating to simply accept.

I'm stuck.

Although I know the future, I can't effectively relay it to my comrades without being suspected of being an enemy.

'The most I can do is warn the captain earlier than I did the last time. Let's hope that works.'

And so, after evading the rain of arrows, and then walking for hours, the wall of trees enters our line of sight.

This is it!

We've finally reached this juncture again.

I can't waste time.

"We're almost there." The captain's voice echoes from the front, delight clinging to his tone.

Before he says anything or takes another step forward, I abruptly stop and point at the wall of trees, sheer horror on my face.

"C-captain… I think I see some movements in the forest!" I screech. "I think something is in there! It could be an ambush!"

I make sure my voice is especially loud.

This attracts the attention of the rest of the Imperial Knights who glare at me and then stare at the forest in suspicious worry. I can tell that they do not fully believe me, or they don't even believe me at all.

"I don't see anything, though." The captain furrows his brow as he stares into the distance.

'Damnit! We're too far away, huh?'

Still, I won't give up.

This is actually an appropriate distance if we factor in the enemy's assault. They'll have to come out of the wall of trees to attack, and with so much distance between us, we would be able to make a more effective counterattack.

I made all these calculations beforehand.

But once again, my biggest obstacle is my status as a mere footsoldier.

Perhaps this man whom I am possessing had a great status among soldiers and commoners, but when compared to his fellow Knights, it appears he is at the lowest cadre.

Judging by the constant glares I am receiving, it seems his reputation isn't very good either.

I can't say I'm surprised.

This man has a rough, unpolished appearance. He is not in shape despite being a Knight, and I can tell of his indiscipline in his lack of hygiene as well.

Even now, I can taste my breath and smell the leftover stench of alcohol that my body exudes.

How can such a person be relied on?

In fact, wouldn't it be more logical to assume I am still under the influence, which is causing me to see things?

Even if they want to be generous, they could excuse my behavior by assuming I am simply suffering from exhaustion.

Either way, my trustworthiness doesn't rise in the slightest.

But… I still have to try!

"I'm serious, captain. I have good eyesight, I tell you. You can let me check the wall of trees if you don't believe me. I think there's something there."

"Tch! We don't have time for your tall tales this time around." Just as expected, the captain doesn't believe me.

In fact, he even starts berating me openly.

Everyone laughs and relaxes even more as they watch him chastise me, plunging our situation from bad to terrible.

Then—

"Get back in line and stay—"

WHOOSH!!!

Arrows of light whistle in the air, shocking everyone—including me—due to its sudden appearance.

It instantly pierces the captain's head, causing his bloodshot eyes to bulge.

In his final moments, he realizes I'm telling the truth. Pain, mixed with deep regret covers his countenance and he stutters while stumbling.

"E-enemy attack—"

More arrows of light fly from within the trees, piercing his body one after the other.

The captain barely lasts one more second before finally collapsing to the ground.

He dies.

Shouts of panic immediately spread.

"S-shit! The captain died!"

"It came from the border!"

"An ambush?!"

"Fuck! The fat bastard was telling the truth!"

All of this happens within moments, and upon learning of their captain's demise, the rest of the Knights try to get their act together.

But it's too late now.

Before any of them can even get their bearing, our opponents charge out of their hiding place.

They scream the same words.

"For Kalakuta!!!"

'Damnit…' I sigh, now certain of our inevitable fate this time around.

I changed nothing in the end.

'I could try saving the people in the carriage, but we are too outnumbered and outmatched. Plus there's the sniper that remains hidden in the trees. He could overwhelm me if I'm too focused on trying to protect others and not paying attention to him.'

Many worries continue to mount on me as the army draws near.

Left with no other option, I can only draw my blade and fight this time around.

Unsurprisingly, it is all in vain.

We lose yet again.

Although I survived until the last minute, there's no way I could do anything to turn the tides at this point.

It's painful… but I have to accept it.

Failed.

I failed once again.

The blur assaults me, distorting my senses, until I am once again thrown to the start of my Trial Scenario.

Unlike the darkness I was just witnessing, the sky is now painted in crimson.

We are once again leaving the burning capital.

A city in ruins exists behind me.

An inevitable fate of death awaits me in front.

What should I do?

Without realizing it, I begin to go over what happened in the last round and analyze every single detail.

'Their distance wouldn't have allowed them to listen to my conversation with the captain, which means they wouldn't have known that I informed the captain of the ambush. Yet they struck anyway. That means they'll attack the moment I try to stall, or once they notice anything is amiss.' I sigh, feeling a big headache pounding inside me.

There has to be a way out somehow.

I just have to find it!

'Hold on…!' My eyes bulge at this moment.

'Even though I've been trying all the other options and they've been failing, why don't I take the risk and simply resort to the easiest solution?'

I should just tell them what I know.

'They'll find it hard to believe, but once we pass the fire arrows, we'll have several hours on our hands. I can find a way to convince them within that period.'

This is a big risk I'm taking.

I still have no idea when these extra lives will run out, which means a mistake made here could be my end for good.

But I have decided to trust myself and take a chance on this.

The logic isn't entirely unfounded.

'The captain has an Armamant, and those arrows of light are from an Armament as well. While I haven't seen any Potions in use, I have strong reason to believe that such a thing exists in this world.' I nod slowly, drawing my mind to the main point in order to foster courage.

'If Armaments and Potions exist in this world, which I have estimated to exist in the Grand Era of Unification due to the language, and there is a Knight occupation as well, then it's highly likely that there are other special occupations too.'

Armaments exist, so there must also be the Fabricants who made them.

Potions should exist, which means Alchemists also do.

Then, what about Shamans, Diviners, and Druids? I have to assume that they exist alongside the others considering the immense correlation that they have.

In that case—

'If I proclaim myself as a Diviner, maybe I have a chance of making this work!'

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