ã€ŠActionã€‹


 Book 1: Prologue

    It was evening, the time when shadows grew longer as the glaring sun slowly set beyond the horizon. The roads now released the heat they had absorbed during the day back into the air. It would be another uncomfortably warm night.

    This was K City¡¯s K district, where the above scene was commonplace.

    The city station was surrounded by skyscrapers, each hosting a myriad of companies. Situated on the 4th floor of one of these buildings was K Softworks, a mid-sized software company.

    In the cool air-conditioned office, several men stared silently at their monitor screens. An intense atmosphere filled the air. These were K Softworks employees. Their daily workload was heavy for a mid-sized company, but the load today was exceptional.

    "We have 3 days left to complete it..."

    A man sitting at one end of the office mumbled with a hint of despair. He was currently battling with a time bomb ticking down with every passing second¡ªalso known as a deadline. Due to the downturn in the national economy, the anxious sales team had grudgingly accepted a contract even though the demands were unreasonable. Even during the planning phase, the project this man managed had little room for error. Repeated failures made things ever more perilous, resulting in a situation that could only be described as ¡°hellish¡±. Making matters even worse, more and more pressing issues kept coming up.

    "Section Chief Nakai! Sato is down! He''s not reacting even when we splash him with water!"

    "Section Chief Nakai! We won''t make it in time if we don''t finish the coding today."

    "...Nakai-san, Takeda''s desk has a resignation letter on it..."

    "Ah¡ªShut up! How can we meet the deadline with things like this¡ª!"

    Pushed into a corner by a string of bad news, Section Chief Nakai finally broke down. He hugged his head and rested it on his table.

    He knew there was no time to waste, but he lacked the manpower to finish the task¡­without any solutions to the looming deadline, his psyche was pushed to the breaking point.

    "Nakai-san."

    "What is it now!?"

    He raised his head after hearing someone address him. A man with a gentle smile appeared before his eyes.

    "I¡¯ve finished the case on my side and am ready to assist you."

    "Oh...Kurata...are you fine with joining in?"

    The pain on Nakai''s face was swept away, as if he had seen a ray of light in the midst of despair.

    "I¡¯ve browsed through the specification manual and gotten the gist of the situation. Can you let me handle progress management?"

    "Of...Of course. I might as well give you my password so you can flip through the management folders, too. Please take care of it all."

    "Eh, Nakai-san, I can''t manage all that¡­ erm, the coding parts are slowing down progress, let me settle this..."

    The man speaking with Nakai¡ª Kurata Tsubasa, sat down in a chair prepared by a colleague and started working immediately. He typed code into a text editor, read the progress reports and flipped through the specification manual, all the while giving instructions to the colleagues around him.

    "Ensure the testing machine is operational. Test analysts, please take this opportunity to rest. Erm, we¡¯ll begin intensive testing after 12. For coding...Tatsu-san, can you complete 2 modules? Yes, I¡¯ll do the other 10. Kiba, there are some weird parts in the specification manual, please amend it and resume testing."

    He was only 28 years old and considered part of the younger generation within the workplace, but no one questioned his instructions. It was because of his track record within this company. His addition to the team managed to instill life into the half-dead workers, all of whom quickly carried out his instructions. Kurata had a unique nickname: the Last Line of Defense. Now that he was on the case, it meant the end of the job was in sight. Humans were realistic creatures. If they could see the end, they could endure the situation no matter how tough it was.

    "Alright, that should do it. I¡¯ll start coding."

    "Hey, Kurata, will you be fine? 10 modules...that¡¯s no laughing matter."

    "Nakai-san, did you forget? Programming is my actual profession."

    With his eyes half closed, Kurata revealed a fearless smile on his gentle face. All 10 of his fingers started dancing at a frightening speed across the keyboard. He typed code into multiple open text editors, going through the data at a torrential pace. The mature man sitting opposite him, Tatsu, threw himself into his work the moment he heard the amazing typing sound.

    "As expected of the ¡®Last Line of Defense¡¯ for the company. He¡¯s been handling all the troubling cases so far...I have to keep up."

    With everyone putting their heart into their work, the outlook of the sluggish battle improved dramatically.

    ? ? ?

    The radio broadcast announced the time. The clock on the wall indicated it was 5:15pm¡ªtime to get off work. According to company policy, working hours had ended, but Kurata simply stretched his back and rotated his tired shoulders.

    He had spent the last three days salvaging this case. Today was the dreaded deadline, but the atmosphere was no longer as desperate as it was three days prior. The case everyone had thought hopeless had been rescued by his expert hands.

    Thanks to him finishing the program in one day and the team members testing and recoding without rest, they had managed to barely finish the product before the deadline. Even though Kurata had finished so much work in such a short amount of time, he had also managed each part perfectly. It was a miraculous talent beyond comprehension. Sadly, his skill was outstanding because he was always handed the troubling cases.

    After the series of battles, empty cans of coffee and energy drinks had piled up like gravestones on his desk. Glancing side to side, he could see the warriors (test analysts) who had finished the hard battle collapsed on beds made out of chairs, all smiling peacefully. Kurata had reduced his sleeping hours to the bare minimum and felt it was time to rest as well.

    "Alright, the client acknowledged the receipt of the product! We¡¯re done! Great news everyone! Now we can rest easy!"

    Kurata woke from his half-asleep state and saw the elated Nakai in a victory pose. He thought about going home to rest, but decided to nap for a while. When he was ready to go home, it was already time for the last train.

    Several days after the death march, the end of the month arrived. When talking about the end of the month, there was only one thought on people¡¯s minds¡ªthe gospel of all working adults, payday.

    Kurata turned off the computer and hurriedly prepared to leave. He was not alone. His colleagues were also leaving. Conforming to popular trends, companies had reduced the working hours of office workers. There was an obligation to let their staff leave on time, especially on payday This obligation was often overlooked when things got hectic, but compared to the hellish time just a few days before, things were much more relaxed now.

    Today was a happy Friday. Some rushed to meet their families, while others met up with their friends and got ready to splurge. There were also some who just wanted to rest at home. Everybody was different, but having their highly anticipated payday coincide with the weekend was always a happy occasion.

    It was the same for Kurata. Several colleagues who had gone through the death march gathered at his side.

    "Kurata, want to get a drink? You were a big help, so the first one is on me."

    Nakai made a drinking gesture. The people related to the case, like Tatsu and Kiba, stood behind him. Kurata was about to join them, but he remembered his planned schedule and hesitated.

    "Ah¡ªSorry, Nakai-san. I have an engagement. Maybe next time."

    "Nakai-san, today is the day. Kurata''s hobby..."

    "Oh...that. Can''t be helped then. Don''t skip out next time."

    "Okay."

    Kurata watched the group leave before heading toward his destination as well. The young, talented man known as the "Last Line of Defense", a person everyone in the company depended on,, had a unique hobby well-known within the company.

    On this weekend, the streets were, humid with the summer heat and crowded with office workers getting off work. The way to the station was jammed with people. Only after walking some distance did the traffic get smoother.

    "Over! Time! Pay! Get!"

    Kurata yelled in front of the ATM. If he had done that in front of a manned counter, he would probably have been reported to the police for acting suspiciously.

    His emotion stemmed from the cold figures displayed on the ATM screen. The cases he handled were usually red-flagged and dangerous, but his efforts were rewarded in the form of overtime pay, so his savings steadily increased.

    Unable to stop smiling, Kurata withdrew some cash and hurried toward his destination. His movements contained no hesitation, a sign he had traveled this route many times. Soon, a building appeared in front of him. It was a major electronics shopping center near the train station. A huge toy department was on the 3rd floor¡ªthat was his goal.

    ? ? ?

    A few hours later, a man left the toy department accompanied by the store¡¯s closing music.

    "As expected of the end-of-month sale. This is great."

    The man carried two full bags in each hand, each double-layered to prevent tearing. His backpack also bulged in a strange shape. His bags were filled with plastic models. In other words, he was a model nerd.

    "Surfacer, paint and tools have been resupplied...the model-building festival shall begin..."

    In his hectic lifestyle, the shopping spree on payday and the model-building festival were his biggest joys. Maybe his dull and normal lifestyle was taking a toll on him, but the amount of models he purchased increased with every passing year. Now, it had finally become a monthly habit. He was completely addicted.

    Wearing a silly smile, he happily walked home with his bags. The apartment he lived in was some distance away from the company, with the station in between. He needed to go out of his way to visit the electronics shopping center, but it was not a big deal since he got what he was after. Kurata made his way past the quiet residential zone, humming joyfully. The traffic was very light at this hour.

    The sound of an engine broke the silence as oncoming headlights blocked his vision. Blinded by the far-off lights, he hurried to the side of the road. The road was relatively wide, but it would be bad if the bags broke. Kurata frowned on the usage of high beams in a residential area, but he decided to pay it no mind and continued walking.

    The dazzling headlights fatally slowed his reactions. The car continued coming straight at him with no sign of slowing down, showing no intention of avoiding him. By the time he realized it, it was too late for him to move aside.

    "Hey, wait..."

    The roar of the engine reverberated in his ears as the lights flooded his vision. A chill ran down his back.

    He could not get out of the way. The car collided with him while he hugged his bags. At the moment of impact, he heard his body make a frightening sound. While his body flew through the air, all sorts of emotions flashed through his mind in the moment before he lost consciousness from the immense pain. But he did not see his life flash before his eyes or curse his luck.

    Ah, I can''t build the models I just bought or the series of models that will be released next month. Such a shame...!

    In his mind was his passion for the models he would no longer be able to assemble anymore.

    ? ? ?

    "¡ª This just in.

    Around 10pm tonight, a car struck a man in K City¡¯s S District. The victim was an office worker residing in the area, Kurata Tsubasa (28). An ambulance was dispatched after a resident made a report, but the paramedics failed to resuscitate the victim. According to the police investigation, the suspect was driving under the influence¡ª"

 Book 1: Chapter 1: Alternate World

    School Entry Act

    A place he did not belong to, a different world.

    This world had no name, the people had not completely explored it. They thought the continents they lived upon encompassed their whole world, and one such continent in this world was Zetterlund.

    The Zetterlund Continent was split into an eastern and western region by the Aubigne mountain range. Divided by the mountain range, each region contained its own unique environment. The west was ruled by several countries controlled by humans, known collectively as the Western Union. To the east was the Bocuse sea of trees ruled by powerful Demonic creatures ¨D the nest of Demonic Beasts.

    However, the eastern region of Zetterlund was not totally devoid of all humans. There existed a solitary human nation, known as the kingdom of Fremmevira. Because this country was on the border of the sea of trees, it was also the first line of defence in the war against the Demon beasts. To counter the roaming Demon beasts, the nation raised an army of knights and has maintained it to this day. They were proud of their role as the shield of humanity and the Western Union became known as the ''Nation of Knights''.

    In the year C.E. 1268, the story with this continent as its background began.

    At the base of the mountain Aubigne, which reached up to the clouds, was the Capital of Fremmevira, K?nk?nen. If you travelled east for half a day on carriage, you would then reach a large town. This town was unique because more than half of its space was taken up by a single facility. It was a fortified building made with bricks and stones, yet it didn''t feel intimidating and was not meant for military use. This building was an educational institute for children known as ''Laihiala Pilot Academy''.

    Knights defend the people against Demon beast attacks. As part of the glorious nation of knights, they were popular in Fremmevira, and it was a highly respected occupation. As a country prone to attacks due to its geographic location, they needed the support of a large army. Training knights was then made a priority for the nation, leading to the expansion of the educational organization for knights, Laihiala pilot academy.

    A low thud reverberated within the building crafted of stone masonry.

    This place had a wide stone floor, surrounded by stone walls and seats. This oval shaped training ground was situated in a corner of the academy.

    In the centre of the ground were two knights facing off with their swords. They were both heavily armoured, one with a sword and shield, the other wielding a 2-handed sword. The training ground was used for mock battles. The two knights were going through all sorts of drills, and the swords they were using were blunt to avoid injuries.

    The two knights took the exercises seriously, even though it was only practice. They pointed their swords at each other, carefully gauging the distance of their opponent. A gust of wind blew sand into the air. The powerful stare down ended, and both of them launched their attacks simultaneously, closing the gap between them in an instant. They moved into combat range so nimbly that it was unbelievable to think that they were in full battle armour.

    But there was something off about this scene, the ground was shaking with each of the fighter''s step, emitting a low and heavy thud into the air. Normal humans shouldn''t make such heavy sounds with their footsteps, even if they are fully armoured.

    The answer lies with their surroundings.

    There were people in the audience seats watching the knights'' duel, but their figures were much smaller than the knights. No, the opposite was true; it was the knights that were too big. If the size of the knights and the size of the audience were compared side by side, the knights would be at least 6 times larger. It was only natural for them to be heavy, and it was not an exaggeration to call them giants.

    These giant knights were not human. They were actually Silhouette Knights, around 10 metres in height with metallic frames known as ''Inner Skeletons'' and ''crystal tissues'' acting as its muscles. Fuelled by mana, it was a hybrid robot spawned by magic and machinery, a giant knight. They were weapons made to fight against the magic beasts, the strongest fighting unit known to mankind.

    A short distance away from the battling Silhouette Knights, several figures were watching the fight, one of them had an exceptionally sharp gaze.

    He was one of the battle instructors. In other words, his duty was to instruct the pilots battling with the Silhouette Knights in order to train them to protect citizens from the demon beasts. He took in every single movement of the trainees, giving off a serious air.

    "It''s... Robots..."

    A cute voice came behind him. The man turned and saw a beautiful lady walking towards him with a child in her arms. The lady had smooth, flowing silver hair with a hint of purple that reached her waist. Her hair swayed in the wind as she walked, leaving a bright silver trail behind her. She had gentle blue eyes, pale white skin, and looked very young, between the ages of 15 to 20. Despite her young appearance, she was already married and had a child.

    The demonic instructor, whose face was feared by all, showed a rare smile. People who knew him might have been shocked, but it would not be surprising if you were in the warm presence of the lady.

    "Tina, what brings you here? It''s really rare to see you visiting the academy."

    "I just wanted to let Eru see his father''s workplace, so I made a detour from our usual stroll."

    "I see. Eru, what do you think of dad¡¯s job?"

    The man asked the child held by his wife, but was completely ignored. The child kept waving his short limbs about, staring intently at the Silhouette Knights sparring on the training ground.

    "Eh, he doesn''t seem to be listening..."

    The man smiled as he patted his 3 year old son''s head. Their son had inherited his mother''s adorable features ¨D silver hair with a touch of purple, an oval face exactly like his mother''s when she was young, and a pair of bright blue eyes. His sharp gaze showed a hint of his paternal heritage.

    "Ara, Eru, you are paying more attention to the Silhouette Knights than your own father, just like a boy. Do you really like the Silhouette Knights so much?"

    "I heard that a lot of kids dream of being a knight, Eru seems to think so too."

    Both parents smiled as they watched Eru display his curiosity for this boyish interest. He was so cute. The little boy watched the scene excitedly while waving his arms and legs, unfazed with being the centre of attention. He focused on the training ground without blinking, displaying his exceptional concentration. The man rubbed his son''s soft hair for a while but gave up after getting no reaction.

    "You really like it, huh. How is it, Eru? Those are Silhouette Knights, gigantic warriors that defend our kingdom."

    "Silhouette... Knight..."

    The child seemed to acknowledge the words of the man for the first time, repeating his words with a slur unique to toddlers as he fell deep into thought. The man smiled bitterly after seeing his child behave this way, and returned to his post after conversing with his wife for a while. On the training ground, the gigantic knights finished their match and were preparing to leave.

    "Right, let''s return home. We need to prepare dinner and wait for daddy to return."

    The lady coaxed the child who kept looking back, reluctant to go. They were going home.

    "Silhouette Knight..."

    The child in her arms watched the gigantic knights on the training ground until they were out of sight.

    The child''s full name, referred to as Eru, was Ernesti Echevarria. He was the son of Mathias Echevarria, instructor of Laihiala Pilot Academy, borne by his mother Celestina.

    It has been three years since his birth. This was the age when a child forms his sense of self, a period when they become playful. But Eru was very sensible. He understood his parents from an early age and was well behaved. Everyone felt that he was a bright kid, but his intelligence came from another source.

    Ever since becoming self aware, and developing his own character, he became conscious of memories he had never experienced before ¨D the memories of his past where he lived in another place. A place called Japan, the civilization of computers, and the name Kurata Tsubasa.

    A theory known as reincarnation.

    Reincarnation describes the phenomenon that occurs when the spirits of those who have died are reborn into the world over and over again. It is mentioned in Buddhism, and all Japanese would have heard about this theory, whether they believed it or not. Kurata was no exception, but he didn''t believe it at that time and never expected to experience it himself. He had even retained the experiences from his previous life, a successful reincarnation.

    But including himself, no one truly knew what happened. The only thing he was sure of was, that he was Ernesti in this world and Kurata Tsubasa in his previous world. That''s why, compared to children around his age, he had an ''experienced'' mind, and a calm and matured analytical ability.

    Because of his mother''s whim, he visited his father''s workplace. The impact of this visit inspired him to devote his second chance at life to this.

    When the sun started to set in the west, a lady and a child walked along the streets of Laihiala academy.

    The boy kept asking about the gigantic knights that he had seen, and his mother answered him gently and patiently. Looking at her excited son, his mother cheerfully replied:

    "You really like Silhouette Knights, don''t you? Does Eru want to be a knight in the future?"

    "Knight... Okay! I want to be a knight!"

    "Ara, such a dependable child. Let''s ask daddy to teach you when you get a little older alright?"

    "Okay!"

    No one knew what would happen because of this dimension travel. But he was certain that his second life as Ernesti Echevalier was developing beyond his control.

    The Echevarria residence was situated near Laihiala academy.

    Apart from this family, the people in this nation awaken early. As the sun was rising in the east, the young mother, Celestina, got up to prepare breakfast. When she was done, the whole family ate together as usual.

    The only child of the family, Ernesti, awoke the latest.

    "Silhouette Knight!"

    Eru seemed to have dreamt of something, as he kicked off his blanket and leapt up from his bed. He was unaware of his mother laughing because of his shout. Eru looked around him, realising he was in the bedroom, he climbed back into bed.

    He was too excited last night and couldn''t sleep. Instead, he laid in bed daydreaming, with a smile on his face.

    Those are robots, and humanoid in shape, gigantic humanoid robots...!

    Ernesti ¨D or rather the Japanese Kurata Tsubasa shed a tear of joy in his heart for this unexpected blessing, and couldn''t stop smiling. Retaining the memories of Kurata Tsubasa means he inherited similar interests and hobbies from his previous life. In Eru''s previous life, he was Kurata Tsubasa, a heavily addicted robot nerd.

    As a working adult, he spent almost all of his income on his hobby, browsing modelling magazines and games, even searching for visual works at times. He put double the effort into his hobby compared to others, and it wouldn''t be wrong to say that he was obsessed. But despite his obsession, he was still an ordinary man. He didn''t have the passion to join the self-defence force just for the chance to operate a tank. But the situation was different in this life. That''s right, gigantic humanoid robots ¨D Silhouette Knights actually existed here.

    When he ''awakened'', he was disappointed to find himself in a world with no models or computers. But he was grateful from the bottom of his heart for this miracle, be it by chance or by the will of a mysterious force, allowing him to reincarnate in this world, his disappointment changed when he had discovered Silhouette Knights. This was not a joke, gigantic humanoid weapons 10 metres in height actually existed. For a robot nerd like him, seeing the Silhouette Knights had enough impact to completely change his life. In other words, he believed the reason that he came to this world was to pilot these gigantic robots. He had no basis for it, but he still strongly believed this.

    He had the resolve, but his tiny body lost to his sleepiness, and he napped a bit more before breakfast was ready.

    It was almost noon, Celestina and Eru were in Mathias''s study room.

    The study was filled with simple, but practical wooden furniture that was kept clean and tidy. Mathias was primarily a sword instructor, but he was involved in other fields as well. The shelves in the study room were filled with all sorts of literature, including picture books for children.

    Tina sat on the couch in the room, resting the tiny Eru on her lap, reading the picture book slowly to him. She spoke clearly and calmly. Eru, who was enjoying this yesterday, listened for some time before he started to fidget. He called out to his mother:

    "Mum, mum."

    "What is it, Eru? You don''t like this book?"

    Tina tilted her head, but Eru''s next words dispelled her confusion.

    "I like books... But, I want to know more about Silhouette Knights!"

    Tina set the book aside and studied Eru''s expression. Looking at his bright eyes filled with curiosity and joy, she couldn''t turn him down.

    "Ara ara, I see. Although it is still early for you, Eru, if you want to pilot the Silhouette Knights, you have to first become a knight."

    "Knight... how do I become a knight?"

    Eru had a fixed goal in mind, but he was still a 3 year old toddler body-wise. Even with the intellect of a grown man, his actions were still restricted, including the most crucial part, information gathering. How does a toddler, with limited access to resources, obtain information? He has to rely on his parents.

    "Let''s see, you need to read many books and practice swordsmanship. Right, let your daddy teach you about swords. Your father teaches swordsmanship at the academy anyway. How about reading your favourite book, where Silhouette Knights make an appearance okay?"

    "Okay!"

    Eru finally focused back on the book. Tina rubbed his head, took out a book related to Silhouette Knights, and read it to him slowly. Eru listened to the story that was simple enough for a child to understand excitedly.

    Eru imagined himself piloting the gigantic knight, standing before humongous demon beasts in order to protect those in danger. He reforged his mind once again. He wanted to pilot a Silhouette Knight no matter what, and the sooner the better. To achieve this, he needed to use his mature mindset to his advantage and achieve all he could with his power. He prepared a schedule for the future in his mind, but for now, he listened quietly to the story.

    "Dad, do you have a minute?"

    Mathias Echevarria, who was resting in the study, heard the sound from behind him. He turned and saw his son, Ernesti Echevarria run towards him. Eru, who was now 5 years old, had a bowl cut, with his hair just above the eyebrows. He had bright silvery purple hair just like his mother; the resemblance to her cute appearance remained the same. Even the strict Mathias, with his merciless face smiled often in front of Eru.

    "Oh, I have time. What is it, Eru?"

    "I want to ask you a favour, dad."

    Eru was young, but he spoke clearly. His slightly slurred speech when he was three, was now smooth at the age of 5. This child had always been polite to everyone since he was young. As his speech grew clearer, this became more obvious. But this didn''t feel weird, and actually complemented his cute and small appearance. Mathias smiled happily, as he looked at Eru''s pleading face. His ''doting'' towards his son had been getting worse over time.

    "Dad, I want to be a knight, please teach me swordsmanship."

    It''s finally the time. Mathias was troubled, but he didn''t show it on his face. He knew his son had been keen on being a knight ever since he was really young, and there was no problem with his goal. If he had the motivation, that would be great. But Eru was only 5 years old, so it was still too early to teach him swordsmanship. If they rush it and start before Eru''s body develops, it would be detrimental to him. Also, Eru looked more similar to his wife with every passing year, and was smaller in stature than children his age. To be honest, Mathias wondered if his son could even handle a sword.

    But Mathias still faced his son firmly. Since Eru was showing his resolve, he couldn''t ignore this as an instructor or as a father. Mathias advised his son not to rush, and start by building up his physical strength first. He also informed him that aside from swordsmanship, knowledge in magic would also help him in his quest to become a knight, encouraging him to study it.

    "Magic... I understand dad, I will seek your advice on swordsmanship in the future.

    Looking at the unwavering face of his son, Mathias nodded, promising to teach him swordsmanship one day.

    ".. That''s what happened mum, so please teach me magic!"

    After making the promise with Mathias, Eru immediately went to Tina and asked her. Why was he asking his mother? Because Tina''s father, who was Eru''s grandfather, was the current dean of Laihiala Pilot Academy ¨D Lauri Echevarria. Tina accepted gladly, gathering the necessary teaching materials within her means.

    ¨D Magic.

    It goes without saying that in Eru''s previous life ¨D back on earth, magic did not exist. It only appeared in stories and fairy tales. Most people only heard about magic when playing role playing games, like dungeons and dragons. But this powerful force existed in this world, and knights used magic often as support when fighting.

    Under the guidance of his mother, who was doubling as a teacher, Eru read textbooks related to magic.

    From the moment Eru decided to pilot a Silhouette Knight, Eru had started taking action. What he had been doing was the very basics, simply learning to read. Learning to read at the age of 3 was a very early start. Even the privileged class of this country ¨D the aristocrats ¨D didn''t start so early. Because of this, Eru could handle materials that were quite advanced.

    It was natural for kids to detest studying, but Eru was not a normal child. All of his effort was for the goal of becoming a knight. When he thought about piloting a Silhouette Knight, studying was no hassle in comparison to the reward. He could even read through textbooks from cover to cover. Because the contents were so stiff, it was better to treat it like a game, and enjoy it instead of thinking of it as studying. With the fast learning pace unique only to children, Eru learned the contents at an incredible pace.

    Tina was not a teacher by profession, but she was managing it smoothly. She was the daughter of a school dean and the wife of an instructor after all. She satisfied the wishes of Eru, teaching him magic patiently.

    ¨D In simple terms, magic in this world refers to the skill of manipulating mana to perform physical phenomenon.

    All living things in this world has the ability to convert the ''ether'' in the air into mana, and store a certain amount of it within their body.

    "Mana is something like fuel, magic will be used in accordance to the content of the magic script, to do things in the physical world through a catalyst."

    Tina explained to Eru who was sitting down obediently.

    "There are two types of living beings in this world; they are divided into those who can use magic independently, and those who can''t. The difference lies in the existence of a catalyst within their body. For beings that can use magic, they have a crystal within their body that acts as a catalyst. For example, the strongest creatures known as dragons possess a catalyst, and their dragon breath is created using this catalyst."

    "Humans don''t have a catalyst inside us, so we are a race that can''t use magic."

    Since humans didn''t have a crystal catalyst, they couldn''t use magic. Based on the laws of this world, this was a natural and undeniable fact. But people had learned of a way to use magic. This was the result of using their weapon called wisdom. As living beings of this world, humans could make use of mana and external catalysts to develop scripts gradually to use magic, successfully overcoming their weakness.

    With this breakthrough, humans, who were always the weakest in this world, developed gigantic magic-powered weapons after years of research - the Silhouette Knights. This made the humans one of the most powerful races.

    "Mum, since the Silhouette Knights are so powerful, and we have such a huge army of knights, we can build a bigger country right?"

    "Maybe it can be done, but it is difficult."

    Silhouette Knights may be powerful weapons, but they were tactical weapons that required large amounts of resources to build and maintain. It was practically impossible to prepare a force capable of dominating the land. Humanity used the Aubigne mountain range as the border to maintain peace on the western side of the continent. Fremmevira remained behind it as a barrier to protect their foothold in the east. The stalemate had been going on for centuries.

    "I will leave the details for history class. You will learn about it in more detail when you start school."

    Tina was talking about practical applications of magic. As mentioned before, magic had to be conjured through scripts, and the construction and usage of scripts was performed by a virtual organ in the brain known as Magius circuit. In this world, all beings that are self-aware has the potential to use it.

    "And Eru, scripts are sigils that perform specific phenomenon. First, are the ''Architect'' sigils that perform basic phenomena, followed by the ''Control'' sigils that coordinate and use Architect sigils."

    By combining Architect sigils and Control sigils, the picture created was something similar to magic summoning circles on earth.

    For beginners in magic, the part they will have trouble with is the construction of the script. Most people can manipulate Architect sigils immediately, but using powerful spells by using more complex scripts requires a great amount of practice. As humans can''t use magic naturally, creating high level magic requires the accumulation of experience. Apart from perseverance, it also requires natural talent.

    Architect sigils that determine the phenomenon and the control sigils that maximise its effects. Combining both of them by using a set of fixed laws... Right, I have seen this before, this is just like...

    Eru''s occupation in his past life ¨D programmer, helped him understand this part. In simple terms, the sigils and their interactions in the form of a script followed similar logic in programming code. The operation of the script by the magius circuit was similar to a virtual computer. Since the magius circuit was built within the brain, activating it didn''t take time, performing better than computers in his previous life.

    After Eru grasped the logic behind it, he ''extracted'' the architect sigil and control sigil from the textbook and started using his magius circuit ¨D which was within the human brain ¨D to start coding. With such a large amount of codes, even a veteran programmer wouldn''t be able to organise it within their head; they would need the help of software editors. To counter this, Eru used the magius circuit domain as a software editor to plan and compile the scripts.

    Because he was a beginner, he had no idea how much magic the people in this world could use. He didn''t consider his ability to easily build and control the complicated programming language to be special.

    Eru held a tiny wooden wand and focused with his eyes closed.

    A small crystal was fixed onto the tip of the wand. That was the crystal catalyst, a miraculous item which allowed humans to use magic. For humans using magic, they prefer to wield wands with the crystal catalyst affixed onto the tip. The wand in Eru''s hand made a gentle ''Pashu'' sound, and a line of fire shot out, leaving a scorched mark in the middle of the target board. He just activated the fire architect sigil with beginner magic ¨D ''Fire torch''.

    "Wow Eru, that''s great. Although it is just the architect sigil, I never imagined that you would be able to use magic so quickly."

    "But mum, the textbook says that this is the basics of the basics, anyone can use it immediately."

    "It is true that anyone can activate it, but to hit the target so accurately requires practice. Eru has talent for magic."

    No matter how good Eru was in programming, it was useless if he only studied the theory without putting it into practice. A simple target board in the backyard and Tina accompanied Eru for practical training. They practiced all types of architect sigils one by one, allowing Eru to get used to the feeling of using magic. After casting spells repeatedly, Eru started to feel weird... it felt like energy was gradually draining from his body. It was like the fatigue you feel after exercising, but different at the same time. This unique experience confused him, but this was the natural result of expending mana. He panted heavily and breathed in the ether from the air around him, attempting to replenish his mana.

    ... I didn''t know it was this tiring. If I used advanced spells, I would have probably fainted because of the shortness of breath.

    Tina who had been supervising him, walked over with a gentle smile and rubbed his head.

    "This is how it feels when you expend mana. If you don''t experience it now, it will be troublesome in the future."

    "... I can''t catch my breath, it feels painful. My mana is empty after using just a little magic, so depressing."

    "Don''t be discouraged. You are still young, lacking mana is normal."

    "Will I have more mana when I grow up?"

    "Hmm ¨D Let me think. It''s a bit different, but just think of it as something like stamina. The growth of mana is not solely dependent on your physical growth. It will also get stronger as you train your psyche."

    "I understand. Mum, since that''s the case, I will be doing special training to increase my mana pool!"

    Tina gave a bitter smile, rubbing the head of the spirited Eru.

    "Ara, what a hardworking child. Don''t be too impatient, going too fast might be bad too."

    Eru reflected upon this and felt that he was being too rash. Tina was right, rushing wouldn''t be good for him, and he didn''t want his mother, who was accompanying him to worry.

    "Yes, mum. I will take it slow and steady."

    Eru promised his mother with a straight face. Tina nodded and hugged him tightly.

    Eru started his special training the following day.

    With the promise with Tina and the future in mind, he needed to improve his physical and magical abilities steadily. Constructing scripts was Eru''s strength. He would be able to find a way to advance if he made use of his previous life''s knowledge. The rest would depend on the mana he needed to use the magic. He persisted in his routine of jogging, physical exercise, depleting his mana, and recovering it. As he was going through his fundamental training, he found an interesting magic in the textbook.

    He was looking up physical boost spells. Physical boost means literally strengthening the capabilities of your body, including strength, stamina, and speed. Eru''s plan was to incorporate this spell in his physical exercise, training both mind and body at the same time for efficiency.

    The spell physical boost was a high spell, a spell that was difficult to use. The effects of the magic were dependent on the script. The simpler the structure, the closer it would be to the architect sigil, and conversely, the easier it would be to control; the more targets there are, the more complex and difficult it would become.

    The high level complex spell physical boost had the ability of enhancing ''every muscle fibre'', strengthening ''all of the bones'' to absorb the impact, and the improvement of the durability of the skin. There was a need to control the target of the spell, which changes rapidly with every movement. To use these effects, the script needed to be activated constantly. This was why the boost spell was on a higher level than big, flashy spells, which did not require constant upkeep to maintain.

    Normally, Eru would have given up at this stage and would have chosen a more practical spell. But he knew how to solve the problem because of his unique skills ¨D programming concept. He had experience in designing and coding software to handle multiple variables. That''s why he skipped the beginner magic phase and jumped straight into the ''modified magic'' phase. Reviewing the structure of the physical boost script, Eru compressed the structure to minimise the number of variables, creating subscripts that would automatically extract the status of the body. After compiling it, he just needed to design the user interface to make it easier to control, so as to lessen the burden.

    Complicated projects like the improvement of scripts was not something that could be done easily by anyone. Eru, however, was not aware of this, completing the improvement shortly, and the patch was a big enhancement. But even so, it was still difficult to control magic that strained the mind heavily. But with his extraordinary processing ability, it was not much. No one realised that a historical revolution had occurred, but for Eru, this was just a small step in his journey.

    Everything was ready. Eru held a wand in his hand, activated the improved physical boost spell, and began his daily training regime excitedly. But his high spirited trip ended in tragedy, he didn''t even have time to feel moved by his enhanced physical attributes before collapsing a few hundred metres away because of mana depletion.

    As expected of an advanced spell, the controls were complicated and the mana cost was tremendous. Eru felt down because of this basic mistake and returned to his normal training regime for quite a while.

    Even with the efforts he put in, he still needed 3 years before he could activate his physical boost magic for a sustainable amount of time. Eru was fuelled by his passion, moving towards his goal day by day.

 Book 1: Chapter 2: Lets play with freands

    Laihiala Pilot Academy had a dormitory, several restaurants, and all sorts of shops. Various Silhouette Knight repair shops were gathered there as well, including lodging for related personnel, forming a large college city. Because Laihiala Pilot Academy was the top academic facility in the nation, the size of the city was not far off from the capital itself. The city adopted its name from the academy and was known as ''Laihiala Academy City'', Ernesti resided in such a place.

    The sun set beyond the walls that surrounded the city, and night engulfed the academy city. Apart from a selected few, most of the shops had closed for the day, and only a handful of people were still wandering the streets. The whole city fell into a peaceful silence. A petite figure ran along a path formed by the rooftops of the buildings. The figure was dressed in black that was difficult to see in the dark, moving like the wind along the roof.

    And of course, that was the 8 year old Ernesti Echevarria. With the passage of time, his training had evolved from simple jogging into a round trip along the roofs of the buildings in the city. According to Eru, the wide field of vision and the undulating height of the buildings was perfect for training.

    He learned from his failure in using the physical boost spell in the past, and further improved it, changing it into a spell with low mana cost, emphasizing just the legs for running. He had become accustomed to it, even strenuous movement wouldn''t affect the script. His enhanced legs enabled him to sprint at a very fast pace.

    As he ran, Eru came to the edge of a line of connected buildings; the edge was akin to a cliff with the road looming below. He took a deep breath, increasing his mana output. With the fierce reaction, he accelerated like an arrow fired from a bow, closing the gap to the edge in an instant. The moment he took his last step and leapt into the air, he activated another spell ©¤ by compressing the air, in front of him, he created a dense air bullet. This was originally the basic wind magic, air bullet. Eru exploded the air bullet behind him, using the burst of energy from the release to push him forward.

    The instantaneous acceleration threw Eru''s body into the air, forming a beautiful arch in the sky. He activated his body strengthening magic in mid-air and cast another spell just before he landed. Another air bullet spell ©¤ but the area of compressed air was much larger. He didn''t fire off the air bullet like before. Instead, he used it as a cushion, landing nicely on the other roof. Eru rolled to reduce the impact, running off with the same speed as before the jump.

    The year was C.E. 1273.

    It has been 3 years since Eru started his magic training. He practiced daily without rest, accumulating a large amount of mana within his petite body. Normally, a child wouldn''t train so intensively in magic at such a young age, so it was not surprising for Eru to have grown so strong. The regimen also trained his physical attributes, which increased dramatically, but it was a pity he couldn''t use full body strengthening spells for an extended amount of time. That''s why he invented low mana cost spells targeted at specific parts of the body, only using his full strength when necessary. He has also found a way to use other spells while moving at high speeds. This training allowed Eru''s outstanding processing ability to improve, increasing his mana pool while decreasing the mana expended.

    There was a reason why Eru focused his magic on movement. He didn''t spend all of his time on training, making time to play with other kids his age, so his parents wouldn''t worry. Despite his reasons, he couldn''t deny that playing like a kid again was fun. Eru slowly realized that his body was smaller than others, but he was not too bothered about it. If his growth remained stagnant, however, Eru''s lack of weight might become his weakness.

    Naturally, Eru plans to continue training his magic, refusing to fail because of his lack of abilities. Even so, his body being so light meant he has to place more consideration in regard to attack power. This was the reason he chose to strengthen his mobility. The speed would both disrupt enemies and increase attack power.

    That''s right, just like Ushi Wakamaru overcoming strength with skills, the Japanese way. Eh, although I didn''t have much choice anyway.

    Eru thought about these trivial things as he ran in the dim street during the evening. A normal training route, the daily jogging routine, but something unexpected happened.

    "Eh? Someone is coming." A girly voice came from above. A stern voice followed: ¡°Who are you?"

    "...Is someone there?" The questions from both parties overlapped each other. Eru has never run into anyone during his rooftop training before, this was the first time he did.

    They remained silent for quite a while. They had met someone at a place that was normally devoid of people, so it was understandable to be cautious. One of them was dressed in black with his hood up, a suspicious outfit.

    Eru observed the other party. The weak starlight made visibility low, but he could vaguely make out that they were a boy and girl pair about his age. Eru was shorter than average, while the two of them were relatively tall and thin. At a glance, they didn''t look younger than Eru, but not much older either.

    He couldn''t make any headway with this silence, so Eru introduced himself.

    "Evening, I am Ernesti, in the middle of a stroll. And you are?"

    The two who were wary of this youth in black were stunned by the sudden introduction. Eru couldn''t make out the delicate changes in their facial expression, but from the reflection of the moonlight, he knew the young boy squinted eyes.

    "I am Archid, this is my younger sister..."

    "Adeltrud... Eh, we were watching the stars... that''s right."

    Eru looked at the ceiling window behind them; the couple probably came out from there. The sudden encounter surprised them, but it was simply a coincidence. Eru decided to continue jogging.

    "I see, sorry to disturb you. I will take my leave..."

    "Wa... wait, don''t go yet. A stroll, you say? On the roof top wearing that?"

    "Don''t you think that is strange?"

    "Hm, that''s true."

    Eru could tell they were taken aback from their tone. Even Eru would have been suspicious if he was in their shoes.

    "I said it was a stroll, but it is more like special training. That''s why, I chose a place where it is difficult to run."

    "Eh... Do you really need to run on the roof? That''s weird."

    A simple matter to Eru, but it was unthinkably strange to them. They looked at each other with scepticism faces and asked while tilting their heads.

    "...Hmmm, forget it. That means we are interrupting your training."

    "Please don''t mind me. Well, I should be..."

    "Hey, hey, wait! You said this is special training, so you run around this place every day?"

    Adeltrud stopped Eru, who was ready to go. Eru stumbled a bit, and replied "Yes", and took off again. The two of them followed Eru with their eyes, as he disappeared into the shadows... His extraordinary speed surprised them, as they watched Eru accelerate and leap off the edge of the roof. The large arc of his jump stunned them yet again.

    "... Amazing, really amazing! What is that? That looks fun!"

    "Wah, he is really running! Incredible, he flew off from the edge of the roof!?"

    Archid and Adeltrud were excited after Eru left. They were stargazing out on the roof because of some unhappy events, and had an amazing encounter. Their lives changed drastically because of this meeting.

    Eru, Archid, and Adeltrud met again the very next day, at the same place. Unlike the encounter before, the two of them seemed to be waiting for Eru. Eru gave up any thoughts of trying to avoid them and greeted:

    "Evening. Watching the stars again?"

    "Yo. Nope, we are here to see you."

    "Yep..."

    The pair smiled happily, visible even under the faint starlight. Eru wasn''t sure of their intentions, but decided to go along with them. He could just run away if things go awry, and pick another running route in the future.

    "Erm, do you have to cover your head?"

    Archid pointed out. Eru thought it was rude too, so he removed his hood and sat on the roof like they did. "What is this about?" Eru pressed them. He noticed that the two of them stiffened with awkward expressions.

    "Eh, your names are Archid and Adeltrud, right? What is it? Why the weird reaction?"

    "Eh? Oh, nothing. You... you are a girl!?"

    "You moved so fast, I thought you were a boy..."

    Eru, whose image takes after his mother, had grown even more adorable with age and was now a ''pretty girl''. The silvery, purple hair that reached just over his chin was cut to shoulder length, swaying in the wind. The dim moonlight failed to hide his face. In fact, the faint light on his smooth skin gave his face a magical air. His pretty face didn''t match the amazing movements they saw the day before, confusing the pair. Eru looked at the two children with slanted eyes and said:

    "No, I look like my mother, but I really am a boy."

    "... No, there is a limit to how much you take after your mother. Are you really a boy?"

    "It''s true; I have nothing to gain from a lie like this."

    "Oh...How... how cute, Ernesti..."

    Adeltrud drew closer with her hands for some reason, and Eru stepped back when he sensed the danger. Archid grabbed Adeltrud''s collar and pulled her back immediately.

    "Eh... Ah, my name is hard to articulate, just call me Eru."

    "Ah, you can call me Chid."

    "I will address you as Eru, then! I am Ady!"

    After the round of introductions, Eru was wary of Ady, who looked ready to pounce on him as he said:

    "And, so? What did you want to talk about?"

    "Right, after you left yesterday, didn''t you jump really high from the roof? How did you do that?"

    "Ah, that..."

    "Also, please teach us the technique!"

    Where did their wariness from yesterday go? Chid was chatting with him like they were old friends. Eru didn''t understand why Chid was so excited.

    "I can show you, but it will take a long time okay?"

    "No worries. If we train with you, we can fly like you one day, right?"

    "But you might be stuck at a bottleneck before that happens too..."

    Eru warned and started to explain his training in simple terms... the content about magic. Chid and Ady were quite clever, picking up the difficult content at a good pace. Because they understood the content, they frowned at the task ahead.

    "Isn''t that grueling!"

    "Eru is so amazing..."

    "Didn''t I tell you that at the very beginning?"

    The stunned duo groaned, then lifted their heads as if they had just thought of something.

    "By the way, why is your magic so powerful?"

    "... That is because of compatibility, and I have been training for some years."

    "Some years... How old are you?

    "Eight."

    "Eh!? That''s the same as us!?"

    Ady was impressed. Compared to the explanation earlier, this was more stunning. Chid and Ady seemed to be twins, both of them were eight years old just like Eru. Chid was in high spirits after hearing this, dismissing all of his worries. He had a face that said ''alright, we have to do this'' and was fired up. Eru warned Chid who was rearing to go:

    "Physical boost is a high spell; you can''t use it without starting from the basics."

    "Then just teach us magic."

    "...Hmm?"

    "You are strong, right? You know a lot of advanced spells!"

    "You might be cute, but you are also dependable!"

    Eru''s face began to cramp. This development was beyond his expectations and had nothing to do with cuteness. Their request was troubling; he wanted to escape if it was at all possible. But when he saw Chid and Ady talking enthusiastically about the training regimen, his conscience could not allow him to ignore them.

    "Ah... This.... Eh, I understand. I will... teach both of you magic..."

    "Great, I knew you were a bro!"

    "Wonderful, no wonder you are so cute!"

    "You are overestimating me, and this has nothing to do with being cute!? Wait, like I said, magic cannot be learned immediately. You have to start from the basics, understand?"

    "I know, I know, don''t worry. We will catch up to you in a flash!"

    He felt uneasy with Chid, who accepted so readily, but Eru still confirmed the training details with them before they parted ways.

    The following day, the twins visited Eru''s home. Not at night, but during the day.

    Because they had only met under the moonlight until now, Eru finally saw their beautiful black hair and hazel eyes. The brunette twins reminded Eru of Japan, and he felt a sense of kinship with them. Chid''s messy hair was short, while Ady''s slightly wavy hair reached her shoulders. They really were twins, having similar physiques and strong eyes.

    "Welcome to my humble abode, please come in."

    Eru gave up resisting and ushered them in. The Echevarria residence was slightly bigger than their neighbours'' because of their relations with both the dean and an instructor at Laihiala Pilot School. Chid and Ady looked around curiously as they followed Eru.

    Eru''s mother, Celestina, welcomed them warmly. Her son, who seldom brought friends home, had two guests with him at the same time. She was a great cook, and showed off her prowess, making her guests feel at home with her snacks and beverages. Ady was really delighted, she hit it off well with Tina and was about to follow her into the kitchen to make snacks, but was dragged off forcefully by Chid.

    After the disruption, they went into Eru''s room to learn basic magic. Eru''s room was very tidy. There were only a table, a bed, and several shelves along the wall. The shelves had textbooks related to magic, along with some storybooks for display. For preschool children, this room was too practical. The twins (especially Ady) were planning to snoop around the room, but were stopped by Eru.

    After this episode, the magic lesson finally began. Eru used the magic textbook he liked the most as the teaching material, starting from the fundamentals. He thought that the pair were too confident and believed that because they were 8 years old, they would grow tired of it and give up immediately. But Chid and Ady were surprisingly passionate about their studies. When they started their architect sigil practical session, they displayed admirable control, hitting the bull¡¯s eye after a few attempts.

    Eru remembered their conversation yesterday. Did they understand the explanation about magic immediately? That means the twins are excellent. Eru reflected on underestimating them, as he gave feedback to the duo that collapsed after depleting their mana.

    "What you are feeling is mana depletion because your mana pool is too small. You should start by building up your mana capacity through training."

    "Huff, huff, this is tiring. So... How do we do this special training?"

    "Deplete your mana every day. Your mana pool will grow faster than if you were doing nothing. And it will be best to do some exercise, you can train your body and magic at the same time, it''s more efficient that way."

    "...Oh, that''s why you were jogging on the roof tops?"

    "Yes. I told you it''s not simple."

    "That''s right, but I still want to do it! I just need to keep this up every day! Isn''t that ''simple''?"

    Eru was surprised. He turned around to see Ady, who had caught her breath with both hands on her hips, looking fearless. Her eyes were filled with determination and confidence, and a hint of a smile showed on her face. He looked at Ady, thinking nonchalantly, She is tall and will become a beauty in the future, but she is hard to handle.

    "... I see, please work on your architect sigils for now. You will be able to do special training with me after your mana pool grows."

    "I don''t know when we will catch up to you... But it will definitely be sooner than you think!"

    "Of course! Just watch us; we will reach your standards in no time!"

    Eru''s impression of his first ¡®good friends¡¯ was improving gradually.

    They are tougher than I thought. I''ve made some pretty interesting friends.

    And so, Eru''s training now included the twins, Archid Olter and Adeltrud Olter. His life had gotten livelier.

    Eru was not just learning magic. When he had spare time from his magical and physical training, he was also learning swordsmanship as promised from his father, Mathias. This was the standard swordsmanship from the curriculum of Laihiala Pilot Academy. Chid and Ady also joined in.

    Of the three, Chid was the most talented in the sword. His build was great for his age, which allowed him to surpass Eru in no time. His stance was proper and would never lose to anyone in a simulation battle.

    They practiced the sword along with their magic. Compared to other children their age, the trio was incredibly busy. Eru did the necessary training in order to achieve his goal. He had gotten used to it after such a long time, so he didn''t find it intolerable. He felt that he did not push himself hard enough in his previous life, which motivated him to strive harder. Eru realized the biggest motivation for humans manifests from their desire.

    But what about Chid and Ady? They harbour the same passion as Eru, living each day to the fullest. Eru''s training already surpassed the normal standards; there was no need to burden normal children with this. If they were aiming to be a knight, there was no need to work so hard. But they never complained about it.

    ''What motivates the twins?'' Eru couldn''t think of any reason for them to work so hard.

    Even with their busy schedule, they didn''t only train. They made time to spend with their parents or play with other children around their age. With the largest academy in the nation, the children had plenty of playmates.

    The kingdom of Fremmevira had a problem unique to it, which was the existence of the Demon beasts. The situation here was different from the region west of mount Aubigne, the kingdom of Fremmevira shared a border with the Bocuse forest ruled by the Demon beasts. Demon beasts often attack, threatening the lives and property of citizens causing the people to live in fear. Hence, the cities of Fremmevira has strong walls erected around them, protecting the towns and citizens.

    ©¤ Everyone in Fremmevira agreed to the construction of the walls, but the playful children found life within the walls to be dull and stifling. To expend their energy, they treated the entire city as their playground, playing around noisily. The sound of the children''s laughter could be heard on the streets every day.

    It was no different today, a group of kids dashed along the pavement. But on closer inspection, a child had fallen far behind.

    "What are you doing... slow tortoise..."

    When he heard the jeers of the children, the kid who had fallen behind stopped, panting, and waved his arms while protesting:

    "Huff, huff.... It... It can''t be helped! We dwarves can''t run that fast!"

    This protesting child was shorter than the rest; he had a strong and stout body along with short legs, and a sturdy albeit slow build.

    "Ah... Batson is slow..."

    "What did you say? Damn...!"

    "Slow Batson is angry! It will hurt if he gets you...! Run away...!"

    The child named Batson was red from anger, running along with heavy steps, but he couldn''t compensate for his short stride. The children dispersed with laughter every time he drew near, leaving the lonesome Batson behind.

    "...Ku, damn..."

    He clenched his fists in frustration. He was helpless, but being slow was a racial flaw of the dwarves.

    Dwarves... a race originating from the northern mountains.

    They lived among treacherous, snowy peaks, residing within caves. As time went by, they started excavating deeper and became skilled miners. While refining and processing the rich minerals in the northern hills, the dwarves became experts at all sorts of mineral resources, advancing their skills in crafting with them. They were renowned as the ''crafting race''.

    Because of their environment, the dwarves had evolved over time, in order to move nimbly in narrow caves. Their short but stout stature was their most prominent, physical trait. They were also covered in muscles, having double the arm strength of normal humans. They were rugged in appearance; the men had thick long hair, and beards which start growing at the age of ten. By the way, their culture emphasises on how spectacular their beards are and all men take pride in them.

    But the isolated dwarves didn''t spend their entire history hiding in the north. There were many dwarves who use their skills to set up smith shops all across the land.

    The child mentioned just now... Batson Termonen was one of those dwarves. His parents had a smithy in Laihiala Academy City, the reason why he was playing with the local children. The games of children revolved around chasing each other or hide and seek, especially so, for a city surrounded by walls. Batson didn''t know how tough it was to live in such an enclosed environment with his short stride. He was also mocked for his appearance by the kids in the neighbourhood.

    The children making fun of Batson were long gone. Batson gave up, heading home in disgust.

    "Weird. Are you alone? Where are the others?"

    The fuming Batson heard someone talking to him and saw the trio when he turned his head. The one in the middle was especially short, like a valley between two mountains. It was the trio Ernesti, Archid, and Adeltrud.

    "It''s Eru. You guys are probably looking down on me for being slow, too."

    The three of them were baffled by Batson''s response, but quickly understood the situation. The dwarves might be slow, but they were also very strong. This means Batson would be incredibly strong in a fight. He wouldn''t lose against multiple enemies if it came to a dogfight. Batson had an argument with someone, and achieved overwhelming victory in the ensuing fight, which was the reason for the current situation.

    As Eru watched Batson walk away, he felt like pulling a prank and laughed mischievously:

    "Ah, he was bullied again... Alright, let''s go after those guys, everyone."

    The twins listened to Eru''s suggestion and answered indifferently:

    "I''m fine with that, but how? We are fine, but Batson can''t keep up."

    "Right, that''s why we will bring him along. Just treat it as normal training, with Batson as training weights."

    "Oh! I get it!"

    "Let''s go, let''s go!"

    Chid and Ady understood what Eru was saying, and stood on either side of Batson. They didn''t consider how Batson felt and grabbed his arms.

    "Eh? Hey... Hey! What are you..."

    "Well, let''s start our jogging exercise for the day!"

    Chid and Ady started moving on Eru''s command, ignoring the confused Batson. They treated Batson like cargo and carried him. This technique could only be used after learning ''limited physical boost'', allowing them to use strength above their physical limit. Batson was stunned by their amazing speed, unable to resist.

    "They must be at the central square! Let''s attack!"

    "Ora!"

    "Yeah!"

    "Like I said, what''s happening...!?"

    Laihiala Academy City was roughly divided between the school campus and the urban zone. In the heart of the urban zone, there was an open space known as the central square to everyone. It was filled with stalls during the day and was the gathering point for all the children.

    "Hey, will that guy catch up?"

    "There is no way, he''s too slow..."

    "That''s right; it will hurt like hell if you get hit by him!"

    "Relax; just run away if he shows up. He is slow, you can get away easily."

    It was the kids who made fun of Batson earlier. The group used some boxes as stools, biting into fruits they bought from a stall. They were gleeful from their successful revenge. Suddenly, they heard a loud scream from far away.

    "Ahhhhh... Woah...!"

    "Out of the way!"

    "Where are you going?! You guys better...!"

    They noticed a familiar voice, which surprised them. Wasn''t that Batson, who they were just jeering at? The one person they want to avoid? The group searched for the origin of the voice, and saw Chid and Ady carrying Batson by the arms and approaching fast. They panicked and screamed:

    "Woah, what... what are you...!?"

    "Ah, found them. Now, Batson... launch!"

    Eru pointed out the target, while Chid and Ady threw Batson with a mischievous smile without slowing down. With a running start and a powerful throw, the short but heavy Batson flew through the sky. The group of children had slow reactions, watching Batson as he arced through the air, slack jawed. When they realized they were the landing point, the kids scrambled to get away in a panic.

    "Eh! Wah, idiot, don''t come here!"

    "Woahhhh, quick... hide..."

    But it was too late to run. They were hit directly by Batson''s rock, hard head, the force smashing the boxes into pieces. They fell all over the place under a cloud of dust. It was so chaotic that the masterminds, Eru and his friends, felt guilty as they looked at each other.

    "...Did we... go too far?"

    "Yeah... Right on target."

    "Hey... I have an idea. I think we should get out of here."

    "You three! Don''t run!"

    Batson shrugged off the broken boxes and stood up among the debris. As expected, the first to recover was the tough Batson, the rest of the children were still down. Batson was furious, sprinting towards the trio with a speed beyond any dwarf. The moronic three ran immediately.

    "Goodbye, see you later!"

    "Shut up, stay where you are!"

    By the way, the kids, who were left behind were caught by the adults, and were lectured for breaking the boxes.

    Some distance away from the central square and the residential area was a shopping mall. There was a building double the size of the surrounding ones. It emphasized sturdiness more than appearance. This was the smith shop ''Termonen Workshop''.

    Batson chased Eru and the others all over the streets, and finally ended up here. Compared to Eru and company, Batson was on the verge of dying from exhaustion after the chase.

    "You... You guys... are too fast..."

    "Thanks to our daily training."

    "Huff... how did you train to be so good..."

    Eru smiled casually. In terms of stamina, Batson had the edge, but he couldn''t match Eru and his magic.

    "Ah... forget it, I don''t care anymore."

    Batson was exhausted and felt that all of this was just silly. He gave up, laid on the ground with his limbs spread out, and finally caught his breath after a long while. He gave a contented smile and laughed softly.

    "But it was fun smashing into them head first."

    "Hey, hey, we can do it again if you like."

    "No way."

    After a short while, Batson stood up calmly and pointed to his house.

    "Eh, alright. Want to visit my place? I''m thirsty."

    Maybe it''s because they were near the workshop, but they could feel the heat even from outside. Batson''s craftsmen parents were probably working in there.

    "Oh, I have never been to your place."

    "Yeah... You will get hit if you disturb them. Don''t be too rowdy."

    The trio entered Batson''s home, and saw his father and a few craftsmen working in silence. Batson''s father had a long beard and a wide body; it was easy to tell that he was a dwarf. His punches were no joke.

    Opposite the work tables was the shop front with the finished merchandise on display. Batson explained about each one of them with pride.

    "Look, all of these are made by my dad."

    All sorts of metallic equipment could be seen, from swords, lances, shields and armour to woks and pots. As expected of a dwarf craftsman, they were made delicately. Every one of them was a masterpiece made to the perfect size and colour.

    "Woah... Your place is selling lots of stuff."

    Eru browsed the merchandise curiously while Ady followed him. Chid grew excited when he saw the weapons, such as swords and lances. Batson was extremely pleased when they praised his father''s work.

    "Hey Bat, do you craft things too?"

    "Ah... my dad seldom lets me touch metals, but I can do carpentry. I am a dwarf after all; even my dad praises my work!"

    After hearing Ady''s whimsical query, Batson pointed to an item at the corner of the shop. There were some simple wooden household items there. They looked plain, but the workmanship was good and durable. Batson''s skill was clear, and the trio was impressed. At this point, something in the corner attracted Eru''s attention.

    "Can you make ''magic staves''?"

    "... Magic staves? I can make them if there are enough materials. I made these to earn some pocket money."

    In order to use magic, humans have to use external ''crystal catalysts'' to convert mana into physical phenomenon, and a magic staff is the most common example of that. Simply put, the crystal catalyst is attached to the end of the staff for ease of use.

    Most staves are made from trees called ''white mist''. Because the wood from these trees are an excellent mana conductor, it is a popular magic ingredient. The plain staff crafted by Batson was also made from that.

    "When practising magic, I always felt that..."

    Eru''s shifted his gaze to the staff on his waist. It was the magic item he had been using since the very beginning. It was shorter than most staves and fits well with his small stature.

    "What is it? Something wrong with your staff?"

    Eru twirled the short staff wand in his hand and smiled at the confused Batson:

    "Don''t you think a magic staff is unwieldy?"

    Besides Batson, Chid and Ady were puzzled by Eru''s comment. They had gotten used to using the staff as a tool to use magic and had no complaints. They didn''t understand what he meant.

    Eru thought it didn''t feel right because of the memories of his previous life. Because he remembered the world where science was king, he felt that this was awkward and primitive. Strictly speaking, magic staves are items used to cast spells. Apart from ''strengthening'' magic, human spells are usually ''shot'', releasing powerful effects. Eru assumed that a magic staff was a type of ''projectile weapon''.

    Eru recalled a scene from his past in Japan... a room filled with models. Among these collections, he owned an airsoft gun, a realistic looking ''Winchester M1894'' rifle, which left a deep impression on him. Firearms, especially rifles, resembles magic staves. The correlation made him think that there was a way to implement the shape of the rifle onto a magic staff.

    "For example, the knights fight with a sword and staff in each hand..."

    Even the knights, whose main weapon were swords, knew the importance of magic. Right handed knights would hold the long sword with their dominant hand and the staff with the other. If a shield was equipped on the left hand, they would normally hold the staff behind the shield.

    "I think it is a hassle to hold them separately, that''s why I have been thinking about combining them."

    "I don''t get it... But even if it can be done, how do you want to go about it?"

    As he thought, Eru had a stroke of inspiration. Guns and swords... these two simple terms made him think about bayonets on rifles. It was simply attaching a knife to the tip of a gun barrel, using the rifle as a melee weapon. This concept was brought to this alternate world by Eru.

    "Yeah, I just thought of an interesting idea."

    Eru smiled gently, making Batson feel a chill run down his back.

    Later, Eru returned home, sat in front of a table, and drew the design he had in mind. His focus surprised Chid and Ady who tagged along.

    "What is that? What a weird staff."

    That was the first thing Ady said after looking at the finished diagram. ''Bayonet''... a rifle that fires spells with a blade mounted upon it, the first ''magic staff'' of its kind. For Ady who had only seen normal magic staves, it was very exotic.

    The next day, Eru visited Batson''s home again with the design in hand.

    "Like I mentioned yesterday, can you make a staff like this?"

    Batson was at a loss as he stared at the unexpected guest, who had showed up with a design in hand after just one day. He decided to look at the plan first and started confirming the details. Batson made a strange face.

    "Eru, what... is this?"

    "Winchester Rifle."

    "What? I''ve never heard of a staff by that name, and the shape... is weird... Why is the bottom so wide? And what is with this protruding piece here?

    "Well, this is known as the stock..."

    Some things couldn''t be explained with just a design drawing. Eru answered Batson''s queries and explained them in detail.

    "Eh, I will give it a shot."

    Batson didn''t really understand, but he took the job anyway. He promised Eru he would craft this strange magic staff. Eru was relieved, and felt that this was a good chance to see Batson''s artisan skills.

    Several days later, Eru visited Batson''s place for the third time on Batson''s invitation. The unique weapon designed by him was presented in physical form.

    The handle resembled the stock of a rifle, thick and slightly bent, but there were no triggers. A crystal catalyst was attached to the tip, the part where the sight of a gun should be. There were no chambers and magazines as it was not an actual gun. In place of the barrel was a short sword fixed in place. This was the bayonet designed in this alternate world... ''Gun staff''.

    "The carpentry is done by me, my dad helped me with the metallic bits."

    "Did he lecture you? If it was too much trouble, making all of it out of wood would have been fine too."

    When Eru visited a few days ago, he heard that Batson''s father was very busy. Eru did not want to press him, and just asked Batson to do what he could.

    "Eh, for some reason he was very interested when I was making it, and gave me a hand."

    Eru nodded in agreement. He thanked Batson and took ''that'' in his hand hurriedly. He tried out the size, weight, and balance, the finished product was no different from the design. The dwarves were incredible, their skills were truly astounding.

    "Alright, I completed it as you asked... it turned out weird, what do you plan to do with it?"

    "It will be quicker to show you."

    Eru tried wielding the ''staff'' and asked Batson for a place to test out magic. The two of them headed to the yard behind the smith shop, where a few target boards meant to test out swords were erected. Eru aimed at one and slashed at it, casting an intermediate wind spell just before it hit... Sonic Blade. He used the crystal catalyst on the staff to convert mana into physical form, emitting a shockwave from the blade and splitting the target cleanly in half. Eru took aim at the top half that was falling and casted an intermediate fire spell... Fireball. It connected with the target and exploded, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The incredible performance of the staff made Eru smile, but Batson was stunned.

    "How should I put this? It is too weird and out of this world."

    "Eh. Let¡¯s leave it at that. Batson, you did great! Seems that using magic in the future will be interesting!"

    "Eh, as long as you are happy."

    "By the way, can you make another one for me?"

    "Don''t be so shameless with your requests."

    Eru received the second bayonet staff that he wanted. These two bayonet staves officially named ''Winchester'' were kept in a specially made sheath worn around his waist. Eru kept them with him at all times.

    The completion of the gun staff, which was suitable for close quartres fighting and ranged combat, was the key to enhancing his mobility and firepower, influencing his fighting style greatly.

 Book 1: Chapter 3: Lets go to school

    Translators: Skythewood

    One day, Ernesti sat with his arms crossed in the living room at home, thinking with a serious expression. The reason was the letter spread on the table before him, with ''Laihiala Pilot Academy student prospectus'' written on the top. At the age of eight and a half years, he finally received an offer to attend Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    Eru''s family resided in Laihiala Academy City, named after the best educational facility in Fremmevira, Laihiala Pilot Academy. The education system was divided into three stages, primary school from age 9, middle school from age twelve, and high school from age 15, taking three years for each stage. Most students only complete the first six years of school because high school was similar to college on earth, intended for students who seek further specialised education. It was customary to recognise all those above the age of fifteen as adults. Most people started their career around the age of 18, but depending upon the circumstances, some may join the workforce at 15.

    Even though Laihiala Academy had the term ''pilot¡¯ in its name, not everyone enroled had the goal of being a Knight or a Knight runner. One reason was the sponsorship from the kingdom for primary and middle school education, so children from all social standings studied there. Fremmevira''s education system differed from modern compulsory education, a result of the special circumstances of the nation.

    Fremmevira was known as the ''Kingdom of Knights''. Its name sounded great, but it actually meant that ''battles'' occurred frequently. There was a large number of Demon beasts lurking on the outskirts of the nation, where the majority of the citizens were defenseless farmers working on the vast fields, making them vulnerable to attacks. The threat had always been there. In order to secure a steady supply of tax and food, protection of the farmers became an important policy to the nation, but Fremmevira did not plan to eradicate all of the Demon beasts because they appeared to be infinite.

    The Knights existed to protect the citizens, but there were lapses in their defence due to the large area under their protection. The Knights were usually deployed after the discovery of a Demon beast, which was a passive strategy. This meant that the citizens would be under threat before the Knights moved in, to intercept. With this historical background, at some point the farmers hoped to possess skills to protect themselves, which was fulfiled by the nation in short order, by setting up a ministry and related facilities to teach them the minimum combat techniques, and magic knowledge needed for defence. In the end, Fremmevira was not a peaceful nation; even the farmers needed to pick up weapons to defend themselves.

    There was opposition among the aristocrats ruling the country, on educating the lowly farmers to fight, but the policy remained in place to keep the nation running. Based on the results, the policy was a success. By pushing for a minimum standard of education among all people, it unified the citizens and their concept of pride as a nation. The improvement in domestic security was also a lucky bonus.

    With this back-story, a trend of setting up education facilities was started all over the country. Laihiala Pilot Academy took advantage of its geographic location near the Capital and enroled students who were peasants, merchants, and even nobles. The academy was thus divided into an agricultural faculty, a business faculty, a pilot faculty, etc. All majors included classes on combat techniques, but most of the curriculum was tailored to make the students employable. The school holds many different classes to accommodate the family circumstances of its students, as well. Students need to attend at least 3 years of class and achieve a certain level of proficiency to graduate.

    Chid and Ady sat beside Eru, who was studying the prospectus seriously. They had already flipped through the prospectus, and were eating the snacks on the table. When the snacks were almost gone, Eru was still deep in thought, which surprised them.

    "Hey, what''s troubling you? You wanted to be a Knight, right? Just take the Knighthood major."

    "Erm, that was my plan... But there is something bothering me."

    "Bothering you? Is it something like, ''the Knighthood major is too easy''?"

    "No, that''s not it... My goal from the very beginning was to be a Knight runner."

    Knights certified to ride on Silhouette Knights are known as Knight runners. Eru''s family knew about his ambition, and Chid and Ady had heard about it several times, too.

    "The number of Silhouette Knights is limited, and only the elites of the Knighthood major can become pilots. The Knighthood major will take 6 years to complete and is followed by the piloting course. When all of that is done, including the deployment process... It will be a long time before I am actually riding a Silhouette Knight."

    It is not easy to become a Knight runner; Silhouette Knights are ''weapons'', something created to protect the nation. That''s why, it requires years of training before it is possible to pilot one.

    Eru thought about it for a while and faced Mathias.

    "Father, I have a question, does the Knighthood major allow the skipping of grades?"

    Mathias frowned, his son had asked something difficult. He understood Eru''s worries and also knew how tough it would be.

    "With the efforts you put in, and your magical capabilities, that is certainly possible... but the Knighthood major is different. Not only are you tested on your sword and magic abilities, you will also go through ethics lessons, and you have never learned about ethics officially, correct?"

    This was a blind spot. Mathias continued with a troubled expression:

    "Silhouette Knight pilot training is the final class before you enter pilot school. Students usually enroll at age 15... But for you... eh, if you are not tall enough, there won''t be a suitable machine for you to pilot."

    Everyone looked at Eru, and the scene fell into a hellish silence. Eru was smaller than the peers in his age group, which was obvious compared to the Olter siblings beside him. But no one thought this would be important.

    Eru looked down in utter disappointment. He would need to wait 7 more years to pilot the giant robots of his dreams. He didn''t mind waiting, but no one would blame him for thinking the process would take too long. But not everything will go your way. Eru wanted to change the mood in the room, when he felt a shadow loom over him. He lifted his head and saw Tina standing before him.

    "I''m sorry, Eru. Because you look like me... your height..."

    Seeing his mother rubbing his head with an apologetic face, Eru opened his eyes wide and shook his head.

    "That''s not it! Mother, it doesn''t matter! I am still young, and this is not the only way..."

    Eru stopped suddenly as he remembered something, surprised by his own words and closed his mouth slowly. This inspiration gave birth to a new possibility.

    "...That''s right; this is not the only way. I was too focused on piloting and wasted too much time. I should be spending my efforts in the right place..."

    Tina tilted her head in confusion, as she watched Eru slowly raise his head with resolve.

    "I can just make one myself."

    "Make what?"

    Chid asked on reflex when he heard Eru''s fragmented words.

    "A Silhouette Knight. I will make one myself."

    "... Ah?"

    "...E...Eru? Are you serious?"

    Eru looked more determined than ever. His words were too surprising; everyone in the room didn''t know what to say.

    "Wait... Wait a minute, what do you mean... by making?"

    "I mean literally. All my actions thus far are based on piloting, but now that I think about it, I won''t get my personal machine this way."

    Everyone was stunned, was Eru thinking of hogging a Silhouette Knight for himself? Aside from a handful of powerful nobles and merchants, no one owned a personal Silhouette Knight. Creating and maintaining one would require enormous funds and manpower, going the pilot route is a short cut compared to this. That is the common sense of this world, but for the robot nerd from an alternate world, Eru didn''t care about all that.

    "That''s right, isn''t it? The machine issued by the kingdom cannot be modified too drastically! Why didn''t I think about something so basic? A custom Silhouette Knight is the way to go. I will need related knowledge to modify one completely anyway... I overlooked this."

    Chid and Ady put their hands on their foreheads when they saw Eru''s evil smile, they knew that this was bad. The normal Eru would always act maturely with a casual air. But he had an unbelievably passionate side to him too, erupting unexpectedly. Chid and Ady felt that they were looking at Eru''s true obsessive nature.

    "You''re doing it for real? Eru..."

    "Yes! I am sure that I will be wasting my time if I carry on this way. Setting the goal of building one myself will be a good hobby, and is more practical than saving money and buying one, right?"

    Chid thought either choice would be crazy, but he chose silence intelligently. Mathias glanced at the uninterested Chid and said sternly:

    "Eru... I understand how you feel, but it is not as simple as you think."

    "I know, father. But if possible, I want a personal Silhouette Knight, so I am going to do all I can."

    "I see... alright, then. But, work hard on your Knight lessons, too."

    "I will. I really want to be a pilot, so I won''t take it lightly."

    Eru had no hesitation on his face. Ady started patting Eru''s head for some reason, moving from being stunned to being impressed.

    "Well, you are really willing to do whatever it takes for your goal."

    "... I am a bit concerned with the way you put it, but there is no reason to give up when there are choices for me to take."

    "Amazing. Eru looks so cute, but is so passionate."

    Because of how I look, normal methods won''t work on me.

    Eru looked out the window; he could see the facility that took up half the space in the city... Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    "Well... I am looking forward to the day I go to school in Laihiala."

    Mathias and Tina smiled at each other; they didn''t want to see their son depressed. Even though his goal was ridiculous, if it is Eru, he can definitely strive towards it wholeheartedly.

    "... I don''t want to lose, Eru is too amazing."

    "Chid?"

    "Noth... Nothing. Okay, let''s work hard to be Knights!"

    "Yeah!"

    Chid and Ady had decided to major in Knighthood, too. The three of them wanted to work hard on their goal together at Laihiala Pilot Academy, and looked forward to their campus life in the future.

    == C.E. 1274

    The season changed to spring, the time for Laihiala Pilot Academy to welcome new students.

    Laihiala Pilot Academy didn''t only take in students from Laihiala city but also from the Capital, the neighbouring city, and all over the nation. Taking into account the possibility of a Demon beast attacks and traffic conditions, most of the students leave for academy city early, so new faces could be seen around the dormitory in recent days.

    On the morning of the entrance ceremony, Ernesti, Archid, and Adeltrud walked to campus along with Batson. With the dormitory filled with students from foreign countries, local students usually commuted to school from home.

    Laihiala Academy City was surrounded by a giant city wall, but Laihiala Pilot Academy had a wall of its own. Although its purpose was to demarcate the campus grounds, with the vast amount of land that makes up the academy, the continuous line of walls extended to the streets, becoming a well-known landmark.

    "Now that I think about it, I have gotten used to the wall but have never gone in..."

    "You can go in as much as you like from now on."

    "That''s right."

    The group walked along the wall and reached the tall school gates shortly. This was the main entrance into the academy. Because the piloting students will ride on Silhouette Knights, the gates were adjusted to accommodate their height. The door was wide open for the entrance ceremony.

    The four of them were about to enter excitedly when Eru suddenly stopped. Chid, Ady, and Batson looked back with surprise, but understood when they saw the things beside the gates. On either side of the main gate were Silhouette Knights, welcoming all of the visitors and incoming students. The group had to drag Eru, who looked like he was about to prostrate himself before them, away and entered the academy.

    The most important part of the schedule was the entrance ceremony. The ceremony mostly consisted of listening to speeches given by the teachers. After lunch, the teachers would lead their students away, and give them a brief introduction to the content of the course. Although they were divided into various faculties, primary school focused more on the basics, with common modules across the whole school year. The division was very vague, and the contents only start to vary during middle school.

    The entrance ceremony was held in the grand hall. The group gazed in awe at the gigantic scale of the campus, but Eru, who had visited his father''s workplace before, knew the way and walked confidently towards the grand hall, while the other three desperately chased after him to keep the short Eru in sight.

    "It''s great that we don''t need others to lead us, but it is easy to lose track of Eru. He is really small."

    "Right, it would be easier to locate him if he was taller, but that''s fine. He is cuter this way!"

    "I didn''t grow much either."

    Eru couldn''t stand them being so noisy and spoke up.

    "I''m going to leave Chid and Ady behind."

    "Ah, I have an idea! We won''t lose Eru if I hug him right?"

    "I''m not okay with that."

    As the group was joking around, the grand hall was already overflowing with people when they arrived. Everyone here was a new student, as expected of the largest educational institute in the nation. They thought it would be too crowded to even stand in the grand hall, but they somehow found some seats. The school had already anticipated this overwhelming crowd.

    The ceremony began in the grand hall filled with tense freshmen.

    Grandfather of Ernesti... Dean Lauri Echevarria started off the address, followed by esteemed members of the academy. The four children who listened to the speech with their backs straight started to feel irritated as the event dragged on. Although they displayed patience uncommon for children, they still had bored expressions by the end of the ceremony. Fortunately, the torment stopped before noon. With the end of the speeches, the entrance ceremony drew to a close, and the freshmen filed out of the grand hall.

    It was lunch time, so the group headed for the school canteen. Some people bought food there; others took out their lunch boxes. Upperclassmen, who were familiar with the place headed to the eateries outside the campus. Everyone settled down to eat their lunch in their own way, but the cafeteria remained crowded. In this chaos, a prominent group sat in a corner of the canteen.

    One of them was a pretty girl, who had short, silvery hair with a hint of purple.

    The other two had unkempt black hair and wavy shoulder-length black hair, a boy and girl who shared a similar feeling.

    The last was a young dwarf who had reddish brown hair.

    From afar, the members of this group had nothing in common. Even though the group drew many curious glances, no one had the courage to approach them.

    "The canteen is incredibly crowded."

    "But we found a place to sit immediately, which is great."

    "They offered their seats to us immediately... I wonder why?"

    Eru chatted with Batson as he ate his crepe covered in pie crust. It was a mini crepe with pie crust that was easy to carry, and fitted nicely into Eru''s small hand. Ady looked very pleased, as she watched Eru eat the biscuit in silence.

    "Are there speeches in the afternoon? They are too long winded."

    "Doesn''t matter, you didn¡¯t listen to them anyway Chid. Didn''t you fall asleep?"

    "Let''s eat our lunch first. There are lots of people here, so we should finish up and let others sit, too."

    There were empty seats at their table. Eru felt embarrassed that no one else was sitting with them. At this moment, a female student ignored all of this, and walked towards them.

    Her blonde hair swayed as she walked in confident strides, causing a small commotion among the students. It was rare for her to show up here after all. She sat in the empty chair as if they were planning to meet up.

    She was obviously older than Eru and the others, an upperclassman. There was no standard uniform in Laihiala Pilot Academy. Her clothes seemed to be low profile but well made, with accessories that didn''t hinder her movements. Eru guessed she must have come from a well off family, either a daughter of wealthy merchants or aristocrats.

    There were two types of reaction from them: Eru and Batson looked at the stranger with confusion, while Chid and Ady held their breath and stared at her. Those were not passionate eyes for a beautiful lady, but bashful eyes. Eru didn''t understand this, but he was certain the girl had connections with the twins.

    The pretty girl who came uninvited smiled as she looked at the tense twins, then faced Eru and Batson. Her smile became gentler as she introduced herself.

    "Hello my cute friend. My name is Stefania Serrati. What about you?"

    Eru was lost for a moment, but he put down his half bitten biscuit, sat properly and replied:

    "I am Ernesti Echevarria, this is Batson Termonen, as for these two..."

    "It''s fine, I''m already acquainted with them. Archid, Adeltrud, long time no see, I''m glad you are both healthy."

    Stefania had been smiling gently the entire time, but Chid tensed up his normally sleepy face and said:

    "Long time no see, Stefania onee-sama."

    The stiff tone didn''t sound like something Chid would normally use. Stefania''s face collapsed, but she regained her smile immediately.

    "... Both of you are at the age where you are attending school at Laihiala. Since we have the opportunity to study at the same school, why don''t you visit me?"

    "Stefania onee-sama is in the third year of primary school, right? Oh yeah, Baltsar onii-sama is studying here, too?"

    "Right, he is majoring in Knighthood, 2nd year of primary school, you will have the chance to meet him soon."

    Compared to Stefania''s attitude, the demeanour of the twins was weird. Chid was stiff in his tone while Ady was uncharacteristically quiet. It seemed like they had family ties, but it felt unnatural. Batson routinely switched his gaze from one member to the next in this awkward atmosphere. Everyone had stopped eating. Suddenly, Eru finished his biscuit aggressively, contrary to his small stature. He ignored the surprised stares of others, wiped his mouth and smiled.

    "Alright, we have finished our food. The cafeteria is too crowded, and it''s not considerate to hog the table, let''s go somewhere else. What do you think?"

    "... Ri... Right. Both of you are majoring in Knighthood? There will be plenty of chances for us to meet, let''s chat slowly next time."

    Stefania, who had a regrettable expression, patted Eru''s head for some reason before leaving. The four baffled children were left behind. Batson wanted to clarify things, but Eru said that lunch break was over, and they should head for the classroom. He forcefully left his seat and left. Batson wasn''t satisfied, but he still went towards the crafting faculty, while the trio moved towards the Knighthood department with an awkward atmosphere.

    There was nothing worth mentioning about the afternoon¡¯s freshmen welcome activities. They were simply briefed on the schedule for the future, and the contents for lessons tomorrow. After orientation, everyone was dismissed, and the students prepared to leave.

    Even now, Chid and Ady still seemed troubled. They were not joking like usual, instead, they were unfocused and had an awkward air about them. On the way home, Eru led the way and told them:

    "I don''t know the details, but don''t be depressed. Class is starting tomorrow, so training will be cancelled for today, take a break."

    Chid and Ady stopped. "Eh, Eru." Chid called out with a calm resolve.

    "What is it?"

    "Aren''t you going to ask, erm, about her?"

    "If you feel the need to share, I will listen."

    The air about the twins visibly eased. They looked at each other as if to confirm something. After a while, Chid started:

    "Eru, we have something we need tell you."

    "Alright, let''s talk in my room."

    And so, the trio left campus and headed for Eru''s place, to his room. As this is the place where they hold their magic lessons, the two were familiar with it. They sat on the table and bed as usual, but the difference was that they were quiet. After a while, Chid began:

    "Ah... Erm, simply put, our father is an impressive noble."

    After being silent for so long, those words were too direct. Eru blinked and asked:

    "So you are aristocrats? But you two have not done anything noble like? And, even joined me for training."

    "It''s complicated... actually not. Our mother is not the noble''s wife but a mistress."

    "Erm, because mother is easygoing, she says she doesn¡¯t mind being a mistress since she has us."

    "Father''s wife... well, is very jealous and conscious of others."

    "Even if she doesn¡¯t like mother, her pride prevents her from feuding with a simple mistress."

    Even Eru wasn''t sure how to react, so he simply nodded.

    "Mother is too obedient, doing everything to appease others. In the end, madam didn¡¯t allow us to live under the same roof as her, making a big scene."

    "And, we were given a place to live, that''s why we moved here. The living expenses are handled by father."

    "Eh, that''s how it is... Stefania Onee-sama that you met earlier is the daughter of madam."

    "Tiffa-nee is alright, but the problem is with the other two brothers. The younger brother is very irritating."

    "He likes to go on a power trip, bullying us because we are scions of a mistress. Just like Madam."

    The two of them complained nonstop and ended with a big sigh. Their expressions twisted when they mentioned the brother, making it easy to imagine all of the things that happened between them.

    "This brother you mentioned is in Laihiala?"

    "Correct. He is one year older than us, so he is in the second year of primary school."

    "I see. I have a feeling that there will be trouble."

    Chid nodded firmly. It''s not a premonition; Chid knew that there would definitely be trouble. The life at the main house flashed in his mind. He had to bear with the oppression and the hardships back then, so he didn''t spend too much time reminiscing.

    "We are still grateful towards father for providing us with the living expenses. But..."

    "If they leave us alone, we won''t trouble them either. But they like to mess with us and can''t stand us."

    They probably recalled unpleasant memories, Chid was gesturing furiously while Ady said moodily.

    "Since Tiffa-nee knows... That guy will probably come soon. If you are with us, you might get caught up in this too..."

    Ady was depressed when she said this. Her usual confidence had disappeared. Because she usually gives off a bubbly impression, the gap appeared wider.

    "I understand the gist of it. So what''s next?"

    Eru was standing before they had realised it.

    "... What do you... mean by next?"

    "Do you plan to defend, ignore them, or attack?"

    "Oh, should be attack... Hey!"

    Chid unconsciously went along and was shocked. Eru smiled as he usually did when he is talking about dangerous things. Even Chid, who knew that Eru was not just a pretty face backed off.

    "What is with you all of a sudden? I am glad you are my friend, you would be terrifying as an enemy."

    "You are helping us? As expected of Eru! You are so reliable, but this is our family problem. We can''t trouble you."

    "That''s right. I have no idea how much I can interfere, but I don''t plan to seeing my friends so troubled. Just call me whenever you need me, I will be there."

    "... Okay, we''re counting on you!"

    Chid and Ady nodded confidently, they were smiling once again. Eru looked at them and thought:

    I didn''t expect them to be nobles. Their sister didn''t seem to hate them... why is that? No matter what, it seems there will be trouble...

    Eru thought about it from an outsider''s point of view, keeping this matter to heart. The upcoming school days will be more chaotic than he imagined.

    After the tumultuous entrance ceremony, they started their school life the next day.

    There were no scheduled lessons today either, because the briefing took up half the day. This was extremely boring for the 9 year old kids who just enrolled. Most people paid no heed to the teacher''s presentation, and the atmosphere was clearly screaming ''won''t it end already'' for all to see. But one student was excited about a few trivial details.

    There¡­ There is such a course...

    That''s right, it was Ernesti Echevarria. And the matter that gave him such a big impact? It was the flimsy piece of paper in his hands. A table was drawn neatly on it, the timetable for all classes, probably basic information given out by the school to all freshmen. What did he learn from the timetable?

    ...There is a... ''Silhouette Knight Design Basics'' course...!? But the timetable he was holding with his trembling hands did not belong to the Knighthood major for primary school. You can infer from the name that this course is meant for Knightsmith students, who are aiming to build and maintain Silhouette Knights. It is catered for students in their 2nd year of middle school (around 13 years old), and this course had nothing to do with Eru who was majoring in Knighthood.

    But, after reading such tempting words, the out of control speeding train... Ernesti will definitely go for it. He confirmed the Knight faculty timetable, and in the same time slot was one of the most important courses for Knighthood majors... fundamental magic.

    I must attend this course no matter what... this class is in the way...!

    Suddenly, the teacher on the lectern felt a strange sensation, as if a starving beast had made its way into the classroom, sending a prickling sensation down his back. He shivered, stopped his lecture and looked around the room, but he could only see a bunch of unmotivated kids, there was no famished beast here. The teacher shook his head and decided to treat it as a false alarm.

    He overlooked the fired up, petite student hidden in the crowd.

    The Knighthood courses that they are studying has two types, Fundamental Knight courses and Generic courses. The Generic courses are the same as other majors, while the Knight courses focus on magic knowledge, mana training, and swordsmanship.

    Generally speaking, human magic is classified into elementary, intermediate, and advanced according to its power and ease of control.

    As most citizens know elementary magic, they are also known as ''common spells''. Hence, intermediate and advanced spells are recognised as real magic. Faculties aside from Knighthood majors strive to be at the intermediate level. Since advanced magic is also dependent on the depth of one''s mana pool, only Knighthood majors learn it. Ernesti knew through experience that increasing the mana pool requires plenty of effort. Hence, joining combat related careers such as Knights requires a lot of effort in mana training. Allocating more time on mana training than other courses is the unique feature of the Knighthood faculty.

    And so, the day to attend Fundamental Magic class arrived.

    This was a memorable first lesson. The lesson was not conducted in the classroom as the students needs to be tested to determine their magical abilities, and to be divided into different groups.

    Eru''s trio had already learned magic before enrolment, so their foundations were strong. Apart from them, there were some who had learned the basics, too, so they would be in a different class from those without any magical training. The newbies were placed in the ''general class'', while the experienced ones were placed in the ''advanced class''. Advanced class might sound impressive, but the only difference with the general class is the experience. Regardless, advanced class students were viewed as elites anyway.

    This was because the advanced class had kids from noble clans and merchant families, who were able to receive education in sword and magic before enrolment. This meant that they had a certain standard of wealth. In a way, Ernesti, with his family background in the education field, and his disciples, Archid and Adeltrud, were exceptions.

    The chattering students followed the teacher to the sports arena. The fastest method to test magic capabilities was for the students to use them, and to cast destructive spells, they need to move to a specialised training ground surrounded by walls. The classmates gathered in groups of twos or threes, surveying the straw man targets wearing old armour, rearing to go.

    On the surface, this was just an introductory class. They wouldn''t be scrutinised because of their magic abilities at this stage, but it was a chance to show off and garner fame, if they performed better than their peers. A lot of the advanced class students had confidence in their abilities. Everyone was in high spirits and did their best because of this.

    One of the students casted a Fireball, an intermediate level fire spell. An orange magical sphere appeared from the staff, hitting the target with blazes trailing behind it. True to its name, the magic exploded in a ball of flames upon impact [Note: Kanji is Explode Fire Ball]. The armour retained its shape but was scorched black, showing the explosive power of the blast. The students were in an uproar after witnessing this scene, very few freshmen knew intermediate spells before starting school and have mastery over the powerful Fireball. But Fireball was an impressive spell and drains a lot of mana, the boy was already at his limits after casting it. He was panting roughly, almost to the point of mana exhaustion, but he still looked very pleased.

    The teacher supervising the exercise held high hopes for this batch. With such mastery of magic upon enrolment, he would become an elite magician if he puts in the effort at school. The teacher tried not to display this thought on his face, and continuing to record the results in silence.

    "Everyone seems used to Fireball, should we do something like that, too?"

    "Right... Ah, Eru, what do you want to do?"

    Archid folded his arms lazily, standing some distance away from the area that was filled with excitement. Adeltrud hugged Eru as usual, as she conversed with him. She realised Eru was not being himself. Eru always gave off a gentle air, now he had a stern expression as if he was going to a battlefield. Ady tilted her head in confusion, her past experience tells her that Eru will only make such a serious face when Silhouette Knights are involved, but she had no idea how it is related to the magic test that is going on right now.

    The test continued. Next up was finally Eru¡¯s turn. His stature was petite, compared to his classmates, but his expression was stern like never before, and he had a serious atmosphere about him. Eru spoke when he got into position.

    "Teacher, I have a selfish request."

    "Hmm? What is it?"

    The sudden question surprised the teacher.

    "If the results of the test exceeds the contents of the class by a large margin, can I be exempted from taking this course?"

    "... What are you talking about?"

    Eru''s strange words stunned the teacher. He frowned deeply when he realised what Eru meant.

    "...Ernesti Echevarria? What do you mean? Refusing to attend lessons? This joke is not funny..."

    "No, I am very serious. I have another class that I wish to attend, so it will be a big help if I am exempt from this course."

    The teacher was dumbstruck. He had been a teacher for quite some time, but he had never seen a student so confident before. It might be okay for a middle schooler, but a freshman in primary school? The teacher wouldn''t allow this request easily.

    "How bold of you, I won''t accept it so easily. Ah, right, since you said that, at least show me advanced magic. Then I will think about it."

    "So it will dependent on my results? I heard that very clearly..."

    The students around them listened to the conversation and anticipated a good show. Most of them just wanted to watch the drama, but only Chid and Ady knew of Eru''s strength and the inevitable results, they looked at each other.

    The teacher was also hinting that punishment will follow if Eru failed, and deliberately made things difficult for Eru. But the teacher did not realise that he was facing a demon who wanted to give his whole life to Silhouette Knight designing; Eru would give his all without hesitation.

    Eru started to construct the magical script in the virtual region in his brain... the magius circuit. He pushed his amazing calculation abilities, starting the processing sequence. He drew out Winchester from his waist, casting spells along the wake of his staff... Piercing Lance. This was a type of compressed fire spell, focusing the explosion on impact in one direction, increasing the piercing power of Fireball. And, he did not just activate one, there were ten Piercing Lances appearing one after another in the air.

    After completing the deployment of the Piercing Lances in short order, he took aim at the target, firing them off simultaneously. The long and thin flaming spears were right on target, and the armoured target was hit repeatedly. The narrow interior of the armour was heated intensely after being pierced on impact, the straw man was instantly torn apart. The armour could not withstand the devastating heat and melted in a red glow before finally exploding.

    The teacher and students were speechless, unable to believe their eyes. Piercing Lance was an intermediate spell but was a higher level spell than Fireball. Constructing the script in such a short time and activating 10 of them was not a simple task. And amazingly, Eru didn''t seem fatigued after casting such a powerful spell. This means that the mana cost of the Piercing Lances was not a burden on Eru''s mana pool. This was not something a freshman, who had just enrolled in yesterday, could achieve.

    This was more than enough, but Eru kept his word. He lifted his other Winchester... different from the one he used to cast Piercing Lance. The next script had been completed in his mind, a complicated and orderly spell, conjuring a magic much stronger than Piercing Lance.

    The air around them started to shift, forming a tornado in an instant. It went straight for the target from Eru''s position with a large howl. The strong wind would definitely have blown the straw man away if they hadn''t been nailed to the ground. The furious wind and rumbling thunder resonated within everyone''s ears. The lightning created by magic was much more destructive than the Piercing Lances, turning the armour into dust with one strike.

    Thundering Gale... A melded magic using wind and lightning sigils, a real Advanced Spell.

    Eru started training from age 5, so casting these series of spells, including advanced spells, was not a burden on him, and he was not even out of breath. When he looked back, he saw a startled expression. The teacher was slack-jawed and stiff. Eru smiled happily and said to the teacher:

    "How was that teacher? Do you agree to exempt me from this course?"

    "...Eh? Ah, yes, do what you want."

    No one protested or challenged his decision. And so, Eru earned the freedom to work towards a bright future.

    Everyone stared from afar at the pleased Eru, who gained victory with his overwhelming abilities. Even Chid and Ady looked at the target that was blown away with blank eyes.

    "He made such a big scene, he was totally into it."

    "Yeah, he can skip this class and attend the Silhouette design module of his dreams!"

    "He was willing to go this far... Anyone who gets in his way will be burnt to ashes..."

    Ady said as she backed away. Chid pulled her back with a bitter smile.

    "That''s wrong. He is not taking it easy because he has a goal, right? I will blow the target away too."

    Chid rolled his shoulders gleefully with anticipation. Eru gave him a warning despite what he did:

    "Don''t mind me, but is it okay for you to stand out? You have an irritating brother here, right? Do you plan to challenge him?"

    "What are you saying, after causing such a commotion? Like I said, we will stand out with you around anyway."

    "I think ... you are spot on, I can''t deny that."

    "Right? I will be right back."

    "Take care... Work hard!"

    The training ground hadn''t recovered yet, from the disaster caused by Eru, everyone looked at Chid with sympathetic eyes when he stepped onto the field without a care in the world. No one wanted to be next, right after Eru''s unbelievable magic display. Chid knew this, but still entered with his head held high.

    My tutor is amazing. It will be hard to catch up to him. I have to put on a good show, too!

    For Chid who studied under Eru, he was used to Eru''s shenanigans and knew he couldn''t match Eru yet. That why, he couldn''t hold anything back.

    Chid steadied himself, closed his eyes, and started to construct a script with his magius circuit. To be honest, he was more proficient in power type spells, so he chose to use one. He drew up the staff he favoured and held it high, then pointed it at the target. The mana and script streaming into the crystal catalyst made the red orb glow brightly. He chose to cast a single shot spell, an intermediate spell more powerful than Piercing Lance... Flame Strike.

    An oval shaped magic sphere flew out with a spectacular trailing blaze, causing a bigger explosion than fireball. The reverberating sound acted like a signal, drawing the attention of everyone present back to the arena.

    "... Wahhh!"

    Chid fired a second shot, the two overlapping explosions blew the targets away. For him, two shots were the limit of his mana pool. He was unsteady on his feet from fatigue, but he still smiled and passed the baton to the next person... Ady.

    "You are still the same, only going for brute force... My turn!"

    Chid and Ady were twins, but their strengths differed widely. Unlike Chid who was good with power, Ady specialised in intrinsic control. She carefully constructed the script, held her magic staff with both hands and aimed at the target. A dazzling lightning appeared the next second, piercing the target with the rumble of thunder. She chose the intermediate spell of the lightning architect sigil... Riot Sparrow.

    As depicted by its name [Note: Kanji is Lightning Javelin], Riot Sparrow changes lightning into the form of a javelin before firing it at the target. Lightning spells are powerful, but it is hard for the caster to direct it accurately. Increasing the accuracy adds additional burden on the caster, and along with its difficult control makes people view it as a higher class of magic compared to others. From the aftermath, the trio displayed incredible capabilities.

    They ignored the atmosphere in the arena, high fiving each other in celebration. Ady hugged Eru and twirled around while Chid was so tired he couldn''t stand up straight. Compared to the casual trio, the other advanced students felt uneasy. They were thinking:

    What are we going to do, if we take classes with these three incredible people?

    As previously mentioned, the advanced class had many scions of aristocrats and merchants, a bunch of children with large amounts of pride. Their childishness and immature pride angers others easily, but the scene before them was too amazing, shattering their young pride and competitiveness. They gave up and sighed deeply. Eru and the twins didn''t care about their depressed classmates. Their classmates¡¯ troubles were just beginning.

    That fundamental magic class was seen as a catastrophe. A few days later, Batson led his petite childhood friend and repeated for the one hundredth and first time.

    "Ah... it''s that way, that''s the classroom you want... But, are you really going to study there?"

    Laihiala Pilot Academy had many grades and faculties, so it needs plenty of classrooms and facilities. Because the campus was divided by grades and faculties, a lot of students would only meet each other at the canteen during breaks.

    "Of course, how can I miss such an interesting class? Ah, here will be far enough, Batson."

    "Yeah..."

    Batson watched the youth enter the classroom and remained baffled.

    "But this is the crafting faculty, and that is a middle school classroom..."

    The atmosphere before class began was casual, some were preparing for the next lesson, some were working on their assignments, and others were just chatting lazily.

    "Quiet please, class is beginning... It seems very quiet today."

    The teacher said the usual as he entered the room, but he noticed that something was wrong and stopped. The students were usually noisy and rowdy before class started. To be craftsmen requires a practical attitude. In other words, it is better to try it out instead of thinking about it. There was nothing wrong with this line of thought, but that meant a lot of them just couldn''t sit still.

    For these students, this lecture based class was unpopular. It was rare for his charges to be quiet before the teacher arrived. He might have felt moved, but instead, he felt that something was out of place. The 40 odd years old teacher surveyed the students in the room and noticed that they were staring at the same spot. He followed their line of sight and saw the culprit of this abnormal situation.

    "... What are you doing here?"

    The teacher asked the student sitting in the middle of the front row, who did not belong here.

    It was a young and small sized boy, nothing like a middle schooler. Because the middle school desk was too large for him, he had to kneel on his chair. His position was upright and proper, with the text book ''Fundamentals of Silhouette Knights Design'' on his lap, waiting excitedly for the class to begin.

    This scene was warming, but contrasted with the situation in reality. This was a classroom in middle school, not a place for primary school students.

    "I''m here for the lesson."

    "I see, because the class is about to begin. But that''s not what I meant. You don''t look like a middle schooler."

    "I am a primary school student from the Knighthood faculty. I came because I want to attend this course."

    Their conversation was going in circles, but the teacher, who was firm, warned Eru calmly.

    "Well, it is good to be passionate about your studies, but there are classes for Knighthood majors, right? You should come after you finish that class."

    "It''s okay. I knew all the contents of that class. The teachers are fine with exempting me. You can confirm this with them."

    "... Is that so? Then, that¡¯s fine. Alright, let''s continue with the topic from the previous lesson, regarding the structure of Silhouette Knights..."

    All the students retorted in their heart: ¡°How is that fine!", but the teacher decided that he would lose, if he felt bothered by Eru and carried on teaching adamantly.

    The outsider who hogged the first row, Ernesti Echevarria, glanced at the teacher and opened the textbook happily, preparing to take notes. Being so pleased because of a lesson, the middle schoolers felt too lazy to retort. And so, the crafting faculty accepted this outsider and the course somehow carried on smoothly.

    "Before dabbling in the design of Silhouette Knights, you have to familiarise yourself with the structure, this is a simple rationale. But what needs to be done specifically? That is hard to answer. One of the reasons is the difficulty in constructing the Silhouette Knights. It requires crafting, magic, and alchemy, so there is a lot to learn, meaning the problem is with the amount of studying materials. That is why only people, who are going to make Silhouette Knights, Knightsmiths, will learn how to design them. Knight runners won''t have the time to learn all of this knowledge."

    That might be true, but we can''t apply this to the boy intruding into the crafting faculty... Ernesti. He is a robot nerd whose obsession wasn''t even cured after reincarnation. He read volumes of robot designs and specification, even memorising the name and models of robots. If you teach the method of crafting a giant robot to this guy, what do you think will happen? He will treat the textbook as a bible and study it religiously, preparing for lessons and revising the topic until perfection, going beyond the scope of the lesson and researching tons of information. His attitude is great, but his burning passion makes the middle schoolers, who are older than him back away.

    "... Comparing the current military model Karrdator and the previous generation Salodrea..."

    As Eru listened to the teacher''s explanation, he flipped his textbook. He always sat in the middle of the front row, and after a few lessons, that became his permanent seat.

    The elderly teacher scribbled on the blackboard with the clear sound of chalk, listing the basic structure of the Silhouette Knights. This includes the 5 main crucial elements... The ''magius engine'' acting as the brain, the ''ether reactor'' that serves as the heart, the ''crystal tissue'' simulating muscles, the ''inner skeleton'' reinforcing the structure, and the ''outer skin'' as the armour.

    "As everyone knows, these two models have similar ether reactors; the difference in power output lies in the crystal tissues..."

    The Silhouette Knights are powered by the mana produced from the ether reactor. The ether reactor converts the ether in the world into mana, simulating the organic functions of living things in the form of machines. As long as there is ether around it, this device can keep on running. Normally, the mana produced by the reactor will turn back to ether and spread it into the atmosphere. Hence, there is a need for ether to circulate within the crystal tissues to maintain its form as mana.

    Crystal tissues are crystal catalysts, that has been modified through alchemy, and able to change its shape under the influence of specific scripts and mana. Apart from using it as the muscles of the Silhouette Knights, this property also allows it to be used as mana batteries.

    "The script in the magius engine has been refined, but the improvement is not significant. Because of its ruggedness, it has been used for over 300 years without major changes..."

    The magius engine is responsible for controlling the heart and muscles. It contains gigantic and complicated magic scripts, allowing the pilot to control the Silhouette Knights.

    The inner skeleton and outer skin are simply a metallic frame and armour. But current technology cannot create the skeletons of the gigantic humanoid robots as a single entity. They have to be made from the combination of smaller parts, wielded together with physical boost magic and scripts to support its weight. This allows the Silhouette Knights to look tougher in its defence, but creates a flaw with the body being unable to support its own weight without a constant supply of magic.

    Silhouette Knights simulate the functions of living beings, an existence created by the combined efforts of crafting, magic, and alchemy.

    "Please turn to the next page. This covers the Silhouette arms of the Silhouette Knights. Although it is not directly related to the design, but this is still important, so please study this part carefully."

    Silhouette arms refer to the ranged attack equipment used by Silhouette Knights. Surprisingly, the Silhouette Knights, which are a combination of magical components, are not able to use ranged magic on their own. The magius engine can only be used to move the Silhouette Knight itself, and does not include the ranged attack function. The Knight runner is required to construct a magic script when spells are needed.

    Of course, casting magic at the level of Silhouette Knights... known as Overt spells... is impossible for humans. There are rare cases where an individual is able to process the magic, but constructing the script needs time and cannot be used in actual battle. For Silhouette Knights to use overt spells in the heat of a fight, the magic script has to be prepared in advance.

    "For people aiming to be Knightsmiths such as yourself, there is no need to study ''Emblem Graph'', but you must master the script at the level of Culverin."

    Emblem graph doesn''t construct magic through the use of scripts, like the magius circuit of living beings. Emblems are drawn on the exterior of objects, which are then used to cast spells... It uses the theory that scripts can be visualised in the form of a pattern. When using emblem graph to cast magic, the mana can be channelled directly to the object the emblem is grafted on, in order to activate it. It appears to be a convenient technique so far, but because drawing the script needs a large physical area, it will run into the problem of the equipment being too cumbersome. If you take into account the difficulty and the effort required to make them, the emblems are not really marketable to citizens.

    But the advantage of using the emblem graph is the ability to prepare any spell as long as there is enough space. You just need to provide the power and the spells can be used without much control. Simply put, this technique is suitable for the gigantic Silhouette Knights, which are made from the combination of magical components; the only disadvantage is that each emblem can only use one spell. That is why the army created a variety of Silhouette arms in order to deal with different situations. It is common to see a Silhouette Knight going into battle with several arsenals on its back.

    A bell in the distance rang when the class reached this point, announcing the end of the lesson.

    "Ara, time is up so I will stop here. Remember to revise today''s content... Ernesti, please ''have mercy'' on us."

    Ernesti watched the teacher leave after uttering these words, he was uncertain what he did wrong. He took plenty of notes today as well. By the way, his progress has already exceeded normal students by months.

    After finishing classes for the day, Ernesti returned home and took out his books to revise the content of the day''s lesson. Although he meets up with Chid and Ady for training occasionally, he prefers to head home and review whenever there are Silhouette Knights design classes.

    Eru learned a lot from the class. Thanks to that, he gradually grasped the basics of Silhouette Knight designing. But the more he understood, the more questions he has for the parts beyond the basics. In the construction of Silhouette Knights, the crucial elements, such as crystal tissues, inner skeleton, and outer skin, are subjected to a lot of wear and tear. Because of this, the country invested heavily in the education of engineers and alchemists. This ensures that forts at the front lines, and towns with appropriate facilities can supply the Silhouette Knights with the necessary parts. A lot of crafting faculty students, apart from Eru had actual experience in crafting. But the details about the magius engine and the ether reactor... the heart and soul of Silhouette Knights are classified. The lesson covered their functions, but their interior structure remained a mystery.

    Silhouette Knights are a major military force for the nation, but it is problematic for normal citizens to possess. Its distribution is controlled by the government, and the construction methods of the core parts are national secrets. Even the ''kingdom of Knights'', Fremmevira, is strict about this. Withholding the crafting method led to a drop in production efficiency, so it cannot be mass produced, making the value of each Silhouette Knight sky rocket. Silhouette Knights are treated as expensive tactical weapons because of this.

    "...That might be the case, but I am not worried about the magius engine."

    It is already known that the magius engine is used to control the movement of the whole robot. That means similar scripts can emulate this. Simply put, Eru intends to hack into the magius engine. It was an idea Eru had come up with, because of his incredible processing ability and background in software engineering. But he can''t do anything when it involves something that is not dependent on theory, emulating the fundamentals of magic in this world, the heart of magic technology... the ether reactor.

    "But... without more clues, I will come to a bottleneck... After all, ''that world'' doesn''t have the concept of ether."

    Uguu, Eru frowned and rolled around in bed.

    He understood one thing from class; the ether reactor was made from a special mineral called ''Elven ore''. But the mining and methods used are unknown, all information regarding fairy stones are kept secret. Although Eru''s goal was to build his own Silhouette Knight, the worst case scenario was to buy an ether reactor. But even so, the price of ether reactors made the plan impractical.

    "Eh, no use worrying about it. Let''s start researching from what I already know."

    Eru mumbled and returned to his desk. The notes he took did not have any blank space, so he took out another self-study notebook. He dipped his pen in ink and immersed himself in preparation, and revision, a time to research his hobby. Eru lived an incredibly busy life, but it was a blissful life according to him.

    Eru''s student life traversing between the Knighthood and crafting faculties continued for some time.

    In the beginning, others were irritated by Eru''s unprecedented actions, but they became used to it with the passage of time. Everyone started to notice the cute features that Eru had inherited from his mother. The short Eru who happily listened to the fundamentals of Silhouette Knight Design was treated like a mascot, and Eru had gotten used to being patted on the head as a greeting. And one day...

    "Ara, you are..."

    Eru finished his crafting classes and was on the way back to the Knighthood faculty when he heard a familiar voice. He looked back and saw a lady with wavy blond hair, a nice pair of eye brows, and slightly drooping blue eyes, that were squinting because of a smile.

    "You are Ernesti... right?"

    Archid and Adeltrud''s sister... Stefania Serrati said, as she walked to his side, bending down with a smile to accommodate Eru''s height. Eru replied politely making her even happier.

    "Ara, I remember, you are in the same grade as Archid right? Why are you here?"

    Even though she looked joyful, she still asked. This was the secondary school campus, not a place where a primary school student, like Eru should be visiting. When she heard Eru''s honest reply, that he was attending a middle school crafting course, her eyes opened wide from shock.

    "Eh, you are really smart, but why are you rushing to learn this?"

    In a way, this is an obvious question. A student will be hard pressed handling the work at their grade level. In the long history of Laihiala Pilot Academy, there are very few such independent students. Eru''s answer was very simple and to the point.

    "Because I''m interested."

    "Interest...? Even though it¡¯s school work? Hmm... I see, you are a bit special."

    Because there was another class, the two chatted as they walked. Eru''s actions were unpredictable. Stefania was surprised sometimes, patted his head sometimes, and was always smiling and in a great mood.

    As class had just ended, there were a lot of commuting students in the corridor, but they were shocked at the sight of the blonde girl and silver haired boy, giving way to them. Thanks to this, their journey proceeded smoothly, reaching the freshmen campus of primary school in no time. Stefania was in the 3rd year of primary school and needed to go to another campus. As she was leaving Eru reluctantly...

    "Ah, Eru... found!"

    Someone ran over at a high speed, it was Adeltrud who had seen Eru by coincidence. The petite Eru is easily hidden in a crowd, but with everyone avoiding him, he was easily discovered. Adeltrud looked gleeful when she was coming over, but stopped when she saw her sister beside Eru.

    "Ah, Onee... Onee-sama"

    "Ara, Adeltrud."

    Ady alternated her eyes between the two, and seemed to be quizzing Eru about what was going on. Eru didn''t give a direct answer and smiled awkwardly. Stefania smiled gently as she approached Ady. From their previous encounter, Ady seemed to be bad at dealing with her sister from a different mother, but Stefania didn''t seem to be bothered.

    "Don''t be so guarded, I won''t bully you."

    "Yes..."

    Seeing Ady acting so hesitantly despite answering obediently, the two of them smiled bitterly.

    "But why is Eru together with Onee-sama?"

    "Ara, it''s simple... because I like smart, and cute kids!"

    Stefania placed her hands on her hips and declared confidently. What a forceful way of putting it. Ady looked like she was frozen on the spot, convinced by Stefania. As expected of sisters, Eru thought.

    "I''ve had my eyes on him since the last time we met, and he is the centre of some ''topics''. We chatted just now, and I discovered that this child is both smart and cute!"

    Stefania became more excited as she spoke, finally giving in and hugging Eru.

    "Nah, Eru wants to be a Knight, right? How about this? Want to protect onee-chan as my Knight? I will welcome you with three meals a day and sleeping together on the same bed."

    "Wait... wait, no! Eru is my soft toy!"

    What is it with this family, scary. And Miss Ady, what do you mean by soft toy?

    The stiff Ady who was rooted on the spot because of the impact of the confession was now yelling, snatching Eru back. She might have been too tense, but even her tone had reverted back to normal. Stefania was smiling coldly. Because she was beautiful, this made her even scarier. Eru saw her close her hands as she said quietly. "Ara, so that''s how it is~". Eru decided to pretend that he didn''t see anything.

    "Ady, your tone is back to normal."

    Ady covered her mouth, her face seemed to be saying ''this is bad''. Stefania shook her head immediately. "It''s okay. You don''t need to try so hard at school. I am not like Baltsar who is petty about such things."

    "Since Onee-sama... says that..."

    "Before that, Ady? Can you let go?"

    "Eh? Ah, sorry. You are just the right size, so I hugged you without thinking..."

    Eru broke free from Ady, while Stefania looked at her longingly.

    "Yeah... Eru''s height is just nice for a hug..."

    "That''s right, Onee-sama, and his hair so soft and smooth..."

    "Adeltrud... as expected of my sister!"

    "Onee-sama..."

    Eru put some distance between the perverted sisters who were holding hands. There were many things he wanted to retort, but Stefania seemed so happy. Maybe she was just joking, with Eru as an excuse to become closer to her sister. He decided to think of it that way, and hoped that it was true.

    The sisters ignored Eru who was averting his gaze, and talked about how much they love cute things. Their discussion was so passionate that you could see a pink aura around them. Eru felt like escaping reality, thinking ''just do what you girls want'', and he suddenly remembered something important.

    "Ah, the next lesson is starting."

    The bell signalling the start of the class rang, as if on cue. The three of them rushed to their classrooms in a panic, but unfortunately, they arrived late and were lectured by their teachers.

    "Oh, isn''t that Archid? It''s been a while." Just as Eru and the others were talking noisily, Chid and another person met by coincidence at another place. This was the number one person that Chid didn''t want to meet... Chid and Ady''s half-brother... Baltsar Serrati, someone who had always picked on them.

    Baltsar had normal features on a decent face, but his scowling smile was a minus. Chid frowned reflexively when he saw the irritating face of his brother, but managed to keep his composure thanks to his training since he was young.

    "Long time no see... Baltsar Onii-sama."

    "I heard the rumours, although the contents are idiotic... I heard that there is an amazing freshman this year, eh?"

    Baltsar said suddenly. He was probably trying to find a fault, since he usually ignores what Chid says. Even though Chid hated that attitude, he didn''t complain. Baltsar was taller than Chid, and seemed happy about something, as he looked down on him and continued:

    "After asking, didn''t that freshmen have some familiar companions."

    "Really? I never heard anything about that..."

    It''s finally here, Chid braced himself. Baltsar was more imposing than usual, there was no way the conversation would become cheerful.

    "Hey, is that the attitude you should show your brother? Are you a brat that didn''t learn manners?"

    "...Sorry."

    "Forget it. I am generous and will forgive a brat without manners like you."

    Baltsar squinted his eyes and deepened his smile, a creepy smile like a predator hunting its prey. Chid worked hard at hiding his wariness.

    The actual topic is coming, how can I get away from this...?

    "I heard you guys weaseled into the advanced class. That trash of a class has grown so much, but, even so, I will praise you honestly. Eh, although you are a bastard, we are still family after all. It would be shameful if you couldn¡¯t do this much... That''s right, I said ¡®do this much''. Freshmen brats shouldn''t know much of anything, right? But I heard a rumour that concerned me. How boring, if it was true..."

    Baltsar squinted his eyes further, Chid felt a sense of uneasiness down his spine.

    "I heard you guys made quite a scene? Hey, that''s not true, is it?"

    Baltsar''s smile vanished without warning as he drew closer menacingly; speaking in a low voice, so no one else could hear them:

    "Don''t you think you are acting out of line for a mere child of a mistress? Huh? A bastard? The rumours are probably not true, and I don''t know what trickery you used, but wouldn''t it mislead everyone."

    "No, they did not misunderstand. Onii-sama, we..."

    "Enough, shut up."

    The smile on Baltsar''s mouth had turned into a frown. Seeing Baltsar getting emotional, Chid was tense and ready for anything. But unexpectedly, Baltsar said without emotion:

    "Archid, what are you scheming?"

    "What... scheming?"

    "Casting intermediate spells easily just after enrolment, and planning to become a noble Knight? Is that the extent of your ambition? Are you planning to bring that title to ''my house'' as a welcoming gift?"

    Baltsar asked with his poker face.

    "Nope, I told you before. We don''t want to pester, the main family. My ambition to be a Knight, is for my mother and our future livelihood."

    "...Alright, as a gentle elder, I will believe my foolish brother."

    "I am very... grateful."

    Baltsar resumed his cold smile, patted Chid on the shoulder, and left. Chid who was left alone sighed deeply.

    He didn''t plan to do anything to me here, but he won''t let us off so easily. If he is just picking on me, I can endure it. I hope he doesn''t cause any stupid commotions.

    But the looming sense of unease lingered within Chid, contrary to what he thought.

 Book 1: Chapter 4: Lets try dueling

    Spring of C.E. 1276.

    It has been 2 years since Ernesti and the others enroled in Laihiala Pilot Academy. Their lifestyle remained the same. First of all, Ernesti Echevarria...

    "Alright, this year we will be working on ''Silhouette Knight Design and Application''... Ah, you are here..."

    During this period, when the school welcomes new students and the new academic year begins, the teacher who came into the classroom glanced at the short student occupying the center seat in the front row. As a third year primary school student, Eru has gained fame for attending the craftsmen faculty''s courses despite being from the Knighthood Faculty.

    "The Knighthood faculty''s teachers have surrendered."

    "Yes, I am happy to meet teachers who are so understanding."

    He slightly tilted his head and smiled. He may have looked really cute, but with his background in bullying the teachers to accommodate his schedule, the scene was not warming at all. After promoting to the next academic grade, Eru used his abilities to destroy all of the classes that got in the way of the courses he wanted to attend. The Knighthood teachers were deeply depressed over this, and the craftsmen faculty had given in. The teacher sighed deeply, and focused on his lesson. If you ignore his shenanigans, Eru is a bright and passionate student, so the teachers gave him more leeway.

    Next are the twins Archid and Adeltrud.

    This is the training grounds of the Knighthood faculty. Class was in session, so no one should be here. The boy and girl practicing on the field were Archid and Adeltrud. They followed Eru''s lead to go beyond the scope of the lessons given by the school, and had been conducting personal training. For the past two years, instead of taking magic classes, they had been conducting this special training. Eru was not present because he had to attend some other class.

    "Okay, I will be going all out next."

    "What''s up? Your hits are harder than usual."

    Chid waved his hands at the suspicious Ady, gesturing that nothing was wrong as he tightened his grip on his weapon. His build was excellent for his age, and the sword in his hand was one size bigger than the standards. Even though it was a wooden sword used for training, it was still imposing.

    In contrast, Ady held two thin swords, and her battling style was similar to Eru''s, focusing more on agility than strength.

    Apart from that, their weapons had something strange attached to it. Made from the wood of the white mist tree, a gun staff based on the normal magic staves... the latest ''Gandiva'' model. Driven by his interest, Eru used the knowledge from his previous life to design the ''Winchester'', but there was no need for the twins to use the same weapon. Instead, their Gandivas were more polished, evolving to the state where it could be attached to any sword. It was designed by Eru and made by their wonderful neighbour... Termonen Workshop.

    The two of them adopted a stance and faced each other, activating their magic before raising their swords. They switched smoothly between sword attacks and magic, displaying the power of their weapon, which merges the sword and the staff... the ability of the gun staff. They were using limited physical boost. After Ernesti tweaked with its script, the spell was easier to use than the previous version, and more importantly, it improved the sustainability of the spell. They held true to Eru''s teachings, training their body and magic at the same time, efficiently improving their mana pools. The crystallisation of their hard work was clear for all to see.

    With the start of the battle training, Chid took a strong step forward. His strengthened muscles propelled him forward, placing his opponent within his sword¡¯s range. This was Chid''s preferred fighting style... practical usage of the length of his oversized sword. Thanks to Mathias''s training, his style, which places emphasis on the gauging of distance and skill, was a real threat.

    Ady used the agility of her swords to counter this. Because of her limited physical boost, her slashes turned into a whirlwind, bypassing Chid''s sword and going straight for his body. Even though his weapon was large, Chid still managed to shorten the attack range of his sword, to ward off Ady''s attack. But Ady didn''t back down, shifting positions constantly as she waited for an opening. The fierce exchange made others question if this was really a mock battle. The two continued to spar until their mana and endurance were sapped.

    Because these two learned magic from Eru, who thought about things differently, this sort of training was normal for them. But simple things for them... using magic and swords simultaneously in training, were not taught in primary school. If a third party was around, they would probably question their common sense.

    "Really... I can''t stand you guys, what did Eru teach you..."

    That''s how Stefania, who was watching felt.

    "Hmm... it was magic and sword right?"

    Watching the twins tilt their heads and answer at the same time, Stefania could only smile bitterly. This was not a style you could learn just by ''learning magic''.

    "With your standards, I''m not sure if I can win."

    "Really? Winning against the top student of Knighthood Faculty, who is also the Student Council President can''t be that easy, right?"

    Stefania had reasons to be concerned. Normal students will learn using magic during sword battles in secondary school. If someone started doing so from primary school, how far could they grow? The answer was right before her.

    She was the top in her faculty in results, the daughter of a Marquis, and with her distinquished personality, she was elected as the student council president. But after seeing the capabilities of her half-siblings, Stefania was still shocked. The twins were too used to Eru''s standards, so their benchmark was different from normal people. Stefania thought about correcting their mindset, in order to avoid trouble in the future.

    There were only the three of them in the training ground. They were focused on training, and distracting themselves with chit chat, not paying attention to their surroundings, so they failed to notice the shadow lurking behind the thin wall near the training grounds entrance.

    While class was in session, the sound of footsteps echoed in the empty dormitory, the students were all absent.

    The person walking was agitated, his pace fast as he reached his desired room shortly, his dorm room. He unlocked the door with trembling hands and rushed in as if chased. For a dormitory, this personal room was spacious, and was arranged by the school with consideration of safety in mind. Aristocrats staying in dorms are all assigned personal rooms.

    The male student stood by the door listlessly for a while. He couldn''t hold in his agitation anymore and kicked the furniture in the room, the sound reverberating loudly.

    "What is... that... how could it be... damn, damn, damn!"

    The male student, Baltsar Serrati, cursed, feeling extremely frustrated. He was upset because he had witnessed the training session of his sister and half-siblings.

    Baltsar was a first year student in middle school of the Knighthood Faculty, and has just started using magic and sword simultaneously. He was troubled by the difficult training, but his siblings were doing what he couldn''t with ease. It was clear that their abilities were far ahead of him. For the proud Baltsar, he couldn¡¯t stand bastard children who were stronger than him. This thought filled him with rage, and he realised the existence of Chid and Ady was a threat to his goal.

    Baltsar''s goal was related to his ''family''.

    His family... The ''Marquis Serrati family'', is one of the most notable aristocratic families in the Fremmevira Kingdom. Their territory isn''t large, and it occupies a place that is flat and filled with farmland. It is situated to the east of the Kingdom, near the Bocuse Sea of Forest and suffers from frequent attacks by Demon beasts. In order to fend them off, the Marquis commands one of the top bands of knights within the country... the ''Red Rhino Knights''. It is a critical place that borders the frontlines, and as a result, the land has prospered economically, with merchants passing through the main economic artery constantly.

    Marquis Serrati, the ruler of this land had three children. The eldest, Artos, was the heir of the Marquis, receiving an education befitting a noble, and was starting to help his father manage their territory. The eldest daughter, Stefania, was studying in her second year of middle school at Laihiala Pilot Academy, while the second son, Baltsar, was in his first year.

    "If this carries on... If that brat shows up at the main family..."

    The titles of nobility are basically inherited by the eldest son, where the other children do not get any land or property. They need to forge their own path forward, most of them became knights or bureaucrats. Baltsar chose to become a knight without hesitation, since the Serrati Marquis clan was in command of the famous Red Rhino Knights. In the Kingdom of Knights, protecting the people from Demon beast attacks was the noblesse oblige of the aristocrats. It was natural for him to set this as his goal.

    "If those bastards come into contact with the Red Rhino Knights... maybe..."

    The entire Kingdom, including the Serrati counties, has no competition amongst its knights. The knights are expected to be ready to fight the Demon beasts at a moment''s notice, and it is very demanding in terms of ability for those aspiring to be commanders. Being strong in combat skills doesn''t guarantee the right to be the leader of the knights, but the stronger someone is, the more respect they will garner in a military organisation.

    Baltsar imagined himself leading the order of knights with his brother. He had never doubted that until the twins showed up. This casted a shadow in his heart. Even though they are children of a mistress, with their strong capabilities, and ties to the Marquis by blood, they might seize the advantage and realise their dream before Baltsar. His entitled position being stripped by his bastard younger siblings was a nightmare.

    "That''s right... I have to get rid of them."

    He reflected upon why he had let the situation deteriorate so much, and the conclusion was that he was too careless, thinking of them only as bastards who could never match him. Because of his foolish overconfidence, he ignored that incident during the first day of school. He realised he was wrong, the situation was very pressing and every second counts. He needed to work fast to dispose of them, but the twins were too strong, it would be unwise to challenge them head on. He needed to suppress their strength, in a safe and efficient way.

    Baltsar raised his head, his worries had disappeared.

    He was not dumb. His willingness to sacrifice others allowed him to come up with despicable and effective methods. The usual cold smile widened, and his ugly feelings became stronger than before.

    One day after class, Batson Termonen walked along the corridor with heavy steps, preparing to head to his next class. He looked around and discovered a familiar figure. He noticed that person because she was a childhood friend.

    "Is that Ady? Who is she... with?"

    As he wondered about what Ady was doing, Batson became suspicious. Not because Ady was with someone, but because she was with a student he didn''t know. From afar, her face looked stiff.

    "Should I alert them?"

    Batson was not overreacting because Ady was with a stranger, but her expression looked weird, and that worried Batson. She might be in trouble, so Batson decided to show his considerate spirit.

    After making up his mind, Batson turned around and searched for his petite friend, who was probably in a classroom nearby.

    "Baltsar Onii-sama, what''s wrong?"

    Adeltrud clenched her fists, her eyes searching her surroundings and her slightly fierce demeanor growing stronger.

    Baltsar stood before her with his usual smile. That was still bearable. Although it upsets the people who look at him, Ady had gotten used to it. The problem was with the people around them. There were three of them behind Baltsar and four behind Ady. Male students who she did not know, blocked her way after Baltsar gave a signal. They were probably his lackeys.

    Ady was stopped by Baltsar in the corridor and brought to a deserted area. Although she was not close with Baltsar, they were still family, so she let her guard down. Ady thought she was being brought to a quiet place, so others wouldn''t hear him picking on her. She was surrounded before she realised. From the atmosphere and from their unfriendly gazes, Ady guessed that this was probably not a ''happy chat''.

    "These are my friends. Nothing much, they are here to help me teach disobedient brats their manners, eh?"

    Baltsar''s companions smiled quietly.

    "I learned about manners in class, there is no need to trouble everyone."

    "The teacher is not enough to teach the brats of a mistress. Your brother is teaching you personally, shouldn''t you be lowering your head, and begging for your lesson?"

    A hand stuck out from behind Baltsar.

    "That''s right, be a good girl and..."

    The nameless lackey was careless... he thought they had the overwhelming advantage with their numbers, and the target was a girl younger than them. Ady judged that there was no need to argue anymore, pulling out her gun staff before he finished. She immediately used limited physical boost and elbowed the lackey in the stomach before he could react.

    "You are too noisy!"

    She needed to break through the encirclement to get away. She dropped one opponent, and took the chance to run with her enhanced leg power. Because of her sudden retaliation, the encirclement was full of holes, but just as she was about to get away...

    "Spark Dart."

    An arrow of lightning landed on Ady''s back, at the command of this calm voice. She couldn''t even scream, a hoarse sound escaped from her mouth as the air was pushed out of her lungs. It was not lethal, but the direct lightning numbed her body, so she tripped and fell.

    Uguu! I screwed up... can''t, conscious... fading...

    Incredibly, she remembered the smug expression on Baltsar''s face as she blacked out. He was not haughty like usual, but was wearing a foreboding smile.

    Sometime after Ady blacked out.

    Chid had no idea what happened, and he was just a bit concerned that Ady hadn¡¯t returned when class had begun. When he was thinking about ditching class to search for her, he met an unexpected person.

    "Oh? You were in class... that saves me the trouble."

    Baltsar appeared before him. Chid was shocked, he had maintained his distance from Baltsar during his time with the main family, and Baltsar always chose inconspicuous places to talk to him. But they were conversing in a public place right now, and Chid was unsure of how to address him.

    "Senpai, do you have anything for me?"

    Chid couldn''t hide his confusion and asked. Baltsar was smiling as usual, as he announced in a loud voice:

    "I challenge you to a duel!"

    The rowdy classroom was silenced, followed by an eruption of sounds. Students in the classroom chatted excitedly with each other, discussing the current exciting topic, ''duel!''.

    "What are you saying..."

    "You can''t understand? Ha, I expected as much. I have let an eye sore like you fool around for too long, I can''t forgive such insolence anymore. That''s right, I have to set you straight."

    Chid was baffled, because everything had been set in motion without his knowledge. Baltsar''s actions confounded him. But he was sure of one thing.

    "I don''t get what you are thinking... Duel? Alright, it''s on!"

    He also hated Baltsar. His fighting spirit overcame the question in his heart, and he accepted it readily. Chid would let it go if Baltsar had picked on him verbally as usual. But if Baltsar issues a challenge head on, Chid had no intention of hiding his displeasure.

    "How uncouth... your manners are lacking. Let''s see how long you can stay arrogant."

    Class was abandoned, and the whole group tagged along with them out of the campus.

    Laihiala Pilot Academy restricts fights between students. It is ridiculous for knights protecting citizens to fight amongst themselves. Those who break the rule will face all sorts of punishment. However, the only exception is a fight known as a ''duel''.

    Duels have their own set of rules: they must be one on one; the duel requires both parties to agree... a third party has to act as the referee... the referee has absolute authority; the match will be decided when one party loses consciousness or surrenders; they have to use wooden training swords, and spells that release projectiles are banned to avoid collateral damage to others. In the end, the main point is ''settle it yourself''.

    By its nature, the Knighthood faculty has a lot of hot headed students, so settling disputes by duels is common. There is even a fixed place within the academy known as the ''duel arena''.

    News of Baltsar and Chid''s duel spread through the academy instantly. They had been anticipating this, and the challenge became issued prominently, resulting in a large crowd gathering to witness the battle.

    A student who was unrelated to either of them volunteered to be the referee. He read out the rules of the duel in a loud voice, and confirmed the acceptance by the two participants. When they faced each other, Baltsar took out something from his shirt pocket. Chid turned stiff when he saw it.

    Isn''t that... The hair pin Ady was wearing this morning!? Why... Did he...!?

    The shocked Chid looked at Baltsar, and their eyes met. Baltsar was smiling more intensely today, and Chid understood his goal, why Baltsar had proposed a duel and why it was being done in public.

    "You... What did you do to Ady..."

    "Hmmm? I don''t know what you mean."

    Baltsar''s expression twisted as if he was trying to control his laughter, confirming Chid''s suspicion.

    "That''s right, I heard a rumor the other day. You can use advanced spells as a primary school student, an amazing achievement! Can you show them to me?"

    Chid made a spiteful groan. It was obvious why Baltsar raised this issue, he wanted everyone present to hear Chid say that he couldn''t to humiliate him. The way he flashed the hair pin made Baltsar''s intentions clear.

    "... I can''t use it anyway..."

    Chid answered, as if he was squeezing the air out of his lungs, baffling the audience. Chid was one of the famous trio in primary school that was exempted from class by the teachers. The crowd was chattering, wondering why someone so far ahead in magic was saying something like this. Were the rumours false?

    "Huh? What a joke! Ha! The rumours are fake? Really, to be exposed so easily! Where did that attitude of yours go? Hah!"

    If eyes could kill, Chid would have murdered Baltsar with his gaze by now. Baltsar didn''t mind and continued with a laugh:

    "Hey, hey, hey, wanting to stand out even if you have to lie, what a naughty boy. Correcting the error of juniors is the senior''s job, right? Okay, it''s about time to begin."

    Baltsar lifted his sword and staff while Chid quietly attached his Gandiva to his wooden sword. What followed was not a duel anymore, but an execution.

    "What''s with you? Such a spoilsport. You can''t use magic, and you''re subpar with swordsmanship!?"

    Baltsar taunted as they sparred. Chid was enraged and wanted to counter attack, but Baltsar was flashing the hair pin from time to time to warn him.

    About 30 minutes into the fight, everyone could see that the battle was one sided. Chid was slow and was the only one taking hits. He tried countering a few times, but his strength was lacking. The pitiful state of the rumoured student disappointed the crowd. "Rumours are just rumours", "When did the misunderstanding start?". "The ending will be the arrogant junior facing reality", "Such a boring fight"... There were even some who left impatiently.

    But some of the students felt uneasy. Chid was hit directly a lot of time, but he kept up his stance. He didn''t take damage? Baltsar, who was enjoying the overwhelming advantage noticed and took pleasure in tormenting Chid.

    Since he can''t defeat Baltsar, Chid had to tank the attacks. He was unsure how long he could endure it. Even so, he was still waiting for the chance to counter attack. He didn''t know if he still had a chance, but he clanged on desperately to this hope. Chid''s most trustworthy friend was not here, but he definitely knows about this commotion after such a big uproar, so his absence means he is on the move.

    I¡¯ll leave it to you my, friend... You are my only hope!

    Chid gritted his teeth and took the hit from Baltsar with a staggering stance.

    At the same time, Ernesti was walking quietly along the corridor. After listening to his childhood friend Batson''s explanation, Eru had begun searching for Ady. But he was troubled by the fact that there were no clues. Suddenly, someone hugged him from behind. Eru was startled, and looked up to see Stefania caressing his hair with a blissful face.

    "Ah, so soft and smooth, that you won¡¯t ever want to let go."

    1

    "...E, Stefania-Senpai?"

    "It''s the fault of these silky smooth locks... You. Impish. Devil."

    Stefania rubbed her face against Eru''s hair, as she poked his cheek. Eru was baffled by her reaction as usual, but inspiration struck. Maybe Stefania has some clues.

    "Stefania-senpai, you came just the right time. Do you know where Ady is?"

    Stefania who was all smiles became sullen and worried. She looked at the confused Eru straight in the eye.

    "I think Baltsar was meeting Ady."

    "Balt... Your brother? He, Chid, and Ady..."

    Eru hesitated uncharacteristically. He had heard about Baltsar... and things about him. If Ady was taken by him, there was no telling what could happen. But Eru still hesitated, since this was a family affair after all. Eru couldn''t judge how deeply he could interfere, but Stefania blew all of his worries away with one sentence.

    "... Also, Balt brought a lot of lackeys with him."

    "I don''t like commenting on another family''s affairs, but that sounds ominous."

    Eru''s heart was not as calm as his voice. It would be fine, if it was in the realms of ''sibling fights''. But this is different if he brought a gang with him, which means Ady is in danger.

    "I can''t really ask you for help for this... but I hope you can look for Ady."

    "... Will that be fine? Let me say this first, if he harms Ady, I won''t forgive him even if he is your brother."

    Eru''s eyes are usually mature, but a dangerous gleam shined in them. Chid and Ady are his best friends in this world, if someone brought a group to harm them, he didn''t plan on holding back. Stefania watched him seethe in anger, and dropped her beautiful eyebrows.

    "... Please restrain from killing him."

    "You are pretty cool about this."

    "It''s fine if Baltsar moves alone. Well, that''s not really good... I can stop him, but it''s not the same this time. I can''t overlook this as the Student Council President, or as his sister."

    Stefania said softly, as she tightened her hug slowly. Eru couldn''t imagine her expression and simply asked:

    "Can you tell me where Ady has been brought to?"

    Laihiala Pilot Academy has a large campus, and most of them weren¡¯t used. Ady and Baltsar''s lackeys are most likely in one of the empty classrooms.

    The group sat Ady on a chair, tied up her legs with her hands behind her. It had been about an hour since Ady was knocked out by Baltsar, and she still hadn''t woken up. The four lackeys who surrounded her were arguing about something.

    "Cheh! Little brat, she hit me!"

    "Hey, she''s still sleeping, calm down."

    So many people had been left to guard the unconscious Ady, to prevent her from making a scene when she wakes up. The noisy boy, the one who took an elbow from Ady, had just regained consciousness.

    "Why? She is out and tied up, there''s no need to be afraid."

    "Says the guy who was knocked down."

    "Uguu! I was careless!"

    He grabbed Ady''s hair and lifted her head, clenching his fist with a violent smile.

    "Look at this brat, getting cocky because I didn''t go all out. She is going to get it now!"

    The other lackeys thought he was going too far. He didn''t fall because he was holding back; he was knocked out in an instant because he was too careless. And, if he punched her and Ady wakes up, things will become messy. Their goal was to restrain her for a short time, it will be easier if she continues sleeping. Just as another lackey was about to stop him...

    "Hello... Anyone here.... Oh, there is."

    At this moment, a shadow appeared from the back of the classroom. The group naively thought that no one would come, so their reactions were slower than the intruder''s. When they realised their situation, they saw a silver bullet shooting out from a weird magic staff towards their face.

    The intruder... Ernesti knew his ''hunch was right'', when he saw the lackeys, or rather Adeltrud, who was tied to the chair behind them. All that was left was to dispose of the enemy. He drew Winchester without hesitation, and cast an intermediate wind spell at his left and right... Aero Damned. The projectile hit the two at the back of the room directly, and they were blasted away before they could even scream. Eru didn''t wait for them to land, before activating physical boost to enhance his agility and strike at the boy who was about to punch Ady. The boy panicked and attempted to block it, but he couldn''t match Eru whose speed had been enhanced. Eru cast a Sonic Boom with his staff while running, blowing the boy away.

    Seeing three of his companions flying in an instant, the remaining lackey gave up attempting to understand the situation. Regrettably, his opponent wasn''t merciless enough to let this chance slip by. The lackey raised his staff unconsciously, but it was broken in half. The other Winchester swing back horizontally... That was the last thing he remembered.

    After instantly knocking out the four lackeys like a whirlwind, Eru checked to make sure they were really down and ran to Ady. He cut the ropes on her and checked for injuries. Ady seemed to be fine, and her breathing was normal, so she was probably unconscious. Eru was relieved after confirming that Ady was safe, and proceeded to tie up the lackeys who were knocked out. Fortunately they prepared ropes... although they were not meant to be used on them. After making sure they couldn''t move, he looked towards the direction of the arena.

    "There might not be much time left."

    From the commotion he saw on the way here, Eru could imagine the situation over there. Ady was kidnapped then Baltsar appeared before Chid, his actions were easy to guess. That''s why he was worried about Chid who was caught in the middle of all this. But he believed Chid would not give in so easily. Eru believed that if he hurried, he would be able to make it. That''s why he wanted to rush over immediately, but...

    Eru looked at Ady who was on the floor and felt troubled. Should he feel depressed? It would be a hassle to bring Ady over, since she is taller than him. But he couldn''t leave her here like this. Uguu, he groaned and gave in, struggling to carry her in his arms. It was a challenge to keep his balance, but Eru used magic he was proficient with to compensate.

    "I must make it in time..."

    In order to reach Chid as soon as possible, Eru took long strides as he ran.

    In a place known as the ''duel arena'' within Laihiala Pilot Academy, two students had fought for over an hour. Although the battle was one sided, it didn''t feel like it would end any time soon.

    After sparring for this long, Baltsar finally realised something was off. As he expected, Chid''s movements were sluggish because of his scheme, and his strikes landed true countless times. Even though it was a wooden sword, normal people would still have incurred serious wounds that would put them out of the fight. Chid''s movements became slower, but he showed no signs of taking serious damage. Chid might not be attacking because of the hostage, but his eyes were still strong. He was obviously waiting for his chance.

    Why can this brat take so much damage? Why is he still standing!? Is he going to buy time for Adeltrud to escape by herself? Adeltrud is very agile, but there is no way she can escape, could it be...

    Baltsar laughed. Chid didn''t know that Ady wasn''t just tied up, she was under guard too. This means that his plan is doomed right from the start.

    Chid was startled when Baltsar stopped attacking. Baltsar laughter was unnatural, and he attempted to stomp out Chid''s hope.

    "Archid, are you stalling for time?"

    "...!"

    "I thought so. You think ''that'' will come if you wait? I can only tell you it is all in vain, ''that'' is tied up securely."

    Baltsar could hear Chid grinding his teeth, it stirred a murky joy within him.

    "Well, I''m growing tired of this. It''s regrettable, but let''s end it, shall we?"

    Baltsar flashed Ady''s hairpin and lifted his wooden sword. Chid tensed his face. To be honest, he was not in a good shape, contrary to how he looked. Although he was using ''some method'' to minimise damage, it was still accumulating little by little. It will be hard to gauge whether Chid can endure an all out attack. But Baltsar has been sending out a strong message, ''do not dodge''. Baltsar probably wants to finish this for real, his next strike will be at full power. Chid was not confident that he could withstand this unscathed.

    The two of them put more strength into their stance than before. The spectators that were still around could feel that this was the final attack, and held their breath. As Baltsar was planning to launch his attack and charge in, someone intruded into the arena.

    The figure leapt over the heads of the crowd and reached the front row. The arc of his jump was huge, and he was moving very quickly despite carrying a girl in his arms. His footfalls were silent, as if he was stepping on a soft surface. The eyes of the audience naturally fell on this petite figure.

    The figure was Eru carrying Ady. Baltsar cast a sideways glance over and made a twisted face when he recognised them. Ady should have been tied up, and he even posted guards. Did he overcome these obstacles and break Ady out? What are the guards doing? More importantly, who is this silver haired kid? Baltsar''s head was full of questions, but no one was giving him answers.

    Eru put Ady down. She had regained consciousness on their way here, and stood up by herself. The first thing she did was glare at Baltsar. Then she turned towards Chid, sliding her thumb across her neck with a violent smile. Chid relaxed his body when he saw Ady safe, and had the urge to smile. He nodded and complained to Eru who was standing behind her.

    "So slow."

    "Sorry, there were too many rooms."

    "That so. Nah, never mind."

    Chid smiled and raised his wooden sword. Nothing was holding him back. The time to counter attack was finally here.

    Baltsar wanted to scream. He knew that this was the worst case scenario. But when he thought about it, the damage he inflicted on Chid remains, even though he lost the trump card of Ady as a hostage. He should take the chance and strike fast at full power. Baltsar put his thoughts into action and slashed at Chid.

    But Chid displayed his outstanding agility. His sluggish movements earlier seemed to be an act. He stepped forward lightly, parrying the attack and bumping Baltsar back with a shoulder tackle to keep their distance.

    Chid had expended a considerable amount of mana after dragging the fight for so long. But he had been going through tough training under Eru since he was young, and had enough gas left in the tank for one final attack.

    "I will take back everything you owe me in one hit!"

    Chid yelled loudly and activated the physical boost he learned from Eru. A wild surge of energy flowed through his body, and he sprinted forward with enough power to almost crack the floor. Before Baltsar could scramble and get up, Chid''s sword hit his stomach. The air in his lungs was pushed out, and the hoarse sound ''hyaa'' escaped from Baltsar''s mouth as he was launched into the air. Chid followed with a series of air combos before he fell to the ground. Baltsar''s body was twisted unnaturally. Before Baltsar''s body lost speed and started to tumble, Chid followed up with a roundhouse kick as the finishing move. Baltsar''s body crumpled into a ball and rolled away before stopping in a heap several meters away.

    The referee came to his senses after Chid took a deep breath and ran to Baltsar, finding him sprawled out like an old rag, his eyes white and mouth foaming. The result was obvious and the referee raised one hand to announced Chid''s victory to the crowd.

    The unexpected ending made the battle before look like a lie. The audience couldn''t keep up with the rapid development.

    Although Chid was as formidable as rumored, far beyond the capabilities of Baltsar, they did not understand why he was being overwhelmed for the past hour.

    The spectators looked at the young girl running towards Chid. They weren''t stupid. They could link the appearance of her with the sudden display of strength by Chid. The answer was obvious.

    The eyes staring at Baltsar turned cold. For Knighthood majors, although duels are a way to resolve disputes, the glory of the victor is sacred. If anyone defiles the duel with despicable schemes, it goes against the way of the knight. The crowd was unsympathetic when Baltsar''s lackeys carried him to the infirmary.

    But Chid was badly injured, falling on his butt after letting out his victory cry.

    "Chid! Hey Chid, are you okay?"

    "I''m not doing so good, I took quite a beating."

    "Your clothes are all tattered... Why didn''t you dodge, stupid!"

    "He kept waving that in front of me... I couldn''t dodge even if I wanted to."

    "...! Sorry, I was... too careless..."

    Looking at Ady''s tears and depressed face, Chid stroked her hair and said with a smile.

    "Don''t worry, this is all the fault of that idiot. And Eru, thanks, that was close."

    "I''m glad I made it in time. But enough about this..."

    Eru retrieved the hair pin from Baltsar without anyone noticing, and handed it to Ady saying:

    "You are all beat up, but it seems like there are no serious injuries."

    "Yeah, that guy was attacking recklessly because I couldn''t dodge and was boasting about his skills."

    Chid said sheepishly.

    "I used physical boost and hard skin just before being hit to keep the damage down."

    "I see. You managed to pull off a dangerous skill there."

    "I could do it because I didn''t need to think about anything else... And it worked because he was so stupid. If he concentrated his attacks on my soft spots, I wouldn''t have been able to hold out for so long."

    "In other words, this guy lost because he was too cocky."

    As Eru nodded, the crowd started to disperse.

    "I will settle the loose ends. Ady, can you please take Chid to the infirmary?"

    "I understand. Chid, can you stand?"

    "I''m fine, my injuries are mostly bruises, just let me take it slowly."

    Eru saw the twins off, watching Chid''s staggering figure as he and Ady headed towards the infirmary. Only Stefania was left in the arena.

    "Is this okay? Your brother is badly injured."

    "... He is, but his actions warranted this punishment."

    Stefania looked refreshed and shook her head.

    "That child... He resembles mother that way... About time he learnt his lesson."

    "It must be hard on you..."

    Eru felt conflicted when he thought about Chid and Ady''s family troubles. But he shook his head and changed his mood.

    "Can I leave the clean up to you?"

    "Okay, I have to explain to my family anyway."

    Eru bowed to Stefania, who nodded in agreement and left. In the end, some of the audience were interested in this commotion and discussed the relations between Chid and the Serrati family.

    A few days after the duel.

    The disgraced Baltsar was warned sternly by the school and his family, and he was grounded at home after some deliberation. To reform him, Baltsar was sent to the Red Rhino Knights for training, the place of his dreams. It''s hard to say if this is a good or bad thing. But it is great for Eru and co who had one less thing to worry about.

    One day, after school had peacefully ended, Ady spotted Eru who was reading in the campus garden. He is not a prominent person and it is not easy to spot his petite figure. But his head of silver hair was an easy landmark to spot when there are less people around. He sat under the shade of a tree, reading a thick book as usual. She didn''t even need to ask, it was a textbook on Silhouette Knights.

    Ady walked to his side, but Eru didn''t seem to notice. When he is engrossed in a book, Eru will be totally absorbed and not pay attention to his surroundings. Ady sat down beside him, staring at his profile intensely. His blue eyes with long lashes gazing down at the book. His hair flowing down along his face, shining brightly in the sun. His lips tightly shut, reflecting his intense passion.

    Eru is cute as usual...

    Ady giggled ''hehe'' happily and was preparing to pounce on him, but she was stopped by an image in her mind. The memories from the dueling incident.

    When Eru rescued Ady when she was kidnapped by Baltsar, he had carried her princess-style to the arena in the middle of the crowd. She didn''t pay any heed to this as her mind was filled with anger, but when Ady thinks back, she discovered that it was a pretty embarrassing scene. Not just embarrassing, she remembered the joy of being rescued by Eru, and how it felt in his arms, Ady blushed from just being next to Eru.

    Hya, I thought about that again...

    Ady was glad that Eru didn''t notice her feelings. Her complicated feelings were making her hesitant to hug Eru like before. Ady was unhappy with how she was acting and forcefully hugged Eru. Eru calmly greeted Ady who pounced on him suddenly, and closed his book.

    It might be strange, but Eru had been treated like a ''soft toy'' by many others, since he was young and was used to being hugged. And Ady was the one who started the ''hugging trend'', so it was no surprise to Eru, but he noticed that Ady wasn''t her usual self and tilted his head curiously.

    Ady was troubled by her unexpected actions. Usually, she would stroke his hair while chatting with him. But when she hugged him this time, she could feel her heart thumping intensely, she couldn''t do anything else. Ady buried her head into Eru''s hair to hide her blushing face from him.

    Wah... Why did it turn out this way! Oh no, I can''t lift my head.

    Ady was too nervous and forgot that she could just let go. Eru was a bit surprised by her reaction, and decided to keep reading his book since she was not moving.

    It feels like I am an idiot, give me some reaction!

    In a way, this nonsensical anger calmed her down. Ady poked Eru''s cheek angrily.

    "Hey, please go poke someone else''s cheek."

    "...So cute!"

    Ady regained her normal demeanor. Eru felt more comfortable to hug than usual, and she started to caress his head. The two of them didn''t realise, but a few students in the garden were enjoying the sight of the pretty black-haired girl and silver-haired girl (?) playing around. That''s how their daily life continued, every day was peaceful.

 Book 1: Chapter 5: Shadow of the giant beast

    Demon Beas attack arc

    In the past, humans only ruled half of the Zetterlund continent, with the eastern land beyond the Aubigne Mountain Range being uncharted territory dominated by Demon beasts.

    With the Silhouette Knights as their main fighting force, humanity pushed the Demon beasts back, and ventured into the east beyond the Aubigne Mountains. The humans were doing well in the beginning, but their invasion was grinded to a halt. The east of Aubigne was covered by the Bocuse Sea of Trees, with Demon beasts that could take on hundreds of Silhouette Knights lurking inside. Suffering huge losses, the humans retreated out of the forest.

    There were vast plains of land at the foot of Aubigne Mountain, which was suitable for agricultural use after some development. To protect this piece of land, they expanded their territory to the edge of the forest and formed a country. This was the story behind the founding of the Fremmevira Kingdom. There are still Demon beasts wandering in the Bocuse Forest that might appear on a whim. To keep the Demon beasts away, walls were erected along the borders, and fortresses were set up at the place where Demon beasts show up the most frequently... The entrance to the Bocuse Forest known as the ''Rabidly Road'' (Demon Beast Highway). Castle walls were then erected between such fortresses. As it was physically impossible to cover the whole border with siege walls, they could not completely deter Demon beasts that approach from places not covered by siege walls. The siege walls were mainly effective against titanic Demon beasts, and thanks to the nation''s defensive efforts, the kingdom remained relatively safe.

    This happened during a certain quiet night.

    Balguerie stronghold was one of the fortresses lying between the Forest and the borders of Fremmevira Kingdom. It was quite far from ''Rabidly Road'', even visits from mid size Demon beast were rare, an outpost guarded by ten Silhouette Knights.

    That night, the guards on duty felt there was something wrong with the unusual silence in the Bocuse Forest. The stars twinkled brightly in the night sky. There were usually a couple of howls from Demon beast on a night like this, but instead, there was an unnatural stillness. They couldn''t even feel the presence of the animals, as if they had all evacuated. Although it was unnatural, there was no indication of anything happening. Baffled, they continued their rounds.

    The silence did not last long. They heard the sound of trees being crushed in the distance. It was obvious that something was approaching... Demon beasts. The guards raised the alarm without hesitation.

    "What the hell, a Demon beast so late at night!?"

    "We''re from the Rabidly Road, what is it doing so far in the countryside?"

    The knights in the fortress prepared themselves when the alarm horn sounded. The outpost was a hive of activity, as they mustered together their equipment with haste. Listening to the sound of trees being crushed, the men could feel the looming crisis. The Knight runners on duty jumped into their Silhouette Knights. The Silhouette Knights deployed at this fortress were the standard ''Karrdator'' model of Fremmevira. The ether reactor was forcefully started from a dormant state, its hum reverberating around it.

    The Silhouette Knights checked through their start up procedures, and hurriedly gathered at the gate of the fortress. At this time, the thing that had been crushing the trees appeared. The Demon beast was like a small moving mountain, covered in an uneven shell of rocks like a porcupine. A head and four limbs protruded from the sides, so the shape resembled a tortoise, an eighty metre long and fifty metre tall tortoise.

    The guard on duty, on the wall had only seen an ''Emperor Tortoise'' in books... a type of Demon beast known as ''Behemoth''. Its primary features were its toughness and endurance. With its reputation of being a walking citadel, it was a difficult enemy to handle. To put it simply, the Behemoth''s greatest power was ''Strengthening''. It uses overwhelming mana output to maintain its strengthening spell, and support a physically impossible body structure. It also enables it to move with a speed contrary to its appearance, and hardening every part of its body from shell to skeleton, possessing incredible toughness. It is said that a Behemoth mainly uses body slam to attack and can shatter siege walls. It''s ''heart'', which is proportionate to its large body, can generate mana equivalent to over 100 Silhouette Knights. With its endless endurance, the defense of the Behemoth is almost impossible to break through. This was a Behemoth, a fortress like Demon beast with incredibly high defense.

    "Demon beast identified... It¡¯s an ''Emperor Tortoise''...! A Behemoth!"

    Before the pilots could process the guard¡¯s screaming report, the Behemoth slammed into the walls of the stronghold. Its intentions were unknown, as the Behemoth attacked the fortress from the front. Using the body weight and the toughness that the Behemoth took pride in, the Demon beast turned itself into a battering ram. The siege wall and gate made of iron and stone were destroyed in one hit, the debris splattering all over. The minds of the pilots witnessing this scene turned blank.

    After hearing the reports of the guard and the destruction to the stronghold, the pilot''s faces displayed shock and awe. Who would have thought that a Division-level Demon beast would show up at a place so far away from Rabidly Road? A Division-level Demon beast requires a division of Silhouette Knights (about 300) to defeat it. But there was only a Company (9) of Silhouette Knights stationed at this outpost, ten Silhouette Knights if you include the Captain. This was enough to keep duel-level Demon beasts (equal to 1 Silhouette Knight in power) in check, but was overwhelmingly weak compared to a Division-level Demon beast.

    It would be suicidal to take a stand against the Demon beast, but the Knight runners did not waver. They did not know why the Behemoth was heading into the Kingdom of Fremmevira, but if they allowed it to push through without warning headquarters, the results would be disastrous. It was impossible to stop a Behemoth with the forces stationed at the stronghold Balguerie, but if they stalled for time, they may find the weakness of the beast. They hardened their resolve and charged forward bravely.

    With the walls breached, the Behemoth broke down the remnants of the gate and walked into the stronghold. Its howl shook the fortress like an explosion.

    The company of Karrdators moved with this cue, pointing their Silhouette arms, ''Culverin'', at the Behemoth. The knights channeled their mana into their spear shaped weapons, the emblem graph converted it into a physical phenomenon. Magic scripts and mana beyond the capabilities of humans to process were activated, forming overed spells. Flames erupted from the tips of the spear and scored direct hits on the beast with an explosive sound, burning it in a pillar of fire. Normal beasts would have fallen under this attack, but the Behemoth lived up to its name of a moving fortress, and was completely unfazed by the attack. But this was within the expectations of the Karrdators, and they continued the onslaught of flames with their culverins, covering the beast in smoke and fire.

    The power of the Silhouette arms was strong, but the expenditure of mana was very intensive. All the Karrdators kept up the attack until their mana reserves were depleted. To replenish their mana pool, they revved their ether reactors to absorb ether from the air. The reactor moaned louder as it worked even harder.

    The entrance of the stronghold was blazing in a sea of fire, after the continuous assault by the Silhouette Knights. The crackling flames and smoke shrouded the Behemoth completely, and the knights lost track of the beast. There were merely ten Silhouette Knights, but even a division level beast should sustain some injury under their all out attack. Just when the pilots were thinking that, a howl made the earth shudder, the shock wave dispersed the flames, and the Behemoth appeared from behind the smoke. Reality betrayed their wishful thinking; the Behemoth''s gigantic body was unscathed.

    The Behemoth rushed towards the company of Karrdators with a momentum that didn''t match its size, the speed was so fast that the Karrdators could not evade it in time. The Silhouette Knights were down after receiving a solid blow. The steel plates caved in, instantly and the limbs were smashed. The sparkling crystal shards flew out from the gaps between the armour. There was no way the Knight runners survived.

    The other Karrdators fell back, keeping their distance from the beast. The Behemoth attacked with a deceptively quick pace, knocking away the Karrdator who could only fire off a flame bullet in futile resistance.

    The remaining Silhouette Knights judged that their magic attacks were ineffective and surrounded the Behemoth, attacking with swords. But just as the rumours say, the shell covering the Behemoth was unbelievably hard, negating all of the slashing attacks. Even though its whole body was covered by a shell, the Behemoth was still able to move with incredible speed. Just ten Silhouette Knights won¡¯t be able to buy enough time and would be in danger of being wiped out by the Behemoth. The remaining pilots felt an unspeakable terror run down their spine; this was indeed a Division-level Demon beast. The Captain of the Silhouette Knights made a snap decision.

    "Arlo, Benjamin, Claes! Are you still alive?"

    "...Yes sir!"

    The Behemoth went on a rampage again, slamming its body into the fortress with the force that it used to charge at the Karrdators. The stone-made stronghold was falling apart, it wouldn''t last much longer.

    "Arlo, evacuate all the people who are still alive and run to Carriere Fortress! Benjamin, alert all the neighbouring cities that the Behemoth is nearby, and rush to Jantunen! Claes, make for the Capital! Run at top speed, run till you grind the crystal tissue to dust, you must report this to the Capital!"

    The Captain turned the head of his machine and looked at his remaining subordinates.

    "The rest of you... Sorry, you drew the short straw."

    The three pilots belonged to the younger generation, the reason behind their nominations was unknown, but they had no authority to refuse or hesitate. The top priority was to stay alive and deliver the warnings, there was no time for them to bid farewell. A tinge of sadness flashed across their face, but they regained their spirit through determination and their sense of duty.

    "Go!"

    "Yes sir!"

    The young pilots left the front lines on their Karrdators without hesitation. After the Captain confirmed the situation through his holo monitor, the corner of his lips rose in a smile.

    "My brothers, we will be knocked away if we stay in this cramped space! We are abandoning the stronghold. Go outside and use stalling tactics!"

    "Hey, hey, we won''t let you come into our Kingdom!"

    "Let''s show this damn tortoise what we''re made of!"

    The five Karrdators escaped from the stronghold, preparing to fight the Behemoth. This was a hopeless battle, but their movements were clean and crisp. The Behemoth razed the stronghold to the ground and started its attack again. The Karrdators used a series of coordinated attacks to impede its advance, but the range magic attacks cast at random couldn''t stop the movement of the giant beast. They would need to use melee attacks eventually, striking the head and legs before running away. The hit and run tactics were repeated again and again. The Karrdators could only focus on dodging the enraged Behemoth as they fought on.

    But even Silhouette Knights had a limit to their energy.

    Silhouette Knights are equipped with ether reactors, a semi-automatic part that supplies mana by absorbing the ether in the atmosphere. But the supply rate is limited. Especially in battle, if the usage rate is higher than the supply rate, the mana reserves in the machine will gradually get smaller. The pilots were only human... both man and machine have their limits. With the depletion of the mana reserves, the sluggish Karrdators were sent flying. The lack of concentration due to fatigue caused the Karrdators to miss the chance to evade, and was smashed by a tail attack. One by one, the knights fell to the Demon beast.

    But the five Silhouette Knights managed to buy a few hours of time, that were more precious than gold, while facing off a Division-level Demon beast. It was only right to see this as the victory of their iron will.

    The one who held on to the very end was the veteran Captain. The machine was full of countless scratches; the right hand was blown away by the swipe of the Behemoth''s tail. The crystal tissue was in tatters, due to damage as well as wear and tear, the mana reserve was on its last legs, he couldn''t even run away.

    "... The rookies have escaped... This fucking turtle, your next opponents won''t be a half ass group like ours, but a standard Order of Knights. Prepare to be history."

    Since he couldn''t escape, the Captain commanded the damaged machine to run. He never thought he would survive, injecting his remaining mana into his command Silhouette Knight and charging at the Behemoth recklessly. But the best it could do was stagger forward in awkward steps. He tightened the grip of his sword in the left arm, and threw the whole weight of the machine to stab at the face of the Behemoth.

    Maybe the Demon beast knew the concept of respect.

    The Behemoth locked on to the last enemy blocking its path, opened its mouth and took a deep breath. This was a never before seen attack. After a moment, just before the sword of the command Silhouette Knight reached the Behemoth, a tornado breath powered by magic, spewed from the Behemoth''s mouth. The fierce wind uprooted the trees. The command Silhouette Knight took a direct hit and was blown far away, the crystal shards and pieces of armour raining over the forest.

    The Behemoth growled. The company launched many attacks with their stalling tactics, and with the command Silhouette Knight''s last blow, a faint crack was left upon the Behemoth''s face, lightly scratching the eye ball. If the damage of the command Silhouette Knight wasn''t so severe, it might have hit the eye ball. The Behemoth surveyed the area for a while, and started advancing after making sure those in its way were gone. Its footfalls were heavy and its eyes bore no sign of emotion.

    The largest Demon beast calamity since the founding of Fremmevira started quietly. What was its goal? The answer lies in the road the Demon beast was heading down towards, the largest city of central Fremmevira... Jantunen.

 Book 1: Chapter 6: Lets go on a field trip

    == CE 1277.

    The 12 years old Ernesti Echevalier and his childhood friends, the twins Archid Olter and Adeltrud Olter has moved on to middle school of the Knighthood faculty. Their other childhood playmate, the dwarf Batson Termonen, remained in the Crafting faculty. Due to Eru¡¯s influence, Batson has shown interest in the career of Knightsmith. The two of them can sometimes be seen together, talking about Silhouette Knights design and operation knowledge.

    As for Ernesti, he has been taking classes about Silhouette Knights but unrelated to Knighthood ever since he enrolled in Laihiala Pilot Academy. Eru has completed all the courses in the Crafting faculty after attending their classes for three years. After satisfying his thirst for knowledge, he is now unofficially attending Pilot faculty classes.

    Since Laihiala is a ''pilot'' Academy, the Piloting faculty is the star of the institute. Only the best graduates from Knighthood middle school may gain entry into the Piloting faculty. Although it is generally known as the Piloting faculty, not everyone enrolled here has Knighthood background. The Knight runner won''t be able to move the Silhouette Knight alone, it is still a machine that requires crew to maintain and service.

    The pilots will learn about control and manoeuvre. The craftsmen learns to construct and maintain the outer skin, as well as the inner skeleton. The alchemists train in the art of crystal tissue creation and repair. The sigilmancers focus on the preparation of the Silhouette arms. The various faculties in middle school are collectively known as the Pilot faculty in high school.

    With this background, the education policy of the Pilot Academy trends towards practical application. They familiarise themselves with the skills and techniques by piloting the Silhouette Knights owned by the academy. Laihiala Pilot Academy possesses 20 Silhouette Knights, a number that is more than adequate to man a fortified outpost on the frontlines. But they are the retired models Salodrea machines that are second rate in abilities.

    These Silhouette Knights has been repaired countless times over the long years, and each of them are used by several piloting candidates for training. The repeated usage has worn down the machine and it requires frequent maintenance checks, a heavy burden on the students, but also great experience for real world application. Organisation hiring Piloting faculty alumni comments that the fresh graduates has the ability to work on the frontlines immediately.

    On the training ground of Laihiala Pilot Academy, a mock battle between Silhouette Knights is ongoing.

    In the middle of the stone building, a red machine is engaged in battle with a white machine. They have blunt sword used for training spars in their hands, battling fiercely. The machine provided by the school has reinforced armour around the pilot seats, a design which focuses on the safety of the pilots. But a Silhouette Knight going all out is still very dangerous, so the equipment is nerfed to restrict its damage. Standard equipment is only used in practical training battles against Demon beast.

    There are no empty seats on the wall surrounding the arena. All sorts of people are watching the duelling Silhouette Knights from the spectators¡¯ seats. Training with only brawls is not real training; the analysis of the fight is indispensable. There are people recording the battle logs, studying the skills of the pilots... some are allocating maintenance spare parts as the damage piles on; some of them are observing the effects of the magic arsenal.

    Most of the people present are high school students, but there is a small figure that is out of place here. Not only is the person short, he also has a cute face that is easily mistaken for a girl. That person is Ernesti. Because his stature is small, he is occupying the front seat so his vision won''t be obscured by others, staring at the Silhouette Knights intensely.

    He skipped the Knighthood faculty classes he is supposed to attend, overcoming all obstacles to earn the right to be exempted them. He is unorthodox in his actions, but is strangely law abiding in some areas.

    In the beginning, Eru uses his cute appearance and mascot like character to gain entry. He was planning to watch quietly from the side, but he is now observing the battles and repairs up close, finding more places he can chip in. From the way he can easily keep up with the conversations of his seniors, his preparation in the last three years did not go to waste.

    Getting practical first-hand experience and knowledge outside the classroom made Eru extremely happy. Apart from greedily taking part in all sorts of work processes, he is very interested in the training battles. The Silhouette Knights ¨D giant robots fighting before his eyes draws out indescribable emotions within him. The giant machines that emulate a knight in armour bash at each other with iron limbs wielding mammoth swords, even shooting powerful projectile spells. Eru observes the training battles with passionate eyes, not missing a single movement.

    As a side note, there was a rumour that a guy was almost pulled into a twisted world after seeing the pretty boy, who can be mistaken for a girl, blushing while watching the Silhouette Knights with longing eyes.

    "Eh, seems like Di will lose again."

    Piloting faculty student... Helvi ?berg mumbles as she records the battle logs, a breeze blowing across the arena messes her short and curly hair.

    The situation of the battle before them is clear, the red knight is struggling. Its dual wielding blades and on the offense, but it didn''t break through the white knight''s defense.

    "Hmm, what do you think about this battle, Eru?"

    Helvi, who has been glancing at the data in her hands asked Eru, who was sitting obediently beside her. Their eyes remained fixed on the arena at all times.

    "The speed of Guyale''s sword is slower than before. I think that is the reason why he missed the opportunity to score points off attacks."

    "... I see. Now that you mentioned it, his attacks seem too casual. I thought the condition of the Knight runner is not too good. What went wrong?"

    "The movement of the right arm seems sluggish. I think it is because the joints or crystal tissues have been replaced."

    Helvi browses through the documents in her hand and confirms the maintenance report of the red machine named Guyale. The record states, due to signs of stress and fatigue in the crystal tissues of the right arm, it has been replaced this morning. The movement probably seems rigid because the parts are not aligned. She found the reason behind the sluggish actions of Guyale, but she couldn¡¯t tell that that the condition of the right arm is bad. Helvi moans Eru''s passion and attention to detail when watching training battles is better than those actively engaged in it. She found it amazing and wonders where his passion stems from. The white machine fighting Guyale in the arena, Earlecumber, fended off the attack and stabbed at the Guyale''s chest. The horn sounded, signalling the end of the battle. The instructor judged that the spar has been won by Earlecumber. Guyale couldn¡¯t overcome its bad condition in this battle.

    The machine that was battling just now enters the workshop situated near the arena, and the pilots exited the Silhouette Knights.

    The pilot of the white Earlecumber was Edgar C. Blanche, a tall and dignified man. Similar to his appearance, he is mature and steadfast, an elite among the pilots.

    The red Guyale is manned by Dietrich Cunitz. Unlike Edgar, he has long blonde hair, a meek and skinny man. His abilities are top notch, but he tends to get nervous and loses his head easily over small matters, his performance is inconsistent. He seemed frustrated because he lost the match.

    He started squabbling with the maintenance crew the moment he got off the machine. Instead of discussing the issue, they are pushing the blame onto someone else, even the bystanders know they won''t make any headway. Helvi couldn¡¯t stand it and butts in. She explained her findings about the arm to settle the meaningless quarrel. But Dietrich''s expression lit up mid-way and smiles sarcastically. In contrast, the maintenance crew looked annoyed.

    "Oh, no wonder the movement is so rigid. Maintenance is skimping on the repairs."

    Dietrich is suggesting ''losing is not my fault''. Edgar standing nearby advises him sternly:

    "Di, that''s going too far. If the arm is not functioning well, you should adopt a different style in your fight. It¡¯s fine if you lose after trying, but your movement seems unfocused today. It is not right to blame it all on the maintenance crew."

    Dietrich''s sarcastic smile disappears after being lectured in front of everyone.

    "You only won because my machine''s performance is sub-par, don''t get cocky."

    "The content of the spar is more important than winning. I am just saying that you should reflect on that."

    "Is that so? Why don''t you operate a faulty machine in our fight next time?"

    Dietrich left in angry strides after uttering these words with a sour face. The people in the work shop have gotten used to this and simply shrugged. Eru, who was watching from the side-lines made a perplexed face and Helvi patted his head for some reason. The school bell rang, announcing the end of class and to start preparing for the next lesson. Eru was unhappy that the fun time is over, but still bowed to Helvi and rushed back to the Knighthood faculty.

    "Field trip?"

    Eru have no idea what his classmates in middle school are talking about, there seems to be some events. He must have missed something if the whole class is talking about it. Probably because he is spending so much time in pilot school.

    "I''m sorry, I have no idea. Can you tell me what this is about?"

    Eru said with a troubled expression. His classmates look at each other for an instant, and all of them started explaining at the same time. Maybe they enjoy talking to Eru, or they felt excited when speaking with Eru. It requires tremendous patience to summarise the jumbled contents, but it can be filtered down to these main points.

    - In order to accumulate practical experience in fighting Demon beast, all three grades of Knighthood middle school will be participating in a field trip.

    - The destination will be the region of Jantunen, the forested hill home to small Demon beast.

    - The first years will be focusing on the basics of camping and wilderness survival skills.

    - For safety, Pilot school will be sending several Silhouette Knights as escorts.

    "I see, it will be conducted two weeks from now."

    "Hey, did you only find out about it today?"

    "That''s what I thought. You keep going~~ to high school right? You don¡¯t come~~ back much anyway."

    Eru tilt his head perplexedly. Chid seems shocked, but Ady looked unhappy. Eru has been reporting to Piloting faculty during class and after class, the time he spent training with Chid and Ady have been dwindling.

    "Ady? Are you in a bad mood?"

    "Not~~ really. Totally not. You are mistaken, right?"

    But the way, Ady is crossing her arms and her strong tone seems to be announcing ''I am very unhappy''.

    "I don''t think I did anything wrong. What did I do?"

    "That''s right~~ you didn''t do anything. You are not here most of the time anyway~~"

    This is what a hopeless situation means. Eru has no idea what he should do and requests Chid for aid with his gaze. Chid seems to acknowledge that and changed the topic forcefully.

    "We will split into teams for the field trip. Eru, which group are you joining?"

    "Ah, about this..."

    Eru glance at Ady who couldn¡¯t hide her curiosity and said:

    "If there are no special arrangements, I would prefer forming a group with the three of us. From the sounds of it, the first years will be concentrating on the basics, so grouping up casually should be fine."

    "Oh¨D we will be staying together then..."

    Ady''s mood has obviously improved. She went behind Eru and put her arms around his neck in a hug like usual.

    No matter how old I am, I don''t get women...

    Including the memories from his past life, Eru looked at Ady with his wealth of life experience and felt a chill. About two weeks later, Ernesti and the others prepared to go on their field trip under the clear blue sky.

    Large communal horse drawn carriages are parked in front of Laihiala Pilot Academy. The middle school students gets onto the carriages under the direction of the instructors.

    "Take care of yourself¨D"

    Batson from Craftsman faculty is not participating in the field trip. The Knighthood trio walks towards the carriage after Batson bid them farewell in a nonchalant tone.

    "Eru, Eru, this way!"

    "Don''t rush; the carriage won''t leave without us."

    The destination of the field trip is a place called ''Cloquet''s Forest''. That place is covered in forest and is slightly elevated, filled with Demon beasts that are relatively weak. Carriages are used for the long trip after considering the strength of the Demon beasts. Cloquet''s Forest is a suitable place that meets the requirement of the field trip. According to the route planned, they will swing by Jantunen to resupply before heading into Cloquet''s Forest, which is nearby.

    After all the students are seated, the carriages set off one by one. The long caravan of carriages advanced steadily on the road.

    The ten Silhouette Knight escorts spread out along the convoy. They are piloted by the high schoolers from the Academy. The dark red and pure white machines, Guyale and Earlecumber are here too.

    The Silhouette Knights used by the Academy are donated from the military. After the long years of maintenance by the students with free reign, their appearance has become unique and interesting. Some have meaningless and complicated patterns engraved on its armour, while others has eerily big accessories added onto its head, and there are armours that are pieced together in a weird pattern. The machines have been customised deeply, giving a ''that''s too exaggerated'' kind of feeling. The exoskeleton comes in all sorts of colours, having an elegant air about it, instead of being fierce and mean.

    There are many Knighthood majors participating on the field trip. Although middle school is full of kids, they are still candidates striving to be knights, so there shouldn''t be any problems if they meet the attacks of normal Demon beasts. Even if this is a field trip, they can''t be spooked by small Demon beasts. Within the Kingdom of Fremmevira, mid-sized Demon beasts about a dozen metres still lurk in the forest and mountain regions, and they might run into them on the road. The Silhouette Knights are the insurance against unexpected attacks.

    "I thought we will have a chance to fight Demon beasts, but it turns out to be a boring trip."

    Dietrich Cunitz who is riding in Guyale complains loudly. Although they are here as a safeguard, there has been no major incidence on this road for the past several years. Although the Knight runners have been assigned the mission of ''long distance manoeuvre training'', this is a trip that has nothing to do with tension or motivation.

    "Hey, I know how you feel Di, but you can''t say such things."

    Helvi ?berg who is piloting the Silhouette Knight ''Trandorches'' instead of working as a battle logger reminds him. There are microphones inside the pilot seat, and the sound inside will be broadcast loudly through external speakers if it is not turned off. It is amplified to ensure the message is not drowned out by the noise of the Silhouette Knights in operation, so it is possible that a middle schooler might have heard him.

    "Both of you take this seriously. Even if nothing happens, this is still part of our training."

    Earlecumber caught up to Guyale and Trandorches, the voice of Edgar C. Blanche can be heard booming from the Silhouette Knight.

    "As expected from the top pilot, such high end content."

    "Di, didn''t you hear what I said?"

    "Ah ¨D keep it down you two, everyone can hear you."

    Guyale and Earlecumber fell silent after hearing Helvi and returned to their positions. Helvi felt uneasy about the days ahead while she is piloting Trandorches.

    They are not the only ones who don¡¯t know how to kill time.

    "I know it can''t be help, but this is too boring."

    After rocking in the carriage for about half a day, Chid is bored out of his mind. Not only Chid, the students around him are feeling the same. They are four days away from their destination, and with their transportation taken care of by the carriage, the students on board have lots of free time. They can talk freely, but they are growing tired of the cramp space on the carriage, which can''t be help.

    "Do you want to look at the scenery outside? The scenery outside is interesting."

    "No, the only one who is satisfied with watching the scenery is you. And you are really tenacious, how long do you plan to watch that?"

    Chid looks at Eru with tired eyes. Eru stops gazing at the scenery and turns back, sitting properly on his seat. He looks really cute with his head slightly tilted while deep in thought, relieving the atmosphere instantly.

    "Want to read the books I brought along? I think you can kill time this way."

    "Books... I want to stretch my body. Eh, never mind. What have you got?"

    "Theories on Alchemy, volume 1."

    "Is that a textbook? Isn''t it better to sleep then read that?"

    "You are right, but there is really nothing to do here. Why not follow Ady¡¯s example and take a nap?"

    Ady is sleeping soundly in front of Chid. Her peaceful face that has nothing to do with boredom makes Chid look up to the sky. He maintained that position and suddenly thought of something.

    "Eh, it''s a great way to kill time right?"

    They climb on top of the carriage. The top is full of the students¡¯ luggage. Unlike the inside of the carriage, there are no seats here, but there is no problems sitting down.

    "The scenery here is better."

    The carriage advanced leisurely under the clear blue sky, the top of the carriage feels nice and peaceful. A breeze made Eru''s silver hair sway. He found a nice seat among the luggage and entered scenery appreciation mode.

    "Ah¨D this is still boring. But it is nicer than the inside of the cramp carriage."

    Since there is nothing to do, napping under the sky sounds interesting. Chid didn¡¯t care anymore.

    "Ah, so you guys are here."

    Ady poked her head out from within the carriage.

    "You woke up?"

    "Yeah, you guys are gone when I got up."

    Ady made her way to Eru''s side as she spoke, and lied on his thigh, getting in position to sleep.

    "The sun is so warm, it feels better sleeping here."

    "Sleeping is fine, but why are you using my lap as your pillow?"

    "It''s feels nicer this way."

    As Eru was at a loss, Ady has begun her journey into dreamland. Eru couldn¡¯t do anything about her and started reading, looking out at the scenery occasionally. Chid ponders about stuff for a while, but thinks it¡¯s too bothersome and gave up, using a luggage as a pillow to nap.

    Their leisurely journey continues at this pace. After rocking for three more days on the horse drawn carriage, the group from Laihiala Pilot Academy finally arrived at the largest city of central Fremmevira ¨D Jantunen.

    There is a reason why Jantunen ranks amongst the top cities in the Kingdom. It lies along the route that leads to the west of Fremmevira and beyond the Aubigne Mountain Range. It is also the transit point for supplies leading to the frontline fortress to the east of Fremmevira. As an important transport hub, its defences are second only to the Capital, surrounded by siege walls and moats. On top of that, there is a large band of knights equivalent to a brigade (100 Silhouette Knights) garrisoned here. No matter how crucial this city is, there is too much military force for one city. But they are stationed here because of Jantunen''s strategic location, allowing them to reinforce frontline cities quickly. And in practice, about thirty percent of the forces will receive patrol and escort missions outside the city.

    By the time the convoy from Laihiala Pilot Academy arrived at Jantunen, it was already past noon.

    The city wall surrounding Jantunen is colossal in scale. Because of the existence of Demon beasts, traveling long distances is difficult, so this is first time seeing another big city other than Laihiala for many of the students. Everyone is curious about this city and this is the most anticipated part for many of them.

    "What an amazing wall, what are they defending against?"

    "The enemy they have in mind are Demon beasts... or rather, the Demon beasts during the nation''s founding. There are many more vicious Demon beasts during that era."

    "Oh... That''s why it is so massive."

    The students were elated when they saw the gate leading into the city. But the carriage did not pass through the gates, but are gathered in the open space in front of it.

    "Wait, aren''t we going into Jantunen?"

    "They already told us that the stop at Jantunen is only to resupply."

    Although the group can disembark and rest outside the carriage, but they will need to move out once the goods have been loaded. The students who thought they could get a reprieve from the dull journey starts to complain, the twins stare at the gargantuan gate and nags.

    "Man, this is boring. It won''t do any harm letting us in for a while!"

    "That''s right, I want to go shopping."

    "Wait, that''s not why..."

    "Don''t you want to take a look?"

    "I am interested, but going on a tour with such a large group of students can turn into a horrible mess."

    As they spoke, Eru looks to the side. It was probably arranged in advanced, the merchants came out of the gate with the goods, which are then loaded onto the carriages.

    The short break was over and it was time to go. The carriage left with the reluctant students on board and move towards their destination ¨D Cloquet''s Forest.

    After traveling for a day from Jantunen, They reached Cloquet''s Forest. The road that leads to the east of the Kingdom was badly maintained. After rocking in the carriage for the whole day, they finally reach the entrance of a thick forest.

    The caravan parked in an open space near the entrance of the forest, the base camp for annual field trips.

    The students started setting up tents under the command of the instructors. They have been sleeping on the carriage on their journey here, ready to escape at a moment''s notice if Demon beasts attack. But they will be training for several days here and can''t stay on the carriages indefinitely. So they erected tents and used this base as a camp site.

    The seniors have experienced this several times and set up their tents skillfully. In the Knighthood faculty, besides normal training, camping trips are also conducted once in a while. Since they aspire to be knights, setting up camp is a necessary skill when traveling in an army. Learning skills other than sword and magic is a unique feature for those majoring in Knighthood. But it is not easy for the first years. Although they learned and practiced before the trip, their inexperience still shows in their work. Even with the assistance of the instructors, there are a few teams that slowed the progress, so dinner was served very late.

    The entrance of the forest was filled with tents just like a camping zone. There are torches all around, illuminating the dark corner of the forest. As part of their training program, the second years are assigned guard and patrol duties. With so many charges, the instructors can''t take care of everyone, so the students are also posted as guards, which serve as practical assignments too.

    Eru''s team set up their tent faster than the other groups. Eru knows the steps well, and with the tall twins¡¯ helping, they finished in no time. The two of them helped the other groups after finishing, while Eru walked to the outer edge of the camp site.

    The basics are all done. I am not being lazy... ah, found it.

    Beside the camping ground of the middle school students is the base of the high school Knight runners, and their Silhouette Knights. The footsteps of the Silhouette Knights and the hum of their internal components will disrupt the sleep of the campers. That''s why they are stationed here in case of any emergencies.

    The ten Silhouette Knights are arranged in rows, in standby mode with one knee on the ground. Their colossal figures are partially illuminated by the camp fire. With some parts hidden in the darkness, they look more imposing at night. Normal people might feel intimidated, but Eru simply smiled as he looked at the rows of iron giants seated in a row.

    Ah, giant robots are great¨D this is the oasis of the heart, every home should have one.

    There are no such terrifying families even in this world. But regretfully, no one is around to retort Eru.

    "Hey, you there... silver hair? Is that Ernesti?"

    After a short moment, someone called out to Eru who was immersed in a mysterious healing aura of robots. He turns back and saw the owner of Earlecumber ¨D Edgar.

    "Evening Edgar-senpai. Sorry to disturb you."

    "So it is you. Why are... I guess it is pointless to ask."

    Eru is famous in pilot school. His antics and motivation are well known, too.

    "Is senpai on standby duty?"

    Edgar heard Eru''s query as the flickering light from the camp fire shined over them. He smile bitterly and shook his head.

    "No, we were deciding the order of the duty but... sigh, Di is making a scene as usual."

    "Dietrich-senpai?"

    "Yes. Simply put, he was complaining about standby duty being a hassle. As Knight runners in their senior year of Laihiala Academy, protecting our juniors is an important mission... But as usual, his attitude is flippant."

    He still has to carry out his task no matter how stubborn he is. But Dietrich still insists on nagging about it.

    "I don''t want to hear his complains, so I decided to change the mood and see these guys."

    The two of them raise their head to look at ''them''. The campfire lit up the giant knight in white armour ¨D Silhouette Knight Earlecumber. It was not customised and retained its original shape. Its simple design has no special features and has a gentle feel about it. With the top pilot Edgar controlling it, the two partners are known as the strongest in pilot school.

    "Senpai likes Silhouette Knights. too?"

    "Eh? Rather than like... they are my weapon and comrades. My mood will calm down when I am with them. When I feel frustrated, like just now or when I feel tired, I will visit them."

    I am probably not suited for this kind of talk ¨D Edgar scratched his head.

    "I think having a reliable companion is wonderful."

    "You really like Silhouette Knights. That''s right, if you continue to work hard as a knight, you will gain a partner too... Ah, we talked for too long, first years should get back before it gets too late."

    And so, they bid their farewell and returned.

    "...Okay, De should have calmed down by now."

    After watching the bright silver disappear into the darkness, Edgar mumbles to himself, and prepares to head back with the spirit of heading into battle.

    The sky is totally dark. The first years finished their late dinner in the dim lights and returned to their tents. The first years have no assignments for the night. After the long journey and setting up camp, fatigue sets in and they wrap themselves in their blankets and sleep. When they have gone into slumber¡ª

    A loud howl from a beast came from deep within the forest. It was probably wolves. After the first howl, howls in response can be heard from all over the forest. The students on guard duty heighten their senses and look towards the forest. The howls can be heard every now and then, so they lost interest in it after a while. But there are some who can''t ignore the howls. It reminds the first timer the situation they are in. This is not a safe town for a carriage they can run away on. This is right in front of the forest where Demon beasts lurk, they are sleeping in tents that were erected here.

    Even though Cloquet''s Forest is not really dangerous, it is not considered safe even with the students on watch. After arriving here without incident, they felt the atmosphere was on the way here, but grew tense because of the howling. Their sleepiness because of fatigue is gone and they are wide awake.

    In Eru''s team tent, Chid is shaking his head while lying down. Although he is not very affected, Chid still felt a bit uneasy and can''t sleep.

    I thought I was braver than this, seems like I am quite tense too.

    The dim camp fire shines in, giving the dark tent an unsettling atmosphere. Chid suddenly wondered if Eru, sleeping besides him was uneasy like him and called out softly.

    "Hey Eru, I want to ask... Eh."

    Eru was fast asleep. He was not totally unmoved, but he was a warrior on the frontlines of hell in his previous life, too. He understood the importance of rest even if he doesn¡¯t want too, and gained the ability to be able to sleep under any circumstances.

    ... Although I have known from the beginning, but he is too strong and carefree.

    After hearing Chid, Ady who couldn¡¯t sleep turns and stares at Eru''s sleeping face.

    "Eh, how cunning."

    Chid doesn¡¯t know what she means by cunning. Ady shifted over and pulls Eru into her arms, hugging him like a pillow. Eru woke after being hugged this way. He realised it is Ady, and he pats her head and falls asleep. Maybe Ady felt safe because of this and her breathing turns smooth after a moment. Looking at the two of them, Chid felt foolish for not being able to sleep.

    Isn''t it stupid for me to be tense by myself?

    That''s it, he decided to not worry anymore. After a while, he enters dreamland.

    The next morning, the students start getting up some time after dawn.

    A lot of student didn''t get enough sleep. In the drowsy atmosphere, Eru''s group was refreshed. There are always students who can''t sleep when camping, experiencing this tension is one of the objectives of this field trip. The instructors didn''t push the younger first years, so the content of job is rather relaxed. After the students finished the simple breakfast made from preserved food, they gathered in groups by their grades under the commands of the teachers.

    After the teacher had given brief instructions, the second years break into teams and headed for the depth of the forest. The prime objective of this field trip is to engage in practical battles with the Demon beast lurking in the forest, and to hunt for a certain number of them. The first years will head to the outer region of the forest, and may have to fight if necessary.

    The first years were tense as they enter the forest for the first time, while the other grades had to bear a different sort of tension, as they headed into the forest. After a moment, the sound of their armour grows softer as they move further in and the forest turns quiet once again.

    And so, this long day that all students in the Knighthood faculty will never forget begins.

 Book 1: Chapter 7: Lets fight a demon beast

    A physical phenomenon forms out of thin air with a screech, and flies towards the ''Staccato Lizard''. The spell ''Aero Ripper'' slices through the Staccato Lizard''s neck, killing it before it can scream.

    "A lizard is heading this way! Vanguard, ready your shields!"

    The group follows the clear command of the lady, students lightly equipped with wands and bows retreat to the rear, replaced by students in heavy armor. They form a row and a wall with their shields to fend off the swarming Demon beasts. The beasts that survived the onslaught of magic and arrows pounce on the student in the front row with a fierce collision. The students used their shields to repel the claws and fangs of the Demon beast, and counter attack with their swords, taking down a large number of beasts.

    But the Demon beast use their superior numbers to bypass the iron wall defense and to their back. The lightly armored students on standby, behind the vanguards will attack when they see any beast slip past their defenses. No Demon beast will make it through this formation.

    The middle school students who split into groups when they entered Cloquet''s Forest gathered and formed into a single unit, positioning themselves into a formation that focuses on defense. The surge of Demon beasts charged at them from the depths of the forest. The students took on the waves of Demon beasts courageously.

    They put down one Demon beast after another, but the torrent of Demon beasts is just on the tip of the iceberg. Some beasts slipped through the defense of the edge of the formation, and file towards the forest entrance.

    "If this goes on, the first year at the forest entrance will be attacked...! We have to warn them!"

    The female student in command realised the danger and wants to warn the group behind them, but they have another impending crisis.

    "Watch out! A Macehead Ogre is coming at us!"

    The student who saw the Ogre screams. They were warding off small sized enemies like Staccato Lizards and Saber Cats, which is manageable despite their troubling numbers. But Macehead Ogre is a different ball game. Similar to its name, Macehead Ogre is a three metre tall giant ape with a head full of short and thick horns. It requires the teamwork of several students to fight on par with just one of them. They can''t take on this enemy while engaging the horde of small Demon beasts.

    "...! Second file! Aim for the ape''s leg! It will be bad if they draw near!"

    Several staff sticks out from the student acting as the defensive wall, casting all sorts of spells. They used fire, wind and lightning magic to battle the Demon beasts.

    We need to turn back time a few hours to understand why the situation is so dire.

    Morning, the middle school students from the higher grades headed into Cloquet''s Forest in teams with high spirits. They kept their guard up, advancing deep into the forest with no resistance and realised that something was wrong. Normally, they would have met with several Demon beast attacks this deep into the forest, but there had been nothing so far. There was no news of the Demon beast disappearing from Cloquet''s Forest.

    The groups hesitantly loiter around the forest, attempting to reach other teams for news. But all of the groups reported the absence of Demon beast encounters, with no signs of cats or lizards. Finding no trace of the things that should be there is an abnormal sign, so the crowd decides to report back to the teachers after a short discussion.

    As they were preparing to leave, the Demon beasts started to emerge from left and right. It is a bit of a hassle, but they still raise their arms to destroy the Demon beasts.

    1, 2¨D 5¨D 10¨D

    When the Demon beasts numbered in the dozens, everyone¡¯s expression changed. Seeing the state the forest is in, they understood that this is another abnormal event, differing from the one they experienced just now.

    But thankfully, they were all gathered so they have the strength in numbers, a silver lining of this gloomy situation. With their years of experience in Knighthood combat training, the students formed ranks with a formation made for large groups. This is the result of the students who aspire to join an Order of Knights, displaying the fruits of their hard work. And thus, their group clashes head on with the swarm of Demon beasts and this brings us to the present situation.

    This is the tenth Macehead Ogre they have defeated.

    The tactics of prioritising ranged attack is working. They judged that staying put will wear them down, so they retreated towards the forest entrance slowly.

    It was fortunate that the Student Council President, Stefania Serrati, is present. When they split into team activities, she assigned the task and suitable equipment to each group. It was the same for their combined formations; everyone has their role to play. Although they are a pick-up group, things are going well. The problem is the lack of a commander. It is great just following their given task, but if they don''t act when there is an opportunity, they will miss the chance to take advantage of a situation and waste their resources.

    Under these circumstances, no one objects when the Student Council President, who is in her senior year step up as the commander. She has the nominal title as well as the grades, and was trusted by everyone. Even if this is a pick-up group cobbled together on a whim, her instructions were clear and led the group through difficult situation well. Their retreat was orderly and casualties was low, but¨D

    ... This is bad. The number of Demon beasts is a problem, but why are they so adamant about charging us... How much longer can we hold them?

    Stefania appeared calm when she commands, but she was frantic inside. They still have a lot of stamina and mana, but they will be overwhelmed if this keeps up.

    We didn''t intercept all the Demon beasts. I hope the children behind us are safe...!

    The situation is deteriorating, but they still fought on.

    The first years training at the outer edge of the forest was attacked while the higher grade students were battling.

    In the beginning, the students near the forest screamed. Several Staccato Lizards pounce on the students and bit them. Their attacks weren¡¯t fatal, but it is dangerous if a bunch of them strikes together. The instructors rescued them immediately, attacking the Demon beasts that were targeting the students.

    The results of the instructors'' actions made the situation worse, but they are not at fault. It will be fine if it was just a few Demon beasts, but the Demon beasts started to emerge en masse. The teachers missed the chance to fall back and had to keep on fighting. They are holding up well, but the students behind them fell into a panic with the emergence of more Demon beasts. The instructors who are supposed to maintain order can''t draw back and give the students the proper instructions.

    The students recklessly waved their staff and cast spells. Their blindly casted magic did not threaten the beasts, almost hitting allies instead. Some drew their swords without thinking about the other students that are near them, causing further panic. Compared to the higher grade students, who were prepared and equipped for battle, and had plenty of practical experience, the first years were not ready for a fight.

    "...Aero Damned, Canister Shot!"

    Suddenly, someone leap over the panicking first year students. Silver hair shined brightly under the sun, this image burns deeply into the eyes of the confused students. That person flips in mid air, aimed for the ground and shot out several air bullets. Canister shot meant casting several spells at the same time like a shotgun.

    The air bullets hit the ground with the sound of an explosion. The compressed air bullets squeeze the face of the beasts together before blasting the Demon beasts and the ground away.

    Carpet bombing is a large aerial bombing done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase evokes the image of explosions completely covering an area; in the same way that a carpet covers a floor.

    The merciless magic destroyed a large amount of Demon beast through carpet bombing. Two more students move in from the left and right. One of them charges into the Demon beast mob with a big bastard sword in hand. He used physical boost to swing his giant sword, slicing the Demon beasts in half. He used the momentum to turn his body, drawing another weapon from his waist and point it at the surviving beast.

    "Too naive! Sonic Boom!"

    This weapon¨D gun staff Gandiva produces a vacuum from its tip, forming an air current rushing towards the Demon beasts, hitting those that were outside his sword range. Their bodies twisted unnaturally and were blown away.

    A girl showed up beside him, holding two bayonet staff pointed at different beasts.

    "Riot Sparrow!"

    Lightning fell, accompanied by the sound of thunder the next second, striking the gathered Demon beasts. She didn''t even look at the beasts that spasmed and died, attaching the gun staff onto the sword in her sheath. She held the dual swords in both hands, slashing at every Demon beast that came within range. Even a thin sword can cut Demon beasts in half if it is strengthened by magic.

    The three students attacked like a storm, reducing the number of beast drastically. The pressure from the approaching swarm lessened, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath. The students¡¯ moment stopped not because of the chaos, but from the shock of seeing the one-sided massacre.

    "Draw your staff."

    The short student who leapt over the crowd stood in front of them, and issued an order. The young, tender voice that sounded as pleasant as a bird, had an air of authority, making everyone follow his instructions.

    "Everyone gather up, form into tight ranks. Teacher!"

    The dumbfounded instructors finally came to their senses.

    "Please take command and keep the initiative. Please retreat, the three of us will support the others."

    The teachers started giving out instructions hurriedly. The students formed a tight formation and strengthen their defense. For first year students with inferior combat abilities to fight Demon beasts, they will need to concentrate their firepower. Although it is still a bit flimsy, the teachers commanding them can handle it.

    Ernesti stared at the Demon beasts rushing out of the forest and slowly raises his Winchester. Chid and Ady stood beside him like his guards. Chid leaned the bastard sword on his shoulder with one hand, and grabbed a Gandiva with the other, while Ady rested the tips of her dual swords in her hands, on the ground. Their eyes are full of determination when they see the swarm of Demon beasts before them.

    "Hey, aren¡¯t those numbers a bit too much. Oh well, we can wreck havoc if more of them comes!"

    "Hmmph¨D I won''t hold back!"

    Eru reigned in the spirited twins.

    "It''s fine if the both of you want to fight, but don''t forget about the rest of the student body."

    "Eh¨D? They can take care of themselves... probably..."

    Ady wanted to protest, but stopped midway, because Eru was staring at her with a stern expression.

    "You don''t need to stay here if you just want to wreck havoc."

    "Uguu, I... I get it! I will help them!"

    Chid raised his hands in surrender.

    "Fortunately, this is still the entrance of the forest. We can get back to the campsite if we retreat. If we meet up with the Silhouette Knights there, things will lighten up. Before that..."

    Eru casted an Aero Damned as he spoke. The Demon beast that wanted to attack them while they were talking was sent flying.

    "We need to protect them."

    Eru made up his mind, lifted Winchester and shot out a string of spells.

    While the middle schoolers are in the forest, the high schooler Knight runners were relieved from their duty and started their training. Since they cannot increase the stress on the machines, as the Silhouette Knights have to be conserved for escort duties, their training centred on one on one spars.

    Edgar was in the midst of sword swinging practice when he heard noises that shouldn''t appear from the forest.

    "Hey, isn''t the forest rather noisy?"

    "Hmm?"

    The moment he brought it up, the students around him perk up their ears. Sounds of tremours that weren¡¯t there before came from the direction of the forest, and they knew what it was.

    "That sound of explosions... magic!?"

    "Something is up... Exercise cease! Pilots prepare to sortie. The situation in the forest seems to be bad, scout out the situation!"

    The group in the camp moved hurriedly. The Knightsmiths working on the Silhouette Knights¡¯ withdraw to let the pilots mount. They skipped the initialisation check and let the machines stand up, drowning their surroundings with the sound of the churning ether reactor. But they couldn''t send all the machines out, so only five Silhouette Knights were dispatched into the forest.

    "Hey, look at that..."

    The scale of the crisis was beyond their imagination. Swarms of Demon beasts were charging at them before they entered the forest, the numbers were more than they had ever seen. The beast¡¯s shrieked as they charged in all directions.

    "What... What is happening?"

    "The Demon beasts are going out of control? Are the brats in trouble!?"

    They drew their swords and advance into the forest. They linked up with the first years in no time. The first years has successfully retreated with Eru''s quick thinking.

    They bundled together, retreating slowly as they casted magic to restrict the Demon beasts'' movements. The beasts that rushed at the formation will be repelled by magic. Edgar move in to support them, piloting Earlecumber as a shield in front of the first years. The tense first years breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the Silhouette Knights appear and dispose of the Demon beasts. The strongest combat units of humanity ¨D the Silhouette Knights are trusted by the populace. Especially at the scene of a Demon beast¡¯s raid, their power to match a hundred Demon beasts provided a great sense of security.

    They retreated to the campsite, setting up fences around the area to fortify their defenses.

    With the Silhouette Knights taking charge of defense, the instructors and the high school Knight runners began to discuss their plan of action. There¡¯s enough defense to protect the first years, so that isn''t an issue. Their main worry lies with the higher grade students who delved deep into the forest.

    "Do you know the routes taken by the second and third years?"

    "That is hard to say. Because this was meant to be a practical session, the area of operation is the whole forest, and there is no guarantee they will stay in the assigned location."

    The instructors reviewed the action plan of each higher grade student and groaned with a serious expression. They wanted to rescue them, but with the limited number of Silhouette Knights, they don¡¯t know where to start. Cloquet''s Forest was vast, running around like a headless chicken will be counter intuitive. But they didn¡¯t have time to hesitate either. At this point, Ernesti stick his head out from the instructor''s side.

    "Where are the places in the forest that people can gather easily?"

    "Hmm? That... if they want to rendezvous, it should be nearby."

    The teacher was surprised by Eru''s sudden question, but still answered him. It was meaningless to discuss this with a first year, but with his spectacular performance earlier, no one felt that Eru''s intrusion was out of place.

    "With the scale of the Demon beast horde, won''t the seniors group up to resist? That''s why I think we should look for places where large group of people can gather."

    "Hmm... You have a point."

    "The Silhouette Knights can''t move easily in heavily forested areas. Taking our combat assets into consideration, we should start our search from open spaces, right?"

    The map sprawled out on the table was marked with red lines showing the routes of advancement. To reach the designated areas, they would have to cut through the centre of the forest.

    "Also, you can take out the Demon beasts coming this way if you use this route. If anyone is caught in a battle, just holler and you will be fine."

    Because this was an emergency, everyone accepted Eru''s proposal, and formed a team to rescue the higher grade students. The campsite needed guards, so only half of the machines were deployed ¨D five Silhouette Knights.

    Edgar who was the pilot of the pure white Silhouette Knight ¨C Earlecumber, was the first to volunteer. As he was getting inside Earlecumber, someone called out to him. Edgar turned back and saw Eru standing there.

    "Can I go, too?"

    "Why?"

    "The family members of my friends are also in the forest. They are worried, so I want to join the search if possible."

    Edgar felt troubled. Although it is dangerous, it shouldn''t be a problem with Eru''s combat ability. And with the rational discussion he displayed during the conference, it will be helpful to bring him along. Edgar agreed after thinking about it.

    Earlecumber let Eru stand on his hand and stood up. Behind him is Helvi in Trandorches and three other machines. They entered the forest with heavy steps.

    "Those who have depleted your mana, help the wounded! Front line switch with standby line! Hold the line, everyone just hold on a little longer!"

    Their mana were exhausted and they are panting hard. They try to stabilise their breathing as they continue to defeat the unending torrent of Demon beasts. The higher grade students protect their wounded as they continue to retreat from the forest.

    It has been several hours since the battle begun, their retreat has been difficult. They are fine with handling the beast one at a time, but when a huge wave swells up and attack, they are forced to deplete their stamina. The Macehead Ogre that shows up from time to time drains their mana. Because they can''t cast powerful enough spells as they lack mana, a Macehead Ogre managed to close in on them and cause serious damage. About half of the group is in the state of mana depletion or have been wounded, their forces are dwindling. They conserve their remaining stamina and keep switching the vanguard to hold the up the battle front. But they don''t know how much longer they can last; they are close to the campsite, which is the only hope that kept them going.

    But reality is cruel.

    Two Macehead Ogres appeared dead ahead ¨D They are so agitated that they are foaming at the mouth, charging straight at the group. Compared to the beginning of the battle, the magic at their disposal are much weaker, so the students couldn¡¯t stop them. The vanguards frown. The sole Macehead Ogre that attacked earlier wiped out over a dozen students, inflicting heavy casualties. If they take on two at the same time, they might be wiped out.

    Stefania who is in command knows this very well. On top of giving out commands, she has moved to the front line with her staff in hand. She has gone through all sorts of possibilities while fighting, but they don''t have the combat prowess to break away from the encirclement. The group is reaching the limit of their physical and mana reserves. They can''t muster the strength to defeat the Ogres even if they wanted to.

    The Macehead Ogre has an endurance that matches its tough appearance. They advanced steadily, making light of the desperate struggles of the students. The chaotic attacks served to agitate them instead, making them more excitable.

    "This is it..."

    Someone mumbled this softly. The Macehead Ogre who was right before them raised their fist, aiming for the head of a vanguard. The vanguard raised their shields, even though it is in vain.

    That''s why he didn''t understand what happened when he heard the sound of a dull explosion over his head.

    He didn''t see several Piercing Lances flying over his head with incredible accuracy, hitting the arm of the Macehead Ogre dead on. He also missed seeing the Piercing Lance exploding one by one in accordance to its script, blowing the Ogre''s arm away. By the time the vanguard composed himself, the Ogre was running away, yelping.

    Following immediately was something that is beyond his imagination ¨D the one which came flying wasn''t just the magic projectile, but the caster himself ¨D Ernesti, who rush in like a silver bullet. This was a literal description, as Eru was conjuring ''Aero Thrust'' to accelerate as he was leaping, just like a bullet. He used the momentum to catch up with the limping Ogre who lost its arm, slashing off its head with a Sonic Blade. The head flew into the air and the massive body collapsed.

    Eru landed with enough force to dig into the ground, turns his head as he slides and pointed his Winchester at the other Macehead Ogre. Fireball was rapidly cast from its tip, engulfing the Ogre an explosion that shakes the ground. Half of the Ogre''s body was charred and falls.

    "Now... Now''s the chance! Kill it!"

    Stefania was stunned by Eru''s sudden intrusion into the battlefield, but she didn''t let the chance slip away. Her command made the students move, finishing off the Ogre.

    "... Eru..."

    "Sorry for the wait, Student Council President. I brought reliable reinforcements."

    Without needing Eru to show her, she could hear heavy footfalls behind. The rescue team overtakes the higher grade students, spreading out in front and protecting them.

    The ten metre tall giant Knights swung its gigantic iron sword, easily wiping out a wave of Demon beasts, this was the overwhelming strength of humanity''s strongest weapon. The students erupted in cheers at the sight of the powerful Silhouette Knights. There are no reinforcements more reassuring for the group on the verge of defeat. They are safe.

    "... Well, well, bringing Ernesti along was the right choice."

    Edgar who was riding inside Earlecumber mumbles to himself, as he drives the Demon beasts away.

    They followed Eru''s suggestion and searched for places with wide open spaces. They discovered the higher grade students shortly after advancing in that direction. That is because the students are bunched together and ready to retreat. But they were in a crisis when Edgar found them, the Macehead Ogres were about to break through the formation. They can take down the Demon beasts easily with the Silhouette Knight¡¯s power, but they are too far away. They will also hit the students if they use the Silhouette arms.

    Frustrated with his inability to help, despite having the strength to do so, Edgar grinded his teeth in regret. At this moment, Ernesti who is in the hand of Earlecumber charged ahead. The Ogres fell easily before the rampaging Eru, making Edgar sigh. His performance is shameful when compared to Eru.

    With the Silhouette Knights who made it in the nick of time as escorts, the students continue to retreat. There are many injuries, but no one was lost and everybody made it back to the campsite in one piece.

    This happened slightly after the Laihiala Pilot Academy student body left Jantunen for Cloquet''s Forest.

    A Silhouette Knight passed by the convoy and arrives at the eastern gate of Jantunen. This is probably urgent as the exhausted Knight runner approached the Knights after reaching the gate. The Knights were stunned by the sudden turn of events, but their faces turned pale after receiving the report of the pilot and hastily informed their commander.

    "Is... this true!?"

    Commander of Jantunen garrison Knights ¨D Philip Hallhagen''s expression changed after hearing the report from his subordinate. The vice-commander, Gottfried Hyv?rinen, who was also in the commander''s office was expressionless, but his face is white. This showed the impact this report gave them.

    "Yes sir! Stronghold Balguerie was decimated under the attack of the Division-level Demon beast ¨D Land Emperor. It is likely the defending team has been wiped out. Behemoth is moving west into the heart of the Kingdom, and is expected to show up around Jantunen soon. Sir!"

    Division-level Demon beast''s sudden attack makes Philip''s head ache like a nightmare. But the commander has no time to waste. It is fortunate a Knight runner brought this news to him, giving him some buffer time to prepare for the Behemoth to appear. Every second is precious.

    "Issue emergency orders, muster all the Knights near Jantunen! This order overrides any mission they are currently undertaking!"

    They orderly repeated his given orders, salute and sprinted out immediately. Philips and Gottfried dash out as if they were chasing after him, and head towards the war council room.

    "A Behemoth... Even Jantunen doesn''t have a division, only the Capital can match that."

    "The categorisation is only a guideline. Even with our forces, we can take it down if we are prepared for major losses."

    Philip clenched his fist as he moved hurriedly.

    "I know, but the problem is the scale of the losses! It''s meaningless to blindly sacrifice the hundred Silhouette Knights in our garrison! Jantunen will be left defenseless!"

    Gottfried was quiet after hearing this. He did not wish to risk the destruction of their band of Knights, but Behemoth has already ravaged a stronghold. If Jantunen suffers heavy collateral damage, the trade routes of the Kingdom will be heavily congested. If the supplies to the frontlines are cut off, it will adversely affect the fortresses, leading to more catastrophes. This could determine the fate of the entire nation; they have to kill the Behemoth even if it takes the lives of the entire Knight brigade. Gottfried had to offer his advice if necessary, that is his duty as the vice-commander.

    "...No, there is no time to discuss this. If we don''t stop it here, the entire kingdom might fall. Send an envoy to the Capital, they will need to send a replacement brigade of Knights after we fall..."

    Seeing Philip¡¯s face twist with worry, Gottfried can only nod in silence.

    All the Knights on duty were already there when Philip entered the war council room. All of them wore anxious expressions because of the impending crisis.

    The Knights outside the city received a call order, so they had to assess the situation before all the Knights return. A map was prepared, and the possible advancement route of the Behemoth was highlighted. The Knight runner who sent the warning didn''t know the current position of the Behemoth either, so they had to factor in things such as terrain and the mobility of the Behemoth to predict its advancement route, and estimate its rough position. They will also need to decide where they will fight the Behemoth.

    "From the direction it is headed and the terrain around stronghold Barkley, the most possible route is around D''Aiguebelle Mountains, through the forest at the foot of the mountain."

    "That is right beside Jantunen... Its current estimated position?"

    The Knight who was asked pointed to the map.

    "I think it passed through Crepel Plains and is about to enter Cloquet''s Forest."

    "Cloquet''s Forest... Uguu, that''s closer than I thought. If we are going to intercept it, we will need to do it somewhere closer to Jantunen..."

    A Knight behind him suddenly shouts.

    "Did you say Cloquet''s Forest...!?"

    "What? What¡¯s wrong with Cloquet''s Forest?"

    No one wanted to listen to bad news, but they needed to keep tabs on elements that could affect them. Before the watchful eyes of everyone, the Knight announce with a pale face.

    "... Laihiala Academy is conducting a field trip there right now!"

    "Wha...!?"

    All the Knights present are speechless. Not only Jantunen, even citizens who are the assets of the nation, as well as the children are in danger. There are Knights in the room who has relatives studying at Laihiala Knighthood school right now. Some of the Knights approached Philip frantically.

    "We need to go to Cloquet''s Forest!"

    "We have to save the children!"

    Philip was troubled with the accumulating problems, but he did not consider it for long. Another mission takes priority.

    "...Send out messengers, but the brigade will stay put until we have gathered enough forces."

    "Commander! Are you forsaking them!?"

    "Nonsense!"

    Philip roared at the Knights who were pestering him, his voice filled with anguish.

    "I want to help them too, but with our current forces, we will need to give everything to take down the Behemoth!... I am not optimistic about the coming battle. Striking now without mustering the whole brigade will just be wasting our forces, we might even be wiped out by the Behemoth. Don''t be mistaken! Our objective is to defeat the Behemoth, defend Jantunen and safeguard the entire Fremmevira Kingdom!"

    The rowdy Knights quietened down. They also understood that they have no say in this.

    "... What we can do now is to have faith in their luck and wits..."

    They looked into the darkness in the direction of Cloquet''s Forest.

    The entrance of Cloquet''s Forest, Laihiala Knighthood school campsite.

    After the upper grade students in middle school retreated successfully, a simple fence was erected alongside the Silhouette Knights, forming a simple line of defense.

    Most Demon beasts emerging from the forest are about one metre in height, the largest being three metres tall. Their combat capabilities are insignificant compared to the ten metre tall Silhouette Knights. They swat away clusters of beasts with a single sword swing. But there are a few that sneak past because of the large difference in size. They swarm towards the fence, and are held off by the students who move in to fill the gap.

    From the Demon beast''s view point, the Silhouette Knight who seems to be flaunting its existence is intimidating. Unwilling to face them, the beasts flank the Silhouette Knights, attacking the base camp from either side. The middle schoolers in the higher grades suffered many casualties, so this is a favorable situation for the Knighthood students who lack the manpower.

    After the sun sets beyond the mountains, the attack came to an end. The students, who are alert even with the absence of enemies instinctively felt that the battle was over and takes a breather.

    "Is the Demon beast stampede over?..."

    Stefania Serrati, who felt fatigue from the depth of her heart was relieved. She was leading the able bodied student body to the very end. They met up with the teachers back at the base camp, but they judged that it will be easier for Stefania, who has been commanding from the very beginning to continue. But part of it was because of her sense of responsibility.

    "Chid, Ady... Eru."

    When the situation has calmed down, she greeted the students, who were resting and surveyed the campsite. She called out to the familiar faces loudly when she came across them.

    "Ah, Onee-sama... Are you okay? I heard the student body was in trouble!"

    Stefania shakes her head.

    "As you can see, I am doing well. Enough about me, you guys were reckless out there."

    Stefania looked amazed as she spoke. The students who just retreated back to camp were riddled with wounds and fatigue, so their combat capabilities were minimal. They will struggle to handle the Demon beasts that sneak pass the Silhouette Knights in their current state. But thanks to Eru buying time for them, they managed to recover and made it through.

    "We were the only ones who can still fight, so we went a little overboard."

    "I think the three of you are as effective as a company, and that is not going ''a little overboard''... Sigh, never mind. More importantly... Eru!"

    Stefania approached Eru, who was standing behind the two of them and hugged him. She didn''t care about Eru, who was surprised and couldn''t resist, and rubbed her face on that silky, smooth hair of his.

    "Ah~~ this healing?~~ I can keep fighting if Eru is here."

    Stefania-senpai... Can''t be helped. I will give her some reward for her hard work. If my sacrifice can improve her mood, then, this is nothing.

    Stefania happily played with his hair and poked his cheeks, Eru did not resist, and allowed her to toy with him. Ady seemed angry, but didn''t stop her.

    Stefania enjoyed herself with the cuddling for a long while. Suddenly an awkward voice called her from behind.

    "Eh... Student Council President..."

    The student was looking for her, but was surprised at how creepy Stefania¡¯s smile was. This was expected as Stefania was leading the student body coolly earlier, but is now hugging a junior with a lewd smile.

    "What is it?"

    "The teacher is asking for you to discuss our next move."

    "I understand. Sorry you three. Let''s chat later, it will just take a little while."

    It was too late to cover it up, but Stefania didn''t seem to mind, changing to Student Council President mode immediately. The three of them waved at her with an amazed expression as Stefania leaves.

    Alright, we made it past the dangerous period, but what''s next?

    They made it through the stampede of the Demon beasts, but Eru didn¡¯t think that things are over just yet. He looked back at Cloquet''s Forest, which seems to be growing darker, as if it wants to mask itself from Eru''s sight.

    Even Eru is not sure what was lurking deep within the forest.

    "And so, we are moving out tomorrow?"

    The instructors are unable to come to a consensus for their next course of action. This is understandable as they have not grasped the whole picture. Anyway, they had informed everyone of their course of action over dinner. Eru and the others drank the soup made from simple vegetables and the food they brought along, while they confirm their circumstances.

    "Correct, we have many wounded but no one is in danger of dying, the worst of it are just fractures. There are many who have depleted their mana and are exhausted. The teachers feel that it is dangerous to move with our inadequate fighting power."

    "Yes, but isn''t it dangerous to rest here?"

    "The horses will also be affected by the dark. The instructors decided that being attacked while exhausted and moving on the carriages will be too risky, it is better to wait for day break while taking advantage of the base camp''s defenses. I think we won''t be attacked by Demon beasts in such numbers any time soon."

    "Oh¨D what an optimistic view."

