In the evening, the details of the training exercise had already spread through the troops. Fifteen recruits sat silently on the truck as they returned, with David Williams hanging his head without a word.
The other recruits wanted to comfort him. After all, this failure was entirely due to David Williams's unauthorized strategic decisions. But when they thought about comforting him, they worried it might come across as mockery, so they all fell silent.
At night, in the bathhouse, David Williams could still hear the whispers of soldiers from other units discussing the events.
"The Vanguard Trio are still The Vanguard Trio. Even with two swords missing, Tobby Curry alone is enough to take down the recruits."
"Exactly. I heard David Williams was the third one out, taken down by Tobby Curry, headshot! It's a disgrace."