    "Not really, all the options are like a gamble, this is simply choosing the safest option. If something does come in the middle of the night, it will be easier for the Silhouette Knight to defend if we stay put."

    What they can do now is to rest up, detect danger early and react to the situation. In the end, they have to depend on themselves. After dinner, they try to relax and shake off their tense emotions, and put their hopes in making it to Jantunen when morning comes.

    But they missed an important thing¨D What created the stampede?

    They didn''t notice that the Demon beasts heading their way were desperate, as if something was chasing them to the west.

    They only regret missing this detail during the twilight hours just before dawn.

    The red sun rises slowly over the mountain range. The students, who took the last shift suppressed their drowsiness and yawns. The surrounding is peaceful. After meeting the large scale migration of the Demon beasts, there were almost no Demon beasts left in Cloquet''s Forest. The whole forest seems to have died with a silent air.

    ¨DAnd that silence was broken suddenly. They noticed the weird noise coming from the forest. The sound of trees breaking and falling appears to follow a rhythm. Something heavy seems to be hitting the ground. It didn''t take long for them to realise what that meant, sounding the alarm immediately.

    "Oh sh*t! A big one! A big one is coming!"

    Both instructors and students who were sleeping jumped out of bed when the alarm sounded. They didn''t sleep well because of the tension, so everyone was moving once they got up. The high school Knight runners, who are dragging their tired bodies to perform their standby duties, mount their Silhouette Knights, activating them immediately to guard the entrance to the forest.

    The sound of trees falling can be heard clearly now, along with the thundering footsteps. It is clear that something big is approaching.

    "Hey, isn''t this bad?"

    It goes without saying that everyone can feel that this is a crisis like never before. In this intense atmosphere, everyone''s eyes are drawn towards the forest entrance.

    There is no Demon beast larger than duel-level in Cloquet''s Forest, that was the reason it was chosen for the field trip. But the footfalls of the approaching beast tells us how large it is.

    It was a large Demon beast that shouldn''t appear in Cloquet''s Forest. The swarms of Demon beasts that attacked them out of nowhere.

    The Demon beast wave was so large, as if the whole forest was rushing out. Could it be that they were chased out by the intruding colossal beast?

    The trees near the entrance fell like dominoes. Finally, the Demon beast appeared with the light of the breaking dawn. It was covered in uneven armour with protruding edges. It was easily mistaken for a mountain, and humanity''s strongest weapon, the Silhouette Knight looked as weak as a child in contrast. Its eyes that are disproportionately small scan the area before it.

    Everyone was awestruck, feeling fearful and weak before its majesty. Land Emperor ¨D the colossal beast that appeared at the border of the nation is now advancing dangerously close to Jantunen.

    An abnormal silence enclosed this space. It spurns from the tension between the Demon beast and the people present.

    The humans on scene, Laihiala''s students, are awed by the gargantuan sized Behemoth and can''t move. The elite Knights posted at the frontlines were also stunned when they saw the Behemoth; it is too much to ask fifteen year old students to find enough courage to stand up to it.

    During the moment when time seemed to freeze, the Behemoth moved first with its calmer mind-set. It looked around, opened its mouth and howled. Instead of sound, it felt closer to a shock wave moving through the air. Its horrifying lung capacity released a roar that made the earth tremble, shattering several trees close to it. The armour of the Silhouette Knights closest to it shivers, and it took a few steps backwards because of the pressure. The sound is so loud that the students had curled up in a ball, cupping their ears; some even fainted from the shock wave.

    This is the signal that undid their bindings. When they started moving, the silence before was just like an illusion. Everyone is running away from the Demon beast as if they were being pushed back. This is not because they have come to their senses, but the chaotic actions due to their panic. The instructors lost control of the situation; everyone is just focused on running away from the Behemoth.

    Escaping is the best option under such circumstances, but the way they are doing it is bad. The range a human can travel on foot is limited; they need to run to the carriage if they want to escape further. The panic strickened students didn''t think about that, and just concentrated on getting away in any direction.

    Just as the group was dispersing, there was suddenly an explosion at the front. No matter how terrified the people are, they won''t run into an explosion. The student body''s movement stopped for an instant and a figure used this chance to jump in front of everyone.

    "Get away! Run! It''s dangerous! Everyone head for the carriage!"

    Following Eru''s lead, the few students who kept their wits shot out Fireball, preventing the group from spreading out. They attracted the attention of the students with spells, herding them towards the carriage like hunting guides. They are still far from being calm, but the group is stable enough to understand instructions. They run towards the carriage in order to escape from the Behemoth.

    The middle schoolers are not the only ones awed by the Behemoth, it was the same for the high school Knighint

    t runners. Because they are in possession of the powerful Silhouette Knights, the Behemoth is a bigger threat to them. With the responsibility that comes with this power, they can''t run away. Even if they want to fight, the enemy is too strong.

    "Don''t stop! Move¨D!"

    Caught in a dilemma because of an enemy out of their league, the first to snap out of it is Edgar. Be it fight or flight, remaining still before the Behemoth is like suicide.

    The Knight runners finally recognise that the Behemoth is preparing to charge and tries to evade in a panic. The momentum of the beast is incomparable to anything in this world. Even a Silhouette Knight won''t stand a chance when facing one. The pilots break out in cold sweat, losing their will to fight. What can they do to fight this terrifying Demon beast?

    But one man, Edgar, suppressed his fear when he realised the advancement route of the Behemoth coincides with the carriages the middle schoolers are using to flee, and said with resolve:

    "I will distract the Behemoth! Everyone, please lend me your strength!"

    "Huh? Edgar! Do you know what you are saying!? That is a Behemoth! It will send all of us flying with a kick!"

    "I know! But our juniors will be wiped out if we let it rampage. No, not just that. It will assault Jantunen if it heads down the same way as the carriages!"

    Helvi who snapped at Edgar knows, too. There is nowhere to run, even if they escape from here, it will just lead to more collateral damage. She gritted her teeth with enough force to splinter it.

    "We have no choice but to go through with it...!"

    "We are Knights. We learnt swordsmanship and piloting in order to protect our Kingdom, how can we run without a fight!"

    Edgar equips magic armament onto Earlecumber as he spoke. The ether reactor is running the flow of mana activates the magic armament... the whole Silhouette Knight glows dimly.

    "I don''t want to die pointlessly either. We need to draw the Behemoth''s attention!"

    "Yes, there''s no other way!"

    Edgar didn¡¯t want to lose the spirit he managed to squeeze out. Earlecumber led the charge, aiming at the Behemoth''s leg.

    "All units, draw staff! Use magic bombardment to draw its attention and pull back!"

    Edgar shouts as he pulls his control stick all the way back. Earlecumber channels its mana to the magic armament under the control of its pilot, lightning staff Arquebus. The tip of the simple longish weapon glows brightly, a lightning bolt strikes at the Behemoth with a flash.

    Unfortunately, the blast had no effect. One reason is the Behemoth is too big; the other factor is the electricity was directed towards the ground from the armoured shell without hurting the interior.

    The other three Silhouette Knights apart from Edgar has also armed themselves with magic armaments, circling around the Behemoth while firing their overed spells. It is hard to tell the effectiveness of the attacks, but they achieved their goal of getting the Behemoth''s attention. The Behemoth turns its head when it noticed the disturbance, looking at the Silhouette Knights casting spells at it with annoyed eyes.

    "How... It is ineffective..."

    "It''s fine! Don''t stop and run! We just need to buy some time!"

    The Knight runners understood the Behemoth is focusing on them, so they lure the Behemoth away from the middle schoolers and retreat at full speed.

    As the high school pilots battles the Behemoth, the middle schoolers are rushing onto the carriage.

    Because of the number of people, only about half of them has evacuated despite the carriages being dispatched one by one.

    There are still a lot of people left... we need more time, we can only depend on our seniors now...

    Eru stands at the end of the line, looking at the fight between the Behemoth and the Silhouette Knights with a grim expression. Using spells beyond human capabilities ¨D overed spells are negated by the invulnerable armour shell, leaving no trace of injury. Before the colossal beast, even the crystallisation of human technology, the Silhouette Knights are insignificant. The Eru who is just one person is even more powerless.

    He has a serious face. The situation of the high school pilots is overwhelmingly bad... No, it is hopeless, their attacks does no damage at all. Their tactics revolves around retreating, disrupting it with deft movements. The Silhouette Knights will fall with just a single hit because of the differences in mass. If the pilot continue to accumulate fatigue and stress ¨D it is hard to think of a good outcome.

    I will evacuate everyone, so don''t die senpai...!

    No matter how fast a Silhouette Knight is, there is no guarantee it can get out of the way of an angry, charging Behemoth. Hence, the other Knights will concentrate their attacks on the Behemoth to divert its attention, if it locks on to their comrades. Their attacks did not hurt the Behemoth, but it was frustrated with the annoyance.

    "Hahaha! Is that it, this thing is big, but can''t do anything to us!"

    Dietrich shouted. In order to overcome the intimidating aura stemming from the gigantic body of the beast, he has to convince himself that he has the upper hand. It was meant to motivate himself, but because the tactics of stalling for time was working too well, they were taking things lightly. Could it be, this is a slow and dumb beast that is all bark with no bite? In actual fact, it will take just one hit to shatter a Silhouette Knight, but toying with the Behemoth this way has dulled their sense of judgment.

    For a short time, they seem to be successful in their bid to drag out the battle. The Behemoth that is chasing after the escaping Silhouette Knights slowed down suddenly. The pilots watched the Behemoth''s changes, as it took a huge breath with a lung capacity appropriate to its colossal size, sucking in an illogical amount of air.

    The next second, a fierce breath of tornado shot out from its mouth. This is a ranged magic attack. The pilots who assumed the Behemoth can only charge and attack physically, were caught off guard by the sudden projectile spell. A tornado charged in a straight line. The turbulence from the current engulfed a machine that didn''t get away in time. The Silhouette Knight couldn¡¯t resist the raging air currents which twisted its armour and squashed its crystal tissue.

    The ten metre tall mass of steel ¨D the Silhouette Knight flew into the sky and fell heavily to the ground. The impact shatters the limbs which has the least durability, which breaks off from the torso. Because the Silhouette Knights are humanoid shaped, its tattered image burns deep into the heart of the pilots.

    "Hya! Ugu... Wah!"

    Dietrich saw the whole process clearly. His classmate, who has been with him through high school ¨D and his Silhouette Knight was destroyed, making him scream as if his throat was in spasm.

    The next moment, another machine disappeared before Dietrich''s eyes with a loud bang. He didn''t understand what happened, but he gets it when he shifts his gaze.

    The Behemoth struck with its tail. The moment that machine stopped, it was hit by the tail which was swinging with inertia, flying out in a twisted lump. Dietrich is safe because of luck ¨D his position was slightly out of range. He would have been swept by the tail if he was a couple of steps forward.

    Two Silhouette Knights were easily shattered like some pottery in the blink of an eye. The pilots realised how wrong they were to think they can hold the Behemoth off somehow. The Behemoth turns its head towards the surviving Silhouette Knights as if it was flaunting how easily it can destroy them. The perpetrator of the entire incident was targeting them next.

    "Wwwwaaaaahhhh!"

    "Oooorrrraaaaa!"

    The two sounds coincide with each other. The former was Dietrich screaming in horror, because of the Demon beast, the latter was Edgar, shouting to overcome the fear in his heart to steel himself.

    Damn! How can I be so careless! The Behemoth is a Division-level Demon beast... I knew it was a monster that cannot be handled by the handful of us!

    Edgar couldn¡¯t forgive himself for the loss of his comrade''s life, because he underestimated the enemy. His anger is stronger than his fear, pushing him forward.

    "Everyone, avoid facing it head on! No matter what, evasion takes priority! Just a bit more, everyone, please hang on!"

    They had engaged the Behemoth, everyone will be wiped out if they turn and run suddenly. After hearing Edgar''s spirited voice, the other Knight runners responded to him, even though they are shivering with fear. All of them used everything they had to dodge the Behemoth''s attack. Right now, they can only put their life on the line and keep pestering the Behemoth.

    Under the rampage of the Behemoth''s magic, the high school pilots are forced into a dire situation.

    Eru and the others had safely evacuated the middle schoolers, and he hopped onto the last carriage himself. He watched the battle from the carriage, speeding away from the Behemoth. The high schoolers are at a severe disadvantage with the magic attack of the Behemoth, killing off any chance for them to run away, even if Eru and the rest had left. The conversation he had with Edgar flashed across his mind. Even if his message didn¡¯t reach them, the only thing he can do now is to give his support.

    At this moment, a red shadow appeared in the corner of Eru''s eye. He turned his head quickly, and was shocked after he identified it. The red shadow was the Silhouette Knight, Guyale.

    Could it be... As he was thinking, he turned his head ahead and saw the battle still raging on between the Behemoth and the other Silhouette Knights. This means Guyale is abandoning the other students and escaping by himself. Eru jumped off the carriage when he understood this. Everyone was stunned by his action and couldn''t stop him. He ran after Guyale with the speed of a bullet.

    A red Silhouette Knight was running in the bright forest under the sunny sky.

    The quiet forest extends all around it; there is nothing in the surroundings. But the red machine was focused on its task, sprinting hard as if it was being chased. In fact, the red Silhouette Knight Guyale and its pilot Dietrich Cunitz was pressed into this situation with no way to escape. What is driving Dietrich is pure terror. The image of his classmate''s Silhouette Knight being crushed by the Behemoth repeats in his mind endlessly. Dietrich doesn¡¯t even dare to turn back, blindly pushing Guyale to sprint forward. Although he is not the one running, but his lungs are constricted because of fear and his breathing is irregular.

    Knight runners have absolute trust in their machines. There are Demon beasts which have power beyond the Silhouette Knights, but Dietrich didn¡¯t think they were invincible. He was not prepared to face an enemy that shrugged off attacks and can destroy Silhouette Knights in one hit. In the end, he panicked, and made the shameful choice of saving himself by sacrificing his classmates.

    But the goddess of fate did not let him off so easily.

    Guyale''s speed suddenly dropped drastically. Although Dietrich was panicking, he immediately thought of a reason for this. He went through the battle earlier and sprinted at full speed. He didn''t display the calmness he showed during his training, running hard in an inefficient manner. What awaits him is a dead battery.

    The fear that accompanied his immobility seizes Dietrich, but he could still do something about it. He stops Guyale and switch to standby mode to rest and recover his mana reserve. After confirming that the Behemoth is not pursuing him, he sighed in relief and steadied his rough breathing.

    After stopping, he gathered some of his wits and felt a strong pang of regret. He shakes his head to clear away this thoughts. But being unable to move, all sorts of thoughts emerged, pushing Dietrich into a corner.

    ¨DThat''s right, I abandoned my comrades and ran¨D

    ¨DLeaving your brother in arms behind, a shameful behaviour for Knights¨D

    So... So what! Staying there means dying in vain! I only chose to live, and the code of chivalry didn''t say anything about dying for nothing!

    Dietrich denies the accusations of his own conscience. His calm breathing becomes rough again; he didn''t even notice his hand holding the control stick is becoming stiff because he was gripping too hard. His eyes were wide open as he sweated profusely, and he continued to affirm and deny his own thoughts.

    Dietrich, who was tormented by his own thoughts, heard a sound that drew closer into the distance and came to his senses. That is the screeching sound of compressed air, which is followed by the sound of metal rubbing against metal. The vision in front of him suddenly widened, and he couldn¡¯t react because of how sudden things were happening.

    The chest plate armour of the Silhouette Knights was connected by compressed air for ease of entry into the cockpit. But it was opened suddenly, although he didn''t activate the control for the hatch, and has no reason to do so. To open the hatch from the outside, you had to manipulate a complicated set of levers and had to be careful not to dismantle the armour by accident. Based on this situation, someone is opening the hatch from the outside using the lever.

    A figure jumped up to the open hatch which confirmed his deduction. It was a petite body, with a head of silvery, purple hair. That figure is Ernesti, who smiles casually at Dietrich and says:

    "I finally caught up with you, Senpai."

    Eru said in a casual tone, as if he has simply forgotten to bring something. Eru tilts his head and continued:

    "I will go straight to the point Senpai, are you running away?"

    For Eru, this question was meant to be a confirmation, but Dietrich trembled when he heard Eru. The sudden appearance of his junior asking so bluntly made him hysterical.

    "...! Ah, d... damn... right! Running... What''s wrong with that! Just missing one man won''t change the tide of battle! Why do I have to die in vain? The chivalry code doesn''t tell us to abandon our lives!"

    Dietrich repeats his thoughts, not caring how broken his reasoning was. He did not answer Eru, but was trying to convince himself. Eru nods with his usual peaceful smile and said to the agitated Dietrich:

    "That''s great."

    "... What?"

    Dietrich didn¡¯t expect such a reaction and lifted his head up, tongue tied. Great? What did he say to make Eru so happy?

    "Because, that reason is sufficient for me to borrow Guyale from you."

    When Dietrich realised what he meant, Eru has drawn his Winchester. This is the last thing he remembered while he was still conscious.

    After knocking Dietrich out with a single air bullet, Eru made a pleased expression and nodded his head with satisfaction. Although he can sympathise with Dietrich''s situation, Eru is still angry.

    Eru perked himself up and scanned the cockpit. Silhouette Knights are ten metre tall giants, but the cockpit was tight and messy with all sorts of gears. The most prominent feature is the seat in the centre, the control stick to the side and the pedals under the seat. The Knight runner controls the Silhouette Knight by holding the control sticks and stepping on the pedals. Eru recalls the functions of the pilot seat and the activation procedure.

    After Eru undid the harness and was preparing to drag the unconscious Dietrich out, he thought of something.

    "If I leave him here unconscious, won''t he die if wild beasts attack him?"

    Although he was angry at Dietrich for running away by himself, Eru was not willing to kill him. After contemplating for a while, Eru saw some space behind the seat. The cockpit of Silhouette Knights will usually have blankets, food, and a first aid kit for emergency supplies, enough for a few days of solo travelling if they lost contact with their team. These items are stuffed behind their seat so they won''t interfere when they are piloting.

    "Eh, it''s a bit of a waste, but I can make space here."

    Eru randomly pulled out some of the items and threw them out. After confirming that there is enough space, he squeezed the unconscious Dietrich in there. Although this position was uncomfortable for humans, but Eru wasn''t bothered.

    After ''settling'' Dietrich, Eru turned towards the seat. Unfortunately, the size is designed for high schoolers. Eru won''t be able to reach the control sticks and pedals with his stature. The seat does not have the convenient function of being adjustable like the cars back on Earth.

    Eru had already anticipated this, and he came with a plan in his mind. He slashed at the consoles on either side of the seat calmly, destroying its casing. He was not doing this out of frustration. He pulled out silver wires from within the destroyed panels ¨D Silver Nerves. Eru coiled the wires around Winchester, sat down and buckle himself in. Winchester is made from that white mist tree that is an excellent conductor of mana; it becomes a primitive control input device by entangling Silver Nerves around it.

    "... I will have to do this live with no backup plan, failure is not an option."

    The Silver Nerves transmit mana and scripts through the control sticks and pedals to the magic engine, which in turn uses scripts to operate the Silhouette Knight. The commands of the pilots are interpreted by the magius engine, transforming them into scripts to move each part of the Silhouette Knight. Taking this concept to the extreme, if you have great control over the scripts, you can operate the Silhouette Knight without control sticks.

    But that is only in theory. It is difficult for pilots to conceptualise and control Silhouette Knights through scripts alone, so the control sticks and pedals are necessary to reduce the burden on the pilots and make control simplier. By having physical control sticks and pedals that matches the four limbs of the pilots, the movement of these controls can be used as input data for the movements of the robot, a semi automatic mode of control. The current way of riding a Silhouette Knights is a combination of physical control and script transmission, a balance between simplicity of control and complexity of actions that can be taken.

    The problem Eru has with the Silhouette Knight lies with the difficulty in using the physical controls. That''s why he planned to use total script control from the start, using his own magius circuit to handle the large stream of control scripts. This is an absurd idea, but Eru has the script processing speed beyond the realm of normal humans, so it was a worthwhile bet.

    Eru took a light breath, calmed down, closed his eyes and concentrated.

    The Winchester connects to the Magius engine through the Silver Nerves. Normally, it is the Knight runner who answers the magic input query, so there wasn¡¯t any resistance with the pilot assuming direct control. It was surprisingly easy to establish a bypass route. Eru''s conscious became one with the Silhouette Knight, reading and processing the pre-programmed scripts in the magic engine.

    Eru analysed the script with his eyes closed. He construct a magic program from nothing, growing it outwards in all directions. Arms stretched out from Eru''s mind to draw the magic program ¨D reading its contents. Even though the code and symbols were different, but being in the flow of data is nostalgic, and he smiled gently.

    "Alright, time to show you see the power of a professional programmer."

    He began analysing the core of the magic scripts at a fast pace, starting with comparing what he had learned so far with the scripts within the magius engine.

    "Starting pattern analysis... Similar scripts detected, physical boost, Amplifier..."

    Most of the scripts in the magius engine were similar to the scripts he knew. Eru identified them one by one, using the script to understand its purpose. The more similarities there were, the faster he could grasp the internal workings.

    "The base is physical boost? Crystal tissue is the emulation of muscle tissues. To move them, the theory is the same..."

    Using Architect sigils, he dissected each script. Each part formed complicated patterns and are interconnected, the magic program is expanding to the limit of his conscious.

    "The control of the crystal tissue... placement, the connection between each of the modules, output control, this is the mana output of the ether reactor..."

    Guyale, which was kneeling on one knee in standby mode trembles slightly. Its fingers move, its eyes begins to focus and see its surroundings clearly.

    "To activate... I will need to connect my physical boost with the movement script of the Silhouette Knight. It needs to be converted to accommodate the Silhouette Knight, using the default output control parameters to move..."

    The mana produced by the ether reactor executes the script issued by the pilot, broadcasted out to the entire Silhouette Knight through the Silver Nerves. The Silhouette Knight loyally obeys the command, using the mana stored in the crystal tissue to contract and expand. The machine vibrates, standing up slowly like a new-born deer.

    "Operation parameter conversion complete, activation starting... Adjusting output values, mana reserves adequate. Okay, take one step..."

    Guyale''s gigantic body balanced itself awkwardly, taking one heavy step after another, taking large but unsteady strides. The movement is like a zombie, staggering and slow.

    "Feedback adjustment, optimising."

    Eru used the feedback details from practical movements to scan for excessive movement in the crystal tissue and debugs the script. These scripts still has traces of being a magic script, but errors were detected by synchronising the movement and user input, optimising it in a short time. Guyale''s movement changed from unsightly shuffling to a graceful walk in the span of a few steps.

    It had been half an hour since Eru started accessing the magius engine. The Silhouette Knight, the weapon which is the crystallisation of humanity''s wisdom was now completely under his control.

    Guyale moved as Eru wishes. There are no lags because of physical defects or inefficient scripting. It is one with the pilot, making total full control a reality.

    The situation is dire.

    The high school Knight runners are in a deadly battle all this while, so Eru issued Guyale a command. It accepts the command and starts sprinting as if to make up for all the time that was wasted.

    But¨D

    As he ran, Eru''s expression shifted from a tension to a smile. He didn¡¯t feel anxious or pressured. The reason was simple; Eru was piloting a robot right now. The robot follows his wishes and was sprinting wildly.

    Eru didn''t think too much when he chased after Guyale; he was too preoccupied when accessing the magius engine. He only had the leisure to think after he started moving, coming to terms with what he was doing.

    Eru thinks it is childish to react this way, but he couldn¡¯t contain his emotions.

    "Ah, Ahhh, Ahhhhhh! Robot, robot, I am piloting a running robot!"

    For him, be it the tremour of each step the machine took, the Holo Monitor showing the scenery that was disappearing at an horrifyingly, fast pace or the inertia Eru is feeling, all of it felt so blissful. Who can stop Eru''s joyous laughter? Eru forgot about the powerful Demon beast that was waiting for him ahead, and immersed himself in the happiness of piloting a Silhouette Knight.

    Guyale ferries Eru, who forget his original objective as well as the foaming and unconscious Dietrich towards the battlefield at an amazing pace¡­

 Book 1: Chapter 8: Final battle, land emperor

    The trees in the plains increased in number gradually, until its density matched that of a forest.

    A road paved with stones extended to the east of this forest; it was the biggest road in the Fremmevira Kingdom that leads to the east ¨D ''East Fremmevira Highway''. From K?nk?nen to Jantunen was the ''West Fremmevira Highway'' and from Jantunen to the Kingdom''s border was the ¡®East Fremmevira Highway¡¯. These two highways are built with cobble stones, a historical route that was paved for the ease of transport when constructing the fortress at the frontlines. It now shoulders the duty of intra-kingdom transport; its active use matched its reputation as the leading traffic junction.

    The road that is used frequently by caravans with Silhouette Knight escorts was desolated. It might be due to the Demon beasts stampede or the rumours spreading among merchants about the sightings of a gargantuan Demon beast.

    There is a tense silence on this road, which was broken suddenly.

    The sound of hooves from dozens of carriages reverberated in the air, as they ferried the Laihiala Pilot Academy students who are escaping. The high school Knight runners are risking their lives to cover the evacuation, so the carriages were running at full speed. But this was too taxing on the horses, so the pace was slower than normal. Even so, they were already halfway to Jantunen.

    The exhausted students sat in the carriages. They weren''t chased by any Demon beasts during this period. They had calmed down after some time, but the uneasiness in their chest lingers.

    "What happened to Eru¨D?"

    With this solemn atmosphere, Chid and Ady sat on the last carriage, looking behind them blankly. Eru jumped off the carriage and entered the forest when they were escaping from Cloquet''s Forest. It happened so suddenly, that they lost track of him before they could even try to stop Eru.

    "... Hey, could it be..."

    Chid mumbled, as if he thought of something. Ady tilted her head questioningly.

    "That guy, did he hijack a Silhouette Knight to join the fight?"

    Impossible¨D Ady wanted to dismiss it, but fell into deep thought. The probable deduction morphs into a clear image in her mind. Common sense tells her that Eru, who did not attend pilot school can''t control a Silhouette Knight. But he might make it work with what he learned through self study¨D She didn''t know that Eru has actually succeeded. Ady easily imagined the face of Eru challenging the Land Emperor head on, it seemed so natural.

    "Ah¨D Yeah, that makes sense. Eru will probably do that."

    "No need to worry. He can run away with those legs of his if things goes awry."

    The magic invented by Eru called ''Aero Thrust'' is surprisingly fast. Who can catch up with Eru who was faster than wolves and rivals that of a bird? Even if the opponent was that mammoth Demon beast, Eru can run away if he puts his mind to it. The two of them imagined that scene and laughed.

    As they predicted, Eru had hijacked Guyale and was charging towards the Behemoth. It was hard to tell if it was a blessing or a misfortune that the twins, on the shaking carriage had no idea about this.

    The instructor on the carriage in front alerts the entire convoy. Clouds of dust can be seen in the direction they are heading, and they heard the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves in the distance. Everyone understood what was causing all that racket. A group of Silhouette Knights¨D the standard model ''Karrdator'' was advancing in a column. All citizens of Fremmevira Kingdom were familiar with these figures and understood why they were here.

    "...The garrison Knights of Jantunen!"

    The voice of the instructor on the leading carriage reached the carriages at the back. The students poked their head out of the carriages one by one, their face bright with excitement.

    This group was a scale larger than two battalions, consisting of roughly ninety Silhouette Knights. They are followed by the maintenance and supplies corps. Most of Jantunen''s military forces are here, the most they can muster one day after receiving the envoy from Balguerie.

    Karrdators are the official mass produced standard model, with rugged exterior. After experiencing many battles, it has a unique charm to it. Their shoulder armour was decorated with the Fremmevira Kingdom flag and the Jantunen city crest, displaying the pride they had in protecting this land.

    The Laihiala students are not uneasy anymore. No matter how mighty the Demon beast was, the band of Knights will defeat it. They had faith in the power and credibility of the Knights.

    A sense of relief spreads among the Knights who had discovered the carriage at the same time. Although they had set off as soon as they could, they had already mentally prepared themselves for the possibility that the entire Laihiala student body being massacred. From the looks of things, most of them made it out safely, and had brought with them valuable information about the current location of the Behemoth.

    "I see... the high school Knight runners..."

    It included information on why the Laihiala students managed to evacuate safely. A lot of the Knights are graduates of Laihiala Pilot Academy, and are moved by the honorable actions of their juniors and steeled themselves.

    "Please rest assured. In order to protect our kingdom, and not let their sacrifices be in vain, we will crush the enemy."

    The Jantunen Knights engrave this determination within their hearts; their morale grew stronger than before. The band of Knights learned that the Laihiala students met the Behemoth less than half a day ago, so their meeting with the Behemoth is at hand. The tension of the Knights grew sky high with each step they take.

    A red Silhouette Knight was sprinting wildly in the lush forest. Its speed was incredible; double that of a normal Silhouette Knight.

    Because Eru is controlling it with magic scripts, he is now in sync with the magius engine. His thoughts are converted into scripts that are transmitted to the entire machine without any lags. The crystal tissue of the Silhouette Knight is being moved, its reaction speed is better than organic muscles, executing commands without delays. Guyale now has double the reaction and movement speed of a standard Silhouette Knight.

    Guyale maintains its peak performance as it runs, and heard the sound of howls in front. It was a mix of lightning explosion and raging winds. He will engage the Behemoth in a few minutes. Eru''s expression twisted with joy, showing unrestrained happiness as he begins his first battle in a Silhouette Knight.

    With a dull thud of metal against metal, the steel giant was knocked into the sky. It flew under the tremendous force and hits the ground hard, tumbling a few times. No one could spare the effort to confirm the safety of the pilot, but from the way it lands, the caved in torso and the smashed arms, the pilot couldn¡¯t be unharmed.

    "Damn!"

    The high school Knight runners kept on fighting after the middle schoolers evacuated. It''s not that they didn''t want to run; they don''t have the luxury of showing their back to the Behemoth. The battle has raged on for some time, compared to the fatigue showing on the pilot''s faces, the Behemoth lived up to its name of being a fortress, showing no signs of slowing down. There was also an overwhelming difference in strength between them, the discrepancies in endurance was surfacing with each passing second.

    Facing pressure that the Knights at the borders failed to withstand, the high school pilot''s machine fell one by one, there were only three left.

    The Behemoth''s tail swung towards Earlecumber, whose pilot Edgar was distracted by his comrade''s demise. Edgar instinctively felt that he couldn¡¯t dodge the tail bent like a whip, and pushed the stance of Earlecumber as low as possible while swinging the shield on his left arm, parrying the blow. An incredible technique only Edgar, who was the elite in high school, can pull it off with the help of Earlecumber''s excellent performance. But the shield was knocked away from his hand with just the tail''s glancing blow. Earlecumber cautiously steadied its stance and pull away from the Behemoth.

    I lost my shield! This is bad, the situation is desperate!

    Even so, Earlecumber''s damage is slight, the other two machine''s mana pool and damage was at their limit and might cease any second now. Edgar couldn¡¯t shake off the foreboding sense of doom that flashed across his mind. His team couldn''t hold on much longer and might be wiped out in five minutes...

    The Behemoth didn''t let up its attack, shooting out Tornado Breath again. The raging wind has a large area of effect; they could be pulled in if they didn¡¯t get further away.

    "Please... Trandorches, move!"

    Helvi realised that the Tornado Breath was aimed at her and scream like a banshee as she tried to get away. Trandorches squeezed out its last ounce of strength, despite the accumulated fatigue and damage, but lost its balance because of the fierce air current.

    "Helvi! ¨D Damn it, make it in time!"

    Edgar roared, commanding Earlecumber to charge at the Behemoth, who was in turn closing in on Helvi in order to distract it. He hung on to a glimmer of hope and fires his Silhouette Arms, Arquebus. His full power attack bounced off harmlessly against the armoured shell, while the Behemoth was still locked onto the Silhouette Knight before it. The running Behemoth accelerates, closing in on Trandorches that was struggling to stand.

    Just as Helvi and even Edgar was prepared for the next victim to appear¨D

    "Ah hahahaha! Hue hahaha! Found it ¨D I am here!"

    A red Silhouette Knight intrudes into the battle field with arrogant laughter. The first thing he saw in the forest was the Behemoth that was about to run over the robot lying on the ground.

    Guyale increased its speed instantly, rushing to the Behemoth''s left flank like a scarlet bullet. It draws its sword and lunges without thinking ¨D concentrating his power at a single point, aiming at one of the few weak points of the Demon beast known as a fortress, which were its eyes.

    Guyale not only moved at a speed beyond normal machines, but it was accurate and precise.

    Before Guyale''s blade reached the Behemoth, it noticed the red figure ¨D because of that, it turned its head on reflex. The distance was too close to avoid, Guyale''s sword accurately caught up with the eyeball on the Behemoth''s head as it turned. The sword looks as if it was drawn in, stabbing at the eyeball and colliding with the shell.

    This was a pure coincidence.

    The shell that should be protecting the Behemoth''s eyes had a slit. That was a crack a certain Knight inflicted at the cost of his life, half a month ago.

    If the Behemoth didn''t move and took the hit, this blow would probably be deflected by the shell covering it. But because it turned its head, the sword coincidentally pierced it from the gap.

    Guyale used double the speed of a Silhouette Knight and attacked with a stab that focused its entire metallic body weight. The sword screeches and sparks flew because of the friction, as it penetrates the pupil of the giant beast. Eru thought his concentrated fatal attack will continue until it reached the hilt, but it snapped in two loudly and shattered.

    The surprise attack took out that eye, but it didn''t reach the skull. The sword can''t withstand the impact of their collision and fractures.

    Eru lets go of the sword when he realised that it broke, and leapt into the air to avoid hitting the Behemoth head on. Guyale slips pass the Behemoth''s charge with its massive body, spinning in mid air, followed by two back somersaults as it lands, pulling away from the Behemoth before stopping.

    The Behemoth let out an angry howl that was never heard before. Blood sprays out profusely from its left eye socket, something it has never experienced permeate its body. The defense of the Behemoth is top class among Demon beast, and doesn''t suffer injuries even when attacked. The pain of its eye being pierced and losing half its vision is a setback it has seldom experienced.

    The Behemoth''s remaining right eye is bloodshot as it searches for the accursed enemy that took its left eye. It lost interest in everything else; the only thing that matters is the red figure he last saw with its left eye.

    The high school Knight runners forgot that they were still one a battlefield as they stared at the scene before them, dumbfounded. They couldn¡¯t keep up with the development. They thought Guyale abandoned them, but it was back with amazing speed, and broke through the invulnerable shell of the Behemoth and blinded it.

    The giant beast before them was howling furiously as it took aim at the red machine. It was only concerned about Guyale, ignoring Edgar and the others.

    "Right, Helvi!"

    Edgar rush to the downed robot while the Behemoth was distracted. The exhausted Trandorches was damaged and couldn¡¯t walk properly. But Edgar was relieved that Helvi was still alive.

    Edgar felt a tremour and took a stance with Earlecumber. He then realised that the Behemoth was charging at Guyale with an angry howl. The one eye Behemoth was even swifter than before, but Guyale was more agile. Edgar questioned what he saw, the Guyale he knew had never displayed such a performance before.

    He even doubts whether Dietrich was piloting it. But he didn¡¯t have the time to worry about that. If Guyale can dodge the Behemoth''s fierce attacks, then that means Edgar has time to rescue his wounded comrades.

    Sorry Di, please hold him off for a while longer...!

    They turned their back to the scarlet robot dancing with the giant beast, leaning on each other as they escaped.

    Edgar didn''t know that Ernesti was piloting Guyale or what his situation was like. Inside Guyale, Eru was gleefully staring at the holo monitor that was displaying the approaching colossal body.

    "So this is a Behemoth, a Demon beast and battle. This is... using a Silhouette Knight! To battle!"

    A ferocious smile appeared on his face.

    His surprise attack yielded results beyond his expectations. But the wounded and bloodied giant beast harbors even stronger killing intent and charge at Eru. With majesty comparable to mountains, it closes in with murderous intent and power that twists the scenery. Even though the scene before him was enough to scare off veteran Knights, Eru only felt intense joy.

    "Come at me, come at me, come on, come on!"

    ¨DPiloting robots and fighting massive enemies.

    It was the dream of every robot nerd. Was there anyone who didn¡¯t wish for this? He had no intention of backing down, to move away from his happiness. Driven by the elation of his body, his chosen action was¨D

    "Come on, I''m going ahead!"

    Guyale bends slightly and ran at the Behemoth while kicking up earth with each step.

    To close the gap in an instant. The moment before impact, Guyale disappeared from the Behemoth''s vision. The Behemoth, who lost an eye didn''t notice, charging at Guyale''s previous position. Guyale jumped a second before they collided, kicked off the Behemoth''s uneven armoured shell and jumped over it. For the blinded Behemoth, with its limited field of vision, catching Guyale was mission impossible. Eru somersault in mid air deftly as he thinks.

    "Ah, ah, ah, amazing! A shell with no gaps or weak points, invincible armour! It is too tough, even slashing at it with a running start won''t help, magic attacks are useless, too. Alright, just use one of the clich¨¦ moves in destroying massive weapons!"

    Eru mumbles nonsensically with heightened emotions, bending his knees smoothly to lessen the impact upon landing and drew Guyale''s spare sword.

    "The weak point of massive guys is usually the legs and joints. Let''s start there!"

    Guyale uses his running momentum and stabs with terrifying accuracy at the back of the kneecaps, aiming for the gaps between the shells. This attack hit the muscles behind the shell, but it felt tougher than he imagined. Eru noticed it and pulled out the sword, retreating from the Behemoth.

    "Hmm ¨D it didn''t go in! Other than the shell, is the rest of the body this tough too?"

    Eru didn''t expect the Behemoth''s physical boost to raise the endurance of its internal tissues. To support its massive weight, the Behemoth must focus on strengthening its four limbs, which was obvious and a nightmare for its foe.

    The Behemoth was agitated by the injury to its hind leg and turned around. Even a slight graze from the limbs of the turning Behemoth will be enough to destroy Guyale. Eru pulls further back and runs out of the Behemoth''s sight again as he reviews his previous attack.

    "I didn''t harm the joints just now, but it is more effective than hacking at the shell."

    Hehe ¨D Eru is wearing a happy, cute smile for some reason. He still stands a chance, but the execution is difficult, and needs tenacity and patience.

    "Seems like this will be a long fight... Eh, I''m fine with that, I don''t really hate that."

    Eru is smiling casually in the face of the raging beast and advances with the red robot. The battle is just beginning.

    Ug... Hmmmm...?

    ''He'' finally wakes.

    He sees a dark space in front. As his dull conscious clears, he feels pain from his uncomfortable body posture.

    "Uguu... here... here is..."

    He tries to resume a normal position in the cramped space and groans, but a special pressure pins him to the wall in front.

    He let out a muffled scream, the pressure clears his mind. What he felt was inertia ¨D A familiar sensation for all Knight runners. But the inertia he felt was stronger than he remembered. This must be the pilot seat of the Silhouette Knight. When he thought about this ¨D Dietrich Cunitz recalls the last image from his memory. That''s right, a short junior appear before him, and¨D

    He hastily assumes a normal position and lifts his head from the back of the seat. The first thing he saw was the looming Behemoth that filled the entire holo monitor.

    "Gyaaaaahhhh!?"

    You can''t blame him for screaming like a headless chicken. He saw the close up of the ferocious beast straight after waking up. The sudden scream surprised Ernesti and he almost lost control.

    "Oh no! Ha!"

    After he recovered from tripping, Guyale slides to the left of the charging Behemoth, evading it safely. Eru pulled away from the Behemoth and glanced behind hime before the Behemoth gets ready to charge.

    "Eh ¨D good morning senpai. We are in a life and death situation, so please keep quiet."

    Dietrich¡¯s jaws drop after listening to his calm tone that contradicts its contents. The words sound logical, but he couldn¡¯t understand why he was back here when he should have ran far away, his head is full of questions.

    "You... you! Are... you insane!? No, before that, why are you fighting!?"

    He had loads of questions to ask, but has to shut his mouth as Guyale starts to run.

    The Behemoth''s furious face fills the whole holo monitor. The giant beast is emitting a much more murderous air compared to his prior escape. This was beyond the extent of chasing obstacles away, but raging killing intent. Guyale is moving at a speed that was faster than anything the Knight runner Dietrich has experienced, dodging the massive beast''s attack by a hair''s breadth. After seeing several scenes of imminent death, Dietrich didn''t care about appearance and was on the verge of tears. He suppressed his voice and gritted his teeth, enduring it with a pitiful face. He knows if he said anything that distracts Eru, Guyale might really be done in.

    What... is this!? What''s happening!? Is this my punishment for running off alone?

    Although he didn''t know, the other machines are either destroyed or had fallen back, there is only Guyale battling alone here. It is ironic that the situation is the opposite of what happened when he fled. If Eru, who is piloting the machine, fights on, Dietrich couldn¡¯t escape again.

    Seems like I am fated to stay here... Why did he bring me along? He wants me to see the fight until the very end? He wants the man... who abandoned his comrades to watch?

    Eru couldn¡¯t leave him behind even if he wanted to ¨D Dietrich won''t be able to guess the truth. The titanic beast didn''t care about Dietrich''s feeling and the battle between the two rages on.

    The Behemoth used its devastating strength to shatters the earth, its Tornado Breath uproots the trees. A glancing blow from these will be enough to kill, but Guyale that is piloted by the petite youth is evading them happily and is even counter attacking the limbs of the beast.

    Dietrich lost his cool when he woke up, but has gathered himself now and was perplexed by another issue. Unbelievably, the young pilot is a match for the giant beast, although he is on the defensive. Because Dietrich was the pilot of Guyale, he understands how amazing this is. The performance of this machine is average, the training robots at Laihiala Pilot Academy are second rate equipment anyway. This was clear since the other Silhouette Knights piloted by high schoolers can''t match the beast.

    The problem lies with this pilot. Dietrich also knows this short first year that shows up at pilot school occasionally. He would never have believed this small youth had such outstanding piloting skills. But since he is taking the beast on right now, Dietrich have to give in.

    Too amazing, no, that is an inadequate description. This is ''strange''... But if I... If we want to survive, I have let him fight...!

    Dietrich fell into the chasm of despair once, but he saw hope in the scene before him. A sense of longing grows in the feeble youth who lost to himself.

    In Dietrich''s eyes, Guyale and Eru are fighting a steady battle. But in reality, they are not doing that well. There are two big and pressing issues.

    First is the mana pool of Guyale. The maximum time a Silhouette Knight can fight at full strength is one hour under normal conditions. Anymore than that and the mana supply will not be able to keep up with the usage rate, leading to diminished performance. It has been two hours since Guyale started the battle... This means that it has kept up peak performance for double its time limit.

    This was thanks to Eru''s delicate control and his grasp of the operating system. The optimisation of the script lowers the mana consumption rate, limiting the usage of mana in tissues not in operation to conserve energy. Also, he is not running Guyale at full power all the time, and this includes breaks for Guyale to ''breath'' and restore mana. His actions looked intense at first sight, but he has been secretly minimising its consumption rate once he decided to fight a long battle.

    But that was still not enough; he has exhausted half his mana reserve. If this goes on, he can optimistically hang on for about two more hours.

    Next will be the weapon''s wear and tear.

    After attacking the Behemoth repeatedly for two hours, Guyale''s blade is twisted and is full of cracks, making the attacks that causes minimal damage even less effective. There is also the magic armament, but Guyale''s ''Chasm'' [kanji: wind blade] is not suitable for pin point attacks.

    Eru considered programming an overed spell, but doing that while controlling the Silhouette Knight is too great of a burden, especially if it is a tactical level magic. He gave up on that but his morale is still high, although lacking the means of attack made him feel helpless.

    If I knew this would happen, I would have armed myself with several swords like a porcupine.

    Even though he was upset, Eru persist with his battle tactics. Or rather, he couldn¡¯t change it. Guyale relies mainly on evasive manoeuvres while looking for a chance to win.

    As the battle continued, even Dietrich noticed the frequency of counters was dropping. If they just want to survive, dodging will be fine, but they will lose in terms of endurance. If they plan to escape, they had to use this chance to attack the giant beast''s legs and lower its mobility. And attacking is a possibility with Eru''s piloting skills. But Eru has let a number of opportunities go.

    Why are you not countering...! If you keep running like this, our chances of escaping will fall!

    Dietrich anxiety rises as he can only watch. As a Knight runner, Dietrich knows Silhouette Knights can''t fight for long. He chose a time when Eru has evaded an attack and asked:

    "Hey... Hey, Ernesti, you have not been countering for a while, what''s wrong!?"

    Eru was slightly surprised when the Dietrich, who has been quiet, suddenly spoke. But Eru explained the situation.

    "The Behemoth is too hard, the sword is tattered. The attacks are not damaging it."

    Dietrich stole a glance at the sword through the holo monitor; the blade was twisted badly and was totally blunt. Dietrich moans.

    Need to think... find a weapon... we made it so far, we can''t die now!

    He searched frantically from the scene displayed on the holo monitor for something that can be used as a weapon. Ernesti is piloting Guyale, but there are things Dietrich can do as well. Dietrich is finally back on the battlefield by his own will, his mentality has changed drastically without him noticing, and his participation yielded great results. Eru was also scanning the surroundings as he fights, but he has to dodge the Behemoth''s charges, so he can''t focus too much on their surroundings. That''s why Dietrich was the one who noticed ''that''. He shouted loudly when he discovered it:

    "Beside the fallen Silhouette Knight! Take its weapon!"

    Eru took just a second to look at the spot Dietrich pointed at and saw a Silhouette Knight that had broken down. Eru comprehends Dietrich''s intention, accelerating after evading the Behemoth with a low posture almost hugging the ground. Eru charged forward and picked up a sword from the fallen robot. Since the high school pilots mainly used Silhouette Arms to attack, there was almost no damage on the sword. An invincible smile returns to Eru''s face.

    "Thank you, senpai. I have been troubled because of my weapons."

    "No... No need for thanks, just carry on fighting the Behemoth!"

    Eru faced the Behemoth immediately and reevaluate its status. Its legs are bleeding after numerous slashes, meaning the damage it took was not trivial.

    "Okay, mana pool is less than 50%. If I don''t take down a leg, it will probably catch up if we escape."

    Guyale raise its new sword and began its counterattack. The Behemoth was massive, but it was bad with intrinsic movements, so its natural enemy is Guyale which uses speed and precision as its weapons.

    The Behemoth used its endless stamina to rampage. Although it has been attacking nonstop, it has yet to land a single hit. Guyale on the other hand is dealing damage consistently to the giant beast. The wounds on the Behemoth''s leg is significant. Dripping water can hollow a stone. With its eyes and limbs bleeding, even the fortress Demon beast Behemoth was slowing down.

    Dietrich was the one to notice again.

    Eru heard a shout from behind and scanned their surroundings quickly, and saw many Silhouette Knights. He won''t miss that even if it is just a glance. These are ''Karrdators'' that are synonymous to Silhouette Knights in Fremmevira Kingdom. They are spread out, surrounding Guyale and the Behemoth in layers. After seeing their machine model and the flying flags, they understood their identity.

    "Karrdator!? Ah, ahhh... that flag... It¡¯s Jantunen garrison Knights! Reinforcements are here to rescue us!"

    They are here... sooner than I expected, I thought it will take a bit longer before I can escape and rendezvous with everyone.

    Eru quickly thought about his next course of action. Guyale can still fight, but the mana pool was below 30%, it is at a critical juncture. Since the Calvary is here, there was no point in buying time, and let the Knights take over and retreat. The firepower of Guyale alone is not enough, the forces here should do. He was just stalling for time when facing the giant beast just now, but the time to ''defeat'' it has arrived.

    The gargantuan beast is not concerned with the situation around it, and continued to stubbornly chased Guyale. Eru dodges easily, luring the Behemoth to turn its back to the Knights. He then slipped past the left side of the Behemoth where it is blinded and dashed towards the formation of the Knights. The band of Knights probably understood Guyale''s intentions and aimed with their Silhouette Arms.

    The giant beast only had an eye for the detestable red figure, and was finally being led to the stage of the final battle.

    A short time before the Knights arrived at the battlefield.

    Several Silhouette Knights travelled deftly in the forest, instead of the stone pavement of Fremmevira''s Highway. They are the scouts of the Jantunen garrison Knights, their mission is to reconnaissance the status of the Behemoth before the main party arrives.

    After bashing into the forest from the highway, they found the density of the forest to be very high. Compared to using carriages and traveling by the highway, the team travels much faster by cutting through the forest. The Behemoth is much closer to the highway than the position reported by the students, so the scouts completed their mission and reported back in no time.

    "Is that so? That is right ahead of us... the Behemoth not taking the highway is a silver lining."

    Philip Hallhagen comments, after listening to the scout¡¯s report. He was prepared to fight the Behemoth on the highway if the situation calls for it, but that wasn''t necessary. But his face turns stiff as he listened to the next report.

    "We have linked up with three of the training robots, there is still one more engaged in battle..."

    The high schooler''s Silhouette Knights retreated from battle because of Guyale''s intrusion made it to the highway, and was being protected by the garrison Knights. Trandorches and another machine were critically damaged, and were sent to the maintenance crew at the back for major overhaul. The remaining Earlecumber suffers minor damage and joined the fighting ranks after receiving simple repairs.

    The robot still in battle was Guyale. When the scouts saw the scarlet Knight, it was attacking with a fearsome might. The scouts did not know how to report this, so they just gave the position of the beast and the fact that a machine was engaging it.

    Philip and Gottfried plans the operation based on the gathered intelligence and relays the orders to all units. Their plan was as follows: They will spread out by company level (9 machines) around the target in a semicircle. From the intelligence of the students who fought it, it is judged that close quarter combat with the giant beast is very dangerous, so they will be using Silhouette Arms and attacking in waves from a distance to damage the Behemoth.

    They have also drawn up contingencies for the Behemoth''s charging and Tornado Breaths. They are expecting casualties, so the worse scenario will be the targeted company will act as bait and stop the Behemoth''s movement, while the others move in for the kill. The Knights move into the forest with the resolve to risk death in battle.

    The howl of the mammoth beast makes the forest tremble.

    As the Knights move into position, the beast keeps turning in circles at the same spot, rampaging painfully. The Knights were confused by this and were dumbfounded when they saw the reason. They saw a red Silhouette Knight moving at incredible speeds as the giant beast chased it with blood gushing out of an eye and howls of rage.

    "What, what is that..."

    The beast can shatter the Silhouette Knight with one blow, but the scarlet machine was using its superior speed to toy with it. Even the commander with his elite skills doubted whether he can match that speed. Everyone was impressed and sighs at this display. They understand that the giant beast is staying in place because it is persistently chasing the scarlet machine. It was too focused on the enemy before it and lost track of its surroundings.

    This is a great chance for the Knights.

    Suddenly, the red robot notices the Knights and stops. In the next instance, it lures the Behemoth to turn its back to the Knights and slips past the flank of the beast towards the Knights. Philip grasped its intention and commands his entire force:

    "Scarlet Knight... Thank you! Don''t let this chance slip away! Everyone, ready your Culverin [Note: kanji is Spear of flame]!"

    Receiving the command from Philip who lifted his sword, the Karrdators readies its magic armament ''Culverin''. Their objective is to attack in unison with magic, using their numbers to overwhelm the enemy.

    The red machine did not slow down, slipping to the back of the formation. Philip swings his sword down as it pass through the last of their ranks.

    "All units, fire!"

    The Knights anticipated this signal and shot out flames on cue at the Behemoth with their culverins. The high pitched sound reverberated as fire trails flashed through the sky towards the centre of the semi-circle, raining down on the mountain sized monster.

    Countless Flaming Lance pierced the Behemoth, who was engrossed with the scarlet Knight. The overed spell Flaming Lance exploded in columns of flames like a lotus within the forest. The tongues of flame engulfed the entire beast; the fire was so big that they couldn¡¯t see what was happening. Even so, the Knights did not slow down their persistent attack.

    Guyale who made it past the Knights stopped at the rear of the formation to rest his machine and recover its mana pool. The machine appears to be fatigued after making through a fierce battle; the ether reactor churns noisily as it runs at full speed.

    "... That''s great! Well done! How, how''s that? Damn Demon beast, this is the power of the garrison Knights! Hahaha!"

    Eru frowns when he heard the maniacal laughter of Dietrich behind him. Eru didn''t relax as he watched the hellish flame before him. The culverins kept up its attack and the scale of the fire was increasing gradually, determined to burn everything inside it. Even the Behemoth, who took pride in its defenses won''t be able to escape unscathed from this attack.

    But it is not an opponent that can be dealt with so simply...

    It was impossible for the situation to go as Eru hoped and the space that is burning is changing. The fire that is burning fiercely is swirling in the form of a whirlpool. No, it was not just the flame that are swirling, but the air current around it was sucking the flames in, turning it into a tornado of fire. The Knights sensed that something was wrong and adopted a defensive stance, but kept up their attack.

    The tornado flame finally evolved. The next second, it turns into a slithering burning snake and whips at the Knights.

    "What, what is that!"

    The burning snake spits at the Knights as it struggles, the flame that was shot out by the Knights was dispersed into the surroundings. Fortunately, the Knights kept their distance when they attacked, so the Tornado Breath was not fatal. Although they knew about the existence of the Tornado Breath, they didn''t expect the Behemoth to use it inside that fiery pit, stunning the Knight and disrupting their formation.

    With the formation falling apart, the attack from the culverins slowed down. The Behemoth realised this and kicked at the remaining fire and leap out of the fire pit. After its shell was baked in hellish flames that can melt steel, it is burning hot and several wounds can be seen on the giant beast. The injuries on its limb sustained from Guyale''s slashes are burnt badly after the baptism by fire. On the whole, the colossal beast suffered serious damage.

    The movement of the Behemoth has also slowed significantly, but it is still known as an extraordinarily tough beast with absurd endurance. The charge of the beast was enough to make the Knights who are reforming scatter. The Behemoth''s massive body is in the middle of the reforming group. The movement of the Knights are slow because they are in the midst of forming ranks, making things worse. A number of machines was knocked away during the giant beast''s advance, the robots that fell down were mercilessly trampled into lumps of metal.

    Some of them tried to engage the Behemoth. The shell that was weakened by the heat can be sliced by the sword, but the blade twist and shatters before it reaches the interior. Even wounded, the close quarters battle between the beast and the Silhouette Knights are hopelessly one sided, a company of Knights are forced into a corner.

    Although the Knights are prepared to sacrifice their lives, they are unable to attack in a position that will hit their allies. The occasional magic attack stops and their ''ace'' showed itself.

    "Company two, four and eight, ready the ''hammer''!"

    Phillips in his command machine ''Sordwort'' swings his sword; his instruction gives a sense of purpose to the battle. The Knights were prepared to die in this battle, and with the battle turning into a melee fight, they restrains the beast''s movement and showed their ace in the hole.

    The Silhouette Knights carrying a massive weapon and starts running to either flanks of the Behemoth. They are moving the ''Hard Crust Bunker'' that requires four Silhouette Knights to use ¨D simply put, it is just a giant lump of steel in the shape of a stake.

    As shown from its name, the Battering Ram that requires four Silhouette Knights to move can easily destroy a siege wall, the ace they prepared for the Demon beast with the reputation of a fortress.

    The Battering Ram is a powerful weapon, but it has the weakness of being ''slow and heavy''. It is a type of weapon that changes mass into destructive force, so it requires four Silhouette Knights to wield. It is also big in size, so it is a hassle to deploy or withdraw with it. To hit the Demon beast, they need to seal its movement. That is why the Knights are deploying their ace when the giant beast stopped its advance.

    The problem with the Battering Ram has been briefed to all Knight units, including the company that was engaging the Behemoth. They knew they couldn¡¯t last for long but they refused to back down, facing the Behemoth to stop its movements.

    The Karrdators that are charging with the Battering Ram can see this scene clearly. The Knight runners in their seats grip their control sticks so tightly that it creaks. They step on their pedals with all their might, wanting to crash into the Behemoth immediately. This is the battle where they are ready to sacrifice their lives. Even so, their wrath towards the enemy that massacred their allies burns on. The Battering Ram company roars as they charge in respond to the sacrifices of their allies.

    The air intake valve plays a high pitch screech, the Karrdator charge at their maximum speed. As they close in towards the beast, they are covered in the shadow of the mountain liked beast. The first Battering Ram reached the Behemoth''s side. This was not a precision weapon, so they used their momentum to aim at the biggest target which is the flank and rams it in.

    The weight that requires four Silhouette Knights to move has amazing destructive power. The shell being cooked in flames, causing it to soften might play a part. The Battering Ram pierced cleanly through the shell of the Behemoth into its stomach.

    The stake seems to shake in that moment, the Behemoth''s colossal body starts to move and it howls painfully, louder than when it lost its eye. Its howl to the sky makes the ground tremble and a massive amount of blood gushes out from its stomach wound.

    "Great! The Hard Crust Bunker is effective! Use this chance to attack and kill it!"

    Cheers erupt among the Knights. They know the Battering Ram is difficult to use, but its power can hurt a Division-level Demon beast. There are two more teams with Battering Rams and they are closing in on the giant beast. The beast is still writhing in pain, not noticing their advance. The two teams are aiming for the head and the other flank respectively. If they hit these two places, it will be fatal even for a fortress Demon beast. Most of the Knights are convinced of their victory. The Battering Ram team that is shouldering the entire army''s hope is right before its target.

    The moaning and dazed Behemoth suddenly looks downwards. All the Knights and Eru didn''t know what this means and was perplexed. The team that is charging with the Battering Ram didn''t notice¨D

    The Behemoth shoots a Tornado Breath at the ground. The fierce wind this close to the ground digs up the earth and the flying debris in this confined space explodes. The Battering Ram team was unable to evade this; the team aiming for the head was hit by flying boulders and smashed into smithereens.

    Amazingly, the Behemoth uses its stomach to withstand the explosion and the impact of the tornado and ''stood up'' with this momentum. All the Knights that were maintaining the encirclement of the Behemoth stared at the images on their holo monitor in awe. The eighty metre long Behemoth had incredible weight, and its foreleg is completely off the ground as it stands. This bizarre situation made everyone''s reaction slower by a beat.

    "Oh no! Danger, get away!"

    The team aiming for the stomach knew something was awry before Philip shouted and attempts to dodge. But they are carrying the heavy Battering Ram with them and had been charging at full speed. Even if they wanted to retreat, they couldn¡¯t stop their accelerating machine in time.

    The Behemoth''s massive body fell with the pull of gravity right on top of them. The destructive force of the gargantuan Demon beast''s weight was beyond that of the Battering Ram. It caused a small earthquake when it landed, shattering the ground and shooting debris like a shotgun to the surroundings. The dust flew sky high, covering the beast''s entire body.

    The Battering Ram team that didn''t get away in time was decimated, the Ram was flattened and the Silhouette Knights were beyond recognition.

    This attack was too rash, and the Behemoth that used it was hurt too. More blood flows out from its gaping wounds, and several cracks appears on its shell. It was not obvious, but the attack that penetrates its physical boast injured some of its internal organs, the Behemoth was also desperate.

    But the Knight¡¯s casualties were more severe. Including the company that was attacked in the beginning, they had lost 40% of their forces and the flying boulders caused medium damage of another 20%. And losing their ace seriously hurt the Knights¡¯ morale. The attack they placed their hopes on was negated, this impact their psyche deeply. Anxiety higher than before seizes the Knights.

    The culverin held by the Karrdator are shaking, the movement of the Knight runners were unconsciously transmitted to the machine. Not only the giant beast''s power, but even its existence brings pressure that corrodes their heart.

    "..."

    Guyale watches the string of attacks from the rear of the Knights, Dietrich was trembling inside the machine. Even the special attack that sacrifices part of the Knights was negated in front of the beast''s strength; can they really take it down? The generous amount of fighting spirit in his heart recedes instantly. The damage to the Behemoth is significant, but seeing the power he had absolute faith in failing, shook his heart. Dietrich couldn¡¯t make collected judgment. The thing that returns Dietrich back to normal is the angry growl from the seat in front of him.

    "... Unforgivable..."

    Dietrich could only see the silver hair of Ernesti sitting in the seat, but he can understand the abnormal atmosphere emitting from Eru''s body.

    "You dare destroy robots before my eyes!"

    "Eh?"

    "The only thing that is permitted to destroy robots... is other robots..."

    "Eh, eh!?"

    Eru mumbles reasons unfathomable to Dietrich as he stands Guyale up. Although he has a faint smile, his blue eyes differed from its usual shine, burning like a devil. As if it is channeling Eru''s wrath, Guyale''s air intake valve screeches louder, the mana flows through all the crystal tissue in the body, the body encased in armor is full of power.

    Mana pool is over 50%, the sword in its hand is serviceable and the machine is undamaged.

    The scarlet Knight took a step forward, Eru who has become a vengeful spirit returns to battle. The red Silhouette Knight charges at the giant beast, the cry of despair from Eru''s passenger can be heard along the way.

    The Land Emperor emerged slowly from the thick dust. Despite its body being covered in wounds, it can still move, displaying its amazing endurance. Division-level Demon beasts are truly impressive.

    On close observation, it is on its last legs. But the Knights with their devastated morale lost their will to fight when they see the Behemoth is still moving. They shoot their culverin in response, but their scattered efforts are ineffective. It can''t even break through the weakened shell. The encirclement of the Knights that was sealing the Behemoth''s movement also fell apart.

    Commander Philip felt a strong sense of danger from the sight before him. He has issued numerous orders, but it is not easy to build up lost morale and he is growing anxious. Suddenly, a scarlet wind pierced through the loose encirclement.

    The red Silhouette Knight was prominent among the earth colored Karrdators. It made a beeline for the Behemoth before anyone could react.

    "This is impossible! We are doomed; it can''t be done, the Knights are here, there is no escape, ahhhhh!?"

    Eru, who is piloting Guyale didn''t even look at the Knights and Dietrich''s nonsensical scream didn''t reach their ears. Eru''s deep blue eyes locked onto the Behemoth.

    Leaving the Knights out of his mind, Eru closes in on the Behemoth. Even though the Behemoth was heavily wounded, it howled when the red figure in its memory appeared. It ignores the gushing blood and tattered shell and moves its limbs.

    The gap between them disappears.

    The speedier Guyale has the advantage. With suffering many cracks and fractures from the previous fight, the Behemoth''s defense is full of holes. The scarlet machine turns into a whirlwind, slashing repeatedly at the Behemoth with its speed. The sword cuts accurately through a fissure, causing sparks and screeching noise as the shell cracks and fell to the ground.

    "Sword attacks are effective! This mean the enemy is at its limit!"

    Guyale glides around and slashes, turns back and pounces at the Behemoth again, turning his evasive tactics to offense. These two have traded their position.

    The Knights were shocked by the scene before them. In their eyes, Guyale is a machine piloted by a Laihiala Pilot Academy student. A student younger than the Knights is standing up to the giant beast without fear and attacking it. At a glance, it seems like foolish bravery, but this is why it has a motivational effect that fires up the hearts of the Knights.

    "All units, assume encircle formation! Form new ranks! Renew the attack!"

    The Knights felt shamed from losing heart before the Demon beast''s might and move with renewed conviction. The units with restored morale formed up quickly and encircled the Behemoth. Each company took note of the scarlet machine''s position and started magic attack support, restraining the Behemoth''s movement and damaging it.

    The sword of the scarlet Knight peeled off the shell of the beast, the culverin pierced the Behemoth''s legs. The attack of the giant beast is sealed and it becomes a static target board.

    The table has been turned and the Behemoth was on the verge of defeat. This bolsters the morale of the Knights and Guyale moves freely. The colossal beast finally reached its limit, its shell is dropping off from the damages and its blood turns the ground into marsh. Anyone can tell the beast has lost its ability to resist.

    But something unexpected happened.

    A sudden pressure assaults Eru and Dietrich out of nowhere. As Guyale was turning its body to evade, the strength in one leg disappears and it leans heavily to one side. A strong force pushes the scarlet Knight to the ground and Guyale''s red armor was twisted and peels off, scattering in mid air.

    "What happened!?"

    Eru continued to control Guyale in a panic, rolling backwards and kicking off the ground with all its might. Guyale finally steadies its posture with one knee on the ground.

    "The Behemoth didn''t hit us, so why are we hurt..."

    Eru shift the machine''s head to scan the status of the legs, finding the joints stiff and sees shards of crystal tissue falling out from the gaps in the armour.

    Eru finally understood the situation after seeing this, this was not caused by attacks. Eru made intrinsic control possible with his full control piloting. But his high output demands made Guyale break under the heavy burden.

    This long battle has also exceeded the operation time of a normal Silhouette Knight, which adds to the stress, damaging the legs which took the brunt of the burden. Living beings will be alerted through pain stimulus. But Silhouette Knights are robots without the function of reporting feedback of abnormalities. You will only know when it exceeds the limit and suffers damage.

    Eru frowns deeply. Guyale holds the advantage because of its excellent mobility. But it can''t fight on with its legs busted. Eru can only abandon the machine and run for it.

    There is not much time left for him to worry about this. The Behemoth is rushing at the hated red machine as usual.

    The culverins fired by the Knights rain down on that Behemoth as they try to save the scarlet machine that suddenly kneeled down, but it didn''t stop the giant beast. The Behemoth''s remaining right eye is bloodshot and full of hatred, an angry howl came from its mouth. The shattered shell and flowing blood didn''t even faze it, the Demon beast charged with the conviction to decimate everything. Its speed was much slower, but it is a death sentence for the immobile Guyale.

    To break down with this timing... It''s a pity, but I have to escape.

    With his capabilities, Eru can get out of the giant beast''s range once he abandons the machine.

    That''s right, if... it is just me.

    Eru can do it, but Dietrich behind him can''t. Eru releases the harness and stares at the Behemoth on the holo monitor. There is no time left, the charge will shatter Guyale. Eru''s thinking speed reached its peak.

    It is not good for my conscience to leave senpai here... But it is not easy to survive this.

    He desperately went through all sorts of possibilities. What Ernesti can do, what Dietrich can do and what Guyale can do.

    ... There is a way, but it is a gamble. There is only one chance; the chips are our lives... But to die with a robot is an acceptable way to go out with a bang.

    That''s the best a robot nerd can hope for. Eru has no hesitation in choosing this insane option. To risk his life and fight the giant beast.

    "Senpai, can you hear me?"

    Eru''s calmness doesn''t match the situation before them. Will Dietrich sitting at the back listen? He is already in despair over their fate, mumbling as he pants. He is not acting normal.

    "If you hear me, please switch with me and take over the controls."

    Eru tone is the same, but the strange aura in his voice made Dietrich tremble in fear.

    Eru ignores him, pulling Winchester and the silver nerves to the front, almost hitting the holo monitor. Leaving the empty seat.

    "It''s hopeless! What can I do by piloting..."

    "It doesn''t matter. Sit on the chair now if you want to live."

    Dietrich reacts to the words ''if you want to live''. He is on the verge of breaking down, but he still slides into the seat.

    "Sh*t... Sh*t! What are we doing! What can we do!?"

    "I will only say this once, so listen carefully. First..."

    Part of the silver nerve was pulled along with the Winchester, but several of them are still connected to the control stick. It can still be operated normally. Once he confirms Dietrich is holding the control stick, Eru release his control from the magius engine''s domain.

    The Behemoth is right in front of them. It is critically wounded with nowhere to run, but its massive body is still imposing, filling their entire field of vision. Eru takes a deep breath and stares at the figure in the holo monitor and concentrates.

    He push his unique skill ''the processing speed that can fully control a Silhouette Knight'' to the limit and programs a large scale script. It''s an overed spell in scale, similar to those used by Silhouette Knights but larger.

    He has a bigger mana pool than others as he has trained nonstop since childhood. But that is the standard for humans, and not enough to execute tactical level spells. Even if he can process and construct the script, he can''t use tactical level magic. But he is sitting on a large supply of mana right now. That''s right, the mana from Guyale.

    Silhouette Knights can''t construct magic alone. Eru didn''t have the mana for tactical level spells. But they can cover each other¡¯s weakness and Eru is executing this never seen before plan.

    "~~~...!~...!!!"

    Dietrich screams without realising. Fear made him stiff, but Dietrich believes the young boy before him and acts.

    Eru focuses on the processing, creating a large and powerful spell to his limit.

    The Behemoth''s head is like a protruding boulder, closing in on Guyale to smash it. Their distance is close enough to make out the details on the Behemoth''s skin.

    Everything that follows happens in an instant.

    Guyale extends its arms as if to hug Behemoth and creates an air bullet but did not fire it out, constructing an air bag. Eru uses the magic he conjured to decelerate when moving at high speed, ''air suspension'' and enlarged it to the tactical level.

    The air cushion he made collides with the impact of the Demon beast''s charge. The compressed air was squeezed even tighter from the collision. A force that is still tremendous after hitting the air bag pushes at Guyale. The pressure deforms the armour and blows away the crystal shards.

    "Now! Jump back¨D!"

    Eru opens his eyes and shouts. He heard a reaction from Dietrich. Dietrich didn''t think about the content of the instructions and reacted on reflex ¨D extending his legs and pushing down hard on the pedal. Guyale''s leg is broken and can''t walk, but the crystal tissues that are still working executes the command faithfully and expends all its energy.

    The Behemoth has broken through the air cushion and is about to pierce the scarlet Knight ¨D Guyale leaps back recklessly at this moment. The crystal tissues in the legs snap completely, but it has completed its task.

    "It''s not over! Hang on! Hard skin!"

    Eru''s operation is not over, he casted an armour hardening spell on Guyale''s front armour. At this moment, the Behemoth''s head touches Guyale and the hit lands.

    Weakening the impact with air cushion, minimising the force by jumping back and defending with hardening magic. Even with this, it didn''t negate the force of the blow as the armour dents and the pieces surrounding it breaks and flies off. The holo monitor in front of the pilot seat shatters, making Eru gasp.

    "It is not enough after doing all this...!"

    All his effort was negated, making him think about giving up. But a small blessing aided him ¨D The training machine used by the Laihiala Pilot Academy places its priority on pilot safety, so the torso armor is made thicker. The front armor reinforced by Eru''s magic stays true to this priority, denting heavily but still was able to withstand the Behemoth''s strike, protecting its passengers completely.

    Anyone would think the red machine was lost, but Guyale looks like it is hugging the head of the Behemoth, still retaining its humanoid shape. The Behemoth was baffled by the Knight that didn''t fall apart from its charge. The attack still carries on, the Behemoth advances and pushes Guyale along.

    "... If we make it through."

    The time to strike back is here.

    Eru grabs the control stick and move Guyale''s body. He only moves the robot''s right wrist and lifts it up and punches at the Behemoth''s head. No matter how weak the shell is, the body of the giant beast will not be damaged by bare hands. But the arm is not aiming for the shell, but the left eye socket.

    The broken half of a sword is stuck in there. Eru grabs the broken sword and activated all the remaining mana in Guyale''s crystal tissue. He overrides all safety limiters, emptying all mana reserves, using all his processing power to construct the largest spell.

    "Checkmate!"

    After uttering this phrase softly, the largest scale lightning the world has ever seen channels through Guyale''s arm into the broken sword, striking the Behemoth''s head directly.

    The Behemoth is a living being and has a brain in its head. The lightning through the eye socket is conducted through the optical nerves and the blood vessels, hitting the brain directly. The large current ravaged the brain of the Behemoth, frying the interior components. Even the giant beast couldn¡¯t take it when its brain, which is the control hub of living things burn.

    The Land Emperor finally took its last breath.

    The electric current continues to burn the nerves, making the Behemoth spasm and jerk. That flings off Guyale that was hugging the head onto the ground. Guyale has exhausted its mana pool, so it can''t even harden its structure, breaking into pieces upon impact with the ground.

    ¨D The giant beast collapsed to the ground slowly.

    Death comes to the powerful beast that rampaged. The ending was brutal and sudden, everyone was silent. When they comprehended that the Demon beast will not move again, joy spreads among the Knights in waves. It didn''t take long for them to cheer in victory.

    "... It was dangerous till the very end, any mistake and we would have turned into minced meat."

    The decimated Guyale was in a pitiful state. The limbs had fallen off; the inner skeleton was breaking apart with the connection magic gone. Every piece of the armour was battered and there were only bits of red paint left. The pilot seat was also shaken up, but Eru casted air suspension with his own mana to absorb the impact safely. Dietrich was almost crushed to death from the pilot seat''s inertia, but that was better than becoming minced meat for real.

    Although this was a plan that might kill them along with the Behemoth, Eru was relieved to have survived. He let out a long sigh and showed a gloomy expression.

    "...Ahhh... in pieces... Guyale is in pieces..."

    Eru ignores the unconscious Dietrich whose pupil had turned up and shakes his head, worrying about the wrong priorities.

    "Ahh, I can''t stay depressed. Guyale, I will fix you, please wait for me!"

    Eru made a strange resolution and left the half destroyed cockpit.

 Book 1: Chapter 9: After the fight

    The sound of timbre cracking can be heard repeatedly. The source is the mountain of mass¨D the carcass of the Land Emperor.

    When the Behemoth died, the mana supply powering the physical boost magic stopped. The massive body over eighty metres in length couldn¡¯t withstand its own weight and collapsed on itself. The shell armour that suffered countless cracks during the course of battle crumbles, the struts holding the body up crumbles one by one, the height falls slowly. The lower half of its body that supports the heavier weigh is in shambles.

    The Jantunen garrison Knights cheers as the giant beast crumbles further, shooting their Silhouette Arms into the air with pride.

    But the Knights suffered serious casualties. That''s why the ones who survived have to sing their victory song loudly as a tribute to those who fell in battle.

    Some distance from the Knights, three Silhouette Knights are advancing. Among the band of Karrdator Knights, these three has a different appearance and stands out from the crowd.

    One is the command Silhouette Knight ''Sordwort'' piloted by the commander Philip. Compared to the Karrdators that focus on practicality, it has a prominent regal appearance and is covered in plate armour.

    Besides him is the vice commander''s ''Cardiaria'', a Karrdator that has been reinforced.

    Behind them is the training machine from Laihiala Pilot Academy, ''Earlecumber''. Its appearance is crude, but it is covered in pure white armour, giving it a different aesthetic compared to Karrdator.

    They walked pass the Behemoth that is still crumbling and approached their target. The closer they got, the clearer the pieces with red paint.

    ¨DScattered around here were the remains of the Silhouette Knight Guyale.

    The first thing Philip, who was leading the way saw was Guyale''s right arm. Its skeletal structure was broken and it was bent out of shape. The trio glanced at it and continued without a word, finally reaching their main objective. The torso without its head and limbs, the armour was in shambles, the crystal tissue has been utterly destroyed. The armour protecting the chest cavity has caved in, the whole torso is misshapen. The strong frontal armour was a twisted lump, showing how strong the impact was.

    I did think it will be like this... From the looks of things, the Knight runner inside... It''s hopeless...

    No one made a sound, thinking about the same thing. They had some hope, but if the impact shatters the torso, it is impossible for the pilot to survive.

    Philip and Gottfried stares silently at the holo monitor. The scarlet Knight from Laihiala Pilot Academy fought the Behemoth to the last breath to protect its juniors. Compared to the Knights who were on the verge of collapse, it was on the very frontlines. It battled the giant beast like a burning torch of courage, taking down the Behemoth with its life. Philip wondered what the pilot was like. The pilot should be a student, but his future is immeasurable. He had the skills to take down a Behemoth, the virtuous attitudes to risk his life for others, and the indomitable spirit to overcome the odds. He possessed the three characteristics a Knight should have. Philip had not converse with him before, but Philip gives a silent prayer for the hero who sacrificed himself honourably.

    Earlecumber moved ahead and kneels beside Guyale.

    Earlecumber''s front armour opens with the sound of compressed air jetting out. Edgar stands on the armour, silently looking at the remains for a while before saying

    "Di... I am late, but I still want to apologise... back then, I thought you abandoned us and escaped."

    Unlike his calm tone, Edgar''s expression was twisted with regret.

    "I lost all respect for you at that moment... But I empathise with you too. The scenario was too dire then, I told myself ''Di won''t work with us in this situation''. But... You came back."

    Edgar¡¯s clenched fists are trembling.

    "And, so... Sorry Dietrich. I don''t know why you were hiding your real strength. Even so, you sacrificed yourself to save us..."

    Edgar''s monologue was interrupted by an explosion. Shortly after, Guyale''s chest armour flew into the sky before him.

    The chest armour flew and made an arc through the sky and rolls loudly when it lands.

    The three robots followed the movement of the chest armour that blasted off, and looked back at the remains by their feet. A short figure climbs out from the cockpit as they watched in awe.

    "The front armour couldn¡¯t open because it was bent out of shape. That took some effort to get out... Eh? What''s wrong everyone?"

    "... Huh?"

    Jantunen was under high alert because the deployment of the entire garrison Knights, but the gates are fully open to welcome the return of the Knights. The victorious garrison Knights returns in an orderly fashion, advancing slowly on the main street.

    News of the Behemoth''s invasion has spread throughout the whole kingdom with the deployment of the Knights. The citizens who were trembling from fear cheered with reckless abandon for those who had returned safely. Their excitement matches that of winning a war, and in reality, defeating a Behemoth successfully has more value than winning a war.

    Something followed the advance of the parade and the crowd was silenced when it enters the gate. That was the head of the Demon beast which was much larger than a Silhouette Knight. A carriage ferries the intimidating head, even the citizens that didn''t see it move knows it¡¯s a threat. The silence spreads, and suddenly explodes in cheers twice as loud.

    Everyone is singing the exploit of the Knights, deepening their respect for their guardian garrison Knights. Jantunen''s parade reached its climax at this point.

    Some distance away from the main street, a quiet cafe that is isolated from the bustle of the city. Most of the citizens were gathered around the main street, leaving the cafe empty. There are just a few youths patronising the shop, they are people related to this incident: Edgar, Stefania, Archid, Adeltrud and Ernesti.

    "Really! You are too reckless..."

    Edgar sighs and lowers the teacup in his hand. He is saying this on behalf of everyone present. He couldn¡¯t help himself from commenting after hearing Eru casually describe his actions during the Land Emperor incident.

    "This makes me sympathised with the ''victim'' who was dragged in, Di..."

    After hacking into the magius engine, Eru exerts full control over the machine and fought. Just listening to this is enough to make anyone with common sense faint after screaming. The more detailed Eru''s explanation, the more troubled Edgar becomes. Stefania eyes widen and her surprise is evident. Chid and Ady are stunned, but accepts it since it is Eru. The twins looked at each other and said:

    "See, he hijacked a Silhouette Knight as expected."

    "You two, what do you mean by ''expected''? Although you are right."

    Eru looks unhappy, but averts his eyes guiltily when the twins glares back.

    Apart from Eru, Edgar is the only one with experience piloting Silhouette Knights. That''s why he was shocked after listening to Eru, but was convinced. From what he remembered, Guyale''s performance was not that outstanding. If Eru didn''t hack in, it wouldn''t have been that powerful. But even with the facts right before him, Edgar just shakes his head. He suddenly thought of something.

    "Ernesti, if Di didn''t run, what would you have planned to do?"

    "Nothing. I just would have went with the flow back then, and would probably have boarded the carriage and escaped."

    Edgar''s face sours. What would have happened if Guyale didn''t join the fray? Edgar won''t be sitting here in that case, and the Knight''s casualties would probably double. Not only that, the Behemoth might not be defeated. Without question, a medal of honour should be awarded to the petite youth in front of Edgar, but rewarding his outstanding performance was an issue because of Eru''s position. Edgar bit his lip and goes into the main topic.

    "We... the surviving high school pilots, will be going to K?nk?nen for an awards ceremony."

    Edgar felt conflicted even though he was talking about such a glorious event.

    "The Jantunen garrison Knights will send representatives as well, probably Sir Hallhagen and a few others. This involves a Division-level Demon beast invasion, a story that is worthy to be spread within the nation, no, to all nations. They say there will be a grand ceremony."

    "You are right, congratulations... but you seem unhappy about it."

    "The existence of the scarlet Knight will be covered up for this incident... This means Ernesti''s achievements will not be stated."

    Stefania wears an apologetic expression and looks at the tea beside her hand. Chid and Ady understands the meaning of these words after a while and glares at Edgar. Only Eru seems unaffected and nods.

    "I see. If I was a member of the Knights or an official high schooler, there wouldn''t be any problems."

    "Hey, things would have been serious if Eru wasn''t there! Why can''t he receive commendations?"

    Chid stands up in protest. Stefania stops him with a look, sighs and explains:

    "Calm down. If a normal Knight performs so outstandingly, they will be promoted or commended. For high schoolers, they will be enlisted as an official Knight... But we can''t promote Eru that way."

    "Why? Eru is obviously stronger than those run of the mill Knights!?"

    "Being a Knight means he has to join a band of Knights. He can be a member with his exceptional power, but there are some who will be willing to work with a twelve year old. Working under an organisation means Eru can''t be willful in his actions."

    "We can work something out if he is an adult... If they pass over the Knights and grant honours to a twelve year old, the Knights will look bad. The honour of the Knights is the honor of the Kingdom, no one wants that to happen."

    Eru tilts his head and ask with a smile:

    "I understand. Senpai are here to convince me?"

    The expression of Edgar and Stefania stiffens. Eru didn''t say much about their expression and continues:

    "Let''s forget about this incident. I am satisfied with piloting an actual Silhouette Knight. Instead of asking shamelessly for rewards, doing nothing is much more relaxing. Besides, I was the one who butted in without permission. I don''t want to be manipulated by others because of this incident."

    Stefania nods her head in agreement.

    "That won''t happen, I guarantee in the name of the Serrati family."

    "That''s right, I will remind Sir Hallhagen."

    Eru nods after receiving their promises. Unlike Eru, Chid and Ady are unable to accept this, asking with a moan:

    "Eru, is this really okay?"

    "Yah, Eru''s dream is to be a Knight and pilot Silhouette Knights correct? Are you giving in now?"

    "This is an exceptional case. I don''t plan to demand for any rewards."

    Seeing Eru consoling the unhappy twins, Edgar and Stefania breathe a sigh of relief. Guyale and the Behemoth were both destroyed in the battle, a testament to the desperate situation Eru was in. Not giving any reward to Eru doesn''t sit well with them either. On the other hand, they understand the order of Knights won''t be able to handle Eru''s exceptional case well. They volunteered to convince Eru of the Knights'' dilemma in order to avoid using official orders to pressure Eru. They need not worry about Eru protesting violently, but the contents of their speech were filled with illogical reasoning, so they were prepared for the talks to be stall. They felt grateful for Eru''s generous disposition.

    Phew, that was close. I barged ahead without thinking too much; there will be tons of trouble if I make the Knights lose face. Giving me a way to reject the commendation cordially was a big help...

    Eru who appears to be drinking tea calmly was breaking out in cold sweat. To be honest, he was troubled over how to settle things on his end. It was hard for Eru to do anything in his position. The other party proposing a peaceful resolution made Eru relieved.

    I did have a great time piloting. I even got to see the magius engine''s script, that is enough for a reward. And the Knights owe me a favour too. Being too forceful will blow matters up, just let them bask in the glory. Also... it will be good if I can build a close relationship with the Knights and the people present.

    Eru finish his tea happily as he thought about how to resolve the matter.

    The atmosphere was peaceful after ending the tense topic. The sound of cheers was continuing all this while. They chatted casually in the mean time.

    ¨DHis consciousness recovers slowly. His first thing he feels is a question.

    What... What happened? That time... the Demon beast...

    He felt a sharp pain next from all over his body, stimulating his mind and waking him up.

    "Eh... Uguu..."

    Dietrich groans from the pain of his protesting body and opens his eyes. The first thing he sees is a wooden ceiling. He turns his head and observes a white drape. He was still confused, but he understands the situation before him. He was admitted in a hospital like facility¨D which means he is safe.

    ... This means, the battle was won...?

    He shivered when he remembered the giant beast. From the situation at that time, it was impossible to save him without getting rid of the beast. Dietrich deduced from this that the battle ended somehow, and was a success since he is alive.

    "Ara, you¡¯re awake?"

    Dietrich relaxed after deducting the crisis has ended, and more importantly, he is safe. As he lies down groggily, a voice came from his side.

    "This is Jantunen pilot''s infirmary. You have lost consciousness for over a day after the battle."

    Dietrich turns his head with his eyes wide open. It''s not because of the content of the speech, but the person who is saying it¨D

    "Don''t worry, you have many bruises, but no serious injuries. You are young and will heal up in no time!"

    His white clothes almost bursting from his muscular body, and his hair was crew cut. His feet were a shoulder width apart but his knees were clamped together. He is speaking in a feminine way despite having a deep voice¨D This was a man.

    A scream erupts suddenly and fills the entire infirmary.

    A convoy comprising of carriages and Silhouette Knights are travelling along the gravel road leading from Jantunen to the capital ¨D Fremmevira Highway.

    Inside the carriage are students from Laihiala Pilot Academy''s Knighthood faculty. The Silhouette Knights are escorts from Jantunen garrison Knights. The Knights were headed towards the capital for the award ceremony and were acting as escorts since they are heading in the same direction.

    There is a person sitting on the top of a carriage. That person is basking in the sun, watching the long convoy line under the warm sun. At the end of the line was a wagon filled with recovered Silhouette parts. The machine that was wrecked by the Behemoth was turned into junk, but the most valuable torso was retrieved. The damage was assessed, if the magius engine and ether reactor known as the heart was fine, it will be easier to repair. And in the worst case scenario, they can place the heart into a new body.

    Jantunen garrison Knight''s wreckage has been sent to Jantunen, the ones here are the Laihiala Pilot Academy''s robots.

    The boy on top of the carriage, Ernesti looks towards the back with a blank expression. There must be parts from the scarlet Silhouette Knight on the wagon too, but it is covered by the canvas so Eru can''t tell where it is. The last scene of the fight with the Behemoth while piloting Guyale flashed across his mind. He feels the bump of the carriage as he reminisces.

    The action I took was a gamble largely dependent on luck. In order to avoid this, I need a machine that won''t fall apart even when operating at full power... and this problem should not be entrusted to others lightly.

    Right now, Eru is the only one who can make a robot break down in such a short period of time, so he is the only one who wants to resolve it. He will create his personal machine one day. He needs to plan for that day.

    "Eru, are you brooding over here?"

    As he was feeling troubled over many things, someone approached him from behind and hugs him. There is only one person who will do that in Eru''s mind. He turns to look at Ady behind him.

    "Yeah, I am thinking about how to resolve the weakness in the previous battle."

    "Why¨D are you thinking about that again!"

    Ady looks displeased as she leans forward. Ady is taller than Eru, so Eru is squashed when Ady leans in with her body weight. Eru protest as his body bends forward uncomfortably.

    "I know, but I have to think it over when I have time, or it will be a problem in the future."

    The pressure behind him relaxes slightly, allowing Eru to breath. Ady stops moving and her displeasure fades, replaced by a troubled expression.

    "... Eru, you really... I hope you can promise me one thing."

    "What promise?"

    "Don''t go by yourself, take us with you!"

    "That''s a bit..."

    Eru couldn''t see Ady''s face, but he can feel the sincerity from her voice. Eru didn''t turn back and looked ahead, thinking about Ady''s request. He has been setting Silhouette Knights as his goals, and working towards that means...

    "We might not be able to help, but..."

    "Don''t say that... it depends on the situation."

    "Really? I can''t pilot a Silhouette Knight. How about telling us what you plan to do!"

    At this point, Eru couldn''t reject her.

    "I understand... I will do my best. But it is an emergency, it will have to wait."

    "Hmmph! That''s a cunning way to put it! Even though we can''t do much, but three heads are better than one!"

    "Haha, that''s right, three of us is... three?"

    Ady''s casual words made Eru think. In his heart is a famous story, and inspiration strikes.

    "Three are better than one... three arrows compared to one arrow. One arrow is easy to break, but it is hard to break if there are three. Right, it is fragile and easy to break because it is separated. That hurts... Wut arf yu dooin?"

    Ady pulls both of Eru''s cheek as he was spacing out.

    "Pay attention when talking to others, that was rude. Hmph!"

    "That hurts... You are absolutely right, that was ill mannered of me."

    Ady looks are Eru nursing his cheeks painfully and thought of a good idea. She approached Eru from the side with a smile. Eru has a foreboding feeling looking at Ady''s smile.

    "Right, I know a way! Teach me how to pilot Silhouette Knights!"

    "Wah¨D to use this method!"

    Eru groans and smiles awkwardly at Ady, and wonders how things had come to this.

    The roasted beef in the centre of the table gives off a delicious aroma.

    The cramped place around it are full of dishes. Eru''s mother¨D Celestina Echevarria is pouring soup into a large bowl. Beside her is the mother of the twins, Ilmatar Olter (Ilma) who arranges the freshly baked pie. The extravagant dishes made the two happy as they laid out the plates.

    "Is it time for your Ady to learn to cook?"

    "Hoho, it''s about time. That child is always messing around with Chid."

    They finished the preparation nimbly as they chatted and called their families to have dinner. The two families gathered shortly after and ate happily.

    This is the Echevarria residence. The Echevarrias and the Olters are together for a party to celebrate the safe return of their children. The parents planned to welcome them back after the field trip all along. But the children were involved in an unprecedented Demon beast invasion instead.

    The faces of every parent turned green when they received the news, including these two families. Ilma¡¯s only family are the twins, her anxiety is indescribable. She couldn''t stay alone in that state, so the Echevarrias took her in for the time being. Now, both the children and their parents had deepened their friendship.

    Fortunately, the crisis was over and the children had returned safely, all the families were busy and relieved.

    "To be frank, it''s great that everyone is safe."

    Ilma watched the kids finish off the dishes and sigh. Tears well up in her eyes and fell as she relaxed. Ilma quickly covers her face.

    "We made you worry. As you can see, we are not hurt... This is a miracle."

    "That''s great; the most important thing is that you are safe. Your appetite is good, as if nothing had ever happened."

    "Nomnomnom!"

    "NornNornNorn!"

    "Swallow your food before talking..."

    Chid and Ady continues to stuff their face despite their mother''s instruction. They were eating tasteless preserved food while traveling, so they are focusing on the delicacy before them.

    "We heard that it was really dangerous, but you all seem fine. What did Eru do?"

    "Yes. Behemoth and I beat each other up."

    "Cough! Cough, cough."

    Mathias chokes on his food when he hears the conversation between the mother and child.

    "Ara, wasn''t the Demon beast really big? Are you okay? Did you give it a good beating?"

    "I borrowed a Silhouette Knight from a senpai, so I''m okay. It was rather dangerous, but I beat it up really well and won."

    "Ara, ara, you can borrow Silhouette Knights? That''s wonderful, Eru. But don''t be too reckless. It''s not something you can borrow anytime you want, right?"

    "That''s right. Luckily we had that ''good senpai'' who aided me."

    Mathias forced himself to look away from the two of them; the others casually ignored their conversation. In some way, this family was really disciplined.

    Only Eru''s grandfather refrained from speaking during dinner, watching everything. After finishing, he called out to Eru.

    "Eru, I want you to accompany me to someplace, alright?"

    "Okay grandpa. Where are we going?"

    "Erm, we are going to..."

    Fremmevira Kingdom Capital, K?nk?nen.

    Located at the foot of mount Aubigne, it served as a front line fortress in the past. The highway on either side was made with robust stones, a legacy from its days as a fortress. Several layers of walls are erected with the capital at its heart. Only the outer most siege wall has defensive functions, the rest are used for zonal segregation. Its existence is a testament of the history of this city and nation.

    In the centre of the capital lies ''Castle Shreiber''.

    The castle has traces of its days as a fortress, ancient and majestic. Even now, the tough appearance of the fortress commands respect. Its reputation as the ¡®Kingdom of Knights¡¯ is presented harmoniously, allowing all visitors to feel the pride of the city.

    In the heart of Castle Shreiber is an audience hall for the King to receive his guest.

    It is a vast space with a high ceiling, enough for Silhouette Knights to enter comfortably. Elegant drapes are hung on all the walls in fixed intervals on the pillars. A red carpet is rolled out in the centre, and at its end is the throne for the King. An amazingly big seat is situated behind the throne, with a Silhouette Knight sitting on it.

    That was the personal Silhouette Knight of the King ¨D known as the king''s Knight ''Raids of Valor''. Its appearance was more elegant than any machine within Fremmevira. A cape with the same pattern as the national flag covers its shoulders, displaying the majesty of a Knight standing at the very peak. Cardiarias piloted by the royal guards are positioned to the side of the hall with Raids of Valor right at the centre, a powerful and intimidating scene.

    Sometimes, the hall will be cramped with soldiers and Silhouette Knights, but there are only a few people here today.

    A middle aged man was sitting on the throne before Raids of Valor, the tenth King of the Fremmevira Kingdom, Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira. In front of him are Marquis Joachim Serrati and Jantunen garrison Knight''s commander Philip Hallhagen. According to customs, they have to address the King while kneeling on one knee with their heads down. After the King grants him permission, Philips raised his head to report.

    "That concludes the report for the battle with the Behemoth."

    King Ambrosius acknowledged with a grunt and a nod after listening to the detailed report from Philip. He was holding a concise report in his hand and was browsing it as he listened.

    "And the carcass of the Behemoth?"

    "Your Majesty, it''s impossible for the garbage collectors to harvest a colossal beast like the Behemoth, I have dispatched the Silhouette Knights to assist them. It should be completed in the next few days."

    "I want to use its carcass to offset our losses. But our casualties are light, considering the opponent was a Division-level Demon beast."

    "Your Majesty, Jantunen''s forces are depleted, please allow me to send some reinforcement to support them."

    Ambrosius focused on one point of the report as he listens to Joachim, it is the logs of the scarlet Knight and its pilot Ernesti. A baffled expression appears on the King''s face.

    "Echevarria... Lauri''s grandson? What an exceptional performance. Isn''t that right, Philip? It is unbelievable; did this child really topple the Demon beast before everyone?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty, I saw it with my own eyes. I understand the content seems dubious to Your Majesty..."

    Philip couldn''t give a precise answer to the King in regards to this and his voice grows gradually softer. In fact, Joachim was doubtful as he listens to the conversation between them.

    "I don''t think you will spin such a ridiculous tale, but this makes me worried... Especially this part, rewriting the script in the magius engine. If that''s true, that is really marvelous."

    "Half of it are rumours, but I saw it myself... and I¡¯m convinced that it really happened."

    "I heard the same report... Only Sir Hallhagen and the Knights know the truth."

    Ambrosius closed his eyes. The ability to fight a Behemoth is amazing, but that is only a might of one man. But it is different if he can reprogram the magic engine, which is a skill that has no precedent.

    After thinking it over, he mumbles:

    "... This child is too dangerous."

    Philip panicked when he heard this; Eru literally saved the lives of dozens of pilots with his participation. They couldn''t commend Eru because of the state of things, but Eru accepted it unconditionally, so Philip owes him a favour. He might be a youth that is much younger than him, but having fought as comrades, Philip won''t forget how Eru saved his Knights.

    "You Majesty, allow me to report. This boy might be just twelve, but he is knowledgeable and courageous. His etiquette is fine and his peers like him. More importantly, he was always on the frontlines during the battle with the Behemoth..."

    Ambrosius stopped Philip''s words with a wave of his hand.

    "Don''t worry; I am not planning to do anything to him. It might be fine now, but you say he is just twelve years of age. Having amazing power at such a tender age... Since he is just a twelve years old boy, he might grow wild with his exceptional strength. That''s my worry."

    Ambrosius was right to be worried. No matter how talented or pure in character, people can change with the passage of time. Especially a twelve year old who is moving into a rebellious and emotional age. If he grows arrogant because of his talent, it will harm him in the end.

    But inside Ernesti was a soul with forty years of experience, so normal conventions don''t apply to him. But that is beyond their imaginations, so they are worried that Eru will stray from the right path in the future.

    "If that''s the case, what should we do?"

    "Since he doesn''t chase mindlessly after glory, he might become a great Knight... We need to guide him. It might be unnecessary since Lauri is there. Hmm, alright... Arrange for Ernesti to meet me."

    After Ambrosius issues his orders, Joachim and Philip bows and acknowledged.

 Book 2: Prologue Audience with the King

    To the east of Zetterlund continent lies a nation situated at the perilous foot of mount Aubigne, the Kingdom of Fremmevira. This world had a unique form of natural power-- ''magic''. And there were beasts who uses ''magic''-- ''Demon beasts''. The nation acts as a barrier against the Bocuse Sea of Trees, where many Demon beasts lurked. The people called it the ''Nation of Knights''.

    The year is 1277, winter was over and it was the time for the bountiful spring that brings life. It was during this time when that incident happened.

    Division-level Demon beast ''Behemoth'' attacked. The Demon beast crossing the defense line in the eastern borders of the Fremmevira Kingdom was known as the ''Behemoth Incident''.

    That Demon beast was en route to disrupting the major transport artery of the nation, pushing the Kingdom of Fremmevira to the edge of downfall. During this crisis, the ones rised to the occasion were the ''Jantunen Garrison Knights'' and the trainees from ''Laihiala Pilot Academy''. Without regarding their own safety, they fought the Behemoth courageously. At the expense of many sacrifices, they defeated their adversary and brought peace to the nation--

    The majestic Aubigne Mountain Range was right behind the Capital of the Fremmevira Kingdom, K?nk?nen.

    At the centre of the Capital was the castle Shreiber, which was surrounded by a lively atmosphere. Bards singing about legendary tales were everywhere, entertaining the people in the taverns who were drinking wine in broad daylight. The merchants used this opportunity to set up shops, advertising their wares loudly. Everyone were enjoying themselves and laughing cheerfully.

    This chaotic scene was because of the award ceremony held in the castle for the Jantunen Knights and the high school student pilots of Laihiala Pilot Academy. Those who heard the events of the battle trembled in fear and vigourously praised the Knights who fended off the Demon beast. They also took the opportunity to enjoy this grand event.

    An elderly man and a young child walked on the crowded streets of the Capital. They were the dean of Laihiala Pilot Academy ''Lauri Echevarria'' and his grandson ''Ernesti Echevarria''.

    The streets were overflowing with pedestrians. The petite Eru grabbed onto Lauri''s clothes so they won''t be separated. In his other hand was a thin slice of baked fruit pie.

    "Grandpa, do you want some?"

    "Hmm. I''m fine; eat all of it, Eru."

    Eru nodded and he took large bites as he moved nimbly among the crowd. This was brought from a stall that could be found anywhere along the road.

    There are so many people... Grandpa is taking me out for a trip, and it turned out like this.

    The young and old pair was in the bustling Capital because of the King''s invitation. After Eru asked, he found out that Lauri and the King were classmates. Because of their relationship, Lauri held the post of a Royal Consultant in the past. Lauri eventually became a dean, and their friendship continued till this day. The King knew Lauri was related to ''Ernesti Echevarria'', the person who piloted the red Silhouette Knight skillfully during the ''Behemoth Incident'', so he invited both of them for an audience.

    Eru who heard about this couldn''t shake off the ominous feeling he had during the journey here. The King had asked specifically for him, he wouldn''t let him off easily with just a few questions. With his sigh smelling like sweet fruits, the two of them moved towards the Royal Castle against the flow of the crowd.

    The main gate of the Shreiber Castle was bustling with people while the back gate was relatively quiet. Making their way through the crowd, the duo finally reached their destination and was received by the guards. They were led to a conference room-like place in the Castle and were left alone after being asked to wait momentarily. The grandfather and grandson were alone in the vast room. The cheers of the crowd at the award ceremony could be heard from the distance.

    "Eru, are you nervous?"

    "Of course. I never thought I would have the chance to meet His Majesty."

    "I thought Eru won''t be bothered by such small matters."

    "The way you put it sounds mean, grandpa."

    Chatting idly when they were about to meet the King, the two of them were rather audacious.

    Shortly after, the guards appeared again and announced the arrival of the person they were waiting for.

    They turned and stood. The door opened and several people walked in. Leading the way was the King everyone in Fremmevira knew, ''Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira''. He was past his prime, but his ageless majesty could be felt clearly. Two men with the air of nobility followed behind him. When Ambrosius entered the room and met Lauri''s eyes, his mouth turned into a smile in an instant.

    "Thank you for coming, I have kept you waiting. It''s been ages, Lauri."

    "Long time no see, Your Majesty. I should be the one thanking you for meeting us despite your busy schedule."

    "Don''t mention it, this meeting was arranged out of my curiosity after all. Well, he is the pilot of that crimson Silhouette Knight... right?"

    Ambrose and the nobles behind him shifted their gaze to Lauri''s side. The report stated a child twelve years of age piloted a Silhouette Knight and fought the Behemoth, so they thought it would be a youth that looked older than he actually was.

    But in actual fact-- before them was a child that was smaller than a normal twelve year old, a boy that could be mistaken for a girl. He had a gentle appearance, a round face with determined bright eyes blinking. His silvery purple hair reached his jaws, covering the side of his face. This made the bunch, who had experienced great political trials stiffened. But the King was no ordinary man. After raising an eyebrow in surprise, he changed his expression to one of curiosity in no time.

    "Oh, I thought it was a boy from the reports, I didn''t realise the pilot was a girl."

    "No, Your Majesty. I might look like this, but I am a boy. Pardon my late introduction. Nice to meet you, I am the grandson of Lauri Echevarria, Ernesti. I am very pleased to meet with Your Majesty today."

    "Oh, I heard you were a twelve year old child, but aren¡¯t you outspoken? It¡¯s hard to converse if you are too formal, please relax.¡±

    ¡°Alright, as you command.¡±

    Seeing Eru accepting so readily, the two men behind Ambrosius changed their expression from shock to dumbfound. They were unable to judge if Eru was a great person or just someone who didn¡¯t know manners.

    ¡°I will get to the point. I invited you here to conclude the aftermath of the ¡®Behemoth Incident.¡¯ I heard that your performance was excellent, but could not be commended publicly.¡±

    Ambrosius said as he looked at Eru.

    ¡°I heard you are agreeable with that. But I felt that it isn¡¯t right to simply dismiss a capable Knight who could fight the Behemoth on equal grounds, so I want to give you a fair reward in private. That might be so, but it is hard to give an appropriate reward for an underaged child.¡±

    Ambrosius explained with a warm smile-- but no matter how you looked at it, it was a smile with ¡®malicious intentions¡¯. To bring up this issue that had already been rejected, is he testing me? Eru behaved as usual, but the wariness in his heart increased slowly.

    ¡°Be it promoting you to a full fledge Knight or granting you nobility titles, your age is a limiting factor. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand that it is too much for an underaged child of twelve years of age.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, how perceptive of you. Eh, and so¡­ what do you want? I think it would be easier to ask the person in question directly. If it is something that matches your accomplishment, I will grant it to you as a reward.¡±

    Ambrosius¡¯ direct explanation surprised Eru. Accepting this proposal, Eru¡¯s brain started churning at a high speed.

    It¡¯s hard to imagine¡­ but is this out of his good will. Or, does he want to see if I am easily baited by rewards? Wanting to give me a reward now is suspicious.

    A pie that fell out of the sky into his hands. But there were no free lunches in this world. This was common knowledge, be it in this world or the previous one.

    That might be so, but I can¡¯t turn down the offer from the King¡­ I have to say something.

    But, finding a reward that befits the ¡®contribution of defeating the Behemoth¡¯. How much is this worth in terms of money? How much is it in terms of material? Is there anything he wants aside from titles? Eru simply didn¡¯t know how much this is worth. Should he use his age as an excuse and make an unreasonable request-- when he pondered about that, he dismiss the thought.

    Wrong, I don¡¯t think that is an expression he would show a child.

    In Eru¡¯s memory, he found Ambrosius¡¯ expression familiar. Browsing through the fading memories of his previous life, the warm expression was looking for the smallest loophole in the conversation-- ¡®the expression of a salesman¡¯. Something must be up.

    How about asking for a Silhouette Knight? It would be great to have a reference model. It might work from the contributions I made. Fukeke.

    As Eru was about to give in to his desires and give his reply, a strong thought flashed through his mind.

    ...No, no, this is a great chance. There is no way to tell if I will ever have a chance to ask the King for something. Then I should ask for something only the King could give?... Right, that should be the thing that is the hardest to obtain!!

    It was just a short moment, before Eru finished his thoughts. It¡¯s fine if it doesn¡¯t work, he could think of something else then-- He thought optimistically as he casually said:

    ¡°Well, Your Majesty, the thing I crave for the most right now is knowledge¡­ knowledge on ¡®how to make an ether reactor¡¯.¡±

    The air froze in silence. Hearing this whimsical wish made Ambrosius surprised. That was expected, this was too weird as a wish for a twelve year old child. Not just him, even the usually calm Lauri was tensing up, the other two were stunned and seemed baffled.

    They were treating Eru like a child, if the request was ¡®unexpected¡¯, they won¡¯t lose their composure. But what Eru wanted was ¡®impossible¡¯ for a person. This answer was too unexpected, even the wise Ambrosius couldn¡¯t react immediately, creating a strange silence. The first to react was a noble behind him-- Duke Knut Dixgard.

    ¡°You¡­ Do you know what you are saying¡­¡±

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    Knut who almost lost his composure because of the confusion was interrupted by Ambrosius who regained his senses. The relaxed atmosphere from earlier had changed. Facing the King who was displaying his dignity as the head of state, everyone present stood at attention.

    ¡°Ernesti, you mentioned the production method of the ether reactor? That is surprising, asking me is the only way of getting your hands on it, but normal people won¡¯t want such a thing. And so I have to ask-- what do you plan to do with this knowledge?¡±

    The King squinted his eyes, silently pressuring Eru. Cold sweat was falling from Eru¡¯s back, but he looked back with a steel resolve.

    ¡°Right or wrong aside¡­ state your reason. Why do you want such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡­ am currently studying in Laihiala with being a pilot as a goal, but I really wanted to have my own Silhouette Knight.¡±

    ¡°Oh, a personal Silhouette Knight. What a grand aspiration. That is understandable; why not ask for it now? It just might come true.¡±

    Listening to Ambrosius¡¯ words, Eru shook his head.

    ¡°In the past, I just wanted my own Silhouette Knight, but it¡¯s different now. I¡­ I wish to ¡®use my own hands to create¡¯ the best Silhouette Knight that belongs to just me.¡±

    Another answer that went beyond his imagination made the King dumbstruck. At this moment, something he read in the report came to mind.

    ¡®Changing the magius engine¡¯s script by himself¡¯ huh? Is this boy serious? He is not kidding, and really hopes to do that?... He had that capability?

    Facing the silent Ambrosius, Eru continued to explain:

    ¡°This is the reason why I seek knowledge from all fields in Laihiala Pilot Academy. Getting magical knowledge, learning the construction and piloting methods of the Silhouette Knights. I had already investigated the technique of constructing the machine frame, but I am still missing a crucial part. That¡¯s right, the ether reactor. As Your Majesty already knows, the method is not available to normal citizens. Hence, when you mention a reward, I hope you could teach me the production method. If I know how, the next thing would be constructing it.¡±

    Lauri looked at his grandson explain to the King worriedly. He knew Eru was passionate about Silhouette Knights, but he didn¡¯t think Eru would put caution to the wind and request for it at such a juncture. The situation had already progressed to this stage; it would be hard to help Eru. Lauri glanced at the King and saw that Ambrosius made a serious expression and said heavily:

    ¡°... And so, your reason is?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s my hobby.¡±

    Everyone present acted as if they saw something strange and had a complicated expression. In this silence, a faint suppressed laughter was suddenly heard, making everyone look over in shock. Ambrosius'' shoulders were trembling silently, and he suddenly burst out in laughter.

    ¡°How¡­ ha! Ridiculous! To say it''s a hobby! Hahaha! This is interesting! To seek the classified secret of a nation because of a hobby! Are you really a twelve year old kid? Ke haha! Magnificent. I have not met such an interesting person like you for a long time!¡±

    The two nobles watched the King laugh uncontrollably in shocked silence. Lauri who knew the King the longest could tell he was amused for real and relaxed.

    ¡°Fine, I will grant your wish!!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ Your Majesty, you mustn¡¯t! That¡¯s not something you can teach an unknown child!¡±

    ¡°I know where he came from; he is the grandson of my friend. That might be so, but it¡¯s only natural for you to worry¡­ right? Ernesti.¡±

    After Eru finished his explanation, he watched the situation unfold silently. When he heard Ambrosius say that, Eru tensed his face.

    ¡°I will grant your request. But, this is a classified secret. The mere accomplishment of taking down the Behemoth isn¡¯t enough.¡±

    Eru¡¯s expression turned to doubt. The King accepted the proposal, but commented the accomplishment wasn¡¯t enough. This made Eru doubt the King¡¯s intention. Ambrosius saw the doubt flash across Eru¡¯s face and revealed a joyous smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, a king wouldn¡¯t lie. I guarantee you that when you have met the adequate amount of accomplishments, I will pass the knowledge onto you.¡±

    This could be interpreted as using a reward as bait, and asking me to work for free¡­ But, it is still an unexpected gain. Forget the terms for now, this is a chance to learn a critical secret.

    This reward was worth more than 10,000 in cash to Eru. The cute smiling expression was burning with desire and passion. Ambrosius was certain his plan was right after seeing Eru¡¯s face.

    ¡°Keke, putting it this way seems a bit empty. I will determine the means. You said you wanted to create Silhouette Knights? Well then, show me your worth-- prove that you can use the knowledge of creating ether reactors.¡±

    ¡°Prove¡­ please tell me what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Just create a Silhouette Knight would be enough. Apart from the reactor, make the casing of the best Silhouette Knight in your opinion for me to see. If I am satisfied, I will make this wish of yours come true.¡±

    When Eru heard these words, his expression was like a predator that had found its prey. The King used the final part Eru needed as the goal. And to Eru, it was something he was going to do sooner or later. And of course, he accepted without hesitation.

    ¡°By your command. I will prepare a Silhouette Knight that would satisfy Your Majesty.¡±

    Shortly after the audience with Ernesti ended, Ambrosius went to a private room of the King that wasn¡¯t a meeting or audience hall. There was another man in the room-- Lauri.

    ¡°Keke, it¡¯s been a long time since I had such a fruitful day. Lauri, your grandson is really interesting.¡±

    When he remembered what happened just now, Ambrosius who was a little drunk would smile.

    ¡°Sigh, I left his upbringing to my daughter completely. That child had always loved Silhouette Knights, but I didn¡¯t know he would bring it so far. I couldn¡¯t grasp the situation and was dripping with cold sweat.¡±

    ¡°I heard a twelve year old child fought with the Behemoth, so I summoned him to take a look. But you can¡¯t say he is a child anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ara, my grandson is still at school, though.¡±

    ¡°Children have to be ambitious, but who would come out with such a weird request? I had heard so many requests all these years, but the request today was ¡®superb¡¯!¡±

    The two of them clinked their wine glass and continued chatting in high spirits.

    ¡°Because it was too interesting, I accidentally made a happy promise.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s my grandson. I will work hard to nurture him and won¡¯t let Your Majesty down.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right; I was worried about his future because he was too capable. But after meeting him, I realised that was unnecessary.¡±

    Ambrosius probably thought of that time again as he let out a soft laugh from his throat.

    ¡°Ara, for Your Majesty to have such high expectations, my grandson is quite promising.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke, I am not interested in him because he is your grandchild, I am curious on what surprising things he would do. Making a better Silhouette Knight-- An absurd task, but he accepted without hesitation.¡±

    As he spoke, Ambrosius suddenly had a precognition that was something similar to a belief.

    ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t be long before he brings the results before me.¡±

    ¡°... To make such a promise lightly. I have to advise His Majesty to curb his desire for amusement.¡±

    One of the nobles that were present during the audience, Duke Knut Dixgard¡¯s complained to his counterpart Marquis Joachim Serrati.

    ¡°Watch your words, Duke.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty isn¡¯t so petty that he wouldn¡¯t accept advice. Or do you think its fine to disclose a national secret to a suspicious child?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ that is why His Majesty added these terms. Even if he is the grandson of the Laihiala Pilot Academy¡¯s dean, it is not easy to make a new Silhouette Knight.¡±

    ¡°I am not talking about how hard it is, I am saying there is something wrong with the promise itself!¡±

    Knut was indignant, taking heavy steps as he passed through the corridor. Joachim who was following him saw the figures of his children in his mind.

    Supplements of the report of, Jantunen¡¯s Knight Commander Philip Hallhagen, was done by his daughter -- Stefania. The report included how his bastard children were close to Eru. In the end, Eru was someone he knew.

    It might be necessary to gather some intelligence, or issue some instructions to his illegitimate children. Besides Joachim who was deep in thought, Knut¡¯s expression was becoming serious.

    ¡°Even though he is still a child¡­ It¡¯s dangerous to leave him alone.¡±

    These words weren¡¯t heard by anyone, dissipating into the air quietly.

 Book 2: Chapter 10: Everyoneâ€™s beginning

    Arc 3 New model creation arc

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Chris S, alkin

    Laihiala Pilot Academy was the largest educational facility in the Fremmevira Kingdom. It conducts the pilot training programme, and naturally has maintenance facilities to support the usage of the Silhouette Knight on campus. Included are the inner skeleton, outer skin, parts crafting and the linking of crystal tissue, a place to assemble all the parts; all these facilities are named as a whole as the ¡®workshop¡¯.

    In order to service the ten metre tall humanoid weapon-- Silhouette Knights, the interior of the workshop was spacious. Situated at the edge was the maintenance platform shaped like a gigantic chair. A Silhouette Knight was placed on it, and a large group of students were doing maintenance work. The unarmoured arm of the Silhouette Knight was placed on a truck to be transported. The sound of hammers pounding the giant armour into shape could be heard. There was noise everywhere and some of the people were even bickering.

    A burly man headed past the frantically working students with heavy steps. No, it was a bit wrong to use burly as the description. The man was short for his age, but he had a stout body. He was twice as thick as a normal man, giving off a strong sense of presence to the surroundings. This wasn¡¯t because of body fat, but the strong and thick muscles buffing him up. His finely plaited hair flowing down his back and his magnificent beard clearly showed that he was from the crafting race, a dwarf.

    He approached the squabbling students and silently hit them with his arms that were thicker than a human leg. He held back, but being whacked by a dwarf still made the two of them roll on the floor in pain.

    ¡°Really, everyone is finding trouble with me at such a busy time!! If you have time to talk trash, then move your hands!!¡±

    ¡°Cough! Bo¡­ Boss! Sorry, we will get back to work right away!!¡±

    If a dwarf gets serious, they could crush boulders with their bare hands. It was no joke. You don¡¯t want to get on the bad side of the ¡®Boss¡¯ - the leader of the pilot academy¡¯s crafting students. The two who were quarreling nonstop rushed back to their work station.

    ¡°Stop messing around, half of our Knights were destroyed! I¡¯ve had enough.¡±

    The Silhouette Knights that were heavily damaged in the battle with the Behemoth were sent here. It should originally start from repairs, but with most of the machines destroyed with only the core and the frame intact, the school had unanimously agreed to build new ones from scratch.

    With the knowledge and skill of the maintenance students, constructing new Knights wasn¡¯t too difficult. But it wasn¡¯t just one or two, with so many orders, the workload dramatically increased. They had to get help from people from the craftsmen department; the academy really went all out.

    Even though there were many Knights to rebuild, priority was given to machines that had more surviving parts. Those that were heavily damaged and needed a lot of work would be worked on later.

    ¡°... This one would be worked on at the very end.¡±

    The Boss stopped before one of the machines. Although all the wreckages were damaged seriously, only that one¡¯s inner skeleton fell completely apart, leaving behind only sparse parts - a terrible sight. The ether reactor and magius engine remaining intact despite the damage was a miracle.

    ¡°On closer inspection, the destruction was really thorough. Was it damaged from the mana being exhausted? The inner skeleton is breaking apart.¡±

    The Boss was staring at the wreckage seriously for a long while. The students hearing him mumble tilted their heads, unable to comprehend why the Boss was so surprised.

    ¡°Ah? That should be common right? It can¡¯t be helped if the ether reactor was flattened¡­ Huh?¡±

    The student who was speaking doubted his own words, staring intently at the wreckage. The ether reactor was intact, but the mana was depleted, resulting in the inner skeleton falling apart. Seeing this illogical situation, he finally understood why the Boss was puzzled. A new question arose and he asked:

    ¡°Ah¡­ Did the silver nerves break? What an unusual way of breaking down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. The way it was destroyed is unique.¡±

    The Boss focused on what appeared to be the legs of the wreckage. After removing the armour, the exposed crystal tissue was torn and frayed in the middle. For these experienced craftsmen, this was a familiar symptom: the tissue exceeded its limit and will tear from fatigue sooner or later. That wasn¡¯t surprising, but--

    ¡°These fellows had all their parts replaced with new ones before they set off, why would it suddenly tear from fatigue? How was it piloted? Weird, this fellow broke down in a weird way.¡±

    The Boss grunted and stiffened his face hidden by his beard. His intuition told him that there was something wrong with the wreckage; the way it broke down was obviously different from all the scenarios they had seen before.

    The maintenance department didn¡¯t just do repairs. If there were any structural improvement that could be made, they would be the ones to implement it. Hence, they have to do their best to understand any underlying problems in the machine.

    ¡°The name of the machine is Guyale; the Knight runner is that fellow Di¡­ What the hell did he do?¡±

    The Boss yelled out loudly, and assigned someone to bring the pilot of this wreckage to him.

    The Capital of Fremmevira K?nk?nen had a famous aristocrat district. Most of the nobles who have their own territory also owned a property here. The Serrati Marquis clan also has a mansion here. The twins Archid (Chid) Olter and Adeltrud (Ady) Olter were led by their sister of a different mother, Stefania (Tiffa) Serrati into this place which they hadn¡¯t seen for a long time.

    The aged butler led these three towards Marquis Joachim Serrati¡¯s study room. The study had a solemn colour, reflecting the personality of the owner and a steadfast atmosphere.

    Tiffa who could see him every other day aside, the twins saw their father for the first time in years, their nervousness was clear for all to see.

    Joachim continued to arrange his documents after they entered; only speaking a few moments later:

    ¡°Thank you, Tiffa. It¡¯s been quite a while since I saw the both of you. It¡¯s great that both of you are healthy. Is Irma doing well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, long time no see, father. Mother has never fallen sick before, she is as fit as a fiddle.¡±

    It¡¯s a bit awkward for a conversation between parent and child, but it¡¯s more than a problem of etiquette. The twins were the illegitimate children of the Marquis, plus their ill relation with the legal wife meant they didn¡¯t have much of a chance to interact with the main family. They seldom talked to their father, Joachim, so both parties weren¡¯t used to this.

    ¡°Father, I have brought them with me, do you have anything for them?¡±

    Tiffa sensed the awkward atmosphere. They had not come out with a way to converse, so getting straight to the point would help them open up with each other.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I heard from Tiffa that Archid and Adeltrud have a friend named Ernesti Echevarria, right?¡±

    They never imagined that they would hear this name from Joachim. Not just the twins, even Tiffa had a surprised expression.

    ¡°How is he as a person? Do tell me what you know, go on.¡±

    Their father¡¯s tone was beyond debate. Chid and Ady suppressed their doubts, looked at each other and described their impression of him: Childhood playmate and their teacher in magic; In terms of magic alone, he should be the top talent within the nation; and his passion towards Silhouette Knight, etc.

    Even just listening to half of it was enough to shock you, but Joachim did not question and listened quietly. The doubts in the twin¡¯s heart grew deeper because they didn¡¯t know why their father was interested in Eru. Joachim probably read their doubts from their faces, pondered for a moment and explained:

    ¡°He was listed as one of the contributors in the battle with the Behemoth. Although there wasn¡¯t any awards for him this time, but it was proposed that he should be rewarded for his efforts in the future.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? This means that Eru¡¯s contribution would be properly acknowledged!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, it¡¯s not something that would be decided immediately, it would depend on his performance from now on.¡±

    Eru who risked his life in the ¡®Behemoth Incident¡¯ wasn¡¯t recognised or rewarded after the situation was resolved. Eru himself might be fine with it, and he did give up on it without much hassle, but the twins couldn¡¯t accept it.

    Those who actually watched would definitely know.

    That might be the reason why Chid became closer to the father he wasn¡¯t good at dealing with. Joachim was strict, but he wasn¡¯t unreasonable.

    ¡°But father, you said it would depend on his performance, so what should we do?¡±

    ¡°Simple. Just tell me if he accomplishes anything from now on. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, father!¡±

    The joy on Chid and Ady¡¯s face were easy to see, the tense atmosphere of the visit had also dissipated. The twins were close to Eru and were sure that he would make it ¡®big¡¯ one day. If they tell their father at that time, Eru¡¯s strength would be recognised. They had always been relying on Eru, so this was some form of paying him back.

    Tiffa had a gentle smile too. She also thought that it was wrong to overlook Eru¡¯s accomplishment, so her feeling in wanting to help was the same. Joachim didn¡¯t change his expression as he watched the cheerful children.

    For a whole week after the Behemoth incident, Laihiala Pilot Academy stopped their classes.

    As the event overlapped with the field trip, many middle schoolers were injured, there were even deaths among the pilot cadets in high school. The school thus needed time to attend to this situation.

    In this sudden holiday, the students who were safe and sound spent their time freely. Some visited their parents back home; some relaxed in their hostel; others used the chance to play as much as possible. As for Ernesti--

    The Echevarria mansion was situated near Laihiala Academy City. In one of the rooms in the mansion, Eru was concentrating before a desk, writing down something. The evening sun shined through the windows, only the sound of the tip of the pen touching the paper could be heard.

    ¡°... Hmm-- that should be the rough structure of it.

    He had just completed a section and returned the pen back into the ink bottle. Eru stretched in satisfaction, rotated his stiff shoulders and leaned back onto the chair.

    The words on the notebook were tidy, detailing the design theory he had learned in class, his thoughts from observing other pilots and most importantly, the ideas he came up with while piloting, which included his memories from his previous life. This notebook could be described as ¡®book of terrifying knowledge of a different world¡¯. The last page had the freshly finished sketch of the machine based on these notes.

    ¡°With this, I could complete the promise I made with those two¡­ What¡¯s left is the promise with His Majesty.¡±

    He crossed his arms as he mumbled to himself, falling deep in thought once again. He was troubled over the promise he made with the King a few days ago. ¡®Constructing the best Silhouette Knight¡¯-- the content of the promise coincided with Eru¡¯s goal, but there hadn¡¯t been any progress.

    ¡°There are mountains of problems. There are tons of difficulties when making a Silhouette Knight¡­ making a Silhouette Knight¡­ Silhouette Knight¡­¡±

    The temptation creeped into his mind when he relaxed, tunneling into a corner of his mind. It spread rapidly like an ink drop in water, taking over his mind. Shortly after, Eru couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and said it out loud:

    ¡°Wahh, Silhouette Knight, I want to pilot a Silhouette Knight¡­¡±

    The worse thing was thinking about related matters. The more Eru tried to not think about it, the more rooted it became in his head. Furthermore, piloting a real Silhouette Knight was actually a great stroke of luck. Closing his eyes, Eru could see that scene before him again-- the metallic legs following his command, the strong pace sending strong vibrations; the friction the arm made when it swung the several meters long sword; the inertia he felt whenever he entered the command to move forward; the fight with the powerful giant beast. All these experiences and memories assaulted Eru in the form of an illusion.

    ¡°Ughh, I want to pilot some more, just riding for that short while wasn¡¯t enough¡­¡±

    That might be so, but Silhouette Knights were not something that you could pilot and run around in. Eru was just a middle school student. Remembering this fact, he laid down on the table meekly.

    ¡°No good¡­ I can¡¯t work like this. At such a time, I need to go out for a walk.¡±

    He propped himself up, running out onto the streets once he was ready.

    Sometime later, Eru showed up at the smithery ¡®Termonen Workshop¡¯ which was situated in Laihiala Academy City. He came to visit one of his childhood friends, the young dwarf Batson Termonen.

    As the son of a smithery owner, he should be working to inherit the family business. But after having this strange friend that likes Silhouette Knight a little too much, he had slowly drifted onto the path of a Silhouette Knight craftsman.

    With this background, they had been acting like a Silhouette Knight fan group.

    ¡°... That¡¯s what happened. I will be building a better Silhouette Knight and present it to His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°What ¡®present it to His Majesty¡¯! Why does it suddenly look like a request from the King!? I don¡¯t know what to say to you, there should be a gradual progress in events¡­¡±

    Eru who strongly believed that the completion day would come chattered cheerfully while Batson just brushed it off casually. Batson thought Eru was going on a field trip, but in the end Eru exchanged blows with the Behemoth; Batson thought Eru had safely returned, but he made such a ridiculous promise with the King. Eru¡¯s actions had been unpredictable over the years. Batson sighed deeply, giving up on retorting each point.

    ¡°...Eh, forget it. This suits your style, too. So what are your plans? Do you have an idea about the new Silhouette Knight?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Eru¡¯s firm reply made Batson almost fall over. Batson thought Eru had a plan from his confident demeanour.

    ¡°If you ask me what I want to create, I do have lots of ideas. But the problem of where to build it hasn¡¯t been solved. How about constructing it at your place?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    Silhouette Knights were about ten metres tall, a giant robot made from metal, crystal and magic armaments. It requires large facilities, not something you can make in a workshop in town.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you accommodate this? Aren¡¯t we comrades?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are a comrade or a friend, no means no!¡±

    As the two of them were chattering happily, the door of Batson¡¯s room was suddenly opened with a strong force. Both of them were shocked as they turned to look at Batson¡¯s father.

    He worked long years as a craftsman and had the feature of a dwarf too. His strong body was full of solid muscles, and his fierce bearded face looked just like a demon¡¯s. He was emitting a dangerous aura, pushing them back several steps.

    ¡°You two¡­ Didn¡¯t I say don¡¯t be noisy, it would interfere with work?! If you want to be noisy, do it outside!!¡±

    Without waiting for him to finish, the two of them leapt out the window. They didn¡¯t hesitate even though Batson¡¯s room was on the second floor. Eru who jumped first landed smoothly and used Air Cushion to catch Batson who jumped next. Their movements were unusually practiced, as if they had probably done this several times before.

    ¡°Eh, we were chased out. What do we do, Batson?¡±

    ¡°Dad is fierce, it can¡¯t be helped. Ah, how about going to the Pilot faculty¡¯s workshop?¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t understand why Batson made this suggestion and tilted his head.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t a bunch of Silhouette Knights get totaled in the recent battle? They should be repairing them now, let¡¯s ask them to let us observe.¡±

    ¡°I get it, that¡¯s a great idea, let¡¯s go, then!¡±

    Eru cheered himself up and ran in the direction of Laihiala Pilot Academy, with Batson chasing behind.

    It was past noon in Laihiala Academy City. The two of them reached the campus and were passing through the school gate when they heard someone calling for them.

    ¡°Hee, found him.¡±

    ¡°Caught Eru--!!¡±

    The ones who grabbed Eru¡¯s arms were Chid and Ady. Because they were both taller than Eru, Eru whose arms were caught couldn¡¯t touch the ground.

    ¡°Eh- Chid, Ady? What is it? This is so sudden.¡±

    ¡°Nothing, how should I put it, we guessed that Eru would be here.¡±

    ¡°Since we guessed right, we should catch him! Well then, where should we go next?¡±

    The two of them seemed to be grabbing Eru just for the fun of it. Eru swung his legs hanging in mid air and sighed depressedly.

    ¡°... I was thinking that the workshop of the pilot school is conducting the repairs of the Silhouette Knights, so I wanted to observe.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s hurry there immediately!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to go along, you two. But it¡¯s about time you put me down.¡±

    And so, the four of them headed towards the workshop of the pilot school. Although they were just in their first year of middle school, they were already familiar with the layout of the campus and reached there in no time.

    They sneakily peeped at the insides of the workshop. The knocking sound of hammers, the rollers of cranes, the angry shouts and the roar of the Silhouette Knight¡¯s engine. It was noisy inside. Eru wanted very much to get closer to watch, but the frightening focus of the craftsmen made them feel bad about intruding. Hence the group slowly moved to a spot where no one was working.

    And, they came to the side of the machines that suffered devastating damage and would be dealt with later.

    At the rear of the workshop was a giant chair for Silhouette Knight maintenance. On it were iron pieces that could only be described as wreckage being lifted by a crane. That was probably the torso of a Silhouette Knight. As the exterior had caved in, the inner skeleton was also warped. Leaving Eru and Batson aside, the twins couldn¡¯t comprehend what it was for a moment. Thankfully, there were scraps of red paint as clues, which led them to think about the original form of that machine.

    ¡°That is¡­ eh, could it be Guyale that was piloted by Eru?¡±

    Chid observed the profile of Eru who was gazing at the wreckage and mumbled a question.

    ¡°Correct. I remember the armour and the way it was damaged. It is completely wrecked¡­ No wonder they are putting it off until later.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, what did you do to destroy it until it looks like that.¡±

    Ignoring Batson who was stunned, Ady stared at the completely totaled wreckage and seemed to be in a trance. The thing before her could tell her wordlessly just how desperate the battle with the Behemoth was. Even the twins who had never piloted a Silhouette Knight could imagine it easily.

    When they heard Eru talk about the incident in the past, both Chid and Ady thought they had understood how dangerous it was. But the wreckage displayed before them was beyond their imagination and made them speechless. The giant lumps of metal were twisted horribly like clay. How large was the force that destroyed it, and how dangerous it was to face it--

    Chid clenched his fist until it turned white, while Ady was tearing up. One misstep and Eru could have died on that battlefield, which gave them the chills. It couldn''t be helped, but the twins were terribly frustrated about not doing anything to help during such a crisis.

    "... Pretty."

    At this moment, Eru''s soft voice spread into the ears of the gloomy twins. They floated up from the sea of regret and turned towards Eru slowly.

    "Even a destroyed robot is so pretty..."

    Eru sighed, his profile looked so charmed. He didn''t realise the atmosphere around him was turning icy and said:

    "That''s right, when something with a form breaks apart and leaves only wreckage behind, it is known as the ''elegance of silence''. The air of defeat and loneliness... Is so pretty..."

    The eyes of the twins met for a split second, the 132nd session of the Olters siblings¡¯ conference ended with a consensus-- they decided wordlessly to attack Eru.

    "!? Ick... Ick hwurts ick hwurts, wife areth youth dowing!!"

    Eru¡¯s cheeks were been pulled hard, making him protest loudly in tears. The twins continued pinching without letting up.

    ¡°Eh, you can¡¯t blame them, Eru¡­¡±

    Batson watched calmly from the side by himself.

    ¡°Hey, where did you brats come from?! Stop making a racket here!!¡±

    The twins pinched for a moment longer before letting go. Eru who was finally liberated nursed his cheeks and was about to protest when a roar came from behind him. It was loud enough to be heard over the other noises in the workshop. They turned to see a dwarf youth with a strong presence -- the Boss, David Hepken.

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that the silver boy? You really like it here, huh, but don¡¯t disturb our work.¡±

    The Boss knew Eru, who was hanging around the pilot school as if it was normal. And, he was even here when school was out. Even the Boss was stunned. Eru looked past him at the person standing behind him.

    That face was as pale as a ghost, under the eyes were thick eye bags. His carefully combed blond hair was a mess-- the official pilot of the red Knight, Dietrich Cunitz. For a moment, Eru couldn¡¯t identify him with the Dietrich in his memories and rubbed his eyes. But no matter how he looked at him, the Dietrich before him was in a distracted and terrible state. His arrogance and cockiness were gone, with frustration and gloom taking its place.

    ¡°Eh, umm¡­. Dietrich¡­ Senpai? Right? What happened?¡±

    Eru asked with a stiff smile that lacked confidence. Dietrich''s face looked so down that even Eru was troubled. Dietrich responded with an ugly smile and said hoarsely:

    ¡°... Ahh, Ernesti. Ke keke¡­ a little¡­ right, just a little. I have been having nightmares recently¡­ The demons from the infirmary chasing me¡­ which made me lose sleep. If I let my guard down just a little¡­ Ugh, that person acting cute with a terrifying voice, pui!¡±

    As he spoke, it spurred the memories of his nightmares. Dietrich¡¯s eyes lost focus and seemed to be drifting off to the other world-- The Boss gave him a chop to the head, pulling him back. Dietrich blacked out for a moment and then woke up. The Boss¡¯ chop probably worked.

    ¡°Ugh, oh, oh¡­ Ah! Where am I¡­? Wah! Eh, forget it. Since Ernesti is summoned here to explain, too, right? That makes it easier.¡±

    ¡°Ahh? What does the boy need to explain?¡±

    ¡°What else, you want to know the reason why Guyale broke down right? Isn¡¯t that why you asked the ¡®reason¡¯ to come here?¡±

    The Boss looked between Dietrich and Eru¡¯s face for a long while, slowly getting what his words meant. His frown became even deeper.

    ¡°Wait. Di, from what I am hearing, that boy seems to be the reason why Guyale broke down?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that¡­ You asked him to come without knowing that?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t look for him, he just showed up by himself.¡±

    The conversation didn¡¯t match and all three of them tilted their heads simultaneously. In the space of these few seconds, Dietrich seemed to have noticed something and clapped his hands together.

    ¡°Ah, did I let something slip?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    The Boss stroked his beard out of habit and looked at the two of them with sharp eyes.

    ¡°Ah, never mind. Just tell me everything.¡±

    Seeing the Boss smiling deviously as he cracked his bones loudly, no one present had the guts to object.

    When Eru was piloting Guyale in the fight against the Behemoth, Dietrich was watching from behind, so he didn¡¯t have any ideas on how he piloted. Eru¡¯s skills were not something that could be understood through observation, so he had to do the explaining. It was fine in the beginning, but they ran into problems immediately.

    ¡°... Pardon, say that again.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I took the seat, but my limbs couldn¡¯t reach the controls and pedals, so I read it through the script in the magius engine and controlled the Silhouette Knight by ¡®processing it myself¡¯.¡±

    The Boss, who always had a scary face, opened his eyes wide in surprise, a rare sight. That was understandable; the magius engine exists because it was impossible for a person to keep up with the script processing. Doing the processing by yourself goes beyond common sense. Dietrich who experienced the movement of Guyale firsthand aside, no one could have stopped the Boss¡¯ expression from turning doubtful. Dietrich¡¯s expression, on the other hand, turned sharp.

    ¡°... Even if I believe everything you said is true, then what? What does it have to do with this fellow breaking apart because of mana depletion?¡±

    ¡°I took the place of the magius engine, which meant I could control all functions of the machine freely. When I was delivering the final blow to the Behemoth, I turned off the safety device, using all my remaining mana in that attack. In the end, I accidentally used up the mana that was keeping the structure intact.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! How do you want me to resolve the issue that way!! The limiter was meant to keep the mana from depleting completely!¡±

    The Boss had a stern tone, but he could only shake his head at Eru¡¯s recklessness. He breathed out a sigh that was exceptionally heavy, and gave up on lecturing Eru.

    ¡°That might be so, but I am the only one who can control it that way, so you are not in a hurry to solve this, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it would be a disaster if it could be done easily!! Forget it. And the crystal tissue snapping from fatigue was related to you, too, right? No, you broke it right?¡±

    ¡°You are right¡­ But being told that in my face still makes me unhappy.¡±

    ¡°Can it, so it really is your fault!!¡±

    ¡°That was the burden of full control. Guyale was under an abnormal amount of strain and broke. This made our situation desperate, too.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ After replacing it with new parts, it should operate smoothly for more than a month. But you broke it in just one battle¡­¡±

    The Boss couldn¡¯t help looking up and covering his forehead with his palm. At this point, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The work on hand was already a headache, but he noticed the possibility of something worse happening.

    ¡°Hey, wait. Boy, if you get serious, would all the machines you pilot get destroyed?¡±

    ¡°The possibility is high. The Karrdator operated by the Knights has better crystal tissue, so it would probably last longer.¡±

    So it¡¯s a problem of bearing the load-- Eru grumbled casually. The Boss glanced at him through slitted eyes and his face turned sour.

    ¡°Tch! If I don¡¯t improve this, I would lose face as a craftsman. That might be so, but I can¡¯t solve the problem immediately.¡±

    Speaking of which, pilots that would be so reckless were unheard of, so it¡¯s natural for the solution to not exist. Anyway, this was not a problem this facility could tackle. Finding an answer to improve the design was not something you could settle it in one day.

    The repairs would be left for later, the research to solve this issue would be done later -- the Boss secretly came up with a plan. Unfortunately, there was someone who treats unrealistic options as something normal.

    ¡°If that is so, I just happen to have a great idea! And there is no downside to it-- the most important thing right now is increasing the toughness of the crystal tissue, right?¡±

    That person was Eru. He raised his hand cheerfully, saying something shocking in a loud voice.

    ¡°Huh? Increase the toughness of the crystal tissue? That is easy to say, but how long do you think alchemists spent researching that? In fact, there has been no breakthrough for the past hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. When I say increasing toughness, I am not referring to the crystal tissue itself. I lack the expertise on alchemy anyway, so I want to work on the way crystal tissue is ¡®used¡¯.¡±

    In the face of the people who were popping out question marks because of the term ¡®used¡¯, Eru used this chance to explain:

    ¡°Here is how an old story goes: ¡®One arrow is easy to break, but it is hard to do so when three of them are tied together¡¯. Which means¡­¡±

    His proposal was to bind several crystal tissue together in the form of a ¡®rope¡¯, By combining the weak individual strands together, the toughness could be increased. By braiding it together, it could improve its elasticity compared to longer strands and enhance power output.

    ¡°... I call it ¡®strand crystal tissue¡¯. What do you think?¡±

    Eru was brimming with smiles, like a salesman concluding his pitch. Following this, he braided the crystal tissue on the spot and presented the flexible ¡®rope¡¯ for everyone to see.

    The twins didn¡¯t seem to understand, just accepting everything Eru said. Batson and the craftsmen present reacted very strongly.

    The Boss picked up the crystal tissue with a slow and deliberate motion and studied it. He started shaking his hand and then fell deep into thought. With his past experience of attempting to improve the Silhouette Knight, he wanted to say something, but gave up after failing to find the words. The Boss sighed and said:

    ¡°To combine the crystal tissue through braiding¡­ this is a blind spot.¡±

    He was usually serious when talking, but the words he said were filled with mixed emotion.

    ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s strange that no one ever tried it though.¡±

    ¡°The boy is right. It does seem weird hearing you say that¡­ But improving the Silhouette Knight usually starts from the inner skeleton and the placement of the crystal tissue, or enhancing the quality of the materials. No one would think about changing the crystal tissue this way.¡±

    Silhouette Knight is a gigantic weapon that mimics a human Knight. Based on the idea of ¡®amplifying the power of men¡¯, it had the shape of humans. Although it had the advantage of being easy to pilot and to understand, it also limited new ideas to the human shape, holding back its development. A pure machine that is piloted like a human, this contradiction was rooted deeply into their psyche. The architects of Silhouette Knights lost the idea of making breakthroughs from the very basics.

    Eru could overcome this because of his knowledge from a different world, where robotics was very developed. Even though his face was covered by his beard, the Boss was smiling happily at this moment, a rare sight.

    ¡°Haha! After thinking it through, this idea is interesting!! The time is just right, let¡¯s install this thing in that machine we are repairing!!¡±

    The bright and cheery Boss made the students take a step back. But the Boss was occupied by the Silhouette Knight¡¯s enhancement project and didn¡¯t mind it one bit, preparing to give the order to the others--

    ¡°By the way, could I make another suggestion? How about changing the exterior shape too?¡±

    -- The whisper of the devil came into the Boss¡¯ ears. The Boss digested the meaning of these words and turned back slowly. Before him was Eru, who had a sparkling smile.

    ¡°Boss, I am thinking of adding arms onto the back.¡±

    The boy looked as cute as a girl, saying words gently while smiling like a flower. But the content was incredible. This couldn¡¯t be described as ¡®insufficient explanation¡¯, but more like the realm of insanity.

    The Boss did hear the words clearly, but it took him a much longer time than before to understand. Even the twins, who were used to Eru¡¯s erratic nature couldn¡¯t hide their bafflement. The one who was most calm was Batson who had heard plenty of his ridiculous ideas.

    For the craftsmen who didn¡¯t even think about improving the Silhouette Knight until moments ago, Eru¡¯s words were incomprehensible. Logically speaking, Silhouette Knights should be a weapon ¡®in the shape of a man¡¯. And in this world, men usually have two arms and legs. Only characters in fairy tales go beyond this norm, so apart from Eru, no one could understand where the idea of adding arms to the back of the Silhouette Knight came from.

    The stunned Boss sighed deeply and wanted to retort, but dropped that idea. It would be nonsense if these words came from someone else, but this was coming from Eru who proposed the new idea of the ¡®strand crystal tissue¡¯. The Boss suppressed his voice and struggled to keep his heart normal and asked:

    ¡°... Just to be clear, I should ask to clarify. Why? How?¡±

    Even though he was doing his best to suppress it, the Boss couldn¡¯t keep his voice from trembling.

    ¡°As for why¡­ I discovered the last time I piloted a Silhouette Knight, that they only have two arms.¡±

    ¡°Eh? That is obvious, do you need to bring it up? Huh?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, calm down Ady. Let me finish¡­ I think the issue lies with the control of the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯. In order to conduct long range attacks, the Silhouette Knight has to use ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯. The armaments have to be operated by hands, so there is a need to change between sword and armaments according to distance and the situation.¡±

    Eru stopped and looked around. All the faces had the same ¡®that is obvious, what is the problem¡¯ expression on them. His smile deepened.

    ¡°But I think that is inefficient; there would be a gap when changing the weapons, too. Obviously, there is no choice but to store the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯ in close distance combat. So, I am thinking of putting something at the back¡­ something like a hand that could operate a ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯. That way, there would be no need to change weapons and the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯ would be available any time.¡±

    Everyone wasn¡¯t buying Eru¡¯s explanation wholesale and had a deeply confused look. They felt something wasn¡¯t right and didn¡¯t know how to express it-- In that awkward atmosphere, the one who moved was the leader of the engineers-- the Boss.

    ¡°... I know what you are getting at. Let¡¯s leave how to increase the number of arms aside. If we really do add another arm, how would it be controlled? Humans don¡¯t have arms on their back; I don¡¯t need to explain that right? You can¡¯t control things you don¡¯t have.¡±

    Without needing the Boss to point it out, almost everyone was thinking the same thing. Silhouette Knight¡¯s control was based on the movement of the pilot¡¯s limbs. With this system, it was impossible for the pilot to control parts that humans do not have.

    Wrong, there was no need to bring out structural logic. Emotionally, they were resisting the addition of parts which humans do not have. It would be the best to laugh this off as nonsense-- such thoughts were formed silently and were the common thoughts of everyone present.

    But, Eru¡¯s smile did not disappear, and he didn¡¯t stop his advance. He is a product of an alternate world, journeying alone outside of the common sense of this world, happily redesigning the existence known as Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°I understand your concerns, but I am not proposing adding a real arm, so it doesn''t have to be as agile as one. In simple terms, it just needs to hold the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯ and shoot, that¡¯s all. Which means¡­¡±

    Eru took in everyone¡¯s confusion and repulsion, describing it casually. The strongest thing that was pushing him was his will and clear objective. Slowly, everyone was convinced by his words.

    ¡°At the same time, an automated movement script with aiming functions would be added. A device that could control the movement of the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯; this is my proposal¡­ the development of the ¡®Back Weapon¡¯ and the ¡®Fire Control System¡¯.¡±

    There was a small area in the corner of the workshop separated by boards, dubbed the ¡®conference room¡¯. Even though Eru¡¯s proposal deviated widely from common sense, the group didn¡¯t reject it and gathered here for a discussion. Eru explained with a clear voice, his chalk making rhythmic sounds on the board, gradually drawing out the whole picture of the alien shaped machine.

    ¡°Although I used the word ¡®arm¡¯, what I wanted was a simpler design¡­ Something that could hold an object firmly.¡±

    The additional arm -- named ¡®Auxiliary arm¡¯ henceforth-- would be kept when the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯ were not in use, and would be deployed when in combat, ready to fire. When deployed, the Auxiliary arm would mount the weapon over the shoulder, facing forward.

    The Fire Control System is the script responsible for the deployment and the retraction of the Auxiliary arm. This movement doesn¡¯t require much flexibility, it just needs to be able to deploy and retract the Auxiliary arm. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t be a burden on the pilot and could be completed automatically by the system. Just hearing this much, the Fire Control System script seemed to be used only to point the armament forward, but its main feature was the aiming function. Displaying a reticle on the holo monitor, the script links it to the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯ to control the direction of fire.

    At this point in Eru¡¯s presentation, the expression of the craftsmen changed. To use the ¡®Silhouette arms¡¯ without interfering with the use of the hands, it even made the addition of an aiming reticle possible. Although the pilots are the experts in controlling Silhouette Knights, the craftsmen doing maintenance also have the related skills. That¡¯s why they could understand the advantage the ¡®Back Weapon¡¯ brings¡ªincreasing the opportunity to attack, more variation in tactics, and the possibility of stronger attacks.

    ¡°The plan is to install the functionality of the fire control script into the unused area of the magius engine. Ah, I will be doing that part. Also, the pilot using this function needs to¡­¡±

    Pilots just needs to be trained in using the aiming function. The reason was simple, they do not need delicate control to use the Auxiliary arm, and the Fire Control System would automatically deploy, retract and even aim. The control could be done through the pilot seat easily, so there wasn¡¯t any burden when controlling it. If the pilot needs to adjust to the modification, then the training programme of the pilots needs to be adjusted.

    ¡°... That¡¯s the summary of the proposal. Further details would be finalised when production begins¡­ How does everyone feel about this?¡±

    Facing Eru, who was cutely tilting his head, no one gave a response. Right now, a terrifying silence was controlling the workshop. Eru¡¯s ¡®technology¡¯ had turned their perceived common sense on its head: adding parts which deviates from the human form and installing scripts in the untouchable magius engine. Even though they had accepted the idea of strand crystal tissue, Eru¡¯s proposal was very abnormal to the students present.

    Eru explained himself clearly, the common language of the engineers was displayed on the board -- ¡®technology¡¯. It had no fantasy or fairy tales, with a taste of reality, it couldn¡¯t be ignored with a laugh; and it was full of charms, making it hard to resist.

    Seemed like I¡¯ve still got it in me. My presentation skills haven¡¯t gotten rusty. But they still need another push.

    In Eru¡¯s eyes, the maintenance students were obviously lost. It¡¯s fine if the presentation wasn¡¯t good enough, they could reject it directly. But, the problem was that it was feasible enough to be discussed. Their cultivated common sense was warning them something was wrong, but when Eru brought out the revolution this technology could bring, their logic pulled them to accept it. In order to push the group who were caught in this dilemma and fell into silence, Eru continued:

    ¡°Even though Silhouette Knight mimics the form of men, it is still a tool, a machine. There is no need to be hung up on it being in the form of men¡­ If there is a function that is needed, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s fine to modify how it looks?¡±

    If a devil appeared in any story, it would probably give off this feeling. A beautiful appearance whispering sweet temptations in your ears, luring you away from the straight and limited path of the world-- As everyone¡¯s thought were heading down this divergent path, the Boss sighed in an exaggerated manner.

    ¡°Really, just who the hell are you? Be it the strand crystal tissue or the back weapon, I don¡¯t understand how you keep thinking up things we have never seen, or heard of before.¡±

    ¡°How should I put it? I want to do it because it doesn¡¯t exist, I wouldn¡¯t have done it if it had already existed.¡±

    Eru pouted, prompting the Boss to stare at him for a long while before laughing out loud. The Boss¡¯ hearty laughter swept all the doubts and gloom of everyone, who were present away.

    ¡°Keke, hahaha! You got me. Yes, you are right! Kick reason to the curb, right? I like it. It might be frustrating, but the boy has a point. We craftsmen are professionals who improve Silhouette Knights. I will accept your proposal!!¡±

    With this as the cue, the engineers¡¯ curiosity won against their hesitation. As one, they unanimously moved towards the development of the strand crystal tissue, back weapon and fire control system-- a step towards the revolution of a new Silhouette Knight model. It might be a small step, but there was a definite change in their mindset.

    And so, the ripple that started in Laihiala Pilot Academy will one day spread through the nation, and push the evolution of the existence known as Silhouette Knights to the entire world.

    Four figures walked in a row in Laihiala Academy City which was basked in the light of the setting sun.

    The petite one walking in the middle-- Eru was in a great mood, and seemed to be on the verge of singing. That was understandable; he didn¡¯t expect to fulfill his ambition of modifying a Silhouette Knight. When he thought about the coming days, Eru felt overwhelming joy. Compared to the chirpy Eru, Chid and Ady beside him seemed gloomy.

    ¡°Hey Eru, to be honest, I didn¡¯t understand everything that happened today. But if the modification goes well, the Silhouette Knights would become stronger, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±

    Chid wanted to say something, but seemed hesitant.

    ¡°... Eh, Eru¡­ after strengthening the Silhouette Knight, are you going to fight the Demon beast again?¡±

    Chid¡¯s words made Eru blink with a stiff smile. Eru¡¯s mind was filled with the ¡®modification¡¯, and totally forgot about how to apply it practically. Facing this unexpected query, Eru cleared his throat to dismiss the anxiety in his heart and forced a smile:

    ¡°That, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a rare chance to create powerful Silhouette Knights after all, and think about it. And, becoming a Knight or pilot means fighting Demon beasts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, Eru has to fight¡­ and you are ready to do so.¡±

    Eru looked surprised by Chid¡¯s hesitant expression, and was hugged from the side by Ady.

    ¡°E~ru! You didn¡¯t forget that promise, right!!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Umm-- Yeah. About teaching both of you how to fight with Silhouette Knights, right?¡±

    ¡°Correct. If we put our mind to it, we can do it! I absolutely forbid you from fighting alone again.¡±

    Ady remembered the wreckage of the red Silhouette Knight. Even though Silhouette Knights were known as the strongest weapon of men, there were still a lot of Demon beasts in this world that were stronger than them. When Ady thought that Eru might be in danger, her tears would blur her vision, and the sounds would blur.

    ¡°Ady? Are you okay? Don¡¯t worry, I had thought about preparation for that, too¡­ Oh, right! How about asking them to do ¡®that¡¯ too?¡±

    Eru seemed to be thinking of something and snapped his fingers. Ady lifted her face slightly, while Batson and Chid looked at each other with a confused expression.

    Several days later, Eru and the Boss came to the Laihiala Pilot Academy¡¯s dean office.

    Hearing a polite knock, a calm response came from the dean, Lauri Echevarria who was inside. Even though Lauri was a bit surprised, he still ushered them in.

    ¡°Oh? Eru and David, what a rare combination.¡±

    Lauri offered them a seat as Eru gave him some documents. Inside was the report summarising the proposal for the strand crystal tissue, the back weapon and the fire control system.

    ¡°Dean, the document inside contains the proposal for a Silhouette Knight brought up by the silver boy. The maintenance department wants to create a new Silhouette Knight using this plan.¡±

    Lauri¡¯s eyes were wide open after hearing these sudden words, and studied the documents carefully. After browsing through it once, he placed the documents on the table and exhaled deeply. Lauri looked into the distance and said:

    ¡°Ara¡­ Should I say this is unexpected¡­ you two have stirred up something troublesome.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your grandson who did that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it was unexpected¡­ should I say beyond my imagination? I didn¡¯t think that you would start so soon. This report seems very unusual. Eru, can it be done?¡±

    Eru smiled like usual when he was asked-- But Lauri, who was his family understood that Eru¡¯s blue eyes contained unusual passion, confidence and the will to challenge the norm. And as he expected, Eru nodded strongly in agreement.

    Your Majesty, my grandson is wilder than I imagined. He will probably go beyond my control

    ¡°... Grandpa? What do you think? Are you willing to accept it?¡±

    ¡°Dean, we should have the freedom in the production and modification of Silhouette Knights. But the ¡®core¡¯ of the modification is different from the past, so there would definitely be many problems. That¡¯s why we are seeking official authorisation.¡±

    Lauri whose thoughts were somewhere far away-- specifically, the Capital, was pulled back because of these words.

    ¡°Yes. A lot of the Knights had to be reforged because of damage, so the timing is just right. Some failures are acceptable, just do it the way you want to¡­ Hmmm? No, we can¡¯t afford to be slow; we have to finish it quickly. If there are not enough Knights, the pilots won¡¯t be able to practice.¡±

    Lauri suddenly slapped his knee. The Behemoth Incident destroyed half the Knights of the Academy. Even at the full strength of twenty, it was not enough for all the pilots in the Academy, and they had to take turns. With half of it gone, it would definitely affect training.

    ¡°About that, I have another proposal!¡±

    Eru raised his hand strongly and opened the briefcase beside him, taking out a notebook.

    ¡°Hey, so that wasn¡¯t all? You are well prepared, boy¡­¡±

    ¡°I have been thinking about this for quite some time. To conduct Silhouette Knight piloting practice, you have to ride a silhouette Knight. But the number of the important Silhouette Knights is limited, and takes a lot of effort to make new ones¡­ a vicious cycle.¡±

    Lauri and the Boss suppressed their doubts and nodded. Eru opened his notebook that was bulging from a lot of sticky tabs and showed them the newest page.

    ¡°But increasing the number of Silhouette Knight presents another set of problems. First would be the expensive parts, reactors and engines, and the specialised workshop to handle large machines and manpower¡­ Taking the cost into account, there is only one answer.¡±

    Lauri and the Boss listened to Eru¡¯s explanation, squeezing together to look at the notebook filled with words. On it was a strange object-- A combination of a human skeleton with armour, which was filled with crystal tissue. According to the notes, it was about two and a half metres in height, slightly bigger than a normal person wearing armour. But it was about a quarter the scale of a Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, just make it smaller! That will cut down the work, and the facilities to construct it can be smaller in scale too. In other words, it can be mass produced easily. Silhouette Knights need ether reactors and magius engine because a single person can¡¯t provide the mana and process the script to control such a large body. If the machine is smaller, the burden would be lessened, too¡­ It could be operated by just one person. It doesn¡¯t require the heart units, so the price would definitely be cheaper. If you order one now, you can get another one for free!¡±

    Hearing the long sales pitch of Eru, one would suspect him of being a merchant from somewhere. Lauri and the Boss had different reactions.

    ¡°...Tiny Silhouette Knights? You are not satisfied with the new model, and are plotting that, too!?¡±

    ¡°I see, but this thing sounds interesting. How about it, David? If it goes smoothly, the pilots won¡¯t be bored out of their mind.¡±

    Hearing Lauri say that, the Boss adopted a troubled attitude.

    ¡°Dean, I have no objection about making this, but making the new model and this at the same time will be too much, in terms of manpower. Even if it is easy to make, we simply can¡¯t do both.¡±

    Constructing the new Silhouette Knight. That is a tedious mission that is troubling when you just to think about it. The Boss and the engineers don¡¯t have the spare energy to work on other projects. Without the craftsmen working on it, it doesn¡¯t matter how interesting the idea was.

    But Eru was prepared for this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this part. The good thing about this is its simplicity compared to Silhouette Knights, and it is easy to make. I think it could be done even without the skills of the Senpais in the high school department.¡±

    Understanding what Eru was saying, the expression of these two finally went beyond surprise and turned expressionless. The Boss sighed deeply.

    ¡°Boy, I didn¡¯t know you would go that far.¡±

    The Boss was definitely not complimenting him, but Eru simply smiled in reply.

 Book 2: Chapter 11: Letâ€™s design, build and assemble

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Fate Trooper, Chris S, alkin

    The plan proposed by the pilot faculty¡¯s maintenance department-- breaking out of the mould of repairing Silhouette Knights, they had started the building process of the new machine model for half a month now. During this period, the school had resumed classes, and the middle schooler Ernesti had returned to his usual daily life.

    The bell announcing the end of lessons rang, and the classroom that was quiet when class was in session turned rowdy. The teacher sighed at the sudden change in the students and left after bidding farewell. The day¡¯s lesson had finished and school was out. The students who were free from class could spend their time as they pleased. Even though they could be attacked by Demon beast if they took a step out of the city, the existence known as students remained the same. It applied to Eru and the others, too, although their situation was different.

    ¡°Eru, Eru! Let¡¯s go practice! Come, we have to work hard today, too!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, you don¡¯t need to pull so hard, I will go with you.¡±

    Ady couldn¡¯t wait as she pulled Eru¡¯s hand and Chid followed behind them. They attend classes in middle school during the day, and head for the pilot faculty¡¯s workshop when school is out. This was their daily schedule recently.

    The workshop was noisy as usual. But the situation today was different. Eru and the others who were chattering when they arrived felt the heavy atmosphere. They saw the Boss, who was resting on a chair and approached him.

    ¡°Hello Boss. Why does everyone look so tired today?¡±

    ¡°Ah, silver boy¡­ nothing much, it¡¯s just that thing. We made the strand crystal tissue.¡±

    ¡°The thing suggested by Eru?¡±

    ¡°Correct, but¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the pilot faculty to need a bobbin machine. The clothing faculty¡¯s people insisted that we do it seriously, and showed us no mercy.¡±

    The Boss¡¯ eyes were out of focus, a hint of sorrow that couldn¡¯t be described as an achievement. The three of them almost bursted out laughing when they imagined the muscle bound dwarf using a bobbin machine; that must have be hilarious.

    ¡°Well, thank you for your hard work, Boss.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but it was worth it. Nah, look at this.¡±

    The document the Boss tossed to Eru listed a lot of numbers, listing the difference when using normal crystal tissue compared to strand crystal tissue in different situations.

    Other than that, there was also comparison data for different braiding methods. During the strand crystal tissue creation process, they discovered that using good braiding methods were more effective than simple braiding.

    ¡°When I requested the clothing faculty to show me the various ways of braiding crystal tissue, they almost called for a shrink.¡±

    The information they gathered from their honourable sacrifice was priceless. The best braiding method improved the maximum power output by one and a half times, the tightly braided tissues went through repeated stretching tests, displaying a toughness ten times stronger than before.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than we expected. I thought the output would increase by twenty percent, and the lifespan would be extended two times¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha! You are the proposer, but don¡¯t think we didn¡¯t do anything. Eh, I don¡¯t deny that I am cocky because I attained actual results. I just wanted to test it out, but the results varied wildly depending on how it was used. I think the parts that were used casually have a lot of room for improvement.¡±

    As he spoke, the Boss laughed like an innocent child. Standing next to Eru, it was hard to tell who was the little kid. As the two of them were discussing the results, there was a sudden uproar coming from within the workshop, and someone was shouting for the Boss.

    ¡°Boss! The replacement for the arm tissue had been completed!¡±

    ¡°Oh! I will be right there! ¡­ We are going to test the strand model. Boy, come with us, too.¡±

    ¡°Of course, please let me see it!¡±

    At the edge of the workshop was a giant figure with some of the armour around the right arm removed, revealing the crystal tissue underneath. The tissues of the arm were thick, which were obviously strand crystal tissue.

    If the tissue had the same colour as living beings, it would definitely be a scene that was not for the faint-hearted. Fortunately, the crystal tissue was murky white. Placed inside the giant body of the Silhouette Knight, it gave an impression of being a statue.

    ¡°Alright-- Step back! We will be doing test movements! ...Good, please proceed, Helvi!¡±

    ¡°Roger. Proceeding now.¡±

    The students working in the vicinity dispersed. The pilot, Helvi ?berg entered the machine seated on the repair dock. The hatch in the chest slowly closed with the sound of compressed air.

    They had already investigated the mana output of the crystal tissue, but this was the first time they were testing it in an actual machine. The eyes of the students in the area were sparkling with anticipation, watching with bated breath. The right arm installed with the strand model gripped a giant metal lump. The Silhouette Knight obeyed the command to lift its arm, and the crystal tissue could be seen contracting and bulging through the gaps of the armour.

    ¡°Oh¡­ That is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Hee-- it has great strength, right?¡±

    The metal lump lifted by the unit required a normal Silhouette Knight to use both hands in order to lift it. But it accomplished this easily with one hand. The power output of the strand crystal tissue was incredible. Maybe it was because of the unique nature of the strand model, or the lack of outer skin, but cracking sounds could be heard.

    ¡°Power output increment and toughness enhancement seem to be proceeding fine.¡±

    ¡°Right, now we can produce a machine that won¡¯t break down easily even if the boy pilots it.¡±

    As Eru and the Boss were passionately discussing the experiment results, a sound was getting louder, and a noise that didn¡¯t seem to be from the crystal tissue could be heard.

    ¡°By the way Boss, do you hear something? It sounds like¡­ friction.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence, you heard that, too? So, I didn¡¯t imagine that¡­ What did you say?¡±

    The two looked at each other and the instant they turned towards the machine-- they heard a crisp bang, and the right arm literally ¡®broke¡¯. The crystal tissue fell off and the arm loosened, dropping the metal lump onto the ground. But no one cared about that. The reason was that the armour was sent flying by the snapped crystal tissue, scattering all over. It¡¯s no joke if you get hit by the armour fragments of Silhouette Knight, and hellish screams erupted in the workshop.

    ¡°Wahhhhh!? Ah, it¡¯s coming this way¡­!!¡±

    Unfortunately, one of it flew towards the Boss. Eru stepped before him in the nick of time, drawing his gun staff, Winchester to repel the fragments. Eru lowered his stance, shooting out a massive amount of compressed air, deflecting the force of the fragments away. The fragment made a dull explosive sound, drawing a large arc in the air before embedding itself in the wall behind them.

    The Boss who was in the pilot faculty was a craftsman, together with the lack of agility of the dwarves, it''s impossible to expect an immediate reaction. He shielded his body and stood stiffly in place like a statue. After a while, the Boss looked at the fragment stuck in the wall behind him. After seeing the fragment embedded deep in the wall, the Boss couldn¡¯t utter a sound. Chid and Ady also maintained their position with their bayonet staffs out, the place was awkwardly silent.

    The Boss returned to his senses in no time and immediately inspected the machine that exploded. The right hand was wrecked from the impact and looked terrible. The crystal tissue was scattered all over the place, even the inner skeleton was visible. Eru timidly asked the Boss, who was enthusiastically inspecting the right arm:

    ¡°... Boss, do tell us what you think.¡±

    ¡°Ah-- Right there. The crystal tissue itself is fine, but the base securing it to the structure snapped. The tissue increased the output too high, so the other parts couldn¡¯t keep up. So, that¡¯s why. Ara, we really lost to it.¡±

    The Boss who was laughing dryly shut his mouth shortly after. After meeting Eru¡¯s gaze, the two of them sighed deeply.

    ¡°Normal means wouldn¡¯t work; we would need to modify the entire body this time.¡±

    Even though the machine was damaged, miraculously, no one was hurt because it was kept at a distance. The students who crawled out cautiously sighed as they looked at the wrecked right arm.

    Strand crystal tissue still had a way to go before practical application. Anyway, they have to reevaluate and use new methods to secure the tissues. It takes time going through the reevaluation from the beginning, the personnel involved in the designs would be busy for the foreseeable future.

    ¡°Well then Boss, I will leave this to you¡­ we will go ahead with our training.¡±

    ¡°You take care of ¡®that side¡¯ for now. Okay¡­ Hey, stop standing around!! We are starting over with strengthening the clamps!!¡±

    He looked a bit down, but the Boss didn¡¯t give up and threw himself into the work at hand.

    Eru left the workshop that was getting noisy because of the repairs, following Chid and Ady to another corner of the workshop.

    There were no Silhouette Knights there; instead there were several ¡®full body armour¡¯ that had interesting designs. Its height was big for a human, but it was just two and a half metres, small for a Silhouette Knight. The head and body were similar to a normal full body armour, the limbs were exceptionally long, and the ratio was off.

    ¡°Hello-- Batson, how are things going?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Eru. No problem, the ¡®Silhouette Gear¡¯ is in top condition today, too. I can vouch for that.¡±

    Batson answered as he flexed the muscles in his arm. The name for this full body armour was ¡®Silhouette Gear¡¯, a substitute for a Silhouette Knight made through the plans proposed by Eru, it could be considered as a mini Silhouette Knight.

    The row of Silhouette Gears was being worked on by students other than Batson. From their height, it was obvious that they were not from the high school department, but middle schoolers. The main point of the Silhouette Gear design was the ¡®miniaturising and simplification of Silhouette Knights¡¯, so the difficulty level was low, even middle schoolers, who were aiming to be craftsmen could build it. Batson being involved was a good example, but he had already made a bunch of weird stuff because of his acquaintance with Eru.

    ¡°Well then, we will work hard for our training-¡±

    Eru just finished talking when Chid and Ady replied energetically. Speaking of which, the Silhouette Gear was something he thought up in order to teach them how to pilot a Silhouette Knight, and was used to solve the issue of insufficient machines on campus. Chid and Ady were full of spirit, but so was Eru. For him, even though it was smaller, piloting a robot still made him happy.

    Silhouette Gear was similar to normal armour; the movements were dictated directly by the user, and needed to be built to the user¡¯s size. For example, Eru was using a machine that had been adjusted for a person with small stature to use; Chid and Ady¡¯s machine were slightly bigger.

    Eru stood before the Silhouette Gear that was kneeling on the ground with the chest armour open, but he didn¡¯t board it immediately and hugged the torso instead. Seeing Eru smiling with his mouth open, Chid who was behind couldn¡¯t help saying:

    ¡°I know you like it, but no matter how much love you shower it with, it won¡¯t respond to you.¡±

    ¡°No such thing. If you shower it with love, it would be obedient to you.¡±

    Chid looked at his Silhouette Gear in doubt. Is that really true? How could it be? A weird argument flashed across his mind.

    ¡°... No, no way!¡±

    Chid came to his senses when he was just about to be convinced.

    ¡°Ughh, Eru only loves Silhouette Gear. Sigh, Chid, shut up and board it! Training, we are starting training now!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, alright¡­ Is this my fault¡­?¡±

    Chid was rushed by Ady who had already boarded, grumbling slightly as he sat in one of the gears. With the metal closing shut, the sound of air escaping could be heard, and the full body armour was enclosed and secured. Chid then grabbed the control inside the Silhouette Gear¡¯s arm, moving the machine¡¯s limbs directly as he controlled it with a script at the same time. The Silhouette Gear was designed to be controlled in the same way as Silhouette Knights for training purposes.

    ¡°I am starting it¡­¡±

    He started using the unique organs common to all beings in this world¡ªthe magius circuit domain to construct a script. The crystal tissue installed inside the gear obeyed the script and the flowing mana, and started to contract and expand. The gear trembled, and stood up a moment later. The mana they put in during activation would be used to move the gear, a machine that directly converted mana into physical movement.

    They rode the Silhouette Gear and noisily walked outside the workshop. After making their way to the training ground behind, there were already some other guest there.

    ¡°Hello, Edgar-senpai. How does it feel using that?¡±

    ¡°Ahh! Ernesti¡­ Hah! Ke!... You could tell just by looking, right?¡±

    The pilot cadet belonging to the pilot faculty, Edgar C. Blanche was piloting a gear that was made for a tall person. He greeted them as he lifted the legs to walk in large strides. His movements were rough and seemed to take a lot of effort. He was not as good as Eru, who could ride the Silhouette Gear like it was second nature, Edgar was still really serious about it.

    ¡°I see, that looks interesting!¡±

    Eru nodded as he watched Edgar. Edgar stiffened his already serious face and looked up slightly. Eru knew he had a hard time piloting, but for Eru, ¡®the hardship of piloting a robot = a happy thing¡¯. Because Eru thought that from the bottom of his heart, Eru was hard to deal with. Edgar understood that and gave up convincing him. Instead, he crossed his arms and brought something else up.

    ¡°Hey Ernesti, I have been thinking about this. This Silhouette Gear isn¡¯t bad, but I think¡­ It¡¯s too hard to use!!¡±

    Edgar had a hard time piloting it because of the control method. Controlling with his actual limbs and script at the same time wasn¡¯t a problem; the issue was the type of magic used. Piloting requires high level magic ¡®physical boost¡¯, even a top class pilot cadet like him couldn¡¯t do it well, it¡¯s even worse for normal cadets.

    ¡°The necessary controls are too complicated. The script controlling Silhouette Knights requires less burden than this¡­ It''s not unusable, but definitely not for pilot training. In fact, everyone had already given up.¡±

    Edgar surveyed the training grounds. There were just a few others apart from him. Everybody was complaining after trying it a few times.

    ¡°Yes-- you are right. I underestimated the difficulty level.¡±

    ¡°Then make it up with hard work! Nah, look at me Senpai, we can do this.¡±

    Edgar looked at Eru, Chid and Ady in turns and sighed softly. Chid and Ady didn¡¯t care about the high school pilots, controlling the Silhouette Knight with ease. This was the result of them learning magic from Eru and training together, but others would only lump them together with Eru as abnormal people.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask the impossible; this is not something that could be done in a day or two, right? Really¡­ I know how weird you guys are. At this point, I won¡¯t say anything more, just don¡¯t expect normal people to catch up with you guys.¡±

    ¡°Hmm- ugh¡­ it''s a pity, but this can¡¯t be used.¡±

    ¡°That would be true if there are no improvements. This is a mini version of a Silhouette Knight, right? Then install a magius engine. That should cut down on the piloting burden drastically.¡±

    Edgar told Eru his suggestion. It made sense, if this goes on; it won¡¯t be usable for the high schoolers, although it''s fine for Eru and the others.

    ¡°Hmmm- that''s the only way¡­ This would increase the cost, but it can¡¯t be helped, so that¡¯s the only option.¡±

    But this method presented its own set of problems. The small frame of the Silhouette Gear couldn¡¯t hold the ether reactor of the Silhouette Knight. The main idea was the miniaturisation of the machine, but no matter how much of a genius Eru was, he didn¡¯t know the structure of the magius engine. So this problem couldn¡¯t be resolved immediately.

    ¡°Ke! What a pitiful sight, Edgar! As the top Knight of the pilot faculty, I didn¡¯t expect you to give up so easily!¡±

    Hearing a voice coming from behind him, Edgar turned his head. Before him was Dietrich who was slowly walking towards him in a Silhouette Gear, with movements more refined than Edgar.

    ¡°... Di, it¡¯s rare to see you so fired up.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Dietrich was serious about learning how to control the Silhouette Gear. His movement was smoother than Edgar, while Edgar appeared a bit frustrated. Dietrich who was feeling great about that worked harder. As he was preparing to take a large step-- tragedy struck.

    ¡°Hmmp, this level is easy¡­ Eh? What? This is bad, I can¡¯t stop--!?¡±

    Although his movement was crisper than Edgar, Dietrich hadn¡¯t mastered it. Because he used too much strength and made a mistake in the controls, the upper torso cracked loudly and bent at an impossible angle. Everyone who saw this had an anxious expression.

    ¡°Di-senpai? Wah, it¡¯s an emergency, send Senpai to the ¡®infirmary¡¯¡­¡±

    When the panicking Eru mentioned the taboo word, Dietrich recovered with amazing spirit. Not just that, he even spun around gracefully and struck a strange pose, saying curtly:

    ¡°I, will definitely not go to the infirmary! This, this is nothing!! There is absolutely no need!!¡±

    He posed agilely, but his forehead was sweating profusely. Was this the result of physical or mental injury? Everyone was stunned and Dietrich walked towards the workshop while laughing in a loud voice. Edgar who composed himself followed in a hurry.

    ¡°... Eh, Senpai seems to be fine. Let¡¯s start our training.¡±

    After blankly seeing their Senpai off, Eru and the others finally started their training. Eru was obviously fine, but the twins could already move around freely. So they raised the difficulty and conducted something similar to a battle simulation.

    ¡°Silhouette Gear has controls similar to Silhouette Knights, and it''s in the form of full control. Control the movement of the crystal tissue, feel the flow of the mana. Control script. The two of you can move even faster!¡±

    ¡°As if it¡¯s that simple!!¡±

    Training was done with Chid and Ady fighting two on one against Eru. Even so, the twins had never won before. They harboured the determination to get at least one win and launched the attack with perfect coordination.

    Chid lifted a great sword and charged at Eru, using the length of the sword to take the initiative. Eru¡¯s machine opted to close the distance instead. With the large difference in agility, it became Chid¡¯s turn to be on defense.

    ¡°Oh, no! Eru is pressing in. Ady!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me! I will break off his attack!¡±

    Ady shouted, attacking Eru who was attacking Chid from the side. The machine lifted dual blades just like what its pilot preferred to use, it attacked continuously like a storm-- but it failed to even touch Eru, who evaded all the strikes. But even though Ady didn¡¯t gain any advantage, the two on one situation remained the same. This time, it was Chid¡¯s turn to attack Eru¡¯s defensive gap when Eru was dodging. The great sword swung down with terrifying speed and was about to hit.

    ¡°Nice teamwork¡­ But!¡±

    With an explosive sound, Eru whose posture was very low suddenly accelerated. As he piloted the Silhouette Gear, he used his own power to accelerate with air compression magic. Eru jumped with a force threatening to heave up the ground, landing behind Ady who was preparing to change her position. She wanted to escape in a hurry, but was caught by Eru, who tossed her at Chid, who was swinging his sword down.

    ¡°Hmm! Ugh!¡±

    The machines couldn¡¯t stop in time and collided. Looking at the two people he just beat, Eru nodded with satisfaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit small, but human shaped weapons are great. Power and drive are flowing out endlessly. How long are you two planning to lie there, let¡¯s continue!¡±

    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t you think Eru is even stricter than the time he was us teaching magic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no coincidence. If it has anything to do with Silhouette Gear, Eru will become vicious¡­ can¡¯t be helped. Alright! Let¡¯s have another round.¡±

    They cheered themselves up and challenged Eru¡¯s machine again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to train-- but I¡¯m the one who is doing the repairs, so don¡¯t break them¡­¡±

    The complaints of Batson, who was watching this scene dissipated into the wind.

    As the days got colder, the season changed from summer to autumn.

    The busy days of everyone passed by. Since Eru proposed the plans for strand crystal tissue and back weapons, several months had passed. With the continuous efforts of the pilot faculty¡¯s maintenance team, they finally completed a ¡®prototype machine¡¯.

    ¡°Ara, we finally reached this stage¡­¡±

    The Boss complained, unable to hide the fatigue in his voice. Some of the students had panda eyes, some were massaging their shoulders, and all of them gave off a heavy sense of fatigue. The few months before the completion of the prototype were a living hell.

    The one responsible for designs drew all sorts of plans, and the crafting leader completed every one of them. The machine took shape after several trials and errors, no wonder they were so exhausted.

    They might be students, but their skills were at the level of professional craftsmen. But this project was a grueling challenge. The harsh everyday conditions made them wonder ¡®why hasn¡¯t anyone died¡¯. To reach this stage without losing their motivation, it was due to their boundless joy in developing new technologies. The evidence was their eyes that were full of passion despite being worn out.

    ¡°Okay, bring it out! Slowly. If you drop it, it won¡¯t be settled with just a simple beating!!¡±

    Everyone carried the finished prototype to the trolley, sending it out of the workshop carefully. That thing was a bit strange. Its body was covered by a minimal layer known as ¡®primary armour¡¯ to protect its interior. Crystal tissue could even be seen from some of the parts. Only the chest and limbs were covered by outer skin, giving the impression of ¡®incompleteness¡¯.

    The prototype was quickly sent to the pilot faculty¡¯s training ground which had the shape of a circular arena. After reaching the centre of the training ground, the chest of the prototype which was lying down was opened, allowing the test pilot Helvi to enter the pilot seat.

    Everyone from the maintenance team was seated in the audience seats of the arena to observe. In front of them were giant shields that protected them, a lesson they learned from the accident they had earlier. It was natural for them to be cautious. Even though they did several testing for the individual parts, this was the first time the entire assembled body would be tested. To be safe, they removed some of the larger auxiliary parts.

    ¡°Okay, Helvi, are you ready!?... For starters, stand up!¡±

    The Boss held a loudhailer and yelled. With this as the cue, the prototype started to stand up. The maintenance team members watched its movement closely. The creaking prototype slowly sat up; its movement stiffer than a normal machine, and was very slow. The arms braced the body, the legs bent. From afar, the legs that were exerting strength could be seen bulging. After spending quite some time, the prototype machine finally stood up.

    ¡°It¡¯s standing¡­!!¡±

    An emotional voice came from somewhere. When he thought about the efforts they put in to make it stand, the difficulties they overcame and the sacrifices, that voice was trembling. Completing this movement that was totally dependent on the power of the leg tissue, it was evident that the structure of the prototype machine could withstand the minimum output of the strand crystal tissue.

    ¡°Not yet, be careful now¡­ you over there! Don¡¯t stick your body out! It¡¯s dangerous!! Alright, steady¡­ Helvi, try walking. Slowly, slowly.¡±

    The head of the prototype machine moved up and down, expressing understanding. After stopping for a moment, it decided to walk. Although it was in the centre of the training ground paved with stone slabs, its footsteps were extremely careful. It seemed to be walking on a hanging bridge that could break at any time, its speed slower than an ox driven cart. With the sound of heavy steps and churning muscles, it took quite a while to make it halfway around the training ground.

    ¡°The stabilising components are still in place, it should be able to hold.¡±

    Because it had no outer skin, they couldn¡¯t be careless. But at least it didn¡¯t seem like it would break any time soon. The prototype machine moved to the front of the students of the maintenance team, and knelt on one knee with an even slower motion. It adopted the position of a Silhouette Knight on standby and stopped completely. Only then did the members of the maintenance team sigh in relief. After a moment of silence, there was an eruption of cheers. This was the moment the walking test succeeded-- the moment where their past trial and errors bore fruit.

    The chest armour of the prototype machine opened and Helvi appeared. She was probably still nervous as she was breathing hard and was wiping her sweat.

    ¡°Hey, Helvi, how did it feel to pilot that?¡±

    The Boss who had looked happy after the successful experiment asked. Helvi replied with a hint of bitterness:

    ¡°It was literally a ¡®wild horse¡¯. There was too much energy; just walking took a lot of effort.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the sensation was completely different from the other machines I piloted. To be honest, everyone would need to be retrained.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ To improve to the stage of walking was a great achievement, but the piloting system still needs to be worked on. That would be left for later¡­ Okay, it might not be too agile now, but since it had no problem walking, all that¡¯s left is to check the other parts.¡±

    Helvi nodded and returned to the pilot seat. After the guys in the maintenance confirmed their safety and picked up their shields, they proceeded to the next phase. Unmodified Silhouette Knights carried large target boards into the training ground and placed them on the ground one by one. The Boss made his way to the stone paved training ground and kept issuing orders to the students around him.

    ¡°Alright, bring in the Silhouette arms! For training use! Put the target board at the corner! And someone get the silver boy here! He is probably wandering around in his Silhouette Gear anyway; it''s easy to spot him if you search around the vicinity!!¡±

    Around Laihiala Pilot Academy were some grocery shops and fast food restaurants. The students might not be financially rich, but with their large numbers, the market was rather big. Shops that catered to their daily needs congregated around the campus.

    Whenever school was out, stalls sprung out around the roads leading out of the campus. Most of them sold snacks. During this period, the students who were liberated from class were attracted like butterflies to honey, swarming to the stalls to eat the snacks. One of the stalls sold baked fruit pie. The stall owner was baking his pie as usual when he heard a female student place her order.

    ¡°Owner, I want three fruit pies, with marmalade!¡±

    ¡°Alright-- please wait a moment, it will be done soon¡­¡±

    The voice of the owner, who turned his head to greet his customer, became softer gradually. The reason was simple, the one before his stall was a full armoured Knight instead of a student. It wasn¡¯t as tall as a Silhouette Knight, but it still towered over the tent. It twisted its body and peeked at the stall entrance, looking at the stunned owner with its tilted head. This awkward atmosphere went on for a while as two similar Knights came from behind to scold the one that arrived first.

    ¡°Hey, Ady, why would anyone buy things while piloting that?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, right! Sorry, sir, I must have frightened you.¡±

    The voice of a young girl came from the heavily armoured Knight. The owner had not shaken off this ridiculous sight when the armour suddenly opened and a real female student came out of it, shocking him.

    ¡°Wha, what is this thing!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, owner, the pie is burnt!¡±

    The owner flipped the pie in a hurry upon hearing that, but several of them had already been burnt. The girl made an apologetic expression.

    ¡°Ah-- sorry, it¡¯s all because of me. We will buy that burnt one, then.¡±

    ¡°No, even though I was surprised, I was still the one who burned it. Please don¡¯t mind that.¡±

    The owner put the fruit jam ordered by the customer into the pie and collected the money at the same time. The female student said her thanks, got back in the armour and left with the other Knights.

    ¡°... The armour used by the Academy recently is incredible¡­¡±

    The owner held onto the coins with a shocked expression, seeing the three Knights off.

    ¡°Hmm-- It tastes great-- Marmalade is the best--¡±

    ¡°I prefer lychee jam.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything that is sweet--¡±

    Ady, Eru and Chid held their pie in their hands as they moved the Silhouette Gear. They looked just like armoured Knights, but they were walking with a snack in hand-- such a strange scene made the citizens and students give way to them in a panic.

    They have been using Silhouette Gear not just in training, but in their everyday lives as well, recently. As was seen earlier, it was a hassle to wear this in your daily lives, but they were not doing this out of convenience. As everyone knows, controlling Silhouette Gear requires the continuous usage of high level magic and drains a lot of mana. Magical abilities could only be strengthened with more training. If one wishes to increase their abilities efficiently, they would have to undergo training that was rather difficult.

    In other words, it was similar to them jogging while using physical boost magic, training their skills in their daily lives. By the way, only Eru is piloting it because it is fun.

    As they were advancing with noisy steps, a pilot faculty student chased them from behind. He was sent by the Boss.

    ¡°... Okay, the testing of the prototype machine? Please let us observe!¡±

    After hearing the message he conveyed, Eru accepted immediately. He even picked the messenger up, not wanting to waste even one second. The Silhouette Knight which was controlled by Eru using ¡®full control¡¯ had speed that far exceeded a normal man. Eru, who wanted to rush to the scene immediately, ignored the screams of the student being picked up as he charged toward the campus with incredible speed.

    The closer they got to the training ground, the more pilot faculty students there were. Unmodified Silhouette Knights were carrying maintenance parts and materials. The craftsmen and pilots were doing all sorts of work together. When Eru and company reached the training ground, they saw a Silhouette Knight without outer skin at the centre of the stone paved area. It was the ¡®prototype machine¡¯ that just finished the walking test.

    ¡°It moved just as planned. It¡¯s great it didn¡¯t explode after taking a single step.¡±

    ¡°What you are worrying about is too simple¡­ Are you really taking it off? If you wear this armour, it would be easier to escape if anything happened, right?¡±

    Eru put down the student who was on the verge of dying and walked to the Boss¡¯ side after jumping off from the Silhouette Gear.

    ¡°Oh, you are here boy. Let¡¯s start, then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    The strand crystal tissue they conducted the test with, was made by the Boss and the craftsmen, completed after many trials and errors. In comparison, the back weapon experiment that would be done next was different-- not just the basic theory, even the design was done by Eru. They got Eru here in order to confirm the next phase.

    ¡°It looks fine¡­ how complete is this thing?¡±

    ¡°The turning and aiming was moving as designed before it was installed. What¡¯s next would probably be zeroing the sights and optimising the set up.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ zeroing thing, what is that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, eh¡­ it''s adjusting the aim to be as close to the target as possible¡­ I think.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s important. No matter what, all this would have to wait until the experiment is completed.¡±

    Eru replied anxiously after alighting from the Silhouette Gear. The twins remained in their Silhouette Gears, which obstructed the work going on behind them unwittingly.

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s start from installing the Silhouette arms!!¡±

    After receiving orders from the Boss, the pilot students holding the Silhouette arms approached the prototype machine. A structure never seen on a Silhouette Knight before was attached to the back of the prototype machine. On the place where the shoulder blades of a human should be, a rugged claw that looked similar to the mechanical arms used in manufacturing back on earth sprouted from there. Its function was similar to that too. This was the main structure of the back weapon-- ¡®Auxiliary Arm¡¯.

    The test movement started from the installation of the Silhouette arms, and one was used directly without modification. As the Auxiliary arm had a ¡®hand¡¯ that could operate Silhouette arms, it could be equipped with all sorts of Silhouette arms, making it one of the machine¡¯s selling point.

    The student machines standing behind the prototype machine handed the Silhouette arms over to the Auxiliary arms. Although the hand of the Auxiliary arms was simplified, it¡¯s movement was very smooth as it was made just for holding Silhouette arms and nothing else. Each Auxiliary arm grabbed a Silhouette arms, pointing it upwards.

    ¡°Hmm, the movement of the Auxiliary arm seems fine.¡±

    Although it required the assistance of another machine to change its Silhouette arms, the Auxiliary arms were functioning normally. Helvi, who was piloting the prototype felt a slight tremour from her back, and confirmed the image on her holo monitor.

    ¡°Okay, Silhouette arms load out completed, testing deploying function now.¡±

    Before taking the role of a prototype pilot, she had been involved in the development of the back weapon. She had heard the briefing back then and knew the controls very well.

    ¡°Deploying Silhouette arms, displaying reticle.¡±

    She pulled the lever besides the control stick, which sends instructions to the magius engine which activates the tissue in the Auxiliary arms. The auxiliary arms shook slightly and flexed, lifting the Silhouette arms up slowly. The Auxiliary arms turned from ninety degrees upright to horizontal, resting on the shoulders of the prototype machine, facing forward. Seeing that the movement was smoother than expected, the maintenance department students were in an uproar. They had seen the structure deploy several times before installation, but seeing it in action while installed was really moving.

    Inside the cockpit, there was a change on the holo monitor. It usually only displayed the scene outside, but it had a reticle used for aiming now. A combination of a cross and circle, it was a simple display. But taking the fact that there wasn¡¯t anything there in the past, this could be considered a major improvement.

    ¡°Aiming¡­ I am going to fire.¡±

    Helvi aimed the reticle on the targets. Observing from outside, it was clear that the movement of the head was linked to the direction the Silhouette arms were pointing at. She nervously held her breath and cautiously squeezed the trigger. The Silhouette arms which received the command shot out magic bullets immediately. It was firing the standard flame bullets from the Silhouette arms. The magic bullets emitting red light flew out and hit the target as if they were sucked in that direction. The practice use armaments weren¡¯t too powerful, that¡¯s why the target kept its original shape, but the burn marks of the bullets were obvious. No one expected the experiment to be perfect, but they still hit the target in the end.

    ¡°I thought we would need further adjustment, but we still managed to hit it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great? Ah, another hit.¡±

    The prototype fired more shots. There were some that missed, but the overall accuracy rate was 60%. After finishing, the prototype machine slowly retracted the Silhouette arms, which was the deployment movement in reverse. The Auxiliary arms folded, keeping the Silhouette arms vertically on its back.

    The testing objective was the deploy and retract functions, it would be enough if it could fire off shots, so the results were better than expected.

    ¡°Oh¡­ So, this is the back weapon¡­ This thing might be more powerful than I imagined.¡±

    After witnessing the results, even the Boss was stroking his beard in praise. The students who were watching the prototype machine in action congratulated each other passionately. It was because the strand crystal tissue, back weapon and fire control system-- the light at the end of developing all these new functions could be seen. When the things they were after bore fruit, that¡¯s the happiest moment for technicians.

    ¡°... Why is everyone so moved?¡±

    The twins who were neither pilots nor craftsmen couldn¡¯t understand why everybody was so touched. They seemed out of place amongst the joyous crowd of students. Hearing the doubts of Ady coming from above his head, Eru replied with a wry smile:

    ¡°Because this is the first step towards a brand new type of Silhouette Knights. Because it is a path paved by their own hands, that¡¯s why it brought so much joy.¡±

    Ady nimbly crossed her Silhouette Gear¡¯s arms, and lifted her head after agonising over it for a moment:

    ¡°Hmm-- I don¡¯t really understand. But it¡¯s great when you succeed!¡±

    ¡°You are right, but, Ady¡­¡±

    Eru hugged his head, unsure of how to explain this to her clearly.

    As the maintenance students were immersed in the joy of their hard work bearing fruit, there was another group that stared at the prototype machine in another way.

    ¡°Di, what do you think of its performance?¡±

    It was Edgar and Dietrich-- Silhouette Knight pilots. They looked at the result with much thought.

    ¡°Hmm, let me think¡­ First, we will be at a disadvantage at long distances. We have to use one arm to control the Silhouette arms, but the opponent could hold a shield. More importantly, it could even use a large shield with both hands to fight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, and it could use two Silhouette arms without taking risks. To make up for the gap when changing weapons, we would normally use one. It simply doubles the firepower. I don¡¯t want to imagine getting into a firefight with it.¡±

    ¡°Not bad, to be able to defeat your adversary more safely. Its functionality is great.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s dependable in a fight against Demon beast, but we could be facing off against that too.¡±

    Edgar said and as Dietrich was about to refute, another voice interjected.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, how about I defeat you guys first?¡±

    The two turned their heads and saw the pilot of the prototype machine Helvi standing there. The experiment has ended as they were engrossed in their discussion.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say that that is impossible, but the machine is only half finished right?¡±

    ¡°That might be so, but I confirmed all the main points during the test. It should be done really soon.¡±

    The layout had roughly been done, so it should be completed in no time. Helvi revealed a resolved smile and her eyes turned sharp.

    ¡°If that is the case, don¡¯t you think there are things that needs to be done? For example-- letting the strongest Knight of the faculty who survived the battle with the Behemoth test his might against this new opponent?¡±

    Edgar¡¯s eyes widened. He, Helvi and Dietrich were all survivours of the Behemoth Incident, but each of them had a different view on the matter.

    ¡°Eh, you are right; there will be a need to conduct a mock battle anyway¡­ so, you are talking about me? But Helvi, aren¡¯t you a survivor of that battle, too?¡±

    ¡°Just barely, it was a coincident that I survived. Because that ¡®boy¡¯ made it in time.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel any regrets about this?¡±

    ¡°Regret over what? I can¡¯t thank him enough for that. I should say¡­ I am curious about the machine made by that boy.¡±

    They watched the prototype machine that was being ferried at the same time.

    ¡°I had taken part from the very start, so I know very well. If I pilot this ¡®child¡¯ with its new power, even I could beat you.¡±

    ¡°...How scary.¡±

    Edgar didn¡¯t look afraid at all, just a bit troubled. Helvi sighed softly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, after this is done¡­ Maybe I can fight that giant monster to the very last moment too.¡±

    ¡°Helvi¡­ Is that the reason why you took on the job of the test pilot?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I just felt that it¡¯s a good thing for Silhouette Knights to get stronger. We will have an easier time fighting Demon beasts after all.¡±

    Seeing Helvi smiling cheerfully as usual, Edgar felt that she was dodging the question.

    ¡°Wash your neck and wait for me, Edgar. I will give you a good beating.¡±

    Edgar sighed softly, seeing Helvi who was waving her hand. Dietrich patted his shoulder.

    ¡°I envy you, Edgar; the first one to fight the new model.¡±

    ¡°Want to trade places with me? I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°If you reject her challenge, she will hate you, right? And, of course, I will use your battle as a reference.¡±

    Even though Edgar was a little unwilling, he couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity and his determination to win. The two contradictory feelings made Edgar show a complicated expression.

    After completing the structure of the strand crystal tissue that was the hardest to make, the rest of the work proceeded smoothly. The workers followed the plan and completed the movement test with armour on, and experiments like deploying the back weapons while moving and firing the weapon while moving. They gradually completed each phase. One month after the walking test, they finally moved from the prototype stage to the official naming stage. The prototype machine used for technical tests was dubbed ¡®Tellestarle¡¯-- named after the machine it was modified from.

    Tellestarle showed itself slowly from the darkness of the workshop. Its appearance was not much different from the other student machines. As there would be further customisation in the future, it looked unrefined compared to the other machines. Only the two Silhouette arms on its back emphasised its difference from the current models. Tellestarle walked towards the training ground-- its movement smoother compared to the test back then, but it still felt a bit unnatural.

    Making its way through the training ground gate, it found another Silhouette Knight waiting there. The Knight ¡®Earlecumber¡¯ which was covered in white armour-- It had a simpler appearance compared to Tellestarle, equipped with the standard sword and shield. But it was controlled by the pilot recognised as the strongest within the pilot faculty-- Edgar.

    ¡°Okay, Helvi seems to be ready. Let¡¯s begin then, the mock battle between Tellestarle and Earlecumber!! Show us the result of the movement test!¡±

    The pilot faculty students who came in droves to watch the battle cheered after hearing the opening speech. The mock battle of the new model against the current strongest machine was a highly anticipated fight.

    Helvi stared at the image of Earlecumber displayed on the holo monitor, focusing herself in the pilot seat of Tellestarle. No matter how powerful the new model Tellestarle was, she couldn¡¯t let her guard down. Edgar and Earlecumber fought that Behemoth directly after all. Even though he didn¡¯t defeat the Behemoth, he was still a tough warrior who fought on the frontlines until the very last moment.

    On the other hand, she and her partner ¡®Trandorches¡¯ lost. Just like she said, it was just a coincidence that she didn¡¯t die. Trandorches and Earlecumber were machines made by students, so their performance was about the same. That meant it was the result of the difference in the skills of the pilots.

    But, what about Tellestarle? It might be an untamed horse that was hard to control, but it had limitless potential. As the test pilot, Helvi had been with it all the way since its engine moaned for the first time, so she knew it very well.

    More importantly-- She looked around the cockpit. The joystick she had gotten used to, the display metre that was revamped but was still familiar. The seat that fit her just felt familiar to her. Speaking of which, Tellestarle was built from the wreckage of the Behemoth incident and modified by students. This machine was constructed from the base of her half destroyed machine (Trandorches). Naturally, there were structural differences between the two machines and less than twenty percent of the original parts were left. Even so, this machine was still the partner she knew for so long.

    ¡°We can fight together again¡­ alright, we are going, Tellestarle!!¡±

    She stepped on the pedal hard and shouted the name of her partner that was bestowed with new life. The machine responded energetically, leading her back to the battlefield.

 Book 2: Chapter 12: Letâ€™s have a mock duel

    Editors: darkdhaos, Fate Trooper, Chris S, alkin

    On the training ground of the Laihiala Pilot Academy, two giants faced each other with swords in hand. The iron armour reflected a dull gleam and the sound from the friction of the crystal tissue reverberated in the entire field.

    What follows next would be a mock duel, which is part of training and testing. But for the two pilots riding in the strongest weapon of humanity, this was definitely a battle. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t relaxing at all, as the pilots are burning with fighting spirit in the gradually rising tension.

    ¡°Okay, are you ready? We will be having a duel next!! Both of you have to adhere to the rules of a mock duel. Bow! Ready!... Begin!!¡±

    With the cue of the referee¡¯s command, the two iron giants charged out with a roar.

    Basically, a battle between Silhouette Knights starts with firing off Silhouette arms. When they close the gap, they would switch to melee weapons. Because the Silhouette arms were dependent on the emblem graft engraved on them, they were structurally weak and would be destroyed easily in melee combat, depriving the pilot of the means to attack.

    Edgar had seen Tellestarle¡¯s back weapon in action. Using two Silhouette arms at the same time and attacking from a distance was a big threat. That was why Edgar wanted to do away with the long distance battle and moved into a melee battle immediately.

    But contrary to his expectation, Tellestarle moved forward immediately after the battle started, gradually closing the distance.

    What is she thinking? Doesn¡¯t she want to use the advantage of a ranged attack? But that suits me just fine!

    Earlecumber took a strong step forward, wanting to give it a headstart on the slash. But as he was swinging his sword, Edgar realised he misjudged the functionality of the back weapon.

    As the two machines were about to collide, Tellestarle suddenly deployed the Silhouette arms onto its shoulders. Helvi, who was looking at the reticle displaying before her in the cockpit smiled as her plan worked.

    ¡°I will use this in place of a greeting. The ability to shoot magic rounds even at close distance¡ª the real value of the back weapon!¡±

    The dual Silhouette arms on Tellestarle¡¯s back fired off simultaneously. Even the tough Earlecumber couldn¡¯t evade the attack at such a close distance. Its shield blocked one of the shots; the other hit the right shoulder which wasn¡¯t covered by the shield. The training shot wasn¡¯t strong enough to blow the right arm off, but Earlecumber still lost its balance and its advantage in pressing the attack.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all!¡±

    Tellestarle swung its blade as it retracted its Silhouette arms. Using the momentum, it attacked the unbalanced adversary. The movements were rough, but it was more terrifying than a half assed attack.

    Edgar didn¡¯t resist the falling motion. He spun to the right and pushed out the shield on its left arm to block Tellestarle¡¯s blow. Earlecumber managed to defend the attack, but was almost sent flying as it staggered backwards. Earlecumber was in such an awkward position because it was unbalanced, and also because of the power behind Tellestarle¡¯s strike.

    ¡°....!! What terrifying strength, so this is the power of the strand crystal tissue!?¡±

    Edgar groaned and leaped backwards to pull away. The back weapon could attack from unexpected angles, and the strand crystal tissue displayed overwhelming strength. Edgar repositioned himself as he threw away all the known tactics of dueling.

    ¡°Eh, really, I am getting used to abandoning common sense, how unpleasant!¡±

    The holo monitor showed that Tellestarle had started to advance, coming after Earlecumber. It had given up the idea of a surprise attack, deploying its Silhouette arms onto its shoulders as it forged ahead.

    ¡°But I won¡¯t back down so easily!!¡±

    Simple back and forth movement will just make Earlecumber the target of magic shots. Earlecumber started moving sidewards, escaping out of Tellestarle¡¯s attack range.

    A heated battle started from the very beginning, which pumped up the audience in the training ground. Cheers erupted every time the iron giants crossed swords. Unlike the audience immersed in the heat of the battle, the maintenance students analysed the battle in low voices.

    ¡°As expected of Edgar, most pilots would have fallen from the first attack.¡±

    ¡°Helvi-senpai is piloting really smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Being the test pilot wasn¡¯t just for show.¡±

    The ones conversing were Eru and the Boss. For these two, Tellestarle moving in a situation close to actual battle was as valuable as gold. They observed carefully, analysing their every move.

    The two machines clashed right in their field of vision. They thought the machines would struggle for quite a while with swords, but Tellestarle had an advantage in power, pushing Earlecumber¡¯s sword back; but Earlecumber wasn¡¯t a pushover either, pulling away from Tellestarle as if he had expected it, not letting Tellestarle gain the upper hand.

    ¡°Helvi seems to be relying heavily on the ¡®power¡¯ advantage.¡±

    ¡°The difference in power output is significant after all. I think this is the best way to gain the upper hand. To be honest, the controls have not been optimised yet, so she will lose if she relies on delicate controls to fight.¡±

    The Boss accepted Eru¡¯s commentary. Tellestarle had overwhelming energy and excellent explosive power. But as the control system had not been calibrated perfectly, it couldn¡¯t perform delicate movements, and could only attack with crude steps. Edgar could see this and didn¡¯t take the hit head on. Even so, Tellestarle, who could attack with the sword and back weapon simultaneously had the upper hand.

    ¡°How dangerous! I have to stop the Silhouette arms, it''s too powerful!!¡±

    Edgar, who was trapped, analysed the situation calmly. His opponent, Helvi, had grasped the feature of Tellestarle, and used the most effective ways to attack, to cover its weakness. Even though Edgar had noticed that the movement of Tellestarle wasn¡¯t polished, but he couldn¡¯t take advantage of it. If this was a fight between normal Silhouette Knights, Edgar would be about to lure the opponent to attack and counter. But it''s another matter when battling Tellestarle.

    The most crucial factor was the back weapon resulting in the difference in means of attack. The opponent could attack and restrain Edgar¡¯s movement with unexpected timed attacks. He had less ways to attack, and will lose in terms of strength in a wrestle. It had nothing to do with skill; that¡¯s how big the difference in machine performance was.

    The students watching knew that Earlecumber didn¡¯t mess up or was giving a handicap. Hence, even though its movement was still crude, the new model that was overwhelming the strongest man in the faculty brought the excitement of the crowd to the boiling point.

    Earlecumber was gradually forced into a corner. If he doesn¡¯t take a gamble and take out the back weapon, Edgar will definitely lose.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like gambling¡­ but it would be pointless if I lose without trying anything.¡±

    Seeing Earlecumber in her holo monitor stopping, Helvi mumbled:

    ¡°... He is getting impatient. Edgar wants to bet everything on the next attack.¡±

    Helvi knew her skills were not at his level, so she had to fight by relying on the performance of the machine. It was easy for Helvi to guess Edgar¡¯s objective.

    ¡°He can¡¯t make up for the power output of the strand crystal tissue¡­ he is probably aiming for the back weapon.¡±

    If Edgar takes the back weapon out, no matter how vast the gap in the power output was, he had a chance to aim for the weak point with precision and turn the situation around with his skills. Because both pilots knew this, the main objective of the upcoming scrimmage was decided.

    The two machines pointed their swords at each other and stopped moving. The silence after the heated exchange was like a tightened string, and the tension grew with it. Before they realised, the audience had turned quiet, waiting for the end of the battle with bated breath.

    The sharp sound of intake of air was suddenly heard, it was Earlecumber revving the ether reactor at full power. That sound was akin to the battle cry of the Silhouette Knights, and the tensed situation changed¡ª Earlecumber charged. Out of all his choices, Edgar chose a direct assault. The iron Knight dashed with heavy steps which almost shattered the stone paved ground.

    ¡°Going head on in such a situation, that¡¯s just like you! Good, I will do my best too!!¡±

    No matter how wide the power difference was, if its momentum doesn¡¯t match her opponent, Tellestarle won¡¯t be able to take the hit. That¡¯s why Helvi ordered Tellestarle to advance too. The scene of both machines clashing with a charge was reminiscence of the opening of the battle.

    Tellestarle used the attack which was to her advantage, the two Silhouette arms on her shoulders fired at Earlecumber. Earlecumber used its shield to defend while swinging its sword to deflect the shot. The sword mastery capable of deflecting magic shots was commendable, but swinging his sword right before clashing with the enemy meant giving up the chance to attack. Even the audience could tell. Tellestarle closed in on Earlecumber at this moment and was about to give a mighty blow. Everyone, including Helvi, thought that this ending was a letdown when Edgar, who took the initiative to attack, is being cut down like that.

    Of course, Edgar didn¡¯t swing his sword because of carelessness. He had decided to use the sword for defense right from the start. Gripping the crucial shield, it moved its fist near its shoulder to secure its hold. Earlecumber lowered its posture and threw the left side of its body forward.

    ¡°... What!? Shield bash!! He wants to clash head on!?¡±

    Helvi sensed Earlecumber¡¯s intention at the last moment and kept her sword. She would be at a disadvantage if she used her sword against Earlecumber¡¯s shield.

    Edgar¡¯s plan was simple, even if his means of attack and pure power output loses to his adversary; Earlecumber still had an advantage over his opponent, which is ¡®weight¡¯. He used speed to make up for the difference in power and charged at Tellestarle like a bullet.

    Piloting skills aside, Tellestarle had the advantage in terms of strength¡ª Helvi had absolute confidence in this and decided to take the attack head on. When she discovered Edgar¡¯s motives, it was too late for Tellestarle to dodge. She had already started to accelerate, and had to take the same actions.

    Tellestarle raised its shield and the two Silhouette Knights collided shortly after.

    At that moment, the loud bang of the collision reverberated through the entire training ground. The shields taking the full brunt of the impact deformed, splitting the two machines to the side on offense and defence.

    Helvi, who hesitated because of the unexpected attack and Edgar, who was aiming to clash from the very beginning¡ª His objective was to enter the melee range, that¡¯s why he threw himself into this attack. Earlecumber didn¡¯t forego the chance it gained after its heavy sacrifice, lifting its right arm which was still mobile, and stabbing into the Silhouette arms on Tellestarle¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°You are good!! But I won¡¯t fall for that again!!¡±

    Earlecumber¡¯s left arm was heavily damaged and couldn¡¯t move freely. But surprisingly, Tellestarle¡¯s left arm was still working after that collision. The strand crystal tissue was damaged, but still showed its strength, pushing Earlecumber easily.

    ¡°What!? Not just the power, even the toughness was enhanced!? But I can¡¯t miss this opportunity¡­¡±

    ¡°Just a bit more!! Tellestarle!!¡±

    Earlecumber¡¯s quick attack went over its opponent¡¯s shoulder, destroying the Silhouette arms. But that¡¯s the limit of his all out counterattack. Tellestarle¡¯s seemingly endless strength pressed back at Earlecumber, pushing Earlecumber, who was in an unstable position due to the previous attack staggering backwards.

    ¡°Ugh! Did I push it too much?!¡±

    ¡°I got this! Edgar-!!¡±

    Tellestarle charged at Earlecumber mightily. The off balanced Earlecumber couldn¡¯t evade the attack, its wounded left hand was unable to lift its shield. Tellestarle raised its sword high, and was about to hack at the helpless Earlecumber¡ª

    But the sword didn¡¯t fall, and Tellestarle knelt onto the ground.

    It was hard to described the atmosphere in the training ground, maybe ¡®dumbfounded¡¯ and ¡®stunned¡¯ would be appropriate. Why did Tellestarle, which was about to deliver the final blow kneel down? Just by looking at the stunned reaction of Earlecumber, it was easy to tell this wasn¡¯t the result of Earlecumber¡¯s timely counterattack. No one expected this result just as the match was about to be decided at the very climax. No one knew how to react to this finale, and the entire training ground was shrouded in silence.

    ¡°...Ah! The mana had been exhausted!¡±

    The shout of Eru, who figured it out echoed through the silent training ground.

    ¡°Well then, time for the maintenance department¡¯s first after action review.¡±

    Eru announced the start of the meeting with a serious expression. Inside the workshop, Eru, the Boss and their merry friends were all gathered here, everyone had an awkward expression. Even Eru who always does as he pleased looked distracted¡ª he hesitated a moment and peeked at the reason of the awkwardness. What he saw was Helvi, who was squatting gloomily in a corner of the workshop.

    The kanji ¡®awkward¡¯ could almost be seen coming out of her body. It wasn¡¯t her fault, but ending it so abruptly after such a stellar performance, she would rather be defeated in battle. It¡¯s no wonder she was sulking.

    It was within their expectations for the prototype to have flaws, but it picked an awkward time to act up¡ª That¡¯s how one would frankly describe the feelings of the audience. No, the problem only surfaced because of their fierce fight before the conclusion of the battle. But these facts couldn¡¯t console Helvi.

    ¡°Ed, Edgar-senpai, could you please cheer Helvi-senpai up¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, why me!? Ugh, ahh, I will do my best¡­¡±

    Eru, who couldn¡¯t stand it any longer forcefully pushed Edgar to Helvi¡¯s side. After seeing him go with a selfless expression, Eru turned his head back refreshingly.

    ¡°Phew, that should do. Let¡¯s think about tackling the new problem that surfaced.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t die, Edgar¡­ Well, the problem is obvious. The greater the output, the bigger the consumption rate, it¡¯s very logical.¡±

    Everyone looked at Tellestarle which was placed on the maintenance platform and thought hard. Using strand crystal tissue to increase the power output led to a higher mana usage rate, depleting the mana reserves at a faster pace.

    With the Silhouette arms being easier to use, the mana consumption rate was higher than expected. On the other hand, the amount of crystal tissue didn¡¯t rise by much after implementing the strand crystal tissue method, so the mana reserves only increased slightly. This resulted in the flaw of shorter operational time for Tellestarle. The timing of this problem was bad, but it made sense when you think about it.

    ¡°Considering all these factors, the operational time is about half of a normal machine¡­ This is very bad, right?¡±

    ¡°The worst. It could be considered a fatal flaw¡­¡±

    The point of emphasis for this modification was the increase in power output, installing Silhouette arms and aiming functions and such. Anyway, they were all things that consume mana, so the imbalance of the modification rose to the surface. After years of tweaking, the Silhouette Knights were designed to store as much mana as possible, but it also meant the design couldn¡¯t be changed easily.

    That might be so, but sitting here sighing wouldn¡¯t help either. In order to not let Helvi¡¯s honourable sacrifice go to waste, they had to think of something to overcome that flaw.

    ¡°The main point is that the mana supply couldn¡¯t keep up with the consumption rate¡­ But it¡¯s difficult to modify the source¡ª the ether reactor. Or rather, it¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Even Eru couldn¡¯t do anything about the mysterious reactor. His words made the students around him relax secretly. If Eru could customise that too, they would have all fallen over in shock.

    ¡°What about lowering the output? But, even so, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that the structure burns a lot of mana¡­ and lowering the output would be putting the horse before the cart.¡±

    ¡°Another way would be increasing the mana storage capacity¡­ How is the capacity increased?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, by increasing the amount of crystal tissue.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we do that, then?¡±

    ¡°If we increase the crystal tissue, the consumption rate would increase too.¡±

    There would be no end to this.

    ¡°The strand crystal tissue has an intangible flaw. The amount of tissue didn¡¯t increase much, that¡¯s why the power output and capacity is unbalanced.¡±

    This serious issue gave everyone a headache; this wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved easily. But hope came from an unexpected source.

    ¡°How about using your idea?¡±

    As everyone was silent in thought¡ª Ady who didn¡¯t say anything spoke up. Hearing Ady, who was usually quiet during conference voice her opinion, Eru asked:

    ¡°My idea?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, ¡®it¡¯s fine even if the appearance is not human¡¯! We can increase the tissues, but we don¡¯t need to stick with the human form, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ even if it¡¯s not human¡­ I get it. Correct, you are correct.¡±

    For her, this was just repeating something Eru said. But the one who said it was surprised with his eyes widening, and he slowly squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Ugh, you are correct, but for Ady to enlighten me¡­ I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°How mean!! Why¡ª!?¡±

    The Boss ignored the raging Ady and Eru, who was being chased. Ady¡¯s comment reminded the Boss too, and they came to the same conclusion. Being fine even if it¡¯s not in the shape of a human, doesn¡¯t mean you had to use a shape that was inhuman.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Increasing the crystal tissue doesn¡¯t mean it has to move. By connecting the silver nerves to it, and pushing it into excess space, it would be fine if we could increase the ¡®mass¡¯ of the crystal tissue!¡±

    ¡°Ke! I said, I am sorry! Kah!... Sorry, I apologise¡­ Alright?... Boss, we should maximise the space usage, so we shouldn¡¯t use fibre form but sheets¡­ I think it would be best to employ the form of a sheet.¡±

    Hearing Eru¡¯s proposal, the Boss lifted his head.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s decided. Next would be negotiating with the alchemist faculty and asking for their help. I will go ahead and greet them, leave it to me!¡±

    After finding a solution to the critical issue, the air around the maintenance department relaxed. Eru was cracking his head, thinking of ways to soothe the piqued Ady.

    The iron giant made a squeaking sound as it stood up. It was ten metres tall, more than five times the height of the humans in the vicinity. The rough armour maintained its original metallic shine, reflecting a dull glow from the sunlight. The sound of its armour clanking grew louder as it moved.

    The giant moved its body to check its condition, and nodded at the person at its feet. When it had confirmed all the people in the vicinity had left, it started to move according to the instruction of the people around it.

    The crystal tissue covering the arms of the giant started to contract from the effects of mana. Its body tensed and lifted both arms with emphasis and shot its elbows to the side. It stretches its arms, shoulders and chest muscles, with both feet planted firmly on the ground ¡ª¡¯front double bicep pose¡¯. Next, it took a light step forward, and put down its arms. Its fists meeting before its abdomen. Leaning slightly forward, it used all its might to pump its arm and chest muscle¡ª the position that brings out the best of power and beauty, ¡®the most muscular pose¡¯. The iron giant kept on changing its pose.

    ¡°... What the hell is this¡­ No, what experiment is this?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? According to the explanation, it seems to be testing for crystal tissue parts that aren¡¯t used much.¡±

    ¡°Who? Who set such an agenda?¡±

    Looking at the experiment devised by a certain silvered hair youth and the prototype that was concentrating on doing all sort of poses, Edgar complained with a dumb look. Helvi was the one who answered him.

    ¡°Well, its fine if it is a proper experiment¡­ Eh, is it fine? It¡¯s fine, right?...¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Forget about that. Is the testing for unit two going well?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The pilot just changed shifts, but it is progressing smoothly.¡±

    Before Edgar was another Tellestarle named as unit two, which was doing another set of tests. Other than these two machines with exposed tissues, other Tellestarle could be seen doing all sorts of movement tests.

    The experiment ended with the great flaw of reduced operational time a few days ago, but new developments had started because of that mock battle. The flaw aside, because its discovery was too dramatic, it made everyone wonder if there were other critical flaws. That¡¯s why experiments with repeated and large movements were set to filter out any more problems. Everyone agreed to the additional testing, but it couldn¡¯t be done with just one Tellestarle, so they created more machines of similar models to deal with that. To do this, the maintenance team worked nonstop after the mock battle, and some were worried about the students being overworked to death.

    In the end, they created five Tellestarle. They weren¡¯t piloted by a handful of Knight Runners, but by a team working in shifts to complete the list of experiments. Thanks to this, no major defects were discovered. They also made improvements during this time period, steadily improving the level to its perfection.

    Edgar and Helvi just happened to be both on break, and were chatting about how to adjust to the controls. Recently, they had been talking about the new models every now and then.

    ¡°... We need to discuss this part with Ernesti, too. Hmm? That¡¯s right; I haven¡¯t seen him around lately.¡±

    Stopping his sentence halfway, Edgar remembered because of the name he brought up. They didn¡¯t see Eru recently, which made Helvi troubled.

    ¡°That boy should be watching the experiments here; you can¡¯t even drag him away. What happened?¡±

    ¡°... Did he run into some troubles¡­?¡±

    Edgar¡¯s expression stiffened slightly and he looked up at the clear sky¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m not usually this free.¡±

    ¡°Really? So, what¡¯s so special about today?¡±

    Ady was hugging Eru and poked her head out from behind. Eru dodged her gaze with wandering eyes. Before them were the blue Silhouette armour and many other spare parts.

    When Edgar brought up Eru in campus, Eru and his friends were gathered at the Tymomen Workshop. The development of Tellestarle was proceeding well with the efforts of the high schoolers. With nothing major requiring his assisstance, Eru, who was ¡®bored¡¯ immersed himself in the development of ¡®equipment for Silhouette gear¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we are busy; there are tons of things we need to test.¡±

    ¡°You are that free, but you only play with Batson! You only train with Chid as an opponent and you don¡¯t go out much, how boring.¡±

    This equipment was designed by Eru and made by Batson. The miniature armour was different from the Silhouette Knights. The challenge of making equipment for Silhouette gear spurred their desire for research. The passion of these two even made Ady, who was given the cold shoulder kick up a fuss. With Eru and Ady, who were playing casually at one side, Batson deftly opened the armour of the Silhouette gear to install the internal parts while Chid watched.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it though. But you had made so many. What is that?¡±

    ¡°This is called ¡®Wire Anchor¡¯, ask Eru for a detailed explanation¡­ As for its uses, see for yourself.¡±

    Although they made about ten ¡®first generation¡¯ Silhouette gears, it wasn¡¯t utilised because of the difficulty in the controls. It had become Eru and the other¡¯s toy¡ª correction, training tool. Only Edgar or Dietrich would use them for training. With Eru¡¯s permission, they would visit every now and then.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Edgar-senpai was complaining a few days ago, saying it was harder to pilot after changing the crystal tissue into the strand type.¡±

    Of course, the strand crystal tissue had moved on to practical applications thanks to Tellestarle. It had greater strength, but the controls were also more difficult, even Edgar had to give up on that.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s too pitiful to keep calling them ¡®Silhouette gear¡¯, it¡¯s about time for an official name¡­ right, how about Lucy Kimiko Akie Airi Shiori Rinne Yoshiho Ayano Tomika Chitose Sanae Mikiko Ichika!?¡±

    ¡°Too long! Pick something shorter.¡±

    ¡°Then, use the short version ¡®Motor Beat¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Hey, the short version has nothing to do with the name you came up with earlier!!¡±

    ¡°Motor beat¡­ nice to meet you.¡±

    After greeting his own Motor beat, Chid¡¯s face stiffened. Oh no, he might have been infected by Eru. He facepalmed himself and shook his head.

    ¡°Well, since the name has been decided, time to show off the new equipment. Stop sulking Ady and help, alright?¡±

    Eru finally soothed Ady and got on the blue Motor beat made to his size. He walked towards the yard of the workshop and pointed the arm of Motor beat at the wall that was higher than the building, instead of the target boards.

    ¡°Watch carefully¡­ Wire anchor, fire!¡±

    The sound of a shot followed the cheerful shout, an arrow shaped projectile flew out from the wrist¡ª wires were attached to the end of the arrow, which kept coming out from the wrist. The arrow defied gravity and went at full speed towards the top of the workshop, and went over the roof at a sharp corner. The internal mechanism activated, turning the arrow into the shape of an anchor. Eru pulled on the wire to check if the anchor was secure.

    ¡°It¡¯s stable, next would be¡­ take off!¡±

    The gears inside Motor beat¡¯s arm made churning noises. Motor beat was pulled by the wire that was secured and he started running towards the wall and leaped. After ¡®landing¡¯ on the wall, it took several steps and ran up to the roof. After twisting in the air, the motor beat used air suspension magic to cushion its landing, stopping on the roof top gently.

    Eru commanded the Motor beat to stand up slowly, focusing his script and mana on the arrow that was still embedded in the roof. The wire attached to the anchor contained silver nerves, and the script was sent to the crystal tissue installed in the anchor. The deployed anchor changed its shape, returning into its arrow form and was stored in its arm.

    The arrow head was propelled by the crystal tissue built into it, using aero thrust intermittently to move. By controlling the direction of the propulsion, it could even change its flight path to a certain degree.

    ¡°Amazing, gear¡­. no, Motor beat got up onto the roof in no time.¡±

    Ady and the others, who saw the entire process lifted their heads and watched. Even with their physical boost spell, climbing to the top of buildings while wearing armour was a tedious task. And, Eru managed to do that while wearing Motor beat which was even bigger. It was something that amazed them.

    ¡°Oh¡ª it went well this time, Eru.¡±

    ¡°I had fallen so many times before! Let¡¯s try the next one!¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it will fail sometimes¡­ Eh, so you want to bring ¡®that¡¯ here?¡±

    Eru jumped off the roof. Even Motor beat would be in trouble if it fell from such a height. It decelerated using air compression on the way down, and used air suspension to absorb the impact, kicking up a cloud of dust. Once it landed, Chid and Ady started dragging something out of the workshop.

    They were holding different items. Chid was holding a giant bow, built mainly from wood and reinforced with steel. Behind the bow was a mechanism with gears. Chid looked at the thing he brought out and said:

    ¡°Eh, this crossbow is too big¡­ is this a siege weapon?¡±

    ¡°You are right. To be precise, it is the mini version of a ballista.¡±

    As Eru had described, that bow was large even in the hands of the Motor beat. It would be too heavy to operate without the Motor beat.

    ¡°Why would you want something this big¡­ Ah¡ª I see. You want to use the Motor beat to operate the ballista.¡±

    ¡°Not only that¡­ Ady? Did you bring the ¡®magazine¡¯? Please put it in.¡±

    Inside the cart pushed over by Ady were several box-like items known as magazines. It was as thick enough for a man¡¯s torso, and would protrude out even when held by a Motor beat.

    ¡°Simply put, this uses strand crystal tissue on the bow string and loading mechanism, a weapon known as ¡®Mobile Ballista¡¯. By controlling the crystal tissue, you can shoot out the bolts freely.¡±

    ¡°I see. What about this magazine?¡±

    ¡°There are bolts in there and they would move whenever the bowstring was retracted, reloading after shooting out one bolt. As for the next part, it would be quicker to just show you.¡±

    Chid followed Eru¡¯s instructions; inserting the magazine into the front and centre part of the ballista. The catch clicked, securing the magazine in place.

    After confirming that the magazine has been secured, Ady started transmitting script and mana to the ballista. The strand crystal tissue stretched to the limit, making the unique sound of crystal tissue being pulled. The gear connected to the pulling motion loaded a bolt onto the grove of the ballista. The next control was special: Since the crystal tissue is the bowstring, there wasn¡¯t any mechanism like a trigger. Chid could control the crystal tissue directly in order to fire the bolts.

    Chid commanded the crystal tissue that had been stretched to the limit to retract. The bolt flew out with a mighty sound. As Chid was aiming from a close distance, the arrow pierced the wooden target dead on. This bolt was shorter and thicker when compared to its bow. It might be relatively short, but since it was fired from a (mini) ballista, it was closer to a spear with fletching rather than an arrow. Utilising the power of the strand crystal tissue to its limit, while the bolts fired from the ballista couldn¡¯t match mainstream weapons, they were powerful enough. The result was the bolt piercing the wooden target and pulverising part of it.

    ¡°...Eh, I don¡¯t think we should fire this inside the city.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine; there is a really thick earth wall behind the range. Unless you use Overt magic and focus at one point, you won¡¯t be able to break through it.¡±

    Eru and Batson ignored Chid, who froze in place after firing it and chatted idly. Ady, who was hugging a magazine was looking at the bolt that demolished part of the target excitedly.

    ¡°Oh right, by using the crystal tissue, you can fire repeatedly. Depending on proficiency, you can fire a shot every five seconds. A magazine has ten bolts, so it could be depleted in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Phew! Is that so¡­ let me try.¡±

    Chid raised the ballista timidly. Breathing out to calm his mind, he started firing continuously. The rhythm of the churning and the arrows flying through the air continued for a moment, the bolts hit the target one after another. The target fell apart after the fifth shot, so he shot the remaining bolts onto the wall.

    ¡°A portable siege weapon that can be fired repeatedly, how frightening¡ª¡±

    ¡°But, it is portable after all, though it is heavy and hard to control. It¡¯s put together with spare parts and has low accuracy, so it needs numbers to cover for its lack of precision.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do with this, Eru?¡±

    ¡°... Don¡¯t you think challenging the limits and creating new things is something amazing?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think about how to utilise this at all¡­¡±

    Chid¡¯s questions made Eru avert his gaze and smile nonchalantly. And so, the Silhouette gear slowly turned into a terrifying weapon without anyone realising it.

    The movement tests of the prototype were about to finish when the alchemist faculty sent word that the ordered goods had been completed. Because the crystal tissue was in the form of a sheet, it was dubbed ¡®sheet crystal tissue¡¯. The new material was sent to the workshop one by one.

    Past research on crystal tissue focused on how to effectively increase output from the contraction of the tissue, mana storage was only seen as a secondary function. But with the development of the sheet crystal tissue as a catalyst, the alchemist had also started researching crystal tissue that are used primarily to store mana. Doing the research from a different angle renewed their motivation; they would definitely come up with a crystal tissue that has large mana capacity sooner or later.

    As for the prototypes that went through a long series of test, the results showed that there were no major defects except for the shortened operation period. The sheet crystal tissue became the last piece in the puzzle to make up for its flaw. In order to finish the project, the craftsmen started the modification project to increase the mana capacity of the Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°Eh, we are full of drive, but this isn¡¯t working.¡±

    Their original plan was to install the sheet crystal tissue into the space inside the armour. But, when they started researching it, they found the space to be smaller than expected. To avoid interfering with the crystal tissue used for movement, they couldn¡¯t stuff the tissue into any space haphazardly.

    And, so, they removed all the armour, covered the machine with a layer of sheet crystal tissue, and replaced the armour, using multiple layers. This was done in order to not affect the tissues responsible for movement. Increasing the mass of the tissue meant increasing the mana storage. By extending the operation time, it would be a success. But the results weren¡¯t as optimistic. The guys moaned at the sight of Tellestarle.

    ¡°How fat, how lame¡­!!¡±

    Even if they put their sense of aesthetics aside, the multiple layer method posed many problems. It drastically increased the machine weight and lowered mobility, even the power of the strand crystal tissue couldn¡¯t compensate for that. The thick armour interfered with movement, and the melee combat ability. The crystal tissue layer could increase defence as a secondary armour, but with the disadvantages outweighing its benefits, they rejected this method.

    ¡°Too heavy! Let¡¯s try to ¡®slim¡¯ him down.¡±

    The next thing they thought of was to limit the parts with multiple layers. Considering its detrimental effect on melee combat, only the armour that didn¡¯t affect the movements of the joints were installed with multiple layers. This method won¡¯t increase the weight by much, but the crucial mana reserves won¡¯t improve much either.

    But the method of adding multiple layers was preserved, and was named ¡®Capacity frame¡¯.

    ¡°This is the limit of adding crystal tissue into the inside¡­¡±

    ¡°If we increase it anymore, it would affect the armour.¡±

    The only solution left was to install the sheet crystal tissue on the outside. In order to avoid the problem with weight, they didn¡¯t even install armour, covering it with cloth and wires, which was just barely better than exposing it. After researching where humans could store extra weight, they decided on the back or the waist, with the back being the best fit. They thought so, too, but it created another problem.

    ¡°Really, what a ¡®stubborn machine¡¯! Be more considerate!¡±

    They removed the back weapon to install the crystal tissue, but the result of a heavy mass on the back was shifting the centre of gravity backwards, affecting melee fighting ability and control. Silhouette Knights were built to fight; it would be bad if the pilots couldn¡¯t control it properly. And, removing the back weapon would invalidate the existence of the new model. They had no choice but to explore other methods.

    ¡°What the hell do we have to do?!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do all we can and test everything out.¡±

    In the end, they decided to use the capacity frame and distributed the sheet crystal tissue on the outside. They added tissue that won¡¯t affect the balance onto the back, and installed pockets of crystal tissue on the waist, too. They had to make adjustments to the equipment on the waist and were able to increase the mana capacity. They improved on its weak points, but there were still some problems with the operation period that remained.

    In the end, the Silhouette craftsmen gave up on solving all the problems at this current stage. With their technology, they needed heavy crystal tissues in order to ensure a sufficient supply of mana. Everyone agreed that they should wait for the alchemist to develop a new type of crystal tissue with large mana capacity, solving the problem at its roots.

    The modified Tellestarles were lined up in the workshop in standby mode. There were five of them with capacity frames, and had a more solid appearance compared to its earlier days. On its back and waist were pockets of sheet crystal tissue. It didn¡¯t look like a mechanical customisation, giving it a feeling of being more human.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s not perfect, but that¡¯s the best we can manage! It¡¯s complete!¡±

    The feeling of it being a rushed job couldn¡¯t be waved off, but the craftsmen decided to change their thinking. The modification of the Tellestarle series was enough to cover its critical flaw, the highest level of completion they could hope for at the current stage. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but these five machines still had the potential of being more powerful than the old Silhouette Knights, leading the way to a new generation of Silhouette Knights.

    Seeing them lined up like this, the maintenance department and the pilots finally saw the completion of an entire phase. Everyone had different reaction when they saw the Tellestarle series; some were immersed in a sense of accomplishment, some were glad to be free from work, and some were already thinking about ways to improve the models. But all of them had the same expression of making it through a tough challenge, basking in the pride and glory.

    The Boss had the same expression and turned to look at everyone, showing his teeth in a brilliant smile.

    ¡°Good work, everyone! You have worked too hard!! We still have many problems to tackle, but let''s celebrate the completion of these fellows! After finishing such a big project, I don¡¯t need to tell you what we need to do next, right!?¡±

    Everyone lifted their hands and acknowledged the Boss loudly. They all came to a consensus, the entire pilot faculty held an overnight celebration party.

    That scene could only be described this way: When the sky was dim and the surroundings enveloped in darkness, the celebration party morphed into the Demon realm. By the way, Fremmevira law dictates that only adults (fifteen years old) could drink alcohol. Eru and his friends didn¡¯t take part, and the party was exclusive to the entire pilot faculty.

    In the raving atmosphere with several people literally ¡®flying¡¯ into the air, one figure left silently. He blended into the noisy atmosphere and kept a low profile, leaving the celebration party which was a Demon realm in hasty steps and returned to his room in the dormitory.

    The sky was dark; a light was lit in a room in the silent dormitory. After returning to the room, he shook his giddy head, drinking water to wash away the alcohol. His roommate was probably still drinking in the workshop. He relaxed and took out a stack of paper from the drawer of his table. There was an organised report on it, stating technology related to Silhouette Knights¡ª including the prototype machine and strand crystal tissue.

    He added details of the sheet crystal tissue and capacitive frame onto it. It wasn¡¯t exhaustive, but it was enough for others to understand the gist of the prototype. As he felt his dizziness fade away, he felt satisfied with the content he wrote, and placed it back into the drawer.

 Book 2: Chapter 13: What to do with the prototype machine

    Translators: Skythewood

    Noticing that the shadow blocking the sun was beside his hand, Eru raised his head and looked at the sky outside his window. The clouds turning from white to grey slowly eroded the clear blue sky. He looked at the notebook before him, relaxing his stiff shoulders and overworked brain. His gaze turned to the skyline, watching the heavy grey clouds. The thin clouds would probably turn black soon. As Eru was thinking mindlessly about that¨D

    ¡°Ernesti, don¡¯t look around during class.¡±

    The voice pulled Eru, who was losing his focus back. Eru apologised obediently to the teacher who had a stiff expression and looked back at the blackboard. The teacher continued his lesson, and with the sound of chalk writing on the blackboard, the voice explaining the history of Fremmevira could be heard. His classmates glanced at him curiously, before turning their attention back to the content written on the blackboard.

    That was close; I shouldn¡¯t relax no matter how tired I am. Let¡¯s review my work¡­

    Eru looked at the notebook in his hand once again. It was a pity but as Eru¡¯s classmates were listening to the lecture seriously, he was writing things that were unrelated to the lesson into his notebook. Specifically speaking, it had the sketches of strange Silhouette Knights, with legends marked at the side.

    Tellestarle is completed, which means the foundation has been laid. With this foundation, I have to prepare a surprise that will amaze the King¡­ I have to start with the designs.

    Thinking about matters that were obviously unrelated to class, looking at the blackboard from time to time while writing down notes, Eru appeared no different than usual. A normal twelve year old wouldn¡¯t have covered that up so perfectly. This was the result of experience¨D In a negative manner. No one suspected his attitude towards lessons, and the class carried on smoothly. No, there were some who had noticed.

    Hmm¨D the wire anchor seems fun. I will ask them to install it for me next time. He did say the controls were a hassle, but there must be a way.

    I will bring Eru to walk around and eat snacks, I¡¯ve decided! All work and no play will make Eru a dull boy!

    The two of them got the attitude one should have in class wrong, but it wasn¡¯t a big issue. By the way, although they are like this during lessons, they all had good grades for lessons outside of magic and physical training.

    The shadows from the clouds gradually became darker. The Boss who was taking a break under the shelter of the workshop looked at the sky and let out an irritated moan.

    ¡°Sigh¨D it¡¯s gonna rain.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be glad that it didn¡¯t rain during the testing for Tellestarle?¡±

    Edgar who was sitting beside the table answered absentmindedly. Dietrich who was sitting at the same table looked at his hand seriously, while Helvi watched the two of them with a smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome when it rains. There will be some endurance tests coming up soon. Ah, a pair, I¡¯m going to win soon.¡±

    As she spoke, Helvi placed the card she picked and a card in her hand onto the table. There was a reason why they were playing cards. The students from the pilot faculty had hung on until the celebration party, but after that, most of the craftsmen collapsed from exhaustion and most of them took leave. The newly finished machines could not be activated without the maintenance staff, so the pilots had to kill time this way. The dwarf who was tough amongst the craftsmen¨D the Boss was still lively, but he couldn¡¯t do much by himself.

    ¡°The five Tellestarle are officially completed, but from the looks of things, I don¡¯t know when the rest of the repairs will be done.¡±

    ¡°Ah? There will be progress in the next few days. Right now, we are on vacation.¡±

    The Boss answered Edgar ambiguously. Helvi drew a card and discarded the last card in her hand, leaving Edgar and Dietrich to duke it out.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Boss, my Guyale is still in pieces right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s correct. Come again when we are open for business.¡±

    Dietrich suddenly thought of this question, and the Boss gave a casual reply. Since the craftsmen were short handed, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Dietrich who lost to Edgar leaned onto the table weakly.

    ¡°Anyway, Di, please help the winners buy some snacks.¡±

    ¡°Yup, a cheap pie would do.¡±

    ¡°I want to eat meat, so buy something with that.¡±

    ¡°Well, okay. Wait¡­ Hey Boss, you didn¡¯t take part right!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so petty, just treat it as a gesture of thanking me for all the times I took care of you.¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s face alternated between green and white before resigning himself, dragging heavy footsteps towards the cafeteria. The three of them looked on with the ease of victors, seeing him off. When that gloomy back disappeared from view, the Boss thought of something.

    ¡°It¡¯s not worthy of compliments, but that fellow is easier to get along with now. Before this, he would keep yammering whenever he loses, and would definitely play cards with me.¡±

    The Boss smiled wryly, the smile under his beard was hard to see as usual. Dietrich¡¯s neurotic and hard to please personality was famous among the maintenance department and the pilots. He was capable, but not someone easy to get along with. They had the chance to work with him often, so they had noticed that Dietrich had become rather low profile.

    ¡°He changed after the Behemoth Incident. Dietrich has mostly changed for the better.¡±

    ¡°By the way, he was the one most passionate about the Tellestarle experiments right?¡±

    Helvi recalled something related, too. Helvi, who took on the role of test pilot from the very start had the most experience, followed by Dietrich who started piloting Tellestarle after that. Edgar nodded with a surprised expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s right; maybe¡­ it was because of Ernesti. Di was the only one who saw him pilot during that incident.¡±

    Edgar answered Helvi with a stern face. Edgar¡¯s expression displayed his passion and commitment as a pilot. It might be a coincidence. It might just be by chance, but his friend had the opportunity to witness the skills capable of fighting against a Division-level Demon beast and it made him jealous; and his friend¡¯s ability has obviously rised to a new level, which impressed Edgar. Edgar was a just person¨D although he might be too stubborn about it at times. Helvi, who knew him for quite some time understood that Edgar would work harder when he sees the people around him put in so much effort.

    ¡°Hmm- that boy, huh. He is small and agile, if you don¡¯t work hard, he will leave you in the dust.¡±

    The eyes under the slightly curled short hair squinted cheerfully, teasing Edgar. Edgar didn¡¯t know how to respond and reverted back to his nonchalant smile.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be left behind so easily.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now that you mentioned it, I have something to discuss with the silver boy.¡±

    The Boss suddenly clapped, and noticed the question on the faces of the other two.

    ¡°Well, making a new model is all good, but I am thinking about what to do next.¡±

    ¡°Repairing the rest of the machines on campus?¡±

    ¡°I have permission from the dean, so there¡¯s no hurry¡­ but we can¡¯t just abandon the new models after reaching this stage.¡±

    The Boss mumbled, his eyes looking at the evening sun. Edgar and Helvi gasped and looked at each other.

    With the bell ringing to signal the end of the lessons, stalls started appearing around Laihiala Pilot Academy. In no time, the students who were dashing out after school could be seen.

    ¡°Hey, little miss, not bringing your armour along this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will be eating while walking like this today! Give me three pies!¡±

    ¡°Alright! What fillings do you want?¡±

    ¡°Let me think¡­¡±

    The last bit of blue was gone from the sky, which made the people watching it feel uneasy. Eru compared Ady, who was ordering her snacks with the stall owner cheerfully, with the weather. He thought it would be better if the weather had the same mood as Ady.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much, it will rain if you drag it for too long.¡±

    ¡°You are right. But how should I put this, I feel that if we don¡¯t accompany Ady more today, our relationship would turn bad.¡±

    ¡°... Oh. Eh, let¡¯s worry about that after it rains.¡±

    Ady turned around at this time with a smile on her face, and hot pies in her hands. Would it rain first or would she have shopped until she was satisfied¨D Eru was wondering about trivial things.

    After this, they visited a lot of stalls, and when they were almost full, they made a trip to the workshop. There was no special reason for this; they would just go there to see the strange sights from time to time.

    ¡°... What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Eh? As you see, we are playing ¡®Kuuklen¡¯. Ara, David is a formidable opponent.¡±

    Under the shelter of the workshop, the dean of Laihiala Pilot Academy was playing a board game similar to chess on earth with the Boss. Lauri had the overwhelming advantage in the board, and seemed to be bullying the Boss, pushing him close to defeat.

    ¡°I am out of ideas on how to turn this around¡­ could you go easier on me?¡±

    ¡°Kekeke, as an educator, I can¡¯t go easy on you right?¡±

    ¡°This is just a game¡­¡±

    Unlike the smiling Lauri, Boss¡¯s face looked ready to crumble if he wasn¡¯t supporting it with his hand. He was unwilling to admit defeat, but also had a look of resignation, knocking the chess board with an extra chess piece.

    ¡°No, playing games is fine. I am just curious why grandfather is here.¡±

    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s right; there was something I want to discuss with you and David. I wanted to call you to the Dean¡¯s office, but I figured you all might be here.¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t imagine that his grandfather¡¯s thinking was so haphazard and almost fell down. After ravaging the Boss, pushing him and checking him on the chessboard, Lauri was finally satisfied and ready to speak. The Boss, who was treated as a means to kill time sighed, not bothered by this small matter.

    ¡°The things I wanted to discuss with the both of you is no other than the new models. David seemed troubled by it, too¡­ It is regarding what to do with the new models in the future.¡±

    Eru and the others took a seat, feeling surprised by this sudden topic.

    ¡°Frankly speaking, I was only expecting slight improvements. I was wondering what it took so long, and the results in the end were beyond my imagination.¡±

    ¡°Because this is truly a new model machine.¡±

    Eru¡¯s cheerful answer made Lauri¡¯s shoulders droop.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to create something out of nothing. To progress to this stage, are you planning to present it to His Majesty?¡±

    Lauri¡¯s words didn¡¯t feel like a question, and seemed more like requesting confirmation. Because for him, the new model with the improved performance compared to the old models was more than enough to fulfil the king¡¯s request for the ¡®best machine¡¯. Reporting the new model to the King and receiving his well deserved rewards was the natural progression of things. But things went contrary to his expectation as Eru shook his head firmly.

    ¡°Oh? I thought that¡¯s why you were working so hard for¡­ is that wrong?¡±

    Lauri¡¯s eyes widened from surprise, he then turned his head to glance at Tellestarle.

    ¡°I have something else to show His Majesty¡­ I am thinking about something that would let His Majesty acknowledge that promise. Since his majesty requested for ¡®the best¡¯, I have to give it my all, too.¡±

    ¡°You are not giving it your all yet!?¡±

    Listening to Eru¡¯s firm statement, the Boss, who was shocked, almost knocked the chair over and retorted. No one imagined Eru¡¯s series of action that defied common sense was just the beginning, which was outside of Lauri¡¯s and the Boss¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°Yes, Tellestarle is the foundation¡­ after stabilising the foundation; I want to construct a grand castle on top of it. That should give His Majesty the shock of his life.¡±

    ¡°I think we will die from shock before that.¡±

    ¡°And the boy only knows how to tell the truth, that¡¯s the scary part¡­¡±

    Lauri changed from surprise and amazement to resignation. He wasn¡¯t the only one; everyone else felt the same way. Lauri took a deep breath to change his thoughts, grunting as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°Since Eru said so, this matter is settled. But anyway, since we completed the new model, we have the obligation to report it to the nation.¡±

    ¡°That is natural. So in the end, we will still be reporting it to His Majesty?¡±

    Lauri gave a negative response to Eru¡¯s query.

    ¡°His Majesty is also busy with work. He might have made a promise with you personally, but we can¡¯t settle this so casually. We will probably need to go through the proper channels.¡±

    ¡°The proper channels¡­ you mean the NTR Lab¡­¡±

    National Technological Robotics Laboratory, and known to the public as ¡®NTR Lab¡¯. As its name implies, it was an organisation that manages the development of Silhouette Knight technology. From major projects such as development of new machines to minor details like improvement maintenance techniques, all things related to Silhouette Knights were handled by them, and communicated to the rest of the nation. The academy took part in technical enhancement before, so the Boss with his background as a craftsman was familiar with this organisation.

    ¡°Eh,... that might be so, but there are problems with bringing the whole thing there.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Grandpa Lauri, what¡¯s the problem? This thing is strong right? If we start making a bunch of Tellestarle, the Knights would have it easier and the city would be peaceful. To improve to such an extent, the important people would be happy, too, right?¡±

    Chid, who interrupted with questions tilted his head in confusion. What he said wasn¡¯t wrong, promoting strong Silhouette Knights was an effective way of guaranteeing the Kingdom¡¯s security. While they were discussing this, a large Demon beast larger than duel level was attacking the Kingdom somewhere, and Silhouette Knights were suppressing them. Silhouette Knights turning stronger meant shortening the time to defeat Demon beasts, which would reduce the level of damage. For the Kingdom of Fremmevira, which was equivalent to the frontline of the battle against Demon beasts, this had priority over anything else. Why would reporting the construction of Tellestarle to the authorities be anything to worry about? Lauri¡¯s smile had a hint of bitterness as he answered:

    ¡°It can be done¡­ but making Silhouette Knights require a fixed process. It starts with accumulating small improvements, and a few engineers would use this as the foundation and apply them to the final product. Silhouette Knights are strengthened by repeating this process.¡±

    Constructing new Silhouette Knights were the responsibilities of the NTR Lab, and in terms of scale, only the NTR Lab was capable of doing that. Lauri remembered this part and continued:

    ¡°Developing new Silhouette Knights is a national level project; I never imagined we could make an entire new model with the facilities on campus. Well, an idea that could revolutionise doesn¡¯t come along that easily¡­¡±

    Eru and the Boss looked towards the distance, as if they were avoiding Lauri¡¯s eyes. Both of them remembered doing crazy things in order to complete the machine they wanted.

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s it, the problem is that the suggestions we submitted are usually minor, and there are no precedents for submitting an entire new model. If we suddenly show up with a new machine, we won¡¯t know how they would handle it.¡±

    When Lauri saw Eru¡¯s smiling face, who was ready for battle, Lauri sighed softly.

    ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s done is done, sighing over it is useless. Now is the time for us to grab hold of our happiness and take a step towards the future.¡±

    ¡°Well said. Those who have the knowledge and don¡¯t apply it are not engineers. We will handle the things in the future when the time comes!¡±

    ¡°You two are really confident about this...¡±

    Seeing Eru and the Boss squeezing out a smile with folded arms, Lauri felt he was a step away from reaching enlightenment.

    It might seem like a joke to outsiders, but they weren¡¯t taking it lightly. The Boss changed his pose and started speaking.

    ¡°Also, applying new technology in practical use is the pride of craftsmen. We would get rewards which would fatten our wallets, too. The fastest way would be to pilot Tellestarle to see the King, but regrettably, there is still one problem.¡±

    The Boss jokingly gestured with his hands and continued:

    ¡°The completion of Tellestarle involved a lot of people, about half the students in the pilot faculty took part. The rewards for completing the new model must be significant, but wouldn¡¯t it be chaotic if we had to divide it with everyone who took part?¡±

    The Boss had a valid point. Providing new technology to NTR Lab would be compensated with monetary rewards, and that would naturally be divided among the ones who help develop it. As the Boss said, many people were involved in the construction of Tellestarle. They included the proposer Eru, the craftsmen doing the assembly and the test pilots. Even the alchemist who developed new materials; it was quite a number. But in reality, it''s impossible to ascertain how much each individual contributed. Not just the way to report about Tellestarle, just the mountain of problems was enough to make you give up.

    ¡°Can I say something? I have an idea¡­¡±

    Breaking the tense atmosphere, Edgar raised his hand slightly. Lauri, who was preparing to leave ignored the two who were clapping to ¡®welcome¡¯ the hero, going into dean mode once again.

    ¡°Yes, no matter what opinion you have, do tell.¡±

    ¡°Pardon me. Leaving the way to handle the aftermath aside, Tellestarle is not complete yet, but its performance is still better than the current model. By spreading knowledge of the prototype out, it would definitely benefit the national security greatly. Anyway, it would definitely be conveyed to the administration¡­ Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is true.¡±

    Everyone present expressed their agreement. No one thought about making the new model exclusive to the academy. After confirming this point, Edgar lowered his eyes to organise his thoughts.

    ¡°... So¡­ There is definitely a problem with the rewards, but we need to consider the matter of handing Tellestarle over. No, I¡¯m not talking about the way to do it; I just think the matter would not be over so easily.¡±

    ¡°Anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°Think about the situation when Ernesti first made the proposal, Boss. We are used to it, but the technology behind the construction of Tellestarle is unusual.¡±

    After hearing this, everyone remembered this fact that was almost forgotten and quietened in enlightenment. If Eru didn¡¯t explain to them directly, they probably wouldn¡¯t believe in this technology. There was one thing they kept forgetting after seeing Tellestarle¡¯s performance: it was still an abnormality in this world. The Boss, who remembered this point clapped his hands together and said:

    ¡°Yah, that¡¯s right, everyone was wondering if the boy had gone insane.¡±

    ¡°So, you did doubt me¡­¡±

    After everyone understood that, Edgar continued:

    ¡°In other words, it would be meaningless to just hand Tellestarle over right? They can see the exterior design and imitate it, but it would be hard to explain the interior design concepts.¡±

    All of them looked at Eru. Under their pressure, even Eru was backing off a little.

    ¡°... By the way, letting the people in NTR hear the ¡®whispers of the devil¡¯ seems like a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Is that how everyone looks at me¡­?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, we should fully utilise the devil right?¡±

    ¡°... I will cry, okay?¡±

    Ah, Eru looks cute when he is unhappy.

    Eru glared at the Boss but the Boss remained unmoved, while Ady seemed happy about something. Lauri ignored them and turned to Edgar. Edgar was looking upwards, seemingly thinking about how to express the idea he had already thought of in words. Lauri who saw through that, hurried him.

    ¡°I am not sure¡­ if this is the way to resolve this. I think there is a need for the craftsmen of the pilot faculty to explain to the NTR Lab. In that case, asking them to hire all the members involved in developing the new model is a way, too, right?¡±

    Lauri couldn¡¯t help his eyes widening. Edgar¡¯s proposal was to use their employment as a substitute for the distribution of the reward money. Since the craftsmen would graduate from the academy eventually and join the workforce, this was a good career path, too.

    ¡°This method¡­ Is a grand proposal.¡±

    ¡°With their accomplishment of completing the new model and their knowledge of the current technology, they are the ideal talents for the future development of the new models.¡±

    This proposal put Lauri in a dilemma. From the perspectives of teaching proper skills and the well being of the students, this was definitely a win-win situation, but the academy would be the one that receives the most benefits. Which means NTR Lab would definitely negotiate with the academy, and that would be another highly difficulty task. And it would be up to Lauri and a few other teachers. They were teachers after all, not professional negotiators, so it was easy to imagine how the road ahead would be.

    ¡°This proposal is very alluring, but I don¡¯t know if it would proceed so smoothly. We will do our best and give it a try¡­ But it is still up to the decision of the NTR Lab.¡±

    Since the Kingdom would be the one to decide, Lauri couldn¡¯t guarantee anything. It would be enough if they can decide their stance in general. Although he had a feeling that the negotiations ahead would be grueling; but as an educator, and with his pride in defending his student¡¯s efforts, Lauri smiled with a hint of bitterness.

    After finally finding a way to forge ahead, the group that was discussing was engrossed in conversation. But two of them, Chid and Ady had a troubled expression. They barely understood the contents and were finding it hard to keep up. Unlike Eru, whose mental age differed from his physical appearance, asking two actual twelve year olds to join in the discussion was too demanding.

    ¡°Erm¨D is there anything we can do to help?¡±

    ¡°It sounds difficult. It can¡¯t be helped, we will just watch quietly.¡±

    They spent a lot of time with Eru who wasn¡¯t like a kid, so they had a lot of chance to take part in such talks, and they were always thinking about how they could help out.

    Simply put, because the Boss and the others worked hard on Tellestarle, they will continue to do so, right?

    Ady had a few terms she was concerned with¨D new, Silhouette Knight, construct, end. Her thoughts flew through her tunnel of memories with these vague terms¨D and linked it to the things she was told a few months ago. She suddenly realised something and lifted her head anxiously.

    ¡°... Eh, they said Kingdom, so you have to ask a great person for that right? We could use that promise right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? That is true¡­ promise?¡±

    That promise¨D The meaning in Ady¡¯s words confused Chid for a moment, and he found the answer within his memories too.

    ¡°Ah!... Right, this is Eru¡¯s merits too.¡±

    That was the memories of their conversation with their father. Their father ¨D Marquis Joachim Serrati asked this of the two of them, ¡®If he had any contribution, please inform me¡¯. In the heart of the twins, the existence of their father was equivalent to a way out of this stalemate.

    ¡°Nah, Grandpa Lauri. We have a suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Chid? What is it?¡±

    Lauri thought the twins would ask some questions at the most, and was surprised that they had suggestions. Chid didn¡¯t seem to be happy about that, and had the expression of a kid who had thought of a mischievous idea as he voiced out his proposal.

    ¡°It would be hard for grandpa and the others to negotiate, right? How about getting an important person to be your partner?¡±

    ¡°Oh? An important figure¡­ do you have anyone in mind?¡±

    ¡°Marquis Serrati.¡±

    Chid¡¯s straightforward reply surprised Eru and Lauri, while the others felt confused. Some of them knew from previous incidents of the twin¡¯s history, but it wasn¡¯t widely known. Mentioning the name of such a powerful noble baffled them.

    ¡°...! Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ If it¡¯s Marquis Serrati, he was present back then too. It will be easier to explain it to him, and ask him to cut through the bureaucratic red tape. But¡­ will it be okay?¡±

    What he wanted to ask was the situation of the twin¡¯s family. They are illegitimate children, and should be avoiding contact with the main family. Could we really ask your father? The twins understood what Lauri was conveying through his eye contact.

    ¡°Father told us before, if Eru did anything, he wants us to inform him.¡±

    I see, so they agreed. So discussing this with the Marquis would be appropriate.

    ¡°I see¡­ If the two of them are fine with it, I have no objections. What about everyone else?¡±

    The others looked surprised, and looked at each other when they were asked. Speaking of Marquis Serrati, he was one of the few elite aristocratic clans. Marquis Serrati¡¯s territory was next to the Bocuse Sea of Trees, so he would understand the importance of the Silhouette Knights¡¯ performance. Putting why the twins mentioned this name aside, if they could gain the Marquis¡¯ support, he would be a powerful ally. They looked at each other to confirm, and nodded firmly.

    ¡°We have no objections.¡±

    ¡°Well then, sending the Tellestarle over wouldn¡¯t do. How about briefing the Marquis with the documents?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. Can I leave the preparation of the documents to David? Chid, Ady, the rest will be in your hands...¡±

    The twins stood up straight and accepted the task with a pat on their chest. Solving the problem made everyone at ease, and they laughed at the twins¡¯ liveliness. Tellestarle which was situated in the depths of the workshop watched over this scene.

    After the sun set in the evening, the shops on the streets closed one after another. Conversely, now was the time for the bars to open for business. The citizens who finished their day of work came to relax and enjoy their meals, flooding the place in doves. A certain bar in Laihiala Academy City welcomed the busy period as usual. Most of the patrons were elderly gentlemen, but there was a strange customer who took a seat in the corner. He appeared young, probably a teenager still at school. Since he was in the bar, he was an adult (fifteen years old).

    He seemed very familiar with this place, blending in with the atmosphere and drinking beer by himself. As he was about to finish his first glass, someone sat down opposite him. For there to be an empty seat in this bar that was almost at full capacity, this meant the two of them had arranged to meet up. That man who appeared was burly and looked like a worker ordered a beer right after sitting down, and smiled at the student.

    ¡°How rare for you to find me for a drink. How is it? Is it hard studying at the academy?¡±

    The burly man took a swig after getting his beer and breathed out exaggeratedly. The student who already drank a bit replied excitedly:

    ¡°Ah¨D that¡¯s right, it¡¯s been hectic lately.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s how studying is. If you can overcome this part, you will become somebody!¡±

    ¡°You are right, but it¡¯s been really bad recently.¡±

    The two of them drank and chatted, complaining about their life happily. Their conversation became part of the noise in the bar.

    ¡°I thought I got over the hill, but I ran into a small problem.¡±

    ¡°Haha, the life of a student is hard!¡±

    Even if they conversed loudly, no one would bat an eye, that¡¯s the kind of place a bar was. Picking on the rumblings of drunkards would lead to nowhere. And if you look around the place, they were drunkards talking noisily everywhere. At this point, it didn¡¯t matter if another noisy fellow joined in the racket. These two who seemed to be part of the drunkards suddenly observed their surroundings. After confirming that no one was paying attention to them, they suppressed their voice.

    ¡°Right! Really!... That thing¡¯s completion is ready for the next phase.¡±

    ¡°Oh? The students are quite capable.¡±

    The whispers of the two wouldn¡¯t reach the ears of the other people because of the din in the bar. The student¡¯s face was red because of the alcohol, while the burly worker with a beer in hand looked just like a drunkard, but the things he said were calm and clear.

    ¡°You can¡¯t underestimate something like passion. Seems that this technology will be completed sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°The details? You are not thinking about telling me verbally, right?¡±

    The student shook his head, signaling that was impossible. He quietly took out a stack of papers. The cover was plain and undistinctive, but the content was information related to the new machine model. The burly man accepted it openly, putting it in his coat without a word.

    ¡°Like I said, we need to have a drink together some time!¡±

    ¡°You got that right! Okay, today I will treat the student who had worked hard to a few glasses!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    The atmosphere from before was gone without a trace, and the two reverted back to simple patrons as they toasted their glasses. The bar got more rowdy as it got closer to midnight; no one paid them any heed or understood what they talked about under the table.

    Heavy rain fell onto the stone paved roads covering the imperial capital K?nk?nen. The drizzle at dawn turned into a downpour, clouding over the entire city.

    The unexpected rain made the residents, who were always full of life reluctant to leave their house. The streets seemed to have lost its energy. The boundary between the overcast sky and the stone pavement blurred together, becoming one in the monochromatic background.

    Marquis Joachim Serrati was inside his mansion located in the aristocratic district, browsing through a document as he listened to the rain outside. On it was a sketch of an alien shaped Knight that was the calm before a storm. It had an air of chaos that would threaten to swallow an entire city.

    His crude movement in pressing the bell on his table probably reflected the Marquis¡¯ mood, it was rare for him lose his cool. The experienced butler who had served him over many years was composed as usual, and appeared in his office faster than normal.

    ¡°Master, your orders?¡±

    ¡°Bring this document to Duke Dixgard¡¯s mansion as fast as you can. Make sure you hand it to the Duke in person.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will arrange for it immediately.¡±

    Joachim handed the documents to the butler and spoke after the butler left:

    ¡°Duke Dixgard, this might be a bigger issue than we had imagined.¡±

    His words were blocked behind the thick doors of his office, fading into the sounds of the downpour.

 Book 2: Chapter 14: Letâ€™s head into the storm.

    4th Arc Chaos in Casadesus

    Fuu, fuu, the raging wind howled.

    A convoy consisting of several carriages braved the wind coming from the sides, moving along at full speed on the Highway of Fremmevira. If the weather was clear, the sound of the horse hooves would definitely be heard, but it was overshadowed by the storm. The weather that had been deteriorating since the beginning of the month could turn into a storm in no time. The rain kept falling during this time, seemingly strong enough to scrape up the earth. The downpour exceeded the water runoff rate of the paved roads of Fremmevira. Large puddles appeared one after another which blocked the way.

    In this weather and road condition that was not suitable for outdoor activities, the convoy persevered on. And, looking towards their destination; the vague image of the largest education facility in the nation¡ª Laihiala Pilot Academy, which was situated in Laihiala Academy City.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s pouring down hard.¡±

    The dean of the Laihiala Pilot Academy¡ª Lauri Echevarria frowned, as he looked at the rain outside the window while he stroked his beard. The rain that rarely fell had been ongoing nonstop recently. It even affected the progress on some of the classes, which troubled the dean. Suddenly, the sound of knocking pulled Lauri¡¯s thoughts back to the present.

    ¡°Hmmm, who is it?¡±

    He walked back to the quaintly designed dean¡¯s office desk, and answered as he sat down. He heard a voice informing him that there were guests visiting. Lauri thought for a moment, but didn¡¯t recall having any prior engagements.

    He was the dean, but Lauri was just the person responsible for managing the staff of the academy, and held no special authority. Even so, there were a few visitors that required his immediate attention. There had been cases of abrupt visits by guests, but most of them were important persons with busy schedules, and would make appointments early in order to save time.

    That might be so, but with the terrible weather, it¡¯s no wonder the other party didn¡¯t contact us in advance, Lauri thought. Or rather, to have braved such a storm to journey here, they must have come regarding urgent matters. Lauri answered hurriedly for the receptionist to usher the guest to the dean¡¯s office.

    The guest appeared to be in the vicinity as the door opened shortly after Lauri¡¯s reply. Seeing the guests enter with noisy footsteps, Lauri squinted his eyes, deepening his frown.

    ¡°That emblem¡­ is the Knights-sama serving under Duke Dixgard. What matters do you have for the academy to travel in such bad weather?¡±

    Before Lauri were three Knights. They were covered tightly in armour with a cape over their shoulders and a helmet under their arms, so it was impossible to mistaken their identity. Lauri identified the emblem on their cape, but couldn¡¯t tell what they were here for.

    The Knights exerted a unique intimidation and dignity, bowing gracefully before Lauri and said:

    ¡°Yes, we are from the ¡®Red Rabbit Knights¡¯ serving under Duke Dixgard.¡±

    The Knight standing in the middle introduced himself. He seemed to be the commander, who represented the others.

    ¡°We are here by the orders of the Duke. First, this is the letter entrusted to me, please take a look.¡±

    Lauri received a package and retrieved a sealed letter from within. Duke Dixgard¡¯s wax seal was clear under the light of the oil lamp. Obviously, the only ones who could use this seal were the clansmen of Duke Dixgard. After confirming again that this was an official letter from the Duke, Lauri became more nervous.

    After acknowledging, Lauri started checking the content and his eyes widened as he read. When he was done and was about to speak, a flash of lightning dyed the entire room white, and the sound of thunder erupted a short moment later. It stunned the ear drums of all present, followed by the sound of the continuous rain, covering over the silence that was filled with a mixture of emotions.

    The classroom was filled with whispers that were suppressed by the sound of the rain.

    That thunder, just now, was especially loud. Although it was still day time, it was dark because of the terrible weather. The students discussed among themselves how shocking it was in the room illuminated by oil lamps. The teacher at the podium also looked out the window, but continued with his lesson after saying: ¡±How frightening.¡±

    Moments later, the classroom was filled with the sound of the rain. The teacher spoke louder to be heard over the rain, but sounded weak before the might of Mother Nature. Despite the distracting atmosphere and the shock from the thunder just now, the students, who were finding it hard to concentrate, still did their best to take down notes. Or rather, as they couldn¡¯t hear the lecture properly, they had to make up for it by looking at the blackboard. The students were giving their best too.

    The morning lesson ended with this subtle balance and was followed by the lively lunch hour. Laihiala students who were basically living on campus would eat at the cafeteria around the academy for lunch. If the weather was stable, there would be people eating out or at their homes, but it was not an option in this atrocious weather. As Ernesti and the twins were heading to the cafeteria, an unexpected guest walked into the classroom in a panic.

    That man¡ª Mathias Echevarria, combat instructor whispered something to the teacher tidying up the blackboard. After the two of them came to a consensus, Mathias walked to Eru immediately.

    ¡°Da¡­ Echevarria instructor, what is the matter?¡±

    Eru asked his father, who was approaching silently. Mathias spent most of his time instructing students in the high school pilot faculty. If he was here in the middle school, it probably had something to do with Eru¡ª that¡¯s the logical explanation.

    ¡°I will explain later. Eru, come with me right now.¡±

    Mathias nodded as he rushed Eru along with his words. Eru looked at Mathias¡¯ unusual demeanor, baffled, thought for a moment, and turned and looked behind him. Mathias followed his gaze and told the twins behind Eru, who was at a loss for words:

    ¡°Ahh, sorry. Chid, Ady, lend me Eru for a bit.¡±

    The two of them didn¡¯t understand the situation but still nodded. After Echevarria returned the nod, both father and son left the classroom together.

    ¡°What¡¯s with Uncle Mathias? How unusual¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡±

    Chid and Ady spent quite a while staring blankly at the door the two of them left through. But when they remembered how crowded the cafeteria was during lunch time, they started moving in a hurry. We will just ask later¡ª they thought. But they wouldn¡¯t find out for a very long time.

    When the afternoon lesson began, Eru still couldn¡¯t be found in the classroom.

    Ernesti and Mathias walked side by side through the corridor quietly.

    On one side was a burly combat instructor with his short blonde hair neatly combed; on the other side was a short boy with silver hair that reached to his shoulders. Because Eru looked like his mother, even taking the age difference into consideration, the appearance of the two were polar opposites. Even so, the aura emitted by the both of them was similar, and you could tell that they were father and son.

    They walked against the oncoming lunch time crowd, away from the cafeteria. They moved away from the school building and stepped into the zone where the training equipment was kept. As Eru walked, he guessed the destination was the high school, and had a rough idea why they were in a hurry to find him. Eru walked in silence without asking anything. Unlike Eru, Mathias had other plans. He was probably wary about other people overhearing them, and slowed down when they were far enough from the school buildings and everyone else, and said:

    ¡°Earlier, an envoy from Duke Dixgard visited father-in-law.¡±

    Eru reacted one beat slower.

    ¡°... Duke? Not someone sent by Marquis Serrati?¡±

    A few days earlier, Eru and the others accepted Chid and Ady¡¯s proposal to help with the new model. Eru thought that if there were visitors, it would likely be people related to Marquis Serrati. But Mathias¡¯ words were expected, which puzzled Eru. But he cast his doubts aside for now and prioritised on confirming the situation.

    ¡°What are the envoys here for?¡±

    ¡°They seemed to be here for the new Silhouette Knights models made by all of you. I don¡¯t know the details, but I heard it would be explained after gathering the personnel involved at the workshop.¡±

    Eru could guess what the content was, but couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Marquis Serrati was definitely notified, but why did this ¡®Duke¡¯ come into the picture? Was it something that couldn¡¯t be solved at the ¡®Marquis¡¯ level?¡±

    Was the aid they asked for difficult to accommodate? Or was the new model hard to handle? Eru was almost lost in his own thoughts, but realised it was useless to consider all the possibilities and shook his head lightly. When Eru lifted his head, he looked into Mathias¡¯ eyes. Mathias¡¯ usual sharp gaze was filled with gentleness, his drooping eyebrows strengthening this impression.

    ¡°You had always loved Silhouette Knights.¡±

    Saying something trivial, Mathias patted the head that just reached the bottom of his chest. Sensing that his father¡¯s attitude was different than usual, Eru felt it was strange, but still replied frankly:

    ¡°Yes, you know that is the reason I am here, Dad. I just didn¡¯t think I would have the chance to be involved with the actual thing so soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am sure you learnt many things in order to get this far, and had been working hard. But¡­¡±

    Mathias¡¯ face stiffened and he continued. From his expression, Eru realised what his father was going to say.

    ¡°Eru¡¯s new Silhouette Knight will cause a big stir.¡±

    This might sound like a premonition, but it was almost a given. Just from the fact that a Duke had sent an envoy was enough to prove this.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only good tidings, troubles will probably follow.¡±

    Eru could see Mathias¡¯ worries; Eru¡¯s cute face had a hint of bitterness. Eru resolved himself to face a huge crisis; it would not be a surprise if the students in the pilot faculty were involved, since they were comrades. But Eru felt guilty about the possibility of dragging others into trouble.

    Not just Eru¡¯s actions; the current situation was all the result of Eru¡¯s willfulness. The recklessness of a normal child wouldn¡¯t be too problematic; it would just be treated as a prank, mostly. But, the things that occurred could no longer be considered as a prank.

    ¡°But, if it¡¯s you, maybe you can solve any problem you face by yourself.¡±

    As Eru was reflecting in his heart, Mathias started walking again. The soft words of his father didn¡¯t lose out to the sound of the rain outside the window, reaching Eru¡¯s ears clearly. Eru jogged slowly behind him, looking up at Mathias. Eru couldn¡¯t see Mathias¡¯ expression, but he could hear Mathias saying calmly:

    ¡°But, even if you can do that; there is no need for you to do everything yourself.¡±

    Mathias, who turned his head, met Eru¡¯s eyes. Once again, Mathias¡¯ big hand patted his head.

    ¡°Just follow your dreams until the end, Eru. Tina and I believe in you and will support you. Father-in-law is also on your side. We will back you up if you run into any trouble, so don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    ¡°Yes Dad. I will rely on everyone if I need any help!¡±

    The entrance to the workshop was right before them. Eru had always walked through this door happily, but it looked as if he was walking towards a battlefield today.

    When they reached the workshop, they saw the row of Silhouette Knights lined up against the wall as usual. The difference was that the craftsmen weren¡¯t working.

    On normal days, they would be busy running around, doing all sorts of maintenance on the Silhouette Knights placed on the platform; but they were discussing the sudden news uneasily today. Looking closely, all involved, including the pilots, were gathered here along with the craftsmen.

    As they hadn¡¯t heard the explanation, the atmosphere inside the workshop was a mixture of uneasiness and anticipation. Eru was an exception among exceptions; most students wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with a Duke. Most of the students who had merits in the fight had the chance to attend the award ceremony in the Imperial Capital K?nk?nen, but that¡¯s about it. This meant Duke Dixgard was someone who is an important figure of society, so the pressure from this summon was exceptionally heavy.

    Eru used his short stature to his advantage and squeezed through the crowd and approached an acquaintance. ¡°Boss!¡± Eru shouted, which made David, who was deep in a conversation with Edgar turn his head, swinging his beard.

    ¡°Oh, silver boy. Have you heard? Someone contacted us so soon. It¡¯s someone more important than I expected.¡±

    ¡°That shows how highly they evaluate us, right?¡±

    In order to block out the storm, the workshop was closed tightly and was unbelievably stuffy. The Boss fanned himself as he shrugged, while Edgar loosened the harness on his leather protective gear.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so sudden.¡±

    ¡°To make this trip on such a rainy day, it must be hard on them, too.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that in their presence, Boss.¡±

    The three of them chatted idly when they heard the mumblings around them grow louder. They didn¡¯t know what happened, and only saw an unfamiliar group entering the workshop when they turned their head. Their attire was obviously unsuitable for work¡ª they were covered in thick armour, wearing a cape with an emblem on the outside. The pilot cadet¡¯s armour was made from leather that focused mainly on mobility, and was only reinforced with metal parts. With their full armour, they must be Knights. There were twenty in the group and all of them had the same attire. Their group might be small, but they were still a band of Knights.

    The group marched in with a clanking sound that was louder than the rain. The students couldn¡¯t help taking a few steps back in awe. One of the Knights walked in front and just happened to coincide with the students backing away. He seemed to be the representative of the Knights.

    ¡°Are all those involved in the construction of the new Silhouette Knight model gathered here?¡±

    When they heard this, the students present looked at each other with a troubled expression. Who will represent the students to answer the representative of the Knights? The gazes bounced between them before settling in a certain corner. The Boss and Edgar endured their stares that were boring holes into their back, sighed in resignation, and walked forward like a sailboat blown by the wind. Eru, who was conversing with them was also dragged in and pushed to the front.

    ¡°This is not everyone; there are still some alchemists involved, too. The craftsmen and test pilots are all here, though.¡±

    The Boss gestured to the rear with his chin. This reply made Edgar hug his head while Eru almost fell. The Boss didn¡¯t change his rough attitude even in the face of Knights, in some way he was like a big shot. Hearing an affirmative reply, the Knight¡¯s expression became awkward for an instant. But when he thought about the Boss being from the crude dwarves, the Knight thought it was useless to correct his mannerism and decided to continue.

    ¡°Great, that¡¯s good enough. I know all of you are students in the pilot faculty, but what about that child?¡±

    Understandably, the Knight was looking at Eru suspiciously. The Boss and Edgar wanted to introduce Eru, but didn¡¯t know where to start and closed their mouths again.

    For the pilot faculty, Eru¡¯s existence was a common sight. But thinking about it carefully, Eru was still a middle school student. The Boss, who only just realised how strange it was for him to be here, was cramping his cheeks. Eru looked at the two who didn¡¯t how to answer, understood the reason for their silence, and introduced himself naturally:

    ¡°I am the one who proposed using new technology for the new Silhouette Knight model, and the one responsible for the draft design.¡±

    ¡°...... This child must be joking.¡±

    ¡°Eh, no, what he said is the truth. You can ask anyone here or even the dean. Everyone will give you the same answer.¡±

    Despite hearing how convinced the Boss was, the Knight still couldn¡¯t wipe away the doubt in his heart. It might just be his imagination, but the students around him seemed to be looking at the Knight with sympathetic eyes. Even Eru, himself, understood nothing would be done if this went on.

    ¡°Maybe you could confirm my identity later. But I am definitely involved in this.¡±

    ¡°... Alright. Dear students, I belong to the ¡®Red Rabbit Knights¡¯, and I am here on the orders of Duke Dixgard.¡±

    The students turned rowdy once again. Second only to the King, the one with the highest nobility rank in the country had sent an envoy. Even though they already heard about this, the impact when the Knight introduced himself was still significant.

    ¡°My lord is very interested in the new Silhouette Knight and wants to see it in action. He requests everyone to deliver the new machine models to the Duke¡¯s territory ¡®Fort Casadesus¡¯ as soon as possible. He is also requesting enough crew members to come along to ready the machine.¡±

    In response to the Knight¡¯s words, the crowd answered with silence. Their tense emotions cooled down instantly. A feeling of doubt spread among the students. In this awkward atmosphere that wouldn¡¯t go away, the Boss meekly raised his hand.

    ¡°Ah¡ª Can I ask you something?¡±

    The Knight who was addressing them gave permission with a look, so the Boss stroked his thick beard and enquired:

    ¡°I have no objections to presenting the new models to the Duke, but the weather is really bad and not suitable for piloting Silhouette Knights. Do we have to set off immediately?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a direct order from the Duke. After so many classes in the pilot faculty, you should have training in traveling in the rain. That is not a reason to delay, please prepare to leave immediately.¡±

    The Knight¡¯s face grew stern. Unsure of their intention, the Knights behind gave off a huge pressure. The air in the workshop turned heavy in an instant. But the Boss simply shook his head exaggeratedly, and said with a casual attitude:

    ¡°No, don¡¯t get me wrong. Yes, I admit that traveling in such weather is a pain, but more importantly, the burden on the machine would be huge. No matter how much training we have, journeying in the rain is still difficult, and there is a storm out there. The new models aren¡¯t that fragile, but we shouldn¡¯t be reckless with them. Since we are presenting it to others, we wish to show it in its best condition. Isn¡¯t that better for everyone?¡±

    The Knight Captain lowered his head slightly, accepting that the Boss wasn¡¯t bringing it up because he hated the weather. But he maintained his headstrong attitude.

    ¡°You have a point, but my lord¡¯s order requires me to make haste in the delivery. Force marching might result in some problems along the way, but the machine can be repaired after reaching its destination. That¡¯s why we are requesting you all to come along.¡±

    After saying this much, the students couldn¡¯t turn him down. They could reject something if it was impossible. This request might be difficult, but could be done. A bunch of students couldn¡¯t protest the command of a Duke anyway, so they could only do their best. Even though there wasn¡¯t a choice, the Boss still sighed and shook his beard when he thought about the effort required.

    ¡°I understand, let¡¯s hurry and get ready.¡±

    The Knight finally nodded in agreement. The Boss turned and started issuing orders to the maintenance department, failing to hide his annoyance. Silhouette Knights which walk like humans would also be affected greatly by the road¡¯s condition. If the rain kept pouring and softening the ground, preparations would be needed in addition to piloting skills: installing parts on the legs and covering the joints with waterproof materials. The well trained engineers shouldn¡¯t take long to finish that.

    As the maintenance department worked, Mathias spoke to the Knight.

    ¡°Would the maintenance team and pilots be enough? They could start the machine up if that¡¯s what was needed.¡±

    Mathias was worried about Eru and asked. Sensing what Mathias was implying, the Knight gave a precise answer.

    ¡°No, the proposer has to come along, too. We didn¡¯t think it would be a child this young¡­ Is it really him?... I see, it¡¯s true. If that is the case, the orders are to bring him along. No exceptions, even if he is not in high school, please let him come with us.¡±

    The proposer had to be the central figure in the development of the new model. The Knight who thought this looked at the youth before him, still a bit doubtful. The students and teachers has no reason to lie, but how could it be a child this young? That was how he felt. Eru smiled and wasn¡¯t bothered by the suspicious gaze of the Knight.

    The situation was getting more complicated than he imagined. Eru felt a bit fazed, but shook his head quickly and pulled himself together. No matter what Duke Dixgard was scheming, Eru¡¯s goal wouldn¡¯t change. The new model was getting its debut. Eru made his resolve to complete it together with the high school students.

    Fortunately, the rain eased up while they were preparing and the storm had let up. The sky was still overcast with thick clouds and the rain was still falling. But, at least it was not a storm.

    The convoy set off from Laihiala Academy City. They were led by the carriage of the Red Rabbit Knights, with the student¡¯s carriage behind them and the Tellestarle in between their formation. There were limited methods to deliver the ten meter tall Silhouette Knights. They could use specialised carriages for transporting damaged machines, or break them apart to spread the load. Silhouette Knights would usually walk by themselves, and it was no exception this time, even if they were the stars of the show.

    The front of the Tellestarle and the rear of the convoy were guarded by the Red Rabbit Knights¡¯ Karrdators. There was the danger of Demon beast attacks along the way, so the important new models were kept as combat reserves, and not committed to immediate battle.

    The destination ¡ª Casadesus Fort, was situated to the north of Fremmevira Kingdom, within the territory of Duke Dixgard. The plan was to take the western Fremmevira Highway, and head north part of the way. The road there was paved with stone, and even with the unpredictable weather; it should be an easy trip. For the Silhouette Knights which had to carry their own weight, it was hard to walk on the muddy path caused by the rain. The pilots were also trained to move in wet conditions, but it wasn¡¯t something they were happy about.

    The rain fell on the Silhouette Knights who were traveling alongside the carriages and evaporated upon contact with the machine, which was hot from its operation. The steel Knight dragged its body that was emitting steam and forged silently ahead.

    The smooth journey ended when they got off the road as they turned towards the direction of the fort. While passing through a trail in the forest, they heard a weird sound that was obviously not a Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°That sound¡­ Tch, it¡¯s a Demon beast. All units watch the surroundings! Defensive formation!¡±

    The low grumble of the earth rumbling continued. In the Kingdom of Fremmevira, there were two types of existence that would make such a sound: either Silhouette Knights or Demon beasts. For Silhouette Knights, the sound of the parts churning should be audible. If not, the thing that would suddenly emerge from here would be a Demon beast.

    The source of the noise was obviously approaching them. And, it is estimated to be at least duel level scale ¨C a Demon beast that requires Silhouette Knights to fight them. There might be several of them, too. The battle hardened Knights aside, the horses pulling the carts were just normal horses, and the approach of unknown creature made them panic. The driver grabbed the reins desperately, preventing the horses from running out of control. But the horses were still in disarray, slowing down the progress of the convoy.

    The Silhouette Knights surrounded the slowing carriage, taking a defensive formation facing the surrounding forest. With the Demon beast making such a noisy entrance, there would definitely be movements in the forest. They took action assuming this, but the forest remained still despite the noise getting closer.

    ¡°...No, it¡¯s coming from around us¡­ it¡¯s from below!? Damn, how is that possible!?¡±

    One of the Knights noticed the direction the rumbling was coming from ¡ª and ¡®that¡¯ appeared, too. In the middle of the Silhouette Knights¡¯ formation, the earth suddenly split open and something thin burrowed out.

    It maintained its momentum and drew an arc in the air, crushing the rocks when it touched the ground, and burrowing out of sight. There seemed to be no resistance against its movement when it broke through the ground that was paved with stone, like a fish leaping in a pond. What appeared was as thin as a rope¡ª a rope that was one metre in diameter and twenty metres in length.

    Following its lead, the Demon beasts burrowed out of the ground one after another, a herd of Demon beasts started moving parallel to the convoy. There were about a dozen of them, shattering the ground as they moved on the stone paved road.

    ¡°To attack at such a place! This is bad, if we stop here, they will hit us from below!¡±

    ¡°Silhouette Knight team! Change formation¡­¡±

    Before the Knights could react to the attack coming from the unexpected direction, the Demon beasts gained the initiative. The beasts split to either side, jumping through the air in an arc towards the carriages. With its tip strong enough to shatter boulders, it destroyed the wooden carriages and the armour on the Knight as if it was nothing. Some of the Demon beasts pierced through the centre of the carriage, while the others attacked the horses, tearing them to pieces in seconds and disappearing underground. The carriage that lost its propulsion force skidded for a moment before falling over, becoming an obstacle for the ones behind.

    ¡°We will be wiped out if we stop! Get out of the carriage¡­¡±

    The Knights attempted to fight back in the chaos. But, as if mocking their efforts, the situation changed again. A Karrdator lifted its sword, moving in to help, but was stopped when the ground around its feet changed suddenly. The ground bulged and a humongous Demon beast much larger than the others emerged from the below.

    ¡°What, what is that¡­!¡±

    The ones witnessing this scene were in mortal danger, but they couldn¡¯t help standing there stunned for a few seconds. The moment the Demon beast showed up, screeching noise of hard materials scraping against each other could be heard.

    Its shape was like a thin rope similar to the other Demon beasts, but its diameter exceeded six metres¡ª more than half the height of a Silhouette Knight. The front was covered with a lot of shell armour, overlapping with each other and spinning at high speeds; built just like a tunnel boring machine on Earth. The spinning armour grinded everything in the path of the Demon beast into pieces and into its body, be it ground, stone or Silhouette Knights.

    The Karrdator¡¯s legs were shattered by the Demon beast¡¯s onslaught in an instant. After losing its legs, the Karrdator¡¯s upper body was tossed into the sky, and tumbled when it fell onto the ground. At the same time, the giant Demon beast and its smaller counterparts touched the ground after flying in an arc through the air, burrowing underground with a pile of dirt in its wake.

    The sudden destruction of a Silhouette Knight was a huge blow for the Knights and students, but they didn¡¯t have time to just stand there.

    ¡°Abandon the carriage! Run! You will be swallowed from below if you stop!¡±

    The rumbling sound mercilessly approached the destroyed carriages and the ones preparing to carry the injured. Even with their high levels of training, the Knights were helpless against the enemies hiding underground. They grinded their teeth anxiously, but that only made them more frustrated without solving anything.

    ¡°Damn it! Demon beast bastards! Look at what you have done!!¡±

    The casualties weren¡¯t just the Knights, the students on the carriages were also attacked and several students were dragged in. The survivors dragged the raging Boss from the carriage in a hurry. The encirclement of the Demon beasts drew closer with each passing second, the chaotic group was forced to the edge. At this point, the Knights and students who had left the carriages finally composed themselves.

    They paid attention to the ground beneath them, ready to attack, planning to strike the moment the beasts popped out. Among this group that was screaming their heads off was a short student with a strange weapon in each hand, Ernesti.

    ¡°Shaker worms¡­ another troublesome fellow.¡±

    Shaker worms were a type of gigantic worm-like Demon beast. The front end was tightly covered with small pieces of shell, forming an end with overlapping armour that spins to grind through the ground, pushing the dirt into its body, a living tunneling machine. They used the intestines within them to digest the things within the earth, absorbing nutrients. The unused parts were expelled out behind them, which propels the worm forward. More importantly, it could attack from underground which was hard to defend against, a Demon beast known for being hard to handle. Eru recalled the information of these Demon beasts and felt baffled.

    ¡°But the shaker worms shouldn¡¯t be bigger than two metres in diameter¡­ What is that thing? Some sort of leader?¡±

    ¡°Who knows! And, why are you so calm!¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be so loud, Boss. It¡¯s hard to handle them when they are underground. But they are noisy when they move, so we can determine its general location from the sound.¡±

    The Boss shut his mouth and gritted his teeth so hard it was almost audible. He was full of wrath, ready to wield the hammer in his hands. If possible, he wanted to smash the Demon beast¡¯s head in, personally.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. So, Boss, please back off a little. Get away from me.¡±

    After hearing Eru say that, the Boss didn¡¯t bother answering and sprinted at his top speed. The tremours underground also approached speedily, splashing the water puddle around Eru¡¯s feet. Before the Boss, who was turning his head back as he ran, the shaker worm burst out right next to Eru¡¯s feet. The scene made the Boss tense. He didn¡¯t think the shaker worm would swallow Eru so easily; but, it was still bad for his heart.

    Eru ignored the worried Boss, casting Aero Thrust to leap the moment the shaker worm flew out. The shaker worm stretched its body, chasing after Eru with amazing speed. But Eru accelerated in mid air once more, shaking off the Demon beast¡¯s pursuit. He maintained his posture and extended the gun staff, Winchester, in his hands.

    ¡°Welcome, taste this!¡±

    Shaker worms could burrow freely in any direction underground, but they couldn¡¯t change their momentum once they were in the air. The two Winchesters fired repeatedly at the front end of the Demon beast that was covered tightly with shells. The piercing lances pelted the shaker worm and exploded upon impact.

    Even though the shell armour of the shaker worm was powerful enough to shatter boulders, it couldn¡¯t withstand the consecutive magic attacks. The pinpoint attack blew up the armour, and the subsequent spells entered the hole and imploded inside. The intense pressure burst the body from the inside. About twenty percent of the front end of the shaker worm exploded, breaking into pieces in midair. A second later, the Demon beast stopped all signs of life, its body parts stabbing onto the ground.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡±

    After confirming that the shaker worm exploded, Eru did a flip and landed. The air suspension spell splashed the water puddle and mud, absorbing the impact. Eru then ran to support the other students and Knights against the shaker worms¡¯ attack.

    In order to deal with the Demon beasts attacking from underground, the Knights and students didn¡¯t use a close formation, and spread out instead. The thing they had to watch out for was the attack coming from beneath their feet, so they observed the ground attentively.

    ¡°Be careful of tremors! Run if you feel them coming, don¡¯t stop!!¡±

    ¡°Coming, watch your right!¡±

    The shaker worms burst out from the ground, attacking the people trying to dodge them. They were powerful underground, but if they wanted to attack creatures on the surface, they had to burrow out from the ground. If they burrowed out of the ground too fast, they would be exposed defenselessly in the air. That was the chance to attack.

    ¡°Damn worms! Don¡¯t look down on humans!!

    The students and Knights were in disarray after the surprise attack, but were countering fiercely now. Every swing of their staff shot out a fireball, just like crimson flowers blooming in the rain. The shaker worms hit hard by the explosion fell heavily onto the ground; there were some that simply exploded in mid air. The Knights and students delivered the final blow before the shaker worms could escape underground.

    The skin of the shaker worm was tough from the abrasion against the ground, but it was weaker when compared to the armour at the front end. The Boss charged at a shaker worm that was downed by a fireball and smashed his hammer down with all his might.

    ¡°You dare lay a hand on my men!?¡±

    This blow used the powerful muscles of the dwarves to its limit, breaking into the area not covered by shell armour. The hammer smashes with incredible momentum, splitting the hide of the Demon beast and digging into its insides. The impact permeated through the worm, turning it into mush as it was broken into two. Without organs to emit sound, the worm spasmed soundlessly and collapsed.

    The Boss confirmed the worm¡¯s demise and pulled out the gruesome hammer that was embedded inside the Demon beast¡¯s body. He swung it around and readied himself.

    ¡°Come at me, bro! Next! Hell, all of you come at me! I will send all of you flying!!¡±

    With his mighty aura, both the Demon beasts and the students were afraid of him.

    The small shaker worms were defeated with the consecutive attacks from the Knights and students. They could handle the small sized Demon beast thanks to the efforts of the Silhouette Knights team.

    About some distance away from them, the giant shaker worm dubbed ¡®leader¡¯ by Eru was rampaging around.

    When the Silhouette Knights team realised the leader was more interested in Silhouette Knights than humans, they immediately pulled away from the students. The intelligence of shaker worms was low, so the leader took the bait and was lured into the forest.

    With its diameter more than half the size of a Silhouette Knight, the forest and ground were ravaged. The woods which obstructed movement was a disadvantage for the Silhouette Knights. Even though its intelligence was no match for humans, no one could fight against the leader. Despite knowing they were in a bad situation, they still pulled the battle away from their traveling companions.

    ¡°Damn it¡ª!!¡±

    Tellestarle one piloted by Helvi charged forward as she roared. The two back weapons deployed on her shoulders moaned and fired a series of magic shots. It hit the body of the leader directly, but, as expected of a colossal beast more than a hundred metres long, it was tough and didn¡¯t seemed affected.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this?! Not taking any damage despite getting hit, isn¡¯t this cheating!?¡±

    Against the leader that was twisting its thick and long body as it moved, the Silhouette Knights could only attack sparsely. The enemy was too large; the damage the magic shot could deal was limited. With the Silhouette arms ineffective, they could only rely on the swords of the Karrdator. But the slashes were not very effective against the leader either.

    Compared to the weak attack of the Silhouette Knights, the strike of the leader was deadly. A Karrdator that was almost caught by the leader raised its shield to parry. The surface of the shield shrieked against the body of the leader, spraying out a lot of sparks. The shell spinning at high speed grounded the shield into shreds.

    The Karrdator was sent flying from the collision, lucky to lose just its left arm and shield. An ally ran to the fallen machine.

    ¡°Are you okay!?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!... The shield and left arm are gone, but I can still move. I can still swing my sword!¡±

    ¡°Tellestarle, rally to me!¡±

    Edgar used the sound amplifier built into his machine to shout over the din of the leader rampaging through everything. The Tellestarle team sneaked through the lashing body of the leader, gathering at the side of Tellestarle two piloted by Edgar.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan? Any good ideas?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Spreading our attacks is ineffective, let¡¯s concentrate our firepower. Everyone prepare to attack head on with ¡®quadruple arms mode¡¯. We will stop this thing.¡±

    Although the plan was to concentrate firepower, they didn¡¯t expect Edgar to suggest a frontal assault. The Karrdator pilots would suspect that he wasn¡¯t right in the head or reject his proposal. But the students believed the new models could accomplish this objective. They smiled brilliantly in their pilot seats, nodding firmly to express their acknowledgement.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this! Show them the power of Tellestarle!¡±

    The Tellestarle sheathed their melee weapons and threw away their shields. They drew the Silhouette arms hanging from their waist with each hand and deployed their back weapons. With four Silhouette arms in place, this was literally the ¡®quadruple arms mode¡¯. This showcased the capability of Tellestarle to use multiple Silhouette arms at the same time.

    With multiple Silhouette Knights concentrated at a single point, it roused the interest of the leader who locked on to them and attacked... Seeing the Tellestarle congregate in the way the tumbling beast was heading, a Karrdator pilot warned:

    ¡°What are all of you doing!? It¡¯s dangerous, disperse now!¡±

    ¡°We are concentrating our Silhouette arms to attack! If that fellow retreats, don¡¯t let it get away!!¡±

    The Tellestarle stood in a row as if to welcome the leader, aiming the reticle on the holo monitor at the centre of the leader¡¯s maw. It was at a distance where they couldn¡¯t miss.

    ¡°Fire¡ª!!¡±

    Under Edgar¡¯s command, the five Tellestarle acted immediately. The total of twenty Silhouette arms, equivalent to the firepower of ten or more Silhouette Knights fired off at the same time. Backed by the large mana pool from the capacity frame made from sheet crystal tissue, the flames shot through the ever falling rain.

    The magic shots with fiery tails plummet onto the leader simultaneously; the carefully aimed magic bullets went directly into the leader¡¯s maw. No matter how indiscriminate it was about food, it couldn¡¯t eat Overed level spells. The front end of the leader was covered in a blooming brilliant fire. The Tellestarle kept on pouring out its concentrated fire, destroying the shell covering the worm¡¯s front end. This forced the rampaging leader to slow down.

    The leader squirmed painfully. The explosion made the giant beast burrow underground in an attempt to escape. But the magic attack damaged the front end greatly, preventing it from digging into the ground. The colossal body just wriggled on the ground in pain.

    ¡°Now is the time, attack! Finish it off, don¡¯t let it escape!!¡±

    No one held back on the vulnerable enemy. The Karrdator raised their swords and spears to attack; the Tellestarle exhausted a lot of its mana, but they squeezed out a last spurt and charged in with melee weapons, slashing at the wounds made by the magic barrage. The leader that was struggling to escape was in tatters in no time.

    At this moment, a Tellestarle plowed down the halberd in its hands mightily. The strand crystal tissue made a melody similar to string instruments as it flexed to exert more power. The high speed and centrifugal force plunged the halberd into the body of the Demon beast, splashing its body fluids all over, mixing into the mud.

    The leader could not withstand the blow and split into half. No matter how strong the leader was, this was a fatal blow. The lifeless body crumpled onto the ground with a bang and stopped moving.

    The machines that took down the powerful Demon beast raised their arms in celebration. But, they were only immersed in the joy of victory before heading back to the place they were ambushed, to support the Knights and students. But when they walked out of the forest, most of the shaker worms had been vanquished under the wrath of the Knights and student¡¯s counter attack. In the end, the leader was the hardest to handle.

    And, so, the roads became peaceful once again.

    ¡°Sigh, the stinky worms caused us so much trouble.¡±

    After defeating all the worms, everyone finally relaxed and the Boss complained with a stinky face. Before him was the carriages that had turned into wreckages, and the carcass of the horses that were nothing but bones.

    ¡°Can we salvage enough carriages to ferry everyone?¡±

    ¡°No way, the damage can¡¯t be repaired easily. No matter how much we rush, it would be great if we get half of them working. We are Silhouette craftsmen, not great with wood work.¡±

    The Knight who asked expected as much and crossed his arms troubled. For them, losing most of the carriages was the biggest loss in this battle.

    ¡°We have no choice, prioritise sending the wounded. Let the carriages that can still move ferry them to Fort Casadesus. The carriage is fine, but there are no horses? Let the Silhouette Knights pull it. There is a village a short distance from here, we will go there first. It would be great if we can borrow some means of transport there¡­¡±

    Everyone followed the command of that Knight and started moving. The Boss kicked the carcass of the worm grudgingly, but that didn¡¯t help at all. The only thing they were thankful of as they walked was the rain letting up.

    When the group reached the village, they still couldn¡¯t find a means of transport, so they had to wait for Fort Casadesus to send carriages to pick them up. They encountered Demon beasts on several occasions, but they were small compared to the leader and were kicked aside by the Silhouette Knights. And, so, although it was several days later than they planned, the students and Tellestarle finally made it to Fort Casadesus.

    ¡°Alright, everyone start the inspection of the Tellestarle! Pay extra attention to the back weapon!¡±

    The Boss and the others started inspecting the machines immediately after moving into the workshop. After fighting an unexpectedly large beast, the Tellestarle required a full check up. The Boss led the maintenance department and repaired the machine with care.

    The craftsmen in the fort watched the scene curiously. They had a rough idea of what happened. They were torn between doubt and anticipation at first, but were awed when they saw the new models in the flesh. The Knights who escorted them were especially impressed, with many hoping the Tellestarle would be mass produced, or at least modify their machines with similar functions. They quietly looked forward for that day to come, but for now, they quietly watched over the fruits of their labor.

    Fort Casadesus lived up to its name as a fortress; the workshop was much larger than the one on campus. The Karrdator of the red rabbit Knights lined up in a row. With the Tellestarle standing beside them, it was a majestic view.

    A person leaving a silver trail behind made his way through the machines. It was Ernesti, who looked like he was dancing. He wasn¡¯t a craftsman and didn¡¯t have anything to do while the inspection was going on, so he was just strolling around. He looked at the rows of Silhouette Knights and had a smile ten times more brilliant than usual.

    ¡°The hangar bays are awesome; it¡¯s so wonderful to have so many Silhouette Knights¡­¡±

    A Knight looked towards Eru, who was praising the wonders of this world. In the eyes of outsiders, Eru looked just like a child excited to see a Silhouette Knight. The Knight smiled gently and told him:

    ¡°The Duke is looking for you, could you come with me?¡±

    But, Eru, who turned his back didn¡¯t look like a child. Using an example to describe him, he looked like a developer supervisor about to report to the department head, his expression was a mix of confidence, uneasiness, passion and weariness.

    Going back to before the students set off from Laihiala Academy City.

    Laihiala Academy City was formed with Laihiala Academy at its core. There¡¯s residence and shops. In the streets with buildings constructed tidily on either side, a man was rushing through the pavement. The storm had moved away, but the rain was still falling hard. The man finally reached a certain building. It was a place situated at a corner of a simple looking street. It didn¡¯t seem to be a shop, and was probably a residence. The man opened the locked door with practiced hands and relaxed after entering the place.

    ¡°What made you rush here in this rainy weather?¡±

    The woman at the other end of the room asked. The man went straight to the point and answered.

    ¡°¡®Emergency report from ¡®hidden rat¡¯.¡±

    The stern eyes of the woman squinted, giving off the impression of a sharp blade. The man looking at her had the illusion of suffocating.

    ¡°What is it? Did the student start a revolution or something?¡±

    ¡°Duke Dixgard seemed to be eyeing that thing. We received report he had summoned them over with haste.¡±

    A hint of bitterness flashed across her face, but no further emotion was shown. She leaned onto the chair, folding her arms in deep thought.

    ¡°... He beat us to the punch. I heard it wasn¡¯t finished, that¡¯s why I decided to wait and see; this is bad.¡±

    ¡°I heard ¡®that thing¡¯ has already set off with some of the students towards the Duke¡¯s territory. We have been had.¡±

    Hearing this, the wrinkles that were starting to become obvious, multiplied. She took a pile of documents from her desk and tossed it at the subordinate standing beside her.

    ¡°Hmmp, nagging like this won¡¯t help; sent this report back to headquartres at once. Don¡¯t forget to add that this is to be given to ¡®His Majesty¡¯ immediately.¡±

    This was probably a routinely matter; the subordinate caught the documents skillfully, and expressed his acknowledgement before running out of the room.

    ¡°... Alright, no time to mess around. Depending on the judgement by His Majesty, We might need to move out.¡±

    ¡°Act directly¡­ His Majesty is¡­¡±

    ¡°Steel yourself. We need to prepare too, recall everyone immediately.¡±

    She answered with resolved in her eyes. The man nodded without a word and left the room. Shortly after, the only one left in the room was just her. There was no telling what she was thinking about, but from her serious expression, it wasn¡¯t anything pleasant.

    ¡°...Alright, seems like things are going to get busy.¡±

    Unexpectedly, there was a hint of joy in her voice, contrary to the contents of what she said.

    A week had gone by since Ernesti had left for Fort Casadesus together with the students from the pilot faculty.

    The boys and girls of Laihiala Pilot Academy walked in the rainy streets with their equipment for wet weather. There was some time before lessons started and the students living in the city were starting to leave for school.

    The figures of Batson, Archid and Adeltrud could be seen among the students commuting. In the midst of the students chatting happily, the moody twins appeared out of place.

    ¡°Really! How long is Eru going to stay there? From what we heard, he should be back by now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Ugh, if this goes on, there would be a deficiency in vitamin Eru¡­¡±

    ¡°What vitamin is that¡­¡±

    They heard it would take about a week to make a round trip to Casadesus, but despite waiting so long, Eru didn¡¯t show up. The primary reason was their encounter with the shaker worms, which threw their schedule into a wrench, but they didn¡¯t know the details. In this world, with no method for long distance communication, they had no choice but to wait.

    ¡°But, Eru left without us, is he taking our friendship too lightly?¡±

    ¡°We helped in making Telle-chan too!... Though we were just watching from the side.¡±

    ¡°How long are you going to complain about this?¡±

    The twins only found out about Eru heading for Fort Casadesus after he left. After the Behemoth Incident, being left behind, yet again, filled them with frustration that they had nowhere to vent. The circumstance was different from last time and couldn¡¯t be blamed on Eru, since it was so sudden. But, the twins wouldn¡¯t listen, and you couldn¡¯t really fault them for that. But, they were not high schoolers, so they couldn¡¯t barge in as they pleased. Since they could only wait helplessly, Batson was getting tired of consoling the gloomy duo.

    ¡°Like-I-said, Eru is gone and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±

    Listening to the same phrase said by Batson repeatedly for the past week, Chid crossed his arms dejectedly, while Ady, who was at the peak of her anger made up her mind about something, and waved her clenched fists.

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t give up! We have to pick him up ourselves! Unlike before, we have Silhouette gears, right!?¡±

    ¡°... Then, where is our destination?¡±

    Unexpectedly, the one who pointed this out calmly wasn¡¯t Batson, but Chid.

    ¡°Eh? Erm¡­ I heard he is in Duke Dixgard¡¯s territory.¡±

    ¡°Where, exactly? The territory is huge, and we don¡¯t know the way there, either.¡±

    Ady groaned and turned stiff with her fist raised. Even if the Silhouette gear¡¯s speed exceeded horses, it¡¯s pointless without knowing the destination.

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept this either, but he probably will be back soon. We just have to wait.¡±

    Chid still sounded unhappy, Ady pouted and turned silent.

    ¡°... Eru¡­ After you come back, I will punish you like a pillow.¡±

    Hearing Ady¡¯s mumblings made Chid forget about his anger for a moment. He remembered that Eru needed a lot of effort to calm down his sister, and looked up into the sky. As for Eru in Fort Casadesus, he felt a sudden chill.

    And, so, they spent their days waiting gloomily. The story progressed a few days later, when the students from the pilot faculty finally returned to Laihiala Academy City.

    The convoy passed through the city gates of Laihiala Academy City. The Karrdator Silhouette Knights that were acting as escorts moved away from the carriages and entered a workshop near the city gates. The carriage continued advancing along the road, going all the way into Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    ¡°Oh, our nostalgic home sweet home.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a week or so, Boss.¡±

    ¡°I meant it metaphorically, asshole.¡±

    Shaking their limbs stiff from the long journey, the group from the Pilot Academy, including the Boss, dismounted. The desolated workshop regained a bit of life.

    But, the group was missing something they had when they first set off. First, none of the new models they brought to Fort Casadesus were with them. The one escorting them back was the Karrdators from the Red Rabbit Knights, and they had parted ways at the city gates. They came back empty handed. Not only that, everyone here was a student of the pilot faculty. The short youth who accompanied them wasn¡¯t with the team.

    With the end of the lessons, school was out. Evening had come and the sun had set behind Mount Aubigne. Inside the dormitory of the middle schoolers, Stefania Serrati was doing her homework in her room. She flicked her blond hair that got in her way behind her, writing silently.

    When she had solved most of the problems and was about to take a break, there was a sudden visit from a guest. She thought it was a friend, but the knocking was hurried, which made Stefania dismiss that possibility. She walked to the door a bit confused. Stefania was the Student Council President, but the relevant work should have been completed. Thinking there was some urgent matter to handle, she opened the door with doubt in her mind.

    ¡°Onee-sama¡­! Please help us!!¡±

    Seeing her younger siblings looking so worked up, Stefania eyes¡¯ widened and stood there frozen stiff.

    Tiffa did not estrange her siblings of a different mother, ushering them into her room.

    She thought with a smile:¡±How rare this is.¡± The gap between them had faded and they were on good terms, but this was the first time they had visited Tiffa¡¯s room.

    But they didn¡¯t seem like they were here to play. Unlike the brother who always showed an irate attitude, just by looking at her sister, who couldn¡¯t keep her thoughts to herself, Tiffa could tell they wanted to ask something. Tiffa wanted to serve them some beverages, but Ady acted first.

    ¡°Onee-sama, you are the only one we can rely on!!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I will listen to you, calm down. I will prepare something to drink, please wait a moment.¡±

    Using the chance while Chid was soothing Ady, Tiffa made some red tea. After the twins drank the tea, they calmed down a little, but they still went straight to the point.

    ¡°... The Boss and the others are back from the fort visit, but Eru¡­ Eru isn¡¯t with them!!¡±

    The expression of Tiffa who was smiling warmly in the beginning turned serious gradually. After she heard about the completion of Tellestarle, contacting their father Marquis Joachim Serrati, the summon by Duke Dixgard and the students¡¯ return, Tiffa lowered her gaze in deep thought.

    ¡°Is that so¡­ that incident back then had turned to this¡­¡±

    Tiffa didn¡¯t know what plans their father had, but Eru was definitely dragged in. Tiffa and the rest were saved by Eru¡¯s quick actions, so it was her turn to repay him this time. She made up her mind and stood up with a resolve expression.

    ¡°I understand, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Onee-sama?¡±

    Ady looked at her in surprise.

    ¡°Let¡¯s visit our father. He should be in K?nk?nen¡¯s mansion¡­ we have to at least ask why.¡±

    Hearing that, Chid and Ady nodded firmly and stood up, too.

    After deciding their objective, Tiffa acted fast. The next day, she abused¡ª correction, used her authority as the Student Council President to the limit. Using the excuse of an important family matter, she stepped over the sighs and tears of the teachers, and Student Council members and brought Chid and Ady along to K?nk?nen. When her sister was asked about this incident some time later, she commented: ¡°...I thought it would not be wise to go against Onee-sama.¡±

    That day, the storm that should have passed fell on the Serrati residence in K?nk?nen once again, causing chaos. The servants couldn¡¯t stop the daughter of the Marquis adamant on walking in, and rushed to inform the master of the house. It wasn¡¯t clear if they were lucky or unlucky, but Joachim happened to be in the mansion, and the trio was brought to his study room.

    ¡°Why the sudden visit? Tiffa, you should have school today, what are you doing here?¡±

    Seeing his daughter acting so agitatedly, Joachim questioned her the moment he saw her. When he saw Chid and Ady behind Tiffa, his frown deepened.

    ¡°You all¡­¡±

    ¡°Father, after seeing the both of them, you should know why we are here, right?¡±

    Tiffa didn¡¯t back down, despite seeing how displeased her father was and greeted him gracefully. She didn¡¯t change her calm and bold attitude; she wasn¡¯t the Student Council President for nothing. After experiencing the fight with a Division-level Demon beast, her mental strength was exceptional among all past Student Council Presidents.

    ¡°... It¡¯s related to the new machine model?¡±

    ¡°Not just that, it concerns the person behind the new model¡ª their friend Ernesti Echevarria.¡±

    Tiffa said before Joachim could continue, and became more and more agitated:

    ¡°In the Behemoth Incident back then, many of the students including I, survived because of his efforts, but he was the only one who didn¡¯t return from the Duke¡¯s territory! I don¡¯t know what your plans are, father, but I won¡¯t allow harm to come to my benefactor!¡±

    Chid and Ady stood besides Tiffa, opposing their father.

    ¡°Father, please give us a reasonable explanation.¡±

    With no room for lies or escape, they forged ahead with the determination of entering a battlefield.

    ¡°... That¡¯s the summary of what I gathered from my men.¡±

    The Commander of the Red Rabbit Knights based in Fort Casadesus, Molten Fredholm, stood at attention as he read out the contents of the report. He was inside the top level war room in Fort Casadesus. It was usually not in use, and would double as a conference room when high nobles visit the fort. There was a table in the centre of the room surrounded by four chairs. Seated in one of them was the master of Fort Casadesus, ¡®Knut Dixgard¡¯.

    After hearing Molten¡¯s report, Knut closed his eyes for a moment before expelling the heavy air in his lungs.

    ¡°Alright, I understand the capability of the new models. What did our Knights think of them?¡±

    Molten¡¯s report was the investigation report of the new models during the shaker worms attack.

    ¡°To be honest, I have to admit the combat performance is great. Even with double the number of Karrdators, we might not achieve similar results. Almost all the Knights who fought alongside them wished to implement the new models.¡±

    Knut frowned slightly and groaned as he leaned back on his chair. Below the carefully combed hair was a prominent hooked nose making his facial features look more compelling.

    ¡°... The new model is good for the nation. We can¡¯t leave it alone.¡±

    Knut said softly and Molten nodded.

    ¡°Molten, the students who constructed the new model would like to apply for the development of the new technology¡ª They request for us to mediate any problems that might occur.¡±

    Knut had a set of documents that was different from the earlier report. It was forwarded to him from Marquis Serrati, after he received it from Laihiala Pilot Academy, a report and request letter.

    ¡°And, they would like to join the NTR Lab.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Not just providing the technology?¡±

    ¡°I quote, ?We are the ones who are the most knowledgeable about the new models. If we can take part in the research related to this, we will definitely contribute to the technological advancement of Silhouette Knights.¡¯¡±

    Knut read out a part of the request letter. Morton stroked his carefully groomed beard and laughs aloud.

    ¡°Hahaha! The students have been getting greedy recently; this means they have the confidence to develop the new model? Isn¡¯t that great? Graduates from Laihiala are great talents, and they are the ones who made the new models. We welcome such capable young ones.¡±

    Molten wasn¡¯t just being polite. He predicted that the development and implementation of the new models would require a lot of talents, the more the merrier. It is a joy when both parties are after the same goal.

    ¡°But it is not certain how much of the credit belongs to them.¡±

    But, Knut was thinking about another matter. His gaze fell on a series of words on the report¡ª ¡®Propose by: Ernesti Echevarria¡¯. The image of the silver haired boy flashed across his mind.

    ¡°Molten, interview the students about the new models.¡±

    ¡°Yes! What are your plans, my lord?¡±

    ¡°I, well¡­ there is someone I have to meet personally.¡±

    For Knut, who was shouldering heavy responsibility within the nation, his words had a hint of bashfulness. Molten bowed and went about issuing orders.

    Knut stared at the door Molten went out from and sighed softly. He received the report from Marquis Serrati, and knew the new model wasn¡¯t developed by the students alone.

    ¡­ Did I underestimate him back then? But....

    Knut banished the regret welling in his heart. This feeling was because of his carelessness back then, when the King promised to disclose the manufacturing method of ether reactors in exchange for ¡®designing a Silhouette Knight¡¯.

    For Knut, the problem was the playful attitude of the King. The person he made the promise with¡ª Eru was someone Knut had to look out for, but it wasn¡¯t very much. That child has talent beyond his years, but no matter how brilliant he was, there was a limit. The King only stated the terms, but didn¡¯t guarantee the provision of support.

    Furthermore, Silhouette Knight designing wasn¡¯t something a mere student could handle. Fremmevira¡¯s current Silhouette Knight, the Karrdator was designed a hundred years ago. After accumulating long years of technological enhancement and mobilising the best craftsmen of that era, they finally finished this masterpiece.

    The Karrdator predecessor ¡®Salodrea¡¯ was in service for almost two hundred years. Just from this numbers, it was clear how difficult it was to develop new machines. Knut experienced this himself, so he didn¡¯t even consider the possibility of that promise bearing fruit.

    That¡¯s how it should be...

    Less than a year after that incident, an unbelievable report reached his ears¡ª ¡®A student made a new Silhouette Knight model.¡¯ Such a report was unheard of, and Knut almost fainted when he saw the name of the proposer. Ernesti Echevarria¡ª the promise Eru made with the King was starting to become feasible, and Knut felt his common sense crumbling away.

    When Knut was young, he had experience in an attempt to ¡®improve Karrdator¡¯. The combat prowess of the Silhouette Knights was linked to the stability and strength of the kingdom. As the master of the highest nobility, Dixgard Dukedom, he wished for the advancement of the nation, and put this hope in the Silhouette Knights.

    With the permission of the King, he worked together with the NTR Lab, but the grand project didn¡¯t yield any satisfactory results. The technology accumulated for the past century was tough to match, and the improvement was limited without any major breakthrough and didn¡¯t meet his expectations at all. With these unpleasant memories and experiences, he realised how hard it was to create a new Silhouette Knight. Without years of accumulated technology, top notch experts or even funding, it¡¯s preposterous to imagine a bunch of students constructing a new model.

    In that case¡ª Knut changed his reasoning. The boy named Ernesti should have a certain ¡®something¡¯. The ¡®something¡¯ from an unknown source that made an impossible task of developing new models possible. It would definitely bring much benefit to Knut and the Fremmevira Kingdom.

    After rationalising to this point, Knut finally realised how unreliable his judgement in the past was and felt a chill run down his back. If Marquis Serrati hadn¡¯t obtained information about Eru and took action, Knut would only hear the report afterwards. He felt grateful towards Marquis Serrati for the warning, and used this chance to make his move. There was some unforeseen incident, but the new models displayed exceptional combat ability, and was highly evaluated by the Knights. Knut was sure the nationwide implementation of the model was inevitable.

    To achieve this, Knut needed to know what this boy Ernesti was scheming, and what were his plans. For Knut, Eru was a squirming shadow he didn¡¯t understand. Knut would definitely not hand over the future of his beloved country to such a person.

    Knut, who unconsciously closed his eyes in deep thought heard a gentle sound of knocking on the door. It was time to achieve his goal. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and invited the guest to enter the room.

    Several figures walked along the corridors of Fort Casadesus. Leading the way was a soldier in armour, who was followed by a rather short child. The light of the lantern flickered in the soldier¡¯s hands, casting shadows on the silent corridor. The clanking of the armour and the sound of footsteps created a soft melody.

    At the end of the corridor, a sturdy door appeared in the faint light of the lantern. The carefully designed door had a different atmosphere from its surroundings. The door Labeled ¡®Top Level War Room¡¯ showed how special this room was. The soldier leading the way knocked on the door and opened it carefully, leading the boy, Ernesti, into the room.

    Eru went through the door and noticed that the grand decoration of the room was vastly different from the rugged air of the fortress. As if to confirm the texture of the soft carpet, unsuitable for iron boots, the soldier walked slowly to the middle of the room. There was a table there. A middle aged man¡ªthe master of the fortress, Knut Dixgard was waiting there. He politely offered Eru a seat, and Eru deftly sat down after a simple greeting.

    The servant who appeared at the same time moved away after pouring them a drink. The high class tea imported from the west tickled the noses of these two. Their conversation thus began harmoniously with a cup of red tea in hand.

    To Knut, the conversation was a battle. He needed to judge Eru¡¯s character, motives, and then grab the initiative. The two of them should be gauging the distance carefully with each other on the surface while fighting intensely underneath.

    But, Knut was confused.

    ¡°... And so, the craftsmen from the pilot faculty developed the strand crystal tissue with tremendous effort, improving the power output of the new model by one and a half times¡­¡±

    Eru, who was sitting opposite him was explaining endlessly. That was the case, since Knut probed with a few question about the new model, turning into Eru¡¯s personal stage. And, he prepared a lot of presentation materials as if he was planning for this.

    ¡°Please refer to the material here. As mentioned previously, the new model¡¯s main advantage is in its greater power output and variety of equipment, but there is a minor issue in endurance¡­¡±

    But, Knut also wanted to learn more about the contents, so it was harder for him to handle. Even when Knut wanted to regain the initiative in the discussion, his ears were still listening to Eru¡¯s voice, his eyes stared at the documents and his mind was busy organising the information about the new model. Even though a corner of his mind was sounding out in alarm, Knut continued to greedily absorb the information he seeked.

    ¡°As for the costs involved, I can¡¯t give you a precise number at this stage. It might change with the optimisation of production in the future. But, the expensive core parts of the Silhouette Knight would remain the same, and the changes would mainly affect the inexpensive parts, so, we predict that the price would not escalate too much¡­¡±

    Eru¡¯s presentation carried on. Ever since he was summoned to Fort Casadesus, Eru has been preparing the content of his presentation, and his explanation was near perfect. In the end, Eru kept talking for three hours. No matter how good someone was, the motivation to talk continuously like this has to be his passion for robots.

    In contrast to Eru, who was sipping the cold red tea in satisfaction, Knut was busy tidying the contents in his mind, analysing the mass production plan. When he wanted to ask some follow up questions, Knut finally remembered his original plan.

    Knut was stunned; he didn¡¯t think he would be unable to use his negotiation skill, which was honed in his duties as a Duke. Eru hit Knut¡¯s weakness, which was his strong interest in the new model. If that was Eru¡¯s plan all along, then Knut had completely lost. But, that powerful card was temporarily ineffective because the explanation was over, now was the time to counterattack¡ª Knut also didn¡¯t understand why he was frustrated as he showed his ace in the hole.

    ¡°I understand now, I have several questions about the new models¡­ But Ernesti, before that, regarding what you want to do with these machines¡­¡±

    Knut didn¡¯t take this seat for no reason. The air about him changed, it was like a sharp blade being unsheathed.

    ¡°I have permission from His Majesty to take total control over the new model project.¡±

    The highest ranked Duke was tasked by the King himself, meaning he has the highest authority, only second to the King. At least in regards to this case, his words were as good as the King¡¯s.

    ¡°I will take charge of everything related to the new model; the information will be relayed to His Majesty through me.¡±

    This was Knut¡¯s ace, and his last hand. ¡®Taking total control of the opponent¡¯ had a huge effect on the other party, and had the advantage of easily earning their ire.

    For Knut, who couldn¡¯t make an enemy out of Eru, this wasn¡¯t the best choice. But, Knut felt it was dangerous to be led on like this. And, he had only listened to Eru¡¯s explanation and nothing more. Eru would definitely react strongly to this move, and that would be the best chance for Knut. The bigger the reaction, the easier it was for Knut to direct the flow of the conversation, and he could make full use of his skills, then.

    Knut suppressed his cluttered thoughts and squinted slightly. But, his opponent¡¯s answer was not what he had expected.

    ¡°That¡¯s great; I won¡¯t need to repeat this to His Majesty again. If you have any other questions, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±

    Eru nodded his head and bowed smoothly.

    Knut succeeded in pressing down the groan which was some sort of miracle. The ace that was all powerful, no matter who the opponent was, didn¡¯t have any effect and was dismissed. Knut didn¡¯t expect Eru to act like he was saved the hassle. While he was dumbfounded, Eru gained control of the discussion again.

    ¡°If you have full authority over this, sir, I would like to confirm something.¡±

    ¡°... Eh, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I remember requesting something for the students in the pilot faculty when I submitted the report¡­¡±

    Hearing this, Knut coughed softly and regained his composure.

    ¡°Yes, I heard about that. I can¡¯t guarantee they would be hired as the developers of the new models, but once we move officially into production phase, the more people we have, the better it would be. Or rather, I would push for them to take the job even if they don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Eru smiled and sighed softly. That was expected, he had accomplished most of his objectives anyway. But, Knut still felt puzzled about the intentions behind Eru¡¯s words.

    ¡°I am here to explain the new models and to confirm that the senpai would be employed.¡±

    Eru answered frankly. Knut wondered why he thought something wasn¡¯t right. He pondered for a while and found the reason.

    ¡°... What are your plans? Promoting the new model, marketing the students, there is no problem with this. But, I haven¡¯t heard the most important part, which is your plans, and you already seemed satisfied. You are the proposer of the new model right? Based on this merit, there should be something you would want to say.¡±

    In the end, Knut still knew nothing about Eru, or heard any request made by Eru. Maybe it was due to fatigue; Knut didn¡¯t beat around the bush and asked directly.

    ¡°Me? Nothing yet. I am still a middle school student, so I will stay in the academy until I graduate.¡±

    Oh right, he was still a twelve year old child. Knut almost agreed with him, but realised quickly that wasn¡¯t the issue here.

    ¡°Wha¡­ You stirred this matter to this point and you still want to go back to school!?¡±

    Knut forgot he was talking to a kid and was in chaos.

    ¡°That might be so¡­ but let¡¯s say I go to the NTR Lab, I would be dropping out of school and making my parents sad.¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t abandon the logic of his previous life in some strange areas, but bringing this up this late into the game made Knut ¡®crumble¡¯.

    ¡°... You, do you know what you did?¡±

    ¡°I only made some suggestions for a new Silhouette Knight right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so simple! You are acting like this is natural, so it¡¯s useless to explain, but I want to say it anyway! Listen, since the founding of this Kingdom, no, in all the history of mankind, there has never been anyone who proposed a redesign of Silhouette Knights alone!!¡±

    Why did he have to explain this common sense? Knut felt an emptiness he had never experienced before in his life. If he didn¡¯t have the experience of living as a noble for so long, he would have found someone to complain about this to.

    ¡°And, obviously, developing Silhouette Knights is a grand project that involves many people! Even if there is a group who comes up with a new design for Silhouette Knights, it was impossible to do so alone!!¡±

    Knut was getting really agitated; he even frightened Eru a little.

    ¡°His Majesty setting this term in exchange for the ether reactor¡­ is as good as telling you it was impossible. But, you did something so ridiculous like it was nothing, why are you acting like a kid after all that!!¡±

    In reality, Eru was really just a child, so Knut was mistaken, but it¡¯s a pity no one was present to retort him. When Knut thought a mere twelve year old ¡®stirred up trouble¡¯ and shook the entire nation, Knut¡¯s mind snapped. He probably didn¡¯t think about that because of his self defense mechanism. But, Eru fanned the flame mercilessly.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t plan to present Tellestarle. I have something else for His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°... There is more? What else do you want to make?¡±

    The composure he had in the beginning was gone without a trace, veins appeared on Knut¡¯s temples. Eru displayed his most brilliant smile of the day and said:

    ¡°Yes, of course. Because making Silhouette Knights is my ¡®hobby¡¯.¡±

    The agitation just now seemed to be an illusion as Knut turned ominously silent. A similar scene flashed across his mind¡ª ¡® because it¡¯s my hobby¡¯. It¡¯s true, Knut finally understood that what Eru said to the King were the sincere words from his heart.

    He then realised this person will definitely be a genius that will leave his mark in history and be unmatched in his field of expertise. But, at the same time, Eru was like a bad omen, who would charge head ahead without regarding how much trouble it would cause others.

    No wonder he hit it off with the King. The calm portion of his mind confirmed something ominous. The young Ambrosius was a capable and reckless genius, taking joy in setting up others. Back then, the Duke had to go along with him and suffered much. Right now, Ambrosius was a ¡®wise King¡¯¡ª wrong, His Majesty still couldn¡¯t suppress his playful mentality¡ª but he was like a catastrophe back in the days. Knut didn¡¯t know, but the people in the palace called him the ¡®tamer¡¯.

    The boy before him was the same type of person as the King, he finally acknowledged this point. He didn¡¯t expect to uncover Eru¡¯s ¡®way of thinking¡¯ like this. He collapsed in his chair with a ¡®thump¡¯.

    ¡°... I see.¡±

    The conversation ended with these heavy words. Molten mentioned after this incident that the two of them conversed for a long time, but Knut was obviously tired for some other reason.

    About a week after Eru and Knut¡¯s verbal battle, the scene returned to Marquis Serrati¡¯s residence inside the Imperial Capital K?nk?nen.

    ¡°According to the information I received, they had this conversation.¡±

    Joachim Serrati reviewed the document he had already read several times. The summary of Eru and Knut¡¯s discussion was sent to him immediately afterwards. After he stoically finished his explanation, the children were speechless. They didn¡¯t know where to place their raised fist and their mouths were tightly shut under an awkward expression. If one were to describe how they were feeling right now, it would be ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right, Eru is such a person.¡¯ Tiffa squeezed out the last ounce of her strong will to recover her composure.

    ¡°... Yes, that¡¯s right. Anyway¡­ it¡¯s fine if he is happy.¡±

    She sounded a bit unhappy, but that was understandable. At this moment, the shaky Chid suddenly lifted his head. He understood Eru stirred up some trouble after hearing Joachim¡¯s explanation, but there was still an unsolved mystery.

    ¡°Then, why is Eru not back?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. There are people who returned from Fort Casadesus, did you ask them?¡±

    ¡°... Ah¡­ We came here without asking¡­¡±

    They were too agitated, and forgot the Boss and the others, who were an important source of information. The three of them became dejected.

    ¡°Ara, to get so worked up, this boy, Ernesti, must be very precious to all of you..¡±

    The three of them lost the imposing air they had when they entered the room. Joachim didn¡¯t lecture them and said calmly to the twins:

    ¡°Archid, Adeltrud, stay by his side in the future, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! Ah, huh?¡±

    The two of them thought they would be lectured, and were surprised after hearing that.

    ¡°Duke Dixgard thinks he would be safe for now, I feel the same way, too. His actions in the future will affect the Kingdom¡­ No, it would have even vaster consequences. He will have many comrades, but also a lot of enemies. No matter how capable he is, it would be hard to make it through the turmoils by himself. You are close to him and had been learning from him, right? Continue to support him from now on, too.¡±

    Chid and Ady listened with a surprised expression, and then clenched their fists tightly, saying firmly to their father:

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s obvious that I will be together with Eru!¡±

    The twins who steeled their resolve once again nodded and Tiffa hugged them from behind. Watching this scene, Joachim glanced at the part of the report he didn¡¯t tell the children.

    The Duke said he has the naivety of a child and the logical mindset of an adult. It would be a good move to have playmates from childhood around him. I hope he doesn¡¯t immerse himself in the pursuit of power, and continues to work hard for the country.

    Joachim looked at his children with unexpectedly gentle eyes, but the children who were hugging each other did not notice.

    ¡°... Setting this aside for now.¡±

    Joachim changed his tone, reverting back to his strong attitude. The three of them stiffened.

    ¡°The three of you skipped school and came here? It seems like we need to have a proper talk.¡±

    The smiles on the children became bitter, it couldn¡¯t be helped¡ª A huge lightning struck at the very end of the storm.

    Duke Dixgard was troubled¡ª and the reason was standing before him, smiling with a huge pile of notes in his arms.

    ¡°You really¡­ plan to make that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have confidence that this is worthy of teaching me the manufacturing method of ether reactors.¡±

    Eru¡¯s cheerfully replied to the words Knut squeezed out. Lucky I had a look before it was presented to the King¡ª Knut wanted to praise himself.

    The document Eru showed to him had the Silhouette Knight and the draft design that was planned to be shown to the King. This ¡®thing¡¯ that threw out all sorts of common sense could still be submitted to His Majesty, but not directly like this. Knut sighed deeply and realised he needed to keep this ridiculous existence, named Ernesti, in check.

    ¡°Pardon my intrusion!!¡±

    Knut¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a third party. Without waiting for a reply, the commander of the Red Rabbit, Molten, barged straight in.

    Even a Commander of the Knights would be faulted if he interrupted the conversation of a Duke with his guest. But, Knut could tell it was an emergency from Molten¡¯s demanour.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Smoke signals from the direction of ¡®Dallier Village¡¯ has been spotted¡­ the smoke is ¡®red¡¯, probably a group of Demon beasts above duel level.¡±

    Demon beast above duel level, and an entire group; this meant ¡®death¡¯ for villages with limited defenses. Knut decided immediately¡ª

    ¡°Molten, you had already ordered the pilots to sortie, right? Sent at least a company, and head at full speed for ¡®Dallier Village¡¯, we must protect the village!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord! We are making preparations. Once the team is ready, I will send the Red Rabbit Knights to attack!!¡±

    Molten bowed and charged out with the same speed he entered.

    ¡°There is no time to chat, I will command from the fort. You¡­ I can¡¯t just leave you here, come along with me.¡±

    Eru nodded and exited the room, following behind Knut.

 Book 2: Chapter 15: The things squirming in the darkness

    Under the clear blue skies, two figures were dragging their feet as they walked through the Laihiala Academy campus. It was the twins, Chid and Ady. The two of them, who were lectured along with their elder sister by their father, were also warned by the teachers after returning to school. Battered all over, the two of them walked gloomily along the corridor of the campus renowned for its size.

    They were out on a walk to change their mood, but they had a strong urge to give up on everything and just lie down on the ground. They were pushed forward by the need to ¡®check on Eru¡¯s situation¡¯. Squeezing out their last ounce of strength, the two made it to the pilot faculty¡¯s workshop, and rushed at the Boss when they saw him.

    ¡°The silver boy? He should be educating the Duke¡­ Cough, cough, explaining to the Duke right now.¡±

    ¡°... Eeeerrruuuu¡­¡±

    The Boss looked at the exhausted twins, who collapsed onto the floor with a mix of sympathy and pity. The two of them realised that if they had asked the Boss from the start, they wouldn¡¯t have blown the matter up, so they were laughing dryly, too.

    ¡°And, so, the boy won¡¯t be back so soon. Ara, what a rare sight. The Duke even cried¡­¡±

    The Boss said as he stroked his beard, and the twins just muttered an acknowledgement on the ground. The Boss didn¡¯t really mind and simply nodded. He then started explaining the things decided at Casadesus. The Boss thought of the twins as people related to the development of the new model, and he felt the obligation to inform them accordingly.

    ¡°Just sit there; it¡¯s fine. The new model is under the charge of the Duke now. This means the development project would be directed by the Duke. Depending on their progress, the craftsmen here might be sent to the NTR Lab, or some factory to manufacture the new model.¡±

    The tired Chid lifted his head in surprise.

    ¡°Are you going to leave, Boss?¡±

    Chid couldn¡¯t conceal the loneliness in his voice. For Chid and Ady, the senpais in the pilot faculty weren¡¯t playmates like their friends in class, but comrades on the same team, an existence similar to older brothers. When the twins heard they were going to leave, it hurt them a little.

    ¡°I was going to graduate next year, anyway, so don¡¯t show such an expression.¡±

    The Boss poked Chid¡¯s forehead, wanting to dismiss the gloomy air. But, the power of a dwarf¡¯s fist was so powerful that it made Chid fall over.

    As Ady pulled away, the Boss cleared his throat and went back to the topic.

    ¡°Ah¡ª there¡¯s one more thing. The reason why the boy has yet to return¡­ is probably due to them squabbling over how to handle him.¡±

    ¡°Handle¡­ Eru?¡±

    ¡°Yup. The boy said he wanted to stay in the academy until graduation, but, honestly speaking, the circumstance doesn¡¯t allow this. We also did our best to develop the new model, but the ¡®essence¡¯ of the boy was different from us. It¡¯s impossible for him to keep the status quo and continue schooling.¡±

    The twins spent a bit of time understanding what the Boss said. They just heard the Boss was leaving, and adding in this dire news made the faces of the twins turn green.

    ¡°Eh¡­ Nee, nee, Boss, do you mean, Eru will go to the NTR Lab, too?¡±

    ¡°Eru¡­ Will leave!?¡±

    This was a possibility they had never considered. With the introduction of the new machines, there was no telling if they could become a Knight. But, they had always assumed that they would be together with Eru until they graduated. This wasn¡¯t a one sided wish, the three of them were classmates with the same ambition, after all. But there had been a drastic change to the situation, stopping this path they had always taken for granted. The shocking content made the twins hang their heads in silence. The Boss wanted to call out to them, and at this moment¡ª

    Chid lifted his head, his body emitting a steel resolve.

    ¡°I have decided. I will find Eru immediately.¡±

    Chid¡¯s soft words stunned the Boss and Ady, who turned towards him.

    ¡°Damn it, how long do you think it would take? It¡¯s not so simple that you can go, if you want to! And, the boy will be back sooner or later, there is no rush¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I want to find him now!! And, ask him face to face!! I won¡¯t allow him to stay there by himself!!¡±

    Chid who was usually lazy became full of anger, showing the others his determination.

    ¡°Calm down, how will you get to somewhere so far away?¡±

    ¡°Silhouette gear! With that, we could move faster than a horse!!¡±

    Ady raised her fist as well, making the Boss hold his head with a headache. He knew the twins were the pupils of Eru, so they could actually do it, if they wanted to. But the trip to Casadesus was easier said than done. Domestic travel with the Kingdom of Fremmevira was paved with danger. Only those with experience and adequate preparation could survive the trip. No matter how good the twins were, they were definitely underestimating the dangers. The Boss was doing all that he could to stop their recklessness.

    But, the one who stopped the agitated twins was a calm voice that came from behind.

    ¡°And, of course, we won¡¯t let you do that.¡±

    Edgar grabbed the twins by their arms, restraining them.

    ¡°Edgar-senpai!? Unhand me!¡±

    ¡°No. Both of you listen up, the journey to Casadesus is dangerous! Even with Silhouette gears and your skills, I won¡¯t permit you to go. I understand¡­ how you feel, but we can only wait for now.¡±

    The twins were still calm enough to not draw their staves. Edgar was grabbing their arms; mere children wouldn¡¯t be able to break free without using physical boost. It became a match of tug of war. Helvi and Dietrich who walked towards them from behind watched them with a troubled expression.

    ¡°... Oh right, Di, that thing isn¡¯t repaired yet, right?¡±

    An awkward atmosphere was hanging over the workshop because of the intense debate, when these untimely words were uttered. Under the gaze of everyone present, the Boss smiled mischievously, and gestured behind him with his chin. Everyone was baffled by the sudden change in topic, but they still looked in the direction indicated.

    Before them, a machine that was being repaired was seated on the Silhouette Knight repair platform at the end of the room. It was customised with strand crystal tissue with the primary armour, the outer skin had not been installed yet. One man reacted strongly to the armour that was painted red.

    ¡°It¡¯s Guyale! I remember it was only half finished when you all set off for Casadesus. Ara, it is almost complete¡­ Nee, Boss, isn¡¯t the construction of the new model under the purview of the Duke and had been stopped? What are you planning?¡±

    Guyale¡¯s pilot, Dietrich, turned from joy to troubled, an expressive face.

    ¡°Well, we won¡¯t be building new ones, but it would be a shame to stop those that were half done. So, we will finish this one.¡±

    Dietrich asked gleefully, while the Boss nodded his head while explaining. The others ignored the two who were chatting harmoniously and was puzzled.

    ¡°The new models are under the charge of the Duke, so we can¡¯t just leave this one here in Laihiala. We can¡¯t trouble the Duke over such a small matter, so we have to deliver it over, right?¡±

    The smile on Dietrich¡¯s face froze, while Edgar and Helvi, who were starting to understand what the Boss was saying had a complicated expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe for Guyale to travel alone, Edgar, bring your Earlecumber along. We will follow in carriages, so we can make repairs if needed on the way there. And, we might have extra passengers on the way back.¡±

    Understanding what he was trying to say, Chid and Ady stared at the Boss with wide eyes. The face of the Boss covered under his beard had a wide grin.

    ¡°Hey, Boss, even if you want to help them, you shouldn¡¯t spoil them like this.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡ª? I am not doing this for them, it just so happen that I have ¡®some business there¡¯. But, things might not go so smoothly.¡±

    Edgar who heard this couldn¡¯t help but shrug. The Boss was definitely going out of his way for the twins. But, Edgar could only hold back a wry smile.

    ¡°Hee¡ª I didn¡¯t think you would be so nice to kids, Boss.¡±

    ¡°Hmmp, those who have wielded a hammer with me are my brothers, a Dwarf would never ignore a brother in trouble¡­ The boy is their friend, right? There¡¯s no better time to help them.¡±

    The Boss puffed his chest out righteously, and the others could only give a bitter smile. Edgar wanted to stop the twins, but he understood how it was to part with friends, and wanted to aid them too. These actions were very ¡®intentional¡¯, but Edgar understood the importance of keeping up appearance and let go of the twins¡¯ hands.

    The two children happily bumped their fist against the Boss. This scene warmed the hearts of the maintenance department, who were watching them bicker. They rolled up their sleeves and started moving purposefully.

    ¡°The outer skin is about eighty percent complete! Just a bit more!¡±

    ¡°We can use the spare parts for the delicate areas. Get the crane over here, install this quickly!¡±

    The warm atmosphere a second ago was gone. The workshop regained its vigour of fire and iron, operating as usual. With the noise of rollers as the background, it overlapped with the noise of the crisp sounds of metal being hammered. After their experience in the recent days, the skills of the maintenance crew had grown even more. Under their skillful hands, the red Silhouette Knight became closer to completion.

    ¡°... Sob, are we taking Guyale away? It is finally repaired¡­ Should I ask Casadesus to hire me directly?¡±

    ¡°Di, well¡­ Cheer up.¡±

    In the hot and steamy workshop, Dietrich was the only one watching the red machine being finished in sadness.

    The Red Rabbit Knights saw the smoke signals and were dispatched to its source, Dallier village. The company comprised of nine Karrdator and one command Karrdialia. As the distance was relatively near, the Silhouette Knights travelled at a pace faster than normal.

    All villages in the kingdom of Fremmevira have walls that could repel Demon beasts. But normally, villages won¡¯t be able to erect walls that surround itself completely. Instead, they would focus on the village centre, building reinforced walls there and erecting a mini stronghold with supplies to tide over the danger. When they were attacked by Demon beast that couldn¡¯t be defeated by humans, the villagers would seek refuge there, raise the smoke signal and waiting for the Knights stationed nearby to help them.

    The stronghold was small, but as the last line of defence for the lives of the villagers, it was built to be very sturdy. But, the smoke signal was red this time, meaning duel level Demon beasts were attacking. Facing monsters that could match up against the strongest weapon of humanity, the Silhouette Knights, the fortress couldn¡¯t hold on indefinitely. The Knights suppressed their anxiety as they rushed to the Dallier village.

    There was quite a number of duel level Demon beasts in the nation, so, such attacks were common. But, when the Red Rabbit Knights reached Dallier village, the Demon beast weren¡¯t just one or two¡ª there were more than a dozen duel level Demon beast around the village, with numerous mid-level beasts congregating there. The entire village had been morphed into the playground of the Demon beasts.

    The scene before them made the cavalry scouts shiver in disbelief. They could see armoured bear, blunt dragon, flaming tiger and all sorts of Demon beasts. Each of these Demon beasts lived in the area around here, but they all have their own territory and wouldn¡¯t act in concert. It was unfathomable for them to be gathered here like this. All of them were in an aggressive state; there were even some fighting among themselves.

    The scouts advanced cautiously, and found something that shouldn¡¯t be happening. Reflected in their eyes was the ruins of the sturdy walls that was supposed to protect the villagers. An armoured bear was sticking its head into the stronghold, savouring ¡®something¡¯. The company leader piloting the Karrdialia issued his order without hesitation, once he received the report from the scouts.

    ¡°All units, charge into the village centre at full speed. Wedge shaped formation; take down all the Demon beasts in our way. Protect the stronghold at all cost!!¡±

    Charging into the centre of the Demon beast encirclement was suicidal, but there was no voice of opposition coming from the pilots and they acknowledged firmly instead. The company adopted the wedge formation with amazing speed, kept their shields and equipped their Silhouette arms and swords. They were prioritising their offence over their defence. With the command from the company captain, the group began their assault.

    The sprinting giants were as loud as thunder, drawing the attention of the Demon beasts. The Karrdators¡¯ Silhouette arms ¡®Culverin¡¯ glowed brightly from the charging Overed spell and blasted at the Demon beasts mercilessly. The Karrdators seemed to be chasing their own magic shots as they ran, forging the shortest path to the centre of the village with brute force.

    Although the Demon beasts had the advantage in numbers, they were scattered all over the place. The company repelled the Demon beasts with their tight formation, making it to the stronghold in one push.

    The sound of explosions finally grabbed the attention of the armoured bear that was sticking its head into the stronghold. Lifting its head slowly, the beast growled unhappily for being disturbed in the middle of its meal, turned its head back¡ª and lost its chance to put up a fight. A roar of thunder came at it as the entire company fired a barrage from their culverin, before rushing at it en masse.

    ¡°Die! Bastard!!¡±

    The vanguard of the wedge formation did not slow down, moving forth with the momentum of the Karrdialia and struck with its spear.

    Although the armoured bear had hardened skin, it couldn¡¯t guard against the rampage of the Karrdialia. The strike hit the armoured bear in the head, piercing the skin and smashing its insides, killing the armoured bear instantly. The Karrdialia did not slow down and crashed into the carcass of the armoured bear.

    In order to protect the company captain, who took care of the Demon beast splendidly, the other Karrdators changed their formation immediately, arranging themselves in a semi-circle outside the hole. They had an aura which screamed ¡®You shall not pass!¡¯. The other Demon beast became more ferocious when they smelt the scent of the armoured bear¡¯s blood, and swarmed up in a frenzy. Facing the tsunami coming at them, the Karrdators stood their ground.

    The first wave of the attacks had reduced the Demon beasts¡¯ numbers, so, that they were about on par with the company, but the reckless charge into the midst of the Demon beast group left them in a crisis. The assault earlier depleted most of the mana pool, limiting their means of attack. Mana was being created as the ether reactor groaned with the intake of air, but it couldn¡¯t keep up with the depletion rate the machines were using to evade the Demon beasts¡¯ vicious attacks.

    Blocking the fire of the flaming tigers with shields, dodging the tail whips of the blunt dragons, taking on the charge of the armoured bears. Utilising the intelligence of humans, which the Demon beasts lack, the Silhouette Knight overcame the crisis with teamwork and their skills, but were constantly in danger, just like walking on a tight rope.

    ¡°We will never retreat! Exterminate them right here!!¡±

    Breaking the stalemate was the company captain. The high performance command Karrdialia was damaged in the assault of the armoured bear, but it still took out the Demon beast that engaged him. Before the mana of the machine was completely exhausted, it delivered the last burst of attack.

    The battle ended shortly after that. The Knights who gained the advantage in numbers charged into the enemy¡¯s formation and achieved victory. After taking down the last duel level Demon beast, the mid-sized Demon beasts were all repelled.

    All machines in the company were damaged. Three of them were half destroyed, another two were total losses. It was a close victory, but they completed their mission.

    After the long battle ended and the area was secured, it was already dark. The support units on standby outside entered and provide relief to the survivors. Bonfires were set up around the stronghold and tents were erected to tend to the wounded. It was a disaster within the stronghold; the armoured bear that broke through the walls killed half the population of Dallier village.

    The surviving villagers expressed their thanks to the Knights for making it in the nick of time. There were some who thought ¡®if only the Knights came earlier¡¯ or ¡®I will mourn for the neighbour who passed on¡¯. But the most important thing was that they were still alive. Everyone congratulated each other for living on. This was the unique thought process of citizens who lived alongside ¡®Demon beasts¡¯. Their cold and extremely positive attitude became the motivating force supporting them in this harsh environment.

    Apart from the loss of lives, the damage to the buildings was great, too. The Knights weren¡¯t just tasked with driving the Demon beasts out. In situations like this, when the Demon beasts caused large scale damages, the Knights would be stationed there temporarily, ensuring the safety of the area and assisting with restoration works. Only in emergencies, such as this will the Silhouette Knight be used as extremely strong construction machines. It won¡¯t be used in this way normally, because the cost would outweigh the benefits. The scene of ten meter tall Karrdators repairing the houses would carry on for quite some time.

    As the repairs of the village began officially, two Karrdators capable of walking by themselves were dispatched to fort Casadesus to report the safety of the village and the start of restoration works. They will need to request reinforcement from the fort to retrieve the badly damaged machines.

    The pilots only did basic repairs to the machine and returned to base, consoling the partner whose machine short circuits every now and then. The journey was uneventful, and they reached the forest near Fort Casadesus in no time. They will reach the Fort after passing through the woods. Bearing news of victory, they advanced along the forest path while chatting casually.

    While the company of Red Rabbit Knights were subjugating the Demon beasts in Dallier village, a shadow that wasn¡¯t the Knight¡¯s support units was observing from the forest. The figure was covered with a cloth that blended with the forest, hard to detect like a shadow.

    The shadow left the place after most of the duel level Demon beast had fallen, jumping onto a horse that was tied to a tree in the vicinity. The horse walked slowly and silently through the forest for a while before a cabin came into view.

    The cabin was originally the rest station for hunters working in the forest. It could be used as a refuge if they were chased by Demon beast. Made from sturdy logs, the cabin was small but durable. The shadow dismounted and rapped the door in a certain rhythm. After the sound of unlocking was heard, the door was opened.

    The cabin was unexpectedly crowded. Everyone was wearing dark coloured leather armour and seated around the table in the middle, discussing something. On the table was a map that detailed the terrain of the surroundings, with arrows and legends marked on it. The person that entered the cabin slowly unraveled the cloth around his body¡ª it was the man who got the information about the new model from the student in Laihiala Academy City.

    ¡°Captain, as expected, the Red Rabbit Knights defeated the Demon beasts.¡±

    ¡°I figured that would happen, those Knights exist for this very reason. How large was the dispatched forces?¡±

    ¡°About a company size.¡±

    The woman that was addressed by the man as Captain crossed her arms after hearing the report. She pointed out her sources that told her there were roughly three companies deployed at the Fort, so there should be two companies left in Casadesus plus the new models.

    ¡°Alright, withdraw the scouts. We will proceed as planned¡ª the job we have all been waiting for.¡±

    After saying that, the woman looked out of the window. There were figures that looked like the mythical giants in fairy tales, covered in canvas, vines and plants. The giants completely occupied the vast space around the cabin. The objects that were camouflaged by the items placed on them were silent, eagerly waiting the moment when they would be activated.

    In the workshop of Laihiala Academy¡¯s pilot faculty, the craftsmen were wielding their hammers as usual. The noise of the rollers could be heard overhead and a roar which could be heard over the entire din announced the conclusion of the final checks.

    A Silhouette Knight was seated on the giant chair-like repair platform.

    The chest armour was open, allowing easy access to the pilot cockpit. The craftsmen who were repairing the machine moved away as a student walked passed them towards the machine. Pilots¡ª those with the skills to manoeuvre Silhouette Knights and possessed the training of a Knight, the cadet of the pilot faculty. He boarded the machine and unlocked the control stick by his legs and pulled hard. The sound of gears clicking into place and the compression of air overlapped, closing the chest armour of the machine slowly.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Tellestarle wasn¡¯t bad, but I feel more at ease in here.¡±

    Dietrich leaned back in the cockpit of his repaired machine, ¡®Guyale¡¯, and was moved. With ninety percent damaged¡ª a never seen before number, the Silhouette Knight was reforged with the efforts of the craftsmen. Almost everything in the cockpit was replaced, the smell of new leather tickled Dietrich¡¯s nose.

    ¡°You had just been reborned, but I have to send you away. Ughh¡­¡±

    He had a face that ¡®looked good when he kept his mouth shut¡¯ which showed a bitter expression. Dietrich pushed the control stick lightly; it was the only thing that was salvaged from the destroyed cockpit. The wear and tear and familiarity troubled him. Even though it was contrary to the wishes of the Boss and the twins, it was still decided that the new models would be under the Duke¡¯s management now. He smiled wryly and shook his head, pushing his troubles behind him and opened the cap of the sound amplifier.

    ¡°Guyale is standing up, please clear the area.¡±

    Dietrich stepped on the pedal and operated the control sticks, and Guyale with his new outer skin followed the instructions of its master faithfully. The ether reactor came to life, the sound of the air intake revving noisily. The magius engine applied the mana from the reactor onto the scripts and the crystal tissue flexed accordingly, making the sound of tensing and moved the giant Knight. The armoured Knight trembled and after the gap of several months, the ¡®Crimson Knight¡¯ rose once again with heavy steps.

    Guyale stepped out from the edge of the workshop. Its shattered armour reforged with no sign of the damage it once had, reflecting the bright red glint under the sun. Because it was customised in the same way as the Tellestarle when it was repaired, the interior was totally new, even though it looked about the same on the outside. The back weapon had been installed on it with the Silhouette arms ¡®Kamast¡¯. Learning from its lesson from its weapons breaking, there were four swords equipped on its waist, with two of them being reserves, it was heavily armed.

    Guyale was a machine which focused on offense with dual blades. It might not have a shield, but the armour from its shoulder to its arms was reinforced to make up for its lack of defences. Standing beside the standard model Earlecumber, Guyale looked rather bulky.

    ¡°Alright, no problems from my side. Are the preparations ready?¡±

    Earlecumber, who was standing in front of the workshop raised a hand to acknowledge Dietrich. Aside from Earlecumber, there were two carriages and other familiar faces.

    ¡°David, isn¡¯t this Silhouette Knight a property of the academy? Handing it over like this troubles me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just for a moment, so, its fine. And, it had already been agreed that the Duke-sama would exchange each machine with a Karrdator. The number of machines in the campus would be the same.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the issue¡­ Well, forget it. The pilot faculty had been breaking the tradition all year long; it¡¯s too late to bring this up¡­¡±

    Dean Lauri, who had been more opened minded recently mumbled and waved his hand casually. Batson who was on a carriage said in a soft voice:

    ¡°Loading of the goods is completed¡­ Isn¡¯t this pushing it a bit too much? But, it won¡¯t fit if I don¡¯t do this.¡±

    Including the ones used by Chid and Ady, the three Silhouette gears¡ª Motor beats were secured with steel wire. Even though they were smaller than Silhouette Knights, not much space was left after squeezing in these large armours. Just three of them took up an entire carriage.

    ¡°Three? We are bringing Eru¡¯s machine along?¡±

    ¡°If we only bring ours, he will definitely throw a tantrum¡­¡±

    Chid and Ady nodded at each other. The Boss completed loading the other carriage and called out.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make a trip to Casadesus. Move out!¡±

    ¡°Understood¡ª! See you, Batson! We will bring Eru back!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡ª it¡¯s a rare chance, so lecture him in my place¡ª¡±

    The carriages set off quietly under the watchful eyes of everyone. The Boss, several maintenance staff and the twins sat in the carriages with the red and white Silhouette Knights following behind. Batson, who was left behind waved his hands for a while. Lauri changed his mood, turning his head back and said:

    ¡°We need to prepare for the Karrdator that will be coming. We might need the help of your juniors, so, plan with that possibility in mind.¡±

    The group acknowledged sparsely, and the craftsmen who were left returned to the workshop. Many things might have changed, but they were living their usual lives.

    This happened about a week ago¡ª

    A man walked on the streets of Laihiala Academy City, walking ahead without reservation towards a non-descript house. The people inside the house were surprised by the visit; even the tall woman sitting at the very end was surprised. But, she composed herself in no time and smiled mockingly, squinting her eyes with a hint of a threat and said:

    ¡°Ara, I wasn¡¯t expecting the envoy from the ¡®home country¡¯ to visit, this is a surprise.¡±

    The ¡®envoy¡¯ wasn¡¯t fazed, standing tall before the woman and spoke in a businesslike manner.

    ¡°... ¡®Kerhild Hietakangas¡¯, ¡®His Majesty¡¯ has orders for you and your ¡®Copper Fang Knights¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ara, His Majesty is so kind to address us as Knights.¡±

    Ignoring Kerhild¡¯s teasing, the envoy conveyed the purpose of his visit plainly.

    ¡°His Majesty is very curious about your report on the ¡®toy¡¯, and would like one to be sent to him. They are too extravagant for mere ¡®Demon beast guards¡¯, only our ¡®home nation¡¯ is worthy enough to have it. Obtain them by all means necessary and present it to His Majesty.¡±

    The orders were within her expectations, so Kerhild simply shrugged.

    ¡°We were just complaining about the mission being too boring, this came at the right time.. That¡¯s what I wanted to say, but that ¡®toy¡¯ is in some place called a Fort after all. And it is a bit too big to steal, you understand?¡±

    ¡°I get it, but, like I said, ¡®by any means¡¯. His Majesty knew about this¡­ so you can use ¡®everything you have¡¯.¡±

    A smile that came from the bottom of her heart surfaced on Kerhild¡¯s face for the first time. To supplement the description of her smile, it was like ¡®a predator that got its prey alive¡¯.

    ¡°Hee¡­ if everything is at my disposal, then, that includes the treasured ¡®Wendebadalla¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Of course, even ¡®cursed bait¡¯ is fine too.¡±

    The answer that went beyond Kerhild¡¯s imaginations made her eyes widen before she burst into laughter.

    ¡°Haha! This is interesting! Ara, the miser Majesty is being generous this time! He must really like this ¡®toy¡¯.¡±

    From the depths of the narrow eyes of the envoy, strong determination could be seen, but Kerhild didn¡¯t mind at all. She didn¡¯t care about others when she talked or acted.

    ¡°Sigh, guess we have to do this¡­ The men are prepared. Help me convey to the ¡®Dear Majesty¡¯, I will definitely deliver what he desires.¡±

    ¡°... Very good. Those Demon beast guards should be very pleased with themselves right now and let their guard down, so act with haste.¡±

    After this, the envoy turned and left after completing his job. Kerhild who watched the envoy leave couldn¡¯t help smiling as she said to the others.¡±

    ¡°How cold, just like usual. Never mind, men! After being chased to this hell hole of a country, we are finally in luck!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right; it¡¯s our win if we complete this mission!¡±

    The men around her were all in high spirits. The smile on Kerhild¡¯s face darkens.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s bring the ¡®toy¡¯ the Demon beast guards are so proud of as a gift.¡±

    And, so, the ¡®Copper Fang Knights¡¯ began their operation in this country silently.

    One week later, ¡®Acquart Forest¡¯ near Fort Casadesus.

    In the dense Acquart Forest, it was dim even in the middle of the day and the air was heavy and still. The path through the forest was illuminated by sunlight, making the surroundings brighter. But, outside the range of the sunlight, a group of people were squirming in the depths of the vegetation. They were wearing dark coloured armour that didn¡¯t draw much attention, prone and keeping still, waiting for the right moment. Aside from the occasional chirping of the birds, it was absolutely silent.

    After an unknown period of time had passed, a shadow meandered through the forest. Wearing dark coloured armour similar to his comrades, he reported.

    ¡°Captain, message from ¡®reindeer¡¯: ¡®The hunter had put down the prey¡¯.¡±

    After hearing the quiet report from her subordinate, the Copper Fang Knight Commander, Kerhild Hietakangas, instructed softly:

    ¡°Alright boys, are you ready? Activate ¡®Wendebadalla¡¯.¡±

    The subordinate nodded and disappeared into the depths of the forest without much noise.

    This group was known as the Copper Fang Knights, but normal ¡®Knights¡¯ won¡¯t be able to conceal themselves and hide in the darkness to execute their plans. Calling them a ¡®band of Knights¡¯ was almost a mockery¡ª they were an existence known as ¡®spies¡¯. For them to act in a group, it meant that their goal wasn¡¯t simple.

    The birds resting on the trees became agitated, chirped and flew away. At the same time, A giant object that was camouflaged behind them was preparing to stand up slowly. That object which was about five times the size of a human showed its true form. It was a humanoid machine made from steel and crystal tissue¡ª Silhouette Knights.

    The Silhouette Knight known as ¡®Wendebadalla¡¯ to Kerhild and the others had many strange features: A smooth exterior, partial armour, visible Demon beast leather, two holes on its oval head for vision, with its lifeless eye crystal swaying inside. The skinny appearance felt unpleasant.

    Most incredible of all, ¡®Wendebadalla¡¯ did not make any churning noise unique to Silhouette Knights. The sound of the air intake was soft and vague, blending into the noise of the forest.

    Somehow, the crystal tissue that should be emitting a shrill string-like instrument noises were almost silent, and its footfall was non-existent compared to other machines.

    The faceless giant with a thin presence was like a spirit in the dim forest. Kerhild watched its blurry figure and smiled deviously.

    ¡°You are the trump card we worked so hard to smuggle in, so show us what you are made of. Okay, get ready for battle. There is only one chance, so don¡¯t screw this up. Give it your best shot!¡±

    She waved her hand and the three Wendebadallas started advancing in silence. The squirming spirits headed towards the main road of the forest, where the two Karrdators would definitely pass through. They were waiting for the Red Rabbit Knights who were bringing news from Dallier Village.

    When the spirits detected the Knights, they went forth like a shadow, approaching them from behind quietly.

    The pilots of the Karrdator weren¡¯t careless. It might have looked like they were strolling casually, but, they were watching their surrounding carefully, looking for Demon beast that might pop out. But, their focus was on the sound. The more threatening the Demon beast, the bigger the disturbance, so they had been trained to ignore the unnatural sound emitted from their machine. That was why the Knights didn¡¯t notice the spirits sneaking up on them, concealed by the noise of their machines churning.

    Sneaking behind the Karrdator without a sound, the Wendebadalla closed in speedily. In their hands was a thrusting weapon stiletto. Sacrificing combat prowess for speed and stealth, the Wendebadalla had below average power, light armour and lacked endurance. In a straight up fight, it would take three Wendebadalla to match up against one Karrdator. It¡¯s a pure assassin type.

    The stiletto was aimed at the flank of the machine. The arm joint of the Silhouette Knight was thin; it was at best covered by chain armour or Demon beast leather. In order to draw in air into the reactor, intake valves were usually situated above the abdomen, and the chest cavity had the most fragile part of the Silhouette Knight ¡ª the pilot. That was the biggest weakness of the Silhouette Knight.

    The Wendebadallas hugged the Karrdators from behind, stabbing the blade into the flank. The weapon specialised for thrusting attacks pierced the thin armour easily, hitting the pilots inside. Before the pilots of the Karrdator could react, the blade of the giant took his life. The Karrdator didn¡¯t move, stopping like a puppet that lost its strings. A Silhouette Knight that lost its pilot won¡¯t go out of control like living beings. Seeing both Karrdator stop, Kerhild laughed softly.

    ¡°Alright, things are progressing smoothly. Let¡¯s make the next move, get ready!¡±

    After the Wendebadalla slowly laid the Karrdator onto the ground, the soldiers came out from the woods. The Stiletto could take out the pilot in one hit in most cases, and had the advantage of damaging just the armour, intake valve and the pilots. This meant it wouldn¡¯t affect the operation of the Silhouette Knights much. If someone else controlled it, the Karrdator could be moved once again.

    They ¡®cleaned up¡¯ the pilots of the Karrdator, and sat into the bloody cockpit without hesitation. And, so, the Karrdator became real spirits and slowly stood up. The ironic thing was that the Karrdator which was easy to control benefitted the assassins. The Karrdator which fell into enemy hands as though nothing had happened walked forth steadily, while the Wendebadalla blended into the darkness of the woods once again. The spirits marched step by step towards Fort Casadesus.

 Book 2: Chapter 16: The fire of fort Casadesus

    The warm sun set behind Mount Aubigne and the scenery was enveloped in darkness with the chill of the autumn breeze. The wind made the guards on duty at Fort Casadesus shiver. His companions who had left to light up the torches everywhere had returned to the observation post.

    ¡°Sigh, guard duties are going to get even more tiring in the coming season.¡±

    ¡°You are right, I want to change shift and rest soon¡­¡±

    The two talking with each other heard the heavy footfalls of a large presence approaching and looked tense. They observed the situation on the road from above the city gate. In the dim light before the city fell completely into darkness, they identified the giant Knight wearing green armour.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a Karrdator? The company sent to Dallier Village?¡±

    ¡°Hold on, let me confirm¡­ Yes, that¡¯s our crest.¡±

    Seeing the crest of the Red Rabbit Knights on the shoulders of the approaching Karrdator, a weird noise could be heard. It might be some damaged parts jamming, the Karrdator made clanking sounds every time it moved. The damage seemed rather severe. The guards saluted them and asked:

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. How¡¯s the situation at Dallier Village?¡±

    ¡°The village is badly damaged, but we took care of the Demon beasts.¡±

    The pilot in the Karrdator said that they were piloting the badly damaged machine in the Dallier Village expedition, and were sent back to bring news of their victory. Acknowledging the report, the guards opened the gates. The Karrdator on duty manipulated the control of the gate, and the entrance to the fort opened slowly with the grinding of wood against wood.

    The two returning Karrdator and the carriage following behind entered, showered by the praise and greetings of the guards. If you come home victorious, even wounds would be a glorious medal. No wonder the guards were so excited.

    ¡°The damage is terrible, park the machine in the workshop before reporting in.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I was planning to do that.¡±

    After saluting stiffly at the Karrdator stationed at the gate, the two damaged Karrdators moved slowly towards the workshop. There was a carriage following behind, but the guards assumed it was just carrying supplies, so, no one paid it any heed.

    Seeing the damaged machines enter the workshop, the craftsmen working on the other machines gathered in a hurry. As a precaution, the other machines had already been inspected, ready to be deployed. The Knights received orders to standby, too and were gathered at the guard room near the workshop.

    The leading craftsmen barked out orders when he saw the Karrdator making weird noises and moving stiffly, and the maintenance team brought in spare parts in a hurry. The two Karrdators walked slowly towards the repair platform where the other machines were placed. That was normal, but the carriage was following them into the workshop too, which was puzzling. All the pilots were in the guard room, were the craftsmen following the company inside? But, with the operation still going on, they wouldn¡¯t sent people back needlessly. When a craftsman thought about that and was about to question them about the carriage, something flew out from it.

    Several arrows flew through the air with a dull sound, hitting the craftsman right in the chest. As he fell to the ground puking blood, a few armed members burst out of the carriage at the same time. While, the Karrdators walking towards the repair platform revealed their true colours, pulling out their swords swiftly, their stiff actions moments ago was a ruse. They swung their blades at the entrance to the workshop, shattering the structure and blocking the way with debris. Cutting off reinforcements, the intruders fired their crossbows and wielded their swords, disposing of the remaining repair personnel in the workshop. The last person to dismount from the carriage was the Captain of the Copper Fang Knights¡ª Kerhild.

    ¡°You lot guard the front! How long do you need to deal with mere craftsmen!? Hurry up and steal that thing!¡±

    The Copper Fang Knights occupied the workshop in the blink of an eye, blocking the entrance to the workshop with the stolen Karrdator as they searched the workshop. Moments later, a member shouted for Kerhild¡¯s attention. Looking over, Kerhild saw a plain colored machine that was different from the Karrdator. Seeing the new model that looked out of place, Kerhild was confident the plan was going to work.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it¡­ Just as I thought. Alright boys, prepare to pack it up¡­!¡±

    The Copper Fang Knights were just spies after all. Individual combat prowess aside, there weren¡¯t many skilled pilots among them. Due to the necessity of the raid, everyone gathered here had piloting skills. As Kerhild activated the target ¡®toy¡¯, the others boarded the Karrdator on scene. They could only take three Karrdator, the rest of the Karrdator couldn¡¯t be activated.

    ¡°The extras might get in the way, get rid of them. The guards are coming soon, no time to drag on, move!¡±

    Following her instructions, the Karrdator cut down the other machines seated on the repair platform. The unmanned machines were easily destroyed and reduced to scraps.

    The Red Rabbit Knights noticed something was wrong in the workshop. The Karrdator in charge of manning the gates rushed to the workshop because of the commotion, and was pounced on by another Karrdator.

    ¡°Damn it! What are these guys doing? They are stealing our Karrdator!!¡±

    The Red Rabbit Knights couldn¡¯t get a hold of the situation, they only knew the intruders had captured some of the Karrdators and occupied the workshop.

    Even though they lacked information, they still retaliated ferociously. That was natural, as the enemy stole their Karrdators and messed up their home base, how could they stay calm? They forgot about their confusion and attacked fiercely. But the high spirited Red Rabbit Knights fell into a panic once again when they saw the familiar machines behind the Karrdator.

    ¡°That¡­ could it be¡­!!¡±

    Their appearance weren¡¯t standardise, a sign of a rushed job. The back weapons that the other machines had, gave off an intimidating aura. The new prototype Silhouette Knight ¡®Tellestarle¡¯ advanced with strong steps threatening to smash the floor of the workshop. All five machines sent by Laihiala Pilot Academy had fallen into the hands of the Copper Fang Knights.

    ¡°What power¡­ it¡¯s more amazing than they said, like an untamed horse!¡±

    A weird sensation came from the control stick, making Kerhild, who was piloting one of the Karrdators curse. They knew the basics of the Tellestarle from the documents they obtained in advance, but, it was unbelievably hard to actually pilot it. Even experienced veterans would need some time to get used to its uniqueness.

    ¡°Who said these are second rate products made by students? Making me waste so much effort¡­ Oh, so, this is the back weapon.¡±

    She followed the ¡®instructions she learned beforehand¡¯ to manipulate the unfamiliar control stick, and the Tellestarle faithfully moved in accordance to the pilot¡¯s command. The auxiliary arms started moving, placing the Silhouette arms onto its shoulders. Kerhild felt a slight tremour from the pilot seat, squeezing the trigger after the weapons had been deployed.

    She didn¡¯t even aim seriously, and the magic shot fired straight ahead into the Red Rabbit Knights¡¯ formation. Explosion from the Overed spell spread further chaos, a signal of the coming nightmare.

    Knut Dixgard, who was inside the commander office of the fort stared at the ceiling unhappily as he listen to the explosion from the distance, and the tremour in the room. He turned his gaze towards the member of the Red Rabbits who had came to report.

    ¡°Well then, how many intruders are there?¡±

    ¡°Sir! They had two Silhouette Knights and ten soldiers on foot in the beginning. They have taken over the workshop, and stolen several of our Karrdators.¡±

    Knut might look calm before his subordinate, but he was actually fuming inside. The intruders targeted the Silhouette Knights of the Red Rabbit Knights. No, since they were occupying the workshop that must have been their plan all along. Knut might be furious, but he had to admit that this was an efficient method to attack the fort.

    At the same time, Knut was baffled by the objectives of the invaders. They didn¡¯t seem to be much to gain from destroying the fort and stealing the Silhouette Knights. In this nation that was infested with Demon beasts, almost no one would benefit from the fall of a fort and its Knights. It was the same with the Silhouette Knights. The strongest weapon of humanity had the power of over a hundred men, but was costly to maintain with expendable parts. The ones who could ¡®benefit¡¯ would be the nobles who used them to protect the citizens and the merchants escorting their cargo. Both would benefit from proper channels, so there was no need to risk such an attack.

    ¡°Commander Molten is engaging with ¡®Hymerwort¡¯!¡±

    The report from a Knight rushing in, pulling Knut out of his thoughts, and he lift his head. The Commander of the Red Rabbit Knights, Molten was joining the fray.

    With him and Hymerwort, the Knights might wrest back the initiative.

    ¡°... I¡¯m counting on you, Molten.¡±

    Knut who saw a ray of hope mumbled softly as if in prayer. The next second, an exceptionally loud boom and tremour reverberated within the fort. Knut¡¯s eyes darkened, the battle seemed to be getting more intense.

    The overed spell fired by the Silhouette arms blazed through the air, hitting the ground before the Red Rabbit Knight¡¯s Karrdator. With the explosion of the spell, a large dust cloud was kicked up. The Karrdator who were fighting intensely with the enemy put up their shields and retreated in defence. The Tellestarles which were firing their back weapons moved stiffly, moving cautiously towards the courtyard of the fort.

    The Red Rabbit Knights opposing them felt a moment of unease. The tables had turned, the Red Rabbits Knights had six Karrdator; one machine on the intruder¡¯s side was done, so there were four Karrdator and five Tellestarle, so they had the advantage in numbers. And, the power of the Tellestarle was clear for all to see. The Red Rabbit Knights knew about the stellar performance of the Tellestarles from the fight against the shaker worms, but they had never piloted it before and couldn¡¯t judge the situation clearly, leaving them overly guarded.

    The Red Rabbit Knights hesitated on taking the offensive and the short stalemate made the Copper Fang Knight feel as if they were walking on thin ice. Kerhild couldn¡¯t help complaining.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the ease of control the strong point of the machines in this country!? Really, it¡¯s hard to fight like this; the wise choice would be to run¡­¡±

    ¡°The performance of the new models is better. We are lucky the equipment is in good shape.¡±

    Seeing her members moving the back weapon, Kerhild frowned.

    ¡°Only that thing is useful. Let¡¯s charge out while the enemies are still on their toes. Get ready.¡±

    The Red Rabbit Knights seemed to be hesitating because of their numbers, so this was a good chance. Even though Kerhild¡¯s gang had more machines, they didn¡¯t want to battle in machines that were so hard to handle. They used force to rob the machines; even with all five machines in hand, it was better for the damage to be minimal.

    Their plan was to retreat after getting the new models, so they had prepared a trap in advance. But, they needed to get away from the fort before activating it.

    Because of the difficulty in piloting the new model, the plan to break through with their numbers has changed. But, the advantage in numbers remained. They prepared to breakthrough before the Red Rabbit Knights realised the difficulties they are facing.

    ¡°Karrdators to the front! The new models support from behind!¡±

    This became the mission of the Karrdators, which were good in melee combat and were not a target. There were only four, but that was enough to handle the current situation. With the support of the spell shots from the Tellestarle, the courtyard of Fort Casadesus was gradually turning into rubble. The Karrdators of the intruders advanced using this opportunity. The Red Rabbit Knights who were on the defensive kept blocking with their shields as they fell back.

    ¡°Knights! Let me through!¡±

    Suddenly, a feral roar came from behind the Red Rabbit Knights, who were in a dire situation. The Knights¡¯ formation split to the side on reflex, and a Silhouette Knight went in with powerful momentum.

    That Silhouette Knight raised its warhammer high and swung it down mightily, hitting a charging enemy Karrdator like a magnet drawn to steel. The inertia of the hammer was converted to a shockwave, bending the Karrdator into a ¡®[¡¯ shape, shattering its armour and downing it. The impact didn¡¯t just pulverise the abdomen armour and crystal tissue, it even crushed the inner skeleton. The furious blow broke the morale of the intruders, and the Silhouette Knights who showed up taunted them after the blow.

    ¡°Look at the mess you made, thieves! Don¡¯t think you can get away with this!!¡±

    The machine spinned the hammer and lifted it again. It wasn¡¯t a Karrdator. The smooth and delicate outer skin was painted red; a majestic external armour was draped over its body. It was the personal Silhouette Knight of the Red Rabbits Commander, Hymerwort. The machine had its own hanger bay and wasn¡¯t harmed by the intruders.

    ¡°How imposturous to do as you please, I have to put you in your place. Don¡¯t hold back, slaughter them!!¡±

    Inside the cockpit, the Red Rabbit Commander, Molten Fredholm, pilot of Hymerwort was roaring like a bear in a bad mood due to hunger. The chaotic Red Rabbits regained their composure and formed up on either side of Hymerwort. The strongest Knight in the band, Hymerwort, steadied the heart of the troops.

    ¡°Knights, advance! Take down these dirty rats!!¡±

    Molten raised his hammer like a ceremonial staff. With his strong encouragement, the Red Rabbits took the offensive. The intruders still had the advantage in numbers, but the morale and teamwork of the Red Rabbits Knight was not to be taken lightly.

    Hymerwort overtook the advancing Karrdator and led the charge. The Tellestarles sent a few spells their way, but were deflected by the external armour. The flashy armour was damaged, but the main body was fine, charging on ahead. Hymerwort did not have any shields, but it was a heavy machine one size larger than Karrdators, the firepower from the Tellestarle won¡¯t be able to break through its armour so easily.

    Hymerwort braved through the hail of fire and swung its hammer when it reached the enemy, making a sound akin to an explosion. After witnessing what happened to the Karrdator opposing it, the enemy Karrdator scattered away.

    ¡°Good, get out of my way, small fries!!¡±

    This was exactly what Molten wanted. Hymerwort pulled back his hammer and lifted it overhead and continued forging ahead; Molten was after the Tellestarle situated at the back. The new models might be valuable, but it must not fall into enemy hands. Since the enemy was not resisting, Molten intended to charge over and destroy them.

    The hammer howled towards the Tellestarle piloted by Kerhild. Cursing the machine that was not moving as she wished, Kerhild managed to evade the giant hammer. But, Molten pulled back his hammer with a spin and followed up with an attack. Living up to his title of Knight Commander, Molten displayed his skills and attacked continuously with his hammer. Used in conjunction with his heavy armour and powerful machine, it could smash the intruders into pieces.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ This one is the Command Silhouette Knight? It¡¯s amazingly strong!!¡±

    Kerhild was gradually getting used to the machine in the short time she has controlled it. But, before she could master the controls, the merciless, consecutive attack forced her into a corner. As the hammer was about to deliver a devastating blow¡ª

    ¡°Captain!!¡±

    Before the hammer could accelerate, another Tellestarle got in the way with its shield. The movement was rugged, just an assault with brute force. But, it managed to stop the hammer that had accelerated halfway, leaving just a muffled sound.

    ¡°Annoying!!¡±

    The heavy machine, Hymerwort, pushed at the shield of the Tellestarle with its powerful strength. Even though it was similar in size to Karrdators, the power of the strand crystal tissue could match the heavy machine, standing up to Hymerwort. Seeing the Tellestarle wrestling on par with his unit, the surprised Molten twisted the lips under his moustache.

    ¡°Hmm, so this is the power of the new model, to think it could match my Hymerwort. Although I want it to be part of my Knights, it is a hindrance right now!!¡±

    The new models that fell into the hands of the opponents were troubling. With the size of a Karrdator and as powerful as the Hymerwort, it was like a bad joke. At this moment, the other Karrdators charged into the formation of the defenders, turning this into a chaotic battle. This move lowered the spirits of the Red Rabbits, forcing the fight into a stalemate again.

    ¡°Captain, now¡¯s our chance!!¡±

    Kerhild nodded at her subordinate. She understood this was the best opportunity to escape the fort. Hymerwort was too dangerous. They could stand up to it in terms of power output, but they would definitely lose if the battle dragged on.

    She had no intention of challenging the Commander of a Order of Knights in an unfamiliar machine. With no telling how long the Karrdator on her side could fend off the Red Rabbits, she had given up on escaping with all the Tellestarles.

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice, those who can still move follow me!!¡±

    Instead of fighting with the advantage in numbers, Kerhild prioritised on keeping the machines intact. That was the difference in principle between ¡®Knights¡¯ and ¡®spies¡¯. Their goal was not to defeat the enemy; battle was just a means to stall for time and a means to ensure safety. Kerhild treated all her subordinates on the field as a way to ¡®restrain¡¯ the enemy, firing randomly as she skirted around the battlefield, running towards the unguarded gates.

    Several shots destroyed the gates from the inside, making it losing its function as a door. A total of three Tellestarle piloted by Kerhild and her underlings ran onto the road in the night, beginning their escape.

    After breaking out from the chaotic fort, Kerhild and the others were not followed, so they just needed to follow the pre-arranged route to escape. They didn¡¯t take all the new models, but they still managed to get three. On the positive side, most of the Copper Fang Knights stayed behind to stall for time, sacrificing almost all the combatants, but, this was within their expectations.

    The Copper Fang Knights was a group that took on covert operations and lacked professional fighting prowess. The ¡®Wendebadalla¡¯ that took them much effort to smuggle in were their only direct combat units. Using these limited resources to infiltrate a foreign nation¡¯s fort and capturing their machines. Considering the cons of the operation such as the difficulty in piloting Tellestarle, ¡®just¡¯ losing the entire group of Knights was a great deal.

    Things were proceeding smoothly, but Kerhild was emotional and sighed with a complicated feeling of easiness, satisfaction, dissatisfaction and regret. She ignored the casualty of her Knights for the moment, shaking her head and thinking about her next move. She had to link up with the ¡®Wendebadalla¡¯ team on standby in Acquart Forest. With strong steps, they commanded the Tellestarle to run, their movement stiff but fast.

    Thin clouds covered the sky; the moon that was almost full illuminated the road by their feet. Three Tellestarle forged ahead without a word. Only the sound of the Silhouette Knights¡¯ footsteps could be heard. It was close to their rally point at the entrance of the forest. When Kerhild was about to slow down, she saw a red and white figure in the distance.

    The moon was bright tonight and the road up ahead was visible. Even without the moonlight, Kerhild had been trained to move in the dark and recognised the true identity of the faint light was Silhouette Knights. On the path to their escape route, a red and white Silhouette Knights were heading in the direction of the fort.

    Tch! I didn¡¯t hear anything about reinforcement!! Why are there Silhouette Knights at a place like this!?

    With all the combat units of Fort Casadesus tied up, there shouldn¡¯t be any pursuers. With the long distance to the other forts, even if they send an urgent message over, calling for aid, the intruders would probably be gone from Fremmevira by the time help arrives. Traveling at night was fraught with danger and would be avoided unless it''s an urgent matter. Kerhild couldn¡¯t understand why she would encounter Silhouette Knights at such a place. The enemy units that popped up made her agitated; Kerhild didn¡¯t know how much time her underlings at the fort could buy her. Right now, the thing they were lacking the most was time.

    Without the option of lying her way through, Kerhild decided to get rid of the obstacle. She signaled to her underlings and they nodded in silence. The three Tellestarle deployed their back weapons and attacked the red and white Silhouette Knights without warning.

    These events occurred moments earlier.

    Setting off from Laihiala Pilot Academy, the carriage ferrying the Boss and the twins, together with Guyale and Earlecumber had a smooth journey. Fort Casadesus was right before them, and they didn¡¯t meet with much trouble. With the destination right before them, the group was starting to get careless.

    ¡°This is much smoother compared to the previous trip.¡±

    ¡°We had a hard time back then. I won¡¯t welcome the shaker worms visiting now.¡±

    ¡°... You would probably not prefer the shaker worms to visit ever at all.¡±

    It was getting dark. Fortunately, the group could advance under the bright moonlight. It was taboo to travel at night, but they still persevered on marching towards Fort Casadesus that was not far ahead. They were a small group that could travel easily. Even with the Silhouette Knight escorts, they only had a carriage and a cargo wagon.

    They moved while they chatted¡ª and suddenly noticed an abnormality in front of them. The sound of heavy metal clanking came from the depths of the darkness along with sharp screeches, familiar sounds for a pilot¡ª the sound of Silhouette Knights churning. As they wondered who was running about recklessly in the night, without realising they were doing the same as well.

    The sound of footfalls became heavier; the other party came close enough to be discerned in no time. They watched with bated breath as they identified the Silhouette Knights appearing before them to be the new models built by them, and placed under the charge of Fort Casadesus. Not understanding why the other party was charging at them in full speed, they were surprised and confused.

    Even if something happened and there was a need to send the combat units out, they won¡¯t use the new models which were in the minority for the task. Furthermore, the pilots stationed at the fort were not trained to operate them, so there was no reason for them to use these special machines.

    ¡°What do you think, Di?¡±

    ¡°No idea, let¡¯s ask them.¡±

    They decided to confirm the situation, which was the best judgement they could make. But, what happened next was beyond their expectations. The approaching Tellestarle deployed their back weapons. Kerhild and the others on the Tellestarle would never stop at this place, so, they naturally attacked the machines before them. The unexpected attack from the back weapon had been more effective than melee combat so far.

    This shocked Edgar and Dietrich; they would never dream that they would be attacked by their allies¡¯ Tellestarle. They reacted in time because of their familiarity with this machine and the back weapons.

    Dietrich, who was piloting the reforged Guyale aside, and Edgar, who was piloting the old model reacted splendidly. Guyale drew his sword and deflected the shots with excellent swordsmanship; Earlecumber raised its shield, blocking the shots Guyale missed, protecting the carriage behind them.

    Seeing her opponent fending off the attack, Kerhild clicked her tongue and had to stop. Earlecumber opposed them from a distance. Edgar opened the cover to the sound amplifier.

    ¡°... We are cadets from Laihiala Pilot Academy with business with the Red Rabbit Knights, and on our way to Fort Casadesus. Why have you attacked us without identifying yourselves?! Please tell us if your reasons are justified!!¡±

    After hearing the angry speech from Edgar, the Tellestarle remained ominously silent. Kerhild had nothing to say to them. But, after hearing that, she finally knew where the red and white Silhouette Knights hailed from. She was relieved the opponents weren¡¯t professional Knights. They should be avoiding battle, but before her were just two school trainer models, so, she decided to break through with their superior skills. Tellestarles¡¯ power was also a big threat, even without any gimmicks, just crashing into them would leave any Knight or cadet¡¯s machine severely damaged. They had gradually gotten used to the movements of the machine and didn¡¯t think much about their adversary, preparing to assault from the front.

    But they didn¡¯t think about who made the new models they were piloting right now.

    ¡°... Edgar.¡±

    ¡°I know; I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    There was no doubt the silent and hostile Tellestarles were enemies. It was sad to slash at the machine they worked so hard to make, but the cadets didn¡¯t plan to give up. After the short exchange, the two of them moved out without hesitation. The red Silhouette Knight charged ahead with a strong step with the white Silhouette Knight following behind.

    One Tellestarle took on Guyale, swinging its sword while moving forward. The movement was crude, but fast and strong as well. It should be hard to block, but Guyale placed one sword behind the other and crossed swords with the Tellestarle, not losing to it in power at all.

    The Guyale directed the blow to the side, swinging its sword down diagonally. The Tellestarle¡¯s mighty blow was parried to the side, causing it to lose balance in its upper body. The Copper Fang Knight member tried to pull back the arms, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. The Tellestarle full of openings took the attack of Guyale¡¯s dual sword; the flowing steel blade seemed to be pulled to the Tellestarle¡¯s right arm, cutting it off at the joints. For the Tellestarle that used its left arm to wield a shield, it was as good as losing its primary means of attack.

    The face of the Copper Fang Knights member twisted from shock. He was experiencing how Molten felt earlier¡ª the opponent¡¯s power output was on par with his. But, there was a reason why this soldier had survived this long in the battlefield¨C he forcefully pulled back the falling machine and deployed its back weapon in an attempt to retaliate.

    ¡°Back weapons are strong, but the way you are using it is too naive!¡±

    Dietrich shouted and deployed Guyale¡¯s back weapon first. The Silhouette arms resting on its shoulders looked like short swords with a broad body. Dietrich took aim through the reticle displayed on the holo monitor and squeezed the trigger on the control stick.

    The Silhouette arms which received the command fired the magic shot out. It hit the back weapon of its adversary that was just about to shoot, the impact from the vacuum tearing at it, destroying the Silhouette arms of the Tellestarle. It was already off balanced, and with the blow to its upper body, it felt onto its back immediately. This exchange only took a few seconds.

    When that Tellestarle was clashing with Guyale, Earlecumber blocked the way of the other two machines. As they might hit their allies during melee combat, the other two Tellestarle turned their attention to Earlecumber. Even though it was two on one, and the enemies were using the new models, Edgar¡¯s action didn¡¯t seem wise. To exterminate Earlecumber, the Tellestarle Kerhild was piloting raised its sword while the other deployed its back weapon, planning to attack in unison.

    But, Earlecumber didn¡¯t moved as they expected¡ª Earlecumber stopped in its tracks halfway and shot at the ground with the Silhouette arms ¡®Culverin¡¯. The spell exploded, casting dust and debris in the air, using the smoke screen to blind the enemy.

    ¡°What cheap tricks!¡±

    Kerhild moved her machine back, the shots from the other machine failed to hit Earlecumber, flying through thin air. Earlecumber took a step back, raising its shield in defence. It was obviously baiting an attack, which made Kerhild hesitate.

    At this moment, a sound of something flying could be heard. Turning their heads, they could see Guyale attacking steadily, and the Tellestarle which fell to its blow. Kerhild didn¡¯t expect the new models to lose to a cadet trainer so easily. In her anxiety, she thought of a possibility.

    ¡°Could this be¡­ a new model!? I didn¡¯t hear about this, so there are more!?¡±

    There was no way she would know, the construction of this machine wasn¡¯t planned; and she would definitely not know it was a pair of willful twins that brought the red Knight to this place.

    When she realised what her adversaries were, she found her side in a tough situation. The opponent was the same model as Tellestarle, and from the looks of things, the pilot was very familiar with it. Compared to them, who were new to the controls, meeting a skilled pilot was a nightmare. They had fallen into a trap; the white machine was obviously a bait. While it was luring the enemy in and defending, the powerful red machine hunted down the other machine. Being tricked because of her carelessness made Kerhild grind her teeth, but the situation wouldn¡¯t change for the better like this. Could she defeat the red machine in the machine she couldn¡¯t control skillfully? She was not optimistic enough to bet on this possibility.

    Even at this critical juncture, they still found a weakness: the red machine was a new model, but the white one wasn¡¯t. They could tell from the way they fought earlier. If that was the case, if they could stop the red machine, it was possible to take down the white one. The next move was a gamble for them.

    Unfazed even when their allies had fallen and showing more spirit than before¡ª facing such cautious enemies, Edgar and Dietrich carefully took their stance. Both sides were looking for an opening and the battle became a stalemate.

    If there was a god of fate, it has not forsaken Kerhild. Something unexpected happened.

    ¡°Ughhhhhhh!!¡±

    The machine brought down by Guyale roared and sat up. It was a big matter for a Silhouette Knight to fall. When seated inside the cockpit of a ten meter tall Silhouette Knight, the pilot would be badly hurt if the machine fell over. Even with the protection of physical boost within the Silhouette Knight, the injury shouldn¡¯t be something you can shake off and start moving again. Dietrich who thought he had dealt with the enemy was caught off guard.

    ¡°What!? How tenacious!!¡±

    The Tellestarle charged with its shoulder down from the side, crashing into Guyale and bringing it down. The others couldn¡¯t react to the sudden development.

    ¡°How persistent! Di, are you okay!?¡±

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Earlecumber adopted a defensive stance. It was two on one again, and the enemy had Tellestarles, so Edgar had to prioritise on defending himself.

    Kerhild and his underlings fired their back weapon at the ground unhesitantly, returning what Earlecumber did earlier. A cloud of dust raised in the road that was only illuminated by moonlight. Edgar retreated further; a random barrage by the enemy would be dangerous enough. He lifted his shield in defence, but the shots didn¡¯t come and only the heavy footsteps moving gradually away could be heard. Using this chance while Guyale was hindered, Kerhild chose to escape.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Edgar!! Ugh, you bastard, stop bothering me!!¡±

    Dietrich who managed to break the fall when his machine fell was conscious, but was unable to move Guyale. Even though the Tellestarle that collided with him was half destroyed, it was still a new model. The distance was too close for him to gain an advantage with his piloting skills. With their powers evenly match, Guyale was pressed firmly onto the ground.

    ¡°Cough! Fu, haha¡­ don¡¯t need to hurry student, play with me a little¡­¡±

    As he spoke, he climbed onto the back of the anxious Dietrich. No matter how skilled Edgar was, the lone Earlecumber couldn¡¯t take on the two Tellestarle.

    ¡°Ke! This is dangerous, but I have to do this, get out of my face!!¡±

    Under the extremely close distance, Dietrich didn¡¯t think about his own safety and fired the ¡®Kamtha¡¯ mounted on the back weapon. The air that rushed into the vacuum became a burst of wind, the impact hitting both machines.

    While Guyale and Earlecumber was battling the Tellestarle, the boss and the others fled from the scene in their carriage, heading straight for Fort Casadesus. If they get dragged into the battle between Silhouette Knights, the carriage won¡¯t even last a second. If there were Tellestarles out here, the chances that something was up at the fort were high, and they had nowhere else to go, anyway.

    The horse was foaming at the mouth as it sprinted while dragging the fully loaded cargo. The canvas covering the cargo wagon snapped off, revealing an armoured figure secured with steel wires beneath standing up. It was the strangely shaped, two and a half metre tall Silhouette gear¡ª Motor beat.

    And, the one activating it were Chid and Ady. They brought their equipped weapon¡ª the portable ballista along under their arms, and carried a bag of spare rounds on their back, jumping off the wagon and started sprinting. True to its description of ¡®faster than a horse¡¯, the heavy armour sprinted with amazing speed. After training so much with Eru and the continual training with Silhouette gear, running was a piece of cake.

    Edgar was chasing the fleeing Tellestarle and noticed footfalls in the surroundings; two figures smaller than the Silhouette Knights appeared on both side of Earlecumber. Turning the neck of the machine, Edgar discovered the Silhouette gear that was about the height of a Silhouette Knight¡¯s knee, were running alongside him. Forgetting the situation because of his anger, he roared:

    ¡°Wha¡­ You two! What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°As you can see, Edgar-senpai, we are going after the thieves.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. They have two machines, so we will take care of one!¡±

    The two of them chased behind the back of the steel green figures into the forest, running under the sporadic moonlight as they answered.

    ¡°What nonsense is this?! I don¡¯t care how good you are, the opponents are Silhouette Knights, the strongest weapon of humanity!? It¡¯s too dangerous, leave the thieves to me, so, go back!!¡±

    ¡°But Edgar-senpai would be dealing with two of those things alone, then.¡±

    Edgar groaned and didn¡¯t know how to answer. The intruders chose to flee as they were unfamiliar with the controls. But, if the two machines attack Edgar together, he would be at an disadvantage. The serious Edgar was dumbfounded when he faced situations he didn¡¯t know how to deal with.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just Edgar-senpai, we are angry, too.¡±

    ¡°This was made by everyone, right? To steal that thing away is unforgivable!!¡±

    Edgar felt the same and couldn¡¯t find the words to convince the twins otherwise. After pondering it over, the situation didn¡¯t allow Edgar to waste any more time, and these two weren¡¯t that obedient and wouldn¡¯t follow what he said. Making up his mind, he reluctantly said:

    ¡°... Don¡¯t be reckless and fight them head on. Focus on providing support, prioritise your own safety at all times!! Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will definitely ¡®not be reckless¡¯, Edgar-senpai!¡±

    ¡°Right, we will ¡®only provide support¡¯, Edgar-senpai!¡±

    The forest became denser and the night was getting darker. This incident stirred up by the new Silhouette Knight models that involved people from a number of factions was heading towards its end.

 Book 2: Chapter 17: Battle in the forest

    While Edgar was chasing the Tellestarles in his Earlecumber, the battle in Fort Casadesus between the Copper Fang Knights and the Red Rabbit Knights was entering its climax. The wreckage of defeated Silhouette Knights was littered all over the floor, the fire shot from the Silhouette arms dyed the battlefield orange.

    Ernesti observed the intense fight from the damaged workshop. Usually, Eru would be shining with joy from watching the Silhouette Knights battle. But, right now, his face was full of regret.

    ¡°... They destroyed the machines they couldn¡¯t seize, how thorough.¡±

    On the floor behind him were several Karrdator that were destroyed by the Copper Fang Knights. Eru¡¯s gaze kept switching between the wreckage and the battle.

    ¡°Silhouette Knights are having a large scale battle in front of me, but, I don¡¯t have a machine. A pity, such a pity. I will just charge in without one. But, joining a fight between robots without piloting one is too unsightly! That¡¯s unforgivable¡­ But, without the all-important machine¡­¡±

    Eru lifted his head towards the sky, sighing the deepest regret ever in his entire life. After giving his all towards robots, he couldn¡¯t forgive himself for watching two opposing groups of robots battling and not taking part. But, joining the fray without a machine of his own is against his sense of aesthetics.

    That was why he barged into the workshop shortly after the battle started, but, he could only see wreckage all around him, depressing him further.

    As he was filled with regret, the Knights in the courtyard were falling one by one, and the fight would be over if this goes on. Pressured by his feelings of anxiety, he made a decision.

    ¡°... Alright, I will steal a machine that is currently in operation! There is nothing I can¡¯t do if I put my mind to it!!¡±

    Once he made his decision, Eru acted swiftly. He fired a human sized anchor wire and leapt onto the roof, observing the battlefield from there closely. Even with Eru¡¯s skills, it was mission impossible to steal a Silhouette Knight that was being operated. With the persistence of a snake, agility of an eagle and the silence of a spider, he waited for a chance to come.

    At this moment, Eru noticed something moving in the corner of his eyes. It wasn¡¯t in the courtyard where the Silhouette Knights were fighting, but from the vicinity of the gate that was destroyed by the Tellestarle. Looking closely, he could see two carriages hurrying in through the debris of the gate.

    Some weirdoes who are visiting the fort when there was a fight going on. Eru¡¯s puzzlement didn¡¯t last long as he spied some ¡®object¡¯ that looked familiar on the cargo wagon. His eyes widened with surprised for a moment, and jumped into the air. The silver flash left the sound of an explosion behind and moved in the night sky.

    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we go faster!?¡±

    ¡°This is the limit, Boss! The horses will fall if we go any faster!!¡±

    A carriage was sprinting along the paved road with extraordinary speed. The Boss, who stuck his head out from within was urging the student to accelerate. The horses pushed to run at full speed were already foaming at the mouth as they ran, moments until they collapse from exhaustion. But, the group had a reason why they were in a hurry.

    At this time, Edgar and Dietrich were fighting the Tellestarle that attacked them while they were travelling. The Boss had to report this to the fort.

    But, when the group reached the vicinity of the fort, they were dumbfounded. Fort Casadesus which reigned over the Acquart Forest was glowing bright in the dark from the flames that erupted all over.

    ¡°Hey, what in the¡­¡±

    Fortunately, they arrived at Fort Casadesus before the horses had fallen from exhaustion. Before them was the destroyed gate, burning buildings and the intense fight between Silhouette Knights. They couldn¡¯t understand the situation and just remained in place. They were seeking refuge at the fort from a fight between Silhouette Knights, bu,t there was no telling if it was safe inside, either.

    A silver bullet landed before them as they stood there baffled. Eru used ¡®air suppression¡¯ to cushion his fall after leaping down from high up, landing steadily before them. The series of sudden events made the group stunned, and the silver bullet asked while tilting his head:

    ¡°I was wondering who it was, isn¡¯t this the Boss? What are you doing here? This is a battlefield here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, silver boy!! What is happening here!?¡±

    Eru calmed the Boss, who was on the verge of pouncing on him, smiling awkwardly as he explained:

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, either. I heard there were thieves entering the fort with Karrdators while posing as the Red Rabbit Knights. They occupied the workshop, stole the Silhouette Knights and created this disaster.¡±

    As he was explaining, the flash of Overed spells and explosions continued, the chaos was still ongoing. The Boss and the students listened to Eru with their back to the battlefield. The expression on the Boss suddenly changed.

    ¡°... Oh right, it¡¯s the Tellestarle¡­ We encountered Tellestarle on our way here, and they attacked us without any warning!! Edgar and Di intercepted them, but I don¡¯t know what happened next. Were they the thieves!?¡±

    The Boss clenched his fist furiously while Eru besides him nodded, seeming to understand something.

    ¡°I see, so the thieves were targeting Tellestarle¡­ No, I should say the ¡®new model¡¯... This is a ¡®robbing incident¡¯, what a bind. I didn¡¯t think such a ¡®cliche¡¯ would happen to me.¡±

    Luckily, Eru¡¯s mutterings were covered by the noise in the battlefield and the Boss didn¡¯t hear it. There was no telling how they would feel if they were to hear that, but right now, the Boss, who didn¡¯t know that was full of wrath. He remembered something and turned to Eru.

    ¡°And, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I am looking for a Silhouette Knight. Remember that I said the thieves occupied the workshop? The machines they didn¡¯t used were all destroyed¡­ I couldn¡¯t do anything but bite on my fingers as the Silhouette Knights fought before me. The actions of the thieves were rational, but, it made me so furious. I was flying around looking to steal a Silhouette Knight¡­ Well¡­¡±

    Eru ended his explanation and looked at what was behind the Boss. He pointed at the wagon with an ominous smile.

    ¡°The armour on the wagon¡­ is ¡®my Motor Beat¡¯, right?¡±

    The Boss stroked his beard. The last cargo on the wagon was the blue armour only Eru could use.

    ¡°Yeah, the little ones asked me to bring it along. Oh right, they took off to chase the Tellestarle.¡±

    ¡°They are here, too? And, they are chasing the Tellestarle? How envi¡­ cough, cough, dangerous, I have to help them right now!!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you are enjoying this too much¡­ yup, he is not listening.¡±

    Eru gave a perfunctory acknowledgement and boarded onto his Motor beat. After the chest armour closed, mana flowed through its entire body and it stood up slowly as the crystal tissue contracted. The Boss couldn¡¯t see Eru, who was behind the armour, but a joyous voice came from inside, and it was easy to imagine Eru¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Activation complete¡­ With a machine, everything¡­ everything would be alright. Let¡¯s have a good fight. I will settle things on this side and then assist them¡­ Let¡¯s go!!¡±

    Before finishing his sentence, Motor beat jumped with enough force to almost crush the carriage. The churning sound of the winch overlapped with the noise of compressed air jettisoning, extending the wire anchor into the night sky, guiding Motor beat onto the battlefield. Under the shine of the moonlight, its armour had a blue glint that was prominent even in the light from the sea of fire.

    The Boss spent quite a while chasing the figure of the Motor beat leaping onto the roof and running. He sighed in resignation, turned around and said:

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a duel level Demon beast is as scary as him. Eh, there¡¯s no need to sympathise with the thieves¡­ There¡¯s nothing else we can do, let¡¯s escape.¡±

    The group came to their senses after hearing him and rushed to the entrance of the fort.

    The owl hooted and the nocturnal wild animals lifted their heads towards the skies. Under the bright moonlight, the aura of a battle crept into the usually peaceful Acquart Forest.

    The giant intruder made from steel and crystal tissue barged through the forest. They knocked away branches getting in their way, flattening everything under their feet, shaking the ground. Kerhild Hietakangas, the Captain of the Copper Fang Knights had a sour face while piloting her sprinting Silhouette Knight¡ª Tellestarle. She tightened her grip on the control stick and relaxed the pedal which was pushed to the limits.

    ¡°Tch! It would be bad to continue running like this.¡±

    From Fort Casadesus to this place, she had piloted Tellestarle and ran for quite a long distance. That was why she noticed the machine losing the speed it had in the beginning, it was a sign that the mana pool of the Tellestarle gradually drying up.

    There was still quite some distance before reaching the rendezvous point with the Wendebadalla. If she carried on like this, the mana would be exhausted before she reached the destination and forced to stop all movements. No matter how high the power output was¡ª No, the high power output, the new models was the cause for the mana capacity problem. The Tellestarle didn¡¯t have enough mana pool right now; its biggest weakness still remained unresolved. Kerhild didn¡¯t care about all this, instead of the theory; she was more concerned about the depleting mana.

    ¡°We probably can¡¯t run any more¡­ I really don¡¯t want to use this thing to fight.¡±

    If she pushed on, there was a good chance her mana would deplete when the pursuers caught up. At that point, they would definitely lose even if the opponent wasn¡¯t a new model. She decided to crush the pursuers completely before that happens, escaping would lead to an inevitable defeat. Clicking her tongue, she gave a gesture to her underlings, stopped the Tellestarle and turned around. Apart from the churning of the ether reactor, the forest was quiet once again. Kerhild glared at the approaching white Silhouette Knight on the holo monitor that seemed to be walking casually.

    On the pilot seat of Earlecumber¡ª the white Silhouette Knight, Edgar saw the Tellestarle decelerating and smiled.

    ¡°... It seems like their mana pool is running low.¡±

    The two Tellestarle gave up on escaping and waited for Edgar to come. As someone who had ¡®experienced¡¯ the same problem, Edgar¡¯s guess was spot on.

    ¡°We still have plenty of mana left, so we have the advantage in that area. I will attack straight on, you two will focus on disruption and support. Do not charge in!!¡±

    The Silhouette gear running by the feet of the Silhouette Knight saluted half-heartedly and disappeared into the forest. Edgar suppressed his sigh and focused on the Tellestarle, attempting to conceal the movement behind the trees. Shots from the Tellestarle went through the forest, creating a large explosion when they hit the trees. But, Earlecumber didn¡¯t even raise its shield, closing the distance fearlessly.

    ¡°Tch! He saw right through us!!¡±

    Realising the shots from the back weapon were just a waste of mana, Kerhild yelled in frustration, withdrawing it. Unlike the Red Rabbit Knights, the cadet was inexperienced, but, familiar with Tellestarle. It was a tougher opponent than she had anticipated. All the tactics Kerhild could think of were within the expectations of the enemy, and resolved it one at a time. Even though her machine had better performance, she was still pushed to this point.

    ¡°Split up, pincer attack!¡±

    She decided to fight honestly in the end, utilising their advantage in number to its fullest. The band member nodded and attacked Earlecumber.

    In the dark forest, it was easy to find a Silhouette Knight that reflects light faintly. The presence of a ten meter tall body was difficult to conceal even in the darkness. Edgar noticed the pincer formation from the Tellestarles immediately. He maneuvered Earlecumber deftly, not letting himself become a target. Edgar closed in on one of the enemy¡ª the Tellestarle piloted by Kerhild.

    There was no way the Tellestarle would stay at the same spot and wait for him, and kept changing its position. Earlecumber used the woods as barriers and avoided fighting two machines at the same time. The Copper Fang Knight member accelerated his Tellestarle, attempting to flank to the back of Earlecumber. The three Silhouette Knight didn¡¯t engage as they moved around the forest searching for the best position.

    Something was moving around the forest, concealed by the noise of the three Silhouette Knights. It was an armour one quarter the height of a Silhouette Knight¡ª the Silhouette gear, Motor beat. Chid and Ady hid themselves from the enemy, approaching quietly from behind. Chid was slightly out of the Silhouette Knight¡¯s attack range, observing from behind the trees, calming his shallow breath and racing heart.

    Looking from this angle, the Silhouette Knights are really huge¡­

    Chid spent a lot of time with Eru in the pilot faculty, so he had plenty of chances to see Silhouette Knights and had gotten used to them. But, seeing it as a hostile enemy, the machine¡¯s size and prowess made Chid intensely nervous. Silhouette Knights were the strongest weapon of humanity, which meant there were no other human weapons that could match the Silhouette Knight. The ability of the Silhouette gears were still unknown, but, judging from pure combat power, it couldn¡¯t stand up to Silhouette Knights.

    A strong and big adversary¡­ When Eru was fighting the Behemoth, it probably felt like this.

    Chid took a deep breath, drawing the sword from the back of his machine, as if he wanted to sever the fear in his heart. The blade was longer than two metres, an oversized two handed sword. There wasn¡¯t any weapon that suited a Silhouette gear; this was something he dug up from the warehouse in a hurry. The giant sword that was difficult for men to handle was just the right size in the hands of the Silhouette gear.

    I can¡¯t run now. The people who took Tellestarle are infuriating, I will never catch up to teacher if I back down now, let¡¯s do this!!

    Chid breathed in deeply and rested the sword on his shoulder. Someone called out to him. Not far away, he could see Ady hiding herself with her ballista, and waved at her with his sword.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this!¡±

    Chid¡¯s Motor Beat raised its arms and shot out the anchor wire with a soft bang. The arrow head with crystal tissue built inside flew to the top of the trees nearby, embedded into a Y-shaped tree firmly. Chid jumped with the roar of the winch churning. Ady, who was one step behind came out from the trees, aiming her portable ballista.

    ¡°We need to ¡®support¡¯ properly!¡±

    Chid¡¯s Motor beat reached the top of the trees, kicked at the branch, and charged ahead. At the same time, Ady¡¯s Motor beat started attacking from long range. Steel arrows flew through the air, splitting it.

    The two Tellestarles worked in concert, forcing Earlecumber into a corner. Earlecumber couldn¡¯t overcome the difference in numbers, taking a few steps back. If the situation didn¡¯t improve, the pilots would be under tremendous mental pressure. Despite risking death with any wrong move, Edgar, who was piloting Earlecumber was as cool as a cucumber, showing a serious expression and strong concentration. He was at an overwhelming disadvantage, but he refused to give up, waiting for the chance to counterattack. His strong determination frustrated Kerhild and her minions who outnumbered him.

    The opportunity presented itself at this moment.

    Kerhild and the Copper Fang member were focusing on Earlecumber, since there were no signs of other machines. The Knight member raised its sword, attempting to attack the back of Earlecumber again. Closing in, he aimed the sword at Earlecumber¡¯s back.

    After taking the first step, something flashed between Earlecumber and Tellestarle. From the faint moonlight in the woods, that thing reflected a threatening metallic light. It landed on the trees in front of the Knight member with a thud, shaking the entire tree.

    ¡°An attack!? Enemy reinforcement!!¡±

    The shocked Knight member pulled back his leg. There was another force beside them and they were clearly hostile to the Tellestarles. This was a huge surprise to them, as the Tellestarle could afford to do a pincer attack because of their numerical advantage. The appearance of another enemy overturned this, making them hesitant to proceed as they searched for the unseen enemy.

    Seeing this, the twins smiled. The attack just now halted the movement of the band (Knight) member, which was their plan all along. Chid¡¯s Motor beat was moving at high speeds above the Silhouette Knight¡¯s head, kicking off the trees to accelerate. It then raised its sword, aiming for the head of the Tellestarle.

    ¡°Woooahhh!!¡±

    As the Knight member turned its head, searching the surroundings, something humanoid was flying at him with amazing speed. The unexpected attack surprised him and he tried to dodge by twisting the body of the machine. The machine stopped in its tracks and turned its head unnaturally. The extended two handed sword stabbed at the inside of the helmet, creating screeching sounds and sparks. The Silhouette Knights were tough with its utilisation of physical boost magic, not only did this blow not leave much damage, the crystal eye was as good as new. But, the unnatural evasive movement made the Tellestarle lose its balance.

    The twins didn¡¯t let this good chance get away and continued attacking. Ady¡¯s Motor beat was standing firmly at a place close by, lowering her centre of gravity as she aimed her ballista, firing without hesitation. Lock and load, whenever the dull sound of energy being released was heard, giant arrows that could easily be mistaken as lances shot skywards. The earlier shot had given her the bearings, allowing Ady to unleash a storm of arrows at the unbalanced Tellestarle.

    Seeing the Copper Fang Knight member¡¯s Tellestarle being toyed by the attacks from the Silhouette gear, Edgar changed his cautious approach and closed in on Kerhild¡¯s machine in an instant. He didn¡¯t know how long the twins could hold up the Knight member¡¯s machine, so he had to fully utilise this opportunity and take some risks.

    ¡°Prepare to die!¡±

    The sudden ambush and the cadet who switched to the offensive made Kerhild even more frustrated.

    ¡°These rascals!! Don¡¯t look down on us!!¡±

    Unlike the hesitation earlier, the Tellestarle¡¯s sword was full of terrifying power. The change was incredible.

    Facing this attack, Earlecumber didn¡¯t dodge and took the hit head on. Tellestarle¡¯s power was on par with the heavier models, so, Edgar will definitely lose in a direct confrontation. Other than arm power, Edgar put all its weight behind the sword, stopping Tellestarle¡¯s sword for an instant. This was Edgar¡¯s anti new model skill he came up with from his past experience. It would be useless once the opponent became aware of it, so, he couldn¡¯t repeat it too often; it was a double edged sword. That¡¯s why Edgar chose to show his hand to his adversary at the very beginning. The stalemate would be broken once the Tellestarle used more power. Before the Tellestarle could do that, Earlecumber pushed his sword down, bringing the Tellestarle¡¯s sword along with it.

    ¡°This guy!?¡±

    Earlecumber¡¯s left hand that was holding the shield withdrew, and pushed out towards the Tellestarle with great force. This was known as a kite shield, the diamond shaped shield had a horn on its surface. Although it was blunt, it still made a simple bashing weapon. And, of course, Edgar aimed for the arm. The arms were closely related to the attack power, and structurally speaking, they were weaker than the other parts.

    A weird sound came from the arm of the Tellestarle. The idea of a follow up attack flashed through Edgar¡¯s mind, but he turned and backed away instead. The next second, a barrage of spells from the back weapon landed at where Edgar was standing moments earlier.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going that well¡­¡±

    Edgar observed his opponent calmly, and his face twisted bitterly when he realised something. The enemy didn¡¯t realise his shock and retracted the back weapon and didn¡¯t pursue. Edgar¡¯s earlier attack didn¡¯t cause critical damage, the arm seemed serviceable and the sword was still gripped tightly in its hand. Tellestarle¡¯s calm and ominous silence changed Edgar¡¯s shock into caution.

    ¡°My apologies to you, cadet.¡±

    The Tellestarle said suddenly. There was no emotional fluctuation, the steady tone made Edgar even more cautious.

    ¡°To be honest, I had been underestimating you because you are a cadet. In the end, you have proven to be really capable.¡±

    The movement of the Tellestarle became slower as it took up a stance, the stiffness in its movement disappeared. Even with an unfamiliar machine, Kerhild had gotten used to it after running such a long distance with it. That¡¯s right, she was the Commander of the Copper Fang Knights¡ª it might not be a regular Order of Knights, but the title wouldn¡¯t be bestowed on one without ability.

    ¡°As my apology, I will show it to you. I might have gotten rusty from lack of use¡­ watch this, ¡®fang of the copper snake¡¯!!¡±

    Before she finished speaking, Tellestarle attacked with movements that were faster than her initial strike. The fierce attack was sudden and took everything Earlecumber had to withstand it.

    ¡°Strong! It¡¯s a tough opponent!!¡±

    Earlecumber kept a safe distance and defended with its shield probing the next step it should make. The white and steel colored Silhouette moved at the same time, sprinting with the roar of their machines.

    The Copper Fang Knights member who was listening to the fight between Earlecumber and Tellestarle from a distance was yelling angrily from an unexpected development of events:

    ¡°These things keep squirming around!¡±

    He could hear the sound of his enemies kicking the trees echoing in the forest, making it hard to determine their position. The Copper Fang Knight swung his sword wildly in frustration, but didn¡¯t hit them. At this moment, another giant lance hit the outer skin of the Tellestarle, causing sparks.

    This situation had been going on for quite some time. There were two opponents, one with a melee weapon flying around the forest; the other firing arrows as big as a lance from afar, working together seamlessly. Their teamwork toyed the Knight member around completely.

    The size of the adversaries was much smaller than a Silhouette Knight, but this was an advantage in concealing oneself in the forest, helping with the sneak attacks. Their individual attacks were nothing insignificant against the Silhouette Knight¡¯s armour reinforced by magic, making it seem tougher than it looks. But, a hit to the joints would be critical even for a Silhouette Knight.

    They couldn¡¯t deal significant damage with their attacks, but they were still a dangerous presence that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Unfortunately, the Copper Fang Knight thought the opponents were too small and could be dealt with in one hit. While he was aiming at the enemy jumping through the sky, a barrage of lance attacks fell on his unguarded back.

    The worst thing was the Tellestarle he was piloting had Silhouette arms on its back. The intrinsic engraving and low endurance couldn¡¯t withstand the burst of lances, and lost its functionality from the damage.

    Realising things were getting dangerous; the Copper Fang Knight went on the defensive. But, it was too late. The Tellestarle had lost one of its advantages. Even though he adopted a defensive position, it resulted in him being attacked one sidedly.

    The Copper Fang Knight member was as furious as a wild beast pricked in the butt, and he thought about how to take down these damn enemies. The enemy in charge of long distance attacks was cautious and kept a certain distance, and would flee if he went near. He should dispose of the opponent in melee range. But, if he couldn¡¯t stop that thing¡¯s movement, or at least keep up with the opponent¡¯s speed with his eyes, the plan would end there. While the Knight was forcing his mind that was burning from anger to think, the enemies¡¯ attacks continued, fuelling his wrath.

    Suddenly, a ray of moonlight shone through the trees onto the Tellestarle¡¯s crystal eye. The Knight saw the image captured by the holo monitor and inspiration struck. His expression was like a wild beast that found a prey and couldn¡¯t wait to pounce.

    After his numerous attacks got deflected, Chid had given up on denting the tough Silhouette Knight. Basically, Silhouette gear had about the same attack power as humans; it¡¯s not possible to defeat Silhouette Knights with it. Even though Chid tried increasing speed and aimed for the weak joints, the Tellestarle wasn¡¯t foolish enough to allow that.

    Edgar senpai is right, we could only stall for time. That should be enough, but I still can¡¯t¡ª

    Chid¡¯s Motor beat accelerated by swinging on the wire anchor and jumped. He released the arrow head embedded on the tree and stopped on the next tree with a great force. Chid focused and kicked at the tree branch to accelerate, attacking the Tellestarle that had turned around to defend against the attack from Ady¡¯s Motor beat. The attack aiming for the shoulder joints was blocked, ending in failure.

    As Chid¡¯s Motor beat was preparing to retreat, the Tellestarle behind was moving in a different way than before. It had probably lost its composure, swinging its sword wildly. The vegetation was thick in this area; the random attacks won¡¯t hit Chid¡¯s Motor beat. The power stemming from the strand crystal tissue bashed the trees and branches, sending it all over the place.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that, it¡¯s dangerous¡ª¡±

    Does he really think it will hit just by swinging wildly? Chid felt the pilot of the Tellestarle had lost his cool and laughed lightly. He understood how his opponent felt, as Chid couldn¡¯t bring the Tellestarle down and was troubled, too. The Tellestarle kept repeating its movement, felling some of the trees, but it didn¡¯t affect Chid¡¯s movement. The accelerating Chid approached the Tellestarle once again.

    Just as the Knight expected, the Silhouette gear reflected the moonlight as it charged into the edge of the trees. It was bright in the dim forest, marking its position clear to the Knight, who was watching the surroundings.

    ¡°There you are!! Found you!!¡±

    The Knight who was toyed with swung his sword with all his might. It was a fatal situation for the Motor beat that was using the darkness of the forest and its small size. Chid kicked the tree in an attempt to change directions, but the sword swinging down was faster than him. The irony was that this attack, which contained all the hate and anger of the Knight was more powerful than any of his previous attacks.

    ¡°Chid¡ª!¡±

    Ady stared with widened eyes and screamed. She was hesitant about taking action, but, it was too late to attack with the mobile Ballista now. Ady hung on to faint hope and ran.

    Chid felt all the blood in his body flowing backwards as he stared at the sword of the giant that was closing in with frightening speed. He remembered something. It was related to his teacher¡ª Eru. The advantage Eru has, was his agility and magic abilities. Didn¡¯t Eru teach him the spell to ¡®accelerate in mid-air without footholds¡¯?

    ¡°Waarrgghhh!!¡±

    Silhouette gears was a structure made from metal frame and operated by crystal tissue, while crystal tissues were a catalyst that acted as a medium to draw out magic.

    Chid kicked out his legs strongly, channelling his mana into the crystal tissue powering the legs. At the same time, an architect spell showed itself splendidly. With no regards to force or control, the burst of air exploded like a bomb. The spell named by Eru as Air Thrust violently twisted the momentum of Chid¡¯s Motor beat. The diagonal slash of the giant¡¯s blade went through the space Chid¡¯s Motor beat was in moments earlier with destructive force.

    ¡°Wooahhh¡ª!?¡±

    Chid who almost died under the sword went out of control in mid-air. He wasn¡¯t used to flying in the air like Eru, and couldn¡¯t follow up after forcing himself to use a skill he was not familiar with. Betting on a lifeline, Chid shot out his wire anchor as he was spinning out of control.

    Fortunately, the wire anchor latched into a tree branch securely, and would allow Chid to regain his balance by retracting it. But, before Chid could put this into action, he faced the problem of his wire anchor running out.

    ¡°Kya!¡±

    The wire anchor that had been pulled to its maximum length shook Chid for a moment; the strong momentum made Chid¡¯s Motor beat changed its direction to the side. It was anchored to a tree by the wires, spinning around it in mid-air. Confused by the centrifugal force, Chid maintained his speed and saw the ground approaching and scream. He straightened the machine with all his might and moderate force to brake by Air Compression, learning from his earlier mistake. He followed that with Air Suspension¡ª another magic taught by Eru personally¡ª and used the air to slow himself down, absorbing the impact with the ground. Chid, who was about to crash heavily into the ground managed to make a slow and safe landing.

    ¡°Phew¡­ That was close¡­ really close¡­¡±

    Because he was using large amounts of mana recklessly, Chid panted hard to replenish his mana and calmed his beating heart as he stood up. It¡¯s not just the drop in his mana that made him tremble; the near death experience played a part, too.

    But, the current situation didn¡¯t allow him a chance to take a break. Tremours that shook the ground and the sound of the footfalls of a giant were drawing closer. The Tellestarle saw what happened, too. The Knight piloting Tellestarle thought Chid would crash into the ground and die, but realising his opponents were hard to handle, he had to confirm Chid¡¯s death with his own eyes before relaxing. That¡¯s why he was heading towards Chid to land the final blow.

    There was no other choice but to escape. Chid forced himself to breath in deeply, and activated the Silhouette gear as he breathed out evenly. He tried using the wire anchor to move large distance, but was stunned when he saw the hand of the machine. The anchor that was bounded to the tree when he fell couldn¡¯t be used, and didn¡¯t work when he pulled at it. Chid gritted his teeth, pulled out the device from his arm. It would just get in his way right now.

    Chid squeezed out his last ounce of strength to run, putting as much distance as he could away from the attack of the titan.

    Ady¡¯s Motor beat was sprinting in the forest, kicking up the dirt as she fired her mobile ballista at the Tellestarle going after Chid. But, the armour mercilessly deflected all the attacks. It did nothing to stop the Tellestarle, and had no visible effect at all. With both party moving, it would take amazing luck and coincidence for a hit to be effective.

    Ady endured the raising anxiety in her heart, and kept firing her ballista non-stop, hoping to stall the enemy. But, the Tellestarle was like a hungry beast who found a wounded prey, licking its lips as it approached Chid step by step. Chid¡¯s Motor beat appeared to be severely weakened, and it seemed unlikely it could escape. Right now, the only one who could stop the Tellestarle and help Chid would be Ady. With a prayer in her heart, she continued her attack.

    But, her prayers weren¡¯t answered.

    The Tellestarle who had locked onto Chid¡¯s Motor beat raised its sword again, speeding up in order to deliver the final blow. Just a few more steps and Chid¡¯s Motor beat would be within sword range. The Tellestarle took a final giant stride.

    Ady¡¯s vision was blurred by tears, Chid¡¯s Motor beat stopped struggling and the Knight was sneering, elated by the prospect of his revenge. Something unexpected happened. There was ¡®something¡¯ behind Chid¡¯s Motor beat, right in the path of the Tellestarle, which was Chid¡¯s broken wire. The wire was tied securely to the trees at the height of the Silhouette gear¡ª which was the legs of the Tellestarle.

    Not noticing the sudden attack¡ª the Tellestarle, who took the step with all its might entangled the wire, the taut wire stopped the leg of the giant, stopping it in its tracks. This was the weakness of the bipedal Silhouette Knight which walks like humans were fated to have. The Tellestarle, who was tripping while shifting its centre of gravity, fell forward just like that.

    The Copper Fang Knight pilot was probably lost in his anger and couldn¡¯t react in time. The Tellestarle fell forward elegantly, bumping its head into a tree branch with a dull clang. A human would probably die from such a hit. The giant¡¯s head maintained this position as it fell, leaving a cloud of dust and the sound of a crash in its wake.

    ¡°... Eh, what, what happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°Chid! Chid! Are you alright!? Are you still alive!?¡±

    Chid¡¯s jaw was slack the entire time, watching the event unfold behind him. The Tellestarle who fell loudly didn¡¯t move, lying prone to the ground amidst the dust.

    Ady, who arrived a bit late, ran to Chid¡¯s side. Confirming that Chid was standing stunned in place, she breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Great! I thought I wouldn¡¯t make it!! Ahh, this is great¡­!! But, I didn¡¯t expect you to prepare such a trap as you were escaping¡­ Amazing, well done, Chid!!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh?... Eh?? Ahhh, hmmm? Ohhh, what?¡±

    Compared to Chid, who was laughing dryly as he averted his eyes, Ady was all smiles, swinging her arms strongly to express her joy.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s take care of this fellow.¡±

    After that, Chid clenched his slightly trembling hands.

    The Tellestarle fell slowly.

    It hit a tree on the way down, the Copper Fang Knight who was inside the twisted machine didn¡¯t know what happened and panicked. The Tellestarle didn¡¯t have time to break the fall and crashed onto the ground directly. Its momentum was slowed when it hit the tree, but the impact from the fall still affected the pilot inside the cockpit. The force coming from his back pushed out all the air in his lungs, making him cough a few times. Thanks to the seatbelt, he was fine after being shaken in his seat. If not for the seat belt, he might have turned into minced meat after tumbling around in the cockpit.

    After the machine stopped moving, the Knight shook his head, and tried to grasp the situation. The head of the machine probably suffered serious damage; the image on the holo monitor was distorted and could disappear anytime. The damage to the entire body wasn¡¯t clear, but, he knew the reactor was fine from the steady vibration under his seat.

    No matter what, the first thing he needed to do was to stand the machine up. Pushing his aching body, the Knight reaches for the control stick. Suddenly, the sharp sound of air gushing out was heard. The holo monitor projecting a twisted image was gone as the chest armour opened. Replacing that was the cool night air and the scene of the real world.

    Before him was the moon. The Knight stared at it, lost for a moment. The almost perfectly spherical moon was exceptionally bright, and someone was standing before it. He still couldn¡¯t focus, thinking that this was the giant armoured Knight that he was fighting all this while.

    ¡°Taste my fist of punishment!!¡±

    After hearing an exceptionally young shriek, his vision was filled by the view of an extra large iron fist, and that was the last thing he remembered.

    Again, returning to the scene in Fort Casadesus.

    After the Copper Fang Knights¡¯ Captain Kerhild accomplished her main objective¡ª seizing the new model, and had escaped, the rest of the Knights that chose to stay behind continued battling the Red Rabbit Knights. The Red Rabbits were full of wrath towards the invaders who had caused much destruction, determined to wipe them out. If the invaders turned their back, they would definitely be done in by countless swords. That was as good as suicide, so the Copper Fang Knights had no choice but to engage.

    But, unexpectedly, the battle was still at an impasse. And, naturally, they rallied around the two new models that stayed behind. It might be hard to control, but its powerful performance more than made up for this. As the phrase goes, ¡®an untamed horse could run fast, too¡¯. Facing such tenacious enemies, the Red Rabbits couldn¡¯t hold back their anxiety.

    At this moment, a gust of wind swept through the burning battlefield, even knocking the red flames aside. It was a prominent blue whirlwind¡ª the combination of the Silhouette gear, Motor beat and Ernesti. He used the anchor wire to fly around the walls of the fort and observe the situation. Watching from up high, it was easy to identify the enemy from the ally. The one standing with the Tellestarle was the enemy.

    He leapt towards the enemy Karrdator nearby. Silhouette gear was one size bigger than humans, but was only a quarter the height of Silhouette Knights. He wasn¡¯t discovered by the Karrdator when Eru landed softly on its shoulders.

    ¡°Good night Mr. Thief. I made you wait, let me join in, too.¡±

    The Knight who was only focusing on the Red Rabbits was shocked by the sudden appearance of the armoured Knight appearing on the holo monitor. Before he could understand what was happening, the seemingly large palm of Motor beat covered the holo monitor. For Silhouette Knights, the head exists in order to protect the ¡®eye crystal¡¯. Naturally, it was covered by helmets and heavily protected by armour.

    But, the Motor beat that was smaller than the Silhouette Knight reached in through the gaps of the armour and attacked the eye crystal directly. It was too close for the image to focus, the blurry palm was glowing faintly from magic, materialising into a mid-tier spell that was more powerful than Fireball ¡ª Flame Strike. No matter how tough the armour of the Silhouette Knight was, it wouldn¡¯t last long if the insides were attacked directly. The flames filled every corners of his vision before the holo monitor finally lost its light¡ª the eye crystal was destroyed. With the light source gone, the sealed cockpit fell into darkness. This unexpected development made the Copper Fang Knight panic.

    Before the enemy Karrdator could thrash about from confusion, Motor beat fired the anchor wire to the Tellstarle nearby and swung in the air. With the direction adjusted slightly from air compression, the Motor Beat charged towards the back of the knees of the machine. Before the targeted Tellestarle realised a foreign object was entangling it, Motor Beat had fired a few dozen Flame Lances into the knee joint, creating a grand explosion at the thinner armour there, breaking the joint. The Motor beat delivered the final blow with a kick, and the Tellestarle lost its balance and fell.

    When their comrades, including the new model fell one after another, the Copper Fang Knights fell into disarray. The Red Rabbits couldn¡¯t fathom what was happening, but, they could see that the strange blue armour was putting on a spectacular performance.

    When another Karrdator bent its knees, the Copper Fang Knights finally noticed the full plate armour that was flying around them. They attempted to strike it down with their swords in a hurry, but the blue armour was one step faster than the giant¡¯s sword, disappearing from view as if something was pulling it in. The Motor beat stopped at the top of the fort¡¯s wall once again, moving swiftly before attacking the other Tellestarle. Using Air Suspension while dropping from the blind spot at the top of its head, Eru landed on the shoulder of the machine like a shadow.

    In order to fend off the Red Rabbits, the Copper Fang Knight deployed its back weapon. Eru showed a devious smile. He was the ¡®proposer¡¯ of the back weapon; no one understood its structure and functions more than him. Eru had a way of using this against his enemies. Keeping his balance, Eru swiftly took out the sub arms supporting the Silhouette arms, destroying the part equivalent to the ¡®hands¡¯ and pulled on the silver nerve to move the Silhouette arms. Eru deftly manipulated Motor Beat, turning the Silhouette arms that were taller than the Silhouette gear around, pointing it at the other Silhouette arms and securing it.

    There was no way the Copper Fang Knight knew his machine was heading towards tragedy. He pulled the trigger without hesitation. The Silhouette arms received adequate mana and an Overed spell materialised at its tip. And, the tip which was sabotaged by Eru exploded immediately, sending a shock wave as the Silhouette arms exploded. Before the Tellestarle could understand what happened, it was sent flying by the force, falling head first into the ground and stopped moving.

    ¡°Tamayaa¡ª¡± [TL: something you yell when setting off fireworks in Japan.]

    Eru, who was on its shoulder moments ago let out a cheerful comment as it somersaulted gracefully in the air and casually landed. And, so, the outnumbered Copper Fang Knights were taken down in no time. The struggle earlier was like a lie, that¡¯s how the victory felt like.

    Molten couldn¡¯t hold back his sigh of resignation. The invaders he himself couldn¡¯t handle were put down like a joke with unorthodox moves¡ªand, the one that did it was a small Silhouette Knight imitation he had never seen before. Other than ridiculous, he couldn¡¯t think of a better term to describe it. Molten, who was suppressing his frustration couldn¡¯t help sighing towards the sky, when he saw the figure exiting the blue armour after the battle ended.

    ¡°... Ah¡ª Ernesti, it¡¯s you.¡±

    He worked very hard to not show any fatigue in his voice. Eru opened the armour of his Silhouette gear, Motor beat. The terrifying thing was that his face dyed in the red glow of the flames was showing a huge satisfactory smile.

    ¡°Yes, Knight Commander. Sorry I¡¯m late; I couldn¡¯t find a machine just now.¡±

    That¡¯s not the problem. Molten used his willpower to swallow back these words.

    ¡°... No, I need to thank you for helping us with these troublesome enemies. I have much to ask, but, let¡¯s leave it for later. Since the issue here is settled, we need to chase the ones that ran off¡­ We might not make it in time though.¡±

    Molten stroked the neat beard he was proud of, and crossed his arms. Quite some time had passed since the thieves, who stole the Tellestarle, had left. It was normal to assume they were beyond reach.

    ¡°As for this, I have something to report to you. The students travelling from Laihiala Academy met the Tellestarle who was escaping by chance. They report that they were attacked as they were approaching the suspicious group, and engaged in battle immediately. They should have stalled quite a bit of time; the thieves might still be nearby.¡±

    Eru might not be able to see him, but, a ferocious smile returned to Molten¡¯s face, just like a hunter going after its prey. Hymerwort turned to the surviving Karrdator and ordered:

    ¡°You heard him, I will be going after the thieves that had run off, but, we can¡¯t leave the heavily damaged fort alone. I order you all to stay behind to defend it.¡±

    The Red Rabbit Knights, which has three companies at full strength, had only 20% of its combat forces left. Destroying the enemy was as good as dwindling their own forces, and that was the terrible part of the invader¡¯s scheme. Even if they deployed the few damaged Karrdators here, it will only make them uneasy. Hence, they should be left to defend the fort, while the strongest machine that was almost undamaged, Hymerwort, pursued. They had no time to hesitate.

    ¡°Alright, Ernesti, as you can see, we are short handed. I would like to request you and your weird armour to lead the way and assist me.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. Be it leading the way or assisting you, I will do all that I can.¡±

    They left this place to the Karrdator who saluted them. Hymerwort and Motor beat dashed out to the road gallantly.

    The metallic clashes in the distance stopped.

    Dietrich felt complicated with half uneasiness and half expectation, raising his eyebrow. He pressed on to the pedal harder, increasing Guyale¡¯s pace. He raced on, the surroundings illuminated solely by moonlight, not decreasing his almost suicidal speed. The footfalls of the iron giant mixed with the scraping of metal against metal. Looking carefully, the crimson armour on it was twisted all over. With every step it took, some parts of the armour were even creating sparks from the friction.

    Guyale was tangled up with Tellestarle before entering the forest, which stalled him. Dietrich was so angry that he fired his back weapon despite the damage to his own machine, regaining freedom for a short time.

    But, the thing that stumped him was the half destroyed Tellestarle, who refused to release Guyale¡¯s leg. That fearless determination took Guyale a lot of effort to break out of. The damage was minimal, but, Dietrich felt that the other party got his way when he thought about the time he wasted.

    He finally subdued the Tellestarle completely in the end. Dietrich then chased after the escaping Tellestarle and Earlecumber who was following it. Acquart Forest was filled with signs of violent battles and movement of Silhouette Knights, so, it was easy to track. He focused on hurrying.

    As he ran, Guyale suddenly came to an empty plot of land. No, the place wasn¡¯t this bare originally. The signs of slashes on the trees and things falling all over showed that an intense battle happened here. Dietrich shook off the ominous feeling creeping up his back and surveyed the area. The surroundings was filled with dark trees with wild grass growing beneath. He looked around him and found something pure white that didn¡¯t fit in the forest. The pure white here could only be one thing.

    ¡°Edgar! I have been looking for you, where is the Telle¡­¡±

    As he approached the white object, Dietrich¡¯s voice became smaller. He recognised the giant resting against the tree¡ª the Silhouette Knight, Earlecumber, and gasped.

    The white and flawless armour was twisted from an intense battle, the colour turning dim and dull. It was probably slashed at the shoulder; the entire right arm was missing, even the chest armour nearby was peeled off. The lifelessly dangling left arm had a shield attached, which was covered with scars of explosion and slashes, it was still swinging slightly. There was slight damage, but, the legs were in good condition. That was the proof that Earlecumber fought until the very end.

    At the same time, the sword that pinned Earlecumber to the tree by the stomach announced its defeat clearer than a picture that says a thousand words. They probably struck at the same time. An arm severed at the elbow was still holding the sword sticking through Earlecumber¡¯s stomach, and seemed to belong to a Tellestarle. Listening carefully, a churning noise could be heard from within the machine. The ether reactor wasn¡¯t functional, but it was still running.

    Earlecumber remained motionless. Dietrich who couldn¡¯t hold back his frustration ran towards it.

    ¡°...!? Edgar!! Hey, answer me! Are you alright!?¡±

    An indescribable feeling filled Dietrich¡¯s heart. The damage to the Silhouette Knight does not indicate the injury that the pilot incurred. But, because the Silhouette Knight was humanoid in shape, people tend to assume that the pilot suffered similar injuries. Reacting to Dietrich¡¯s shouts, Earlecumber moved its neck slowly, as if it was rusted. Half of the armour covering the head had been squashed; the unsteady gaze looked over from the crystal eye.

    ¡°... Ugh, is it Di? Sorry, I let the Tellestarle get away¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. But, are you okay!? Hang on, I will send you to the fort¡­¡±

    Dietrich relaxed and suggested, but, was interrupted by Edgar¡¯s loud voice.

    ¡°Di! Earlecumber¡¯s reactor is shot and it can¡¯t move, but, it won¡¯t blow up any time soon. Aside from some bruises from the crash, I am fine. More importantly, it hadn¡¯t been long, go pursue Tellestarle¡­!!¡±

    Dietrich was caught in a dilemma. Was it fine to abandon the seriously damaged Earlecumber and go after Tellestarle? Edgar said he was fine, but, there was no guarantee that it was true. Seeing his rival and friend, who competed with him in the pilot faculty all this time in a bind made Dietrich hesitate to chase Tellestarle. No, he was hesitating about leaving this place.

    ¡°Di, we got this far, don¡¯t let him slip away, I¡¯m counting on you!¡±

    ¡°... Alright, leave it to me!!¡±

    The thing that made up his mind was the words of his friend. Dietrich could feel the strong determination within Edgar¡¯s voice, and it swept his doubts away. He couldn¡¯t ignore the will that pushed Earlecumber to fight on until it broke down. Dietrich¡¯s friend had not given up on the fight. Guyale nodded firmly, turned around and chased Tellestarle, charging into the forest.

    Hearing the footsteps of Guyale grow distant, Edgar managed to squeeze a smile onto his bitter facial expression. He could no longer see the twisted image displayed on the holo monitor. As he listened to the fading footfalls, he imagined the scene of someone running off.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Di. I am going to rest for a while¡­¡±

    Edgar breathed out, holding back his moan and slowly relaxing his body. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to wipe the red liquid dripping from his forehead, and submerged into the darkness once again.

    The crimson Silhouette Knight morphed into a whirlwind, sprinting in the forest. Dietrich used his anger to suppress the anxiety welling in his chest, pushing his machine to go forth. Guyale had already drawn both its swords and deployed its back weapon, ready to fight. The moment he finds Tellestarle, Dietrich¡¯s blade smothering from wrath would joyously send a final blow to the enemy.

    As he ran, Dietrich could tell from the tracks in the forest that the Tellestarle was in terrible condition. Earlecumber dealt serious damage to Tellestarle, as expected, and Guyale¡¯s mission was to attack the enemy and deal the final blow.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t have gone too far with such damage¡­! Where is it!?¡±

    After running for quite some time, Dietrich noticed something from the senses he honed through his many battles. In the tracks in front of him, something was squirming in the darkness.

    ¡°That is¡­ No, it¡¯s not Tellestarle!?¡±

    His instinct told him the enemy he was looking for wasn¡¯t in front of him. He felt there were ¡®numerous¡¯ beings. Those things seemed to notice that Guyale was approaching, and crawled out from the fog of darkness with a roar.

    The true identity of these things was Demon beasts.

    From their size, they were definitely duel level, and it was a ¡®swarm¡¯ in numbers. The track of Tellestarle vanished in the middle of this group.

    ¡°What¡­ what is happening!?¡±

    The track had been trampled by the squirming Demon beasts and was difficult to identify. He was just one step away from victory, and was stopped by an unexpected ambush.

    Dietrich was furious, and had the illusion of everything before him turning red. His emotions reached the boiling point and he didn¡¯t notice how unnatural this situation was.

    Before him was a swarm of demon beasts from a ¡®mixture of species¡¯. Demon beast was just a general term and consisted of multiple types. It was normally impossible to mobilise them together, as they have the concept of territory and nests. In other words, the swarm that was blocking his way was a ¡®unnatural occurrence¡¯.

    Several of them lowered their stance and growled at Guyale. They weren¡¯t just gathered together, each one of them were highly agitated. There were some that bared their teeth at each other, trying to impose dominance over each other.

    In such a situation, what would happen if a giant emitting an aura of fury was to approach? The Demon beasts were sensitive to changes. Using their instincts, the beast judged the giant, that was standing still from anger and confusion, to be an enemy and charged with crazed vigour.

    Dietrich felt regret over showing this fatal opening as he took a stance against the Demon beast charging towards him. He had calmed down slightly after losing his cool earlier. The remnant of calmness in his mind grasped the situation, directing his wrath into the will to attack, allowing Guyale to display an even more powerful ability. A mighty slash decapitated a flame tiger, while the shot from ¡®Kamtha¡¯ killed another.

    As he fought the Demon beasts, Dietrich realised ¡®something¡¯ and frowned. His original goal was to pursue the escaping Tellestarle; he didn¡¯t have time to deal with so many Demon beasts. His only hope, which was the tracks left behind had already been trampled over. Even if he could break through this swarm, it would be impossible to catch up. What about going around this swarm? But, with so many Demon beasts congregating, their active area would be large too. How far would he need to detour in order to avoid detection? Just thinking about it made him feel it was foolish. Even if he avoided battle with the Demon beasts, he will lose the only clue to help him track the enemy. Dietrich wasn¡¯t optimistic about his chances of finding his target by wandering around the forest.

    Did I lose him? The thought flashed across Dietrich¡¯s mind, and he was aware of something uneasy pricking at his heart. He cursed the ¡®coincidence¡¯ of the demon beasts blocking his path.

    No matter how angry Dietrich was, he wouldn¡¯t do something as dumb as charging into the midst of a swarm of Demon beasts. But, the situation developed by itself. As Dietrich stood his ground, the scent of blood from the Demon beast he killed spread out towards the other Demon beasts, agitating them further, and drawing them towards the source of the scent.

    And, the source of the bloody smell stemmed from the crimson Knight. Watching the Demon beasts flooding out of the forest one after another, Dietrich couldn¡¯t help groaning a curse. Despite his anger, he moved Guyale back. But, this action was too late and he didn¡¯t have much choice. Dietrich couldn¡¯t shake off the blunt bear and flame tiger no matter what he did. Dietrich needed to find a place to fight, but, there were too many Demon beasts. If they gang up on him, even the new Guyale would be in danger. As Dietrich retreated, he cautiously gauged the opportune time to attack.

    The Demon beasts running on four legs were naturally faster than Guyale, and entered his attack range. As they were about to pounce him from behind, Guyale stopped in its tracks, and slashed behind him like a whirlwind. The endless power of the new model raised this attack into a fatal blow. Ignoring the flame tiger it defeated in mid-air, Guyale fired its ¡®Kamtha¡¯ to keep the others at bay. As the Demon beasts collided together and fell into confusion, Guyale retreated once again to buy time.

    But, a strong force tugged onto its hand, making it stop. A blunt dragon was biting onto Guyale¡¯s left hand. This type of Demon beast was strong; a normal Silhouette Knight wouldn¡¯t be able to match it. Guyale didn¡¯t lose in terms of strength, but, he was forced to stay in this position, a grave mistake. Meanwhile, the Demon beasts picked themselves up and drew closer. Dietrich moaned hysterically like he used to, thinking about how many he could take out, with his Silhouette arms before they come closer. Instead of resignation, his sigh contained the ferocious will to fight.

    Suddenly, numerous objects flew over the top of Guyale¡¯s head with a screech.

    Instead of precision, the giant arrows that relied more on numbers flew in one after another, sticking into the faces and legs of the Demon beasts. Seeing several Demon beasts fall in pain, Dietrich used this chance to cut off the blunt dragon¡¯s head. Guyale, who regained its freedom from the crisis used the chance to look at the armour on the trees, there were two Silhouette gears there. From what he remembered, there were only three people who could control Silhouette gears proficiently, and two of them journeyed with him.

    ¡°Di-senpai! We will cover you, so, please fall back a little!!¡±

    ¡°Why are there so many Demon beasts!? Ah¡ª annoying!¡±

    The two of them¡ª the twins Chid and Ady didn¡¯t hide their displeasure of the sight of the swarm of Demon beasts, aiming their mobile ballistas and firing off a barrage. The Demon beast who was hit in the head roared and fell in pain, and the swarm scattered. Dietrich finally obtained a break in the action, which was more valuable than gold, but¡ª

    ¡°Ah¡ªDi-senpai, sorry, that barrage used up all the arrows. Let¡¯s use this chance to flee.¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s enough, thanks for the big help. You guys go first.¡±

    Right now, the twins who strutted their stuff during the battle with Tellestarle had limited supplies left, and it was depleted in the last burst that was fired. Dietrich took a slow deep breath. The covering fire from his juniors cooled his overheated emotions down, allowing him to look at the big picture. Guyale was wary about retreating too hastily, but, Chid thought Dietrich wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    ¡°They will catch up if you don¡¯t hurry!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so, too. But, Edgar is still behind us, and he might get dragged in if we let them draw too close. It seems like we have to defeat these guys before that happens.¡±

    ¡°Edgar-senpai!? We can¡¯t let that happen! We will help, too!!¡±

    The twins were full of spirit, but they were down to the two handed sword in their hands right now. Chid¡¯s Motor beat was even missing its anchor wire. Even with their help, it wasn¡¯t enough against the swarm of Demon beasts.

    ¡°You have exhausted your arrows right? Thanks to you, the Demon beasts have scattered. I will figure this out myself.¡±

    Dietrich gave an exceedingly calm reply. There was no hint of anxiety or anger in his tone. They couldn¡¯t escape easily, these Demon beast are obstacles blocking his pursuit anyway. Since there was no choice but to fight, there was no need to be troubled over this. This made Dietrich feel more at ease.

    ¡°So, bring Edgar along with you and leave. This is nothing, leave it to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, let me accompany you in their place.¡±

    Before the grumpy faced twins could say anything, someone replied from an unexpected direction. Immediately after that, the one replying leapt over their heads and showed himself. A familiar blue figure faced the swarm of Demon beasts with no hesitation. When Dietrich recognised who it was, the worries in his mind vanished. As he suppressed his smile, Chid and Ady cheered, and high fived each other.

    The person who flew in from behind them¡ªErnesti, who was piloting a blue Silhouette gear, smiled audaciously as he watched the swarm of Demon beasts close in.

    ¡°Could you explain the situation? The prey¡­ cough, the Tellestale, where is it? These prey¡­ cough, cough, what is with this swarm of Demon beasts?¡±

    In Dietrich¡¯s eyes, that demeanor of being overly enthusiastic overlapped with his previous memories. This boy could even fight a hopelessly big Demon beast joyfully. Eru would definitely kick up a storm here, Demon beasts of this level were no match for him. Dietrich smiled bitterly.

    ¡°I ran into this swarm as I was chasing after Tellestarle. Its track goes right through the swarm¡­ but, it had been trampled over, and is impossible to trace. I don¡¯t know why there are Demon beasts at such a place. These things trampled over Tellestarle¡¯s tracks and make me so mad. And, Edgar is down, resting somewhere behind us. I am thinking about stopping them right here.¡±

    ¡°I see, that means we should dispose of them first, right?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, yeah, let¡¯s do that. Please give it your all, just like that time with the Behemoth.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    The blue Silhouette gear disregarded the heavy pressure from the Demon beasts and jumped right into the middle of the swarm. Compared to the Silhouette gear, duel level Demon beasts were much larger, and a swarm of them were coming like a tsunami. The small armour looked helpless before the tide washing in.

    But, before that happened, the sound of an explosion overlapped with the sound of footsteps, and the Motor beat accelerated. It charged into the gap between the Demon beasts with the speed of a bullet, covered by the glow of magic as it passed by. The flame bullets which materialised hit the face of the Demon beasts, making the Demon beasts squirm painfully from their burnt nose and rampage. The swarm fell into a vicious cycle of chaos in no time.

    Even though he had no time to spare, Dietrich had the urge to facepalm himself. He knew Eru would do something like that, and Eru didn¡¯t disappoint and made a huge scene. Dietrich noticed something. The Motor beat was causing disarray among the Demon beasts, but that¡¯s the limit of what it could do. It didn¡¯t possess the attack power capable of taking down duel level Demon beasts after all.

    Guyale aimed its back weapon and raised both of its swords. If that was so, his duty was to deliver the final blow. He couldn¡¯t let this golden opportunity go. A few Demon beasts that broke out of the chaos charged at the crimson Knight. As Dietrich prepared to engage, a burst of wind dashed from his side.

    ¡°Waaarrrghhhh!!¡±

    A lump of metal smashed into the body of a Demon beast with a feral roar. This wasn¡¯t just strength, it was also weight and speed that turned the Demon beast into minced meat, and sent it right back into the forest.

    Ignoring the wide eyed Dietrich, Hymerwort raised its hammer and repeated the same procedure and crushed the incoming Demon beasts, sending it to its comrade.

    ¡°Hmmm, I heard the pilot of the new model in pursuit was a cadet, but I didn¡¯t imagine you would not give an inch even in the face of this swarm of Demon beasts! Impressive guts. Allow me to help you!¡±

    As Hymerwort chatted, it continued to turn one Demon beast after another into mush. Even though it wasn¡¯t a new model, the tough armour of Hymerwort performed fantastically in this chaotic battle. As it was a heavy model, its power was on par with the new model and swept the Demon beasts away with ease. With the appearance of strong allies, Guyale didn¡¯t just stand there. Using the typhoon created by Hymerwort as a shield, it acted like a guerrilla, taking down the Demon beasts one at a time.

    There were a few dozen Demon beasts in this swarm, a far larger scale than the one which attacked Dallier Village. But, the group didn¡¯t pay this any heed as Eru, Chid and Ady created havoc with their Silhouette gear, separating the beasts into smaller groups for Hymerwort and Guyale to finish off. Even if they were on a roll, it still took a lot of time to exterminate such a large number of Demon beasts. When the battle was over, the sky to the east had started turning white.

    Eru opened the armour in Motor beat and surveyed the area. The forest which was the battlefield was a terrible sight. There were trees that were broken and had fallen over, barren grounds and the carcasses of gigantic beasts. Hymerwort and Guyale, who had taken down numerous Demon beasts were battered as the machines were pushed to its limit.

    ¡°... Let¡¯s return to the fort.¡±

    Eru calmly announced the end of the fight to Guyale, who was still ready for combat.

    ¡°... It¡¯s no good?¡±

    ¡°Even if you want to pursue it, it will be too late. And, look at this terrible scene, there is no way to tell which direction the thief fled in. We accumulated too much fatigue, too, it is impossible even if we try.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but, let¡¯s call for aid from somewhere else¡­¡±

    In response to Dietrich¡¯s request, Eru shook his head.

    ¡°Fort Casadesus is in a terrible state, there is no telling when they can muster the manpower. And, with how well they executed the attack, I don¡¯t think the thief would simply run. If they use decoys or disguises, it would be hard to track. We could try asking for aid, but, there is no guarantee¡­¡±

    After hearing him say that, Dietrich forced his stiff hand to release the control stick and pull it back. Guyale¡¯s back weapon screeched painfully as it retracted. The crimson Knight kept the swords in its hands and walked slowly towards the fort.

    After the tense and chaotic night, the day was breaking. The sunlight scattered the darkness in the forest, revealing the trace of destruction left in Acquart Forest. Those involved in the incident were dead tired, and their reward was the damaged fortress and numerous sacrifices. The few surviving Karrdators pushed their tired bodies to perform their duties. Fortunately, the fort was built from stone, so the fire didn¡¯t spread to the inside, allowing Fort Casadesus, which caught fire at one point to remain operational. But, its combat force was almost wiped out, with both manpower and the Silhouette Knights pushed to the brink.

    Duke Knut Dixgard, seated in the Top Level War Room, a few wrinkles added to his aged, but sharp expression. Because of this incident that happened through the night, most of the people in Fort Casadesus stayed up the entire night. For the duke, who was between middle and elderly aged, working through the night was a heavy burden. But, his appearance and voice showed no sign of weakness.

    ¡°Including the gates, the fort lost twenty percent of its facilities. We suffered serious casualties, but, the pressing problem is the Silhouette Knights being just one step away from being wiped out.¡±

    Summarising the report submitted to him, Knut couldn¡¯t help sighing after confirming the losses suffered at the fort. The fort was in danger of falling after just one night.

    ¡­ Thieves. I don¡¯t know who their allegiance is to, but, damn¡­ but, we were careless, too¡­

    From what Knut knew, Fremmevira Kingdom had never suffered attacks from Silhouette Knights for the past century. Aside from there being nothing to gain from this, the natural barrier of Aubigne Mountain made it difficult for other countries to attack.

    Politically wise, the Kingdom was stable and there were no signs of revolt, allowing all the territories to invest in anti-Demon beast defence. In this incident, the lack of experience was a serious flaw leading to self-destruction. The schemes of men were more terrifying than Demon beasts sometimes. Compared to the lesson learnt, the price they had to pay was heavy.

    Molten knocked and entered the room. After saluting in silence, he skipped the opening greetings and got straight to the point:

    ¡°Pardon me, Sir. Regarding the new models¡­ out of the five that were taken, four had been recovered, but, one of them shook off our pursuit and we lost track of it.¡±

    ¡°... It escaped?¡±

    ¡°During our pursuit, the Laihiala cadets joined in because of various reasons¡­ But, something strange happened along the way.¡±

    Knut told him to go on with his gaze.

    ¡°Demon beasts. Because of a swarm of Demon beasts appearing along the escape route of the thief, we had to give up on the pursuit.¡±

    Another frown was added to Knut¡¯s face. It¡¯s nothing special for Demon beasts to appear, but, the timing of it showing up was too coincidental, and blocked the advance of the pursuing party? The Demon beasts might move as they pleased, but, that was normally part of their usual routine. Knut could sniff the scent of someone having a hand in this.

    ¡°I thought it was suspicious and investigated it thoroughly¡­¡±

    Molten¡¯s face which was known for being courageous had something bitter mixed in, including despise, anger and contempt. He said in a tone full of disdain:

    ¡°In the place where the Demon beasts showed up¡­ I found remnants of a ¡®curse bait¡¯.¡±

    In that instant, Knut, who was quietly thinking about the content of the report, opened his eyes wide from shock and anger. ¡®Curse bait¡¯ was a lure made from special medicine made for the purpose of attracting Demon beasts. It works by emitting a scent which the Demon beasts like, able to gather the Demon beasts nearby when used. But, the Demon beasts that congregated would be agitated and become more aggressive.

    Hearing this, Knut stood up, knocking his chair backwards.

    ¡°Preposterous¡­ curse bait!? It was used merely to ¡®escape¡¯!? Are they insane!! If that is true¡­ No, as expected¡­¡±

    The consequences of using that in the Fremmevira Kingdom were clear. It would create an epidemic of Demon beasts in the region, and was a great taboo in the Fremmevira Kingdom. Its production method was obviously heavily classified. Not just production, even possession could be punishable by death. Aside from legal issues, it was not acceptable rationally and emotionally by the masses. With the Demon beasts¡¯ periodic attacks, both the Knights and civilians had to fight day and night in this nation. Doing something here would naturally be infuriating to the people, which exposed the origin of the thieves.

    ¡°I am thinking, could the thieves be from another nation¡­¡±

    Knut nodded; he was thinking the same thing as Molten. Setting the issue with the curse bait aside, he couldn¡¯t think of any reason anyone within the Kingdom would plot this incident. Knut had been considering this possibility for a long time, and, this new clue became the last piece of the puzzle. He pondered for a moment. This incident had serious implications, he needed to tidy up the situation and clear all his doubts.

    ¡°... Molten, do what you can to gather information in the vicinity. There is no need to rush with the restoration of the fort. I have to report to His Majesty myself¡­ I will be rushing to K?nk?nen. Prepare the carriage!¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 18: When the silver phoenix spreads its wings

    The season moved into deep autumn in the blink of an eye, the chill in the air grew stronger with each passing day. The bone chilling breeze was blowing today, too, only the bright and cheery sunlight from the clear skies delayed the onset of winter.

    This was an infirmary situated within Laihiala Pilot Academy. On the only bed within the room, Edgar slowly opened his eyes. This was a clean and bare room. The sunlight shining in at an angle pierced through the lacy curtain and into the room, giving his cheeks some warmth, gently stimulating his slightly opened eyes. He had slept for quite a long time, so, he couldn¡¯t concentrate immediately and his sight lacked focus. His view was covered by a white fog, before everything gradually became clear. At the same time, Edgar recalled the situation before he lost consciousness, and struggled to get up in confusion.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡°

    Aches from all over his body were registered by his brain, stemming off Edgar¡¯s thought of getting up. Within his confused mind, Edgar compared his current situation with what he last remembered. These were injuries from an intense collision and bruises from the machine parts that were sent flying. His life wasn¡¯t in danger, but it wasn¡¯t just a light wound. He relaxed after judging so, and rested his body onto the bed.

    The pain prevented him from sleeping, so, he just laid there in silence. At this moment, he heard a cautious knock on the door. Edgar attempted to answer, but the dryness of his throat deprived him of his voice. He managed to grunt, but, the door opened before he sounded out.

    ¡°...! You are awake!¡±

    The woman who entered ¡ª Helvi stared with widened eyes, jogging to the bed Edgar was lying on. In her hands, was a jug of water.

    ¡°Great¡­ You have been sleeping for three days, I was so worried.¡±

    Teardrops were glistening at the corner of her eyes. Edgar was surprised by the words ¡®three days¡¯. He wanted to express his apology and gratitude, but, only a hoarse sound came out of his mouth. Helvi, who noticed this slowly, slotted a straw into Edgar¡¯s mouth, with the other end inside the jug. After moisturising his throat, Edgar relaxed and asked with his hoarse voice:

    ¡°... Sorry, Helvi. After that¡­ After I lost conscious, what happened¡­?¡±

    Even at this juncture, Edgar was still so serious. Helvi shrugged and pulled a chair over to sit.

    ¡°Alright, I will explain everything to you. There is time, so, don¡¯t be hasty.¡±

    After taking a sip herself, Helvi tilted her head and said:

    ¡°Well, first of all¡­¡±

    In the Imperial Capital of Fremmevira, K?nk?nen; in Castle Shreiber situated at its heart, there were several figures along the corridors to the audience hall of the palace.

    One of them was the King of Fremmevira, Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira. An elderly reigning Head of State, he was once a Knight in his youth, and has experience as a Field Commander. He had carried on with his training since those days and was strong and healthy. His majestic hair and beard were like a lion¡¯s mane; his presence was as strong as before, permeating into the surroundings. A few steps behind him, was Duke Knut Dixgard. Compared to the King, he was slender and gave the impression of a sharp blade. But, right now, his face was shrouded in fatigue and anxiety, dulling his usual glint.

    ¡°So, thieves broke into Fort Casadesus through their schemes, and took the new model of the Silhouette Knights by force, is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have recovered most of the new model Silhouette Knights, but one of them got away. We have put up notice everywhere and are combing the grounds, but, nothing has turned up so far. It was my grave negligence; I have no words to defend myself. I am prepared to bear any punishment¡­¡±

    ¡°Knut, don¡¯t be hasty. Instead of punishing you, I have more important things for you to do. If you want to take responsibility, put more effort into your work in the future and think about how to make up for it.¡±

    With how serious Knut was, if the two of them weren¡¯t walking, he would have already prostrated himself on the spot. But, facing Knut¡¯s confession, Ambrosius waved and dismissed it.

    ¡°You strongly suspect the real identity of the thieves¡­ to be personnel from foreign nations?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe it to be so. We are interrogating the thieves we captured for intelligence. But, they appear to have special training and are keeping their mouth shut. It will take some time to determine their true identity.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, we won¡¯t need to be hasty as long as the thieves stay within our borders. It¡¯s just a matter of time before we get them. Otherwise, their escape route would be limited to the Bocuse Sea of Trees or hiking up the mountain range. It is easy to deduce where they will go.¡±

    ¡®Bocuse Sea of trees¡¯. This forest was situated to the east of Fremmevira, and a realm that played host to countless Demon beasts. The recent attack of the Behemoth was still fresh in everyone¡¯s mind, there might be a Demon beast stronger than that out there. Judging from that, it was easy to imagine how foolish it would be to seek refuge there.

    On the other hand, the west of Fremmevira was populated by nations of humans¡ª ¡®western countries¡¯. Going that way would require hiking up Mount Aubigne. The mountain range had always been known for its treacherous terrain, but, it wasn¡¯t impassable. There were several easy passages built into the roads, with garrisons set up.

    The problem was the alternate routes through the mountains. It might be difficult for regular travel, but it was possible to traverse through it, and the thieves might have prearranged such a route. There were no radars in this world. The surveillance effort of the mountains wasn¡¯t just for show, but, there were gaps in the security which Ambrosius was aware of.

    ¡°Really, things are getting serious. It has been a long time since we had diplomatic talks with foreign nations.¡±

    The reason why the Kingdom could survive with its national borders in such a battered state was because of its geographical location. Situated between the Bocuse Sea of Trees and the Aubigne Mountain Range, Fremmevira could be described as a ¡®city wall¡¯. For the western countries, the existence of this Kingdom was convenient and beneficial to them, solving problematic issues which would had troubled them otherwise. That was why they wouldn¡¯t do unnecessary things and risk souring their relationship. The nations came to a similar consensus to not intervene in any way, and has a ¡®turn a blind eye¡¯ historical background with Fremmevira. That was the main reason why the Kingdom was relaxed in their security against the other nations.

    ¡°The next generation model of the Silhouette Knights were stolen. Once this has been revealed to the world, it would be impossible to keep it from spreading to the other nations. It¡¯s too late to worry about that. We have to defend our mean of survival.¡±

    And, in order to carve a path into the future. Both men were thinking about the same thing.

    The audience hall of Castle Shreiber was spacious. This was natural as it was built to host Silhouette Knights within it. When a ceremony was held here, tidy rows of Silhouette Knights would line up at the side, displaying the majesty of the Kingdom.

    Right now, the group inside the hall wasn¡¯t Silhouette Knights, but a group of young adults. Simply put, they were the students from the pilot faculty of Laihiala Academy, and three children. After resolving the incident in Fort Casadesus, the ones staying in Laihiala had also been summoned, gathering almost all of the students in the pilot faculty.

    The students stayed in this spacious hall, awed by the serious atmosphere as they waited for the imminent arrival of the King.

    ¡°Good, you may rise.¡±

    Ambrosius looked at group kneeling before him and did away with the pleasantries with a casual tone. He then sat onto the throne gracefully. The Laihiala students lifted their heads, but, they were so nervous that their body grew stiff. This was natural since they were already tense in the presence of a Duke. A petite boy stood at the centre of the front row and seemed indifferent. Ambrosius smiled the moment he glanced at Ernesti. The next instance, his face turned serious, and said with a voice filled with dignity.

    ¡°First of all, I must congratulate all the students present for successfully developing a new machine model, well done. For a group still at school to accomplish an unheard of achievement, I feel proud and happy.¡±

    Ambrosius¡¯ words made most of the student blush from excitement. Some of them even looked shocked.

    ¡°Regrettably, there are ruffians disrupting this great work. We have done all we could to capture them, but there has not been any news, yet. We have prepared for the worst and assume the ruffians have escaped.¡±

    The expressions of the students turned gloomy. They were overjoyed by the praises of His Majesty, but the cold reality pulled them back to reality.

    ¡°There is no need to be upset. They might have stolen one machine, but that doesn¡¯t mean they have taken everything related to the new model from us. But, with the news of this machine made public, there will be conflict between nations over this new model. When that happens, we can¡¯t afford to fall behind! From what I know, the new model had yet to be perfected. The reason I have summoned everyone here is to make it so. Without further ado, Ernesti. What do you need to perfect the new models?¡±

    Eru thought for a moment, after hearing the King¡¯s question and asked.

    ¡°There are two problems; one of them would take quite a while no matter what. The other problem¡­ requires the assistance of the NTR Lab.¡±

    Eru¡¯s answer differed wildly from the guesses of most of the people present. They thought that Eru himself, or Eru and the students would complete the new model¡¯s development. Ambrosius just wanted to know what he would need in order to accomplish that. But, Eru¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t facilities or materials, but the name of an organisation.

    ¡°There are many issues that need to be resolved for the new models, one of which is ease of control. The NTR Lab is experienced in this aspect; I think it would be most efficient to borrow their expertise. Also, if we are planning to adopt the new model as the base unit for Silhouette Knights, the production method would be very important from here on. Hence, the best way is to use the Karrdator which is the most populous model as a springboard and upgrade them. To achieve this, it would be best to rope in the NTR Lab, who are the most familiar with Karrdators.¡±

    Eru had prepared these answers beforehand and presented everything fluently. In contrast, Ambrosius was a little disappointed and crossed his arms.

    ¡°So, you are saying that future development should be transferred to the NTR Lab?¡±

    ¡°I know this alone won¡¯t solve the problem. We have to explain the details carefully to the NTR Lab. But, there is already progress for that. Thanks to the recommendation of Duke Dixgard, all my senpais present would definitely have a place in the NTR Lab. Every one of them is a member who took part in the research and development of Tellestarle from the beginning to the end; they will definitely see the new model into completion.¡±

    Ambrosius squinted his eyes and stroked his beard. This boy had given much thought. As Ambrosius thought about this, something seemed to be out of place. His instinct told him he had missed something. In order to recall what that was, his eyes fell on the boy once again, and he got his answer.

    ¡°Yes, you have a point. As you have suggested, I will summon the NTR Lab to discuss this. For the completion of the new model, I am looking forward to your performance from now on¡­ But, why wasn¡¯t your name mentioned in your proposal earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I will soon be in the second year of middle school; I won¡¯t be graduating so soon.¡±

    At this moment the two thoughts of ¡®Why are you bringing this up this late in the game¡¯ and ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right¡¯ flashed through the minds of everyone present. Even Ambrosius couldn¡¯t conceal the surprise on his face.

    ¡°... As the King, it might be inappropriate for me to say this. But, at this point, do you even need to study at school?¡±

    When they heard this, Chid and Ady, who were behind Eru trembled. If the King ordered Eru to stop going to school, they wouldn¡¯t have any way of preventing that from happening. The words that made them rush to Casadesus swelled towards their throat, but, wouldn¡¯t come out. The two of them could only hang their heads with their fists clenched and listen quietly.

    The two of them didn¡¯t notice that Eru glanced back at them.

    ¡°There is¡­ a reason. Your Majesty, the reason I could work on the ¡®new model¡¯ project and finish it, was because of extremely good luck.¡±

    Whenever the petite Eru spoke to Ambrosius, he had to look upwards. Ambrosius could see the shining determination in the boy¡¯s eyes staring straight at him. He smiled and replied:

    ¡°Oh, so, you mean this incredible achievement wasn¡¯t because of your own talent, but, simply great luck?¡±

    ¡°As you know, I am just twelve years old. No matter what ideas or methods I could think of, if there is no one to acknowledge it, I wouldn¡¯t have accomplished anything. This achievement was thanks to the senpais in the pilot faculty for not treating my words as a joke, and taking it seriously. I don¡¯t think there are many who would do the same for me.¡±

    ¡°Your work is outstanding; I can¡¯t just dismiss it so simply. And, if I were to give the order, I don¡¯t think the NTR Lab would ignore my words. If that was the case, wouldn¡¯t the condition be similar?¡±

    Eru lowered his gaze and shook his head slowly.

    ¡°That would cause unnecessary friction. The new model will become the centre of attention and would require long hours to research and develop. If unnecessary elements are mixed in, things that could have been done might become impossible.¡±

    These words were right on the mark on what Ambrosius was worried about. The National Technological Robotics Laboratory was set up right after the founding of Fremmevira Kingdom. The organisation¡¯s long years of research supported the development of all technology related to Silhouette Knights. The researchers were exceptionally talented and had a high level of pride. The pride of men was a troublesome thing, no matter how talented one was, or what their accomplishment was, it doesn¡¯t mean the Lab could accommodate him. Especially with such a huge age gap, the problem of sending Eru there was obvious.

    With Eru¡¯s talent and his matured way of handling things, such minor issues wouldn¡¯t set him back; that was how Ambrosius felt. He also thought the friction could be reduced by giving some ¡®insurance¡¯ to the students. After considering the potential problems, forcibly assigning Eru into the NTR Lab had more cons than pros. And, as Eru said, at the end of the day, It would be hard to say if the task could be finished at the NTR lab.

    For the ¡®final adjustments¡¯, it would be impossible to accomplish it without the NTR Lab¡¯s expertise. And, the finished product would be presented to the world by the NTR Lab, which would preserve their pride, a great way of resolving the problem; except for one thing. Ambrosius thought about that one thing and frowned deeply. Seeing Ambrosius¡¯ troubled face, Eru smiled immediately.

    ¡°Please be at ease, I have not forgotten about the promise I made with Your Majesty. I would not give up on my goal to make the best Silhouette Knight ever. Hence¡­ I will complete the next machine design before I graduate, please look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°... Wait, you are still doing that?¡±

    Everyone in the hall heard the illusionary sound of people falling over like dominoes. Some of those present were literally holding their heads with a bitter smile.

    ¡°As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. This time, I will plan carefully and think of a unique and perfect design!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem here!¡±

    Knut who was standing by the side scratched his forehead and mumbled: ¡°...He is talking about that¡­¡± Ambrosius glanced at him and suppressed his urge to laugh.

    ¡°The completion of the new model is important¡­ But, doesn¡¯t everyone want to design newer machines?¡±

    Eru looked as if he was being willful, but everyone understood¡ª This guy was just leaving the problematic finishing touches to others. Ambrosius couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Being with this boy made Ambrosius feel like he was reverting to his old self. His blood of a prankster was squirming.

    ¡°I see, as expected of a hobbyist. The NTR Lab would be motivated by a project on such a grand scale. Their expertise is guaranteed, they will definitely produce great results.¡±

    Ambrosius laughed for a while, and, then reverted to his serious expression.

    ¡°Is this fine? I might tap into their expertise when making the next model, too, alright?¡±

    ¡°The development of Tellestarle was just an experiment. Thanks to that, I learned all sorts of knowledge and gain much experience. The end product has the potential to be the basis for future development. But, the mass production model that Fremmevira seeks is one that is flawless and has multi-utility. But, the machines I am planning to design doesn¡¯t match these two criterias.¡±

    Ambrosius ignored Knut, who stood stunned in place. The boy, who rewrote the development history of Silhouette Knights because of his ¡®hobby¡¯, was taking it to the ¡®next phase¡¯. Ambrosius was concerned because of his curiosity and the impact of Eru¡¯s actions. Eru made history with just a ¡®test¡¯, what should be Ambrosius¡¯ focus for the ¡®next phase¡¯, the completion of the mass produced models or¡­?

    And, moving on to the ¡®next phase¡¯ would be dependent on this boy. The NTR Lab might be a capable organisation, but, they could not provide such a dramatic technological leap. Just from this point, it was clear what the answer should be. The problem was how to do that. Suddenly, inspiration struck Ambrosius like a comet. Ambrosius sat up, with a scheme in mind.

    ¡°I can agree with your reasoning, but I cannot approve of this.¡±

    Knut saw from Ambrosius¡¯ profile the nightmare that haunted him in the past.

    ¡°I cannot allow you to do as you please as a student. There is no need to wait for the construction of the next machine model, get it done as soon as you can and show it to me.¡±

    Only Eru could hear the faint sigh that came from behind him. Even though Eru couldn¡¯t do anything about it, he couldn¡¯t trample the willful wishes of his childhood friends like this. As Eru was thinking of a scheme under the guise of his innocent face, Ambrosius continued:

    ¡°By the way Knut, since Ernesti expressed his interest in creating Silhouette Knights, his safety will be a concern.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°My safety? What is the problem?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. The villains targeted the ¡®actual product¡¯ this time, but, if something like this happens again, there is no telling whether the source of this whole incident¡ª you, would be in danger. You might develop another new machine. If they keep targeting generations after generations of machines, the enemies would feel that there is no end to this and take drastic actions. That¡¯s why we have to ensure your personal safety.¡±

    ¡°We should assign him some guards.¡±

    ¡°That means what you need would be blacksmiths to bring life to your ideas, and Knights who can protect your life.¡±

    Ambrosius relaxed his serious face which seemed to be a farce, and smiled without worries.

    ¡°And, these people must accommodate you without a hint of prejudice. Do you have any idea who could fulfill these conditions, Ernesti? Well? The answer is obvious, there¡¯s nothing to consider.¡±

    For a short moment, Ernesti Echevarria stood wide eyed on the spot in surprise. He moved moments later, turning to look behind him. As expected, all the students in the Laihiala pilot faculty focused their gazes on him. Even Dietrich and David were looking at him with warm eyes. The silence that contained a multitude of emotions fell between them.

    ¡°That¡¯s right; the students of Laihiala. Everyone has experience in making the new model. I am looking forward to your performance once again. I hereby order the raising of a new Order of Knights. The members include Ernesti, and the ones who craft and pilot the Silhouette Knights alongside you!¡±

    ¡°An Order of Knights¡­ Us?¡±

    Eru, who was always smiling could feel the corners of his mouth cramping. In contrast, the smile on Ambrosius¡¯ face was getting deeper.

    ¡°Since the Order of Knights has been raised, we have to name it. The scale isn¡¯t big, so we shouldn¡¯t assign it the colour blue? No, because of your duties, it should be a different category. Oh, the familiar ¡®silver¡¯ is a good fit. Am I right, Ernesti? Next, I will bestow everyone with the name of ¡®Phoenix¡¯. The ¡®Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯; that would be the title all of you will go by.¡±

    This name spread out like a ripple with the mumbling of everyone present. Moments later, it had permeated into the minds of everyone¡ª the ¡®former¡¯ students of Laihiala pilot faculty and Ernesti¡¯s group.

    ¡°Ah, this is a Knight Order, but, it would take time to prepare a suitable place to set up base. There is a need for a temporary base in the meantime. Knut, is there anywhere that is suitable?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Everyone here is related to the Laihiala Pilot Academy. Since most of them are students, how about housing them on campus for now?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, a great plan. A place would be prepared by the time Ernesti graduates, so please don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    Eru had no objections to this arrangement, and wanted to cheer loudly. But, that aside, Eru still felt a bit unhappy. That¡¯s right; this was just an emotional issue. No matter how wonderful this proposal was, Eru still wanted to fight back a little to show his dissatisfaction.

    ¡°But, Your Majesty, wouldn¡¯t this get in the way of handing the development issues to the NTR Lab?¡±

    Eru brought this up casually, but this was still a potential problem. This was what Ambrosius was concerned about in the first place.

    ¡°Oh, yes, we need to solve this problem. Well, then, I will issue the first command to the Silver Phoenix Knights. ¡®Give a solid blow to the arrogant noses of the researchers in the NTR Lab¡¯. Show me how you will use the new Silhouette Knights to scare them out of their wits; teach them that age is just a trivial matter and tame them¡­ Can you do that?¡±

    Eru turned to the back again. He could see determination in their eyes. Seeing them nodding silently, Eru made up his mind.

    ¡°By your command¡­ I will do all that I can to accomplish this mission.¡±

    ¡°... And that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    Before they realised, the sunlight was coming in at a steep angle, the glaring sunset was shining into the infirmary. After Helvi finished the story, she took a sip of water and rested. Edgar was listening with a serious face all this while, but, when the story became weird, his expression turned into a stiff smile. The words ¡®I just heard a ridiculous story¡¯ was written on his face.

    ¡°I want to confirm something. That Silver Phoenix Knights thing¡­ does it include me?¡±

    Was he afraid of being enlisted, or looking forward to it? Anyway, it was hard to tell from his stiff expression.

    ¡°Yes, but, it¡¯s not mandatory; you can choose to turn down this appointment. There are no negative consequences for rejecting this appointment; you can still join any Knight Order after you graduate.¡±

    ¡°... By the way, did anyone quit, yet?¡±

    Edgar already knew the answer, but, he couldn¡¯t help asking. Helvi squinted her almond eyes that were similar to a cat, smiling happily as she gave the answer that had Edgar expected.

    ¡°None, not one person has turned it down.¡±

    After hearing this answer, Edgar smiled wryly and rested his entire body onto the bed.

    For a moment, the two of them were silent. Edgar suddenly recalled something important he saw before losing conscious. His expression turned serious, after finding the right words, he brought up this matter:

    ¡°... Helvi, I have something to tell you.¡±

    Seeing Helvi continue smiling with her head tilted, Edgar chewed on his words, but, didn¡¯t stop and finished his sentence.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Tellestarle. The machine I fought, the one that got away¡­ It was ¡®prototype one¡¯. That is your¡­¡±

    Edgar couldn¡¯t say any more; because Helvi¡¯s finger was pressing on his lips.

    ¡°I know. I checked the other new models.¡±

    Helvi lowered her gaze, considering her ties with ¡®prototype one¡¯, her reaction was unexpectedly calm. But, Edgar could see some hint on how she really felt.

    This was enough for Edgar to make up his mind.

    ¡°I see. Helvi, I promise you.¡±

    Helvi raised her head. Edgar held her hands tightly.

    ¡°One day, Earlecumber and I will get it back, or destroy it completely. I won¡¯t let the thieves trample on our hard work, and your partner.¡±

    Edgar¡¯s determined words surprised Helvi. She blinked her eyes blankly and then smiled.

    ¡°Yes, I will look forward to that¡­ Thank you.¡±

    She held Edgar¡¯s hands as she replied softly.

    End

 Book 3: Prologue: Silver Phoenix Knights Begin

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Thorify D, Storm Loki, alkin

    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been.

    When he realised it, ¡®Ernesti Echevarria¡¯ found himself floating in darkness.

    The dark barren space seemed to be endless, his pale white skin and brilliant silvery purple hair was a strong contrast against the background.

    He couldn¡¯t feel the ground beneath his feet, only a sensation like floating in water.

    It was strange, but, he wasn¡¯t bothered by it, or interested in this situation. He simply stared into the other end of space with a blank expression.

    Finally, something other than him appeared in this stagnant space.

    It was a rectangular box printed with colours. On closer inspection, it had a picture of a ¡®robot'' in a cool pose on it, and the ¡®logo¡¯ displayed the name of the robot on the side. The box was labeled with a detailed ¡®description¡¯ on four of the sides¡ª indicating that this was a box containing a ¡®plastic model¡¯.

    And, there were more than one.

    All sorts of boxes were chained together, encircling Eru. He was familiar with all the robots depicted on the boxes and would never forget them¡ª He bought all of them right before the ¡®traffic accident¡¯.

    ¡°Aahhh¡­ That¡¯s right, these are the ¡®yet to assemble¡¯ ones. It¡¯s a rare chance, I have to complete them.¡±

    Ignoring why the things he had lost were here, he didn¡¯t even care why ¡®boxes of plastic models¡¯ were before ¡®Ernesti¡¯. He smiled calmly and acted as he usually did.

    Holding clippers in his hand, he placed a cutting mat, box cutter, tweezers, file, and glue tidily before him.

    This was a habit he had in the ¡®past¡¯, placing his tools and model pieces tidily before assembling it in earnest. It was like a ritual and was a part of his routine.

    Eru, who had finished the preparations, was in a great mood as he reached out for a box floating in the air.

    Opening the box, taking out the model parts, and starting to read the instruction manual.

    This was a time of happiness as he immersed himself in his hobby, but, for unknown reasons, the box moved unexpectedly and dodged his hand. He tried several times, but, couldn¡¯t touch any of the boxes, and they seemed to be drifting further and further away, about to disappear into the darkness of the abyss.

    ¡°Hmmm? Please wait, I haven¡¯t done anything yet. There are so many I have ¡®yet to assemble¡¯, I want to keep assembling!!¡±

    He gave chase, but, whenever he was about to touch them, the boxes slipped away.

    The frustrated Eru started getting serious. The clippers in his hand started to morph into the gunstaff, ¡®Winchester¡¯.

    Mana and script flowed into his beloved staff, manifesting into physical phenomenon through the catalyst crystal. ¡®Aero Thrust¡¯¡ª The air pressure created from the magical explosion propelled Eru¡¯s body forward like a bullet, reaching speeds that surpassed that of any normal man. However, he still couldn¡¯t reach the boxes. The boxes shook at a place just beyond his reach, mocking his efforts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of running¡­ I won¡¯t let you get away! My, my plastic models!¡±

    Just a bit more and he could touch them. Eru pounced at the boxes.

    He finally grabbed it into his arms, holding it tightly and refusing to let go.

    ¡®The box of plastic models¡¯ should be something made from thick cardboard.

    But, the sensation in his arms felt so familiar, a tenderness that wasn¡¯t too hard or too soft.

    For the first time, his mind was filled with doubt and he lifted his head like a spring¡ª

    ¡ª And, he woke up from his dream.

    His sleepiness was gone in an instant.

    Eru blinked his eyes and sighed deeply. His mind was clear, but, his mood was terrible.

    ¡°... It was a ¡®dream¡¯. To stop at such a place¡­ Even if it was a dream, at least let me do it until the very end.¡±

    Light shone through the thin curtains and the room gradually grew brighter. It was morning, even though recalling the dream that was becoming vague made him upset; he still prepared to get up from bed out of habit.

    At this moment, he realised that something was right before him, and he was being pressed down.

    It was too close so he thought it was a blanket. But, looking at it closely, he realised it wasn¡¯t ¡®something¡¯, but ¡®someone¡¯.

    Eru slightly lifted his head and recognised who it was. The one hugging Eru in her sleep was the girl who grew up alongside him¡ª ¡®Adeltrud Olter¡¯. He understood why the dream ended.

    ¡°... Ahh, right, we slept together last night.¡±

    He was confused momentarily, but, remembered the reason in no time.

    It happened last night.

    He was pulled into a certain incident a few days ago, and Ady was unhappy at being left out.

    And, so, she announced that she would punish Eru ¡®like a pillow¡¯. So she snuggled into his bed and executed the punishment.

    Ady was sleeping soundly without a care in the world, wearing a satisfied expression. Her face looked so happy that Eru hesitated to wake her up.

    If he hadn''t been rendered immobile by her tight embrace, he might have let her continue sleeping.

    ¡°Ady, it¡¯s morning, wake up.¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be helped since he couldn¡¯t move, so Eru shook Ady¡¯s shoulders to wake her up. A moment later, she opened her eyes in a daze¡ª then smiled brilliantly and hugged Eru tighter.

    ¡°... Hmmm¡­ It¡¯s Eru¡­ Fufu, so warm, so happy¡­¡±

    Winter is the time when one longs for the warmth of the bed, and the young boy whose size was just right for hugging provided great warmth.

    ¡°Time to get up Ady; don¡¯t keep sleeping just because it''s cold.¡±

    ¡°... Just, three more hours¡­¡±

    There seemed to be no end to this. She rubbed her cheek against Eru¡¯s hair, smiling happily as she dozed off into dreamland once again.

    Saying this verbally was useless, so, Eru gave up and adopted drastic measures. He moved his hand under her clothes and used gentle and cautious motions to tickle her flanks and back. Ady, slept for a while, but moved involuntarily in no time, waving her limbs about.

    ¡°......! ¡­¡­!! Fu, hya!? Wait, stop, it tickles, Eru, stop!!¡±

    After struggling for some time, Ady finally suppressed Eru¡¯s hands, stopping further attacks. She maintained this position and lowered her gaze, meeting Eru¡¯s, who was smiling gently in the eyes. She blushed and moaned in tears:

    ¡°Eru~! Boo, hoo, you are becoming mean recently¡­!¡±

    ¡°No such thing. Good morning, you are finally awake. Come, it is a beautiful morning, let¡¯s get up from bed.¡±

    He then pulled the reluctant Ady up.

    She looked displeased with the cool breeze. In contrast, Eru was stretching his limbs and swinging his arms for some reason.

    ¡°Now is not the time to lose to the cold. Here, let¡¯s begin the activities of the ¡®Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯. I couldn¡¯t do it in my dream, but I won¡¯t give up this time!¡±

    ¡°...? Aren¡¯t you unusually excited after forming the Knights Order?¡±

    Seeing Eru full of drive made Ady tilt her head, baffled, but, she still complied with his urgings and left the bed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, models are dreams¡­ A dream that is beyond reach, so I have to make a ¡®substitute¡¯... I won¡¯t give up so easily!¡±

    It had been a long time since he dreamed about his previous life.

    It gave Eru a weird goal¡ª which was like putting the cart before the horse.

    For the time being, it will be a while before his ideas that go beyond the boundaries of worlds take shape.

    ¡°Please wait for me, my robots!¡±

    In conclusion, he was full of life today as well.

 Book 3: Chapter 19: Uproar in Laihiala Pilot academy

    Centaur Knight Arc

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Thorify D, alkin

    This happened on a certain clear, winter day.

    ¡°Well, has the ¡®Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ left for Laihiala, yet?¡±

    The tenth King of the ¡®Fremmevira Kingdom¡¯¡ª¡®Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira¡¯¡ªrested his elbow on the throne as he muttered. He was fifty-seven years old, a very old man in this world, but was lively and youthful in demeanour. However, he was melancholic right now.

    ¡°Yes, the carriage ferrying them has set off this morning, they should reach the academy city by evening.¡±

    The one conversing with Ambrose was Duke Knut, or ¡®Knut Dixgard¡¯. In the audience room of Castle Shreiber situated within the Capital of Fremmevira, there were several others present besides the two of them.

    ¡°Yes, we will need their talent; there has been quite a number of troubling matters recently.¡±

    What was troubling Ambrosius was the recent series of incidents that hit the Kingdom of Fremmevira. ¡®C.E. 1277¡¯, this year had been the most tumultuous in the founding of the Fremmevira Kingdom.

    What sparked it off was the Division-level Demon beast, ¡®Behemoth¡¯ that caused a large scale catastrophe¡ªknown as the ¡®Behemoth Incident¡¯. That incident resulted in the sacrifice of numerous ¡®Silhouette Knights¡¯ and pilots and destroyed a part of the national defence line against the ¡®Bocuse Sea of Trees¡¯.

    Just half a year later, before the Kingdom recovered from this disaster, it suffered another attack.

    Near the garrison situated to the north of the Kingdom, in the Duchy of Dixgard, Fort Casadesus was assaulted by unknown villains. It so happened that the new model of Knights developed after the ¡®Behemoth Incident¡¯, ¡®Silhouette Knight Tellestarle¡¯, was situated there, and the ¡®Red Rabbit Knights¡¯ garrisoned there fought back valiantly. After an intense battle, the fort caught fire and the Knights suffered heavy casualties, including the new models.

    This was seen as something that happened because of the Behemoth Incident, and was dubbed the ¡®Casadesus Incident¡¯.

    ¡°... As for those ¡®villains¡¯, I don¡¯t know where they came from, but they made loads of trouble for us. To think we, the barrier for the ¡®nations of the west¡¯, have to watch our back. It seems the western nations have forgotten the reason why they are safe from the Demon beasts, those ingrates.¡±

    Ambrosius didn¡¯t conceal the displeasure on his face, because the Casadesus Incident was much more problematic than the Behemoth Incident.

    The culprit behind the Behemoth Incident was a ¡®Demon beast¡¯¡ª the beasts couldn¡¯t be reasoned with and were something akin to a natural calamity. On the contrary, the masterminds behind the Casadesus Incident were rational ¡®humans¡¯.

    The Kingdom of Fremmevira was the only nation of men on the east side of the ¡®Zetterlund Continent¡¯. This nation acted the role of a shield for the western nations, keeping them safe from the invasions of the calamity known as Demon beasts. That was why it didn¡¯t take part in the wars between humans for several centuries. The Casadesus Incident, which pulled them into the strife between men, placed doubt upon the reason for the existence of the Fremmevira Kingdom.

    ¡°If it has come to this, we can¡¯t just sit back and wait. Besides, they took a prototype machine.¡±

    The goal of the villains attacking Casadesus was to capture the newly completed prototype. For unknown reasons, that group had their eyes on the Silhouette Knights that were more powerful than the previous generation¡¯s. And after a fierce battle, they had successfully stolen one machine away.

    ¡°It is a pity, but it is too late to recapture that machine. What we need to do now is set our sights forward, and move on. However, there is something we need to do before that.¡±

    Ambrosius looked at the group that was waiting behind Knut.

    ¡°We need to get the ¡®bug¡¯ in the body out. The ¡®enemy agent¡¯ who stole the intelligence related to the prototype should be hiding somewhere, right now, in our country¡­ Now is the time for you to shine, ¡®Blue Hawk Knights¡¯.¡±

    When they heard this, the people behind Knut raised their heads. This group known as the ¡®Blue Hawk Knights¡¯ didn¡¯t have impressive mail or even leather armour. They were dressed like normal citizens. It was strange for such a group to be addressed as an ¡®Order of Knights¡¯.

    ¡°Yes! Despite having only beasts as enemies for a long time, our ¡®skills¡¯ have not dulled with time. We will present results to you as soon as we can.¡±

    A man in the middle of the Knights answered on behalf of the group.

    That man had an ordinary appearance with no special features to speak of. The group included young women, old men; all of them seemed to be ¡®ordinary¡¯ pedestrians that could blend right into a crowd. They only had one common feature. Their eyes seemed to glint from time to time, and they had a sharp gaze that could see through anything.

    Ambrosius, satisfied with their answer, nodded, and turned to Knut.

    ¡°Good. Well then, Knut, I will hand the command of the Blue Hawk Knights to you. Do not forget about the failure last time and succeed this time for me to see.¡±

    ¡°... Thank you, Your Majesty, I will definitely capture all of the villains.¡±

    Knut bowed deeply; a sharp light could be vaguely seen from his lowered gaze. The incident was dubbed Casadesus, and Fort Casadesus was situated within his duchy. Furthermore, he had held great expectations for the prototypes that were destroyed.

    The Casadesus Incident was a slap in the face, no wonder he hated the villains to the bone.

    Like Ambrosius said, this mission not only gave him a chance to restore his honour, it would also allow him to vent his wrath and display his merciless means, famous within Fremmevira.

    Ambrose was pleased with Knut¡¯s response and his facial expression relaxed.

    ¡°I look forward to the performance from all of you. Let¡¯s leave that as it is for now; this concerns that ¡®mischievous lad¡¯, after all. Since I gave him an Order of Knights, he will show his true nature sooner or later. For things to proceed smoothly, we need to send someone who knows what is happening to follow him¡­ Right, Knut?¡±

    Knut who kept his fiery rage from showing earlier showed a stiffened face. He wondered what that ¡®mad dreamer¡¯ would do; he was more dangerous than the villains in some ways.

    ¡°...Yes, please leave them to me, too. I will arrange for them to work under the perfect conditions.¡±

    Even though it was dangerous, they had to do it. To wipe away the shame of Casadesus, the ¡®results¡¯ of the Silver Phoenix Knights were needed.

    The prototype that was smuggled out of the nation, and the terrorists that were inside the country; Fremmevira was in an unstable situation. They needed to unite together to face the biggest test since the founding of the nation centuries ago.

    While the Capital was having a conference that could shape the future of the nation, the Silver Phoenix Knights were¡ª

    ¡°Hey¡ª I can see Laihiala. We are finally back.¡±

    The man on the horse said casually. Right now, everyone was moving on a carriage. The group was heading in the direction of one of the cities at the foot of Mount Aubigne¡ª the city walls surrounding ¡®Laihiala Academy City¡¯ gradually became visible. It was home to the largest educational institute in the Fremmevira Kingdom ¡ª¡®Laihiala Pilot Academy¡¯¡ª the home base of the Silver Phoenix Knights, which was comprised of students.

    They finally reached the academy city, sighing in relief when they passed through the main gate. After experiencing the construction of the prototypes, getting dragged into the Casadesus Incident, and the formation of the Silver Phoenix Knights, everyone was highly tense. For these students, this was a heavy burden.

    The carriage headed towards Laihiala Pilot Academy, and the group was dismissed on campus. Most of the students stayed in the dormitory on campus, but there were local students as well like Ernesti and his childhood playmates ¡ª the twins, Archid and Adeltrud. The three of them walked side by side towards the Echevarria residence.

    ¡°Oh¡ªit has been so long since the last time we saw Eru¡¯s home! Ah~ that was tiring!¡±

    ¡°Yup, I want to rest properly at home for a while.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t help cheering after reaching the doorsteps. Eru¡¯s mother, ¡®Celestina Echevarria¡¯, rushed out the moment she heard their voices and hugged Eru. Eru also hugged his mother gently.

    ¡°I¡¯m home, Mum.¡±

    ¡°Welcome home, Eru. Are you hurt? No? That¡¯s a relief. How was it? Are they happy with the Silhouette Knights everyone made?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they loved it! There were some slight ¡®failures¡¯, so it broke down, but they want us to build more.¡±

    ¡°Ara, that¡¯s great. I will work hard for dinner tonight, so you can have a good meal and work hard.¡±

    ¡°Yay, I will look forward to it!¡±

    While mother and son embraced each other, their dialogue was a mess. When Eru¡¯s father saw this scene, he felt at ease, but couldn¡¯t help sighing.

    The sun set behind Mount Aubigne and the thick curtain of nightfall covered the entire Laihiala Academy City.

    Dinner that night was shared between the Echevarria and Olter families, who were close. The mothers from the two families displayed their culinary skills, filling the table with sumptuous dishes like a carnival. In no time, the dining table radiated a noisy and cheerful mood.

    The group chatted about everything, and most of the food was consumed by the stomachs of the children in short order. The children who were official ¡®Knights¡¯ had great appetites. Both mothers smiled happily when they saw their children¡¯s satisfied faces, and started clearing away the empty dishes.

    After finishing the meal, everyone was resting. Eru went before his father, Mathias and grandfather, Lauri.

    ¡°I have something to tell you, Dad, Grandpa. His Majesty has appointed me as the Commander of an Order of Knights.¡±

    That was the opening sentence; Eru¡¯s sudden words made his Dad and Grandpa spit out and choke on their tea simultaneously. The children, who were expecting their reaction, stayed well out of range.

    ¡°Cough! Cough, E-eru¡­. What was your appointment again!?¡±

    ¡°The Commander of a Knight Order. To be specific, the Commander of the newly raised Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    The smiling Eru looked at the stiff Marthias and the dumbfounded Lauri, who was nursing his temple. Chid and Ady watched the entire scene as bystanders.

    ¡°... Is, is that so? That¡¯s great news, right? But what are you going to do about school? Since you are going to be a Commander of a Knight Order, are you dropping out of school?¡±

    Mathias who took some time to shake off his stiff condition was thinking about this point. ¡®Dropping out of school¡¯ wasn¡¯t surprising. Even though most of the people within the nation could go to school, not everyone could complete the entire course.

    As the students could decide the length and form of schooling depending on their family situation, there were plenty of people who only studied in primary school and didn¡¯t progress to middle school.

    Those who had to drop out because of work were considered fortunate. Although dropping out because one was appointed the Commander of a Knight Order was definitely unusual.

    ¡°No, by the grace of His Majesty, my Silver Phoenix Knights will be based in Laihiala. The Order is also special in nature, so, even though I am currently the Commander, I will still be a student until graduation.¡±

    ¡°Eru¡­ I did say I would support you in anything, but this is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡®A Knight Commander studying at the Academy as a student¡¯¡ª this would definitely be the most unique title of all time. Mathias¡¯ head began to ache even though he didn¡¯t drink any liqueur.

    ¡°And so, I don¡¯t need to move even though I am a Knight Commander. It is embarrassing to say this, but the Silver Phoenix Knights will use the facilities of the piloting faculty as its base. I think His Majesty will issue the official Order in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Wha, what¡­ Eru, you even took over the Academy¡­¡±

    Lauri gazed towards the sky; he could almost see the brilliant smile of his old friend on the other side of the clouds. It seemed that his old friend was reverting back to his playful-self after meeting this grandchild of his. Their actions combined were beyond his imaginations. He had already resolved himself that this might happen someday, but he didn¡¯t expected it to be so fast.

    Lauri finally recovered from his shock. He straightened his face, which had an expression of pride he had, as the leader of an institute and as an educator.

    ¡°... Even if I have to accommodate you, there are things I would not back down from as the principal of Laihiala. Eru, there will be new students entering the piloting faculty next year. If the Silver Phoenix Knights uses the school facilities, where would the new students go? I can¡¯t accept this even if this is the order from His Majesty.¡±

    Lauri stared sternly at Eru, who sat properly and replied with a nod:

    ¡°Of course, the Silver Phoenix Knights won¡¯t rob my incoming senpais of their place to study. To be frank, the purpose of the Silver Phoenix Knights is to ¡®create Silhouette Knights the world has never seen before¡¯, just like the Tellestarle. To do so, we will be developing new techniques in the future, too.¡±

    As he listened to the smiling Eru¡¯s reply, Lauri couldn¡¯t help breaking out in a cold sweat. This group had already created the technological breakthrough of the generation, Tellestarle. If they formed an Order of Knights and researched officially, how far could they soar? That was something Lauri couldn¡¯t imagine.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we want to pass these techniques to our seniors and juniors in the piloting faculty. It is already a given that our Tellestarle will affect the future development of machines greatly, so, the seniors won¡¯t lose out from learning these techniques.¡±

    This country was changing widely with Eru and the Silver Phoenix Knights at its centre. This overly huge historical torrent made Lauri afraid, but his face looked calm and fresh as if the bitterness from before was not real.

    ¡°Eh, if everyone can work together, it won¡¯t be a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s work hard together! It will definitely be interesting!¡±

    Eru¡¯s smile was so brilliant that it was hard to open your eyes. Several days later, the existence of the Silver Phoenix Knights was officially made known to the Academy by decree of King Ambrosius. This was the start of the huge wave of change washing over the life on campus.

    It had been half a month since the Silver Phoenix Knights set up base at Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    The pilot faculty students gathered at the familiar school workshop. They had received the official appointment from the King, and were now members of the Silver Phoenix Knights. However, the only thing that changed was their title.

    Their life on campus proceeded like normal; no wonder the reality of the situation faded gradually over time.

    ¡°Ara¡­ All of a sudden, we are Knights of an Order; it seems funny when you think about it.¡±

    The ¡®Boss¡¯, David Hepken said with mixed feelings. Edgar C. Blanche shook his head.

    ¡°Boss, you were there when it happened, I was roped in while lying on a hospital bed.¡±

    ¡°You looked so anxious, worrying whether you would be selected or not.¡±

    ¡°No way, well, probably¡­¡±

    Helvi ?berg smiled deviously. Edgar¡¯s actions became awkward with her teasing.

    ¡°Eh, it was just getting interesting working on the new models. It¡¯s a shame to end it like this, accompanying our Knight Commander isn¡¯t so bad.¡±

    Dietrich Cunitz shrugged. The Boss realised something and clapped his hands.

    ¡°Yah, since the silver boy is the Commander and we are normal members, should we watch the way we address him? Like Young Master Commander or something?¡±

    ¡°Guess we should. Maybe Classmate Commander?¡±

    ¡°Too casual. We are an Order of Knights after all; we should call him Knight Commander at the very least.¡±

    ¡°No, no, we should respectfully address him as Sir Knight Commander.¡±

    Before they knew it, the members started joking about Eru. The Silver Phoenix Knights was a strange Order with the youngest Commander ever. Considering the reason and goal of its formation, its discipline was more laxed than regular Knight Orders. It was raised hastily after all.

    ¡°... I don¡¯t like such weird titles. It feels uncomfortable, just address me as usual. It will make me happier.¡±

    At this moment, the Knight Commander himself appeared. And of course, he was wearing a tired expression.

    ¡°Putting that aside, it¡¯s great that everyone is here. I have with me the first mission of the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    ¡°You are rushing us off to work now? You are always like this, so impatient.¡±

    Eru pointed behind him where heavy footsteps and the grinding of metal could be heard. The source of the noise was revealed in no time. What appeared behind him was the two and a half tall mobile armoured suit¡ª the Silhouette gear.

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that the toy you made? What do you want to do with that¡­ Hmm? Hey, could the one controlling it be¡­¡±

    The Boss¡¯ voice became surprised mid sentence.

    Everyone present knew how the Silhouette gear performed wondrously during the Casadesus Incident.

    However, they also knew the flaw with the Silhouette gear. As it required a large amount of mana to control it, only a handful with exceptional talent¡ªreferring to Eru and the twins¡ªcould operate it normally.

    But the face of the one piloting the Silhouette gear was Eru¡¯s childhood playmate¡ªthe Dwarf boy, Batson.

    ¡°That Bat boy isn¡¯t proficient in using magic like you, right? How did he do it? Tell me.¡±

    Even though Batson had played with Eru since a young age, he was just a craftsman and lacked powerful magic abilities.

    ¡°Fufufu, this is the result of the enhancement made by me and Batson! Batson, please handle the explanation.¡±

    When he heard that, Batson took a step forward and knocked the chest plate of the Silhouette gear in delight.

    ¡°Alright. The previous Motor Beat model could only be piloted by someone like Eru. But this ¡®Motor Rad¡¯ is different. A miniature sized Magius Engine is installed inside! As you can all see, even a magic novice like me can operate it!¡±

    No one understood Silhouette gears better than Batson, he knew every nook and cranny, even the Boss had to acknowledge that.

    ¡°Ohh! That¡¯s interesting; you mentioned a miniature Magius Engine? Where did you get that?¡±

    ¡°We asked Duke Dixgard for it, and he got one for us.¡±

    Eru made it sound simple, but the Boss simply sighed. The secrecy level of the Magius Engine wasn¡¯t as high as the Ether Reactor, but information related to it was still classified from the general public. Eru was provided with it just because he asked, showing the high expectations they had for the Silver Phoenix Knights. It was a fact that they were part of the organisation, but the Boss wasn¡¯t ready to accept that just yet.

    ¡°Fufufu, the important part is this. If Batson can pilot it, it means the Boss and the others, all of the craftsmen can do it, too.¡±

    The Boss squinted his eyes and considered his words carefully. He understood the main point in no time. This Silhouette gear, which could exert a large amount of power as just one machine, was very valuable.

    The craftsmen had to work with giant humanoid weapons ten metres in height¡ªthe Silhouette Knights. Every component was huge and required a lot of manpower to handle, along with various equipment like cranes and tractors. With the Silhouette gear, they could handle the spare parts with fewer people and cut down on their burden drastically.

    ¡°I see, this is getting interesting! Alright, Bat boy, we will make more Silhouette gears, come give me a hand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me! I am also a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights! I will work hard!¡±

    Batson thumped his chest and agreed. And so, the Silhouette gear ¡®Motor Rad¡¯ took the first step in becoming the working gear of the craftsmen.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the Silver Phoenix Knights to rely on the Silhouette gears so much, that they couldn¡¯t craft anything without them.

    As expected, the Silhouette gears performed marvelously in handling large spare parts. Not just that, either out of convenience or from laziness, the craftsmen did their work directly while piloting the Silhouette gears without getting in or out of it, using it in a way even Eru hadn¡¯t imagined.

    The teachers in the piloting faculty were shocked by the revolutionary crafting techniques adopted by the Silver Phoenix Knights. In the end, this technique didn¡¯t only affect Knight engineering. It was adopted in all sorts of fields.

    Since it affected the largest education institute in Fremmevira, Laihiala Pilot Academy, it was only a matter of time before it spread nationwide. From this moment on, the Laihiala Pilot Academy¡ªno, the education system of this Kingdom ¡ªhad a revolutionary change. The source of the revolution, the Silver Phoenix Knights, was quietly, but surely getting stronger.

    The Mountain Range Aubigne divided the Zetterlund Continent in two, with the royal Capital K?nk?nen at its core. Other large cities such as Laihiala Academy City made up the entire Kingdom. This ¡®West Fremmevira Highway¡¯ was the beginning of it all, the cradle from which the nation was born.

    If one was to travel south from these large cities by carriage for several days, one would reach a city far from the populous areas, a fortress city hidden in the thick forest known as ¡®Dufaure¡¯.

    K?nk?nen and Laihiala were protected by city walls, a necessary defence in the nation surrounded by Demon beasts. Most towns above a certain scale would have defensive walls as well.

    Dufaure was the same, but for some reason, its walls were much tougher than normal. Its structure was very unique as well with sparse residential buildings and more than half the city occupied by one single facility. Its scale was even larger than Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    The impenetrable walls and the city centred on a giant facility. This was the reason why Dufaure was known as a fortress city.

    The true identity of this large facility was the ¡®National Technological Robotics Laboratory¡¯¡ªor NTR Lab¡ªa research and development centre. The NTR Lab was the Fremmevira Kingdom¡¯s one and only large Silhouette Knight research institute. They were responsible for collating all of the technologies related to the Silhouette Knights and building new models. In the long history since the founding of the nation, they had worked long and hard on their research. The Silhouette Knights requires centuries to develop, so it not only served as a research facility, but also a manufacturing plantation.

    This vast development workshop had all sorts of equipment and loads of experimental prototypes. Because of its long history, large amounts of miscellaneous items were piled all over and could only be described as messy. However, machine nerds would definitely jump with glee if they saw this.

    Inside messy workshop number one, a large group of craftsmen were completing a certain task. They surrounded four Silhouette Knights with shoddy appearances, its design differing from the mass produced model Karrdator. Were these the prototypes they were designing? That wasn¡¯t so. This group was doing the opposite of constructing and repairs, they were taking these Silhouette Knights apart.

    ¡°How did they do this¡­ Even the way the Crystal tissues are connected is different; do they have to strengthen it this much?¡±

    ¡°Is this a small arm¡­ To remove something like this after adding it in, unbelievable.¡±

    These machines that were disassembled were already damaged significantly before they worked on them, some of them critically destroyed. The machines were named ¡®Tellestarle¡¯¡ªthey fell into the hands of the villains during the Casadesus Incident and had to be destroyed.

    Logically speaking, they should prioritise repairing them, but the ¡®original creators¡¯, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯, had already progressed to the next stage like an unreigned horse. These machines were, thus, left behind. In the end, it was decided that they should be given to the NTR Lab for research rather than scrapping them.

    ¡°Hmm, I wish we could have disassembled them while they were in perfect condition.¡±

    The craftsmen looked like kids, who had found a new toy, immersed in the job at hand. Every time they tore down a spare part or found a new structure, it would spark off a theoretical debate regarding the mystery of Tellestarle. And of course, they didn¡¯t let their hands idle while doing so.

    The machine Tellestarle used the knowledge and concept Eru brought from the alternate world, known as ¡®Earth¡¯, and didn¡¯t have anything in common with this world. The mysterious machine that seemed to have fallen from the heavens spurred the curiosity of the craftsmen. They carefully disassembled every spare part that made up the giant machine, greedily making this technology their own.

    Despite the passion of the craftsmen, the process of disassembling the giant by normal means progressed slowly. The problem lies in the ¡®vast differences in technology¡¯. They couldn¡¯t understand the strange design and concept that ran contrary to current models and could spend an entire day discussing it. If the ¡®design plans¡¯ that came with the machines were missing, their progress might have been stalled indefinitely.

    A new figure appeared in the room full of passionate and determined craftsmen. The person was short in stature with a stout body, his facial expression hidden behind his wrinkles. The carefully braided hair and beard was taller than he was. His eye-catching appearance made it clear he was an elderly Dwarf.

    ¡°Workshop Chief Gaizka¡­¡±

    The craftsman who greeted him had a little bitterness mixed in his face. Workshop Chief ¡®Gaizka Johannsson¡¯¡ª He was in charge of Workshop number one, the direct supervisor of all of the craftsmen.

    ¡°You all sure took your time¡­ Is the work finished?¡±

    The hoarse voice that sounded like the friction of rusty tools sent a chill down the backs of the craftsmen. The group stopped what they were doing as one and looked at each other awkwardly before saying hesitantly:

    ¡°We found some interesting parts. Chief, this machine has a structure not seen in current models, so we need more time to complete our investigation. This is a treasure trove. The more we investigate, the more discoveries we make. If they didn¡¯t give us the design plans, who knows how much effort it would take to research this. For example¡­¡±

    When he noticed his subordinate¡¯s bad habit of rambling on when he becomes too engrossed, Gaizka waved his hand to cut him off.

    ¡°I see¡­ so how much do you all understand? And is it useful?¡±

    After Gaizka asked that, the craftsman shut his mouth, as if all his rambling never even happened. From their reaction, it was easy to tell there wasn¡¯t any good news. Gaizka narrowed his eyes that were covered in wrinkles.

    ¡°Eh, like I said, the concept is too different¡­ we could emulate it, but I think we need more time to understand it.¡±

    The craftsman didn¡¯t continue as he could see the rising anger in Gaizka¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°... You mean the proud technicians of the NTR Lab couldn¡¯t grasp the things made by mere students?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ we already made progress. For example, the way the Crystal tissue is used increases its power and is more efficient.¡±

    The craftsman¡¯s answer didn¡¯t satisfy Gaizka and his expression remained stern. The craftsman was already breaking out in a cold sweat, and he felt like running away when he remembered what he needed to report to Gaizka.

    ¡°Actually, Chief¡­ There are a few problems¡­¡±

    He said timidly. Gaizka¡¯s expression eased.

    ¡°We can settle the structure part soon¡­ But there are other problems. The Magius Engine seems to be modified drastically; even the scripting engineers can¡¯t grasp the entire thing with all their effort¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you say¡­ Even if they did rewrite the Magius Engine, we can reverse engineer it based on the machine functions, right?¡±

    ¡°We have the design plans, but after looking at the content¡­ We have no idea how they controlled this function¡­¡±

    Gaizka raised the corner of his eye and the faces of the craftsmen turned as white as a sheet.

    ¡°You lot listen up, His Majesty ordered us to develop an entirely new model¡­ an entirely new model! This is the biggest project of the past century!! Once this plan is realised, we will leave our names in history. How can all of you panic at the very first stage!?¡±

    Even though they wanted to explain, they couldn¡¯t produce the results to prove it. The craftsmen who were trapped between the wrath of their Boss and reality were soaked in cold sweat, with no signs that the situation might improve.

    What saved them from this impossible dilemma were the words of a third party.

    ¡°Hey, Gaizka, they will drop their hammers in fright if you scare them like that.¡±

    Both sides reacted dramatically when they heard this. Gaizka turned back instantly while the craftsmen smiled in relief.

    ¡°Ara, Director Olver¡­ to think you would come here even though you always complain that your body is getting rusty being glued to the chair all day. What brings you here?¡±

    Olver Blomdahl was the head of the NTR Lab, the director of the entire facility. He had a youthful appearance, wearing a loose robe with a tall and had a skinny build contrasting deeply with the Dwarf Gaizka. He wore a bright coloured bandana on his head, and the most prominent thing was the slit-like eyes of his.

    Gaizka wasn¡¯t expecting him to come and surprise flashed across his face momentarily. But he concealed that by clicking his tongue before anyone noticed.

    ¡°I am here to take a look at the new model, of course. To create an entire new model from scratch was something that has never happened, since the founding of the nation. I want to listen to a proper briefing, so I made some time to visit. Everyone, this might be a direct order from His Majesty, but rushing it won¡¯t do. Progressing slowly is fine; the most important thing is to do the job right.¡±

    The craftsmen practically showed their acknowledgement and returned to their work stations before anyone stopped them. Shortly after, only the bitter faced Gaizka and Olver were left.

    ¡°Director, you are making things hard for me. Overseeing the workshop and craftsmen is the authority of the workshop Chief. Bypassing me and giving out orders makes it hard to do my job.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are right, but I think it¡¯s not good to rush. That¡¯s why I advised them out of goodwill.¡±

    ¡°I understand your position, director, but don¡¯t worry¡­ I will take my leave; I have other places to inspect.¡±

    Gaizka left quickly. Olver watched him leave and shrugged.

    ¡°Really, Gaizka is so stubborn¡­ He is capable, but too inflexible. The most important issue in any task is to know your limits, especially in a situation that is obviously a test for us.¡±

    Olver was genuinely curious about the new models, but he had another reason for visiting. He heard the rumours of a new Knight Order being founded, and that group had created the first new model in the past hundred years.

    ¡°... It is unbelievable, but His Majesty formed a research workshop that is not part of the NTR Lab and gathered the personnel to develop a new model. On the other hand, we are obviously falling behind.¡±

    In the ruckus of the disassembly operation, no one heard his murmurs. He didn¡¯t mean it to be heard by others, anyway.

    ¡°Is he testing us? Or¡­ giving us a strong dose of motivation? To think His Majesty is so cheeky, he probably meant to do both. Forming a separate organisation and making us ¡®compete¡¯... Am I over thinking this? No matter what, I have to keep my eyes open. Even if we ¡®hear it clearly¡¯, there is only so much we can understand.¡±

    His mutterings were drowned out by the noise and disappeared with the wind.

    ¡°Brat¡­ acting so arrogantly because His Majesty likes you¡­ I will show you.¡±

    Gaizka cursed as he took crude strides forward. Anger that was different from what he felt when listening to the report of the craftsmen was welling up.

    His sunken eyes were burning with wrath as he glared at the wreckage of the Tellestarle with his murderous gaze.

    ¡°The next generation mass production model¡­ Yes, if I complete this, my name will be in the history books, I won¡¯t need to see that brat¡¯s arrogant face, ever¡­!¡±

    He resolved himself with a heavy heart full of anger and an ominous smile on his lips.

    In order to realise his ambition, he shouted at his useless subordinates again.

 Book 3: Chapter 20: Sprint, Silver Phoenix Knights

    Beginning of the year C.E. 1278

    The new year had just passed into the deep winter, and, it began to snow at the foot of Mount Aubigne.

    It wasn¡¯t freezing cold, but, the city was still covered in white, enough to deter people from going out. The few people who were out in the streets wore thick coats, walking briskly in the face of the strong winds.

    Strangely, there was a group of Knights walking in the middle of the wide road, braving the chilling breeze. They were no ordinary Knights, but, giants taller than a three-storey building¡ª Silhouette Knights.

    The residents watched this scene curiously from the houses lining on either side of the road.

    Why were they here? In this era, devoid of entertainment, this small matter set off a huge wave. Matters that involved a group of giants would be the topic of interest after meals for quite a while. The Knights¡¯ destination was the origin of this city¡¯s name ¡ª Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    In the workshop of the pilot faculty, the noise of hammers rang as usual. However, it was made by huge hammers even dwarves couldn¡¯t wield. And, the ones holding them were not people but the Silhouette Gear ¡®Motor Rad¡¯.

    The shape of the Motor Rad had changed drastically within this period of time. It was based on the combat model, ¡®Model Beat¡¯, after all, so, using it for menial work would be too wasteful.

    Since everyone was using it greedily, due to convenience, leading to a huge increase in the demand. Hence, the designs were simplified to expedite production.

    The changes to the torso were really prominent with all of the armour removed. Only a frame dubbed the ¡®iron fence¡¯ protected the user. The defence was literally non-existent, but the advantage was that the heat wouldn¡¯t accumulate, so it received rave reviews in crafting works.

    ¡°Hmmm¡ªthis is a problem.¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Knights that appeared to be sailing smoothly had a problem surfacing from its back.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Half of them were destroyed during the Behemoth Incident and modified into Tellestarles after repairs¡­ and, it broke again.¡±

    Helvi, who was standing beside Eru, sighed as Eru held his chin, deep in thought.

    The commissioning of the Silhouette gears was smooth, but the Silver Phoenix Knights didn¡¯t progress much these past few months because of their remaining stock of Silhouette Knights. Frankly speaking, it wasn¡¯t enough.

    The Silhouette Knights were shared between the Silver Phoenix Knights and the pilot faculty.

    Originally, the academy possessed twenty training machines. Some of them were destroyed in the Behemoth Incident, and they only have the repaired Guyale and the remaining ten machines left.

    ¡°If we mess with the last ten, the pilot faculty won¡¯t be able to function next year. I¡¯m hesitating to touch them.¡±

    Everyone expressed their agreement after listening to the Boss¡¯ complaints. The Silver Phoenix Knights existed to develop new Silhouette Knights, but, they needed resources to do so. The major incidents that hit them consecutively drained their resources, although, the large amounts of Silhouette gears they made was part of the reason.

    ¡°Urghh, I even used my time during class to think of things we need to do, it¡¯s infuriating that we can¡¯t take action right away.¡±

    ¡°No, Commander Classmate, you should take lessons seriously.¡±

    Helvi reminded the strangely arrogant Eru. Dietrich crossed his arms and seemed to remember something.

    ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t they say they would give us some machines in return? I think I heard that from someone.¡±

    ¡°You are right, that was the plan. They would give us Karrdators in exchange for our Tellestarle¡­ But, Duke Dixgard was the one who proposed that.¡±

    They were smart enough to understand with just that. After all, the Duchy of that Duke was where the Casadesus Incident happened.

    ¡°... I see. No matter how powerful that Duke is, he won¡¯t be able to arrange this so quickly. Okay, let¡¯s do Silhouette gear operation training.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will continue to research and beef up the plans. During class.¡±

    ¡°Why are you insisting on doing that during lessons?¡±

    As they were killing time this way, sounds of exhilaration could be heard outside the workshop. The group looked at each other and then checked outside. A group of students ignored the cold, running over the snow covered campus grounds. Words such as ¡®School gate¡­¡± ¡°Group of Knights¡­¡± could be heard. Eru and the Boss realised something was wrong and dashed to the school gate.

    Laihiala Pilot Academy used Silhouette Knights during lessons and thus had a place to park them beside the school gate.

    It didn¡¯t have much chance of being used, but, an army of giants was lined up there, right now. A group of bystanders braved the snow and watched them from afar.

    The giants formed up in neat rows, with one knee on the ground. All of them were the mass produced models of the Fremmevira Kingdom¡ª Karrdators. They numbered twenty, equivalent to two companies. This was enough to garrison a small fortress.

    The heater function of the machines and the heat that was generated during operations caused steam to rise from the surface of the Karrdators. The lines of giant Knights displayed a majestic aura under the cover of fog. The audience gasped in admiration at the display.

    The pilots dismounting from the machines were handing down instructions to the infantry units of the group. Eru spotted a familiar face, and that person noticed Eru, who was making his way through the crowd. Moving his burly body, which was as big as a bear, the mouth covered by a thick beard smiled¡ª this large man was the Commander of the Red Rabbit Knights, Molten Fredholm.

    It had been several months since the two last met during the Casadesus Incident. The moment Molten came before Eru, he straightened his face and back in a salute.

    ¡°By the orders of Duke Dixgard, I am here to deliver two companies of Karrdators to the Silver Phoenix Knights. Please review the items, Knight Commander Echevarria.¡±

    ¡°I acknowledge receipt of the items, Knight Commander Fredholm. Thank you for your hard work, do send my regards to the Duke.¡±

    The two of them greeted each other, but, they could only maintain their mask of formality for this long. The first to relax was Molten. Looking at the short boy who was keeping his back straight, he couldn¡¯t help it anymore and laughed.

    ¡°Pu! Hahaha, you, you acted the part of ¡®Knight Commander¡¯ well, Ernesti.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª Commander Fredholm ¡­ that¡¯s too mean.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, call me Molten. Since we are both Knight Commanders, age aside, we are equals. In fact, you probably have a higher standing since you report directly to His Majesty while I am stationed at a fortress.¡±

    Eru smiled awkwardly, tilted his head and said:

    ¡°Well then, regarding the receipt of the Karrdators¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh, we agreed to exchange this for the new models, right? We were delayed because of various troubles, but, I am here now as promised.¡±

    ¡°The Red Rabbit Knights suffered serious damages after the Casadesus Incident. I am happy to accept this, but, is it okay for me to take this?¡±

    After the baptism of the Casadesus Incident, the Red Rabbit Knights were nearly wiped out.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be a huge burden on Duke Dixgard if Eru¡¯s group took all of these Silhouette Knights? Seeing Eru¡¯s troubled face, Molten gave him a hearty smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; Knights from the other fortresses will fill in the gaps. Also, this is what the Duke said: ¡®Others can garrison the fortress, but, only you can perform the task assigned to you. It¡¯s easy to judge which side has the priority.¡¯ ¡°

    Eru looked behind him at the Karrdators that were expelling steam from their air valves. The giants made from steel and crystal evoked many feelings within him.

    ¡°... I understand the Duke¡¯s intent. Please relay to him that I will do my best to not let him down.¡±

    ¡°Good, I am looking forward to your results; maybe you can take a look at my Knight Commander machine next time!¡±

    Molten patted Eru¡¯s head, and led the Red Rabbit Knights back to Casadesus after a short farewell. The twenty machines were controlled by the pilots to stow them away. In the past year, the pilots of the Silver Phoenix Knights experienced many things, but, piloting the official mass produced machines was a totally different experience. It was hectic as they moved them all into the workshop.

    The half empty workshop was filled with Silhouette Knights, once again. Being current models that were operated at the front lines, there was no better materials than this.

    ¡°In all sorts of way, we can¡¯t back out anymore. This is going to be troublesome.¡±

    ¡°That might be so, but, why do you look so happy?¡±

    Standing before the lines of Karrdators, Eru was grinning from ear to ear. No matter how you looked at it, it was a devious expression.

    In a corner of the workshop was a small space boxed out by wooden boards. The members of the Silver Phoenix Knights were gathered in this area known as the ¡®conference room¡¯. They pulled out chairs and were seated casually, and the one standing in the front was, of course, the Knight Commander¡ª Ernesti.

    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s attack.¡±

    ¡°Attack, where?¡±

    Chid looked amused, but, he couldn¡¯t tell if his retorts reached Eru. Seeing Eru¡¯s blushing and excited expression, everyone was thinking the same thing: It¡¯s useless to say anything now.

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. However, it is time for the Silver Phoenix Knights to fulfill their mission.¡±

    ¡°Right, we took such a generous deposit already; we can¡¯t give them shoddy works.¡±

    Everyone present nodded in acknowledgement. They were a group that was formed for ¡®that¡¯ purpose, no one denied on this point.

    ¡°Our orders are¡ª develop a machine that will ¡®scare NTR Lab out of their wits¡¯. It will be great if it has unique performance and functions, and is easily discerned by its appearance.¡±

    Eru opened the briefcase beside him and took out a stack of paper. He stuck the documents onto the blackboard in the conference room, and said:

    ¡°Fufufu, I have a lot of great ideas! We faced many problems during the battle of Casadesus, and unfortunately, a Tellestarle got away. Why is that so? Someone was blocking us? The enemy resistance? No, ignoring all that, I feel the reason is because the speed of the Silhouette Knights is about the same. Right now, there are no machine that specialises in speed in this country. And, so, I plan to develop a new machine that will dominate in terms of speed!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean we will be making a light model?¡±

    The speed of Silhouette Knights was largely dependent upon the weight of the machines. Silhouette Knights, which were modeled after humans, move by using their feet. The heavier the burden, the slower it would be; the lighter the weight, the faster it becomes, it was a simple logic. The quality of crystal tissues and the structure of the machine would affect the speed, but, they are mostly negligible. Hence, most people equate speed with light weight.

    ¡°Have you all forgotten the example of Tellestarle? If you need something, you have to use the shape that corresponds with it. Even if you have to break out of the mold of the ¡®humanoid shape¡¯.¡±

    However, this ¡®obvious logic¡¯ only applied to the bipedal humans. In this world, there were many creatures that ran faster than humans. Eru had seen machine designs to the extreme in his past life, and used the best solution that fits this problem that left the deepest impression on him.

    Eru took out the ¡®design plans¡¯ with the sketch of the machine¡ª

    The members in the conference room saw the front view design first. The upper torso was plainer than they had expected, the balance was a bit strange but that was a small matter. The weird part was the lower body, which was as large as a separate machine. The thick powerful legs were supported by feet designed to support the movement and enormous weight of the machine.

    That wasn¡¯t the strangest part; from the side view of the plans, they could see that it had ¡®more than two legs¡¯. Four of them, to be exact.

    Below the waist was another creature, something they were familiar with, the animal considered the friends of Knights¡ª a horse.

    The design plan proposed by Eru had the upper torso of a human and the lower body of a horse, and was definitely a monster¡ª half man, half horse.

    ¡°... Well, will the Silver Phoenix Knights be specialising in creating weird machines?¡±

    After ten minutes of silence, the Boss finally squeezed out a comment that reflected what everyone felt.

    ¡°It is weird¡­ No¡­ How should we describe this? What is that?¡±

    ¡°A machine that is fast with a unique appearance.¡±

    ¡°Eh? You are right, but¡­ Eh?¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s mind started falling into confusion. Eru¡¯s answer was clear and simple in contrast.

    When the sub arms were added to Tellestarle, the craftsmen could hear the sound of their common sense crumbling. Right now, what they heard was the death throe after their common sense was knifed. Maybe they were used to it, or maybe they steeled themselves after joining the Silver Phoenix Knights¡ª they accepted this design after feeling a bit troubled.

    ¡°I think this will be enough to scare the NTR Lab out of their wits.¡±

    ¡°Not just that, they might burst a vein and die of a heart attack. Taking a hundred paces back¡­ no, a thousand, no, ten thousand, let¡¯s say the horse is fine. But, why the upper torso!?¡±

    If they made a Silhouette Knight in the form of a horse, they wouldn¡¯t resist that idea no matter how dumb it might be. There was no creature in this world that combines the body of a human with the lower body of a horse¡ª Centaurs were mythical beings after all.

    To give life to a mythical being¡­ Was Eru an artistic designer? This worried the craftsmen and sent a chill down their backs.

    ¡°Why? Well¡­ because, it¡¯s cool!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Is that really the reason!?¡±¡±¡±

    Everyone shouted in unison. Eru thought this reason was adequate and didn¡¯t expect to be retorted by everyone present. He probably knew that wasn¡¯t enough. Looking into the distance, he added:

    ¡°Eh, apart from that, let me think¡­ A horse shaped machine is weak in combat, so it is pointless even if it catches up. It is a hassle for another machine to ride it. So in order to be fast and combat worthy, I added the human upper torso. In conclusion, I want to design a Silhouette Knight that can emulate the functions of a Knight on horseback.¡±

    The craftsmen were relieved that Eru had a normal reason. Eru only failed to consider the common sense aspect of it, but, it wasn¡¯t impractical.

    ¡°Ah¡ª I know what you are trying to say. Your concept should make sense, but let¡¯s ignore that for now. Normal people wouldn¡¯t install the torso onto a horse for that kind of reason¡­¡±

    The Boss and the craftsmen studied the remaining design plans, their hearts in a place between resignation and resolution.

    ¡°From the design plans, you actually considered the structure seriously¡­ Hey, this is a never seen before design, where did you get this from?¡±

    ¡°The connecting part troubled me for quite a while, but the lower half is based on the bone structure of a horse.¡±

    Eru¡¯s knowledge and experience came from him sneaking into the crafting faculty classes, his exceptionally studious attitude made him better than others, but, made others doubt where his ideas came from. His experience from designing Tellestarle was the main reason why his ability raised so much.

    That experience tied Eru¡¯s knowledge and concept together. The weight distribution that would affect balance, the inner skeleton that supports the entire structure. While referencing the structure of a real horse, he also considered the power output of the crystal tissue and reallocated it accordingly. The design even detailed the outer skin customised to perform its functions.

    ¡°Eh¡­ I am starting to think that making Tellestarle was so much cuter. Come on, coming up with such interesting and reckless ideas won¡¯t give me time to put down my hammer.¡±

    The Boss sighed in resignation, making the face of a professional craftsman. He couldn¡¯t help smiling wryly but didn¡¯t object either. At this moment, Dietrich raised his hand humbly.

    ¡°Building the machine should be left to the craftsmen, but, I am worried about something else¡­ From the hard lesson we learn with Tellestarle. If this ¡®horse¡¯ is stolen, normal machines won¡¯t be able to catch it, right? In that case, wouldn¡¯t this be a bigger problem than last time?¡±

    As the person who experienced that first hand, Dietrich had a complicated expression. He didn¡¯t plan on letting anyone steal his machine, but, wishing to avoid that just by being careful would be too naive. They had to consider the worst case scenario of being attacked a second time. If this machine gets stolen and they give chase, it would be like a man chasing a horse, doomed to fail from the start.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Di-senpai, I made anti-theft measures. Anyway, let¡¯s try this out first and work on the other machines if it goes smoothly.¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t want history to repeat itself, either. Dietrich simply shrugged after hearing him reply so confidently.

    The craftsmen recovered from the shock of seeing the new model design and started working.

    They used all of their knowledge and experience to understand Eru¡¯s design, reinforcing and editing it, forging out a rough shape. Seeing the group discussing it fervently, Eru looked satisfied.

    ¡°Since we are making an entirely different model, it will take a lot of effort. We can just make one.¡±

    ¡°... You seemed to be hinting at something.¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t answer Edgar and deepened his smile. Edgar felt it would be terrifying to inquire further and averted his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave that aside for now, I am very confident in this ¡®horse¡¯. But, we can¡¯t relax with just one machine alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know what you mean¡­ But, we are stretched really thin now, it¡¯s impossible to do more no matter how good the Boss is, right?¡±

    Just thinking about the hellish scene last year was enough to make Helvi feel tired. Even if the production difficulty of the horse and Tellestarle were the same, they could still imagine how tough the days ahead would be. The Silver Phoenix Knights had limited manpower; the rest would need to be solved by the passage of time.

    ¡°And, so, we will just make one new model that will take a lot of effort, as for the rest¡­ I want to make ¡®Option Works.¡±

    Question marks appeared on top of Edgar¡¯s and Helvi¡¯s heads, when they heard the unfamiliar term. Eru didn¡¯t explain and took out more design plans, which he handed to them. On them was a variety of armour combined together that covered the shoulder area of the Silhouette Knight. It looked like outer coat-like armour with some differences. Complicated structures could be seen within the armour plate.

    ¡°I dub it ¡®Flexible Coat¡¯. Simply put, this is the shield version of the sub arm supporting the back weapon.¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ Ernesti, this is a good idea, but, there is no point in the shield if it is not held firmly. The sub arm is too weak to provide enough defensive power.¡±

    ¡°If that was all, you would be right. Think about this, to toughen the hardness of the Silhouette Knight, what needs to be done?¡±

    ¡°Strengthening magic¡­ so, that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Edgar seemed to have figured it out and looked at the designs again. The sub arms were weaker than normal arms; making up for the lack of strength with mana output was the concept of this equipment.

    ¡°It will improve the defence capabilities, as for its weakness, it will increase the mana drain while in operation.¡±

    ¡°What an interesting idea. It will depend on the circumstances, but, it should be useful.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I want to try making several sets of this equipment and installing them. I will need you to test it out and provide feedback for this.¡±

    Edgar and the others nodded in agreement with wry smiles. The pilots would be busy in the coming days, too.

    Fulfilling the reason for its establishment, the Silver Phoenix Knights took action to allow Eru¡¯s ideas to take shape. Building and controlling the ¡®Centaur¡¯ and ¡®Choice Armament¡¯ took all the manpower of the Knights. With everyone engaged, only Eru, who was satisfied after showing everything he had thought of, as well as his happy three friends, Chid, Ady, and Batson were left.

    ¡°Yes, let us keep going like this. While everyone else is working hard, let us do what we can, too.¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Eru, there¡¯s more?¡±

    Ady asked with her eyes widened in surprise. Eru threw out a bunch of machine and equipment designs, and now he wanted to do more. She knew that was how reckless Ernesti was, but being this hyper made her go from being impressed to being dumbfounded.

    ¡°Well, I did think about it, but there is a small problem.¡±

    ¡°Again? The dark days of endless experiments are here¡ª¡±

    Batson remembered the days of developing Motor Beat, portable bow cannon, and Anchor wire; tough, but, fun times.

    ¡°Fufufu, leave it to me! Chid, Ady, what happens when we use ¡®Air Compression¡¯?¡±

    ¡°What happens¡­ We make it explode behind us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the magic makes use of the recoil from explosions. And, the problem is here; what happens if we use ¡®Air Compression¡¯ repeatedly?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª let me think, you will keep getting pushed and your speed will get very fast¡­ right?¡±

    Ady tilted her head and imagined herself using ¡®Air Compression¡¯.

    ¡°Yes, theoretically, it is possible to keep adding energy with recoil and keep accelerating. This not only applies to humans, but Silhouette Knights, too.¡±

    ¡°Are you thinking of piloting a Silhouette Knight and keep on using ¡®Air Compression¡¯?¡±

    They knew Eru had the ability to construct tactical level magic scripts. From the flow of their conversation, it was easy to imagine making Silhouette Knights accelerate. However, Eru shook his head and said:

    ¡°That would be an ¡®incredible tale¡¯, indeed. It would be tiring to keep casting magic strong enough to move Silhouette Knights.¡±

    ¡°Eh, normal people won¡¯t just dismiss it as tiring.¡±

    ¡°Similar to the magic armaments, we will prepare the engravings at home, and then install that on the Silhouette Knights. With this, we can complete a ¡®propeller¡¯ that could move as long as there is mana supply.¡±

    ¡°... Erm¡ª that is true, theoretically¡ª¡±

    After hearing the theory, Batson¡¯s face stiffened, while he imagined the steps, processes, and effects. Even the twins looked as if they had just heard a horror story.

    ¡°Batson aside, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°The two of you are great with magic scripts, so let¡¯s do the engravings together. I will borrow a Karrdator to test a few days later, we will need Batson, then.¡±

    The three friends looked at each other. Recalling Eru¡¯s record of doing whatever he said, they agreed.

    And, so, one new model machine, several new equipment, and a never seen before propeller was brought into ¡®this world¡¯ quietly.

 Book 3: Chapter 21: Rival and Determination

    sly:

    ¡°I will first report the ¡®investigation¡¯ conducted several days ago. We have completed the re-investigation of the background of the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights and staff of Laihiala Pilot Academy and found several people with suspicious backgrounds.¡±

    Around the time when the Silver Phoenix Knights were formed, King Ambrosius issued an order to the Blue Hawk Knights¡ª ¡®thoroughly investigate Laihiala Pilot Academy¡¯. With the full support of a certain Duke, the Knights started a swift check of the place the villains were most likely hiding, and accomplished their goal.

    ¡°... According to the report, the intelligence about the prototype was leaked by a foreign agent that infiltrated in before the incident happened.¡±

    ¡°As I suspected. I can¡¯t think of any other alternatives. That agent hasn¡¯t been here recently, which means the academy had been infiltrated by foreign agents for a long time.¡±

    Nora smiled and nodded in agreement.

    ¡°My humble guess is that the enemy sends in agents periodically. According to the reports, we found graduates that disappeared every year.¡±

    The academy enrolled a large amount of students every year, so they could only do the bare minimum for background checks. As long as the students were keen to learn, they would not be expelled, allowing them to learn the latest knowledge with minimum effort. Eru smiled wryly in his heart, certain that their investigation must be absolutely thorough. Nora did not comment on the report itself and continued:

    ¡°These suspects have all been ¡®dealt with¡¯; we have determined their contact methods as well. The Casadesus Incident dealt a major blow to the enemy as well. Using this chance, we are conducting a nationwide operation to exterminate the enemy forces. To prevent the infiltration of spies, I will assign my subordinates to set up a ¡®barrier¡¯ in the academy and city. You won¡¯t have to worry about the same thing happening again, sir.¡±

    The ¡®barrier¡¯ was a spy network or surveillance zone. Eru might be good, but he knew nothing about spy warfare and had no idea about countermeasures. And so, he left the anti-spy job to the professionals. Eru was satisfied with their secure countermeasures and nodded with a smile.

    ¡°I understand, I will leave all this to you experts. Tell me if there are any problems, otherwise, just report periodically.¡±

    ¡°Understood, I will enroll in the Pilot faculty class as the contact agent. I will report to you if there are any problems, sir.¡±

    Nora bowed respectfully after her report and left. Eru waved to her as she left and squinted his eyes, revealing a dangerous smile.

    So we dug the spy out? It is not good to think this is ¡®boring¡¯, but I was hoping they would struggle a bit more. Eh, they will come after me one day, so I have to be prepared.

    It was fortunate that no one knew what Eru was thinking.

    Lost in thought, the distracted Eru didn¡¯t realised someone was watching him from the shadows. That person hesitated for a moment before leaving the conference room.

    ¡°... Eru looked so happy¡­¡±

    The figure that left the conference room, Ady, walked away dejectedly.

    ¡°Eru was always treated like a toy, but I have never seen him chatting so happily before¡­¡±

    This was a serious problem. Most girls would pat Eru¡¯s head when they talk to him or treat him like a soft toy, so he didn¡¯t have much of a chance to have a serious conversation. Together with his unique hobby, the choice of topics was limited, and few girls could keep up. This meant that person was a serious threat to Ady, or that¡¯s what she thought.

    She thought about that girl chatting with Eru: Tall for a girl with a slender body type, monotonous in her speech and with pleasant facial features. It was dangerous indeed. Despite the danger, Ady realised something.

    ¡°... That¡¯s right! The girls that talk with Eru are all tall. Could it be¡­ he prefers tall girls!?¡±

    It might be rude to Ady, who felt she realised some important truth, but that was a misunderstanding. Eru was just shorter than the people around his age, including the girls. Regrettably, no one was there to correct this misunderstanding, which was usually the job of her twin brother.

    ¡°If that is so, I should stand a chance too! But if Eru only likes girls who are cuter than him, I will be troubled¡­¡±

    Eru was shorter than average, but Ady was taller than girls her age. She didn¡¯t mind it, but with Eru, who was an example of ¡®what is cute¡¯, she would compare herself to him. From the fact that she didn¡¯t exclude Eru since he was a boy, Ady had a rather unique interest.

    ¡°Ah, but he looked so happy, what did they talk about¡­ The only topics I know Eru is interested in would be Silhouette Knights and the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    The intelligence reports of the Blue Hawk Knights were of the utmost importance, but Ady didn¡¯t even know they existed. This was beyond her imagination.

    ¡°A strong rival¡­ I can¡¯t take it easy! But I don¡¯t understand Silhouette Knights that well¡­ The most I can do is pilot the Silhouette Gear. That means I will only be the support. Hmm, a Knight would be better. To stay together with Eru, I will need a Silhouette Knight, too! I have to get my hands on one¡­ That¡¯s it!¡±

    Ady thought of a great idea and waved her fist. She ran out with determination in her eyes.

    ¡°Eru! I want to pilot a Silhouette Knight, too!¡±

    That night in Eru¡¯s room, inside the Echevarria residence.

    Eru and Chid were leisurely engraving scripts onto a silver plate to create the propeller that was mentioned earlier. In contrast to their crazy intention, their casual and innocent demeanor made them look like kids doodling.

    In response to Ady, who made such an announcement after showing up, the two of them stopped the movement of their hands and lifted their heads.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Isn¡¯t that announcement like Eru¡¯s ¡®I love Silhouette Knights¡¯ trademark?¡±

    ¡°Think about it carefully Chid, we are also members of the Silver Phoenix Knights, so there¡¯s nothing weird about me wanting to pilot a Silhouette Knight! Or rather, I want to do it!¡±

    She stood up straight and said passionately, making the other two grow more suspicious. As expected, Eru wouldn¡¯t ignore any request related to Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but you are welcome to if you want to pilot it. Hmm, let me see¡­ then I will ask the two of you to help.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I like you the most, Eru!!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Me too? I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    With Ady, who pounced over, hanging on him, Eru took a design plan from the table. Displayed before the twins was the new models the Silver Phoenix Knights were working on¡ª ¡®Centaur Knight¡¯.

    ¡°Please help me build this Centaur Knight, and pilot it after it is complete.¡±

    Facing the ¡®masterpiece¡¯ before her, Ady, who thought she would be starting with a Karrdator, turned stiff with a smile plastered on her face.

    ¡°Hey, Eru, you want us to pilot the new model immediately? It is interesting, and I am fine with it, but why us? There are veterans like Edgar-senpai and Dietrich-senpai; why not let them do it?¡±

    Chid studied the plans closely, a little taken aback. Eru nodded, expressing that he understood Chid¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°This Centaur Knight is very unique. It has the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse, after all. And of course, the controls will be totally different; its difficulty will be beyond that of Tellestarle.¡±

    The twins had never piloted normal Silhouette Knights before; it was easy to tell how difficult it would be to control the Silhouette Knight that was half man half horse.

    ¡°So I changed my way of thinking¡ª since this is a machine that combines two elements, then let ¡®two people pilot it¡¯! Since it is still under construction, we can install pilot seats for two. The body of the horse is big, so there should be room to spare.¡±

    At this current stage, there were no Silhouette Knights with dual pilot functionality no matter where you look. Since Silhouette Knights had a human shape, the controls would be linked to that of a single pilot, so there was no use for double seats, something no one had ever considered. If the Boss heard these words, he would definitely get a headache. Unfortunately, Chid and Ady didn¡¯t really understand Silhouette Knights, so they accepted Eru¡¯s words easily.

    ¡°Of course, since it will be two people controlling one machine, it will require great teamwork. So Chid and Ady, who are twins would be the best choice. Also this is my real goal¡­¡±

    For them, the following words had a much greater impact.

    ¡°I want you to construct the control script for the Centaur Knight while controlling it.¡±

    Writing magic scripts. The two of them had learnt all sorts of scripts from Eru, but they couldn¡¯t write one themselves. They didn¡¯t expect to bear such a heavy responsibility for their first assignment.

    ¡°My final goal is to let one pilot control it like a man riding a horse. I wanted to make the relevant control devices, but it was harder than I thought. It is still in the foundational stage. So I want to control it manually, then adjust the script slowly¡­ It will be a big help if you are willing to try it.¡±

    ¡°Can we do it¡­¡±

    It was natural for Chid to be hesitant. It would be okay if Eru did it himself, he was capable and had a good track record, but the twin¡¯s capabilities were still unknown. And this would affect the new models of the Silver Phoenix Knights, something created through the efforts of everyone. For them to take part in the final stage was a huge responsibility.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to us! But Eru, isn¡¯t it hard to construct scripts?¡±

    ¡°Both of you could control the Silhouette Gear, the theory is the same, don¡¯t worry. Leave the basics to me, I will teach you the steps as well.¡±

    Ady, who picked herself up, lifted her hand, ignoring the troubled Chid. Chid almost fell, stared at her, asking her to think about it carefully. The personality of the twins were different, but they had many similarities. Ady was full of drive, what about Chid?

    He wasn¡¯t unwilling but was more cautious. He had an interest in Silhouette Knights, too and wanted to try piloting one. Seeing Ady¡¯s smile that seemed to say ¡®I know what you are troubled about¡¯, he had no choice but to raise both hands in surrender.

    ¡°Ah¡ª I get it! If we are going to do it, let¡¯s make it a good one!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Fufu, we will be doing it together with Eru right? I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±

    After that, their life became more hectic. They started helping Eru while training and preparing for the day when the Centaur Knight would become complete.

    Several days later, Eru headed to the workshop with the amended design plans.

    The moment they saw the design plans, everyone, including the Boss, shouted hysterically. The special Centaur Knight design now had an additional ¡®double pilot¡¯ design, making it extremely strange.

    Even though the place was in an uproar, no one stopped Eru. The group that decided in the end to follow the plans had adapted well into the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    It had been about half a month since that day.

    Eru rushed excitedly to the workshop after class. His job everyday was to check on the building progress of the Centaur Knight.

    ¡°Hello Boss, have they arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°Oh, silver boy, the twins are here and already working on it.¡±

    After greeting each other, they walked into the deepest corner of the workshop.

    The Silhouette Knight repair platform was removed, leaving a spacious area. The half assembled machine occupied the corner¡ª it was a monster that was slowly growing in a womb, waiting for its chance to leap onto the stage of history.

    The machine itself was very large, almost touching the ceiling of the workshop that should provide plenty of clearance. Due to its unique shape, it couldn¡¯t use a normal repair platform and was held in place by numerous chains hanging from cranes. At a glance, the upper torso, which had been stripped of its armour, looked normal, but if you shifted your gaze down to its lower body, the weirdness jumps exponentially. The figure with four legs bent in a resting position made it obvious that the shape wasn¡¯t human.

    Larger than the Karrdator lined at the side, the weird alien shape was the Centaur Silhouette Knight, officially named Tzendorg, the latest machine being developed by the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Eru! Fufufu¡ª you¡¯re just in time! Watch this!¡±

    ¡°Now is a crucial time, Ady, don¡¯t look around. Come on, we are starting it up.¡±

    Ady became excited after spotting Eru from the corner of the Holo monitor, while Chid calmed her down. They were in a small, dark area, which made it hard for them to move freely. That was the cockpit of the Tzendorg.

    Chid leaned against the backrest of the seat and opened his eyes. He used the dim light in front of him to see the figure of his sister and asked:

    ¡°The control stick and Magius Engine are connected. What about your side?¡±

    The space extended narrowly to the front. Ady was seated in front of and a step lower than Chid.

    ¡°Yes¡ª it¡¯s just like what Eru taught us, but it sure is difficult. I will do my best!¡±

    She released the control handles she was gripping tightly, sat up, and breathed deeply. Chid was sitting in a normal pilot seat found in standard Silhouette Knights, but Ady had to straddle over her seat like riding a horse. The only difference was that the control handles were situated to the front left and right, so she had to lean forward to grab them. Simply put, she looked like she was riding a bicycle from earth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the experiment. Everybody please move back!¡±

    Chid shouted through the microphone and the craftsmen in the area dispersed. At the same time, a Karrdator was on standby for safety, with Eru clapping and cheering from a distance.

    ¡°... Tzen-chan, let¡¯s go! Stand up¡ª!!¡±

    The Ether Reactor churned faster with the howl of the air current, filling the entire body of Tzendorg with mana; the crystal tissue screeched with the sound of friction, and the four legs planted onto the ground firmly. The scene was like watching a newborn horse, its legs trembling to maintain balance as it stood up.

    ¡°It will work, it will work, right? Just like body strengthening¡­ think of the position of the muscle¡­ smoothen it, like this? This way; then here, exert more force¡­¡±

    The chains supporting the body dislodged one by one. Tzendorg don¡¯t need their support anymore and stood up with its own strength.

    Its movement was very stiff. As everyone had seen a live horse before, the clumsiness of the machine was obvious to them. That might be so, but Ady, who was controlling it on the inside was working very hard. She trained hard under her teacher, Eru, and the mana she built up using the Silhouette Gear kept supporting the incomplete Magius Engine. She might not have noticed¡ª but this was the skill known as ¡®Direct Control¡¯, one of Eru¡¯s techniques. Right now, all she could do was use all of the skills she learned to do her best.

    It might be slow, but Tzendorg still took its first step. The craftsmen raised their hands to cheer them on. As if it was confirming each step it took, the alien shaped machine was born into this world.

    When Tzendorg was just a step away from leaving the workshop, Ady felt something strange and Tzendorg¡¯s body started leaning to one side. She couldn¡¯t exert strength through the legs no matter what she did and couldn¡¯t support the body.

    ¡°Eh, why¡­!? Tzen-chan, work hard!¡±

    Ady¡¯s cheer was in vain, Tzendorg lost all its power, and its knees collapsed. Before the Karrdator standing by could assist, the enormous body fell onto the ground with a loud bang.

    ¡°Boo hoo, sorry, everyone worked so hard to build it¡­! Sorry, Eru was looking forward to it, but I failed¡­!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t cry. The most important thing is that both of you are unhurt.¡±

    After being rescued from the immobile Tzendorg, Ady had been sitting on the ground wailing. For Ady, who wanted to dive into the production process of Tzendorg with Eru, this failure was a heavy blow. Eru had been consoling her all this while, but she showed no signs of calming down.

    ¡°Ara, that was scary. Boss, was this our fault?¡±

    In contrast, Chid was taking it easy as usual, glancing sideways at the Karrdators working together to move Tzendorg back to the end of the workshop. The Boss crossed his arms and replied to his query.

    ¡°... No, this isn¡¯t your fault. I think the problem is that this horsie is too big.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bad if it is too big?¡±

    Chid didn¡¯t understand and asked with his head tilted.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, be it the structure or the ratio of crystal tissue, it couldn¡¯t be compared to normal machines. It is too big, so the Ether Reactor couldn''t supply enough power for the horsie to consume.¡±

    The failure this time wasn¡¯t because of the twin¡¯s piloting error. From the very beginning, Tzendorg had a critical flaw related to the standard structure of the Silhouette Knights.

    Silhouette Knights are man-made giants. However, the size of the parts that could be made by man was limited. In the end, Silhouette Knights could only be assembled from smaller parts. To maintain the structural integrity of the frame, Silhouette Knights needed to continuously consume a part of the mana generated by the Ether Reactor, so it could keep on using strengthening magic. If the strengthening magic was cut off, the Silhouette Knight wouldn¡¯t be able to support its own weight and would crumple easily.

    Normal Silhouette Knights don¡¯t need to consider this problem; even slightly bigger machines wouldn¡¯t have any issues. But Tzendorg was different, it was about fifteen meters in height, far exceeding the standard height of Silhouette Knights and had the lower body of a horse as well. It was larger than normal humanoid machines and was very heavy.

    This meant the mana drained by the strengthening magic was too much and cannot be ignored.

    ¡°... That¡¯s how it is. I took a look; just the mana consumption from the connection of the frame used all the mana from the Reactor. Also, the amount of crystal tissue far exceeds normal machines, this is a mana glutton. Eh, even though the mana reserves are proportional to its size, but that was drained in no time, so it became like this after a few steps.¡±

    The Boss moaned and scratched his messy hair. At this moment, Eru, who finally calmed Ady down joined the conversation.

    ¡°I see, so the strengthening magic increased the consumption¡­ Oh, so that¡¯s why the size of the new versions of the Silhouette Knights didn¡¯t change much, this is the best size for one Ether Reactor to support.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, you still have time to be moved by this? This is bad, the problem is that the bigger the frame, the more mana it consumes. If you want to solve this, you have to shrink it to the size of a normal Silhouette Knight.¡±

    ¡°If we stick to the size of standard machines, we can¡¯t make the body of the horse, the upper body would be the same size as a child too. The combat ability would fall drastically, and there would be no reason for Tzendorg to exist.¡±

    ¡°I know, but what can we do?¡±

    The Boss groaned bitterly. This was a bigger problem than what they faced when making Tellestarle. They couldn¡¯t come up with any effective ways to solve this.

    ¡°... Is Tzen-chan broken?¡±

    Ady looked at Tzendorg that was been carried back to the end of the workshop and muttered. Regardless of their original objective, no one would want to see a machine they built turning into a pile of junk.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be. Eh, this is a difficult issue, but we need to figure it out¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry Eru, it¡¯s all because of me¡­¡±

    Ady started tearing up as she spoke. Eru smiled gently while looking at her, then hugged her slowly and soothed her like a child:

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Ady. I should be thanking you for figuring out what the problem was. I only realised it because of your efforts. Fufufu, I have to settle this, so troubling but so interesting!!¡±

    ¡°... Yes, thank you, Eru!!¡±

    Ady, who regained her smile, hugged Eru back, the fluttery feeling of hugging each other made her smile brighter¡ª But Eru tunneled through her arms and pulled out a blackboard.¡±

    ¡°Well then, to solve this problem¡­¡±

    Ignoring Ady, who was stiff and in a weird position, Eru¡¯s chalk squeaked on the blackboard. Eru, who had a plan, sketched a simple design. It surprised the Boss who was watching from the side.

    ¡°... Hey, boy, did you memorise the design plan of the horsie?¡±

    ¡°...? Yes of course, how could I forget?¡±

    A curse-like passion allowed Eru to possess extraordinary memory with regards to things related to robots; especially Tzendorg, which was designed by him fervently from scratch. Seeing him detract from common sense so readily, even the Boss was shocked.

    Eru paid it no heed and muttered as he amended the designs on the blackboard:

    ¡°Eh, it can¡¯t be helped. I didn¡¯t want to do this, but there is no other choice.¡±

    If they maintained the size, Tzendorg wouldn¡¯t be able to function normally, and they couldn¡¯t increase the output of the Ether Reactor by customising it either. So what should they do? The answer was simple, and Eru had already thought about it before.

    Even so, his expression remained gloomy. After staring at the plans and pondering for a moment, Eru sighed and turned around.

    ¡°Oh? What is the matter? Since you have a solution, why are you hesitating?¡±

    The Boss relaxed after seeing him come up with an idea so easily, but his face changed after hearing his next sentence.

    ¡°The size of the frame won¡¯t change, the Reactor won¡¯t change, there is only one answer left¡­ increase the number of Reactors. By installing two Ether Reactors, the supply will double, and it could support Tzendorg even though it is so big.¡±

    He said it so simply but was a bit reluctant. The Boss was frozen on the spot. The twins couldn¡¯t keep up with their conversation at all.

    After a long time, the Boss finally said with a moan:

    ¡°You¡­ want to put another heart inside this monster¡­ ah, this fellow is a machine, so there is no need to be concerned with such ideas¡­¡±

    The hard to read face of the dwarf was shocked with widened eyes, and then he exhaled deeply. When all the air had been expelled, the Boss¡¯ face was no longer shaken.

    ¡°I actually don¡¯t recommend this method. But we need to complete this project first. We will then use this as the base to judge the structure, script and power consumption, and try to adjust it so just one Reactor will be enough.¡±

    Eru¡¯s soft mumbles didn¡¯t seem to be targeted at the Boss, but it looked like he was trying to convince himself.

    ¡°So you know what hesitation is? Why? It¡¯s rare to see you this reluctant.¡±

    ¡°Because the Ether Reactor is mind numbingly expensive.¡±

    ¡°... Ahh!? You are right, but is that the problem here!? Your common sense was missing all this time, and now you are worried about the cost!?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? The cost is very important, alright? Increasing the number of Ether Reactors means the price will skyrocket. Just making one is fine, but there will be no hope of mass production if the cost is too high, right?¡±

    ¡°How should I put this¡­ You have a point, but it is hard to accept when you are the one saying it.¡±

    Even though he was complaining, the Boss didn¡¯t dismiss the idea. Double Ether Reactor¡ª this had never been done before, but to solve this problem, there was no better method than this. The only problem he had was how to explain this queer idea to everyone.

    ¡°No matter what, since we have decided to do this, we need to amend the design plans. Tzendorg has excess space in its frame, but we still need to drastically change the deployment and shape¡­ Hmmm¡ª it¡¯s getting interesting! I¡¯m fired up for tomorrow¡¯s lessons.¡±

    ¡°Hey, pay attention in class.¡±

    The Boss¡¯ retort was slightly off topic, but it was lost on the excited Eru. Eru then turned his head to look at the twins.

    ¡°It will be your turn after the modifications are done. Chid, Ady, let¡¯s work hard together.¡±

    ¡°Oh, leave it to us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I will make sure Tzen-chan walks steadily next time!¡±

    The Boss looked at the three raising their arms up high and turned his attention to the blackboard. On it was weird things such as the Centaur, double Ether Reactor, and the double pilot seats. There should be a limit to how outrageous the design was. But the tougher the objective, the more valuable it was for craftsmen to challenge it. The Boss smiled at his own thoughts.

    ¡°Ara, I am becoming rather nosey.¡±

    He then shouted energetically, gathering all the craftsmen in the workshop. A few minutes later, the workshop was filled with screams.

    The rollers of the crane rattled noisily moving along the tracks covering the roof of the workshop. A piece of metal that looked like armour hung from the end of the chain and was pushed by a craftsman operating a Silhouette Gear. Somewhere in the workshop, someone cursed as he was nearly crushed by the metal piece and moved away with hurried steps.

    The atmosphere in the workshop became heated, everyone was focusing on finishing the Centaur Silhouette Knight¡ª Tzendorg. It occupied the deepest corner of the workshop at the beginning, but right now, it was placed openly in the middle.

    Most of Tzendorg¡¯s outer skin had been installed; a horn could be seen protruding from its forehead. Its design was similar to the mythical creature. Compared to its thin upper body, its lower half was large and heavy. Every leg was as thick as a Silhouette Knight¡¯s waist, it was obvious from a glance that it had extraordinary mobility. The waist was covered by several layers of metal plates, making it look like one giant metal piece.

    Structurally speaking, the ¡®heart area¡¯ comprising of the cockpit, Ether Reactors, and Magius Engine were placed in Tzendorg¡¯s lower body, even though it was normally placed in the torso of a Silhouette Knight. This was because the double pilot seats, double Ether Reactors, and the enlarged Magius Engine could not fit inside the upper torso. Of course, this design was only possible because of Tzendorg¡¯s enormous body.

    On the verge of completion, Tzendorg¡¯s majestic and strange appearance made people stop in their tracks. The new craftsmen rushed around glancing at the figure of their senpai from time to time as they did their work quietly.

    They were awed by the sight they saw before them, but became shocked when they saw Tzendorg. As they completed the training and work assigned to them, they finally got the hang of it. They even learned how to make Motor Rads recently and constructed their personal machines. They used them timidly in the beginning but were entranced by their convenience over time. Habit is a horrifying thing.

    A Knight carrying goods made his way through the students wielding hammers, searching for something. Blonde hair that was slightly long, a thin body with leather armour that was intentionally dyed red. He was the captain of the Silver Phoenix Knight¡¯s 2nd Company, Dietrich. After surveying the workshop, he inhaled and called out to the freshmen working nearby.

    ¡°Hey, have you seen the Knight Commander?¡±

    The freshmen shook their head in unison when they heard Dietrich¡¯s question. The Knight Commander was a prominent figure in all sorts of ways, they would know if he was around.

    ¡°Is that so? Thank you¡­ Even his childhood friends are not around, where did our Knight Commander go? I hope he didn¡¯t come up with some weird idea.¡±

    However, reality was cruel. What he was worried about turned out to be true.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights were about to finish the Centaur Knight, Tzendorg. The craftsmen were busy with this project, while the Knights focused on their training and instructing their juniors, living a hectic life every day. In the mean time, the Knight Commander, who had nothing to do was bored out of his mind.

    Please recall that this person made all sorts of things aside from Tzendorg. Such as the new equipment he was developing with his childhood friends¡ª and to perform tests, something horrifying was happening.

    The sky was devoid of clouds, and the sunlight was warm; a great weather for a picnic.

    This was a forest some distance from Laihiala Academy City without any people. A giant paced through the sparse forest with heavy footsteps. It was the mass produced model belonging to the Silver Phoenix Knights, the Karrdator, and the pilot was Eru. Three Silhouette Gears were jogging behind it, two Motor Beats were piloted by Chid and Ady, and the Motor Rad was operated by Batson. Once they left the city and entered the forest, there would be the risk of encountering Demon Beasts. But even taking that into account, their equipment was still overkill.

    They walked as if they were enjoying a morning stroll for a while and finally reached an open space inside the forest. A duel level Demon Beast might have resided there in the past. Eru¡¯s Karrdator unloaded the goods it was keeping, which was opened by the three Silhouette Gears speedily. The strange tube-like equipment was installed onto the Karrdator, which was kneeling down on one knee. The tube was about as thick as a man¡¯s hug. The shoulder and waist of the Karrdator was modified in advance and had equipment that could secure the tubes firmly.

    ¡°Alright, this should be everything. It is secured, but how should I put this¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done here too¡ª that¡¯s right, how should I say it¡­¡±

    ¡°With so many holes, it feels weird, right?¡±

    The three of them completed their work and looked up at the modified Karrdator. The plain appearance of the Karrdator became surrealistic with the tubes sticking out of it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the testing then. They say that slow and steady wins the race, I am hoping to see good results.¡±

    Eru, who was in the pilot seat, either couldn¡¯t see the appearance of the machine or decided to ignore his three friends. Whichever it was, he still activated the Karrdator to test the mysterious equipment.

    Immediately, the sound of air being sucked in could be heard from the tube, which startled the birds in the forest, making them take flight.

    Chid, Ady, and Batson watched from a safe distance as the Karrdator lowered its stance and started running. The exertion of the crystal tissue pushed the ten metre tall giant body into a sprint, reaching top speed in no time.

    The test came next. Eru smiled fearlessly and squeezed all the additional buttons on the control stick at the same time.

    In that instant, the view of the world changed.

    The interior of the tube was the shape of two funnels fused together, the front half was engraved with the script for Air Compression, sucking in air and compressing it before funneling it into the thin part in the middle; the back half was engraved with a script that produced a forward propelling force through an explosion spell. The compressed air would be transformed into a flame jet stream.

    Using ¡®Aero Thrust¡¯ to compress the air, explode it with flame magic, and using the high speed stream of air that was produced to propel the machine forward, was the theory these tubes, dubbed ¡®Magi Jet Thruster¡¯ by Eru, worked under.

    The first thing they saw was a bright red flash before a long flame tail emerged. After a moment, the ear deafening roar reached them.

    The activated Magi Jet Thrusters revealed their true colours, spitting out flames nonstop. The compressed air expanded consecutively, and the reactionary force from the jet stream accelerated the Karrdator. No, it wasn¡¯t enough to describe it as acceleration; ¡®speed burst¡¯ would be a more adequate description.

    ¡°Wooooaaahhhhhh!? Full¡ª speed¡ª ahead¡ª!?¡±

    The force far exceeded what the creator, Eru, expected, dragging the Karrdator along with abnormal speed. The heavy force of inertia pressed onto his petite body, affecting the accuracy of his controls. All this while, the Magi Jet Thrusters followed their given script obediently, generating force without restraint.

    While accelerating endlessly, a small turbulent airflow lifted the Karrdator upwards. It lost its balance and became air bound. Normally, it would fall back down shortly after, but the wild beast equipped on the Karrdator overcame the pull of gravity with overwhelming force. Eru was panicking because he was disoriented from the inertia when the machine flew towards the sky freely. The flight didn¡¯t take into account the physics of aerodynamics, and it was maintained by the explosive propelling force. Eru did all that he could to control the machine so it wouldn¡®t be swept away like a leaf in a typhoon. Unfortunately, keeping the machine from falling apart mid-air already took everything he had.

    The Karrdator flew into sky with fire trailing behind it, like a meteor flying in the opposite direction. Chid, Ady, and Batson were dumbstruck by the awe-inspiring scene despite Eru¡¯s dangerous situation.

    The development of the situation was full of impact but ended abruptly. This was because the Magius Engine that was faithfully carrying out its assignment in place of the panicking Eru. Before the mana pool ran dry from intense consumption, the limiter was triggered, cutting the mana supply off. Immediately, the flames erupting from the Karrdator vanished, and the machine started falling because of the gravity.

    ¡°Wahhhh¡ªAhhh!!¡±

    Ironically, the stoppage of the Magi Jet Thrusters gave Eru the chance to regain control. Ignoring the speed for now, it was lucky that the propeller stopped before it climbed too high. The failing machine returned to the ground before it fell apart, but it landed roughly with no drop in speed. Braking at such high speed caused sparks to fly from the legs of the machine, the ground scraping away the outer skin of the Karrdator like a nail file. The legs would reach their limit soon if this went on. Realising this, Eru made the machine fall forward and roll on the ground to disperse the impact.

    The Magi Jet Thrusters bent and broke with every tumble, but Eru could not spare the effort to care. The Karrdator rolled like this for a few hundred meters before it slowed to a stop, lying on the ground with its limbs spread out.

    ¡°... Is Eru still alive?¡±

    ¡°Hyaa!? That looks bad! Help him!!¡±

    After their surroundings turned peaceful again after some time, the three childhood playmates finally regained their wits.

    Eru who woke up locked eyes with a upside down face.

    ¡°Eru¡­ You are finally awake, are you alright?¡±

    He checked his surroundings and saw the Karrdator, which had become a lump of scrap metal. He noticed that Ady¡¯s thighs were under his head. He was sleeping on Ady¡¯s thighs all this time. Eru shook his muddled brain as Ady brushed away the hair on his forehead.

    ¡°Ady¡­ I, am fine¡­ But, ughhh, it won¡¯t do. This equipment won¡¯t work¡­ Rejected!... We don¡¯t need to scrap it, but we need to redo it.¡±

    ¡°Eru, you need to reflect on your actions.¡±

    Getting complaints from an unhappy face by someone worried about you, even Eru couldn¡¯t refute it. He sat up and awkwardly shifted his gaze, seeing the terrible state the Karrdator was in. It still had the shape of a human, but the outer skin was out of shape and tattered, and the leg armour was on the verge of falling apart. Because of the heat from the friction, some of the parts were welded together. It couldn¡¯t be used anymore and was all torn up. Eru made it out safely and only lost his consciousness thanks to his regular training and physical abilities, please don¡¯t try this at home.

    When he realised Eru had woken up, Batson, who was picking up the spare parts that had fallen all over the place, walked over.

    ¡°Oh, are you okay, Eru? That was close, if you had stopped the thruster any later, you might have turned into a star.¡±

    ¡°... No, it stopped by itself. This super glutton burned through the mana reserves in one shot and stopped on its own!! That¡¯s how it is. No, this is a complete failure!!¡±

    ¡°Ahh, calm down Eru! There, there, don¡¯t be mad.¡±

    Ady tried her best to restraint Eru, who was losing his cool after recalling the situation prior. He struggled for a while and became quiet shortly. Turning behind him, he saw a long line traced across the ground. Everyone was once again relieved that Eru was safe.

    ¡°Erm, Eru, how about giving up? This is too dangerous.¡±

    Ady was really concerned about Eru and tried convincing him¡ª however, Eru was still Eru. He lifted his head from his arms and regained his passionate expression.

    ¡°Okay, reflection time is over. I was too rash; things need to be done in steps. First would be the scale of the script and the review of the output. I need to create a new control structure to fit the situation. Mana consumption is still a problem, so it will be controlled just like the output¡­ No, is there a way to work around this by modifying the machine structure?¡±

    His brain was probably constructing a new plan. Seeing how unfazed he was after a major accident, Chid and Batson couldn¡¯t help looking up at the sky. This guy is hopeless. Eru moaned for a moment, and then turned to the other three as if he just thought of a great idea.

    ¡°By the way, do you want to try it?¡±

    ¡°Who would want to?!¡±

    The answer from the three of them echoed through the forest.

    On a side note, when the Silver Phoenix Knight members saw Eru piloting the tattered Karrdator back to base, they thought he was attacked by the enemy and entered high alert.

    In a corner of the workshop within Laihiala Pilot Academy, a table and chair that were obviously made hastily were placed there. A name plate that was similarly rushed work was placed on the table, with the words ¡®Knight Commander¡¯ scribbled on it. Eru sat on the chair all by himself, looking at the people around him anxiously.

    ¡°... Do I have to stay here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just sit there, Knight Commander, Sir.¡±

    ¡°Yup, with you around, everyone will become tenser.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right; a Knight Commander has to be steadfast just like this.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned your lesson after creating such a big mess¡­¡±

    And of course, around him were the pride of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡ª the Dwarf Chief Craftsman and the well trained pilots. They were giving off an aura of pressure, standing at the side stiffly while forcing Eru to remain in his seat.

    ¡°You are all so mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Moron! Who knows what you will do if we don¡¯t keep an eye on you!¡±

    Eru looked at the machine besides him with grudging eyes, the tattered Karrdator. After that terrible accident known as the Magi Jet Thruster experiment, the machine could should walk on its own, but inspection showed that it was a lost case and strictly prohibited from use¡ª the subject of the prohibition was the Knight Commander. Also, this person said he was going to do some motion tests and ended up totaling a Silhouette Knight. Hence, he was being ¡®punished¡¯ by everyone in the Knight Order and forced to do his ¡®Knight Commander duties¡¯.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am reflecting on my actions. Look, I amended the design plans.¡±

    ¡°Enough already! How is this reflecting!? You stay here!!¡±

    The Boss grabbed the design plans Eru took out from nowhere. Their Knight Commander was extremely talented and was full of passion; he will do things lacking in common sense like taking on Demon Beasts by himself or challenging Silhouette Knights without piloting one. However, he usually overcomes the obstacle with his powerful capability that verges on the fringe of being cheat-like, so no one attempted to stop him. But what would happen if he was to fail¡ª everyone was losing their minds because Eru almost triggered a tragedy.

    ¡°Eh, fine, I get it. I will help with simple tasks for the time being.¡±

    Eru who worked hard to finish the improved designs was unhappy, but he probably felt guilty for causing the accident and offered to help obediently.

    ¡°... We can¡¯t let Eru have free time, let¡¯s finish up Tzendorg first. I remember there are a lot of other equipment, we will let the freshmen handle those designs. In conclusion, don¡¯t let him barge into other projects.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have a better solution right now. To avoid their Knight Commander from stirring up bigger trouble, everyone moved with a strange sense of tension.

    At the same time, Duke Knut Dixgard received a report. The content was: ¡®The Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights attempted to pilot a Silhouette Knight to fly, but he failed.¡¯ Knut''s head started to hurt after hearing the report.

    ¡°... That Ernesti kid, after the precedent of Casadesus, doesn¡¯t he plan to hide the new designs?!¡±

    ¡°What do you think Sir? Should we subtly remind Sir Ernesti?¡±

    The member of the Blue Hawk Knights reporting to him¡ª Nora said expressionlessly. But for an elite agent like her to propose this idea, it showed that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Knut sighed, thought about it before waving his hand.

    ¡°... No, forget it; the Silver Phoenix Knights will clean up the mess. The things made by that kid will spread throughout the nation one day. For now, just concentrate on dispatching any foreign interference.¡±

    ¡°Is that fine?¡±

    ¡°That sort of person will challenge enthusiastically whenever he meets a bottleneck, but will lose his drive if he gets bothered by trivial matters¡­ His Majesty was like that in the past.¡±

    Seeing him look into the distance while muttering, he must be reminiscing about the past. Nora who sensed his mood decided to not probe further.

    ¡°Just let him do what he wants, he will definitely produce results. All we can do is prepare the best environment for him¡­¡±

    Although tired, Knut was firm in his attitude. Nora bowed respectfully and agreed with him.

    Fortunately for everyone, nothing happened during this period of time which passed peacefully. Eru obediently designed the various equipments and didn¡¯t do anything that will cause grand explosions.

    The members were cautious in the beginning and became distracted because of their busy schedule. The second incident crept in with this chance.

    ¡°Ah, Edgar-senpai, please wait.¡±

    Someone called out to Edgar, who was heading out to train the freshmen as usual. He turned towards the familiar clear voice and as expected, Eru was standing there. But unlike usual, he was holding a lot of short sword in his arms and gave one to Edgar.

    ¡°Please take this.¡±

    ¡°What? Short sword¡­ That¡¯s rare, made from silver?¡±

    Edgar looked at the short sword given to him carefully; it was decorated elegantly like a ceremonial weapon, and was made of pure silver. Although silver was a type of metal, it was far softer than steel, not a suitable material for weapons.

    ¡°It can be used as a weapon, but it has other functions. Please follow me.¡±

    Before he could enquire further, Eru started walking towards a Karrdator. Edgar couldn¡¯t conceal his puzzlement, but he still followed him, believing that he will know if he does.

    The two of them came before the normal pilot seat of the Karrdator. Since he lost Earlecumber during the Casadesus incident, Edgar had been piloting a Karrdator and was familiar with this place. He followed Eru¡¯s instruction and sat down, going through the launching procedures with his trained hands.

    After tightening his harness and adjusting the position of the control stick and pedals, he pushed the output control stick, shifting the dormant Ether Reactor and raising the output to the active level. The strange thing happened here. Normally, the trembling of the Reactor could be felt from moving the control stick, but he couldn¡¯t hear the noise of air being sucked into the vents. The Ether Reactor remained dormant. The Ether Reactor start up failed¡ª for Edgar who had plenty of piloting experience, this was the first time he encountered this.

    He started to panic and reattempted the startup procedure. But no matter how many times he tried the results were the same, he couldn¡¯t startup the Reactor and the machine. His anxiety rises every time he tried. At this moment, he remembered why he was here¡ª the Knight Commander who asked him to come here, who was currently sitting on the open chest armour with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°... Hey Ernesti, did you do something to this?¡±

    The boy clapped his hands, a gesture indicating to Edgar that he was right. This was a little revenge from Eru who was being lectured. He enjoyed himself for quite a while and then lowered his head towards Edgar who was glaring at him with folded arms.

    ¡°Yes, sorry. Don¡¯t be upset, I will reveal the answer now. Eh, please look at your feet, there is a dent, right? Please insert the short sword I gave you into it.¡±

    Edgar did as Eru said with an unhappy expression. When the silver sword went in all the way, it made a clicking sound and fitted in, followed by the startup noise of some device. Shortly after, a strong groan came from beneath the pilot seat; it was the familiar heartbeat of the Silhouette Knight. The Ether Reactor finally started churning out mana and started up.

    ¡°This tremour¡­ Great, the Ether Reactor started up. It didn¡¯t move at all just now¡­ No, wait, so that¡¯s it. Ernesti, this sword is a key, right?¡±

    ¡°Correct. I said this before, right? ¡®I will prepare a device preventing the Silhouette Knight from being stolen¡¯, this is the result¡­ I dub it ¡®Pattern Identificator¡¯.¡±

    Facing the grinning Eru, Edgar could only sigh deeply and raise both his hands.

    ¡°Ernesti¡­ You really scared me. Pranks are fine, but could you be gentler, this is not good for my heart. How does this work? Will inserting any sword be fine?¡±

    ¡°No way, if you don¡¯t use that sword, this Karrdator won¡¯t be able to move. It looks like a sword, but there is an engraved script inside. And this indenture has a script that corresponds to this. If the combination is incorrect, the Reactor won¡¯t start and the Magius Engine won¡¯t work either.¡±

    Without the mana supply from the Ether Reactor and the Magius Engine, the Silhouette Knight won¡¯t be able to start up. This was an anti-theft script which was different from scripts that produce magic phenomena. It is incredibly difficult to decipher it by working backwards. In other words, as long as this sword was secured, the Karrdator won¡¯t get stolen.

    Edgar tried pulling the silver sword out, and the Ether Reactor returned to dormant mode and the Magius Engine became unresponsive. Leaving the prank earlier aside, he was really impressed this time.

    ¡°I want to ask, is there any meaning in making it a silver sword?¡±

    ¡°Engraving the script requires a certain amount of space, and it was boring carving it on a plate. so I thought of going for a modern design. Engraved scripts and silver work well together, and we are the Silver Phoenix Knights, so I used silver to make the short swords to reflect our name.¡±

    Edgar studied the short sword carefully. With this device, one of the tragedies that happened in Casadesus could have been avoided¡ª that ¡®stolen machine¡¯ flashed across his mind. He lifted the short sword as if in prayer and sheathed it carefully.

    ¡°Pattern Identificator¡¯¡ª this anti-theft device for Silhouette Knights became spread nationwide shortly after it was developed, and the use of a silver short sword as the key became the standard. As for the silver short sword becoming a term synonymous with pilots, that was something that happens quite some time later.

    After being grounded from the development of the Magi Jet Thruster which Eru considered as important as life, Eru bore a greater grudge than expected. After researching the Pattern Identificator, Eru devoted his excess energy into the development of other devices.

    That might be so, but no matter how much he progressed, he couldn¡¯t complete his development without any craftsmen. When Tzendorg was about to be completed, some of the craftsmen had spare time. The freshmen who were getting the hang of things also became reliable, and devote themselves into the development of these equipment. These additional equipment of the Silhouette Knights were known as Option Works.

    Following that, the ones becoming busy are the pilots doing the testing. They boarded the Silhouette Knights with various types of Option Works outfitted and stepped onto the training arena to experiment.

    Edgar and Helvi were among them.

    ¡°Edgar, are you ready? I will be coming from the front.¡±

    The two Karrdator faced each other, with Helvi¡¯s machine raising a sword. She only used one hand, but it was a cautious stance that was hard to attack head on; the Karrdator that Edgar was piloting nodded slightly but didn¡¯t move or adopt a defensive stance.

    Helvi¡¯s Karrdator was an original model; Edgar¡¯s machine had a strange piece of equipment. The additional armament covered the back to its shoulders. It was a defensive shield consisting of armour plates with a different shape supported by sub arms¡ª the Flexible Coat prototype. It was made by assembling several steel plates together, but it fitted the rugged appearance of the Karrdator, giving it a steady impression.

    ¡°Alright, you can begin whenever you are ready.¡±

    After receiving the signal, Helvi immediately hacked at Edgar from the front. The blunt training sword were swung powerfully. Facing her accurate attack, Edgar gauged the adequate distance from his pilot seat before opening the switch added on the top of his control stick.

    The additional armour morphed speedily once it received the command and protected the head and upper part of the shoulders with a slight noise. Helvi¡¯s sword hit the raised armour and slipped down to the sides with sparks. The mobile additional armour used strengthening magic to reinforce its weak mobile parts, displaying powerful defensive capability by withstanding a direct hit.

    ¡°Well done. Next, let¡¯s try a more powerful attack.¡±

    ¡°No, please wait, I have to check the results¡­ It used a lot of mana; this is a prototype after all. Could this defensive equipment be an unexpected mana glutton? The defence is strong enough, but it does not move smoothly, I have to inform Ernesti¡­ Okay, sorry for the wait, let¡¯s try an attack from a different angle.

    Structurally speaking, invoking strengthening magic will drastically consume mana, so the design gave up on defending attack for long periods, changing it to deflecting the attack¡¯s direction to lessen the mana used. The preset moves are all slightly tilting to the side.

    Helvi thrusted fiercely several times and was parried without fail. She became excited and started getting serious. Although Edgar was using defensive equipment, this was a spar between Silhouette Knights and any mistake could be serious. But neither of them minded. Helvi ¡®believed¡¯ Edgar will parry her attacks and Edgar lived up to her expectations. Their trust in each other turned the equipment testing into spar training.

    ¡°... I think that side is getting scary.¡±

    Some distance away from the two machines in battle mode, Dietrich was performing tests for other equipment as well. Helvi was getting less hesitant in her attacks and her strikes became fiercer, escalating the situation. He wished Edgar all the best and turned the red Silhouette Knight towards the silent target board.

    ¡°Alright, me too¡­¡±

    Guyale followed Dietrich¡¯s control and swung its fist in a punch. At first glance, he didn¡¯t have any equipment, but the weird thing was the long distance between the fist and the target he was aiming at. Since the arms won¡¯t grow longer, he couldn¡¯t hit the target, his punch fell short. It was puzzling why he was so fired up about this.

    However, he didn¡¯t perform this action with no reason. The instant the arm reached maximum speed, a piece of metal shot out from the gauntlet underneath the fist, that was shaped like two stiletto that were joined at the bottom. The speed was very slow, would this kind of attack work?

    At this moment consecutive explosions of compressed air erupted behind the metal piece, the reactionary force accelerating it, pushing it to hit the target with a dull thud. The target board that was covered with steel shook and creaked from the impact. The target board was quite heavy, which meant the weapon was effectively strong. But the weapon has yet to display its real prowess.

    Dietrich, who confirmed the target, squeezed the additional trigger on his control stick and the devices installed on Guyale¡¯s wrists performed the tactical level script in accordance to the command it received. Looking closely, a steel wire containing silver nerves was attached to the metal piece and was connected to the gauntlet. Aside from the ability to transfer mana, it also has the property of metals, which was conducting electricity.

    Lightning magic was casted from within the gauntlet, its power comparable to real lightning. Electric current was transmitted through the wire towards the target, making it sparkle from the heat before exploding.

    This weapon was named ¡®Lightning Flail¡¯, combining an upgrade of Anchor Wire with Silhouette Arms, it was the state of the art tazing weapon.

    ¡°Wah, that is scary! It is sneaky, but I like it.¡±

    The lightning flail proposed by Eru was a rather unique design among the Option Works. Unlike the Flexible Coat or Back Weapon which were installed externally, it was built internally. Because of the assembly nature of Silhouette arms, it was never installed inside the Silhouette Knight itself before. The engraving on the silver plate not only lack durability, but it took up a lot of space and was a heavy and fragile equipment. Installing this inside the machine will make it a weakness, not something the Silhouette Knights which were designed for combat should have.

    Lightning magic scripts were more complicated than fire magic, meaning the engraving would need to be even larger. Simply put, unlike the flames which would fly towards the target after shooting it, the lightning magic needed scripts to direct it.

    However, Lightning flail solves this problem with the use of Anchor Wire. After hitting the target with steel wires, the lightning would then be directed to it, omitting the part of the script which directs the attack. This not only miniaturises the silhouette arm, but it was successfully built into the machine itself.

    That might be so, but only the melee combat Guyale equipped with larger armour could pull this off. To install this on a Karrdator, it would require a massive overhaul of the armour which was inefficient.

    ¡°The movement of the arms is still heavy¡­ But the attack can be hidden, which is a great feature.¡±

    The biggest advantage of the in-built Lightning flail was the difficulty to discern it from its appearance. As the silhouette arm component was protected by the strong gauntlet armour, it was more durable than the handheld version. A powerful lightning strike when the enemy least expects it, it was a rather evil equipment.

    Aside from Flexible Coat and Lightning Flail, they also designed and tested many Option Works, but most of them turned out to be failures. By doing self reflection and refining the design, the equipment was gradually completed.

    And so during this period of time, a bunch of Karrdator with strange equipment appeared frequently around Laihiala Pilot Academy.

    ¡°Alright¡ª time for the routine inspection. First is movement¡­ Reactor one, Reactor two output stable. The distribution readings¡­ are within safety parametres.¡±

    Chid checked each the reading displayed before the pilot seat habitually. While he was doing so, the groan of the Ether Reactors filled the entire cock pit, turning from a hum into a rumble loud enough to shake the air. It then quieted down and maintained at a steady pace.

    ¡°Magius Engine performance check complete¡ª! The crystal tissue is functioning okay¡­ alright, Tzen-chan, open your eyes¡ª!!¡±

    Next was the energetic cry of Ady, followed by the wall in front of the cockpit lighting with a glaring brightness. It only seemed glaring because the two of them had gotten used to the darkness. That wall¡ª the Holo Monitor displayed the scene captured by the eyes of Tzendorg¡ª the craftsmen who were watching from a distance as usual, and the company of Karrdator who were standing at the side.

    There was a period of time when Tzendorg couldn¡¯t operate because of the insufficient mana supply. To overcome this, they used multiple Ether Reactors, something that had never been done in history before. The scale of the project was enormous, but with the efforts of the craftsmen, they finally completed the alterations.

    Recently, Chid and Ady spent every day doing testings.

    ¡°We will be speeding up a little today, right? Fufu, it is about time Tzen-chan shows its true ability!¡±

    ¡°I heard that after this is completed successfully, only the inspection of the details would be left. I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    Ady grabbed the control handles tightly once again and slowly push the pedal down, making Tzendorg stand up. The two Ether Reactors repeatedly pump air in and out; all its armour creaked against each other noisily. The horse got up from its sitting position with the screech of crystal tissue contracting. Its feet stamped heavily onto the ground, supporting its huge body. Tzendorg¡¯s movement was strong with no signs of unsteadiness. The chains supporting the machines broke away one by one, releasing this monstrosity from its bounds.

    The twins had steady control. Using Direct Control taught to them by Eru personally, with the help of the specially made Magius Engine, the Centaur was completely tamed by them. This abnormal Centaur machine and the brand new concept of double pilot controls won¡¯t be so easy to master for normal pilots. This duo also has the benefit of not having prior habits engrained into them from piloting normal Silhouette Knights.

    Tzendorg moved its body slightly after standing up as if it was checking the situation. After completing the inspections, it began striding forth slowly. This machine has more than twice the weight of the standard models, the weight of its steps were unbelievably heavy, shaking the earth with its every move. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it made its way out of the workshop.

    And finally, its body basked under the sunlight.

    The unfurnished dark green skin and the lone horn protruding from its head reflected the brilliant sunlight. The image of a man combined with a horse was the portrayal of the term, ¡®speed and might¡¯.

    However, that was the end of this moving scene as a dangerous smile came from the megaphone of Tzendorg, giving everyone present an ominous feeling. Just as they feared, Tzendorg¡¯s hind leg started digging into the ground, just like a horse getting ready to charge.

    ¡°He, fufufu, full speed ahead¡ª !!¡±

    ¡°Ah damn it!! At least watch your surroundings, wahhhh, everyone evacuate¡ª!¡±

    Not having ingrained notion of Silhouette Knights was an advantage for the twins, but having no concept of it at all wasn¡¯t a good thing. They sprinted out from the workshop unhesitatingly. As the surprised craftsmen ran away in a panic, Tzendorg started galloping like a real horse, leaving the dumbstruck members behind in the dust.

    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous! Damn it!! Ahh, those two are definitely the friends of that boy!! All of them are the same!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, the movement when sprinting at full speed is fine, good job.¡±

    ¡°Erm, Eru, I don¡¯t think that is the issue right now¡ª¡±

    After glancing at the big and small dwarfs¡¯ posture of looking at the sky, Tzendorg charged outside the Academy City in one shot.

    Equipped with crystal tissues that doesn¡¯t feel fatigue and double Ether Reactors churning out massive supplies of mana, Tzendorg ran without slowing down. The scenery that flashes by like the wind filled the twins with exhilaration.

    ¡°Amazing, amazing! Tzen-chan is fast!¡±

    ¡°Haha! So cool! This is too good, Tzendorg!! Alright, let¡¯s take a lap around the forest!!¡±

    ¡°Agreed!!¡±

    After Chid and Ady returned from their joyride, they were greeted by the iron fist of the Boss.

 Book 3: Chapter 22: Presentation of the New Model

    C.E. 1278, the beginning of autumn.

    Shortly after sunrise, a convoy of carriages appeared on the Fremmevira Highway shrouded in the morning fog.

    This merchant convoy mostly consisted of fully loaded carriages with giant figures surrounding them. They were the merchants and their escorts operating in Fremmevira Kingdom¡ª Merchant Knights. In Fremmevira Kingdom, even the merchants require the protection of Silhouette Knights. The scene of them travelling around the area with several Silhouette Knights in tow resulted in their nickname of Merchant Knights.

    Basically, merchants were energetic and tend to wake up early. This was because the faster they move, the more time they have to conduct business. This habit remained unchanged even in this foggy season.

    ¡°... What¡­? There is something ahead, halt!¡±

    As the Merchant Knights were slowly advancing on the highway covered in the morning fog¡ª

    The Silhouette Knight taking point suddenly shouted out a warning.

    The convoy stopped on his command. The hired pilot escorts were great in detecting any disturbances; there must be something unusual happening if they sensed anything.

    The pilots on the escort machines cautiously reached for the swords at their waist. Their vision was too blur, so they had to listen carefully with their ears.

    The convoy stopping made the surroundings fall into a silence. A sound from afar could be heard.

    The pilot frowned.

    His ears told him that was the sound of the horse¡¯s hooves, but from this distance, it was too loud. It was like a gigantic and heavy horse galloping.

    Moments later, he could make out a giant figure moving in the fog.

    Something was running with the loud sound of the horse¡¯s hooves. They couldn¡¯t tell from the shadowy figure, but the escorts assume it to be a Demon Beast and drew their swords for battle. Protecting the carriages behind them, they tried to shift their position and plan their escape. It was natural for them to make such a judgement, the shadows in the fog was as large as a Silhouette Knight after all. They might not know what this thing resembling a horse was, but it must be at least a Duel level Demon Beast.

    As the escort machines went out in order to buy time for the carriages to turn around, the Demon Beast probably noticed their presence. It slowed down with a large sound, and stopped to face off against them.

    The escort pilots gulped anxiously. Even through the fog, they could tell the opponent had the shape of a horse. It must be nimble, capable of shaking off the escorts and attacking the carriages.

    But the moment of tension didn¡¯t last long. As they were facing off against that Demon Beast, it turned and¡ª

    ¡°Neigh¡ª!¡±

    The Demon Beast left the dumbstruck escorts behind with a sharp child-like neigh. The pilots felt as if someone pulled a prank on them. Even so, they didn¡¯t dare to relax and kept their guard up. Only when they could no longer hear the sound of the hooves did they restarted their journey and hurried to the next city.

    With this incident as the spark, more and more people met this mysterious Demon Beast on the west Fremmevira Highway. With the increase in witness accounts, rumours of the horse-like Demon Beast spread across the various cities, including Laihiala Academy City where the Silver Phoenix Knights were based.

    ¡°I have been hearing that rumour everywhere, talking about a horse-like Demon Beast.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we are famous!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wrong, they don¡¯t know that was us, so we are not really famous right?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Isn¡¯t that the same?¡±

    Hidden in the forest were three children, two of them shaking their black hair as they quibbled loudly. The other figure that was a head shorter stood up to stop them, his silvery purple hair swaying in the wind.

    ¡°How should we put it¡­ Anyway, the timing is just right. We completed the testing and can¡¯t hide it any longer, let¡¯s finish this.¡±

    They weren¡¯t standing on the ground or the trees, but a steel structure that was hidden in the forest.

    The standard armour revealed its identity as a Silhouette Knight. Its body was much larger than normal Silhouette Knights and most strange of all was its horse shaped lower body. Simply put, they were standing on the real identity of the ¡®Highway Demon¡¯.

    ¡°So we are finally going to do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in order to complete His Majesty¡¯s orders¡­ Let¡¯s scare them out of their wits.¡±

    With time, the widespread rumour of the Highway Demon died down like the receding tide. People no longer talked about it with interest. When the rumour started once again, it was in a totally different form.

    When the rumour of the mysterious Demon Beast was at its height, Fort Dufaure to the south of the Royal Capital K?nk?nen was quietly basking in seething heat. As expected of Dufaure, the headquarters of the national Silhouette Knights development agency¡ª National Technological Robotics Laboratory. The city was filled with numerous facilities related to Silhouette Knights.

    There were three research development workshops, the vast warehouse stores all the materials required from research to manufacturing. Apart from these, there was also a training arena for the testing of Silhouette Knights. The scale of the arena was top notch within the Kingdom. Right now, ten Silhouette Knights stood on the field. They were the source of the heat, and was the symbol representing the city¡¯s reason for existence.

    The training arena was a traditional stone made structure¡ª a rectangular space covered with stone walls. There were seats on the walls with a maintenance facility nearby. The Silhouette Knights were of the same model, on standby in the middle of the arena. The giants made of crystal tissue and steel maintained their position of kneeling on one knee, waiting silently for their master¡¯s command.

    The machines were rugged in appearance, which was the style of this country. They had no discerning features, designed to be durable and tough, giving it a feel similar to Karrdators. But on the whole, it was obviously different from Karrdators. Its armour was sleeker and efforts were clearly put into the welding and joints, giving it a polished and smooth impression. With the design of the Karrdator as its base, it was understandable why it bore a resemblance. Using the technology of Tellestarle, this was the next generation of mass produced machines¡ª the prototypes of the model ¡®Karrdator Dash¡¯.

    The chief of the 1st R&D workshop, Gaizka Johannsson, looked at the rows of Karrdator Dash with mixed feelings. They looked like the relatives of Karrdator, but the content differs completely. Aside from using part of the frame, the other parts were newly crafted. The only parts they could salvage from the original was twenty percent, which was a clear display of how much modification and effort the craftsmen of NTR Lab went through to reach this stage.

    Karrdator Dash inherited all the functions of Tellestarle¡ª which was the strand crystal tissue, capacity frame and back weapon.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a simple task of replacing all the crystal tissue with strand crystal tissue and installing all the new functions. They carefully adjust the position and amount of crystal tissue within the frame. Gaizka and the rest realised the increase in strength output will improve attack power, but it has the disadvantage of affecting the controls. Simply put, the Tellestarle was too strong which gave rise to the problem of losing control easily. Hence, they decrease the amount of muscles, increasing the power of the machine to just 30% above standard.

    Since there were fewer muscles, the machine had more space available. It was filled with capacity frame, improving the unresolved issue of mana storage and increased consumption.

    Not only that, with the fervent adjustment to the restricted strength output, Karrdator Dash¡¯s controls improved dramatically.

    As of now, the Dash had shaken off its notoriety of a wild horse, and grown into a tamed machine similar to the Karrdator, drastically improving the flaws of the Tellestarle.

    Gaizka and the craftsmen worked through the stages one at a time, but a final part troubled them to no end. Unexpectedly, it was the back weapon that had been fully developed when the Tellestarle was finished.

    Frankly speaking, they had been focusing on improving the Silhouette Knight, but the back weapon was different. This equipment was both unique and mysterious, and was perfectly designed, leaving no space for modification. Just analysing the Magius Engine ¡®courtesy of Ernesti¡¯ overwhelmed them. The only thing they could do was to duplicate it in tears. The Dash had two Silhouette Arms on their back¡ª Culverin, its structure and design was copied from Tellestarle which made the craftsmen unsatisfied¡ª a small bit of dissatisfaction at the very end. The culverin moved smoothly, reaching the goal of mass production.

    Increased strength output, improved armour, all sorts of new technology and the tamed controls which was the special feature of the Fremmevira Kingdom. The Karrdator Dash was the combination of all the technology within NTR Lab. Seeing them standing tall filled the people of 1st R&D workshop with deep satisfaction and confidence. Even the narrow minded Gaizka was excited, even more so for the others.

    The current Karrdator Dash could definitely become the new massed produced model. Witnessing the birth of a new model after a hundred years was a great honour for all the craftsmen present. They had no doubt about the greatness of the Dash and the prospect of NTR Lab from hence forth.

    In a building far away from the R&D Lab, a figure was watching the Karrdator Dash in the arena. He was the director of NTR Lab, Olver Blomdahl.

    There was another person inside the room. Maybe it was because Olver refrained from speaking or that the visitor was waiting patiently, the atmosphere differs from the passionate air in the arena and was much calmer. Olver lowered the blinds and took a seat behind his extravagant table.

    ¡°This is a great day and should be celebrated.¡±

    ¡°Are you not going to join them, Sir ¡®Watchmen¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No, the noise would be too much for ears like ours. It is tiring to keep putting on my disguise.¡±

    As they converse, the other party stood quietly in the centre of the room. They had a similar air about them; maybe it was their facial features, or their silky blonde hair¡ª and their long ears. Their ears seemed sensitive to sound, and must be hard on them to stay in a noisy environment.

    ¡°Alright, since we know the recent circumstances of our opponent, we can¡¯t take it easy anymore. I am the highest ranking officer of this agency after all.¡±

    The other man showed an clear expression for the first time, which was confusion.

    ¡°Sir Watchmen really thinks¡­ that the rumoured ¡®Highway Demon¡¯ is that?¡±

    ¡°I know why you think otherwise, I want to doubt it, too, but for the news centred on the vicinity of Laihiala to surface at such a time¡­It''s hard to not be suspicious.¡±

    Olver¡¯s eyes had similar doubts as he answered with a wry smile.

    ¡°It has been a long time since the Red Rabbits sent the Karrdators to Laihiala. The original new model¡­ was it Tellestarle? I don¡¯t think its creator didn¡¯t make any move all this while. Eh, if the rumours are true, they have made something terrifying.¡±

    An indescribable feeling crept up Olver¡¯s spine. From the intelligence they garnered so far, it was easy to tell how abnormal that Knight Order was. The true identity of the ¡®Highway Demon¡¯ was enough to prove this point.

    ¡°If that is the case, we don¡¯t need to remain still. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to take the initiative?¡±

    Olver shook his head as if he was shaking off a sudden chill, rejecting the suggestion.

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t do anything for now. Remember to continue to collect intelligence in the future, too.¡±

    ¡°Would that be fine? You were so suspicious then, but you are not making any moves.¡±

    ¡°It is precisely because I was suspicious back then. I am not a Knight, but as a man serving His Majesty, it is in poor taste to stop him from finding entertainment. I feel a bit sorry for Gaizka though.¡±

    After troubling over it for a while, he clapped his hand and said:

    ¡°That¡¯s right, could you mobilise ¡®Alvanz¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Alvanz? You want to have a battle with them?¡±

    ¡°This is just a cautionary move. They seem to be several steps ahead of us. Since we couldn¡¯t catch up no matter how we struggle, we have to make up for it this way.¡±

    ¡°... I understand.¡±

    The man bowed and left the room quietly. Olver fell into deep thought at his table and stood up reluctantly after making up his mind.

    ¡°Alright, if I don¡¯t show up, they will say I am lazy. It is difficult for a man who has to keep up appearances.¡±

    He took the bandana hanging besides him and wrapped it around his head, covering his ears. After finishing his preparation, he took heavy and irate steps towards the workshop.

    The incident started from a letter detailing an order from the King.

    ¡°I wish to confirm the capability of the new model you submitted in your reports, and will be holding a closed door exhibition in the Royal Capital K?nk?nen, the itinerary is as follows...¡±

    When the staff of NTR Lab heard this news, they accepted it gleefully. The specs of Karrdator Dash was better than the previous mass produced models, it was hard to make comparisons, but taking the combined figures from offence and defence, they were confident it will produce twice the performance. This wasn¡¯t an exaggeration; the Dash had the capability to handle a variety of problems, and could enter battles without any issues. It won¡¯t be benchmarked against the personal machine of Knight Commanders, but if placed in a fight, Dash would probably win if both sides had equal numbers.

    Confident of success, they sent a company of ten Karrdator Dashes to the exhibition.

    Royal Capital K?nk?nen.

    This city uses the gentle slope of Mount Aubigne as natural walls, built in the style of a fortress. The ¡®Royal Guard Knights¡¯ was garrisoned in this city, a unit serving directly under the King.

    They had their own facilities in K?nk?nen, including a training arena outside the city. The prototype Silhouette Knights made by NTR Lab were heading there.

    In the centre of the arena was an even ground surrounded by audience seats in a shape of a bowl. One corner that was elevated much higher was the VIP seats and the figure of King Ambrosius could be seen there. As the exhibition was not made open to the public, there wasn¡¯t many people present. Marquis Joachim Serrati and Duke Knut Dixgard were both present.

    ¡°The new models developed by NTR Lab¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard it was based off the foundation of ¡®that¡¯ prototype. We will see the details later, but from the summary I heard, the performance far exceeds the Karrdator.¡±

    They watched the unfamiliar machines march into the arena.

    The Karrdator Dash moved smoothly without any hint of stiffness. After seeing Tellestarle that loses control easily, it was a major improvement. Joachim gave NTR Lab his generous compliments.

    The audience around them started discussing the new models. Just hearing about their performance beforehand was enough to pique their interests.

    ¡°... Oh, so that¡¯s the new models. Using the Karrdator as the foundation, it has the strong appearance of Cardiaria. And the Silhouette Arms on its back! They could fire without using their hands right?¡±

    ¡°Not just that, I heard it could match that huge and powerful ¡®Hymerwort¡¯ from the Red Rabbits in strength.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That one is known for its strength in our country¡­ The future is bright.¡±

    The heated atmosphere of the audience showed no signs of cooling down. Joachim looked at all these faces and realised someone who should be here was missing.

    ¡°Duke Dixgard, why aren¡¯t ¡®they¡¯ here? After all, they contributed to the development of the new models; I don¡¯t think His Majesty will leave¡­¡±

    Joachim had to stop mid-sentence because Knut, who was sitting beside him, suddenly held his temple and looked towards the sky. Using his strong mental restraint, Knut squeezed out a reply bitterly:

    ¡°... You will find out soon enough.¡±

    With these words, Joachim was certain nothing good will come of this.

    The King of Fremmevira, Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira inspected the formation of the Silhouette Knights from the centre of the VIP seats.

    ¡°... And this is the result. What do you think Your Majesty? The new look of the well known mass produced Karrdator of our nation. Compared to the previous models, the Karrdator Dash excels in all areas. All the staff of NTR Lab are honoured to have taken part in the development of this excellent product.¡±

    ¡°Good, as expected of the best craftsmen in our nation, well done.¡±

    After listening to the briefing by Olver Blomdahl, the director of NTR Lab, Ambrosius smiled. Gaizka who was standing behind him was listening tensely.

    ¡°No wonder you are so confident. For this exhibition, I have found an adequate ¡®opponent¡¯ that will allow your machines to showcase their capabilities.¡±

    Ambrosius laughter seemed to have some hidden meaning behind it, while Olver could only reply with a wry smile. Aside from Olver who investigated beforehand, other people assumed he meant for the Royal Guard Knights to simulate a battle with them.

    ¡°By the way, the prototype the new model is based on was built by students, right? Do you want to meet its creators?¡±

    The people around him started feeling confused; this development was unusual. They were thinking the two of them were talking about different things. The King¡¯s words seemed to be implying that the opponent was¡ª

    ¡°He seems to be proposing a match, letting people from different backgrounds to spar with their own creations.¡±

    The sound of a horse galloping could be heard from somewhere; that was the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground. But the sound was too heavy and loud for normal horses.

    ¡°Open the gates! They will be here soon! The ones who laid the foundation for the new model and formed a new Knight Order by my decree!¡±

    The Cardiaria of the Royal Guard Knights moved to open the gates leading into the arena. The gate was wide enough for five Silhouette Knights to walk side by side, and something could be seen charging in and kicking up a dust cloud. The continuous sound of hooves showed no signs of halting. Everyone concentrated at the gate, wondering what will come forth.

    Ambrose raised his hands, announcing their name.

    ¡°Come¡­ Silver Phoenix Knights!¡±

    The moment ¡®that¡¯ appeared, screams shook the entire arena.

    ¡°What¡­!! What is that thing!?¡±

    Everyone in the audience seats and maintenance workshop shouted and stood up. The ones remaining seated did so because they lost the strength in their legs.

    ¡®That thing¡¯ majestically passes through the gate loudly and with a cloud of dust. What captured the gaze of the crowd was both a man and a horse, large enough to rival a duel level Demon Beast. Its lower body reached the shoulders of a Silhouette Knight; the four legs supporting it contained endless power. Right now, that astonishingly heavy giant body was moving forward with a fast rhythm. What surprised the audience the most was the ¡®human torso¡¯ coming out from where the head of the horse should be.

    The alien combining man with horse. A monster unlike Demon Beasts that should only belong in fairy tales.

    They recovered from the huge surprise and calmed down, understanding its true identity. The armour covering the Centaur Knight, and horn protruding from its head and the beautiful arrangement of its plate armours made it clear that it wasn¡¯t a product of nature, but a man-made masterpiece. With a halberd in its right hand and a shield that was broader at the bottom in its other hand. The crowd couldn¡¯t believe their eyes, but they reach this final conclusion¡ª

    This is a man-made product.

    Like Silhouette Knights, this was a giant built by man.

    A chill different from before travelled down their spines and they focused on the thing being towed by the Centaur Knight. That object obscured by the dust was a cart made from steel and wood, large objects covered by clothes could be seen on it.

    Cargo ferried by the giant Centaur Knight the size of a duel level Demon Beast. Everyone thought of the same thing¡ª these must be Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°Fufu, wahahaha¡­ well done, Ernesti! That¡¯s the talent I see in you! I didn¡¯t expect you to make it to this stage! Interesting, so interesting!!¡±

    The thing that pulled everyone back to reality was the laughter of the King. They now remember what the King said¡ª the creators of the prototype, the newly formed Knight Order¡ª the existence of the Silver Phoenix Knights. They knew this was beyond the level of NTR Lab developing the new model¡ª this day, history will change.

    The pilots of Tzendorg, Chid and Ady didn¡¯t know about the screams from the audience. They followed the procedure and started doing their task after reaching the destination.

    ¡°Release the wagon; change the connecting parts into braking mode.¡±

    ¡°The movement script is entering its final phase! Keep the Towing Anchor and maintain braking distance!!¡±

    The audience might not be able to see clearly from afar, but right now, Tzendorg was releasing the four cables connected it to the wagon, reeling it back into its body. The brakes of the wagon activated and they slowed down. Sparks flew from the wheels and the shrill sound from the friction echoed in the surroundings. At the same time, the sub arms connected to the wagon started extending, allowing Tzendorg to pull away from the wagon. The wagon started slowing down and stopped behind Tzendorg with the connectors extended to maximum length.

    ¡°Distance okay, final separation!¡±

    The structure of the connectors was similar to the sub arms. The secured parts broke away from Tzendorg one by one before folding to the side of the wagon. The brakes continued slowing the wagon down and it stopped in a cloud of smoke shortly after.

    The cargo that was still earlier started moving after the wagon stopped. With clanking sounds, the wires securing the cargo unfastened, freeing the cargo¡ª giants that were in a kneeling position began standing up.

    Bright red armour basked under the sun, taking off its dust cover as if it was a cloak. This elegant machine seemed strange with Silhouette Arms shaped like broad short swords on its back and four swords on its waist. The one standing up beside him was a brilliantly white armoured machine, having an appearance of a prototype machine because of its rugged shape. But its solid body would definitely be accompanied with tremendous power output. As for the last machine, it was the same model as the white machine but without any paint at all, showing its original green steel colour. The only difference would be the large layered armour protruding out from the shoulders.

    The moment the three Silhouette Knights stood up on the wagon, Tzendorg slowed down by making a detour. The green machine walked forward, welcoming the returning Tzendorg.

    The arena suddenly turned so quiet you could hear a pin drop as the tension rises. All eyes fell on the Centaur Knight and the three Knights standing in a row.

    The three Knights came before the VIP seats and adopt a standby position, kneeling on one knee. Appearing from the chest armour that opened up were two young pilots; the one exiting the green Knight was a young boy. The audience sat stiffly in their seats, not sure how to react. In the silence, the sound of air decompressing could be heard. The kneeling Centaur Knight had also opened its cockpit. Not its waist, but the position equivalent to the horse¡¯s back slightly behind the human torso opened widely, and a boy and a girl stepped out. It was unclear why there were two people in there.

    After confirming everyone was present, the boy piloting the green Knight represented the group and performed a Knight¡¯s salute elegantly.

    ¡°By Your Majesty¡¯s order, the Silver Phoenix Knight¡¯s Knight Commander, Ernesti Echevarria, together with 1st Company Captain Edgar C. Blanche, 2nd Company Captain Dietrich Cunitz, as well as the latest Centaur Knight Tzendorg are here to report.¡±

    With his silvery purple hair swaying in the wind, Eru raised his head with a face full of smiles. No matter how you look at it, he was like a kid who was flaunting his toy. His appearance was definitely that of a kid.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Ernesti. I see you brought something interesting with you. I want to grill you carefully about them.¡±

    Seeing the two of them laughing ominously, the people around them wore a complicated expression. It had nothing to do with their status, just that no one was able to interject into their conversation.

    The alien shaped machine reflected the brilliant sunlight as it sprinted proudly in the arena. The heavy hooves resounded loudly, with every step as loud as thunder, shaking the eardrums of the audience. They forgot to blink as they stared at the strongest and largest Silhouette Knight controlled by men, the Centaur Knight that had a shape largely different from a man¡ª Tzendorg.

    The audience wasn¡¯t the only ones watching Tzendorg. The pilots of the Karrdator Dash standing in the same arena were also studying Tzendorg curiously.

    ¡°Look Zwar, that¡¯s amazing, a horse shaped Silhouette Knight.¡±

    ¡°No wonder Sir ¡®Watchmen¡¯ wanted us to come¡­ ¡®Apprentice¡¯ are not to be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but did the Watchmen get played? It is not the exhibition of our new models anymore, this looks like the stage for the other party to perform.¡±

    After hearing the snickers from the machine besides him, he crossed his arms and stared at the Centaur Knight displayed on the Holo Monitor.

    ¡°Hard to say¡­ To summon us mean he didn¡¯t only get played. More importantly, we should use this chance to think of a way to deal with that thing.¡±

    ¡°I thought we drew the worst lot but somehow¡­ it seems to be getting interesting.¡±

    The eye crystal of the Karrdator Dash glimmered as it kept on taking in images, not missing any movement of the Centaur Knight. The pilots seemed detached from the noise of the crowds. What they need to concentrate on was the shape of the enemy, what they need to know was the movement of the foe. The battle surely and silently entered into its prologue stage.

    The rowdy audience couldn¡¯t know about the nervousness of the pilots. Most of the guests were nobles and their curiosity were completely on the alien machine pacing around the arena, and the Silver Phoenix Knight that made that monster. Despite the existence of the NTR Lab, a new organisation was still formed¡ª What they were concerned about was the intention of the King.

    A normal Knight Order won¡¯t stir their curiosity. About a year ago, they suffered a large scale attack from foreign forces, they all knew about this. In order to avoid making the same mistake, increasing a Knight Orders or two would not be surprising. However, the Silver Phoenix Knights can¡¯t be judged by common logic.

    The attack, the new models and a new Knight Order. They were part of a massive game formed from these fragments. In that case, what would the next card show? The initiative was in the hand of their King, so they perked up their ears to listen, not daring to miss anything.

    Their tense emotions were like a rain cloud passing swiftly, only leaving behind a cool, quiet breeze. It wasn¡¯t that they were not curious, but even if they wanted to, they couldn¡¯t interrogate the King. Hence they had no choice but to keep quiet; that was how the nobles were feeling. Ambrose smiled as he watch the running Tzendorg and suddenly turn to look at Olver besides him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very surprised.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t so, Your Majesty. I might have heard of the Demon Beast terrorising the vicinity of Laihiala, but I would never have thought that it would be a new type of Silhouette Knight. This scene was definitely shocking for me.¡±

    A complicated expression flashed across Olver¡¯s narrowed eyes, but it disappeared before others could notice. He resumed his usual demeanour, his unmoved attitude making him stand out even more.

    ¡°Your are well informed as usual. Did you bring Alvanz along?¡±

    Ambrose asked quietly. Answering with just his eyes, Olver nodded slightly.

    ¡°It is the same thing with the new model; I want to use this chance to test ¡®their¡¯ capability. Don¡¯t think they are just kids, they had experienced many trying encounters.¡±

    He muttered so softly it was as if he was talking to himself, there was no telling if it reached the ears of Olver who was beside him. If not for his keen ears, Olver would definitely have missed it.

    ¡°I think they are just right as your opponents. Well done, the stage seemed to have been set.¡±

    ¡°I am honoured.¡±

    Olver lowered his head deeply.

    ¡°Before that, I will need to explain who they are¡­¡±

    Ambrose wasn¡¯t saying that to anyone in particular. After a short wait, knocking was heard from the door to the VIP seats, announcing the arrival of the Silver Phoenix Knights. The room turned tense as everyone focused on the door.

    The well oiled door opened slowly without a sound. Footsteps dented the carpet slightly as the guests entered. Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights who introduced himself¡ª Ernesti Echevarria, 1st Company Captain Edgar C. Blanche and 2nd Company Captain Dietrich Cunitz presented themselves.

    The nobles seated swallowed the moans they almost uttered out. Normally, they would have started scrutinising their appearance. The two young men walking at the sides¡ª Edgar and Dietrich were still acceptable. From their equipment and well toned body, they look the part of an excellent Knight, but it wasn¡¯t obvious they were more valuable than normal pilots.

    The problem lies with their Commander Ernesti. The first impression he gave was ¡®young and short¡¯. His silvery purple hair of medium length swayed with each step he took, his feminine appearance matched his petite body well. No one would doubt it if he was introduced as the daughter of some noble family. And he was actually a Knight Commander reporting directly to the King, what a terrible joke that was. None of them had the eyes to discern his extraordinary talents.

    Even basked in the gaze heavy enough to overwhelm a man, Eru showed no sign of being fazed. His clear eyes looked straight at the King with determination.

    ¡°I am as you have command, bringing the newest model Tzendorg as well as Karrdators and Tellestarle equipped with Option Works for your review.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your efforts.¡±

    The content of their dialogue stirred the curiosity of the bystanders further. The Tzendorg he mentioned was probably referring to the Centaur Knight. That was intriguing, but what does the other term ¡®Option Works¡¯ mean? Was he still hiding something¡ª It was safe to say the crowd had fallen into the King¡¯s trap. The NTR Lab had shown their cards, but the other party still had cards in their hands. It was clear who had the initiative at this stage.

    Ambrosius understood the interest and bafflement around him, he wasn¡¯t sure he had concealed his own smile. The King couldn¡¯t hold back his mischievous heart; his joy was on the verge of bursting out of his chest. Next will the time to reveal the answer, and decide the standing between the NTR Lab and the Silver Phoenix Knights. Making such a big scene to flaunt wasn¡¯t because he wanted to be pull a prank¡ª well, he did wish for that a little¡ª but this was setting up the stage for the discussion that will follow. The situation was overwhelming one-sided.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this child here is Ernesti Echevarria¡­ the grandson of Laihiala Pilot Academy dean Lauri, and the designer of the prototype and Centaur Knight. I had also appointed him as the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    And that was how it should had proceeded¡ª

    ¡°...You, a kid like you is the designer¡­!!¡±

    ¡ª Until that man interrupted the King.

    The chief of the 1st R&D workshop of NTR Lab¡ª Gaizka Johannsson pulled at his messy white hair as he stepped forward with bloodshot eyes. It was obvious he was mentally unstable, plain for all to see when he rebutted his superior¡ª the King.

    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s wrong!! It, it is impossible for that thing to move, there, there must be something else, did someone taught this to you? No, it is made by someone else right!? No, it is impossible to make this. Why? What is going on¡­!?¡±

    He was no longer aware of his surroundings as he kept mumbling as he closed in on Eru. Ambrosius showed a troubled expression when he saw that Gaizka had lost it.

    Oh, was the medicine too strong¡­? I just wanted to stir his competitive spirit though.

    After troubling over it momentarily, he wondered if stopping him verbally would work. But seeing Gaizka falling into complete confusion, Ambrosius doubt he could communicate with him and decided to give up. When he was about to issue the order to restrain him, he locked his eyes with Eru who seemed to have something to say. The curious Ambrosius closed his half opened mouth and gave his permission with a look.

    Eru turned to face Gaizka, who was mumbling nonsense. Edgar and Dietrich, who was besides him tensed up, ready to intercept if necessary. Even if dwarfs are strong, he still couldn¡¯t win against two Knights.

    ¡°Tzendorg is installed with two Ether Reactors.¡±

    The two of them were within arm''s reach when Eru said these words directly to Gaizka. After making a weird sound, Gaizka stood stiff on the spot. At the same time, Olver¡¯s eyes also widened with a surprised expression, a rare sight to behold. After a brief moment, the people around them understood what Eru meant and the shocked expressions spread out like a ripple.

    ¡°Do you know why that is for?¡±

    Eru asked with his head tilted, smiling brilliantly. In contrast, Gaizka maintained his stupid posture and took a long while to recover.

    ¡°That, that¡­ I see, it¡¯s too big, so one reactor can¡¯t support it¡­ You have to go this far to¡­¡±

    Gaizka mumbled as the light of sanity returned to his eyes. To answer a question, what was needed was logic. No matter how fascinating it may be, things created through technology could be explained through theory and knowledge. ¡®The centaur monster with two hearts¡¯¡ª this fact was a big shock for him, but further questions and thirst for knowledge swell up to his heart.

    ¡°Right, you can maintain its structure that way¡­ However, it still won¡¯t move. It¡¯s not enough, you did something else, too, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I used a lot of different ideas¡­ Eh, how about letting me explain with the design plans. Edgar-senpai, Di-senpai, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Edgar moved with a resigned face and silently opened the luggage besides him. Dietrich also unpacks the box he brought along and set up an easel with a board on it. Eru took out and pasted pieces of paper really fast, and smiled like a beautiful flower blossoming.

    ¡°Let me explain for everyone! First would be the foundation structure¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait you dummy, don¡¯t ignore me and proceed on your own.¡±

    And of course, the one who stopped the lecture a second before it started was Ambrosius. The crowd who was led on before they knew it realised what was happening.

    ¡°Please listen to me, too, Your Majesty! It¡¯s fine, I prepared the briefing materials for everyone. Without missing any detail, let¡¯s go through this step by step¡­!!¡±

    ¡°How is it fine? I will listen to you later, keep those things quickly.¡±

    Edgar and Dietrich silently kept the easel and papers deftly. Eru watched them with a sense of pity.

    ¡°Gaizka, you go back too.¡±

    ¡°...!! Ah, ahh, my sincere apologies¡­ I lost my composure¡­¡±

    ¡°Ara, seems that the medicine was too strong. Forget it; listen carefully since you have regained your wits.¡±

    Seeing Gaizka on his knees and about to bang his head on the floor, Ambrosius dismissed him nonchalantly.

    ¡°Pu, hehe, fufufu¡­¡±

    It must be hard to hold it in. Ambrosius sighed as the sound of laughter broke out besides him, he turned towards the man besides him and said.

    ¡°Et tu, Olver?¡±

    ¡°My humble apologies. Ara, I was wondering what kind of child he would be, to think he would be so intriguing¡­ and it is not every day you can see a talent that can make Your Majesty speechless.¡±

    Ambrosius responded casually to Olver who lowered his head with a smile. The tension earlier was all gone, replaced by a warm atmosphere.

    Ambrosius pulled himself together, cleared his throat and change the atmosphere in the room.

    ¡°You are right, going through the process step by step will be better. Speaking of which, this all started when Ernesti made a Silhouette Knight because of his hobby¡­¡±

    Something out of place seemed to be mixed in, but wasn¡¯t elaborated on.

    ¡°Everyone already knows what happened next, which is the prototype theft incident. We don¡¯t know how the rats found out, but it is a pity the prototypes were stolen. Fortunately, the creator himself is fine, so I ordered the formation of the Silver Phoenix Knights. This Knight Order will develop Silhouette Knights for this kid and also act as his escorts.¡±

    Hearing the rationale behind the raising of this Knight Order, everyone nodded their heads in comprehension, but thought about another question immediately.

    ¡°I understand, Your Majesty, but if it is a Knight Order, why not let him join NTR Lab? I think it would be fine to use the Silver Phoenix Knights purely as bodyguards.¡±

    Ambrosius grunted in response to Olver¡¯s question which got straight to the heart of the matter. The luggage bag Edgar was holding had somehow ended up in Eru¡¯s arms, waiting anxiously for his turn to take the stage. Ambrosius stopped him with a look, and was hesitant on what to say.

    ¡°He is still a kid after all. I don¡¯t know how receptive you all would be¡­ But right now, I wonder if dumping him into NTR was the better choice.¡±

    When everyone heard this it sounded really convincing.

    ¡°After seeing the Silhouette Knights made by both sides, I feel that having two independent organisation isn¡¯t too bad. The creation of this kid is a great stimulant for you all, right?¡±

    The gaze of the King made the gloomy Gaizka back away.

    ¡°...Yes! It¡¯s just as Your Majesty said¡­¡±

    ¡°That is part of it, there is another reason. The works of this kid is interesting¡­ But it is not user friendly. Gaizka, how was the prototype before you all modified it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, well¡­ with strong crystal tissue and revolutionary equipment, it was a powerful machine. However, eh¡­ it is hard to control, drains mana and is a wild horse.¡±

    When they heard this, Edgar and Dietrich nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I think so, too. That Tzendorg is probably piloted in some unorthodox method.¡±

    ¡°Not really, we only used ¡®double pilot¡¯.¡±

    ¡°... How is that normal? Eh, as you can see, Ernesti¡¯s creation has many good points, but lacks maturity. It¡¯s like a raw diamond. Without polishing it, you can¡¯t see its true value. And NTR Lab is the best place to perform the polishing.¡±

    Olver lured the snake out of the hole.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do you mean for us to ¡®tweak¡¯ their prototypes so it could be used by others?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, that¡¯s the plan. I am counting on you, Olver.¡±

    Including Olver, everyone lowered their heads. And so, the existence of the Silver Phoenix Knights was made known to the world, and the name Ernesti started spreading between the nobles of Fremira Kingdom from those in attendance.

    This name had the following note attached: ¡®Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti Echevarria has incredible research and development ability and incredibly loves Silhouette Knights.¡¯

    Shortly after the discussion ended¡ª

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, now that you know more about them, next would be that Centaur Knight. We will be having a training match between the Silver Phoenix Knights and NTR Lab. Both sides please prepare yourself.¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Knights walked towards the arena by Ambrosius¡¯ orders, the conversation between Gaizka and Eru could be heard constantly as they walk along the corridor. As a veteran technician, Gaizka had a stronger thirst for unknown technology than anyone else. Meeting Eru who couldn¡¯t stop talking about his interest, their dialogue naturally continued all the way to the workshop.

    The audience was no longer as agitated as before as they discuss the upcoming clash of the machines made by both organizations, no different than a crowd watching a show.

    In the calm atmosphere, Olver who remained in the VIP seats thought carefully about the future of NTR Lab. For the Lab, that scene earlier was as good as taking the important task of developing prototypes away from them. It seems to be a huge blow at first glance, but it was a good deal if they see it from another angle.

    That uncontrollable child was responsible for the development of the prototypes, and was also a Knight Commander reporting directly to the King. In other words, the King plans to hold the reign himself. From what he just observed, the child was talented, but had a strong personality. Instead of keeping such a hot potato with him, it would be better to leave it to the King. And since his creation has a lot of issue to resolve, there will still be a chance for NTR Lab to shine and they will remain irreplaceable. That might be so, but when Olver thought about how to explain it to his subordinates, he couldn¡¯t help feeling down.

    Although Olver fell into deep thought, his sensitive ears didn¡¯t miss the sound calling out to him. Lifting his head, he turned to the King seated beside him.

    ¡°Olver, I will be bringing him to ¡®Home¡¯ in the near future.¡±

    As expected¡ª Olver who suspected as much understood his intent behind this decision. He struggled to keep a straight face.

    ¡°Your Majesty has high expectations of this child.¡±

    ¡°He had done more than enough¡­ And I made a promise¡ª ¡®present accomplishments great enough to be rewarded with the secret of Ether Reactors¡¯. As a King, I can¡¯t go back on my words.¡±

    Olver closed his eyes and thought about what he should do. Ambrosius was definitely not pushing Olver to do his bidding. Or rather, his attitude seemed too cautious towards one of his vassals.

    ¡°... Since this is Your Majesty¡¯s request, I will relay your wish to ¡®Home¡¯ with my role as a Watchmen. But the one to make the decision would be ¡®Master¡¯... This might be an order from Your Majesty, but I hope you can follow the ¡®Law¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But after seeing such an interesting fellow, Master will definitely not reject him.¡±

    Olver responded with a warm smile. The two of them turned to face the teams spreading out on the arena to signify the end of their conversation.

    ¡°We will now begin the training match between NTR Lab and the Silver Phoenix Knights. To balance the both sides, the Silver Phoenix Knights will be deploying one platoon of Knights (three machines) and one cavalry! NTR Lab would be sending out two platoons of Knight (six machines)!!¡±

    With cheers erupting in the background, Ambrosius announce the rules of the competition loudly. Inside the arena, Dietrich muttered unhappily, in contrast with the heated audience.

    ¡°Tzendorg is treated to be equivalent to three Knights, one cavalry to three infantry¡­ Does this ratio apply to Silhouette Knights?¡±

    ¡°Who knows. The NTR Lab are using the enhanced version of our machines, and three of them¡­ To be honest, the situation is bad.¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Knight¡¯s forces are Dietrich¡¯s modified Guyale and Tellestarles piloted by Edgar and Eru¡ª made by modifying Karrdators. The three machines might look different on the outside, but they were all basically the same Tellestarle models. In contrast, the Karrdators of the NTR Lab was a totally new design using Tellestarle as its foundation. Comparing the two, NTR Lab had better performance.

    ¡°How exciting! I wonder how well they tamed the wild Tellestarle? The controls seemed to be improved greatly¡­ that¡¯s right; I will ask them to let me try it later!¡±

    ¡°... Ahhh, you are acting carefree as always, it is making me envious.¡±

    Seeing Eru¡¯s off topic comment made Dietrich shook his head and sigh.

    ¡°Forget it, we also modified the machines ever since.¡±

    The arms on Guyale was one size bigger, Edgar¡¯s machine with its armour coat and Eru¡¯s machine that had some mysterious equipment built in. Their machines were not the original Tellestarle either. With the top tier Option Works installed, their machines were also enhanced.

    ¡°Erm, what about us?¡±

    ¡°We need to take on three machines?¡±

    The voices of the twins came from Tzendorg behind them. Tzendorg might be the strongest unit in the Silver Phoenix Knights, but it was also the most unstable element. This was the first time the twins were fighting, it was hard to know what to expect.

    ¡°Well¡­ should we play it safe or¡­¡±

    ¡°About that, Edgar-senpai, Di-senpai, could you do something reckless?¡±

    The two smiled fearlessly in their pilot seats as they listened to the instructions of their Knight Commander.

    The horns echoed loudly through the training arena, and the gong announcing the start of the battle was sounded, which was followed by the cheers from the crowd.

    ¡°Let the battle begin¡ª!!¡±

    With this signal, the giant Knights charged with earth shattering steps. The Silver Phoenix Knights made the first move. The three Knights started running with Tzendorg matching their speed behind. As for the NTR Lab¡ª the Knight Order Alvanz piloting Karrdator Dash watched their adversary carefully. Their Captain Arnis sneered when he saw how the Silver Phoenix Knight moved.

    ¡°They plan to attack at the same time¡­? As expected. Lance wall formation, forward march.¡±

    The two platoons formed ranks, raised their shields and lances, and advanced slowly. This formation was obviously meant to counter the cavalry like Tzendorg, a common tactic against Demon Beasts that attack with powerful charges. The tip of the lances might be blunt, but its strong mighty thrust was enough to intimidate their foes.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights accelerated closer and Tzendorg at the back of the formation broke off to the side and started sprinting, overtaking the three units in front.

    ¡°Platoon two turn right, maintain Lance wall formation. Platoon one, prepare to engage!!¡±

    With Tzendorg charging, Alvanz split their group in two¡ª one platoon to engage Tzendorg with lances, and one platoon that abandoned their lance to take on the other three Knights. Lances were effective against enemy charging in, but ineffective against Knights proficient in melee combat. The two platoons of Alvanz commit to their assigned roles to take advantage in the strength of numbers.

    The audience watching also thought it would be divided into a clash of infantry and an anti-cavalry battle¡ª but the next second, one of the Silver Phoenix Knights made a strange move.

    ¡°Magi Jet Thrusters activate¡­ deploying device, begin air compression¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a strange noise that was definitely not cheering from the crowd erupted. The air gathered in a vortex, emitting a unique shrill noise, several times louder than the air intake valve of an Ether Reactor. The noise came from one of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ machine.

    The machine with raw unpainted metallic body had additional equipment installed on the shoulders and waist. The movable armour parts moved to the back. Inside the layered armour, a valve slowly open, creating a vacuum inside which was completely covered with engravings.

    When they saw this, confusion spread among the audience. Why shift the armour? Wouldn¡¯t it expose the vital parts? No one knew what the equipment making weird sound was used for. However, such suspicious movement naturally put Alvanz on guard.

    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡±

    ¡°He is gathering air¡­ A Silhouette Arms that fires air bullets? Probably a new type of weapon¡­ I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°Tuva, Idola, be alert of anything that comes flying over. They are almost within range; we will counter them with the Silhouette Arms.¡±

    The first platoon that didn¡¯t equip spears activated the back weapons on their Karrdator Dash. The second platoon with back weapons did the same. Tzendorg which was moving at a high speed was charging by itself, and will enter the Silhouette Arms¡¯ range soon.

    A strange thing happened the moment before they clashed. The green Knight bent its knees and lowered its posture. The machine under its full control moved as it was commanded¡ª Eru¡¯s will used the power of the strand crystal tissue without reservation. The machine took a step forward, and crimson flames shot out from it at the same instant. The additional equipment produced a long trail of fire, together with bright lights and the sound of an explosion, bestowed extraordinary force to the accelerating machine. The giant object five times larger than a man made of steel and crystal tissue shot out like a magic bullet with amazing speed.

    The flame tail only appeared briefly, transforming into heat waves with the second step of the green Knight, blurring the space behind it. When it came off the second step, flames appeared again. And of course, the Knight was propelled with even more force.

    ¡°Zarks¡ª!! Careful!! He is heading towards¡­!!¡±

    While everyone was still panicking over this bizarre scene, the leader of first platoon realised something. The speed of the green Knight was abnormal, surpassing even the leading Tzendorg as it closed in on Alvanz. That¡¯s right; he was going for the second platoon with the spears.

    ¡°What.. what is with this fellow!?¡±

    ¡°Spears will be too slow! Shoot!!¡±

    Facing the green Knight that was faster than a bullet, the second platoon which were focusing on Tzendorg reacted late. Despite that, they fired their Silhouette Arms and engaged them. Despite the suddenness of the situation, the bullets were still aimed at the green Knight, displaying their exceptional skill.

    Before the second platoon leader could compose himself, a calm part of his mind was certain the enemy¡¯s effort would be futile. That abnormally fast attack was commendable, but he won¡¯t be able to dodge with that speed. His speed will lead to his own demise.

    Regrettably, the performance of the green Knight exceeded his imagination. The pilot Eru has excellent physical ability and spent most of his time training for high speed combat, developing fast reflexes and calculation abilities, allowing the machine to react very quickly.

    The additional equipment on the shoulder of the green Knight known as Magi Jet Thrusters, changed the direction it was facing and shot out a burst of light with the sound of an explosion. The machine shifted laterally as it continued its advance.

    ¡°Ahh?¡±

    The movement of their foe stunned the second platoon. The magic bullet that was already locked on target carried on their path, passing through the space beside the green Knight without even touching it.

    ¡°Wahhhhhh!?¡±

    The white blade flashed by the moment the green Knight made it to the left flank of the second platoon; the astonishing speed produced a power that could match the charge of a Duel level Demon Beast. Philia¡¯s machine was saved by the shield held in its left hand, but the shield was sent flying, toppling Philia¡¯s machine which fell slowly to the ground.

    ¡°Philia! Sh*t, I will stop him, Yunf, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Zarks, that¡¯s not the only enemy, don¡¯t be rash.¡±

    His comrade¡¯s words reminded Zarks of the enemy they were supposed to be dealing with. The Centaur Knight was hidden by the explosion created by the green Knight, and was right before them. Kicking up a dust storm, the charging cavalry came at them ferociously. The second platoon disrupted by the attack of the green Knight couldn¡¯t maintain their formation¡ª Zarks made this snap judgement and shouted: ¡°Dodge!¡± and leapt out of the way. Yunf mimic his action unhesitatingly.

    Tzendorg charged past the space they evaded from, bashing with its shield as it passed by. Yunf blocked with its shield to minimise the damage.

    Using this chance, the green Knight attempted to slow its machine down. It planted its feet firmly down and changed the direction of the Magi Jet Thruster. Instead of an instant, it fired for a substantial amount of time, slowing down by shooting in the opposite direction. In the cloud of dust, the green Knight stopped moving in a centre of a heat wave. When it slowly turned its head back, what it saw was the second platoon that was on the verge of defeat.

    ¡°Are, are you kidding me¡­?¡±

    The pitiful state of the second platoon and the green Knight that caused all this made the fighting spirit of first platoon plummet. They attempt to reinforce them, but were stopped by Arnis.

    ¡°Calm down! The other Knights are approaching, if you go to the second platoon now, our backs will be exposed!¡±

    This reminded them of the other two ¡®infantry¡¯. The attack from the green Knight had completely diverted their attention.

    ¡°We should advance right away. It¡¯s three on two here, we have to dispatch them fast! Zarks and the others won¡¯t be taken out that easily, after taking that beating, they will strengthen their defense.¡±

    He sounded a bit anxious, but the three Karrdator Dash started moving, closing the distance with the Silver Phoenix Knights in a blink of an eye.

    ¡°Idola, look out for that green one! Stop him if you hear that noise!!¡±

    With Arnis and Tuva leading the way, the Knights fired their back weapons; the white machine of the Silver Phoenix Knights moved forth to intercept. When the barrage of bullets was about to hit it, the armour near the shoulders of the white Knight moved. The sub arms moved the armour plate to the front, forming a shield. The white Knight in total defense mode did not slow down as it deflected all the bullets.

    ¡°So that is not a normal machine either¡­¡±

    ¡°The green Knight is not moving, now is the chance. That strange armour might not be able to cover its entire body!¡±

    The three Alvanz machines kept up the pressure with their barrage as they entered sword range. This time, the red machine came out of the white machine¡¯s shadow¡ª No shield, a heavily offense type machine. With its arm raised, it took a swing at Tuva. Tuva lifted his shield in anticipation of the blow and took a stance¡ª but it didn¡¯t expect something that flew out from its gauntlet with the sound of an explosion. Tuva¡¯s machine couldn¡¯t evade this sneak attack and got hit in the face by a piece of metal. The impact affected the eye crystal, distorting half of the holo monitor¡¯s view.

    ¡°Just how many weird equipment do they have!!¡±

    Using the chance while Tuva retreated, the red machine changed its target to Idola, forcing it back. Arnis engaged the white machine and put some distance between them.

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t take him down!¡±

    Arnis gritted his teeth. Alvanz has the advantage in number, but the red and white machine built for offence and defense respectively were hard to handle. At this moment, the sound of air being sucked could be heard; the green Knight had started moving.

    ¡°This is dangerous¡­ Idola, guard the back. Tuva, you good?¡±

    ¡°No problems with movement at all! I will make them pay¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Alvanz renewed their attack. The red and white Knights prepared to fend off their assault.

    Before the start of the battle.

    On the brown training arena grounds, two opposing forces comprising of the latest models of Silhouette Knights observe each other relentlessly without a word.

    In the middle of the Silver Phoenix Knight¡¯s ground, Tzendorg which was a head taller than the other Silhouette Knights could be seen. From his wide field of vision, the appearance of the enemy Karrdator Dash was clearly shown. Their armour was much more polished than the Karrdator. The battle was about to commence.

    Chid and Ady who were inside Tzendorg couldn¡¯t sit still. They felt a different kind of tension from their fight in Silhouette Gear. Thinking back, they only fought with everything they had with no tactics in mind and without caring about the rules and etiquette. In contrast, they have the heavy responsibility of showcasing Tzendorg¡¯s power in this mock battle. The difference between these two situations could not be explained so simply with words.

    According to Edgar¡¯s explanation, the enemy had six machines since Tzendorg was treated to be the equivalent to three machines. This meant they had to win their opponents elegantly. There was some distance between the audience seat and the training grounds, but the twins still felt the illusion of everyone on the field was focusing on them .

    As the tension ran high, Eru continued to speak nonchalantly:

    ¡°I have a selfish request. Edgar-senpai, Di-senpai, could you do something reckless?¡±

    How would Tzendorg¡¯s battle be related to the two of them acting recklessly? But Eru had always been like this, saying things that didn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡°Since you asked, you must have thought about something. Let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    ¡°Very simple. First, we will split Tzendorg and us to probe their reaction. They might divide their forces as the tactics against Tellestarle and Tzendorg are totally different¡­ They will probably react to what we do.¡±

    The heads of the red and white machines nodded. All this was within their expectations, and the enemy will probably expect this.

    ¡°From our perspective, we let Tzendorg act alone in order to utilise its advantage in speed. But if it faces off against three machines as stipulated, Tzendorg will have a tough battle no matter how fast it is¡­ so we should use a surprise attack and send one person to strike against the group facing Tzendorg.¡±

    ¡°I understand, so you are volunteering yourself?¡±

    Edgar¡¯s machine turned its head and Eru¡¯s Tellestarle entered its view¡ª on its shoulders and waist were movable Magi Jet Thrusters. The customised Magi Jet Thrusters were installed with multiple miniaturised thrusters, making output adjustment easier. The movable design realised the possibility of 360 degrees of mobility, an intimidating equipment. But on the contrary, the difficult controls were not on the level of ¡®a burden on the pilot¡¯. In fact, it had become a flawed product only Eru could pilot.

    ¡°Yes, I will fully utilise the mobility of this machine and disrupt the forces targeting Tzendorg before returning to the battle between Knights¡­ I don¡¯t really need to say this, but our forces in the Knights¡¯ battle would be weakened significantly. I hope Edgar-senpai and Di-senpai could hang on until I return.¡±

    Their opponent would definitely not be expecting such a forceful method. A surprise tactic only Eru, piloting the machine with Magi Thruster Jet could pull off to destroy the balance between the two sides. The difference in numbers were still great, this battle was too difficult.

    ¡°Alright, I will give it my all.¡±

    ¡°Since it is the Knight Commander¡¯s orders¡­¡±

    Edgar and Dietrich glanced at each other and agreed. The Karrdator Dash prototype developed by the NTR Lab were not to be underestimated. Even though they agreed readily, the burden wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked.

    ¡°So this is what it means to lead the charge? So we just need to follow behind Eru?¡±

    ¡°Leave it to us! We will show them the speed of Tzen-chan!!¡±

    Instead, the ones to relax were the twins. They witnessed the power of the Magi Jet Thrusters before, and couldn¡¯t stop smiling when they imagined the opponents being scared out of their wits.

    ¡°We are in a great condition; let¡¯s give them a huge surprise!¡±

    ¡°Eh, before you come back, I will hide behind Edgar. Please settle it before he goes down.¡±

    ¡°Di, you¡­¡±

    Ady giggled and the atmosphere lightened. Chid and Ady¡¯s nervousness disappeared before they realised it. Eru had outrageous ideas as usual, but Edgar and Dietrich who could control him firmly were also here, there were no companions more reliable than them.

    The white Tellestarle and Guyale formed ranks and gave each other a look. The two of them already realised the reason why Eru was forcing the attack. They were the senpais after all and veterans in battles. The Tellestarle piloted by Eru aside, part of their job was to help rookies get a first taste of victory. When they ended their meeting in high spirits, the horn signaling the start of the battle was sounded.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The Centaur Knight in the middle neighed jokingly. With the sounding of the gong, the Silver Phoenix Knights charged together.

    Right now, Ernesti was sighing on the pilot seat of the green Knight.

    ¡°Hmmm, I thought this might happen, but it really depleted the entire mana pool.¡±

    Eru and his green partner followed the battle plan and conducted a high speed assault with the Magi Jet Thrusters. He successfully took down one enemy unit and dealt a blow to their morale, but pushing it came at the expense of his mana.

    ¡°Accelerating was still fine, the problem was in braking. To avoid making the same mistake, I will need thrusters¡­¡±

    Learning from the previous ¡®Meteor incident¡¯, Eru realised the danger of operating the Magi Jet Thrusters for prolonged periods of time. To make up for this flaw, he came up with the method of accelerating efficiently by sprinting and short burst from the thrusters. However, this only works for acceleration, braking would require brute force. And in this vast empty arena, there was nothing he could use to slow himself down. Firing the Magi Jet Thrusters in the opposite direction burns plenty of mana, adding further to the tremendous mana consumption of the Tellestarle. And the results were obvious, Eru¡¯s machine which had depleted its mana moved lethargically.

    ¡°This is understandable, but the remaining mana is just twenty percent¡­ I can¡¯t use the same attack again.¡±

    Eru went too deep and was far away from the main battlefield, it would take some time for him to rejoin the fray. The Magi Jet Thruster started sucking in air again, taking in air in a spiral. That unique noise spurred the tension on the grounds.

    ¡°I can¡¯t run. If I don¡¯t recover mana by walking, it will be dangerous to rejoin the battle.¡±

    The green Knight made loud air sucking noises as it strode towards the battlefield.

    The Captain of Alvanz¡ª Arnis wielded the sword of his Karrdator Dash. Edgar¡¯s white Tellestarle blocked with its shield and counterattacked during the gap after the block. The sharp thrust was parried by the sword pulled back by Arnis.

    The two machines pulled away from each other, but Arnis didn¡¯t attack with his back weapon. He knew the bullets will be deflected by Edgar¡¯s machine which was equipped with Flexible Coat. And so, the two machines returned to the basics and fought with sword and shields. But such a fight was spectacular as well, the battle remained intense.

    The powerful strikes with occasional feints dazzled the audience. Every clash of the sword produces sparks, every bang of the shield shook the ground from its tremours. Arnis and Edgar were evenly matched in skill and courage as the attack of the sword became sharper and the counterattacks equally fierce. As the spectators watched with bated breaths, the battle became even more heated.

    Dietrich couldn¡¯t spare the time to watch Edgar¡¯s battle. He had two Dashes in front of Guyale¡ª Tuva and Idola blocking his way. Without shields, Guyale specialised in offense and was weak in defense. Taking this point into consideration, Alvanz send two machines to take down Guyale while Arnis was fending off the white Tellestarle.

    A metal piece flew through the air with a low hum. Guyale used the lightning flail like a part of a chain-sickle, swinging it in circles. Since the mechanism of firing it from the gauntlet had been exposed, it won¡¯t work as a secret weapon anymore. Dietrich changed it into a wide range attack weapon. Seeing the steel piece coming from the side, Tuva backed away to dodge and attack with his back weapon from a distance. Guyale moved towards Idola to dodge, swiping at him with blades. Idola blocked with his shields, but took a blow from Guyale¡¯s back weapon Kamtha. The short Kamtha had terrible in long range, but was powerful in close quarters. Its magic bullet was like a long thin sword, lacking in impact but has a high accuracy.

    Guyale raised both its sword as he charged the off balance Idola, but Tuva didn¡¯t let him get his way, firing magic bullets to block his path. Guyale gave up its pursuit, throwing his retracted lightning flail out in return. The fast flying metal piece grazed the side of Idola¡¯s head, hitting his back weapon.

    The entire Alvanz team was fighting an unexpectedly tough battle. Aside from Tuva losing half his vision from the sneak attack and Idola needing to look out for the green Knight, the biggest miscalculation was underestimating Guyale¡¯s combat prowess. Kamtha, lightning flail and swords, Guyale used a variety of weapons to keep an advantageous distance and attack accordingly. This special style of fighting made it tiring to handle.

    The unique valve intake noise of the green Knight came from behind them. For some reasons, it didn¡¯t approach with high speed, keeping the team Alvanz on their toes, making them distracted. The vicious cycle made the audience think team Alvanz was losing. That¡¯s how impressive Eru¡¯s machine was.

    ¡°Ady, we are turning back to attack! Begin turning!¡±

    ¡°Understood¡ª! Let¡¯s show them the skillful feet of Tzen-chan!¡±

    Centaur Knight Tzendorg kicked up a dust on the training arena and galloped, the rhythmic sound it made echoed through the battlefield. After dispersing the Alvanz second platoon, and renewed its attack. Eru won¡¯t be supporting it anymore. They also knew how much mana the Magi Jet Thrusters consumed.

    The horse part of Tzendorg has movable armour similar to Flexible Coat and its size was twice as big as a standard machine. In order to maintain mobility which was the most important element of cavalry, lightening the weight was crucial. To do so, the weight of the armour on Tzendorg was reduced. The movable armour that took its place efficiently raised the defence which was sacrificed. Such a thing was only possible for Tzendorg who has two pilots. Also, they discovered another important use of the movable armour besides defence, which was to act as a counterweight.

    Ady pushed hard on the pedal displaying excellent controls, making Tzendorg maintain its speed while turning on the spot. The high speed and heavy weight created heavy centrifugal force, allowing the machine to make a wide turn. Chid tilted the upper torso and all the movable armour plates to pull against this force, successfully pulling off tight control over the center of gravity which looks really scary. Tzendorg displayed an agility that didn¡¯t match its cavalry appearance, pouncing towards Alvanz that was still pulling itself together.

    Tzendorg charged in a straight line as it opened a part of the armour on its waist, revealing a large sub arm that looks like a mechanical jack. Tzendorg placed the halberd in one of its arms onto the sub arm and secured it. This was a device called ¡®Lance rest¡¯, used to help the charge of cavalries. The secured halberd aimed at the second platoon, and the distance to the enemy became closer in a blink of an eye.

    Even though it was just one rider, the huge body larger than a Silhouette Knight gave it an imposing aura. It was different from a Duel level Demon Beast, with the determination of the pilot included. Facing such an attack, Zarks and Yunf of the second platoon raised their lances and waited in their formation. Philia¡¯s machine was silent after being attacked by the green Knight at the beginning; maybe the pilot lost consciousness from the fall. They stared at the cavalry closing in and slowly pulled away to avoid implicating Philia who was down.

    ¡°Yunf, do you think our lances could stop that?¡±

    ¡°It would be difficult. Zarks, I have a proposal.¡±

    After a few short exchanges, they advanced a few steps and threw their lance away. The audience who thought the lances would be an important tool against the cavalry broke into an uproar over this unexpected move. After lightening their gear, they spread out immediately, making their intentions clear from a glance.

    ¡°Is one side bait? Or are they going for a pincer attack?¡±

    ¡°Something like that, aim for the right side!¡±

    Tzendorg adjusted their trajectory and charged Yunf who was shifting to the right.

    ¡°Yunf¡­ Sorry! I will not let this chance slip by!!¡±

    Zarks who wasn¡¯t attacked fired his back weapon fervently with no regards to his remaining mana pool. The barrage of magic bullets howled, blocking Tzendorg¡¯s path, heading towards its defenseless flank¡ª but it didn¡¯t work. Tzendorg cautiously raised the shield on its left arm to block the bullets pelting on it, the bullets that made it past the shield was blocked by the movable armour behind. It didn¡¯t even slow down and continued charging. Leaving normal Silhouette Knights aside, even a Duel level Demon Beast will be fazed by an attack from the side. Zarks felt an emotion closed to fear before the unpredictable capability of his opponent.

    On the other hand, Yunf wasn¡¯t surprised that he was targeted and execute his next move calmly. He shifted the machine backwards immediately to dodge the lance. The reaction speed and leg power of Karrdator Dash allowed Yunf to dodge a fatal blow with barely an inch to spare. Yunf, who jumped away laterally, didn¡¯t even waste time in getting up and deployed his back weapon. Since Tzendorg needs to turn around for the next attack, now is the best time to counterattack since Tzendorg was showing its back to him.

    Suddenly, his sensitive ears heard some kind of explosive sound¡ª the vague sound of an air bullet being fired in a confined space, which was followed by the noise of something flying through the air. Yunf who instinctively felt danger stopped his attack and pushed his machine further away¡ª his movement couldn¡¯t be any faster, but it was still too late. He felt a sudden impact hit his machine.

    After charging past Yunf, Tzendorg shot out something from its back. It was an equipment named Towing Wire. It was originally meant for cargo delivery and had the same structure as Anchor Wire¡ª the capability to accelerate by activating air compression, and the movable anchor shape made from crystal tissue. The Towing Wire flew freely under Ady¡¯s control, snagging the legs of Yunf¡¯s machine.

    The reeling mechanism behind Tzendorg retracted the cable at full speed, pulling it taut. It was meant for towing heavy cargo and was strong enough to pull Yunf¡¯s machine down, dragging him airborne as if he was sliding into a base while playing baseball. Tzendorg¡¯s terrifying power wasn¡¯t fazed by the weight of one Silhouette Knight, dragging the helpless Yunf¡¯s machine in a cloud of dust.

    ¡°Oh sh*t, I can¡¯t stand; it¡¯s too fast, but¡­¡±

    The floored Yunf attempt to fight back. He activated his back weapon and tried to sit up. However, his effort was futile and only the sound of crushed parts came from the machine. When he fell and got dragged along the ground, the impact seemed to cause the back weapon to malfunction.

    ¡°Is this the¡­ end?¡±

    Tzendorg made a sharp turn with Yunf in tow. The change in direction flung him out with centrifugal force. The Towing Wire released its tight hold on the machine¡¯s leg, making Yunf roll further and further away before laying on the ground motionless.

    ¡°This is no joke¡­¡±

    Zarks who couldn¡¯t do anything as he watched his comrade fall resigned himself and smiled wryly. The opponent was well equipped and not just an ordinary cavalry, not something comparable to a Demon Beast. Against its gigantic body, a melee battle was hopeless. Despite knowing he had no chance of victory, Zarks didn¡¯t back down and braced himself to fight until the end. Adjusting his stance, he raised his shield and sword, ready to fight head on.

    It wasn¡¯t clear what Tzendorg was planning as it stopped its charge and accepted Zark¡¯s invitation to melee combat¡ª Zarks¡¯ Karrdator Dash finally fell after a hard fought battle some time later.

    After a full powered clash, Arnis and Edgar pulled away in a hurry. The two machines made intense sounds of pulling in air through the intake valve, the heat from the churning engine raising the temperature of its armour. Both of them exhaled deeply, not sure how long they had been fighting. It was just a short while, but the concentrated series of events confused their perception of time.

    Arnis stared at the white machine displayed on his Holo Monitor, complimenting it quietly. What an amazing opponent, his swordsmanship is top class even amongst Alvanz. It has been a long time since Arnis met an opponent he could not defeat after using his full strength. And of course, he wasn¡¯t holding back at all in this fight.

    Arnis wasn¡¯t planning to use his full power in the beginning. The White Knight was obviously a defense oriented machine and would take a lot of effort to take down. His plan was to stall him, but he couldn¡¯t help getting serious during their exchange.

    This opponent was ¡®solid¡¯, and that wasn¡¯t just talking about the machine. Because it focused on defence, it was forced into a passive role. Being attacked continuously will build up heavy pressure that will overwhelm the pilot, but the white Knight was able to handle it and counterattack whenever he had the chance. Counters that could give Arnis goose bumps. From the performance of the white knight, the strong determination of the pilot was clear. With skills and mental tenacity, how could you not admire such a pilot? Even though he was panting heavily, Arnis couldn¡¯t help smiling happily.

    ¡°A superb knight, such a pity¡­¡±

    ¡°How strong, such a pity...¡±

    Edgar adjusted his distance from the Karrdator Dash, knowing his face was getting more serious. He was evenly matched with the Karrdator Dash. Despite their intense exchange, only light damages were inflicted with nothing decisive. Edgar knew very clearly that his machine was installed with Flexible Coat in place of back weapons, and was lacking in offensive power. Even taking that into account, his opponent could still launch fierce attacks, a testament to his impressive skill. The pilot of Dash was good; each strike was heavy and left no gaps for counterattacks. If his Tellestarle didn¡¯t specialise in defence, Edgar doubted he could have held on for this long. He didn¡¯t have that confidence, and that only deepens his beliefs.

    ¡°... As expected of the new model, his machine moves much smoother.¡±

    It was purely a matter of the functionality of the machines. Tellestarle had higher maximum strength output, but the controls are less precise; On the other hand, the Karrdator Dash focuses on controls and sacrificed part of its power. In a battle pushing both machines to its limit, a gap started to surface. The opponent wasn¡¯t someone he could overwhelm with brute force. Instead of controlling the machine, Edgar was avoiding the use of too much force, while the opponent didn¡¯t have to hold anything back with its smooth movements. Edgar felt frustrated once again over his machine.

    Another problem puts him at a disadvantage, which was the huge drain of mana by Tellestarle. Flexible Coat which drains mana made the situation even direr. Tellestarle had less than thirty percent of its mana left, and Edgar would definitely be the one to yield. He needed a chance to turn the situation around.

    The two of them continued to fight. In a corner of Edgar¡¯s mind, he planned to propose to Eru to make a machine with tighter controls no matter the outcome. That¡¯s the only thing he won¡¯t back down on.

    The red Knight took one step back, then another. Sorrowful sounds came from the crystal tissue operating the machine, which was being drowned out by the battlefield. The arm aimed at the enemy slumped down and it appeared to lose power.

    ¡°Okay, Guyale¡¯s stomach is empty, it can¡¯t move anymore.¡±

    Dietrich said so light heartedly, but his facial expression was anything but that. While Edgar was squaring off against Arnis, he was dueling intensely with the other two machines of Alvanz. If the offensive orientated Guyale didn¡¯t attack, it wouldn¡¯t be able to fend off its enemy. The high mana consumption rate doomed it to exhaust its mana pool before Edgar does.

    That might be so, but that doesn¡¯t mean he will succumb so obediently.

    ¡°How frustrating, it¡¯s too soon for me to take on two machines at the same time, I need to train more.¡±

    Guyale¡¯s air intake valve seemed to be crying out that it was at its limits. Despite the Ether Reactor churning at maximum speed, it couldn¡¯t keep up with the mana consumption, and there was no telling whether Guyale could attack one last time. Dietrich couldn¡¯t see how he could turn this around.

    In actual fact, the two members of Alvanz was feeling melancholic too. They were fighting two on one and couldn¡¯t take down the opponent before he used up his mana. On top of that, the damage to Tuva and Idola were increasing all this while. The offensive capability of the red Knight was impressive, if it was a one on one fight¡ª when they thought about that, their facial expression remained tense.

    ¡°... I will deal the final blow to this guy, Idola, support the captain.¡±

    ¡°Understood. He might be at his limit, but still be careful.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ I won¡¯t forget the damage to my machine that easily.¡±

    Tuva walked towards Guyale slowly while Idola aimed for the white Tellestarle.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do much, but I won¡¯t go down so easily.¡±

    Dietrich decided how to use his remaining mana¡ª fire his lightning flail and Kamtha to obstruct the Alvanz. Even though going down will put Edgar in a dangerous situation, he still decided to fight for more time. After stalling for time, he could bet on something else¡ª gambling that their Commander will return to the fray.

    A moment later, everyone started moving.

    From the way Guyale was ignoring his movement, Tuva knew it was going to make a last ditch struggle; Idola deployed its back weapon, his finger on the trigger; Dietrich was about to move when he notice ¡®that¡¯ thing approaching from behind them¡ª Everything seemed to be happening at the same time, followed by the sound of explosion from behind Alvanz, the sound they most feared and was on guard against, they were too focused on the white and red Knights and lapsed in their guard¡ª lapsed against that opponent that required their total attention.

    Idola who was tasked with guarding against him was shocked and turned towards the source of the sound on reflex. What appeared before his eyes was a green metallic light that filled the entire holo monitor. Before Idola could react, that thing already reached Idola¡¯s machine.

    That thing was¡ª the metallic green Tellestarle that was attacking with a flying knee attack.

    Idola¡¯s head shattered with the sound of paper being crushed into a ball. In order to protect the important eye crystal of the Silhouette Knight, it was covered with a sturdy helmet. But the leg of the machine which has to support its entire weight could crush it easily, especially with the toughest part of the armour, the knee.

    Eru who was waiting for his mana to recover closed in as much as he could and performed a devastating flying knee attack. The fierce kick from Eru made Idola, who probably lost for the first time, fly in the air spinning.

    Everyone was shocked by the powerful attack from Eru. In that instance, time seemed to stop. Arnis used this chance to charge up to Edgar and forced an attack.

    The strike was as fast as lightning. Edgar who was a step slow had no choice but to block with his sword as the two clashed intensely. Crystal tissue shrieked as the Dash and Tellestarle tried to overwhelm each other as they dug their feet into the ground, showing the power of these giants. The heat emitted by both sides seemed to be increasing the density of the air, blurring the scenery. Gradually, the white Tellestarle presses the Dash down; it has the advantage in maximum power output. The Dash was pushed back, its stance crumbling.

    But that was the limit.

    The power of the Tellestarle became weaker. Its powerful legs bent and the noise made by its crystal tissue became softer and weak. Dash kept its sword back. The white Tellestarle knelt to the ground with its sword pointing downwards and became still.

    Guyale also lost its power.

    Tuva who blocked Guyale until the very last moment started its assault. Guyale bet everything it had on a shot from its Kamtha, lightning flail and swords. The Kamtha knocked Tuva¡¯s shield loose, but it slid into the lightning flail¡¯s range without hesitation and almost knocked Guyale¡¯s sword away with a fierce blow. Guyale lost the power to resist, stumbled for a little before falling onto the ground.

    Ambrosius who was watching this battle silently stood at this moment.

    ¡°The match is over! Sheath your swords!!¡±

    The sound of gongs erupted immediately. It rised above the noise of the crowd and reached the Knights on the battlefield. Both sides who were about to duke it out with their remaining forces kept their weapons a second later, returning the arena to silence.

    ¡°It was a magnificent display from both sides, splendid! I have seen its strengths and weaknesses!! Wonderful indeed, both parties are worthy of praise!!¡±

    The audience gave a warm ovation to the Knights that were still standing in the battlefield. Maybe their brain couldn¡¯t keep up with the signal to end, the Knights didn¡¯t cheer victoriously, just standing in place as if they had just woke up from a dream.

    Maybe we are the ones who were saved¡ª after confirming the situation, Arnis mumbled to himself in his heart. Both sides had two machines left in terms of numbers, but it would be reckless to face the green Knight and Tzendorg with the two Dashes they had. Arnis wasn¡¯t sure he could pull it off, and in the process of taking down two of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Alvanz lost four of theirs. Their losses were terrible, it was their complete loss. The audience must think so too. To obscure the result this way, there must be political elements at play, but Arnis wasn¡¯t interested.

    Silhouette Knights standing by walked out of the workshop attached to the training arena, keeping the immobile machines one by one. The Karrdator Dash of Alvanz were in a terrible state. Arnis was worried about his comrades inside.

    At this moment, the white Knight that fell silent before him moved slightly. It probably recovered enough mana after some time. It maintained its position of its sword on the ground and opened its chest armour slowly. Seeing the pilot exit the cockpit, Arnis got out as well.

    Edgar and Arnis appeared before each other. They saluted each other at the same moment.

    They didn¡¯t know what to say. Or rather, they had expressed everything through their swords in the fight earlier and had no need to exchange words, they just want to see what the other party looked like¡ª that¡¯s what he thought, but Arnis still spoke:

    ¡°My side had the advantage this time. If there is another chance, I hope to spar with you using the same model of machines.¡±

    Edgar was surprised, but shook his head.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t intend to use the machine as an excuse. There are other ways to fight and conserve mana, but I couldn¡¯t do it because of your skills. It is impossible to stay on the defensive all the time¡­ The reason for this defeat was my immaturity, and the results were clear to see.¡±

    Arnis laugh as his opponent serious demeanour reminded him of someone from his distant past.

    ¡°Haha, relax. You will miss things if you only look at the things right in front of you.¡±

    ¡°... Thank you for your advice, but it is fine. My friends will watch my blind spots for me.¡±

    That¡¯s not what I mean. Arnis responded with an awkward expression and a wry smile in his heart.

    ¡°Am I responsible for the blind spots?¡±

    Dietrich sat cross legged in the downed Guyale, grumbling reluctantly.

    ¡°Edgar¡¯s blind spots? There¡¯s too many to watch out for.¡±

    At this moment, a shadow fell over Dietrich¡¯s head with heavy footsteps. He turned and saw the metallic green Tellestarle and Tzendorg.

    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t make it in time. It was too reckless I guess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but after this fight, I could see my weaknesses clearly.¡±

    As the performance of Karrdator Dash and Tellestarle was about the same, it emphasised the weakness of Tellestarle. Dietrich crossed his arms and thought for a moment, and decided to share his views.

    ¡°Hey Ernesti, ignoring Tzendorg for now, Tellestarle is too crude. It couldn¡¯t be helped since it is a prototype, but I think His Majesty will prefer the Dash¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way too. Hmm¡ª to complete the mass production model, should we take a Dash with us or hand our equipment to the NTR Lab?¡±

    Dietrich was worried that Eru might get depressed with the defects of Tellestarle, but felt annoyed by Eru¡¯s nonchalant attitude.

    ¡°... Aren¡¯t you frustrated?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡ª? Tellestarle did lose, but that doesn¡¯t matter since Dash is an improved model of Tellestarle. I am just impressed, even if it wasn¡¯t made by me, but good things are simply good things. So that¡¯s that, I will talk to His Majesty and try to get a couple of machines for research.¡±

    ¡°... Ahhh, erm, I see. Right, as expected of our Knight Commander. It is about time to revamp Edgar¡¯s machine, right?¡±

    Dietrich supported his chin with his palm and elbow on his knees, and was fine with anything.

    ¡°Well¡­ the mass production model is reaching its final phase. Once it is finished, the Silhouette Knights within the nation would be recalled. That should be a good time to prepare machines for everyone.¡±

    A wind filled with dust blew across the arena. Eru squint his eyes, then stood to survey everyone around him.

    ¡°It is about time for us to withdraw. Di-senpai, can you move?¡±

    ¡°Sure. The mana had recovered a little, walking should be fine.¡±

    ¡°We can drag you out by grabbing your legs.¡±

    ¡°No need. I managed to survive the fight; the machine will get damaged if you drag it.¡±

    As they chattered, the Silver Phoenix Knights started to move

    Inside the workshop of the arena, Gaizka Johannsson watched the Karrdator Dash being repaired and sighed. When he closed his eyes, he could see the battle earlier before him. The clash between the new models, never seen before equipment and the pilots¡ª all of them were so brilliant that he couldn¡¯t pull his eyes away. He didn¡¯t care about the result of the match; he just wanted to know the working theory behind the techniques used in the battle. The series of events surprised him, but he was happy to see them and was fine with that.

    Before the meeting today, his heart was filled with unhappiness.

    As a craftsman, he was proud of being a part of the National Technology Robotics Laboratory, but his passion was gradually grinded away in the never changing days. The development of Silhouette Knights was a project that took generations, the birth of a new model usually take centuries. Their effort will only bear fruit several generations down, and those who do witness that moment was extremely lucky. But what about those who can¡¯t?

    At the start he became the top technician¡ª the glorious position of workshop chief, when did he started throwing tantrums? It was because there was nothing that was worthy of his protection, when he realised that, he turned into someone who lusted over power. In the end, he couldn¡¯t stand the ¡®brat¡¯ leader of the NTR Lab becoming his boss.

    Until something shocking happened.

    The appearance of the new model that he thought would only show up every few centuries.

    The sudden project lit his wish that was residing in the bottom of his heart¡ª finish the new model and use that accomplishment to become the leader of the NTR Lab. Now he thought about it calmly, such thinking was shallow and hollow, proving how narrow his mind was to not understand this back then. But when he remembered the birth of Karrdator Dash, he didn¡¯t think that fervour was a waste.

    On the stage where he presents the Karrdator Dash¡ª ¡®He¡¯ showed up. Leading a Centaur Knight and laden with all sorts of accessories.

    To be frank, even Karrdator Dash which Gaizka bet everything on was his idea. First was bafflement, then confusion, and finally chaos. ¡®His¡¯ word was the thing that broke him out of his confusion. That crazy genius wasn¡¯t bound by common sense, acting as he pleased, focusing wholeheartedly in the development of Silhouette Knights. Gaizka who was chasing the sun realised what he was searching for was nothing but a mirage.

    Closing his eyes silently, he stretched his stiff body, staring at his wrinkled hand. He had decades of training under his belt, but his hand had been engraved with the signs of old age.

    Even if he holds a hammer, he would not be as strong as he used to be. But he has all the experience and knowledge he has accumulated so far, he could reach a higher level if he used them well. The existence of Karrdator Dash bore testament to this. Guiding his subordinate well and pass his skills down. That way, maybe they could reach a higher and distant goal.

    Gaizka felt thankful for the first time¡ª thankful for being the workshop chief of the NTR Lab.

    ¡°... Damn kid¡­ It is too early for me to lose to you all¡­¡±

    Spilling his thoughts unconsciously, he spoke with a tone different from before.

 Book 3: Chapter 23: Graduation Day

    C.E. 1280, Spring.

    The bell situated at the centre of Laihiala Pilot Academy rung out, the clear sound echoing within the campus before it dissipated into the clear blue skies.

    That wasn¡¯t the short bell announcing the beginning and ending of lessons; the long and steady ringing meant that this was a special day. Today, the campus will be holding a graduation ceremony.

    Students wearing badges signifying their ¡®graduation¡¯ could be seen on campus everywhere.

    Their ages and faculties were all different. This didn¡¯t apply only to Laihiala Pilot Academy, Fremmevira Kingdom on the whole was very liberal in terms of graduation; there were plenty of graduates who didn¡¯t complete all their classes.

    The ceremony did not differentiate between Elementary, Middle or High School, everyone who was leaving the campus received a grand farewell on this day.

    Among them was a group of Laihiala Middle School graduates.

    Their treatment was slightly different from the other graduates. According to the custom of this world, those who are fifteen years of age are treated as adults. The third year students of Middle school are fifteen this year, so their graduation had the same significance as a coming of age ceremony.

    ¡°A lot of things happened, and our circumstances became weird in a lot of ways, but we still graduated successfully.¡±

    ¡°To think that the school is still willing to issue us graduation certificates after all the willful things we had done.¡±

    ¡°It felt as though they are asking us to get lost--¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any recollection of studying seriously midway through my school life.¡±

    There was a very prominent group among the middle school graduates: A short boy in the middle, a Dwarf youth, flanked by two tall twins made them a quartet with uneven height-- Ernesti, Batson, Chid and Ady, the childhood playmates army, or the Silver Phoenix Knight Commander and his merry friends. They will be adults this year.

    It was understandable why they had complicated feelings as they were about to graduate.

    Thinking back, they did as they pleased in school to the point of absurdity, they didn¡¯t fit the part of being good model students. Attending classes that were far from being related was just the beginning; they even started creating new models suddenly and used the machines on campus without permission. In the end, they even took over an entire faculty, a high school on top of that. Such examples were more than they could count.

    They were the most infamous problem children since the founding of the school.

    ¡°Indeed, letting me lead a Knight Order at this age is already a special case, and we started teaching how to use Silhouette Gear mid-way¡­¡±

    They might be problem children, but the results they produced were impeccable.

    The biggest accomplishment was probably the invention of the industrial work machine Silhouette Gears, and pushing its implementation. The influence of Silhouette Gears was wide and involved many industries. Thanks to this, there was a revolution in the education content not just in Laihiala Pilot Academy, but kingdom wide.

    And so, the ¡®inventors¡¯ from the Silver Phoenix Knights received plenty of invitations to be instructors from all over the nation, making the group wonder whether they were students or teachers.

    Due to their special circumstances, graduation became the compromising way of dealing with this troublesome group they couldn¡¯t handle.

    The graduation ceremony proceeded without incident, which was followed by the current students sending the graduates out of the school gates to end the ceremony.

    From tomorrow onwards, the graduates will go on their separate ways and move on with their lives.

    Some of them looked back on their lives at school, others felt uneasy about the future. They brought their own emotions and walked towards the main gate. At this time, heavy footsteps came from somewhere.

    Without needing to search for the source of the noise, the group of Silhouette Knights appeared a short distance away. The procedure that was not part of the ceremony confused all those who were present.

    In the face of the crowd, the Silhouette Knight Squad spread out, lining on both sides of the road leading to the main gate.

    The Knights straightened their backs and formed up beautifully, facing each other with smooth movements. Immediately after that, all the Knights drew the swords on their waist.

    With the sword in their right hand and sheath in their left, they raised their swords high and crossed it with the Knight on the opposite side, before withdrawing it before their face. All the machines stopped with the position of praying with their swords, creating a path with the swords of the Silhouette Knights.

    A Silhouette Knight nearby spoke to the graduates who were at a loss:

    ¡°Congratulations on your graduation, my juniors. We will be leaving this place in the near future too, but allow us to send you off with a grand farewell.¡±

    The scene before them was as majestic as a gallery of statues. The procedure that didn¡¯t exist in the past years made the graduates blush in joy, and they went through the path made by the giant Knights. This year¡¯s graduation ceremony would surely leave a deep impression in the hearts of many people.

    And of course, the pilots of these Silhouette Knights were the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    Their special course of action was because of the person walking slowly at the end of the line of graduates-- The Knight Commander with a face full of smiles, humming cheerfully as he walked slowly ahead. Ady had a similar expression, holding Eru¡¯s hand as she walked beside him. Chid and Batson who were not far behind puffed their chest high as they grinned.

    Thus ends their six turbulent years of campus life.

    After passing through the campus main gate, Eru turned his head. The vast campus ground of the Pilot Academy spread before his eyes. He said loudly with complicated feelings:

    ¡°Laihiala Pilot Academy, I have been in your care all these while! Well then¡­ Silver Phoenix Knights, move out!¡±

    The members moved quickly after receiving their Commander¡¯s order.

    The Silhouette Knights began moving at the same time, and were followed by carriages. The rest of the members were seated inside, along with all sorts of tools. These luggages were all the Silver Phoenix Knights had, and would follow them to their new base.

    With the graduation of their Knight Commander, the Silver Phoenix Knights officially moved away from Laihiala Pilot Academy and began operation as an independent entity. They will use the newly constructed ¡®Olvecius fort¡¯ near Laihiala Academy City as their base, and work actively around the nation.

    This day, they started their journey in both ways.

    These were the peaks that separated the western nations from Fremmevira Kingdom, the Aubigne Mountain Range.

    The two sides of the continents were linked by the road known as the ¡®East West Highway¡¯, built along the mountains that were easier to traverse. The highway was built perfectly, but due to the treacherous terrain, it took a lot of effort to travel on it.

    A convoy of carriages was moving along the East West Highway.

    The convoy was escorted by a sizeable number of Silhouette Knights. They were not merchants and hadn''t brought much cargo with them. They only brought items necessary for travel. In the middle of the pack was a carriage larger than the others.

    It had a simple design, but was built sturdily, making the high status of the passenger obvious.

    The convoy advanced cautiously ahead, but when they passed over the tallest peak, a rough voice bellowed out from the large carriage to stop the drivers.

    ¡°Hey, stop the carriage!!¡±

    The flag to signal the stopping of the convoy was waved and the carriages stopped one after another. The escorting Silhouette Knights assumed their defensive positions to protect the entire convoy. It was an impulsive action, but the movement of all the personnel was perfect, making it clear that such an action had probably happened several times before.

    The carriage shook as the passenger alighted.

    He was wearing a well tailored suit that did not stinge on the usage of high quality clothes. Regrettably, the man was too well built. He was almost two metres in height with a solid body, the embodiment of wildness and ruggedness. The tidy and refreshing clothes didn¡¯t match the man¡¯s powerful aura. Bystanders might even think that the atmosphere was weird.

    But the man himself wasn¡¯t concerned with this at all.

    He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly as if he was tasting the air in his lungs carefully. His solid muscles expanded with his lungs, the clean white shirt made sounds as it was stretched tight. Sad to say, the clothes tailored for him was as fragile as a candle in the wind in the face of his powerful muscles.

    ¡°The air here is great! The air in the great Aubigne Mountains are so refreshing. Staying in that tiny castle was so constraining.¡±

    The mountain breeze blew his unkempt hair. His blonde hair with a touch of red fluttered like the mane of a lion.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. This fellow is also saying its condition is better than usual.¡±

    The Silhouette Knight escort behind him imitated his actions and took a deep breath, and the revving of the Ether Reactor became louder.

    ¡°Haha, I told you so! Ohhh! Look, the home I missed so much!¡±

    The entire mountain was covered in greenery with the colours of the city standing out in between. The capital K?nk?nen and the royal castle-- Shreiber was right there. Further into the distance, the small image of Laihiala Academy City could be seen.

    ¡°Oh, beautiful Fremmevira. Well then, Your Highness, since it is right before us, let us make haste into K?nk?nen.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so petty, I have been holed up in that small boring place all this time! If I don¡¯t stretch my body here, I won¡¯t be able to do so when I go inside the city.¡±

    He was just starting to stretch his limbs when his chest button flew out with a pop. It sounded just like the scream of the royal tailor that made his shirt.

    ¡°Ara, this expensive shirt is so fragile. It is a gift from someone, but I still don¡¯t understand the fashion of Gajdos.¡±

    After uttering his complains, the second son of Fremmevira Kingdom¡¯s first prince, Riothamus, ¡®Emrys Geijer Fremmevira¡¯ got onto the carriage once again.

 Book 3: Chapter 24: The Inheritor of the Lion

    Arc 5 Forest City Crisis

    She was deep in slumber. It could be called sleeping, meditation, or deep thinking. This was the way her race becomes one with the Great Stream.

    She journeyed in her slumber. Her body seemed to be extending endlessly across the vast lands, spreading her body out wide. Unlike blood circulation, the stream flowing across the lands whispers to her. She, her kinsmen and ancestors become one and kept on extending out further.

    The infinitely overlapping consciousness was attracted by something. A foreign object was disturbing her sleep and a part of her that had been detached from the Great Stream felt out of place. Her intuition told her that this thing could not be allowed to exist.

    She awoke the next second. Despite having experienced the longest amount of time among her kinsmen, she still required a long time to become one with the Great Stream. Awakening from her slumber was not what she had planned, but there was no hesitation. She had to dispose of that foreign object disrupting her slumber.

    ¡°What is the matter, Elder? It isn¡¯t time for you to wake yet.¡±

    She only moved her eyes and saw her young kinsmen. She had white skin, soft blond hair and a slender body. The most prominent feature was her knife-like ears. This was a common feature among her kinsmen.

    ¡°...Something is obstructing the ¡®journey¡¯.¡±

    She locked eyes with the other party but her body didn¡¯t move as she spoke. Her body couldn¡¯t move, and didn¡¯t need to move. This body of hers would be summoned by her ancestors one day and didn¡¯t mean anything to her.

    ¡°The squirming evil intentions are descending upon the forest, it has to be removed.¡±

    ¡°... I understand. We will meet them in battle with our riders.¡±

    The kinsmen did not inquire further and went away.

    She did not sleep. If the foreign objects were not disposed of, there was no real meaning to her slumber. She has no reason to sleep once again.

    She waited, waited for the moment her prophecy became true. No matter how much time passed, it was just a blink of the eye to her.

    This was the prologue to the crisis that loomed over the forest and the ¡®home¡¯.

    That place bore traces similar to the trampling of a battle field.

    Tattered pieces that were humanoid in appearance were dumped everywhere. A wrinkled palm reached towards the sky, the eyes within the helmet were already devoid of life. The rusty armour had lost its shine, its brownish red colour blending with the plains.

    This wreckage were originally Silhouette Knights. Some were old, but many of them were new. Piles of wreckage faithfully displayed the past, present and future of this place.

    This was the 1st R&D workshop within the fort Dufare, home to the headquarters of the National Technology Robotics Laboratory.

    ¡°... Ugh, we have to tidy this place up.¡±

    Workshop chief Gaizka sighed as he watched the vast amount of space taken up by the wreckage¡ª these were the results of previous experiments. The major project of developing the new model and revolution in technology led to a series of failures, creating mountains of scrapped parts. The accumulated wreckage was double the norm and an eye sore. Gaizka made up his mind to clear away these junk when production of the new models begins nationwide.

    Gaizka walked out of the dark workshop as he was pondering about this mess. The moment he moved outside, the bright sunlight blinded him. As his eyes adjusted to the light, his smile deepens.

    There were rows of giants kneeling down with their chest armour open, exposing the cockpit inside.

    They were not Karrdator or Karrdator Dash. These were the crystallisation of the efforts made by the craftsmen of NTR Lab all this while. It was the newest mass production model, Karrdetolle.

    Using the latest Karrdator Dash as its base, it was upgraded with the Option Works proposed by the Silver Phoenix Knights. The biggest difference was the optimisation of the Capacity Frame¡ª these improved the capacity armour¡¯s mana pool storage by leaps and bounds. With that, the problem inherent in Tellestarle¡ª insufficient mana supply had been resolved. Karrdetolle was the perfected cutting edge technology of the new models.

    The machines only had a simple layer of protective paint, keeping its original metallic property, with a plain and low profile like the Silhouette Knights manufactured by the Fremmevira Kingdom. In contrast, the outer skeleton that focused on defensive capability and ease in manufacturing had a clean aesthetic.

    Karrdetolle had completed its operation test and was ready to be mass produced. The nobles inside the kingdom had also received notice and had begun hiring craftsmen and conducting training courses. Hence forth, the Silhouette Knights within the nation would be replaced by these new models. NTR Lab¡¯s most pressing task had ended for now.

    Gaizka stretched his neck and shoulders that were stiff from fatigue, and sighed as he thought of his old bones that weren¡¯t working as well as he wanted. He and the 1st R&D workshop charges under him had been researching fervently, pushing himself recklessly for a long period of time. It was about time for a vacation. Gaizka thought up the schedule to take leave as he walked towards the director¡¯s office.

    The King Ambrosius and his family, the royalties of the Fremmevira Kingdom, basically lived inside the Royal Castle Shreiber. From the end of the audience hall, after passing complicated passage and several rooms, one could reach their private chambers.

    The inner part of Castle Shreiber was known as the ¡®Inner City¡¯. The deeper it was, the higher the altitude, with the tallest tower situated in the centre of the castle. This place was modified from Fortress Shreiber and that tower was built after the renovation. Hence, the first priority during the construction of Shreiber was toughness, but it was still too shabby as the residence of royalties.

    Due to its history, this zone had few windows. With the lack of natural light, there was no choice but to burn expensive animal oil regardless of night or day. The fine furniture that did not seem too elegant gave off a sturdy atmosphere under the gentle light.

    ¡°I have sent a messenger to Kuscheperca for Martina, asking Emrys to return.¡±

    There were two men in the room. One was King Ambrosius; the other was younger than Ambrosius, slender in build and bearing a striking resemblance to the King.

    ¡°Eh, I have not seen him for a long while too. When did he set off for Kuscheperca?¡±

    ¡°About three years ago.¡±

    ¡°... I see, that was before I met with ¡®that¡¯. It hasn¡¯t been long since, but it feels like ages ago.¡±

    Ambrosius lowered his gaze and focused on the cup of wine in his hand, the liquid shaking within it.

    ¡°... But Your Majesty, I think it is still too early.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t address me as Your Majesty, Rio, there are no outsiders here.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­ Father.¡±

    The eldest son of Ambrosius; first in the line of succession to the throne ¡®Riothamus Haarus Fremmevira¡¯ exhaled, relaxing the corner of his eyes that were tense.

    ¡°Eh, I feel that the timing is just right. NTR Lab has sent in the report of the new model they developed with the Silver Phoenix Knights. After Emrys returns, the news will probably have spread across the nation. Everyone will be able to see that the moment to embark onto a new era is upon us.¡±

    Riothamus wanted to refute, but closed his mouth immediately. This was because of Ambrosius¡¯ expression that seemed to be harbouring some schemes and the way he was enjoying himself. Experience told him that whenever his father made such a face, no one would be able to stop him. On top of that, what Ambrosius said had a point. In the face of revolutionary change, there was a need to settle things.

    ¡°There is one task left. No, it is more like a promise.¡±

    ¡°Silver Phoenix Knights¡­ it¡¯s regarding that boy, correct? Will it be fine? Sending him there, even if there is no problem with the ¡®law¡¯, those people are still hard to please.¡±

    Even though they bore a resemblance, the air about the two of them were very different. Ambrosius¡¯ son did not take after Ambrosius¡¯ most prominent strong willed personality.

    ¡°Fufu, really, you worry too much.¡±

    ¡°It is an important matter after all. Father, you are taking it too lightly.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t clear what he thought was interesting; Ambrosius had to stifle his urge to laugh aloud as Riothamus tried to restrain his sigh.

    ¡°Be more relaxed, Rio. If you keep mulling over things, you will suffer a lot in the future.¡±

    ¡°Father, you are acting too recklessly!¡±

    In the depths of the Royal Castle, father and son who seemed to get along and not get along at the same time conversed for quite a while in private.

    Several days later, a man with a huge build appeared in the corridor of Castle Shreiber.

    ¡°My country feels the best! My restrained life until yesterday was just like a dream!¡±

    That man was ¡®Emrys Geijer Fremmevira¡¯, fourth in line in succession to the throne. He stretched his body widely, using his body language to express his sense of liberation before walking forth with cheerful strides.

    What he was wearing right now was tough demon beast leather that was hard to work on, equipment of the highest grade¡ª ¡®Black Beast Armour¡¯. A fine cape rested on his shoulders and a sword that focused on practicality hung from his waist. This armour was tailored especially for his huge built. It was expensive, but as a member of the Royal family, it was still too crude. It suited him because of the impression he gave others.

    Anyway, he seemed to be in a great mood.

    He was studying abroad not too long ago and was forced to wear fashionable clothes that restricted his movement. Those top class materials didn¡¯t suit his bulky body and wasn¡¯t to his liking at all. As a royalty, he preferred styles that were ¡®tough and practical¡¯ or ¡®easy to move in¡¯, which was a pity. This armour specially made for him showed to the greatest degree his preference for ease of movement, toughness and durability.

    Wearing attire he was familiar with, he walked in the royal castle with high spirits, opening a door with a bright smile. Inside the room¡ª the audience hall was the members of the royal family with Ambrosius at the head, and the nobles such as Duke Dixgard. He opened his mouth in a smile, looking at everyone that was gathered.

    ¡°Yo, Dad! Grandpa! Long time no see, I am puaahh!¡±

    Before he could finish, Ambrosius threw his royal seal at his head, which almost knocked Emrys out.

    In front of Emrys who was nursing his head while yelling, Ambrosius hugged his head in resignation.

    ¡°This stupid grandson¡­ He still does not know proper manners, what did he learn in his studies abroad!?¡±

    ¡°My sincere apologies, Your Majesty, I had been reminding him¡­¡±

    Riothamus was really embarrassed. His eldest son Uther was mature and acted in a manner befitting of a royalty, but that was not so for his second son. It''s not clear who he takes after, rather than easy going, he was closer to being brash in nature. In a final bid to change his behaviour, Emrys was sent to study abroad.

    "Martina is not one to skimp on education... Even she couldn''t rein him in?"

    Ambrosius mumbled, thinking about his daughter that married to the Kuscheperca Kingdom. Martina was Riothamus''s sister, and Emrys'' aunt. She married into the Kuscheperca Kingdom, which bound the two Kingdoms on friendly terms.

    Riothamus was sent to his aunt after becoming an adult at fifteen, but that scene earlier clearly showed the ineffectiveness of his overseas stint.

    "Eh, I don''t know who your personality resembles."

    "He resembles you, Your Majesty."

    Ambrosius wasn''t expecting anyone to interrupt, and saw the usual expressionless Knut before him.

    "He resembles Your Majesty.''"

    Ambrosius averted his eyes, pretending not to hear anything.

    Shortly later, Emrys got up nonchalantly.

    "Emrys, did you behave like this in Kuscheperca too?"

    "Ah¡ª No, not to that extent. I err... I am also aware of watching the time and place. I was just too excited when I saw everyone after such a long time..."

    Seeing how badly Emrys was stuttering, the suspicious gazes from everyone focused on him, but the man himself wasn''t fazed and puffed out his chest. It seldom happens, but Ambrosius waved the white flag this time.

    "... I will ask you the details later. Alright, the reason I gathered everyone today..."

    Ambrosius cleared his throat, sweeping away the relaxed atmosphere due to the appearance of a problem child.

    "It has been thirty six years since I ascended the throne. It is about time for me to step down, the next Regent will be my son here¡ª Riothamus."

    Everyone listened attentively. This wasn''t an abrupt speech by Ambrosius, and the people gathered thought that this might happen.

    The position of the monarch of the Fremmevira Kingdom was hereditary, usually passed down to the eldest son. The eldest son is the first in line of succession; the other siblings were next in line of succession regardless of gender. However, in the event that the reigning king has grandchildren, the children of the eldest son will be next in the line of succession instead.

    The most common reason of abdication was the wish for a strong leader during the chaotic formative years of the Kingdom; according to tradition, the King will abdicate when he reached an advanced age. Ambrosius was sixty years old, a very elderly man in this world. It was no surprise for him to raise the topic of abdication.

    However, everyone knew Ambrosius was still in great shape. Even though their mind could accept it, they still feel anxious about it. It was a testament of how much he was beloved by his people.

    Riothamus came forth, breaking the silence. He stood straight up, and bowed before the man who was his father, as well as the King for the last time. After Riothamus ascends the throne, he can''t lower his head, even if it was to his own father. At this moment, he completed his bow with his utmost respect.

    "I bow before you, Your Majesty.... No, my father."

    "Hmm, be always cautious after taking the throne, and strive for the best. Alright, we will deal with the official ceremony later, I hope everyone can support this country together with my son, I beseech to all of you."

    Ambrosius surveyed all those present, and the nobles all kneeled and bow in response.

    C.E. 1280, summer.

    News of ¡®The Lion King¡¯ Ambrosius abdicating and the ascension of Riothamus to the throne had spread throughout the Kingdom. The people praised the accomplishment of the old King, and held high expectations of their next regent. Shortly after, the newest mass produced Silhouette Knight models were also pushed into service nationwide.

    A new monarch and knights¡ª the Fremmevira Kingdom was entering a period of major changes since its founding. Everyone looked forward to the peaceful and prosperous development of the kingdom.

    A month after the coronation of the new king. At this point of time, the activities celebrating the coronation had ended, and the kingdom returned to its normal peaceful days.

    By traveling a short distance to the east from Laihiala Academy City on the ¡®Fremmevira Highway¡¯, a fortress was situated in a normal forest. This was where the Olvecius Fortress was located.

    Normally speaking, this place had no strategic value as a base, but it was a very important fortress for the Kingdom.

    The reason doesn¡¯t lie with the location, but the Knight Order stationed there¡ª the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    The frightening thing was that it wasn¡¯t a stretch to say this fortress existed for the sake of Knight Commander Eru. Such a weird location was chosen because of its distance from Eru¡¯s hometown after all.

    As for the situation inside Olvecius Fortress, it was filled with several of the new mass produced Karrdetolle parked casually around the place. Except for the direct manufacturer¡ª NTR Lab, no other Knight Orders has this many Karrdetolle. NTR Lab gave priority to the Silver Phoenix Knights not only because they were involved in the development process, but also as an investment in Eru.

    A dwarf youth was running through the hangar filled with the forest of Karrdetolle. He was looking around, searching for something. When he discovered the short youth buried in papers, he yelled:

    ¡°Oh, found you, silver boy. Aldele¡¯s tuning is almost done. Also, Guyalinda. Say something to that dumbass Di; he has broken it so many times already!¡±

    Eru who was sketching designs nonstop responded to the voice of the chief craftsman¡ª Boss, lifted his head and said:

    ¡°No, Di-senpai just can¡¯t handle the Magic thrust jet well yet, I heard him falling hard just now¡­ But he seems to be getting better, can you forgive him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of your weird ideas. Come on, just one dumbass flying with the Magic thrust jet is already a handful.¡±

    The boss scratched his head with a sigh, and turned around. Eru followed his gaze to the side. Before them were two Silhouette Knights that differed in colour and shape from the mass produced models.

    ¡°I admit that he is working hard. But it won¡¯t be nice if words of the Company Captain¡¯s machine falling all over the place got out.¡±

    Company Captain machines¡ª On one side was the white knight Aldelecumber, the personal machine of 1st Company Captain Edgar C. Blanche. With the newest Karrdetolle as its base, its appearance had been modified to be similar to Earlecumber. Minor adjustments had been made to accommodate the pilot, but the contents were mostly the same. Karrdetolle already had powerful performance and smooth controls, which fulfilled the needs of Edgar just fine.

    On the other side was the personal machine of 2nd Company Captain Dietrich Cunitz¡ª the red knight Guyalinda. This machine also used Karrdetolle as its base, and had been modified with the request of the pilot, so much so that it was unrecognisable.

    Shields and Flexible coat weren¡¯t even built in, a completely offense orientated load out. Magic thrust jet was installed despite the fact that it would limit the machine¡¯s performance. It was considered a fashionable machine, with some flaws and difficult controls, but that part was just how Dietrich likes it.

    The Company Leaders who had contrasting personalities projected their style onto their company. The result is the 1st Company focused on defence while the 2nd Company specialised on offence. The core of the Silver Phoenix Knights comprises of these two companies with strong personalities.

    ¡°Oh, one more thing. The guys in ¡®the third¡¯ are wailing again.¡±

    ¡°I thought I already assigned Chid and Ady to them?

    After the Silver Phoenix Knights shifted to Olvecius Fort and achieved independence as a Knight Order, their biggest change was the addition of the 3rd Company.

    The characteristics of the 3rd Company were totally different from the other two companies. The reason lies in the Silhouette Knights they used. With a body larger than normal Silhouette Knights, an alien that combines man and horse¡ª what they piloted was the pride of the Silver Phoenix Knights, the centaur knight Tzendrinble.

    Using prototype number one Tzendorg as the mold, Tzendrinble changed the control system to single pilot mode, a mass produced model after all sorts of adjustments. It was still an expensive machine powered by two Ether Reactors, and the numbers produced were limited, not as widespread as Karrdetolle. Most of the machines in service were used by the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°Well, see for yourself.¡±

    The Boss pointed to the side of Tzendorg¡¯s large foot. Knights from the 3rd Company were gathered there, discussing about something.

    ¡°Like I said, I know what you mean by using the flexible coat while moving, but can you be more specific about the method?¡±

    ¡°Eh, the machine will tilt when you turn right? At that moment, you exert force with a ¡®bang!¡¯ like this, then pull back with a ¡®cock!¡¯¡±

    ¡°Ady-chan, I already said¡ª a thousand times, this is totally¡ª not an explanation! Stop using sounds like ¡®bang¡¯ and ¡®cock¡¯ to explain!¡±

    ¡°Woo, help me Eru¡ª!!¡±

    Aside from its expensive cost and weird appearance, another reason why Tzendrinble wasn¡¯t popular was that its shape differed too much from the basic models, making control difficult. Leaving the Tzendorg with its double pilot system aside, the improved Tzendrinble was still being worked on right now to simplify the control system. Special Magius engines were used, and the design was being adjusted to be more similar to riding a horse. Some of the movements were automated by using earlier control scripts, implementing an advanced concept seamlessly in. However, the results were shown clearly. The 3rd Company spent the most time training, but they still lack proficiency.

    ¡°... Go help her, especially the 3rd Company Captain.¡±

    As the twins, who were filling as trainer were bad in coaching, it made matters worse. The problem lies in them explaining by only sharing their experience, unlike Eru who taught through theory.

    ¡°This is training for the two ¡®Commander¡¯s aide¡¯¡ª passing the things I taught accurately to others.¡±

    ¡°Like I told you, the one who will suffer are not those two.¡±

    Helvi who was appointed as the Captain of the 3rd Company had a hard time interpreting the explanations of the twins. It would be simpler if she could have sought out the answer herself, but despite her abundant piloting experience, the Centaur Knight was not something she could tame in such a short time.

    ¡°Hmm¡ª Alright, I will think of something when I finish the design I am working on¡­¡±

    Seeing Eru engrossed in his plans with no intention to leave, the Boss let out a deep sigh.

    After seeing the Boss going back to his maintenance work, Eru held a bundle of designs and headed towards the depths of the fortress. Passing through the cluster of Silhouette Knights, he reached a maintenance platform at the end of the workshop with a machine sitting on it. Even for the Silver Phoenix Knights who were used to abnormality, the machine sitting on the chair like maintenance platform was a very strange existence.

    It had a normal humanoid appearance. As it was being modified, its outer skeleton had been torn off. People who had a basic understanding of Silhouette Knights would be able to immediately tell that something was wrong. The weird swell on its back and the metal pipes hanging from its exposed body made it look larger than a standard Silhouette Knight. Most of the metal pipes were linked to its back, accentuating the weirdness of its upper body.

    The machine had almost no external equipment, only the two shoulders and waist were armoured. Those were not normal armour, but special equipment installed with block crystal tissue and engraftment¡ª Magi Jet Thrusters.

    ¡°This had gone through a lot of modification¡­ it is almost at its limit.¡±

    No one would be able to tell that this entity that seemed to be filled with ¡®metallic organs¡¯ was originally a normal Karrdator.

    It all began in the magic thrust jet experiment conducted a few years ago. This Karrdator which was chosen as the test subject was seriously damaged after the experiment failed. After repairs, it was put through grueling experiments as the test subject of the Magi Jet Thrusters. At one point, its operation was failing and it was overhauled into a Tellestarle. By the way, this machine was used by Eru during the fight at the Centaur Knight¡¯s presentation.

    Everybody came to a consensus over time and saw this machine as Eru¡¯s personal item. It took on the role of being installed with the things Eru came up with to test them out. When the member saw him installing strange parts one after another onto it, they dubbed the machine ¡®Eru¡¯s Toybox¡¯.

    Even though Toybox was no stranger to modification, it still had a limit.

    ¡°There is a clash in the parts that we installed, resulting in additional burden on the machine, that¡¯s why we underestimated the mana consumption¡­ We did add in another ether reactor, but we can¡¯t see the improvement.¡±

    The swell in the back of Toybox was made to accommodate an additional ether reactor.

    Magi Jet Thrusters consumed a lot of mana. When using such equipment, increasing the mana supply became one of the issues they will need to face. They already had the expertise in using multiple ether reactors when they built Tzendorg, and they thought it would be fine to use this method, but the results were discouraging. This method worked on Tzendorg because it had large and ample space to work with. A standard sized machine was too cramped to fit in two ether reactors.

    The toybox could be activated with the external equipment, but the mana supply was too unstable, and couldn¡¯t produce the level of mana they expected. The design was unbalanced and hard to control. Leaving the mana consumption issue aside, it was even worse than a Tellestarle.

    ¡°Designing it from scratch would be better indeed.¡±

    Eru placed several design plans on the floor, and compared it to the actual thing before him. It was obvious that using the current designs won¡¯t be sufficient. With multiple power supplies and activating the magi jet thrusters without compromising power supply¡ª to achieve this goal, he needed to consolidate all the technology and knowledge to complete a brand new design.

    ¡°Yes, this¡­ will be my personal machine.¡±

    Eru opened his eyes wide because of what he murmured. What flashed across his mind was an existence he lost once. A relic from a far away world he won¡¯t be able to get no matter how much he craved for it.

    ¡°... If that is the case, making something that ¡®couldn¡¯t be assembled¡¯ will be fine too¡­¡±

    "Eru, E¡ª ru!¡±

    The distracted Eru heard the energetic cry. Pulling himself together, he turned his head and saw Ady jogging over.

    ¡°Ady¡­ Did you skip out on work and run here?¡±

    ¡°Eh. No, no I didn¡¯t! I am working properly¡­ Ah! I am here to tell you that there is a guest.¡±

    Ady¡¯s eyes were unfocused, but Eru didn¡¯t press her any further and headed towards the conference room. Most of Fort Olvecius was taken up by Silhouette Knight Facilities, only a bare minimum of facilities were reserved for other uses. Something luxurious like an audience room to receive guests didn¡¯t exist from the very beginning, and the conference room was used instead.

    When Eru entered the conference room, he saw a trooper waiting for him. He had a message with him, and after exchanging the standard greeting with Eru, he said:

    ¡°Knight Commander Echevarria sir, the royal capital has issued a summoning order for you.¡±

    The Royal Capital K?nk?nen was bustling with people. The loud sound of a bell rang in the crowded main street. It came from a cavalry with a bell advancing through the street. When they heard this noise, the crowd scattered to the side of the roads. This was a messenger troop announcing the imminent arrival of a Silhouette Knight into the Royal Capital.

    To accommodate the ten metres tall giant weapon, a spacious path was needed¡ª such as this main street. This road was also open for the citizens to use, so it was a standard procedure for someone to announce the arrival of Silhouette Knights into the castle. Using the main street also served the purpose of displaying the might of the Silhouette Knights to the people.

    Shortly after the horseman messenger went by, the half man half horse Silhouette Knight Tzendorg appeared. The Royal Capital citizens who were scared witless in the beginning had gotten used to it completely. The equipment had been taken off since it was entering the royal capital, but the gigantic body larger than the standard Silhouette Knight still left a deep impression on the citizens.

    Tzendorg moved through the main street majestically and reached Castle Schriber. It was ushered to the newly erected hangar to park Centaur Knights shortly after. The moment the machine went into standby mode, the pilot inside showed up. They were Eru and Ady.

    ¡°We reached the Castle¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you Ady. I can operate a Tzendrinble, so you didn¡¯t need to come along.¡±

    ¡°No, this Tzen-chan is mine, I will only lend it out, even if it is you, Eru!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but you just want to skip the training of the 3rd Company right?¡±

    ¡°No, no such thing¡­ Right?¡±

    Eru smiled wryly at Ady who won¡¯t meet his eyes.

    ¡°This will be the only exception, please work hard tomorrow.¡±

    After hearing that, Ady pounced over happily. Eru walked into the Castle while dragging her.

    ¡°Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights is here with haste after receiving the summon.¡±

    ¡°Commander Aide Ady Olter reporting.¡±

    The two of them came to a place other than the audience hall after entering the castle. This was because the one who summoned for them was not the reigning king, but the retired Regent Ambrosius.

    ¡°Yes, well met, Ernesti, Adeltrud, please relax.¡±

    A shadow loomed over them after they sat down. Looking up, they saw a tall man standing straight with his arms folded. His well built muscles and burly build was intimidating, while his messy hair gave the impression of a lion.

    Eru felt that this man had some resemblance to Ambrosius who was seated behind.

    ¡°... So you are the Silver Phoenix Knight Commander, Ernesti Echevarria. I heard about you, but you are really small!¡±

    ¡°You are right, Your Highness Emrys.¡±

    The second Prince of Fremmevira Kingdom, Emrys Geijer Fremmevira smiled cheerfully with his tanned face when he spoke. For the petite Eru, meeting Emrys in the eye wasn¡¯t just a simple task of lifting his head, and needed to bend his upper body backwards. Ambrosius who couldn¡¯t stand for this said with a wry smile:

    ¡°Emrys, you sit over there, it¡¯s hard to talk like this.¡±

    The retired King had three children, two sons and a daughter. When his eldest son Riothamus took the throne, his sons, Ambrosius¡¯ grandsons, became the next in line of succession. This meant that Riothamus¡¯ second son was second in line to the throne. Despite his high status, he only returned to the kingdom about a month ago.

    ¡°I heard that Your Highness was still studying abroad at Kuscheperca, welcome back.¡±

    ¡°My dad is ascending the throne, so I had to return.¡±

    Eru also heard the news of Emrys¡¯ return. Because of the various things that required their attention during the coronation, they didn¡¯t have a chance to meet. This was their first official meeting.

    ¡°To think a new Silhouette Knight was made during the short period while I was away! And that new model, Karrdetolle!? Awesome? I tried it out; it is smooth and powerful, as expected of our nation¡¯s Knight!¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course! That is the work of my Silver Phoenix Knights!¡±

    ¡°I thought so, great job!¡±

    Emrys agreed with the happy Eru, and then suddenly slapped his own knee.

    ¡°Speaking of which, there is that horse thing! Looks interesting. Lend it to me next time, I want to take it for a spin.¡±

    ¡°Ehhh? Erm¡ª sigh¡ª Tzen-chan is hard to operate, or rather, it is a bit difficult to loan it out, well¡­¡±

    ¡°If I get on it, there will be a way to make it move, it¡¯s just something like a horse, just having the spirit will be enough!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    ¡°It is different from horses and can¡¯t be driven by spirit alone.¡±

    For some reason, Ambrosius was also participating in the conversation enthusiastically. His eyes weren¡¯t those of a gentle supporter, it was closer to observing how Eru handles the intimidating Emrys. The evidence was that Ambrosius relaxed his expression happily and looked amused. Eru glanced sideways at Ambrosius as he casually handled Emrys. Meanwhile, Ady was worried about Tzendorg being taken away. Emrys maintained his energetic attitude and became excited.

    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss that later, I heard that I was summoned because of something urgent.¡±

    Eru felt it was about time and ended the conversation. If he allowed Emrys to go on, it will probably take all day.

    ¡°Oh, right, I asked for you to come here to make a Silhouette Knight for me.¡±

    Ambrosius cut to the chase, which made Eru asked baffled:

    ¡°Your Excellency, don¡¯t you already have the outstanding machine ¡®Raids of Valor¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different; it¡¯s the King¡¯s machine. I passed it on to Riothamus when I abdicated, and can¡¯t take it out as I please. I want a new one, and it seems like a good idea to commission it to you.¡±

    ¡°Retirement life is boring¡±¡ª Ambrosius muttered softly. Eru almost asked him how he planned to make retirement life more exciting, but he managed to restrain himself.

    ¡°I understand, in that case, allow me to do what I can.¡±

    ¡°Can you make one for me, too! Just making it for grandpa is unfair.¡±

    "Hmmm, how about it, Ernesti? Can you prepare two machines?¡±

    ¡°By your orders, just one or two machines isn¡¯t a problem. Well, what kind of machine would you like? I will try my best to satisfy both of your needs.¡±

    Ambrosius wanted to speak when he heard that, but Emrys was faster. He stood strongly and kicked the chair away.

    ¡°Okay, the most important thing is ¡®power¡¯.¡±

    He announced loudly. Eru took out a small notebook, pen and ink from the pouch on his waist. This set of stationery was prepared by him for ease of taking notes. As he wrote, Emrys listed out the requirements.

    ¡°The next important thing is ¡®power¡¯.¡±

    Eru nodded with a serious face and continued making notes.

    ¡°The final important thing, is also power.¡±

    Eru only wrote the words ¡®Muscle Head¡¯ on his paper, and asked after toying with his notes:

    ¡°Okay, I understand what you mean. Ah, what about the design¡¯s appearance?¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ Something very powerful¡­ Well, something like grandpa¡¯s ¡®lion¡¯, something amazing!!¡±

    Eru outlined the words with a doodle design, then circled it again, making it look strong and powerful.

    ¡°I will leave the details to you; just don¡¯t go overboard, the rest is up to you.¡±

    ¡°By your orders, I will prepare machines suitable for Your Excellency and Your Highness.¡±

    The requirements were too amazing, even Ady who was listening by the side almost said: ¡°What kind of requests are these?¡± Despite that, Eru was still smiling happily.

    About a month after this conversation happened, a Tzendrinble pulling a wagon came to the Royal Capital. On the wagon were two giant figures covered by cloth, the personal machines prepared for Ambrosius and Emrys.

    When he heard the news of their arrival, Emrys rushed there at full speed, even Ambrosius couldn¡¯t help following with curiosity. They were not the only audience, the guards in Shreiber Castle also came to watch, looking at the cargo with curious eyes.

    When the cloth on the wagon was taken off before the watchful eyes, two Silhouette Knights were revealed, reflecting light brilliantly under the sun.

    ¡°This is really¡­ Ernesti, you are being playful again.¡±

    Ambrosius suppressed his laughter. Just as he said, the designs of the two Silhouette Knights were very exaggerated.

    ¡ª One of them looked like a lion. The chest armour and torso formed the face of a lion, with the armour styled like its mane with twists and bends. It was golden in colour and very prominent.

    ¡ª The other had the appearance of a tiger. The torso mimics the face of a tiger, although the other parts were rather plain, but the silver body with black stripes around it made it just as prominent as the golden machine.

    Eru ignored the crowd that was stunned by the striking appearance of the Silhouette Knights, opening his hands in an exaggerated manner happily as he explained:

    ¡°What do you think, Your Excellency and Your Highness Emrys. They are the ¡®Gordesleo¡¯ and ¡®Silver Tiger¡¯. As requested by Your Highness, both of them possess immense power, excellent performance and great defensive capability.¡±

    Emrys had been standing as still as a statue with his mouth open all this while. Ambrosius stroked his beard slowly and asked:

    ¡°Oh, power is what my dumb grandson wanted, but what about defence? Why did you focus on that?¡±

    ¡°That was my idea¡­ Your safety is the most important thing above all.¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s true. The Royal knights have enhanced defence capabilities too, something that a general will worry about.¡±

    Ambrosius nodded with satisfaction. After some time, Emrys finally came to his senses. He raised his muscular arms and roared at the two beast machines:

    ¡°Woah, totally awesome!! Hahaha, well done, Silver Commander! I like this!¡±

    Emrys who was as ecstatic as a child pointed at one of the machines with a smile. At the same time, Ambrosius who was comparing the two knights pointed to one of them too.

    ¡°Grandpa, I want the Gordesleo.¡±

    ¡°Well then Emrys, I will take this Gordesleo¡­¡±

    Both of them stopped at the same time and looked at each other. A tense silence was cycling around them.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ Think about your age, such an elegant machine doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense is this, Emrys? You lack experience boy, it¡¯s too early to ride the lion and roar for you. I am the one known as the ¡®Lion King¡¯, this machine is like it¡¯s tailor made for me.¡±

    Invisible sparks broke out between the two as neither side gave in, their aura shaking the air. The guards around them didn¡¯t know what to expect if they really got it on, and didn¡¯t think anyone could calm them down.

    ¡°Right, Grandpa, how about a training exercise? I will let you see the results of my studies.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You want to take it by force? You''ve got guts! To the arena, men, get me my sword!¡±

    Before the people around could stop them, the two dashed for the training arena. Only the shocked Eru and guards were left behind.

    ¡°I heard His Highness resembles His Excellency Ambrosius¡­ But that is too uncanny.¡±

    That thought was obviously shared by everyone present.

    Moments later, the scene shifted to the training arena used by the guards, situated near the Royal Castle.

    Hot air blew across the brownish ground as two Karrdator faced off against each other with different weapons in hand.

    ¡°You asked for a sword, so why is there a Silhouette Knight¡­?¡±

    The ones piloting the machines were naturally Ambrosius and Emrys. News of the retired King and Prince having a training spar spread in the castle in no time, and something went wrong somewhere, so the soldiers prepared the Silhouette Knights. Their efficient actions surprised even Eru.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ Sorry, but I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

    ¡°Stop the bullsh*t. I keep asking you to work hard, but you just won¡¯t change your ways and live as you please¡­ Let me correct that myself! Grit your teeth!¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency¡ª I think your objective is totally wrong¡ª¡±

    Eru¡¯s retort didn¡¯t reach the two men filled with fighting spirit. Silhouette Knights might be machines, but they expressed the will of the pilot quite clearly. Even without seeing them inside the cockpit, It was easy to imagine their gleeful faces and eagerness to fight from the churn of the engines. When the churning reached its peak, a loud horn sounded through the arena. The two machines charged towards each other at this signal to begin.

    In one corner was a young lion that was still growing, the other corner was an old skillful lion which was slightly past its prime. The way they fought was on two extreme ends.

    Emrys used his speed and power as a weapon and went in head on; Ambrosius dodged with his skill and counters, not taking a single step back. The steps of the giants shook the earth, making deafening sounds whenever their giant weapons clashed. Neither side sought to conserve energy, giving all they have got.

    Both might be lions, but they were not the same. The fight started out even, but gradually turned in favour of Ambrosius. Ambrosius wielded a spear taller than the Silhouette Knight, with a blunt tip used for training. It was said that in a man to man fight, you need to have three times the skill to win against a spear with a sword. This theory was projected onto the Silhouette Knights. From the footwork, arm movement and quick adjustment of the spear holding position, Ambrosius nimbly controlled the distance between them, toying with Emrys who was using a sword.

    Emrys wanted to close the gap and charged, but was fended off with a swing of the spear. While Emrys was unbalanced, the spear stabbed at him without hesitation. Emrys twisted the machine, deflecting the strike with the thicker armour, but Ambrosius used the reactionary force to pull away, sealing Emrys¡¯ chance of counterattack. After twirling the spear around, Ambrosius attacked with a barrage of spear thrust once again. In the face of the barrage, Emrys had no choice but to take the defensive.

    ¡°As expected of grandpa! You¡¯ve still got it in you!¡±

    ¡°This is the quality a King should have.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    They might not be able to hear what Eru said in the distance, but Eru still couldn¡¯t help retorting.

    ¡°However, the retired King really has a way with the spear, is he really sixty years old?¡±

    ¡°When the retired king held the post of general, how should I put this¡­ He liked to lead from the front. I heard he mixed with the troopers and fought with a spear¡­ Since he is still fighting fit at this age, it is hard to imagine how he was like back then.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he a general peerless in battle?¡±

    Aside from Eru, there were many guards among the audience. They cheered the intense fight that was ongoing right now. Even though military might was valued in this ¡®nation of knights¡¯, there wasn¡¯t a need for the royalties to display their prowess. But the two of them were better than most knights, especially Ambrosius who was the renowned general ¡®Lion King¡¯. It was incredible for him to be this good despite his age.

    And his grandson who inherited his bloodline turned his endless power into speed as he challenged the living legend. When the troops saw their masters fighting so mightily, their respect for them grew even more.

    The guards might be impressed, but the fight was still intense. Emrys lost the initiative and couldn¡¯t attack as he pleased. He wasn¡¯t weak, just that his weapon matches poorly and the difference in experience was too vast.

    ¡°Your movements aren¡¯t bad, but you are too naive. You can¡¯t even touch me.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting out of breath, grandpa! Are you losing to your age?¡±

    ¡°Enough with your nonsense! Watch! An opening at your feet!!¡±

    Ambrosius shot with his back weapon calmly. The training bullets weren¡¯t powerful, but the strike to Emrys feet still pushed him back. Taking this chance, Ambrosius pursued and thrust with his spear.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get me so easily!¡±

    Emrys instinctively knew he couldn¡¯t avoid this and made a shocking move. He used his unbalanced posture to charge with his shoulders, going forward. The tip of the spear brushed against the armour, producing sparks. Emrys stepped into the spears attack range while grabbing the spear he just dodged with his arm pit. Since the spear play was powerful, Emrys just needed to make it stop.

    ¡°How¡¯s that!?¡±

    ¡°You got guts¡­!¡±

    Emrys who entered sword attack range had the advantage¡ª he wasn¡¯t the only one to think that. However, as if he was overturning the judgement of everyone, Ambrosius released the spear immediately. The liberated retired king took another step forward, shortening the distance beyond sword range. Emrys who was countered was shocked and didn¡¯t know how to react.

    Ambrosius lowered his stance and swept Emrys legs. As he was grabbing the spear, Emrys¡¯ movement was limited and he lost his balance.

    ¡°... I told you, your feet have an opening.¡±

    Ambrosius grabbed his spear back as Emrys fell, and attacked with another hail of spear thrusts. Emrys rolled to evade, shooting his back weapon recklessly. Ambrosius calmly deflected the attacks. Emrys pulled away and got up slowly. The battle returned to the situation when it started.

    ¡°... This is bad, you are good grandpa, that was exhilarating.¡±

    Emrys was covered with scratches on his armour, and some parts were even dented after he rolled. His back weapon was still useable, but the zeroing was off after his fall. His crystal tissue wasn¡¯t damaged, which was really lucky. Even though he looked a bit beat up, Emrys¡¯ machine was still functional. After Emrys confirmed the power coming from his joystick, he laughed out loud and said:

    ¡°Great, this is a good machine; I can still have some fun with it¡­¡±

    He had detracted from his original objective, but he didn¡¯t lose his spirit, and was even more fired up. Ambrosius could feel the fighting intent spilling forth from the machine, and smiled viciously in his pilot seat.

    ¡°Hmm, his will power is commendable, but it will be meaningless if there are no results.¡±

    When he heard these words coming from the loudspeaker, Emrys did all he could to suppress his wildly beating heart. He shouldn¡¯t be reacting to his grandfather¡¯s taunt. If he didn¡¯t find a way to deal with Ambrosius¡¯ spear, he won¡¯t be able to win. The opponent wasn¡¯t just strong in ranged attack; he could also defend any attack within spear range. Wasn¡¯t there any opening? Any good way to go about it? Emrys kept thinking during the fight, and finally made up his mind.

    ¡°... Ah¡ª forget it, stop thinking! The answer can¡¯t be found just by thinking, it is within the sword!¡±

    He decided to find the answer through action; that was Emrys¡¯ way of doing things. He charged ahead without regard for anything, not aware of Ambrosius¡¯ wry smile for acting just as expected. In the eyes of the bystanders, he was just making the same mistake, everyone was certain that Ambrosius¡¯ amazing spear work will fend off Emrys.

    But reality overturned everyone¡¯s expectation.

    Ambrosius thrust with his spear, engaging the advancing Emrys. They were out of sword range, so only the spear could reach. However, Emrys didn¡¯t plan to take a beating obediently.

    Lifting his sword with both hands, he swung, filling the arena with the loud sound of impact along with sparks. He was still out of sword range, but Emrys was aiming for the ¡®spear¡¯¡ª Ambrosius¡¯ weapon.

    The sword knocked the spear aside, and Emrys slid into its range of attack. Ambrosius reacted splendidly, spinning the polearm with unbelievable speed and attacking with the tail end of the spear. Emrys kept advancing as he parried the spear again, single minded in his will to move forth.

    If the strong point of spears was range, then it was dexterity for swords. Swordsman could make small and minute movements to deal quick and heavy attacks. Emrys charged with his unbelievable stubbornness, not thinking about anything else. In the face of this relentless attack, even Ambrosius was being suppressed.

    ¡°Waaarrggghhh!¡±

    ¡°Huh!?¡±

    At this point, Emrys¡¯ weapon wasn¡¯t the sword, but the machine itself. His heavy blow was blocked head on by Ambrosius¡ª Emrys who was slashing down with both hands clashed with Ambrosius who blocked with the body of the spear.

    The ether reactor from both machines revved into higher gears, the sound of air intake was blasted out. Crystal tissues flexed as it converted the mana into power, striving to push the opponent down.

    When both pilots were operating the same type of Silhouette Knights, the deciding factor would be the ¡®spirit of the pilots¡¯. If one were to lose in terms of spirit, he would be pushed back and lose the match. In the end, this was the dumb but simple way they decided the match. Both parties focused their power on one spot, trying to overpower the other as the ground became depressed by the feet of the giants.

    ¡°Wooaarrgghh!¡±

    Emrys roared as he took a step forward with all his might. An enormous amount of power was pushed onto the point their weapons met, and that explosive moment when the energy was released¡ª

    The spear flew into the air.

    The result of their contest was Ambrosius losing in terms of strength. Emrys placed his sword on the throat of the unarmed Ambrosius, ending the fight.

    ¡°Hmmm, great fight, you have trained well.¡±

    ¡°... Grandpa, did you hold back just now?¡±

    Emrys wasn¡¯t questioning it, and was sure about it. Because he fought with Ambrosius directly, so he knew that he wasn¡¯t an opponent he could defeat so easily. It was natural for Emrys to think that Ambrosius held back.

    ¡°Dumbass, why would I need to hold back against you¡­ To think that my old bones can¡¯t beat you down anymore. Forget it, you win, take that machine with you.¡±

    After saying his piece, Ambrosius turned and left. His majestic figured showed no sign of unhappiness, not like a defeated person at all. Emrys silently bowed deeply to that back while the guards in the arena stood at attention and saluted.

    Ambrosius stretched his stiff body after leaving the arena, and alighted from the Karrdator.

    ¡°Ara, it had been so long since I last competed, my shoulders are stiff. My skills had rusted; I need to train a little. That dumb grandchild didn¡¯t even hold back against an old man, where did he get that inflexible nature from?¡±

    ¡°Definitely from you, Your Excellency.¡±

    ¡°Even you are saying that¡­ Ernesti, I gave up on the Gordesleo, but the Silver Tiger is good too right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to worry. To be honest, both are the same except their appearance.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Ambrosius laughed after saying that, and it was a rare sight seeing Eru sigh behind him.

    ¡°Ohhh¡­¡±

    After finishing the match, Emrys came to the symbol of victory¡ª the Gordesleo. It had the appearance of a beast, combining elegance, power and might in its design, showing great taste and uniqueness. The heavy armour focusing on defence gave it a heavy weight regality to it.

    ¡°Great, this is awesome¡­¡±

    Also, the Gordesleo wasn¡¯t just a Silhouette Knight to Emrys; it was a prize proving his powers which he won from his grandfather. When he thought about that, Emrys¡¯ fatigue was gone and he was filled with energy.

    ¡°I won this from grandfather, so I can¡¯t let him lose face; I have to work harder¡­¡±

    Did the retired King think this far? Win or lose, he planned to let His Highness learn something.

    Eru thought as he watched Emrys who was trembling with emotions. Their interactions might be short, but Eru felt that Emrys was too straightforward. He was crass in his speech, but Emrys¡¯ respect for Ambrosius could be felt from his actions. If someone like that was to win a machine from Ambrosius--

    The pride of His Highness will make him perform even better¡­ That¡¯s how it is. I don¡¯t know if he planned it that way, but I am happy since they like it.

    Eru nodded and left quietly. There was some unexpected incident, but he accomplished his goal of delivering the personal machines. After that, Emrys will visit Olvecius Fort from time to time with his Gordesleo, but that was another story.

 Book 3: Chapter 25: Premonition of Crisis

    In the southwest of the Fremmevira Kingdom, at the foot of the Aubigne Mountain Range, there was an extraordinary forest.

    The locals called the forest the ¡®Giant Tree Garden¡¯.

    It got its name because of the large amount of giant trees ¡®colossal¡¯ averaging one hundred metres in height.

    The giant trees shot straight into the sky, the abundance of leaves blocking out the sun, which made the forest dim even during the day.

    To support its massive trunk, the colossal had the tendency to occupy a large area with its roots. Thick and tough roots grabbed the hardened soil of the forest ground, coupled with the sparse sunlight, most vegetation couldn¡¯t survive here. In this forest, survival was impossible without the permission of the ¡®colossal¡¯.

    ¡°Nothing strange¡­ Really, the forest is peaceful today, too.¡±

    Inside the Giant Tree Garden was a platoon of Karrdator (three knights) surveying the area as they patrolled. The colossal couldn¡¯t grow in a tight area because of the space taken up by its roots, so the space between trees was large enough for Silhouette Knights to pass through easily. The place might be dark, but it didn¡¯t feel enclosed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so frustrated, peace is a good thing.¡±

    The team stopped and watched their surroundings. But no matter how wide they opened their eyes, they couldn¡¯t spot any movements. Only the massive trunk of the trees stood erect like tombstones. The air was still in the bare forest, giving it an atmosphere of stagnancy and decay.

    ¡°How long do we need to patrol like this?¡±

    The team started moving again. The roots of the colossal were not affected by the weight of the Silhouette Knights at all, the force behind each step spread across the ground through the roots like ripples.

    ¡°This was what Master whose sleep was disturbed said. It might not be now, but something will happen sooner or later, that¡¯s why we Alvanz have to perform guard duties like other units.¡±

    Sound of bitter laughter could be heard from the Karrdator¡¯s loudspeaker.

    Leading the team was Zarks, who shrugged after saying that to his fellow member of Alvans, Tuva.

    The patrols had been going on for quite a while now. It was natural for them to complain after seeing the same old dull scenery every day. That was why he didn¡¯t restrain Tuva.

    ¡°That might be so, but they don¡¯t really need to activate us, the guardians of the ¡®Althusser Ravine Gate¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°Halt, something ahead, one o¡¯ clock.¡±

    Having kept quiet the whole time, the third person¡ª Yunf cut off Tuva with a calm voice.

    ¡°Oh¡­ let¡¯s stop the chit chat. I will take the front, Tuva take the side, and Yunf will have our back.¡±

    Zarks tensed and dash ahead after giving the orders, with Tuva and Yunf following behind. The team was cautious of their surroundings, reaching the abnormality spotted by Yunf in no time.

    ¡°These are¡­ boulders? No¡­ From the roots? A mimic?¡±

    The large bulge from the ground looked like a boulder that could be found anywhere, but it wasn¡¯t normal to find them on top of the roots. However, it was easy to identify it if one was to think of it as a creature the size of a Silhouette Knight¡¯s hug and mimics boulders.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a shell? This is definitely a ¡®shell beast race¡¯. I don¡¯t see any other shell beast around, did this one get lost from its hive?¡±

    Zarks identified the creature immediately, but frowned when he thought about the features of such beasts.

    The food chain of the forest made up of the special tree colossal was unique, too. As described earlier, colossals did not allow other vegetation to grow, and wasn¡¯t suitable for consumption by animals as it was too hard. Only a small number of special insects could survive in this forest. In contrast, shell beasts were carnivorous, and it was unnatural for just one of such type of herd beast to show up in an environment with sparse food supply.

    ¡°What should we do? Zarks, if it was just one that got lost, is it fine to leave it alone?¡±

    Zarks only mumbled a vague reply after hearing Tuva¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°... Zarks, the other side.¡±

    When he noticed, Yunf who was guarding the rear had already walked in front of them, pointing with his arm. Following the direction of the arm, Zarks and Tuva were dumbfounded by what they saw¡ª there were more than one shell beast. Figures of similar boulders could be seen everywhere.

    ¡°Impossible¡­ Such astonishing numbers. This is bad, they didn¡¯t get lost! Are they a group, or¡­¡±

    A clicking sound could be heard from somewhere, like the groan of hard shells rubbing against each other. One of it had awakened, and as if a trigger was pulled, a second woke, followed by a third and so on.

    Needless to say, the sound came from the shell that looked like boulders around them.

    ¡°These fellows are scouts just like us! Retreat, Tuva, Yunf, their main force nearby must be close!¡±

    The boulder like shell rose up slowly, revealing skinny legs which dragged the shell covered body forward.

    ¡°Jackpot... Yunf! We have to alert Althusser Ravine Gate no matter what! So they are a shell beast swarm? If this continues¡­¡±

    The squirming shell beasts turned their eyes to watch the Alvanz. Making clicking sounds, they push the branches aside and close in on the Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°Giant Tree Garden will become a playground for them¡­ And they will invade the Forest City!!¡±

    The Alvanz team had already started sprinting without considering a fight, reporting the abnormality was the top priority. A large number of demon beasts began to screech, loud enough to cover the noisy footsteps of the Karrdator.

    The serene forest turned chaotic in a blink of an eye.

    C.E. 2180.

    As the season shifts to autumn, the scorching sunlight became gentle and the weather turned colder. However, the summer left behind a dangerous parting gift.

    ¡ª One day, a rider came to the Royal Capital K?nk?nen.

    When the report arrived, the King Riothamus and the nobles were having their periodic conference.

    The agenda of the conference was about the activities of the demon beast in the various territories, the budget, as well as combat forces of each noble¡¯s land. The distribution of the limited numbers of the new machine models made the discussion even more heated.

    A messenger soldier barged into the relatively peaceful conference. For emergency messages above a certain level of urgency, soldiers were allowed to not stand on ceremony.

    Seeing how panicked the messenger was, Riothamus had an ominous feeling and frowned¡ª After seeing the message handed to him by the messenger, his expression stiffened. The first line ¡®Top Secret level 1¡¯ was reflected in his eyes. Top secret referred to highly classified matters when a problem occurred within the nation. Only the most urgent and dangerous situation were classified as level 1, so this was definitely not good news.

    This wasn¡¯t an exception either, the message mentioned about danger approaching the Forest City. Reading on, Riothamus forgot to maintain his composure, standing up after kicking his chair aside.

    ¡°This is really¡­ the worst news.¡±

    Riothamus who excused himself from the conference invited his father¡ª Ambrosius over. The message contained highly classified information; he couldn¡¯t just discuss it with anyone.

    After hearing a brief account from his son, Ambrosius said this immediately. After dismissing everyone else except for his father, Riothamus hugged his head.

    ¡°The report stated that the threat came from shell beast type. It had made contact with part of the garrisoned knights; the problem is their scale¡­¡±

    ¡°Their numbers were stupendously large, right? The reason why shell beast swarm appears¡­ ¡®Hive splitting¡¯ right.¡±

    Ambrosius appeared calm, but he couldn¡¯t conceal his disgust. Shell beasts were a special type of demon beast. There were many demon beasts which live together in groups, but the scale of the hive beast swarm was abnormally large. Aside from that, their society was similar to ants and bees, which was common knowledge.

    At the centre of the group, well guarded by hordes of soldier class beasts, there was a ¡®queen shell beast¡¯ that was responsible for reproduction.

    The queen would get replaced periodically every several centuries, only one queen will usually emerge during this replacement. However, there were times when two or more queens emerged, which led to the phenomenon of ¡®hive splitting¡¯. The queen that couldn¡¯t wrest control of the majority will migrate, and search for a new nest.

    ¡°The problem is that we don¡¯t understand the true scale of it, so we can¡¯t gauge the necessary forces required.¡±

    For the threat level of shell beasts, one soldier class is equivalent to just a duel level demon beast, but the difficulty was in handling a large group of them. The difficulty changes according to the numbers, and could even reach Division-level, equivalent to a behemoth.

    Normally, forces won¡¯t be dispatched recklessly without knowledge of the scale, but the Forest City made them hesitant to stand idly by.

    That place was strategically important because of a certain reason, a place that was not made public because of secrecy. The guardian knights Alvanz was even stationed there to defend the place. But they might not be able to handle the crisis this time.

    ¡°That might be so, but we have to act. Even if it goes against their ¡®law¡¯, we have to send an army to purge the beasts. Most importantly, we have to avoid the inhabitants from being wiped out.¡±

    Since they didn¡¯t know the scale of the enemy forces, they had to deploy a powerful army and disregard information control. Should they choose secrecy or safety? Facing the first major challenge after taking the throne, Riothamus tried to make this difficult decision.

    Seeing his son deep in thought, Ambrosius also pondered their options.

    What they need was ¡®forces that could limit the spread of information, powerful, and ready to be deployed immediately¡¯. Was there such a convenient existence? Searching through the experience he had while reigning as King, Ambrosius couldn¡¯t find a clear answer.

    They were stuck in this situation, but needed to act fast. As the heavy atmosphere hung over the room, someone barged in suddenly.

    ¡°Sorry for intruding! I heard that grandpa came to the Royal Castle¡­¡±

    It was the second Prince Emrys. Seeing how carefree and ignorant he was, the King and former Regent lost their drive and sighed at the same time:

    ¡°Now is not the time for greetings, something terrible is happening¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, eh, I was thinking about a training match with grandpa using the Gordesleo¡­¡±

    That instant, Ambrosius turned sharply to Emrys. The word Gordesleo reminded him of something, and inspiration struck¡ª

    ¡°... Yes, isn¡¯t there a Knight Order just right for the job? A small group of elite, experienced in large group battle against a Division-level demon beast. If we delegate it to them, we won¡¯t need to worry about secrecy.¡±

    When he heard the former regent¡¯s words, Riothamus came to the same conclusion. Fremmevira Kingdom was full of talents, but there was only one Knight Order that fits this exemplary bill. Seeing a ray of hope, he slowly uttered that name.

    ¡­ Silver Phoenix Knights!!¡±

    ¡°Ah? We are asking the Silver Commander to make something again?¡±

    Only Emrys didn¡¯t know what was going on as he looked at his father and grandfather in confusion.

    On that day when the terrible news reached the Royal Capital, an unexpected visitor came to the base of the Silver Phoenix Knight, Fort Olvacius.

    As the sun sets in the west and moments before the darkness shrouds the land, a Silhouette Knight charged into the fort with incredible speed. Everyone in the hangar was surprised to see the Silhouette Knight ¡®Silver Tiger¡¯ that was emitting a dim glow. It was obvious who this Silver Tiger was given to.

    Eru couldn¡¯t conceal his surprise when he rushed over after hearing the news to meet Ambrosius who was alighting from the Silver Tiger. Even though the former Regent was a free man after abdicating the throne, it was still a huge thing for him to visit personally.

    ¡°Your Excellency!? I didn¡¯t know you were visiting, what is the matter?¡±

    Ambrosius did not answer Eru, but surveyed the fort as he listened to the Order members gathering at the hangar. When most of the people were present, he spoke:

    ¡°Ernesti, no, Silver Phoenix Knights! I hereby announce the decree by His Majesty, listen well!¡±

    Ambrosius shouted loudly with a stern expression. He did not show such regal aura even for the Casadesus Incident, making the tense Order members straighten their posture as they listened.

    ¡°I will make it clear, the things I am about to tell you are not permitted to be disclosed, understand? Getting to the point, shell beasts¡­ A large number of demon beasts have shown up. I can¡¯t give you the details, but they are heading towards an important base right now, we have to defend the place no matter what. However, we are already one step too late. To make up for it, we need speed as fast as the wind and power as mighty as a tsunami! Silver Phoenix Knights. Now is your chance to deploy the Centaur Knight, the pride of your Order!!¡±

    After his speech, Ambrosius walked to Eru¡¯s side as if he was trying to be discreet, and said in a volume only Eru can hear:

    ¡°... The place being attacked is known as the Forest City, where the Ether Reactor in our nation is produced.¡±

    Eru¡¯s eye opened wide.

    The former Regent nodded in response to Eru¡¯s trembling gaze. Compared to the fact that he had just learned ¡®the top secret of this nation¡¯, Eru was more concerned and angry about the demon beast army advancing on the vital base that produces robots. For him who devoted everything he had to his hobby, it struck a landmine in his heart. He immediately used a tensed voice even his childhood friend had never heard before to issue orders:

    ¡°Silver Phoenix Knights, prepare for the entire order to move out! Rider mode two, red one load out, roll out when you are ready! Main objective is to secure the target area and exterminate the demon beasts!!¡±

    After a moment of silence, everyone started moving as instructed. From the visit of the former regent, the urgency displayed by their Commander and the content of their orders, they had the premonition that this will be a terrible battle.

    Rider mode two, red one load out¡ª this refers to using Tzendrinble and the wagon for the fastest movement speed, and heavy fire equipment to fight demon beast at the Division-level or above. Concisely speaking, it was a formation for fighting a behemoth in mind.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights usually had a casual atmosphere, but they were also veterans who had been through danger multiple times.

    Their movements were fast and firm, and in no time, the roar of all sorts of engines came from the hangar.

    ¡°Connecting the wagon¡ª! Back, back, back, good! Move forward¡ª!¡±

    Tzendrinble from the 3rd Company was the main force that was readied. Under the guidance of the craftsmen, the Tzendrinble in the hangar was connected to the wagons. Craftsmen in Motor Rad ran all over the place to do the fine installation works.

    While the wagon was being readied, the first and second company were equipped with their ¡®option works¡¯ of choice. They put on the equipment developed by themselves with pride, and the Kardetolle with red one load out showed themselves.

    The Motor Rads performed task such as moving parts and installation, taking over the task that would usually require Silhouette Knights or human power to complete. Using it in such a manner was what the developer¡ª the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights was great at.

    Within the noisy hangar, Eru walked towards the Boss who was giving out orders loudly. The Silver Phoenix Knights would be deploying their maximum force, and the Boss intended to do his best.

    ¡°Boss! I will deploy in Toybox, please ask Chid and Ady to prepare ¡®rider mode three¡¯!!¡±

    This was out of the Boss¡¯ expectations. He stopped his movement and was stunned.

    ¡°You want to use rider mode three with Toybox? That is a prototype which can barely walk, are you insane? I don¡¯t need to tell you this, but I have no idea how long they could last in a real fight.¡±

    ¡°I know it has its issues, but to draw out the potential of Toybox, I will need the load out for mode three. If it can move, it can easily slaughter hundreds of demon beasts.¡±

    Eru answered the Boss steadily. He was doubtful, but the Boss couldn¡¯t stop Eru. They had known each other for years, and he realised that Eru was raging with anger under that smile of his.

    ¡°I get it! Hey, set up the brat¡¯s horse with mode three! Huh!? Don¡¯t ask so much, just do it! They will figure it out themselves!!¡±

    As they conversed with resignation, they continued the preparations with amazing speed.

    Silhouette Knights from the 2nd Company boarded the wagons of the 3rd Company that was ready. Every Tzendrinble could ferry two Kardetolle with maximum load out, craftsmen in Motor Rad chained the Kardetolle in standby position onto the wagon to secure it.

    Maybe they were affected by the hot bloodedness of their Commander, but everyone moved faster than their usual training. After a quarter of a watch (thirty minutes), a grand cavalry army appeared before Ambrosius. This was a powerful force made up of the three companies of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°Woah, I did hold high expectations¡­ But this was beyond what I imagined.¡±

    The formation of the Silver Phoenix Knights that exceeded what the former Regent imagined and surprised him. Even though they were the only unit that used Tzendrinble, how did they come up with such a method? Forcefully pushing the query aside, Ambrosius got on to the Silver Tiger.

    A large wagon pulled by two Tzendrinble came over, with a Karrdator that was put together messily on top. That was Eru¡¯s Toybox.

    ¡°The entire Order of the Silver Phoenix Knights is ready to deploy. Please give the word, Your Excellency.¡±

    In front of such an astonishing display of force, Ambrosius took some time to suppress his smile, and jumped onto the wagon with his Silver Tiger. He drew his sword and raised it high.

    ¡°Well done! Listen well everyone! This battle will decide the fate of our nation, I have high expectation of all of you! We are going southwest, move out!!¡±

    The sound of the hooves banged against the earth, and all the Tzendrinble moved together as one. Under the guidance of the former regent, the Silver Phoenix Knights advanced bravely towards the southwest of the Fremmevira Kingdom.

    Behind them was the Boss, Batson and the other craftsmen left behind at the fort. They stood together to cheer and send off this army that left in a grandiose fashion.

    Click, click¡ª the wave of cold hard noise echoing through the forest was too numerous. In the end, they merged as one, producing an endless ripple of echoes.

    The usually lifeless cemetery like giant tree garden was full of shell beasts.

    The Alvanz knights killed one after another, the stream of soldier shell beasts seemed endless. Frankly speaking, they looked like giant hermit crabs. With six walking appendages and two fore leg, its body was covered in exoskeleton and a large shell on its back. The exoskeleton on it was tough, and edged weapon used on them will turn dull immediately, that¡¯s why the Alvanz used warhammers to smash them along with their shell. Despite that, defeating one wasted a lot of effort, coupled with the enemies¡¯ amazing numbers, it was a dangerous situation.

    ¡°Hah! There is no end to this!¡±

    ¡°Tuva, move your hands if you have the effort to spare, complaining won¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but this is dragging on too long!¡±

    Zarks fought bravely, as they try to keep the last line of defense, Althusser Ravine Gate from being surrounded by demon beasts. They took the initiative to attack as defending the fortress was their primary mission, so they can¡¯t retreat so easily. The situation was dire, and the worst part was the scale being larger than what they imagined, as they attempt to hold back the flood futilely.

    ¡°Everyone, this is hard and troublesome! If I knew this would happen, I would have asked for the new models from NTR Lab. The power of the Dash would make this easier!!¡±

    ¡°Stop thinking about such useless things!¡±

    Zarks¡¯ team remembered the prototype machines they piloted. If they had those powerful machines it would be easier for them to handle.

    The Althusser Ravine Gate wasn¡¯t issued with the new mass produced models¡ª as the number of Karrdetolle was limited, even strategic strongholds had limited access to these new models.

    ¡°Anyway, just focus on taking down the enemy in front of you!¡±

    Alvanz struggled in this intense battle of attrition. However, contrary to their firm determination, they were gradually pushed to the edge of defeat. Furthermore, a greater threat struck them without mercy.

    A shriek was mixed in with the countless footsteps and clashes of hammers. Before the knights realised something was wrong, another shriek rose again. Zark¡¯s Karrdator was knocked down out of the blue. Not only did he lose his balance, he also lost part of his armour.

    ¡°What¡­ Ranged attack!? From where? Zark, you alright!?¡±

    ¡°My shoulder was hit! No¡­ Problem, I¡¯m good. Luckily it hit my armour, the armour is gone now, but my arm still works!¡±

    That attack obviously didn¡¯t come from the soldier shell beasts, if they could do that, there was no reason for them to hold back. Tuva and Yunf lifted their shields to protect Zarks, wary of something that was attacking from afar. The next second, Yunf yelled as he pointed with his hammer.

    ¡°Look, far back in the centre! There¡¯s one that is skinny!¡±

    They followed Yunf¡¯s direction and strained their eyes. On the other side of the disgusting number of shell beast swarm, there was a strange shell beast. Its claws were very long, and to balance itself against its long forelegs, the shell on its back also extended backwards, giving it a long and skinny appearance. It was easy to tell its true identity.

    ¡°Oh no¡­ That¡¯s a sniping shell beast.¡±

    Giving no regards to Zarks and the others, the sniping shell beast assumed its attack position. This foreleg act like a barrel, with a thorn bullet made by its body loaded in. Channeling some of the air in its lungs to its foreleg, the beast proceeded to activate the air compression spell. The ability to use magic was the reason why it was known as demon beasts. The compressed air expanded explosively in the inside of the foreleg, shooting out the thorn bullet with the high pressure.

    The thorn bullets shot out with a crisp sound of explosion. In the dim environment of the giant tree garden, it was impossible to see and dodge the high speed of the thorn bullet. A Karrdator that didn¡¯t belong to Zark¡¯s team was hit and fell. That wasn¡¯t the only sniping shell beasts as more emerged from the forest, attacking sporadically from a range, crumbling the defense line of the Alvanz.

    ¡°Sh*t! This is bad.¡±

    The defense line that was barely holding against the soldier shell beasts was falling apart from the powerful range shots of the sniping shell beasts. Alvanz did not have time to plug the gaps that was filled by the soldier shell beasts, and had to retreat.

    If they can¡¯t block the attack of the sniping beasts, they might be pushed all the way back to the ravine gate. They had to hang on.

    Despite his worries, Zark continued searching for a way out.

    The colossal trees were spread too far apart, it would be hard to use them as a shield, and there were nowhere to hide in the forest. At this instant, Zark¡¯s Karrdator stepped on something hard, which was the carcass of a shell beast. Inspiration struck and he shouted on reflex:

    ¡°Make a barrier¡­ Pile up the dead shell beasts! We can block the range attack of the sniping shell beast that way! If it is just the soldiers, we can hold them!!¡±

    When they heard this, the Alvanz around him acted immediately. Grabbing the carcass by their feet, they bashed the shell beasts pouncing onto them and pile the carcass directly on top. The knights dodged the sporadic thorn bullets as they slowly built a wall. There was no shortage of materials as the ground was filled with carcass everywhere, covering the entire ground.

    Shortly after, a wall of carcass was piled high before the Alvanz. The sniper shell beasts made crisp sound as they fired, but was deflected by the pile of bodies. The barrier performed as intended, the hardiness of the shell beast saved the Alvanz this time.

    Alvanz avoided the threat of the ranged attack and could finally focus on the soldier shell beasts that were climbing over the wall. Zarks felt satisfaction from his effort as he listened to the sound of the thorn bullets hitting onto the exoskeletons. Without the support of range covering fire, the soldiers had nothing to be afraid of. Their situation turned from being dire to having room to spare.

    At this moment¡ª

    ¡°Is that¡­ an earthquake? No, it can¡¯t be, what is happening?¡±

    A certain heavy and shaking footsteps could be heard from the colossal tree. It didn¡¯t belong to the soldier shell beasts or the sniping shell beast, but something larger and more solid. The sound coming from the other side of the barrier made Zark forget about what he felt just now and click his tongue. They blocked the ranged attack, but also obscured their view of the surroundings, too.

    In the meanwhile, the tremour grew closer¡ª Alvanz took a stance and the wall before them exploded. The carcass of the shell beasts were torn into pieces, falling on top of the Alvanz like buckshot. There shouldn¡¯t be any shell beasts that could use explosion spell, so what could that be? When the dust cleared away, the answer stood before them.

    ¡°This is¡­ ¡®drill shell beast¡¯!?¡±

    What appeared before them was a shell beast that was incredibly huge, several times that of a soldier shell beast, even taller than a Silhouette Knight. Compared to other demon beasts, its legs and torso were exceptionally stout, and it¡¯s shell thicker and harder. However, the exoskeleton on its abdomen was smaller. It was practically a moving boulder.

    The drill shell beast wiggled the mandibles by its mouth, making shrill noises to intimidate the Alvanz. Zark felt a chill on his back as that pair of protruding eyes stared right at him.

    An ominous shaking hit the forest once more, washing over them like a tsunami. Without even looking, they could tell that there were dozens of drill shell beast coming towards them, as if they were pushing aside the soldier shell beasts. The moment they reach Alvanz would probably be the moment Alvanz dies.

    ¡°Is retreating to the Ravine Gate our only choice? How long can the walls hold off the drill shell beast? The City Forest is right behind the Fort.¡±

    Zark moaned. The ¡®Althusser Ravine Gate¡¯ was the last line of defense for the Forest City, they had to avoid endangering it. But they were running out of options and had to take that route.

    ¡°... The scale of the swarm is too big. Since sniping shell beast and even drill shell beast are here, this is not a ¡®hive split¡¯. Is a matured ¡®queen shell beast¡¯ migrating!?¡±

    For shell beast, the weaker queen shell beast would be the one splitting off from the original site, since the stronger one would natural dominate the hive. The swarm of a new queen shell beast were limited, and usually consists of just the soldier shell beasts.

    However, the swarm invading the giant tree garden wasn¡¯t just abnormally large in scale, and even comprise of multiple types. Could this be a migration instead of ¡®hive splitting¡¯? The only thing they were sure of was that the Alvanz and the Forest City was on the brink of defeat.

    Alvanz fell back towards the Ravine Gate in despair as the drill shell beasts methodically destroyed the barrier they erected. The attack from sniping shell beasts rained down on them and the screams of the Alvanz echoed in the battlefield.

    ¡°Run! We have to reach the Ravine Gate no matter what!¡±

    ¡®Althusser Ravine Gate was built outside the giant tree garden with its back to the mountain, as if it was an extension of the ravine of mount Aubigne. Most of the space was taken up by the city walls, a fort that focused solely on defense. In order to protect the strategic location in the Fremmevira Kingdom¡ª the forest city, the walls was tougher than that of the Royal Capital.

    The Alvanz who fell back from the giant tree garden ran into the city one after another. Outside the walls, Zark¡¯s team who volunteered to be the rearguard fought off the drill shell demon beasts that pursued them relentlessly. The shell beast was powerful in its charges, and was unexpectedly quick on its feet. If they ignored it, the team would definitely be hit by it.

    Using the Silhouette Arms culverin, they aimed at the feet of the drill shell beast in order to slow it down. Their shots at its exoskeleton would be deflected, so they focused on disrupting its vision.

    ¡°How¡¯s the status of withdrawal!? Is it done!?¡±

    Even though it flinched because of the columns of fire, the drill shell beast did not slow down, closing in gradually. Zark¡¯s team was at their limit. Before they knew it, their allies had fallen back into the Ravine Gate and they were the only ones left. If they hide behind the walls, they will have a brief respite from the threat. The Ravine Gate was wide open, waiting for them to go in.

    ¡°Yunf, Tuva, we will retreat just like this! Hurry¡­ But we can¡¯t let these fellows in.¡±

    Zark and his team were planning to put some distance between them and the shell beast and escape, but the surge of enemies didn¡¯t allow them to do so. Zark saw the other two machines retreating slowly from the corner of his eyes while he continued slowing the shell beast, blocking its way.

    ¡°Zark! Enough, fall back!¡±

    ¡°It would be disastrous to retreat any further; the gate won¡¯t be able to close in time.¡±

    If Zark went into the gate, the shell beasts will flood in like an avalanche before the gate could close, so he couldn¡¯t run anymore. A single machine couldn¡¯t buy much time either, so he steeled himself.

    With the drill shell beast right before him, Zark threw away his Silhouette Arms and took up his war hammer. The sound of shell beasts crawling gradually filled the surroundings.

    ¡°If I can take one of its legs, it will buy some time for us¡­¡±

    He mustered his diminishing fighting spirit and advanced. He could feel the tremour from the ground and groans like thunder some distance away. Focusing on one of the legs, he tried to give his most powerful blow.

    As the Silhouette Knight and shell beast was about to clash, Zark saw something strange from behind the swarm. Unlike the shell beast he had been battling, something bright in colour was fluttering in the wind. He didn¡¯t understand the situation, and squinted his eyes to see.

    That was a flag, there was no mistake. The sword and leaf that represents the vegetation, along with a shield. The flag of the Fremmevira Kingdom, with the emblem of a silver phoenix holding a sword with its wings spread. It was impossible for demon beasts to hoist a flag, so it belongs to¡­

    There was only one answer¡ª

    Zark regained his composure in no time and acted quickly. Dodging the strike from the drill shell beast that would had taken him out, he turned around and ran. The footsteps of the drill shell beast followed him towards the gate. The variety of noise increased at this moment, something that was like horse hooves. And it was giant horses that were extremely heavy.

    Alvanz saw this scene from the Althusser Ravine Gate, too. Something charged through the shell beast swarm, dispersing them, it looked like a wagon being pulled by two horses. But the horses pulling the wagon were too queer. The place where the horse¡¯s head should be had the upper torso of a man, a half man half horse monster. Wielding giant lances, they trampled over the soldier shell beasts like wooden shreds.

    The mysterious creature charged relentlessly at an amazing speed, kicking the minions aside, and reached the frontlines of the shell beasts in no time. It gave a heavy blow to the flank of the drill shell beast closing in on Zark. The drill shell beast slowed down because of this unexpected blow, giving the wagon the chance to move to the front.

    After pulling away by inches, Zark charged into the Ravine Gate and closed it immediately. Zark turned his head and saw from the gap of the closing gate what the situation outside was¡ª the Centaur Knight between the Fort and the shell beast, as well as the giant wagon it was towing.

    He knew the identity of the reinforcements; he had faced them in battle before. Remembering the scene back then, he sighed in relief and muttered:

    ¡°... I see, you guys are here. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    The intense sound of air intake shrieked in response to his mumbles. One of the Order of Knights serving the Fremmevira Kingdom, the Silver Phoenix Knights finally reached the battlefield.

    ¡°Haha! Seems like we came just at the right time!¡±

    On the stationary wagon, the Silhouette Knight on top prepared to launch. The steel wires were taken off one by one, the Knight that was free from its bounds stood up. The bright golden armour and the chest plate designed in the shape of a lion¡ª the second Prince¡¯s personal machine ¡®Gordesleo¡¯. When he heard there will be a major battle, he couldn¡¯t stop his urge and came along.

    Emrys turned to the drill shell beast before it and picked up the great sword in the wagon. He was fearless before the gigantic demon beast, or rather; he seemed to be enjoying himself.

    ¡°Great, that big fellow there, I will use you to test Gordesleo¡¯s sword, a great honour for you!¡±

    The drill shell beast didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but still pounced on Gordesleo. The enormous boulder like body charged at the puny knight before it with the intent to crush everything in its path. Gordesleo did not dodge and met the attack head on. Flexing the crystal tissue within its entire body, Gordesleo swung its great heavy sword. Both parties clashed and it turned into a battle of strength. The vague sound of something shattering sounded out, and the foreleg of the drill shell beast flew into the air. As requested by its pilot, Gordesleo became the personification of the pursuit of strength. This included the pilot himself.

    ¡°Haha! Excellent, let me show you¡­ Roar, Gordesleo! Eat my ¡®Blast Howling¡¯!!¡±

    Emrys pulled the trigger on the joystick, which opened the shoulder armour on the Gordesleo, revealing the internal engraving. The Silhouette Arms on the back also deployed, and both of these started churning. This was a giant magic that combines multiple Silhouette arms, the special Silhouette arms of the Gordesleo¡ª Blast Howling. This overed spell belonged to the air control type.

    The air around Gordesleo started gathering and spinning around it, the high density refracted the light and twisted its appearance. Gathered and compressed air was released in the pointed direction, becoming a shockwave. The powerful wind was just like the roar of the king of beasts, shooting accurately at the drill shell beast before it.

    The single minded concept of pursuing strength could be seen in Gordesleo. Sacrificing flexibility, the roar of the beast king that raised the power to the maximum shattered the drill shell beast¡¯s exoskeleton easily. The appendages of the demon beast that was supported by tough muscles were twisted and torn in impossible angles, spraying its body fluids everywhere. The power of the shockwave blew the demon beast that was much larger than a Silhouette Knight into the air, killing it instantly.

    ¡°Fufu, haha¡ª this is awesome, awesome! This power is radical!!¡±

    ¡°I am glad that you are satisfied, Your Highness. Putting that aside, there are a few drill shell beasts left, can you take care of them majestically?¡±

    Emrys who took out the giant beast in one shot laughed heartily. Behind him, Eru¡¯s Toybox stood up slowly.

    ¡°Fuhaha, leave it to me! My Gordesleo and I will¡­ What the hell, why did my mana reserves drop so much!?¡±

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s the price of power. Or rather, it was obvious that such a powerful attack drains plenty of mana.¡±

    ¡°... Forget it. Let¡¯s see how many I can take out first! Another drill shell beast!? Haha, wait for me!¡±

    Emrys kicked the soldier shell beasts out of his way with his Gordesleo and charged into the forest.

    ¡°Ho, I didn¡¯t expect to reach here so fast, that was an eye opener. I was hesitant because of the price of the Centaur Knights before, but maybe we should have built more.¡±

    Mode three pulled by two horses was similar to the prototype wagons, and could ferry up to three Silhouette Knights; Toybox, Gordesleo, and Ambrosius¡¯ Silver Tiger. Ambrosius mumbled something totally unrelated to the battle and turned to the gate behind him.

    ¡°Ernesti, I will make it clear first. I will leave the demon beasts to you, make as much ruckus as you like. That should be what you want, too, right?¡±

    ¡°By your command, thank you for your concern¡­ We will head out and take out those damned demon beasts.¡±

    After letting the Silver Tiger alight, Tzendrinble mode three moved forth once more. Seeing it trampling over the soldier shell beasts and disappearing into the centre of the swarm, Ambrosius smiled wryly.

    ¡°It seemed that he will really wipe the demon beasts out. That is not a problem, but¡­¡±

    Ambrosius stared at the fortress that was at a loss because of the intervention of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and ordered it to open its gates.

    The fierce wagon ferrying the Knight Commander, former Regent and a prince headed for the gate, while the rest of the Knights¡ª The Tzendrinble Company charged deep into the giant tree garden.

    ¡°Wow, they are everywhere!¡±

    Seeing the shell beasts that flooded the forest, captain of the 3rd Company Helvi frowned. They heard that they will be facing a huge amount of demon beasts, but seeing it for real still made her feel disgusted.

    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s get to work! All units prepare to stop and separate in front of the swarm!¡±

    The Tzendrinble Company followed their Company leader¡¯s instructions and split towards either side, leaving space for it to brake to avoid colliding with each other. The connection parts on the horses started churning, separating from the wagon. The shrill sound of metal on metal friction erupted along with sparks, braking as it verged on the edge of flipping over. The Centaur Knights left the wagon that braked in a cloud of dust and moved off.

    Once the ten wagons were parked properly, loud noises could be heard from the still cargo. With the sound of ether reactor churning and air intake pumping, the noise became louder. The mana was sent to all parts of the machine. The steel knights began to awaken.

    In the dark giant tree garden, a bright armour of pure white emerged. Its crystal tissue started flexing, giving rise to a chorus of high and low pitched sounds. Personal machine of the 1st Company Captain Edgar¡ª the white knight unbuckle the wire securing it and stood up.

    ¡°1st Company move towards the fort and widen the frontlines. Di, I will leave the work of opening the road there to you.¡±

    The 1st Company gathered to Edgar.

    Maintaining its original metallic green with a giant white cross painted on it, these Karrdetolle belonged to the 1st Company.

    ¡°Yeah, alright. 2nd Company split into platoons and take a charging formation, clear the road to the fort. We will deal a crushing blow to them later!¡±

    On the other side, a bright red armour appeared.

    That was the personal machine of the 2nd Company Captain Dietrich¡ª a crimson knight. The 2nd Company Karrdetolle that followed him was painted with a large scarlet cross. They held swords, spears, great swords, war hammers, halberds, staffs and Silhouette Arms, all of them offensive weapons. This was why they were known as the ¡®gangbangers Company¡¯ in the Silver Phoenix Knight.

    The one leading the way was the Captain himself. Their machines were strengthened; even their swords were wider and heavier. The strengthened offensive machine swung its sword and easily sliced the soldiers through shell and sinew. The 2nd Company behind him widened the path created by their Captain, paving a way made of demon beast carcasses through the forest.

    The 1st Company went through the passage where the enemy numbers dropped drastically, successfully taking the only road to the Ravine Gate in no time.

    ¡°Next will be the real fight! Don¡¯t let your guard down and wipe out the demon beasts. Maintain the defensive formation and advance, push them back to the forest!¡±

    The 1st Company responded to Edgar¡¯s command loudly. For them, defence wasn¡¯t just protecting their own safety. Similar to how Edgar bashed the demon beasts with his shield, the tactic of pushing the frontlines ahead straight on was a form of offense that came from powerful defence.

    Silver Phoenix Knights which had the powerful new models might not match Alvanz in numbers, but they displayed overwhelming combat prowess. The demon beast swarm finally realised their adversaries were too much for them to handle. The shell beasts used their unique communication method to summon the drill shell beasts, roping them in to expel the enemy. When he saw the giant demon beast coming at them, Edgar slightly raised his eyebrows on his stern face.

    Before he could do anything, someone already acted.

    ¡°Hmm, it is impressive¡­ Well, not as tough as the behemoth. Leave these types to me.¡±

    After Dietrich said what he wanted, Guyalinda started running.

    The shoulder and waist part of the machine started to deploy, opening up the back. The sound of air intake started revving, and a ring of explosive fire appeared behind Guyalinda. It turned into a heat wave in an instant, accelerating the machine drastically.

    Guyalinda was installed with Magi Jet Thrusters. It might be a simplified version of the original; it would be just as useful if used adequately.

    The movement of the shell beasts couldn''t keep up, and Guyalinda reached the drill shell beast before it could speed up. When Guyalinda rush by the shell beast, it shot the lightning frail embedded in its gauntlet at the beast''s head. The accelerated metal piece was more powerful than its size suggests, smashing right into the protruding eyes, crashing the eyeballs and shell as it pierced into the beast''s body.

    "Here''s the tip."

    Right after this, the in-built Silhouette Arms in Guyalinda''s gauntlet groaned. Tactical level electricity coursed right into the shell beast through the wire. Even the tough giant beast couldn''t withstand the direct hit to its head. After spasming for a while, it collapsed.

    "How undramatic..."

    As Guyalinda was trying to end it coolly, Aldelecumber pushed him aside and stood before him with flexible coat deployed. Thorn bullet was deflected by the coat the next second away from the knights. Aldelecumber''s cold stare pierced the stunned Guyalinda,

    "Don''t be careless, Di. We might have the upper hand, but the enemy isn''t weak."

    "Alright, alright, yes. you have a point. Phew, I''m saved!"

    While the two were conversing, the shadows squirming in the shadows, sniping shell beasts renewed their attack; the thorn bullets came flying with a crisp explosive sound. Di knocked the bullets away with his swords, but was stopped by Edgar when he was about to charge the demon beast.

    "Leave that to me, that''s my area of expertise."

    It was Aldelecumber''s turn to assault. The flexible coat on its shoulder moved as it ran. The barrage of thorn bullets changed its trajectory after making sparks on the angled armour.

    The sniping shell beast had powerful ranged attacks, but was weaker in other aspects. Their strange body shape made their movement slow, ill fitted for melee combat. These types of demon beasts requires soldier to guard it in order to maximise its power.

    However, Aldelecumber who thought nothing of its prided range attack was its natural nemesis. Despite its limited intellect, the sniping shell beast realised the approaching danger and fired multiple times, but none of it hit.

    Maybe it was to protect the sniping shell beast, or maybe they just want to repel the enemy, the soldier shell beast formed a wall before Aldelecumber. Edgar operated the flexible coat silently. The improved version of the moveable armour flexible coat had Silhouette Arms on the inside of the armour surrounding the machine.

    As he opened the armour, Edgar targeted the demon beast and fired consecutive magic shots with the guidance of the aiming system. The fiery bullet flew with an orange burning tail behind it, landing accurately onto the soldier¡¯s body before exploding under as dictated by its script. The blaze from the fiery bullet blew the abdomen along with its exoskeleton into shreds.

    In the face of the unstoppable Aldelecumber, the sniping shell beast stopped its resistance and prepared to escape. But unfortunately, Edgar won¡¯t let it flee.

    Adelecumber closed its distance to the slow sniping shell beast and raised the small kite shaped shield on its left arm. This shield might be small, but its edge was much sharper, similar to arrow heads. Using the momentum of his sprint and the flexibility of his crystal tissue, the focused heavy strike pierced the sniping shell beast. The shield which was tougher than a sword structurally stabbed into its head, the impact shaking the entire body of the demon beast. With the sound of a shattering bang, the sniping shell beast collapsed in a heap and died.

    ¡°Company, advance! We will meet some resistance, but nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡±

    ¡°Roger. Second Company! Surround the drill shell beasts; take them out one at a time!¡±

    Even the powerful drill shell beast couldn¡¯t faze them; the only advantage the shell beast swarm had left was numbers. The soldier shell beasts flooded their enemy in an attempt to overwhelm them, but someone intercepted them with a heavy blow, as if they were waiting for this. It was the 3rd Company made up of Tzendrinbles.

    While the 1st and 2nd Company were displaying their prowess, the 3rd Company had been charging around the forest in formation. The orderly ranks of the Centaur Knights charged at the same time, leaving a trail of destruction behind, massacring the enemy one sidedly.

    The charge of the Tzendrinble was unparalleled, but their strongest point was in their mobility. The Centaur Knights moved around the battlefield freely, the more they ran, the more carcasses they left behind. The enemy was disrupted by the charge and unable to use their numerical advantage, which sealed off all their means of attack they had.

    The appearance of the Silver Phoenix Knights made the situation for the shell beast swarm dire.

    The tide of the battle turned drastically hence forth.

 Book 3: Chapter 26: Queen of the shell beast

    After dropping off the former Regent and Prince at the Ravine Gate, the twin¡¯s Tzendorg pulled the wagon containing Toybox that was piloted by Eru into the depths of the giant tree garden courageously.

    They met resistance from the shell beasts along the way, but defeated these forces with the powerful attacks of Tzendorg. Despite that, the number of enemies flooding them kept increasing. The strong adversary with amazing strength made them wary.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good! There are still more behind!¡±

    ¡°What should we do, Eru? It will be terrible if they surround us, should we seek another route or turn back?¡±

    No matter how powerful Tzendorg was, it was still just one machine. They will be surrounded and crushed by their foes if this went on. In contrast to the hesitant twins, Eru was decisively in his judgement to forge ahead¡ª He came up with a plan.

    ¡°Maintain current course, deploy the equipment of mode three. Make a pin point charge with support from magic shots.¡±

    ¡°I have been waiting for this!¡±

    ¡°Under¡ª stood¡ª!!¡±

    This wagon known as mode three wasn¡¯t just a giant transportation device, it could also display the power of the cavalry to the fullest, a prototype equipment used purely for battle.

    Tzendorg was connected to the wagon behind which was loaded with all sorts of equipment. The two pilots busied themselves with their control stick and buttons, doing the necessary preparations.

    ¡°We are going, Eru! Releasing secure belts¡­ Battle transformation, begin¡ª!!¡±

    The moment they gave the command, the back half of the wagon broke away. Eru sat on the remaining front half grabbing a connector with Toybox. Toybox supplied mana and script to the wagon, moving the armour around it.

    Most of the wagon was made up from auxiliary arm and flexible coat. The sub arms lifted the armour as instructed and changed its deployment, concentrating on the seated Toybox. At the same time, numerous equipment kept within the armour was revealed. Huge foldable blades jutted out on either side with a dim glow, while two Silhouette Arms were erected to Toybox¡¯s sides.

    ¡°Battle transformation complete¡­ Presenting the mode three equipment ¡®chariot¡¯!!¡±

    It looked totally different from a huge wagon. The armour covering all angles, beast slaying sword for melee and the Silhouette Arms ¡®Culverin¡¯ jutting out intimidatingly, it was truly a chariot.

    Tzendorg expelled gas really loudly and increased the speed of its charge, dragging the heavy chariot in a gallop.

    ¡®Culverin¡¯ showed its fangs to the shell beasts, it was meant to be mounted on a chariot, a powerful Silhouette Arms not meant to be wielded by hand.

    The magic shots that glowed bright red flew towards the shell beasts blocking the chariot¡¯s path. Piercing the shell with ease, the ¡®Culverin¡¯ sent many of the demon beasts to a fiery death. Mana supply of the ¡®Culverin¡¯ didn¡¯t come from Tzendorg. Instead, it tapped into Toybox¡¯s mana pool. Toybox was flawed as a Silhouette Knight, but it had plenty of mana to spare because of its multiple ether reactors.

    Toybox relied on the mobility of Tzendorg to move while using most of its mana to attack. It was named a chariot, but it''s used exceeded that with its turret on a moving platform and was closer to a tank.

    The chariot charged at top speed towards the wall of shell beasts that was decreasing due to the barrage from ¡®Culverin¡¯. Enemies right in its path was struck down by the lance of Tzendorg, while the adversaries around them were slain by the beast slaying swords. Instead of an edged weapon, the beast slaying sword looks closer to a blunt weapon. With the inertia of the chariot, the thick metal blades could cut through the shells of the beasts.

    The further the chariot advanced, the bigger the body count of the shell beasts was. They forged ahead through unstoppable courage and strength.

    As the chariot took out the shell beasts in its path, it headed deep into the forest.

    The giant tree garden was a boring place. All you could see was endless gigantic trees. This numbed their sense of time and position. Ady was the one to tire of this boring sight first.

    ¡°Nah Eru, where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Well, why do you think the shell beasts attacked us?¡±

    She tilted her head in response to Eru¡¯s question, and Chid answered in her stead.

    ¡°Ah, because they are ¡®splitting hive¡¯, so they are leaving their original swarm.¡±

    ¡°That is correct. From the structure of the shell beast society, there must be a queen at the centre of the swarm. Hive splitting occurs because of the birth of a new queen, so we have to take out the queen to stop this ¡®invasion¡¯. I heard the queen shell beast is a tough nut to crack, that¡¯s why we will deal with her with our mode three.¡±

    ¡°I see. Great, the bigger the opponent, the more exciting it is!¡±

    The trio chatted casually, but Tzendorg didn¡¯t slow down as it sped through the forest. No enemy showed up to stop them, and they pressed on with a speed normal Silhouette Knights couldn¡¯t match, allowing them to break through the sturdy barrier of the soldier shell beasts.

    The weird thing happened suddenly. A shrill sound of crushing shook the atmosphere. The scene before their eyes stunned them¡ª colossal trees that were as tough as normal demon beasts were crushed mercilessly, falling along with its broken branches.

    ¡°... Jackpot?¡±

    Even Silhouette Knights would find it tough to snap colossal trees, and was impossible for humans to achieve. To meet something that could pulverise the giant trees¡­ There were not many answers that would fit.

    In the dust cloud that was sky high, they could see a giant, dense shadow. Its head was about the same as the colossal trees around it, so Eru and the rest thought it was the trunk of a tree. However, they quickly realised that thing moved, and was actually the leg of a demon beast.

    ¡°Eru! A super huge one came out!¡±

    ¡°Yup, that is probably the queen shell beast¡­ It is bigger than I imagined.¡±

    Even Eru couldn¡¯t hide his worry. The demon beast emerging from the dust cloud was much more massive than they imagined. Surprisingly, the top of the body could touch the leaves of the colossal trees, with the legs as thick as the colossal trees responsible for most of its height. No wonder they were mistaken.

    From afar, its body structure consisting of six walking appendages and two claws were similar to the other shell beasts. Its torso that was covered in exoskeleton bent like a shrimp. The most prominent thing was the part hanging below its abdomen, which wasn¡¯t protected by shell like normal shell beasts. It was several times larger than its torso.

    The scientific name was ¡®incubator shell¡¯, the organ that produced eggs for shell beasts. Eggs produced by the queen would hatch inside its body, and the hatchling¡¯s infancy would be spent inside the incubator shell, only leaving when it was matured. Apart from being the only one capable of reproducing, it was also the nest itself, the embodiment of the swarm.

    I see, so the gigantic legs is for supporting that massive belly, Eru thought nonchalantly.

    However, there was no way that they would know that a queen splitting hives would not had grown an incubator shell yet, since it hinders movement and was an obvious weak point. A queen that functions as a nest migrating¡ª that was an abnormality for the behaviour of shell beasts. The main reason was that the swarm had grown far beyond normal standards.

    ¡°The problem isn¡¯t the size, but the toughness. Let¡¯s try attacking.¡±

    In the face of the humongous demon beast, their fighting spirit continued to burn brightly. The chariot charged towards the feet of the queen shell beast. Maybe it didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care, the queen continued its slow pace that send tremour through the ground. The heavy incubator shell was a heavy burden and the queen couldn¡¯t go any faster.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop its movement, go for the legs!¡±

    Toybox aimed the Culverin on the chariot and fired directly at the demon beasts legs. The queen seemed to notice them and stopped. Using this chance, the chariot advanced, shearing at a leg with the demon slaying sword as they passed by¡ª but the attack was ineffective, knocking the chariot into the air because of the reactionary force instead.

    ¡°Ohh! Hyaa!?¡±

    The heavy chariot went airborne because of the collision and started spinning. The twins in the pilot seat widened their eyes helplessly. Both chariot and pilots would take heavy damage if this continued.

    Immediately after this, a bright flame shot out from the airborne chariot. It was Eru who activated Toybox¡¯s magi jet thrusters. The powerful propelling force countered the spinning momentum, restoring their balance. After this close save, the chariot which was about to flip over, landed safely. The group was silent for a long while as the chariot kept going as if nothing was wrong.

    ¡°... Let¡¯s not attack the legs.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, agreed.¡±

    The trio broke out in cold sweat and decided to pull away from the queen. Although the chariot avoided the fate of being destroyed, the demon slaying sword had a crack because of the impact earlier. If they did it again, it will definitely snap.

    ¡°It must be tough since it could support such a massive body. Destroying it with brute force should be impossible.¡±

    ¡°What should we do, Eru? Even mode three was knocked back, this is very bad.¡±

    ¡°Eh, let¡¯s attack the weak spot head on.¡±

    The chariot turned back after making a large detour, charging the queen shell beast once more. The queen finally noticed the small object running around it and adopted an intimidating pose against them. It stomped on them when it saw the chariot making a beeline for it.

    ¡°Turn¡ª!¡±

    Tzendorg made a sharp turn, tilting the body dangerously to dodge the stomp. With a burst from Toybox, the chariot following behind also adjusted its direction of movement.

    Next, Eru fired the Culverin in rapid succession after the queen stopped momentarily. He didn¡¯t aim for the leg, but the large weak spot, the incubating shell. His shots were fired haphazardly, but he couldn¡¯t miss such a prominent target. Crimson magic bullets flew into the abdomen hanging below it, bursting into hellish flames as dictated by its script. A bright blossom of explosion appeared on the stomach of the queen.

    The relaxed shell beast queen lost its balance for the first time and shrieked in pain. The powerful ¡®Culverin¡¯ roasted the inside of the incubator shell. Flames burst out from the queen¡¯s abdomen and it fell onto the ground.

    ¡°Oh, that was unexpectedly easy.¡±

    ¡°Eru, why didn¡¯t we do that instead of charging from the very start?¡±

    No one answered Ady¡¯s comment.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go back since we had settled this¡­¡±

    Chid relaxed and said after the unexpected battle outcome, but was overshadowed by a terrifying scream from behind. Although the shell beast queen stopped momentarily after its incubator shell was burned, it didn¡¯t die.

    Blowing huge amounts of foam from its mouth, it searched its surrounding with its focused protruding eyes. Finally, the queen found its hated enemy and was coloured with rage.

    The shell beast queen stood with the sound of muscle tissue ripping. It came from the abdomen connected to the incubator shell. It grew louder as it movement became bigger before finally breaking off the incubator shell with a loud snap.

    The incubator shell was an important organ for the queen, but losing it doesn¡¯t lead to death; as long as its main body survives, it could be regenerated. However, it would take a rather long time, which was a critical blow towards the survival of the swarm.

    ¡°Oh, her majesty is angry, let¡¯s get away for now.¡±

    Before Eru even finished, the twins was already pushing Tzendorg to escape. When it saw what they were doing, the shell beast queen also started moving. Without the burden of the incubator shell, the queen moved with astonishing speed, as if all its slow movement before was a lie. Its massive strides allowed it to move even faster than the chariot. Catching up in no time, it used its legs to stomp mightily.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    The powerful legs struck like an explosion, falling onto the path they were heading in, cracking the ground and the roots as it shook the ground. If they crash into it head on, they would be done for. The twins changed direction with Tzendorg in a hurry. Toybox¡¯s magi jet thrusters roared and their unified effort completed the impossible tight turn.

    Swerving left and right, they kept changing their direction of advance, displaying a nimbleness a heavy cart wouldn¡¯t be capable of. They avoided each and every one of the queen¡¯s stomping feet.

    The queen was relentless in each pursuit, stomping all over the place in order to crush the chariot. It seemed inevitable for them to be pulverised, but despite being forced to the brink, they managed to evade their death.

    ¡°We made it through!¡±

    ¡°Head straight for the forest!!¡±

    The chariot slid in between the giant trees while the shell beast queen was hindered by its massive body. Using this chance, they bought more time and distance in order to discuss their strategy against the wrath of the queen.

    ¡°Sh*t, it is fast and hard, mode three can¡¯t take her out, what should we do!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, being tough and hard is fine, but it is fast, too.¡±

    The sound of the shell beast queen rampaging and breaking colossal trees could be heard from behind. It had no intention of giving up, and was filled with the resolve to chase them wherever they might go.

    ¡°Sigh, this is bad, right, Eru? Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous if we run around with the shell beast queen in tow?¡±

    If the Silver Phoenix Knights had to face the shell beast queen which was capable of snapping colossal trees, it would be a hard fight. Even if the Silver Phoenix Knights could handle it, they need to watch out for Alvanz behind them, too. Just imagining bringing the thing along behind them gave them the chills.

    ¡°... True. Alright, change of plans. Please continue to circle around the forest and attract its attention. If it stops, do what you can to attack it.¡±

    ¡°Roger! And, you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Will seek an audience with her majesty.¡±

    Eru released the securing harness as he spoke. By opening up the armour of the chariot, Toybox would be able to move independently. He, then, detached the Culverin on the chariot, and held onto it with the sub arms on the back of Toybox. By using both of the sub arms, Eru finally managed to secure the heavy lance onto his machine.

    At this moment, Tzendorg dodged into the shades of the colossal trees. The moment the queen¡¯s gaze was covered by the giant trees, Eru¡¯s Toybox leapt off the chariot. He observed the shell beast queen from the shadows, and saw that the queen was only tracking the prominent chariot, not realising he had alighted.

    ¡°Alright, the main event will be coming up¡­¡±

    Eru activated the magi jet thrusters on Toybox¡¯s waist and shoulders and kept the crystal eye onto the trunk of the colossal tree. Sounds of explosion erupted. Toybox started accelerating and jumped onto the trunk, using the propelling force to run straight up the tree. He was planning to use the magi jet thrusters to aid the Silhouette Knight in climbing a tree. Eru¡¯s action was crazy as usual.

    Eru forced the heavy machine made from steel and crystal tissue up the trunk with incredible speed. However, the magi jet thrusters output dropped suddenly midway, and the unbalanced Toybox twisted its movement direction drastically.

    ¡°This is nothing!¡±

    Eru kicked off the trunk, pushing off towards a branch nearby and grabbed on. The thinner branch started cracking and falling, which softened Toybox¡¯s landing. He was lucky that the colossal tree could withstand the weight of a Silhouette Knight. If anything went wrong, he might have fallen to the ground directly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel safe using huge amount of mana. If I knew this would happen, I would have prepared some anchor wire¡­ I will review it after going back.¡±

    Eru started grumbling. The failure of the magi jet thrusters was due to the structural flaw of Toybox, leading to the unstable control over the ether reactors. Short burst was fine, but operation over a long period was unstable like hugging a time bomb. All he could do was to deal with it one step at a time. Eru rested the machine a bit, and started climbing the tree once the output was stable. He didn¡¯t run up the trunk directly, but jumped from branch to branch.

    The shell beast queen was right in front of him. Its protruding eyes turned when it saw the giant figure leaping from tree to tree. Considering the machine as just an obstacle in its path, the queen wasn¡¯t fazed by it and kicked at the giant tree with its destructive leg. Toybox lost its balance when its foothold was destroyed.

    ¡°Well done! Since I already reach this point¡ª!!¡±

    The roots cracked as the colossal tree fell slowly. Eru stabilised the machine with the jet thrust and charged full speed ahead, gaining height quickly when the tree was tilting sideways.

    Turning the head of the machine, the holo monitor projected the image of the queen leaving after it was satisfied with the destruction it wrought. Toybox focused on its target and kicked off the colossal tree, taking off with the magi jet thrusters at maximum burst.

    Not expecting this move, the queen reacted a tad slower. Toybox which leapt off with explosive speed landed nicely on the back of the shell beast queen. Turning its head which was much smaller than its body, the queen glared at the unwelcomed guest on its body.

    ¡°Ara, greetings, your majesty. Pardon me, but for a mere demon beast to attack my Silhouette Knights¡­ You better say your prayers.¡±

    As Eru made his joke-like speech, he struck first before the shell beast queen could do anything, aiming for the giant beast¡¯s head. Normal means wouldn¡¯t work against gigantic demon beast protected by tough shells. The only way was to focus the attack on the weak points. The head was the obvious weak point common to all living beings, the bigger the body, the easier for aim for it.

    The shell beast queen didn¡¯t allow Eru free reign. A pair of massive claws attacked the foreign object on its back. Toybox burst its magi jet thrusters sporadically to evade the fierce attacks and then closed the distance to the head while prepping the ¡®Culverin¡¯ on its back.

    He was just a step away from the head. At this moment, Eru suddenly turned the magi jet thrusters around and braked sharply. The powerful pressure from changing directions made the entire machine creaked. He stopped because something flashed before his eyes.

    They weren¡¯t claws, but something extending out from the head of the shell beast queen. Those were sharp blades that send food to the queen¡¯s mouth, mandibles. Using its muscles like a spring, the mandible was strong enough to cut steel. The proof was the slash on the chest armour of Toybox.

    ¡°You are really talented! If I had known, I would have brought more equipment!¡±

    The mandible attacked the retreating Toybox again. In the face of the impregnable double layer of defence, Eru couldn¡¯t do anything. Adding the unstable foothold on top, he couldn¡¯t get near freely.

    With something foreign on its body that wouldn¡¯t go away, the queen started losing its patience. It probably understood the attack from its claw wasn¡¯t working, so it changed its approach. Suddenly, a tremour could be felt from under Toybox. It was the shell beast queen lowering its stance and shaking its body violently. With its huge size, its violent movement was earth shaking, Eru who was on top of it felt the movement to be greater than a leaf in a tornado, it took everything he had to not get shaken off.

    ¡°Wait, this is terrible!¡±

    The violently shaking body of the shell beast queen became a weapon. Eru adjusted the dampers and magi jet thrusters to balance himself as he jump around to avoid being hit. This will exhaust the mana pool of Toybox really fast, so Eru searched for a chance to counterattack, but the situation seemed dire.

    What gave the chance to the desperate Eru wasn¡¯t the shell beast queen or Eru himself. Crimson bullets came from the forest, hitting the leg and torso of the shell beast queen and bursting into flames. It didn¡¯t suffer heavy damage as it was protected by the shell, the impact still made the gigantic beast lost its balance and restraining its movements

    ¡°Eru, are you okay!? We are here to help!¡±

    The one shooting the bullets was Tzendorg which had turned back. It ran around the shell beast queen a large distance away as they fired the ¡®Culverin¡¯ left on the chariot. The shell beast queen shrieked when it saw the despicable chariot that destroyed its incubator shell. It had low intelligence, but the queen remembered what its enemy looked like.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, aim for us! I will dodge all your attacks!¡±

    After getting the queen¡¯s attention, Tzendorg escaped into the forest. Ignoring the small object on its back, the shell beast queen changed its target and pursued the chariot.

    Using this golden opportunity, Eru sneaked ahead with Toybox. The defence of the mandible made it hard for him to attack the head. If that was the case, he just needed to change the target to the joints of the legs. He still remembered the ¡®theory of destroying giant weapons¡¯.

    Toybox transferred the ¡®Culverin¡¯ secured by the sub arms to his hands and aimed for the joint connecting the legs. The two ether reactor on Toybox churned angrily at full speed, channeling powerful mana into the Silhouette Arms. The magic bullet fired from an extremely close distance pierced the joint with flaming heat. With the protection of strengthening magic, a single shot won¡¯t have much effect. Eru shot twice more and hid after seeing their explosion. The next second, a column of fire erupted from the base of the shell beast queen.

    The queen squirmed its body as it shrieked. No matter how tough the shells were, it couldn¡¯t cover the joints as that would prevent movement. Even the colossal beast couldn¡¯t take the powerful shots of the ¡®Culverin¡¯.

    Eru struggled to balance on the suffering beast and attack the leg besides it. The magic shot erupted into explosion again and the queen spasm with each blow, but its movement was growing weaker. The legs on just one side was attacked, causing its colossal body to tilt.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, here, have one more.¡±

    Eru shot at the tilting shell beast queen from the side, the impact finally pushing the queen off balance. Once the joints supporting the legs were burned, it couldn¡¯t fight against the pull of gravity. The colossal beast fell into a cloud of dust silently.

    Toybox stayed on its back until the last moment before jumping into the air. Eru attempted to slow his descent with his magi jet thrusters, but his earlier reckless action made the output unstable, making it impossible to slow down.

    ¡°Toybox, just hang on! Let me see your spirit!¡±

    Eru pushed the remaining mana into the side propeller, forcefully changing the direction of his drop. Tzendorg that was pulling the chariot rushed to the spot under him.

    ¡°Leave catching Eru to me¡ª!¡±

    Toybox aimed for the chariot and fell into it. During the moment of impact, the flexible coat and sub arms took the place of shock absorbers, barely catching onto Toybox. A sharp cracking sound could be heard from all over Toybox. Part of its inner skeleton and muscle tissue broke, but Eru didn¡¯t cared and focused on the chariot. He activated the flexible coat and beast slaying sword, ready for battle.

    ¡°Give it the final blow! Ady, Chid, turn back!¡±

    The two of them gave reliable acknowledgements. Tzendorg galloped at top speed with the chariot in tow.

    When the dust cleared, the shell beast queen was still on the ground. Its legs were broken and it couldn¡¯t move. Being large and standing tall worked against it as it suffered severe injuries crashing into the ground. Despite its condition, the queen was still struggling. Blood dripped out from its mouth as it moved its legs in an attempt to move.

    Sounds of horse hooves rose. In order to deal the final blow to the shell beast queen, the chariot charged at full speed. The queen had no way of defending itself. Its mandibles broke during the fall; it could still move its claw, but its attack range was limited. Its other legs wouldn¡¯t help much.

    ¡°Checkmate.¡±

    Eru dodged its last ditch kick and the chariot charged pass the shell beast queen¡¯s head with its remaining beast slayer sword. The heavy steel plate powered by the insane speed of the chariot crashed into the head shell that was already crumbling from its fall, smashing it apart. The head of the queen splitted and its contents sprayed out. The queen exhaled for the final time.

    ¡°Yay! We really did it this time, Eru!¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you for the hard work, you two. Well then, let¡¯s meet up with the others.¡±

    ¡°Roger!¡±

    The trio didn¡¯t have time to be emotional after taking down the shell beast queen and hurried back to Althusser Ravine Gate.

    With the Knight Commander¡¯s return, the Silver Phoenix Knights became even more powerful. After losing their queen, the shell beast swarm lost control and their only advantage in numbers were lost with the return of Alvanz. The battle that followed was a one sided affair.

    After a week, the shell beast swarm was completely eradicated.

 Book 3: Chapter 27: Forest City

    Because of the exemplary performance of the Silver Phoenix Knights, the Forest City was relieved from its biggest crisis ever.

    After finishing off the shell beasts completely, the giant tree garden was still in a state of chaos. This was because most of the Alvanz had been tasked to clear the carcass scattered around the giant tree gardens, even though the high alert status had been dismissed.

    From the scale of the attack, the amount of damage they suffered was light and Althusser Ravine Gate wasn¡¯t affected at all. On the other hand, Alvanz lost quite a lot of men and equipment, and would be troubled by the need to rebuild it.

    As for the Silver Phoenix Knights, they were as good as new, just slight damage from the reckless charges of the chariot. They were stationed in Althusser for now and assisted with the rebuilding works. A side note was that the 3rd Company of Tzendrinble was the most prominent in the Fort. Possessing transport capacity and speed far exceeding those of normal wagons, they became a powerful transport team. They were also travelling to and fro busily with carts full of resources today.

    Compared to them, the 1st and 2nd Company performing guard duty had an easier time. While they were performing their rounds, someone visited the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°We are in your debt. If not for you, I can¡¯t imagine what would have happened to us, we would probably be wiped out.¡±

    The visitor was a member of the Alvanz, Arnis.

    ¡°You are too kind; this is part of our duty too.¡±

    Edgar felt bad when he saw Arnis lowering his head. Edgar bore a lot of respect for Arnis after the experience of losing to him in the simulated battle some time ago.

    ¡°No matter what the reason, the fact is that we are saved. We knew each other, so I wanted to say thanks personally.¡±

    ¡°... Yes, if you insist.¡±

    Seeing Edgar being stiff as usual, Arnis fought to suppress his wry smile. He knew such attitude was inappropriate when conversing with your benefactor.

    ¡°By the way, your Knight looks great.¡±

    Arnis looked at Aldelecumber by their side as if to shift the focus. It might look as plain as Earlecumber, but it had fantastic fighting capabilities, taking out dozens of shell beast swarms led by drill shell beasts. Edgar reacted honestly with joy when he heard the praise for his machine.

    ¡°Thank you, Aldelecumber is a partner I am proud of.¡±

    ¡°I thought so. Seeing how active it was, even we want to get the new models. Your entire Order is outfitted with the new models, right? It has quite the impact.¡±

    Arnis thought back of the scene back then. Even after discounting the Tzendrinbles, the performance of the two Company of Karrdatolle could only be described as astounding. It was not a stretch to say that they did the job of several times of the old model¡­ No, ten times would be more accurate. Since such an incident happened, it was natural for Yanis to import the new models to strengthen the Alvanz.

    ¡°I think it is only a matter of time before the new Silhouette Knights are implemented throughout the nation. Since this is an important strategic base, you should have the priority of getting the improved machines.¡±

    ¡°You are right; I¡¯m looking forward to it.

    Arnis seemed very happy when he heard Edgar¡¯s reply and smiled a little childishly.

    Several days later, a carriage arrived at Althusser Ravine Gate with an unexpected guest¡ª the director of NTR Lab, Olver Blomdahl. NTR Lab might be an important organisation within the nation, but it was hard to imagine how it might be related to this secret city. He came before Ambrosius the moment he alighted.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait, Your Excellency¡­ First of all, thank you for saving our ¡®home¡¯! Please accept my heartfelt gratitude.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I had been waiting. Don¡¯t mention it, this place is important to us, too, and we only followed what the ¡®law¡¯ dictated.¡±

    Olver nodded and looked at Eru who was with Ambrosius.

    ¡°So he¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is no better chance than this.¡±

    Eru who didn¡¯t know what they were talking about shift his gaze between the two of them. Ambrosius smiled mischievously and told him: ¡°Eh, Ernesti, I made a promise with you some time ago, right?¡±

    Eru nodded. The promise could only be referring to one thing.

    ¡°I promised to tell you the secret of the reactor if you made the best Silhouette Knight. The performance of the Silver Phoenix Knight, and the Knight and Chariot that defeated the shell beast queen. I am pleased by the knights you have made. Hence, I decided to fulfill my promise.¡±

    Eru¡¯s expression shone as he listened. According to the promise, Eru will have the chance to learn ¡®how to construct an ether reactor¡¯. Ether reactor was akin to the heart of the Silhouette Knight, an organ that converts the endless supply of ether in the air into mana. With it, Silhouette Knights ruled over other creatures as the strongest weapon. That was the last piece Eru didn¡¯t know and was searching for in his pursuit of building Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°... Is, is it really okay?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, this is the second heavyweight demon beast you bested, that alone is more than enough merit. Even though I abdicated the throne, I have to reward you for your accomplishments as the former regent. The reigning King agrees, too, so just accepted it.¡±

    Since it reached this point, there was nothing to stop Eru. Changing his attitude, Eru walked towards Tzendorg intending to leave right away. Ambrosius stopped him in a hurry.

    ¡°Hey, I will definitely bring you there, so don¡¯t rush. No combat forces are allowed beyond the Ravine Gates, so we can¡¯t ride Tzendorg there. We have to follow the ¡®law¡¯ only those permitted by the ¡®Watchman¡¯ can enter.¡±

    ¡°Watchman¡­? So I have to meet him? Who might that be?¡±

    Ambrosius pointed to his side where the ever smiling Olver was standing. He came before Eru and bowed respectfully.

    ¡°Please follow me, Sir Silver Phoenix Knight Commander. Allow me to show you to ¡®Home¡¯, my hometown.¡±

    The gate deep in the depths of Althusser Ravine Gate opened with a dull sound, revealing a road leading further in, away from the giant tree garden. At the end of this road was the place that manufactured the ether reactors and where its secret lies. For Eru, it was a path towards paradise.

    After finishing their preparations, the former regent Ambrosius boarded the carriage alongside Eru and Olver, and set off through the gate. After they left, the gate closed once again, barring entry for anyone else.

    Surrounding the Althusser Ravine Gate was scenes of barren mountains.

    Eru¡¯s group travelled up between the mountains on a carriage which was covered by a thin fog, obscuring their view. The paved road continued all the way ahead so they didn¡¯t worry about losing their way. Shortly after, the mist dissipated and their surroundings cleared up.

    After advancing a little while more, the mountain peaks were getting even closer. After going over that mountain, Eru was speechless after watching the view from the carriage window.

    At the foot of the mountain was an open ground on gentle slopes covered by greenery. Some distance away from the forest was an undulating mountain range which extends to Eru¡¯s left and right as well. In simple terms, this was a basin covered by mountains on all sides, a natural haven formed by mount Aubigne. The only road that could access it easily was protected by a fort. As expected of one of the few important bases in the nation, its defence was as sturdy as gold.

    There was something other than a basin in the forest. What attracted Eru¡¯s attention was the giant city that was fused with the forest.

    In the centre of the basin was a tall tower, and the city seemed to radiate out with it as the centre. The buildings did not displace the trees, but built into them as if they were merging into the forest. What laid before him was a strange and unique architectural styles, completely different from what he saw in Laihiala and Jantunen. The culture here was obviously different from the Fremmevira Kingdom.

    ¡°... That is the place we are going, Alfheim, the Forest City.¡±

    The epic scene combining manmade structures with nature mesmerised Eru, he only came to his senses after hearing Ambrosius speak.

    ¡°Alfheim¡­ So that is the place Ether Reactors are made, and where its secret lies! I knew the manufacturing place is classified, just like the production method¡­ Hufufu, I have finally reached this stage¡­¡±

    Eru pressed his entire body onto the glass of the window, watching every single thing on the street closely. He won¡¯t learn anything by staring at them, but he couldn¡¯t help restraining his sense of joy.

    ¡°Those who live in the Forest City are descendents of hermits, the race of magic and technology, Elves.¡±

    Olver continued the topic as he undid the cloth covering his head, letting down the blonde hair hidden within and revealing his sharp, narrow ears. His ears that were about the length of a palm were a clear sign he was from a different race.

    ¡°Elves¡­ Erm, is Mr Olver an Elf?¡±

    ¡°Correct, I might be a Watchman, living outside of home and is responsible as the liaison person between you ¡®humans¡¯ and ¡®home¡¯, but I am also an Elf.¡±

    When Eru heard that, he became doubtful and asked with his head tilted:

    ¡°By the way, I had never met other Elves before. Could it be that few Elves live on the outside?¡±

    Olver nodded with his usual smile.

    ¡°As most of the Elves lived in homes similar to this Alfheim, people like me who travels outside won¡¯t reveal ourselves easily. To us, those who leave home voluntarily are strange.¡±

    ¡°... Is it to hide the Ether Reactor production method?¡±

    That was the part Eru was interested in. To be frank, his curiosity towards the Elves was more like the extension of his interest for the Ether Reactor. Eru who asked suddenly while leaning forward surprised Olver a little, making Ambrosius who couldn¡¯t help smiling say:

    ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t be so anxious. Olver¡¯s situation is different; he doesn''t like to show off too much due to some reasons. Other than that, we have our own considerations; that¡¯s why the Elves¡¯ existence disappeared from history.¡±

    Eru was sitting seiza style in his seat, ready to listen. His attitude was prompting ¡®tell me more about Ether Reactors¡¯.

    ¡°Haha, to be frank, I don¡¯t know much about the production process of Ether Reactors, either.¡±

    Olver was taken aback by how passionate Eru was and reminded him in a hurry.

    ¡°I would love to explain, but those who are watchmen wouldn¡¯t know about the production of Ether Reactors.¡±

    This much was obvious, they won¡¯t share classified secrets with people who were leaving ¡®home¡¯.

    ¡°Is that so¡­ but someone will tell me after I get there, right? I am¡­ really looking forward to it.¡±

    ¡°I apologise for saying this despite your anticipation¡­ I cannot guarantee that you can learn the production method of Ether Reactors.¡±

    Olver hesitated and said after making up his mind:

    ¡°Think about it, what it means for the Elves who are the only ones capable of producing Ether Reactors. It is not just about keeping it a secret¡­ It is something only an Elf can do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Eru replied immediately with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°After listening to all of it, researching and understanding everything, I will attempt it. If it doesn¡¯t work, I will look for another way, and it doesn¡¯t work, I will give up. I will start with the stage of listening to everything.¡±

    No matter how intelligent Olver was, he had no choice but to give up on his persuasion.

    ¡°Eh, that will do. Oh, right, there is some time before we arrive, so allow me to introduce the Elves to relief your boredom. Ernesti, how old do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°...? About twenty five, less than thirty.¡±

    Eru looked at Olver¡¯s pointy ears and answered bafflingly. Olver smiled deviously in reply.

    ¡°You guessed wrong. The correct answer; I am eighty seven.¡±

    When Eru heard that Olver claimed to be older than Ambrosius, Eru showed a complicated expression. On one side was a man with white hair and wrinkles looking his age; on the other was a young man with smooth skin and a head of blonde hair. Looking at them side by side, it was hard to imagine that Olver was older.

    However, Olver wasn¡¯t joking. The young appearance that didn¡¯t match his actual age, the Elf race that hides themselves¡ª from these clues, Eru found the answer.

    ¡°Could it be¡­ Elves have a longer lifespan than us?¡±

    It was Olver¡¯s turn to widen his narrow eyes, showing a rare expression of surprise.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is¡­ You thought about that so quickly, I thought you will think I am joking. That¡¯s right; we Elves have a far longer lifespan than you humans, and live on average until five hundred years old. Even when we get older, our appearance doesn¡¯t change, I will still look this way a few hundred years later.¡±

    Eru appeared calm on the outside, but felt surprised within. Normal humans live to an average of seventy years. Living until eighty was shocking in this world. It was about the same for Dwarves, they were just humans that had stronger muscular built.

    What if a race that lives seven times as long mixed in with them? Their ever young appearance will spark unnecessary friction with the other races, and the Elves might even be the ones losing. The face Eru showed seemed to be expressing that he understood why the City Forest was built in such an inaccessible place.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you all live in secrecy¡­¡±

    Eru frowned a little with his head slightly bowed, but Olver simply shook his head casually.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, it¡¯s not like that. Elves live in secrecy because we don¡¯t want to be bothered.¡±

    When Eru who was in seiza heard Olver said that, he tilted his head and crossed his arms. Hoping he misheard earlier, Eru asked again:

    ¡°... Eh, I beg your pardon, what did you say Elves were like again?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to be bothered.¡±

    The serious atmosphere so far was broken by this sentence.

    ¡°That might sound a bit wrong. Elves are actually a meaningful race, but because of our long lifespan, our mentality tends to change. The first hundred years of our lives is about the same as normal humans.¡±

    Olver nodded while pointing at himself. Indeed, he looked no different from normal humans.

    ¡°However, things become different after that. Elves that lived to two, three hundred years will lose their vigour and interest in their surroundings, spending their times in meditation and slumber, gradually they don¡¯t want to be bothered. Elves who are at the end of their lifespan are said to be just like trees.¡±

    This was beyond Eru¡¯s imagination. The race that was in control of the secret he craved had a very unique lifestyle.

    While they chatted, their carriage was about to arrive at the hidden haven¡ª Alfheim.

    From the Athusser Ravine Gate to the Forest City was a road paved along the mountain paths.

    Starting from small streams, it congregated and formed rapids, flowing alongside the mountain path to form rivers. Both roads and rivers extend into the centre of the basin area, and then into the city.

    Including the road the carriage was traveling on, the streets in the city was paved with stones.

    The rivers flowing in splitted along narrow water paths, spreading throughout the city. It was filled with thick vegetation which was just a bit taller than Silhouette Knights, unlike the huge colossal trees. Not only were there a lot of branches on the trees, the trunk was also bent in a weird way. Their erratic appearance gave those watching it a sense of unease.

    The layout of buildings that could be seen from in between the forest was very unique, as if the architecture was built to lean on the twisted trees. Or rather, half of the structure was fused with the tree, which was part of the house. Some of it was built really close together; others had the trees growing right through the roof. The material used was unique; some vegetation was grown to serve as the base support structure, and was reinforced with timber, stone and cement.

    ¡°This city coexists with the forest.¡±

    The building was built around the trees; this was the reflection of the mentality of the Elves, a representation of their unique culture.

    Shortly after, the carriage reached the centre of the city. An exceptionally special building was here, unique even amongst the forest that was one with the city.

    ¡°This is the heart of Alfheim, ¡®Forest Sanctuary¡¯.¡±

    Forest Sanctuary was a tower of pure white ivory, prominent in the Forest City that was filled with the colours of nature. Its surface was curved gently without any clear patterns, with a spiral shape becoming apparent from the mid section and forming a pointed tip at the top, which was similar to some type of shell. The base was wide, supported by clusters of pillars and beams; it even had strange windows and corridors within.

    Is this a part of a giant shell beast, as large as the queen shell beast?

    As Eru fell into his happy imaginations about unknown creatures, he saw the door opening for the waiting carriage and remembered this was a building used by people.

    A slender figure came out of the building with the sound of clothes fluttering. Olver was dressed just like humans, but the Elves living in the forest followed their original culture. They mainly cover themselves with light green clothes, clasping them with accessories which looked similar to flowers and trees.

    The Elf who came before the group bowed in a way unique to the Elves, and led them into the Forest Sanctuary.

    ¡°Welcome, former Regent and Sir Olver. This way please¡­ Elder is expecting you.¡±

    Ambrosius nodded after alighting from the carriage and led Eru and Olver in with confident strides.

    The inside of the Sanctuary also used timber that was as white as the outside. Perhaps it was the excellent design that made use of natural lightning; it wasn¡¯t dark despite the lack of artificial illumination.

    Rainbows form in some places due to the angle of refraction, splashing the wall with faint myriad of colours. Eru turned his head around, watching the place curiously. Such smooth surfaces didn¡¯t seem to be manmade, maybe they did build this out of the shell of some giant demon beast. He continued walking while thinking about such idle matters.

    The centre of the Sanctuary wasn¡¯t partitioned by ceilings, and it was possible to see the tip of the tower when he looked up.

    When the group reached the hall in the centre, Eru was reminded of the term ¡®Altar¡¯ or ¡®Throne¡¯. The reason was the person sitting in the chair shaped platform found in the centre.

    ¡°It has been a long time, elder Quitterie. When we met previously, it was right after my coronation, it has been thirty years since we last met.¡±

    Ambrosius addressed the person sitting on the marble chair. Behind him, Olver knelt on one knee, overlapping his hands on his head and bowed. After performing this unique greeting, he left.

    Elder Quitterie Kirjarinta¡ª at first glance, the one sitting on the throne was a young girl. To describe her in a word¡­ would be ¡®white¡¯. Her skin was as pale as the walls of the Sanctuary, even her hair was translucent. When Eru saw the silver pupils when she opened her eyes, he felt that it was out of place. Such colour was not something humans should have.

    She was wearing a colourful Elven dress that mimics the colours of nature, and covered it with several layers of white clothes and sashes. It made her look as ethereal as the snow falling on the greenery.

    ¡°It hadn¡¯t been long Ambrosius, you are just old.¡±

    Her voice was as pleasing as music, but sound queer to the ones listening. Lacking emotions in her tone, her voice was flat and lacked warmth.

    If Olver¡¯s explanation was correct, the elderly Elves wasn¡¯t interested in their surroundings. And losing interest in others meant their feelings were getting blander. Compared to her voice, the rustling of the leaves in the wind had more emotions.

    ¡°What kind of greeting is this? Eh, that¡¯s how humans like me are.¡±

    For long lived races like Elves, what was important wasn¡¯t youth, but the accumulated age. It was the same for Elder who was at the top of her people, and it was impossible to tell from her appearance how long she had lived.

    ¡°Well then, I will tell you about the situation outside. We had exterminated the shell beast swarm invading the giant tree garden some days ago; they will not harm this Forest City.¡±

    ¡°... That so. I don¡¯t sense any uproar and hostility, thank you for your assistance.¡±

    They went straight onto the topic after a simple greeting. According to the agreement between Elves and humans, the two races were equal, so talk progressed speedily with minimal ceremony.

    ¡°Yes, since this was the agreement dictated by ¡®law¡¯, you don¡¯t need to worry. There is another personal matter. You might have heard from Olver, but one of my people wants to learn about Ether Reactors.¡±

    Quitterie listened without any reaction and mumbled:

    ¡°So you want to ask this, too.¡±

    ¡°Me, too? That¡¯s right; I am probably not the first to ask¡­¡±

    ¡°The King of the humans had all asked at least once, and had brought different people each time. The best craftsmen, knights and scholars. All of them ended in failure and you all still had not learned your lesson. No, times are always changing, so this was expected.¡±

    Since she took up the position of Elder, she had seen six Kings of the humans. For her, this had become a routine.

    ¡°Huh, so it is that hard. However, the one I brought this time is different. An extraordinary talent, a child that will accomplish great things in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You say it is a child?¡±

    Throughout the dialogue, Quitterie¡¯s face remained unmoved. By the aesthetics of humans, her face was very beautiful. However, such a face still made others uncomfortable when she displayed no expressions. Relative to her, Olver¡¯s face was much more expressive.

    ¡°No matter how talented one was, humans won¡¯t have enough time. No matter how hard you practice, you can¡¯t reach our realm. Those who came in the past were the cream of the crop amongst the humans, but it was futile in the end. I can¡¯t understand why you let such a young one challenge this.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so stingy, he might surprise you, alright?¡±

    ¡°Ambrosius, former Regent of the humans. In accordance of the law, we will give great consideration to your view, but we reserve the right to reject nonsensical requests. While we are grateful for your help earlier, these are two different matters. I have no intention of playing along if it will be a waste of effort.¡±

    ¡°I see, it seems that I didn¡¯t explain myself clearly enough. Of course, we don¡¯t want to make a wasted trip, either. This child had extraordinary abilities amongst the humans, since he can operate a Silhouette Knight without a Magius Engine, that¡¯s how proficient his magic is¡­ Do you still think this is a waste of effort?¡±

    Quitterie¡¯s face was still calm, but she only replied after a short while.

    ¡°This child¡­ Is this true?¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie to you? He had accomplished amazing feats because of his ability. And the one who took down the boss of the demon beast during the battle of the great tree garden is him.¡±

    Ambrosius call forth Eru who was besides him and pushed him towards Quitterie. Eru felt uneasy as the unfocused eyes of Quitterie stared at him. Finally, after a long silence, she made her decision.

    ¡°In pursuant to the ¡®law¡¯, I will believe you, Ambrosius. Thank you, child, for protecting the great meditation and this home. Challenge it then. Since you have the ability, you have a better chance than the humans who came before you. Humans are fascinating, to accomplish so much at such a tender age¡­ Attendant.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    An Elf reacted to the soft summons Quitterie made and present himself with haste.

    ¡°Bring them inside. One of them wishes to learn about Ether Reactors, teach him until he is satisfied.¡±

    The Elven man lowered his head in a unique way, then led Eru and Ambrosius into the depths of the Forest Sanctuary. Eru who realised that Quitterie had acknowledged him followed behind excitedly. When Ambrosius walked passed Quitterie, he looked at her profile.

    ¡°Thank you, Elder. Although it might looked like I am cashing in on a favour.¡±

    Quitterie didn¡¯t look at him when she answered. No matter how beautiful her features were, her unmoving face felt creepy.

    ¡°Meditation time is important to us, and there is value in protecting it. We merely paid the appropriate price in return.¡±

    Ambrosius nodded and disappeared into the depths of the building.

    After he left, Quitterie who was left alone closed her eyes, returning to her meditation. Her conscious once again slipped into the clear torrents and gradually spread out.

    The group walked silently along the corridors that were sparkling.

    Leading the way was an Elven man. The passage seemed to be endless. Eru who was feeling bored looked up at Ambrosius and asked:

    ¡°By the way, Elder mentioned the term ¡®law¡¯, what was that about?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Simply put, that is the way we humans and Elves communicate. It encompasses the trade agreement between us.¡±

    ¡°It seems very important, but is explained casually.¡±

    ¡°From what I know, the Elves made the goal of seeking a higher existence their sacred duty. Olver also said that young elves accumulate experience through activities, but as they grew older, the time they spent in meditation becomes longer. For elders, it won¡¯t be strange to spend an entire day on meditation. After they reached such an age, their view of time is very different.¡±

    Eru thought back about the conversation with Quitterie. She didn¡¯t look at the person she was speaking to, and don¡¯t move much at all. She lived in a different realm from humans.

    ¡°But they are living beings, too, they will die if they don¡¯t eat. Normally, they either hunt or farm to sustain themselves¡­ Which led to the ¡®law¡¯.¡±

    As the topic got to the main point, the ominous feeling in Eru¡¯s heart became stronger.

    ¡°Ether Reactors. They provide us with parts human are unable to produce, and we provide food and security. That is the content of the agreement.¡±

    ¡°The Elves really have no intention of leaving their hidden home¡­¡±

    ¡°Not all Elves, Olver and some others are rather active. Well, they will become like that after they become Elders.¡±

    Races that had long lifespan were different from humans in many ways, it would be hard to live together. Right now, their relationship had a very good balance, that¡¯s how Eru felt.

    The Elven man led them into a room deep within the Forest Sanctuary. It was the same white scenery everywhere, which made Eru and Ambrosius give up on tracking where they were. This place was illuminated with warm light just like the main hall; the barren room only had a few tables and chairs.

    ¡°By the Elder¡¯s orders, I will teach you the knowledge related to Ether Reactors.¡±

    The man said with a stiff attitude. He didn¡¯t have the inhuman atmosphere of Quitterie, and is probably over a century old, retaining enough emotions to converse with humans.

    ¡°Eh, I am just here to accompany him, please speak directly with Ernesti here.¡±

    Shifting his gaze, the man looked at the petite boy who was leaning forward with anticipation after sitting down. Seeing Eru leaning the top half of his body onto the table, the Elven man seemed troubled.

    ¡°Erm, what would you like to know?¡±

    ¡°Everything, please start from the beginning. Please tell me everything about Ether Reactors.¡±

    Being taken aback after Eru finally got on top of the table, the man decided to simply execute his duties and not think too much about it.

    ¡°I understand. Well, then, I will give a brief introduction from the point of invention¡­¡±

    And so, he explained in detail. What is an Ether Reactor? How did the structure that converts ether to mana came about?

    ¡°The truth is, what is known as Ether Reactor, is the heart of living creatures. The creatures in this world possesses mana, there are no exceptions. Even creatures without catalyst and couldn¡¯t use magic possessed the ability to generate mana. Other than this, we know that this conversion happens in the heart. Ether that entered the body together with air will be diverted to the heart. It is converted to mana there. At the core of the conversion is the catalyst crystal in our hearts.¡±

    ¡°... Catalyst crystal? Isn¡¯t catalyst crystal used to convert mana into magic?¡±

    Eru¡¯s question was right on point. Humans could only perform magic with tools embedded with catalyst crystal. When casting spells, the mana will be converted back to ether and released into the air. In other words, the function of the catalyst crystal was opposite of the Ether Reactor.

    ¡°You are right, but the conversion isn¡¯t strictly one way. Under certain conditions, it can convert ether into mana. To reverse the function of the catalyst crystal, two things are required.¡±

    First was the maintenance of blood circulation. Something within the blood reacts with the catalyst crystal, turning ether into mana. Second would be the script, brain of the living beings¡ª a unique script will be activated by the brain on an instinctual level. It was said that the ancient Elf sage who discovered this secret made the first Ether Reactor.

    ¡°According to the stories, the first Ether Reactor was a large silverware covered in emblem grafts, and was filled with the fresh blood of animals.¡±

    He succeeded in generating mana, but the equipment was a failure.

    The reason was simple; blood that was outside the body lost their vitality shortly after. It goes without saying that the need to constantly change the blood made the design impractical. After that, the ancient sage kept researching through trial and error for the liquid that could replace blood.

    ¡°In the end, he focused on the field that is known as ¡®alchemy¡¯ in modern terms. He tested the reaction of all sorts of potions with the catalyst crystal for a period of time that even Elves consider to be long.¡±

    The Elves was relentless in his research, which yielded result after years of research. Elixir¡ª an artificial blood created through alchemy.

    ¡°There are also the necessary scripts engraved onto the container, which are known as ¡®song¡¯. And the name of the script is called ¡®Life Song¡¯.¡±

    The very first script that is part of the instinct of living beings, ¡®Life Song¡¯, is maintained by emblem grafting it onto the container. However, this led to another problem, which was the enormous size of the script.

    If ¡®Life Song¡¯ was made directly into emblem grafts, it would require a spectacular amount of silver plates, bigger than a Silhouette Knight. To compress it to be smaller than a human as it was right now required a completely different method.

    ¡°And so, we used the top quality metal that was created by the influence of ether to graft it. Which is the reason why only we Elves can create Ether Reactors.¡±

    ¡°That is a metal correct? Why is that the reason only Elves can create Ether Reactor?¡±

    ¡°It will be faster to show you. Please wait a moment.¡±

    After saying that, the Elven man exited the room, and returned with a block of metal shortly after. From just one look, Eru could tell this metal was different from any metals he had seen before. It had a silvery glister, and the surprising thing was the faint rainbow colour lights glimmering on it. The colour changes constantly, displaying an array of lights. It was definitely harbouring some sort of mysterious powers.

    ¡°Mithril¡­ When I was doing my research, I found out the material needed was Elven ore.¡±

    Eru muttered as he thought back on the Ether Reactor explanation he saw in the past.

    ¡°Elven ore? Ahh, that was the alias used for the masses. Mithril is rare, only found in places with dense amount of Ether. Its biggest feature was its incredible hardness and extreme malleability, so hard that the race claiming to be master of craftsmanship will throw away their hammer in surrender.¡±

    Eru was a bit troubled as he studied the metal block before him carefully. He couldn¡¯t tell what this piece of metal that could frustrate the dwarves had to do with the Elves.

    The Elven man reached his hand out suddenly and everyone focused on it¡ª there wasn¡¯t anything strange about it; just that it was a little pale for a man. A faint light engulfed his arm out of the blue as he activated some magic. He grabbed the Mithril and it deformed as easily as clay.

    ¡°... Didn¡¯t you say it was extremely hard?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t shape it by hammering it, but it will react to a certain spell because of its long exposure to Ether.¡±

    ¡°...! Could it be, the reason why you say only Elves could do it¡­¡±

    Eru looked at his hand covered in a faint light. Looking at the arm as a whole, something strange could be seen¡ª the man wasn¡¯t holding a wand, but was using magic.

    The man nodded slowly when he saw the change in Eru¡¯s expression.

    ¡°As you have realised now, we Elves have catalyst crystal inside our body, allowing us to perform magic to shape the Mithril. That is the technique we can use that humans and dwarves can¡¯t use. Pardon me for being blunt, but humans don¡¯t have the ability to wield several magics at the same time to handle Mithril. We have great mastery over magic.¡±

    The Elves used special magic when shaping Mithril, developing the skills to engrave the scripts compactly and minimising the equipment needed to graft ¡®Life Song¡¯. It was far beyond what could be achieved by engraving on Silver plates.

    Ambrosius who was listening quietly couldn¡¯t help moaning when he heard that. In that case, the other races won¡¯t be able to imitate them, and he understood why the Elves refused to make this information public. Their confidence stemmed from the difference in biological structure.

    ¡°And that is how we create Ether Reactors. Are you satisfied with this explanation?¡±

    Catalyst crystal, Elixir, Mithril. The components of the Ether Reactor had all been revealed. Eru pondered about how to solve all this problems, and was driven by his interest to ask:

    ¡°How is the power of the Ether Reactor determined? What I mean is, what do we need to change in order to increase the power output?¡±

    ¡°It is mainly affected by the size of the catalyst crystal and the Ether conversion efficiency. Actually, we all know that the larger the demon beast, the bigger the crystal in its heart. Another thing is that if the crystal catalyst is obtained from within the demon beast, it will improve efficiency. However, the crystal catalyst within a creature¡¯s body will be slightly mutated and hard to use.¡±

    The answer was simpler than before, which disappointed Eru.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a simple way to improve quality, but you all never use it?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ processing it is difficult after all.¡±

    Most of the Ether Reactors are made from crystal catalyst dug from the mines. It is easy to obtain, stable in quality and easy to process. In contrast, just the heart of one duel level demon beast would be enough to create an Ether Reactor. The power throughput is higher, but the quality wasn¡¯t stable. Just installing it to churn the engine meant complicated adjustment had to be made to utilise the characteristics of each catalyst. Since the highest and lowest output varies widely, there was a need to install a stabilising component.

    Simply put, it was a lot of effort to make just one Ether Reactor. For a nation, it was better to have more Ether Reactors. Compared to powerful engines based on an unstable supply of materials, a country would focus more on one with components that could be harvested steadily. This was simple logic.

    The unfortunate thing was that for the robot nerd who finally made his way into the hidden city of the Elves, such obvious logic didn¡¯t mean anything. Eru looked back at Ambrosius sharply.

    ¡°In summary, if we used the catalyst crystal found in a big enough demon beast, a powerful Ether Reactor can be made! Your Excellency, sorry for being so sudden, but I have the perfect choice for this!!¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence, me too. Eh, you want to know what we did with the heart? Of course we are still keeping it. The best choice you have in mind¡­¡±

    ¡°Ernesti, it is true that we can create an amazing Ether Reactor with that, but the process of creating it would be filled with difficulties. Do you still want to take up the challenge?¡±

    Ambrosius had never shown such a stern expression to Eru before, but he gave up shortly after and relented. That¡¯s right, it was pointless to ask. Normal people won¡¯t even want to challenge it, and would have given up if the only thing driving them was passion.

    If they still sought out more at this stage, they would be an incorrigible maniac.

    ¡°Alright, that was something you defeated in the first place, so do what you will with it¡­ take the heart of the behemoth with you.¡±

    And Eru¡¯s answer was obvious.

    Night engulfed the Forest City slowly. When Ambrosius and Olver stepped out of the hidden city, the sun had completely set, covering the forest in darkness. The carriage illuminated by lamps drove slowly towards the Ravine Gate.

    ¡°Your Excellency, is it really fine to leave Ernesti behind?¡±

    ¡°He already said that he won¡¯t go back before he learns how to make Ether Reactors. I can¡¯t do anything with him lying face down on the table and refusing to leave. I might be a retiree, but I can¡¯t keep staying with him.¡±

    And so, Eru stayed behind to learn the crucial Life Song, but found that it wasn¡¯t easy. It was larger than the script that controls Silhouette Knights, and could be said to be the largest magic script in history. Just the amount of papers needed to copy Life Song was stupendous, no matter how amazing Eru was; he would need time to learn them all. That¡¯s why Ambrosius decided to leave him behind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, his accommodation and means of going back had been arranged, he will come back when he is satisfied. Before that, there are some things we need to prepare.¡±

    Ambrosius didn¡¯t doubt that Eru can learn how to make Ether Reactors completely. Since that is the case, he will definitely get started making one when he comes back. Ambrosius had to make preparations for that moment.

    ¡°The future seem hazardous and unpredictable, don¡¯t you think it is exciting?¡±

    ¡°... I think that is scary, just what is driving that boy to go so far?¡±

    Ambrosius folded his arms and answered with his chest puffed out:

    ¡°I am too afraid to ask as well.¡±

    When they returned to Althusser Ravine Gate, there was an unexpected commotion.

    ¡°If Eru is not going back, I will wait here, too!¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency, he is our Knight Commander, please grant us leave to wait for his return.¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t come back with Ambrosius. After hearing the entire story (the part about the Ether Reactor was covered up), the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights expressed their wish to stay behind. As they couldn¡¯t go any further into the Forest City, they had to wait inside the fort.

    ¡°Alright, do as you please¡­ Everyone, I will leave that interesting person in your hands.¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Knight was already a group that shared a common destiny. Ambrosius didn¡¯t blame them and granted them permission before heading back to the capital with Emrys and the others to tie up the loose ends.

    When Eru finally learned all the knowledge of the Elves and returned after satisfying his curiosity, a month had already passed.

 Book 3: Chapter 28: Descent of the Fierce God (Kishin)

    The sun had just risen and the air was just warming up when a Tzendrinble galloped along the Fremmevira Highway, heading towards the base of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡ª Olvecius Fort. The body that emulated a horse ran with powerful strides, reaching its destination in no time.

    A Tzendrinble entered the hangar occupied with rows of Kardatolle and other Tzendrinble with practiced movement. After waving at the craftsmen and Knights scrambling around its feet, it moved to the side and adopted a resting position.

    A boy and a girl leapt off the pilot seats, they were the twins Chid and Ady. They reside in their home in Laihiala Academy City, and used the Tzendrinble as their transport vehicle. That might be the personal machine assigned to them, but seeing how no one seemed to mind them using the equipment of the Knight Order as their personal transportation, the Silver Phoenix Knights was rather lax in discipline.

    Chid and Ady peered into the workshop attached to the hangar, finding it filled with sounds of hammers and yells as usual. As the work continued, the twins found the Boss and ran over.

    ¡°Boss¡ª Morning! Is Eru at the same place?¡±

    ¡°Morning¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, the boy is at the usual place, doing god knows what.¡±

    The boss pointed to a corner of the workshop. When she heard that, Ady looked as if she expected that answer and sighed with her arms folded.

    ¡°Really, Eru keeps staying here and refusing to go home. His mum said that she is lonely because she doesn''t see him much! Say something to him, too, Boss!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t want to do that. Just bear with it until he is done with that.¡±

    The Boss answered frankly with his arms folded, but the content was cold. Ady shift her focus to what the Boss was referring to.

    It was a Silhouette Knight that was being developed. As it was being built from scratch, signs of careful processing and repeated testing could be seen everywhere, with a large group of craftsmen working on it. The entire Silver Phoenix Knights were mobilised for this single machine.

    The structure of the machine was unique as well. Just by looking at the inner skeleton, the shape was different than normal, and thick metal pipes crawled all over the body. There was a large empty space in the abdomen, seemingly reserved for some large component.

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s true; it¡¯s the new model everybody is looking forward to. Eru isn¡¯t someone who will stop because someone asked him to anyway.¡±

    Chid muttered in resignation, only Ady was adamant on lecturing Eru directly as she ran towards the corner of the workshop.

    The Boss watched her go, and returned to his work, yelling at others.

    ¡°Hey, Bart boy! Come here! If you connect this pipe to that one, it will be smoother¡­¡±

    ¡°I know this is important Boss, but you had already changed it ten times!¡±

    Today, Olvecius Fort was filled with screams of joy, too.

    In a corner of Olvecius Fort¡¯s workshop, there was a strange room. It was partitioned with simple wooden boards and looked to be haphazard in its erection.

    It was spacious, with a shelf full of books flushed against the wall, filled with textbooks about Silhouette Knights, craftsmen and literature related to Silhouette Knights. In the centre was a giant worktable. It was used to draw designs or make adjustments to components, with plenty of smudges and cuts on it.

    Outside the room was the sign ¡®Knight Commander Office (Temp)¡¯.

    Normally, the leader of a Knight Order won¡¯t be assigned to such a makeshift office. It might sound strange, but the sequence of event happened the other way around. It was the Knight Commander who hogged a corner of the workshop to himself, and brought loads of documents in, making a ¡®nest¡¯ for himself. In the end, everyone decided to make a room for him.

    The Knight Commander Office (Temp) which had such a retarded history was occupied with its owner, Eru, who was hard at work as usual. What was different was the fact that there was another person inside with him.

    ¡°... That concludes the report this time. Also, I happened to heard something. In the west, the countries there seemed rather tense, one of the countries is probably going to start something big.¡±

    Slender and tall with a balanced figure. She was a member of the Blue Hawk Knights¡ª Nora. She read the periodic report loudly with a calm attitude. The Knight Commander leaned against the worktable and listened quietly. When he heard the last part, he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Is this related to the thieves? I am confused, why didn¡¯t they make any other move after that?¡±

    ¡°My apologies, these are just unconfirmed rumours. I thought that I should inform you.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Eh, no matter what, it means I still have time, right? As for that rumour, if the tension gets higher, please report to me.¡±

    ¡°By your command. Well then, allow me to take my leave.¡±

    Nora bowed, turned and left the room. Eru watch her leave, and stared into space thinking about something. But he returned to his work shortly after.

    Ady came before the Knight Commander Office (Temp), but didn¡¯t go in straight away. She stopped to take deep breaths and tidied her hair and attire. She let her hair grow out some years ago, and it was already covering her back. Her hair was wavy by nature, and tangled on her way here. She tried straightening her hair in frustration, but gave up after understanding it won¡¯t help. Pulling herself together, she pumped herself her and was about to enter the office.

    And she met Nora who was exiting the office face to face. Meeting an unexpected person in an unexpected place made Ady stiffened after taking a step forward. Nora studied her without expression for a moment and leaned close as if to hug her, whispering into her ears:

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make a move on Sir Ernesti.¡±

    [INSERT IMAGE]

    After leaving this soft whisper with Ady, who stood frozen in place, Nora walked away cooly. Ady finally came to her senses after a long while, and entered the Commander Office (Temp) with a smile as brilliant as the sun.

    After entering, the first thing she saw was a two and a half metre giant armour painted blue. That was Eru¡¯s personal Silhouette Gear, Motor Beat.

    The funny thing was that the bulky motor beat was cramping itself on the work desk, performing precision movements. The machine had five fingers, but the ability of the bulky body to make such accurate movements showed its powerful potential.

    As for Eru who was operating it, he wasn¡¯t inside Motor Beat, but seated on a chair focusing on the fingertips of the machine. He held the end of silver nerves on his hands, which was connected to Motor Beat. Sending commands through the silver nerves, Eru was operating Motor Beat from the outside.

    The reason he was performing such an interesting technique was because of the object Motor Beat was working on.

    Mithril. In order to shape this special metal, it was necessary to work using magic just like the Elves. And of course, no matter how talented Eru was, he was just a human and couldn¡¯t use the technique of the Elves. This however, referred to him not using tools.

    The hands on the Silhouette Gear were made from crystal tissue, which was a type of catalyst crystal capable of performing magic. In order words, Eru was able to emulate the Elves by using Silhouette Gears. That was the reason why Eru was staring at the giant armour while working on the metal, requiring great precision.

    Ady was already used to such a bizarre scene. She pounced on Eru and hugged him without hesitation.

    ¡°Fufufu, Eru! You are working hard today, too! Aunt Tina wants you to come home every now and then!¡±

    ¡°Offtt¡­ Ady, I can¡¯t see if you hug me from the front. I see, mum, she¡­ It¡¯s almost done; I will go back after that.¡±

    Ady pulled a chair to sit beside him, while Eru continued working as if nothing happened.

    He had a serious expression. Even for Eru, dealing with ¡®Life Song¡¯ while working on the Mithril with Silhouette Gear wasn¡¯t easy. He had to maintain a processing speed close to his limit, concentrating intensely and intentionally slowing down in order to handle the load. This meant he couldn¡¯t work too long on it, and could only progress little by little every day. This job might be frustrating and dull, but Eru enjoyed anything that was related to robots.

    ¡°This is an Ether Reactor, right?¡±

    Ady looked at the metal being shaped by the Silhouette Gear in amazement. The fact that Eru was fabricating an Ether Reactor by himself was a secret within the Silver Phoenix Knights. The only ones who know are the twins, company captains and the Boss. As for the other members, they only thought that the Commander was doing something weird again, although they were not wrong about that.

    ¡°Yes, this is mine, made by my own hands, a machine core that belongs to me.¡±

    Eru did not stop his hands as he muttered dreamily. Using a Division-level demon beast heart to make an Ether Reactor¡ª with this, it was possible to achieve Eru¡¯s dream. Designs for the frame had already been drafted; the Boss and the others were already working on it. Right now, they should be working in the workshop, too.

    ¡°Hmm¡ª Eru who is enjoying himself is so cute~¡±

    As for Ady, she was hugging Eru as usual; she almost couldn¡¯t stop herself from rubbing her cheeks against his. Eru won¡¯t move during his work, and allowed Ady to do as she pleased. Since the day he started working on the Ether Reactor, this scene had become a routine. After enjoying the touch of Eru, she suddenly had a great idea.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Nah Eru, after you finish this, let¡¯s go fight a battle. I will bring Tzen-chan and the chariot out!¡±

    ¡°Good idea. I will need to give it a test right after completing it, I will ask His Majesty for the location of the nest of troublesome demon beasts.¡±

    What an earth shattering invitation to a date. It was hard to imagine that this was the conversation between a young boy and girl, just that the subject themselves were getting excited with the idea and no one was around to retort. By the way, Chid was busy repairing Tzendorg right now.

    The only one to who heard this dialogue was Motor Beat, but it just kept working on the Reactor in silence.

    Another year has passed; it is now the C.E. 281.

    Half a year had passed since shell beasts attacked the hidden ¡®home¡¯ of the Elves. Also, since this incident was highly classified, it doesn¡¯t have an official name attached to it like the other incidents. Only the few related personnel referred to it quietly as the shell beast catastrophe.

    It was spring in the Fremmevira Kingdom. Lush vegetation grew in the wild and the branches of the trees flourished energetically.

    During such a comfortable season, Olvecius Fort was covered in intense heat. Angry roars of instruction arose now and then as the craftsmen busied themselves even more than usual. Something was about to happen.

    The heat came from a Silhouette Knight situated in the depths of the workshop.

    Covered everywhere by canvas, it was impossible to see the machine. But from the swell of the canvas, it was clear that its shape was rather unique. It was given a lot of room to avoid being hit; even the repair platform had been modified for it. The effort that had been put into this machine was obvious.

    ¡°Alright, lower it slowly, slowly, adjust the aim! Great, begin installation!¡±

    The booming voice of the boss could almost shatter the glass in the workshop. A component that was lifted by the chains of a crane was being lowered slowly onto the machine. The back of the machine had a huge swell, making it look queer. When the component was placed inside the opening in the back, the craftsmen near the machine¡¯s shoulders rushed in to begin their work, connecting metal pipes from it to the machine.

    ¡°Are the air intake valves done!? Good, start basic engine rev! Hey, connect that Silver nerve, hurry up! Mana output is about to go live!!¡±

    The machine component had the shape of a giant egg¡ª that was the Ether Reactor Eru worked so hard on. It rose up high on the back of the machine; its size was larger than normal Reactors.

    Just like Toybox, this machine had multiple Ether Reactors, one in its abdomen, the other on its back. After reviewing causes of past failures, the machine was built from scratch with the installation of two Ether Reactors in mind. It had a weird appearance, but was successful in overcoming the conflicts in structural designs they faced previously.

    Shortly after, the sharp noise of the air intake valve screeched in the workshop, far louder than normal Silhouette Knights. That was how amazing a machine installed with an extra large Ether Reactor was¡ª it raised the power output, alongside the screams of the air intake, it became a deafening chorus. All the craftsmen covered their ears in pain.

    Suddenly, the noise that was pressuring their eardrums stopped, and was replaced by the clear soothing sound from the machine¡¯s loudhailer:

    ¡°Beginning confirmation of the mana supply from main reactor ¡®Heart of the King¡¯. Lowering output to minimum, entering dormant state. Switching main Reactor to ¡®Crown of the Queen¡¯. Standing up with normal power output.¡±

    That voice belonged to Eru; he was seated inside the cockpit of the machine.

    Two Ether Reactors were installed, one large Reactor made from the heart belonging to the Division-level demon beast behemoth, the other midsized reactor made from the heart of the Brigade-level demon beast shell beast queen. Both were made with all the care and effort by Eru, a one of a kind masterpiece in this world.

    After receiving the overwhelming mana supply from the Reactor made from the heart of demon beast, the machine awakened. The crystal tissues all over its body started contracting, making music like a wind instrument orchestra.

    The first to move was the arms, the four that was connected to the back of the machine where the large Reactor was. Aside from the normal set of limbs, this machine had four additional arms, a monstrosity with a total of six arms. Releasing the chains that were supporting the machine, the astonishingly long arms extended out. Looking carefully, it had five slim fingers as sharp as blades.

    Next, the canvas covering the machine slipped off, revealing its true form.

    Not only were the arms different, the appearance of the machine itself was also extraordinary. Installing multiple layers of heavy armour was common on other machines, but there was many more on this machine. On top it, there were many designs and components that were never seen before, accentuating its uniqueness.

    All the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights stared with bated breath, watching the machine standing up. Among them was Ady who was studying the entire body along with the rest, she suddenly focused on one particular spot. On the head of this strange Silhouette Knight was¡ª

    ¡°The face of a man?¡±

    The machine mimicked the face of a human, wearing a mask with growling teeth and intimidating expression.

    Normally, the head of the Silhouette Knight was an accessory used to gain vision; a component used to place and protect the eye crystal. Hence, defence was its priority, so it was covered in face armour. Even if there were aesthetic designs, it would only be done to the face armour. The machine was wearing a human mask that didn¡¯t appeared to have the function of armour, and had a helmet on top. The uncanny human face left a frightening impression on Ady.

    Eru smiled in the cockpit, or rather, he was laughing, laughing nonstop. His laughter was unending, there wasn¡¯t anything funny; he simply felt overwhelming joy. He had been seeking this for sixteen years, a machine made by him, belonging only to him was right here.

    Luckily, he turned off the loudhailer in time, or else his laughter would have been heard outside. He had been like this since just now, rubbing his check and using his hands to touch the places around the cockpit, or staring at the holo monitor happily.

    The machine might look strange from the outside, but it was even more bizarre on the inside. Eru¡¯s pilot seat was in the middle, with control stick on both sides. Besides the stick was a mysterious device with orderly buttons on it, like a piano. Of course, Eru had no intention of playing music in the Silhouette Knight. This device was known as a keyboard, an input device that enters commands into computers, just like its counterpart from earth.

    Apart from the four additional arms, a bunch of special devices were fixed all over the machine. To control them, normal control accessories weren¡¯t enough, so Eru implemented something he was familiar with from his past life. Not just that, there were multiple mini Magius Engine inside the cockpit, serving as support to collate the huge amount of equipments. With the keyboard and the pilot¡¯s direct control, Eru could finally move this machine that was a coalition of many strange equipments, becoming a flawed machine that couldn¡¯t be controlled by anyone but Eru.

    ¡°Happy birthday, my robot, my partner, my¡ª¡±

    The queer appearance of the machine wasn¡¯t without reason. It exists just for Eru anyway. Be it its function or appearance, it was a reflection of his passion.

    That was why Eru carved his ¡®origin¡¯ into this machine. In other words, the spirit that came from another world, the dreams it couldn¡¯t fulfilled was accomplished in such a manner, there was no other answer than this.

    This machine was known as a Silhouette Knight in this world. However, from how it looks, it should definitely be called an ¡®armoured samurai¡¯.

    ¡°¡ª Ikaruga!¡±

    With a face of an Oni and six arms, the fierce god had descended onto this world.

    Surpassing logic and consequences, the representation of power and carnage was shown this very moment.

 Book 4: Prologue

    Editors: Ruzenor, alkin

    The Zetterlund Continent¡ª That was the name of the continent where Humans and Demon Beasts reside.

    The tall Aubigne Mountain Range divided the continent into the eastern and western halves, with a large number of nations scattered around the land. They were known collectively as the ¡®Western League of Nation¡¯. In contrast, there was only one country in the east, the Kingdom facing the Bocuse Forest, the realm of the Demon Beasts. Taking on the role as the sword and shield of humanity¡ª the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    At the foot of the Aubigne Mountain Range was a city which houses the largest school academy in Fremmevira Kingdom, the Laihiala Pilot Academy. And the base of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Fort Olvecius, was situated a short distance away from the city.

    Even though it was called a fort, the function of the facility was not focused on battles, and the interior had mostly been taken up by ¡®workshops¡¯.

    In the spacious hangar were the Silhouette Knights possessed by the Silver Phoenix Knights. The 1st Company led by the Knight of pure white, the 2nd Company commanded by the Crimson Knight and the 3rd Company made up of the Centaur Knights. And at the head of the band of giant knights, was the Knight Commander machine that possessed top battle potential within the Kingdom¡ª the ¡®Armoured Samurai¡¯ with two hearts and six arms.

    The 10 meters tall human shaped weapons¡ª Silhouette Knights, these knights of steel forged to battle Demon Beasts remained absolutely still like finely crafted statues, the scene of them in formation gave a sense of dignity. However, that didn¡¯t matter to the people rushing about hastily at their feet. They were the ¡®Silhouette Knights Craftsmen¡¯ responsible for the maintenance of the Silhouette Knights. They manned rugged mobile armours called ¡®Silhouette Gear¡¯ with bags of tools in hand as they busied themselves with work. A man was issuing instructions to the craftsmen with a loud voice, a dwarf youth. He was burly in built, and wore a huge beard on his authoritative face.

    ¡°Sigh, looks like we have many wilful brats among our Silhouette Knights.¡±

    He smiled wryly as he complained, turning his shoulders and making cracking noise. For some reasons, the Silver Phoenix Knights possessed the few unique machines within Fremmevira Kingdom. Everyone of them had powerful performance, but more effort would be required to perform maintenance. Hence, it was inevitable that the workload of the craftsmen would increase.

    ¡°Boss! The legs of the Tzendrinble are done! Its crystal tissue had been replaced with new ones too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good work. It seems this will be a long trip, we have to pay special attention to the legs of the horses.

    After receiving the report of his subordinate who ran over, the dwarf youth¡ª David Hepken nodded with a satisfied expression. He had the title of ¡®Chief craftsmen of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯, but his subordinates he had known for a long time all prefer his nickname in school, ¡®Boss¡¯ to address him and he had gotten used to it. And it was true that his job was being the boss of this workshop.

    ¡°Boss¡ª the maintenance and outfitting of the Silhouette Gears are all done.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good work Bart, the preparations are almost done then.¡±

    A young dwarf came to report after that subordinate did. His name was Batson Termonen. He was different from others, a craftsmen who was better in working on Silhouette Gear than Silhoutte Knights.

    The Boss then received several reports telling him that the maintenance was complete. Including Silhouette Knights, Silhouette Gears and the large wagons pulled by the Tzendrinble, the Silver Phoenix Knights had a wide variety of equipment. And with how large the group was, it took a lot of effort to get everything ready.

    ¡°We are finally ready. Looks like this will be a rowdy trip, so liven up!¡±

    The Boss announced loudly with a smile, and the craftsmen all raised their arms in response. The Silhouette Knights standing tall silently behind them seemed to be gleaming with pride too.

    At that moment, the Silver Phoenix Knights Commander Ernesti Echevarria wasn¡¯t in Fort Olvecius, but was together with his childhood friends in one of the homes in a corner of Laihiala Academy City.

    ¡°Alright, most of the things I need to bring along have been packed.¡±

    Eru came out of his room with his luggage in hand. Looking at him bringing a large luggage bag he couldn¡¯t quite wrap his arms around, Chid asked with his head tilted:

    ¡°Your stuff are all in the fort right? What exactly are you bringing?¡±

    ¡°Most of these are Silhouette Knight design notes, planning tools and textbooks.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, right. I think the trip this time won¡¯t be so relaxing, but never mind.¡±

    Even though they were setting off on a long journey, Eru still planned on bringing his usual tools on the road. That was just him, and made Chid dumbfounded.

    ¡°Wait, Eru. Did you forget anything? Did you remember to take your Silhouette Knight along?¡±

    At this moment, Eru¡¯s mother, Celestina Echevarria, jogged after him. Mother and child were similar in appearance and in their eccentric behaviour, which almost made Chid, who was listening to them, fall down.

    ¡°Of course I did! It is the stage where I can strut my skills, the Knight Order are well prepared too. As everyone will be ferrying it together, we will be meeting up later.¡±

    ¡°I feel relieved¡­ Eru, mother will be lonely, don¡¯t get hurt and work hard, alright?¡±

    Tina hugged Eru gently, reluctant to let go. Eru held her back and said with a firm nod:

    ¡°Okay! This trip will be a bit long, so take care of yourself too, mother. I will bring back plenty of souvenirs from there, so look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine for you to bring back souvenirs¡­ Working hard is important, but you must come back safely.¡±

    His father, Mathias Echevarria, appeared from behind Tina with a wry smile. Although his son looked calm and unassuming, Eru could be very surprising at times, which made it hard for Mathias to be at ease. Even though Eru had the strength to make it through any crisis, his parents couldn¡¯t help worrying. He patted Eru¡¯s head, and Tina turned to the twins who were with Eru and said:

    ¡°Ady and Chid, be careful too, please take care of Eru, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Aunt Tina! Leave Eru to us, I will work hard as the Knight Commander¡¯s Aide!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Eru will be fine no matter what happens, but I will take care of him.¡±

    With that, Adeltrud Olter placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out, while Chid just shrugged. If Eru went out of control, the two of them would probably join him anyway¡ª They didn¡¯t say that assumption though.

    ¡°Then we are off! First, to the capital to meet everyone from the Knight Order!¡±

    After bidding farewell, Eru ran out energetically with his luggage in hand, and the twins followed. The parents watched the lively backs of the children until they disappeared from their sights.

    C.E. 1281. It was almost summer, on a day with fine weather¡ª

    In the royal capital of the Fremmevira Kingdom K?nk?nen, and the royal castle Shreiber that laid within, a man was walking along the corridor with long strides, his huge build moving hastily. He was Second in the Line of succession to the throne of Fremmevira, Emrys Geijer Fremmevira. After reaching the end of the corridor, he pushed open the door hard and said in a loud voice:

    ¡°Dad!... No, Your Majesty. I need to go to the Kuscheperca Kingdom! You know the reason right!?¡±

    Inside the door was the audience room of the King. In the depths of the vast hall where the throne was, King Riothamus Haarus Fremmevira sighed deeply in resignation, and waved away the surprised attendants around him.

    ¡°... Sigh, so you¡¯ve heard. Hold on, foolish son. I can guess the reason, but let me ask anyway. Why do you want to visit the Kuscheperca Kingdom all of a sudden?¡±

    The subject himself didn¡¯t understand how his father felt about his son ignoring etiquettes, and shouted with his fist clenched:

    ¡°Do I even need to say it!? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know, Dad. Because the Kuscheperca Kingdom¡­ The nation where Aunt resides in is under attack!!¡±

    Seeing the Second Prince said that urgently with his fist clenched, Riothamus replied with a tone as if he had given up:

    ¡°Yes, I knew it would turn out like this, that¡¯s why I suppressed the news. Where did you hear that from¡­ But Emrys, we didn¡¯t receive any request from that nation, what reason are you going to use to head into the battlefield?¡±

    ¡°Reason? I don¡¯t need such things! Because Aunt is there, and we are her relatives! Of course we should help, isn¡¯t that enough!?¡±

    Riothamus nodded naturally and replied:

    ¡°I see, but I won¡¯t send out our armies. Have you forgotten? We do have a vast number of Silhouette Knights, but they are here to protect the lands and people of the Kingdom, we can¡¯t send them to the battlefield between other nations so easily.¡±

    From the size of the territory alone, Fremmevira Kingdom was the top few amongst the human countries. And these nations were willing to be seen as being less prestigious than the border nation because of the countless Demon Beasts in their lands. That was the reason why they needed a huge army of Silhouette Knights, to keep the peace, and this shut the mouth of the aggressive Emrys. Even though he was reckless, Emrys also had a sense of righteousness, and won¡¯t risk the safety of the citizens in order to rescue his aunt. That was why he said:

    ¡°Is that so? I get it¡­ Then I will go to the Kuscheperca Kingdom and save aunt by myself!!¡±

    He was the type who would put his thoughts into action once he had made up his mind. As Emrys turned to leave, Riothamus couldn¡¯t help holding his temple and said to the back of his son:

    ¡°What can you do by going alone?¡±

    ¡°... I don¡¯t know! But aunt took great care of me in the past, I can¡¯t just watch idly!¡±

    Riothamus maintained his calm and said with squinted eyes:

    ¡°Well then, are you going to a nation at war with the name of ¡®Emrys Geijer Fremmevira¡¯? Don¡¯t you understand what that means?¡±

    Emrys stopped as if he was struck by lightning.

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡±

    ¡°You are not that stupid, right? It¡¯s true that my sister is in that country, but more importantly, what will happen if my son went there? They might treat that as a declaration of war by the Kingdom of Fremmevira.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said¡­! That¡¯s right, the Kuscheperca Kingdom is on the west of the Aubigne Mountain Range. If that place is attacked, it means Fremmevira might be next! If we send reinforcement before that¡­¡±

    ¡°That might be true, but are you going to give the enemy a proper reason to attack us? The actions of a King represents a Kingdom, and it is no exception for you who is in the line of succession. In conclusion, answer me Emrys, do you have the resolve to drag the nation and its people into war because of the choice you are going to make?¡±

    Emrys fell silent, but even without words, how he felt was clear from his trembling body and fist that was clenched so tightly that blood was about to burst out.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Dad, do you mean you are going to abandon aunt¡­!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡±

    The tone of the King completely flipped the direction the conversation was going. The dumbfounded Emrys couldn¡¯t react for a moment.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything even if you left by yourself. If you want to do something meaningful, you will need the appropriate power. I can¡¯t commit our forces en masse, then I will just send warriors that can fight one to a hundred¡­¡±

    As he listened to his father, Emrys thought of a Knight Band. In Fremmevira Kingdom with plenty of Knight Orders, there were few who could fight one to a hundred. When he was about to said that name, news that ¡®they¡¯ had arrived reached the ears of the King.

    ¡°We have kept you waiting, Your Majesty. The three company of the Silver Phoenix Knights are ready for the expedition, and are awaiting your orders.¡±

    Ernesti appeared in the audience hall together with Chid and Ady, and knelt respectfully. Seeing Emrys, who didn¡¯t stick to the rules, being struck speechless, Riothamus suppressed his laughter in one upping him.

    ¡°Not happy about this? Emrys, you know how strong they are. They are the strongest band of Knights that defeated the Behemoth and the Hive Queen, and saved our Kingdom from crisis numerous times.¡±

    Emrys shook his head with a shocked expression and said:

    ¡°I know that very well¡­ Hey, Dad, didn¡¯t you say you won¡¯t pick a fight so the Kingdom won¡¯t get dragged into war?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it. So Emrys, you have to avoid using the name Fremmevira over there, and pretend you are not related to us. Don¡¯t give anyone the excuse to attack our Kingdom.¡±

    Emrys finally relaxed his shoulders in relief, such a crude method even surprised Emrys who liked to solve problems with brute force.

    ¡°... Dad, aren¡¯t you just making excuses?¡±

    ¡°No, in such matters, the one who said it first wins. Emrys, if you persevere, there will always be a way.¡±

    Riothamus cleared his throat, and continued after changing to a serious face:

    ¡°Our Kingdom is now progressing in unity, it would be troubling if fights broke out at our ¡®rear¡¯ during such a crucial moment. We need to make them a bit more peaceful, in other words, more balanced. Kuscheperca is a large nation in the west, we can¡¯t let it fall into chaos. I will leave my foolish son to you, Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    ¡°By your will, the Silver Phoenix Knight won¡¯t let you down.¡±

    Emrys was hesitant about the right timing to speak, but probably felt it was too much of a hassle and said with a step forward:

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s fine! I feel at ease with you guys here. Let¡¯s go, Silver Phoenix Knights!!¡±

    The King said to his departing back:

    ¡°Use your eyes and observe the war between nations well. We will be entering turbulent times soon. With such a situation, we can¡¯t just fight the Demon Beasts blindly¡­ And rescue Martina, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    Emrys turned his back a little, and nodded firmly.

    All the cities of Fremmevira Kingdom, including the capital K?nk?nen, were protected by sturdy city walls without exceptions. The western gate of K?nk?nen¡ª In front of the huge gate that a Silhouette Knight could walk through, the fully armoured Silver Phoenix Knights were gathered.

    The core consists of the pride of the Silver Phoenix Knights, the 3rd Company of Centaur Knights, Tzendrinble. A large wagon was attached to the back of the Tzendrinble, making it a powerful means of transport. As they were most suited to long distance marches, they received a careful overhaul this time. On the wagons were the Silhouette Knights in standby mode, the mass produced models that uses the most advanced technology, the Karrdator that made up the First and Second Company.

    And of course, they were also transporting other things like food, spare parts and maintenance tools for the Silhouette Knights too. With so much cargo, the group was rather large in scale.

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    ¡°Putting it nicely, we are helping our allied nation, but we are actually going to war. Of course we are going to bring loads of things.¡±

    The captain of the 3rd Company, Helvi Oberg looked around her with an impressed expression and the one who answered her was the captain of the 1st Company, Edgar C. Blanche. The Silver Phoenix Knights who possessed strong combat prowess and mobility had been tasked with missions to various locations, but those were only within the country. They had always moved with a light load on the premise that it would be a local deployment. It was the first time they went on an expedition with so many things in tow.

    ¡°One big factor is that we don¡¯t know how the situation would be like over there. Alright you two, the Knight Commander is here, time to get ready to move.¡±

    The captain of the 2nd Company, Dietrich Cunitz showed up at this juncture. After saying that to the two of them, he went back to instructing his company members, and the members who had been waiting idly started preparing swiftly.

    After passing through the gate, Emrys appeared with Eru. When he saw the fully loaded Silver Phoenix Knights, he remembered the rumours spreading amongst the people about the ¡®Hive Beast Crisis¡¯. If the Silver Phoenix Knights that suppressed that ¡®most terrible attack in recent years¡¯ was to go, they would definitely¡ª As he was deep in thought, he reached the exceptionally large wagon at the fore of the Knights. The special wagon pulled by two Tzendrinble had an extravagant Silhouette Knight which was reflecting the golden sunlight.

    ¡°... Gordesleo, this time, you will be fighting for my aunt.¡±

    Emrys was filled with emotions as he looked up at Gordesleo. Eru walked passed him and turned around, with his back to his Knight Order. Suddenly, all eyes present were on him.

    ¡°Your Highness, your orders please.¡±

    ¡°... Alright, Silver Phoenix Knights! Our mission is to save my aunt, keep the peace, and to send the retards who attempts to start a war flying with a punch!¡±

    The briefing which was reckless in all sorts of ways made all the members standing properly slump their shoulders. Emrys wasn¡¯t concerned, and pumped his fist forward and said:

    ¡°The enemy aren¡¯t Demon Beasts! We might meet unimaginable difficulties, but I am confident that we can succeed with your powers and mine!¡±

    ¡°Well then¡ª Everyone, liven up and let¡¯s join the fray!¡±

    Eru had a joyous smile on his face, and made a violent conclusion. The members all shouted, followed by the sharp exhaust sound of the Silhouette Knights.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights then set off towards the storm in the west, this was the first expedition to the west by the Kingdom of Fremmevira since its founding. Affecting both the east and the west sides of the continent, this year would herald the most drastic change in the history of the Zetterlund Continent.

 Book 4: Chapter 29: The Beginning of the Grand Storm

    Outbreak of War in the Western Realm Arc

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    The land was dyed black, a darkness that was cold and gleaming, showing the tough and thick metallic ground. And the ones that turned this land black were giant knights covered in dark steel armour¡ª Silhouette Knights. This was an army of Silhouette that gave the illusion of extending into the other end of the horizon. They were gathered here in orderly formation.

    This was one of the renowned great countries within the ¡®Western League of Nation, Occident¡¯¡ª the capital of the ?aloudek Kingdom. The extravagant palace was situated in the middle of the capital, and the ground paved with stone slabs extended to its front. If one looked from the balcony jutting out from the front of the palace, he would be able to view the entire plaza carpeted by black.

    On the balcony were several figures, two men and one woman. They had been watching the gathering of dark knights since just now, and finally, a young man walked forward. He was a youth about 25 years old, giving off the impression of great competence.

    In concert with his steps, the low pulsing sound of the giant knights gradually quieted down. The intake valves of the Ether Reactors were suppressed, and the Crystal Tissues didn¡¯t make any sound, the entire place fell into dead silence. Seeing the dark Silhouette Knights motionless like statues, the young man nodded with satisfaction, and spoke calmly¡ª His voice was broadcasted to every corner of the plaza through a certain device.

    ¡°¡®Black Knights¡¯, the pride of our nation that stands proudly in the west! We have finally reached this moment, and my heart is deeply moved.¡±

    The first son of King Baldomero Bilt ?aloudek, Carlitos Emden ?aloudek paused, and surveyed the plaza slowly. His narrow eyes that gave the impression of being sharp were full of energy, and he wanted to convey his determination to everyone.

    ¡°Gentlemen, as you know, our Dear Leader, His Majesty Baldomero is bed ridden due to illness, and during the times of our early forebears, our lands were split due to despicable acts of treason. And now is the time to rebuilt our nation, and make our Kingdom great again! The regrets of my father pains me, his son, deeply! We have to inherit the will of His Majesty!¡±

    Clank, clank, the Black Knights knocked their weapons on the ground, expressing their consent wordlessly. Carlitos was pleased with what he saw, and continued:

    ¡°In the past, these western lands are united under only one nation and one king. I am sure that all of you know, the name of that nation was ¡®Father Aburdene¡¯, and the league of nations in modern times¡­ Our Kingdom of ?aloudek, Kingdom of Kuscheperca, The Allied Union of Rocard and the ¡®Eleven Flags¡¯. However, those are just splitted remnants of that giant nation.¡±

    His tone became agitated, and his hands started gesturing wildly as he preached to the Black Knights:

    ¡°Father Aburdene expelled the Demon Beast with its power and ruled humanity, founding a utopian country! But the ambitions of fools burned this ideal to the ground, how can we not lament this loss!? We, the Kingdom of ?aloudek is the nation that inherited the bloodline of the fallen grand nation. We have the responsibility, and the duty to fulfill the grudges of our ancestors!¡±

    In response to Carlitos raising his arm, the Black Knights started moving. They turned from statues to soldiers of dark steel, stomping their feet and banging their shields in support of their master. The uniform sound of clashing on the stone slabs reverberated throughout the plaza, and the ground rumoured loudly.

    Carlitos raised his hand again, stopping the fervent movements of the Black Knights, and the army of steel reverted to silence again.

    ¡°The time has come.¡±

    This was said calmly, but reached the heart of the listeners with deep passion. All the pilots controlling the Black Armour looked at their Holo Monitor with feverish eyes.

    ¡°For us to unite the great Empire that fragmented dishonourably¡ª That time has come!¡±

    The knights burst out a roar, and the noise of the revving of the Ether Reactor shook the very air. No one could be certain what was being said, as the emotions started burning.

    ¡°We will take back our lands with the entire force of the Black Knights! Gentlemen, to war!¡±

    Carlitos was the acting monarch in place of his father, and his words were equivalent to the will of King Baldomero Bilt ?aloudek. The pilots spurred by the prospect of invading their enemies maneuvered the strongest Silhouette Knights, shaking the ground with their every step.

    C.E. 1281. With the coming of spring, the ?aloudek Kingdom declared war against the Allied Union of Rocard. One week after their declaration, ?aloudek Kingdom mobilized more than half of their forces¡ª six knight orders with the Black Knights, the Green Bronze Claw Knights and the Bronze Fangs Knights in the lead. They formed two divisions of about 600 Silhouette Knights, then marched to the borders.

    And so began the total war that ravages the league of nations in the west¡ª named by those in the future as ¡®Western Grand Storm¡¯¡¯ started.

    ***

    ¡°Allied Union of Rocard didn¡¯t even last a month¡­¡±

    In the capital of Kuscheperca Kingdom¡ª Delvincourt, within the palace situated at its center, there was an exceptionally large audience hall. The King¡ª Aukusti Vario Kuscheperca was seated on the delicately crafted throne as he said that with a bitter expression.

    The reason his brows were furrowed deeply was because of a report from the western borders this morning. Its content was simple¡ª the Allied Union of Rocard had fallen. The speed at which it had fallen was beyond the expectations of the Kuscheperca Kingdom which had been earnestly scouting out the situation since the declaration of war by ?aloudek.

    ¡°The Allied Union of Rocard might just be a coalition of minor states and far inferior to us in national power¡­ But there should be proficient in defending through long years of experience.¡±

    ¡°According to reports, ?aloudek relied completely on brute force in battle, and broke through from the front without using any tactics.¡±

    ¡°They might be a great nation, but for ?aloudek to actually possess such power¡­¡±

    King Aukusti listened to the discussion of his gathered subjects without a hint of emotion. The two largest countries amongst the Western League of Nations were ?aloudek Kingdom and Kuscheperca Kingdom. Their borders weren¡¯t connected, with several states of the Allied Union of Rocard standing between them. Caught in between the two giant nations, these countries so small that a gust of wind might unroot them only survived so long because they played the role of being a ¡®buffer zone¡¯.

    They did their best as small states to form a union, and made use of the military competition between the two nations to keep both sides in check, and maneuver between them deftly. However¡ª

    ¡°This means that something happened in ?aloudek. Something boosted their power drastically, strong enough to spur their expansionist ambition.¡±

    When they heard King Aukusti make his conclusion in a low voice, the subjects looked at each other. They couldn¡¯t imagine what caused this situation, and this wasn¡¯t the only thing they had to worry about. After the fall of the Allied Union of Rocard, there wasn¡¯t any news that ?aloudek had stopped their march¡ª In fact, the reports showed that the opposite had happened.

    ¡°Their opponent might be a small nation, but they just finished a war with another country. And yet they want to attack us? No matter how strong that nation is, that is too foolhardy.¡±

    Leaving Rocard aside, the Kuscheperca Kingdom was a great power and a thorn in ?aloudek¡¯s eyes. Even a great nation like ?aloudek didn¡¯t have the prowess to conquer both countries consecutively, which was why the Western League of Nations could keep their peace. In other words, something happened in ?aloudek Kingdom that was big enough to overturn this status quo.

    The thought that ¡®Kuscheperca Kingdom will be in grave danger if we don¡¯t solve this mystery¡¯ flashed through King Aukusti¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t shake off this ominous feeling, but he couldn¡¯t show any weakness as the King.

    ¡°No matter what, since they are coming, we have to fight back.¡±

    After hearing King Aukusti made his resolve, the gathered aristocrats all nodded nervously, with the faces of those with territories in the west showing the most bitter face. After all, the pride of the ?aloudek Kingdom, the Black Knights would be attacking their territory soon.

    ¡°Muster our forces in Silda Trider with haste. Let the invaders know that they should return to whence they came from and reevaluate their own power!¡±

    Silda Trider was the defensive line in Kuscheperca Kingdom, known as the absolute defense line of Kuscheperca. They will be using these forts as their base to engage the ?aloudek army. After the King issued a clear order, the nobles carried out his will hurriedly.

    That might be so, but ?aloudek should already know about Silda Trider, and couldn¡¯t break through no matter how large a force they committed. Are they confident of breaking through it¡­?

    As he watched the aristocrats, King Aukusti¡¯s heart darkened. Unable to shake off the gloom of his heart, his cast his gaze to empty space as if he was looking at the walls of the grand fortress in the far west.

    ***

    After decimating the Rocard states in a blink of an eye, the ?aloudek Kingdom built on their victory and march towards Kuscheperca Kingdom.

    The area where western Kuscheperca Kingdom borders the Allied Union of Rocard was a vast plain known as Bastol. It had few barriers, a terrain that was easy to attack and difficult to defend. But the Kuscheperca Kingdom used its national power to construct tall and long walls here, and these walls were known as the First Shield of Silda Trider, Silda Uxia.

    The sturdy walls weren¡¯t just several times taller than Silhouette Knights, there was also a fortress city behind it. With the combined defensive potential of the both of them, it was claimed that even an army of a thousand Silhouette Knights wouldn¡¯t be able to overcome it.

    In the face of the world renowned great wall that was the physical manifestation of Kuscheperca Kingdom¡¯s national power, the ?aloudek army also spread its units out and built a large camp. Both sides deployed their entire forces in the very first battle. In the center of the plains dyed black by the ?aloudek formation, two figures surveyed the stone walls that covered their entire field of vision as they conversed:

    ¡°As expected of one of the famous Silda Trider, it looks like a difficult fortress to capture for us as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmmp, it¡¯s just a symbol of fear. Afraid of losing their lands, so they closed their gates like tortoises.¡±

    One of them resembles the first prince of ?aloudek, but looked younger and had an arrogant aura about him.

    His name was Crist¨®bal Hasslo ?aloudek. As his name suggest, he was the younger brother of Carlitos, the second prince of ?aloudek and the Commander-in-Chief of this expedition. The burly middle aged man besides him was Doroteo Mardones, who didn¡¯t belong to any Knight Order, and was Crist¨®bal¡¯s strategist.

    Between the tense atmosphere of the two armies, the two of them were evaluating Silda Uxia casually as if they were chattering idly. They could see clearly from their position that the Kuscheperca Army was deployed in front of the fortress. After all, no matter how sturdy a fortress was, it would be broken if attacked relentlessly, so the Kuscheperca Army couldn¡¯t rely solely on a defensive battle.

    As they watched the Kuscheperca Army that was ready to repel the ?aloudek invaders, Carlitos revealed a cruel smile, like a beast ready to pounce.

    ¡°So Kuscheperca adopted a defensive formation huh. Just as we expected, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pitiful that they can only rely on cheap tricks. Alright, I¡¯m fine with both sides staring at each other¡­ But it would be unpleasant if they think we are cowards. Let¡¯s start a fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes my liege.¡±

    His order was enacted the next day. With the rising of the sun, the ?aloudeks marched forth. Accompanied by bugles and gongs, the Black Knights advanced in neat formation. Rank by rank, the majestic march of the ?aloudek army gave the Kuscheperca Army the illusion that a black wall was moving towards them.

    ¡°So that is the new machine models of ?aloudek huh¡­ How huge¡­¡±

    The pilots on the Kuscheperca military model ¡®Resvant¡¯ all held their breath because of the grand formation advancing on them. Their comment on the size of the enemy machines weren¡¯t a metaphor, the latest Silhouette Knight model of the ?aloudek Army, the ¡®Tyrant¡¯ was at least a head taller than the Resvant. The Tyrant had fearsome armour and unbelievable power output, their entire body gave off a power that was on the verge of exploding.

    Seeing that the ?aloudeks were attacking, the Kuschepercas prepared to engage. Silda Uxia launched the first long distance attack, the rain of stone launched by the catapults rained down on the ?aloudek armour. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if such attacks could crush the Resvant along with their shields. But the Tyrant deflected the attack easily with their raised shields. Just how strong was the newest ?aloudek model? The Kuschepercas were stunned that the catapult attack didn¡¯t have any effect.

    Soon, the ?aloudek army moved into range of Silhouette Arms, and the magic projectiles from both sides changed the surrounding terrain. Shortly after, the Tyrants charged right into the Resvant formation. To avoid friendly fire, the catapult attack stopped. The Tyrants tossed their shields aside and engaged in melee attack. The sound of the two armies clashing broke out in the simple defensive structure built in front of the fortress.

    ¡°W-What¡¯s with these guys¡­ So tough! Weapons are useless against them!?¡±

    ¡°Damn it, my sword is bouncing off them¡­! Arrghh!?¡±

    In no time, the battle turned one sidedly. The Tyrants completely showed their overwhelming power. The incredibly strong armour of the Tyrants blocked the swords of the Resvants effortlessly, and they destroyed the Resvants with one heavy swing of their warhammer. In the face of the onslaught of such tight ranks, the Kuscheperca couldn¡¯t do anything except shuffling back.

    The power of ?aloudek¡¯s new model machine was greater than the Kuscheperca feared. Originally, the performance between the ?aloudek and Kuscheperca¡¯s machine wasn¡¯t too different, but there had obviously been a revolutionary technology breakthrough in ?aloudek recently. Even if they knew that, it was no consolation for Kuscheperca that was losing the battle badly.

    ¡°Damn it, the ?aloudek bastards are already climbing the walls¡­!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t hold the line if this goes on¡­ Fall back! Fall back and defend the fortress!!¡±

    Moments later, only the foreboding black armours and crimson flames were left on the Bastol plains. Scattered all over the surroundings were the debris of Resvants. In contrast, the wreckages of the Black Knights were scant. The one sided massacre left the Kuscheperca army no choice other than retreat. Fortunately, the Black Knight¡¯s heavy armour and massive power output were offset by their low mobility, so they couldn¡¯t catch up to the retreating Kuscheperca army, who were able to escape from the devastating hammer blow.

    As they watched the enemy that covered the entire plains, even though the Kuschepercas were behind the famed infallible walls, the soldiers still fell into despair and uneasiness. The ?aloudek overwhelmingly powerful new model¡ª in the face of that black tsunami, even the renowned impregnable Silda Uxia couldn¡¯t stand the assault forever. For the first time, they had doubts on how impregnable the fortress was, and dispatched a messenger with the battle report to the capital urgently, along with the hopes of all the soldiers in the fort.

    The ?aloudek forces that advanced to the walls calmly prepared to lay siege. Compared to the panicking Kuscheperca army, they were so calm that it was terrifying, showing no signs of excitement about forcing their enemy to a desperate situation, or any rashness with their prey right before them. The only exception was the Commander-in Chief at the base behind them¡ª Crist¨®bal, who was laughing heartily.

    ¡°Hahaha, how delightful! They must be sending out their horses in a panic right now!¡±

    ¡°That is only expected, Your Highness, what should we do next? Even the elite Black Knights couldn¡¯t do anything to such a high wall.¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking even though you know the answer. Just make a show of attacking the walls relentlessly as planned. They will pool all their forces here sooner or later, without knowing that they are exposing their weak point.¡±

    When he heard Crist¨®bal make an ominous prediction about the future of Kuscheperca, Doroteo could only answer with a wry smile.

    ***

    The urgent message that arrived after exhausting several horses to death cast an air of emergency onto the capital of Kuscheperca once again.

    ¡°The strength of ?aloudek is incomparable to how they were in the past, we can¡¯t fend them off even if we give everything we have¡­ If this goes on, it will just be a matter of time before Silda Uxia falls¡­!¡±

    The messenger who was absolutely dejected kept bowing his head onto the ground, and the leaders of Kuscheperca who were watching him all turned pale. King Aukusti was worried because his ominous feeling became reality, but he tried his best to keep a calm demeanor.

    ¡°Damn ?aloudeks¡­ I was wondering where their confidence stemmed from, to think they are that powerful. Are their Silhouette Knights really that strong.¡±

    ¡°They are truly fearsome armoured monsters, we will be struck down if we took them on from the front¡­ And the core of their strategy is to win by numbers, so there aren¡¯t any flaws to exploit.¡±

    The King sighed deeply in his heart, and leaned by on his throne weakly. For them, Silda Uxia was an impregnable existence. Even though the name Silda Trida meant that there were Silda Kaksla (Second Shield Fortress) and Silda Kormeda (Third Shield Fortress), their defensive capability weren¡¯t as great as Silda Uxia. It would be foolhardy to engage the enemy in a straight fight too. After taking into account the existence of the fortress, the combat prowess between the two armies was obvious, and there were limited countermeasures that could be taken.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I propose alerting the western 15 counties, and gather our forces!¡±

    When he heard the suggestion by a western aristocrat of Kuscheperca Kingdom, King Aukusti nodded grimly. Mustering the forces was a simple and practical method, and the Silhouette Knights of Kuscheperca, the Resvants, couldn¡¯t match the enemy, and would need the advantage of numbers.

    The ?aloudek¡¯s Tyrants wield extraordinary prowess, and it would be impossible to break through the heavily armoured formation from the front. They had experienced this already. So they had to take them out one at a time by luring them to the fortress behind Silda Uxia. By thinning the enemy, there would definitely be weak points. It goes without saying that this plan would require great sacrifices. After discussing for a very long time, they couldn¡¯t come up with a better alternative.

    The meeting ended in a heavy mood, and King Aukusti retired to his chambers. He was known to be calm and gentle, but he couldn¡¯t keep his cool anymore. When he was alone, he took off mask of serenity and slammed his fist onto the table.

    ¡°This Kingdom finally became prosperous after such a long period of peace¡­ And such national crisis strikes¡­¡±

    ?aloudek Kingdom was shrouded in a strange air since long ago, but didn¡¯t make any major moves in the last decade. Now that he thought about it, they were probably preparing for this horrific invasion all this while. As a King, he failed to see through this and let down his guard in such time of peace, which was even more inexcusable.

    ¡°But I will settle this crisis myself! I mustn¡¯t leave this war to that ¡®child¡¯...!¡±

    King Aukusti made up his mind and lifted his head. Suddenly, in this royal chamber devoid of anyone but him, a voice called out to him.

    ¡°Father¡­?¡±

    King Aukusti turned in surprise, and before him was a beautiful blooming flower that was in the form of a human. She was King Aukusti¡¯s only daughter, first in the line of succession, ¡®Elenora Miranda Kuscheperca. She had a sorrowful expression as she walked to her father¡¯s side.

    ¡°Father, I heard about it. The attacks of ?aloudek are strong, and has shakened the defences in the west¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eleanora. Our Silda Trider is invincible, and the western lords are gathering their forces to counter attack, we will drive those unruly ruffians away soon.¡±

    The twisted face of the monarch reverted to his gentle expression in an instant. Instead of the dignity of a king, he looked closer to a father soothing the uneasiness of his daughter. Eleonora will be 16 this year, and had lived in a peaceful environment since birth, and she was raised into a gentle and refined lady. Her personality was the furthest thing from violent, and as she was the only child of the King, Aukusti intentionally kept distressing news from her.

    ¡°...You are right, father. I can rest easy after hearing you say that.¡±

    Eleanora who never doubted her father showed a gentle smile like sunshine in spring. After chatting a while more, the King watched the back of his departing daughter and muttered softly:

    ¡°That¡¯s right, there won¡¯t be a problem. I will take care of this war, and not let this fall on your shoulders.¡±

    ***

    Unexpectedly, there were signs that the two armies separated by Silda Uxia would be engaging in a long war.

    ?aloudek displayed overwhelming strength and devastated the Kuscheperca, but they didn¡¯t seem enthusiastic on breaking down the tough walls of Silda Uxia. With the Tyrant they were piloting, it was possible for them to destroy the wall. On top of that, there weren¡¯t any defences in front of the walls, leaving it literally unprotected. However, the ?aloudeks was moving sluggishly. The Kuscheperca army couldn¡¯t fathom this behaviour, but it was a good chance for Kuscheperca who were at a disadvantage. Reinforcement from all over the Kingdom was sent with urgency, and they were starting to gather around the fortress.

    And so, the battle at the national borders dragged on for a month, and it had been two months since ?aloudek began its invasion. In this time, the attack of the ?aloudeks slowly but surely damaged Silda Uxia. There were many cracks in the walls that were the pride of Kuscheperca, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it collapsed at any moment.

    Behind it was the Kuscheperca army that had been gathered completely, and they were relieved in finishing to muster before the walls fell. The air was thick with the scent of an inevitable battle, with the combined forces on either side of the walls exceeding one thousand. A large scale battle that was rarely seen could break out at any moment.

    Even though it happened on the other side of the wall, news of such a large enemy force gathering spread to the ?aloudeks naturally. This was the moment Crist¨®bal had been waiting for, and he issued the order with a smile¡ª the command to execute the secret mission that would decide the course of this battle.

    ¡°It is time, summon the Steel Wing Knights! Fufu, I will be moving out too, we will head straight into the heart of the enemy!¡±

    ¡°Yes Sire! I will do so at once!¡±

    That¡¯s right, ?aloudek who possessed such powerful forces and the Kuscheperca army who mustered an army to match¡ª They were waiting for such a balance, and the moment when the Kuschepercas gathered in large numbers to overcome the strength difference between their individual machines.

    And so, during a night with dim moonlight, ?aloudek¡¯s ¡®new weapon¡¯ became one with the darkness and started their assault, without the Kuscheperca army noticing.

    ***

    The center of the capital of Kuscheperca, Delvincourt, was far from the western borders. It had great national powers, and the long term stable political climate spurred the rapid growth culturally. And so, Delvincourt was one of the most prosperous cities in the west. However, the streets lined with elegant brick buildings lost its usual hustle and bustle, and the entire city was shrouded in uneasiness. News of the ?aloudek army threatening their national safety had reached the capital through various channels, and with the war going badly, all the pedestrians had grim faces.

    On this day, one of the sentries on the outer wall of the city felt uneasiness by the unusually quiet night. Only the crackling of the torches used for lighting could be heard in the darkness. His attention was drawn by the sudden flow of the clouds and stopped. It wasn¡¯t easy to determine the flow of the clouds in the dark night, and he gave up a short moment later. Thinking this was probably his worries about the ?aloudek invasion playing tricks on his mind, he felt ashamed for being so easily spooked and returned to his patrols.

    However, his instinct wasn¡¯t wrong.

    The sound of canvas being blown by the wind came from somewhere, and the unnaturally loud noise of the wind seemed wrong to him. He was standing on a wall way above ground level and didn¡¯t felt any wind, so where did the sound of canvas come from?

    He felt a chill down his back. Taking out a whistle from his pocket and holding it with his lips, he surveyed the surroundings tensely, determined to not miss any slight movements. It wasn¡¯t long before he witnessed an incredible sight.

    Coincidentally, moonlight shone through the thick clouds as if they were parted by a giant hand. The pale moonlight fell onto the colossal figure that was advancing through the sky. The whistle fell from the wide open mouth of the sentry and the first thing he questioned was his eyes, then his sanity. The colossal figure parted the wind in its wake could only be described as a ¡®ship¡¯. His common sense was sounding alarm bells. Ships should be a transport vessel that floats on water, and definitely couldn¡¯t fly in the sky. On top of that, how could such a colossal object take flight?

    It didn¡¯t appear black because of the backdrop of the moon, but because the ship itself was painted a dark shade that blended right into the night. Even the two ¡®sails¡¯ on either side of the ship were dyed completely black, that¡¯s why the sentry only noticed it at such close range.

    As he stood in place stiffly, the floating black ship continued getting closer. In this windless night, only the vicinity of the ship had wind that was blowing in the direction it was traveling in. It was too close to hide its presence, and only the details of the external part of the ship could be made out. The sentry who was just one step from falling into panic made his last act of reason, a cry came out between his chattering teeth in place of the whistle.

    ¡°S-Someone¡­! T-There are intruders¡­ No, it¡¯s a ship. A black ship is attacking from the sky!!¡±

    During the time the sentry stumbled away, the flying ship that was still approaching was about to cross the walls. One ship. No, two ships, three ships¡ª Behind the black ship spotted by the sentry, there were identical flying ships following behind. A total of ten vessels, a large fleet. As they watch the vessels appeared one after another, the people on the ground fell into panic. No one could believe it, and when they witness the sight for themselves, they would be frightened into silence. After that, when they could make out the banner of ?aloudek on the sails, they would regain their voices in the form of screams.

    This was the ace of the ?aloudek Kingdom, Steel Wing Knights, a special knight order made up of the first functional flying ships in this world, ¡®Levitate Ships¡¯.

    The shape of the Levitate Ships was strange, as if a seaborne ship had been flipped upside down. Sails had been raised on either side of the ship, allowing it to advance with the wind. On the smooth top of the Levitate Ship¡ª which was the bottom of seafaring ships¡ª there was a part jutting up, which was the bridge which housed the command center of the ship. Inside the bridge, all sorts of mechanical parts were exposed, making it look messy.

    There was a slightly elevated seat in the middle of the bridge. That was the seat of the captain, but someone unexpected was seated there right now¡ª the Second Prince Crist¨®bal who should be at the western border of Silda Uxia was here.

    ¡°Kuscheperca wimps, scrambling around like pigs that had been pricked in the butt!¡±

    ¡°Anyone who didn¡¯t know about the existence of Levitate Ships would be this surprised¡­ What? Ugh¡­ Your Highness, the spotters below sent a report saying the number of lights in the city had increased, they are probably preparing to engage us.¡±

    ¡°That is just futile resistance, out sword is already at their necks. Very well, let¡¯s begin. All ships slow your advance!¡±

    After receiving Crist¨®bal¡¯s orders, the soldiers in the bridge opened the steel cover on the walls that revealed steel pipes, and shouted the orders into them. The orders would be transmitted to all parts of the ship through the sound relay equipment.

    ¡°Attention figurehead! Reverse the direction of the Blow Engine. Retract the sail after slowing down, prepare to defend against ground attacks!¡±

    ¡°Figurehead acknowledge, reversing direction of Blow Engine.¡±

    At the bow of the ship, a statue with the top half of a Silhouette Knight could be seen. It might be a little obnoxious to use it as a figurehead of a ship, but on closer inspection, the head of the knight was actually moving. The part known as the figurehead wasn¡¯t just a simple statue, but the top half of a Silhouette Knight was grafted there. The Silhouette Arms in its hands created whirlwinds around the Levitate Ship, changing the ship¡¯s course. This was the true reason why there was sound of the wind in this windless night.

    The decelerating ship glide across the sky, passing over the walls easily and looming over the castle behind it easily.

    As for the castle in the center of the capital, the guard garrison were panicking. That wasn¡¯t strange, since no one knew how to fight a ship flying in the sky. They could only follow the defence procedure of a night raid and increase the number bonfires, not even realizing that this would allow the enemy to see them and attack more clearly.

    Inside the bridge of the Levitate Ship, Crist¨®bal was laughing his ass off at the foolishness of the enemy. He drew the sword on his waist as if he couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, and got up from the captain seat with a leap.

    ¡°Gentlemen of the Steel Wing Knights, pride of our nation! Tonight, we will take the capital of these fools!! Offer me your best!¡±

    The soldiers started moving to carry out his command. The communication soldier relayed orders through the communication pipe, and the entire crew of the Levitate Ship acted in accordance.

    ¡°Orders! Orders! Begin air dropping Tyrants, start the landing preparation! Pilots standby inside the cockpit!¡±

    ¡°Starting airdrop procedures, injecting air into the Etheric Levitator!¡±

    In the middle of the ship was a large machine, the heart of the Levitate Ship itself¡ª the Etheric Levitator. Many soldiers surrounded it, staring at the gauges as they adjusted a series of levers. The Etheric Levitator was a powerful but delicate machine. If anything went wrong, the entire ship would crash into the ground. Hence, they need to be as swift and careful as possible. The craftsmen wiped away the sweat on their palms after accomplishing their goal.

    ¡°Report! All Tyrants are manned, airdrop preparations complete!¡±

    ¡°Dilution rate is 5.21, machine is stable, descending speed is good!¡±

    Crist¨®bal listened to the report of the soldiers and deepened the smile on his face. And finally, he received the report he had been waiting for¡ª

    ¡°Spotters report that the distance with the land is within 30! Within airdrop range, there aren¡¯t any attacks from the ground yet!¡±

    ¡°Excellent, glory to the vanguard! Open the bottom hatch! Steel Wing Knights, attack!!¡±

    The flat armoured bottom of the Levitate Ship opened, revealing several dark holes. Immediately after that, Silhouette Knights flew out along with the rattling sound of chains. No matter how sturdy a Silhouette Knight was, it would be decimated if it fell from such a height, so the altitude of the ship needed to be lowered, and crane lift would be needed to slow their descent midway.

    After they were close enough to the ground, the Tyrants unbuckled the chains and landed with a cloud of dust. Because of the problem with weights, each vessel had the special roster of 2 platoons (6 machines) of Silhouette Knights. It was a much smaller scale than the army at the west, 60 black towering knights still appeared in the capital of Kuscheperca. This was the first time in history that Levitate Ships used airborne tactics. In the face of the attack that defied common sense, the capital of Kuscheperca couldn¡¯t defend itself.

    A few hours after ?aloudek launched its sneak attack, one of the prosperous cities of the west¡ª Royal capital Delvincourt was ablaze, a hellish place where the citizens scrambled to hide. Black steel giants traversed the streets lined with brick buildings as the garrison knights of the capital city fell one after another. An adequate amount of defenders had been stationed around the city, but they didn¡¯t expect the enemy to attack directly from the air. And so, only one battalion (60 machines) rushed on scene immediately after realizing something was amiss.

    ¡°Damn it, what kind of heavy armour is this!? The Resvants are no match for them!!¡±

    Just a swing of the warhammer by the Tyrants clad in black armour would send a Resvant flying along with its shield. After hearing about the situation at the borders, the royal guards were already prepared to face powerful foes. But the difference was beyond their imagination, and were on a completely different level from them. The vast gulf between the Tyrants and the Resvants was obvious to them.

    Even so, the royal guards didn¡¯t give up. A group was about to surround and attack the Tyrants that were moving in small groups, attempting to use numbers to make up for firepower. But when they were tightening the encirclement, a suspicious black figure that was obviously different from Tyrants came running over the roofs of the buildings. The dark figure raised the sharp claw at the end of its arm, and swiped down the head of a Resvant. The size was obviously that of a Silhouette Knight, but its appearance was strange for a Silhouette Knight designed after the form of a human in armour. Its torso was really slender and its arms long and twisted.

    ¡°What¡¯s with these guys!? Are they from ?aloudek too!?¡±

    The surprise attack of the black figure caused some confusion, but the Resvant team still attempted to counter. The black figure dodged the attacks easily as if it was mocking them, its movement surprisingly agile. Using the moment when the Resvant was unbalanced, the arm of the black figure ¡®reach over¡¯ violently, its claw piercing the abdomen of the Resvant just like that. The Resvant caught off guard didn¡¯t even have the chance to evade and was silenced.

    ¡°Damn it, how dare you¡­!¡±

    After seeing their comrade pierced by the arm of the alien, the other Resvants charged at the black figure in a fit of rage. It might be nimble, but with the burden on its arm, it won¡¯t be able to utilize its speed. The Resvants couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go.

    But before they could do so, another black figure blocked their way. It was a Silhouette Knight with a similar slender body. The Resvant pilot who was blocked clicked his tongue, and used his momentum to slash at the new opponent. When the strike infused with wrath was about to hit the black figure, something slightly reflective flew out from the back of the figure, hitting the entire body of the Resvant with a hard blow. It destroyed the Resvant¡¯s Crystal Tissue, stopping it like a puppet with its strings cut.

    ¡°Hmmp, what a let down.¡±

    The diminished Resvant group lost their ability to keep up the encirclement, and the Tyrants started their counter attack. The Kuscheperca knights couldn¡¯t do anything and lost their lives to the heavy warhammers. The black figures left the routing Resvant unit behind and melted into the darkness once more.

    ¡°... Kuscheperca is finished¡­ Work hard and earn more merits then.¡±

    One of the Silhouette Knight appearing to be the commander gave its orders, and the other black figures nodded slightly and moved out. They hurdle buildings nimbly as they searched for their next prey. The next target of the black unit melting into the night was the core of the capital¡ª The royal castle.

    ***

    King Aukusti could feel slight tremors from his throne, which meant that war was upon him. He had received plenty of bad news all this while, and no one could grasp the entirety of the battle yet, confirming what was happening where. Or rather, the entire capital had become a battlefield.

    The Kuscheperca army committed their forces before understanding the situation, and ended up in the foolish state of their army being dispersed. They couldn¡¯t do anything and were being slaughtered by the small elite Tyrant teams.

    The worst outcome flashed across the mind of King Aukusti, and is face turned gloomy. At this moment, a soldier with a gloomier face arrived with news: ¡°A bigger flying ship is heading this way.¡±

    ¡ª It was certain that the enemy wanted to end this decisively.

    ¡°Is this the end¡­¡±

    King Aukusti¡¯s tired mutter was lost in the noise of his surroundings. He was secretly grateful that no one heard that and stood up.

    ¡°Gentlemen, looks like we will have to make the final decision.¡±

    This was the capital, there was no retreat route for them. If the capital falls, the country was as good as destroyed. That was why the soldiers gave their all in resistance, but it was futile as the urban battle already decided the defeat of Kuscheperca, and the net was being tightened around them. They could use the castle as the last bastion of defence, but during the national emergency, all the defences were focused on the sturdy walls of the city, and the castle itself lack defensive capabilities. Since the enemy bypassed the walls and landed directly inside the capital, this was just a futile struggle. ¡®Kuscheperca Kingdom will fall¡¯¡ª King Aukusti accepted this fact.

    There was something he had to do. He walked to his daughter who looked uneasy, and surprised himself with how calm he said these words:

    ¡°The castle is surrounded. If this goes on, all the royalty would fall into their hands. Before that, you need to hurry and escape through the hidden passageway.¡±

    ¡°W-What about you, father!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am the king of Kuscheperca, I have the obligation to fulfil my final duty.¡±

    Tears welled in Eleanora¡¯s eyes. She threw away the etiquettes she had been taught since birth, and jumped into his father¡¯s arms.

    ¡°How¡­ How can I do that, father!? Please run with me!! There is still time¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, Eleanora.¡±

    King Aukusti pushed Eleanora away gently, looking straight into her eyes and rebuking her in a gentle voice:

    ¡°If the king is the first one to run, then I won¡¯t be able to face the knights who are fighting with their life on the line. I will be mocked if I hand over the ¡®King¡¯s Mount¡¯ over without a scratch.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Her words were stuck in her throat. King Aukusti hugged Eleanora who was crying uncontrollably, and shifted his gaze to the person standing beside her:

    ¡°Can I request something difficult from you, Martina?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I will protect Princess Eleanora with my life.¡±

    The daughter of the former regent of Fremmeria, Martina Alt Kuscheperca, who married, Fernando Nevarez Kuscheperca, the younger brother of King Aukusti, nodded firmly. She then called out to the other girl who was present:

    ¡°Isadora, you two go first.¡±

    ¡°Yes mother. Come, we need to be quick Eleanora, there isn¡¯t time¡­¡±

    Martina¡¯s daughter, Isadora Adalina Kuscheperca forcefully pulled away Eleanora who refused to leave. Even though Eleanora screamed and resisted, she was no match for the merciless Isadora. King Aukusti who watched them leave had a face of regret.

    ¡°My apologies, Martina, for troubling you.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Your Majesty¡­ I am not speaking up for Eleanora, but wouldn¡¯t it be better for Your Majesty to leave with us? The King¡¯s Mount is just a Silhouette Knight, compared to your safety¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but you have seen the enemy right, Martina? A ship sailing in the sky had never been seen before. It is difficult to fight an airborne enemy.¡±

    King Aukusti looked out into the night through the windows, and before him was a black levitated ship illuminated by the blazing flames on the ground. The ship that was one size larger than the others was also painted black, but on a closer look, a large banner could be seen on it. There was no mistake, it was the colours of ?aloudek Kingdom.

    ¡°... If there aren¡¯t any royalty in the castle, the ?aloudeks will conduct a search with that vessel. It is not that easy to escape through the secret passage and hide from an aerial search, so the King has to be here. In order to draw their attention here, and to slow them down.¡±

    ¡°... Brother-in-law.¡±

    Martina looked at the unusually calm Aukusti, and understood that he was ready to meet his end.

    ¡°And so, the heavy burden will fall on that child¡­ Seems that I am neither a good king nor father.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­¡±

    ¡°Ever since my wife died, I doted that child very much. It will be fine under normal circumstances, but I am not sure if she could handle such a situation¡­ Martina, can I leave her to you?¡±

    ¡°Alright, I promise you that child and I will repel the invaders one day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. Alright, we don¡¯t have time to chatter¡­ Please tell Fernando that I will be leaving the rest to him.¡±

    Martina bit her lips for an instant, but she composed herself and curtsied, then chased after her daughter, leaving the man on his throne. King Aukusti closed his eyes for a long while, and when he realized that the ship was even closer, he showed a hearty smile.

    ¡°They might be accursed invaders, but their abilities aren¡¯t bad. However, don¡¯t look down on us¡­!¡±

    The King issued his final decree¡ª

    ¡°I will take the field! Prepare the King¡¯s Mount!¡±

    ***

    The sound of battle that had been raging on since the invasion of the Levitate Ship stopped gradually. Most of the Kuscheperca forces had been eliminated, their figures gone from the capital. Black armoured knights tightened their encirclement around the royal castle, even the Levitate Ships was closing in from above.

    At this moment, the gates of the castle opened grandly, and Silhouette Knights appeared in formation. The Resvants were adorned with decorative sashes, as if they were about to participate in a ceremony. The machines garrisoned in the castle wasn¡¯t much in terms of fighting prowess, and committing them to battle highlighted how desperate the Kuscheperca army was.

    However, the ?aloudek army ignored the Resvants, focusing their attention to the extravagant Silhouette Knight in the center of the formation¡ª The King¡¯s Mount of Kuscheperca Kingdom, Kartoga Ol Cauchard. Unfortunately, the moonlight was dim and aside from the reflection of the torches, it was hard to appreciate its beautiful designs. But it was enough for the Levitate Ship to target it.

    Standing in the middle of the Resvants group which couldn¡¯t hide their unease, the Kartoga Ol Cauchard ¡ª King Aukusti who was piloting it looked up at the giant ship in the sky calmly.

    ¡°I heard King Baldomero had fallen sick in recent years, he can¡¯t be riding in that thing¡­¡±

    The defenseless Kartoga Ol Cauchard walked forth alone. No one attacked the king, and a ship landed on the road in front of the castle. Unable to fathom how such a colossal ship could move so quietly, King Aukusti watched eagerly.

    ¡°Ara, seems like the other party accepted. It couldn¡¯t be helped¡­¡±

    The machine with a yellowish brown base colour and shining brightly drew its sword. With the blade pointing skywards, it held the sword before it as if in prayer. It then thrust out the sword straight ahead, then turned it and stabbed it into the ground. The ?aloudek army held their breath, this was an ancient ritual of challenging a formal duel. Since it was a duel requested by the King¡¯s Mount Kartoga Ol Cauchard, there was only one man present who was qualified to answer.

    ¡°I am Aukusti Vario Kuscheperca, King of Kuscheperca! The commander of the ?aloudeks on that flying ship, can you hear me!?¡±

    A machine on the Levitate Ship stood up in response to King Aukusti, the only white armoured Silhouette Knight surrounded by a sea of black.

    ¡°I will answer you! I am the son of King Baldomero of ?aloudek, Crist¨®bal! The commander of this punitive force! King Aukusti, I will be your opponent in place of my father, the monarch!!¡±

    ¡°... Oh, to think King Baldomero would hand the frontlines to a child. But as the commander, you are good enough to be my opponent! Accept my challenge then!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I intent to do, King Aukusti. Enough talk, let¡¯s converse with our swords!!¡±

    The white machine leapt, and the moment it landed, the flag machine of the ?aloudek army, Alkelorix, raised its sword and shield towards Kartoga Ol Cauchard.

    ¡°Have at you!¡±

    ¡°En garde!¡±

    The Resvants and Tyrants in the vicinity all stopped to watch the duel between these two. The strongest weapon in the world was the giant humanoid machine called Silhouette Knights. Probably because it mimicked the design of knights, it inherited many archaic and inefficient customs. ¡®Duel between the command machines¡¯¡ª that was one such ancient custom that was especially inefficient. After all, the gate of an army, or even an entire nation would rest on the outcome of the fight.

    Kartoga Ol Cauchard didn¡¯t just look good, this personal machine of the King also had the best performance in the Kingdom. Even though King Aukusti¡¯s skill was mediocre, it should be a match for a tyrant. However, the capability of Alkelorix was far better than Kartoga Ol Cauchard.

    With a white base and gold frills, Alkelorix left a deep impression as it wield its sword in the night¡ª Kartoga Ol Cauchard needed to give everything to take this blow. In this one-sided situation, Kartoga Ol Cauchard could only defend.

    There is no chance of winning this duel too!? Damn ?aloudek¡­ And that flying ship, just what kind of secret technology have they uncovered!?

    After a few exchange, the movement of Kartoga Ol Cauchard had obviously slowed. Unable to withstand the fierce attack of Alkelorix, its Crystal Tissue was starting to crumble. This could also be attributed to the gentle personality of Aukusti and the war-like nature of Crist¨®bal.

    Kartoga Ol Cauchard that fought on bravely was finally defeated. His frustration grew and Aukusti¡¯s rushed swing was deflected. Alkelorix slashed at the opening, cutting deep into the abdomen of Kartoga Ol Cauchard, destroying its armour. The Crystal Tissue was severed and the core area of the machine was damaged. The intake valve broke down, destabilizing the mana supply. Unable to maintain its power output, Kartoga Ol Cauchard fell quickly, its body crashing into the ground amidst a dust cloud.

    ¡°... Ugh! W-Well done¡­ Prince of ?aloudek, you¡¯ve won¡­ Come¡­ finish this!¡±

    King Aukusti couldn¡¯t stand after receiving the heavy blow, and said calmly as he shook his dizzy head. Even though his words would forfeit his life, a king can¡¯t lose shamefully.

    ¡°King Kuscheperca, I won this match, but you put up a good fight! Farewell!¡±

    Crist¨®bal¡¯s tone was full of glee, but he still gave a proper reply. At this instant, Alkelorix deployed its Back Weapon it had not used yet and fired at Kartoga Ol Cauchard. Hit at such a close range, Kartoga Ol Cauchard erupted in a flame of explosion. Pieces of its shiny armour flew all over the place, breaking the machine into parts and reducing the cockpit into ashes.

    As they watched the wreckage of the King¡¯s Mount blazing strongly, the soldiers of Kuscheperca cried out in sorrow with no regards to their appearance, then abandoned their machines and surrendered obediently. Because of their culture, the results of the duel between the commander machines were absolute no matter what the outcome may be. Although the Kuscheperca army didn¡¯t have a choice in the first place.

    Right before the break of dawn, the capital city of Kuscheperca, Delvincourt fell. At the same time, it was the end of a great nation in the west. This shocking news first spread like wildfire in the Kuscheperca Kingdom, and then shook the entire Western League of Nations.

    After that, the ¡®old¡¯ Kingdom of Kuscheperca fell into chaos. It was inevitable since they lost their King, but the worse thing was the death of the upper aristocrats who had gathered at the capital which was sacked, which impacted their territory greatly. The ones who should be taking over was a mess, and the situation became worse as days went by.

    The ?aloudek army seized the opportunity and made an incredibly bold move. Even though they captured the old capital, they ended up isolated in the middle of enemy grounds. Not satisfied with just the subjugation of the capital, they sent out their ace¡ª the Levitate Ships to attack the other parts of the country. The strategy was as dangerous as walking on a tightwire, but it still ended with the complete victory of ?aloudek.

    Because of the new weapon that might ¡®attack from anywhere¡¯¡ª the debut of the Levitate Ship, the nobles of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom had to change their tactic of focusing on the defence of the borders. Realizing the threat they were facing, the strategy they adopted was simple, which was to position their defences in all the important cities. But being too wary of aerial attacks meant they couldn¡¯t move their forces easily, and the nobles ended up trapping themselves.

    The Kingdom fell into a mire after losing their king. In order to resist the Steel Wing Knights rampaging all over the nation, the nobles started withdrawing the forces they dispatched to Silda Trida. Even though the famished beasts was sharpening its claws right before them.

    Seeing it from the big picture, this was a very retarded move¡ª but the knights mustered at the fort actually obeyed this order. The citizens losing the spiritual pillar in the form of their king was a huge factor too. Since the backbone of the entire nation was flimsy, they had no choice but to narrow their defences to their home villages. In the end, they couldn¡¯t bear seeing their home town being attacked.

    Even though they were at an impasse, a sizeable number of the defenders abandoned Silda Uxia without a fight. It wasn¡¯t long before the famous Silda Trida was broken through by the ?aloudek army.

 Book 4: Chapter 30: The Exiled Princess

    News that the capital city of Kuscheperca, Delvincourt, had fallen, and the results right after the invasion were reported back to ?aloudek Kingdom. Ruling on behalf of King Baldomero who was bedridden¡ª The First Prince Carlitos sat on the throne in the middle of the palace, unable to suppress his joy as he announced to the nobles present:

    ¡°According to the reports, after successfully subjugating Delvincourt, the forces around Kuscheperca are gradually dissolving. It won¡¯t be long before we annex the entire Kuscheperca under our rule. After that, the Western League of Nations is as good as ours. The largest empire since the fall of Father Aburdene will be founded¡­ The remaining minor states would be nothing more than pests.¡±

    The gathered aristocrats expressed their compliments. ?aloudek and Kuscheperca were the two largest nation in the west. It¡¯s as he said, the combined territory of these two countries (along with those of the Locard Allied Union) would mean the birth of a gigantic country spanning most of the western continent. After all the hardships experienced by Father Aburdene during its fall, it had finally seized the entire west once again¡ª they were one step closer to realizing this ambition.

    ¡°As you gentlemen already know, we took action only after meticulous preparations. With this in mind, Crist¨®bal¡¯s performance has been exemplary, his prowess makes him the strongest blade of ?aloudek.¡±

    After hearing Carlitos¡¯ joyous speech, the gathered nobles all expressed their agreement, and the hall was filled with cheerful laughter. At this moment, a young woman came before the throne, with the crowd parting to make way for her. Her sharp features resembled Carlitos a little, and their attire were similar too.

    ¡°Crist¨®bal did well. The subjugation is proceeding smoothly, but it should be about time that things become too much for that child. As agreed, I will head there to assist in the administration.¡±

    The eldest daughter of King ?aloudek, Catalina Camilla ?aloudek said her piece. Her elder brother nodded with a wry smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Crist¨®bal is good at waging war, but has no talent in statesmanship. That¡¯s why we need you, do lend him your kind assistance.¡±

    The Second Prince Crist¨®bal is a battle maniac¡ª This was a well established fact for everyone except himself. On the other hand, the First Princess Catalina wasn¡¯t suited for war, but excels in administrative matters. In order to govern the vast new territories, her abilities were indispensable. With the encouragement from her brother, Catalina answered with a curtsey and retreated from the throne.

    ¡°Consequently, we can now invade Kuscheperca Kingdom without any worries. Are there any movements from the surrounding nations?¡±

    A man that gave off the aura of a warrior stepped forth to answer Carlitos¡¯ question. He was a Knight Commander who stayed behind to defend their domestic borders.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Eleven Flags made some moves when we launched our invasion, but they had been exterminated by the Lead Bone Knights. Please don¡¯t worry and attack as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Excellent work. Tell them to keep working hard as our defenders.¡±

    The Knight Commander bowed deeply and stepped back. Carlitos confirmed all matters of importance, and sent his regards to those in charge. As the proceedings went on, it was finally the turn of a man who stood in a corner of the audience hall with a long face.

    ¡°...Lord Collazo! Your work is wonderful. The Levitate Ship you invented is the vessel that guided us to victory.¡±

    ¡°I am honoured for the chance to contribute to this nation. My talents are mediocre, but I will put in my utmost effort to serve.¡±

    Even though he said that, the man was only superficially respectful, and lowered his head with a bored expression. Carlitos snorted softly, then reverted to his smiling face.

    ¡°Impressive. Please carry on your good work for our Black Knights.¡±

    ¡°... By your will. I will head for the workshop right this moment with haste, and do all I can for the Black Knights.¡±

    The man bowed stiffly, then left the audience hall with haste. The contents aside, his attitude towards the acting monarch was deplorable. In fact, several nobles frowned at this sight.

    ¡°... That man. Isn¡¯t he rather impudent in the presence of His Highness?¡±

    ¡°Forget it, let him be. He might be crude in his manners, but he is valuable enough for me to overlook his rudeness. I need him to continue slaving hard for this country.¡±

    Carlitos deepened the smile on his handsome face. The aristocrats around him looked as if they couldn¡¯t accept it, but they couldn¡¯t refute the acting King, so they just avoided the matter with ambiguous attitudes.

    After leaving the audience hall, the man hastened his pace through the palace passageway and took off his outerwear roughly. He only exhaled in relief after loosening his tight collar. Formal wear was elegant, but was hard to breath in. Under his outerwear was a medium built body that didn¡¯t look trained. From this, it was clear that the man wasn¡¯t a knight or a craftsman.

    ¡°Sigh, the acting king is scary. Never mind, it¡¯s thanks to his support that the Levitate Ship get to take to the sky.¡±

    His name was Horacio Collazo. He had yet to celebrate his 30th birthday, but he had already climbed to the top of ?aloudek¡¯s national technological development, and held the important post of central research workshop director, a fast track career.

    That was because he ¡ª or rather, his clan¡ª and the theory they propositioned, which was acknowledged by the weapons they developed, propelling him to his current status. His clan discovered the theory of ¡®Pure Ether Usage¡¯. The power that moves this world was Mana, and their focus was on the form Mana had before that, Ether, which yielded a wide variety of technologies. With the official funding by ?aloudek, they achieved a crucial result, the ¡®Etheric Levitator¡¯. This engine that was the representation of the ¡®Pure Ether Usage¡¯, and the first practical flying ship was born in human history.

    ¡°I am very grateful to His Highness, but this is getting overwhelming.¡±

    The debut of the Levitate Ship coincided with the completion of the new Silhouette Knights model, as if a powerful force was pulling the strings from behind.

    The royalty of ?aloudek inherited the same ambition every generation, which was the revival of the legendary super country that dominated the entire west through force. The power of flight granted by a new theory, combined with combat strength that couldn¡¯t be matched by the old generation¡ª the new model of Silhouette Knights fanned these flames of ambition.

    ¡°Things are getting hairy, the sharp gazes of the nobles is sure prickly.¡±

    Bringing the ¡®Pure Ether Usage¡¯ theory out from their home town was the wilful decision by Horacio alone. He had a dream, and to fulfill this dream, he needed a large amount of funds, the backing on the level of an entire country. That was the reason he went as far as betraying his clan in order to help the ?aloudek Kingdom. From the way things were, his plan was moving in the direction of being realized.

    ¡°Ara~ where might my Levitate Ship be soaring in now? I wish this useless war will end already, I want to fly freely in the sky soon.¡±

    He looked up into the sky from the corridor, and a moment later, his plain face turned serious. He walked towards the Levitate Ship hangar with large strides again, preparing to return to the central research workshop that was as good as his home. As only a limited number of Levitate Ships were built so it wasn¡¯t widespread, he had the authority to use it as a personal means of transport as its inventor.

    ¡°Oh? That is¡­¡±

    When Horacio reached the hangar, he happened to run into the princess who was about to board a Levitate Ship to Kuscheperca, Catalina. He then recalled the conversation he heard at the audience hall and an idea came to his mind. He hurried to Catalina.

    ¡°Pardon me, Your Highness Catalina, can I have some of your time?¡±

    ¡°You are¡­ Horacio? What¡¯s the matter? Isn¡¯t your ship over there?¡±

    Catalina was confused by Horacio who appeared suddenly, and pointed to the ship right beside hers.

    ¡°I know that Your Highness. I just wish to enquire about something with you.¡±

    ¡°... I need to hurry to Kuscheperca, please make this quick.¡±

    Horacio offered his thanks, then gave a long speech:

    ¡°As I have said to Prince Carlitos, my job is to strengthen the power of the Black Knights and the Levitate Ship, but this isn¡¯t something that can be done by being holed up inside my workshop. I need information¡­ And the easiest place to get those is from the battlefield where the Black Knights and Levitate Ships are being used frequently¡­ Kuscheperca.¡±

    Catalina¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°In order to utilize my full potential and strengthen our nation, could you allow me to go with you to Kuscheperca?¡±

    Horacio suppressed his urge to smile, he was bowing respectfully after all.

    ***

    The forest region of old Kuscheperca Kingdom.

    The sun illuminated the forest through the gaps between the tree leaves, and a group of riders and a carriage was advancing slowly. As the road wasn¡¯t paved, it would be too much for the carriage to pass through the uneven path, so they had to move slowly. On top of that, the mistresses of the carriage had to keep a low profile, which meant that they had to travel inconspicuously.

    As for the reason, it was clear by observing the people on the carriage¡ª a girl who had a tired looking face, and was expressionless due to being worn out. She was the princess of Kuscheperca, Eleonora. Sitting opposite her was Martina, the wife of King Kuscheperca¡¯s brother. While the one sitting beside Eleonora looking on anxiously was Isadora, Martina¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°Eleonora, be strong. I am vexed by what happened to His Majesty too¡­ But you will need to support this Kingdom now, and expel those people out of the nation.¡±

    Even though Isadora was talking to her, Eleonora had no reaction, bobbing her head like a broken marionette. Martina frowned as she watched, and her expression grew stern. Eleonora had been like this during their entire escape. Her beauty that had been famed and likened to a blooming flower was now hollow and lackluster, similar to a lifeless doll to be toyed with. Isadora couldn¡¯t stand it and kept talking to her, but it wasn¡¯t effective.

    That night, when Delvincourt was sacked by the Steel Wing Knights, they only escaped from the capital because of the King¡¯s sacrifice. Their original plan was to head east, since that was the territory of Martina¡¯s husband¡ª Prince Fernando. There was no better place to hide the princess who survived.

    But the Steel Wing Knights stopped their plans. As the late King Aukusti predicted, the ?aloudek army was laxed after defeating the King, but they discovered that the other royalties were missing shortly after. In the West, they had the practice of inheritance by bloodline, so leaving the scion of the King alive would be a troublesome matter. This was why when they extended their claws all over Kuscheperca, they also pursued for any trails of the escaped royalty.

    Ever since they saw the ships flying in the sky, Martina¡¯s group decided to prioritize secrecy on this journey. After all, along them was a person who inherited a noble bloodline, and was the last hope of the Kingdom of Kuscheperca, so they couldn¡¯t take any risk. The escorting knights were also doubly cautious, careful to not let any news leak, limiting their contact with towns to the absolute minimum, choosing to travel through the forest far from any settlements. Such covert actions that drained resources and energy can only be maintained by force of will and hope. For a flower raised in a glasshouse, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she had already forsaken hope.

    ¡­ If this goes on, even if we escape successfully, her heart won¡¯t be able to take it.

    This escape had too many uncertainties, but the thing Martina was most concerned about was Eleonora¡¯s condition. After reaching the territory, Eleonora who inherited the direct bloodline would need to become the symbol of Kuscheperca Kingdom and rebuild the nation. But she lacked the conviction to lead the masses.

    Martina peeked at her daughter. Despite the dire situation, Isadora¡¯s heart did not falter. Although she was concerned about Eleonora, Isadora did not show any signs of being depressed. Isadora had always been a tomboy who liked to mimic the knights, so this was a good quality to have under these circumstances. Martina couldn¡¯t help but think that it would be great if Eleonora had a tenth of Isadora¡¯s strength.

    The carriage ferrying the individuals with their own woes stopped suddenly. There was a tense air about the knights so obvious that even those within the carriage could feel it.

    ¡°!... What¡¯s going on!?¡±

    Martina opened the window and asked the knights sharply. A knight mounted on the horse turned back and replied:

    ¡°Forgive me for not dismounting. Scouts reported sighting anomalies in front of us.¡±

    ¡°Is it the enemy?¡±

    ¡°It is uncertain. But to be safe, we should make a detour¡­¡±

    As the knight answered and was about to turn back, they heard a sharp whistling sound. An arrow pierced the head of the knight. Before the gasping Martina, the figure of the knight fell off the horse and out of her sight.

    ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? Aren¡¯t they further to the front!?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s hurry. We will become targets...Hya!?¡±

    The sudden attack threw the escorting knights into confusion. In the meantime, soldiers with crossbows appeared from the trees one after another, decimating them mercilessly. The ambushing troops all wore armour with the same design, with the emblem of the ?aloudek army on them.

    While the number of their knights was decreasing, the driver of the royal carriage set off immediately. He was also a trained knight, and was right in making this judgement. Unfortunately, he was still too late.

    A sudden glaring orange light appeared on the carriages¡¯ route of advance, and was followed by an explosion. The intense flame and impact killed the horses instantly, and the carriage tumbled on the ground, bouncing a couple of times.

    Immediately after, heavy footsteps could be heard from the front, the clinking of steel armour, sharp screech of the churning Crystal Tissue and the vague sound of air being sucked into the Ether Reactor were getting closer. Its true identity goes without saying, belonging to a black armoured giant knight¡ª Silhouette Knights slowly appeared from the forest.

    It wasn¡¯t just one, but six Silhouette Knights surrounded the carriage. The giant knights in black heavy armour were the new mass produced model from ?aloudek, the Tyrant, that ravaged the capital a few days ago. The Back Weapons protruding from their rear were ready to fire, one of it still had signs of firing a shot recently, emitting a faint glow.

    Many soldiers appeared at the feet of the Tyrant, encircling the fallen carriage tightly. A man in standard issued armour split the group of soldiers wielding crossbows and staves, and appeared to be the captain. Seeing no further resistance, he announced in a loud voice with a smile:

    ¡°The people inside the carriage, come on out, it is futile to resist.¡±

    But there was only silence. After being ambushed and taking a heavy blow from a magic shot, this was only natural. The captain snorted unhappily and warned again:

    ¡°We are not concerned about your lives, we will be fine with blowing you away like this.¡±

    In concert with the open threat, a Tyrant aimed its Silhouette arms at the carriage. At this moment¡ª

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    After enough time past for a sigh, there was finally a response. The man raised one eyebrow, and the door of the fallen carriage was kicked opened from the inside. As the ?aloudek soldiers raised their weapons in surprise, a figure climbed out of the carriage slowly. It was Martina. She leapt on top of the carriage, and surveyed the grunt soldiers from high ground.

    ¡°Hmmp, you even brought Silhouette Knights, making a mountain out of a molehill. And? You don¡¯t even dare speak to an unarmed woman without holding a weapon in hand?¡±

    She had a slender built for a woman and was trained, so she adopted the position of looking down at the crowd the moment she stood on top of the carriage. Her dress was slightly dirtied from the long journey, but her authoritative aura wasn¡¯t affected at all, and even intimidated the rank and files. The face of the captain was also a bit stiff, but he remembered the current situation, and adopted a superficially respectful attitude.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this consort Martina? It is a great honour to meet you in person¡­¡±

    ¡°Such nerves¡­¡±

    Martina frowned, ignored the captain and surveyed the surroundings. She was completely surrounded, and there were Silhouette Knights on standby a further distance away. On the other hand, all the knight escorts had been defeated, the situation was very dire. Even if she used herself as a decoy, she wasn¡¯t certain if she could let Eleonora and Isadora escape. Unsure of her chances, she could only bite down on her lips.

    ¡°We have orders from His Highness Crist¨®bal to capture you, please don¡¯t make any futile resistance¡­ His Highness also said that if we can confirm your identity, it doesn¡¯t matter if you are dead or alive. If you cooperate, I promise we won¡¯t be too rough.¡±

    The man¡¯s tone implied that he had absolute control, which made Martina frown with displeasure. But no matter how rebellious she was, she wouldn¡¯t resist in such a situation. After all, the giant knights that could turn human into minced meat instantly was intimidating her silently, any resistance was meaningless in their presence.

    ¡°To think I would be a step behind¡­ I miscalculated. No matter what, Silhouette Knights are hard to deal with.¡±

    When he heard the vexed murmurs of Martina, the captain showed an irritating grin and said:.

    ¡°Ah, I forgot to tell you. From the direction the carriage was heading, you probably planned to head into the eastern territory right? You can only seek refuge with the King¡¯s brother. But regrettably, we just came from the eastern territory.¡±

    Even though Martina had a tough front despite her vexed feeling, she showed signs of panicking for the first time.

    ¡°C-Could it be¡­ you¡­!¡±

    ¡°You are smart enough to know the reason right? The pride of our nation, the Levitate Ship fleet! The Steel Wing Knights had already subjugated Fontanier of the eastern territory ahead of you!¡±

    Martina felt the illusion of the ground beneath her feet falling away, and she could hear her pulse pounding beside her ears. Steeling herself with the worst prediction, she squeezed out the last ounce of her strength to glare at that man. He made a show of looking scared, then dealt the final blow.

    ¡°Oh right, I heard the King¡¯s brother unfortunately died during the assault. And so, the only royalties left in this nation would be you all. There is nowhere to run.¡±

    Martina fell on her knees weakly, her chest seized gradually to the depths of despair. The hope that she had clung into during the entire journey had been crushed mercilessly.

    Ahhh¡­ It¡¯s all over. Brother-in-law and my husband are gone¡­ who will save this Kingdom now¡­?

    The soldiers had surrounded Martina who had given up. Nowhere to run, no strength to fight. The troops captured Martina and the girls trembling inside the carriage.

    The last hope of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom¡ª Princess Eleonora¡¯s group fell into the hands of ?aloudek. This news was more than enough to eliminate the will of the old Kuscheperca nobles.

    This happened in C.E. 1281, when the early summer wind was starting to blow. ?aloudek captured all surviving royalties of Kuscheperca and the Kingdom itself, completing the invasion.

    ***

    The towering Aubigne Mountain Range was covered in clouds, marking the borders of the Western League of Nations. Between a valley, there was a road paved through the earth. This road was named the ¡®East-West Highway (Occident Road)¡¯ and leads to the east¡ª one of the few ways leading into the Fremmevira Kingdom. Despite the powerful demon beasts running rampant in Fremmevira Kingdom, it also held fertile lands blessed by Aubigne. Merchants would scale the mountains and travel through here from time to time.

    On this day, there was a caravan that came to the west through the East-West Highway. It¡¯s convoy of wagons meandered along the relatively even roads, each one of them carrying a vast amount of goods. They seemed to be very successful merchants.

    The caravan moved smoothly, and at this moment, the leading wagon gave the signal to stop.

    ¡°What is the matter, Young Master?¡±

    ¡°... Something is amiss. The flag flying at the checkpoint is different.¡±

    A checkpoint could be seen ahead. It was built along the foot of Mount Aubigne, and was the leading into Kuscheperca. The banner flying above it was obviously not Kuscheperca. Those who knew what happened could guess the colours of that nation immediately. But it was a shock to the caravan that travelled here from a long distance away.

    ¡°I see. That flag¡­ How do you plan to proceed?¡±

    ¡°... Do I even need to say it, begin the ¡®trade¡¯ immediately.¡±

    The person addressed as Young Master frowned, and the petite boy who queried him nodded. The boy then signaled the caravan behind him, and they resumed moving shortly.

    ¡°...Sigh, we really drew the worst lot.¡±

    A sentry on top of the checkpoint complained as they faced the blue sky over Aubigne. The emblem of ?aloudek Kingdom was on their armour. The influence of that Kingdom had spread to the far east of Kuscheperca.

    ¡°Hey, since the checkpoint is built here, that means something is on the other side of the mountain right?¡±

    National policies aside, for the soldiers, a place with sparse population and only forest, mountains and roads in view was terribly dull. Bored out of their mind, they stared blankly at the mountain range that stretched beyond the horizon as they chat.

    ¡°Let me think¡­ Eh, there should be a remote country called Flamberge over there.¡±

    ¡°Huh~ the other side of Aubigne isn¡¯t remote, that is the far end of the world.¡±

    In this era, most people resides within the Western League of Nations. Aside from the people with power and merchants, the ¡®world¡¯ they knew was the west. With such a world view in mind, the Aubigne Mountains was as good as the far end of the world.

    That was why the soldiers deployed to the far end of the world couldn¡¯t work up the motivation for this task. Since there was a checkpoint and roads, that meant people would pass through. Their rational side told them that, but to be honest, they weren¡¯t interested in realms outside of their world.

    ¡°Why are we guarding this place¡­ Hey, what is that¡­!?¡±

    Another soldier who was in the midst of complaining suddenly saw something in the distance. Dust was being kicked up on the road passing through the forest, and the tremors of horse hooves could be felt through the ground. Any soldier would be familiar with this rhythmic sound, but it sounded ¡®too heavy¡¯. As if horses as large as Silhouette Knights were galloping, making these terrible noise.

    ¡°Is that horses¡­? No, that¡¯s too strange. Horses aren¡¯t that fast! They will be here very soon. Close the gate!! Just drop it!¡±

    The shocked soldier shouted. The checkpoint¡¯s gate was a portcullis, which could be raised or lowered by chains. During emergencies, the ropes securing the gate could be cut to close the entrance immediately. In response to the sentry¡¯s cry, the other soldiers charged to the opening mechanism and used axes to sever the ropes tied to a counter weight. With the rattling of the sliding chains, the gate plunged onto the ground.

    The moment the steel gate fell, the Silhouette Knights realized something was amiss and prepared for battle. ?aloudek¡¯s newest model of machine, the Tyrant, stood up and took a stance inside the checkpoint entrance. The next second, the cause of this unnatural situation burst onto the road and appeared before them.

    ¡°What the hell is that!? It¡¯s not horses¡­ Men? Could those be¡­ Silhouette Knights?¡±

    The ¡®thing¡¯ that appeared under the sun had the top half of a human but the bottom half of a horse, an alien that could be more aptly described as half man half horse. The familiar grind of Crystal Tissues under its armour meant that it was a Silhouette Knight. But in the face of this extraordinary existence, the soldiers could only stand in place dumbfoundedly.

    Approaching at a brisk pace, that ¡®thing¡¯¡ª the Centaur Knight Tzendrinble slowed down when it saw that the gate of the checkpoint was closed. There were two of the strange Centaur Knights towing an enormous wagon. It made an ear screeching sound and sparks flew during its deceleration, kicking up a cloud of dust and leaving marks on the ground before grounding to a halt right at the entrance.

    One casual voice came from somewhere, speaking to the soldiers who had frozen on the spot.

    ¡°Sorry to disturb~! We are the Silver Phoenix Merchants, we came from the other side of the mountains to trade. Could you let us pass?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bullsh*t! It¡¯s impossible for merchants to possess such messed up horses!!¡±

    When he heard the immediate retort, that voice sighed exasperatedly:

    ¡°You all don¡¯t know? Demon Beasts run amok in the nation on the other side of the mountains. It is very dangerous, so we need such specialized horses!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of it being specialized! This is too suspicious! All of you dismount from the machine and line up before me. We will check your luggage and origins thoroughly!¡±

    As they spoke, the Tyrant unit raised their weapon and got ready for a battle. No matter where the Silver Phoenix Merchants came from, they didn¡¯t think an armed group of such a scale would follow docilely.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Can I ask you something? That isn¡¯t a Kuscheperca flag right? Where do you come from?¡±

    The soldiers didn¡¯t notice that the voice lowered its pitch slightly, and told it the ¡®obvious truth¡¯:

    ¡°You claim to be merchants, but are behind in learning the news. Kuscheperca had already fallen! This place is run by us, the ?aloudek Kingdom now!¡±

    ¡°... I see, since it has fallen, I don¡¯t have time to talk with you lot anymore.¡±

    A sharp noise of air flow erupted from the giant wagon towed by the Centaur Knight, the sound of a Silhouette Knight¡¯s heart¡ª it¡¯s Ether Reactor taking in Ether and churning it into mana. Immediately after that, the steel lines securing the cargo broke off, and the canvas on top was uncovered. Reflecting the golden ray of the sun was Gordesleo, the Silhouette Knight clad in golden armour and designed after the form of a lion. Emrys who was piloting it, glared murderously at the checkpoint on his Holo Monitor.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t open the gate, I will have to resort to violence¡­!!¡±

    Gordesleo jumped off the wagon, and started sprinting. It¡¯s back weapon was deployed on Emrys¡¯ command, alongside the Silhouette Arms that were concealed inside the machine¡¯s pauldrons. Powerful mana flowed into the Emblem Graph, and the spell was activated.

    ¡°Outta my way!!¡±

    The air tremored, this was the Overt spell cast by combining multiple Silhouette Arms, the certain kill arms of Gordesleo ¡ª ¡®Blast Howling¡¯. The huge expenditure of mana yielded the result of a powerful shockwave that went straight to the checkpoint. The sturdy steel gate that looked strong enough to withstand the body slam of a duel class demon beast was bent out of shape. After the joints cracked and fissures appeared on the walls, the gate was blasted into the air along with its hinge, flying straight at the Tyrant unit standing by behind it.

    They couldn¡¯t evade in time to the sudden change in circumstances, and the giant gate scored a direct hit on a tyrant. The heavy armour that withstood a direct hit from a catapult couldn¡¯t take this blow. Its torso was bent inwards deeply, a critical hit from just one hit. The machine collapsed and couldn¡¯t get up again.

    ¡°Im¡­ Impossible! The gate that could withstand a body slam of a Silhouette Knight is destroyed! They possess Silhouette Arms with such ridiculous might!?¡±

    ¡°H-How dare they do this to us!¡±

    Even the Black Knights were wavering after witnessing firepower beyond their expectation. The Centaur Knights used the chance and took action, the Tzendrinbles disconnected the link with the wagon and charged into the checkpoint that had lost its gate. The unique sound that was only possible with twin Ether Reactors was like the neigh of a horse, and their thundering hooves seemed to be threatening to break the very ground. After passing the gate, the Tzendrinbles readied their lances like cavalries, aiming them at the enemy.

    ¡°Y-You bastards¡­!¡±

    It didn¡¯t slow down, plunging its lance into the body of the Black Knight, sending shattered armour and splinted Crystals into the air. However, the heavily damaged Tyrant didn¡¯t fall, and held tightly to the lance.

    ¡°What is this? Incredibly hard!! Hey, let go of my lance!¡±

    An unexpectedly youthful protest came from the Centaur Knight. Although it had to drop to one knee after losing its balance, the Black Knight still held onto the lance stubbornly. At this moment, another Tzendrinble charged in and impaled the Black Knight again. The heavily damaged Black Knight couldn¡¯t withstand it. The lance pierced through its body, breaking its armour, Crystal Tissue and Inner Skeleton. The Tyrant fell to the ground heavily after the blow by the two lances.

    ¡°W-Why you! And you claim to be merchants! Don¡¯t think I will let you off so easily!!¡±

    The Tyrant Unit regained their composure quickly and roared with rage. Two platoons (6 machines) were deployed here, and normally speaking, this would be enough to protect this far off place. But in a blink of an eye, they lost two of them.

    The Tyrant eyed the ferocious Centaur Knights and Gordesleo which caused all this cautiously, and closed in on them carefully with shields raised and hammer ready. If they could put up a strong defence, the armour of the Tyrant could withstand any attacks, even if the enemy was as strong as monsters.

    ¡ªAt this moment, there was a terrible noise which could only be described as a ¡®roar¡¯. A feral roar to show its might to all living beings. With a tremor, the intense intake sound of the Behemoth¡¯s heart erupted.

    ¡°... You all are too much, starting the fight without me. Let me and Ikaruga join you!¡±

    The other ¡®cargo¡¯ left on the wagon at the entrance of the checkpoint started moving. A sudden burst of flame burned the canvas covering it and created a torrent of wind. A shadow passed through the center of the flames and into the air.

    The soldiers witnessing this from the top of the checkpoint were certain that they had lost it. The figure blocked the sky above them. It didn¡¯t look like a bird, was definitely not a beast, an existence that had the shape of a giant human¡ª that of a Silhouette Knight. That¡¯s right, a silhouette Knight was flying in the air. The checkpoint was about 30m tall, a height not even a Silhouette Knight could scale easily. But that Silhouette Knight could fly even higher.

    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±

    The confused soldiers realized a fact quickly. If the shadow was over their head¡ª That meant the landing spot was where they were. The group scattered in shock, and the next second, ¡®that thing¡¯ landed on the stone walls. With its back to the sun, its shadow reached the Tyrants beneath it. ¡®That thing¡¯ slowly stood up before the frozen ?aloudek army who had yet to grasp the situation.

    That Silhouette Knight was strange. About 10m tall, it wore armour of unique design and held two weirdly shaped sword in its arms. But the most prominent thing was on its back¡ª That crazy machine had four more arms growing on its back. The Centaur Knights were very impactful, but the existence of this thing wasn¡¯t far off either. Standing before the intimidated ?aloudek soldiers was the personal machine of the Silver Phoenix Knight Knight Commander, Ernesti Echevarria¡ª the six armed armoured samurai with the face of an oni, Ikaruga. It¡¯s Eye Crystal moved beneath the mask that resembled a human face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Ikaruga¡­ The battle starts now!¡±

    In response to Eru¡¯s joyous words, the main Reactor ¡®Behemoth''s Heart¡¯ and secondary Reactor ¡®Queen''s Coronet¡¯ revved loudly. The violent mana produced by the hearts of the colossal demon beast flowed into the Magius Jet Thrusters under the control of Eru, and the machine turned red as if it was wearing a crimson outer coat. Ikaruga kicked off the walls of the checkpoint and jumped into the air once again.

    The body of Ikaruga turned black as its back was to the light, and the pilot of the Tyrant felt a chill as he locked eyes with its Crystal Eye.

    ¡°Mon¡­ Monster¡­¡±

    Using the inertia of its fall, Ikaruga slashed down at a Tyrant with the swords held in both arms. The blunt swords cut into the shoulders of the Tyrant through sheer brute force, shearing its arms off. The fearsome power output of Ikaruga allowed it to cut all the way down to the Tyrant¡¯s feet and into the ground, causing an explosion of dust. The Tyrant lost its balance from the impact and collapsed.

    ¡°One¡ª¡±

    Ikaruga stood up slowly before the maimed Tyrant. The sight of the alien shaped enemy defeating the heavily armoured Black Knight terrorized the heart of the other knights.

    ¡°D-Damn it! What in the world are these things!! D-Don¡¯t come here! All units fire!!¡±

    The Black Knight screamed in fear as he tried to regain his composure. He couldn¡¯t spare the effort to face this bizarre adversary. Abandoning close quarter combat which was their forte, they deployed their back weapons. But unfortunately, their opponent acted before they did.

    A series of explosions rocked the ear drums of the ?aloudek soldiers, and Ikaruga charged forth with abnormal speed from the crimson flames bursting out from its back.

    ¡°Hyiii¡­!!¡±

    The Tyrants fired off shots on reflex with a moan, but Ikaruga dodged them all with its propellor and got within sword range at the same time. It was mere coincidence that the Tyrant¡¯s shield managed to block Ikaruga¡¯s sword in time. After taking the powerful blow from the sword, the shield twisted out of shape immediately, and the Tyrant¡¯s feet sunk into the ground. The arm shards of Crystal Tissue also flew out of the arm supporting the shield, it was a miracle that it didn¡¯t fell on its knees right there and then. This was a power several times stronger than that of the Tyrant they knew, and a direct hit would definitely end badly. The Black Knight struggled to push the sword back, but only sunk in deeper. The pilot started doubting his eyes, the Tyrant was actually losing in a competition of strength? The alien enemy was overwhelmingly stronger than the Black Knights that ruled the battlefield in the west. He couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of existence he was fighting, and could only endure the fear in silence.

    While the Tyrant was suppressed, Ikaruga launched its attack mercilessly. The four arms on its back extended. Two of them held a halberd each, and attacked the Tyrant by drawing arcs through the air. Using its centrifugal force, it sliced off the arms of the Tyrant at the shoulder. While the Tyrant which lost its means to attack or defend stood still on the spot, the sword attacked a second time. The Tyrant that received a terrible blow bent at the waist and fell onto the ground.

    ¡°Two¡ª¡±

    There were only two Tyrants left, and the pilots were in a complete state of panic. They belonged to the Green Bronze Claw Knights, and piloting the Tyrants were proof that they were elites. Despite the numerous battles they had been through, the enemy before them was beyond anything they had seen before. In the face of this extraordinary threat, they couldn¡¯t think of a way to achieve victory. Even so, they still fired off their back weapon haphazardly while the enemy was still some distance away, attacking with all they had. The shots fired at the armoured samurai, Centaur Knight and Gordesleo were random and spastic.

    The shots soared through the sky like screams of terror, and was easily deflected by the halberd of Ikaruga, which then raised its sword against the Tyrant that was firing off shots single mindedly. Even though Ikaruga was obviously out of sword range.

    ¡°A shoot out huh! Great, I am happy to oblige.¡±

    The sword wielded by Eru¡ª Ikaruga wasn¡¯t normal. The moment a switch was pulled on the sword, the blade split into two. From within the thick blade, a mechanism that was obviously foreign to a sword appeared¡ª Silver Plate, Steel Frame and Crystal Catalyst. A shocking amount of mana flowed into the sword, and the the Crystal Catalyst at the tip of the sword started to glow. This meant the sword also had the functionality of a Silhouette Arms¡ª It was the giant version and latest model of Gun Staff, ¡®Sword Cannon¡¯.

    The Overedt Spell constructed from the Emblem Graft exploded with tremendous mana, and the glaring shot flew towards the Tyrant. The targeted Black Knight could only watch helplessly as the shot came at it from a place that defied common sense, and got hit before he could even dodge.

    The Sword Cannon used the same spell as the large Silhouette Arms equipped on the chariot, ¡®Falconet¡¯. The firepower used to fight Division-level demon beasts tore the Tyrant¡¯s heavy armour to shreds. After taking a few shots in succession, its figure finally disappeared in an explosion of flame.

    ¡°Three¡ª¡±

    The last Tyrant had no regards for its image as it turned and ran. This was a wise choice as the alien ¡®fierce god¡¯ was not an adversary he could take on. The two platoons (6 machines) were decimated in no time, and he didn¡¯t have any allies left.

    And of course, Ikaruga wouldn¡¯t let him go. It opened its armour, and hellish flame blasted out from the crevices.The overwhelming propulsion force of the Magius Jet Thrusters made Ikaruga disappear. No, the truth was, it gained explosive speed from a standstill, and drew near the Tyrant in one fell sweep. The Black Knight didn¡¯t even have time for last words as the Sword Cannon destroyed its back weapon and pierced into the spine. The Sword Cannon was then deployed while inside the machine. The entire Tyrant exploded from the shot fired inside its body, and turned into a pile of scrap metal the next instant.

    ¡°Four¡­ Hmm? It¡¯s over? Not enough, Ikaruga hasn¡¯t had enough yet¡­¡±

    In the wake of the explosion, Eru who was piloting Ikaruga threw a tantrum like a kid who didn¡¯t get his candy. Ikaruga shook its halberd in response.

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped¡­¡±

    After uttering the mutter from the bottom of his heart, Ikaruga folded the arms on its back, and withdrew them together with the halberds. It then turned the Sword Cannons around, and allowed the small sub arms secure it. After letting out an exceptionally loud roar, the noise that echoed to the surroundings finally stopped. After the battle ended, Ikaruga stopped the Behemoth¡¯s Heart, and switched to the normal power output¡ª Queen¡¯s Coronet.

    ¡°... I just saw Eru came, and the battle was already over.¡±

    ¡°Of course, no matter how tough that black thing is, there is no way it could stand up to Eru and Ikaruga.¡±

    At the checkpoint back then, the Tzendrinble noticed the deafening howl stopped, and could only look at each other dumbfoundedly.

    ***

    The Tzendrinble from 3rd Company of the Silver Phoenix Knights walked down the East-West Highway one after another, while the Silhouette Gears captured the remnants of the ?aloudek forces quickly. They were scared out of their wits after witnessing the Tyrants being crushed, and surrendered without much resistance.

    ¡°Come look at this.¡±

    At this moment, the Young Master¡ª Emrys gathered the Company leaders of Silver Phoenix Knights and laid out the map he found in the checkpoint.

    ¡°Damn it, the situation is worse than I thought! This checkpoint is located to at the eastern border of Kuscheperca, while ?aloudek that launched the invasion is at the west of the Western League of Nations. The two of them are equally powerful, but Kuscheperca fell! I don¡¯t understand, what happened to their King? And Aunt¡­!?¡±

    His face twisted in pain as he spoke, and the faces of everyone turned gloomy. Everyone knew he was worried about the safety of his aunt, which was the reason he participated in this conflict. In other words, her well being was one of the directives of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°There are too much we don¡¯t know, so we should collect intel first.¡±

    Eru cast his gaze to his back as he said that. Understanding what his intent was, several people nodded and slipped away quietly. The spy group for this mission¡ª the Blue Hawk Knights also dispatched people along. They were tasked with supporting the Silver Phoenix Knights, and collating intel was their forte.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that we need to investigate! But the influence of the enemy has already reached here, it goes against my nature to just wait idly.¡±

    After hearing Emrys said that painfully, Eru crossed his arms with a serious expression.

    ¡°Our plans has gone haywire. We were supposed to collate intel while pretending to be merchants, and then move in the dark.¡±

    ¡°I have been meaning to ask. You approached so boisterously with Tzendrinble, so were you serious about pretending to be merchants¡­?¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s retort was ignored very naturally.

    ¡°How about this? Before the collection of intel is complete, let¡¯s ¡®procure goods¡¯ in the vicinity.¡±

    ¡°We are still going with the merchant setting huh¡­ What goods are you talking about?¡±

    When he heard the annoyed question from Dietrich, Eru turned towards him with an ominous smile.

    ¡°The Silhouette Knights of that ?aloudek something Kingdom of course.¡±

    After deciding the course of action, the Silver Phoenix Knights used the captured checkpoint as a temporary base. The supply unit continued ferrying resources in, and people in Silhouette Gears bustled around their headquarters. Their procurements of goods were actually a destructive job.

    ¡°From this perspective, we are acting like terrorists. Instead of merchants, how about becoming bandits?¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s complaint was ignored. As the Silhouette Gears started setting up camp, the Silhouette Knights were also taking care of the wreckage of the Tyrants. These would be dissected and studied by knightsmiths to understand the prowess of the enemy.

    ¡°Is this¡­? In that case¡­¡±

    Edgar who was cleaning up the scene in the white Silhouette Knight Ardiladcumber stared the wreckage through his Holo Monitor and stopped his hands. He opened the cockpit and jumped onto the wreckage, studying something curiously.

    ¡°Hey, what is it? Edgar, we are still in the middle of work.¡±

    ¡°Helvi, look at this. The design of the enemy Knight¡­ Doesn¡¯t it look familiar?¡±

    Helvi tilted her head confusedly and exited her machine, then looked at the wreckage he was pointing at. She didn¡¯t need much time to reach the same conclusion as Edgar.

    ¡°Hmmp, I see, Back Weapons and Strand Crystal Tissue huh. Pri¡­ Young Master said that the enemy is a nation that was on par with Kuscheperca not too long ago right? I understand why there is such a large gulf between them now.¡±

    ¡°Are you two talking about Silhouette Knights? You are discussing Silhouette Knights right? Let me join in!¡±

    ¡°Wah! E-Eru, where did you come from?¡±

    Eru came to the side of Helvi who was crossing her arms out of nowhere. Where there are Silhouette Knights, there will be me¡ª that¡¯s his motto.

    ¡°You came at the right time, Ernesti, can you tell me what is going on here?¡±

    Eru followed the gaze of the unmoved Edgar, and showed an enlightened expression.

    ¡°The black Silhouette Knights they are using have the same technology as us. Our newest invention had been committed into live battle¡­ It is probably as you imagined, their technology probably stemmed from the stolen Tellestarle.¡±

    An image from several years ago flashed through Edgar¡¯s mind¡ª the Silhouette that defeated his Earlecumber and escaped. As if a string was connecting the past with the present.

    ¡°Then these guys¡­ the people who threatened this nation is also our enemy! They destroyed my Earlecumber and stole Helvi¡¯s Tellestarle¡­!!¡±

    Edgar tightened his fists further. The Casadesus incident¡ª Edgar had always bore a grudge for the event which led to the founding of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Someone gently held his fist that was clenched so tightly that his knuckles went white. It was Helvi.

    ¡°Calm down, I understand how you feel. I am angry and think this is unforgivable¡­ But you are a captain right? How can you lose your cool so easily?¡±

    Edgar groaned, exhaled, then relaxed his fists.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Sorry for making the person I promised remind me of that¡­ I am still too inexperienced.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, or rather, I am happy that you are angry for my sake. Thank you.¡±

    Helvi left a soft sensation on Edgar¡¯s cheek momentarily, then returned to her Tzendrinble. Leaving behind the frozen Edgar.

    ¡°Ah¡ª what the hell? I have the urge to vent by fighting the enemy, or I don¡¯t think I can go on.¡±

    On the other hand, Dietrich who continued working besides them felt like abandoning his work. He tossed aside the debris in his hand and sighed to the heavens for all sorts of reason.

    ¡°There are plenty of enemies that we need to defeat, please don¡¯t hold back and get as many as you want.

    ¡°Ohh, Eru is envious of that too right! Then I will also kiss¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ady, Di-Senpai¡¯s face is becoming really interesting, so please calm down.¡±

    Eru soothed Ady who hugged him from behind out of nowhere. The gloomy Dietrich started to think that nothing mattered anymore, and shrugged resignedly in the end.

    ¡°... Forget about that for now, what do you think, Ernesti? That technology is ours, or rather, you thought most of them up. And after coming full circle, they are now our enemy.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am really excited.¡±

    When heard an unexpectedly cheerful voice, Dietrich and Ady looked at each other with a weird face.

    ¡°Not a Silhouette Knight made by our Silver Phoenix Knights, or our nation Fremmevira. I am very curious about what technology they uncovered from the Tellestarle, and how they made the final product. Also¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t clear what Eru was thinking, but he had the smile of a predator before its prey.

    ¡°At the root of all this, those machines are made with our technology, so it isn¡¯t wrong for all of them to belong to us. Furthermore, they are our enemy, so it will be fine to snatch them away and make them mine right? The more Silhouette Knights, the merrier!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s definitely twisted reasoning¡­¡±

    Dietrich felt that Eru shouldn¡¯t say such brutish things with a smile¡ª but realized he had the same smile on his face.

    ¡°Just the thought that they are the same gang as the ones who stole Tellestarle makes it impossible for me to sympathize with them. Edgar is full of drive, more so for the Young Master. I think we should follow the instruction of the Knight Commander and make them all sacrifices.¡±

    Dietrich looked towards the foot of Aubigne Mountain, and the Kingdom of Kuscheperca that expanded from then on.

    The flag of the Silver Pheonix knights was hoisted in the eastern borders. The storm had a new seed of fire, and at the same time, the ¡®Silver Pheonix Merchants¡¯ began the operation earnestly.

 Book 4: Chapter 31: The Imprisoned Princess

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    East of Kuscheperca. There was a strange rumour spreading among the ?aloudek that moved here, about a ¡®demon faced death god riding on a gigantic alien horse¡¯ hunting Silhouette Knights.

    At first, most soldiers just laughed it off. It was impossible for such a frightening enemy to lurk in the nation that fell so easily. They were brave and excelled in battles, their absolute confidence in themselves made them let their guard down-- Until, they met it.

    ¡°We will be picked off if we split up! Stand together to bolster our defences!!¡±

    ¡°W-We can¡¯t. We can¡¯t stop it! That death god¡­¡±

    His words were drowned out by a burst of air, and the nightmarish existence appeared before the Tyrants resetting their formation in a panic. The alien charging with its head down was accompanied by the sound of hooves that shook the very ground. Its true identity was a humongous armoured wagon towed by two Tzendrinbles¡ª in mode three ¡®Chariot¡¯. On the chariot was the six-armed death god with the mask of a demon, Ikaruga, completing the formation.

    In the face of the rumoured terrifying existence, no, it was much worse than the rumours, the Black Knights couldn¡¯t suppress their unease, but still faced it bravely. The slow Black Knights couldn¡¯t run away in the first place.

    ¡°I will be taking¡­ your Silhouette Knights.¡±

    Not a query or request, not a notification of something that had been decided. Using the chance while the two sides were still some distance apart, Ikaruga raised the four muzzles of the Sword Cannons on his back, and fired off crimson shots mercilessly, reducing one of the Black Knights to burning ash. The moment their formation was broken, Tzendrinble charged in again. The powerful blow backed by inertia sent the shield and giant body of the armoured Black Knight flying. The last surviving Black Knight stepped forth valiantly, but was caught by the beast slaying sword protruding from the side of the chariot, and its body turned into the shape of a ¡®¤¯¡¯. The heavy blade fell innumerable shell beasts in the past, even the armour of the Black Knights couldn¡¯t withstand it.

    When the death god chariot completed its charge of destruction, only the wreckages of the Black Knights were left in its wake. The chariot made a large turn, slowed down and then returned to the scene of carnage.

    ¡°Yes, we procured plenty of ¡®merchandize¡¯ today too. Let¡¯s bring it back for business negotiation!¡±

    ¡°Eru seems so happy¡­¡±

    ¡°He must be having the time of his life, getting to pilot everywhere with Ikaruga to rob Silhouette Knights¡­¡±

    A short moment later, the 3rd Company arrived to pick up the remains of the Black Knights and left. Nothing was left behind,and the mysterious unit disappeared.

    Reports of Black Knight patrol teams losing contact kept happening in the eastern territories. Rumours of the death god chariot didn¡¯t die down, and became more widespread, planting seeds of terror into the hearts of the frontline soldiers. Worst of all, these rumours confused the ?aloudek army, and it would be quite some time before they notice the existence of a fearsome enemy.

    The wagon ferrying the ¡®goods¡¯ advanced with the sound of thundering hooves. It sounded too heavy for normal horse drawn wagon as it was a colossal wagon drawn by Centaur Knights, Tzendrinble. It was surrounded by Karrdators which protected the cargo and convoy.

    ¡°To think the rumours were true--¡±

    One of the nobles of old Kuscheperca Kingdom, Baron Modesto Letonmaki stared at the row of ¡®merchandize¡¯ with his eyes wide open. That was understandable, as the wreckage of Silhouette Knights were on the back of the wagon-- and it was the mass produced models of ?aloudek, Tyrants.

    Not just Baron Letonmaki, the nobles fighting force all use the old mass produced model Resvants, and from the battles so far, they had seen numerous examples of them losing to the Tyrants of ?aloudek.

    ¡°What do you think about our merchandize? Isn¡¯t this enough for you to make up your mind?¡±

    Emrys presented the results of the Silver Phoenix Merchant¡¯s procurement as he puffed out his chest proudly. The true identity of the demon-faced death god that massacred the ?aloudek was right before the Baron. But after the initial amazement and excitement, his face became sullen once again.

    ¡°... Yes, I can see your abilities clearly. These are excellent merchandize, just fighting on par with the ?aloudek we can¡¯t stand up to is worthy of praise. However¡­ That¡¯s all there is to it. Assuming we work together and win battles regionally, it would just draw more enemy to my territory.¡±

    Baron Letonmaki slouched his shoulders and said with a gloomy face.

    ¡°You all might be strong, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can win. This will lead to a dead end for you too¡­ Isn¡¯t that why you are wandering around like this?¡±

    Emrys jovial mood in the beginning was like a lie, and he started sipping his tea impatiently. The Silver Phoenix Knights might have sparked frightening rumours after defeating numerous Black Knights, but they were reaching their limits too. There was no doubt that they were strong, but with just three Company (30 machines), there were overwhelmingly outnumbered. They might be great in attacking, but they were not suited for holding ground.

    ¡°... You serve the enemy because they are too strong?¡±

    ¡°A weak aristocrat like me has many concerns too. I can¡¯t even safeguard myself, lest keep the citizens safe, how can we fight against them? On top of that, the royal bloodline is already lost¡­ it will be impossible for the country to unite together now.¡±

    Even though the Silver Phoenix Knights kept contacting the aristocrats of Kuscheperca like this, they failed to garner any good response. All of them had their reasons, but the main factor was the lack of a King that they could swear fealty to.

    ¡°Are aunt and the others already¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but based on what those guys said, they had definitely fallen into enemy hands. Things aren¡¯t looking good. Even if they are still alive¡­¡±

    Emrys cut off the Baron¡¯s words. He couldn¡¯t accept that hypothesis calmly, and Baron Letonmaki apologized immediately for having misspoke. Emrys aunt was the spouse of the grandest noble in the eastern area-- Archduke Fernando. The results of the negotiation was obvious-- Baron Letonmaki agreed to support the Silver Phoenix Merchants, but was unwilling to commit any further. The other nobles were the same, willing to provide aid in the dark, but reluctant to participate in the war.

    ¡°... It¡¯s no good, no matter how many minions we defeat, no one dares to make a move.¡±

    Emrys growled like a beast. The nobles who understood the situation but was still hesitant, along with the lack of news on the royal family made him gloomier each day.

    ¡°Focusing on weakening the enemy had been working smoothly, it is about time to change our policies now. Also, we need to think of a ¡®special way¡¯ for the aristocrats to fight to, if we want to get their support...I will think more about this.¡±

    Eru also groaned with his arms crossed, but his troubles were a little off topic.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else we can do here¡­?¡±

    Emrys who got this far on his will alone was starting to doubt too. At this moment, the Silver Phoenix Knights that seemed to be at a dead end received a news that could overturn the situation.

    ***

    The old Kuscheperca Kingdom could be roughly divided into five zones-- The central zone where the capital was located, and the four ¡®regional zones¡¯ to the north, south, east and west.

    The territory of the late brother of the King, Archduke Fernando Nevarez Kuscheperca, lies in the east. He died during the ?aloudek invasion, and his territory had been seized. Fernando was given peerage by his brother, King Aukusti, and bestowed a territory that befitted his title of Archduke, becoming one of his brother¡¯s subjects. He retained the family name Kuscheperca as a sign that he hailed from the royal family, and his land was called ¡®Fontaine¡¯. It was also known by its more common name ¡®Eastern territory¡¯. Even though he was now the subject of the king, the Archduke was still tied to the royal family by blood, and would definitely be seen as an obstacle on the grand scale of things, and be eliminated.

    The territory where the Archduke resides, Lacepede castle, had been taken by the ?aloudek army and was now used as their base. The most prominent part about Lacepede castle were the four tall towers built around it. These buildings were used for sentries in the past, and its function had gradually been lost after the era of peace. It was now retained simply as part of the castle¡¯s decoration. However, it was being used not too long ago in a completely different manner.

    There was a dejected girl with unfocused eyes in the room. Her name was Eleonora-- the princess who inherited the bloodline of Kuscheperca. This room used to imprison the princess had some furnishing, but was definitely not appropriate lodgings for a princess. She stared blankly at the iron bar windows and the extraordinarily sturdy door, then sighed for the upteenth time. No matter how she looked at it, this room would never change.

    After falling into the hands of the ?aloudek army, she had been imprisoned in Lacepede castle. This room was located in the highest level of one of the towers, dozens of meters from the ground. The only mean of access was a long spiral staircase, and the tightest security had been arranged to prevent her escape. However, even if she could easily escape, whether she had the conviction was another matter.

    She spent her days filled with sighs and silence. After losing her father the king and forced onto an arduous escape,, she was forcibly separated from her aunt Martina and cousin Isadora and locked up here. She was tormented by her helplessness each day, and feared facing her future. It was no wonder that she became so gloomy.

    But one day, a sudden change visited this quiet room.

    A heavy knock came from the only door leading outside, the sudden sound surprised her. The maid waiting quietly in the room next door walked wordlessly to the door, and after conversing with the visitor shortly, the loud noise of the door unlocking could be heard. Even though it was some distance away, Eleonora could feel a strong presence entering the room. That person walked to the side of Eleonora who was trying her best to lower her head and avoid the gaze of others.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Former Princess of Kuscheperca.¡±

    She trembled slightly, then looked up timidly. Before her was the Second Prince of ?aloudek, the commander-in-chief of the ?aloudek army-- Crist¨®bal.

    ¡°Hmmp. Seems that you are living docily now.¡±

    In the beginning, Eleonora panicked and cried hysterically when she was locked in here. But after a while, she became quiet and lifeless like she was now.

    ¡°I brought you good tidings today, rejoice. Your ¡®use¡¯ have been decided. In order to stabilize the territories of old Kuscheperca, your bloodline would prove useful.¡±

    Crist¨®bal wasn¡¯t concerned about her lack of reaction, and announced with the corner of his lips raised proudly:

    ¡°You shall be my bride.¡±

    ¡°H-How could it be¡­ I refuse.¡±

    Eleonora squeezed out words of resistance. Even though she lowered her head and was really soft, her intent on rejecting was obvious. Crist¨®bal continued smiling even though he realized this point.

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t agree so easily, but do you really think you have a choice?¡±

    Crist¨®bal leaned forth and grabbed Eleonora¡¯s wrist, even though she wanted to dodge on reflex. He then whispered in her ears:

    ¡°You will be useless if you refuse. I will just kill you, and use the other girl we captured.¡±

    Eleonora opened her eyes wide stiffly, with the reflection of Crist¨®bal¡¯s cruel smile reflected in them.

    ¡°Even though she is the daughter of the king¡¯s brother, the bloodline of the royal still flow through her. She will prove extremely useful. After all, her mother was caught too, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to convince her.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh, how could you¡­¡±

    Crist¨®bal let go of Eleonora, letting her collapse to the ground weakly. He then turned to leave, as if he was done with her.

    ¡°I have a merciful side to me too, so I will give you some time to answer. That might be so, but you better make up your mind soon. I don¡¯t have much patience for half-hearted answers.¡±

    He left the room after saying these. A long while later, the dazed Eleonora finally came to her senses.

    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry everyone¡­ I¡¯m sorry, father¡­!!¡±

    The sound of locks could be heard from the imprisoned princess¡¯ room, and Crist¨®bal descended the spiral staircase with his back towards her. He couldn¡¯t help sighing. Despite getting to wed a beautiful princess renowned in the west, he had an unhappy face.

    ¡°... What a gloomy woman, always weeping. She really don¡¯t suit my taste.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, you won¡¯t reject the marriage for such a reason right?¡±

    When he heard the surprised voice of Doroteo who was waiting outside, Crist¨®bal twisted his face with displeasure.

    ¡°Hmmp, I will never waste the strategy my sister proposed for the domination of Kuscheperca. I am just venting, I hate that type of woman.¡±

    Doroteo was worried that his impatient and short tempered superior might be¡­ But after hearing these words, he sighed in relief.

    ¡°Oh right, I heard that recently, the eastern territory is not peaceful, Doroteo.¡±

    Crist¨®bal changed the topic suddenly, hitting a weak spot in Doroteo. He hoped that his supervising officer wouldn¡¯t learn about them, but he still answered nonchalantly:

    ¡°Yes, those fellows didn¡¯t learn their lesson. I thought they would settle down sooner or later, but never imagined it would drag for so long. I have already prepared a punitive force to be dispatched.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I thought the entire nation is full of gloomy cowards, to think there are people with guts still out there. Hey, I will take down that prey¡­¡±

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t.¡±

    Being interrupted midway spoiled Crist¨®bal¡¯s improving mood.

    ¡°My lord, you wish to lead the campaign correct? You must not do that, Your Highness is the commander-in-chief of our ?aloudek army. Please leave such trivial matters to us, and focus on your duties as the commander.¡±

    Crist¨®bal groaned, but suppressed it.

    ¡°Then hurry up and settle those trivial matters!!¡±

    Doroteo hurried after Crist¨®bal who increased his pace. Even though he wasn¡¯t good at handling his superior, Doroteo still acknowledged formally.

    After Crist¨®bal left, Doroteo summoned his subordinates quickly. These men are under the direct command of the Second Prince, and elites that had braved through numerous battles with Doroteo.

    "¡­ That¡¯s the situation. If we don¡¯t solve this problem, His Highness might take an unnecessary interest in this again."

    They had served Crist¨®bal for years, together with Doroteo, and understood his temperament. They could imagine the conversation easily and all showed a wry smile.

    "I still need to attend to His Highness. I will leave the rest to you, Gust."

    On hearing Doroteo¡¯s command, a slender youth walked forth. He had many belts on his waist, with swords of various sizes hanging off them. The weirdly dressed youth knocked his knuckles together confidently and said:

    "Oh, I have been waiting for you to say that. Dad. Leave it to me, I will take care of it perfectly!¡±

    Doroteo¡¯s adopted son, Gustavo Mardones patted his chest and accepted the task. His foster father showed a complicated expression at his crude but reliable son, while his subordinates snickered quietly. The interactions between parent and child had become common scene.

    During this harmonious and turmoil atmosphere, the voice of a third party interjected suddenly:

    ¡°Can you count me in for that job?¡±

    The sudden appearance of the figure and voice made everyone tense. When he saw the person came out of the shadows naturally, Doroteo narrowed his eyes and said in surprise:

    "¡­ Lady Hietakangas¡­ Mistress of the Copper Fangs, what business do you have with us?¡±

    Despite the suspicious attitude of the other party, Copper Fang Knights commander Kerhild Hietakangas wasn¡¯t fazed. She smiled and said to everyone:

    "Don¡¯t be so guarded. Those who threaten ?aloudek are our enemies, I just want to do my part in defeating them.¡±

    "I have a feeling that it would become troubling if we took you on your offer. How do you want to help, specifically?"

    "You know the forte of us Copper Fangs right? I will help you find those troubling deathgods.¡±

    Doroteo thought silently for a moment. After weighing Kerhild¡¯s motives and the problem of the enemy, and immediately conclude that the enemy was troubling because they were hard to track. And so, he accepted the proposal.

    ¡°Fufufu, I will send my subordinates to keep you updated. Please look forward to it.¡±

    After responding with a mischievous smile, Kerhild left. Gustavo watched her go and said in an unwilling tone to his father:

    ¡°Dad, is this really fine?¡±

    "¡­ She might be a vixen and is hard to deal with, but her ability is reliable. Don¡¯t worry, we just need to do our job well. Gustavo, set off the moment she notifies you.¡±

    Gustavo and the others saluted Doroteo as one. Shortly after, they left Lacepede castle on a Levitate Ship.

    ***

    The Silver Phoenix Knights received that news when they were preparing to move out and attack as usual.

    "¡­ Are you certain that this information is reliable?"

    "Yes. They are probably doing this to suppress the remnants of the Kuscheperca. They are spreading the information earnestly. To be safe, we have confirmed this information.¡±

    In reply to Eru¡¯s question, Nora Frykberg of the Blue Hawk Knights nodded with her usual poker face. When they entered the old Kuscheperca territory, they sent out the Blue Hawk Knights at the same time and achieved results.

    "I understand, I will tell this to Young Master¡­ We are making huge progress in one swoop.¡±

    Eru immediately gathered the members of the knights corp. His announcement will influence the direction they would take from now on.

    "I have something to tell everyone. Before that, Young Master, do you want the good news first or the bad news?¡±

    ¡°Oh? The good news then.¡±

    When he heard Emrys half-hearted reply, Eru said with a cheerful smile:

    ¡°The good news is ¡ª We found out where Lady Martina and the other surviving royal family are being held."

    "¡­!! Ernesti, are you for real!? Is that so¡­ I see, so they are fine¡­!!¡±

    Emrys turned suddenly, and raised his arms as if he was going to shout at the sky. Not just him, cheers broke out amongst the other members of the Knights.

    "It¡¯s our win after learning this! Silver Phoenix Knights, set off for the rescue right now!!¡±

    "Please wait a moment. I am sorry for interrupting during such a joyous atmosphere, there is still the bad news. The Lady and the others are still alive¡­ but there are some troublesome matters.¡±

    Eru restrained Emrys who was going further out of control than usual, and continued explaining the information he just received ¡ª All the royalty including the Princess were being imprisoned in Lacepede castle, and the prince of the ?aloudek army intended to take the princess as his wife.

    At this point, everyone could predict how Emrys would react.

    "I see, very well, let¡¯s kill that retarded prince. Invading another country and seizing a princess, he is incorrigible!¡±

    Emrys face looked like a demon whose veins were about to explode from rage. Not only was his aunt Martina important to him, he also emphathized with Isadora and Princess Eleonora Kuscheperca who lost their home nation. When he learned that his kin had fallen into the hands of an enemy state, he was filled with wrath.

    ¡°That retarded prince is the worst! Forcing a girl with brute force is unforgivable!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s teach that insolent fool a lesson!¡±

    The women of the Silver Phoenix Knights were also boiling with rage, especially Ady and Helvi. The three of them waved their arms around while cursing out at the prince, frightening the people around them. They were about to charge off immediately and mount a rescue when Eru said lazily to their backs:

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be so hasty. We shouldn¡¯t mobilize the Knights for now.¡±

    "What¡­ Then how are you planning to save them!? Or do you want us to watch idly by!?¡±

    Eru seemed unfazed by Emrys intimidating look, and answered nonchalantly:

    "The Princess is being held in Fontaine, and the ?aloudek army had set up an eastern governance headquarters right there. In simple terms, that is one of the enemy¡¯s stronghold.¡±

    "¡­ Tch, that¡¯s right. Even the Silver Phoenix Knights can¡¯t infiltrate that place so easily.¡±

    After clearing up where the problem lies, Emrys cooled his head a little. The enemy forces at their headquarters couldn¡¯t be compared to such rural areas. The Silver Phoenix Knights had been winning all their battles mainly because of the Tzendrinbles¡¯ high mobility. Ikaruga and Gordesleo might be powerful, but there were limits to how much a single unit could do. If they want to attack a stronghold, the situation would be overwhelmingly disadvantageous for the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°Also, having the entire knights corp act would be too conspicuous. The worst scenario would be the enemy escaping with the princess, and we need to save multiple prisoners. If they use them as hostages, the rescue mission would become very complicated. Anyway, we have to rescue all the royals before the enemy finds out.¡±

    Emrys¡¯ brow furrowed into a knot again. Finding the place where the royals were imprisoned was heartening news, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that their targets were still in enemy hands. Helvi and Ady also lowered their arms reluctantly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, the Knights corp will stay here and continue to fight, while we go get the royals back.¡±

    There was only one person, Eru, who was smiling cheerfully.

    "How are you going to do that? We have to get them back, but we can¡¯t do that without combat prowess."

    ¡°No, let¡¯s think of it from the other perspective. Since we dealt quite a heavy blow to ?aloudek, they will definitely increase their forces to destroy our knight corps right? Let¡¯s aim for this. The main units of a knight corps are Silhouette Knights, but we have another weapon¡­ It is time for Silhouette Gears to shine.¡±

    Gradually, Eru¡¯s expression turned into that of a child who just thought of a prank, or one who was showing off his favourite toy.

    "While the enemy is concentrating on the main forces of the Knights Corp, we will use the newest model of Silhouette Gears to infiltrate and rescue the princess and the others...¡­Batson! It is time for Shadowlad¡¯s debut!"

    ¡°Oh, oh!? That does¡ª make sense, if it is that..."

    Batson who was named suddenly nodded in a panic, then turned to check behind him. The Silhouette Gear over there wasn¡¯t a Motor Beat or a Motor Rad. The Blue Hawk Knights led by Nora stood besides them and nodded firmly.

    Emrys who had been listening to Eru quietly couldn¡¯t help laughing out loudly:

    ¡°Fu, fufu, fuhaha, hahaha! Ernesti¡­ You are really, fuhahaha, very good, I like this idea! Fufufu, especially the part of making them waste their time!¡±

    After Emrys got fired up, the people around him started moving. In the heated atmosphere, Ady moved to Batson¡¯s side quietly and whispered:

    ¡°Bart, even though Eru said that, he just wants to try out the new equipment right?¡±

    "I think so too. It¡¯s Eru after all. Sigh, let¡¯s just keep this between us."

    While Ady and Batson was whispering and nodding to each other, the preparations were proceeding smoothly. The Knight Commander Eru decided the plan, and assigned tasks to the members.

    "I will lead the rescue team. Chid and Ady will come with us too.¡±

    "Huh!? Us?"

    Not just Ady, even Chid was panicking after being named.

    "Yes. You two can pilot Motor Beat just like me, and are the pilots of the Tzendrinbles too. In order to keep the transport and infiltration forces to the minimum, you two would be indispensable members.¡±

    "I see¡­ I understand, Eru! Let¡¯s rescue the princess together!"

    Ady raised her fist stronger than usual, and Chid shrugged as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. Emrys who was listening quietly grabbed Eru¡¯s head and said:

    "Hey Ernesti, I want to join the rescue team, no matter what. What do you think I came all the way here to do?¡±

    Eru escaped the claws grabbing his head and shaking it, then agreed with a sigh. Emrys might not be that compatible with the mission, but it was no use trying to dissuade him.

    "That¡¯s the members of the rescue team. Next¡­ I will be handing an important task to Edgar-sempai, Di-sempai, Helvi-sempai and the company members of the Silver Phoenix Knights."

    The Company Captains straightened their backs and gathered in front of the Knight Commander Eru. They had an inkling about where the conversations was heading, the main force¡¯s mission was probably to divert the enemy¡¯s attention. This was a dangerous move, but their expression were determined. Eru took out a pile of paper out of nowhere, showed it to them and said:

    "In order to let the Kuschepercas fight too, I thought up a plan to remodel the Resvants. These are the designs."

    "Huh!? When did you¡­ That¡¯s impressive as always."

    Although the Company Captains were surprised, they still took the blueprints carefully. Eru puffed his chest proudly, then reverted to his serious expression and said:

    ¡°I hope the companies can bring this along to convince the nobles in the region. When we successfully carry out the rescue mission, it would mean the return of the country¡¯s monarch. What is left would be a war to reclaim the nation. At that time, not just us, they will need to fight too, and this is a way to give them some strength.¡±

    The Company Captains suddenly felt the blueprints in their hands turned heavier. In a sense, these blueprints would decide the future of this lands.

    "¡­ Really now, you are making it sound so easy."

    "But this is interesting. I am more suited for defense anyway, I will make sure the plans are handed to the aristocrats safety, and give the enemy a huge surprise.¡±

    Not just Edgar, all the members raised their arms in a loud cheer. And so, the rescue team and main forces stepped onto their own battlefield. The Silver Phoenix Knights that appeared calm on the surface but was as turbulent as a storm began their plans.

    "Fufu, the princess rescue plan! That sounds good¡­ Ahh, to be rescued by Eru, I¡¯m so jealous¡­¡±

    "Stop talking nonsense. Come, we have an important mission on hand, go get ready."

    Amongst the Knights getting ready to move, Chid grabbed the collar of the dreaming Ady and dragged her away.

    ***

    The figure of dark vessels appeared over the serene skies of the eastern territories. Advancing leisurely by means of sail, the two ships ¡ª the ?aloudek army¡¯s secret weapon, the Levitate Ships were commanded by Gustavo¡¯s team from Fontaine.

    "Ho, to even send out the valuable Levitate Ships, we sure are serious about this."

    Gustavo sat on the captain¡¯s seat comfortably and said in a good mood. A man who seemed to be his subordinate replied:

    "It is my humble opinion that using Levitate Ships to deal with those rabbles, is a little overkill."

    As their opponents so far was the Kuscheperca army, the man¡¯s voice had a hint of contempt. Not just him, the entire ?aloudek army thought the same way. When he realized that, Gustavo showed a restless face, then quickly made a show of being relaxed and asked:

    "I¡¯ve heard that the ¡®death god¡¯ or something enemy flees very fast! We will cut them off from the front with the Levitate Ships and defeat them! How about it? Isn¡¯t this perfect? We need to settle this quick, wasting more time will just bring shame to my foster father.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. Our true enemy is the patience of His Highness. That is more frightening than the Kuscheperca weakling.¡±

    The man left with a laugh, and Gustavo watched him go. Supporting his face casually, he put his elbow on the captain¡¯s seat and crossed his leg.

    ¡°... Sigh, you might mess up if you are that careless. With how the rumours of the death god are raging, they must be a difficult bunch to deal with. No matter what, I have to think of a way to deal with it.¡±

    Understanding where the source of the problem lies, Gustavo was confident and fearless. His unit headed east on the Levitate Ship.

    ***

    Quite some time had passed since Ernesti led the Silhouette Gear units to rescue the princess.

    The remaining First to Third Company formed the main forces of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and traveled around the eastern region of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom. The 1st and 2nd Company as the core of the units, and the Tzendrinbles of 3rd Company to facilitate their movements. The objective of the main force was to deliver the ¡®Resvant strengthening plan¡¯ to the regional nobles and request for their aid. It would be more efficient to split up into smaller teams, but there were several reasons why they couldn¡¯t move in small groups.

    The main reason was the repeated hunting of Silhouette Knights by their Knight Commander Ernesti, which infuriated the ?aloudek, prompting them to adopt countermeasures ¡ª prohibiting patrols at platoon level (3 machines), and increasing the scale to a minimum of company level (10 machines), or even multiple companies. For the Silver Phoenix Knights that didn¡¯t have their strongest ace, Ikaruga, fighting such quantity of enemies was very dangerous.

    "Seems like they have no intention of letting us finish the job easily."

    "If they continue to be guarded against us, it will work to our benefit."

    Because of the changes in the enemy¡¯s nation¡¯s movement, the main forces avoided battle. Thanks to the ?aloudek army concentrating their forces, the encounter rate between the two sides decreased instead. On the other hand, the existence of the main force had been exposed, and the alien herd of horses wasn¡¯t a mysterious rumour anymore, but a physical entity visible to the eyes.

    "No matter what, our advantage still lies with the leg power of the Tzendrinble. Let¡¯s detour before we run into the enemy."

    Behind the horses that were towing the 2nd Company, Dietrich muttered hopefully, but it was in vain. The herd of Tzendrinbles towing wagon was very prominent. It was impossible to cover their tracks, so it was only a matter of time before they were found.

    "¡­¡­ Evasion report, found the horse herd. Releasing the hawks to continue the hunt..."

    Dark shadows of giants hid in the forest along the road. Their stature might be imposing, but they didn¡¯t make a sound, and their presence was as faint as phantoms. The Centaur Knights galloping along the path didn¡¯t detect their presence at all. Shortly later, the dark giant moved stealthily, and several soldiers rode away on fast horses.

    "¡­ After verifying the reports, they are really there. The Vixen is really efficient."

    On the bridge of the Levitate Ship, Gustavo groaned as he stroked his chin. In his line of sight ahead was a group of alien galloping along the forest path.

    "So that is the rumoured ¡®death god knights¡¯... No wonder it is so hard to locate them, what are those horse like things? Well, no matter who the opponent is, they will fall under my sword.¡±

    With the strange group of horses galloping in front of him, even Gustavo who was renowned for his bravery was surprised by this. Despite that, he composed himself and started issuing orders to his panicking subordinates. His courage was really phenomenal.

    When the airborne Gustavo discovered the 2nd Company of the Silver Phoenix Knights on the ground, the 2nd Company also noticed the approaching Levitate Ship.

    "What is that? Am I dreaming? A ship¡­ is flying in the sky and chasing us!"

    "How should I say this¡­ To think that aside from our Knight Commander, there are other people who can make such things that defies common sense. The west really is a large place."

    "Captain Di, that¡¯s not the part you should be surprised about! What should we do now!"

    The 2nd Company had quite a shock when they saw the Levitate Ships, it was the first aerial unit in the world after all. Speaking of things that could take to the sky, the most they could think of was demon beasts. It was no surprise that the existence of the Levitate Ships would make them lose their wits. The ?aloudek army had always treated the Levitate Ships as a practical fighting force, but had never sent to the eastern borders. This was a dire situation for the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°Really now, they look just like normal ships. Hmm, those are¡­ sails? On the sails are the flags of the ?aloudek Kingdom, so they are the enemy who are chasing us from the air¡­ They seemed to be faster than us, we will have to fight.¡±

    As expected of the Silver Phoenix Knights, they recomposed themselves in no time after sighting a never seen before flying weapon. To them, shocking things were just a walk in the park, although they didn¡¯t develop such bold attitudes willingly.

    "All units prepare for battle! Deploy outer crust for ranged combat!¡±

    After Dietrich gave his instructions, all the machines deployed the simple defensive equipment on the wagon. By using the cargo, the Silhouette Knights, as cannons, they displayed a part of the function of a chariot.

    On the speeding wagons, the Karrdators deployed their back weapons and aimed towards the sky. In their cockpits, the reticles were also trained on the enemy ships that were just black dots on the Holo Monitor.

    "¡­ Pre-emptive strike! Start firing!!"

    After gauging the range and timing the moment to attack, the Captain of 2nd Company Dietrich gave the order, and they attacked the approaching Levitate Ships ferociously.

    The sudden shots from the ground surprised the descending Levitate Ships. Looking down from on high and thinking they had everything in their control, they never imagined that anyone would attack the Levitate Ship immediately on sight.

    "Hee, they are not afraid after seeing the Levitate Ship huh? They have guts! Let¡¯s return the favour, prepare the Catapult! Contact the other ship, we are going for a pincer attack!¡±

    One man¡ª Gustavo calmly instructed his subordinates to attack. The calm attitude of the commander infected the others in the bridge, and the messenger who was still a little jittery shouted the orders to the messaging tubes hurriedly.

    Windows at the sides of the Levitate Ship opened immediately, and wooden platform appeared from inside, taking aim at the dust being kicked up on the road. At the same time, minute adjustment was made to the Blow Engine, and the Levitate Ship started decelerating. During this period of time, the Levitate Ship nimbly dodged through the bullets, and the two vessels caught the Silver Phoenix Knights between them and started moving parallel to each other.

    "Don¡¯t need to be too precise, just fire as fast as possible!!"

    With a heavy thud, waves of stones were shot out of the small windows. The so called ¡®catapult¡¯ were small mechanisms mounted on the Levitate Ship. Just simple devices that launch stone projectiles with springs, and could be easily blocked by normal Silhouette Knights.

    But it was a different matter if it was mounted on a Levitate Ship. After all, the Levitate Ship possess altitude advantage unlike any other weapons, so even a small and weak stone projectile would possess lethal power once it hits the ground.

    The stone shells flying in with howls shattered the stone paved road with loud explosive noise. As if in retaliation of the shots fired at them, the stone shelled at them one after another. The pilots of the Tzendrinble shouted in a panic:

    "Oh no, 2nd Company, the road surface is filled with potholes, the wagon will flip if we continue at this speed!!¡±

    ¡°Well played¡­ All 3rd Company units, uncouple your wagons! Lighten your load and charge into the forest, get out of catapult range!¡±

    Their brakes screeched and sparks flew alongside smoke as the uncoupled wagon started slowing down. The 2nd Company braced themselves, absorbing the inertia of the sudden brake. Incidentally, the dust that was kicked up became a sort of smokescreen, hiding them from the Levitate Ships.

    "Haha! They have amusing tricks, but this won¡¯t do! All pilots get in position! Land the ship, let us resolve this with swords!"

    Right after saying that, Gustavo left the bridge and dashed for the hangar, and his subordinates followed right behind. In the meanwhile, the colossal bodies of the ships got closer to the ground, and their wake blew up waves of dust. Its dramatic movement gave the illusion of it being on the verge of crashing. The sails that were used to propel the ships acted as an air brake. The ships¡¯ altitude was lowered to about the height of trees. The next second, a large dark hole opened on the armoured ship, and Tyrants linked to heavy cranes leapt out one after another. The heavy steel armour grazed the ground, and with a loud tremor, the Black Knights descended onto the road.

    After unloading all the Black Knights in one go, the Levitate Ship didn¡¯t stop. It retrieved its steel cables and continued going forward right above the height of the trees, then accelerated and flew away. Levitate Ships might be powerful weapon, but only when they were airborne. The instant when they lower their altitude and speed to unload the Silhouette Knights was its most vulnerable moment. That was why they executed the tasks of decelerating, descending, and unloading the Black Knights in one smooth movement. The ship crew that performed these circus like movements were worthy of praise.

    The giant figures of the Tyrants formed a rank on the road. Four platoons, a dozen Silhouette Knights blocked the path of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ 2nd Company.

    "I thought the Levitate Ships would attack, but it is just these Black Knights. The enemy is really busy too huh. But if the opponent are things like Silhouette Knights, I am very familiar with them. Don¡¯t look down on us, the 2nd Company."

    Dietrich complained as he let Guyaralinde stand up on the wagon. He swivelled the neck of the machine to survey the situation and sighed.

    The 2nd Company stood off against the Tyrants who formed a horizontal wall as usual. The Tyrants didn¡¯t act rashly because of their advantage in numbers, and closed the distance slowly. Not only were the machines powerful, they were intimidating when they advanced in a tight formation too.

    "We will try our best to avoid fighting¡­ But we need to dispose the troubles that seek us out.¡±

    Guyaralinde drew its swords. Its Ether Reactor roared, and the mana was injected into its body that was ready to pounce. The Karrdators marked with crimson crosses beside Guyaralinde also raised their weapons.

    "My grudge isn¡¯t as deep as Edgar, but I have my own ideas too. You annoying people, using the technology you stole from us and showing it off everywhere..."

    Dietrich stepped on a pedal, and Guyaralinde bend its body to store up energy. Its Crystal Tissue was as tight as bow strings, eager to unleash its energy explosively.

    "¡­ The price isn¡¯t cheap."

    Guyaralinde sprinted, the dust it kicked up giving the illusion of being a sort of explosive shot. The Karrdators of the 2nd Company followed right behind him. They were also known as the ¡®gangbangers¡¯ ¡ª A group specializing in offensive prowess. Uninterested in grinding out with others, their true value lies in their attacking capabilities.

    "Hmmp, you dare challenge a Tyrant head on? I will show you our power!¡±

    The pilot inside the cockpit of the Black Knight chuckled to himself. For the Tyrants with exceptional defence and power, a close frontal fight was exactly what they want. It was a fact that they had defeated Resvants with twice their numbers with ease before. In their mind, the result would be no different for this ¡®Death God unit¡¯.

    In the face of the attack by the Karrdator charging straight at it, the Tyrant engaged head on. The armour on its arms were as durable as the shields of normal machines. He planned to parry the strike and then counter attack.

    The powerful collision of steel resounded loud and heavily, followed by sharp screeches of friction and sparks. The pilot of the Tyrant never expected this¡ª the Karrdator might look like a normal machine from the outside, but within it was the Strand Crystal Tissues of the latest model. Compared to it, the power output of the Resvants was child¡¯s play. A sword strike destroyed the wrist guard of the Tyrant, and even hurt the Crystal Tissue beneath it.

    "I-Impossible! The Tyrant¡¯s armour is¡­!? These guys are completely different from the Resvants!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t cut right through? The armour is tougher than it looks!¡±

    The Tyrant stumbled back with shards of Crystal Tissues falling from it. For the Karrdator, the heavy armour of the Tyrant was unimaginably strong. If the Tyrant was on par with a Duel Level demon beast, the sword attack would have fell it easily.

    ¡°But no matter how hard the armour is, it¡¯s nothing compared to the Behemoth!¡±

    Dietrich ran through the middle of the battlefield where the two forces were facing off against each other, and started attacking the two Tyrants right in front of him. As the ?aloudek side had superior numbers, he had to take on two heavily armoured Black Knights at the same time. The position of Captain sure is a thankless task¡ª Dietrich mocked himself internally.

    That might be so, he still had a plan in mind. He activated Guyaralinde¡¯s secret weapon as he ran¡ª The Magius Jet Thrusters embedded in his shoulder and waist armour. Guyaralinde¡¯s equipment and Jet Thrusters had much more restrictions compared to Ikaruga, having lower power output and could only go forward. Even so, depending on the situation, it could be a powerful technique.

    A heavy and vague explosive burst pushed Guyaralinde a bit more forward from his original position, and that was more than enough. Even though the Tyrant reacted to match the Crimson Knight¡¯s speed, it missed the timing to block because of that sudden acceleration. It was possible to slow down before an attack, which was a type of feint they were wary of. However, speeding up was completely unexpected. How could a machine that moves on two legs accelerate at will?

    Guyaralinde slashed its dual sword at amazing speed. Without giving the enemy a chance to react, Guyaralinde swiped the heads of the two Tyrants. After the sneak attack, the Tyrants lost their vision and had to fall back on the defensive. Although the vambrace on the two machines parried away the sword blow, it was within Dietrich¡¯s expectations. Guyaralinde deployed its back weapon Kamtha firing air blades at the Tyrant¡¯s wrist. At point blank range, even the Tyrant¡¯s heavy armour couldn¡¯t withstand the damage. It¡¯s vambrace twisted out of shape, and shards of Crystal Tissues were blown off.

    It wasn¡¯t clear to him what wizardry the opponent was performing, but he couldn¡¯t just take a beating one sidedly. The pilot of the Tyrant suppressed his wrath as he forcefully counterattacked despite being unbalanced. It might lack the usual power, but no machine could escape unscathed from a direct hit of a Tyrant¡¯s warhammer¡ª But Dietrich was one step ahead of him. Guyaralinde used the explosive air from earlier to accelerate and retreat out of range. The pilot roared furiously, but couldn¡¯t stop the momentum of the warhammer and smashed it into the ground, cracking the road and raising a dust cloud.

    Even with the power of the Tyrant, the machine still showed a gap after its attack. This was more than enough for the crimson knight. The next second, a flash of lightning appeared soundlessly¡ª No, that was the dual swords being swung down with a speed that others would mistake for lightning.

    Suppressing his surprise, the pilot of the Tyrant backed away hurriedly, and at the same time, he saw something in the air fell onto the ground. It was a giant arm grabbing a warhammer¡ª The arm of his Tyrant that had been severed at the elbow. He stepped back with a scream, and drew his backup short mace with his left arm in a panic. The pilot¡¯s hand that was holding the control stick was sweating, and his heart was beating like drums. It was impossible to cut off the thick armoured arm of the Tyrant cleanly without extraordinary techniques. He had always thought that the armour of the Tyrant was invincible, but suddenly, they looked as frail as a strawman.

    ¡°Stand down! You all are no match for him. It is time for ¡®Swordsman¡¯ to shine!¡±

    Before Guyaralinde could continue his onslaught, a young and cheerful voice of a man and a Black Knight came between the two of them. A strange machine that was unlike its allies was actually hiding behind the dark wall of the Tyrants.

    The enemy machine was similar to a standard Silhouette Knight, and looked like a old model at a glance. But what surprised Dietrich was its overly strange feature¡ª

    "W-What the hell? ¡­ Swords? Why do you have so many swords?¡±

    That¡¯s right, swords. Even though swords were standard equipment for many Silhouette Knights, but the machine before him was too ridiculous. On its head, torso, shoulders, arms, waists and even legs¡ª its entire body was covered by swords of various length. The only adequate description being a bunch of swords, the weird Silhouette Knight made Dietrich dumbfounded, but that was to be expected.

    ¡°Ah? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Swords are strong, so carrying more swords will make me even stronger of course.¡±

    ¡°Yes I see. So he is a retard¡­¡±

    ¡°You have swords too, but that¡¯s not good enough! You are not at the level of ¡®Swordsman¡¯ yet!!¡±

    Right after saying that, the Silhouette Knights with plenty of swords¡ª Swordsman pounced at Guyaralinde. Dietrich focused his attention and engaged with his dual swords.

    ¡°What chilling comedic skills! I have to handle this seriously now!¡±

    The dual sword crimson knights clashed with the black knight with many swords. A myriad of breathtaking, high speed blows were exchanged. In order to gain a more advantageous position and deal out more powerful attacks, their feet didn¡¯t even stop for a moment. The two machine fought in very similar ways, with a tendency for strong strikes. Compared to a single focused hit, they both preferred consecutive attacks like a typhoon. So ferocious were their exchange that the 2nd Company hesitated on lending a hand.

    "Bunch of swords, you are too arrogant!"

    A Karrdator tried to force its way into the space filled with the howls of swords. But before that, the Swordsman sheathed its long sword and drew out a dagger as if performing a magic trick, and flung it at the Karrdator without even looking. Despite that, the dagger still flew towards the Karrdator with terrifying accuracy.

    "Hey, stop getting in the way. You don¡¯t even have a sword, how can you be my opponent?"

    Using the chance when its opponent was unarmed, Guyaralinde shot with its Kamtha. The Swordsman evaded the sword shaped shot, and slid into the flank of Guyaralinde, drawing and slashing its sword at Guyaralinde like a hurricane. Guyaralinde was already ready for this strike, and blocked it, throwing up sparks from the clash of arms. The next instant, Guyaralinde countered with its other arm, and the Swordsman parried with its sword blade, drawing a circular arc in an attempt to disarm Guyaralinde. Dietrich pulled his machine backwards in a hurry, and barely managed to avoid losing his sword. The Swordsman with a long and short sword in either hands pressed forth towards his retreating adversary, and started his sword dance from close range.

    "Ho, that was disrespectful of me. To think you can match my swords so far, you are pretty good, red one!"

    "What a persistent fellow! I can¡¯t be happy when you are that ecstatic!"

    While the black and crimson knights were rampaging in the middle of the battlefield with intense exchanges, the Swordsman threw out daggers at the Karrdators around him. This put the Karrdators on edge, and the morale of 2nd Company was obviously waning.

    "Follow Sir Gustavo! How can we Black Knights back down from something like this!?¡±

    At the same time, the Black Knights that had been pushed back reignited their fighting spirit because of the Swordsman¡¯s might. Even though the Karrdators were powerful, the enemy¡¯s heavy armour remained a serious threat.

    ¡°Ugh, the bunch of sword guy¡­ Looks retarded, but he is strong! He can spare the effort to attack others while fighting me¡­ No, that just means I am being suppressed!!¡±

    Dietrich thought bitterly as he swung his swords. Not only was he the Captain, his partnership with Guyaralinde was also the strongest unit in the 2nd Company. Being suppressed proved how powerful the enemy was.

    "But¡­ This is bad, now of all times! Did I dragged on too long?¡±

    What made things worse was that Dietrich could feel the movements of his machine dulling. The reason was obvious, the fight had dragged on for too long, and the mana pool of the machine was depleting.

    ¡°Hahaha, dual sword fellow! Your movements are getting dull!! What¡¯s the matter!? You can¡¯t match me with such slow swordsmanship!¡±

    The Swordsman suddenly increased his pressure. As Dietrich did all he could to fend his opponent off, he felt a strong sense of dissonance. The Swordsman he was fighting didn¡¯t slow down at all. Since Guyaralinde¡¯s mana pool was getting depleted, the Swordsman and Tyrant should be slowing down too, but he couldn¡¯t see any gaps in his enemy¡¯s movement. Judging from the muscle mass of the Tyrants, they should have depleted a large amount of mana. If he was to gauge their mana reserves from their body, they shouldn¡¯t be able to even stand.

    "Ah¡ª? You are out of power huh. Well, I had fun, so it is time to end this!¡±

    The sound of friction when the muscles of the Swordsman tightened was audible to everyone in the vicinity, and was abnormally powerful. In contrast, Guyaralinde and the Karrdators were slowing down from the lack of mana. The tables were turned in a blink of an eye, and the 2nd Company fell into a desperate situation.

    "¡­ I admit that the we are at a disadvantage¡­ But, aren¡¯t you forgetting something?"

    Gustavo frowned when he saw Dietrich being unfazed despite being the underdog. He is just putting on a strong front¡ª He refute such thoughts immediately. The pervert obsessed with swords could understand the thinking of the adversaries he crossed swords with. In his mind, there wasn¡¯t any falsehood in the Crimson Knight¡¯s fiery swords.

    "¡­ Tch, so that¡¯s how it is!"

    The next second, Gustavo finally got it. But it was too late, the battle had already changed. The incredibly loud metal hooves echoed in the forest. After shaking off the Levitate Ships¡¯ attack, the Tzendrinbles from the 3rd Company were back.

    "Those horses aren¡¯t just used to draw wagons! We are outnumbered now! This isn¡¯t good¡­¡±

    One company (10 machines) plus the 5 Tzendrinbles transporting them were numerically superior to Gustavo¡¯s team of twelve. Considering the unknown prowess of the Centaur Knight, the difference might be even greater than the number suggests.

    The sound of the hooves spurred Guyaralinde, and it committed its remaining mana, taking a stance to make its certain kill move. The Ether Reactor churned with the sharp sound of air intake at its highest power output. The tables had turned, and it was their turn to show their ace.

    The Tzendrinbles that ran through the forest charged Gustavo¡¯s team that had obviously been shaken. The fast and powerful thrust of the Tzendrinble¡¯s lance was lethal to the Black Knights damaged during their bout with the 2nd Company. After the Centaur charged by, five Black Knights were utterly damaged, and fell on their knees.

    ¡°Wha¡­ These horses are strong! Damn, they are good!!¡±

    When Gustavo was about to counter with an angry roar, something unexpected by everyone present happened. A Black Knight was incapacitated from an attack that exploded without warning, and all of them were caught in the explosion before they could react. However, there wasn¡¯t any impact from the explosion, and the surroundings were engulfed in a blinding smoke.

    "Smoke¡­ A smoke screen? Such despicable methods! Everyone retreat, we will hit our allies if we fire carelessly. Get away from the smoke first!¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s vision was obscured and he was wary of sneak attacks from the enemy, keeping his guard up as he backed away. Since they couldn¡¯t grasp the position of their allies, they couldn¡¯t fire carelessly. It was the same for the 3rd Company, it was too dangerous for the Tzendrinbles to charge into a place they couldn¡¯t see.

    "What the¡­ hell is going on?"

    Even Gustavo was backing away in confusion. He never heard of the Black Knights having such a function. The smoke allowed him to evade the attacks of the Centaur Knight, but he couldn¡¯t grasp the situation.

    As both sides retreated at the same time, a large gap appeared between them. As if it was aiming for this moment, a gust of strong wind came from behind Gustavo, and the dust lingering over the battlefield dissipated quickly.

    "That is¡­ the Levitate Ship! It¡¯s flying back!?"

    The attacks the 2nd Company were wary of didn¡¯t came. In place of that, the ace of the Steel Wing Knights¡ª a Levitate Ship appeared. The Levitate Ship flew in at a low altitude that almost touched the tree tops, opened the bottom hatches and lowered its chains. Its intention was obvious, so the surviving Black Knights and Swordsman grabbed onto the chain and it slowly took off. As they rose, the Swordsman gave a parting speech:

    ¡°Tch! Let¡¯s continue our match another time. Hey, red one, you are pretty good with your swords. Let¡¯s fight again if we have the chance, don¡¯t die on me before that¡ª!"

    The moment the Levitate Ship pulled the Silhouette Knights on board, the Blow Engine started churning loudly, increasing speed and altitude. And of course, Dietrich wouldn¡¯t let the enemy go so easily. The 2nd Company immediately fired off shots intensely, but only a glancing shots hit the target. It didn¡¯t hinder the Levitate Ship one bit, as the equipment they had on hand couldn¡¯t stop their foe.

    "¡­ They escaped huh? It¡¯s regrettable, but we took a lot of damage too. And we will need an effective weapon to take out that ship.Looks like I need to ask Ernesti to help us prepare some things.¡±

    Dietrich muttered vexingly as he watch the Ship picked up speed and left.

    ***

    ¡°... I see. So you are the one who did this. When did you do that?¡±

    After boarding the Levitate Ship to escape and going to the bridge, Gustavo asked the person on the Captain¡¯s seat unhappily.

    ¡°Before we set off of course. This is just a trivial gift from me, but it proved useful, right?¡±

    Kerhild replied with a devious smile as she sat easily in her Captain¡¯s seat. Gustavo was furious about being interrupted when he was just getting into the fight, but it was true that he only got out of his predicament because of her butting in midway.

    ¡°... I owe you one, but there won¡¯t be a next time.¡±

    After thinking for a moment, he left these parting words and went to the hangar to check on his men. Kerhild¡¯s smile deepened as she watched him go.

 Book 4: Chapter 32: Infiltrating Lacepede Castle

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    In the ?aloudek eastern governance house within Fontaine city, the territory of the former Archduke Fernando was prosperous as it laid along the East-West Highway(Occident Road) and the trade route on it. In one corner of the city was an area of shops that was usually bustling with life. However, such scenes were gone after the city fell into the hands of the ?aloudek Kingdom, and it became a dead market place.

    And now, the place was occupied by the Tyrants of the ?aloudek army. The giant swiveling eyeballs all around the city gaze blankly at the streets, surveilling every actions of the people on the streets.

    ¡°... When I first visited this place, it was so crowded that just walking on the street took a lot of effort. What happened here? It was such a lively city back then¡­¡±

    A man who looked like a merchant grumbled as he walked along the side of the road, wary of the Black Knights¡¯ gaze. There wasn¡¯t any other merchants around him, and the few scant citizens on the streets were walking briskly as if they were trying not to appear conspicuous.

    ¡°I see, no wonder the ?aloudek Kingdom wants a firm hold of this territory quickly. From the looks of things, they can¡¯t gain much from the city.

    The person besides him was a servant boy wearing a low hood. He was small in stature and answered the man. The man turned into a corner with an unhappy face. They walked along the deserted alley and finally reached an old abandoned warehouse.

    ¡°Really now, I didn¡¯t think I will ever need to be so secretive inside this city.¡±

    The merchant sat down with a pomf, took off his coat and scratched his hair. He was the Second Prince of Fremmevira Kingdom, Emrys. By the way, the one pretending to be his servant boy was Ernesti. They used the disguise of the Silver Phoenix Merchant boldly, and infiltrated Fontaine. Although there wasn¡¯t any point in disguising as a merchant with the chaotic economic situation of Fontaine.

    ¡°We got the gist of the city¡¯s situation, and the surroundings of our target, Lacepede Castle.¡±

    "I will lead the way if there is any emergency, I remember the rough layout of the city. I had been in their care¡­ How about it? Is it time to move yet?¡±

    After Emrys said that, he shifted his gaze to the depths of the warehouse. This warehouse used to be owned by a well off merchant and had plenty of room. After it was abandoned, the place was emptied, but it was now filled with bulky full body armour that had been painted a dark shade of green. These were the ¡®merchandize¡¯ they smuggled in by pretending to be the Silver Phoenix Merchant.

    ¡°We are ready for your command. The invisible 12 Silhouette Gears ¡®Shadowlad¡¯ divided into four platoons, and the Knight Commander¡¯s old Silhouette Gear model ¡®Motor Beat¡¯ are ready to go.¡±

    Nora stepped out of the shadows and knelt on one knee to answer Emrys¡¯ question. She was followed by several men and women. On paper, they were gathered here as the Silhouette Gear unit of the Silver Phoenix Knights, but they were actually spies from the Blue Hawk Knights.

    By the way, the dark green Silhouette Gear ¡¯Shadowlad¡¯ was originally designed for the Blue Hawks with their spy activities in mind. The one who came up with the idea was the liaison person attached to the Silver Phoenix Knights, Nora. After witnessing the exploits of the Silhouette Gear, she was certain that it was suited for her ¡®primary trade¡¯.

    The new weapon known as Silhouette Gear possessed abilities craved by the Blue Hawks that was mainly an intelligence agency, which was ¡®fast reaction, strong and exceptionally quiet during operations¡¯.

    The biggest difference between the Silhouette Gears and Silhouette Knights wasn¡¯t their size, but the possession of an Ether Reactor. Missing an Ether Reactor might seem to be a flaw on the surface, but it was actually an advantage. After all, Ether Reactor was very noisy when in operation. Silhouette Knights used for stealth work tend to sacrifice its internal mechanism to suppress the noise, resulting in low combat capability, a major flaw. Silhouette Gears wouldn¡¯t have such an issue.

    In the first place, the combat power of Silhouette Gears were far beneath that of Silhouette Knights. But compared to humans, they were a big threat, just right for the Blue Hawks who mainly deals with humans. The Shadowlad was crafted under such a background, and became the core of the battleplan this time, a good chance for them to shine.

    "Well then, everyone¡­ The Kuscheperca royals rescue plan will commence when the sun sets today."

    Everyone nodded slowly after hearing Eru¡¯s orders. This was the first time in history that a Silhouette Gear unit was used in special operations.

    ***

    Shortly after dusk, the streets of Fontaine turned silent. Energetic merchants already left the streets, and the citizens returned to their homes early out of fear for the Black Knights. Only a deathly silence was left, broken by the occasional footsteps of giants.

    The faint sound of Crystal Tissues churning could be heard from the patrolling Tyrants who surveyed its surroundings. The optical reception device of the Silhouette Knight¡ª its Crystal Eyeball couldn¡¯t see in the dark, that¡¯s why bonfires were lit around the streets for illumination. After confirming there wasn¡¯t anyone around from the flickering light of the fire, the Black Knight continued striding forward.

    However, he was completely wrong.

    On the roof of the interconnected buildings inside Fontaine city, several figures dashed by quietly. Leading the way was a dark blue Silhouette Gear¡ª Motor Beat, piloted by the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti. Behind him was Chid and Ady who were also piloting Motor Beats. Further back was the Shadowlad manned by Emrys, and the Shadowlads of the Blue Hawk Knights followed in silence.

    Under the dim moonlight, the group became literally shadows. They leapt over one building after another with the power of the Crystal Tissues supported by the Inner Skeleton.The band of shadows ran without glancing sideways. The Silhouette Gears were powered by the mana of the pilot, and they showed no signs of faltering even when moving at full speed. From this, it was clear that everyone was familiar with the operation of the Silhouette Gears.

    Moments later, they passed through the commercial district and into the city center. Before them was the former center of governance surrounded by sturdy walls and moats ¡ª Lacepede Castle.

    ¡°... According to intel, the royals are imprisoned in the high towers at the four corners of Lacepede. The top of the towers are used as their cells, and our targets are there. I don¡¯t know which tower they are in, so we need to split up and attack at the same time.¡±

    Besides Eru were the Silhouette Gears of Chid, Ady and Emrys. The four of them were the team leaders, and would each command a group to different objectives.

    ¡°First priority is the safety of the royals. It is fine to exterminate anyone who gets in our way. Please move quietly, swiftly and accurately¡­ Well then, let¡¯s go!¡±

    On the order of the Knight Commander, the shadow spread as one, and dash in four different directions quietly.

    The walls of Lacepede Castle was guarded by sentries and Tyrants, but they couldn¡¯t be blamed for not noticing the Silhouette Gears that infiltrated under the cover of night. After all, the enemy would first need to get past Fontaine city that was patrolled by the Black Knights before they could get to Lacepede Castle. There wasn¡¯t many who would dare sneak into the lair of the ?aloudek army.

    Passing through the blind spot created by the darkness, the Silhouette Gears charged out of the city, and ran for the moat and leapt.

    Arrowheads were launched from their wrists with a swoosh. With the magical phenomenon of exploding air as its propelling force, the arrows flew out, with a Silver nerve attached to it. This was a device called Anchor Wire. When its tip reached the wall, it transformed into a clamp and locked firmly in place. With that spot as a pivot, the Silhouette Gears swung over the moat like a pendulum, and then grabbed onto the towering walls.

    Silhouette Gears were machines that strengthened the movements of humans with Crystal Tissue. Its powerful Strand Crystal Tissue could even outperform demon beasts its size in terms of strength. The moat used to guard against men, horses and Silhouette Knights was useless against this new weapon.

    The Silhouette Gears scaling the wall extended their limbs as they surveyed the surroundings. The Shadowlad¡¯s blade like fingers hung onto the protruding parts of the wall, and climbed up nimbly. The 30m wall was far taller than a Silhouette Knight, but the shadows scaled it easily without any problems.

    A sentry patrolled the top of the walls. There had been no major incidents since the ?aloudek army occupied the territory, and the guard was laxed in his vigilance. It was clear that he was just going through the motions.

    As he walked casually, he heard the sound of the wind and stopped. Raising his gas lamp to check the surroundings, he didn¡¯t see anything out of the norm. After observing a while more, the sentry shift the gaslamp before him and prepared to return to his patrol route¡ª

    ¡ª There was a sudden noise of something spinning and the thud of the wall being kicked. A large shadow was illuminated by the light of the gaslamp. After landing soundlessly, the figure used a blade that was dyed black to stab the sentry.

    The shadow threw down the corpse after confirming that the sentry who dropped his gaslamp was dead. Not just him, the other sentries on the wall was disposed of swiftly by shadows appearing one after another.

    ¡°No signs of the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Next will be a race against time, sprint there in one go.

    Eru¡¯s Motor Beat overlooked the central courtyard from the wall. Compared to the tight security at the walls and the city, the internal surveillance was laxed. Bonfires were sparse, and there were many dark spots in the courtyard.

    After confirming that quickly, he jumped down from the edge of the wall easily. The shadow leapt from a height much taller than a Silhouette Knight. If he landed just like this, even Motor Beat would be damaged. Fortunately, the pilot wasn¡¯t any normal person.

    The Motor Beat extended its arm as it drew near the surface and created a magical phenomenon. This was a concentration of air used as a cushion, ''Air Suspension'' magic. By doing this, the Motor Beat negated the impact of the fall, and landed quietly in the courtyard.

    Immediately after that, the Shadowlads also jumped. The limbs of Shadowlads were specially designed, with multiple joints that was bonded by Strand Crystal Tissues. Its flexible structure absorbed most of the impact, and could also reduce noise. All the Shadowlads landed safely with stances of beasts.

    There were guards in the courtyard too, but they didn¡¯t notice the movement of the shadows. Not only were the infiltrators concealed in the shadow, they were very quiet despite their large stature and had a faint sense of presence. There were limits to how observant the guards could be too.

    There were hordes of soldiers in the other part of the castle, but not one man noticed the infiltrators. Their guard was laxed because of the security on the walls and in the city, but the more important reason was the Silhouette Gears sneaking in from a blind spot, which made this impossible mission possible.

    The group ran in the dark in silence, and reached the foot of their assigned towers in no time.

    "¡­ This should be the place."

    Eru shot an Anchor Wire towards the top of the tall tower. After confirming it was secured, he wound up the cable, using the pulling force to jump onto the outer wall of the tower and started running up. The Shadowlads were right behind him.

    In order to imprison the valuable prisoners¡ª royalties of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom, water tight security was deployed inside the tower. But their focus was around the room at the top of the towers, and the stairs leading there. After all, who could imagine that someone would scale the walls of the tower that was much taller than the city walls? Climbing the wall that lacked any places to hold on to would be a daunting task even for experts. Even if someone could reach the top, there wasn¡¯t any entrance save a window too small for human passage.

    Unfortunately, such common sense wasn¡¯t applicable for Silhouette Gears.

    After reaching the top, Motor Beat shot out Anchors to lock itself onto the wall, then use its powerful muscles to destroy the area around the small window. The stone walls crumbled, and a hole big enough for a huge full plate armour was made. It had given up any attempt of being quiet.

    "¡­ How vulgar of you to barge into a lady¡¯s chamber in the middle of the night. Identify yourself.¡±

    Before Eru finished surveying the room, a soft accusatory voice reached his ears. He turned and saw only one spot in the dim room had a light, and a lady was sitting there on a chair with a book in her hand.

    "There was some inconvenience in getting in, please forgive my transgression. You are Archduchess Martina, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Yes I am. However, I haven¡¯t heard your answer to my question, or did you not hear it?¡±

    She was Martina Alt Kuscheperca ¡ª who was married to the late brother of the King, Fernando, and also Emrys¡¯ aunt. Eru nodded and after a quick bow, took out a badge from his person. Engraved on it was the flag of Fremmevira Kingdom, surrounded by a Silver Phoenix

    The calm Martina showed an expression of surprise for the first time.

    "¡­ That insignia. Did my brother sent his men here?"

    "Yes. Time is pressing so I will be brief. We are here with His Highness Emrys to rescue you.¡±

    The sound of the door being unlocked came from the entrance. The guards on watch probably sensed that something was wrong and started to act.

    "¡­ That fool, venturing to such a place! Alright, on account of the badge and that name, I will believe you. But the Princess and my daughter are also trapped here, I can¡¯t escape alone.¡±

    "I understand, please don¡¯t worry. We have sent people to rescue the two of them, similar to this place. We made the preparation to spirit all three of you away.¡±

    Martina closed her eyes to think for a short moment, then closed her book with a thud and tossed it aside.

    ¡°Fine, after hearing you say that, I have no reason to linger in this damn cramp place. My cute knight, please lead the way.¡±

    ¡°By your orders. Escaping might be a little rough, and I seek your kind understanding for that.¡±

    ¡°Haha, of course! Let¡¯s get out from here and surprise those fellows!¡±

    She spoke in a manner similar to her nephew, which made Eru smile wryly. He got on Motor Beat again, and carried Martina by manipulating its giant arms.

    ¡°This way please¡­ Hii!¡±

    Right after saying that, Motor Beat jumped out of the large hole it came in from without any hesitation.

    ¡°What was that noise!?¡±

    The next second, the soldiers flood into the room after throwing the door open. The tightly secured door became an obstacle in their attempt to stop the escape instead. When the guards stepped into the room, it was only empty, with just the icy night squall blowing in from the destroyed window.

    "How is it possible¡­ to escape from this tower!? Send men to give chase, quick!!¡±

    The whistles of the soldiers echoed throughout Lacepede Castle.

    At the moment Motor Beat destroyed the wall, the other Silhouette Gears team also reached the other towers at almost the same time.

    "It¡¯s me, Emrys! Who is imprisoned here!? I¡¯m here to save you!!¡±

    "¡­!? Eh, Rys-nii!? That voice¡­ Is it really Rys-nii?

    "Oh, Isadora!? Great, you sound lively.."

    Emrys who got in after destroying the window like Eru did got off the Shadowlad and took off his helmet.. Martina¡¯s daughter Isadora recognized his face, recovered from her daze and thrown herself into the arms of Emrys.

    "Ara, it¡¯s fine now Isadora¡­ Hey, don¡¯t cry, so even you will be afraid after getting captured huh."

    "N-Not at all. I just feel bored after being locked up¡­ No, eh..."

    Seeing her stutter and wiping her tears, Emrys rubbed her head happily. Isadora got away from him in a hurry, her hair in a mess.

    ¡°Haha, it will be fine now. Since we are here, the retarded Prince won¡¯t be able to do as he please. Let¡¯s hurry on out of here!¡±

    After Emrys got onto his Shadowlad and prepared to leave, a soft laughter reached his ears.

    "Fufu, this is funny. Emrys is actually calling someone dumb!"

    As Emrys dorn on his Silhouette Gear swiftly, he said gloomily:

    "What do you mean by that? Forget it, time to split. Come with me, Isadora!"

    He carried Isadora in one arm and used Shadowlad to send a signal. His subordinates waiting outside the tower checked surroundings, and started moving to guide him.

    "It will be a bit rough, hold on tight!"

    "Huh? Wait, Rys-nii¡­ How did you get up here¡­ Hyiii¡­!?¡±

    Isadora who only felt puzzled nor didn¡¯t manage to find out before they jumped out from the top of the tower.

    ***

    Towers were erected on the four corners of Lacepede Castle, and the Princess Eleanora was imprisoned in one of them. In the dim room that didn¡¯t even have a lamp, she didn¡¯t do anything and spent her time in a daze. Her entire body was devoid of strength, as if she had been locked away for ten years. However, she had been here for less than a year.

    The lackluster Eleanora was like a withered flower. The Second Kingdom of the ?aloudek Kingdom, Crist¨®bal announced their marriage ¡ª which meant she would wed the murderer of her father and destroyer of her country¡ª This news was a heavy blow to the Princess who was raised delicately. She couldn¡¯t accept this, but she would be killed if she rejects, and her cousin Isadora would be forced to take her place. With no other path to take, her heart weakened by her peaceful life was devastated.

    In the end, she gave up resisting, and spent her days in gloom.

    My way of life is much like a plant...

    The blooming flower that was treated with extreme care was now abandoned like the moss on the ground. She finally realized that she never took the initiative to decide anything before.

    She laid back onto her bed, and slowly scanned the room, stopping her gaze at the wall. It was a dark, boring room. Her heart was just like this dull room, locked behind thick and stifling walls without any freedom. It might look like an impressive tower from the outside, but the inside was barren.

    Tears rolled down her cheeks, staining the sheets. What should she do? What should she had done? She couldn¡¯t solve the problem or offer any resistance. A sense of weakness got into every pore of her body, and she lost the strength to even sit up.

    "¡­¡­ Please, someone save me¡­"

    Her faint words was proof of her will as a human, the last resistance she could give. These words softer than the brushing of leaves spread into the air around her¡ª

    In an instant, her field of vision exploded with a bang. The hard steel bars of the windows fell off, and the sturdy stone wall collapsed.

    Was it the power of Eleanora¡¯s words? Of course not. A tall unfamiliar knight emerged from the breach in the wall, and he entered the room after enlarging the hole with his enormous strength.

    Eleanora couldn¡¯t get up, and watched the situation unfolding before her motionlessly. More accurately speaking, she wasn¡¯t staying still because of a lack of reaction, but because she was too surprised.

    "Okay, anyone here? Well¡­ Oh!?"

    The armoured knight had a cheerful voice that didn¡¯t fit the place. The arm he raised made the screeching sound of string coiling, and fire magic appeared at his fingertips. It illuminated the surroundings, and also lit up the figure of Eleanora lying stiffly on her bed.

    Chid who barged into the tower inside Motor Beat also stood dazed on the spot. The flickering light revealed a petite figure of a beautiful girl about his age.

    ¡­ Wah¡ª I hit the jackpot? She must be the Princess right? ¡­ She is as small as Eru and¡­ really gorgeous.

    The truth was, Eleanora was frail both physically and mentally, and her beauty that got her the name Flower of Kuscheperca was gone.However, Chid couldn¡¯t see that clearly in the dim room, so she appeared dreamlike and enchanting.

    Neither of them knew how to react, and they just stared at each other wordlessly for some time. Finally, Chid got back to his senses and asked her quickly:

    "Erm, ah¡ª You are the Princess of Kuscheperca correct?"

    "¡­¡­Yes. And you are?"

    The sudden visit and unexpected situation baffled Eleanora, and she answered honestly. Her delightful voice as beautiful as birds chirping reached Chid¡¯s ears.

    "I am erm¡­ Sent from this place.¡±

    Chid secured his Motor Beat and opened the armour. His helmet and armour popped open, the parts covering his abdomen, waist and legs opened too. He removed his armour, and took out a badge, proffering it to Eleanora. She thought a bulky knight would be under that armour, and widened her eyes in surprise when she saw the youth appeared under it. She hesitated for a moment, then inspected the badge timidly. Her education as a Princess made her realize quickly what the emblem on it mean.

    "This is from Fremmevira Kingdom¡­ Could it be, Aunt Martina¡¯s¡­?"

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s it! We are here to rescue Lady Martina and the Princess¡­ We are here to save you.¡±

    Eleanora needed some time to understand what Chid was saying. Rescue, escape, but who? From where? Thought fragments flash through her mind. She was confused and subconsciously, she just wanted to grab a helping hand. But her limbs didn¡¯t move, it wasn¡¯t that easy to wipe her mental trauma away.

    ¡°After I escape¡­ what will happen next?¡±

    Chid who thought the Princess would follow him immediately tilted his head at this unexpected query.

    "It¡¯s meaningless to run. The country had been taken¡­ And father is already gone¡­¡±

    She was sobbing at the end. Her fragile heart couldn¡¯t withstand anymore despair, so she was afraid of the uncertain future. She feared leaving this place, and couldn¡¯t grab the hand of the knight.

    She is a cute and frail just like she looks. Different from Eru after all. It¡¯s weird for me to use Eru as the standard anyway.

    Chid shook his head, clearing his head of his childhood friend who become stronger with every adversity he faced. He need to focus on the girl in front of him right now. She was unlike his childhood friend who was similar to a puny human shaped demon beast, and felt like a glass art piece that would shatter with just a touch.

    ¡°It will be fine, we have powerful allies. If we leave this place, we can send the invaders flying with our fist, and take back this country.¡±

    Even after hearing this, Eleanora showed no signs of pulling herself together, and looked even more sullen instead. Chid started breaking out in cold sweat, wondering if he said something wrong.

    "I¡­ am very weak. I am a Princess, but I don¡¯t know anything, and can¡¯t do anything. Fighting wars aside, I can¡¯t even leave this place¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with being weak, knights like us will be your strongest weapon, we will dorn on armour and go to war with our swords.¡±

    When she heard his polite reply, Eleanora raised her head and said:

    "Who would want to follow someone like me? Who would listen to the words of a tool¡­¡±

    As she spoke, she remembered Crist¨®bal and started trembling. His face was twisted in her memories into a feral alien that feast on human flesh. Sooner or later, she would become his sacrifice.

    ¡°There is. At least I am willing.¡±

    Chid said to her with firm determination, and reached out to Motor Beat behind him. Powered by the spell constructed by his mana, the mechanical armour was activated. It¡¯s Crystal Tissue creaked, and the steel armour slowly covered his limbs. Finally, the chest plate was closed, and his figure disappeared from Eleonora¡¯s eyes, replaced by a knight in heavy armour.

    ¡°I will be your knight and protect you. I will wield my sword for your sake, and commit to my duties as a knight.¡±

    Eleanora looked up at the huge armour in silence. The armoured knight with the youth inside it was illuminated by the faint light. They might be different, but his figure overlapped with the people who fell in battle to protect her in the past.

    "¡­ My knight¡­ Are you willing to live for me, and safeguard me?"

    Motor Beat took a step back. Chid recalled the knight etiquettes he learned in school, and performed the most respectful rite of fealty.

    ¡°Your Highness, please bestow your first command to your loyal knight.¡±

    Chid then waited. After a suffocating silence, he finally heard a faint reply.

    ¡°... I dislike this place. I don¡¯t want to marry the enemy who killed my father¡­ please take me away from here.¡±

    ¡°By your will!¡±

    He held Eleanora¡¯s outreached hand, and felt a cold and soft sensation. Chid forcefully chuck these feelings to a corner of his mind, and carried her delicate body with Motor Beat as carefully as possible.

    A moment later, the Silhouette Gear jumped from the top of the tower, and the Princess in its arms screamed, disrupting the silence of the night.

    The Motor Beat piloted by Eru carried Martina in its arms, and stepped off the top floor of the tower. It couldn¡¯t really be called ¡®stepping off¡¯, and was closer to freefalling, a bold manner of escaping. It felt like suicide, but Martina still gritted her teeth, enduring it silently. Ambrosius daughter had guts too.

    No matter how tall the tower, you would reach the ground in a blink of an eye. As they approached the ground with great speed, even Martina couldn¡¯t help gasping. At this moment, Motor Beat reached out the hand that wasn¡¯t holding her, and shot out a glittering Arrowhead with a sharp screech. The Anchor Wire flew through the night sky, and was used to slow Eru¡¯s descent. Finally, he deployed an Air Suspension spell, and the compressed air caught Motor Beat by absorbing the force, allowing them to land safely. Eru stood up nonchalantly, and the other Shadowlad also jumped one after another.

    ¡°... Sigh¡­ I was mentally prepared, but this is too rough. Are you really a knight? We did escape, but you really lack common sense!¡±

    Even though Eru was used to such mobility, others might not be able to keep up. When he heard the loud protest of Martina who was breaking out in cold sweat from fear, he just answered casually.

    ¡°This is normal for Fremmevira Kingdom¡¯s knights.¡±

    Horrifying imaginations filled her mind as she wondered what kind of demonic place the home she left quite some time ago had become. By the way, even though there was plenty of problems with the way Eru put it, it was certainly true for the Silver Phoenix Knights

    At the same time, the other teams had also got away successfully and returned to Eru¡¯s side.

    ¡°Oh, well done Ernesti! My aunt is safe too!¡±

    A familiar annoying voice made her turn her head, and she saw Emrys piloting a Shadowlad and holding Isadora in his arms. Martina believed in Eru and betted on him, and was relieved when she saw her daughter had been rescued.

    The next one to meet them was the team led by Ady, who returned empty handed.

    ¡°Our target is empty! Ah, being carried by Eru, so envious¡­¡±

    Ady¡¯s murmurs was rightfully ignored. Shortly after that, Chid arrived with Eleonora in his arms, and the Silver Phoenix Knights successfully rescued all the captured royalty of Kuscheperca.

    ¡°All the royalties that are locked up is here right? Okay, let¡¯s leave with haste.¡±

    ¡°That is true, but the castle is already in an uproar. They will definitely lock down the gates, how are you planning to escape? Can we fight our way out with these forces?¡±

    It was natural for Martina to be uneasy, it was questioning the strength of infantry that was normal in the past. But the Silhouette Gears didn¡¯t have such restrictions. Eru answered with a smile:

    ¡°By the way, we don¡¯t need to pass through the gates.¡±

    Everyone ran towards the wall, and several Anchor Wire shot out and embed it into the wall. Speed was of the essence for a plan revolving around fleeing. With no need to remain covert, the group used ¡®Aero Thrust¡¯ magic unhesitantly, giving the Silhouette Gear an explosive acceleration. Using the momentum, they dashed up the vertical wall as if they were running on flat ground.

    With the dumbstruck Martina and others in tow, the Silhouette Gear team scaled the wall easily, and threw themselves into the darkness. The counteractive force of ¡®Aero Thrust¡¯ even enabled them to leap over the moat.

    As if the group was traveling through a deserted area, the Silhouette Gears ran along the roofs of the rows of buildings. They mana capacity of each individual might vary, but the speed of Silhouette Gears still exceed that of horses for short distances. Before the chaos in the castle spread into the city, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Silhouette Gear unit escaped Fontaine.

    ***

    At this point, Lacepede Castle was in complete chaos, with the collation of intel a mess and unable to make any moves. After all, the sentries posted all over the place were killed, and it wasn¡¯t clear where the intruders came from, or where they escaped to. But from the panicked state the tower guards were in, it was clear that the Kuscheperca Royals had been taken away.

    ¡°D-Damn it, what a serious lapse! How am I supposed to explain this to His Highness!?¡±

    The commander of the city¡ª Doroteo¡¯s roar fell like thunder, his wrath even stopped the movements of the soldiers around him, and silence fell. He was usually calm and mild, but he was roaring like an erupting volcano.

    ¡°What happened to the thieves!? Where did they escaped too!? Anyone see the enemy!?¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­ The gate sentries didn¡¯t see any signs of the thieves escaping. There are no survivors amongst the patrols that encountered the enemy, we don¡¯t have any intel¡­¡±

    As he listened to the illogical report of his subordinate, Doroteo grit his teeth tight. Realizing he was about to erupt again, the soldier took half a step back, but Doroteo just turned silent. It was pointless to vent on the troops, the important thing is to figure out the next course of action.

    He must not allow the Kuscheperca royals escape. Since they were taken, he had to take them back. No matter what.

    "Damn it¡­! I can¡¯t waste anymore time. Send out all the soldiers in the castle and city, and search the place thoroughly! In the worst case scenario, the thieves would have absconded from the city! Ready the Levitate Ship immediately, and search the region outside the city with them¡­ We must not let them escape!!¡±

    After saying that, he immediately took action. Making his way past the hurrying soldiers, he charge for the hangar.

    Who exactly are these thieves¡­ the remnants of the Kuscheperca? They actually kept such a powerful group in reserve? That is unbelievable. No matter who they are, I will eliminate anyone who get in the way of His Highness!

    Doroteo Mardones¡ª the famed general of ?aloudek Kingdom started his pursuit of the royals.

    ***

    The Silhouette Gear team left Fontaine swiftly, and headed straight into the forest around the city, intending to throw any pursuers off their tracks. Something that was necessary for them to make a safe escape was also hidden there.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little rough, are you still doing alright? We will changing our mode of transport soon. It will take some time to prepare, please wait a moment.¡±

    Martina who was finally liberated from the arms of Motor Beat could barely stand properly. After that intense force march, even the strong willed Martina looked exhausted.

    ¡°You call that a little¡­ What an exciting experience. However, ?aloudek will send pursuers, it won¡¯t be easy to shake them off, what exactly are we¡­¡±

    When Martina noticed the object in front of her, her voice started trailing off. Basked under the moonlight was a giant alien kneeling down in the forest, a being resembling both horse and man. It was the majestic visage of the Centaur Knight Tzendrinble.

    "What in the world¡­"

    Without any regards for Martina and the others, the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights got ready swiftly. There were two Tzendrinble and two wagons here. They jumped onto one of the wagon, then dismounted from their Silhouette Gears and started tying them down. Chid and Ady then dissapeared into the cockpit of the Tzendrinbles. The dormant Ether Reactors were revived, and the stirred Centaur Knights neighed as they woke.

    Martina and the others could only stare with their eyes wide open, and were only pulled back to reality by Eru¡¯s voice:

    "Alright then, please get onto the wagon. We will be setting off immediately, and try to pull away as fast as possible under the cover of night.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±

    Standing behind Martina who barely managed to squeeze out this answer, Isadora pinched her own cheeks, wondering if she was dreaming. It was already a shock to see the knights rescue them in Silhouette Gears, but the impact of seeing the Centaur Knights was much greater.

    They never heard of Silhouette Knights that had gone beyond the form of humans, but since Emrys was here, that meant these creations hailed from Fremmevira Kingdom. Even though their hearts were filled with doubts, they still walked towards the wagon as instructed.

    "¡­ I haven¡¯t been back for a while, but how exactly does Fremmevira Kingdom looks like now¡­?"

    "Haha! Please look forward to seeing that. Aunt, this way!¡±

    Martina couldn¡¯t suppress her sigh of resignation and Emrys responded by clenching his fist victoriously for some reason, and started introducing the machines to them. They were brought to the waiting room situated on the wagon, a place originally meant for pilots to rest on long voyages. It was well furnished with all sorts of facilities.

    Behind Martina and Isadora who boarded with curiosity, Eleonora herself was at a loss.

    "¡­Is this real life¡­?"

    She only made up her mind and escaped here because she trusted that young knight, but the scene before her lack a sense of reality. She was beginning to doubt her ability to differentiate between reality and fantasy. Was being rescued and escaping Lacepede Castle just a nice dream conjured by her frail mind? Too much happened in one night, beyond what her weak spirit could take.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness.¡±

    Someone in the Centaur Knight told Eleonora who was in a daze-like state. It was the voice of the young knight who whisked her away. For some reason, she could sense the presence of the youth from the Crystal Eyeball of the fearsome looking Centaur Knight.

    ¡°Leave it to me, Tzendrinble and I will definitely take you to safety."

    The words of her knight pulled her back to reality immediately. She was the one who gave the order, and wished for him to render his aid. If she couldn¡¯t trust him, then who could she trust? Eleonora squeezed out her last bits of resolve, and stood up.

    ¡°... Alright, I will be counting on you¡­¡±

    Her soft voice was drowned out by the loud churning noise of the Silhouette Knight. However, it had definitely reached that youth.

    ¡°Ohh ¡ª Chid¡­ I had never seen you so fired up before¡­ Are you that enamoured by beautiful princesses?¡±

    "Shut up, I¡¯m just... Erm, doing my part as a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡­"

    ¡°Oh¡ª Oh fufufu ohh, that feels right, wonderful! I feel fired up too!¡±

    "Ah¡ª! You are definitely mistaking something, Ady!!"

    As the two bickered, all the preparations were done. Eru¡¯s voice came from the Silhouette Knight on the wagon:

    ¡°Alright alright, enough you two. Everyone is ready. Well then, Silver Phoenix Knights¡­ move out!"

    With a neigh, the two Tzendrinbles moved off, heading towards the eastern borders of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom. After rescuing the captured Princess, the knights set off with powerful strides.

    ***

    A Levitate Ship rode the winds as it overlooked the breaking dawn at the Aubigne mountains.

    With the sound of the wind audible through the glass window Doroteo leaned back on the Captain¡¯s seat. He shielded the glaring morning sun that annoyed him with one hand.

    He set off with his unit from Fountaine, and rushed towards the east of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom. As the airborne Levitate Ship wasn¡¯t affected by the terrain, it was much faster than other modes of transportation like carriages or Silhouette Knights. They had penetrated deeply into the eastern territories.

    "¡­¡­There¡­ the escaped royals should be down there somewhere."

    Doroteo stared at the map of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom in front of the Captain¡¯s seat. This map wasn¡¯t made hastily, but a highly accurate map they took from Lacepede Castle.

    There were many benefits to using Levitate Ships as transports, but it had its own problems too. Route choices was the biggest difference. On land, the cities and streets would determine the route, and could be used as landmarks. It was a completely different matter when looking down from the sky. It required an imagination capable of matching the information from the compass and map with the sights and terrain seen from the air¡ª such capabilities similar to naval navigators were needed. Hence, the strategic value of a highly accurate map was immeasurable.

    ¡°As expected, the only possibility is the east.¡±

    Large amount of text was annotated on the map, the mark of the discussion Doroteo had with the navigator to decide their course. They weren¡¯t moving mindlessly, and there were reasons why they chose the eastern route.

    Firstly, Doroteo predicted that the royals would escape to the west, since they didn¡¯t have any allies even if they ran from Fontaine to the central zone of old Kuscheperca.

    At that moment, he remembered the rumours of an unknown enemy rampaging in the east. Linking the unexpected rescue raid of the royals with the unrest in the east was a natural deduction.

    "The possible route are either here or here. If we make use of the Levitate Ship, we can catch up no matter which path they choose."

    They then locked onto the route along the highways, under the assumption that the fleeing royals would prioritize speed. They were caught in a remote path, and probably would try to avoid the same mistake. Hence, no matter what transportation mode they use, it would definitely be on the highway that facilitates swift movements.

    The remaining problem would be the search area. It was extremely difficult to search at night, so Doroteo¡¯s team had been focusing on moving fast. With the break of dawn, they had to reduce their search radius. No matter how much advantage the Levitate Ship had in speed and terrain, they didn¡¯t have the leisure to search slowly.

    Doroteo contemplated for a moment as the sail of the Levitate Ship bloated up. They could move freely by using the Blow Engine, but the weather also affect them greatly.

    ¡°... Another gust of wind blowing to the east. Is this a tailwind, or¡­¡±

    A sharp light filled his eyes as he hurriedly issued orders to his subordinates. In the meantime, the sail caught the wind and increased the speed of the vessel. As he listened to the sound of friction from the ship, he gritted his fangs, waiting for the opportunity that would be coming.

    ***

    As they hold towards the rising sun, the Silver Phoenix Knights who were escorting Martina and the others went through the Pan-Kucher road of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom, galloping at full speed.

    ¡°Look mother, we already reached here before dawn. Their appearance isn¡¯t the only thing that is ridiculous about them.¡±

    ¡°Being weirdly shaped is one thing¡­ But Silhouette Knights that can run faster and longer than horses, what kind of joke is this?¡±

    After hearing the blunt way Martina and her daughter described them, Emrys responded with a shrug. Halt the design of Tzendrinble mimicked that of a horse, its main focus was on mobility. With two Ether Reactors, its endurance was superb, and would show its true value in long distance travel. The fatigue of the pilots aside, it could theoretically run through the entire continent without needing to resupply. Ady and Chid pulled an all nighter, and the grounds they covered was astonishing. It was only natural for Martina to be stumped.

    "Tzendrinble¡­ Just why was such a strange Silhouette Knight made? Rys-Nii, your subordinate is a little strange.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Since horses are the knights best friend, I think this is a good idea. And when I saw it for the first time, I really want to try riding it!¡±

    ¡°Rys-Nii is the only one who will think so¡­¡±

    Emrys tilted his head and grunted.

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to them that we can save you like this and take you away, isn¡¯t that great points?¡±

    Martina and Isadora looked at each other. They knew this very well and were extremely grateful, but their weary common sense just found it hard to accept.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret the small matters. At this speed, we can probably shake off any pursuers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. After we link up with the main forces, it will be our time to attack! I still have a score to settle with that rumoured retard Prince!¡±

    When she heard Emrys said that arrogantly, Martina turned to him with a serious face and said:

    ¡°Rys, listen well. You might have an unbelievably powerful band of knights with you, but the ?aloudek Kingdom is not an enemy to be trifled with. Our knights couldn¡¯t match them despite giving everything they had. Their existence is unpleasant, but you can¡¯t send your troops out so rashly¡­¡±

    The time for idle chat was over. Alarm bells in the waiting room rang sharply. This was a simple device connected to the cockpit of Tzendrinble for communication. The sound of the bell indicates the message being sent. That bell earlier was¡ª

    "Abnormality alert¡­ Speak of the devil. They are actually on the tail of the Tzendrinbles. You are right aunt, I am looking down on them too much."

    Right after saying that, Emrys turned and charged out of the room like the wind, and head for the cockpit of Gordesleo. Martina and the others could only stare with eyes wide open at the sudden turn of events, and quickly understood what Emrys meant.

    ¡°How could it be, we already made it this far¡­ No, how is this possible¡­ With the speed of the Centaur Knights, they actually caught up at this place¡­ What is going on!?¡±

    Martina pounced on the window of the waiting room, and stared at the scene at the back with wide eyes. In the clear blue skies, she could see a black dot. She understood what they were in no time¡ª

    "?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s ¡­Levitate Ship!"

    The sails on both sides of the Levitate Ship was inflated to their limits, pulling the ship forward. Doroteo stood at the front of the bridge and looked with a telescope, his lips under his moustache opened in a chilling smile:

    ¡°What great timing to catch that wind, I betted on it, thinking it was some kind of divination¡­ And won the gamble. I finally found you, Kuscheperca¡¯s royals! I won¡¯t let you escape¡­!!¡±

    He pushed his aging body and crossed the bridge in one breath. Handing the telescope to a subordinate, he issued orders with a voice as loud as a bell.

    "Move the Levitate Ship right on top of their head!! Then drop the Black Knights directly on them. We have to secure the royals here. Use the catapult to stop them!¡±

    "Yes Sir, accelerating and lowering altitude!! Ready the catapults!¡±

    His subordinates repeated the order and took actions simultaneously. The figurehead raised its manapool output to maximum and activated the Blow Engine, creating intense air flow around the ship. The Levitate Ship accelerated further as it descended. Their speed outpaced Tzendrinble greatly right now.

    As the Levitate Ship drew near with amazing speed, Chid and Ady who was piloting the Tzendrinble was mesmerized.

    ¡°Hey¡­ What is that!? A ship, a ship is coming!¡±

    "Normal ships can¡¯t fly¡­ Right? So someone other than Eru thought of such a weird idea¡­¡±

    The two of them were excited at seeing the Levitate Ship for the first time, and even forgot that was their pursuers and started bickering. However, that all stopped when the Levitate Ship suddenly shot out something.

    ¡°Eh, oh no! They are attacking!¡±

    As they changed their direction hurriedly, stone shells fell around Tzendrinble. The powerful shelling shook their very being as it bored through the ground with a deafening boom. Although the enemy didn¡¯t aim accurately and only a few shots hit the road, the craters it made and the way it crashed through the woods made Chid and Ady break out in cold sweat.

    ¡°Damn it, they will catch up like this. That will be terrible right?¡±

    The Tzendrinbles slowed down as they dodged nimbly, and the Levitate Ship closed the gap mercilessly.

    At this time, Doroteo and his men inside the Levitate Ship was ready to launch. He sat in the cockpit of the Tyrant, and the pilots of the other six Black Knights was also in position. He worked on the next set of controls, and had already issued all the relevant commands. The knights deftly manipulated the Blow Engine, bringing the Levitate Ship right on top of the Centaur Knights. They had lowered their altitude so much that the ship was brushing the tips of the trees. The Levitate Ship was ready to open the hatch at its belly to drop the Black Knights.

    ¡°Target locked, we need to focus. Let¡¯s go and finish them off in one fell sweep!¡±

    ¡°Yes Sir!!¡±

    The Centaur Knights seemed to be panicking as the Levitate Ship approached gradually

    The next second, the canvas flew off the cargo on the wagon, and the alien-shaped demon god Ikaruga was activated. It let loose a roar, and the four arms on its back deployed speedily. Inside the cockpit, Eru ignored the tensed situation and leaned forth with his face plastered on the Holo Monitor. He showed a cute and strong willed smile, then muttured:

    "Ahhh¡­ Such, such a thing actually exist! Air Ship¡­ Amazing, so amazing! The ship is floating in the air. Not a balloon or flying ship, it has sails¡­ No, I don¡¯t understand, it can¡¯t be explained with the principles of the other world, earth. This must be, must be something wonderful I didn¡¯t know about right!?¡±

    The ear-shattering roar rose like a crescendo. Normal controls couldn¡¯t keep up with Ikaruga¡¯s complicated system, so Eru had to use his excellent calculation ability to command it directly. Hence, his will was the demon god¡¯s will, and it was already prepared for mayhem.

    "You two keep the Tzendrinbles running. That ship flying in the air¡­ I will take it!!¡±

    Eru instructed, and then piloted Ikaruga to jump from the wagon. After landing, Ikaruga unleashed the massive amount of mana within it, and the Magius Jet Thrusters howled, accelerating furiously at the rate that would leave the Tzendrinbles in the dust. With the hearts of the two demon beast ¡ª Behemoth and Queen Shell Case installed, it was a unique demon god in this world. The reactionary force from Ikaruga blew the paved stones on the road away as it blasted into the sky.

    "What is that!? It, it is¡­ charging this way!?¡±

    Ikaruga used the powerful propelling force of its Magius Jet Thrusters to soar in the air, making a beeline for the Levitate Ship. He wasn¡¯t thinking about anything, and was only taking the shortest route for the Levitate Ship, powered just by his desire for it.

    Despite its excellent hovering function, it was just a ship that was propelled by the wind. It was impossible for the vessel to escape the pursuit of a demon god flying at high speed with flames burning behind it. On top of that, the Levitate Ship was lowered to a height to intercept the Tzendrinbles. The crew in the bridge screamed when they witnessed this scene from the bridge, they didn¡¯t know what that burning Silhouette Knight was, or rather, they couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly was happening. While they were falling into a state of panic, Ikaruga collided strongly with the ship.

    "What happened? Something wrong!? What happened to the air drop procedure!?¡±

    Doroteo who was waiting to launch inside the cargo bay felt something was amiss from the shaking of the ship.

    "Hii! I-I don¡¯t know! Something is wrong¡­ Is that a Silhouette Knight!? It flew in the air and landed on the ship!!"

    As he listened to confused report of his subordinate, Doroteo stared at the walls of the vessel. There was a creaking sound on the outside, and he quickly realized¡ª that was the sound of something crawling on the outer wall. He felt a chill, and after a short hesitation, he activated his Tyrant.

    Ikaruga was blown off along with the wall he was clinging onto, and it started falling. Even Eru was caught off guard by this as he used his Magius Jet Thruster to adjust his posture, then pulled away.

    A large hole was ripped open on the body of the Levitate Ship, revealing a Tyrant with its back weapon deployed. The Tyrant must had felt threatened, and used the crude means of blowing the enemy away along with the wall. It then continued its merciless assault on the airborne Ikaruga.

    ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s a nice reaction, I¡¯m impressed! Please accept my response in kind!¡±

    Ikaruga dodged the projectiles with its jets, then drew the Sword Cannon on its waist. The sword splitted, and mechanism inside converted a large amount of mana into flames. His counter attack was ferocious, as his shot kept piercing into the Levitate Ship like infernal fire. The spiraling flames penetrated the walls and turned the inside of the ship into a sea of fire, blasting off the walls of the vessel with ease. The Levitate Ship¡¯s armour could withstand a normal powered shot, but was never intended to endure the demon-like power output of Ikaruga.

    ¡°Impossible, what intense might¡­! No, if this goes on, the Levitate Ship will crash!!"

    Several options flashed through Doroteo¡¯s mind in an instant. In order to capture the Kuscheperca royals, he needed to airdrop the Black Knights. But if he ignored the flying demon god alone, the Levitate Ship would crash in no time. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Black Knights could stop him, but the only thing he was certain of was that losing the Levitate Ship meant his plans had failed.

    ¡°Ugh, oooohhhh!!!!¡±

    After thinking it through, Doroteo made his call. His Tyrant lifted its shield and braved the incoming shots. The shield twisted from the direct hit of the intense projectile, and Crystal Shards fell from all over its body. Just a few shots made the machine fell on its knees, but the tough Tyrant could still move a little.

    "¡­ Turn around right now! Get out of here!!¡±

    Doroteo¡¯s subordinate also charged forth after witnessing his action. As they sacrificed more Black Knights to block the shots, the Levitate Ship changed its course unsteadily.

    ¡°Huh? You came all this way, and is already going off? You can¡¯t do that, I won¡¯t let you escape¡­ Hmm?¡±

    The fired up Eru was about to pursue when he noticed the commotion behind him. Several black shadows ran across the road, chasing after Tzendrinble.

    ¡°Is that a guerilla unit? They are good¡­¡±

    Eru hesitated. With Ikaruga¡¯s power, he could catch up with the Levitate Ship and bring it down easily. But that meant abandoning Tzendrinble. His own motives aside, the top priority of the Silver Phoenix Knights should be the rescue of the Kuscheperca royals, and their safe return. What little rationality he had left stopped his desire.

    "Fufu¡­ Alright, I will keep that ship on my tab for now. The next time we meet, I will feast on it and dine on every single bit of its spare parts.!¡±

    Eru left these words of frustration, turned Ikaruga and shot out streams of flames and heat waves, charging towards Tzendrinble at incredible speed.

    ***

    Going back to the time before the Levitate Ship encountered the Tzendrinbles.

    Several shadows sprinted along the forest that stretched on either side of the road. By comparing its relative size to the trees around it, the figures were 10m tall giants, Silhouette Knights. But their speed was blindingly fast, probably twice that of a normal Silhouette Knight. The strangest thing about them was that the shadows didn¡¯t make much noise while they run. Not just the movement of their Crystal Tissue, even the intake valve of their Ether Reactor was quiet, the entire body itself had a faint sense of presence.

    Because it prioritizes speed, their body appeared exceptionally slender, to the extent that it could be described as frail. The most prominent thing about them was their protruding shoulders and sharp claws. Another feature was their head, which was devoid of any design, entirely smooth save the two holes for its eyes. Faceless¡ª That was the impression the silent and phantom-like machine gave others.

    There wasn¡¯t just one phantoms. Two, three¡ª several of them were sprinting in the forest, and in the direction of their advance was the charging Centaur Knight. The objective of the phantoms was obvious, they sped up and drew near to the road, and after a powerful stride, bashed out of the forest and onto the road. It didn¡¯t make any sound during this time, and only the shadows on the ground proved they really was there. Bracing the razor sharp claws on its arms, one machine sneaked close to the galloping Tzendrinbles, and was about to rip through their armour¡ª

    ¡°Who are you lot!? Reinforcements!?¡±

    ¡ª But was blocked by a powerful cleaved along with an angry roar, and deflected back into the forest. The one who swung the sword was Gordesleo on the wagon, piloted by Emrys. As Gordesleo didn¡¯t have any effective weapons against the Levitate Ship, it stayed behind to guard the wagon.

    ¡°That was a close one! Did you people used that Levitate Ship as a decoy? What a sinister scheme!!¡±

    Gordesleo got up from its knees and lift its large sword. It couldn¡¯t initiate any attack as he was on a wagon towed by Tzendrinble, and Emrys must really detest this situation where he could only defend.

    He didn¡¯t have to wait very long for the phantoms to launch another wave of attack. They flew in from the forest from every direction, targeting the wagon towed by Tzendrinble. Gordesleo barely managed to ward them off with his sword, his unstable foothold hindered his counterattack and he couldn¡¯t move freely. He could fend them off for now, but his sword strike didn¡¯t feel solid, and the number of enemy remained the same. Emrys could feel the frustration in his chest building.

    ¡°I would have turned them into scrap by now if we were fighting on solid ground! But I can¡¯t let Tzendrinble stop either.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t the only one who was anxious.

    ¡°They just have to pick the moment Eru isn¡¯t around and attack! Can¡¯t we shake them off!?¡±

    The Tzendrinbles wield their lance to fend off the assaulting phantoms. But they were running with a wagon in tow, their defences were full of holes, much less offence. The phantoms understood this too, and attacked the backs of the Tzendrinbles ferociously. Despite their valiant efforts, the situation was dire for the Silver Phoenix Knights. On top of that, they were outnumbered, and the number of close calls they had was increasing.

    The phantoms pounced again and again, Gordesleo and Tzendrinble swung their weapons to keep them at bay over and over again, but started losing focus. They were in the midst of a long distance travel, so it was only natural for them to accumulate a lot of fatigue.

    Finally, they committed a fatal mistake. A phantom used that chance to pounce in.

    ¡°Crap! I can¡¯t dodge¡­¡±

    The phantom closed in on the blindspot on Tzendrinble¡¯s flank, its hand reaching for the defenceless belly of the horse. That was the secret weapon of the phantoms, and was powerful enough to pierce through a Silhouette Knight. Right as the claw was about to puncture the belly¡ª

    A long fire lance flew in from distance without warning and pierced the stomach of the phantom. The phantom had light armour in order to prioritize speed, and blew up instantly into wreckage. Something that was on fire was destroying the road as it charged in with a cloud of dust in its wake.

    ¡°How¡­ dare you interrupt my wonderful time with the Air Ship¡­!"

    It was the six armed demon faced armoured samurai shouting angrily with thundering flames in its trail¡ªIkaruga.Once Ikaruga caught up with Tzendrinble, it adjusted its speed by spurting up scorching flames, and landed directly on the wagon.

    ¡°Even though you can¡¯t take the place of that ship¡­ you will still pay with your lives.¡±

    It deployed the arms on its back, and grabbed the back up Sword Cannons on the wagon. The way it stood looked just like a porcupine, with six Sword Cannons aimed at different directions. With a terrifying howl, the mana within the machine boiled over, and was unleashed in the form of projectiles.

    The phantoms who sought refuge in the forest was blown apart along with the trees that concealed them. Even the phantoms escaping at full speed couldn¡¯t escape and disappeared in a sea of flames as the demon god fell one phantom after another. It didn¡¯t take much time for all the phantoms to be reduced to wreckage. Ikaruga finally let up after the surrounding terrain became unrecognizable.

    ***

    An unsteady Levitate Ship was moving towards the setting sun.

    It was the ship of Doroteo¡¯s group who barely managed to escape the palms of the demon god. Most of its walls had fallen, and even its steel structure was twisted into a terrible state. Forced to flee at top speed in such a sorry condition, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if this wreck reach its limits at any moment.

    Safeguarding the ¡®Etheric Levitator¡¯ was the silver lining of this tragedy. If it was destroyed, the Levitate Ship wouldn¡¯t be able to fly anymore.

    "¡­ Lower the altitude, it will be meaningless if we crash.¡±

    Doroteo who was sitting in the Captain¡¯s seat said gloomingly. Since the battle with the demon god, there hadn¡¯t been any sign of their enemy catching up. On the other hand, it was getting dangerous for the vessel to remain airborne. His subordinates obeyed the orders strictly, and landed the ship.

    Since the ship was out of commission, they would need to return by piloting the Tyrants. And even the Tyrants suffered heavy damage when they protected the ship, and wasn¡¯t reliable as a mean of transport.

    After disembarking the ship, there was something Doroteo¡¯s team had to do, which was to destroy the Levitate Ship. Levitate Ships were the secret weapon of the ?aloudek Kingdom. It was on the verge of breaking down, but they couldn¡¯t abandon it while it could still move. The Tyrant piloted by Doroteo raised its Battle Ram stiffly.

    His hands on the control stick was on the verge of shaking. Losing the ship, losing the Black Knights and even failing in his mission to capture the enemy royalty. It was difficult to make up for this mistake, he had literally lost everything. Even if he made it back alive, he probably won¡¯t have a place in the ?aloudek army anymore. I should just perish here along with the ship ¡ª Such suicidal thoughts flashed across his mind

    At this moment, one his subordinates who was watching yelled and pointed to the sky. In the crimson sky in front of them was a black dot, and they quickly recognized that was an approaching Levitate Ship.

    Under the night sky littered by the stars, two Levitate Ships headed to the west. One unscathed vessel towing a ship so heavily damaged that it was a miracle for it to be even floating. And of course, that was Doroteo¡¯s ship. They maintained just enough altitude to fly, and were ready to abandon ship if anything goes wrong.

    Having dismounted from the Tyrant, Doroteo glanced at the machines they recovered and the faces of his subordinate and seemed a little relieved. But his face turned sullen quickly, and left in crude strides as if he was trying to shake all this away. He went from the cargo bay to the bridge, and surveyed it from the ladder he was scaling. He was staring at one spot¡ª the person seated in the middle of the bridge.

    "¡­¡­Lady Hietakangas, so it was you."

    He said the name of the female knight who occupied the captain¡¯s seat so naturally. She belonged to an order of knights from ?aloudek Kingdom, the knight commander leading the Copper Fang Knights, Kerhild Hietakangas. She was wearing an annoying smile that never seemed to change, as she sat relaxed on the chair with her hand supporting her chin.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you got a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°... Of course not. You saved my subordinates, I can¡¯t thank you enough¡­¡±

    The two of them didn¡¯t have much of a relationship. Truthfully speaking, most people didn¡¯t feel much affection for Kerhild who worked in the shady side of business. Seeing Doroteo¡¯s unusually frail expression, she asked curiously:

    ¡°What happened? You climbed to your position by your own merits, not by kissing the ass of the prince. But look at you now, this isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    Doroteo had a bitter face as he recount his failures in recent days.

    "¡­ That¡¯s what happened. Age is getting to me. The enemy has nightmarish powers that exceed those of normal Silhouette Knights. To think I am rendered so helpless, how incompetent.¡±

    Even the seasoned veteran found the demon god that forced them to this dead end to be an incredible opponent. The combined effort of him, his subordinates and the Levitate Ship was ravaged so badly by that one machine.

    ¡°... This is the end for me. I can¡¯t make up for this loss even if I pay for it with my life.¡±

    The man before Kerhild was no longer the top general of the ?aloudek army known for his boldness and calm mind. Seeing how weak he seemed to be, Kerhild frowned and lashed out at him:

    ¡°Tch! You think presenting your wrinkled head mean you are taking responsibility? How incredibly foolish.¡±

    "¡­ Then¡­ How do you think I should compensate such a grave mistake?"

    ¡°War maniacs are really¡­! Listen up, it is true that losing the Levitate Ship, the Black Knights and the royals are terrible. But, it is even worst to not bring back any intel on the enemy.¡±

    Kerhild¡¯s Copper Fang Knights was a spy organization, mainly charged with the collation of intelligence. Depending on the circumstances, the intel might have higher priority than their lives. Her view that ran contrary with that of knights sent Doroteo into deep thought. His sullen eyes regained some of its light.

    ¡°You are right. The enemy was obviously abnormal, and will definitely be an obstacle in the ambition of His Highness. I need to convey the details so His Highness can make adequate preparations. Whatever happens to this head after that don¡¯t matter.¡±

    Even though he had a bit more life in him, Doroteo was still saying the same thing. Kerhild looked up in exasperation.

    "Yes. Since you are going to die, then do that after duking it out with the enemy.¡±

    He even responded with a nod seriously to this joke-like response. Kerhild was starting to get tired of his foolishness.

    ***

    In old Kuscheperca¡¯s capital, Delvincourt. Ever since King Aukusti¡¯s death after his duel, this city became ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s largest base. With the invasion of Kuscheperca almost complete, it will be designated as the capital of the Kuscheperca territories ¡ª ruled by ?aloudek Kingdom, the governance house would be in the old royal castle.

    Under the grey and gloomy sky, a Levitate Ship reached Delvincourt. After its masters were changed, a ¡®harbour¡¯ for Levitate Ships to dock in was built in Delvincourt. Even though it was just clearing out a piece of land and constructing ramps to access the vessels easily, it was still used frequently as a military stronghold, and the ship that just reached also found a spot to land.

    Shortly later, in the audience hall of the central governance house¡ª which used to be a royal castle¡ª the unhappy voice of ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s Second Prince Crist¨®bal?¹þË¹Âå??aloudek could be heard.

    ¡°What did you say¡ª The Princess was taken away¡­!?"

    The Prince rose from the throne that used to belong to the King of Kuscheperca agitatedly. The man who was prostrating with his head to the ground before him, his most trusted right hand man¡ªDoroteo Mardones¡¯ Levitate Ship just landed, and reported to his master right away.

    "Doroteo¡­ how can a man like you not know the value of that wench!? You let her slip away into the hands of mere bandits, and even let the Black Knights and Levitate Ship suffer serious damage as you shamelessly flee here, what is the meaning of this!?¡±

    Crist¨®bal¡¯s angry roar resounded in the hall once more. In the face of the nonstop accusations thrown at him, Doroteo remained prostrated on the floor without a word.

    "That¡¯s enough, Crist¨®bal. As the commander-in-chief, how can you lose your composure?¡±

    A nonchalant voice sounded out from the entrance of the hall, restraining Crist¨®bal¡¯s rampage. It was Crist¨®bal¡¯s elder sister ¡ª The First Princess Catalina.

    "Sister¡­ But!!"

    "Calm down. You should understand Doroteo¡¯s capabilities and loyalty very well correct? Admonishing him any further would just be a waste of time, the important thing is to understand what exactly happened.¡±

    Her calm analysis made Crist¨®bal flinch. He exhaled deeply to steady himself, then tried to act calm as he turned towards Doroteo and said:

    "¡­ Raise your head. Report the entire incident in detail. I will decide on your punishment after hearing it.¡±

    ¡°Yes my liege!¡±

    Doroteo finally raised his head, but kept his body low as he reported on the thieves who infiltrated Lacepede Castle.

    "¡­ And so, when I realized it, all the Kuscheperca royalties had been taken. My incompetence is to blame, I am willing to accept any punishment Your Highness metes out."

    As he listened, Crist¨®bal¡¯s expression turned sour. To them, the royals of Kuscheperca¡ª Especially Princess Eleanora, was a ¡®tool¡¯ to stabilize their rule over the Kuscheperca territories. Although ?aloudek possessed overwhelming military power and could do as they pleased with the lands of Kuscheperca, it was always better to have less problems.

    ¡°Not just the Princess, but all of them were taken. Unbelievable, you were actually had by the weaklings of the Kuscheperca army¡­"

    After thinking about it calmly, Crist¨®bal started feeling doubtful. He knew Doroteo for a long time, and he might be getting a bit old, but Doroteo still ranked amongst the top five of the ?aloudek army. He couldn¡¯t imagine him being toyed by the Kuscheperca soldiers that were no more than prey to them. As he pondered with a palm on his head, Catalina who was also contemplating lift her head and said:

    "I think that even if Kuscheperca attacked with a thousand men, it would be impossible for them to seized the royals under Doroteo¡¯s watch. Then the ones behind this incident¡­ are agents from another nation.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, so that¡¯s what happened! Tchh, I thought they will only act much later, but they actually barged in at this crucial moment!¡±

    After hearing what his sister said, Crist¨®bal groaned with a bitter face. He thought of a problematic possibility. Assuming the ones who took the royals were nobles of old Kuscheperca, it wouldn¡¯t be that much of a problem. It is still a problem, but they just need to take advantage of their military forces to suppress them again. However, if a third nation was behind this, then things would become tremendously complicated. If the ¡®legitimacy¡¯ known as the royals were taken, it would be very troublesome.

    He already knew that other nations would interfere sooner or later, but for the ?aloudek Kingdom who spent a huge amount of time to prepare and launched their campaign with lightning speed, they completely didn¡¯t expect a nation to respond this quickly.

    ¡°... What comes to mind are the Eleven Flags interfering in a roundabout way, or the remnants of Locard Allied Union.¡±

    Crist¨®bal¡¯s guesses were rejected by Catalina who shook her head.

    "No matter what, the problem is that in order to control the nobles of Kuscheperca, we had already send out news that you and Eleanora would be getting married. It would be a huge disgrace if we lost her.¡±

    Catalina¡¯s fine face was frowning from anxiety, this incident wasn¡¯t pleasant for her, the administrator who proposed the plan. At this moment, Doroteo who kept his head lowered quietly interjected:

    ¡°Pardon my interruption, but I don¡¯t think they belong to those groups.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What are your reasons for such a claim?¡±

    Crist¨®bal urged him to go on suspiciously. But before he spoke, Doroteo slowly removed his sheathed sword, and respectfully presented it to Crist¨®bal.

    ¡°... What is the meaning of this?¡±

    "From this point on, my words are absolutely true, if Your Highness so much as suspect it¡­ Please cut my head off immediately.¡±

    When he heard that, Crist¨®bal gritted his teeth, and Catalina also raised her eyebrows. Since Doroteo bet his life on his words, that would mean¡ª

    ¡°The incident is that hard to believe?¡±

    Doroteo affirmed with a silent nod, with his sword held high with his palms. Crist¨®bal considered briefly, took the sword and unsheathed it. The workmanship was crude, but it was clear that it had been carefully maintained from its shiny blade.

    .

    ¡°Hmmp, I won¡¯t doubt you, but I accept your resolve. Don¡¯t hold back on ceremony, speak.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for Your Highness for your mercy¡­ After the royals escaped, I gave chase on the Levitate Ship¡­ And found them escaping along the highway on Silhouette Knights with its top half human, and bottom half horse."

    Crist¨®bal exhaled deeply, swallowing his urge to say ¡®How is that possible¡¯. His blade never left Doroteo¡¯s neck all this while, and Crist¨®bal wasn¡¯t foolish enough to doubt Doroteo¡¯s words.

    "I finally understand why you are betting your head on this¡­ What kind of monster is that? An ancient demon beast that had gone extinct?¡±

    ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, they seemed to be Silhouette Knights crafted by the hands of men. They were extraordinary fast, as if they were warhorses, and I wouldn¡¯t have caught up if I didn¡¯t have the Levitate Ship."

    Crist¨®bal frowned. Their mass produced machine Tyrants were perfect in defence and offence, their only flaw being its slow speed. Opponents that had the characteristics of warhorses were their nemesis. This much was ridiculous enough, but he didn¡¯t expect Doroteo to only get into the main point now,

    "That wasn¡¯t our only foe. We attempted to close in with the Levitate Ship to seize the royals, but we encountered a demon god like adversary with multiple arms with flames sprouting from it, flying in the air. It damaged the Levitate Ship with powerful weapons I had never seen before¡­¡±

    "¡­ Wait, hold on Doroteo! What are you talking about!?¡±

    Crist¨®bal who was listening to Doroteo¡¯s report carefully interrupted when he realized the contents were becoming ridiculous.

    "I am talking about the enemy¡¯s Silhouette Knight of course. Before we even landed, that thing flew into the air and almost sunk our Levitate Ship. Aside from that, it¡¯s magic projectile attacks were strong enough to stagger the Black Knights with just one shot, so we had to abandon our pursuit¡­ If Your Highness think these are all just my excuse to escape the blame, please use that sword to¡­¡±

    ¡°Tch! Stop blabbering about that! This thing is¡­ really hard to imagine.¡±

    Even Crist¨®bal couldn¡¯t help moaning. The report Doroteo made with his life on the line couldn¡¯t be false, but a part of his mind was certain that he had mistaken something. At the side of Crist¨®bal who had fallen into confusion, Catalina noticed a fact:

    "¡­ It might be a Silhouette Knight more powerful than the Black Knights. Leaving its weird appearance aside, it meant its country of origin possess an advanced level of technology. Doroteo, are you insinuating that the nation didn¡¯t ¡®develop new technology¡¯, but ¡®already possess such technology¡¯?¡±

    She probably wasn¡¯t certain, so she was asking quietly. Doroteo nodded in agreement:

    ¡°I have one point to add, amongst the escaping royals is the spouse of the late Archduke Fernando ¡ª Martina Alt Kuscheperca¡­ She was a princess from Fremmevira Kingdom. And the direction they fled in, the east, was where that country lies."

    "You mean the demon beast watch dogs? Those country bumpkins are here to join in the fun huh?¡±

    They thought of many possible enemy states, but not Fremmevira. After all, that country was outside the Western League of Nations (Occident). They had some run-ins with them in the past, but lost interest quickly.

    ¡°Perhaps they are doing this out of kinship, or they just want to seize Kuscheperca¡¯s lands. The more serious problem was, the royals who escaped has linked up with a force powerful enough to stand up against the Black Knights. I think their numbers are limited, but the situation doesn¡¯t look good.¡±

    Catalina felt that there was a need to amend the original battle plan. After identifying the enemy, it wasn¡¯t clear how it would affect future developments. The only certain thing was that they had fallen one step behind the complete domination of the Kuscheperca territory.

    When Crist¨®bal heard this news, he turned dramatically, walked to the throne and sat down again. He was obviously emotional, but his expression had a hint of something other than rage.

    "¡­ Fuhahaha! Things are becoming interesting. Adversaries that surpasses the Black Knights! There isn¡¯t any thrill no matter how many Kuscheperca soldiers we defeat, I was just starting to get bored."

    Catalina behind him was obviously frowning. Even though her brother was a royal, his personality was violent and craved battle instead of statesmanship. Always seeking ¡®worthy foes¡¯ was a bad habit of his.

    ¡°Cris, this is not the time for you to amuse yourself.¡±

    ¡°I know sis. Just find the enemy, and send troops to take them out. War is my forte, I will leave the aftermath in your hands.¡±

    Crist¨®bal got up like an uncaged beast. He was the Commander-in-chief of the invasion force, this fact didn¡¯t change when the main directive changed from invasion to occupation. On the other hand, Catalina oversees all administrative matters, and would have a hard time stopping Crist¨®bal in his military decisions.

    ¡°In that case, we need to hurry with the attack on the eastern territories¡­ and crush them early, there is no time to waste. The royal family still lives, and is scheming a counterattack. If this news spreads, the regional resistance movements will intensify.¡±

    His expression was lively, and didn¡¯t look like he was describing the disadvantage of his army. Since the royals were rescued, their opponent would definitely spread the news quickly. After all, the main reason Kuscheperca collapsed so quickly was because the royal family which was the heart of the Kingdom went missing. And so, the opposite would apply too.

    ¡°A tool just needs to be used docilely. How dare you defy me, I will make you and the bumpkins from the other side of the mountain pay for this with your lives!¡±

    Crushing the enemy¡¯s plan to resurrect their resistance efforts was the utmost joy for him. Seeing Crist¨®bal on the verge of launching an attack, Doroteo tried restraining him:

    ¡°Please wait. The number of Black Knights deployed in the east has decreased, and we know the enemy is more powerful. It wouldn¡¯t be wise for Your Highness to go there directly¡­¡±

    That¡¯s the result of the Silver Phoenix Knights active efforts. Although the ?aloudek Kingdom still ruled the territory, they didn¡¯t have the forces to launch a punitive campaign. Crist¨®bal¡¯s mood worsened immediately, and Catalina said resignedly before his emotions plummeted completely:

    "Cris, Draw some of the Black Skull Knights stationed in the south over. And commit the former Kuscheperca forces too. They can¡¯t match the Black Knights, but they are still Silhouette Knights."

    ¡°This is such a hassle. But if we want to crush them before that country intervenes, we will need to muster sufficient forces too.¡±

    Crist¨®bal groaned, then sat back onto the throne.

    The direction ?aloudek Kingdom will be taken had been set, and his written orders were sent to the territories around Kuscheperca very soon. The Black Skull Knights¡ª the best elites of the ?aloudek army set off towards the east, closing their encirclement net around the Kuscheperca royals.

    ***

    After concluding his report, Doroteo left the audience hall with heavy steps. He had relayed all the information he needed to, but the fact that he committed a serious blunder, and even troubled his lord to take action personally. That was the biggest thing he couldn¡¯t forgive himself for.

    "¡­Dad."

    "Gustavo, I heard. You lost too."

    The adopted son Gustavo walked towards his sullen father. He suffered great losses in his fight with the Silver Phoenix Knights, so both parent and child failed in their task.

    "I am sorry, this is too unsightly. Did His Highness said anything? Did he lectured you sternly?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be seeing any action for the time being. His Highness wants us to stand by until we are needed again.¡±

    The chair Doroteo sat on squeaked, and he sighed. Frankly speaking, his punishment had been put on hold. It was an unforgivable mistake, but considering the developments in the future, it would be a pity to execute such an excellent general like him. So before the issue in the east is resolves, he would need to reflect on his actions behind closed doors.

    ¡°The enemy I fought was a real challenge, in a completely different league from the strawmans from Kuscheperca. Now is the time they need our swords.¡±

    ¡°We have to bear with it for now¡­ Sooner or later, we will get to bet our lives on the line and restore our honour. That death god won¡¯t be sitting pretty in the meantime.¡±

    The image of the destructive god flashed across his mind. Its existence will definitely spell disaster for the ?aloudek Kingdom, Doroteo was certain of that. He had decided how he would spend his life that had been spared.

    While parent and child were wallowing in their sorrows, a subordinate appeared, reporting the visit of an unexpected guest.

    ¡°Apologies for disturbing your rest. Lord Doroteo, can I have a word?¡±

    "You are¡­ Lord Collazo¡­ correct? I remember that you should be stationed back in our home nation, what brings you to the front lines?¡±

    The visitor was the Central Workshop Director of ?aloudek Kingdom, Horacio Collazo. Doroteo got up to meet the guest with his head tilted in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand why a non-combat personnel came all the way to the foremost frontline in Kuscheperca territory.

    ¡°Nothing much, I just need to keep challenging myself in order to do more for the sake of His Majesty. Hence, I hope everyone can provide me with your opinions from the battlefield.¡±

    As a general and pilot,Doroteo couldn¡¯t understand the thoughts of a technical personnel, but he could feel the sincerity of the other party. He happened to be confined to quarters and had plenty of time, so Doroteo agreed to the request with a nod.

    "Since this is the request of Lord Collazo, I will do what I can. So, what information do you need?¡±

    After hearing that, Horacio twisted the corners of his lips in a smile, and spoke persistently stubborn words¡±

    "¡­ I heard a Levitate Ship had been taken down, so I hope you can tell me how the enemy looked like in detail¡­¡±

    At this moment, Doroteo felt something completely different from the usual Horacio he knew, an eerie passion and spirit.

    End of Arc 7

 Book 4: Chapter 33: Hoisting the flag of the Silver Phoenix

    Princess of the Fallen Kingdom Arc

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    In the eastern territory of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom. Stretching all the way to the foot of the Aubigne Mountain Range, these lands were mostly covered by forest with undulating terrain. The Pan-Kucher road was paved through the vast forest, connecting the various regions of Kuscheperca.

    "... Even though Fontaine had fallen, the atmosphere in this forest remains the same."

    Martina who leaned out of the wagon to survey the scenery frowned as the wind blew in her face. The lush greenery seemed oblivious of how the nation was suffering, and was serene as usual. As they went further away from Fontaine, the melancholy in her heart became lighter. That city which was currently under the rule of ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s eastern governance house used to be the territory of his late husband, Archduke Fernando. That¡¯s right, the Lacepede Castle they were held captive in was the place she used to reside in, and where her late husband was murdered. No matter how strong a woman she was, there was still a limit. If she was kept there any longer, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to imagine her doing something rash because she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    "We are finally taking the first step. I will retake this Kingdom from the hands of those bastards, Fernando my love¡­ Please watch over me."

    She had a mission, a mission entrusted to her by her brother-in-law, the king, and her husband. Martina¡¯s heavy words filled with determination were lost in the wind blowing through the forest. No one heard her murmurs, but her nephew who should be sound asleep inside the waiting room changed his breathing pattern unnaturally for a beat. The two Tzendrinbles and the wagon they were towing continued to move, heading towards the grand and sturdy Aubigne Mountains.

    C.E. 1281, this turbulent year was worthy of a special mention even in the long history of the western continent.

    The countries located in the west of Zetterlund Continent¡ªknown collectively as the Western League of Nations. Amongst them, the powerful ?aloudek kingdom¡¯ invaded its neighbouring country suddenly, which started what was known as the ¡®Western Grand Storm¡¯ by future generations.

    The ?aloudek Kingdom committed overwhelming forces, and conquered the Locard Allied Union in a blink of an eye, and proceeded to invade Kuscheperca Kingdom thereafter. The ?aloudek Kingdom and Kuscheperca Kingdom were both large and prominent nations in the west, and were virtually equal in their military might. In the beginning, the surrounding nations also thought that this would be a drawn out war. But the ?aloudek Kingdom took full advantage of their powerful Silhouette Knights made with revolutionary technology, and together with the first practical application of an airborne weapon, Levitate Ships, turned the battle into a one-sided affair.

    The result was surprising. In just half a year, Kuscheperca had fallen.

    "Rys-Nii, where exactly is this wagon going? Are we going over the mountains?"

    Isadora stretched her limbs that had gotten stiff from sitting inside the entire day, and asked Emrys. Since their escape from Fontaine, they had been traveling during daytime for several days. Considering Tzendrinble¡¯s speed, they should have travelled quite some distance, and will cross the Aubigne mountains into Fremmevira Kingdom if they kept up this pace. Taking into account Emrys¡¯ status, it was definitely possible for them to seek refuge there temporarily.

    "No, I can¡¯t give that side any trouble. I already promised my dad. Our destination is somewhere closer.¡±

    "The Centaur Knights arrived here very quickly, but what are you planning to do in this country? The Black Knights will surround us very soon."

    Seeing Isadora lower her eyes gloomily, Emrys puffed his chest out confidently for some reason and declared:

    "Don¡¯t worry Isadora. We didn¡¯t come here without a plan, of course we are prepared to strike back¡­! The Silver Phoenix Knights will take care of that!"

    "Rys-Nii, at least say that they are doing so on your orders..."

    Isadora didn¡¯t understand where his confidence was coming from, and felt worried. She turned her gaze to the wagon travelling beside them with such a thought in mind. On it was the six armed demon god in standby, it was the machine that fended off the Levitate Ship by itself. She realized she was holding onto some expectations¡ª Since his subordinates controlled such fearsome weapons, he must have some unimaginable plan.

    And soon, she would witness just what the Silver Phoenix Knights could do¡ª

    Shortly later, a scene different from the forest appeared in front of them, it was the city that became prosperous as a relay station situated right next to Pan-Kucher road, Missillier. The Tzendrinbles that had been travelling at top speed eased their pace when the city came into sight. Missillier was surrounded by crude walls, and a flag was flown on top of it. It wasn¡¯t the flag of ?aloudek Kingdom, but one that bore the emblem of a Silver Phoenix. Tzendrinble waved a flag in response, and the gates opened to receive them.

    ¡°Phew, that was tiring¡­ Tzen-chan worked hard too!¡±

    ¡°They were the one running, but we the pilots are tired too.¡±

    The Tzendrinbles passed through the gate with the sound of intake valves that seemed exhausted. When the people in the city noticed that and looked their way, the Tzendrinble had already reached the hangar. The pilots Chid and Ady looked completely worn out, and after uncoupling the wagon, they entered the workshop with wavering footsteps. The two machines had been worked really hard in this long journey, and would need a complete overhaul. The craftsmen who came to take over thanked the twins for their hard work, and started unloading the Silhouette Gears on the wagon.

    "Rys, is this city fine? Although it didn¡¯t appear to be under ?aloudek¡¯s rule from how easily we waltz in here..."

    "Don¡¯t worry aunt. See that flag? The Silver Phoenix is our trademark."

    The door to the waiting room on the wagon opened, and Martina pushed her face out. The loud noises coming from around her made her squint. Craftsmen bustled around in Silhouette Gears to unload the cargo, and in the workshop besides the hangar were a group assembling Silhouette Knights. This place had all the liveliness that Fontaine had lost.

    After being freed from imprisonment, they felt deeply moved by the lively scene. Behind them, Ikaruga made noises unique to Crystal Tissues and stood up.

    "I will hand Ikaruga over to the guys in the workshop. Young Master, please take everyone to their lodgings.¡±

    Emrys raised his hand to acknowledge, and led Martina and the others in the direction of the city center. They didn¡¯t walk for long when a carriage came to a stop before them. A man rushed out of the carriage. He was Baron Modesto Letonmaki, a minor noble who held a small piece of land in the east.

    "Ohh! Lady Martina, you are safe. Lord Emrys did mention that¡­ Ahh!!"

    He noticed the person hiding behind Martina, and got down on one knee with a deep bow, even though they were on the side of the road.

    "Princess Eleanora, you must have had a hard journey. I am relieved to see that you are well."

    Eleanora Miranda Kuscheperca, the only child left behind by King Aukusti who fell in battle, the sole heir to the throne by her royal Kuscheperca bloodline. When they heard Baron Letonmaki¡¯s passionate words, everyone understood what was happening and also bowed on their knees.

    Eleanora who was raised in a delicate environment wasn¡¯t used to such a direct display of fealty. In place of the troubled Eleanora, Martina announced to all those around her:

    "Lord Letonmaki, and everyone present, please rise. I am honoured by everyone¡¯s gesture, but ever since we were rescued, the Princess just arrived after a long journey and is tired. I hope you can be so kind and lead us to a place for us to settle down.¡±

    ¡°Yes, pardon my lack of consideration. Allow me to lead you to your lodgings, this way please.¡±

    Baron Letonmaki stood up and ushered them onto the carriage, instructing the driver to head for the center of the city.

    "You had a long journey too, Lady Martina. Aren¡¯t you tired?"

    "I am a little tired, but I don¡¯t have the leisure of rest with the way the nation is. I want to discuss plans for the future immediately..."

    As Martina dragged her exhausted body to act, Emrys interjected suddenly:

    "Lord Letonmaki, why don¡¯t we continue the ¡®trade¡¯ we talked about last time? Everyone is here anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they can¡¯t wait anymore. We have questions about those blueprints you sent us.¡±

    A short while later, they reached a large building in the city center. Letonmaki ordered his servants to bring the Princess and Isadora to the room, and led Emrys and Martina to the war conference room. There was already a large group waiting for them in there.

    The Baron announced loudly when he stepped into the room:

    ¡°Good news everyone. The Silver Phoenix Merchant rescued Her Highness Martina and Isadora, and even saved Princess Eleanora!¡±

    A loud cheer shook the entire conference room. Not too long ago, ?aloudek released news that Second Prince Crist¨®bal will be marrying Princess Eleanora, which hit the surviving nobles hard. Unable to offer any resistance, this marriage will mark a clear end of the royal bloodline, a cruel announcement of Kuscheperca¡¯s defeat.

    Now that the Princess was saved from the claws of ?aloudek, it was only natural for them to be surprised and happy. Inside the rowdy conference room, Martina looked at each of their faces and asked in surprise:

    ¡°Why is everyone gathered here¡­¡±

    The conference room was filled with the nobles of old eastern Kuscheperca Kingdom. Martina was the archduchess, and was well connected in the eastern territories, most of the nobles present had dealings with her. They all had one other common point, which was their relatively lower noble peerage.

    ¡°Allow me to give you a brief explanation.¡±

    Baron Letonmaki who led them here explained the situation¡ª After capturing the royals of Kuscheperca, ?aloudek Kingdom quickly extended their reach all over the nation, and their next target was the grand nobles in the nation. A lot of them died in battle alongside the king when the capital fell, and the survivors were left on their own, defeated one by one by the Black Knights. Some of them surrender to the enemy to save their own live, but their military asset and wealth were confiscated, stripping them of their aristocratic power. ?aloudek kingdom, brutally executed their invasion utterly.

    With most of the grand nobles eliminated, the lower ranked nobles were ignored. Taking out all the nobles would take a lot of effort, and completely destroying the governance system would be to ?aloudek¡¯s disadvantage instead. In the end, they only sent out periodic patrols to inspect on the weaker nobles to maintain superficial control over them.

    "... While we were being suppressed, a group proposed an interesting ¡®business deal¡¯ to us.¡±

    Baron Letonmaki looked straight ahead as if he was implying something, and Emrys patted his chest proudly. When Martina¡¯s face changed from confusion to irritation, Emrys showed a wide devious smile, then straightened his expression and posture, adopting respectful mannerism jokingly:

    ¡°Thank you for your kind introduction, we are the Silver Phoenix Merchants, a caravan that just happened to be passing by. We came from the east on the other side of the mountain, and saw that Kuscheperca Kingdom seemed to have met with some trouble. We know that it isn¡¯t our business to intrude, but we couldn¡¯t restrain ourselves from lending a helping hand.¡±

    When they heard Emrys¡¯ stiff and monotonous lines, even Martina who had been talking all this while turned quiet, unable to answer.

    ¡°Merchants you say¡­? No, that¡¯s too fake right? It is obvious that Rio-Nii sent you all here to help.¡±

    ¡°Oh! But Dad said no matter how fake it is, the first one to say it will win!¡±

    ¡°Really now¡­ I am really touched by how considerate Rio-Nii is¡­¡±

    Martina could only answer with a sigh. Despite bringing an extraordinarily strong Silhouette Knights unit, her nephew still insisted that they weren¡¯t here for ¡®international diplomacy¡¯. She understood the reasons why they had to go about it in this way, but their cover story still made her speechless.

    ¡°It is thanks to the aid of their merchant group that all of us can gather here like this.¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Merchants who arrived in the eastern territories performed ¡®procurement¡¯ that was actually attacks on the ?aloudek army. After suffering losses on multiple occasions, the aggravated ?aloudek army started consolidating their forces to counter. In the end, the patrols frequency in the east fell drastically, and they overlooked their vigilance over the weaker nobles.

    ¡°Next, the merchants¡­ Lord Emrys headed towards Fontaine to rescue the Princess, and notified us to gather at the same time. We have completed our given tasks, and would do whatever we can to recover our nation¡¯s territory.¡±

    The nobles present also nodded in agreement. Even though she could see the determination on their faces, Martina still shook her head slowly and said:

    ¡°I am grateful that you think that way, but how should we go about taking back our Kingdom? It is vexing to say this¡­ But our Silhouette Knights, the Resvants are far inferior to their Black Knights, and have no chance of winning in a proper fight. We have not won even once, and we can¡¯t depend solely on Rys and his men correct?¡±

    From their experience after multiple encounters, three Resvants could roughly match one Tyrant, which was the consensus of the two armies. This meant that to defeat one Tyrant, three Resvants would need to attack it in concert.

    Practically speaking, things weren¡¯t so simple. ?aloudek army¡¯s tight rank formation which was like a wall widens their strength difference. In the face of the tight enemy formation that was difficult to defeat with numbers resulted in losses after losses for the Kuscheperca army. And the Levitate Ships dealt the final blow to them. The never before seen weapon that moves freely in the sky overturned the world¡¯s strategical and tactical rules.

    ¡°Hmmp, we are not the only ones who will fight¡­ But leave that aside for now. Aunt, and everyone here, we are merchants after all, so we hope you will purchase these merchandize.¡±

    Emrys walked before the group in high spirits and snapped his finger. A petite youth entered the conference room as if he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. With his silver hair bobbing on his head, he had a bright smile on his cute face. Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti spoke in a casual tone:

    ¡°Pardon for the sudden entrance, I will now introduce the latest merchandize from the Silver Phoenix Merchants to everyone. First of all, I will confirm this, the two biggest problem before us¡ª The difference in performance between your knights and the enemy¡¯s knights, and the means to fight against the Levitate Ships. The Resvants couldn¡¯t handle either of them.¡±

    Edgar and Dietrich who appeared behind Eru suddenly were quietly assembling a blackboard nimbly with practiced hands. Eru quickly pasted some papers onto the board and smiled:

    ¡°And so, we the Silver Phoenix Merchants have prepared a proposal to resolve these issues. Please take a look at the design plans I had given out. Like this¡­¡±

    Eru¡¯s blue eyes had a creepy shine about them, and he looked very happy. He then started his briefing, something he was familiar with in his old job as an engineer.

    ***

    ¡°According to your explanation, if we use this, we can take part in the battle too. However, this isn¡¯t the only issue.¡±

    After Eru finished his presentation, the Kuscheperca nobles in the conference room were still groaning with a stern face. Considering how futile their resistance had been, the Silver Phoenix Merchants¡¯ proposal was plausible, but the wariness of the weak nobles kept them from agreeing so easily.

    ¡°The biggest problem would be time. That design is excellent, but it would take time to craft, and I don¡¯t think ?aloudek will give us time to prepare after the Princess had escaped. If we don¡¯t make it them in time, we will be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we already expected this and took measures to stall the enemy. That will buy us some time.¡±

    Eru answered all the questions raised without hesitation. At this moment, Martina said:

    ¡°One more point, we might be able to fend off the enemy forces being transferred to the other territories, but their troops already garrisoned in the east can¡¯t be overlooked either. If they found out that we are making those sort of things during their patrol, we won¡¯t have any excuse then.¡±

    Martina¡¯s query was very possible. Eru answered her with an exceptionally brilliant smile:

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we took care of most of the enemy in the east during our earlier procurement, and we will continue to do so.¡±

    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±

    Everyone present knew the exploits of the Silver Phoenix Merchants well, and they were even named ¡®deathgod¡¯ by the ?aloudek army, so Eru was definitely not putting on a strong front.

    ¡°How about it, aunt? The Silver Phoenix¡¯s merchandize are ¡®safety¡¯ and ¡®combat prowess¡¯, let¡¯s sign a contract until the country is taken back!¡±

    "...Fu, fufu. I really can¡¯t stand you, dummy. Why not then, it¡¯s a deal!¡±

    When she saw Emrys making such a bold declaration with a fearless smile, Martina finally regain her usual composure and smiled. The two of them had similar smile, which made their blood relation prominent.

    As Emrys and Martina made the decision to sign the contract, an unexpected person halted them from behind:

    ¡°Please wait, Young Master. Lady Martina and you are relatives, but this is a matter that will decide the survival of a nation. Since we are merchants, we can¡¯t provide aid solely on good will. We have to ask for proper compensation too.¡±

    It was Eru who spoke out. Seeing him going off script, Emrys said in a panic:

    ¡°Hey, Ernesti, why are you bringing that up all of a sudden!? The merchant thing is just an excuse, we are not¡­¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t interrupt for now, Rys. He is right and I can accept that. It is unpleasant to rely on your good will one sidedly.¡±

    Martina faced Eru with a firm attitude. For the sake of her late husband and the late king, she had to protect Eleanora and restore the Kingdom. And the Silver Phoenix Merchant was an indispensable force for that. She knew Emrys temperament well, and understood that an organization couldn¡¯t act out of good will alone, and work done should be rewarded with adequate remuneration.

    She stared at the petite youth before her, who led a strange and powerful organization called the Silver Phoenix Merchants (Knights). He had the appearance of a young child, but was able to infiltrate the city with a weirdly shaped Silhouette Knight and wrecked havoc. She didn¡¯t dare to underestimate this youth. Eru met her strong gaze and said slowly:

    "The compensation we would like are Silhouette Knights. From now on, we want the rights to all enemy Silhouette Knights defeated by us.¡±

    ¡°...Ah? That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the only condition.¡±

    Martina considered the pros and cons quickly in her heart. She had to rely on their strength for now, but her army would become the main forces sooner or later. Before that happens, there wouldn¡¯t be any losses to her if they took the defeated enemy machines as remuneration. At the root of all this, just thinking about the adequate reward for reclaiming the territories of a kingdom would be stupefying enough, and Eru¡¯s request was trivial in comparison.

    ¡°Alright, if that is all you need, then it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. We have no objections.¡±

    She had her suspicions, but still nodded in agreement. The relieved Martina didn¡¯t realized that Emrys who was protesting loudly had shut his mouth.

    ¡°Alright then! It¡¯s a deal. We are in agreement then¡­ I will utterly destroy all the enemies, and turned them all into my property!¡±

    Eru also nodded, a vicious killing intent mixed into his dreamy smile. At this moment, Emrys who had traveled with him and gradually understood Eru¡¯s character felt a chill, and understood one thing¡ª

    He didn¡¯t say it is the Silver Phoenix Merchant¡¯s property, but his property¡­ There¡¯s no mistake, Ernesti intend to take every single enemy machine out, and claim it all for himself!!

    He wanted to stop him, but dismissed that thought after deliberating further. It wouldn¡¯t matter as long as the enemy was defeated. Eru and his aunt agreed on this point too, so it would be fine¡ª

    And so, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom army signed a contract with the Silver Phoenix Merchants, and the war became even more unpredictable.

    ***

    ¡°A loser should just act like a loser and obey their orders. How dare they make us waste so much effort.¡±

    The black group advanced along the Pan-Kucher road, every step they took shaking the paved stones under their feet. The intimidating group of black contrasted with their surroundings. They were the Black Skull Knights despatched from the northern region of Kuscheperca, and included 40 Tyrants and 20 conscripted Resvants, forming a battalion.

    ¡°Battalion commander, it would be better to not speak of this. Be wary of the Silhouette Knight¡¯s broadcast system receiving unnecessary information.¡±

    His deputy walked to the side of the Tyrant the commander was piloting, and advised him quietly. A few days ago, they received a written order, which was signed off by both Princess Catalina and Prince Crist¨®bal. It meant that the importance of the document was equivalent to a decree, and took the highest priority on the field. Their orders were to capture the Kuscheperca royals that escaped, and to destroy any resistance forces. News of the royals escaping was a top secret, and only the battalion commander and his deputy knew about this. The other knights were only told they were here to put down the unrest in the east. That was only natural, after all, the royals escaped¡ª or rather, they were kidnapped¡ª which would lower the morale of the ?aloudek army drastically. It would also boost the will of the Kuscheperca remnants and invite unnecessary trouble.

    ¡°I get it, don¡¯t need to nag¡­ But really, who is the one who let that wench escape? And we, the glorious Black Skull Knights have to come clean up the mess..."

    The battalion commander shooed his deputy away and turned off his broadcast. The Black Skull Knights was an exceptionally elite group in the ?aloudek army, and was given more important missions than other knight corps. So when they were tasked to clean up some other people¡¯s mess, they weren¡¯t too happy about it.

    A short moment later, the battalion arrived at a fort located next to the road. This fort served as a stronghold of sorts, but was abandoned due to the threat from Levitate Ships. Keeping their guard up, the battalion entered the deserted fort.

    "It is completely abandoned, and nothing is left behind. Never mind, we will perform maintenance on the Black Knights after meeting the supply team. Deploy the sentries! We will be staying here temporarily.¡±

    After the commander gave his orders, the troops started moving. As it was abandoned without a fight, there were no signs of damage to the fort, and could be utilized immediately. The battalion was getting tired from their long march to the south, and decided to have a good rest to perform maintenance with the facilities here.

    After the arrival of the main forces, the supply unit also moved into the fort. They were well supplied and there was a full range of facilities inside the fort. With things going well, they didn¡¯t have any worries and it was only natural for them to let down their guard. They didn¡¯t have any doubts and focus on resting up.

    ¡ª The incident happened at midnight, the second day after they moved into the fort.

    Sentries patrolled on top of the walls that surrounded the fort. Despite their assigned task, the sentries were unfocused, and it was clear they were just going through the motions. Light from oil lamps flickered onto the wall as they walked absent mindedly. Suddenly, the light was gone. The lights that were lit all over the walls were engulfed by darkness one by one.

    In place of them, shadows appeared on the walls. Collapsed at their feet were the corpses of the sentries, and the oil lamp knocked down onto the floor revealed their true identity. Full plated armour that were 2.5m tall¡ª the Silhouette Gear Shadowlad.

    The Shadowlads surveyed the inside of the fort from the walls. As the fort belonged originally to the Kuscheperca army, they had already investigated its internal structure beforehand. After watching cautiously, they grasped the situation of the ?aloudek army. With a short exchange of hand gestures, they continued with their operation.

    In the middle of the night, an earth shattering explosion woke the ?aloudek army.

    ¡°W-What is that ruckus!?¡±

    The battalion commander who was sleeping inside a room charged out with his sword, and asked those around him loudly. One subordinate ran to him and answered:

    ¡°Reporting! I-It¡¯s an enemy attack! The enemy set fire to the fort!¡±

    ¡°What did you say!? What are the sentries doing!?... No, leave that for later. Send men to put out the fire. The others are to engage the enemy, don¡¯t let them leave this place alive!!¡±

    The battalion commander had an ominous feeling when he saw his subordinates stuttering, and pushed them to take action.

    ¡°B-But¡­ The enemy are wearing strange equipment like a mini Silhouette Knight, and human soldiers are no match for them! And they scaled the walls in an instant, and had already escaped outside.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible, what are those things!?... Damn it! Send my orders to the pilots, tell them to pursue in their Silhouette Knight! We can¡¯t let them off so easily!¡±

    The pilots took action after receiving their orders. Several Tyrants and Resvants stood up, and took off to chase the attackers. The attackers escaped into the forest on the side of the road, and moved in the dense vegetation, which was a difficult terrain for the Silhouette Knight. This worked to the Silhouette Gears; advantage. However, the forest that was dim in the day was pitch dark at night. No matter how fast the attackers try to escape, there was still a limit.

    The Tyrants deployed their back weapons and fired at the forest. The ensuring explosive flames exposed the Silhouette Gears that were hidden in the dark. The enraged Silhouette Knights started chasing intensely. Even though Silhouette Gears could run faster than horses, it was still slower than Silhouette Knights and the gap between them closed gradually. During this time, the Tyrants kept shooting with their back weapons. They couldn¡¯t score direct hits because the trees were in their way, but the fire helped them stay on target. The Silhouette Knights hastened their pace.

    ¡ª But they didn¡¯t know that the pilot under the armour of the Shadowlad was smiling deviously.

    The Shadowlad dodged randomly. When they reached a certain point, they lowered their stance and passed under something that was intertwined between the trees. One of the Tyrants was in hot pursuit, its eyes fixated on where the Silhouette Gears were going and not on the trap by its feet. Immediately after that, its feet tangled on something and it fell down hard. With no time to brace itself, its face planted onto the ground directly. It crushed its armour and slid quite a distance from its inertia.

    The Silhouette Knights behind did an emergency brake, but it was too late. Several machines couldn¡¯t react in time and was tripped by the trap, falling into a heap.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, there seem to be something¡­ T-They tied steel cables!?¡±

    ¡°Damn thieves! Setting a trap in the forest!¡±

    Visibility was already poor as it was night, and the Silhouette Knights were inside a forest that was hard to maneuver in, so it was virtually impossible to notice such stealthy traps. In the meantime, the Silhouette Gears gradually disappeared from their sights. There would be traps ahead even if they continue their pursuit. It was impossible to catch up to the target if they had to watch out for traps too, and their angry curses echoed throughout the forest in the night.

    ¡°T-That concludes the details of how the thieves escaped¡­¡±

    The Silhouette Knight team reported to the battalion commander after returning to the fort. The commander¡¯s face twisted from anger and he lashed out:

    ¡°Damn thieves! They are well prepared¡­ Just whose forces are they from!? Forget it, how¡¯s the fire extinguishing going?¡±

    ¡°Sir, we let the Silhouette Knights help in putting out the fire too, but the enemy seemed to have used demon beast oil. The fire is still out of control.¡±

    Demon beast oil was a type of oil extracted from a demon beast found in the east of Aubigne. Once ignited, it was difficult to put out, a common tool used in sabotage missions.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ The more I hear about them, the more disgusted I get. What items got burned?¡±

    ¡°Sir, according to reports, we lost a portion of our food supply, and the enemy mainly targeted the Silhouette Knight¡¯s spare parts.¡±

    When he heard that, the battalion commander finally reached his limits, and was on the verge on venting it out on the surrounding. But his subordinates were before him, so he restrained himself. Losing food supply was serious, but the lost of spare parts were even worse. The Black Knights might be formidable in battle, but its heavy armour was a huge burden on their legs. They were tough enough to hold its own weight, but to bring out its full potential, frequent maintenance of its legs was a necessity. The part that would run into problems the most was the Crystal Tissue. The ?aloudek¡¯s bulk of Silhouette Knights were Tyrants which uses Strand Crystal Tissue. And amongst the destroyed supplies were a large number of Strand Crystal Tissue spare parts.

    ¡°How did this happen, this will seriously delay us¡­! This is a direct order from His Highness, we can¡¯t give up so easily!¡±

    The battalion commander and his deputy looked at each other. The expedition force wouldn¡¯t receive frequent resupply, and they had to make do with the resources they have on hand for quite a long period of time.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about that. Oh right, the conscripted Resvants have normal Crystal Tissues, so modify them for our use. We need to inform the Knightsmith early, so they can prepare the Strand Crystal Tissue early."

    The problem was that normal Crystal Tissues couldn¡¯t be used on the Tyrants directly, and needed to be modified into the form of strands.

    As they had to make haphazard adjustment, the maintenance team had the additional task of crafting Strand Crystal Tissues on top of their original duties, and their burden during their journey increased.

    The night raids were mainly aimed at their resources, but losses in terms of manpower and combat readiness were minimal. And so, the ?aloudek army resumed their march after just a short delay. And as expected, their enemy wasn¡¯t satisfied with just sabotaging them once.

    The second incident happened when they were advancing along the road.

    A sudden rain of arrows as if they were launched from a siege weapon was fired onto the ?aloudek forces from the forest. The Silhouette Knights defended immediately, but the powerful bolts were aimed at the workhorses of the supply unit, which caught the soldiers in the vicinity too. The attackers ignored the counter attacks by the incensed Silhouette Knights, and they fled without even checking the effectiveness of their assault.

    Once again, steel cables were laid carefully in the forest, forcing the Silhouette Knights to abandon their pursuit.

    As their horses were killed, they had to slow their pace. They maintain a state of high alert after the repeated attacks, which slowed their speed even further. Their losses were no longer negligible, and the ?aloudek army didn¡¯t think the attacks would be ending. The unit was determined to ¡®get them back next time¡¯, but the attackers already switched targets to another unit.

    They targeted the supply unit instead. When the supply unit was still in northern Kuscheperca which should be under the control of ?aloudek Kingdom and relaxed their vigilance, they suffered heavy losses from an unexpected fire attack.

    "Tch, there is no end to this, those bastards! Their objective is the supply line huh. We already suppressed them with our Levitate Ships, but it looks like there are still fellows with guts out there.¡±

    The reason their supply lines had been smooth in the past was thanks to the Levitate Ships. It was easy to spot a Silhouette Knight¡¯s movement from the air, and in fact there were actually several sneak attacks by the old Kuscheperca army, but trying to break through ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s forces was no different from suicide.

    In contrast, these attackers didn¡¯t use Silhouette Knights, but opt for mini Silhouette Knights machine instead. It would be difficult to track them from the air since they use the forest to hide themselves.

    While the ?aloudek army was at a loss, the supply team was attacked several more times. The only things they could do were assign more escorts to the supply team, which reduced the number of attacks, but slowed the supply speed.

    The stagnation in supply had more serious repercussion than they thought, and the advancing Black Skull Knights gradually fell into a state of supply shortage. Silhouette Knights were weapons that consume a large amount of resource, even more so for the Black Knights with their huge bodies. There was a limit to how far they could go with the supplies they had on hand, and would just increase the burden on the maintenance team traveling with the unit.

    The proud and confident ?aloudek army that had always overwhelmed the Kuscheperca army one sidedly were becoming tense and hysterical. That slowed their progress even further, and the journey which was supposed to be smooth sailing was filled with turbulence.

    On a knoll some distance away from the path the Black Skull Knights were traversing, a group was watching them.

    "... The enemy is becoming more vigilant. It is time to withdraw, we have achieved the effect of stalling their movement.¡±

    Nora from the Blue Hawk Knights muttered quietly behind her were several camouflaged Shadowlad, which made it hard to detect from far. Her subordinates waiting at the side nodded in agreement. Nora took part in the activities of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and was familiar with the controls of Silhouette Gears. Her skills were recognized, and she was made the commander of the sabotage team.

    All the attacks against the ?aloudek army was her doing. Spies were proficient in disruption and covert operations, and having the Silhouette Gears made them even better.

    "The rest would be the job of the Silver Phoenix Knights main forces and the nobles. Let¡¯s hurry back to base and prepare for the next mission."

    She turned her gaze to the east. To ready themselves for the real fight that was to come, the shadows ran through the forest as swift as the wind.

    ***

    On the other hand although the Black Skull Knights battalion suffered heavy losses after being attacked several times, they still reached their next destination. The army wasn¡¯t as arrogant as before, and walls which cut off the forest and roads were getting nearer. That was the gates that blocked the way from the north to the east¡ª the Gedeon city fortress.

    This city was well known for being the junction between the East West Highway leading to Fremmevira, and the Pan-Kucher road that joins the north with the south. That was why it was surrounded by sturdy walls, a city with strong defenses.

    ¡°... All units halt.¡±

    The lack of supplies and exhaustion would make it dangerous for even an elite unit like the Black Skull Knights to carry on marching.

    Under such circumstances, it was easy to see how relieved they were to reach a city that could serve as a base. When they were about to reach the gates, the battalion commander issued the orders to stop the advance. When his deputy enquired his commander in confusion, the commander¡¯s Tyrant pointed at ¡®that thing¡¯.

    "... Why aren¡¯t our flags hanging there? Or rather, whose banners are those?¡±

    The flags on the walls of Gedeon city fortress were fluttering in the wind, the emblem of a Silver Phoenix spreading its wings was on it. The flag was a way to announce the allegiance of one¡¯s forces and to differentiate between friends and foes. Since the flags of ?aloudek Kingdom weren¡¯t flying here, it could only mean one thing.

    "...Fools. They only rescued one little wench, and they are letting it get to their heads!¡±

    The battalion commander utter in rage, and ordered all units to prepare for battle. Since the other party had made their intention to rebel clear, then there was only one thing they should do.

    ¡°They are probably getting cocky just because they are hiding in their shells, but that¡¯s useless before the Black Knights! My troops are in high spirits, don¡¯t think we will show any mercy!¡±

    And so, the Black Skull Knights that suffered greatly from various sabotages finally found a way to vent their frustration. The entire army was full of fighting spirit, and was also upset that the stronghold that should be their safe haven had been occupied. They should have been exhausted from the long journey, but their rage made them forget even that as the unit deployed in formation, and advanced with an imposing air.

    "Prepare for siege battle! Ready the Battering Rams! Crush those fools!!"

    At the forefront of the formation in a horizontal line was Tyrants wielding small Battering Rams. The powerful Tyrant could destroy walls even if they used smaller sized Battering Rams, and so they developed the tactic of letting all the machines wield small Battering Rams to attack the walls.

    In the face of the black tide, Gedeon city fortress didn¡¯t show any reaction. After all, the mass produced machines from Kuscheperca was no match for the Black Knights, and this fact had been proven time and again. Therefore, the Kuscheperca didn¡¯t engage the enemy outside the wall, and planned to make use of the wall to defend from the start. This was the usual scene in all the Black Knights earlier skirmishes with the Kuschepercas, so the Black Knights approached the walls without suspecting anything. When they entered Silhouette Arms attack range, they finally saw the Kuscheperca Silhouette Knights taking position on the walls. The front ranks of the Tyrants paid them no mind, their armour could take several shots from their Silhouette Arms without any problem.

    And so, the first to realize that something was wrong was the battalion commander standing by in the back line.

    "What is¡­ that? They are shaped differently from the strawman Resvants!¡±

    The Silhouette Knights formed a line on top of the walls of Gedeon city fortress, and the Resvants had a completely different appearance. The machine was surrounded by a thick layer of additional armour, and their ¡®barrel-like¡¯ shape made them look like towers on the walls.

    As the battalion commander watched on in surprise, four Silhouette Arms reached out from the back of the mysterious Silhouette Knights and aimed towards the front. They seemed to have harnessed the technology known as back weapons of the ?aloudek Army. Together with the two arms protruding out from the gaps of their armour, each of the Silhouette Knights lined up in a row had a total of six Silhouette Arms. When he understood what he was seeing, an ending that was completely different from what he was expecting flashed across his mind¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s not that they are not approaching, they just didn¡¯t need to!? Damn it, the Black Knights will..."

    He was a step late in his yell, as the Silhouette Knights fired in unison the very next second. Their Silhouette Arms launched a higher volume of projectiles that were also more powerful in a continuous barrage. The ferocious bulletstorm landed on the heads of the Black Knights, and constructed a large wall of fire, attempting to burn the Black Knights along with the ground they stood on into ash.

    Not just that, the catapults inside the fort also used this chance to launch their attacks. The Black Knights were having a hard time dealing with the volley of shots, and the boulders falling from a different angle made things worse. Even with the heavy armour that was the pride of the Tyrants, they needed to defend themselves in order to guard themselves from the boulders, and the invincible rank formation showed gaps for the first time.

    The Tyrants didn¡¯t just take hits one sidedly, and deployed their back weapons to fight back. Their shots hit Kuscheperca¡¯s Silhouette Knight, that just stood still. But its heavy armour protected it, and was unhurt even after several shots. The gulf between their range attack power was clear.

    "Damn it, what the hell are they! Their Silhouette Arms can fire consecutive shots!?¡±

    The attacks from the catapults and Silhouette Arms forced the ?aloudek army into a tough situation, and they started feeling that something was amiss. Silhouette Arms were powerful weapons, but it consumes large amount of mana with its usage. If they attacked continuously with Silhouette Arms, their manapool will run dry, forcing them to stop. But they showed no signs of stopping since the start of the battle. It was obvious the enemy was using some sort of gimmick.

    ¡°Damn it, they can¡¯t win in melee combat, so they don¡¯t plan to let us get close from the start? Trivial tricks¡­ Oh no, our losses are mounting. We have to pull back for now! Relay the orders!¡±

    Veins appeared on the forehead of the battalion commander, who roared his orders. Even though the Tyrants wore heavy armour, the fierce attacks from the enemy were powerful enough to damage it, so the slow Tyrants would need to pay a heavy price before they reach the wall. Their objective here was for a long term invasion campaign, and even ignoring this point, the repeated sneak attacks exhausted them heavily, and they couldn¡¯t afford to suffer too much casualties.

    For the first time since the ?aloudek army started this war, they suffered a defeat in a siege battle.

    When they saw the Black Skull Knights retreat, the Kuscheperca troops moved in a panic on top of Gedeon city fortress¡¯ wall.

    "The ?aloudek army is retreating! Vido team, ceasefire!"

    ¡°We don¡¯t know when they will be back. Infantry, use this chance to reload the catapult!¡±

    "Keep your Silhouette Arms deployed. Vido team to maintain current position to deter them, and wait for your manapool to recover!"

    The Silhouette Knights in line formation kept their Silhouette Arms raised as their Ether Reactor made intense sound of air intake. These Silhouette Knights with the appearance of barrels were Resvant Vido, machines built according to the blueprint proposed by Ernesti, and distributed by the Silver Phoenix Merchants. Using the mass produced Resvants of the old Kuscheperca army as the base, it was a simple modification with the installation of Back Weapons and Capacity Frames to increase mana storage.

    The main component of this modification was the additional armour that covered the entire machine, the ¡®Wall Robe¡¯. Not only did it improve defenses, it was made entirely from Capacity Frame. With this, a Resvant could store more mana than normal. The huge amount of mana storage and multiple guns made it a machine that specialized in ranged attacks. Unfortunately, the hasty modification made its flaw really obvious. The weight of the Wall Robe also rendered the machine virtually immobile, turning it into a machine used exclusively for fort defense. But even such a failure of a machine was enough to intimidate the ?aloudek army that wasn¡¯t aware of the truth.

    ¡°Look¡­ Those ?aloudek bastards have left the road! We defended the city successfully! We won!¡±

    Seeing the Black Skull Knights retreat from the walls, there was first a commotion amongst the soldiers, which finally erupted into cheers.

    In the group of rowdy soldiers, several of the commanders appraised the situation calmly.

    ¡°We finally won a battle. But we only chased them off once. Their damage is minimal, and will definitely be back. If we can keep them on their toes and stay away for now, that would be great.¡±

    The Resvant Vidos that lacked mobility were well suited for base defense, but on the other hand, they were poor for offensive actions. The threat of the ?aloudek army was far from over, but they still immersed themselves in the victory they won for the time being.

    ***

    News of the victory at Gedeon city fortress spread all over the nation. For the resistance movement that had been growing since the rescue of Eleanora, that was a great morale boost.

    Only the Silver Phoenix Knights could fight the ?aloudek army on even grounds in the past, and the battles they won weren¡¯t really a true victory for the Kuschepercas. With the addition of the new weapon Resvant Vido the nobles of old Kuscheperca also took to the battlefield. The revolt of the minor nobles shook the influence of ?aloudek army¡¯s eastern governance house, and reverted the east back into a field of battle.

    On top of that, the defensive lines set up by the Resvant Vidos also stopped the advance of the Black Skull Knights in the south that were heading to the east. The continuous attack of the Silhouette Gears before that also dealt higher than expected damage to the ?aloudek army. Their plans had been disrupted, and they were forced to amend their timetable.

    ?aloudek originally planned to put down the unrest in the east in short order, but had to regroup because their plans were thrown into disarray. As for the remnant army of old Kuscheperca, their new weapon Resvant Vido lacked mobility. And so, the battlefield formed a dangerous balance, and the Western Grand Storm entered a short period of calm.

    C.E. 1281, It was almost autumn and about half a year had passed since the ?aloudek Kingdom declared war. This war was about to enter a new chapter.

 Book 4: Chapter 34: The Worries of the Princess

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    At the easternmost part of old Kuscheperca Kingdom¡¯s eastern territories, there was a city called Missillier.

    From the workshops built all over the city, one could see the dramatic change that happened to this city recently.

    In the workshop which runs through the day and night, a heat wave unlike that of pure crafting works lingered in the air. The heat stemmed from a machine that kept moving all over the place. The machine used purely for crafting was 2.5m tall, and its crude appearance wasn¡¯t like the armour worn by human. Powered by the mana of the pilot, it used Strand Crystal Tissue to move its limbs¡ª This machine was the Silhouette Gear, Motor Rad. Most of the knightsmith were working using Motor Rad.

    ¡°Hey! You there! There¡¯s a fellow who exhausted his mana, bring him out to rest! No matter how busy it is, don¡¯t push yourself, it will be even more problematic if you collapse!... It¡¯s fine to start slow, you will get used to it in time no matter how much you detest it!¡±

    A loud roar pierced through the noise that filled the workshop, and was answered by acknowledgement that came from all sides. If they ignored the Kuscheperca knightsmith who had not gotten used to the Silhouette Gears, they would reach their limits really quickly.

    The one who yelled earlier happened to have found a knightsmith who was pushing himself too much while doing his rounds, and gave his advice. The surprising thing was, he could continually do crafting works while he walked around to supervise others. Although he was working with a Silhouette Gear like others, on closer inspection, his machine was obviously different from others.

    It had fast yet delicate hands used for precision works, and powerful arms for heavy lifting, which totals into four arms. It had the default ¡®steel fencing¡¯ installed to protect the pilot, but additional shelves of tools were built on top of it, while crates with screws and metal plates were tied to its legs. Probably to support the heavy weight of the machine, its legs were thicker than usual to ensure stability. The person who was operating this stout four-armed machine was working at extraordinary speed, and was an amazing sight to behold.

    And that man was the Chief Knightsmith of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡ª the Boss, David Hepken in his majestic personal Silhouette Gear ¡®Mobile Workshop¡¯.

    In Fremmevira Kingdom, the Silver Phoenix Knights had the highest ration of knightsmith that uses Silhouette Gears. They all use Motor Beat directly in the beginning, but in pursuit of better efficiency, they started modifying their own Silhouette Gears later. And among them, the Dwarves Fist which the Boss claimed to have ¡®most items needed in a workshop¡¯ was the most prominent. Its mechanical crane arm could easily lift large spare parts that couldn¡¯t be handled by humans and hold it in place, making it a breeze to work on; the five fingers that was as nimble as those on Shadowlads replicated the fine techniques of the Dwarves. Its powerful strength was immensely helpful for working on steel parts.

    On top of that, it was equipped with Magius Weld Gun for hot wielding. Aside from crafting that required large forges, everything from metal sculpting to assembly could be done by this machine alone. It was that ridiculous a thing.

    "Boss¡ª! Can you spare me some time¡ª!?"

    As the Boss deftly used the four arms to work, a voice pierced through the noisy workshop and halted him.

    "Oh, isn¡¯t that Ernesti? Hold on, let me finish up here!!¡±

    The Boss gave some instructions to the people around him, completed his task at hand, then walked out of the workshop with heavy strides. The one who called for him¡ª Eru observed the working knightsmith intriguely as he waited for the Boss.

    ¡°Hmm, looks like the introduction of Motor Beat is going smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, they say they had never seen such a thing before and looked unwilling, but they turned docile after I show a bit of what Mobile Workshop could do. Anyway, we are urging them to make Silhouette Gears quickly and to get used to them fast. It is easy to make the machine for work purposes, so they should be able assemble the numbers in no time.¡±

    ¡°I did intimidate them a little.¡±¡ª the Boss said, and Eru nodded satisfactorily. It was much quicker to mass produce Silhouette Gears than Silhouette Knights, and equip the entire team. The plan was to turn the tables for the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army by introducing Silhouette Gears and mass producing them.

    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem with the progress, we made some headway into the next phase of the project. First is..."

    "Oh, I thought you would mention that. I just got the detailed design plans for the Resvants.¡±

    When he saw the Boss waving a stack of paper, Eru said with a wry smile:

    ¡°As expected of the Boss, you are really quick.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the compliment. We¡¯ve known each other for quite some time after all. Even though I know nuts about fighting, I could tell that the Resvants can¡¯t put up a good fight without some modification. At best, it is just a bit stronger than our Karrdator.¡±

    Eru took the plans proffered by the Boss and nodded in agreement:

    ¡°That¡¯s right, a new machine with adequate performance still need to be designed, and there isn¡¯t much time to do so. I want to use the designs for Karrdatolle directly.¡±

    ¡°... That¡¯s still a ¡®specialty¡¯ of our country right? Even if they are our allied nation, we can¡¯t leak confidential information so easily correct?"

    "Actually I got permission from Old Master(the King), so I can do as I please by my own judgement.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Old Master gave permission to the wrong person¡­¡±

    The Boss controlled Mobile Workshop nimbly to stroke his beard and sighed deeply.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really using that directly, I¡¯m just referencing the design of the Karrdatolle as the foundation to overhaul the Resvants. But from the current situation, the time limitation plays a major factor, I don¡¯t know if we can afford to take it easy.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, this is a big problem. If I don¡¯t push the knightsmith here hard, we will probably be working through the night again.¡±

    The Boss didn¡¯t seem troubled at all, and even clasped his fist with his hand while smiling with his warface. At his core, he was just another hopeless weirdo who likes to fiddle with machines.

    ¡°One more thing, I would like to ask you to make the weapon ¡®we need to use¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Hold back a little, this tasklist is already the most difficult one in recent times. What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°We are more or less prepared to fight against Silhouette Knights, but there are other problems. We still have to deal with those Levitate Ships, so I want to prepare at least one type of ¡®anti-air weapon¡¯.¡±

    What Eru said surprised the Boss. Because he heard that Eru and Ikuruga almost took down a Levitate Ship on the way back after rescuing the Kuscheperca royals.

    ¡°Do you and Ikaruga need such a thing?¡±

    ¡°No, this is for everyone aside from me and Ikaruga. Frankly speaking, Di-Senpai felt it was a pity that the Levitate Ship got away last time. It just need to hit the ships a little. Letting them know that ¡®the air isn¡¯t a safe place¡¯ would be a good way of keeping them in check.¡±

    After hearing Eru¡¯s explanation, the Boss acknowledged and agreed to the job. Despite how competent he was, he couldn¡¯t think of any weapon that could deal with a ship flying in the sky. However, it was easy for Eru who had made so many strange equipment to invent something like that. Anyway, turning these ideas into reality was his job, and he had never thought of refuting that point.

    "... We will just need time now. Will we finish the new machines and anti air weapons first, or will the opponent complete their preparations and attack before us? Come, let¡¯s sprint hard everyone. Whether they will catch up to us, or we will shake them off, the real battle (festival) is coming. Isn¡¯t that worth waiting for?¡±

    After finding a definite goal, a satisfied smile appeared on Eru¡¯s cute face. But in the Boss¡¯ eyes, that was a hellish smile of the devil.

    ***

    Missillier¡¯s workshop zone gradually expanded. In the city center nearby, there was a mansion where the escaped Kuscheperca royals were lodging in. It used to belong to a certain merchant, but was abandoned because he got caught in the flames of war, and was seized and used by the nobles. The previous owner was doing really well, and its scale was rather grand for a rural province. Aside from the royals, the Silver Phoenix Merchants that was using this city as its base.

    Martina watched the bustling city scene outside the window and said with a sigh:

    ¡°Seeing how lively they are, I almost forgot that the Kuscheperca had already fallen.¡±

    The people traversing the streets were full of life, and didn¡¯t have any sign of sadness that their kingdom had fallen. Fueling their movements were the common consensus of the citizens and soldiers that they were working to take back their nation.

    ¡°In order to respond to their efforts, we still have an important problem to resolve. Which is the vanguard of this resistance plan, the guide post who would lead the way to the restoration of Kuscheperca Kingdom¡­ the monarch.¡±

    Her words made Emrys who was sipping tea at the same table lift his head and ask:

    ¡°So Ellie will be the Queen? That is true by her birthright, but forgive me for being blunt, I don¡¯t think she can handle the heavy burden of leading a country. No, in the first place, she can¡¯t lead troops into battle.¡±

    "¡­ I know that too, but it is exactly because this is a time like this, that we have to do this the proper way, Rys.¡±

    Eleonora was the only daughter of the late King Aukusti , and was already 16 years old, an adult. According to the customs of this period, she was recognized as first in the line of succession. Going about it properly, she was definitely the correct choice¡ª and this was a headache for Martina.

    ¡°That might be so, but more importantly, how is Ellie? Are her wounds healed?¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t doing too well. No, she is recovering fine, but she is shutting herself in her room.¡±

    When she heard Emrys¡¯ question, Isadora who was sitting at the side said as she shook her head. Eleonora who already lacked physical endurance was frail in both mind and body during her captivity in Lacepede Castle, and had been bedridden ever since she escaped here. She got better as time went by, but she was still unwilling to come out from her room.

    ¡°Tch! Aunt, I don¡¯t agree with this. Even though this is tradition, sending a weak girl to the frontlines is not something a sane man would do!¡±

    ¡°No matter what, that is the obligation of the royals and those who inherit the bloodline of the king. There are times we will need to suppress our own emotions, and stand up for the sake of the people and state. I have to let Eleonora¡­ understand this.¡±

    Martina stopped Emrys who was about to speak again. She could empathize with Eleonora¡ª caught in a war, losing her father and the heavy burden of being a princess was crushing her, confining her to her room. When he saw Martina¡¯s troubled face, Emrys swallowed the words he wanted to speak. Martina expressed her determination to Emrys who still couldn¡¯t accept this:

    "Rys, being a princess is too great a burden for that child, I can understand that. But a leader in chaotic times¡­ have to stand before the masses, and will only be recognized by the people as the heir to the throne when she leads them to victory. This is the only way for that child to be Queen...!"

    Martina lowered her gaze. This was the only duty the king entrusted to her, or a parting gift of sorts. The complicated relationship between king and country, and the troubling influence of blood relations could be seen. And she wasn¡¯t the only one with this opinion. After escaping her, the nobles also viewed the existence of the princess as a banner. Willing or not, people around Eleonora will not just watch idly by.

    ¡°Aunt¡­ Even so, this will be a little, no a big burden on Ellie. Will things go so smoothly?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let her shoulder all this alone of course. My plan is for us to help her out with the actual administration.¡±

    A suffocating silence filled the room. In the end, Emrys scratched his head and sighed. He might be from another nation, but he was still a member of a royal family. He also understood what she was saying, and even though he couldn¡¯t accept it, he could only agree to this.

    "Aunt, you are serious¡­ Alright, sorry for blabbering so much, but what are you going to do? She won¡¯t even leave her room, much less lead everyone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. We also tried all means to convince her, but to be honest, it doesn¡¯t look good. If possible¡­ I would like to request the aid of the Silver Phoenix Merchants to cheer that child up.¡±

    And finally, a bold and fearless expression returned to Emrys¡¯ face¡ª

    ¡°Leave it to us!¡±

    This was the workshop used by the Silver Phoenix Knights. Emrys surveyed his comrades that gathered around him, and said in a volume loud enough for everyone to hear:

    ¡°And that is why, I would like to borrow your strength! Help Ellie gain back her courage. Tell her that we are here for her, and there is no need to worry. Something like that!¡±

    After accepting Martina¡¯s request, he immediately explained the situation to the Silver Phoenix Merchants and asked for their aid. They felt troubled about taking on the momentous task of convincing the princess, but surprises like these were normal for the Silver Phoenix Merchants. They focused on the task and started an earnest discussion:

    ¡°We should tell her the glorious exploits of 2nd Company in detail¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we knightsmiths should introduce the wonderful capabilities of the new model machine to Her Highness¡­¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s the princess? Will she understand?¡±

    Several good ideas came up during their debate, but there wasn¡¯t any specific proposal that looked great. After the dialogue died down, Eru who had been listening quietly said:

    ¡°Well then, we could tell Her Highness the achievements of the Silver Phoenix Knights. But she should have already heard that. She might not come out after hearing that, so we should prepare another topic.¡±

    As he spoke, Eru tidied his thoughts quickly:

    ¡°... Yes, we should gather some intel. Young Master studied in this country in the past right? Have you heard about what the Princess interests are?¡±

    Emrys frowned and crossed his arms at this question and said:

    ¡°What she would be interested in¡­ That stumped me. To be honest, I spent most of my time with aunt and didn¡¯t speak much with Ellie. Ugh¡­ Oh right! If Isadora is in a bad mood, she will feel better if I practice swordsmanship with her. Very well, I will take Ellie for a spin in Gordesleo, she will become cheerful in no time!¡±

    ¡°Rejected. Yup, I shouldn¡¯t have asked Young Master. Let¡¯s change our approach. The opinion of girls her age is also important, so any ideas, Ady?¡±

    ¡°We just need to cheer up the princess right? Leave it to me! Hufufu, the princess is cute and small just like Eru. I already want to talk to her, and give her a hug..."

    ¡°No, rejected. This idea is terrible."

    Even Eru felt like retorting¡ª That is the way to cheer yourself up! But he dismissed the idea in the end. Chid who was sitting beside Ady asked Eru:

    ¡°Do you have any ideas, Eru?¡±

    ¡°... If it¡¯s a Silhouette Knight or Silhouette Gear, I can get the gist on where the problem lies and how to repair it.¡±

    ¡°These people won¡¯t do, all of them are useless¡­¡±

    Seeing how fruitless the situation was, Chid couldn¡¯t help looking into the sky and sigh. Ady who was beside him smacked her fist into her palm and said:

    ¡°Then Chid, you¡­! That¡¯s right! Didn¡¯t you swore fealty to Her Highness? Now is your chance to show your cool side!¡±

    Everyone present turned their gaze onto Chid at this moment. Chid even felt physical pressure from this, and took a few steps back.

    ¡°Eh! Why are you bringing this up now!? ...E-Erm, listen to me everyone, that¡­ although that is true¡­¡±

    As he tried to fudge over it with a laugh, his arm was grabbed by someone. Chid turned his head with a start, and saw Eru who was smiling gently before him.

    ¡°I see¡­ Then it is decided. This is the Knight Commander¡¯s orders, you have to cheer the Princess up, Chid.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s too sly¡­! Ahh, alright, I get it! Damn it, don¡¯t blame me if it ends badly!!¡±

    After knowing he couldn¡¯t escape, Chid yelled in resignation. He stepped onto the arduous battlefield alone.

    Shortly after this, Chid followed Isadora from the mansion used as the base of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and headed down the corridor leading to Princess Eleonora¡¯s room.

    ¡°Think, think damn it¡­ If it is Eru, he will feel better by throwing him into a workshop; Ady will cheer up if Eru is with her¡­ Ah damn it, those two are useless as reference!!¡±

    Chid was incredibly frail and was mumbling rubbish. He was wracking his brain because of the heavy responsibility entrusted to him, which made Isadora who was watching beside him very worried. That might be so, he was still the person recommended by the Silver Phoenix Knights, and was the one who rescued Eleonora from Lacepede Castle, so she could only leave it to him. Both of them harboured their own worries and reached the Princess¡¯ quarters very quickly.

    ¡°We are here. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°... The guys from my Knight Corps are too optimistic. I don¡¯t recall ever encouraging anyone before¡­ Hmm? Ah, no problem, I will do my best.¡±

    His response suggested the contrary, but Isadora ignored that and knocked the door. After explaining her intention to visit, she waited for the maids in the living room to receive her as usual.

    The quarters where the Princess resided had two rooms. Maids who doubled as guards waited in the outer room, while the Princess¡¯ chambers was the room further in.

    As they waited for the Princess to groom herself, the curious gazes of the maids stabbed onto the youth brought by Isadora like needles. It was rare to see someone other than a noble visiting after all. From his facial features, he appeared to be similar in age to the Princess. He had a well proportioned and lean body, wearing the typical attire of pilot with his leather light armour. The most intriguing thing was his aura of being forced into a corner.

    ¡°Welcome Isadora. So today too.... Hmm? E-Erm, Mr Archid¡­¡±

    Princess Eleonora appeared very quickly, and showed a surprised expression when she saw the person besides Isadora. In her never changing shut-in lifestyle, the only thing that changed was Isadora¡¯s daily visits and chats. As someone of the same gender and age, Isadora was the family she was most open to.

    But recently, under the instructions of her mother, Isadora mentioned more frequently about Eleonora becoming Queen, so Eleonora found this time gradually becoming hard to relax. Even so, she still welcomed Isadora¡¯s visits.

    Standing before Eleonora who was at a loss because of this unexpected meeting, Chid bowed stiffly. This was their first meeting after escaping to Missillier. Back then, they met inside the dim Lacepede Castle, but this time, it was under the bright sunlight. Chid raised his head with a complicated expression, his wavering gaze staring at mid air. After escaping imprisonment, the recuperating Eleonora had gradually recovered her beauty as the flower of Kuscheperca. Unrelated to the how bright the room was, the youth found the scene before him to be too brilliant for his eyes.

    Eleonora didn¡¯t understand what he was troubled about, and cast a confused gaze to Isadora quizzically. Isadora shrugged unhappily and said:

    ¡°You can¡¯t just shut yourself in here. You are the daughter of King Aukusti, and has the obligation to understand the situation this nation is in. That¡¯s why we picked someone to come here and convince you.¡±

    Isadora sat down forcefully, and signalled Chid to sit down too. Chid braced himself mentally, then walked to a chair like a malfunctioning Silhouette Knight. Seeing Isadora¡¯s being so forceful made Eleonora turn gloomy.

    ¡°Why? Isadora¡­ I already told you plenty of times, I really can¡¯t take up the heavy burden of being a kingdom¡¯s monarch¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, the aristocrats are preparing to strike back against the ?aloudeks right now. That¡¯s because you¡ª the inheritor of the royal bloodline has returned, and leading them is your obligation as a royal."

    Royal bloodline¡ª Isadora¡¯s words stirred a certain memory in Eleonora¡¯s head.

    ¡ªThe face of the uncouth man who declared that he would exploit the ¡®blood of the Royal Kuscheperca¡¯ flowing in her veins. He wasn¡¯t saying it to another human being, and was just disposing of a useless tool, a proclamation of her death. She felt a sudden chill and slowly hugged herself.

    ¡°Will it be¡­ a war again? Can we really win?¡±

    Mistaking that Eleonora said that because she lacked confidence, Isadora expanded on the topic:

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Eleonora, we are also getting stronger, and had won a few battles with the new power we got, so¡­¡±

    The explanation would be the mission of the Silver Phoenix Merchant member¡ª Chid¡¯s task. But when Isadora turned back and looked, Chid was just listening seriously and kept quiet.

    ¡°There were many knights in the capital back then, but not only my father, the knights also¡­! Even if we have a chance of winning, no, no matter what, people will die and blood will be shed if there is war. The next time might be aunt or you, even Rys-Nii might not be able to escape¡­¡±

    Fear appeared clearly on Eleonora¡¯s face. She lowered her head and refused to say anymore. Isadora reached out her hand troublingly¡ª

    ¡°... Princess Eleonora.¡±

    Before that, Eleonora¡¯s knight interjected calmly. Eleonora raised her head with eyes seeking for something to rely on.

    ¡°I agree with you wholeheartedly that it will be best if no one sacrificed their lives. But the problem is, if we don¡¯t fight or resist, the problem won¡¯t be solved. When such a situation arises, we knights will pick up our swords.¡±

    Chid looked at Eleonora straight in her eyes. Although he revealed a bit of his true nature and his tone was obviously cruder, no one admonished him, probably because they were awed by his aura.

    ¡°If they come at us with swords, we should counter with blades. We should face the challenge bravely with indomitable will. Whether our efforts will bear fruit is another matter.¡±

    ¡°Even if¡­ there are sacrifices, we have to steel ourselves for it. Is that what you want to say¡­?¡±

    In Eleonora¡¯s entire life, no one had spoken so frankly to her before. Complicated feelings welled up, and she looked up at Chid with tears in her eyes and said:

    ¡°What should I do if¡­ you fall in battle? Even my father who told me not to worry, and said he will protect me¡­ just like that¡­!!¡±

    Her sadness drowned out her words and she hid her face in her palms. Isadora just watched over her quietly, while Chid scratched his head troublingly.

    Not just him, all the knights of Fremmevira Kingdom won¡¯t hesitate to fight, and will strive for a quick and decisive resolution. This was the influence of his environment, and the reason why all the citizens had the tendency of not hesitating. For a princess from another nation who was raised in a tender environment, this was probably hard to imagine.

    Was it a fluke? Because he didn¡¯t understand the other party completely, Chid successfully found the biggest reason of unease the Princess had. Chid calmed himself slightly, then framed his words carefully:

    ¡°That means¡­ Erm, you only think so because you don¡¯t know.¡±

    In the end, Chid ignored the gloomy air in the room and said resolutely:

    ¡°Princess Eleonora, let¡¯s go outside!!¡±

    He said out of nowhere. Not just Eleonora, even Isadora raised her head and looked at him with a face of shock.

    ¡°If you just stay in this room, you won¡¯t be able to see how the country actually is, and if we really can fight. You might hate war, but I hope you can make your judgement after seeing it and understanding it with your own eyes. So let¡¯s go and see¡­ how this country is like!¡±

    To him, this was the obvious conclusion. Unless there was a need to make a snap decision, collating intel would be the basics of tactics. Leaving that aside, Chid was also a man of action, and he extended his hand to Eleonora to show his sincerity.

    She looked blankly at the hand reaching out for her, this was the second time he offered her his hand. The first was when he took her away from the prison of stone, and the second time, he wanted to whisk her away from the prison of her heart. What both had in common was that she would be liberated in some way.

    She didn¡¯t hesitate too long before deciding to trust him once more. She trust that he wasn¡¯t doing this because of anyone else¡¯s plans or scheme, and purely out of his will to help her as her knight.

    And so, escorted by her knight, the Princess took one step into the outside world.

    Even Chid himself didn¡¯t know where his spirit came from, and it only lasted until they left the room.

    It took all he had to keep from keeling over. He only said all that on the spur of the moment, and now that he thought about it, that was really disrespectful towards a royal. He wanted to hug his head to escape from reality, but there was a more serious problem before that¡ª

    ¡°Mr Archid? What is the matter?¡±

    ¡ª That he was holding the delicate hand of the Princess. He did that in order to lead her out of the room, but why do they have to hold hands? He felt from the bottom of his heart that¡ª Spirit was a scary thing.

    ¡°Ah, oh, it¡¯s fine, I will show you around properly. First¡­¡±

    As he was turning his head, he saw his sister Ady and childhood friend Eru with their ears to the wall eavesdropping.

    "¡­¡­Ah!"

    When their eyes met, Chid was shocked, while the two stopped their movements with a meaningful smile. Their gaze fell on the Chid¡¯s hand that was holding Eleonora¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Wut arr chew doching here!¡±

    ¡°Chid, you are speaking in a dialect I¡¯ve never heard of! Eh, calm down. I see, I completely understand Chid. The Princess is so cute after all. Of course you will want to help her!! All boys dream of becoming a knight that will escort a princess!¡±

    ¡°Uwah, what a maddening way of putting it, I¡¯m angry now Ady! And on top of that, it¡¯s frustrating how similar my taste is to yours¡­ Ah, that¡¯s not what I want to say, damn it!!¡±

    Chid couldn¡¯t think of any excuse and Ady made her own conclusion. Eru just looked at the two of them with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help too! Gather everyone in the Knight Corps, let the princess see how amazing we are! Fufufu, I am overflowing with drive right now!¡±

    "Uwahhh you are sure reliable¡­ But why do you have to¡­ Ah¡ª damn it¡­"

    Ady who got compromising information on Chid was unusually excited. Chid couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain further and just sighed into the heavens.

    A soft giggle came from Chid¡¯s side. He turned his head with a start and saw Eleonora laughing. The gloomy air about her was gone, although her face was still a bit frail, she seemed livelier and energetic.

    ¡°Mr Archid is right, I couldn¡¯t see anything by shutting myself in my room. It sure is lively outside.¡±

    If Ady wasn¡¯t here to tease him, Chid probably would have laughed with her. But right now, he could only squeeze out a stiff smile.

    ¡°Come Chid, don¡¯t just stand there. As a knight, you have to escort your mistress properly. I will go get everyone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s go! Ah, it¡¯s nice seeing the Princess standing besides Eru¡­ how nice and cute!¡±

    "Ady, you really don¡¯t change no matter where you are¡­"

    The group brought Eleonora to visit noisily. Regarding the Silver Phoenix Knights and the new Silhouette Knights, there were too many things they needed to tell her. In the end, they decided to bring Eleonora to the workshop. By the way, Chid was still holding her hand on their way to the workshop.

    ¡°Yes, this is wonderful. Ellie has cheered up now!¡±

    After the Princess and her group left, Isadora said to someone who was standing tall before her:

    ¡°So you are here too, Rys-Nii. Eavesdropping is a bad habit.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s no way I would eavesdrop! I am just staying put in the next room because I don¡¯t want to disturb their conversation!¡±

    ¡°... You are the only one who can accept such a ridiculous reason¡­¡±

    The speechless Isadora could only shake her head, but she recovered in no time. The two of them walked briskly to catch up with the Princess.

 Book 4: Chapter 35: The Princessâ€™ Stratagem

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    Delvincourt¡ª The city that used to be the capital of Kuscheperca Kingdom was now the central governance house set up by the ?aloudek Kingdom in its Kuscheperca province. They kept the castle, and used it as the residence for the ?aloudek royals.

    There were two ?aloudek royals in the castle. One was the commander-in-chief of the invasion army, Second Prince Crist¨®bal, and the other was his Chief of Administration, the First Princess Catalina.

    Catalina was seated in a corner of the former royal castle while enjoying a fragrant cup of tea elegantly. It wasn¡¯t really a tea party, but she got to spend this time at her own leisure. After a while, she asked the only other participant:

    ¡°Would you like a cup too? This is imported from our home nation. The tea here is nice too, but this familiar fragrance is more calming.¡±

    ¡°No need, there¡¯s no meaning in making a fuss over someone like me.¡±

    A woman appeared on the opposite side of the table suddenly, she was Kerhild Hietakangas ¡ª Knight Commander of the Copper Fang Knights. She turned down the Princess¡¯ suggestion, and sat down without asking for permission. Catalina paid no heed to her insolence and continued sipping her tea. After putting down her tea cup with a clink, Catalina got to the point as if she was just chatting idly:

    ¡°The Eastern territories¡­ You should know about what is happening in eastern Kuscheperca, correct?"

    ¡°Yes, I know a little. Collating intel is our mission after all.¡±

    As if she had guessed where the conversation was going with just that sentence, Kerhild answered with an overt attitude of impatience. Maybe she already knew what Catalina was going to ask the moment she was summoned here.

    "The remnants of the Kuscheperca committed a new model of Silhouette Knights, which stalled the progress of the unit pursuing the royals. This is unpleasant news, but the bigger problem is the lack of intel from the east. Terrorists were running havoc there earlier, and probably caused a lot of damage.¡±

    Catalina¡¯s smile locked on to the unmoving and quiet Kerhild, who was like a statue playing the role of a perfect listener.

    "¡­¡­Silver Phoenix Merchants, that¡¯s what they call themselves."

    "I know."

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good. They claim to be merchants, but who knows where their allegiance lies. I heard that they gave the Kuscheperca remnants the new Silhouette Knights, and are actually the terrorists."

    The uprising of the nobles caused the eastern ?aloudek army to fall into chaos, and their intel reports were greatly hindered. Only by consolidating bits and pieces of intel that leaked out, Catalina could finally grasp the general situation in the eastern territories.

    ¡°We can¡¯t ignore them, but even if we make a move, the enemy¡¯s new model would be rather difficult to deal with. And if this dragged on, Crist won¡¯t be able to endure it, and might charge there with his troops."

    ¡°Yes¡­ That is really a headache, I know how you feel.¡±

    Catalina made a show of sighing, and Kerhild replied half-heartedly.

    ¡°And so, I would like to request the Copper Fang Knights to take action by locating the base of the Silver Phoenix Merchants and destroy them. This is just the right job for the Copper Fang Knights correct?¡±

    Kerhild started weighing the potential threat of the enemy and the combat prowess of the Copper Fang Knights, and concluded that this was extremely dangerous.

    Well then, even though she didn¡¯t give a direct order, this is still a request by a royal. How should I skirt away from this...

    No matter how troubled she was, she couldn¡¯t just keep quiet. When she was about to speak, Catalina cut her off with a soft voice:

    ¡°If you succeed in this mission¡­ I will give some of Kuscheperca¡¯s land as a reward. And of course, It will be complemented with the adequate noble peerage.¡±

    Kerhild grit her teeth audibly, stiffened her body and her expression became twisted. Her dark gaze wasn¡¯t something she should be showing to a royal.

    ¡°Are you¡­ serious? Can you guarantee this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, are you doubting me? That¡¯s only natural. I am generous in rewarding those who meet my expectations, and your eagerness in invading Kuscheperca didn¡¯t stem from winning war merits, but for the sake of winning your own territory¡­ In order to restore the fallen Hietakangas family, am I right?¡±

    Kerhild didn¡¯t answer, and only made a show of straightening her posture.

    ¡°Leave it to me, Your Highness Catalina. We the Copper Fang Knights will do all we can to accomplish this task."

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I expect good results¡­¡±

    Catalina said with satisfaction, but Kerhild was gone in the brief moment when she shifted her gaze

    ¡°... She¡¯s good. Maybe the fangs of the copper snake will catch the prey. Wars aren¡¯t fought only on the surface, I wish Crist can learn a little about this.¡±

    Catalina called for someone to clear away the cold tea. She had much to do, as the mess in the east had shaken the governance system in the Kuscheperca territory. She would need to suppress the chaos, and wished that her brother would take more interest in statesmanship.

    ***

    In the old Kuscheperca Kingdom, when they spoke of Silhouette Knights built in a workshop, that usually meant the mass produced model, Resvants. However, what was being built inside the workshop in Missillier city was a completely different machine.

    The giant structure on the maintenance platform¡ª the part of the Inner Skeleton that corresponds to the ribs of a human was wide open to accommodate the cockpit, while the heart of the machine ¡ª its Ether Reactor and Magius engine was installed into its abdomen. Countless silver cables ¡ª Silver Nerves extended out from the exposed heart, and into the grey fiber all over its body¡ª in its Crystal Tissue.

    Among these half finished products were some that were almost done. These had the visage of a Resvant, but its body was one size larger and laid bare was its powerful build. From its design that focused on close quarters combat, it was easy to see that it was created to stand against the Black Knights.

    In the vicinity of the half finished giants, Knightsmiths in Silhouette Gears bustled around. Using Silhouette Gears that were much more powerful than humans, they carried the heavy spare parts swiftly with ease, proceeding with their work at abnormal speed. With the support of the Silver Phoenix Merchants, the mass produced model of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom had been completely overhauled. Even though the plan was put together hastily, the production line had been going on smoothly. Designing a brand new machine should be tedious process, but as they could use Karrdatolle for reference, the design was completed in a very short amount of time. And of course, Eru¡¯s enthusiastic participation played a part too.

    Strictly speaking, the biggest obstacle of the production was that the Kuscheperca knightsmiths weren¡¯t used to the controls. After all, they had to learn skills very different from what they knew to craft the new machine designed by Fremmevira, and they needed time to familiarize themselves with the Silhouette Gear, which was a revolutionary tool. That might be so, but these problems would be resolved after they had gotten used to it. In order to be ready for the moment to fight back, they unite as one and work together on the production.

    Further in from the new machine crafting zone, there was another group crafting something different. It was Eru, Boss and Batson¡ª members of the Silver Phoenix Knights. The Boss controlled the four armed Silhouette Gear ¡®Mobile Workshop¡¯ and deftly assembled the giant parts it was holding. Batson who was besides him was working hard like an assistant, performing modifications to all sorts of parts.

    ¡°Ugh, it is a little big but there aren¡¯t any complicated mechanism. It¡¯s easy for us to craft this, however, the ones using it will have a hard time. It will be more difficult than using Back Weapons.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, the pilots probably aren¡¯t used to this¡ª"

    The Dwarves were assembling a strange contraption that had several rails. It was too big for even Silhouette Knights to wield it by hand.

    ¡°Hmm, as expected, that¡¯s the problem. The only thing we can change¡­ is the addition of assist function to the Magius Engine. I understand, I will handle that part.¡±

    Eru looked at the device. It was a modification of an existing technology, but to accomplish so much in such a short notice made it clear how skilled the Boss was. The Boss was top classed as a knightsmith, but in the realms of constructing scripts in the Magius Engine, Eru was the best. The efforts of these two played a large hand in all the special equipment created by the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°When you finished the prototype, let me test it for you¡­ Watching the anti-air device being completed day by day, I really feel like having a go with the Levitate Ships. It would be nice if a vessel just happen to fly by for us to test it?¡±

    ¡°... It¡¯s fine if just the Silver Phoenix Knights are around, but the locals will go insane if they heard you.¡±

    The Boss manipulated ¡®Mobile Workshop¡¯ nimbly with a look of resignation. Considering the fact that Levitate Ships ravaged this nation badly, this wasn¡¯t something to joke about. Eru lift his index finger to his lips, showing a mischievous smile as he gestured for the others to keep it a secret.

    As they continued their work, a guest visited them. It was Ady who was holding a basket of light snacks.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work everyone¡ª are you hungry? Have some snacks!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I want.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the trouble, I was just feeling a tad hungry. I will help myself then.¡±

    The Boss got down from Mobile Workshop and stretched his shoulders with a crack. Eru who was groaning with his head over the design plans also put down his pen. In the meantime, Batson deftly tidied up the table, allowing Ady to lay out the dishes. The Boss eagerly reached for the food that had been cut into easy to eat portions, then said after taking a bite:

    "¡­ This is surprisingly good."

    "Big¡ª Boss¡ª Why is it a surprise!? I learned cooking properly from Mom and Aunt Tina! I won¡¯t make something strange!!¡±

    Ady who used this chance to slip into the seat besides Eru turned mad, and the Boss raised his hands in surrender in a hurry:

    ¡°Alright alright, that¡¯s my bad. Who is Aunt Tina?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my mother. Hmm, you are getting better at cooking, this is nice.¡±

    Eru complimented her as if he was trying to ease the mood, and Ady hugged him with a brilliant smile. Eru just continued eating nonchalantly. The Boss shifted his gaze back and forth between them, and sighed as if to say ¡®I don¡¯t get you two at all¡¯.

    ¡°... The boy¡¯s mother huh. I have nothing to say if that is fine with you.¡±

    ¡°Nobody loses out anyway, so it¡¯s fine right?¡±

    After seeing Batson took large bites without a care in the world, the Boss shrugs and continued enjoying his meal.

    The workshops street of Missillier operated throughout the night. Maybe they were pressed by the operational needs of the workshop, or this was their usual way of working, the trio never stopped working. Deep into the night, Eru suddenly raised his hands and cheered:

    ¡°Alright, the script is basically done! Next would be implementing it with the physical object, and adjust it after tests¡­ Wah!¡±

    A pair of hands reached from behind him, and grabbed his arms that were raised high. It goes without saying that they belonged to Eru¡¯s aide, Ady.

    ¡°Hey~ Eru, let¡¯s call it a day. I know you are hardworking, but it isn¡¯t good to tire yourself out. This is a good place to stop right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s rest for today, and start again tomorrow morning.¡±

    Be it fighting battles or crafting equipment, if Eru was left alone, he would be too engrossed in it and will keep working nonstop. Stopping the Knight Commander who didn¡¯t know how to restrain himself had gradually become the job of Ady, the Commander¡¯s aide. Eru was aware of that, so he agreed obediently as he scratched his cheek.

    ¡°Oh, we are stopping now for today too? Let¡¯s pack up then.¡±

    "Okay¡ª Thank you for your hard work Boss."

    At the same time, their conversation also became a signal for the Boss and the others to stop for the day, the scene that repeated itself day after day. After a simple clean up, they headed towards the mansion they were using as a dormitory. The Silver Phoenix Merchants which had the roles of being the most powerful combat unit and equipment developers had more than adequate amenities. The Knight Commander Eru was even assigned a personal room.

    Ady followed Eru who was heading to his room as if this was the most natural thing in the world, then entered his quarters, and followed him onto his bed. Eru could only hold his head exasperatedly and said:

    "¡­¡­Ady. I think I am saying the same thing every day. You also got your own room, so go back there to sleep.¡±

    ¡°That might be so! But listen, Eru. Even though this is an allied nation, we can¡¯t leave an important person like you alone! As a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and the Commander¡¯s aide, I am volunteering to be your bodyguard! ¡­ So let¡¯s sleep together.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get how you arrived at that conclusion¡­¡±

    Eru was dumbfounded, but didn¡¯t pursue the matter. This happens too often, and reminding Ady about it was useless too. Ady got between the sheets, snuggled next to Eru and gently embraced him in her arms.

    ¡°Hufufu, hugging Eru is so comfortable. This is so healing¡­ and soothing, I can sleep tight tonight~¡±

    Ady hugged him tight and brushed his hair. Eru said with a sigh:

    ¡°This kid is really¡­ Did I pamper you too much? You never grow out of your habit of acting spoiled. And don¡¯t think I will be your hug pillow forever, I might have a growth spurt in the future.¡±

    "Hmm¡ª? Let¡¯s talk about it when you are taller than me."

    "¡­ Meanie."

    Eru turned away and pretended to sleep out of spite. Ady didn¡¯t mind as she patted his head happily, and closed her eyes after bidding him good night. A short while later, the sound of steady breathing came from their bed.

    ***

    Even later into the night. The moving clouds covered the faint moonlight, making the night even darker. Inside the forest where even the vegetation seemed to be sleeping, giant figures sprinted by. They were painted a shade of black that merges into the night, and the figures were a head taller than the trees around them. Moving almost silently, they grazed past the forest like the wind. The huge shadows finally made it out of the vegetation, and could see the light from the city in front of them. It would be quite some time before the bustling city fall into deep slumber. A giant hid in the forest, and pointed to the front with very slight movements.

    Acting under its command, numerous figures appeared, as if they materialized from the very forest. Dressed in attire that melded into the darkness and silent movements, the human figures that were as difficult to spot as the giants advanced quietly.

    No matter how lively Missillier was, it would still fall into slumber deep into the night. There were still activities ongoing in the city, which was a testament to the bustling city. The dark figures avoided the bright areas, and dashed from shadows to shadows, such as the roofs of houses and deserted alleyways as their checkpoint. Their goal was the center of the city, the mansion where the Kuscheperca royal and the Silver Phoenix Knights were based.

    Deep into the night when almost everyone was asleep, intruders appeared in the building with the ice cold air of the night. Sentries were posted everywhere, but that was meaningless for the shadows who had completely covered their tracks. The mansion wasn¡¯t built for defence in the first place, so the shadows tread quietly across the silent corridors. After signalling each other with hand gestures, they split up.

    An intruder clad entirely in black and moved like the darkness itself ran soundlessly inside the mansion, and reached a certain room very quickly. He opened the door quietly and peeked inside. There were two rooms inside, light and several maids could be seen in the room closer to the entrance. They were maids, and also bodyguards for the person in the room further in. This room must belong to someone with very high status. The shadow smirked under the scarf wrapped around his face.

    He drew his dagger silently. Potent poison was applied to the blade, just a grazing wound was enough to kill. He then slid into the room from that gap¡ª He didn¡¯t make any sound, but the slight air movement was enough for the maids to detect the intruder. The intruder threw his daggers, aiming at the maids who were about to scream¡ª Even though he threw several daggers at one go, they still flew in an accurate arc, piercing the throats of the maids.

    The poison on the daggers reaped the lives of the maids quickly. The intruder was afraid that the sound of the maids collapsing would wake the mistress of the room, but that worry was unnecessary.

    He picked up a lamp and walked deeper in, drawing near the bed to confirm the identity of the person sleeping there. There was no mistake, she was Princess Eleonora of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom.

    After ascertaining that, the intruder took out a cloth and bottle. He then pressed the cloth that had been stained by the fluids from the bottle onto Eleonora¡¯s mouth. She resisted for a while, and stopped abruptly. The bottle contained powerful anesthetics, so even if he was a bit rough during the abduction process, she wouldn¡¯t wake up.

    The orders of the shadows intruding the mansion was to capture the Princess on sight if possible, and to kill her if that wasn¡¯t an option. If he could whisk her away, the mission would be a success. The shadow¡¯s smile deepened under the scarf around his face. As he was preparing to leave the room¡ª he encountered something unexpected.

    Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder shook every corner of the mansion like thunder. The thunder stopped moving guardedly, focusing on his ears and trying to grasp the situation. It was a little cloudy, but the weather was stable and unlikely for thunder to suddenly crack. The abnormal situation that happened suddenly was signs of a ¡®magical phenomenon. When he thought this far, he immediately charged towards the entrance of the room to escape¡ª

    Someone kicked open the door at this moment, and barged into the room to block his way. It was Chid. When he saw the person the figure was carrying on his shoulder, he let loose a feral growl:

    ¡°Hey, who do you think you are taking away?¡±

    The figure didn¡¯t answer, and threw a dagger without a second glance. Chid wielded his Bayonet Staff calmly in response to this sudden attack. The magic script ¡®Spark Dart¡¯ he already compiled spread into several weak purple lightning that shot down the daggers. It also stunned the figure before he could move and immobilize him. All these attacks avoided the princess, and hit their targets accurately.

    Even though the black figure was a trained veteran, he couldn¡¯t withstand the lightning attacks for too long. As his body spasm in a strange dance, the princess on his shoulders fell off. The moment he saw that, Chid moved at full speed, using the immense strength from physical boost to kick the black figure. The figure flew away in the shape of a ¡®

    The princess who had been tossed onto the ground crudely showed no signs of waking up. Chid held her with a worried face, and placed his hand onto her mouth to check her breathing.

    ¡°... Good, she¡¯s fine.¡±

    Chid sighed in relief after feeling her gentle breathing. Her life wasn¡¯t in danger, she was just sleeping. Chid guessed that she had fell into deep slumber after being forced to inhale some sort of drugs.

    ¡°... Just who are the ones intruding? No matter what, staying here seems like a bad idea.¡±

    He alone might not be enough to protect the unconscious Princess. Chid carefully picked up the Princess, and headed over to meet the other members of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    Turning the clock back a little.

    Another shadow also infiltrated a different room. He looked quietly in the dark, confirming the room¡¯s layout, and saw the bed at the end of the room, amongst the things scattered all over the floor. He got closer, and saw that there was two person¡¯s worth of bulge under the sheets, and their breathing was also light. Seeing that his target was fast asleep, he drew his dagger and swung the poisoned blade. The ones sleeping would probably fall into eternal slumber without even knowing what happened. He cautiously approached the edge of the bed, and raised his lethal blade high¡ª

    In that instant, the sheets were thrown up. Despite the sheets obscuring his vision, he still stabbed his dagger out steadily. He only felt the soft sensation of cutting cloth without piercing flesh. As the sheets fell onto the feet of the shadow that retreated hastily, someone who was sleeping just now was standing behind it¡ª Ady.

    She made no effort in hiding her displeasure, asking the intruder:

    ¡°... Hey, who are you? You didn¡¯t come to wake us right? I was sleeping so soundly with Eru, how dare you interfere¡­!!¡±

    The intruder didn¡¯t respond, and only threw a dagger silently. He will win if the blade grazed her skin. But before it reached its target, Ady swung the Bayonet Staff in her hands. She had a habit of keeping her weapon within arm¡¯s reach when she sleep.

    Immediately after that, her powerful processing prowess compiled a spell in a matter of seconds¡ª A thunder shook the entire building with its sudden bright flare. Ady didn¡¯t hesitate in unleashing a Middle spell ¡®Riot Sparrow¡¯. The lightning that could even take out a mid level demon beast connect with the dagger and the intruder, blasting him outside.

    ¡°I will punish all who interrupt my healing time with lightning!¡±

    Not just the Silver Phoenix Knights, all knights from Fremmevira Kingdom had to deal with nocturnal demon beasts occasionally, so they were trained to be alert of their surroundings even when they slept. The intruder might be skilled for a human, but his skills were far from a demon beasts.

    "Ady, we still need to interrogate him for intel, don¡¯t kill him off just like that.¡±

    As Eru got down from the other side of the bed, he reminded Ady in a soothing voice. She then inspected the intruder who got blown away unhappily. He was black from burns and spasming, but was still alive.

    "No problem, he is quite lucky. He is still breathing, just knocked out.¡±

    She seemed rather furious about being disturbed, as she kicked the intruder who was on the verge of dying.

    ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s leave the rest to the experts then. That thunder earlier should have woken everyone, let¡¯s do a patrol and see if there are any other victims or intruders.¡±

    ¡°Ughh, such a rare opportunity to sleep with Eru¡­ Alright, but really! I will remember this¡­!!¡±

    Eru groomed himself swiftly, then left the room with the growling Ady in tow.

    The crack of thunder in the middle of the night was enough to wake everyone in the mansion. Knight from the Silver Phoenix Corps all got up after grabbing their swords. As expected of knights who hailing from Fremmevira Kingdom, their speed in waking up and grasping the situation was exceptional. It didn¡¯t take long for them to get ready for combat.

    The infiltrators didn¡¯t dare intrude into the common rooms where the knights resided in, picking on the less secured single bedrooms. Unfortunately for the intruders, even though their targets the Kuscheperca royals are in the mansion, it was also the base of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Even though it was the middle of the night, their actions were still swift and ruthless. When the shadows who melded into the darkness got exposed by the magical light, the knights didn¡¯t hesitate in finishing them off in one hit.

    The knights who charge out of their rooms gathered together and formed teams unconsciously.

    "Edgar! We are fine here, any casualties in 1st Company!?¡±

    ¡°Luckily, there are none. The first thunder came from Ernesti¡¯s room right?¡±

    ¡°I think so¡­ Oh right, what about the Princess!?"

    "Hmmp, of course she is fine!"

    They turned their heads to look, only to find Emrys who said these proudly as he escorted Martina and Isadora. Chid who was holding Eleonora carefully was also with them.

    ¡°Looks like everyone is fine, next would be to check if the non-human members are okay.¡±

    Eru who joined them with Ady in tow surveyed his surroundings to check the situation. Everyone in the Silver Phoenix Knights understood what he meant. The next second, Edgar led his 1st Company and sprinted for the workshop.

    "Ara, seems like he was still very bothered. Well then, the 2nd Company will protect the royals¡­ I think the roles had been reversed. Anyway, give it all you have got.¡±

    Dietrich shrugged, and started giving instructions to his Company members.

    ***

    The shadows didn¡¯t just infiltrate the mansion. As the Silver Phoenix Knights expected, they appeared in the workshop of Missillier City too.

    Icy air filled the workshop. When they saw the rows of Silhouette Knight on the maintenance platform, the intruders smile deviously. Splitting up, they got into the pilot seats nimbly. Even if the design of the cockpits were different, the fundamental structure of the Silhouette Knights were all similar, and so were their operation methods. And so, they didn¡¯t hesitate in pulling the lever that activates the Ether Reactor.

    ¡ª However, there wasn¡¯t any response. The Ether Reactor did not supply any mana, and the Silhouette Knight quickly exhausted what mana it had and stopped. The intruder pulled the lever frantically, but the Ether Reactor remained silent, even the Magius Engine was not responding. The intruder felt it was strange, and wondered if this machine had broken down. But not just him, his comrades around him showed no signs of success either. It was baffling why no one could activate the Silhouette Knights.

    As their plan prioritized secrecy, they infiltrated without their Silhouette Knights. If they couldn¡¯t hijack the Silhouette Knights here, they would be outmatched. They tried everything they could to start up the machine, but didn¡¯t realize that was a fatal mistake.

    With a clank, the dull metallic sound came from the open chest armour. The intruder lift his head in a hurry, and his vision was filled by the massive body of the crafting use Silhouette Gear Motor Rad. Edgar who was riding on it glared at the intruder with gritted teeth and said:

    "¡­¡­Ernesti was right to be worried. You fools, do you think the same trick will work twice?¡±

    The intruder tried to resist by drawing his dagger, but he was smacked down mercilessly by an iron fist. The arm strength of a Silhouette Gear powered by Crystal Tissue was enough to kill, but Edgar didn¡¯t seem to care. Hijacking Silhouette Knight¡ª This scene overlapped with his past memories, and his mood was at its lowest point.

    Similar scenes were happening to the Silhouette Knights around them. The 1st Company that operated Silhouette Gears just in case, gradually disposed of the intruders, and ¡®cleaned¡¯ up in no time. After they finished, Edgar ordered his Company:

    "1st Company, board your machines! The intruders might not just be humans, we have to secure the area around the city! ¡­ This will be a long night. Will the honour of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡ª No, the honour of 1st Company on the line, I swear that our machines won¡¯t be hijacked a second time!!"

    The united group acknowledged loudly as one. They boarded their machines in the workshops, drew their ¡®silver short sword¡¯ from their waist and inserted them into the ¡®Pattern Identificator¡¯. With the link connected, the Magius Engine responded immediately. The Ether Reactor growled, and started the energy for the giant to move¡ª mana. The steel giants stirred from their slumber one by one, and breathed sharply. Controlled by the pilot, their bodies trembled, and then stood up with the grinding sound of the Crystal Tissues.

    The commander machine of 1st Company¡ª The white knight Ardiladcumber walked across the workshop with majestic strides, followed by the Karrdatolle of his members. The 1st Company went through the door of the workshop, and rushed onto the battlefield to protect the city.

    "¡­ Did all of them fail!?"

    Inside the forest near Missillier, Kerhild groaned behind her binoculars. The identity of the group in black that infiltrated Missillier¡ª was actually the Copper Fang Knights commanded by her. This spy organization under the ?aloudek Army came to the city where the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army was based under the orders of First Princess Catalina.

    They might be a knight corps in name, but they were still different from knights, and were specially trained spies. They were suited for small group and long term infiltration plans, and such sabotaging work should be their forte.

    But the scene they saw from their binoculars crushed their confidence. With the dark sky as its backdrop, the white knight stood tall over the city, and Silhouette Knights which looked like its subordinates stood with him. There were no signs of her minions hijacking any machines, and none of them returned to her.

    Kerhild gripped her binoculars anxiously.

    ¡°How can I report such failures back. I finally got hold of my chance¡­! Brace yourselves, we are going!!¡±

    Tension broke the silence. Under her direction, black giants stood up in the forest. It had armour black in colour and a slender body, sharp claws protrude from its unusually long arms¡ª These were the Copper Fang Knights¡¯ faceless Phantoms, Wittendora. Several years ago, they were almost wiped out during their mission to Fremmevira Kingdom. But thanks to the ¡®memento¡¯ they got back then, their merits were acknowledged, and they received permission to return to their home nation. They were even given newly developed Silhouette Knights and rebuild their Knight Corps.

    The Phantoms rearing to go made revving noise, which reached the ears of the 1st Company who were protecting the city.

    "¡­ So they are hiding huh. Don¡¯t let any one of them pass!!¡±

    Ardiladcumber drew its sword and activated its flexible coat at the same time. The Karrdatolle painted with white crosses also raised their shields and drew their swords alongside their captain.

    The black figures dashed at them through the dark forest. Edgar saw the movements of the enemy through the Holo Monitor and opened his eyes wide. Their mobility was beyond that of normal Silhouette Knights. They were not as fast as the half man half horse Tzendrinble, but their speed was still amazing. Due to the work nature of the Copper Fang Knights, the Wittendora was designed to fulfill completely different functions from normal knights. The Strand Crystal Tissue hidden inside its slender body provided it with enormous power, which would be converted into overwhelming speed.

    After getting right before 1st Company, the Phantoms leaped high into the sky with its speed and power. Their enormous weight didn¡¯t seem to be reflected in their movement, they were as light on their feet as stunt actors. The 1st Company suppressed their surprise and braced their shield against the aerial threat.

    ¡°Haaaahhh!!¡±

    The Wittendoras didn¡¯t have weapons, and only relied on their sharp claws. With this point in mind, the 1st Company immediately kept a distance where swords would be more advantageous. As they were thinking that they had seized the initiative, the Wittendoras activated the special device in its pauldron, which extended their arms tremendously. This was a secret weapon called ¡®Shoot Claw¡¯, which enabled it to attack the knights from an unexpected distance.

    They were completely caught off guard. In melee combat at close range, misjudging distance could be lethal. Many of the machines couldn¡¯t dodge or defend in time, and the Karrdatolle¡¯s armour flew out with sparks and a metallic screech. Ignoring the defenders whose formation was a mess, the Wittendora pilots controlled their machines to land after doing a flip. After absorbing the impact of the landing with the flexibility of their bodies, they launched a follow up attack immediately.

    ¡°These guys are good at performing tricks, but just this much¡­!"

    Edgar was surprised by the attack from the extended arm, but he fended it off with his exceptional reaction speed.

    Ardiladcumber activated the flexible coat on his shoulder pauldrons, and strengthened the machine body by expending a large amount of mana. Sparks flew on the surface of the armour, and parried the attack of the Wittendora. But that wasn¡¯t the end of the Phantom¡¯s attack. Since it had two arms, the other arm clawed at Ardiladcumber that just fended off the first attack.

    Flexible coat couldn¡¯t dodge the first extendable claw attack as the distance was too close, and had to block it. But the Wittendora¡¯s attack was a two hit combo that utilized both arms, and its pilot was sure that he had won. The body of the Wittendora might be slender, but the Shoot Claws that were full of Strand Crystal Tissue was powerful enough to pierce the Outer Skin of a Silhouette Knight.

    All the paths of his opponents had been sealed. If it was a normal knight, this would probably end as he expected. But once again, Edgar made use of his extraordinary ability to adapt.

    The moment he saw the other arm move, Edgar quickly shift his shield onto his opponent¡¯s line of attack. In order to keep from interfering with its flexible coat, Ardiladcumber¡¯s shield was a size smaller, and its mobility proved useful at this very instant. The Shoot Claws hit the shield straight on, and sunk in with the sound of metallic twisting. After his assumption had been overturned, the pilot of the Wittendoras couldn¡¯t react momentarily. This slight hesitation was fatal before a pilot like Edgar. As he kept the arm of the Wittendora at bay, he retracted his flexible coat.

    "Let me show you the power of Ardiladcumber!!"

    Edgar yelled and step into his pedal, and Ardiladcumber which had been transformed into a hunk of hard steel collided strongly with the Wittendora. The Wittendora was designed to be light, and had weak Outer Skin. In a battle with an adversary that was heavier and stronger than it, the Wittendora was helpless. Its black armour cracked and twisted, and Crystal shards were scattered all over the place.

    The Wittendora that was wrecked hit the ground hard and turned still. Edgar immediately followed up with an attack. Ardiladcumber took a step forward and swing its sword, cutting the fragile body of its enemy into two.

    After completely annihilating his foe, Edgar confirmed the situation around him¡ª the knights of 1st Company seemed to be having a hard fight. The surprise attack of the enemy was very effective, and they were covered in black armour, making it hard to discern the Phantoms that were sprinting at high speed. Difficult opponents to engage at night.

    ¡°Looks like we need some lighting.¡±

    Edgar muttered, then activated his flexible coat, deploying the Silhouette Arms inside. The reticle locked onto its target in the darkness of the night, a Phantom who was in a close fight with a Karrdatolle just happened to be in his range. Edgar pulled the trigger immediately, and the flame shots found the Phantoms accurately, exploding into a blossoming flower of fire in its body. The defeated Phantom fell on the spot, reduced into a burning heap.

    The illumination from the center of the battlefield revealed the bodies of the Phantoms that had melded with the dark. After stripping off the Phantoms¡¯ coat of darkness, the 1st Company could finally see their appearance clearly.

    ¡°The enemy is agile but frail. Don¡¯t be fooled, engage them calmly!"

    Since they could locate the enemy easily, the counter attacks of the 1st Company became more effective. The fragile bodies of the Phantoms fell one after another to the swords of the Silhouette Knights. It didn¡¯t take long for the 1st Company to build on their success and wipe out all their enemy.

    ***

    Right before dawn breaks, Missillier City reverted to its silence in the night. The wreckage of many Phantoms were littered around the city, and the 1st Company remained vigilant.

    Inside the mansion, the members of 2nd Company stood guard in various positions. The Kuscheperca royals were led to the center of the mansion, where the iron wall defence of Eru, Chid, Ady and Emrys watched over them.

    "The battles outside had ceased too, have we won¡­? Launching a night raid and targeting Ellie, what despicable people. I hate such underhanded schemes.¡±

    ¡°This is war, Young Master. Assassinating the key personnel of the enemy will keep the amount of trouble and damage down too. But it is true that the fight wasn¡¯t satisfying, they should have sent more Silhouette Knight."

    ¡°Sometimes, I feel your thinking is weird.¡±

    Emrys glared at Eru besides him exasperatedly. He then averted his eyes and tried to muddle it by saying:

    ¡°Cough cough! Leaving that aside, the ?aloudek Kingdom that had always done thing by force had started resorting to night raids. Such sneak attacks might seem effective, but it is actually a risky gamble. Looks like they are getting anxious.¡±

    "¡­ We haven¡¯t taken the eastern territory yet, are they really that worried?"

    Of the royals who showed signs of fatigue and nervousness, only Martina appeared composed. But what Eru said troubled her.

    ¡°Because we committed the Vido into battle, they couldn¡¯t overwhelm us as easily as before. My guess is they want to settle it before things become out of hand? Because the longer we drag this, the more it is to our advantage."

    In fact, the next generation of Resvants were being modified with haste, and their combat prowess would increase with time. It wasn¡¯t clear how much ?aloudek knew, but it was clear how frantic the enemy was.

    "We are at least strong enough to be seen as a threat by them. This incident is proof of that¡ª"

    When she heard that, Martina opened her eyes wide and amended her understanding of the situation. The night raid incident ended with Eru¡¯s soft muttering.

    That morning, the Silver Phoenix Knights inspected the battlefield around the city.

    They recovered many wreckages of Wittendora from the place where the Silhouette Knights fought. As for the spies that infiltrated the mansion and workshop, they were either dead or captured after their battle with the Silver Phoenix Knights

    As they confirmed the results of the battle, the name of the Copper Fang Knights Knight Commander ''Kerhild Hietakangas'' was not present.

 Book 4: Chapter 36: Mobilization of the Black Skull Knights

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    The sound of glass shattering echoed in the room.

    This was the former capital of Delvincourt, which now served as the governance house of the Kuscheperca province. In the audience hall inside the castle at the center of the city, the commander-in-chief of the ?aloudek Army¡ª Second Prince Crist¨®bal, was glaring at the report he just received.

    ¡°Just how much time and effort do you need to deal with that little wench and a few thieves!? You still dare to call yourselves the elites of ?aloudek!?"

    It had been three months since he ordered the Black Skull Knights to pursue the Kuscheperca royals and exterminate the terrorists. The report detailing the results achieved during this period was clutched in his hand, all wrinkled. There were two main points¡ª

    First was the status of the unit garrisoned in the eastern territories. The resistance group that Crist¨®bal called ¡®thieves¡¯ had cut off the combat powers in all regions, and the survivors of the old Kuscheperca aristocracy had been raising the flag of revolt one after another. As they were equipped with new machine models that specialized in long range combat, the Tyrants had difficulty in facing them, much less suppressing them.

    The other point was the Black Skull Knights diverted from the northern and southern territories to the east. Their neigh stoppable march was stalled by the sabotage actions of mini Silhouette Knights. Aside from that, the tower shaped new machine models that specialized in long range attacks proved incredibly strong in base defences, which gave the Black Skull Knights a tough time. There were reports of the enemy¡¯s harassing actions in all the provinces¡ª The precise details were written in the reports.

    And in conclusion, the report stated that overwhelming the enemy with the machine¡¯s superior performance was no longer feasible. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to take the east, and more time would be needed to muster the forces. It was natural for Crist¨®bal who didn¡¯t have much patience to fume with rage. Crist¨®bal paid no heed to the attendants frantically clearing up the broken pieces of the glass he threw out in fury, and composed himself and his emotions.

    ¡°Is this the proverbial cornered rat? How persistent¡­!¡±

    Crist¨®bal rested his elbow heavily onto the throne, his gaze seemed to be focusing on a spot in mid air. He wasn¡¯t trying to escape from reality, but was actually analysing his enemy clearly.

    ¡°The troublesome one isn¡¯t the wench, but the thieves¡­ No, damn those original machine models! It would be terrible if we give them more time.¡±

    The escape of the Princess and the new weapons of the remnants of old Kuscheperca. The shadow of Fremmevira¡¯s demon beast guards could be seen in all these. He felt a sting of bitterness in his heart. If ?aloudek Kingdom had to fight a nation where the new Silhouette Knights were developed from, it would certainly be a huge threat. That might be so, but who would have thought that their presence would have such a big influence on the war?

    In the beginning, ?aloudek Army adopted the blitzkrieg attack. This revolutionary tactic uses Levitate Ship to destroy the core of the enemy, with the superior power output of the new Silhouette Knight as support. They were well prepared for the invasion of Kuscheperca. And the truth was, they were just one step away from completely conquering Kuscheperca. But right now, not only were the royals kidnapped, the ?aloudeks were also being suppressed on the battlefront, and this was the crucial moment where the outcome of the war would be decided.

    ¡°We can¡¯t drag this on¡­ I have to be ready to bet it all.¡±

    After considering the situation, Crist¨®bal made his decision.

    His eyes fell on the laid out Kuscheperca territory map. There were many chess pieces representing the Black Knights placed at the junction linking the north south highway to the east. A piece with a crown was placed in the east, symbolizing the Kuscheperca royals.

    He picked up the ship-shaped pieces that had been scattered all over the map, which of course represented their aces, the Levitate Ships. He then smacked them down onto a certain spot on the map. On that spot of the map, was the name of the city where the eastern governance house was located¡ª Fontaine.

    ¡°It is done to do things the old fashioned way¡­ Relay the orders, I am mobilizing the unit garrisoning the central territories. Recall the Steel Wing Knights! Use our remaining forces to the largest extent, and take down the east in one shot. Ready the men, I will be leading this expedition personally!!¡±

    On Crist¨®bal¡¯s orders, his attendants all ran off in a hurry. Caught up in his agitated emotions, Crist¨®bal continued staring at the map, with an ominous feeling in his heart¡ª an intense battle was waiting for him in the east.

    And soon after that, the First Princess Catalina rushed to him as if she was taking the place of the guards who ran off, with an anxious expression she rarely showed.

    "Crist! I just heard that you are going to heading there directly with your troops? Know where you stand! How can the Commander-in-Chief act so brashly¡­¡±

    It was rare sight, seeing Crist¨®bal cut her off:

    ¡°... Sister, you seemed to be scheming something and dispatching your minions huh? I won¡¯t say anything more, but since the situation didn¡¯t turn for the better, I take it that they failed right?¡±

    Catalina was dumbstruck. She didn¡¯t expect Crist to know that the Copper Fang Knights failed.

    ¡°We have wasted too much time! It is too late for tricks now. If we don¡¯t act now, the situation will only become worse.¡±

    Even Catalina who didn¡¯t understand warfare agreed with this point. On the hand, because Crist¨®bal was proficient in waging war and possessed the instinct of a general, his sensitive nose could sniff out this danger. A firm light shone in his eyes, and Catalina understood that she couldn¡¯t stop her brother no matter how she tried. She sighed, and pointed quietly to a spot on the map and said:

    ¡°The escaped royals and the demon beast guard from Fremmevira are here. They are using a small relay station city as their base.¡±

    Although the Copper Fang Knights failed, it wasn¡¯t a complete loss. They obtained an intel that the remnants of the old Kuschepercas were based there.

    Crist¨®bal glanced at the tip of his sister¡¯s finger, then said with a ferocious smile:

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, thank you sister. We are moving out! We will head for Fontaine first, then we will crush the thieves in Missillier next!!¡±

    And so, Crist¨®bal let the Black Skull Knights main forces garrisoned in the central governance house, and set off for the eastern governance house Fontaine. After the place was assaulted by the Silver Phoenix Knights and lost the royals, it had sealed the city gates. But now, they were opened again to receive Crist¨®bal.

    And one short week later, Fontaine was filled with the air of war once again. The Black Skull Knights main forces that came to this city with Crist¨®bal¡ª one full brigade (a hundred odd machines) started advancing towards the east.

    ***

    The Black Knights advanced on stone paved roads. Flying above them was the ace in the hole of the ?aloudek Kingdom¡ª ten Levitate Ships. Most of the Levitate Ships of the Steel Wing Knights had congregated here, this was practically a large invasion.

    ¡ª The ?aloudek Army began their march.

    It was impossible for such a huge army to be covert, and news reached Missillier, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army and the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    The advancing ?aloudek Army and the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army would clash sooner or later.

    The vanguard of the ?aloudek Army traveling on the Pan-Kucher road was about to reach the Aubigne Mountains. The further away they were from the central regions, the more dangerous the terrain gets, and Baron Letonmaki¡¯s territories were no exception.

    Most of Baron Letonmaki¡¯s land was between the valleys of the Aubigne Mountain Range, it was infertile and unsuitable for agricultural development. But that was the reason it was a good place to defend the east. Large towns and forts were built along the few main roads within the Baron¡¯s territories, which usually served as the rest stop for passing merchants. Aside from that, the undulating terrain also functions as natural forts.

    "¡­ How nostalgic, to think we will be carrying out our original duties.¡±

    A row of conical ¡®tower-like¡¯ figures were lined up along the wall that cut off the valley. These were Resvant Vido which got the nickname Tower Knights because of their appearance. As they were direct modification of the mass produced models, producing them was fast. Most of the old mass produced models had been modified and deployed to guard the crucial checkpoints.

    ¡°Sir, the deployment of the Tower Knights has been completed¡­ And those who want to retreat back to Missillier have set off.¡±

    ¡°I see. You may leave too, I won¡¯t blame you.¡±

    Two men were conversing on top of the walls. One of them was lord of the Letonmaki Barony¡ª Baron Modesto Letonmaki. Besides him was the Knight Commander leading the Resvant Vidos.

    ¡°You are not leaving either, Sir. Are you jesting with me? Our raison d¡¯¨ºtre is to act as a shield in moments like this, how can we run so easily? The men who stayed behind feel the same way.¡±

    Baron Letonmaki smiled wryly after hearing the Knight Commander¡¯s answer. The ?aloudek Army was upon them, and even with the power of the Resvant Vidos, a minor noble stood no chance against them.

    "¡­ Just a bit more. The state of the art weapons designed by the Silver Phoenix Merchants are in the midst of production, but they still need more time to finish.¡±

    The latest model of Silhouette Knights was being crafted in Missillier. On the other hand, they wouldn¡¯t be able to match the ?aloudek Kingdom if they don¡¯t produce more of them.

    And so, they chose to stay despite knowing they would be outnumbered. Letonmaki announced the dire situation to his entire force ahead of time, and permitted anyone to retrograde to Missillier and fight another day. Despite that, most of the soldiers stayed behind, displaying their pride as soldiers.

    ¡°Well then, so as to not shame our ancestors in these lands, we have to do our best to hinder them. Seems that our invited guests are here.¡±

    Everyone present noticed without needing the Baron to notify them.

    Black steel giants approached menacingly, dragging steps with steam emitting from them, entering the valley along the narrow mountain path. They then got into their usual rank formation and advanced solemnly as they trained the pikes in their hands forward. The black wall and the stone walls faced off against each other some distance away.

    The ?aloudek army was collected before the virtually indestructible terrain and didn¡¯t even stop. Their overly calm demeanour even made the Letonmaki Barony¡¯s army shiver. Despite their advantage in terrain, they were gradually crushed by the aura of the enemy closing in. The Knight Commander kept his binoculars, and admonished his daunted men loudly:

    ¡°Fear not! The new Resvants you are piloting possesses unmatched defences! Think about your brethrens fighting in other parts of the Kingdom! There is nothing to fear. We will burn them all if they come near the wall!!¡±

    The Resvant Vidos were the nemesis of the Tyrants of ?aloudek Kingdom. The Tyrants might have the upper hand in melee combat, but the wall was a great obstacle for them. The tower-shaped Silhouette Knights possessed unrivaled base defence prowess, and could destroy the slow Tyrants horde before they drew near. That was the reason why they could ground the ?aloudek Army invasion to a halt.

    The pilots of the Vidos regain their composure and morale. Bracing themselves with a powerful roar, the tower-shaped machines with their Wall Robes deployed their Silhouette Arms, readying themselves to engage. They aimed at the black wall of steel, then the Knight Commander boarded his own Vido, and instructed loudly with the broadcast device inside his machine:

    ¡°You have permission to fire once the enemy enters our attack range! Don¡¯t let any of them pass!¡±

    The Silhouette Arms protruding out of the wall like thorns locked onto the Black Knights. The pilots gripped their controls tightly out of nervousness, and the trembling in their hands affected their back weapons, and even made their reticles waver.

    It was clear to the ?aloudek Army that the Baron¡¯s army was ready for them. In the face of firepower that could pierce heavy armour, their movements changed. They were still advancing, but their formation was different.

    ¡°Those guys¡­ are not using a tight formation?¡±

    The Black Knights who had always crush the enemy with their tight rank formation splitted into several smaller groups, and advanced while keeping some distance from each other.

    ¡°They are using their brains too huh, trying to keep us from focusing our fire¡­¡±

    The Knight Commander quickly realized the enemy¡¯s intention and muttered bitterly. In order to break through the heavy armour of the Tyrants, they would concentrate the fire from their Silhouette Arms on them. The ?aloudek Army realized that maintaining the tight formation suitable for close combat was disadvantageous, that was why they spread out.

    No matter what, there was only one thing the Baron¡¯s army needed to do. The moment the Tyrants got into range, a hail of projectiles rained mercilessly from the walls. The bullets of destruction flashing orange fell onto the head of the ?aloudek Army that had splitted up by platoons. The Tyrants were drowning in explosions and flames.

    In the past, the ?aloudek Army would choose to advance forcefully, but they reacted differently this time ¡ª they retreated swiftly when they saw the projectiles raining down on them.

    When the Knight Commander saw this, he couldn¡¯t help clicking his tongue. Projectiles compiled by magic had the restriction of ¡®effective range¡¯, because the source of mana in the air ¡ª Ether, will disrupt the movement of the projectile. Once they pass the effective range, the projectile will crumble quickly and disappear.

    After the Tyrants left the effective range of the Vido, they parried the projectiles easily without even taking a stance. The dissipating projectiles were nothing for their heavy armour. The soldiers observing from the walls announced this result to the entire army, and the firing stopped. Calm returned to the battlefield.

    Immediately after that, the sound of trumpets and gongs rang out from the ?aloudek Army. With instructions coming from behind, the Tyrants renewed their advance. Their pace was already slow, but it became even more cautious now as they moved into the effective range of the Silhouette Arms. The Baron¡¯s army didn¡¯t attack this time as the observers on the wall stared intently with binoculars, trying to grasp the distance between them and the enemy. Messengers ran more frequently, increasing the speed of communications.

    ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly, wait for the observers¡¯ instruction before commencing fire!¡±

    ¡°No, not yet¡­ It won¡¯t cause enough damage right now, wait until they get into a distance where they can¡¯t flee anymore!¡±

    The Baron¡¯s army had to act cautiously. There were two fatal flaws with the Resvant Vido which was equipped with multiple Silhouette Arms and possessed overwhelming firepower. First was its obvious lack of mobility. And the other was its slow mana regeneration speed. The Wall Robe which was made entirely from Capacity Frame had extraordinary mana storage, but the Ether Reactor was still the same. Once they exhaust their mana, they would need a very long time to recover. The time needed for this would be fatal during a battle.

    In order to defeat the Tyrants with concentrated fire, they had to avoid wasting bullets needlessly.

    ¡°Damn it, what a tease.¡±

    Not only did they change their formation, the movements of the ?aloudek Army was extremely careful. Betting their lives on the line, gauging range and mana power. Their tactics in offense and defence was like walking on a tight wire. The Black Knights advanced another step ¡ª and wasn¡¯t attacked. They edged forward again¡ª the projectiles still weren¡¯t coming.

    At this moment, the Black Knights stopped their advance. They were within effective range, but still too far away. The Knight Commander leading the Barony army was in a dilemma, agonizing about starting the attack. Their enemy was still too far, ready to retreat at any moment. Should they launch an attack anyway to keep them in check? Instead of a battle between armies, this was closer to a melee fight aimed at each other¡¯s weak point. The valley which was now a battlefield was filled with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

    A sudden gust of wind blew across the stagnant battlefield, unsettling the balance of the battle. This wind wasn¡¯t a work of nature, and came along with a shadow that blocked out the sun above ¡ª And it wasn¡¯t the shadows of the clouds. In the cloudy sky, something darker with a clearer silhouette than the clouds appeared. The Barony Army didn¡¯t need too much time to figure out what it was. Since they could see their shadows, it meant they were close enough physically to be discerned with the naked eye.

    ¡ªLevitate Ships.

    ?aloudek Army didn¡¯t only have the Black Knights, they also have the ace that destroyed the Kuscheperca Kingdom ¡ª the Steel Wing Knights. Baron Letonmaki, who saw the 10 Levitate Ships groaned angrily.

    The airborne ship wasn¡¯t affected by the terrain and drifted over the mountains easily, ignoring the walls and reaching right on top of the gates. For the Levitate Ships, the natural barriers Baron Letonmaki took so much pride in were meaningless. Going by past experience, the soldiers in the Barony could easily imagine what the Levitate Ships would do next. The Knight Commander of the Barony shouted with spittle flying:

    ¡°... Oh no! Tower Knights, aim for the Levitate Ships! Don¡¯t let them land!!¡±

    The Vidos trained their reticles to the air, and the worst footsteps they could imagine reached their ears ¡ª moving in concert with the Levitate Ships, the Black Skull Knights advanced once again. There was no caution in their actions this time as they pushed forth like water from a broken dam. If they are not engaged immediately, the Black Knights will reach the walls in no time. A pincer attack from land and air caused the mind of the Barony army to go numb.

    ¡°Tower Knights, aim for the Levitate Ships, ignore the Black Knights¡­! There is no retreat for us in the first place, so take down as many ships as we can for our brethrens behind us!!¡±

    They were checkmated. After realizing that, Baron Letonmaki made up his mind and issued the order. They knew very well what fate awaited them when they stayed behind for this battle, so there was nothing to regret.

    Vido endured the terror of the approaching Black Knights, lift their heads as one and opened fire at the Levitate Ships floating leisurely in the air. The orange rain flew towards the sky, and exploded into fireworks in the air.

    However, the Levitate ships continued to advance nonchalantly. The first practical flying weapon ¡ª the Levitate Ships, was designed with the engagement enemies on the ground in mind. Hence, its body that looked like an overturned seafaring vessel had a bottom reinforced with steel into sturdy armour, and could handle a few projectile shots easily. At this moment, several of the vessels, suddenly descended at a steep angle, and brushed right over the top of the walls without even slowing.

    The Resvant Vidos possessed an aiming function that was tied to its firing system, but aiming was still done manually by the pilots. The machine itself was a rushed job, and the pilots weren¡¯t trained to shoot flying targets, so even the occasional lucky shot that landed couldn¡¯t pierce the armour. The Levitate Ships forcibly air dropped the Silhouette Knights under such conditions, the hatch at its bottom opening and machines tied to wires jumped out one after another.

    They were painted black, which was the standard of the ?aloudek Army, but its body was thin and slender. These weren¡¯t Tyrants, but the Wittendoras of the Copper Fang Knights.

    The Wittendora detached its wire in mid air, from a height that would destroy a Tyrant from its own weight. Its unique design for intel purposes allowed the Wittendora to used the flexibility of its body to absorb the impact, and land on the walls.

    The Wittendoras¡¯ Crystal Tissue screeched loudly as they pounced on the Vido. Although the Vido had powerful defences in the form of its Wall Robe, but its weight was also its shackles, slowing its movements down. Making it unsuitable for close quarters combat. In the eyes of the light Wittendora, they were as slow as tortoises, the difference in their mobility was obvious. On top of that, the Wall Robes had gaps all over the place because of the deployed Silhouette Arms, so the Wittendora could easily go behind the machines and target the weak points one after another. Some used Stilettos, while others struck directly with their claws, destroying one Vido after another.

    ¡°Tower Knight units, fight at your own discretion! It¡¯s fine to abandon your robe, take down as many of them as you can!¡±

    Heavy metal clunked onto the ground loudly as the Resvant Vidos ditched their Wall Robes. In times of emergencies and great danger, the Robes had the function to be uncoupled. And now was that time.

    Once they abandoned their advantage of the Wall Robe, what was left was a normal Resvant with back weapons. Despite their valiant efforts to fight with their Silhouette Arms, the Wittendora obviously held the upper hand in melee combat. The Tower Knights that stood tall in defence of the wall fell like broken bits of a comb.

    The Barony that had been forced to a corner received another sign that their end was near ¡ª an intense trembling came from under their feet as the Black Knights finally made it to the wall. Discarding their halberd in favour of mini battering rams, they started knocking down the walls. The Strand Crystal Tissues inside their black steel body churned, and even the sturdy steel made city gate couldn¡¯t stand up to the fully powered mini battering ram, and was bent out of shape quickly.

    After multiple hits, the gate was twisted like waves, and finally broke down as the limit of its endurance was reached. The footfalls of destruction soon followed. In the wake of the dust that had been kicked up, the Black Knights flooded in. With their defences broken through, the Resvant Vidos fell to the battering rams before they could bring their opponents down. Before the might of the Black Knights¡¯ armour, their projectiles and blades were laughably weak.

    The Barony army lost the power to turn the tide of battle.

    "¡­ So this is the true might of the ?aloudek Army¡­"

    As he watched the fort being ravaged, Baron Letonmaki¡¯s knees turned weak and he fell on his knees. He wasn¡¯t considered a target since he wasn¡¯t piloting a Silhouette Knight and was still safe in the chaos. But that was just a matter of time. The Black Knights was pouring into the gates, and after they suppressed the Silhouette Knights, their infantry will follow right behind.

    "Princess, Lady Martina, forgive my incompetence¡­ Lord Emrys, I will leave the rest to y¡­¡±

    Baron Letonmaki¡¯s last words were drowned out by the thundering footsteps of the Black Knights.

    After the Black Skull Knights trampled over Baron Letonmaki¡¯s lands, they resumed their march as if nothing ever happened.

    ***

    News of Baron Letonmaki¡¯s territory falling reached Missillier quickly on horseback.

    ¡°I see, the enemy main forces have started moving! The earlier night raid exposed our base, so I knew it is just a matter of time before they attacked¡­¡±

    Emrys who heard the news groaned with a solemn face. The Silver Phoenix Merchants still needed more time to complete all the new machines. From the speed of the ?aloudek Army¡¯s advance, it wasn¡¯t clear if they could make it in time.

    "We have prepared ourselves mentally, if the time calls for it, we the Silver Phoenix Knights will stop them.¡±

    With the Tzendrinble¡¯s leg power, this proposal was now plausible. As he headed for the workshop to prepare for that, Martina appeared before him.

    "A-Aunt¡­"

    Emrys was speechless when he saw his aunt¡¯s appearance. She didn¡¯t wear her usual dress, but clothes that resembled those of a man, which prioritized mobility. With leather armour fixed over her clothes, it was clear she was dressed for battle.

    ¡°I heard the news, war is upon us, we can¡¯t waste the time Lord Letonmaki bought for us. After all, we stayed in this city for the sake of the inevitable battle.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t plan to lose! But Aunt, from the way that you are dressed, are you planning to take the field?

    Seeing her nephew worrying about her, Martina shook her head with a wry smile and said:

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I will leave the fighting to you, I don¡¯t think we will be of much use. It is better for me to be prepared, I don¡¯t want to become a burden.¡±

    That night when the old capital Delvincourt fell, she felt deep regret that she couldn¡¯t do anything other than fleeing. No, her flight should have been done better.

    There was no terrain more suited for defence than Baron Letonmaki¡¯s territory, so the ?aloudek Army will flood in sooner or later. In that case, they would need to be fully prepared to avoid the same mistake.

    ¡°... Alright. Leave the rest to us, we will definitely get the weapons ready in time and teach those guys a painful lesson. I won¡¯t let the Black Knights or the Levitate Ships come near Aunt and the others again!¡±

    Since the start of the war, no one in the Kuscheperca Army could defeat the Levitate Ship. In a fight against the ?aloudek Army that included Levitate Ships, the Silver Phoenix Knights was the only Knight Corps that didn¡¯t lose to them, and even gave the remnant army of the old Kuscheperca new weapons.

    ¡°Yes Emrys. I believe in all of you.¡±

    Both sides did their best in preparation for the arrival of that moment ¡ª time passed steadily towards the final battle.

    ***

    After passing through Baron Letonmaki¡¯s territory, there was nothing to stop the ?aloudek Army. All the forts along the Pan-Kucher road had been abandoned to avoid the threat of the Levitate Ships during the early stage of the war. Even the garrison in most of the territories had been withdrawn.

    ¡°Consolidating their forces? That wench is timid as usual.¡±

    The Second Prince of ?aloudek Kingdom, Crist¨®bal led this eastern invasion force personally. Riding on the special command vessel that served as the flagship, and positioned himself at the rearmost of the unit. He could survey the entire ?aloudek Army formation from there clearly. The neat advancing ranks of Black Skull Knights and the Steel Wing Knights¡¯ Levitate Ships flying in formation like two spread wings ¡ª Just the combat forces here were enough to subjugate a mid-sized country. Using it to deal with the remnants of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom that wasn¡¯t even a proper nation was overkill.

    He was not taking the damages his forces had suffered lightly, and was planning to eliminate the royals and the demon beast guards in one fell swoop, that¡¯s why he mobilized all the men he could get.

    ¡°But it is boring when nothing happens.¡±

    His words invoked light laughter on the bridge of the Levitate Ship. For this to be the extent of the remnant¡¯s final surge was too unsightly, that was their consensus. Their advance had been too smooth, as if they were traveling through no man¡¯s sky. It was proceeding so well that the slow Tyrants were moving at a quicker pace than expected.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the ?aloudek Army to reach Missillier. Their adversary had withdrawn all their forces to this base, and Missillier which was originally a rest stop town would be packed tightly with the Tower Knights. Seems like their opponent had prepared the firepower to put up a fair fight. Since they couldn¡¯t win against the Black Skull Knights on the open field, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca Army could only adopt a defensive tactic.

    The corner of Crist¨®bal¡¯s lips curled up fearlessly. During the battle in Baron Letonmaki¡¯s territory, all the weak points of the Tower Knights had been exposed, and they were no longer a threat to his Black Skull Knights.

    ¡°Alright, all units halt! Rest up and ready the men. The enemy¡¯s funeral is coming¡­!¡±

    The ?aloudek Army obeyed his command, and set up a makeshift base along the road. Having the chance to strike the final blow to the enemy raised their morale, but they had accumulated a lot of fatigue during their long campaign. The soldiers needed to rest before the battle, and they had no reason to panic. They just needed to regain their endurance, and devastate the enemy at their peak.

    There was a group watching the ?aloudek Army base from a distance. Hidden in the forest around the camp, the Silhouette Gears ¡ª Shadowlad was camouflaged with the colours of the background. After the Blue Hawk Knights retreated from the ?aloudek Army at Fontaine, They had been spying on their troop movements.

    The ?aloudek Army had no intentions of hiding their troop movements. After all, Missillier had their backs to Mount Aubigne and there was nowhere to run. Speaking in terms of military tactics, they had their backs to the wall. In the first place, it was impossible to hide such a large force anyway. They probably knew that and stopped hiding, opting to intimidate the enemy by marching forth openly.

    The Blue Hawk Knights were still hiding in the forest quietly, predicting the enemy¡¯s action accurately from their speed. All this was to grasp the moment the ?aloudek Army would begin their attack.

    After resting for a day and a night, the soldiers had more or less recovered their strength, and couldn¡¯t wait for the orders to crush the enemy.

    ¡°Those remnants must be scared out of their wits. No, maybe they didn¡¯t have any officers left to lead them?¡±

    The sneak attack they were prepared for during their rest didn¡¯t happen, and Crist¨®bal still looked displeased. He thought a prey forced into a corner would bear its fangs, but the remnants of the Kuscheperca army still hid behind their walls.

    ¡°Even the pride of a grand Kingdom is gone before the might of our Levitate Ships. Hmmp, don¡¯t let your guard down even if the enemy are scared out of their wits. Proceed as planned, get into position!¡±

    He issued the order to the whole army, and the ?aloudeks began moving in the still of the night. Their plan was the same one they used when they attacked Delvincourt, which was a night raid with Levitate Ships.

    During the battle in Baron Letonmaki¡¯s territory, it had been confirmed that it was difficult for the projectiles from the Tower Knights to bring down the Levitate Ships. However, Missillier had gathered all their forces from the surrounding regions, so even the Levitate Ships couldn¡¯t go near openly in the day, so they chose to launch a night raid instead. It would be harder to aim at the Levitate Ships under the cover of night compared to the day. The night will protect them, and hinder the senses of the old Kuscheperca remnant army.

    Once they successfully draw near and take down the enemy base, the rest would be simple. Be it the Kuscheperca¡¯s mass produced Resvants, or the modified Tower Knights Resvant Vidos, their close quarter combat abilities were lacking. Once they took down the Tower Knights, their Black Skull Knights main forces could break through from the front, and decimate the enemy forces in one go ¡ª This was the plan to achieve complete victory.

    "Gentlemen of the Steel Wing Knights, it is time for you to take the stage. Go with the wind and bring us victory! Infiltrate the sky of the city!¡±

    The black sails on both sides of the vessels became bloated as the Blow Engine filled them. The Levitate Ship glided across the night sky with the sound of the wind, and closed in on the slumbering Missillier city. Missillier was still even at this point of time. Although the night was advantageous for them, the Steel Wing Knights was still prepared to face some resistance. This situation was beyond disappointing, and felt chilling instead. After all, the Kuscheperca Kingdom lost their old capital Delvincourt from the exact same night raid, so how could they not be wary of this?

    With no regards to their confusion, the Levitate Ships approached Missillier smoothly. Suppressing their doubts, the Steel Wing Knights started their descent and slowed down. Inside the vessels, preparations were made to airdrop the Black Skull Knights¡ª

    At this moment, a faint flash appeared on the ground.

    It was a blazing bullet with an orange trail, projected magically. It flew straight into the air, but wasn¡¯t aiming to hit the Levitate Ships.

    This projectile had a unique mechanism. At its core was a metallic casing which was sealed with magic before it was launched. The casing was extremely thin, and it would melt from the heat of the flame around it, resulting in its content coming into contact with the fire some moments later.

    Sealed within the metallic casing was metallic powder, when it is heated by the flame magic, it would combust intensely. The bright balls of light exploding in the night sky one after another had the same effect of illumination flares from the other world.

    In the forest around Missillier, spies from the Blue Hawk Knights were deployed there in advance. In this world without radar, they could only rely on the detection network powered by manpower ¡ª ''Barrier''. They waited in this forest day and night, and finally accomplished their mission wonderfully. It wasn¡¯t true that the old Kuscheperca remnant army wasn¡¯t prepared for night raids. On the contrary, this was the moment they were waiting for ¡ª the chance to seize the initiative.

    The man made satellite was brilliant and glaring, revealing the intruders hiding in the darkness.

    There was a rustle of movements in a corner of the forest as if they were waiting for this cue. The Blue Hawk Knights weren¡¯t the only ones who melded into the dark. Aside from the Steel Wing Knights, there were other hunters waiting eagerly for this moment.

    Their Ether Reactor revved loudly, and the covers that had been painted the same colour as the forest was unveiled, exposing the gigantic body beneath it. Because of the horn on its head and its bottom half being a horse, it was 15m tall. It was the Centaur Knight Tzendrinble, which even had a carriage attached to it.

    "Hufufufufu, so you meddlesome people are finally here. In order to ambush you lot, I couldn¡¯t spend time with Eru! I won¡¯t forgive you!! In order to give souvenirs to Eru, victory for Chid and for me to vent, I will take all of you down¡­!¡±

    Seated inside the cockpit of the Tzendrinble was Ady who was exhaling some sort of black substance as she gripped the control sticks tightly. Her beloved Tzendrinble seemed to be responding to its mistress¡¯ killing intent as its Ether Reactor roared violently. There was no telling when the ?aloudek Army would attack, so the Tzendrinbles and their pilots, including Ady, were ordered to standby outside the city. And of course, she had to act separately from Eru, unable to neither dine nor sleep together. That¡¯s why she was exhaling miasma as she glared at the Levitate Ships murderously.

    ¡°Uwah¡ª that¡¯s scary. But I agree to bringing them all down. In order to protect Ellie, I won¡¯t let them win.¡±

    Beside Ady¡¯s machine that was burning with fighting spirit, Chid¡¯s Tzendrinble has also started up. More Centaur Knights behind them began to move, they were the 3rd Company of the Silver Phoenix Knights, the Centaur Knight company.

    ¡°They are finally here! They made us wait really long¡­ Alright everyone, let us get to work!¡±

    Following Helvi¡¯s lead, the members of 3rd Company also aimed through their Holo Monitors at the Levitate Ship illuminated by the flares. They then activated the new weapon installed onto the horse body of the Tzendrinbles.

    It was a device of unknown purposes that had several rails placed in parallel. On top of it was the same number of giant reels of wire as there were rails. At the end of the rails were javelins, secured perpendicular to the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it! Vertical Launched Javelin Thrower, fire!!¡±

    Ady shouted a little too excitedly. Flames erupted from the javelins placed on the rails, and they flew into the sky, surrounded by sparkling light. The javelin changed its direction by adjusting the direction of its jets. The long tail of flame bursting out from its tail tore through the night air and sped ahead.

    The identity of this device in the language of this world was ¡®Large Assault Wire Javelin¡¯. In earth language, it would be wire guided missiles. This long range wire controlled weapon, the Missile Javelin, was made by using the Silhouette Knights¡¯ javelin, adding in catalyst crystal to control its thrust and angle, then attaching Silver Nerves to upload mana and magic scripts. This was the anti air weapon invented by Eru to be used by the Tzendrinbles, the Vertical Launched Javelin Thrower.

    The Levitate Ship floating in the night air also noticed the mysterious object approaching with erupting flames The Levitate Ships could accelerate by using the Blow Engine, but it couldn¡¯t turn quickly to evade the speeding Javelins that were tracking them.

    The Missile Javelins reached the limits of its Silver Nerves quickly, and after losing its mana supply, the Missile Javelins continued flying with its momentum. After gaining enough speed and power, the javelins stabbed one by one into the flank of the Levitate Ship. The Levitate Ship couldn''t do anything about the speeding javelins. They might have expected magical projectiles from the ground, a physical attack caught them off guard.

    The Missile Javelin destroyed the armour and stabbed deep into the inside of the Levitate Ship. Some pierced the Tyrants parked in the hangar, while others ravaged the interior structure of the vessel. One of it happen to stab into the Etheric Levitator right in the center of the Levitate Ship, and the highly concentrated Ether within spewed out onto the already ravaged ship, lowering its density.

    The next second, the body of the vessel started to tilt. By using the unique characteristics of highly concentrated and pure Ether, a lifting force known as ¡®float field¡¯, which was how the Levitate Ship was staying airborne. As the seal of the device had been broken, Ether density fell and the Levitate Ship lost the field to support its weight.

    The vessel that was floating leisurely just a moment ago fell like a ship sailing over a waterfall, and couldn¡¯t right itself no matter how much wind it generated. Under the pull of gravity, the Levitate Ship continued to accelerate and finally crashed into the forest. Its potential energy was converted to destructive power as the Levitate Ship returned to the embrace of the earth, kicking up dust with a deep thud. The overwhelming destructive force destroyed it beyond recognition, decimating the Tyrants on board along with it.

    ¡°That¡¯s one~! It¡¯s hard to control, but can be managed! Again, again! I want to get them all!¡±

    Ady who was in a great mood because her first shot worked perfectly prepared to shoot another in high spirits. The giant reels attached to the Tzendrinble started spinning at high speed, retracting the Silver Nerves that were attached to the Missile Javelin. In the meantime, several Silhouette Gears appeared on the wagon behind the Centaur Knight and took out a pile of javelins. They placed the Javelins onto the rails deftly, then connected the retracted Silver Nerves onto them.

    The Vertical Launched Javelin Thrower did not have auto reload function, and could only be reloaded manually. And of course, this duty was taken up by the strong and agile Silhouette Gears. After the Silhouette Gears announced loudly that the loading was complete, they returned back onto the wagon. Once the area was cleared, the Missile Javelin flew into the air again with a trail of fire.

    The controls were basically the same as Wire Anchors. When the Silver Nerves were still attached, the pilot of the Tzendrinble could control the direction of its flight, so the number of shots that could be fired at one time was dependent on the pilot¡¯s capability.

    The ones deployed here were the twins who were taught personally by Eru and the trained members of the 3rd Company. Javelins flew into the air one after another, filling the night sky with twinkling stars.

    All was silent inside the bridge of the Levitate Ship. Nobody could grasp the situation, and they only knew a ship had been sunk without any warning, in a way beyond their imagination. Their status as masters of the sky had been overturned, and they were the one being hunted one sidedly. Ironically, the thing that pulled the dazed crew back to their senses was the second wave of Missile Javelins attack. The vessel shook once again, and the cabin turned into a hellish place where screams echoed and fade.

    ¡°D-Damn it! Damn it!! How is this possible¡­ It¡¯s a trap!? How can this be¡­ They are insane! Are they waiting to be forced into a corner!? Tell the Figurehead to turn back right now! Speed up and get away from those lights!! Run into the darkness, we will just be targets if we stay like this!¡±

    The Steel Wing Knights acting as vanguards fell into extreme confusion. The man made star fired from the ground illuminated the vicinity, while the strange harpoons spurting out flames kept assaulting the Levitate Ship. It was impossible to keep one¡¯s cool under such circumstances.

    ¡°Try to zigzag our approach, don¡¯t head in a straight line! And lower the altitude, it¡¯s fine to be a bit rough, airdrop the Tyrants!¡±

    When they heard their orders, the crew forgot to repeat it back to the Captain, and turned back towards him instead. He wanted to airdrop the Tyrants ¡ª in the face of a dangerous ambush, they didn¡¯t think this was a rational decision.

    ¡°... Let the Tyrants land to find the attackers, and destroy them! We will be sunk if this carries on anyway. We have to get them back before we fall!!¡±

    As the first vessel was taken down too cleanly, they didn¡¯t realize that the attacks from the Missile Javelin wasn¡¯t that devastating every time, and would only be so destructive if it hits the Etheric Levitator right at the center. Without any prior knowledge about the structure of the Levitate Ships, the Silver Phoenix Knights didn¡¯t aim for any weak points, and only sunk a Levitate Ship by luck.

    That might be so, but there was no way for the ship crew to know the truth. The Levitate Ships descended quickly as they charged forth. They planned to airdrop the Tyrants forcefully, then exit the battlefield after lightening its load. Right before they reached airdrop height, the crew stared at the altitude meter and prayed.

    ¡°The Vertical Launched Javelin Thrower is really powerful, but we can¡¯t bring them down if we don¡¯t aim for its weak point, there is still much to improve.¡±

    In such a large scale battle (festival), there was no way a robot nerd will just shut up and watch. Eru sat inside the cockpit of his personal machine ¡ª the oni faced six armed samurai Ikaruga as he watched the performance of the Missile Javelin piercing through the night and the Levitate Ships sailing through them. One ship had several Missile Javelins stuck onto it, but it still broke through the heavy encirclement. Eru then locked onto that ship, and inputted commands to Ikaruga.

    Ikaruga activated the Magius Jet Thrusters on its shoulders and waist, and a high pitched air intake noise erupted. The thrusters became louder and shot out intense flames downwards, scorching the earth with its dancing fire. During this time, the demon beast heart known as Behemoth''s Heart and Queen¡¯s Coronet gush out mana wildly, bestowing the demon god with endless power.

    The next second, Ikaruga took to the air with its immense propulsion force. It ignored the laws of aerodynamics completely, breaking free from the pull of gravity with its immense thrusting force alone. This burning comet flew beyond the height of the Levitate Ship in one shot.

    ¡°Come, let me show you the power of Ikaruga. We have prepared many programmes for you! Please enjoy the in-built Wire Anchor, Rahu Fist!¡±

    Eru tapped on his keyboard cheerfully, and switched the functions of the four arms on Ikaruga¡¯s back. The secured wrist started moving, with its Physical Boost spell weakened intentionally, and uncoupling its Crystal Tissue and Inner Skeleton link. Steel cables with Silver Nerves in them were connected to the hand, which produced the same effect as Anchor Wire.

    In an instant, the Crystal Tissue inside the hand jettisoned out with the Crystal Tissue inside it as the catalyst. Similar to Magius Jet Thrusters, it was a propulsion system similar to Air Compression and explosion spells. The four liberated Rahu Fists left a fiery trail behind them as they flew through the air, rattling towards the Levitate Ship under Eru¡¯s guidance. With its neat rows of sharp fingers strengthened with Physical Boost, the Rahu Fist stabbed into the Levitate Ship easily, and performed its original function as hands, grabbing onto the inside of the Levitate Ship to secure itself.

    ¡°Caught you~! I won¡¯t let you escape this time!!¡±

    Eru tapped his keyboard excitedly, and the reels turned angrily because of the inputted command, pulling Ikaruga¡¯s body up at an incredible speed. When it was near enough, Ikaruga shot its jet in the opposite direction to stop its inertia, allowing it to land heavily onto the ship.

    ¡ªThe crew on the bridge of the Levitate Ship witnessed all that.

    At first they thought it was just a shadow casted onto the Levitate Ship, but as they looked closer, the shadow landed before them, blocking the moonlight from their eyes. With a roar louder than the explosive Javelins, the noise from its air intake valves shook the entire vessel. With the moon as its backdrop, the six armed alien creaked its arms, covered by coat of red on its armour.

    Fear beyond their imaginations stemmed from their hearts, and the crew¡¯s rational mind refused to accept this reality. At this moment, the moonlight mischievously lit up the machine¡¯s oni-like face ¡ª seeing that rage filled mask with his own eyes made the captain¡¯s expression even more twisted.

    ¡°M-Monster¡­"

    That was his last word. The demon god that appeared on the ship lifted its great sword mercilessly, and smashed it down into the bridge. After receiving this destructive strike, the bridge was decimated in an instant. The sword then splitted into half, revealing complicated Silver Plates within it, which was a Silhouette Arm. The demon god injected enormous amount of mana into the Sword Cannon, which was a composite Silhouette Arm.

    Following that, the Sword Cannon shot out bright flames that pierced the wreckage of the bridge, straight into the interior of the Levitate Ship. The impact of the flame burned the ship¡¯s interior into crisp, and the force that had nowhere to vent shattered the bottom hatch, spewing outside.

    The Etheric Levitator was destroyed easily, and the Levitate Ship started tilting after losing its levitate field. The demon god was certain that his work was done at this point, and leapt from the ship¡ª

    ¡°That¡¯s one, the battle (festival) is just starting. There are other guests waiting¡­ I have to increase the pace!¡±

    There were still other Levitate Ships forced to scramble around by the Missile Javelins. Ikaruga activated the Magius Jet Thrusters once again, and flew towards his next prey.

    Despite being shot by harpoons and the attack of a demon god of avarice¡­ the Steel Wing Knights might have diminished numbers, but there were ships which airdropped the Black Knights successfully.

    After dropping the Tyrants, the Levitate Ships immediately turned to escape. This was a death trap for the Levitate Ships, and they had no other options but to run.

    The Tyrants that made landfall couldn¡¯t spare a second thought for the hastily leaving Levitate Ships, and ran for the woods immediately. The Steel Wing Knights suffered heavy losses in this battle, and they were determined to make the ones who caused this pay. After all, they had future to speak of. The Tyrants lacked mobility, and the Levitate Ships won¡¯t be coming back. With no chance of survival, they were now suicide squads. Their mentality changed from being confident of victory to one with solemn resolve as they advanced.

    Only their footsteps could be heard in the forest shrouded in darkness, and the occasional sound of something heavy crashing onto the ground. The demon god and the Centaur Knights were only focused on their targets in the air, so they might be able to move unabated without being discovered. As a spark of hope was ignited in the hearts of the Black Knights¡¯ pilots¡ª

    Several Silhouette Knight came out of the darkness and blocked their path. From their vague outline in the darkness, they seemed to be the mass produced machines of the Kuscheperca, Resvants.

    ¡°Hmmp, what can mere strawmans do¡­!?"

    When they saw these machines took up battle stances, the pilots of the Black Knights felt a strong sense of dissonance. The Kuscheperca army should understand from experience that Resvants were no match for Tyrants. Why did they sent out such machines at this critical juncture¡ª

    ¡°Well met, Black Knights, this will be your end¡­!¡±

    With no regards for their confusion, the mysterious machine charged them after making this announcement in a low voice. The Kuscheperca pilot wasn¡¯t controlling a Resvant, although its appearance was the same, it was more advanced and powerful.

    At that instant, the Black Knights had a hunch that they were the new machines of Kuscheperca. Their prediction proved accurate, they were the newest machine model developed by utilizing the technology provided by the Silver Phoenix Merchants ¡ª ¡®Revantier''. They were limited in numbers, but there were enough of them to be deployed around Missillier.

    ¡°Our new knights won¡¯t lose to you, Black Knights! Experience the humiliation we felt all this while!¡±

    The ground tremored along with the roar of that knight. Without any gimmicks, both parties charged and collided into each other. If things didn¡¯t change, the Kuscheperca knights wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the attack of the Tyrants, and be slaughtered by them. But it was different this time, Revantier blocked the mace of its opponent with its great sword. Although its feet sunk into the ground and the machine groaned under the weight, the Revantier still took this blow steadily.

    ¡°How can this be!? He blocked a blow from the Black Knight!¡±

    This machine that had been modified with the design of the Kardatolle used Strand Crystal Tissue all over its body, and had the power output that lives up to its name of a new machine model. The heavy Tyrant still had the upper hand in maximum power output, but it wasn¡¯t as one-sided as before. And this meant that the Black Knights with their inferior numbers was at a disadvantage.

    In contrast with the shaken Black Knights, the Revantiers had a boost in morale from withstanding the blow and began a fierce counterattack. The maces which the Black Knights were so proud of didn¡¯t hit the Revantiers, and were surrounded by multiple machines and taken down one by one instead. The Black Knights that made titanfall from the Levitate Ships were taken down one by one, and their numbers diminished gradually.

    As time passes by, the battles inside Missillier became lesser, leaving behind a substantial number of Levitate Ship wreckages and Black Knights corpses in their place ¡ª The Steel Wing Knights was at the brink of destruction.

    The fate of the Levitate Ships illuminated by the flares could be seen from the back of the formation too.

    The Black Skull Knights who were supposed to advance after the Steel Wing Knights assault looked shocked, even forgetting their orders to move in. Sights of the Levitate Ships, the overlord of the sky sinking one by one were burned into their retina. The invincible Levitate Ships that won all its battle since the war broke out had finally been woken from its wonderful dream. In the face of disaster, they finally realized ¡ª They were just a type of weapon, and will be destroyed by another weapon one day.

    Feeling as though they were in a nightmare, the Black Skull Knights hesitated on what they should do.

    Realistically speaking, since the Levitate Ships¡¯ assault failed, it would be very difficult to take Missillier with brute force, and they will need to pay heavily in blood if they wish to advance. That might be so, but they still had an army despite being forced to such a state by the enemy, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to admit defeat so easily.

    The moment of hesitation proved to be fatal and decided their fate. Orange lights lighted up everywhere within Missillier City. After disposing of their greatest threat, the Levitate Ships, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca Army had nothing to be worried about and raised the torch of counterattack. The Resvant Vidos got into formation, and advanced slowly but steadily, with the small number of Revantier in the middle of their formation of their infantry unit.

    At the very head of this army was an especially prominent group, the strongest Knight Corp of Fremmevira Kingdom led by the Oni faced samurai ¡ª the Silver Phoenix Knights. Ikaruga wasn¡¯t satisfied with devouring the Levitate Ships, and turned his sights to his next target, the Black Knights.

    ¡°The fus¨¦e of counterattack is rising, it¡¯s our turn to strike back!¡±

    The demon god Ikaruga swings its Sword Cannon in place of a commander¡¯s baton. With this as their cue, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army began their attack as one.

 Book 4: Chapter 37: The Nightmare of Missillier

    Editors: Darkdhaos, Ruzenor

    In the far east, behind the vague visage of Mount Aubigne, a brilliant light was shining.

    With their backs to the radiant sun rise, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca Army poured out from Missillier City. The Levitate Ships that ruled the skies with ease were gone. Those giant black ships that symbolized the victory of the ?aloudek army were reduced to scraps under the power of the Magius Harpoon and the ravages of the demon god. Nothing can stand in the way of the old Kuscheperca remnant army now. They marched with their spirits burning bright, as if they were venting the melancholy of having their nation destroyed and being forced into a corner.

    In contrast to their high spirit, their pace remained slow. Although they had committed the newest model of machine, the Revantier into the fray, the bulk of their units were still the Tower Knights. Their speed was even slower than the Black Knights.

    At this moment, the Black Skull Knights who were standing stiffly in place snapped back to their senses because of the echoes of the enemy¡¯s advancing footsteps.

    ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­ The enemy is coming! Your orders please!¡±

    Everyone on the bridge of the flagship at the very rear of the ?aloudek army cast their gaze to Crist¨®bal. The destruction of the Steel Wing Knights completely overturned their strategy; should they retreat or engage? Only their commander could decide their path.

    A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. Since their plans had been foiled, they should retreat for now and reorganize his army. But Crist¨®bal couldn¡¯t issue that order.

    After committing the strongest forces of the ?aloudek army, the Black Skull Knights, and the unprecedented aerial battle unit, the Steel Wing Knights, how could he answer to his elder sister who was staying behind in the old capital? On top of that, the Black Skull Knights had no losses yet, which complicated matters. We can still fight¡ª this fact twisted his thinking.

    ¡°¡­Black Knights unit, adopt wall formation. The enemy is upon us, we will be striking back! Valiant knights of ?aloudek, fear not. The enemy are just motley mobs of a defeated army, no one can defeat the Black Knights in an open battlefield. Unleash your power to your heart¡¯s content, and show them the might of the Black Skull Knights!!"

    After considering briefly, he gave his command. The ?aloudek army obeyed the orders issued from the flagships, and prepared to engage the enemy with mediocre fighting spirits. Their forces didn¡¯t head into the forest surrounding Missillier but waited in formation on the plains. The bulky Knights of black steel formed ranks with their pike raised, appearing undaunted and dignified. Very quickly, the soldiers waved away the doubts in their heart, their trust in the brilliance of the black steel superseded the unease in their hearts.

    There was no warcry or rustling of their armour as an unnatural silence fell on them. The Black Knights trained the tips of their pikes towards the forest intently and kept still. They held their position with every second, and finally, metallic reflection could be seen from the darkness of the forest. It was the main bulk of the Kuscheperca machines, shaped like towers and equipped with Wall Capes ¡ª Resvant Vidos.

    When both parties enter into visual range, a shootout started without a word. The serenity of the woods was replaced by the noise of battle.

    ¡°Front rank, bear shields and advance! Lock them in the forest!!¡±

    The Tyrants in tight formation at the very head of the group took large strides forward. With pikes and heavy shields in hand, their armour was exceptionally thick even amongst the Black Knights. They blocked the spell projectiles raining down on them from the forest, and pushed forth with brute force.

    The tactic of the ?aloudek army was to deploy in the plains where they could move easily, and trap the enemy where it was hard to maneuver. Hence, they equipped the Tyrants which already had outstanding defences with shields, and closed the distance by relying on brute strength. This strategy was meant to defend against the Tower Knights who possessed powerful long range attacks.

    The storm of bullets shredded the woods. In the face of the endless tides of flames, the Tyrant advanced without stopping. Not only were their machines tough, it was also obvious how disciplined the Black Skull Knights were, from their refusal to back down in the face of the hail of attacks.

    Despite suffering damage from the continuous stream of intensive fire, the Black Knights were close to entering pike attack range. The Tower Knights had zero melee combat capability, and victory would be theirs if they got close enough.

    ¡°We caught you, Kuscheperca strawman! Massacre them, charge, charge!! Glory to the ?aloudek Kingdom!!"

    Deflecting the projectiles with their black steel armour, they charged ferociously into the enemy formation. The heavy pikes were changed into force of destruction directed at the Tower Knights. The clash of the two armies sounded like a distant roar of thunder and their collision shook the very earth.

    ***

    On the other hand, inside Missillier City.

    Inside the mansion at the city center, Princess Eleonora clasped her hands tightly in devout prayer. She might be praying to god or maybe to her late father.

    She felt as if a blade was held to her throat, which kept her up all night. For her, this night was longer that that fateful night in the old capital Delvincourt. Not just her, be it knights or non-combatants, all of them waited for the break of dawn with a heart of prayer.

    This was a desperate gamble for the remnants army of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom. Even though this was for the sake of war, their heart ¡ª the royals were exposed to direct danger. If they lose, they will be done for this time.

    This desperate battle was all for the sake of congregating the Levitate Ships in one place. Levitate Ships could soar freely in the sky, appear anywhere and possessed powerful combat abilities. Eliminating the Levitate Ships that wrought all sorts of hardship on the Kuscheperca kingdom since the war begun was the top priority, and at the same time, the greatest obstacle.

    To have a decisive battle with the Levitate Ships, they used a certain tactic. It wasn¡¯t anything special, they just scattered some baits. The Copper Fang Knights¡¯ raid meant the ?aloudek army knew about Missillier which they were using as a base. With the uprisings in the east, the ?aloudek army would definitely target the escaped royals in order to subdue them quickly. And as expected, ?aloudek sent a large punitive army to the east, which included the Steel Wing Knights who possessed Levitate Ships.

    The rest was simple. By staying in Missillier even after their position was exposed, the ?aloudek army would naturally gathered their forces in one place. For the sake of victory, they had to get most of the enemy to muster at one place. This plan was on the verge of insanity, and they would be crushed by overwhelming forces if they made one false move, an incredibly risky gamble.

    The Kuscheperca army won the bet tonight. The devastating harpoons of destruction crafted by the Silver Phoenix Knights attacked the ?aloudek army, and just as they planned, fended off the Levitate Ships and pulled the battlefield back down to earth.

    Before them was the main forces of the ?aloudek army basking in the peaceful sun ¡ª the Black Skull Knights. Compared to the aerial battle which was aided by the powerful weapons of the Silver Phoenix Knights and their members, the battle on the ground was a clash royale, no one could predict the outcome.

    ¡°I heard that the vanguards had engaged the enemy.¡±

    ¡°... I see¡­¡±

    Martina came to the side of the praying Eleonora, and updated her on the situation.

    Eleonora relaxed her trembling fingers, and raised her pale face. Even though this was a war against invaders, ordering the soldiers to take the field was still her duty as the Princess. She just needed to give the word, but it was still a heavy burden for a young girl of 16.

    She didn¡¯t have the ability to command troops on the battlefield. The only thing she could do was to suppress the pain in her heart and pray for victory.

    ¡°Ellie, this isn¡¯t good for your health. Emrys will work hard on the war, it will be better for you to rest.¡±

    Her abnormal demeanour worried Martina, who counseled her softly. The young Princess looked so tired that she might snap in two at any moment. She wasn¡¯t doing so well yet, and it would be a huge problem if the Princess forced herself and fell ill. However, Eleonora just shook her head slowly and replied:

    ¡°The soldiers are risking their lives in their battle with the invaders. No matter how helpless I am as a Princess, how can I just slumber in comfort? And my knight is there too¡­¡±

    The firm determination of the Princess made Martina open her eyes wide in surprise. The bird that was too afraid to come out of her cage just days ago was spreading her wings and soaring. However, she wondered where she got her unexpectedly stubborn personality from.

    Martina felt a glimmer of hope from the country shrouded in dark clouds. With a heart of prayer, her thoughts were with her countrymen in the forest on the outskirt of Missillier.

    ***

    In response to the Black Knights charging in for melee combat, the remnants of the old Kuscheperca took drastic measures.

    The row of Tower Knights that formed a wall similar to the ?aloudek army split, forming numerous gaps. Appearing from the space between them were the knights standing by behind them, who then challenged the approaching Black Knights. They were the infantry unit of the newest machine models, the Revantier.

    A golden light barged into the middle of the battlefield¡ª

    ¡°Hahaha! I won¡¯t let you go near the city!¡±

    The Gordesleo piloted by Emrys charged a Tyrant. As both machines had high power output, their collision sent a gust of wind flying outwards.

    ¡°You lot! Are you trying to compete against a Tyrant in strength!?¡±

    Not just Gordesleo, the Revantiers around them also took on the Tyrants in melee combat. The Tower Knights which formed the bulk of the Kuscheperca forces were not proficient in close quarters combat, but the Tyrants who forcefully closed the distance were stumped by the appearance of the Revantiers.

    Placing the Tower knights that were clearly flawed at the front to entice the enemy ¡ª the ?aloudek army fell for the scheme of the Kuscheperca army again.

    As the pikes of the ?aloudek turned blunt and they lost their charging momentum, the Vido unit slowly adjusted their position, shifting from a head to head formation to a loose encirclement. The Revantiers led by Gordesleo could take the Tyrants head on, but their numbers were limited. Their task was to keep the enemy in check during this crucial moment. The Resvant Vidos¡¯ multiple Silhouette Arms gleamed with the glow of mana menacingly, they were the true offensive prowess of the Kuscheperca.

    A storm of projectile smashed into the ?aloudek army. They couldn¡¯t get near as their spears were blocked by the Revantiers, catching the ?aloudek army in a dilemma inside the forest. During this time, the Black Knights exposed to the magical bullets fell one after another.

    ¡°Ugh, we are taking too many losses¡­! Retreat for now to regroup!!¡±

    The Company commander at the front lines roared angrily. The tide of the battle was obviously going badly for them, and they needed to reorganize. The ?aloudek army gave up on their assault, and switched to retreating while focusing on defence. They managed to stall the Kuscheperca army that wanted to push their advantage as they backed away from the forest.

    But what awaited them in the plains was a hellish scene.

    ***

    Going back slightly in time.

    Moments before the two army collided in the forest, the Black Skull Knights in the middle of the formation prepared for battle. The Black Skull Knights at the first ranks might be elites, but as the battle turned intense, it would take a heavy toll on them. It won¡¯t be long before the ranks switches, with the middle rank taking their place.

    The middle ranks advanced slowly and cautiously in high spirits ¡ª At this very moment, numerous shadows appeared from the sky.

    They looked up warily, and saw Missile Javelins launched from beyond the forest drawing an arc in the sky as they flew towards them. Its heavy weight and speed allowed it to pierce the tough armour of the Black Knights easily, pinning the machine onto the ground. With each sharp metallic groan, a Black Knight was secured to the ground like some strange objet d''art.

    ¡°How is this possible! The Javelins reaching this position isn¡¯t possible! Ugh, raise your shields high, the next wave is coming!¡±

    The surviving Black Knights fell into panic. They would never let their guard down on the battlefield, but they never expected deadly attacks to rain down on them so far from the frontlines. The fact was, normal Javelins couldn¡¯t fly over the forest, but the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Magius Javelins launched by the Vertical Launched Javelin Thrower made the impossible possible.

    After recognizing the danger, the Black Knights lifted their shields over their heads, as expected of veteran warriors of hundreds of battles. However, an alien machine with a red trail blazing behind it flew through the sky as if it was mocking their wariness.

    ¡°Found~~ you! There are! So~~ many~~!!¡±

    It was Ikaruga. It followed the Magius Javelins as it crossed the air above the forest, and used its inertia to charge into the midst of the Black Skull Knights. The incredible thing was ¡ª the shields raised by the Black Knights became the perfect landing spot for Ikaruga. The Black Knight who took the impact equivalent to a falling comet collapsed from the force, its Strand Crystal Tissue snapping and its joints shattering. Trapped between its shield and the ground, it was crushed in an instant.

    ¡°There are too many obstacles in the forest which makes it hard to maneuver in, so I came here to intrude on you!¡±

    The perfect landing spot allowed Ikaruga to disperse the impact of his landing. It then raised its Sword Cannon in a natural movement, and shot a dazzling magic projectile after it changed into Silhouette Arms mode.

    Only the vast mana supply of Ikaruga could manifest such a powerful shot, dragging the Black Skull Knights into a torrent of flames. The Black Skull Knights in neat formation then fell into a state that was worse than confusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t back down! Let the fool who barged into our encirclement understand his own limits!!¡±

    They had yet to grasp the situation, but their fighting spirit still spurred them to counterattack decisively. Deploying their back weapons, they shot out a powerful barrage of shots. The lone demon god that charged into the center of the unit alone was as good as surrounded, and normally, it would need to pay for its idiocy.

    ¡°Nice reactions¡­ In that case, I will answer with the full power of Ikaruga!!¡±

    However, before the shots landed, Eru inputted commands into his keyboard. The flames from the Magius Jet Thrusters shot downwards like a cloak around Ikaruga, sending it into the sky again. After deftly escaping the encirclement of the enemy, Eru acted as if it was his turn to attack and activated Ikaruga¡¯s long range tracking weapon, Rahu Fists. The palm of the four arms on its back broke off, and flew out with a fiery tail behind it. The Tyrants¡¯ were fatally slow to react to the enemy¡¯s extraordinary agility and attack prowess. The Rahu Fists accelerated fiercely and pierced into the Tyrant¡¯s armour as if it was nothing. Ikaruga¡¯s vast mana supply strengthened the Rahu Fists further, bestowing it with a toughness that rivals the Tyrant¡¯s armour.

    ¡°Ugh, a bizarre attack! You think you can defeat the Black Knights with just that¡­!?¡±

    The power of the Rahu Fist that could pierce the armour of the Black Knights was not to be taken lightly, but the Tyrants weren¡¯t so weak that they would fall with one hit. With the Rahu Fists still embedded in their armour, the Black Knights trained their back weapons at the airborne enemy, intending to take it down.

    "Now, Ikaruga. Show them your might! The true function of the long range weapon Rahu Fist¡­ Explosion!!¡±

    Eru sent a magic spell to the Rahu Fists via direct control, with a combination of Air Compression and Flame magic scripted into it. The next instant, the fire exploded from inside the Tyrants hit by the Rahu Fists. Using the same mechanism as the Magius Jet Thrusters, an explosion was triggered inside those machines. The Tyrants might be proud of their heavy armour, but there was nothing they could do if they were burned from the inside. The four Black Knights were reduced to scraps in an instant, and spew out flames and spare parts.

    ¡°Hie, Hiiiieee¡­ !?"

    The pilot that was hit by an arm that flew behind wailed, his mind refusing to accept this situation. For the ?aloudek pilots who had absolute faith in the armour of the Black Knights, the sight of their machine being blown to bits was enough to crumble their psychological support.

    While their mind was still shrouded in fear, they descended into further panic by the deafening roar of the demon god. The main Reactor ¡®Behemoth¡¯s Heart¡¯ howled at its loudest volume, and Ikaruga which was engulfed in the flames of its Jet Thrusters landed once again. The strange large swords in both its arms severed the arms of the Tyrants in one swing, while its murderous hands danced in the air in search of its next prey.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? There are still so many many many many of you, come at me bro! Let us keep on fighting in our Silhouette Knight!"

    For Eru, the battlefield where his beloved machine could unleash its full potential was a paradise. He piloted Ikaruga excitedly, charging deliberately in the direction where there were more enemies. The Sword Cannons slashed at the shocked Tyrants, Projectiles burst into flames and the Rahu Fist punched through the chaos, reducing one Tyrant after another into scrap.

    The greatest misfortune of the Black Skull Knights was how poorly their Black Knights matched against Ikaruga. The Black Knights retaliated with all their might, but Ikaruga dodged them easily with the mobility of its Magius Jet Thrusters. On the other hand, they couldn¡¯t evade the unnaturally swift attacks of Ikaruga. No matter how much pride they had in their strength, it would be meaningless if they couldn¡¯t hit, but their heavy armour couldn¡¯t block Ikaruga¡¯s ridiculously strong firepower.

    Even if they want to surround it with numbers, the demon god could move on the ground nimbly, and even take to the sky. Its agility was beyond their imagination, not an enemy the Black Knights could handle.

    ¡°M-Monster! You fucking monster¡ª¡ª!!"

    In the end, they could only watch helplessly before the rampaging demon god.

    The Black Skull Knights who were being massacred one sidedly saw a greater threat that appeared mercilessly before them. A large group of cavalry charged out of the forest with a head full of steam, it was the 3rd Company¡¯s Tzendrinble with their wagons in tow. After finishing their long range Missile Javelins attacks, they switched to an assault loadout immediately and charged here. On the wagon were the 1st and 2nd Company that were shooting magic projectiles.

    ¡°The Knight Commander is wrecking havoc. The enemy¡¯s formation and focus is in disarray. Let¡¯s grind away at them from the outside, let¡¯s go!!¡±

    The Tzendrinble piloted by the 3rd Company Captain Helvi neighed loudly, and with this as the signal, the cavalry charged as one.

    Lances thrust by the Tzendrinbles pierced the Black Knights in their path, and the Kardartolle on the wagons shot in all directions. The demon guy rampaged in the middle, while the cavalry cut down the Black Knights from the outside.

    ¡°What is¡­ What is with these people! Impossible, the elites of the Black Knights fell so easily¡­! Ahhh, monster¡­ That damn Death God!¡±

    Like a sand castle hit by a huge wave, the Black Skull Knights were decimated in no time. No way to fortify their defences, no means of attack and finally, nowhere to run. The ?aloudek army¡¯s middle rank was routed. Sounds of explosion and metal being crush filled the battlefield, and they faced annihilation.

    ¡ª Could this be called a tragedy? What the vanguard of the ?aloudek army saw on their retreat was this hellish scene.

    They were supposed to link up with the middle rank that was conserving its energy, but the sights before them were too devastating. Fires burning brightly and the wreckage of the Black Knights filled their field of vision. Just what happened, how were the Black Knights destroyed so thoroughly? All this was beyond their imagination.

    ¡°How could this be¡­ What happened to the middle rank!? Just what did they face!?¡±

    The remnants of the old Kuscheperca army were still closing in on them from behind, so they had to retreat from the woods and step into the plains of destruction. After taking a step forward, they immediately discovered a being that was moving in the devastated battlefield. They thought it was an ally who survived for a moment, but ditched that thought quickly.

    Noticing the group emerging from the forest, ¡®that thing¡¯ turned its head. How could that thing be an ally? Their army would never have a Silhouette Knight with six arms and a human face twisted in fury.

    Dust rose from behind that thing. Centaur Knights trampled over the remains of the Black Knights scattered all over the place, pulling a giant wagon behind it. Putting two and two together, they realized the ones that caused this carnage were none other than this demon god and the alien cavalry behind it.

    ¡°Demon faced, Death God¡­!¡±

    The remnants army of the old Kuscheperca Kingdom was still marching closer from behind. The vanguard shouldn¡¯t have fought long with the enemy, so how did they wrought such carnage in such a short time? No one present could fathom this.

    Shortly after that, the main forces of the old Kuscheperca remnant army finally caught up with the ?aloudek army that couldn¡¯t move after witnessing this terrifying scene, and launched their attack. There was no time to hesitate¡ª despite the apparent danger before them, their only way to survive was to head into the barren plains.

    With solemn determination, the vanguard of the Black Skull Knights challenged the Silver Phoenix Knights valiantly, and was wiped out in short order.

    ***

    The elites of the ?aloudek army, the Black Skull Knights were decimated.

    From beginning to the end, Crist¨®bal could only watch the entire process in a daze. He couldn¡¯t be blamed, as everyone in the bridge of the flagship were in the same state. No one could keep up with the development of the battle.

    The situation was already beyond salvation, and Crist¨®bal realized that there was no way to win this battle. He couldn¡¯t find any chance to obtain victory.

    Right now, the only ones still alive were the flagship and a handful of the forces in the rearguard, the fact that the command structure still being intact was a miracle. In the face of such utter destruction, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the army falls apart and desert. Their only options was to accept complete annihilation, or try to let some of them escape before the end.

    ¡°Those are¡­ the Centaur Knights Doroteo mentioned, and the demon god!! Impossible. How could such a thing exist¡­!?¡±

    At this moment, Crist¨®bal remembered¡ª the alien Silhouette Knight that snatched the Kuscheperca royals from Fontaine, and single handedly destroyed the Levitate Ship commanded by Doroteo. Crist¨®bal thought he believed the testimony Doroteo betted his life on, but he actually still held reservations in his heart. If he accepted Doroteo¡¯s words and took precautions, he would¡¯ve adopted a different tactic for this war. His heart was filled with regrets.

    ¡°Notify the army to retreat¡­ Retreat! Before those monsters catches us¡­ Hurry!!¡±

    His mouth turned dry without him realizing it. Just how many soldiers still have their wits about them to act on this command that came too late? Even so, they still took action frantically.

    The Blow Engine activated, and the flagship started to turn around. The few scant surviving Black Knights also chased after the retreating ship to leave the battlefield, they had to get away from this place of despair before that rampaging monster notice them. They no longer had the pride of the ?aloudek army elites, and terror pushed their feet to flee.

    Unfortunately, their hopes were for naught as the sound of hooves behind them grew closer. The ground units comprised of the slow Black Knights could never escape the Tzendrinble.

    The 3rd Company began their pursuit, and caught the Black Knights that were trailing behind.

    ¡°Your Highness, p-please look! The ground units are under attack, if this goes on, even if they are the Black Knights¡­!!¡±

    ¡°So what!? You want me to save them? With our numbers, we will just die together. Forget about them, tell the Figurehead to increase power to the Blow Engine, leave this place as fast as we can!!¡±

    As the flagship in the sky peered down at the chaotic battle on the ground, the Blow Engine was turned to its highest setting. Airdropping the Silhouette Knights on the Levitate Ship to reinforce them would just be an act of futility, so their judgement was adequate. However, whether they could escape the enemy¡¯s attack was a different matter.

    "There¡¯s another vessel! It¡¯s escaping!!"

    ¡°It¡¯s great that you came! How can I let you leave so easily!?¡±

    Two Tzendrinbles splitted off from the 3rd Company, it was the machines piloted by Chid and Ady. Unlike the machines from 3rd Company outfitted with assault gear, they still had the Vertical Launched Javelin Thrower attached to them. The instant they discovered the fleeing flagship, they shot out all of their Missile Javelins.

    The ships shook violently, and Crist¨®bal understood that the enemy had closed their jaws on them.

    ¡°Ugghhh!? Damn it, damage, damage report! We are still airborne!! Don¡¯t slow down. We have to get to Fontaine no matter what¡­!!¡±

    He ordered in a panic, but was dumbstruck when he saw the scene outside the bridge window.

    Something was charging towards the Levitate Ship from below, engulfed in flames and roaring loudly. A demon god of destruction not from this world caught the Levitate Ship by using the overwhelming speed of the Magius Jet Thrusters, and landed on the ship.

    ¡°How can this be, it can fly to such heights!? What is this monster¡­¡±

    Crist¨®bal got up and left the captain¡¯s seat, glaring at the demon god. At this moment, the demon god turned its head and locked eyes with him, sending deep terror down his spine. What madness was this? The demon god wore a mask of an extremely furious man. Not just its prowess, even its appearance was beyond the common sense of Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°D-Damn it¡­ You monster! I don¡¯t fear you!!¡±

    The fire in his heart overwhelmed his terror, it was rage. Ironically¡ª Crist¨®bal came to his senses because of the rage in his heart. He leapt up from his seat immediately, and ran for the Levitate Ship¡¯s hangar.

    ¡°Looks like it is time to put an end to this.¡±

    Eru manipulated the demon god Ikaruga in a relaxed manner. As he was ready to take his first step on the flagship, a section at the top of the ship opened. He watched intrigued as a Silhouette Knight appeared from the hole through an elevator device.

    ¡°You monster! Who permitted you to stand on this vessel? How dare you be so insolent towards the Second Prince of the ?aloudek Kingdom!?"

    With white armour decorated with gold trimmings and a shimmering emblem, this elegant machine was obviously on a different level from mass produced machines. This was the Commander machine of the ?aloudek Kingdom that destroyed the King¡¯s mount ''Kartoga Ol Cauchard'' of Kuscheperca Kingdom, Alkelorix''.

    Crist¨®bal inside its cockpit glared at the demon god with bloodshot eyes. The expensive personal machines of the royals, Alkelorix, had the best performance within the entire ?aloudek army, and Crist¨®bal was confident of his own capabilities. Despite that, his chances were grim, and the only thing that kept him going was his pride in not going down without a fight.

    ¡°Look at what you have done, you destroyed my army! And even dare lay your hands on my ship? This is unforgivable. You should feel honoured that I am executing you personally!¡±

    Crist¨®bal encouraged himself, and let Alkelorix drew its sword. Eru who was in the cockpit of the demon god smiled¡ª

    ¡°I see, since there is a royalty here, that means this is a flagship huh. Your machine¡¯s back weapon and combat equipment seemed to be a standard equipment. It looks majestic and full of confidence¡­ I am looking forward to this.¡±

    The air intake valves of the Magius Jet Thrusters roared and the demon god raised its Sword Cannon, taking one step forward. Just this was enough to terrify Crist¨®bal and make him feel as if his heart had been gripped. He pushed himself on, and charged with Alkelorix. The top of the Levitate Ship was narrow, so they were in sword range right from the start, and there was no meaning in schemes or conserving one¡¯s power.

    With the smooth movement of a machine of the highest grade, it slashed ferociously as it deployed its back weapon, firing intensely at the demon god. If the enemy was a normal Silhouette Knight, the overwhelming attacks would have ended the battle ¡ª unfortunately, this didn¡¯t apply to the demon god. Supported by its vast mana output, the demon god swung its heavy Sword Cannon deftly, deflecting the projectiles easily, and even broke Alkelorix¡¯s sword.

    ¡°T-That easily¡­ is my attack just child¡¯s play to you!?¡±

    Crist¨®bal groaned as his machine stumbled backwards, and he drew his backup blade while trembling. His all out attack was parried easily, would his life be forfeit when the demon god switches from defence to offence? His instinct as a warrior warned him of the danger, but he didn¡¯t have the chips on hand to overturn this situation.

    ¡°... Wait, pilot of the demon god! You should be from the land of the demon beast guardians, Fremmevira right? Why? Why are you helping Kuscheperca! Because of the kinship between the royal families!? Or are the demon beast guardians eyeing this land!?¡±

    With no alternatives, he had to talk his way out of this in place of his weapons. He wasn¡¯t as good with words as his brother or sister, but he couldn¡¯t ask for much under such circumstances

    ¡°No, the one who took the field for kinship is the Young Master. I am just wielding my sword as part of my obligation as a knight, and enjoy the battles(festival) with Silhouette Knights.¡±

    The cute voice didn¡¯t match the appearance of the demon god knight with a ferocious mask at all, confusing Crist¨®bal. At the same time, he found a glimmer of hope in that answer.

    ¡°Ha, haha! So your actions had nothing to do with your beliefs and your nation. Then come to my side with your monstrous Silhouette Knight! It would too much of a waste for you to be just a knight, if you follow me, I will bestow you with whatever position you want! Also, the goal of ?aloudek is to restore the ancient grand nation of Father Aburdene, and we will seize the entire Western League of Nations one day. In that case, the battlefield you yearn for is set for you! How about it!?¡±

    For someone as arrogant as him, this was the most sincere persuasion he could offer.

    ¡°Hmm, I might not look like it, but I have been given a very high position in my Kingdom. Can you offer me anything comparable to that?¡±

    He thought he would be rejected unhesitatingly, but the better than expected reply made Crist¨®bal continued:

    ¡°Fufu, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. I am the Second Prince, and the Commander-in-Chief of the ?aloudek Kingdom! Our national power is not something that a backwater demon beast guard country can compare with, and I can easily give you a status two times better than before¡­! How about it? If you want to, I will prepare a peerage for you!¡±

    Alkelorix opened its arms wide as if to welcome Ikaruga, and the smile on Crist¨®bal¡¯s face deepened.

    He was treating the demon god¡¯s words as haggling the price. In other words, the demon god had taken the bait. Offering better benefits was a natural choice in negotiations.

    Convinced that he had persuaded the demon god the conditions he offered was undeniably enticing. The technology of a single Silhouette Knights that could turn the tide of war and its pilot¡ª if he could obtain these, offering peerage was nothing at all. After all, with the vast land under their feet known as Kuscheperca Kingdom, Crist¨®bal could give him as much as it as he wish.

    The composure and arrogance that Crist¨®bal regained was shattered by Eru¡¯s next words¡ª

    ¡°Ohh, well then¡­ The full authority over the development and production of the Silhouette Knights of your country, as well as full control over their distribution and the command of all your Knight Corps, will be handed over to me?¡±

    When he heard that, Crist¨®bal doubted his ears and turned silent. Confusion then rose and finally, rage erupted, making him shake his fist and shout:

    ¡°What¡­ manner of joke is this!? A mere knight¡­ No, it is the same even if you are a noble! Aside from the King, no one would have such authority!¡±

    ¡°I am not joking. In fact, I have such authority in my nation. The Knights I brought here just happen to be the forces I can mobilize immediately.¡±

    Eru smiled deviously as he said that, and the demon god started counting its fingers along with his words:

    ¡°First, I have the authority to act in the name of His Majesty for the national development of Silhouette Knight, the development itself is led by me anyway; I have authority over the details of supply, it is just too much hassle so I didn¡¯t bother with that; As for the priority in deployment of the Knight Corps, I have command authority over all Knight Corps in the event of a disaster level demon beast attack. Depending on the circumstances, my orders might even supercede that of the King. I don¡¯t want to manage territory at all, so I don¡¯t need the Peerage!¡±

    Crist¨®bal was lucky that he was seated inside Alkelorix. Why? Because he was showing an undignified dumb face.

    What the demon god said was beyond his comprehension. Which Kingdom in the world would grant such powers to a knight that didn¡¯t even have a peerage? If he agree to such terms, it will only be possible by granting Eru a position similar to a royal like Crist¨®bal, so there was no way he would agree. It was only natural for Crist¨®bal to think this way since he didn¡¯t know about Eru¡¯s glorious exploits, and how he was seen as the last line of defence in a national crisis. This robot nerd had the passion to change an entire Kingdom, which was beyond his imagination.

    His entire body started to shiver. Seeing the enemy turned silent, Eru folded his arms as if he had expected this, and felt he had been too mean.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, how about this? If you dismount from that Silhouette Knight, I won¡¯t attack. And of course, I will take your machine.¡±

    This was the biggest kindness Eru could offer. For the pure robot enthusiast, there wasn¡¯t any concept of showing mercy to an enemy Silhouette Knight. But conversely, if someone dismount from their Silhouette Knight, they would no longer be a target, and it didn¡¯t matter what happens to them.

    ¡°... Why you¡­ Just how much do you look down on me!? Before our might, anyone who oppose us are fools!! You madman, do you think I will put myself at your mercy!?¡±

    However, Crist¨®bal¡¯s mental state was at the brink of breaking down. Eru¡¯s twisted kindness could no longer reach him, and all he could hear was an ultimatum.

    With no regards with the difference in ability and cramped footholds, and launched his attacks powered by his rage. Alkelorix swung its backup blade, and charged forth with a barrage of magic projectiles. Ikaruga didn¡¯t just defend this time. It dodged the projectiles with its Magius Jet Thrusters, then used its explosive speed to swing its Sword Cannon, shattering Alkelorix¡¯s sword along with its right hand.

    The powerful impact made Alkelorix lose its balance, and it staggered back in a weird dance. At this moment, Rahu Fists flew in from a blind spot stabbed into the legs of Alkelorix. Hellish explosion burst out, blowing the legs into pieces. Alkelorix almost fell off the flagship after losing an arm and both legs, and was stepped on by Ikaruga at the last moment before slipping off.

    "It¡¯s no good, I am bad at showing mercy to Silhouette Knights (robots). This is your last chance. Are you going to dismount and hand the machine over to me?¡±

    Inside the cockpit of the tumbling Alkelorix, Crist¨®bal shook his heavy head. As his conscious cleared, he understood completely that he had been defeated.

    In an instant, blood rushed into his brain and he pulled his control stick rashly. Alkelorix only intact left arm swiped hard at Ikaruga¡¯s leg. The attack that could break its own fist made Ikaruga withdraw its leg. Without any support, Alkelorix rolled off the Levitate Ship and into the air.

    ¡°Hahahaha, hahaha¡­! You monster! I won¡¯t let you have your way! I didn¡¯t lose to you, I chose a noble death by my own will¡­!!¡±

    Before he finished, Alkelorix reached the ground. The impact kicked up a dust cloud, splintering its body. Even a Silhouette Knight with hardening script couldn¡¯t take the impact from falling from such a height. Eru watched the Second Prince of ?aloudek who chose to go down with his flagship, and said with respect:

    ¡°To die with your machine, that¡¯s great resolve. Including the ship sailing in the air, I had a great time playing with your weapons, what a nice ¡®battlefield¡¯. It isn¡¯t much, let me pray that you will have a wonderful next life.¡±

    He offered his well wishes for his enemy rather sincerely, and immediately took the next course of action. Ikaruga turned and pointed his Sword Cannon at the bridge of the flagship. The murderous Silhouette Arms did not hide its lethal killing intent, locking on to the crew.

    ¡°Alright, the people controlling this ship should be able to hear me right? Land the ship immediately, and yield control over to me. As you can see, resistance is futile.¡±

    The crew who could only watch idly as the event unfolded before them shivered as if they were struck by lightning, and surrendered. The flagship landed slowly, marking the conclusion of the battle at Missillier.

    ***

    "¡­ I don¡¯t understand. What are you saying?"

    The First Princess Catalina who was standing besides the throne stared at the Black Skull Knights soldier who kowtowing his head onto the ground, and asked in an emotionless tone.

    ¡°Y-Your Highness!! The result of attacking Missillier¡­ The Black Skull Knights lost 90% of their Black Knights. 10 out of the 24 Levitate Ships of the Steel Wing Knights were¡­ sunk! None of the ships returned unscathed!¡±

    Several days had passed since the battle, and the remnants of the Black Skull Knights returned to the ?aloudek army central governance house. The reports by the surviving soldier were beyond shocking, and stabbed deep into Catalina¡¯s chest.

    This was only natural. After all, the ?aloudek Kingdom committed their main forces, the Black Skull Knights, including 100 of their elite machines, but ended in an unprecedented disastrous defeat. Less than one company of Black Knights made it back to Delvincourt. However, what shocked Catalina the most was the soldier¡¯s next words¡ª

    ¡°Also, Prince Crist¨®bal who was commanding from the flagship¡­ dueled with the enemy who boarded the Levitate Ship¡­ and fell from the sky, killed in action!!¡±

    Catalina showed a dazed expression for quite some time, a face she usually won¡¯t show to anyone. She slowly grasped the situation, and felt a chill from the ends of her limbs.

    The Black Skull Knights were annihilated, and her brother was dead. Was he too careless and underestimated the enemy? The excellent results from earlier battles did make them arrogant, but the losses this time is still too heavy. It was impossible for an army to move with the aim of self destruction? With the Steel Wing Knights and multiple Levitate Ships committed, she couldn¡¯t think of any reason why they would lose.

    Admist the confusion, she realized¡ª Since Crist¨®bal was dead, she was now the Commander-in -Chief of the ?aloudek army, and could show no further signs of wavering before her subordinates.

    "¡­ I understand. Leave me...!"

    She couldn¡¯t conceal the trembling in her voice. She squeezed out these words with the last of her rationality. She needed some time to compose herself.

    After the Black Skull Knights soldiers left in a great hurry, Catalina immediately dismissed everyone in the audience hall. Her emotions were on the verge of exploding, and to hide her unsightly appearance from others, she chased them all away.

    Sobbings came from the lonely audience hall. All the education she received as a royal couldn¡¯t stop her from losing her emotions, her sibling bond with Crist¨®bal made her weep in sadness.

    She didn¡¯t remain sad for too long. After shedding tears of sorrow, what she felt was fury. The rage of her kin being taken away made her choose her next course of action¡ª

    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive.. The enemy that killed Crist. But even if I want to avenge him, the defeat this time is too unsightly. After losing the Black Skull Knights, we lack the combat capability."

    Once she regained her calm, she agonized with how serious the situation was.

    The Black Skull Knights suffered serious losses, but it was the sinking of the Levitate Ship that was the bigger problem. Levitate Ships were an invincible existence so far, and the main reason that the ?aloudek army remained undefeated. But now, 10 of them were lost in one battle. The influence of this was more dire than the destruction of the Black Knights. However, she couldn¡¯t tell immediately how bad it would be.

    "We need to increase the number of Black Knights¡­ No. To get back at them, Levitate Ships are necessary. But with so many Levitate Ships destroyed, this meant that maintaining the status quo was dangerous too. We need to strengthen the Levitate Ships fast¡­ To think that even the Steel Wing Knights got decimated, Lord Collazo must be surprised too."

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was really shocking for me, Your Highness.¡±

    A reply coming from the audience hall even though she was suppose to be alone made Catalina turned her head sharply like a spring¡ª An unassuming man was standing there. He was the Director of the development workshop in ?aloudek Kingdom, who was also the inventor of the Levitate Ship, Horacio Collazo.

    ¡°... I sent everyone away, Lord Collazo. You might be an important man, but do you think anything you do would be forgiven?¡±

    The situation was strange. Before the fierce Catalina who was twisting her beautiful face, Horacio acted as it wasn¡¯t any of his business, and said frankly:

    ¡°Yes, I understand that of course. But with the danger we are facing, I need something to be approved by Your Highness no matter what, that¡¯s why I came.¡±

    Catalina hesitated for a moment, then sat onto the throne. She understood that now wasn¡¯t the time to mind such trivial matters, and she needed to prioritize taking actions.

    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t pursue the matter this time. I never imagined the Levitate Ships of the Steel Wing Knights would be sunk, we have to strengthen the remaining ships quickly. Kuscheperca won¡¯t let this chance slip by, there is no time to hesitate.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I am here¡­ just how did the enemy who caused such ridiculous damage fought? For the sake of the future, I would like to listen to the details. Your Highness, please allow me to interview the survivors¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t clear how Horacio thought of the current situation as a twisted smile appeared on his unassuming face. Catalina hesitated momentarily before making a swift decision:

    ¡°... Do as you please. But failure is unacceptable, we can¡¯t let anymore Levitate Ships sink. Since you proposed this, show me the proper results.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I wish for the Levitate Ships to be the masters of the skies too.¡±

    After a superficial bow, Horacio left. Catalina sighed deeply and collapsed onto the throne. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but they had a common consensus on the Levitate Ships. She could only pray that he could increase their combat capability significantly.

    She raised her head and immediately summoned a messenger, telling him:

    ¡°Bring me Doroteo Mardones right now."

    At this moment, a determination she had never shown before appeared on her face.

    ***

    Since the intense battle between the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army and the ?aloudek army in the outskirts of Missillier, the power map in eastern Kuscheperca changed drastically.

    The activities of the Silver Phoenix Knights in the region had gradually corroded ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s control over the territory, and the terrible defeat of the Black Skull Knights and Steel Wing Knights finally dissolved their hold on the land.

    After the remnant army of the old Kuscheperca army achieved unprecedented victory, they marched for the eastern governance house set up by the ?aloudek army in Fontaine. The lost of the Black Skull Knights and Steel Wing Knights, and the death of the Commander-in-Chief Crist¨®bal meant that the ?aloudek army couldn¡¯t spare the effort to stop their enemy. As the flags of the Kuscheperca were rose in the towns and cities along Pan-Kucher Road, the garrison unit in the governance house retreated without even raising their blade.

    The symbol of the ?aloudek Kingdom¡ª their eastern governance house fell just like that, which had widespread effect on the Kuscheperca territories under the ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s rule.

    Tzendrinble walked down the main street of Fontaine, and the people in the city were all shocked by the unfamiliar Centaur Knight. But when they saw it hoisting the flag of Kuscheperca, they returned to the streets timidly again.

    Behind the Tzendrinble was the infantry unit made up of Revantiers, and the Resvant Vido range attack unit. The citizens couldn¡¯t help bursting into cheers when they witness the grand formation of the Kuscheperca army that took back Fontaine.

    "What do you think, Princess Eleonora? This is what we won."

    Other than the pilot Chid, Princess Eleonora was also inside the cockpit of Tzendrinble. The Tzendrinble that was originally designed to be a two seater had a much more spacious cockpit than other Silhouette Knights. Aside from the main pilot seat, there was also space for a co-pilot.

    "¡­ Yes, we have won."

    Eleonora listened to the cheers that didn¡¯t lose out to the revving of the Silhouette Knights. The joy expressed by the citizens, their cheers for the Silhouette Knights and the occasional praise for the Princess. This scene was too embarrassing, making her cover her blushing face.

    Shortly after, the formation reached the end of the main street. Before them was the base of the old eastern territories¡ª Lacepede Castle. When she saw the castle she had some history with, she trembled slightly and turned stiff. A firm and strong voice came from behind her and said:

    "Don¡¯t worry, this is our castle now, we won¡¯t let you be locked up. I won¡¯t permit that.¡±

    "Yes, it is fine now¡­ I will be counting on you from now on, my knight.¡±

    When he heard Eleonora said that with absolute trust, Chid didn¡¯t know where to look. In the end, he kept his composure and had no mishap with his control, reaching the castle smoothly¡­

    "We have finally taken this place back, my love..."

    Inside the study room of Lacepede Castle, Martina caressed an old desk. The study remained the same after its owners changed, and didn¡¯t look any different from her memory. Lacepede Castle had finally returned to the hands of its original owner.

    ¡°However, because of ?aloudek, I have bad memories of this castle too."

    She smiled bitterly, and shifted her gaze outside the window, where the towers around the castle could be seen. Just a few months ago, there were held prisoners in these towers by the Second Prince of ?aloudek Kingdom, Crist¨®bal. Not just her, Martina¡¯s daughter Isabella felt conflicted about this too. The moment she entered the castle, she said¡ª

    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s demonish those towers.¡±

    Martina considered her opinion rather seriously, and would probably renovate those towers soon.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights and Kuscheperca main forces shift their base to Fontaine. They needed to disguise themselves as the Silver Phoenix Merchants or come here in Silhouette Gears in the past, but were free to walk in the streets now. Emrys immediately took a stroll outside to enjoy this new found freedom.

    ¡°Sure is nice not having to sneak around! It was really boring the last time I came. The view is much better without the classless Black Knights!¡±

    ¡°The roads from here to Mount Aubigne had all been recaptured, the crowd will return slowly.¡±

    Eru surveyed the scenery in agreement.

    The area of influence of the old Kuscheperca army extended from Missillier to Fontaine, and the Pan-Kucher Road had reverted to its original function. The messenger sent to Fremmevira Kingdom should have reported the result of this war by now. Commerce between the two Kingdoms should resume very soon, and Fontaine will become prosperous as it did in the past.

    Several days after the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army retook Fontaine¡ª

    Eleonora was in her own room, watching the streets outside the window. Because Fontaine had stabilized, it was regaining its vitality day by day. This was how Kuscheperca Kingdom actually was before the ?aloudek Kingdom attack. She burned this scene into her eyes and renewed her resolve. Moments later, Martina came to her side and said:

    ¡°Everyone is here¡­ Ellie, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Aunt, I won¡¯t run anymore.¡±

    She still felt unreliable, but the fire of determination was burning deep within her eyes. Martina watched her niece with gentle eyes, she slowly knelt and bowed.

    Inside the courtyard of Lacepede Castle, the nobles of the old Kuscheperca remnant army were gathered along with all members of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Their eyes fell on the star of this gathering. Eleonora could feel their feelings of anticipation, and was almost overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Even though she came here with resolve, her inherent soft personality still rear its head every now and again.

    Her gaze wavered, and finally found one person amongst the crowd¡ª A slender youth. The pilot of the Centaur Knight, the knight who swore fealty to her and promised her victory nodded once in response. With that encouragement, Eleonora finally took her last step.

    Eleonora clasped her hands tightly together, and said after surveying the crowd:

    ¡°There is something I want to tell everyone today.¡±

    All the chatter faded away, and everyone waited for Eleonora¡¯s next words with bated breath. She then made her move. Despite a little bit of trembling, her tone was filled with determination that was completely different from the past her, and slowly stated:

    ¡°I will¡­ inherit my father¡¯s will, and become the Queen of this nation. I have much to learn, but I believe in the strength of everyone¡­ and in this war. I¡­ Queen Eleonora Miranda Kuscheperca declare that we will rebuild our great fallen country¡ª in the name of the new Kuscheperca Kingdom!!"

    C.E. 1281. Winter is coming.

    News that the new Kuscheperca Kingdom had been founded, and the coronation of the new Queen spread across the Western League of Nations like wildfire.

    Although many countries felt confused about this sudden change, they realized one important fact¡ª

    The new monarch had the power to recapture their lost territory, and the ?aloudek Kingdom that was supposed to be more powerful was gradually losing their edge.

    The power struggle between the large nations would influence the west greatly. With the declaration as the turning point, the Western Grand Storm enters a new chapter.

    End of Volume 4

 Book 5: Prologue

    The perilous peaks that divide Zetterlund Continent in two ¡ª the Aubigne Mountain Range.

    With the tall mountains as the background, at its foot were the plains formed by forest clearings. On the ground that was exposed by brute force was a terrible scene of wreckage lying everywhere. They were cut, burned or pierced by sharp objects, and there were even those shattered by blunt trauma. All of them were seriously twisted out of shape, and impossible to tell how their original form was.

    On closer inspection, it should be clear that these wreckage resembles human limbs, broken helmets or other such artifacts. They were originally part of a ¡ºhumanoid¡». But curiously, no matter how hard one searched, two necessary parts of a human body couldn¡¯t be found anywhere: ¡ºflesh¡» and ¡ºblood¡». There were only crystal tissue, Inner Skeleton, armour and the silver nerves laid on top of them ¡ª That¡¯s right, these parts didn¡¯t belong to humans, but wreckage of giant humanoid weapons, ¡ºSilhouette Knights¡» which were forged from machines and magic.

    In this place that could be described as the cemetary of giants, apart from the occasional gusts of wind, it was devoid of any movements. As if the very land was silent and surrounded by serenity ¡ª

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    C.E. 1281

    The group of countries on the west of the Zetterlund Continent ¡ª the ¡ºWestern League of Nations, Occident¡» was embroiled in the devastation of war, an era future scholars called ¡ºWestern Grand Storm¡», which dragged many nations into large scale warfare.

    The first to sound the war drum was the renown powerhouse of the west, the ¡º?aloudek Kingdom¡». They rampaged through the alliance of several smaller countries, and set their sights on the other great nation in the region, ¡ºKuscheperca Kingdom¡». The ?aloudek Kingdom revealed their burning ambition, and launched a large scale invasion.

    In the beginning, the ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s tyrannical ways was just seen as the usual skirmishes of the past. As the two countries had similar disputes in the past, they had always been hostile towards each other. However, the situation developed beyond everyone¡¯s expectations and the clashes intensified with the scales tilting heavily to one side.

    The ?aloudek Kingdom used a never before seen aerial weapons, ¡ºLevitate Ships¡», and powerful new models of Silhouette Knights. Together with tactics that completely overturned the known conventions of warfare, they achieved blitz-like invasion with extraordinary precision. The Kuscheperca Kingdom lost their king which was equivalent to the heart of the nation in the opening battle. Losing the capital pushed the nation to the very brink. Those who rose up in unrelentless defiance was knocked down one by one by the powerful maces of the latest model of Silhouette Knights, the¡ºTyrant¡». The royals who barely escaped the capital was captured in fell swoop by the Levitate Ships waiting for them in the sky. The territory of the kingdom known as Kuscheperca in the past, would probably be annexed by the ?aloudek Kingdom in the near future ¡ª When everyone was certain that this would be the end, the appearance of an unpredictable element changed the entire situation.

    A few months after the war started, a group crossed the Aubigne Mountain Range and came to Kuscheperca. They call themselves the ¡ºSilver Phoenix Merchants¡», and stood in the way of ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s wild ambition.

    The Silver Phoenix Merchants ¡ª Their actual identity was actually the famous organization from Fremmevira Kingdom, the incarnation of violence, the ¡ºSilver Phoenix Knights¡» ¡ª They possessed powerful Silhouette Knights that could defeat the Black Knights from ?aloudek Kingdom. The moment they stepped onto the eastern border, they launched a ferocious attack against the ?aloudek Army garrisoned there. Their advance was unstoppable, and succeeded in rescuing the imprisoned Kuscheperca royals, a major setback for ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s schemes. With the ?aloudek Army in disarray, the Silver Phoenix Merchants assisted the remnants of the Kuscheperca army, and provided the plans for the new model of Silhouette Knights, the ¡ºRevantier¡». They even drew up a plan on how to battle the Levitate Ships.

    The infuriated commander in chief of the ?aloudek Army ¡ª Crist¨®bal, decided to mobilize a large number of units to crush the Kuscheperca remnants once and for all. The two sides finally clashed near ¡ºMissillier¡», which was near the eastern borders. After an intense battle that lasted an entire night, the Silver Phoenix Knights and the remnants of the old Kuscheperca army emerged triumphant. They devastated the main forces of the ?aloudek Army, the ¡ºBlack Skull Knights¡» and ¡ºSteel Wing Knights¡», and used the momentum to recover the key city of the eastern region, ¡ºFontaine¡».

    The old Kuscheperca army that had been reeling since the fall of their nation regained their vigor after winning a grand victory. The army gathered under the daughter of the late king, Princess ¡ºEleonora Miranda Kuscheperca¡». When she was coronated and became queen, she announced to the surrounding countries her intent to rebuild the ¡ºNew Kuscheperca Kingdom¡».

    C.E. 1282, the Western Grand Storm that appears to be winding up returned to its starting point once again, as the war was headed into the mist which no one could see through. The New Kuscheperca Kingdom who had just emerged victorious for a short time, and the ?aloudek Kingdom that was still formidable despite its defeat ¡ª Both nations continued to sharpen their fangs in the dark in order to win the next battle as they wait for the right opportunity.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    This place filled with the wreckage of Silhouette Knights was an ¡ºairport¡» used by the enemy for the take off and landing of their ¡ºLevitate Ship¡», which flew by using the mysterious effect of ether.

    The huge number of wreckage from giants almost filled up this place that was in no way small. If one looked carefully, they should be able to see the strange features on the wreckage. The armour had many minute similarities, which suggest that all the Silhouette Knights piled here was from the same model. It goes without saying that all these wreckage were from the fallen mass produced models of ?aloudek Kingdom, the¡ºTyrant¡». They were all destroyed during the ¡ºbattle of Missillier¡».

    The broken wreckage was gathered here because of a ¡ºcontract¡» between the ¡ºNew Kuscheperca Kingdom¡» and the ¡ºSilver Phoenix Knights¡». The content of their contract was as follows ¡ª ¡ºThe enemy Silhouette Knights defeated by the Silver Phoenix Knights will be recognized as the property of the Silver Phoenix Knights, as their reward for the battle¡».

    This meant that all these was the property of the Silver Phoenix Knights Knight Commander¡ºErnesti ¡¾Eru¡¿ Echevarria¡».

    It wasn¡¯t possible to line up the heavily damaged wreckage properly, so these inoperable Silhouette Knights were just dumped together in a pile. At best, their only use was melting the steel and reforging them. There was probably just one person in the entire Zetterlund Continent that would be happy to receive these scrap metal. And of course, that person would be Eru who has a unique hobby.

    And the subject himself was happily piloting his blue Motor Rad to dig for treasure within the pile of wreckage as tall as a hill. He was using the very first prototype model of Motor Rad, which didn¡¯t have any Magius engine, the ¡ºMotor Beat¡» model. He and the Motor Beat was filled with passion as he dismantled the wreckage he unearthed with his nimble hands as he kept digging through the pile.

    Moments later, he poked his head out of the pile with a huge amount of wreckage in his hands and said:

    ¡¸We have dismantled quite a number of spare parts, it¡¯s about time to carry them over there.¡¹

    ¡¸Huh ¡ª There is already this much!? Eru, you are working too hard!¡¹

    When Eru exclaimed happily, a voice of protest came from the other side of the pile. Just like him, she was piloting the Motor Beat model of the Motor Rad. The one who her hands on her hips and chest puffed out was his childhood playmate cum Silver Phoenix Knights Commander¡¯s aide ¡ºAdeltrud ¡¾Ady¡¿ Olter¡».

    Even though Ady was here to assist Eru, but it was still a laborious task to pilot a Motor Rad and accompany Eru who was completely immersed his dismantling work. She couldn¡¯t stand it, but Eru passionately pile the mangled pieces of spare parts onto a shelf and carried it away. This wasn¡¯t a task the two of them could handle without using Motor Rad.

    They got down from the small mountain of wreckage, and there was another Motor Rad down there doing all sorts of work, inspecting the spare parts brought to him by the other two carefully and sorting them. He was another childhood playmate of Eru, Knightsmith¡ºBatson Termonen¡».

    The dwarf Batson had a burly body. He was about Eru¡¯s height, but his built was almost twice as thick. He piloted the Motor Rad customized for craftsmen, ¡ºDwarves Fist¡», deftly controlling its four arms to inspect the spare parts before recording it down on paper.

    ¡¸Batson, how is it going? Here¡¯s a new batch.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm ¡ª It¡¯s going well. Ah, put the goods over there.¡¹

    The way he kept working on his task while answering distractedly was a little like Eru. Among Eru¡¯s childhood playmate, Batson was also a Silhouette Knights hobbyist that was hard to come by.

    After placing the shelf besides him, Eru stopped the Motor Beat. After the sound of compressed air gushing out, the armour on the torso opened and the petite Eru jumped out. He quickly moved towards Batson and looked at the notes he wrote, checking the results. From physical labour to mental work, he would work tirelessly on anything related to robots. Seeing the robot maniac jumping right into his next task, Ady could only shrug, jumped off the Motor Beat and weakly hugged Eru from behind.

    ¡¸I¡¯m so tired, Eru. I want to rest like this for a while to recover my motivation gauge?¡¹

    The way the petite youth fit right into her arms made Ady sighed in satisfaction. Although Motor Rad was capable of all kinds of work, it would using it for extended periods drain significant stamina and mana, which was a significant burden for the pilot. That might be so, but the training she went through in the pass wasn¡¯t so relaxed that she would be exhausted from such a trivial thing. However, this was a different matter, and everyone needed motivation. Eru supported the weight of Ady who was hanging onto him and tidied his messy hair.

    ¡¸Thank you for your hard work, Ady. Please have a good rest before the inspection results are out. We still need to continue the dismantling work after we¡¯re done here.¡¹

    ¡¸Eru is merciless and full of drive as usual¡­¡¹

    Eru didn¡¯t seem very concerned about Ady who looked haggard, and dove into the work of picking out spare parts. Ady knew him very well, so she didn¡¯t bother him and just hugged on tight. After looking at Eru¡¯s work for a while, she asked confusedly:

    ¡¸Eru, you seemed to be inspecting the same kind spare parts for a while now.¡¹

    ¡¸You can tell? Yes, this might be the core of their technology.¡¹

    At this moment, Batson who had been comparing all sorts of spare parts with the blueprints in his hand lift his head and said:

    ¡¸As expected! Hey Eru, look at the blueprints. Right here¡­ It looks the same, this is the same parts, the secret behind that ship flying lies right ¡ºhere¡»! ¡¹

    The blueprint details the core of the Levitate Ship that was captured in Missillier. It was the plans of the secret machine that makes the ship floats, the ¡ºEtheric Levitator¡».

    ¡¸Ohh, we have evidence to support our theory now. Maybe we have gotten the invitation to take to the sky!¡¹

    Eru stared at the spare part pointed out by Batson. It was found on the wreckages of the Black knights, a device with a crystal stone emitting dim rainbow coloured lights at its core. Eru caressed the device with his fingers, a smile gradually forming on his face. He was always filled with joy when he discover new functions and technology. Especially if it was related to Levitate Ships, and even more so for Silhouette Knights.

    ¡¸The ¡ºcrystal¡» thought to have no value in the pass¡­ which means, someone had found a value in them. Just what secret does it holds? I wish someone can answer me.¡¹

    ¡¸Eru is showing a devious smile again¡­¡¹

    What would Eru do if he grasp the secret of the crystal? It was clear without needing to sound it out. Ady and Batson could only looked at each other with a resigned expression. At this moment, a voice shouting their names loudly came from the other side of the hill of wreckage:

    ¡¸Hey, Silver boy and your little friend, where did you go!? Did you get buried here!? Really, piling these wreckages here is such a waste, just melt them all and reforge them.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, over here Boss, over here ¡ª ¡¹

    When he heard the response, the chief Knightsmith of the Silver Phoenix Knights ¡ª Boss ¡ºDavid Hepken¡» made his way over the wreckage hill painstakingly. David found Eru and his friends surrounded by spare parts at the foot of the hill, and sighed deeply:

    ¡¸¡­ Ho, you seem to be having a great time.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, because they look really, really?? delicious, I want to gobble them all up faster! ¡¹

    ¡¸Like giving catnip to a cat, giving these to the silver boy will hit just the right spot¡­ I was wondering why you lot are holing up here. Sigh, I guessed as much.¡¹

    Seeing Eru¡¯s dreamy smile as he stared at the wreckage passionately, the Boss could only shake his head. Eru was too energetic, and there was no need to worry about him. To him, this pile of wreckage was a mountain of treasure and a sumptuous meal. As he expected, Eru was engrossed in analyzing the wreckage.

    Eru¡¯s action might look as if he gives no regards to his position, but he wasn¡¯t just running amok, driven by his hobby. Putting it nicely, Knight Commander Echevarria was an authority in Silhouette Knights technology, but in actual fact, he was just a Silhouette Knight nerd. He expressed that ¡ª he was doing this in order to investigate the technology behind the ?aloudek Army. That might be so, it wasn¡¯t fine for a Knight Commander to abandon his duties and dive into a pile of junk metal.

    ¡¸The investigation might be important, but don¡¯t push yourself. If you strain your body and fall ill, things will become troublesome. And the development of the Revantier is done for now as we move into mass production phase, so there¡¯s no need to be so hasty.¡¹

    Like what the boss said, the testing and debugging of the latest model of machine, the ¡ºRevantier¡» had been completed. The results showed that it was ready to be mass producing, and it''s now heading into that phase. Both military and civilian workshops around Fontaine were operating at full capacity. Although the craftsmen were burdened with massive workload, their faces were cheerful and morale was high because of the founding of their new nation. Normally, the Silver Phoenix Merchants in charge of its design should become more free. But that didn¡¯t apply to Eru at all.

    ¡¸I understand but I¡¯m definitely not doing this only for the sake of sating my curiosity for the technology that ?aloudek possess especially because that weapon called Levitate Ship was never seen before not only can it fly but it also has the capability of transporting Silhouette Knights and is a serious threat analyzing and using them in live combat will benefit us too most importantly I¡¯m very happy that I can contribute to the advancement of all mankind and I want to better everyone¡¯s life so I want to study and learn everything from start to finish as soon as possible.¡¹

    ¡¸Alright alright, I get it. How long are you going to do this? ¡¹

    ¡¸Well¡­ I think I¡¯m about to grasp the core of the secret. Ah, please don¡¯t worry. Once I know what that wonderful secret is, I won¡¯t keep it to myself and will share the details with everyone!¡¹

    Seeing Eru saying all that excitedly with no intention of stopping, the Boss finally gave in:

    ¡¸Oh¡­ Oh, hmm, ahh, I get it, don¡¯t say any more. Just do as you want without exhausting yourself!¡¹

    The Boss also knew that it was useless to say anything to Eru when he was like this, they had spent so much time together after all. Fortunately, their enemy, the ?aloudek Kingdom didn¡¯t make any movement during this period. The situation would remain unchanged for the time being, so there wouldn¡¯t be any issue ¡ª The boss made this decision in half resignation.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    While Eru and the others had an enjoyable time during these days, on the other side far away from Fontaine, something happened in the (Old) Kuscheperca Kingdom capital, ¡ºDelvincourt¡».

    This city that fell into the ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s hand in the opening battle was now the symbol of their rule over Kuscheperca, where the ¡ºCentral governance house¡» was situated. It was once the capital of a nation, so there were all sorts of facilities within the city. The workshop zone was one of them, with plenty of large workshops that could maintain and build Silhouette Knights, a strategic location that supports a nation¡¯s military functions.

    The soldiers and Knightsmith of the ?aloudek Army scurry about by the feet of the Tyrant under maintenance. A man who seemed out of place walked over casually amidst the hustle and bustle. It wasn¡¯t just anyone, but the chief of the research and development workshop of ?aloudek Kingdom, ¡ºHoracio Collazo¡». He walked about the workshop to inspect ongoing works, and gave all sorts of instructions to the subordinates around him.

    ¡¸¡­Good, just do it this way right here. Yes, something like that would do. I will leave the rest to you, I have an important project in the workshop that requires my attention.¡¹

    After the founding of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom, or more specifically ¡ª after their defeat in Missillier, the ?aloudek Kingdom has been hastening to replenish the forces they had lost, and research ways to deal with the anti-Levitate Ship weapons used against them. If they don¡¯t solve this problem, they might completely lose the advantage they have in this war, so they pushed themselves to work as hard as they could. The craftsmen received all sorts of work order, and their workload increased with every passing day. Despite that, the supervisor of all these technicians left that place immediately after giving out a round of instructions.

    It was the same today, and the lower leveled craftsmen left behind sighed and proceed with their work slowly. If the instructions given by their supervisor wasn¡¯t clear enough, they would feel at a loss.

    Horacio was always wearing the same few sets of old clothes, and looked plain and unimpressive. That might be so, he was still the inventor of the Levitate Ship and was undisputedly learned as a technician. If not, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take on the job of workshop chief.

    Horacio gave the instructions to his subordinates and left the zone where the workshops were, and headed into the workshop specially prepared for him. In there was the results of the experiments that had been conducted there since they first learned that a Levitate Ship got sunk.

    ¡¸The decimation of the Steel Wing Knights resulted in the Levitate Ships losing their position as the masters of the sky. Even if we build more of the same ship, it would still be dangerous. It was just invented not long ago too. It¡¯s sure hard to make a living in this line.¡¹

    He seemed uninterested in his own grumbles and walked towards the strange machine secured in the center of the workshop. It was a ¡ºcylindrical shaped¡» machine, with silver nerves and silver plates with graph emblems on them attached to it in a complicated manner.

    ¡¸Well then, I need to hurry up and finish this ¡ºpropulsion device¡»¡­¡¹

    Earlier, Horacio asked for a lot of intel from Doroteo Mardones and the Black Skull Knights who survived, and he was very intrigued about one of the reports.

    ¡¸He actually spit out ¡ºexplosive flames¡» from all over his body to perform abnormally fast acceleration¡­ and that Silhouette Knight even flew into the air...!? And that thing also destroyed my!?¡¹

    That Silhouette Knights couldn¡¯t be described as with just ¡ºabnormal¡», it had demon god like prowess, and was the main reason why the Steel Wing Knights and their fleet of Levitate Ships were destroyed.

    ¡¸Flew, a Silhouette Knight flew! Stop kidding with me. If a Silhouette Knight can fly as it wished, then what¡¯s the point of making Etheric Levitators!?¡¹

    He manipulated the control stick on the device agitatedly. The groan of the external ether reactor became louder, and the device used to devour the mana stored within the crystal tissue started up quickly. Soon, the air intake valve that used the designs of an ether reactor wailed loudly and sucked in air. A magical phenomenon occurred in accordance to the scripts on the emblem graphs. It was linked to a basic fire sigil ¡ª and the compressed air turned into explosive flames, and shot out in one direction as guided by the script.

    The glaring light of the explosive flames cast a dark shadow on that man¡¯s face.

    ¡¸Erupting in flames and taking to the sky¡­ Using flames! He used the flame magic to¡­! That fellow ¡ºabsorbed the explosive force, and used the reactionary force to move¡»!! Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­ How can there be such a genius fool!? The person who made this is definitely wrong in the head!!¡¹

    The air blast created by the explosive flame ¡ª maybe it was more appropriate to call it a jet spell, was as powerful as an overt level spell. It almost blew the whole device away. If it wasn¡¯t secured tightly to the ground, it would probably have crashed into the walls of the workshop.

    When using explosive spells, one usually wouldn¡¯t ignite it near themselves. Because the user would be caught in the blast, so doing so intentionally wasn¡¯t something a normal person would consider. It was too twisted and insane.

    Horacio¡¯s face twisted as he kept laughing out loud. No matter how one looked at it, directing the explosive flames that would result in one¡¯s destruction with any misstep as a mean of propulsion was suicidal. It even stunned someone like him who was clearly abnormal. While he felt respect towards the enemy engineer who turned this insane concept into reality, he was also engulf in unhinged jealousy.

    ¡¸Levitate Ship had to make use of the ¡ºPure Ether usage theory¡» to soar in the sky! But that fool flew with just the power of explosive flames!! Fufu, haha! The theory my people thought up lost to a mere fool!?¡¹

    From the results of the investigation, Horacio knew that the enemy Silhouette Knights was moving by using the flames shooting out if it. He deduced just from that that the reactionary force of the explosion was used, showing his incredible imagination and there was no doubt that he was a genius. Maybe ¡ª Only those with crazy obsession for something could understand this.

    ¡¸A propelling force far more powerful than wind power created through mana! If we can harness this power¡­ we will have enough power to launch ¡ºthat thing¡».¡¹

    It was very possible that his imitation of a magius jet thruster might become the most powerful propulsion system ever. There was only one conclusion that could be drawn from this, which was a bigger, more powerful ¡ª

    Before he realized it, the crystal tissue that had expanded its mana stopped turning the propellor. Horacio approached the machine once again with a deep smile on his face.

    ¡¸Once ¡ºthat thing¡» obtains a complete body, it will definitely clutch everything in the sky under its claws. That¡¯s right, the entire sky belongs to me¡­!! If I complete this, I won¡¯t need to be bothered by such trivial matters anymore¡­! Ahh, win or lose, can¡¯t this boring war just end already? Then I can soar in the sky as much as I wish!¡¹

    This engineer who has his sights set on the sky was driven only by his own ideals, and didn¡¯t care which nation wins or loses, or give any regard to the life or others. It wasn¡¯t clear if it was fortunate or unfortunate, but no one noticed his madness.

    The Western Grand Storm ¡ª The most prominent characteristic of this war was the commitment of many new technologies. The engineers of the two greatest powers, ?aloudek Kingdom and New Kuscheperca Kingdom, both have abnormally large contributions, bringing further chaos into this war.

 Book 5: Chapter 38: New Kuscheperca Kingdom Army Advance

    The Birth of the Flying Dragon Arc

    The clouds moved peacefully in the sky, and the wind softly caressed the smooth hair of the girl sitting in her chair.

    She put down her teacup gently, and got up unhurriedly with her hand pressing on her hair. She approached the railing slowly, and the sights below expanded before her eyes.

    In front of her was the ¡ºLacepede Castle¡», known for its four towers, and the city that seemed to radiate out from the castle ¡ª this was the the capital of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom, ¡ºFontaine¡».

    The city which was lifeless under ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s rule had returned to the hands of its original owners, and was slowly regaining its vigour. This was because it had renewed commerce with Fremmevira Kingdom, which was on the eastern side of the Aubigne Mountain Range along the ¡ºEast-West Highway¡», Occident Road

    This trade route was a blessing for the citizens, and also a lifeline for the new Kingdom that was having a hard time.

    ¡¸The city and our nation is gradually returning to the way it was¡­¡¹

    This girl was ¡ºEleonora Miranda Kuscheperca¡», the queen of New Kuscheperca Kingdom who was just coronated a few days ago.

    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Your Majesty?¡¹

    At this moment, someone spoke with her softly. It was a knight with a strange staff and silver short sword hanging from his waist. It was clear that he was a ¡ºpilot¡» of Silhouette Knights from how lightly he was dressed. Eleonora¡¯s melancholic face turned gentle.

    ¡¸¡­¡­Mr Archid.¡¹

    In contrast to the smiling queen, the young pilot ¡ºArchid?Olter¡» who spoke seemed to be at a lost.

    ¡¸Erm, I already told you¡­ Your Majesty, I¡¯m just a mere knight, you don¡¯t need to address me as ¡ºMister¡»¡­¡¹

    ¡¸No, Mr Archid, this is not a matter of our positions, this is my personal preference¡­ And you don¡¯t need to stand on ceremony, just talk to me naturally like we first met¡­ Can¡¯t you do that?¡¹

    Eleonora¡¯s face became depressed in an instant. Chid scratched his head, wondering what he should do.

    That was back when she was still a princess that had fallen into the clutches of the ?aloudek Kingdom. The Silver Phoenix Knights attacked in order to rescue the imprisoned royals. During that mission Chid swore an oath to Eleonora, saying that he will be her knight and fight for her.

    She seem to trust him a lot too ¡ª that was great, but her attitude seemed very intimate. The busybody Knight Commander and even the young master ordered him to hold the title of Eleonora¡¯s personal knight on top of his position as a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    He had been acting as her escort recently, and when the two of them were together, Eleonora¡¯s mischievous actions got Chid spinning in circles.

    ¡¸That¡¯s a bit¡­ No, it¡¯s not really a problem. Eh, leaving that aside, I saw you sighing. Are you worried about something?¡¹

    Eleonora put her hand on her cheek as if she was surprised.

    ¡¸Nothing, I¡¯m just thinking it¡¯s great that Fontaine had regained its vigour¡­¡¹

    Despite what she said, her expression still looked stiff. Chid tilted his head in doubt and turned his sights to the scenery beyond the railings.

    They were at the balcony at the top of Lacepede Castle. This place was usually plain with just simple decor, but now it has an aura of extravagancy.

    There were tables full of all sorts of snacks everywhere. Maids bustled between the participants chatting happily, refilling the drinks for everyone. There was a small scale tea party going on right now.

    ¡¸Ah ¡ª ! The two of you are chatting at that place again. Hey, the tea will get cold okay?¡¹

    With a cake in one hand, Ady interrupted the two who were at a loss for words. The maids behind her were preparing to switch the tea that had turned cold. Ady stared at Eleonora, then suddenly held her hand.

    ¡¸Really now, Ellie. It is a waste of your cute face if you keep lowering your head! Here, have some delicious cake and cheer up!¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s true. Pardon me, Miss Ady. I can¡¯t be so down even at a time like this¡­ I have decided to be positive and look straight ahead. Fufu, let¡¯s enjoy the cake.¡¹

    They might be about the same age, but Ady¡¯s attitude was rather brazen towards a reigning queen. Chid was troubled by how his younger sister was acting, but the people around them didn¡¯t seem to mind. Eleonora herself was all smiles as she helped Ady fill her plate with cake. Her demeanour was too different from what was expected of a ¡ºqueen¡», she was just like a normal girl.

    ¡¸Haha, aside from us, no one else will see this. Don¡¯t hold back and just enjoy yourself.¡¹

    ¡ºMartina Alt Kuscheperca¡» looked at them with a smile. She was now the ruler of Lacepede Castle in her husband¡¯s stead, and also acting as the deputy of the queen. Because she had been helping Eleonora so closely in recent times, she understood how heavy the burden on her was.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right? the tea and cakes are delicious!¡¹

    ¡¸You are being too unrestrained¡­¡¹

    They didn¡¯t need to worry about etiquette for this tea party, but Ady wasn¡¯t being modest at all. As the vague idea that ¡ºit¡¯s true that being too polite is suffocating¡» surfaced on Chid¡¯s mind, a piece of cake suddenly appeared before him.

    ¡¸Mr Archid, would you like some cake?¡¹

    ¡¸Uwah!? Ah, alright, I will be happy to¡­ Eh, can you, put it on a plate, I will eat it myself¡­¡¹

    For some reason, the cake wasn¡¯t on a plate, but offered to him on a fork. Chid had an ominous feeling and tried to dissuade her, but his resistance was weak and futile before Eleonora¡¯s gentle smile.

    ¡¸Here, please eat it just like this.¡¹

    Chid was overwhelmed by her smiling aura, and braced himself after a short while.

    Queen Eleonora lived a sheltered life since she was little, up until the drastic change brought about by the war. When she recovered from her depression, she gradually learned to take on the responsibility of a queen, and how to play this role. But perhaps this was the result of her stress, she would occasionally show her mischievous side, especially when she was with Chid.

    ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s great to see Ellie being so lively!¡¹

    ¡ºEmrys Geijer Fremmevira¡» nodded strongly as he looked at the next table that was going beyond ¡ºlively¡», and gradually getting rowdy. He then grabbed the snacks on the table and attempted to put it into his mouth. But ¡ºIsadora Adalina Kuscheperca¡» sitting besides him slapped his hand.

    ¡¸Sigh, Rys-nii is so crude as usual. You have to eat properly with a knife and fork.¡¹

    ¡¸Eating small mouthfuls isn¡¯t my style.¡¹

    Emrys had no choice with Isadora intimidating him with a stiff face and sharp gaze. He stuck his fork into the cake, and stuff the entire slice into his mouth. Isadora could only nurse her forehead and sigh after witnessing this scene.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    When the tea party participants took a break after a while, Eru suddenly appeared.

    ¡¸Sorry I¡¯m late.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re finally here! This way, here, there¡¯s still cake?¡¹

    Ady quickly prepared the refreshments and patting the seat besides her, Eru obediently sat down by her side. After taking a big mouthful of the tea Ady offered him, he exhaled with satisfaction.

    Ahh, both people besides me are so cute¡­ How blissful!

    Ady was seated between Eru and Eleonora, and couldn¡¯t hide the joy in her heart as she smiled gleefully ¡ª let¡¯s ignore her for now.

    ¡¸The tea tastes delicious after a day of hard work.¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you for your hard work, Lord Echevarria, your help is much appreciated in all sorts of ways.¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it, I was only late to the party because I was having too much fun collecting data.¡¹

    In contrast to the Kuscheperca side who showed an apologetic face, the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights adopted the attitude of ¡¸here goes the knight commander again¡¹. In actual fact, Eru would have dived into his research relentlessly if he was left alone.

    A short moment later, Martina and Eleonora¡¯s expression turned serious. This tea party was held in order for Eleonora to take a breather, but it was also for an important discussion.

    ¡¸¡­¡­Lord Echevarria, I would like to discuss something with you.¡¹

    ¡¸Addressing me as ¡ºLord¡» makes me uneasy. The old master did entrust me with a knight order, but I don¡¯t hold any peerage. Please address me like you usually do.¡¹

    The ¡ºknights¡» in this world wasn¡¯t an aristocratic title, but ¡ºpilots¡» with the skills to man Silhouette Knights.

    His opening sentence made Eleonora dumbfounded. She was still inexperienced as a queen, and even if that wasn¡¯t the case, this youth named ¡ºErnesti Echevarria¡» was an unfathomable existence.

    He was 17 just like Eleonora, but was as small in stature as she was despite being a man, and had a cute face that would make others mistake him for a girl. His slender body might seem unrelated to violent affairs at a glance, but he was actually the strongest pilot in his knight order. Just his machine ¡ºIkaruga¡» alone had exceptional performance, the amazing battle merits he achieved in the battle of Missillier earned him the nickname of death god and demon god, feared by friend and foe alike.

    Kuscheperca knew very well that Silhouette Knights were more important to him than anything else, and he would act on the incredible values he holds. He would expand his energy on nonsensical things at times. Enhancing his allies¡¯ Silhouette Knights or developing the Missile Javelin was all fine, but taking the wreckage of every single enemy machine he defeated is going a bit out of control.

    On top of that, he was the knight commander of the strongest fighting force behind the resurgence of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom ¡ª the Silver Phoenix Knights. For the people from Kuscheperca, the existence of the ¡ºSilver Phoenix Knights¡» was filled with mysteries. In order to lend his aid, Martina¡¯s nephew Emrys brought this knight order from Fremmevira Kingdom, and they were a group that couldn¡¯t be judged by common sense and don¡¯t play by the established rules.

    They possessed the most powerful and advanced Silhouette Knights as well as the unique Centaur Knights, and took pride in their top notch combat capability. This alone made them highly regarded, and they provided the technology to forge new models of Silhouette Knights, and successfully defeated the then unknown weapon ¡ª the Levitate Ship. Their actions had gone far beyond what was expected of a ¡ºknight order¡». Even Queen Eleonora had to show her best hospitality when interacting with their knight commander.

    Normally, the queen should be negotiating with Emrys, the second prince of Fremmevira Kingdom, but things weren¡¯t that simple. Compared to Emrys who was royalty, the knight commander¡¯s words seemed to hold more weight with the Silver Phoenix Knights. They might be taken aback by him at times or treat him with a casual attitude, but it was certain that their trust in each other was infallible.

    And so, Eleonora had to face this knight commander who was as strong as a monster, despite not holding any peerage. For the Western League of Nations (Occident) where the values of birthrights and Aristocracy was deeply rooted, the very existence of this youth didn¡¯t make sense. And she had to receive him on a higher level protocol than that of a royal.

    ¡¸¡­ Then I will address you as Mr Ernesti.¡¹

    After hesitating momentarily, Eleonora decided to treat him respectfully as Chid¡¯s friend. This was more restraining than he expected, causing Eru to cast a questioning gaze to the person behind her. Chid shook his head without a word.

    ¡¸¡­ Alright, if that pleases Your Majesty.¡¹

    Eleonora¡¯s expression relaxed, and she took a shallow breath before getting right to the point:

    ¡¸The matter I wish to discuss is about the Silhouette Knights wreckage currently in Mr Ernesti¡¯s possession.¡¹

    The New Kuscheperca Kingdom and the Silver Phoenix Merchant had a contractual agreement with regards to the enemy forces that had been defeated. During the battle with these giant humanoid weapons, the destroyed machines were important spoils of war. Parts from the broken machines could be repurposed and in most situation, the stubbornly tough core parts could be installed directly into another machine.

    The problem was that the war merit of the Silver Phoenix Knights were too great. The Silver Phoenix Knights with Ikaruga leading the charge decimated one enemy brigade with just a company. And now, these wreckages were in their possession.

    ¡¸The new nation we have rebuilt needs to expand our forces and launch a counteroffensive against the ?aloudek Kingdom. To do so¡­ We need more Silhouette Knights, every single one counts.¡¹

    Following the Resvant Vido, the Kuscheperca Kingdom committed the powerful new machine model, the ¡ºRevantier¡», but those were just rushed prototypes to make up the numbers. Despite the workshops in Fontaine and the neighbouring towns working round the clock, it won¡¯t be able to muster the needed numbers. As for the Tower Knights(Resvant Vido) that made up most of their forces, they weren¡¯t suited for attacks due to their incredibly slow movements. Before they forge enough Revantiers, they couldn¡¯t take the initiative and attack. Be it the cores or the steel, they needed as much resources as possible.

    ¡¸Hence, we would like to reforge the wreckages that has been transferred under Mr Ernesti¡¯s name, and add them to our numbers.¡¹

    Eru and the entire Silver Phoenix Knights came from Martina¡¯s hometown ¡ª Fremmevira Kingdom, and were here on loan, providing assistance in anything they could. But the New Kuscheperca Kingdom didn¡¯t command authority over them as they were here only to help. And so, they needed to be treated delicately.

    ¡¸The enemy still has many of our nobles under their control, so we¡¯re stuck in this dire situation of having insufficient forces. This might be a breach of our contract¡­ But please give us your aid...¡¹

    ¡¸Alright, I understand.¡¹

    Eru accepted it without any fuss with a smile. Eleonora and the others were caught off guard, but they turned tense quickly. They had gradually realized that this youth¡¯s smile was rather dangerous.

    And without letting down everyone¡¯s expectations (?), Eru added further¡ª

    ¡¸Let me see, how about this? No matter how good we are in building Silhouette Knights, it would be too much of a hassle to deal with that many wreckages. Considering the time and effort needed to reforge them, I will hold on to some. I¡¯ll loan the rest to your Kingdom¡¯s war efforts. What do you think?¡¹

    Their worries appeared to be unfounded, Eru¡¯s answer was completely within the acceptable realm of common sense.

    ¡¸Thank you, we will have enough forces now¡­¡¹

    Eleonora was just about to breath a sigh of relief, but Eru wasn¡¯t finished yet. What he said next made Eleonora¡¯s entire body tense:

    ¡¸¡­The Silhouette Knights I loan out will then be considered a part of my forces, and our contract will still be in effect¡­Since the enemy defeated by our forces will become my possession ¡ª so this will be applicable to the machines I loaned out too correct?¡¹

    They quickly realized Eru¡¯s intention. As long as the contract was in effect, with every enemy they defeat, the number of machines belonging to the Silver Phoenix Knights will increase.

    When the reforged machines return to the battlefield, they would then defeat even more enemies ¡ª a vicious cycle that would continue until all the enemy forces were wiped out would be established.

    Not just Eleonora, even Martina was left speechless as they stared at the gleeful youth. Eru was acting like he usually does, which meant ¡ª this youth was seriously planning to devour an entire nation.

    ¡¸Hey Silver commander, look at what you¡¯ve done, aunt doesn¡¯t even know how to react! You¡¯re making things too difficult for them!¡¹

    When the scene was shrouded by a strange atmosphere, Emrys who couldn¡¯t read the mood suddenly grabbed Eru¡¯s head. As they watched Eru¡¯s hair being ruffled, they laughed at the same time.

    ¡¸Fufu, I¡¯m just kidding. Even with that many wreckages, it will just increase the workload in transportation and reforging, and give me a headache. And so, let¡¯s change the terms in the contract, and leave it for negotiation after the new Kingdom is rebuilt. And of course, we will loan out the reforged machines to you. After all, we can¡¯t miss out on this chance to attack the ?aloudek Kingdom.¡¹

    Eru finally escaped from Emrys clutches, and said calmly as he tidied his messy hair.

    ¡¸And compared to broken Silhouette Knights, I prefer ones that can move.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, is that so? Make sense¡­ Thank you for your assistance, Ernesti.¡¹

    Martina who was beside the stiff queen finally recovered from her speechless state. Even though Kuscheperca got what they wanted from the negotiation, they didn¡¯t feel at ease. Eru said he was kidding, but no one present thinks that was really a joke.

    Compared to the shuddering Kuschepercas, the Silver Phoenix Knights seemed to be used to this. Because when Silhouette Knights were involved, their knight commander might really devour an entire nation.

    ¡¸Hey Silver commander, don¡¯t bully my aunt and cousins!¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re saying that. This is just a little joke to lighten the mood so everyone can relax.¡¹

    ¡¸It obviously made everyone more tensed instead.¡¹

    Emrys reached out to grab his head again, but Eru escaped out of his arm range. However, he was nabbed by Ady who was on the other side. She held him tightly in her arms and tidied his ruffled hair. The Kuscheperca royals still didn¡¯t understand if the knight commander was being treated with respect or casually. But from the looks of things, they would need to keep up their relationship with the cute and scary knight commander.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    In the past, the Pan-Kucher road was an important road that run across the old Kuscheperca Kingdom. Even after the ?aloudek Kingdom conquered most of these territories and the New Kuscheperca Kingdom was founded, this remains the same. It was difficult to travel within ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s circle of influence, but there were plenty of laden cargo going about in the cities of the new Kuscheperca kingdom.

    In accordance to their discussion a few days ago, the Silver Phoenix Knights handed the wreckages of the enemy Silhouette Knights to the new Kingdom. Despite being wreckages, there were still many recyclable parts, as well as core parts such as Ether Reactors and Magius engines. In most cases, they could be installed for use immediately.

    Using these resources as the foundation, the new Kingdom did everything they could to rebuild their forces. Not just the area around Fontaine, they tapped on the workshops in each of the regions to forge the latest model of machine, Revantier.

    During the battle of Missillier, the new kingdom and the Silver Phoenix Knights defeated the enemy commander Prince Crist¨®bal. That might be so, but most of Kuscheperca¡¯s territories still lies in the hand of ?aloudek Kingdom, and didn¡¯t make too much of a dent on their overwhelming forces. If they want to go on the counteroffensive, the most important thing would be to muster enough numbers. On the side note, in their rush to increase production numbers, many of the Revantier made in this period had spare parts taken directly from the Tyrant installed in them. If it didn¡¯t affect performance, they would ignore it most of the time.

    And so, the completed Revantiers were despatched to the various territories of the new kingdom. The preparation for the counteroffensive, or maybe the fight to defend the land of the new kingdom was about to begin.

    A convoy of carriages galloped along the streets, kicking up clouds of dust behind it.

    This was one of the transport units sending the Silhouette Knights towards the frontlines within the ?aloudek Kingdom. This special unit have gigantic carriages that could ferry giant humanoid weapons ¡ª the Revantier which were 10m tall. And the thing towing these carriages weren¡¯t ordinary horses, but machines with the upper torso of a man and the lower torso of a horse. Standing 15m tall, they were the Centaur Knights ¡ºTzendrinble¡».

    When transporting Silhouette Knights, the norm was to assemble the components partially and load them into several carriages, and then finishing the assembly at the destination. Another way would be to assemble the machine and then let it walk by itself. Both methods need plenty of effort and time, but there was a unit with outstanding performance during this transportation process. And of course, that would be the company (10 units) of Centaur Knights from the 3rd company of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    Tzendrinble¡¯s speed was exceptional amongst Silhouette Knights, and when equipped with carriages, it had excellent transportation capabilities, and could send Silhouette Knights to various destinations speedily. The production speed of the new Kingdom was increasing but their transportation speed remained stagnant, so the aid of these centaur knights were invaluable. Many of the soldiers in the frontlines were still putting up a stubborn defence with the modified Resvant Vido, so the powerful new models were a welcome addition anywhere.

    The 3rd company was also galloping along the road on a transport mission today when this incident happened.

    ¡¸¡­ All units be on alert, something¡¯s coming!¡¹

    The captain of the 3rd company ¡ºHelvi Oberg¡» shouted through the loudspeakers, and then looked closely at the holo monitor in her machine.

    ¡¸Sigh, it¡¯s obvious who¡¯s coming.¡¹

    The team members realized the true identity of the disturbance immediately ¡ª and a black ship appeared in the corner of the sky, the Levitate Ship.

    As its silhouette becomes clearer, the ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s flags drawn on the sails on both sides of the ship could be seen.

    The Levitate Ships unit from ?aloudek Kingdom ¡ª the Steel Wing Knights suffered tremendous losses during the battle of Missillier and was wiped out. That didn¡¯t mean all the Levitate Ships were lost, but they couldn¡¯t despatch large scale operation any more. On the other hand, there had been an increase in the frequencies of such small scale guerilla attacks.

    The Levitate Ships could move without being constrained by terrain, and were elusive as usual. They didn¡¯t attack the strongholds, and were repeatedly harassing the transport teams without rest.

    ¡¸I thought they prefer clashing head on, but they are good at playing such dirty tricks too? How despicable!¡¹

    It was natural for Helvi to feel annoyed. The Levitate Ship units from the ?aloudek Kingdom learned their lesson from failure and stopped using airdrop tactics. Instead of dropping off Silhouette Knights, their primary means of offence had changed to aerial attacks. However, the Levitate Ship only form of anti-ground attacks were ¡ºcatapults¡».

    The accuracy of the catapults were low. It couldn¡¯t even hit a horse drawn carriage that¡¯s on the move. Simply put, the attacks launched by the Levitate Ship weren¡¯t very effective, and were harrassing at best.

    ¡¸Come on, picking trouble with us every single time, what a pain. And shaking them off¡­ seems unlikely.¡¹

    The Tzendrinble might be fast, but it didn¡¯t stand much of a chance against the airborne Levitate Ship. Even if there was just one ship, the enemy having air superiority was still a troubling thing.

    ¡¸Everyone, beware of stone bombardments! I don¡¯t think they will hit so easily¡­ Huh?¡¹

    Like usual, they¡¯re probably here to harass us ¡ª But their prediction was overturned quickly.

    The Levitate Ship turned and pursue the 3rd company from behind, and will then commence stone bombardment when they reached 3rd company¡¯s flank ¡ª That should be happening, but it was different this time. The Levitate Ship unleashed a crimson and ferocious¡ºmagic projectile¡»

    Projectiles were fired continuously, landing in close proximity of the 3rd company and bursting into explosive flames. After the initial shock, the 3rd company quickly realized that this encounter was different than usual.

    ¡¸What!? They are attacking with Silhouette Arms!? Is that¡­¡¹

    Her ominous feeling turned true. Helvi turned back and saw a cylinder protruding from the Levitate Ship. Not only was it huge, it¡¯s outline was very familiar, so she could discern it even from far away.

    ¡¸Resvant Vido¡­ a pirated version? Whatever that is, this means the enemy has made a model with Wizard Style.¡¹

    While they were still shaken, more magic projectiles were fired from the Levitate Ship, casting more explosion around them. The unit couldn¡¯t evade them forever with their heavy cargo in tow.

    ¡¸Captain! If this goes on¡­!!

    ¡¸I know, we can¡¯t let them take pot shots at us so freely. We are hitting back, let them have a taste of our wrath!!¡¹

    On the captain¡¯s command, several of the Tzendrinbles deployed their back weapons. The tips of the weapons on the guide rails were pointed to the sky. These were ¡ºMissile Javelins¡» powered by jets ¡ª anti-air weapon, the ¡ºVertical launched javelin thrower¡».

    The 3rd company¡¯s excellent performance in transportation had already been explained, and their results were also top notched. It wasn¡¯t just their transportation capability, their possession of the anti-air Missile Javelins also played a big part. To counter the Levitate Ships, a few units in the company would always be outfitted with Missile Javelins and Vertical launched javelin throwers. The equipment also includes spare javelins and Silhouette Gears responsible for reloading the javelins, and was a substantial load to carry. Even though it eats into the precious cargo space, they couldn¡¯t let their guard down against attacks by the Levitate Ships.

    ¡¸Aim! Fire! Let them know who they¡¯re messing with!¡¹

    The Missile Javelin flew out with an intense fiery trail behind it. It was connected to the Silhouette Knight with silver nerves, and could change directions freely as controlled by the pilot. It aimed for the Levitate Ship and started accelerating hard. The armour of the Levitate Ship alone wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to stop a fully accelerated javelin. The Levitate Ship was large in size, and wouldn¡¯t be fazed by just a few javelins. But if they could destroy the ¡ºEtheric Levitator¡» which levitates the ship, it would definitely be sunk. During the battle of Missillier, many ships fell this way.

    In the face of the hail of Missile Javelins, the Levitate Ship could only flee ¡ª Everyone thought so too, but what happened next gave a huge shock to the 3rd company.

    ¡¸That can¡¯t be!?¡¹

    There was a flash of light in the sky along with a booming sound. Thunder in such clear weather was unnatural, and was definitely triggered by magic. The lightning was as powerful as an overed spell, and hit the Missile Javelin accurately as if they were guided. The javelins hit by the lightning spell directly were destroyed and knocked down.

    Even so, the defences of the lighting strike wasn¡¯t perfect. Aside from the few that were knocked down, most of the Missile Javelins passed through the lightning strike and pierced into the Levitate Ship.

    In the end, the Levitate Ship left the stunned 3rd company behind and disengaged. The javelins damaged the ship¡¯s hull, but it wasn¡¯t critical. It wouldn¡¯t be so sure if it takes a few more hits. Fleeing might appear cowardly, but it was a wise decision.

    Helvi watched the Levitate Ship flying away, still unable to recover from her shock.

    ¡¸¡­ They blocked a few Missile Javelins with lightning¡­!?¡¹

    This had complicated implications, spelling the end of the absolute advantage of their anti air weapon, and indirectly represents the Levitate Ship regaining their air superiority. It also further implies that the ?aloudek Kingdom would be striking back, and the situation would turn for the worse for the new kingdom.

    ¡¸The enemy isn¡¯t waiting around idly like retards either. We have to report our encounter with that weird ship to the commander as soon as possible.¡¹

    The Tzendrinbles turned around and galloped off. After they delivered the Revantier to the frontlines, they would bring news about the new Levitate Ship model and the machine specializing in magic projectiles back to Fontaine.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    While the 3rd company was running around the nation delivering Revantiers, the 1st and 2nd company of the Silver Phoenix Knights were rushing to the borders of New Kuscheperca Kingdom, the frontlines against the ?aloudek Kingdom. On paper, the Silver Phoenix Knights was still a unit on loan from the Fremmevira Kingdom, which would lead to many inconveniences. Hence, they were bestowed the title of ¡ºQueen Eleonora¡¯s special knight unit¡». By the way, they still retained their name as the Silver Phoenix Merchants.

    With the new kingdom¡¯s organization chart still incomplete, the Silver Phoenix Knights was the only unit fully equipped with the next generation of ¡ºEastern Mode¡» machines ¡ª a name that came from it¡¯s place of origin ¡ª and has plenty of experience piloting them. As the strongest unit of the new kingdom, they would also provide lessons to the local knights who were new to these machines. This made the unit welcomed wherever they go.

    The 1st company of the Silver Phoenix Knights led by¡ºEdgar? C ?Blanche¡» crossed the borders of the new kingdom and headed into the stronghold of the ?aloudek Kingdom. This unit didn¡¯t have any slow Tower Knights with them, and comprises of Revantiers. The duty of a knight was to guard their territory, but they couldn¡¯t rest on their laurels. They protec, but they also attac.

    The powerful Silver Phoenix Knights launched such attacks frequently, recapturing the territories that were lost.

    ¡¸This isn¡¯t a small stronghold like the ones we encountered last time, the enemy will resist stubbornly. Everyone, advance with caution!¡¹

    Edgar¡¯s command was acknowledged by the team members behind him, they had taken down several small strongholds before. For the giant humanoid weapons Silhouette Knights, half hearted forts weren¡¯t much of a defence. It had nothing to do with being the attacker or the defender, the battle would be decided by the match between the Silhouette Knights. Only a fort protected by thick walls built along defensive lines would make a difference in a stronghold attack.

    And that was exactly how this stronghold which was built on a hill. It was situated between the forest and uneven grounds, and the paths leading towards it were limited.

    The 1st company and machines from the new kingdom raised their shields and continued their march towards the stronghold, moving into catapult range ¡ª wary of any attack that might come at them at any moment. Finally, the enemy appeared within their sights. The large figures of the black knights blocked the path leading to the fort, they had huge shields and seemed to have enhanced defences. The 1st company launched attacks with their Silhouette Arms, but it was ineffective against the Tyrants armed with their huge shields.

    ¡¸As expected of large machines specializing in defence, they are really sturdy.¡¹

    The black knights already have thick armour, so staying put and focusing on defence would maximize their advantage. They utilized the terrain and concentrated the black knights where the road was the narrowest, in a formation that negates their opponents offences. If the heavily armoured black knights prioritize on their defences, even the 1st company wouldn¡¯t be able to break through. The terrain constraints made it hard for them to flank behind the enemy for an effective attack. In the end, the new kingdom army retreated right before the sun started to set.

    ¡¸This type of fort is hard to break through.¡¹

    ¡¸And the enemies are black knights that completely blockaded the road.¡¹

    The ?aloudek Army didn¡¯t pursue the new kingdom forces, so their return to base had a relaxed atmosphere. As he listened to the new kingdom knights discussing the day¡¯s battle, Edgar groaned on his pilot seat ¡ª he had a different view about this.

    ¡¸The black knights might be great in defending, but the strange thing was how ¡ºresilient¡» their movement were.¡¹

    The Silver Phoenix Knights participated in many attacks, so he had more intel and experiences than the new kingdom army, and could sense how the enemy had changed.

    ¡¸Recently, our attack on their bases only end up in small skirmishes, something feels off.¡¹

    This probably started with the debut of the Revantier which close their gap in performance compared with the Tyrants. Aside from the power out of the ?aloudek Army¡¯s large Tyrants, their heavy armour also gave them outstanding defences. He then noticed one thing¡ª

    ¡¸¡­ We didn¡¯t take much damage.¡¹

    They didn¡¯t deal much damage to the enemy, but it was the same for his allies. He couldn¡¯t feel the proactiveness that prioritize invasion and offence that the ?aloudek Army had in the past. Most of their encounters were skirmishes with small numbers of black knights, or infrequent attacks by the Levitate Ships. It was clear that their opponent wasn¡¯t willing to engage in massive battles, and were switching their policy to being defensive.

    ¡¸Are they wary of the Revantier, and don¡¯t want to attack carelessly? Or do they fear the carnage wrought by our knight commander?¡¹

    He couldn¡¯t give the answer right then. He felt uneasy, as if he was missing something crucial.

    ¡¸No, they aren¡¯t just shying away from combat, they¡¯re probably waiting for a chance.¡¹

    To stall for time? But both sides needed that. After the battle of Missillier, both camps needed to reorganize their forces. Letting more time pass would only allow both forces to consolidate more resources for their knights.

    ¡¸That might be so, but it isn¡¯t wise to clash with them head on too anxiously.¡¹

    He couldn¡¯t make any bold moves since he didn¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s objective. The Silver Phoenix Knights was the strongest unit in the new kingdom army, and the more battles they fought, the more this rang true. They were slowly becoming the emotional support for the nation ¡ª that¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t afford to be defeated.

    Even the New Kuscheperca Kingdom army showed signs of becoming great again, they weren¡¯t strong enough for an offensive to drive out the ?aloudek Army. Unable to make any headway in their attacks, the new kingdom army could only let the time fly by.

    In the end, the objective of the ?aloudek Kingdom remained a mystery as the impasse stretches on.

 Book 5: Chapter 39: ?aloudek Kingdomâ€™s Schemes

    The stage switch from Fontaine to the city where ?aloudek Kingdom set up its central governance house ¡ª Delvincourt.

    This happened before the rejuvenation of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom, when the ?aloudek Kingdom has yet to recover from the setback in the battle of Missillier. In the middle of the former royal castle¡¯s audience hall, a man was on his knees¡­ no he was prostrating weakly before the throne as he wailed:

    ¡¸Prince Crist¨®bal¡­!! To really... to really pass away before myself...!! That¡¯s impossible, impossible¡­!!¡¹

    He was the confidant of ?aloudek¡¯s Second Prince ¡ºCrist¨®bal Hasslo ?aloudek¡», the knight ¡ºDoroteo?Mardones¡». He kept pounding the ground as if he was trying to vent his rage. His adopted son Gustavo watched silently behind him.

    ¡¸A lapse, my thinking is too naive! Even the Black Skull Knights escorts couldn¡¯t protect His Highness! I should have ignored my confinement orders and went along with the expedition...!! If I was there, I would have safeguard His Highness even if it cost me my life!!¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s enough. Raise your head, Doroteo. We¡¯re the ones who ordered your confinement to reflect on your actions, it¡¯s not your fault that you weren¡¯t there. It¡¯s useless to lament about things you couldn¡¯t have helped.¡¹

    A melancholic voice from the throne before Doroteo reached his ears. That used to be the seat of the king of Kuscheperca. After the nation fell, it was taken by the commander of the ?aloudek Army ¡ª Crist¨®bal. And now, it had been transferred to a young woman.

    She was ¡ºCatalina Camilla ?aloudek¡», the daughter of the king of ?aloudek Kingdom, ¡ºBaldomero Bilt ?aloudek¡». The first princess and also Crist¨®bal¡¯s elder sister.

    ¡¸But¡­! Forgive my insolence, but I have served His Highness as his mentor and as his subordinate for many years. Going by the laws of nature, I should die first! No matter the reason, if this isn¡¯t my mistake, then¡­!!¡¹

    Doroteo retired from the frontlines because of his advanced age, but the higher ups think highly of his experience in the military and gave him the position as the Second Prince¡¯s mentor. As Crist¨®bal grew older, his role gradually changed to that of a confidant. He watched the Prince grew up, so to Doroteo, Crist¨®bal was just like a son. Catalina sighed, then leaned back on her throne.

    ¡¸Doroteo, I know how you feel. You have worked very hard for Cristobal all this time. And that is why, now isn¡¯t the time for mourning.¡¹

    When Doroteo lifted his head and saw Catalina¡¯s pale face, he held his breath from shock and quickly realized his mistake. Doroteo wasn¡¯t the only one hurt by the loss of Crist¨®bal. As his sister, Catalina was the one most pained by his death. Doroteo was deeply shamed by his lapse for venting his emotions without thinking about how she felt. As explained, he was most loyal to Crist¨®bal, but his loyalty to the royal ?aloudek family was as unwavering as anyone else.

    ¡¸I have decided. The one who caused such serious damage to our nation¡­ and the one who took Cristobal¡¯s life, I will find him and kill him.¡¹

    These words weren¡¯t just a personal vendetta for her family. Crist¨®bal was a royal of ?aloudek, and also the commander of the Kuscheperca invasion force. Casualties in war were inevitable, but once royal blood has been spilled, vengeance was certain. Taking this lightly would be a disgrace to their kingdom¡¯s name.

    ¡¸Doroteo, you need to start by searching out the enemy and find out who killed Cristobal.¡¹

    The surviving Black Skull Knights brought back news of Crist¨®bal¡¯s death. Crist¨®bal fell together with his Silhouette Knight Alkelorix from the flagship, and wasn¡¯t killed in the chaos of the battle. Someone committed this murder.

    ¡¸¡­ I know who is the criminal.¡¹

    Doroteo raised his head resolutely. He had no hesitation in his eyes, as if he had locked on to his enemy.

    ¡¸He can attack the Levitate Ship His Highness is on directly! Kuscheperca don¡¯t have Levitate Ships, but they have him¡­ the Silhouette Knight that can soar in the sky!!¡¹

    Now that he mentioned it, Catalina remembered the rumours she once heard in the past.

    ¡¸¡­ Are you talking about the one that sunk your ship?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes! He is the only one who can do such a weird thing. He suppressed the Levitate Ships in the sky by himself, and brought incredibly destructive powers¡­! Overturning common sense, must be that ¡ºDemon God¡» doings. He will definitely block our path sooner or later.¡¹

    Catalina sighed deeply, she had almost forgotten about this rumour. When she first heard Doroteo¡¯s report, compared to the Demon God¡¯s existence, her attention was drawn to the escape of the Kuscheperca royals. She never imagined that the Demon God actually killed her brother. If her memory serves her well, the enemy was a powerful existence that could only be described as uncanny.

    ¡¸So you¡¯re saying that Crist was murdered by that monster?¡¹

    Her soft groan didn¡¯t even reach Doroteo¡¯s ears, and simply melted into the suffocating air.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡¸Oh, seems like everyone is here¡¹

    The sudden appearance of an outsider swept the sullen air away in an instant. The dragging footsteps resounded on the stone floor. It came from a plain looking man.

    ¡¸You are¡­ Lord Collazo.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes. Horacio Collazo here, reporting as summoned.¡¹

    He bowed to the seemingly frustrated Catalina and the crazed looking Doroteo. Horacio seemed unfazed with the suffocating atmosphere, a gutsy person contrary to his plain looks. After all, this absolute mad man came to the very front lines just to see the performance of the Levitate Ships he designed in action. Soon, the one who summoned him ¡ª Catalina calmed her emotions, and wore her cool mask of a princess once again. To save time, she skipped the greetings and went directly into the topic:

    ¡¸You finally came, Lord Collazo. Let¡¯s not waste time, tell me how goes your plans for the Levitate Ships? To rejuvenate our army from that defeat, strengthening the Levitate Ships is a pressing matter. The Kuschepercas isn¡¯t making any major moves, which means they need time to reorganize their forces. However, we need to take action as soon as possible.¡¹

    ¡¸I understand. I will use the best of my humble knowledge to do what I can and propose a plan.¡¹

    Catalina¡¯s complicated expression relaxed a little when she heard that.

    ¡¸Pray tell.¡¹

    ¡¸Firstly, it¡¯s hard to say this but¡­ To come up with a perfect plan, we will need to reevaluate the designs of the Levitate Ship itself. If we want to take on such a big overhaul project, what we lack the most is time. In that case, we can only focus on small scale changes, and I seek your understanding on that.¡¹

    ¡¸¡­ It depends on the content. Even if it doesn¡¯t take much time, it¡¯s pointless if it¡¯s not effective.¡¹

    At this moment, Horacio glanced at Doroteo. Unlike Catalina who could conceal her emotions, he seemed barely able to suppress his feelings that were on the verge of exploding. Horacio will need to step on the tail of a beast later, so he adopted a resignation attitude as he said:

    ¡¸Then let¡¯s hurry¡­ I want to start with reducing the number of Tyrants the Levitate Ship can ferry.¡¹

    ¡¸What¡­!? How is that an enhancement? If you reduce the number of core combat units, how can we fight!?¡¹

    Horacio soothed Doroteo who was panicking because of the unexpected answer with his hand gestures, and continued:

    ¡¸It¡¯s natural for Lord Mardones to have such doubts. Let me explain¡­ In the past the combat capability of a Levitate Ship was dependant on the number of Tyrants it could transport. But that battle made me realize that this wouldn¡¯t work. What the Levitate Ships needed wasn¡¯t transport capability, in the upcoming era, the Levitate Ships will need sufficient offensive capabilities too. We already have the ¡ºcatapult¡», but they couldn¡¯t be use against moving targets. So I changed my approach and learned the enemy¡¯s techniques and use it against them. I plan to create Silhouette Knights that specialize in magic projectiles fire like the ¡ºResvant Vidos¡», then install them on the Levitate Ships to be used like Silhouette Arms.¡¹

    The place turned silent momentarily. They pondered what Horacio said carefully. In response to Catalina¡¯s questioning gaze, Doroteo nodded a little bitterly:

    ¡¸The thought of imitating them again is unpleasant, but I agree that we should use what available resources we have. Speaking of which, Lord Collazo, the offences should be adequate, but there is still another problem. Do you have any countermeasures against the strange powerful javelins that sunk most of our Levitate Ships?¡¹

    Horacio crossed his arms and said with a sigh:

    ¡¸Ara¡­ That¡¯s the difficult part. I heard that the javelin can even pierce the Tyrant¡¯s armour once it build up enough speed. That is far beyond what the Levitate Ship¡¯s armour can withstand. But thickening the armour will increase the ship¡¯s weight, killing off the speed advantage of the Levitate Ship. We will need the magic projectile Silhouette Knights I mentioned earlier to take on additional roles, and either knock off the javelins with spells or defend with shields.¡¹

    The group couldn¡¯t understand the main point he was making right away, and an air of suspicion arose. But that wasn¡¯t entirely their fault. The surprising thing was, Horacio¡¯s proposal might be primitive, but was very similar to the concept of CIWS ¡ºClose-in Weapon System¡» used in vessels.

    According to the pilots of the Black Skull Knights who escaped, they finally understood the gist of what happened in the battle of Missillier. Many new technologies appeared at that time, which stimulated him ¡ª and led him to propose even more advanced concepts.

    Catalina tried her best to understand these ideas that were ahead of their times, and asked him:

    ¡¸Do you think that will work?¡¹

    ¡¸Pardon me for being blunt, I believe it will have some effect, but it will be far from perfect. As I said in the beginning, the biggest problem lies in the constraint of time. The more fundamentally different the countermeasures are, the more time that will be needed. Since we don¡¯t know when the Kuschepercas will act, I¡¯m afraid we will lag behind the enemy if we start over with the construction of the Levitate Ships.¡¹

    Despite it being a rushed job, Horacio¡¯s plan should have some effect. Since time was of the essence, it was true that they couldn¡¯t proceed with any major overhauls. Catalina finally nodded:

    ¡¸You mean this is better than doing nothing¡­ Very well then, Lord Collazo, proceed according to your plan. The usage of the Levitate Ships will now change drastically. Doroteo, muster the surviving Steel Wing Knights and think of a better battle plan.¡¹

    ¡¸By your command. The surviving Steel Wing Knights will find a new purpose¡­ Princess, we still have another powerful foe we must defeat.¡¹

    She didn¡¯t need to look at Doroteo to know what he was referring to. During the battle of Missillier where the Black Skull Knights took tremendous losses, that thing was more destructive to the Steel Wing Knights than those strange javelins. The powerful foe was ¡ª

    ¡¸The enemy who murdered Prince Crist¨®bal, that fearsome Silhouette Knight¡­¡­¡ºDemon God¡».¡¹

    ¡¸Doroteo, do you have any good ideas on how to defeat the Demon God?¡¹

    Catalina¡¯s query stirred his memory, things he couldn¡¯t forget even if he tried. The incarnation of malicious power was still fresh on Doroteo¡¯s mind. That single Silhouette Knight could actually dance nimbly in the air, unleashing destructive powers even the black knights couldn¡¯t match. What method could there be to defeat that monster? Even a formidable pilot like him would have no chance. It was a shame, but he could only answer his mistress¡¯ question faithfully:

    ¡¸Even with Lord Collazo¡¯s new Levitate Ships, I think it will still be difficult to defeat that Demon God¡­¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, the Demon God you say? I heard about that too. It might be a product of insanity, but it is not impossible to take down.¡¹

    Before anyone could rebuke him for his rude interjections, they were shocked by what he was implying and focused their gaze on Horacio.

    ¡¸What¡­! I know you are an excellent engineer, but you actually know how to fight!?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes. Well, I mention it is a way, but I¡¯m just an engineer, so I can only provide the ¡ºmeans¡» to solve the issue. Whether it can be done will depend on the performance of the great knights piloting them.¡¹

    Horacio seemed to be disinterested, with only a faint smile at the corner of his mouth to show his confidence. A crack appeared on Catalina¡¯s calm mask. She suppressed her anxiety and asked as coolly as she could:

    ¡¸Pray tell, what is the means you speak of?¡¹

    ¡¸Overwhelm him with numbers.¡¹

    When he heard Horacio¡¯s answer, Doroteo shook an refuted immediately:

    ¡¸Did you forget the lesson we learned in Missillier? The Demon God can soar in the sky, and wasn¡¯t fazed with fighting against a hundred others. The Black Skull Knights were brought to the brink of destruction because of this¡­ Numbers alone wouldn¡¯t work.¡¹

    ¡¸It is as you say, but let¡¯s consider it from another angle. Since many weak units will be defeated easily, then we should consolidate the power of many into one, and create a powerhouse that will surpass the Demon God. What do you think?¡¹

    His answer had a tint of being ominous, making the others look at each other in doubt. What Horacio mentioned completely shattered their common sense. The technology that brought the Levitate Ships into this world was supplemented by the bits of other worldly knowledge glimpsed from the battle of Missillier, and would create an even more terrifying alien.

    ¡¸What does Your Highness think? This would require some time¡­ But with your permission, I will get it done.¡¹

    With Horacio lowering his head in front of her, Catalina closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then opened them and nodded:

    ¡¸Permission granted. Lord Collazo, you must get it done.¡¹

    ¡¸Your Highness! Please assign the task of piloting that machine to me! I will take down our sworn enemy even if it cost my own life!! ¡¹

    Doroteo volunteered immediately. His greatest pride was his exploits and experience on the battlefield. Avenging Crist¨®bal and aiding Catalia would be his final quest.

    ¡¸Very well, for the sake of that child, submit your life to me. Until we tear out the throats of our foe, we will never stop¡­ I leave the rest to you.¡¹

    ¡¸I am honoured by your words!¡¹

    Seeing Doroteo filled with a ferocious aura, Catalina nodded her head with satisfaction. He might not be young anymore, but he was still a revered general in the ?aloudek Army. If he had the resolve to put his life on the line, then she trust that he would bring back good news. She then shifted her gaze behind Doroteo and said:

    ¡¸Not just Doroteo, I will also cancel your confinement and assign a role to you. ¡ºGustavo Mardones¡», use your skills with your swords to aid your ¡¾adoptive¡¿ father complete his mission.¡¹

    ¡¸By your will, I will put on a good show.¡¹

    Gustavo who had been kneeling quietly answered firmly. But contrary to his outward appearance, his eyes had a hint of sadness as he looked at the back of his fired up adoptive father.

    Sigh ¡ª looks like Dad is bent on dying for the cause¡­ It can¡¯t be helped, since the Prince is dead.

    His thinking was different from his father. He was a loyal direct subordinate of Crist¨®bal, but didn¡¯t have the crazed devotion of his father.

    Dad will probably take care of that sworn enemy. The adversary is getting stronger, so I can go all out now. I can help take revenge too, a worthy place to swing my swords.

    From a perspective completely different from his father, Gustavo was plenty crazy too, a battle maniac. He was deeply attracted to swords, an absolute madman who thinks the greatest joy was to battle. The fighting spirit of Catalina and Doroteo hell bent on revenge was the reason why Gustavo was drawn in. Without giving any hints of such thoughts, he lowered his head in a pretense of being solemn.

    ¡¸Because the Kuscheperca Kingdom won such a decisive victory, they can¡¯t make their next move right away. We need to send out our troops to extinguish the spreading fire. As for the method Lord Collazo mentioned, that will take time. We need to make our base sturdy first. To do that, we need to strengthen our defences until the time comes.¡¹

    Catalina¡¯s orders were conveyed to every zone under the rule of ?aloudek. And so, the ?aloudeks changed their strategy drastically for the first time since the war began.

    The Tyrants assigned to the various territories were responsible for strengthening their fort¡¯s defences, and to assume an impregnable formation. In the meantime, the construction of the ¡ºMimic Resvant Vidos¡» and the modification of the surviving Levitate Ships were also ongoing. The Resvant they captured served as the base. Since this modification focused on magic projectiles instead of combat capability, this was a good chance to make use of the old machines. Since the foundation and the purpose of the customization was similar, the end product should be very similar to the Resvant Vido.

    For the ?aloudek Kingdom that lost its Black Skull Knights, rebuilding the Steel Wing Knights and Levitate Ships was their lifeline. They have strict orders that this project was the top priority.

    ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s defense strategy and the new Levitate Ships being developed in secret blunted the attack of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom, keeping the war at a standstill. While the alien squirms in the backstage. The birth of the ¡ºDemonic Monster¡» created for the sake of defeating the Demon God gets closer with every passing second.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    C.E. 1282, summer is coming.

    After the dramatic events of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom¡¯s founding, the tensed situation gradually relaxed, and signs of change appeared slowly. The ace of the new kingdom ¡ª the Silver Phoenix Knights Knight Commander Ernesti gathered everyone for a secret meeting at this time.

    ¡¸¡­ Thank you everyone for coming. Let¡¯s not waste time, and let me explain the investigation report on the ?aloudek Army¡¯s black knight and Levitate Ship.¡¹

    And of course, this wasn¡¯t a strategy meeting. Regrettably, the hobbyist wasn¡¯t interested in how the war was faring, and only focused on the toy before him. He held a thick stack of paper that could be used as a murder weapon in his hand, and continued his explanation in high spirits.

    ¡¸Sigh, I saw you rummaging through those wreckages. So you have finished your investigation?¡¹

    The people he had gathered includes the Silver Phoenix Knights craftsmen led by the Boss, who was already used to this. But the knightsmiths from the New Kuscheperca Kingdom couldn¡¯t stay so calm. They looked at the petite youth before them with an amazed expression. The mysterious new weapon ¡ª the Levitate Ships have been giving the Kuscheperca Kingdom a hard time since the opening battle. It uses mysterious technology to levitate a ship and no one expected it to be unravelled in such a short time. The most baffling thing was Eru explaining it to them so openly. Although the Silver Phoenix Knights were reliable allies, the fact remains that they were a unit on loan from a foreign nation. Was it appropriate to make information about a technology which could decide a war public? At least to them, such information should be kept classified.

    Eru ignored their confusion and made the fruits of his research public.

    ¡¸There are many mysteries surrounding the Levitate Ship, but we have the actual thing with us and luckily found the key to the mystery¡­ Well, I want to explain about the ship, but it¡¯s better to start from their main combat unit ¡ª the black knight Tyrants.¡¹

    Eru turned to the blackboard as if he wanted to hum, and wrote down the important parts from the paper packed with the investigation data.

    ¡¸Like its appearance implies, the Tyrant is a heavy weight machine. It¡¯s structure includes the things we¡¯re familiar with, such as capacity frames, back weapons and strand crystal tissue. Even the joints looks familiar¡­ they had replicated the technology behind the ¡ºTellestarle¡» very carefully. The parts they developed independently would be their fine tuning it into a high power output machine to maximize its advantage as a heavy weight machine.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmmp! It makes my blood boil, but I already expected that.¡¹

    The Boss¡¯ face turned sour as he crossed his arms. He remembered how the source of these technology, the Tellestarle was stolen, and it wasn¡¯t a fond memory.

    ¡¸Yes, but there is something strange. If they enhanced the power output with the Strand type, their mana consumption will be intense and their endurance should drop drastically. We had a hard time when we built our machines back then too. However, the Tyrant can last for quite a long time. So there must be a trick behind this.¡¹

    ¡¸The problem of endurance is a big headache, and I don¡¯t think it can be solved that easily.¡¹

    Eru could only smile wryly as he watched the Silver Phoenix Knights Knightsmiths¡¯ thousand yard stare. There was no need to repeat how arduous their path in forging the Kardetolle from the Tellestarle was. And the engineers of ?aloudek Kingdom made a great achievement that the Silver Phoenix Knights couldn¡¯t manage.

    Eru then drew a strange device on the blackboard.

    ¡¸This part uses the technology they developed independently. I found this device connected to the Ether Reactor. After studying the inside, I discovered that the design was very simple, with just the ¡ºEthelite¡» attached to its core. This device is connected by silver nerves and controlled by the Magius engine, so I inspected the content of the Magius Engine a little.¡¹

    Even though Eru was talking about something big that didn¡¯t match the term ¡ºa little¡», no one felt like retorting him.

    ¡¸If this device is activated, the Ethelite inside will react and create concentrated Ether. Then the Ether will be injected directly into the Ether Reactor. Let me think¡­ let¡¯s assume this device is called ¡ºEther Supplier¡».¡¹

    ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s¡­¡¹

    Enlightenment appeared on the faces of the knightsmiths, along with a hint of bitterness.

    ¡¸As everyone knows, Ethelites, as it¡¯s name implies, are ¡ºshards of Ether¡». If it is left alone after digging it out, it will dissolve into Ether in the air and disappear. Hence, it is thought to be useless in the past. However, they seem to have found the perfect way to utilize them. They create concentrated Ether with this, and inject them into the Ether Reactor, creating a temporary burst of mana. What an interesting technique, there¡¯re people with unique idea in the ?aloudek Kingdom too!¡¹

    As they looked at Eru who was clapping his hands, everyone present slouch their shoulders weakly.

    ¡¸Really now, why are you praising the enemy, boy?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m not praising the enemy, but the ¡ºengineer¡». Even though the ¡ºuser¡» is the enemy, but I don¡¯t think the ¡ºinventor¡» is one too. No matter what, good things are good. He spent so much thought on this, it is worthy of applause¡­! I feel that it¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s not our ally.¡¹

    When they saw Eru smile so leisurely, the Boss and the others were irked at the most, but the Kuscheperca knightsmiths couldn¡¯t help groaning. From their perspective, the ones who develop new technologies leading to their nation suffering was the enemy. They only have hatred for them, and would never give them compliments. On the other hand, the new Silhouette Knights models designed by the knight commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights were stolen by those people. And after the enemy used his technology against him, he still found a part of the enemy that was praiseworthy. That might be the strong personality of the leader of the Silver Phoenix Knights, known for his engineering and combat skills. They looked at Eru with such feelings of awe.

    Seeing the people around him sigh in admiration, the Boss felt the urge to remind them that ¡ºthis had nothing to do with his magnanimity, his just not interested in things unrelated to Silhouette Knights¡». But in the end, he swallowed his words and merely showed an irked face. Since the Boss didn¡¯t pop their bubble, it means that he could at least read the mood.

    Eru then said ¡ºspeaking of which¡» as an opener, changing the mood that was deviating away from the main topic.

    ¡¸¡­ This Ether Supplier isn¡¯t that omnipotent.¡¹

    ¡¸Huh? What do you mean? From the sound of it, isn¡¯t it the silver bullet that can solve the endurance issues of the¡ºEastern Mode¡» machines?¡¹

    Seeing the Boss tilting his head in confusion, Eru showed a troubled expression.

    ¡¸I should say this is¡­¡­¡ºpoison¡»? Ether Reactors are designed to convert the Ether in the air into energy. If concentrated Ether is injected into it, it will put a lot of stress on the reactor, and doing it too often will cause the reactor to break.¡¹

    ¡¸Hey! The Ether Reactor is an important component of the Silhouette Knights! They are treating it as something ¡ºdisposable¡»!? That¡¯s too wasteful! Damn it, there¡¯s no good way to go about it.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, so it can only be used as a last resort. I guess they don¡¯t really want to use it either.¡¹

    The Silver Phoenix Knights machines, and the Revantiers made with the help of the new kingdom¡¯s craftsmen, solves the endurance issue by lowering output and storing the excess mana.

    However, the same system couldn¡¯t provide the enhanced power of ?aloudek¡¯s Tyrants, so they needed to install this queer device. This double edged sword increases its endurance at the cause of deteriorating its Ether Reactor, which was equivalent to the heart of a Silhouette Knight.

    ¡¸That¡¯s my opening speech for now, on to the main topic, the investigation results of the ¡ºLevitate Ship¡». Aside from the unknown technology that makes this humongous ship fly, we also made many new discoveries by studying its structure.¡¹

    Everyone¡¯s expression turned serious. The Levitate Ship was the first aerial weapon deployed in live combat by the ?aloudek Kingdom, and the secrets behind them were about to be revealed. Eru ignored the wavering of the others, and wrote freely on the blackboard with his chalk. Every single white line drawn on it turns the unknown into known. This scene gave a strange sensation that was hard to describe to everyone.

    ¡¸The ship structure is easier to explain. Most of it is made from steel and wood, and the workmanship isn¡¯t that complicated. As you can see from its appearance, it¡¯s propelled by its sails. It should be based on the techniques for building seaworthy ships, so the only strange thing about it is that ¡ºit floats¡».¡¹

    With the heart of the mystery in sight, someone couldn¡¯t help gulping audibly.

    ¡¸The core of the Levitate Ship is completely different from an Ether Reactor, and have a special ¡ºreactor¡». Everyone knows that I studied the captured ship thoroughly, but I can¡¯t find the answer. But during my investigation of the black knights, I discovered a curious fact.¡¹

    Eru knocked the blackboard with a loud ¡¸cock! ¡¹. The place he was pointing at was the device he was explaining just now.

    ¡¸The Tyrants are also equipped with this Ether Supplier. And this device is connected to the reactor of the Levitate Ship. There are also a large number of silver nerves connected to it. It¡¯s function is just like what I explained¡­ So this should be the heart, and proves that the reactor of the Levitate Ship ¡ºrequires a large number of concentrated Ether¡».¡¹

    ¡¸¡­ And your conclusion?¡¹

    ¡¸What makes the Levitate Ship float isn¡¯t magic, but the ¡ºeffect of Ether itself¡», there must be some sort of secret behind this. Someone made a discovery we didn¡¯t know about.¡¹

    Eru laughed happily.

    ¡¸Alright, the practice run is perfect. Next, let¡¯s try operating the Levitate Ship we captured for real!¡¹

    Chatter broke out among the Kuscheperca knightsmiths, and a sense of unease spread amongst them. The enemy flagship was captured unscathed during the battle of Missillier, and the investigation should have been completed. In fact, according to the intel obtained from the captured enemy crew, they have grasped the general controls of the ship, just that the ship hasn''t been flown yet. Everyone treated this ship like a plague, unwilling to actually venture into the uncharted territory of flight.

    ¡¸¡­ Hmmp, just get on with it. What¡¯s so scary about the sky? No matter what, our fates are tied to the boy, how can we back off because of something so trivial!!¡¹

    The first one to stand up was the Boss. He crossed his arms and nodded firmly. It seemed that he needed quite a bit of resolve to sound out his support for Eru, and the cold sweat on his brows seemed to express how he was feeling. After that the other Silver Phoenix Knights all responded bravely.

    ¡¸Great! Everyone, let¡¯s fly together! It will be fine, I often fly in the sky in Ikaruga, it¡¯s really fun.¡¹

    ¡¸Now is the only time I feel so envious about your optimistic and fearless character¡­¡¹

    Not just the Boss, everyone present shared the same sentiment.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡¸It looks huge from up close, as big as a brigade level demon beast. Such a thing actually can float in the sky¡­¡¹

    Several days later, the Boss muttered with mixed feelings in front of a Levitate Ship. This vessel used to be the flagship of ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s punitive force, and was seized after Eru and Ikaruga forced their way on deck. It was the first Levitate Ship that was captured almost without any damage.

    The inside of the Levitate Ship was big enough to hold Silhouette Knights, so it was naturally colossal in size. The Boss took another look at this massive thing, and was moved by the incredible phenomenon of this ship floating in the air. Eru who was making a rectangle with the thumb and index fingers of both hands and admiring the Levitate Ship through this gap he made turned and in response to the Boss¡¯ words:

    ¡¸Indeed, the most surprising thing is ¡ª it¡¯s flight capability is solely provided by the ¡ºEtheric Levitator¡».¡¹

    ¡¸That thing is completely different from an Ether Reactor, and operates purely on Ether¡­ Alright, everyone take your position, let¡¯s begin.¡¹

    The Boss held his breath and intentionally boarded the vessel with a cool demeanour. Many members of the Silver Phoenix Knights were going about their tasks inside. They all focused on their job at hand, as if they were trying to suppressed their feelings on the unknown experience of flying in the sky. Only Eru looked excited and jubilant, as he looked up at the device at the center of the ship.

    ¡¸The heart of the Levitate Ship, the Etheric Levitator¡­ Fufufu, what exactly makes it tick? ¡¹

    ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t break it. No, don¡¯t you touch it. Listen, don¡¯t do anything reckless!¡¹

    The Boss roared at Eru who was mumbling dreamingly and caressing the device with his fingertips. The Etheric Levitator looked like a giant lantern, and the central portion was covered in glass, so its insides were visible. It was big enough to fit a Silhouette Knight in there. It wasn¡¯t in operation right now, so it was empty.

    A moment later, the Boss who had given instructions all over the place raised his voice and yelled:

    ¡¸Good, we will be beginning the test soon! This thing can fly in the first place, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. But we have not seen this thing before, so everyone be on your toes.¡¹

    The members all acknowledged nervously and stood by at their assigned posts

    ¡¸Initiate Ether supplier, inject concentrated Ether!¡¹

    After manipulating the controls, the Etheric Levitator awakened with a slight tremble. After the activated valve pumped out the air inside, the Ether supplier slowly inject concentrated Ether into the vacuum. The Ether inside glowed faintly as it gathered in the center, generating a levitating field as it did so.

    The members watched the rainbow coloured lights shining out from the device with bated breath. At this point everyone felt the strange sensation of floating. A member looked out the window and couldn¡¯t help shouting:

    ¡¸W-We have lift off! We¡¯re really levitating!¡¹

    ¡¸¡­ Stop the ether supplier, and keep the levitator at its current status. Just a test flight for now, no need to go too high.¡¹

    Eru instructed quickly, and a member turned off the Ether supplier. It seemed that the Etheric Levitator would remain as it is without outside influence, and would stay at the same altitude. The Levitate Ship simply stopped a few meters above ground.

    During this time, the Boss who was standing firmly on the deck without a word slowly exhaled, then stroked his beard.

    ¡¸This large ship is really floating¡­ I have heard about this, but experiencing it first hand still feels incredible.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s impressive how this unknown function is put into practical application. This is fun.¡¹

    Eru has knowledge from Earth, and didn¡¯t find large flying planes unfamiliar. Earth had airships that use buoyant gases to float, or planes that generate lift with its wings. For the Boss who was born and raised in this world, this was an existence he had never heard of before.

    As the Etheric Levitator was very quiet, the inside of the Levitate Ship fell into dead silence. Slowly, this silence was broken and the hull started getting rowdy. Some members went to the windows, while others walked around worriedly, confirming the situation in their own way.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s set down the anchor for now. The design of the ship and the effect of the ether, there¡¯re tons of things to study¡­ It¡¯s going to get busy.¡¹

    Because they captured a fully functional Levitate Ship, their understanding of the technology behind it and the ether would advance by leaps and bounds.

    Starting with this first experimental flight, many tests were ran after that, and the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights gradually got used to the flight controls. They even used the excuse of experimental flight to test the speed limit, or flying it upside down, resulting in the ship nearly crashing. They showed off the robot maniac energy they got from their knight commander to the fullest extent. At the same time, Eru inspected the structure of the ship energetically.

    ¡¸This unprecedented flying machine is well made, and made use of techniques for ships brilliantly. On the other hand, the inventor¡¯s thinking is too rooted in doing that, so there are parts that seem constrained by the concept of a ship. The biggest flaw is the lack of propulsion. It uses a blow engine ¡ª a type of Silhouette Arms that create wind, and they use their sail to catch that wind to move forward.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh? You mean that it is just a normal sail ship, aside from the fact that it is flying in the sky?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, and it is loaded with Silhouette Knights, making it even more heavy. The Levitate Ship was unexpectedly slow, and thanks to that, Ikaruga could pursue them easily back then. If we want to speed it up adequately, we will at least need the propulsion from something like the magius jet thruster.¡¹

    ¡¸The only ones who would say this thing flies too slow is just you and Ikaruga. And even if a jet thruster was installed, no other machines aside from Ikaruga has the mana pool to support it.¡¹

    Eru nodded at the Boss¡¯ complaints

    ¡¸That would be difficult. Huge mana storage and Ether Reactor output would be indispensable. Even though it¡¯s not impossible with the equipment we currently have¡­¡¹

    Eru closed one eye and said while lost in thought. As the Boss listened, he could guess what the solution was.

    His title of ¡ºSilver Phoenix Knight Chief Craftsman¡» wasn¡¯t just for show, and he had already arrived at the answer by drawing on his past experiences.

    ¡¸¡­ Sigh, it¡¯s not impossible. But do we have to¡ºgo that far¡»?¡¹

    ¡¸This is just one possibility. We can approach it from other angles and see if there¡¯re other ways.¡¹

    Eru immersed himself in his wild imagination and entered a daydreaming state. The boss couldn¡¯t help shrugging when he saw Eru acting like this.

 Book 5: Chapter 40: The Quickening of the Flying Dragon

    C.E. 1281, the season was changing as autumn comes.

    Inside the capital of the new kingdom Fontaine, in a certain conference room within Lacepede Castle, Queen Eleonora surveyed the seated nobles and asked:

    ¡¸How goes the war?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Your Majesty. First is the new model Revantier, their construction and deployment in the frontlines are almost complete, we¡¯re gradually increasing our forces¡­ However, the enemy is changing their movements too, so we didn¡¯t make any progress at all.¡¹

    Between the New Kuscheperca Kingdom wishing to reclaim their land and the ?aloudek Kingdom who wants to stop them, there has been no major movements, and time was allowed to simply pass by. Although the new kingdom launched several attacks during this period, they were all repelled by the tough armour of the black knights.

    ¡¸On top of that, they no longer send out fleets of Levitate Ship, and are going back to guerilla tactics with a single ship once again. This had affected our supply line, and things aren¡¯t going well.¡¹

    And as what had been reported previously, the enemy had strengthened the Levitate Ship by transporting Wizard Style machines, so even a single ship was formidable. The gulf in power between the new kingdom and ?aloudek Kingdom was already huge in the beginning, and this had grown worse with the war grinding to a stalemate.

    ¡¸What about the Silver Phoenix Knights?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes. They are active on the frontlines as usual, but unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t break through the enemy¡¯s defences even with their help. We are still in the midst of finding an effective way.¡¹

    After hearing the troubling reports, Eleonora lowered her head. She lacked experience and couldn¡¯t give any useful advice. Even if she wanted to rely on Martina who was assisting her, Martina wasn¡¯t familiar with military matters either. Strictly speaking, Emrys would be more suitable for such matters. In the end, Eleonora just listened to what they said and acknowledged them with a nod.

    ¡¸I understand, I look forward to your hard work in the future.¡¹

    ¡¸By your command!¡¹

    The Queen gave a passable response, and the nobles of Kuscheperca started going about their way. The nobles and knights in the various territories were doing everything they could to reclaim their land, but the fact remains that their efforts didn¡¯t yield any results worth speaking of.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    On the western border of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom, along a small road that branches out from the Pan-Kucher highway, was a fort city. Even though it was just a branch off the road, it was laid rather well, big enough for carriages and even Silhouette Knights to travel on. In other words, this was more than adequate enough to be used as the most forward base against the ?aloudek Kingdom.

    ¡¸Open the gate! Open ¡ª the gate!¡¹

    A cavalry unit waving the flag of the new kingdom reached the fort city, and the mechanical city gate was raised with a loud crank. Even Silhouette Knights wouldn¡¯t be able to lift this solid drawbridge, much lest humans. It was barely operable through the use of the giant water mills situated near the river.

    The captain of the cavalry entered the opened city gates and headed for the residential zone. The road from the gate wasn''t connected to the city directly, but it leads to a maze of secondary walls. The platoon of Revantiers guarding the gate watched every move of the cavalry with keen eyes. They might be waving the flag of the new kingdom, but that didn¡¯t guarantee that they were friendlies. The cavalry took off their light leather helmets, and was only allowed passage after their faces were checked.

    ¡¸¡­ What!? ?aloudek sent knights to the frontlines?¡¹

    The fort city was ruled by a minor noble, ¡ºBaron Ladislao Mazquiar¨¢n¡».

    His face turned sour on receiving the sudden news. After the purge by the ?aloudek Kingdom, there were few high nobles left inside the Kuscheperca Kingdom, leaving the mid to low tier nobles to support the new kingdom.

    Due to the ?aloudek Kingdom prioritizing defence, both sides remained at an impasse after he was assigned here. The new kingdom was cautious and despatched a lot of scouts to keep a look out, and there have been recent reports indicating that several Silhouette Knight units were heading their way.

    ¡¸Hmmp, those guys haven¡¯t come out for a long time. Are they tired of hiding inside the city?¡¹

    It was clear that the ?aloudek Army was adopting a defensive strategy, and that suddenly changed, so it was only natural that the Baron was surprised. Were they trying something out, or they didn¡¯t need to continue their staunch defences anymore? There must be a reason why they took such a drastically different stance.

    ¡¸The scale of the enemy forces?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes Sir. We have visuals of about one company.¡¹

    ¡¸A company? That¡¯s not many¡­ Are they just doing a recon by force?¡¹

    ¡¸They show no signs of slowing down, and are headed directly for this city. They didn¡¯t make any efforts to hide their advances.¡¹

    It was becoming stranger by the moment. It was impossible to take down a fort city of this size with just one company. If it was the past when they only had the Resvant, it might be plausible, but they were now equipped with the latest machine models ¡ª the Revantier, and would not be defeated so easily by the ?aloudek¡¯s Tyrant.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t get it, but no matter what they¡¯re up to, it¡¯s better to eliminate the attacking enemy.¡¹

    Confused with no answers to his doubts, the Baron still made the decision to engage the enemy. No matter what, there was no reason to let the enemy come near their base. To be safe, he ordered twice the enemy¡¯s number, two companies to attack.

    The city gate opened with the dull sound of friction, and two companies of Revantiers charged forth with loud footsteps. Guided by the cavalry scouts, they moved towards the enemy position. At this point, they split into two groups to surround the enemy.

    ¡¸No signs of an ambush, it¡¯s not a sneak attack by a Levitate Ship either¡­? ¡¹

    Aside from the team supporting the assault unit, the other scout cavalry also spread out in all directions. They kept moving back and forth, on guard against enemy reinforcements, but there had been no reports as of now. On top of that, they made preparation for the air raids which they had gotten used to, with the Resvant Vidos deployed within the city, keeping constant watch over the sky. But there weren¡¯t any signs there either. As one of the bases at the very frontlines, the defences of this city were exceptionally tough.

    ¡¸Something¡¯s amiss. Would the ?aloudek Army really attack this place with just this much forces?¡¹

    Even though the base forces felt a strong sense of doubt, the unit that has set off to attack was closing in on the enemy and about to make contact.

    ¡¸Deploy back weapons, ready your shields ¡ª ! We will launch a preemptive attack!¡¹

    Their plan was simple, the leading group will engage the enemy, and a short while later, the other group would flank behind the enemy and backstab them. The leading group braced themselves for battle according to plan, and shortly after, black giant knights appeared from the sparse forest. Their tall burly bodies gave off an intimidating aura. The core of the ?aloudek Army was formed from the Tyrants, so this was a very standard formation.

    ¡¸Half assed magic projectiles won¡¯t penetrate their armour! Forget about suppressing fire, prepare for close quarters¡­ What!?¡¹

    The team of Revantiers who was speeding up noticed something wrong. A single enemy Silhouette Knight was charging ahead of his allies, without any regards for formation.

    ¡¸What is that? A decoy¡­ Impossible. Don¡¯t the knights of ?aloudek know how to work as a team?¡¹

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s either full of himself, or lost his composure. No matter what, leading the charge alone isn¡¯t wise. Let¡¯s take him down first then talk about it later!¡¹

    It caught them off guard, but what they needed to do remained the same. The team of Revantiers aimed their back weapons at the sole enemy unit charging them.

    ¡¸What the hell¡­ is that guy? His body is covered with ¡ºa bunch of swords¡», what a messy load out.¡¹

    That knight was different from the standard Tyrant, which was rare in the ?aloudek Army. But what drew their attention was its equipment. His appearance was literally ¡ºa bunch of swords¡», and that enemy machine was covered with a large number of unnecessary swords, giving it a queer look.

    ¡¸Since he only has swords, there¡¯s no need to hold back. Kill it off with our spells!¡¹

    The heavy weight black knights were slow. Since the ¡ºbunch of swords¡» charged ahead with its quicker pace, it couldn¡¯t count on support from behind. That might be so, but the Revantier team didn¡¯t need to hold back. They raised their back weapons and shot out bright crimson bullets repeatedly. The projectiles formed a wall of fire that headed straight for the ¡ºbunch of swords¡».

    The response of the ¡ºbunch of swords¡» was as unusual as its loadout. It didn¡¯t slow down in the face such a murderous welcome, and charged straight ahead as it waved a drawn sword in each hand.

    The attacking Revantier held their breath, questioning what they just saw. The shocking thing was, that ¡ºbunch of swords¡» evaded the projectiles as if he had seen through them, and only used his swords to deflect the shots he couldn¡¯t evade with amazing accuracy. His movements were kept to the minimum, and didn¡¯t affect his running speed in the slightest.

    ¡¸That¡¯s too reckless! Alright then, vanguards, prepare to engage!¡¹

    The unusual movements of the enemy shook them, but the Revantier team still responded quickly. Even though it dodged the projectiles, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that it was outnumbered. The three Revantier vanguards retracted their back weapon, and raised their swords and shields against the ¡ºbunch of swords¡».

    The sound of footsteps quickened, and the crystal tissues that powered the Silhouette Knights churned loudly, converting mana into destructive power ¡ª the clash lasted just an instant. The next second, the new kingdom knights doubted their eyes once more. They saw as the arm of a Revantier flew into the air along with its shield, crystal shards falling out from its body as it slowly collapsed. On the other hand, the ¡ºbunch of swords¡» didn¡¯t slow down at all as it pounced on its next prey.

    ¡¸What, this guy is!? S-Strong¡­!¡¹

    With movements that could only be described as amazing, the ¡ºbunch of swords¡» took down the 2nd and 3rd Revantiers. All three didn¡¯t even have the chance to cross blades with it before being cut down. The ¡ºbunch of swords¡» attacked the gap between their armour with precision to destroy the insides. Because his methods were too fast, even those who saw him up close couldn¡¯t understand what just happened. The new kingdom army only realized why the ¡ºbunch of swords¡» charged them alone now. They felt a different oppressive aura from him that was unlike that of the Tyrants.

    ¡¸Ohh, my enemies! You also made new armour, but wouldn¡¯t it be boring if the ones sitting inside are clumsy?¡¹

    Despite achieving overwhelming results, the ¡ºbunch of swords¡» grumbled with dissatisfaction. His taunts through the loudspeakers infuriated the new kingdom army, but in the face of their difference in combat prowess, their wariness held them back.

    The knight with strand weapons called by others as a ¡ºbunch of swords¡» ¡ª the pilot of the ¡ºSwordsman¡», Gustavo said from his seat once again:

    ¡¸Sigh ¡ª I miss that red one, fighting with you lot is so boring!¡¹ With every step the Swordsman took, the swords on its shoulders clinked. And as it moved forward, the Revantiers unconsciously moved back, pushed back by the pressure of just one enemy machine. When they realized this, the new kingdom knights steeled themselves and advanced. The difference in close quarter combat capability was too vast, so they mixed in spells attacks along with hand to hand combat, attacking in waves.

    ¡¸Oh? Still want to continue my welcome? Haha! Good, I like that. Unfortunately, time¡¯s up¡­ Black knights, spread out to the flanks. Envelop them from the outside and crush them!¡¹

    The presence of the Swordsman was too strong, and made the new kingdom knights let down their guard against the other black knights. The Tyrants entering the fray step pass the stationary Swordsman and closed in on the Revantiers. The machines on both sides have Eastern Mode technology, and their performance was about even. And that was why the difference in number caused by the Swordsman was that critical. Forced to face a disadvantageous situation, the new kingdom army was pushed to the brink.

    At this moment, the new kingdom¡¯s secondary group arrived. Seeing the main group in trouble in so short a time after they commenced their pincer attack tactic, they hurried to rescue their comrades.

    ¡¸Ahh ¡ª ? So you were planning a pincer attack. That¡¯s right, numbers are very important!!¡¹

    The Swordsman charged alone again, breaking into the center of the secondary group. What happened next was the same as before, with each flash of the Swordsman¡¯s blade, a Revantier would be slashed and fall. Their back weapons were rendered useless, and they would be crushed by the enemy¡¯s stunning swordsmanship when they get close. After 4 machines fell one after another, the secondary group was half destroyed.

    On the other hand, despite his glorious exploits, Gustavo couldn¡¯t help saying frustratedly:

    ¡¸No good. Are you all really knights? You aren¡¯t even good enough to be strawmen, Have some limits with how boring you can be.¡¹

    His interest in the new kingdom forces dissipate drastically, and looked as if he was annoyed by the surviving members. Couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them any longer, he ordered the black knights to pursue them. The black knights who had finished off the main group approached the secondary team with heavy steps.

    ¡¸Damn it¡­ They are too strong¡­! We can¡¯t beat them¡­ retreat, everyone pull back!!¡¹

    In the face of the advancing knights of black steel, the secondary team chose to back away. The Swordsman alone destroyed nearly half of their numbers, they were completely outmatched. If the enemy caught up, they would get wiped out. But for some reason, the ?aloudek Army didn¡¯t plan to kill them off. Although the black knights were slow, the Swordsman didn¡¯t pursue at all.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    When he saw the losses the unit that returned has incurred, Baron Mazquiar¨¢n grit his teeth angrily. He despatched a force that was twice the number of the enemy, and definitely didn¡¯t underestimate the enemy. However, the enemy was more powerful than he imagined.

    ¡¸Those people are elite! Damn it, we can probably beat them if I send out enough men¡­ But I should avoid unnecessary losses. Damn it, this is infuriating¡­¡¹

    He gave up on intercepting the enemy, and decided to stay in the fort to fight a defensive battle. They still had a battalion in reserve, and they could fend them off even if the enemy has reinforcements. ¡ª that was what he thought.

    But¡­ the enemy launched an attack, would they really turn back just like that?

    With doubts in their mind, the new kingdom army made preparation around the fort for battle. Guards were deployed in front of the city, and the Resvant Vidos were assigned to sentry duties on the wall. When he saw the new kingdom army from afar, Gustavo deftly made the Swordsman shrug.

    ¡¸Ho, it¡¯s been awhile since I gone all out, and I didn¡¯t control my strength. I wanted to just test them a little and draw them out but¡­ Sigh¡«¡« hide all you want. Hmm, seems like there are about three companies inside that fort. Hey, prepare the smoke signals, three of them.¡¹

    When they heard Gustavo¡¯s orders, his subordinates quickly carried out their instructions.

    ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s your turn, Dad.¡¹

    Baron Mazquiar¨¢n could see the columns of smoke from the city walls.

    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ a signal for their reinforcements? A Levitate Ship is probably coming. Everyone, prepare for anti air battle!! Don¡¯t let them take this city fort so easily.¡¹

    On his command, the Tower Knights aimed their Silhouette Arms to the sky. They had experience in fighting Levitate Ships, and were adequately prepared. After a brief moment of silence, their prediction turned true ¡ª but they were only half right.

    ¡¸What¡­ is that?¡¹

    A black shadow appeared from the gaps in the clouds. When they saw a huge shadow on the ground gradually closing in, the guards in front of the city turned tense.

    ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s a Levitate Ship. Do they really think one vessel can take us on¡­!?¡¹

    At this moment, they finally noticed that something was wrong. The never seen before aerial weapon, the ¡ºLevitate Ship¡» first made their debut during their invasion of the Kuscheperca Kingdom. The new kingdom army had fought them numerous time, and has a deep understanding of their capabilities. They also captured one that was still operational, so there was no way they could misidentify the outline of a Levitate Ship. However, the ship before them was different. The Levitate Ships they had encountered were all in the form of an upside down sailing vessel floating in the air, and they weren¡¯t wrong. It was true that most of the Levitate Ships in the ?aloudek Army were like that.

    But the ship flying at them alone was an exception. The center of the ship bulged widely, and was the only part that retained the form of a ship. Protruding from the body was a slim head and tail, which didn¡¯t look anything like a ship. Sails on the left and right were fully deployed, making them look like the wings of a bat. The ship¡¯s body was covered in the armour glimmering with steel, which overlapped in complicated patterns like the outer skin of a Silhouette Knight, forming ¡ºmovable parts¡». That¡¯s right, movable parts. The proof was that after they discovered the new kingdom army on the ground, it immediately ¡ºtwisted it¡¯s entire body¡» to change its direction, and descended towards them.

    As it got closer, it was possible to discern the details of the ship. The new kingdom army gasped, as they realized that the unidentified flying object approaching them could no longer be called a ¡ºship¡». If they had to describe it, it was closer to being a ¡ª

    ¡¸That¡¯s a¡­ Levitate Ship? But this is strange¡­ it looks like a demon beast that had gone extinct since ancient times¡­ a¡ºdrake¡»! What are the people in ?aloudek thinking? Are they insane!?¡¹

    In the Western States which is the cradle of humanity, many large demon beast had already been extinct for a long time. When humans dominated this land through the use of Silhouette Knights, they subjugated most of the demon beasts. Not just ¡ºdrakes¡», for the Western States, demon beasts were sort of a legendary existence. And the terrifying appearance of the Levitate Ship before them was enough to stir up this memory.

    Doroteo?Mardones glared at the fortress city and the new kingdom army deployed in front of it, and said with a deep voice:

    ¡¸The fortress city of the new kingdom army¡­ About a battalion in size. A most suitable first prey, they should be able to let us use our powers to the fullest extent. Lord Collazo, let me test this out!¡¹

    This ship mimics the form of the legendary ¡ºdrake¡», with no sign of it being a ship at all. However, it was still customized from a Levitate Ship, and the slender dragon head was similar to the ¡ºFigurehead¡»of a Levitate Ship, which consist of the top half of a Silhouette Knight. But the torso of this Silhouette Knight had the head of a dragon, it had the creepy appearance of a ¡ºhalf man half dragon knight¡». Doroteo sat in the pilot seat inside the ¡ºDragon Head¡», with many sound pipes around him that were connected to the various parts of the vessel. A report just happened to be coming in from one of his subordinates:

    ¡¸Visual confirmation on the new kingdom army deployed on the ground preparing to engage us.¡¹

    ¡¸Lower altitude, launch spell attacks!¡¹

    Doroteo yelled his command towards the sound pipe loudly. After his subordinates at the center of the vessel repeated their orders, they adjusted the Etheric Levitator.

    ¡¸Beginning descent! Diluting Etheric Levitator¡­ Adjusting concentration of Ether to one five above ground. Entering anti ground combat altitude!¡¹

    ¡¸Good, retract the wing sails and stop the blow engine. Entering high speed battle mode!¡¹

    Next, the opened sails on the left and right of the vessel changed. The inner skeleton of the sails were connected to the blow engine. The skeletal structure of these sails similar to the wings of a bat started to fold and retract.

    ¡¸Sail wings retraction complete! Preparation for high speed battle mode complete!¡¹

    ¡¸We¡¯re going in, ignite the ¡ºMagius Jet Thruster¡» and maintain combat mobility!¡¹

    Before today, the propulsion of Levitate Ships was supplied by something called a blow engine, a Silhouette Arm that creates wind. Because this ship was bigger and more heavily armoured than previous models, the weight of the ship increased and wind power wasn¡¯t strong enough to move it. Even if it did move, it would be incredibly slow. In order to solve this problem, Horacio Collazo created a new propulsion device ¡ª which was the Magius Jet Thruster.

    The overt level explosive flame spells roared, and a fire burst forth, providing the necessary power to push the large ship forward. However, the Magius Jet Thruster has a flaw, which was the tremendous amount of mana it consumes, so it couldn¡¯t be used too often. This ship would use its sail wings to cruise during patrols, and would switch to the Magius Jet Thruster during a battle, a hybrid type that utilize both modes.

    Flames that sends out heat waves burst forth from the exposed back of the dragon after its wings had been retracted. The humongous object with its armour was extremely heavy, but the powerful propelling force still accelerated it. The alien ship that mimics the form of a huge ancient dragon bared its fangs at the new kingdom enemy as it dives at them. Doroteo glared at the holo monitor with bloodshot eyes inside the head of the ship. This battle was actually a ¡ºblade test¡», to prove whether this ship and him were powerful enough to kill the alien knight that murdered his master.

    ¡¸So this is the Levitate Ship in full battle mode¡­ ¡ºFlying Dragon Battleship¡¾Vouivre¡¿¡»! Let me see your power!¡¹

    When they saw the Flying Dragon Battleship retract its wings and accelerate, a sense of unease spread among the new kingdom army. They did set a strategy against Levitate Ships, but what was charging their way was an opponent that mimics a Flying Dragon. Baron Mazquiar¨¢n quickly issued orders to the knights who were at a loss.

    ¡¸Ugh, that¡¯s just a bluff! Vidos team, prepare spell attacks!! Shoot it down if it dares to come near us!!¡¹

    When they heard their loud and firm commander gave the word, the soldiers fired spells into the sky even though they had yet to settle down completely. During this time, the Vouivre was still charging at full speed towards the center of the tight formation. It flew right over the heads of the Silhouette Knights, and descended so low it was almost touching the ground. Wizard Style Anculosa ¡ºsprout out¡» from all over the ship¡¯s body and started firing intensely at the ground. This was one step better than simply placing Wizard Style machines on the Levitate Ship, they were now part of the ship as a fixed artillery.

    ¡¸Damn ?aloudeks, this is an abomination¡­! This is going beyond the demon beast of legends, did the lost of their commander made them lose their minds!?¡¹

    This was an efficient way of doing things, but the upper torso of the Silhouette Knights sprouting out from the ship caused an indescribable feeling of disgust to the new kingdom army. Not just that, the intense firepower from the Wizard Style machine caused tremendous losses to the ground units. After all, this might be just one vessel, but there were many Wizard Style machines sprouting from it.

    ¡¸Waaarrghhh!? Impossible, there¡¯s just one enemy ship, how could it launch such devastating spell attacks!?¡¹

    In contrast, the Tower Knights¡¯ magic projectile attacks were limited in effectiveness. The Flying Dragon Battleship possessed armour defences that was ¡ºtougher than it looks¡», and could deflect multiple magic projectile hits easily. The Flying Dragon Battleship laid down intense fire on the ground as it flew over the new kingdom army, and then turned around immediately. The Battleship might look slow and clumsy, but it could move its head and tail deftly like a living being, and was more agile in its turn than normal Levitate Ships. Its movement was completely beyond the level of a ship, and was closer to that of Silhouette Knights.

    After the first round of exchange, the Flying Dragon Battleship was mostly unscathed, while the new kingdom army took heavy losses. Doroteo was pleased by the results and issued the next attack command:

    ¡¸We will now test out ¡ºmelee combat¡». Deploy ¡ºDragonic claw¡» and attack from the front. Increase propulsion!¡¹

    After receiving his orders, a giant arm-like thing at the bottom of the ship was deployed. It was a dragon claw larger than a Silhouette Knight in size. This was the biggest difference between the Flying Dragon Battleship and normal Levitate Ships, its close quarter combat weapon, ¡ºCombat Dragon claw¡».

    ¡¸T-The monster is coming back!¡¹

    ¡¸H-How can it be so fast! Is that really a Levitate Ship¡­!? Forget it, turn back quickly! Take aim until it''s almost on top of us, and shoot it down!!¡¹

    The Flying Dragon charging towards the defenders who changed the direction they were facing in a hurry. It soared over the heads of the Silhouette Knights and extended its ferocious Combat Dragon claw. The acceleration of the Magius Jet Thruster and the incredible inertia of the ship¡¯s mass resulted in the dragon claw decimating the Silhouette Knights on the ground as if it was raking up leaves.

    ¡¸Damn it! That¡¯s impossible, that ship has a claw!?¡¹

    ¡¸Curses, it destroyed the Revantier so easily¡­!? Could that be the incarnation of a real dragon!?¡¹

    It cleaned up far targets with spell attacks, and devastate enemy close by with its dragon claw. Wherever the Vouivre went, only the wreckage of Revantiers were left in the wake of its rampage. The speed difference between the two sides were too vast, and the new kingdom army was destroyed without even the chance to put up a fight. At this moment, the Flying Dragon Battleship¡¯s claw happened to catch a Revantier during its run through the enemy formation.

    ¡¸A-Ahhhh! S-Someone save me¡­¡¹

    The next second, that Revantier was crushed with a pomf. The Dragonic claw wasn¡¯t just large, it was also full of strand crystal tissue, and could exert tremendous power output to match its huge size. It could even squash a Silhouette Knight through brute force. The unstoppable dragon claw left a clear trail of destruction through the middle of the new kingdom army.

    ¡¸No good¡­ Recall the Silhouette Knights back into the fort city! We will become food for that thing if this goes on¡­ Even the dragon claw won¡¯t be able to break the fort walls!¡¹

    After seeing the formidable power of the enemy for himself, the Baron issued the order to retreat.

    ¡¸Hmmp, they plan to fight a defensive fort battle? We need to teach them that such tricks are futile before our Flying Dragon.¡¹

    Doroteo was pleased with the display of the Combat Dragon claw¡¯s might against the enemy, and was finally ready to go in for the final blow.

    ¡¸Increase Ether concentration to three zero above ground.¡¹

    ¡¸Roger, injecting Ether into Etheric Levitator, concentration rising!¡¹

    After dealing a lethal blow to the enemy, the Flying Dragon Battleship increased its altitude as it circled in the air, ready to unleash a devastating attack. Its target wasn¡¯t the Silhouette Knights, but the fort city itself.

    ¡¸Ship bow, prepare to fire ¡ºIncineration Flame¡»!¡¹

    The thin bow protruding out from the front of the Flying Dragon Battleship which looked like a dragon¡¯s head opened its maw wide. Its ferocious appearance looked just like a living dragon, exposing a dark maw leading to the insides of the bow through rows of fang-like armour. Massive amounts of mana flowed into the emblem graf inside the maw, and flame erupted forth. The fire become more intense as it spew further out, until blazing flames covered the ground.

    ¡¸Dragon¡­ flame! How¡­ is that possible¡­!?¡¹

    By breaking out of the mold of a Silhouette Knight, the Vouivre managed to turn the stupendously huge Silhouette Arms¡ºIncineration Flame¡» into reality. It uses a large explosive flame spell to continuously shoot out flames. The fire raining down from the sky engulfed the fortress city, showcasing its powerful effect as a siege weapon.

    It was a hellish scene at the top of the city walls. Even if the Silhouette Knights were covered in steel, the pilots were still human. Even the armour of the Resvant Vido, the Wall Robe looked fragile before this relentless assault. The outer skin was burned to crisp, while the human inside was either cooked alive or turned directly into ash. Just one round of flame attack annihilated the units defending the walls, with the charred vito spewed all over the place. Some of the half melted ones were still squirming on the ground, while those who managed to escape out of the attack range fled in panic. Vido was a Wizard style machine and moved slower than the black knights. Hence, they turned into sacrifices to the Flying Dragon¡¯s flame.

    The Flying Dragon Battleship which had shown its enemy how feeble the city walls were in its eyes turned around, turning its sights on the city within the fort. None of the Revantier that escaped were spared, and the buildings burned. Neither the city walls or the stone buildings could withstand the fire attack, and after the Flying Dragon Battleship made a few sweeps, the city was razed to the ground.

    ¡¸¡­ This power¡­ was beyond my imagination.¡¹

    The Flying Dragon Battleship was the first large scale siege weapon in this world. Its horrendous results made even Doroteo who ordered the attack tremble.

    ¡¸Leave the clean up to the ground units, we will return to base.¡¹

    The Flying Dragon Battleship stopped spewing out flames after annihilating the enemy, and started to increase altitude. When it reached sufficient height and slowed down, it deployed its Wing Sails and entered cruising mode with its blow engine. They took to the sky leisurely, leaving the battlefield behind them.

    The enormous body of the Flying Dragon Battleship might be suitable for large scale devastating attacks, but not for trivial clean up operations. They had already took out a lot of the enemy forces, and completed their mission.

    ¡¸Incredible¡­ With such powers in our hands, even the Demon God can¡¯t escape from us. Princess Catalina, we will definitely avenge the Prince.¡¹

    The creator of the Levitate Ship ¡ª Horacio Collazo researched and developed from an angle never seen before in history. A new weapon that wasn¡¯t a Levitate Ship or a Silhouette Knight, something that should be called a man made Demon Beast, the ¡ºFlying Dragon Battleship¡». The giant sails flutter with the wind, and the strange dark shadow disappeared into the clouds.

    Shortly after, the Swordsman and the Black Knight unit reached the fortress city right after the Flying Dragon left. Gustavo surveyed the burning fortress city and grumbled:

    ¡¸Dad, if you burn the entire city, we won¡¯t be able to use it. The dragon is more powerful than expected, but you have to use it properly.¡¹

    He looked at the fortress city that couldn¡¯t serve as a base of operations any longer, and wondered what he should do.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Vouivre won a splendid victory in its debut and set off for Delvincourt in high spirits. Even though it didn¡¯t suffered much damage, that was still its first mission. It had already been scheduled to undergo maintenance to avoid any breakdowns.

    The creator of the Flying Dragon Battleship Horacio welcomed Doroteo and his crew at the docks with arms wide open to express his sincerity.

    ¡¸Haha, Lord Mardones, how was it? Did the power of the Flying Dragon Battleship pleased you? From your face, I think it performed quite admirably.¡¹

    ¡¸That is true. We just burned the remnants who call themselves the New Kuscheperca Kingdom into crisp, it¡¯s power is amazing! I will leave it at that for now, wonderfully done.¡¹

    Doroteo answered with a nod, which pleased Horacio. In the past, the Levitate Ship could only take part in battle through transporting Silhouette Knights or having them onboard, the only weapon they had was the ¡ºcatapult¡». Even so, it was still a revolutionary weapon. However, the enemy¡¯s anti-air weaponry developed too fast, which highlighted the Levitate Ship¡¯s lack of offensive means. Thus, the Flying Dragon Battleship was bestowed with great combat potential. This vessel designed for combat was the final form of Horacio¡¯s ideal of the ¡ºRuler of the Sky¡».

    ¡¸That¡¯s marvelous. We can soar in the sky as we please now¡­ Well then, please follow me. Princess Catalina is looking forward to your good tidings.¡¹

    Horacio who came to the docks eagerly was also tasked to relay the summons. As he led Doroteo and company to the audience hall, they discussed the performance of the Flying Dragon Battleship passionately.

    ¡¸With the prowess of the Flying Dragon Battleship. Silhouette Knights are not a threat at all. We won¡¯t lose even if we meet that Demon God¡­ It is regrettable that it wasn¡¯t ready in time to help Prince Crist¨®bal. If this was done before the battle of Missillier¡­ No, it¡¯s useless to talk about that now.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, how should I put this? This ship is designed with ¡ºfighting other Levitate Ships¡» in mind.¡¹

    His casual words surprised Doroteo. Since he was the one who created the Levitate Ship, why was he thinking about combating other Levitate Ships?

    ¡¸I would have never thought of that. Just who are you planning to fight?¡¹

    ¡¸Even though the Levitate Ship can be considered to be patented by us now, it had already been leaked to the new kingdom. It¡¯s not too much to plan in advance on ways to fight them correct? To create a Levitate Ship specialized for combat and worthy of the title of Ruler of the Sky, the problem of how to armour and arm it was a tough question. Keeping it in the form of a ship wouldn¡¯t do, and we didn¡¯t want to make it into a Silhouette Knight. So I decided to take inspiration from a certain source, and designed it after a demon beast.¡¹

    ¡¸What remarkable resolve. But from the way you phrase it¡­ Have the Flying Dragon existed since a long time ago?¡¹

    In the face of Doroteo¡¯s questioning that had turned a little shrill, Horacio scratched his messy hair and showed a half hearted smile:

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, although the ship was actually made, it couldn¡¯t work. It was either too heavy to move smoothly, or defenceless against long range attacks, so I banished it into the archives.¡¹

    His expression was ambiguous, but his eyes had a strong light in them, along with his unwavering confidence as the creator of the Levitate Ship.

    ¡¸Unfortunately, the Steel Wing Knights suffered devastating losses and were almost wiped out. And the lesson we learned from their experience helped me solve many of the problems. The powerful propellor and the addition of Wizard Style machine finally reforged the Flying Dragon Battleship into the strongest ship ever.¡¹

    ¡¸¡­ Without that battle, this ship wouldn¡¯t exist?¡¹

    What Horacio said was very logical, so Doroteo¡¯s tone had a hint of depression in it.

    ¡¸We will start carrying out the mission of the Flying Dragon, I will definitely avenge the Prince with the power of this ship.¡¹

    He pulled himself out of his sullen emotions. Doroteo lives only for one thing, which was to seek vengeance against the enemy. At this moment, Horacio who was walking ahead stopped. With a faint smile on his face, he turned and said:

    ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t need to bore you with the details of what the Flying Dragon can do. But assuming ¡ª if you encounter that rumoured Demon God¡­ And if the Flying Dragon is not powerful enough¡­¡¹

    Doroteo¡¯s eyes were full of life. He nimbly dodged the wrathful gaze of the veteran, and his smile deepened and twisted creepily.

    ¡¸Please soar high and far away. Without limits or restraints. The sky will protect the ruler, give him strength to defeat the enemy.¡¹

    ¡¸Very well, I will keep your advice in my heart.¡¹

    Doroteo walked passed Horacio with just these words, heading briskly into the audience hall. Horacio muttered softly, knowing very well his words would never reach anyone:

    ¡¸Yes, only my Flying Dragon can reach the highest sky. No matter how powerful that Demon God is, no matter how much insanity is cramped inside its body, those who don¡¯t understand the truth of this world will be engulfed by it if they try to reach the highest peak with a single bound...¡¹

    His deep laughter echoed in the corridor.

 Book 5: Chapter 41: The Confrontation between the Demon God and the Flying Dragon

    ¡¸Hey hey¡­ What¡¯s going on here?¡¹

    Emrys couldn¡¯t help groaning as he studied the map laid out before him. On it were several merciless crosses that were freshly marked out, with its ink still wet.

    Fontaine received several emergency reports. The crosses represent the frontline bases they had lost in an extremely short time.

    ¡¸?aloudek Army is suddenly taking the offensive. Hmmp, how unpleasant¡­ But leaving that aside for now, the affected area isn¡¯t simple! Each of these forts were fortified with Revantiers and Vidos!¡¹

    These forts they had lost had an adequate number of the newest model of Silhouette Knights. Even if the ?aloudek Army attacked en masse, it wouldn¡¯t fall so easily. These strange events shook them deeply.

    ¡¸Did the ?aloudeks sent out a massive army? From the non specific targets, it could be the doings of Levitate Ships too¡­ But adding in more ships won¡¯t faze the current Kuscheperca either, I can¡¯t make sense of this.¡¹

    After several battles, the Kuscheperca had more experience with anti Levitate Ship battles. The ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s Levitate Ship working in concert with the Tyrant was their fundamental tactic, and it couldn¡¯t gain much results now. On top of that, from the latest reports, they were conducting guerilla strikes, which wasn¡¯t suitable for attacking bases.

    ¡¸After the victory in Missillier, we should have pulled ourselves together. But despite the new kingdom rejuvenating this far, our nation is still under threat. I think this is a very serious matter.¡¹

    Martina¡¯s tense words made Eleonora¡¯s face turn gloomy.

    ¡¸The fortresses we lost are completely destroyed¡­ I heard only a handful managed to escape.¡¹

    She could understand that sacrifices were inevitable in war, but a part of her still couldn¡¯t accept this reality. Seeing how moody she was, the people around her hesitated, wondering if they should ask for further details.

    In this sullen mood, only one person pressed for details without any restraint. That was Eru.

    ¡¸Since there are survivors, shouldn¡¯t there be some clues about the tactics the enemy is employing? If we don¡¯t figure this out, the disaster might spread even further.¡¹

    ¡¸¡­! T-There is¡­ All their testimonies speaks of a vessel similar to the ¡ºdrake¡» of legends¡­ A strange Levitate Ship attacking. The dragon spewed out fire and¡­ incinerated the fortress.¡¹

    The attack of the enemy was fierce, and the fortresses they targeted were razed to the ground. Despite deliberate investigations, the survivors either say a ship in the form of a legendary dragon attacked, or the dragon burned the city with its breath. These crazed testimonies gave the higher ups of the new kingdom a headache.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights felt similarly troubled by this. Eru folded his arms and fell into deep thought.

    ¡¸This definitely means the enemy sent out a new model of Levitate Ships. But even if it mimics the form of a dragon¡­ Would it become stronger all of a sudden?¡¹

    ¡¸Are they using Silhouette Arms to shoot out fire? That¡¯s probably the Levitate Ship loaded with Wizard style machines.¡¹

    ¡¸Are there Silhouette Arms strong enough to raze an entire city? If there are, those things would consume too much mana, and be more unwieldy than Ikaruga.¡¹

    Not just Eru, even Dietrich and Edgar shook their head with their arms crossed. Even the brilliant Silver Phoenix Knights couldn¡¯t deduce the enemy¡¯s true identity with just this bit of intel.

    ¡¸We lack intel. Let¡¯s not make wild guesses, and assume the enemy has the capability mentioned in the rumours, and deal with this accordingly.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmmp! That¡¯s right, since they¡¯re the enemy, we just need to defeat them all. Instead of splitting hairs, we should take action!¡¹

    ¡¸I think the young master should worry a bit more.¡¹

    Emrys wasn¡¯t the only one who was hyped up, Dietrich, Edgar and Helvi were also thinking about it in terms of combat, their faces showing no signs of fear against the mysterious threat. Eru who was besides them ran his fingers gently across the map and said:

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know how the enemy did it, but from the position of the fortress that has fallen, they show no signs of suddenly attacking our rear lines. If we head for the frontlines, we will meet them sooner or later. I will get the Silver Phoenix Knights ready for a campaign.¡¹

    ¡¸Mr Ernesti, you¡¯re willing to take to the frontlines personally?¡¹

    Seeing Eru and the others deciding to act, Eleonora asked hesitatingly. The powerful and mysterious enemy had shown itself, and it would be wonderful if the strongest Silver Phoenix Knights were willing to scout them out.

    ¡¸From our perspective, this is a great proposal¡­ But considering how dangerous this is, will it be fine?¡¹

    ¡¸The ones who would be best suited to face against such unknown opponents would probably be me. I can¡¯t guarantee that I can solve the problem, but I will at least have a chance to take a stab at it.¡¹

    The members of the Silver Phoenix Knights and Eru nodded. Eleonora stood tall with her back straightened, then said:

    ¡¸I can only depend on your good will for now. I bid everyone in the Silver Phoenix Knights good luck and good hunting.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmmp, they can still muster such forces after that terrible defeat, as expected of a grand nation. Alright Ellie, just leave it to us! We will crush their spirits!¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry to interrupt when you are giving such a passionate speech, but could you please hold the fort here, Young Master?¡¹

    Emrys stumbled forward with his arms still raised, then turned back with his eyes wide open:

    ¡¸What!? Hey, Silver Commander, you¡¯re saying this now? I want to pulverise the wild ambition of those guys with my Gordesleo!¡¹

    Emrys bared his teeth, showing his fighting spirit in plain sight. But Eru shook his head firmly, turning down the Second Prince¡¯s wilful request.

    ¡¸We don¡¯t know how powerful the enemy Flying Dragon is. But from the losses we have taken, it will be an intense fight. Young Master, please consider your position. Although it¡¯s unlikely, their next target might be Fontaine, we can¡¯t let the defences in this city and Her Majesty be too weak.¡¹

    Although Emrys groaned during this time as a mean of final resistance, he still gave in and stayed in Fontaine. Eru then turned to Chid and said:

    ¡¸You will be staying behind with the Young Master.¡¹

    ¡¸Eru! I¡¯m a part of the Silver Phoenix Knights too, how can you not count me in?¡¹

    He was probably overthinking it, but when he saw Eru¡¯s smile that had a hint of mockery in it, Chid couldn¡¯t help sighing unhappily. Eru whispered into his ear:

    ¡¸You have an important secret mission. If Fontaine is attacked and the situation grows desperate¡­ You need to pilot your Tzendrinble, and ensure the Young Master and Her Majesty escapes safely.¡¹

    Chid stared at Eru with a serious expression.

    ¡¸If I do that¡­ Leaving Ellie aside, I think the Young Master will resist stubbornly.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re the only one who can do this, Chid.¡¹

    As expected, he was unhappy about being left in the rear by the Silver Phoenix Knights, but with Eru urging him so seriously, it was hard for him to refuse. In the end, the two of them stayed behind in Fontaine as the Queen¡¯s guards, and the Silver Phoenix Knights headed to the frontlines.

    Eleonora watched Eru and company leave to prepare for their journey and said softly:

    ¡¸I think we¡¯re relying on everyone in the Silver Phoenix Knights too much. We might be allied nations, but we should be the ones leading the campaign against the enemy¡­ Or are we still too weak to defend ourselves?¡¹

    ¡¸Eru offered to go himself, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹

    But Chid¡¯s words couldn¡¯t sooth her heavy heart.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights headed to the workshop to make preparations.

    ¡¸Okay Ernesti, I can see you are hyped up¡­ tell me what you really think. What are you scheming?¡¹

    On the way there, Dietrich looked at Eru who was a head shorter than him and asked. His gaze was full of doubt because of his accumulated experiences so far.

    ¡¸Well, the analysis of the enemy¡¯s technology is coming to an end. I¡¯m feeling pretty good, and think it¡¯s time to take Ikaruga out for a stroll.¡¹

    ¡¸Eru, Silhouette Knights aren¡¯t dogs, you don¡¯t need to take them for strolls.¡¹

    Seeing Eru nod seriously, Helvi couldn¡¯t help hitting his head lightly. Dietrich who was behind the two of them looked up into the sky.

    ¡¸I figured it¡¯s something like that¡­ Are you serious?¡¹

    Although he already expected that, Eru¡¯s free spirited style still exasperated the people around him. They had no choice but to go along with the knight commander¡¯s hobby.

    ¡¸That might be so, but since we¡¯re going, there is a good chance to win right?¡¹

    ¡¸Depends on the situation. Let¡¯s bring all the Missile Javelins we have along, and clash with them directly.¡¹

    ¡¸Ernesti, even though our goal is to help our allied country, but isn¡¯t this plan too reckless?¡¹

    Edgar who had been listening to them absent mindedly joined in with a serious face when the topic about combat formation came up. Eru started with ¡¸that¡¯s true¡¹, and then said:¡¸But, are you sure you want to let the new kingdom deal with this? The fact is, our allies have suffered serious losses and still couldn¡¯t figure the enemy out yet. Regrettably, just getting used to the new machine model is a big burden on them.¡¹

    Edgar groaned. He understood this very well since he had fought alongside them.

    ¡¸In the end, the Levitate Ship is like the symbol of ?aloudek Army¡¯s superiority. Just like how we created the Eastern Mode, it won¡¯t be a surprise if they forge an even better ship ahead of us. Judging from how badly the forts were destroyed, this new Levitate Ship probably has a wide area attack, so sending in a large force would put us at a disadvantage instead. In that case, we should use a small elite unit to take on the large and powerful adversary ¡ª Isn¡¯t this the tactic we¡¯re most proficient in?¡¹

    As they chatted, the group reached the workshop. Before them were rows of Silhouette Knights from the Silver Phoenix Knights. Dietrich watched the Knightsmiths tuning the group of machines that seemed eager to move out as best as they could, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face.

    ¡¸¡­ I know how you feel, Ernesti.¡¹

    Edgar raised his eyebrows slightly, and had no intention of rebuking him.

    ¡¸We have the 3rd company with us. Considering the operation of the Missile Javelins, they are definitely the ones most suited for this.¡¹

    ¡¸Leave it to us. No matter where we need to go, the 3rd company and I will send everyone there safely.¡¹

    After a few exchanges, they reached the central area of the workshop. Eru waved his hands and said loudly:

    ¡¸Everyone ¡ª Please gather here ¡ª ¡¹

    He then grabbed a blackboard from somewhere and gave a simple briefing:

    ¡¸¡­ That¡¯s how it is. The Silver Phoenix Knights will move out in the highest readiness level. As for the destination, the enemy has been hitting the bases on the frontlines like this. Their movements are erratic, and we can¡¯t tell where they would strike next. That¡¯s why we will be splitting up into two groups.¡¹

    Eru drew the two designated routes on the laid out map. He pointed to the northern route, then turned and said to everyone:

    ¡¸The 1st and 3rd company will move together. The only thing certain from the intel we have is ¡ª the enemy is a powerful Levitate Ship. The 3rd company will adopt the ¡ºBlue Two¡» load out, 1st company please be ready for anything.¡¹

    Edgar and Helvi nodded firmly. The boss behind them gestured with his chin, and several Knightsmiths ran off to make preparations immediately.

    ¡¸Hmm? Then the 2nd company will be walking? What about you, knight commander?¡¹

    Dietrich stared at the other route with his head tilted and asked.

    ¡¸I will be going with Di-sempai, Ikaruga will make up for your lack of anti-air capabilities.¡¹

    ¡¸That would be more than sufficient.¡¹

    ¡¸And me?! I want to go with Eru!!¡¹

    Ady raised her hands high besides the shrugging Dietrich to recommend herself. It was Dietrich and Eru¡¯s turn to look at each other.

    ¡¸¡­ That¡¯s how it is, Ady and I will join the 2nd Company.¡¹

    ¡¸Understood.¡¹

    After deciding on the team rosters, Eru turned and said to everyone:

    ¡¸Since the 3rd company is joining them, the 1st company will be more mobile. I don¡¯t know which side will encounter the target first, so we have to play this by ear. Edgar-sempai, if the enemy is too strong, please do whatever you can to escape and bring back intel on them.¡¹

    ¡¸I understand, being reckless isn¡¯t the only thing we¡¯re good at.¡¹

    Edgar¡¯s gaze alternated between Eru and Dietrich, then nodded. He was making it obvious that he was ¡¸more worried about the two of you¡¹.

    ¡¸Well, we won¡¯t have 3rd company¡¯s support and will be much slower. But it will be fine if we can defeat the enemy.¡¹

    ¡¸Since we don¡¯t have a clear idea what the enemy is like, there is no guarantee we can win right? You¡¯re a captain of a company, so keep a backup plan in mind...¡¹

    The conversation between Edgar and Di slowly turned into a lecture. Eru who was besides them surveyed the entire group and concluded:

    ¡¸The only thing left would be arranging for the supplies. We will set off once that is done.¡¹

    The Tzendrinbles in the 3rd company trotted loudly into their formation, and the heavily armoured Kardatolles boarded the wagon behind the centaurs. If it was just one company worth of Silhouette Knights, the transport capacity of the 3rd company could still handle it. The rest of the Tzendrinbles were in anti-air mode, equipped with Vertical launched javelin thrower, with spare Missile Javelins, packed behind it.

    Beside this formation was one Tzendrinble that was parked slightly further to the side. That was Ady¡¯s machine, which was outfitted with anti-air equipment. But because of the team composition, half of the space on the wagon had to be used to transport other cargo.

    At this moment, the 2nd company showed up after finishing their preparation. Upon seeing Ikaruga that was fully armed like Tzendrinble, Guyalarinde shrugged deftly.

    ¡¸Even with Ernesti and Ikaruga here, our anti-air capabilities would be significantly weakened without the 3rd company right? I switched the loadout on some of the machines on my team to Javelineer Style.¡¹

    About half of the machines in the 2nd company didn¡¯t have any back weapon. They were fitted with Rail Arm for the firing of the Missile Javelins. As the Vertical launched javelin thrower was too big for normal Silhouette Knights, the firing mechanism was installed onto a single machine. Such Silhouette Knights were said to be customized for javelin shots. After Eru looked at the companies around him that had finished their preparations, he nodded and said:

    ¡¸Ara, if the enemy is just a normal Levitate Ship, we can deal with them even if an entire fleet came.¡¹

    ¡¸Di, don¡¯t be careless now, this is just like hunting demon beasts. Understand the opponent, attack their weak point then defeat it. If we attack recklessly, we will be the ones that gets destroyed.¡¹

    ¡¸So a highly intelligent demon beast that can fly in the sky? How annoying¡­¡¹

    After bidding each other farewell with idle chatter, the Silver Phoenix Knights set off on a campaign from Fontaine. They would be facing the mysterious ¡ºdragon¡» next, even though they possess high combat capabilities, they still needed to be on guard. The companies split up and set off on their assigned routes, heading towards the fort that was still safe as of now.

    Eru and the 2nd company¡¯s Silhouette Knights unit headed west on foot.

    The Silhouette Knights were 6 times taller than a normal human, and their strides were similarly large, so they moved much faster than normal walking. However, they were far slower than the Tzendrinbles of the 3rd company that were moving together with the 1st company. During this time, the other group have already visited several bases.

    They finally reached the vicinity of their destination. The slopes were gentle around them, and didn¡¯t offer any advantages to any sides. If forced to pick a side, the defensive unit would have a slight disadvantage as the terrain was easy for a large army to move in. After all, this was just a territory within the Kuscheperca, and wasn¡¯t really the frontlines.

    ¡¸In other words, the Tzendrinbles could run around here freely.¡¹

    ¡¸And the Levitate Ships can fly around freely.¡¹

    ¡¸A battlefield without any cover will be tricky. Everyone be on your guard.¡¹

    While Eru and the others chatted while advancing, Ady¡¯s Tzendrinble followed behind the 2nd company slowly, matching their pace. She suddenly raised the Tzendrinble¡¯s lance into the sky.

    ¡¸¡­ Hey Eru, look at that! Could that be...¡¹

    Looking in the direction where the tip of her lance was pointing, a thin column of smoke was rising. It goes without saying what that smoke meant.

    ¡¸We¡­ hit the bingo right away. Let¡¯s hurry over.¡¹

    ¡¸I concur, knight commander. 2nd company, a battle is waiting in front of us, advance!!¡¹

    The 2nd company didn¡¯t bother with conserving their strength and started charging at full speed. Ikaruga which was behind them ignited the large Ether Reactor ¡ºBehemoth''s Heart¡» which was in sleep mode, and the air intake valve churned strongly to operate the reactor. With a demon beast like howl from its churning heart, Ikaruga switched into combat mode, activated all the Magius Jet Thrusters on its body and took to the sky with a trail of flames behind it.

    The advancing 2nd company went over the hill, and the entire fort city entered their field of vision. Grey walls stood amidst the sparse forest. In the sky above the walls was a squirming object moving slowly. By comparing it to the fort city, it was easy to tell that the object was very big.

    ¡¸W-What is that!? The new Levitate Ship!? It¡¯s shape is weirder than I imagined, and resembles a dragon to such an extent!¡¹

    That thing spreads its wings widely to either side, sweeping up huge gusts of wind. It¡¯s swaying tail and snake like neck made it look like a demon beast ¡ª it¡¯s torso was similar to a ¡ºdrake¡». At the same time, this was definitely not a demon beast. It¡¯s exterior was obviously manmade, such as the sails on its wing and the Silhouette Knights sprouting out from its body were definitely not a product of nature.

    ¡¸Hey, look! It¡¯s opening its ¡ºmaw¡»!!¡¹

    The Kardatolle besides Guyalarinde pointed out. Following the direction it was pointing at, he could see that ¡ºdragon-like thing¡» circling in the air was opening it¡¯s jaws wide at the fort city.

    The next second, a glaring red flame poured out from its dark maw. Explosive flames on a scale completely beyond that of Silhouette Knights and Silhouette Arms rained down on the fort. The defenders didn¡¯t stand a chance against this outburst of fire, and the fort being surrounded by city walls only made the fire within the fort burn even more intensely.

    ¡¸Damn ?aloudeks, they created that monster¡­! Hmm? That is¡­ this is bad.¡¹

    Even the 2nd company renowned for their bravery could only stare dumbfoundedly at the fort being engulf in a sea of fire. Only the keen Dietrich noticed the subtle changes ¡ª soldiers and Silhouette Knights from the New Kuscheperca Kingdom fleeing from the fort..

    ¡¸Survivors! We need to¡­ save them.¡¹

    For an instant, a past memory filled Dietrich¡¯s field of vision. Students were attacked by a division sized demon beast during training, giant knights stepping forth to protect the children from the powerful demon beasts that spelled certain death. He would never forget his starting point, and this was how similar the tragedy happening before him was to the events back then.

    ¡¸¡­! How can I allow this to happen again!!¡¹

    Guyalarinde charged without hesitation, and the 2nd company followed his lead. There was no need to talk, they could understand each other¡¯s thinking.

    However, the fort city was still a frustrating distance away. Not only was it out of spell attack range, even the silver nerves guided Missile Javelin couldn¡¯t reach it. They need to be closer to that humongous object before they could attack. With running being the only thing they could do, Dietrich couldn¡¯t help gritting his teeth.

    In the meantime, the mechanical dragon soaring in the sky had turned around, targeting its next prey on the ground. Compared to the speed of a Levitate Ship, a sprinting Silhouette Knight was good as stationary. The gigantic draconic claws reached for the ground, replicating the stance of the legendary creature, emitting killing intent as it descended from the sky.

    ¡¸Damn it!!¡¹

    Guyalarinde¡¯s outreached hand couldn¡¯t grasp anything.

    Just when he thought those draconic claws would tear the poor new kingdom army souls apart, a flaming javelin flew through the air. The powerful flame javelin was far stronger than normal magic projectiles, even beyond that of an Overed spell. It also has amazing range, and the Flying Dragon that had been ravaging the battlefield swerved to dodge for the first time. When it saw multiple flaming javelins flew at it one by one, it gave up on its ground attack, and left after doing a flip.

    ¡¸Sword Cannon, it¡¯s Ernesti! That was close, it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re here¡­¡¹

    Loud explosions rang out above the new kingdom army. The trailblazing Ikaruga circled in the sky, and returned to the 2nd company after checking that the people were evacuating away from the destruction of the dragon. The Demon God reduced the power in its Magius Jet Thrusters and landed.

    ¡¸Di-Sempai! Gather the surviving units, and lead them away from here. With that Levitate Ship¡¯s speed and offensive powers that rivals a demon beast, they will die if they stay here!¡¹

    When he heard Eru order a retreat immediately, Di couldn¡¯t answer for a moment, but quickly nodded and replied:

    ¡¸¡­ Understood. We will withdraw the units and abandon that fort. Relay the orders! Send out horses and tell the base behind us to prepare for our arrival. Alert them that in the worst case scenario, they will need to be ready for the largest anti-air battle ever!!¡¹

    The cavalry traveling with the unit galloped off in accordance to Dietrich¡¯s instruction. While they were making preparations, the Flying Dragon in the air glared at the ground once again. As if it was responding to the Flying Dragon, Ikaruga ignited its Magius Jet Thruster, ready to take on the Flying Dragon.

    The opponents of the Silhouette Knight ¡¾Ikaruga¡¿ were Eru¡¯s preys. If there was a battle between giant humanoid weapons ¡¾robots¡¿, he would not retreat. He knew it was futile, but Dietrich still said to Eru¡¯s back:

    ¡¸Are you going?¡¹

    ¡¸I have to draw its attention away from the ground, so I have to distract it with an aerial battle. The only ones who could do that is Ikaruga and me.¡¹

    Dietrich gritted his teeth hard. He had to watch idly by again as Ernesti engages the enemy directly. He knew his own capabilities and that there was no way he could take part in the battle between the giant flying dragon and the Demon God

    ¡¸Roger, knight commander. Don¡¯t worry about the things on the ground, and give that dragon a good pounding.¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you sempai. Fufu, Ikaruga needs to go all out this time¡­¡¹

    With an explosive sound, Ikaruga flew up high. The Demon God turned into a comet heading straight for the Flying Dragon.

    ¡¸Okay, ever since Levitate Ships appeared in this world, I already predicted that armoured vessels¡­ ¡ºBattleships¡» will appear too. But I didn¡¯t expect this huge mobile weapon. I understand the direction it¡¯s evolving towards, but I never imagined it will become this powerful so fast. Is there a reason behind this?¡¹

    Eru felt a shiver as he sat inside the cockpit of the Ikaruga. It wasn¡¯t out of fear, but stemmed from tremendous joy towards the prospect of ¡ºthe humanoid weapon¡¾Ikaruga¡¿ fighting against a giant machine¡».

    ¡¸Fufufu, you¡¯re just right as my opponent. My Ikaruga won¡¯t lose so easily!!¡¹

    After Ikaruga took to the sky, the new kingdom army escaped towards the 2nd company. Guyalarinde stood at the very front of his unit and bellow out commands, and just barely maintained control.

    ¡¸Gather here and fall back quickly¡­! We will just be a burden to the knight commander if we stay here.¡¹

    The new kingdom army whose base had been burned had no other choice. Obeying the 2nd company¡¯s command, they organized themselves and pulled back. There was no telling how much time Ikaruga could buy, but they need to send the new kingdom army to safety with whatever time there was.

    ¡¸Alright, 2nd company, let¡¯s escort them¡­ No wait, what is that signal!?¡¹

    Dietrich who was observing the Flying Dragon¡¯s movement yelled suddenly. That ship which mimicks the form of dragon was glowing with bright lights on various parts of its body. They flickered with a fixed frequency, and were obviously transmitting a message.

    And the answer was revealed shortly after.

    Several Levitate Ships flew over the burning fortress city, making a beeline for them. Those weren¡¯t Battleships, but cargo ship types.

    ¡¸A secondary team! Pursuers? We can only walk, and will be caught sooner or later.¡¹

    That¡¯s correct, the Flying Dragon wasn¡¯t the only force the enemy committed here. Normal Levitate Ships could ferry ground forces too. When they saw the retreating new kingdom forces, they formed up and gave chase.

    The sound of the wind made by the Levitate Ships echoed in the sky. They dropped Silhouette Knights from the opened hatch at the bottom of the ship, sending the disorganized new kingdom army to the very brink. The ones that landed on the ground were the mass produced Tyrants of the ?aloudek Kingdom, and one Silhouette Knight that looked different from the other. On that queer machine were swords of various sizes.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t stop! Just focus on running away¡­ 2nd company!!¡¹

    Guyalarinde that was running alongside the new kingdom army stopped, then turned back and drew its swords. He pointed them at the approaching black knights.

    ¡¸We will be the rear guards. Protect our comrades, do your duty as a knight. Aid our friends, if the enemy threatens them, we will crush them all!!¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah!! Crush them all!¡¹

    The second company echoed out loud as they picked up their weapons to cover the new kingdom army behind them. When the black knights saw part of their prey stop, they charged in with renewed vigour.

    In the sky was the clash between the Flying Dragon and Demon God, on the ground was the battle pitting the black knights against the 2nd company of the Silver Phoenix Knights. The intense fight was about to begin.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Flying Dragon turned around, and surveyed the battlefield from the sky.

    On the ground, the black knights sent out by the Levitate Ships were blocking the escape route of the new kingdom army. Their base has been destroyed, and there weren¡¯t any ambushes lying in sight. The lives of the new kingdom army were like a candle in the wind. In contrast with the overwhelming advantage on the ground, a sinister existence had appeared in the sky.

    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡¹

    That was a Silhouette Knight flying in the sky with flame trailing behind it. That alien didn¡¯t have any Etheric Levitator or wings to soar in the sky, as if it was mocking the laws of this world. This lone Silhouette Knight charged the huge dragon hovering in the sky ¡ª the flagship of the ?aloudek Kingdom¡¯s ¡ºJade Dragon Knights¡» ¡ª this Vouivre. It showed no fear towards the Flying Dragon Battleship that just razed an entire city.

    ¡¸Oh, ohhhh¡­ T-That¡¯s¡­!!¡¹

    Inside the Dragon Head cockpit at the front of the Vouivre, Doroteo glared at the alien displayed on the Holo monitor, and spitted as if he was about to vomit blood. As far as he knows, there was only one such extraordinary existence in this world.

    ¡¸¡­It¡¯s the Demon God. Demon God, the sworn enemy who murdered the Prince, my sworn enemy!! To think we will meet so soon! This Flying Dragon was created in order to end you, feel the power of its flame!!¡¹

    The Demon God was his sworn enemy. Not only did it rescued the Kuscheperca royals in Fontaine, it also destroyed Doroteo¡¯s Levitate Ship by itself and killed his master, Prince Crist¨®bal in battle. The agitated Doroteo could no longer keep his demeanor as a veteran soldier, and his expression became that of an enraged avenger.

    ¡¸Enter high speed battle mode! Give it your all everyone, don¡¯t let your guard down because our adversary is a single Silhouette Knight. If we are careless, even this Flying Dragon might lose!!¡¹

    Doroteo issued deafening orders from his cockpit, and the Flying Dragon Battleship immediately went into high speed battle mode. It retracted its sail wings and shot out flames from its tail end. The massive body started accelerating from the explosive propulsion.

    When he saw the Flying Dragon Battleship accelerating unlike any Levitate Ship he had seen before, Eru stared with his eyes wide open.

    ¡¸Those flames, that speed! Are they using the Magius Jet Thruster!?¡¹

    Eru¡¯s slender fingers danced on his keyboard, adjusting the mana distribution. Most of the mana generated by the large reactor got channeled into the Magius Jet Thruster, readying himself for mobile combat. Eru could feel the angry roar of the reactor and looked at the Flying Dragon with a serious face.

    ¡¸For some reason, I think that dragon-like thing is staring hard at me, and this isn¡¯t normal hostility? And it¡¯s ignoring the fleeing troops and started chasing after Ikaruga immediately¡­ It knows Ikaruga?¡¹

    It¡¯s obvious that Doroteo¡¯s angry roar wouldn¡¯t reach him though. But Eru seemed to realize something and smiled boldly.

    ¡¸I see, there¡¯s no need for two rulers of the sky huh? They are so into it that they prepared a huge weapon after all! Don¡¯t worry, the Magius Jet Thrusters, Sword Cannon, Rahu Fists¡­ I will use everything at Ikaruga¡¯s disposal to defeat my foe!!¡¹

    The Magius Jet Thruster accelerated intensely, pushing Ikaruga into the air. Even though the thinking of both parties were so out of phase that it was pathetic, it spurred overflowing fighting spirit from them, and the fight between the dragon and Demon God thus begun.

    The Flying Dragon Battleship and Ikaruga closed in on each other. Ikaruga¡¯s Sword Cannon might have very long range, but its accuracy was higher when it was nearer; For the Flying Dragon Battleship, a Silhouette Knight in the air was too small a target. To bring out their best offensive attack. both parties needed to get closer in order to be more effective.

    ¡¸Prepare spell attacks! Bombard that thing with magic projectile and destroy it!¡¹

    Doroteo ordered a pre-emptive attack. Machines specialized in spell attacks,¡¾Anculosa¡¿, ¡ºsprouted out¡» from all over the Flying Dragon Battleship and aimed their back weapons forward. The glow from mana flashed and blazing magic projectiles were shot out. Ikaruga raised its sword in defence, and after swatting a few shots away, it started dodging. The Flying Dragon kept on shooting, and Ikaruga wouldn¡¯t be able to counter if it tried to deal with the shots seriously. The Magius Jet Thrusters roared, and Ikaruga started flying in complicated patterns. It evaded the magic projectiles and created some space.

    ¡¸You aren¡¯t the only one good at spell attacks.¡¹

    The soaring armoured samurai pointed the Sword Cannon in its hand forward, and the blade parted in the center. The emblem grafts within the blade emitted huge amounts of mana. A powerful Overed level spell formed into a bright crimson ball of flame, and was shot out. The fiery magic projectile flying through the sky was powerful, but Doroteo didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡¸Demon God, I know very well how powerful your spells are! Don¡¯t look down on us, you think that will work on this Vouivre? Prepare the ¡ºlightning whip (Zafar Namah)¡» and blast that down!¡¹

    In response to that order, the Anculosa retracted their back weapons and raised the Silhouette Arms in their hands. With an appearance of several daggers sprouting out of its base, this was the lightning type Silhouette Arms ¡ª ¡ºZafar Namah¡». The lightning generated by magic phenomenon was immediately shot towards the approaching magic projectile.

    The purple lightning struck the ball of flame, and they blossomed in the air. The web of intercrossing Zafar Namah served the function of a tight defensive shield, and not a single magic projectile harmed the Flying Dragon¡¯s hull.

    An attack that nullifies other attacks ¡ª When Eru saw this new weapon he had never seen before, his emotion became even more heightened.

    ¡¸Completely unfazed by magic projectiles!? I heard they used lightning as a defense, but didn¡¯t expect it to be this powerful. Seems like I have to use my second trick to destroy giant weapons!¡¹

    Eru gave up on firing magic projectiles from a distance, and pushed Ikaruga forward instead. The next second, a fierce explosion rang out, and Ikaruga disappeared, leaving only an after image behind that flickered like a fire before disappearing. The Magius Jet Thruster churning at full speed pushed Ikaruga forth like an arrow as it pierced through the sky.

    Although an alien shaped flaming Silhouette Knight was flying at him with incredible speed, Doroteo didn¡¯t panic, and a brave smile appeared on his mouth instead.

    ¡¸If range attacks are ineffective, you will choose to close in next. This is your miscalculation! Anculosa, use ¡ºZafar Namah¡» and crush that fool!¡¹

    Ikaruga charged right before the Flying Dragon and raised its weapon, ready to slash it. But before it could swing its sword, a thundering sound boomed out. Not only could the ¡ºZafar Namah¡» block the magic projectiles, it could shoot down the approaching Silhouette Knights too, destroying everything it comes into contact with.

    ¡¸You still have this trick up your sleeves!!¡¹

    When Eru saw sparks appearing everywhere on the Flying Dragon, just before he deployed the Sword Cannon, he turned around the magius jet thrusters, as a result of the violent braking, magic projectiles were randomly shot out. These projectiles made up of explosive flame magic burst apart the instant it touches the lightning, and blossomed into elegant balls of fire in the sky.

    ¡¸Damn Demon God, to actually dodge at such close range! You might have survived the lightning, but the Flying Dragon is just showing its true prowess now!!¡¹

    Ikaruga turned its thrusters to the back once again, and closed in before the Silhouette Arms could fire again. It raised its sword against the gigantic Flying Dragon that filled its entire holo monitor screen, and the Sword Cannon connected solidly.

    ¡¸Can that huge body dodge from such a close distance!?¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t look down on me, it¡¯s just a tad near¡­!¡¹

    At this moment, Eru still had some misconceptions. The Levitate Ship in the past might be able to fly, but they were still normal ships without any means of close quarters attacks. However, the design of the Vouivre overturned this logic. This ship built for direct combat took many liberties in design, and its flexible body was a powerful weapon, and why the Flying Dragon did a body charge.

    ¡¸Woaahh!? It¡¯s intimidating appearance isn¡¯t just for show!¡¹

    In the face of the approaching massive body, Ikaruga had to exert the full power of his Magius Jet Thruster to barely get away. The Demon God and the Flying Dragon met in the air, and passed each other by quickly.

    ¡¸With this much difference in mass, I won¡¯t be able to escape unscathed if we collided. A Levitate Ship can actually be used to fight like this...¡¹

    Eru grumbled but didn¡¯t stop controlling his thrusters deftly, changing Ikaruga¡¯s direction. In terms of mobility, the smaller Ikaruga had the advantage. Even if the Flying Dragon Battleship was faster than other Levitate Ships, it would still need some time to turn around. When Eru realized this, Eru attempted to attack it from behind and saw the Flying Dragon made a surprising move.

    In the past, the Levitate Ship changed direction by using the blow engine to create wind that pushes the sails. Because the blow engine¡¯s power output was limited, the ship couldn¡¯t be said to be swift. However, the Flying Dragon utilized the full potential of its unique design, and adopted a completely different maneuvering method. It maintained the thrust from behind, and turned around quickly in a tight circle, just like how it moved during the battle earlier.

    ¡¸Wow, how nimble. So it¡¯s going to charge again?¡¹

    The Vouivre that turned around let out a loud bursting sound and started accelerating. It was obviously trying to ram with its body again.

    As the magic projectiles and lightning strikes collided in the air, the Demon God and the Flying Dragon shortened the distance between them. In the face of the Flying Dragon charging at full speed, Ikaruga was moving horizontally. The faster they moved, the harder it was to react to any changes. Eru was planning to get further away to evade the charge of the Flying Dragon Battleship, but the Flying Dragon made a new move at this moment.

    ¡¸Too naive, Demon God! Prepare the draconic claws! Tear him to shreds!¡¹

    The Flying Dragon Battleship started deploying the gigantic device folded underneath it, and the ferocious weapon that had torn apart many Silhouette Knights showed its claws. The free moving giant draconic claws reached for Ikaruga that was trying to pull away from the Flying Dragon. When he saw the giant draconic claws big enough to seize a Silhouette Knight right before him, Eru shivered. The next second, the thruster on Ikaruga¡¯s shoulders turned and shot upwards, pushing him down.

    Its weight and the push of the Magius Jet Thruster caused Ikaruga to fall at a drastic speed. After escaping the draconic claw, it reignited its thruster to maintain stable flight.

    Inside the cockpit, Eru exhaled the breath he had been holding.

    ¡¸¡­ Fufu, hufufufufu. I was just testing it a little, and that¡¯s a really strong adversary. Not only is it agile, it is hard to pursue and attack it. Its lightning defence can block magic projectiles and even melee strikes. Ikaruga won¡¯t be able to go near it recklessly¡­ an opponent worth challenging.¡¹

    The content of his words seemed to be painting a situation of despair, but Eru¡¯s face didn¡¯t look troubled at al. He was all smiles, and shining brightly from joy. The reason was simple, he had went absolute madman mode. Going through this trial with his beloved machine was a joyous thing for him ¡ª but the problem was, the more arduous the trial, the more motivated he would be.

    As if it was resonating Eru¡¯s hyped emotions, the thrusters roared loudly, pushing Ikaruga to new heights. With burning fighting spirit, the Demon God started a dance with the dragon soaring leisurely in the sky.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The criss cross of purple lightning and explosive flames drew random trails in the air.

    The lines that looked like a doodling of a child was formed through devastating attacks. A battle that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world was ongoing in the air, and Gustavo who was seated within the Swordsman couldn¡¯t help grumbling:

    ¡¸How scary. It is actually fighting dad¡¯s Flying Dragon on equal grounds, that Demon God is more powerful than the rumours says. Hmm ¡ª I want to take him on too.¡¹

    That lone Silhouette Knight was actually holding up its own against the Flying Dragon that incinerated an entire battalion of Silhouette Knights without any regards against fort defences. It was an incredible sight, but seeing is believing.

    ¡¸Swordsman can¡¯t help on that end anyway, I should get on with my job ¡ª ¡¹

    On his holo monitor was the New Kuscheperca Kingdom army desperately retreating. They were the people who fled from the burned fort city, routed and defeated. What he needed to do was to give chase and take down as many of them as he could. Gustavo wondered why were all the battles he encountered so boring? This wasn¡¯t even a hunt, but the dull task of pulling weed from a yard.

    However, it was different this time. A rear guard unit popped out as if it was covering the new kingdom army¡¯s retreat. They remained in control despite the overwhelming disadvantages, and positioned each machine masterfully in defiance of the ?aloudek Army¡¯s deep formation. It was clear from their movements alone that this group was strong. Gustavo¡¯s face twisted from glee. From how happy he was to meet resistance, he was a hopeless battle maniac.

    ¡¸Woah, awesome! That¡¯s more like it, or I won¡¯t feel hyped up ¡ª !¡¹

    The rear guards were made up of Silhouette Knights that differed from the new kingdom army, and looked plain and low key. Normally, Silhouette Knights weren¡¯t just weapons of war, but also a means of flaunting military might of a nation, so each nation would add adequate amount of ornaments to it. However, aside from the large red crosses on the torso of the machines, the rear guards didn¡¯t have any other prominent features. Gustavo thought they looked familiar, and watched with his head tilted. When his gaze fell on the machine at the middle of the enemy formation, he opened his eyes wide immediately.

    ¡¸Hey hey hey hey. That guy¡­ Isn¡¯t that red guy that ¡ºdual swords¡»!? Hee, hehe, what a coincidence!! To think we will meet here. Hey, that red one¡¯s mine! You guys deal with the rest of the lot!¡¹

    Right after saying that, the Swordsman ignored the Tyrant¡¯s pace and speeded up. He charged right into the center of the 2nd company which was acting as rear guard, heading straight for the dual wielding ¡¾Guyalarinde¡¿.

    ¡¸En garde!!¡¹

    The Swordsman drew out a dagger from the blades of assorted sizes strapped all over its body, and threw it at blinding speed. It might be a dagger for a Silhouette Knight, but it was actually a massive hunk of steel. The tip of the dagger curved precisely through the air with a low whistling sound.

    Guyalarinde was surprised by the pre-emptive attack from the Swordsman that charged right into the middle of the formation, but it still reacted quickly. Using small movements, it raised its sword to parry the dagger. If it moved too much and loses its balance, it might not be able to withstand the follow up attacks, that¡¯s why it only used the minimal movements. The dagger hit the flat of the blade and was deflected with a sharp clank. In that short moment when the sword was raised, the Swordsman closed in on Guyalarinde.

    ¡¸Haha ¡ª ! Dual swords!! We meet again, what a touching encounter! Come, let us continue our last battle!!¡¹

    ¡¸Why the hell are you here, ¡ºsword bundle¡»! I¡¯m not happy about seeing you at all!!¡¹

    Swordsman used its running momentum to attack head on. The moment Guyalarinde received the blow, it turned to divert the force away to minimize the impact. The two Silhouette Knights clashed with their blades, and kept changing their position as if they were dancing in a circle. The inertia from their turn would be transferred to their next attack, which would be just as strong as the previous strike.

    Both parties knocked away their opponent¡¯s blade, and changed positions in a dazzling blur as they continued to attack. The intense clash of weapons formed an area where others couldn¡¯t intrude into easily.

    As the duel which was as fierce as a storm continued, the Tyrants that were a step slower pounced on the rear guards.

    ¡¸Charge, charge! Don¡¯t let the enemy escape, crush them!!¡¹

    The black knights primary mode of attack they took pride in was to charge with their huge and heavy body. It goes without saying that Resvants were no match for them, and might even take down a Revantier in one blow. However, before them were battle maniacs who didn¡¯t flinch in the face of potentially lethal attacks dealt by their heavily armoured foes.

    ¡¸Hahhh! You¡¯re not the only ones who can charge!!¡¹

    They were the 2nd company of the Silver Phoenix Knights. They didn¡¯t back away, and charged forth with their back weapons firing instead. The two forces collided in a shower of sparks, the units from the 2nd company were equipped with powerful weapons, that even the black knights couldn¡¯t take them lightly. In the end, the two forces were locked in a messy brawl.

    ¡¸Tch, it turned into a tangled brawl. I guess it¡¯s fortunate that they didn¡¯t break through...¡¹

    ¡¸Hoh, dual swords! You can spare the time to look away!?¡¹

    Dietrich who had a clear view of his surroundings backed away quickly, and a slash went through the space he was just standing in. The unusually fast blade left the air shimmering, and caused a shower of sparks and high pitch squeaks of friction. That blow from the Swordsman grazed the armour of Guyalarinde, as the crimson knight quickly changed direction and stepped forward. Once it was certain that the enemy¡¯s strike had been dodged, it countered deftly. But the Swordsman expected that and riposte the slash easily, and the offenses switched over once again.

    Both the Guyalarinde and the Swordsman were Silhouette Knights that dual wielded, and their exchanges continued without any pause. They were developed under different circumstances, but both sides were specialized offensive orientated machines, and their tactics naturally prioritized on the ways to land their own blades onto the enemy.

    ¡¸Really, just how energetic is he¡­ If this goes on, my machine¡¯s mana would probably run out first.¡¹

    After a very heavy clash, the two machines break away as if they agreed on that beforehand. There might be some variations, but machines that used the Eastern mode strand crystal tissues would consume more mana. Nonstop movement means that mana would be depleted at an substantial rate. The two machines that had limited mana pools churned their Ether Reactor at full speed in order to replenish their energy, and the loud sound of the intake valves echoed out loud.

    ¡¸The pilot is disgusting, but this is still a tough fight.¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be so flustered, dual swords, my blades are great. I am invincible as long as I have swords. I¡¯m impressed that you held up for so long. I thought the match would have been decided a long time ago if I got serious.¡¹

    Dietrich kept quiet unhappily. Gustavo sounds like he was joking, but he had proven to be more than just talk after all their battles. Gustavo insistence on only using swords due to his love for them made him stand out prominently in the ?aloudek Army. A queer man like him could only step onto the battlefield because of his overwhelmingly skills, and he stood tall among others by his own merit alone. Dietrich absolutely doesn''t want to lose to such a weird opponent, he was a veteran who had fought in countless battles with his trusty blades after all. That might be so, but being able to put up a fight doesn¡¯t mean he could win.

    ¡¸Thank you for the compliments. The problem is¡­ I¡¯m being tied down right now.¡¹

    Dietrich didn¡¯t let down his guard against the Swordsman as he observed the situation around him. The 2nd company was evenly matched against the black knights, but their movements seemed constraint, probably because they had to cover the retreating new kingdom army.

    They had achieved their objective of stalling the pursuers, but the duty of the rear guard was to retreat too, or this would become a battle of attrition.

    ¡¸We can¡¯t drag this on anymore, we have to fall back. It¡¯s time to decide the match.¡¹

    After resolving himself quietly, Dietrich activated his back weapon. Guyalarinde¡¯s back weapon ¡ºKamtha¡» could deal the greatest amount of damage at close distance. He didn¡¯t want to use it because of the mana expenditure, but Dietrich thinks this was the time to do so.

    After a short respite, he recovered a bit of mana. Just when Guyalarinde took its stance and got ready to finish his opponent off in one short, the Swordsman acted first. It threw out daggers it had seemingly pulled out of thin air.

    The Swordsman wasn¡¯t aiming for Guyalarinde¡¯s body, but its shoulders, where the Silhouette Arms were. The fragile Silhouette Arms would definitely break from this direct attack. The shocked Dietrich deflected the dagger flying at him at the last moment, and the Swordsman used this chance to close in.

    ¡¸Hahaha! That toy is very convenient, but the direction of its aim is obvious!¡¹

    Guyalarinde could only defend arduously after the initiative was taken from him. Dietrich needed to concentrate hard to deal with the Swordsman¡¯s attack that came like a storm, and couldn¡¯t spare the effort to use the Silhouette Arms. Both of them were locked in heated combat again, expending mana quickly.

    The 2nd company pulled back slowly as it fought. The new kingdom army had not retreated far enough yet. Relegated to taking the defensive because of their mission to cover this retrograde action, the 2nd company¡¯s movements seemed lackluster.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    While the ?aloudek Army and the 2nd company battled intensely, the fight between the Demon God and Vouivre was gradually moving away. With both parties battling in the air with Magius Jet Thrusters, the Silhouette Knights running on the ground couldn¡¯t keep up at all. Just a single fly past would result in a great shift in positions.

    ¡¸Really now, they are moving so fast! I finally caught up.¡¹

    Ady chased after the monsters in the sky with all her might in her Tzendrinble. Even though the centaur knights took pride in their speed, that was limited to the ground. If the Demon God and Flying Dragon Battleship didn¡¯t slow down because of their aerial battle, she would have taken much longer to catch up. Ady stared at the reticle displayed on the holo monitor, then activated the equipment installed on the Tzendrinble.

    ¡¸Go Mi-chan¡¾Missile Javelin¡¿, we need to help Eru win the fight! Target locked, launching!!¡¹

    It was the largest weapon equipped on the Tzendrinble ¡ª Vertical launched javelin thrower. In order to use its powerful anti-air offensive capabilities, she didn¡¯t hesitate locking on to the Flying Dragon. The rail arms opened, and lethal javelins shot into the sky with a trial of flame. The Missile Javelins drew a large arc in the air, then made a beeline for the Vouivre under Ady¡¯s control.

    The flaming javelins fired from the ground were very prominent, but were detected quickly by the sentry at the bottom of the Battleship.

    ¡¸How annoying, it¡¯s javelins! The Anculosas below are to engage, take them down!¡¹

    Doroteo didn¡¯t hide his frustration when his battle against the Demon God was disrupted, and yelled. The Anculosa protruding from the ship¡¯s hull activated their ¡ºZafar Namah¡», striking the javelins with lightning. With every thunderous boom, a Missile Javelin was shattered and fell.

    ¡¸¡­ Since it can block the Sword Cannon, I don¡¯t think this will work so easily. Reload now, hurry!¡¹

    Ady frowned as she watched the Missile Javelin break down one by one, but other than that, she appeared unfazed. After observing the battle between the Flying Dragon and Ikaruga just now, this much was enough to distract its attention. At this moment, the Silhouette Gears team on the chariot towed by the Tzendrinble shouted with grief:

    ¡¸We¡¯re going as fast as we can, it will still take some time. Wait¡­ Hey Ady, isn¡¯t the Flying Dragon¡¯s moving a little strangely?¡¹

    In the direction the Silhouette Gear was pointing, the Vouivre was obviously maneuvering in a way that was different than before. The dragon that was locked in combat with Ikaruga in the sky had turned its gaze to the ground.

    ¡¸¡­ Erm ¡ª doesn¡¯t this looks bad?¡¹

    ¡¸You think the Flying Dragon Battleship is afraid of such pitiful attacks? What an eye sore. If there is only one of those horse things, then I will just destroy it!¡¹

    Ady¡¯s ominous feeling turned true. The ship turned towards the ground in accordance to the orders from the Dragon Head, and the Flying Dragon Battleship started descending. The Anculosas all over the hull aimed at the Tzendrinble that had turned to flee, and started firing magic projectiles at it. Destructive flames started erupting around Tzendrinble which was galloping at top speed.

    ¡¸The spell attacks are intense! But don¡¯t look down on Tzen-chan¡¯s speed!¡¹

    ¡¸You think that horse can escape the Flying Dragon?¡¹

    The Flying Dragon Battleship descended until it was almost ground level and extended its massive claws. The spell attacks limited where Tzendrinble could go, and the enemy was planning to crush it with the draconic claws.

    The Flying Dragon Battleship attacked its prey with its menacing claws. When its thrusters spit out flames, there was a sharp screech as the claw scratch across the ground.

    ¡¸Woooahhhh, its here, and closing in¡­ We will get smashed! Ady, speed up! Its gaining on us ¡ª !¡¹

    The gradually approaching claws and storm of spells sent the Motor Rad unit on the wagon into a panic. They couldn¡¯t withstand either the draconic claws or the magic projectiles.

    Ady meandered the Tzendrinble she was piloting and dodged the spells deftly, but that slowed her down too. The draconic claws inched even closer, and the Motor Rad unit couldn¡¯t help trembling in fear. Tzendrinble won¡¯t be able to evade the attacks at this speed, but Ady still smiled boldly inside her cockpit.

    ¡¸Hmmp ¡ª ! Looking away in a fight with Eru is too careless!¡¹

    It wasn¡¯t likely that these words acted as the cue, but at this moment ¡ª Flaming lances aimed at the Vouivre flew in from the side. It goes without saying those came from Ikaruga¡¯s Sword Cannon.

    ¡¸I know you¡¯ll come, Demon God! It¡¯s useless, watch while I crush your subordinates into dust!¡¹

    The Anculosas reacted immediately. ¡ºZafar Namah¡» shot out from the ship¡¯s hull to intercept the magic projectiles. There was more than one person controlling this Flying Dragon Battleship. Aside from the main pilot Doroteo inside the Dragon Head, each Anculosa had their own knight runners, on top of the personnels controlling the Etheric Levitator. There wouldn¡¯t be any blindspots from such an obvious attack.

    ¡¸Your spells are useless against the Flying Dragon¡­ What!? What¡¯s going on!?¡¹

    Doroteo¡¯s smile of ease ceased because it wasn¡¯t just a single Flaming lance. One after another, a shocking number of magic projectiles assaulted them relentlessly. The ease on Doroteo¡¯s face disappeared without a trace.

    Ikaruga landed some distance away from the Flying Dragon Battleship that was pursuing the Tzendrinble. With both feet firmly on the ground, it deployed the four Sword Cannons on its back and the two in its arms and fired Flaming lance repeatedly.

    ¡¸Why? How can it unleash so many magic projectiles!? How is it doing it? Was he holding back just now!?¡¹

    He made a mistake by underestimating Ikaruga¡¯s spells, and thinking that ¡ºZafar Namah¡» can block them. Ikaruga draws its power from two large Ether Reactors. Even though the reactors made from two humungous beasts of comparable sizes could generate massive amounts of mana, it was still strained by the heavy load of both the Sword Cannons and the Magius Jet Thrusters.

    ¡ª If that was the case, not using them at the same time would do. Ikaruga stopped the Magius Jet Thrusters, and unleashed overwhelming firepower that exceeds that of a wizard style machine by channeling all its mana into the Sword Cannons.

    Just one Flaming lance had several times the power of a normal magic projectile. The storm like attack exceeds the limit of the ¡ºZafar Namah¡» quickly. The ferocious lance of fire penetrate the whirlpool of lighting and reached the Flying Dragon Battleship. It hit the hull of the Battleship directly and exploded fiercely. The impact shook the ship, making the Flying Dragon Battleship deviate from its course. The next hit destroyed an Anculosa on the hull.

    ¡¸Ugh! Disengage for now, return fire on that Demon God! Do not let that thing move freely¡­!¡¹

    Doroteo had to abandon his attack on the ground. His crew increased the Ether concentration within the Etheric Levitator, and intense flames burst out from the Magius Jet Thrusters right after that, allowing the Flying Dragon Battleship to climb at high speed. It opened fire at Ikaruga in retaliation, and Ikaruga takes to the sky again to engage in aerial combat once more.

    ¡¸Damn it¡­ It¡¯s an annoyance, but I don¡¯t have time for that horse. Increase the concentration of the Etheric Levitator, don¡¯t let that Demon God land again!¡¹

    Doroteo could feel the inertia from the climb as he gritted his teeth in regret. Not only did he allow Ikaruga to move freely, he also lowered the altitude to target the galloping Tzendrinble, resulting in this fatal mistake. Because he stayed within range of ground attacks, Ikaruga¡¯s attack managed to land, dealing heavy damage to the ship.

    ¡¸We can¡¯t lose any more Anculosa, I will end him here.¡¹

    If it was aerial combat, Eru could still fight the enemy on equal footing. When he saw the Anculosas unleashing ¡ºZafar Namah¡» to intercept the magic projectiles, Eru planned his next attack.

    ¡¸Fufufu~ now¡¯s the chance. Give them another taste of Mi-chan!¡¹

    ¡¸Reload is complete. You picked such a cute name, but uses it in such a cruel way.¡¹

    At this moment Tzendrinble completed the reload of the Vertical launched javelin thrower. As the Flying Dragon had switched its target, they got to go about their task quickly and safely. Ady could spare the effort to watch the movements of Ikaruga and the Flying Dragon criss crossing in the air, and launch an attack.

    ¡¸¡­! Now!¡¹

    When Ikaruga and the Flying Dragon passed each other by, Ady used the chance to fire the Vertical launched javelin thrower. Ten Missile Javelins flew towards the Flying Dragon with trails of flame.

    ¡¸Javelins incoming from below!¡¹

    ¡¸The Anculosas at the bottom are to intercept calmly. We will deal with the Demon God¡­ No, that guy is aiming for this chance!¡¹

    When it saw the Missile Javelin take off, the Demon God immediately changed its movements. It was keeping its distance and firing occassionally, but it had switched to charging at full speed. As the Missile Javelin draws near from the ground, the Demon God closes in with a charge.

    The pincer attack from the Missile Javelin and Flaming lance pushed the ¡ºZafar Namah¡» to its limit momentarily. Ikaruga didn¡¯t let that chance go, and closed in on the Vouivre rapidly.

    ¡¸The ¡ºZafar Namah¡»¡­ won¡¯t make it in time!¡¹

    ¡¸Forget about that. Shoot out magic projectiles! Stop them!¡¹

    The Anculosas immediately gave up on intercepting with ¡ºZafar Namah¡», and switched to suppressing fire with spell attacks. But Ikaruga dodged with minute jets and continued its approach. The Flying Dragon Battleship¡¯s gigantic body possess overwhelming offensive and defensive capabilities, but Ikaruga had the upper hand in terms of mobility. Even the Flying Dragon had no guarantee of withstanding Ikaruga¡¯s firepower.

    The density of the magic projectile barrage kept increasing, the sound of their screeching through the air increased in decibels. As the demon faced alien Silhouette Knight closed in, the knight runners inside the Anculosas could feel the pressure directed their way growing stronger.

    ¡¸What a warm welcome! But, I¡¯m finally here!!¡¹

    Ikaruga uses the power of its Sword Cannon to carve open a path through the torrent of magic projectiles shot out desperately by the Flying Dragon. The ¡ºRahu Fist¡» that finally got into range broke through the air with a sharp screech, and stabbed into the Vouivre. Ikaruga retracted the cable at high speed as it accelerates even more. At such close range, the Flying Dragon lost all means of resistance ¡ª the moment he realized that, Doroteo made an unbelievable move.

    ¡¸All hands secure yourselves! We will be doing a ¡ºbarrel roll¡»!!¡¹

    After saying that, Doroteo pulled his control stick and kicked at his pedal, issuing a ridiculous command to the entire vessel. Ikaruga that was retracting its cable and preparing to board felt an unexpected acceleration which surprised it. Eru was shocked when he saw what the Levitate Ship was doing

    The entire hull of the ship right before his eyes was moving to the side. The crystal tissues in its entire body creaked as the Flying Dragon was spiralling and flipping around. This weren¡¯t movements normal Levitate Ships could pull off.

    ¡¸Ah, uwah, oh no. If the Rahu Fist continues to hang on¡­¡¹

    As the Rahu Fist was connected to the ship, Ikaruga was dragged into the spiralling too. Even though he was spinning around and on the verge of being flinged away, Eru still endured with gritted teeth.

    ¡¸This is a terrifying idea¡­ However!¡¹

    For him, tumbling around in the air was a norm, something he was good at. He unclenched the Rahu Fists grabbing onto the ship, then regained his balance by firing short bursts from his Magius Jet Thrusters. After orientating itself in the sky, Ikaruga renewed its attack.

    ¡¸So you unhanded us, Demon God? Then taste this!¡¹

    The enormous claw attacked without warning, and came right before Ikaruga. The spinning wasn¡¯t just an evasive move, it also moved the Draconic claw to an angle that was normally impossible, and used it to attack Ikaruga directly.

    The battle between the flying Silhouette Knight and the Levitate Ship ¡ª in this duel that had no precedence, Doroteo used a never seen before attack. The two machines which were the crystallization of the cutting edge technology redefines the common sense of the past with their every attack.

    ¡¸A countermeasure! Good show!¡¹

    Ikaruga¡¯s Magius Jet Thruster unleashed an explosive burst of air a second earlier, and the machine was blown away, narrowly avoiding the steel claws of the Flying Dragon. After righting itself, the Flying Dragon gave chase without stopping. The spells fired by Anculosa chased Ikaruga tightly.

    Ikaruga used its Sword Cannon to deflect the magic projectiles coming straight at it, then revved its thruster to accelerate. Eru could feel enormous pressure with each acceleration and deceleration. Although the powerful physical boost of the Silhouette Knight could protect the pilot to some extent, but the inertia from the explosive acceleration exceeded this barrier. Eru¡¯s appearance might seem frail, but what drives him was his spirit of a madman willing to live and die for the sake of robots. He endured the acceleration with gritted teeth. Even in such a dire situation, he still had a chilling smile on his face.

    ¡¸Flying Dragon¡­ is really a powerful weapon! The piloting is exceptional too, it¡¯s hard to find any weak points.¡¹

    Showered by an unending stream of attacks, Ikaruga decided to dodge for the moment. It would return fire occasionally on a whim, but those were all blocked by the lightning.

    ¡¸Worth mentioning is that new type of defensive Silhouette Arms. It can block ranged shots and be used as close ranged attacks. Ikaruga is a Warrior style machine, so I will be at an disadvantage against it.¡¹

    Even if he could get pass those defensive Silhouette Arms, there was still the melee battle with the main body lying in wait. A Levitate Ship capable of melee battle was just like foul play.

    He managed to wound the Flying Dragon via a surprise attack, the opponent wouldn¡¯t be so careless to fall for the same thing again. Slaying that dragon felt like an impossible mission.

    ¡¸However¡­ You should know that magic isn¡¯t omnipotent. And that will become your weakness!¡¹

    He could only dodge in the face of the powerful airborne Battleship, but Eru still didn¡¯t give up on winning. He waited patiently for a chance as he focused on evading the attacks.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Silver Phoenix Knights 2nd company responsible for covering the New Kuscheperca Kingdom army¡¯s retreat continued to fall back.

    ¡¸Let the heavily damaged knights retreat first! Damn it, those black knights are charging again!¡¹

    ¡¸Knock into them! Push them back! This level of armour is nothing compared to demon beasts!¡¹

    The 2nd company roared as it countered the black knight¡¯s attack. Although they have a bunch of offensive weapons, they were lacking in defensive gears such as shields. If they want to halt the black knights¡¯ advance, they need to strike back. Furthermore, they couldn¡¯t move freely, and for this group that excels more in offense than defence, their retreating allies were slowing them down.

    ¡¸The enemy aren¡¯t slowing down at all. I thought as much, they won¡¯t back down with their prey so close before them. But our allies are far enough back, it is about time for us to take some measures.¡¹

    Right after pushing the enemy back, the 2nd company quickly checked the situation. The half destroyed new kingdom army might be moving slowly, but they were steadily retreating. The unyielding spirit of the 2nd company had finally bore fruit.

    ¡¸Hey, captain Di! No good, his battle isn¡¯t going well.¡¹

    On the field, their company captain Dietrich and his machine Guyalarinde had his hands full just fending off the Swordsman pestering him, and couldn¡¯t spare the attention to look around him. The two machines were isolated on the battlefield.

    ¡¸I want to help, but that opponent is too strong! If this goes on, only the captain will be left behind...¡¹

    Dietrich and his opponent were too strong, making it hard for others to butt in. With the new kingdom army completing their withdrawal, those two might get left behind.

    ¡¸Hey hey, what¡¯s with those guys, how stubbornly tough! They¡¯re actually still standing.¡¹

    Gustavo couldn¡¯t help grumbling frustratedly after looking around him.

    .

    The Guyalarinde was very prominent among the rear guards, and possess exceptional combat abilities. If Gustavo could bring it down, the black knights could bring down the rest of the small fries ¡ª that was his original plan, but the results? The black knights did have the upper hand in the beginning, but they had been stopped by the valiant efforts of the rear guards.

    ¡¸Tch, it will be a disgrace to let the enemy escape! We can¡¯t waste anymore time. Dual swords, I¡¯m going to take this seriously now!¡¹

    That just happens to be what Dietrich was thinking not long ago. Gustavo intensified his offences. The quality behind the Swordsman¡¯s attack changed. The weight behind the strike was the same, but the movement of the blade became more complicated. It wasn¡¯t clear how the scene looks like from Gustavo¡¯s eyes, but the sword snaked towards gaps that weren¡¯t really gaps, and Dietrich couldn¡¯t keep up.

    Sparks kept flying from Guyalarinde¡¯s armour, and its damage continued to pile up. It was only still standing thanks to the additional combat armour it had equipped. A normal machine would have fell long ago.

    ¡¸So that guy has been playing around all this while? Ugh, he¡¯s actually suppressing me in terms of swordplay!?¡¹

    The fast paced battle drained his mana pool rapidly. It was only a matter of time before he was immobilized because of mana exhaustion or critical damage.

    ¡¸Hmm ¡ª you aren¡¯t bad as a swordsman. I had fun, but this is the end. Go down!¡¹

    The Swordsman¡¯s merciless attacks continued. Despite being pushed to the brink, strangely, Dietrich didn¡¯t feel any frustration.

    ¡¸I¡¯m losing¡­ defeated? No, not yet. Me and Guyalarinde are still standing in this battlefield!¡¹

    That ¡ºloss¡» he experience flashed in his mind. Back then, he wasn¡¯t defeated in battle, but actually ¡ºfled¡».

    ¡¸Guyalarinde said it too, we have nowhere to retreat, and can only advance¡­!¡¹

    The noise around him gradually faded away, and he became increasingly unfazed by the sparks flying from the clash of blades. The sound was like a flowing river to Dietrich, he had never felt such emotions since he became the captain of the 2nd company.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of the possibility of defeat before him, and a surge of red hot ¡ºviolence¡» welled up from within him. Without realizing it, a smile appeared on his face. The crimson knight ¡ºGuyalarinde¡» was his avatar, but that didn¡¯t mean he was only good in offences. His nature was in executing the ¡ºwill¡» hidden within the weapons of his enemies.

    .

    Guyalarinde¡¯s movement changed a little. The crimson machine endured the one sided attacks as it stepped forward. It wasn¡¯t clear if this was a suicidal or rash move, but the Swordsman welcomed all this gleefully. Guyalarinde was covered in wounds, and could fall at any moment.

    In the face of the incoming blade, Guyalarinde didn¡¯t parry it with his sword but blocked it with its forearm. The armour screeched and bent under the attack, but that was it. The thick combat plate could stop a single attack, but that couldn¡¯t do so repeatedly. But this was enough to create a gap in the enemy¡¯s defences. With an explosive sound, a lump of steel ¡ºlightning flail¡» flew out from under Guyalarinde¡¯s twisted arm mail ¡ª This hidden weapon revealed itself at the most opportune timing towards its adversary.

    With the explosive burst of speed, the lightning flail flew right at the defensive body of the opponent. The loud collision sound between two hard surfaces that magic projectiles couldn¡¯t reproduce echoed out. Splintered armour flew out from the Swordsman ¡ª that seemed to be the case on the surface, but that wasn¡¯t so. The splintered parts were the sword and sheath strapped to the Swordsman¡¯s body. His obsession with swords which led to the retarded action of strapping swords all over the machine served as an unexpected armour for the Swordsman. Even without drawing the swords out, they were still Gustavo¡¯s weapons. Gustavo then showed his amazing reflexes, regaining his balance from the impact immediately, then counter attacked Guyalarinde in one smooth motion.

    ¡¸Fu, haha, hahahaha! That was close! It¡¯s a pity, but my sword wins out in the end!¡¹

    Guyalarinde arm remained outreached, and was one lethal step slower. The Swordsman¡¯s counter attack cut deeply into Guyalarinde¡¯s flank. It was very deep, and the crisp sound of crystal shattering came from the depths of the machine.

    Gustavo was sure that he had won. After the abdomen had been ripped open, it would be impossible to fight on. The Crimson knight was done for.

    ¡ª That should be the case. And so, his attention lapsed for a brief moment, but Dietrich¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t over. Guyalarinde ignored the blade in its body and continued advancing, and Gustavo¡¯s confident smile scrowled. When he understood Dietrich¡¯s intention, he attempted to pull the Swordsman back in the back, but didn¡¯t do so in time before Guyalarinde closed in..

    ¡¸What the hell! You still want to struggle? How annoying! ¡¹

    ¡¸Of course I would! I have decided that I won¡¯t run away so easily again! I won¡¯t be beaten down, and will fight to the very end!¡¹

    Guyalarinde held its opponent in a bear hug, then leaned back before unleashing a head butt. The holo monitor¡¯s image distorted seriously, probably caused by the impact to the crystal eye ball.

    ¡¸Damn it! Is this guy retarded!?¡¹

    His reckless actions pulled Gustavo into confusion, Dietrich¡¯s ¡ºretardedness¡» exceeds his expectations. The Swordsman and Guyalarinde were both machines specialized with offense and loaded with weapons, but Guyalarinde had an ace its adversary didn¡¯t have, the ¡ºMagius Jet Thrusters¡» built into its body. With the Swordsman still in its arms, Guyalarinde shot out glaring red flames from its shoulders and waist. The intense explosive flame tossed the two machine into the air with a howl. After hanging in the air for a brief moment, they fell heavily onto the ground.

    ¡¸Woooahhh, ahhhh!?¡¹

    The two machines were stuck together as they kept rolling. The cockpit was shaken violently and the pilots couldn¡¯t spare the effort to adjust their posture. Gustavo used everything he had to control the machine, release the sword in his hand, and send Guyalarinde flying with a kick. Guyalarinde was at its limits and couldn¡¯t resist, and was forcefully pushed away.

    ¡¸T-This is too reckless! What is this guy doing...¡¹

    Even though he was confused by the unexpected attack, Gustavo still tried to stand the machine up. The Swordsman suffered some damage from the impact and roll, but it wasn¡¯t lethal. He turned his head to check on the enemy and saw a terrifying sight ¡ª the jets of flame appeared again, and the Guyalarinde he sent flying had stood up while spinning around like a top. The tissues on its stomach had been destroyed, and still managed to stand even though it couldn¡¯t even move properly.

    ¡¸W-What the hell!? What¡¯s wrong with you!?¡¹

    At this moment, Gustavo felt pure fear. He feared these actions that went beyond his common sense, and feared his opponent¡¯s unusual persistence. Guyalarinde stumbled to the Swordsman that was still on the ground. It couldn¡¯t move normally, and could only attack as it was falling. There wasn¡¯t any technique in this blow which was thrown out without any thought. Despite his state of confusion, Gustavo still responded to it. At this moment, he finally realized a fatal fact ¡ª the Swordsman wasn¡¯t holding any sword. That sword was still stuck in Guyalarinde¡¯s belly.

    The Swordsman who has lost its blade was at a lost and stopped its movement. Guyalarinde continued its merciless attack, and cut off both of the Swordsman¡¯s arms in one swing. After losing its means of offence, the Swordsman¡¯s combat capability was as good as gone.

    ¡¸How can my sword lose¡­!?¡¹

    Guyalarinde maintained its downswing stance, and activated its back weapon ¡ºKamtha¡». At extremely close range and nowhere to run, the air blades created a cyclone. The Swordman flew like a rag doll from the direct hit, and shards of crystals and armour fell from the machine. When it finally stopped rolling, it couldn¡¯t stand up and retaliate any longer.

    ¡¸Impossible. The captain¡¯s machine ¡ª Swordsman is¡­!?¡¹

    Gustavo Mardones and his machine ¡ºSwordsman¡» was the strongest combination renowned in the entire ?aloudek Army. But someone managed to fight the Swordsman on equal footing and even defeated it. This scene was a strong blow to the ?aloudek Army. And their wavering was the perfect chance for the 2nd company to strike back.

    ¡¸Captain Di took care of it for us!¡¹

    ¡¸Alright, now¡¯s our chance! Kick their ass! Spank them so hard that they can¡¯t get up again!!¡¹

    The morale of the Kardatolle army was raised in one shot, and they unleashed a fierce charge against the black knights. The short moment of wavering made the black knights react one step late in taking the onslaught of the 2nd company. The defeat of their captain Gustavo resulted in their command system falling into chaos.

    ¡¸Alright! The enemy is in disarray, let¡¯s scram!¡¹

    ¡¸Hey, what do we do about that? Captain Di is about to fall.¡¹

    That¡¯s right. He fended off the Swordsman, but Guyalarinde also suffered critical damage. The wound to its stomach was especially serious. It couldn¡¯t even stand up, and remained still on its knees, supporting itself with both of its swords.

    ¡¸¡­ I will leave the title of the strongest swordsman to you. But I will take this victory.¡¹

    Dietrich breathed out deeply in his pilot¡¯s seat. Guyalarinde¡¯s mana pool has been depleted, and it couldn¡¯t even move its fingertips. When he realized that he had to retreat, his face turned stiff.

    ¡¸Ah ¡ª I went too far this time?¡¹

    A Silhouette Knight depleted of mana was no different from a decoration, and he would probably be surrounded by the enemy in no time.

    ¡¸There¡¯s no other way¡­ I have to leave Guyalarinde behind.¡¹

    There was no time to grieve, heavy footsteps were approaching from behind the machine. Dietrich couldn¡¯t even turn Guyalarinde¡¯s head and turned anxious. He couldn¡¯t stand the thought of abandoning his machine, but not to the extent of going down with it. If he wanted to run, now was the chance.

    ¡¸Di-Sempai! You¡¯re too reckless!?¡¹

    When he heard the voice from behind him, his anxiety vanished. It was Ady in her Tzendrinble.

    ¡¸¡­ Huh, to think the very incarnation of ¡®reckless¡¯ is saying that to me. But Ady, why did you come back? How¡¯s thing going at the Knight Commander¡¯s side?¡¹

    ¡¸Well~ Ikaruga and that Flying Dragon flew off at top speed, so I had to turn back.¡¹

    Ikaruga and the Flying Dragon turned their thrusters on at full blast, and their high speed battle was still ongoing. If Tzendrinble followed them, it would be completely isolated. Hence, Ady had no choice but to turn back grudgingly.

    ¡¸Well, Ernesti will find a way no matter what happens. It will be great if you can give me a hand.¡¹

    ¡¸Understood? Tzen-chan will run with Guyalarinde in tow for a while.¡¹

    ¡¸Looks like I owe you one.¡¹

    Tzendrinble shot out towing anchors from behind, hooking them onto Guyalarinde.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it! If we leave Guyalarinde here, Eru will be sad.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah right, but it¡¯s fine to worry about me a little right!? You¡¯re a really mean junior.¡¹

    When Tzendrinble started galloping, even Dietrich who was in the cockpit of Guyalarinde could feel the friction and shaking. It was so bumpy that Dietrich shouted in panic:

    ¡¸Whoooaaaa, hey! You¡¯re too rough!? I-It will break!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s already in shambles, so it¡¯s fine to break it a little more!¡¹

    ¡¸How is that fine!? Please don¡¯t break the ropes and leave me behind mid way!¡¹

    As the two of them squabbled, Tzendrinble continued running with Guyalarinde in tow. The 2nd company followed right behind him as they began their retreat.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Going back to the time before the 2nd company was starting to retreat.

    Just like how the battle on the ground had been decided, the aerial duel between Ikaruga and Vouivre was reaching a crucible.

    The Flying Dragon Battleship continued intense spell and melee attacks on the Demon God, but the Demon God had only been hit by a few magic projectile shots, and could still take deft evasive actions, which made Doroteo even more frustrated.

    At this moment, his crew in charge of the reactor had a distressing report:

    ¡¸Captain, the mana consumption is faster than expected, our mana pool is at 30%... The Ether Reactor¡¯s supply couldn¡¯t keep up with the expenditure.¡¹

    ¡¸Ugh, we used it that much. That Demon God has been moving nonstop all this time, just what kind of reactor did it has to supply such a monstrous amount of mana¡­ No, this is because we lost one Anculosa.¡¹

    Doroteo¡¯s face was just as sour as his crew. During the battle, one Anculosa was seriously damaged from the powerful magic projectile attack from the Sword Cannon. From its air intake valves to silver nerves, nothing on it was intact and it couldn¡¯t supply any mana. Such critical damage couldn¡¯t be repaired during live combat.

    ¡¸We didn¡¯t underestimate the enemy and are prepared for losses. But losing ¡ºone live¡» when fighting that Demon God is too heavy a burden.¡¹

    The Vouivre that was more than ten times the size of a Silhouette Knight was a huge man-made construct, and its physical boost mana consumption was equally heavy. Normal Ether Reactors could supply only enough mana for one Silhouette Knight¡¯s operation, so one or two of those wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to fuel the Battleship. In order to keep up with the mana consumption, it would require a heart as powerful as the legendary behemoth. However, demon beasts have gone extinct in the Occident, so that would be impossible. For Horacio, the designer of the Flying Dragon, this was a critical problem he faced in the past.

    After that, he encounters the technology that could solve this problem in the battlefield known as the Kuscheperca Kingdom. It was the ¡ºWizard style¡» Silhouette Knights. These Silhouette Knights that pushed their magic projectile offences to the limit and were equipped with wall robes that were made from mana plates.

    And so, ¡ºby letting several machines share a common Wall Robe, there would be a bigger mana pool to tap on¡» ¡ª the creator of the Levitate Ship, Horacio concept uses the ship as the base, and developed into this ultimate form The ¡ºAnculosa¡» installed all over the Flying Dragon Battleship, plus the ¡ºDragon Head¡», there were a total of thirteen machines. This was the system used by the Flying Dragon Battleship, which has a ¡ºsuper large mana storage device¡». The Anculosa were an important offensive and defensive tool, and also serve as the hearts that maintain this ship ¡ª That was the secret behind the life of this mechanical dragon.

    And now, they had lost one during the battle with the Demon God, and had twelve left. It might seem sufficient, but the gap was really big. Considering the basic upkeep needed for physical boost and the continuous use of Magius Jet Thrusters, the intense battle on top of that as the Flying Dragon fought at full strength meant it had been consuming mana like a glutton.

    ¡¸¡­ Am I pushing too hard?¡¹

    Doroteo pulled the control stick in his hand hard. With the sworn enemy before him, he seemed to be getting too worked up. In this era, the Flying Dragon Battleship¡¯s prowess was good enough to be considered the best in history, and no one knew what¡¯s its ceiling was.

    No matter which enemy base it attacked, or how many Silhouette Knights it fought, they were far from capable in pushing the Flying Dragon to its limits. In order to bring out its full potential, they needed to fight the one known as Ikaruga, the most ferocious opponent known in history. Hence, the Flying Dragon was slowly pushed to its brink as the battle rages on.

    ¡¸¡­ No choice, it would be a greater loss if the dragon couldn¡¯t move. Increase the altitude, we need to recover our mana.¡¹

    The Flying Dragon slowed down, deployed its wing sails and went into cruising mode. In order to slow mana consumption, they would need to stop the Magius Jet Thrusters. Once the Flying Dragon loses its speed, it wouldn¡¯t be able to fight the Demon God on equal footing. Inside the center of the ship, the crew injected ether into the Etheric Levitator hastily. As the amount of ether increases inside the device, the rainbow light within it intensified. At the same time, the Flying Dragon increased its output, and the vessel started climbing quickly under the effects of the levitate field.

    The change in the Flying Dragon¡¯s action didn¡¯t escape Eru¡¯s eyes.

    ¡¸¡­ Look like its time. That¡¯s right, when its mana pool is depleted, the opponent¡¯s weakness will show. The heart of the behemoth is needed to maintain the operation and movement of Ikaruga. What did you sacrifice in order to move that dragon?¡¹

    Ikaruga turned in the air, and shifts the Magius Jet Thruster to advance in a different direction. He wasn¡¯t going towards the Vouivre that was still climbing.

    In terms of mana consumption, Ikaruga was also a fearsome glutton. However, Ikaruga was still a Silhouette Knights. Not only was its basic upkeep low, the mana it used to move was much lesser than that of the Flying Dragon. Other than it, it was equipped with hearts more powerful than the combined 13 lives on the Flying Dragon Battleship. This overwhelming mana supply create this chance for him to turn the tables.

    This was why the pilot Ernesti decided to fight a drawn out battle, which was reminiscent of his battle with the behemoth. For the sake of victory, he could fight a long and tough battle that would have pushed anyone else insane. He was fine with being shaken about by the sudden accelerations inside the ferocious humanoid weapon Ikaruga. If it involves Silhouette Knights ¡¾robots¡¿, he could find joy in anything. All his grand achievements stem from his hopelessly perverted personality.

    ¡¸Oh right now, I won¡¯t let this chance slip away. I will devour you right here!!¡¹

    ¡¸Damn it, the Demon God is chasing us as expected!¡¹

    The report from the crew surveilling the bottom made Doroteo groan. The Flying Dragon was in front right now, but considering the difference in speed, it was just a matter of time before they were caught. However, the Flying Dragon Battleship didn¡¯t seem to be taking any countermeasures and continued focusing on gaining altitude.

    The thing supporting Doroteo was the words Horacio said to him before the campaign ¡ª ¡ºif the Flying Dragon is not powerful enough, please soar high and far away. Without limits or restraints. The sky will protect the ruler, give him strength to defeat the enemy.¡» He didn¡¯t expound further on this, only leaving this cryptic advice. But there was no other choice but to trust him.

    ¡¸¡­ If this situation will harm the Demon God, then it will be advantageous to us. Even if I have to work with the devil himself, I will make full use of him.¡¹

    They injected all the Ether they could muster into the Etheric Levitator, climbing higher further, right to the limits. The Flying Dragon continued rising even after reaching the clouds, finally breaking through it and onto the blue skies.

    ¡¸This¡­ Is the world beyond the clouds¡­ Beautiful.¡¹

    The moment they broke through the grey clouds, a white, bright borderless world appeared before them. In terms of the structure of the Etheric Levitator, climbing to this height consumes too much Ether, so this was the first time they went above the clouds. In this brief respite from battle, Doroteo was attracted by the scenery before him, but this moment was fleeting. The Vouivre¡¯s shadow fell onto the clouds as it continued rising.

    Ikaruga also continue its ascend in pursuit of the Flying Dragon Battleship that had dived through the clouds.

    ¡¸It was tough climbing here with just the Magius Jet Thrusters, but the goal shouldn¡¯t be far.¡¹

    This game of tag couldn¡¯t go on forever. During Eru¡¯s investigation of the Levitate Ship, he obtained knowledge related to the Etheric Levitator. This flight device might be very practical, but it has a big flaw ¡ª The upper limits of the lifting force was dependent on how much Ether the reactor could retain. It was impossible to climb indefinitely with the Etheric Levitator, and the limit would be reached at some point.

    ¡¸Judging from the performance of previous Levitate Ships and the size of that Flying Dragon, it should be reaching its maximum altitude after passing through the clouds. It¡¯s about time to end this...¡¹

    Suddenly, he felt strange. His breathing was ragged, vision narrowed and he felt a sense of pressure in his chest. He press his hand against his chest, and frowned when he realized that something was really wrong with his body.

    ¡¸This is¡­ Fu, I can breath. I know about the issue of ¡ºatmospheric pressure¡», and already made preparation scripts for Ikaruga to pressurize the cabin. What am I missing¡­¡¹

    After that, Eru did a thorough check before his condition worsens further. Ikaruga was under his full control, so Eru could check his body this way and understand how Ikaruga was doing more deeply. He investigated the changes from the reaction of minute spells. A short while later, he discovered a major ¡ºchange¡».

    ¡¸¡­The mana supply is increasing?¡¹

    The two massive reactors ¡ºBehemoth''s Heart¡»and ¡ºQueen¡¯s coronet¡» could produce mana that far exceeds normal reactors, so he missed out the fact that the supply was higher than usual. ¡ºThe mana supply is increasing¡» might seem like a good thing on the surface, but it has a huge underlying problem beneath it.

    ¡¸The quantity of air intake is the same. Considering the drop in atmospheric pressure, it should be decreasing instead. Fu, in that case¡­! Only the ether intake has increased!?¡¹

    It was the same theory as using Ether Supplier. If the amount of ether intake increase, the Ether Reactor¡¯s output would go up too. However, ever since he started piloting Ikaruga, he had never felt any obvious changes like such an increase in the mana supply before.

    He could feel the increase burden in his heart and abnormal breathing. The condition of his body and the characteristics of the Ether Reactor. Finally, he remembered the side effect of Ether Supplier, and a flash of inspiration came to his mind¡ª

    ¡¸The higher the altitude, the thinner the air. Hmm, but the ether concentration increases instead¡­ So that¡¯s it¡­ Oh no!!¡¹

    The important element ether could be said to be the source of all phenomenon in this world. However, living beings and Ether Reactors that had gotten used to the thin ether concentration couldn¡¯t survive for long in an ether rich environment. This was the fatal flaw of the Ether Supplier. And now, this phenomenon is happening to Ikaruga and Eru.

    During this time, Ikaruga was still ascending and has finally broken through the clouds. In this clear blue sky, the Vouivre was even higher up. Eru glided on the vast sea of cloud as he stared at that figure. He then made Ikaruga raised its Sword Cannon to take aim. Unfortunately, he was still too far away. Eru gave up on firing, then turned around as if he was leaving the sight of the scene before him, and descended with Ikaruga.

    As he was descending, Eru continued to think. Knowledge from another world, earth, told him that beyond the sky lies a vacuum ¡ª ¡ºouter space¡». By combining this knowledge with the laws of this world, he made a conclusion.

    ¡¸¡­ Fu, in this world, in its sky¡­ Beyond the sky¡­! It¡¯s probably¡­ a space filled with pure ether.¡¹

    The drop in atmospheric pressure and the increase in ether, with this formula, the answer is obvious ¡ª In this world, ¡ºvacuum¡» was a space filled with ether.

    ¡¸The influence of ether affects everything equally. The Flying Dragon obviously knew about this when it led me up this high. I see, so they have found a way to go around this.¡¹

    Ikaruga lowered his altitude and went below the clouds soon. Eru felt relieved as his breathing steadied, and smiled brilliantly.

    ¡¸¡­ Right now, Ikaruga couldn¡¯t reach that height. I will concede this match, it¡¯s your win. But I have grasped the concept now, so there won¡¯t be a next time.¡¹

    Ikaruga turned with the fine-tuned control of the magius jet thrusters, and left to link up with the retreating new kingdom army.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡¸Sigh?? I lost, damn it.¡¹

    Gustavo was seated inside Swordsman with its chest armour opened as he grumbled towards the sky. Both of the Swordsman¡¯s arms were destroyed, it was damaged all over the body and most of the swords he was so proud of were broken. If Guyalarinde wasn¡¯t seriously damaged too, he would probably be finished off alongside with the Swordsman. He was lucky that he got to sit like this and stare stupefied at the sky.

    ¡¸It¡¯s quiet, are things at dad¡¯s side over too?¡¹

    The sky he was looking at didn¡¯t have any signs combat between the Demon God and the Flying Dragon. He didn¡¯t think the Flying Dragon will lose, but he still felt a hint of unease when he thought about its adversaries amazing combat powers.

    Heavy footsteps came from behind him. He turned back and saw that the black knights were here to pick him up.

    Gustavo waved weakly to show that he wasn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡¸What¡¯s next then? Well, I¡¯m lucky to make it out of this alive.¡¹

    The Swordsman was Gustavo¡¯s beloved machine, and was equivalent to his avatar. Since it was heavily damaged, he wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize his skills. And not just him, the black knights also suffered serious damages, and had to abandon the pursuit of the new kingdom army.

    And so, the series of battles around the fortress city ended with the overwhelming victory for the ?aloudek Army.

    Before the New Kuscheperca Kingdom army was wiped out, they managed to pull out. The Silver Phoenix Knights was also dealt the heavy blow with the lost of a company captain machine. Although the ?aloudek Army suffered heavy losses, that was dismissed by the masses because of the victory.

    On the other hand, the undefeated Demon God had no choice but to yield to the vastness of this world; the strongest Flying Dragon realized its weakness through the battle with the Demon God. The meeting of the two strongest entities ended in a draw.

    The result of this battle had a major significance. The ace of the New Kuscheperca Kingdom, the Silver Phoenix Knights that were viewed as their spiritual support, and the fact of their defeat dealt a heavy blow to the nation, casting a shadow on their future battles.

    C.E. 1282.

    With the air of chaos still lingering in the air, autumn came.

 Book 5: Chapter 42: Battle Preparations

    Some time has passed since the clash between the Silver Phoenix Knights and the Jade Dragon Knights, where both sides retired from the battle with heavy damage.

    Since then, the Western Grand Storm slipped into a period of relative calm, partially because the strongest force on each side was taking the time to recuperate.

    During this lull, skirmishes continued to happen from time to time. Despite their valiant push to reclaim their lost territory, New Kuscheperca¡¯s attacks have all met in failure at the hands of the defense-oriented black knights. Overall, no lasting gains were made, and the battle soon devolved into a stalemate. Yet, in everyone¡¯s hearts, they knew that both sides were only biding their time to regroup, and the flames of war would soon reignite the land once more.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    At a base near Delvincourt, which the Jade Dragon Knights designated their headquarters to exploit the nearby lumber, Doroteo, Commander of the Jade Dragon Knights and the Captain of the Flying Dragon Battleship ¡®Vouivre¡¯, gazed out at the massive ship docked outside.

    ¡°¡­So, how is the repair coming along?¡± Doroteo asked the man standing behind him.

    ¡°The repair to the ship itself should not give us much trouble, and will be done once the replacement parts get installed. On the other hand, the Anculosas will take a bit longer to repair and replenish. Ah, more important than the repairs, if we do not think of some proper modifications to the battleship, we will end up facing mana insufficiency again the next time we encounter the ¡®Demon God¡¯.¡± The man, Horacio, callously grumbled as he flipped through the reports.

    Outside, the Flying Dragon Battleship lay prone ¨C recuperating from the previous battle, beyond which were the boundless blue skies. In this world, there was yet to be a large enough dockyard to accommodate the battleship, unlike its younger brethrens, the Levitate Ships. As such, repairs for the battleship would need to be carried out in the open, in spite of its highly secretive status, and only the surrounding woods provide some cover from the prying eyes of the public.

    Nearby, the footsteps of Silhouette Knights rumbled. A sizable contingent of Resvants, requisitioned from the nearby lands, toiled on the repair with parts in tow. Understandably, the sheer effort that was needed to construct and repair the airships made it impossible without the assistance of heavy machinery.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Seriously. With 13 Ether Reactors attached, the Dragon already has a mindboggling high mana output, how the heck did it run into an issue with mana insufficiency? If anything, this is turning into a logistical nightmare.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your complaints. No matter how difficult, I want you to see the problem resolved.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I have an inkling as to how we can tackle the problem. Although that ¡®device¡¯ is still just a prototype, it seems we have no other options than to see it used¡­¡± Horacio said as he shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Oh? You have a solution already? Is that the one¡­?¡± Doroteo followed Horacio¡¯s eyes to a large container outside.

    The size of the container was about half the size of a Silhouette Knight, and seemed to have some weight to it, as it required a cart-pushing Silhouette Knight to transport.

    ¡°Yes, that is an Ether Reactor.¡±

    ¡°W-what? That is really a surprise, The Ether Reactors I know are no larger than a man.¡±

    Horacio matter-of-factly declared the transported content, an object that seemed to barely fit into the oversized wooden container. As a Knight Runner who was familiar with the inner workings of the Silhouette Knights, Doroteo could not help but be surprised at the object that was so vastly different from the Ether Reactors he was familiar with.

    ¡°It is an experimental high-throughput Ether Reactor¡­ I personally call it the ¡®Dragonblood Reactor¡¯.¡±

    Although seemingly listless on the outside, Horacio had a deep and intense glare to his eyes. With his arms swung open, he began his explanation.

    ¡°As milord knows, continuous exposure of a normal Ether Reactor to concentrated Ether results in the degradation of the reactor, ultimately resulting in the ¡®death¡¯ of the reactor. This is the main drawback to our Ether Suppliers. However, the mass produced Ether Reactors were originally designed for the atmospheric Ether, and as such, was a poor match for our ¡®Applied Etherlite Theory¡¯ which used concentrated Ether. If we instead constructed an Ether Reactor from the ground up with concentrated Ether in mind, which could handle the high-throughput energy, we should be able to avoid reactor degradation.¡±

    ¡°Wh-¡­?! Lord Collazo, if you had such an incredible device on hand, why didn¡¯t you have it installed on construction?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s just say that not everything went according to plan.¡± Compared to the clearly displeased Doroteo, Horacio just let out a long sigh, and simply shrugged his shoulder as he replied, ¡°In short, since it was designed as a high-throughput reactor, it would not be able to properly function with insufficient Ether. Let¡¯s see, at the minimum, it would require a continual injection of concentrated Ether for it to start up and function at its baseline capacity.¡±

    Doroteo was speechless at Horacio¡¯s declaration, which made clear to Doroteo a major flaw in the prototype reactor.

    ¡°The stockpile of Ethelite is critical to the maneuver and operation of the ship, and the Flying Dragon Battleship wasn¡¯t designed to be very abundant in storage space. If the supply of Ethelite were to run out, then no matter how efficient the reactor is¡­¡± Doroteo remarked.

    ¡°Impressive. Yes, just as you have posited, this is why the reactor is still a mere prototype. However, as far as the overwhelming power output is concerned, I can vouch for it with my reputation on the line.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The Flying Dragon Battleship was a marvel of engineering unmatched in the skies. However, because it was rushed into service, there were numerous flaws and rough edges to its design. If they were to add in the Dragon Blood Reactor haphazardly, it was certain to adversely impact the handling of the craft. Even Doroteo was barely able to command such a behemoth in its original form, and had to tap into his years of accumulated experience and intuition. Therefore, Doroteo could clearly imagine the sheer leap in difficulty with new parts incorporated.

    ¡°Fine. If we even cannot accept this small a risk, we will have no chance against the ¡®Demon God¡¯.¡± However, despite the difficulties, Doroteo agreed without a hint of hesitation.

    Doroteo¡¯s sworn enemy, the ¡®Demon God¡¯, was a single Silhouette Knight of astonishing capabilities. It was one which even the Flying Dragon Battleship in its prime could not defeat. Therefore, Doroteo recognized that they need to exceed the confines of logic to have the slightest chance at defeating it.

    ¡°I understand. I will take the responsibility and allow the Flying Dragon to soar at a greater height than ever before.¡±

    With that said, Horacio took a bow and slowly walked out the room. However, seemingly recalling something on his mind, Horacio suddenly turned to Doroteo after just a few steps.

    ¡°Milord, what do you think is the power behind the ¡®Demon God¡¯? For a single Silhouette Knight to fight on equal grounds with the thirteen lives of the dragon, it certainly makes you wonder what is required to make such a ferocious unit¡­¡± Horacio let out a sigh, and then, with his arms outstretched, he gazed upward, ¡°If I could just get the answer to that mystery, any cost is acceptable.¡±

    ¡°Being too fixated on the unknown is without merits. Our immediate goal should be to improve the Dragon with all the means available to us, and defeat that bastard as soon as possible. With this new reactor, I am certain victory will finally be within reach¡­!¡±

    With his declaration, the large reactor was to be installed into the belly of the Flying Dragon Battleship. Doroteo watched as a large group of knightsmiths and Silhouette Knight busied themselves with work, and gritted his teeth in anticipation.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    While the Kingdom of ?aloudek was busy with the repairs of the Flying Dragon Battleship, the Kingdom of New Kuscheperca was also bustling with excitement.

    In the new capital of the kingdom, Fontaine, within the centrally located Lacepede Castle, Queen Eleonora received a large amount of reports every day. To avoid overburdening the new Queen, Martina helped to filter through the reports and only forward the most urgent.

    ¡°¡­As expected, everyone is on edge.¡±

    ¡°Regrettably, our national power is comparatively weak. With this recent draw, especially when this draw involved ¡®those people¡¯, it is to no one¡¯s surprise that the morale is low among the populace.¡±

    Eleonora let out a deep sigh as she looked up from the report on hand. She was fully aware of her inexperience in governance, and other than the occasional reports on the progress of the war, she tried to be open to advice and suggestions. Recently, one topic seemed to be particularly trending among her subjects.

    Her eyes soon swam to the carefree knight standing in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Archid-san, do you have a moment? There is a matter I wish to consult you.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Me? Sure. If it is something I can answer.¡±

    As Eleonora¡¯s designated knight, Chid was given charge of the security of the Queen, and was in the room as a bodyguard. As far as Silhouette Knights and Knight Runners were concerned, Chid was relatively well informed and would be able to provide a splendid answer for any question. But when it came to politics, Chid was unsure what Eleonora could possibly ask of a neophyte like him, and was understandably nervous.

    ¡°How are the Silver Phoenix Knights¡­ no, Ernesti-san doing as of late? For what transpired a few days ago, is he perhaps¡­ depressed about the outcome?¡±

    ¡°How could that possibly be? Eru is perfectly fine. Sure, he was unable to win, but I can¡¯t possibly see him despair. If anything, he is secretly plotting some plan to take revenge with Boss, and definitely up to no good as always.¡±

    Although unsure of her intentions with the question, Chid gave Eleonora a clear answer.

    Both Eleonora and Martina could not completely confirm Chid¡¯s statement, but they did sense from Chid that ¡®All is well with Ernesti-san¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Could I possibly set up a meeting to talk with Ernesti-san?¡± After a moment of pause, Eleonora asked.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Eru soon arrived at the office to answer the Queen¡¯s summon.

    ¡°Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti Echevalier, here at the Queen¡¯s behest.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for coming at such a busy time.¡±

    Initially somewhat skeptical of Eru¡¯s condition, Eleonora was relieved to find Eru in relatively good spirits. His smile still shined with his usual kindness, and seemed to be oddly cheerful for some reason. For Eleonora, Eru¡¯s personality remained as nebulous as ever.

    ¡°As for the matter at hand, it is related to our battle with the Flying Dragon a few days ago. During that encounter, despite Ernesti-san¡¯s valiant performance, we were still unable to reclaim the fortress. Worse still, our failure has let an air of anxiety spread within the ranks.¡±

    The draw of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and more importantly, the draw of the Demon God ¡®Ikaruga¡¯, has been quite the shock for the entire New Kuscheperca Royal Army.

    After all, the Demon God has the capability to singlehandedly wipe out an entire battalion of the black knight ¡®Tyrantors¡¯, a power that was difficult for anyone to wrap their head around. Therefore, to the rank and file, it was believed that no matter how terrible the rumors about the Flying Dragon may be, as long as they have Ikaruga on their side, victory would be assured. As such, the reality that even with the presence of Ikaruga and the Silver Phoenix Knights on the field, they still failed to achieve total victory, was a difficult pill to swallow.

    ¡°I see, that was because we usually have the initiative in battles. In that encounter, it was already difficult for us to fight an unprepared defensive battle, not to mention that the Flying Dragon happened to be an incredibly strong weapons platform, particularly that flamethrower attack which easily tore through the fortress. In my honest opinion, I could not see that Dragon as your run-of-the-mill Levitate Ship, if anything, it is a revolutionary design that is closer to a Silhouette Knight in function.¡±

    ¡°Is it an enemy that could not be defeated even by Ernesti-san and the rumored Demon God, Ikaruga? Not only me, but many soldiers are uneasy with that fact, so with this opportunity, I wish to hear Ernesti-san¡¯s opinion on the Flying Dragon. What manner of enemy was the Flying Dragon? And, if you were to challenge the Flying Dragon again, do you have confidence in victory?¡±

    Despite her apprehensive question, Eru did not at all seem worried about the prospects, and displayed his usual cheerful self as he began his explanation.

    ¡°The reason for the draw in the previous battle was purely because I lacked a fundamental understanding of the physical laws in this world, and succumbed to ¡®Ether Toxicity¡¯ due to my lack of preparation. As such, I doubt it will ever happen a second time. On the other hand, the Flying Dragon had weakness in itself, for which I undoubtedly believe they will prepare countermeasures. Our next encounter will likely be a clean slate for the both of us, so I do not have absolute confidence to win with just Ikaruga. However, rest assured that I will definitely prepare all that is necessary to slay the Flying Dragon once and for all.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Ernesti-san, what is ¡®Ether Toxicity¡¯?¡± Passing an unfamiliar term, Eleonora could not help but ask.

    ¡°In the skies, the higher the altitude, the greater the concentration of atmospheric Ether. For our bodies that were acclimated to the low atmospheric Ether on the surface, prolonged exposure to a high Ether environment would have adverse effects. For the purpose of explanation, I refer to the symptoms collectively as ¡®Ether Toxicity¡¯.¡±

    Other than Eleonora, it was also the first time Martina and Chid had heard about ¡®Ether Toxicity¡¯. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they knew Eru had flew to the edge of the sky, they would have a hard time accepting what was just said. Yet, Martina soon realized a discrepancy in the story, if not a terribly annoying truth.

    ¡°From the reports, it seemed that the Flying Dragon had no problem with the high altitude. Does this mean that on top of being incredibly strong, it also can function far beyond our own limits? If they take advantage of that, it would be doubly difficult to¡­¡±

    ¡°I agree with that assessment. As far as technology related to flight is concerned, the enemy is undoubtedly a few steps ahead of us. However, if it is only combat, there are always methods to negate their advantage. To put it simply, we should not have to worry as long as we do not give it the opportunity to reach that high an altitude.¡±

    Eru made it sound easy, but could it really be done? Martina was visibly distressed about their prospects. Certainly, without the defeat of the Flying Dragon, there could be no peace in New Kuscheperca.

    ¡°I do not doubt Ernesti-san¡¯s strength. But, against an opponent as strong as the Dragon, is it really possible to triumph?¡±

    Unlike the more politically-minded Martina, Eleonora was clearly worried about Eru¡¯s well-being. For a Queen, some may see this as a weakness, but it was an important part of her character.

    ¡°Only the Silver Phoenix Knights could keep up with you and Ikaruga, but I had heard that even the Knights suffered numerous casualties from the previous encounter. If that was the case, how would you go about fighting the Flying Dragon?¡± Martina asked.

    As far as Martina was aware, there existed no other Silhouette Knight in the world that could match against Ikaruga. Even if Eru spoke of assistance in the upcoming battle, Martina has no idea what he could possibly bring to achieve that end.

    ¡°The battlefield between the Flying Dragon and me will be in the sky, so I doubt the Silver Phoenix Knights would be of much help under those conditions. Therefore, I will likely rely on the Levitate Ship we captured at Missillier.¡±

    ¡°Eru, the ship we captured was just a normal Levitate Ship. To bring that ship into a fight against the Flying Dragon, don¡¯t you think it would be a poor match-up?¡± Chid interjected into the conversation.

    ¡°That is correct. Therefore, our first order of business is to work with Boss and redesign the Levitate Ship into a warship that could hold its own against the Flying Dragon. Although I am somewhat reluctant to use our valuable specimen, it can¡¯t be helped if it is for the sake of victory.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wonder if you can still call it a Levitate Ship by the time you are done with it.¡± Chid let out an involuntary shrug.

    Sitting nearby, Eleonora was also amazed by Eru, but for a different reason than Chid. To her, Eru and the Silver Phoenix Knights did not seem to be fazed by any obstacles. They courageously took up the seemingly impossible task to reclaim lost territory from ?aloudek, and where others fled, they stood their ground against the overwhelming Levitate Ships. In time, they overcame one impossible task after another, and forged an almost legendary fame.

    ¡°How could you keep on fighting despite all the setbacks? ¡­Does Ernesti-san know no fear?¡± To satiate her curiosity, Eleonora could not help but ask.

    From their age, Eru was not much different from Eleonora. Other than their gender, the biggest difference was Eru¡¯s willingness to challenge an enemy of indescribable strength. Even when the world itself seemed to stand in his way, Eru still continued to advance, almost as if the term ¡®pessimism¡¯ did not exist in his dictionary. In a way, Eru was in stark contrast to Eleonora, who have from time to time felt lost and bewildered in her new role, and was what brought Eleonora to the question ¨C to identify what drove Eru, and through it, perhaps find the answer to her own inadequacies.

    As if sensing Eleonora¡¯s inner conflict, Eru¡¯s face turned serious, and gave his heartfelt answer.

    ¡°Building and piloting Silhouette Knights are my passion, and are my only desires in life. As long as ¡®this life¡¯ exists, that fact will never change. Be it powerful dragons or insurmountable obstacles, it only means my Silhouette Knights will need to climb to even greater heights. There will always be improvements to be had. If you think like that, is there not joy even in the greatest difficulty?¡±

    ¡°But, I would still feel the difficulty¡­¡±

    Receiving Chid¡¯s rebuttal, Eru looked quite displeased. Although his passion could clearly be felt, there was no one who could truly understand him.

    In this complicated atmosphere, only Eleonora seemed to be deep in contemplation for what was said.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    In the somber atmosphere of New Kuscheperca, a group continued to engage their work with passion. Or rather, they were so overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks that they had no time to worry.

    ¡°Good! It is time for the shift change. Those who are rested, get moving!¡±

    At a base near Fontaine, a temporary ¡®Levitate Ship Workshop¡¯ was established. From the moment the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ knightsmiths arrived, they had been working day and night investigating and modifying the Levitate Ship. At the captured ship¡¯s helm sat Boss, who barked one order after another at the other knightsmiths.

    ¡°Boss, everyone is ready!¡±

    ¡°Very well, let¡¯s test this baby out. Begin mana transfer!¡±

    ¡°Aye!¡±

    Batson and the other knightsmiths excitedly responded, and began to operate the various controls on the bridge. Originally, there were only voicepipes to transmit orders to every corner of the ship, but now the bridge had seen plenty new additions.

    ¡°Etheric Levitator, all status normal. Begin ether injection.¡±

    All hands stared intently at the operation procedures, carefully pulling each lever and pressing each button. When the indicator reached the baseline, they felt a unique feeling wash over them.

    ¡°Ether concentration rising, reaching levitation threshold!¡±

    ¡°Very well, pull up the anchor! Contact all hands, tell them to lay off the Blow Engine for now!¡±

    With his orders transmitted through the voicepipes, the knightsmiths began to retract the anchors. Only until the ship had safely floated up did Boss let out his nervous breath and wipe away his sweat.

    ¡°¡­Good, all systems normal. Still, that Etheric Levitator sure is a finicky device. It would begin to act up if we even slightly deviate from the accepted procedure¡­¡±

    The words Boss spoke came from his personal experience. In an earlier experiment to test the limits of the Levitate Ship, they almost sank the ship itself. Although the Etheric Levitator was a simple construct, the operation of the levitation field and the Ether was surprisingly complex. As such, the reactor room previously could not do without the gentle touch of human operators, but that was all in the past now.

    ¡°With how smooth everything is operating, the connection between the Etheric Levitator and the Magius Engine seems to be working splendidly.¡±

    The main modification they made to this Levitate Ship was to have the Etheric Levitator fully automated.

    Previously, Levitate Ships had little to no automation. From controlling the concentration of Etheric Levitator, to operating the Blow Engine, everything had to be done by hand. The Silver Phoenix Knights decided to trim down on the number of hands needed by incorporating automation, with all control centralized to the bridge, and would no longer require the extensive network of voicepipes to deliver orders. The large amount of machinery on the bridge, with their assortment of levers and buttons, was to this end.

    ¡°Although there are still some rough edges, at the very least, we were able to get the ship running with Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ limited hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is all because of how complex the procedures were.¡±

    The main motivation behind their remodeling efforts was largely due to the difficulty that the Silver Phoenix Knights encountered in the ship¡¯s operation. Beside their obvious lack of familiarity and experience with the ship, the bigger issue was that they were woefully understaffed. For even the rudimentary maneuvers, they needed a minimum number of crew at each station. The sheer manpower that the ship demanded simply exceeded the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ limitations.

    The solution that the knightsmiths came up with was to incorporate a Magius Engine onto the ship, using newly written formulas to remove the need for human operators, and connecting the device to each component with silver nerves. Obviously, Eru was responsible for all the technical components.

    When Eru first laid his eyes on the Levitate Ship, he could barely contain his excitement, and had researched every nook and cranny aboard. In his passion to discover the mechanisms behind the Etheric Levitator, Eru almost ended up breaking it. The aerial acrobatics that the ship made during Eru¡¯s adventures was a memory few on-board knightsmiths wished to recall, but that was a story for another day.

    As far as the Magius Engine was concerned, much of its formulas were based on Eru¡¯s experience from that time. Although the ship was still far from being considered ¡®fully automated¡¯, at the minimum, they were able to expedite many of the convoluted procedures.

    ¡°So we basically reduced the system from one which is completely uncooperative to one that acts mischievously from time to time.¡±

    Such was the heartfelt evaluation given by the Boss at the time. Even without full automation, they had managed to make leap and bounds, with the operation now somewhat tenable.

    Soon after the trial, Eru was able to obtain the results, and worked with the Boss to summarize their findings.

    ¡°With the new Magius Engine in place, we were able to not only strengthen the coordination of different stations, but also cut down on the number of crew. All that¡¯s left is redesigning the propulsion system. If we are talking about a suitable replacement for the Blow Engine, I guess the most likely candidate is to install some sort of magius thruster?¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ I think this is as good as we will get. Shy of relying on Ikaruga¡¯s engines, I doubt the magic output would match the demand for a thruster-based propulsion system.¡±

    ¡°That is certainly a problem, I don¡¯t want to sit with my Ikaruga on the ship all day¡­¡±

    The original plan was to have the ship support Ikaruga in combat against the Flying Dragon. If their modified ship instead ended up restricting Ikaruga¡¯s movements, it would essentially be getting their priorities mixed up.

    ¡°Other than the propulsion system, there is also the weapons system. We need a weapon strong enough to bring down that heavily armored dragon. I have an inkling as to which one we should use, but it will increase Boss¡¯s workload by quite a bit. However, I am certain it will be the best weapon to slay the Flying Dragon.¡±

    ¡°So what are you thinking about, boy?¡±

    Eru completely glossed over Boss¡¯s uneasiness, and was seemingly deep in thought. Despite Eru¡¯s apparent lackadaisical attitude, his mind was in overdrive.

    ¡°I heard the Flying Dragon was quite incredible. No matter how strong you are, it seemed to be quite a stretch for you to take on the dragon with Ikaruga alone. As such, is it really such a big deal to draw against such a behemoth?¡± Seeing Eru¡¯s boundless passion, Boss inquisitively asked.

    ¡°Winning is very important, but more than anything, I could not bear with the Dragon¡¯s existence. If I have to point to a reason, it would be the sheer size of its body. Such a large structure would surely take an obscene amount of magic to maintain, and from my knowledge, there are only so many options when it comes to replenishing magic power.¡±

    If not for one supersized reactor, then the ship would require numerous parallel reactors, as such, the problem lay less with technology and more with resources. It was hard for Eru to imagine a nation like ?aloudek to be in possession of a large Ether Reactor like the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heart¡¯. As such, the most reasonable conclusion was that the Flying Dragon relied on a massive amount of parallel reactors.

    Although such innovative thoughts were nothing new to the Silver Phoenix Knights, Eru was surprised that there existed another forward thinker in the world to come up with such outlandish ideas. However, given how often the Silver Phoenix Knights broke the sensibilities of the world, it is not hard to imagine others like them would eventually pop up.

    ¡°By concentrating large amount of Ether Reactors, powerful weapons like the Flying Dragon could easily be made. But therein lays the problem¡­ If the multi-reactor weapons platform were demonstrated to be clearly superior to single-reactor Silhouette Knights, then sooner or later, other multi-reactor weapons platform would begin to appear in the world. Conversely speaking, the numbers of Silhouette Knights in the world would decrease to fuel the multi-reactor weapons platform¡¯s construction.¡±

    For the people of this world, both Silhouette Knight and the Flying Dragon Battleship were mere weapons, and as weapons, would demand associated costs for transportation and maintenance. Although the Flying Dragon Battleship was incredibly strong, its technological demands far exceeded the skill of an average knightsmith, as such, both the repair and maintenance were costly endeavors. At most, the battleship could only be effectively used on decisive battles.

    On the other hand, Silhouette Knights were a technology that was considered staple to the world. Even if there was a growing interest in multi-reactor weapons platform, Silhouette Knights would not immediately turn obsolete. Yet, for the robot otaku Ernesti, such a development was something he could not accept.

    ¡°I will use this opportunity to thoroughly erase the existence of that ¡®piece of trash¡¯, so that Silhouette Knights will continue to serve a central role in this world. ¡®My world¡¯ does not need trash like that in it!¡±

    ¡°¡­O-oh.¡±

    Even Boss was taken aback by Eru¡¯s passion. The high morale certainly was welcome given the approaching battle, so Boss simply chose to ignore the more problematic details.

    With this, the stage was set for the fated battle between the Death God and the Flying Dragon. Neither could tolerate the continued existence of the other, and both would stop at nothing until the other was utterly demolished.

    Under the strangely selfish reason of the Knight Commander, the Silver Phoenix Knights noisily took to the reconstruction of the Levitate Ship.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Soon, the peace and quiet that had reigned the land was abruptly broken.

    The two kingdoms were once again broiled in war, spearheaded by the return of the Flying Dragon. New Kuscheperca¡¯s border forts were once more open to the terrifying attacks of the Dragon.

    As another fortress fell to the sea of flames, the news quickly made its way to Fontaine. All the local nobles gathered in Lacepede Castle to discuss possible countermeasures to the new wave of attacks.

    Reflective of the noble¡¯s unease, the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy in the meeting room.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ It has returned! That bastard dragon has laid waste to our land, fortresses, and men.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be fine as long as we increase the amount of Revantiers and magic javelins?¡±

    ¡°Like that will be enough! It was an opponent even the Silver Phoenix Knights could not defeat, who knows what we could possibly do to counter it¡­¡±

    From the start of the meeting, an air of pessimism washed over the room. Each and every noble grumbled about the difficulties, with not a constructive idea in sight, and the meeting room soon devolved into chaos.

    To steer away from the worsening atmosphere, Eru took to the floor.

    ¡°The enemy and their tactics are the same as before. With the Flying Dragon as vanguard supported by a small group of ground forces on Levitate Ships, they rely heavily on guerrilla tactics and mobility of the ships to avoid the risk of encirclement. It is a type of formation that takes full advantage of the Flying Dragon¡¯s overwhelming firepower and the Levitate Ships¡¯ incredible mobility.¡±

    Despite the simplicity of the tactics employed, the crux of the matter lay with the Flying Dragon, for which the current New Kuscheperca had no legitimate counter.

    ¡°But why would they satisfy themselves with just attacking our fortresses? If they had such overwhelming power at their disposal, should they not just come after Fontaine directly?¡± One of the noble inquired.

    Faced with the difficult question, the nobles all just looked at each other without a single sound.

    Soon, a single voice broke the uncomfortable silence. Surprisingly, the one who took up the question was Queen Eleonora. She had never had a martial education, and should not have much knowledge on the discussed matter. As such, in all the previous economic and military discussions, she had always opted to remain silent.

    ¡°The Flying Dragon fears the Silver Phoenix Knights¡­ no, Ernesti-san. Ernesti-san was able to singlehandedly hold his own against the Flying Dragon, and if we add our own war potential to the mix¡­¡±

    Her words cleared the stagnant air surrounding the discussion. Although Ikaruga did not sink the Flying Dragon in the earlier encounter, it did hold its own against the beast. Despite the army abandoning the fortress in the end, it was still far from a complete rout.

    With the renewed hope, the nobles once again energized themselves in discussion.

    ¡°Then, before we suffer even greater damage, we should gather our troops and take out the Flying Dragon! With the Silver Phoenix Knights in the vanguard, and our own troops in support, victory should be simple.¡±

    ¡°If we do, then the black knights that line our border will be free to advance and run rampage in our lands. Likely, the Flying Dragon will also avoid our challenge.¡±

    The nobles shirked back after hearing Eru¡¯s criticism. They were so caught up with the Flying Dragon that they almost forgot about the masses of black knights that line their borders. Both were powerful adversaries that New Kuscheperca could not ignore, and would need to be simultaneously overcome.

    ¡°First and foremost, we need to contain the black knights from taking advantage of the chaos. A method that allow us to take out the Flying Dragon without compromising our defenses¡­ The best choice for the task undoubtedly falls on the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    ¡°Since we already fought with the enemy once, we are familiar with their capabilities. If anything, we won¡¯t make the same mistake as last time. Granted, this will be a tough battle, as even Ikaruga will have a hard time break through its defensive lightning. If anything, our chance of victory will be greatly improved once the Levitate Ship in our possession is fully remodeled.¡±

    Despite the knightsmiths working day and night on the Levitate Ship, the remodeling would still take some time to complete.

    ¡°Then, what do you suggest we do in the meantime? The damage inflicted by the Flying Dragon has been crippling. If we do nothing, then our war potential will slowly waste away and will no longer be able to maintain adequate defenses along the front. Before the Silver Phoenix Knights are ready, who knows how much losses we will incur¡­¡±

    Before the Silver Phoenix Knights were fully prepared, the nobles lacked an effective method to deter the Dragon¡¯s attacks. It was an imposing foe that the powerful Ikaruga couldn¡¯t handle, so much so that even if the nobles gathered up all their Revantiers, they would still not be an adequate match against it.

    ¡°On the contrary, if we simply do nothing, the casualties will just continue to mount up. We should take the opportunity to strike at their weakness.¡±

    ¡°¡­The seat of viceroyalty. You plan to retake the old capital, Delvincourt¡­ is that right?¡±

    With shock and bewilderment, everyone¡¯s gaze quickly focused on Eru, who made the comment. Eleonora was once again the one who broke the silence, and spoke with a face full of resolve.

    ¡°¡­We do not have many options. Either we allow the Flying Dragon to walk all over us, and lose everything, or we take back our capital, and cleanse ?aloudek from our lands once and for all.¡±

    With Eleonora¡¯s declaration, chatter broke out among the nobles. It was certainly a plan that could break the current stalemate, but there were considerable risks involved.

    ¡°We agree with her majesty in principle, but to undertake such a plan is sheer folly. We will be cutting deep into enemy territory, and we don¡¯t know how many black knights we will encounter at Delvincourt! Additionally, to commit to such an offensive means to gather all our available forces, if so, who will stay to defend Fontaine¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Knowing the risks, I believe her majesty has decided to go all out?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The short exchange between Eru and Eleonora took all the nobility by surprise, especially when they had just explained how the plan would be a costly mistake.

    ¡°We only need to defend Fontaine because of my presence here. Instead, if I campaign with the troops, we will no longer require a significant force to defend, and can devote all our resources to the offensive.¡±

    To her statements, the nobles momentarily were at a loss for words. They had always believed the Queen was unfamiliar with matters of war, and had simply spewed nonsense. However, after a moment of contemplation, they realized her ideas were not completely outrageous. If they could only devote their resources to either attack or defense, then to break the stalemate, they had to attack. Certainly, New Kuscheperca was at the point where they had little left to lose in the gamble.

    The biggest concern they had was with the ¡®Queen¡¯ herself. From the perspective of a vassal, it was difficult to ask the Queen to risk herself on the battlefield.

    ¡°I am certain of this decision. Before, I was too hesitant when it came to the important decisions, and would shy away from any gambles. My inexperience had brought about many deaths, which I do not wish to repeat. Therefore, before more of our subjects die, we shall reclaim ?aloudek¡¯s seat of viceroyalty¡­ no, the old capital, Delvincourt.¡± Despite the nobles¡¯ reservations, Eleonora herself seemed to have steeled herself with a smile.

    The nobles had all been overwhelmed by the young Queen¡¯s display of will. Even though they were only lesser nobility, they were nevertheless warriors who have survived many wars. They might act respectful for the young Queen in public, but in their hearts, they had always slighted the one they thought was no more than a mere figurehead. However, their prejudice was completely overturned with her valiant display at the meeting, where not only did she point out the best way forward, but also fully demonstrated her will to reclaim the old capital.

    ¡°With that said, I have a personal request for Ernesti-san. At the time when we advance on ?aloudek¡­¡±

    ¡°The Flying Dragon will surely show itself.¡±

    Hearing Eru¡¯s assessment, Eleonora, despite being somewhat apprehensive, nodded in acknowledgment.

    ¡°Even if we were to reclaim our lost capital and defeat the viceroyalty, the Flying Dragon will still exist as a prominent threat to our rule. Therefore, like we did at Missillier, let me serve as the ¡®bait¡¯ once more.¡±

    However, the current situation was quite different from their time at Missillier. Back then, the ?aloudek Army was overconfident, and easily crumbled when the tides had turned. In contrast, the campaign would penetrate deep into enemy¡¯s defenses, and attack their headquarters. They would undoubtedly defend to the death with a sober mind. Despite the mounting difficulties, Eru still did not show a single a hint of hesitation.

    ¡°I understand. If that is the case, then just leave the dragon to us. Going up against the Flying Dragon with a large army is unwise, therefore, we shall have Ikaruga and a few other elites to hunt the dragon down.¡±

    ¡°Would Ernesti-san¡¯s remodeled Levitate Ship be ready in time?¡±

    ¡°In the name of the Silver Phoenix Knights, we are certain to see it finished, even if we have to make final adjustments on way to the battlefield.¡±

    With Eru¡¯s seemingly innocent promise, the knightsmiths of the Silver Phoenix Knights would come to see hell.

    ¡°As the Queen of Kuscheperca, I am ashamed to have to leave the fate of our kingdom in other hands.¡± Eleonora nodded with a hint of worry.

    ¡°Do not mind it, Your Majesty.¡±

    Undoubtedly, the one with the greatest burden in the upcoming campaign would be Eru, but he still replied with his usual cheerful smile.

    ¡°I must prove that ¡®my robot, Ikaruga, is superior to Levitate Ships¡¯. For this reason, I am willing to gamble everything I have to see the destruction of the Flying Dragon.¡±

    Behind his innocent smile, there permeated a certain madness, so much so that even Eleonora was taken aback. She was just glad that the target of his madness matched the goal of the kingdom.

    With this, New Kuscheperca came to decide on the ludicrous plan to ¡®abandon all defenses¡¯ for the single decisive battle against ?aloudek.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With the meeting over, Eru soon found himself standing before the full force of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°The decisive battle has been set! All that¡¯s left is to wrap up our preparations! Things will likely get busy for the knightsmiths, so keep up the good work! Chid, Addy, I have an important mission for you two and Tzendrinble.¡±

    ¡°Got it! Just leave it to us!¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    When his name was mentioned, Chid was not looking at Eru, but to the far back where Eleonora stood. Seeing his uncertain nod, Eleonora clasped both her hands, as if making a gesture to pray for his safety. With that exchange, Chid then turned his sight on Eru, and gave a strong nod.

    ¡°Understood. It is about time we cut down their arrogance and boot them from this land once and for all!¡±

    With the decision made, the Silver Phoenix Knights now steeled themselves for the upcoming battle.

 Book 5: Chapter 43: The Queenâ€™s Campaign

    The thunderous footsteps of metal giants broke the early morning calm. To a bystander, the chaotic rumbling and deep vibrations could easily be mistaken for an untimely earthquake.

    It was the capital of New Kuscheperca, Fontaine. At the moment, countless Silhouette Knights gathered before the gates. Among them were the Resvant Vidos, also known as the tower knights, and the Revantiers, the newest mass-produced model. These two models made up the core of New Kuscheperca¡¯s royal retinue and standing army, also known as the Royal Life Guards.

    The Guards have expanded to such an incredible size that their numerous Silhouette Knights seemed to stretch from the foot of the wall to the far horizon. Faced with such a sight, it was difficult for any onlooker to imagine the uncertainty that stood before them. The introduction of Silhouette Gears has greatly relieved the logistical bottleneck, and has led to a significant increase in production. By now, the new Royal Army has recovered much of the former splendor of its predecessor.

    The Guards soon came to a halt. As the shaking of the ground stopped, only the quiet humming of the air intake valves remained. As a gust of wind blew past the foot of the metal giants, bringing with it the dust of their march, a glittering Silhouette Knight rode out through the gates of Fontaine at the rear of the column, and slowly made its way to the front of the Guards. It was an extravagant Silhouette Knight covered in richly decorated armor ¨C the lost ¡®King¡¯s Mount¡¯. More accurate to say, it is not the same as the Mount from before, as the previous one was destroyed alongside the late king. What stood before them now was the newly rebuilt ¡®Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus¡¯.

    At its appearance, all the Guards knelt in unison. From their chests, Knight Runners came out of their cockpits and stood at attention as the Silhouette Knights¡¯ armor peeled away. Faced with loyal knights, Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus also came to a stop, and opened its chest armor in response as everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on the person who emerged. As the King¡¯s Mount, it was the Silhouette Knight meant for the sovereign, and logically, the one who appeared from Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus was none other than the Queen Regnant, Eleonora.

    The Queen¡¯s appearance had stunned all the Knight Runners, as the one before them was no longer the sheltered flower that they remembered from the past. Before them stood a woman dressed, not in an elegant evening gown, but in a full combat suit meant for Knight Runners. The famed beauty known across the western lands stood before them with an unwavering will, slightly blunted by exhaustion. Like a wildflower, alluring yet resilient, Eleonora no longer had any of the uncertainty that had once plagued her in her eyes, and with a deep breath, she looked out toward the gathered forces.

    ¡°Brave knights of Kuscheperca, we have endured¡­! During the night when our beautiful capital Delvincourt was consumed by the flames of war, we learned of our powerlessness, and suffered defeat at the hands of a despicable but powerful enemy. In a single night, we were robbed of countless things precious to us. They took away our homes, burned our land, and killed our beloved king¡­¡±

    The loudspeakers mounted on the King¡¯s Mount carried her voice far and wide. The quietly listening knights slowly clenched their fist, seemingly remembering the night when the old capital fell to invasion.

    ¡°However, through the support of our allies, we stand tall once more! Our new shields could resist the blows of those who wish to enslave us, and our new swords could pierce those who meant us harm. Despite all this, our rebuilt kingdom is now under threat by the terrible Flying Dragon. The Dragon¡­ is unbelievably strong, and if we let it freely rampage through our land, the tragedy of ¡®that night¡¯ will surely repeat!¡±

    The atmosphere surrounding the knights began to heat up, but no one knew if it was from the vast congregation of Silhouette Knights or the knights¡¯ own broiling rage. Even when faced with likely defeat, not one knight showed any fear. All their faces were flushed with an unshakable resolve. Like a bow in full draw, the knights eagerly awaited for the Queen¡¯s order to unleash them upon the invaders and retake their homeland.

    ¡°¡­But we will not sit idly by as tragedy comes to our doorsteps. We shall no longer hide behind our meager walls, but with our own two hands, take back what is rightfully ours¡­! We, Eleonora Miranda Kuscheperca, the Queen Regnant of Kuscheperca, command you¡­!¡±

    Eleonora¡¯s eyes held no tear, for she was no longer trapped by her old hesitant and anxious self. Below her, Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus drew its sword and pointed squarely at the distant capital.

    ¡°Brave knights of Kuscheperca¡­ onward! To reclaim our country and capital from those who wish us dead! Audentes Fortuna iuvat!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±Oooh!!¡±¡±¡±

    As a thunderous roar echoed at Eleonora¡¯s declaration, the masses of Silhouette Knights sprang into action. The Guards marched with a single purpose ¨C to liberate Delvincourt from the grips of ?aloudek. It was a campaign that committed the entirety of Kuscheperca¡¯s Royal Life Guards, a truly decisive undertaking for the kingdom. The Guards advanced with a vigor and resolve reminiscent of ?aloudek¡¯s on the fateful night.

    In their column, many Resvant Vidos marched with the Revantiers. Certainly, the heavily armored Resvant Vido were not built with mobility in mind, so in order to not burden the pace of the army, they had most of their unwieldy ¡®Bulwark Robe¡¯ removed and transported separately in wagons. Granted, before any battle, they will need time to reattach the robes, but that was still much more preferable to having the entire army match the pace of the fully laden Vidos.

    Behind the core of Silhouette Knights, the massive wagon train followed with their supplies, flanked on both sides by vigilant knights piloting Silhouette Gears.

    At the center of the formation marched Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus, with another richly decorated Silhouette Knight ¨C Emrys¡¯ Gordesleo ¨C marching alongside the King¡¯s Mount.

    ¡°Hahaha! That was a splendid speech! I guess Ellie really is used to the duties of a Queen now~¡±

    ¡°R-really? I feel like there is still much to work on. I just hope my speech earlier didn¡¯t bring shame to the title of Queen.¡± A nervous reply came from inside Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus.

    ¡°Everything in that speech was written by Ellie¡­ no, Her Majesty. Do not worry, I am certain Your Majesty did wonderfully.¡± From ¡®behind¡¯ Eleonora, another voice rang out.

    ¡°¡­Isadora. Why are you acting so distant? It is making me terribly uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°It is a proper part of etiquette. After all, you are now the Queen of this country.¡±

    Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus was uniquely designed with two pilots. One of them was Eleonora, and the other was her cousin, Isadora. Logically speaking, a King¡¯s Mount should only be piloted by the sovereign, but the current Queen have never had any piloting lessons, and struggled with even the most basic maneuvers. As such, during the construction of Secundus, it was purposely modified to allow two pilots. Granted, Secundus did not have the same spacious design as Centaur Silhouette Knight ¡®Tzendorg¡¯, so the interior was unusually cramped.

    ¡°More importantly, I am sorry, Isadora. Because of my own ineptitude, I had to make you come with me onto the battlefield.¡± Eleonora let out a long sigh as she kept her eyes focused on the road.

    ¡°Do not worry. Since you had already resolved yourself to war, it would only be proper for me to accompany along. After all, you are not the only one who wants to take back our country~¡± With no one to listen in on their conversation, Isadora reverted to her usual familiar tone.

    ¡°Also, Emrys-san. The Queen and I¡­ the Queen¡¯s Mount could not reasonably fight and will serve as no more than a figurehead. Therefore, be sure to keep us safe.¡± Isadora opened comms and said to the nearby Emrys.

    To ensure the campaign¡¯s success, they could ill-afford to leave anything that needed defending in Fontaine. Such was the only reason why Eleonora, who had no experience in piloting or commanding, had to participate in the campaign. On the battlefield, her only purpose was to serve as the figurehead ¡®Queen¡¯, but it was a task she could leave to no one else.

    For a dangerous gamble like reclaiming the old capital, there was undoubtedly anxiety within the populace, but it was also a mission they could not ignore.

    As such, the transcendent and beautiful Queen was the perfect symbol to rally the troops. With the tragic tale of how she lost her father in the first battle, the troops would certainly respond positively to her presence. Although the Queen was a neophyte in command, she was unmatched in her effect on the morale.

    Additionally, a royal campaign to recover the lost capital had a symbolic meaning in and of itself, and would serve to solidify her rule after the war. Therefore, after weighing all the options, they had opted for the King¡¯s Mount to be a two-pilot Silhouette Knight even if it was slightly inappropriate. Fully aware of the reasons, Emrys let out a smile at Isadora¡¯s request.

    ¡°Mm. The main battle formation is certainly the most dangerous location on a battlefield, since it is where the fiercest fighting will take place! But worry not, no harm shall come to Isadora and Ellie as long as I and Gordesleo draw breath¡­ Not to mention, we also have them on guard¡­¡±

    Gordesleo turned its head around, as if prompting to their immediate vicinity. Surrounding Secundus and Gordesleo were the chosen elites of the Guards. In addition, there were also the wagoned Centaur Knights, the Red and White Companies, and the six-armed Demon God ¨C the full force of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°With the Silver Phoenix Knights here, even the Flying Dragon dare not harm you.¡± Emrys declared with a smirk.

    From behind Gordesleo, the Reds and the Whites raised their weapons in affirmation to the declaration.

    ¡°Alright, I shall place my trust in everyone.¡± Isadora remarked.

    At that moment, a large shadow floated across the marching troops. The Levitate Ship leisurely cruised overhead, its body adorned with the emblem of the Kingdom of New Kuscheperca and the crest of the Silver Phoenix.

    ¡°¡­So is that Ernesti-san¡¯s newly modified ship?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It may not be apparent, but it seemed Boss and Eru had made some last minute modifications. Behind its innocuous exterior, who knows what sort of nasty contraptions it has hidden underneath¡­¡±

    If what was said earlier was true, then the Levitate Ship would certainly be worthy to serve as the ¡®trump card¡¯ against the Flying Dragon. Curiously enough, Chid, who tend to never stray far from Eleonora, was aboard that vessel.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Kingdom of ?aloudek, Kuscheperca Territory¡¯s eastern border.

    For the Old Kingdom of Kuscheperca, the eastern border meant the Aubigne Mountains. However, for ?aloudek¡¯s occupied territory, which has to deal with the resurgent kingdom, the eastern border meant what were originally the borders between the two regions of Old Kuscheperca.

    Along the new border, the outposts turned fortresses were hotly contested between the two powers, as their exchange during the Grand Western Storm quickly turned into a war of attrition.

    ?aloudek¡¯s defensive forces were primarily composed of black knights. The black knights¡¯ incredible strength and tough armor, coupled with their poor mobility, made them the ideal unit to line the defense.

    Stationed atop the high walls of the fortress, the ten mels black knights stood tall, perfect for sentry duty with their height. The Silhouette Runners within kept their eyes peeled to the monitor for any unusual movements on the horizon.

    The calm and uneventful morning soon changed as shadows appeared in the thick morning fog.

    ¡°¡­!! Emergency! Enemy Attack!!¡±

    The black knights¡¯ response was fluid and precise. With the siren sounded, the humming of the Ether Reactor from nearby Silhouette Knights quickened as the defenders mobilized themselves into action.

    ¡°Another group for some morning sparring? Seriously, how eager are they for their deaths¡­¡±

    ¡°As long as we are around, I doubt they-¡­ Wait? Over there¡­?!¡±

    From the distant forest, more and more Silhouette Knights appeared through the fog, their hands bearing the standard of New Kuscheperca, and slowly closed in on the fortress.

    Before the Kuschepercan advance, the black knights began to waver. There were simply too many enemies, especially for a fortress of its size. No matter how strong the black knights were defensively, against such overwhelming numbers, they had no chance at victory.

    ¡°¡­Perhaps they finally decided to take out this fortress?¡±

    ¡°No, wait a minute, something is odd¡­ For them to deploy such a large force, their defenses elsewhere must be severely weakened. Have they decided to go all-in?¡±

    The black knights could not help but feel a chill. They have heard of how the Flying Dragon was pushing the Kingdom of New Kuscheperca to the brink of annihilation. However, the final throes of a kingdom were not to be underestimated, especially one known to have a sizable military force.

    ¡°T-that is the King¡¯s Mount! The Queen has finally moved to campaign?!¡± The black knights exclaimed as they caught sight of the shimmering Secundus.

    As it stood, their worst nightmare has become a reality. Faced with overwhelming numbers and unwavering morale, the black knights could do nothing to resist the onslaught. Before long, the fortress was adorned with the colors of New Kuscheperca.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The news was quick to reach Delvincourt.

    The anxious messenger ran through the hallways and knelt before Viceroy Catalina.

    ¡°¡­A-after the New Kuschepercan Army c-captured the fort, they showed no sign of stopping their advance! T-their forces are estimated to be at least a full b-brigade strength, numbering over a hundred S-Silhouette Knights!!¡± The messenger reported to an expressionless Catalina.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that their whole army?! Wait, won¡¯t it mean they had completely forsaken their defense? If we launch an attack on their capital, Fontaine, we could wipe them out in one fell swoop!!¡± Standing nearby, one of the Knight Commander exclaimed.

    ¡°It is not as simple as you think, fool.¡± Catalina just waved him off, ¡°According to the report, the King¡¯s Mount is among the invasion force.¡±

    ¡°W-what?! Milady, to our knowledge, wasn¡¯t the King¡¯s Mount destroyed in the initial battle by Prince Crist¨®bal?¡±

    ¡°A copy¡­ No, perhaps they had it rebuilt. Either way, how they came by the King¡¯s Mount is of little importance. The real issue is the one piloting it.¡±

    There was little need to guess. Before long, the Knight Commander quickly revealed a shocked expression, and turned to Catalina.

    ¡°C-could it be¡­ the Queen herself?!¡±

    ¡°Who else? They had abandoned their forts and capital, and mustered all their forces for this invasion. Likely, they are under the assumption that they would be able to rebuild as long as they have their queen.¡± Catalina could not help but chuckle.

    Certainly, Kuschepercan movements seemed rash, but at the same time, ?aloudek also faced a difficult decision.

    Simply put, while ?aloudek had the option to raid the now unguarded rear, it served them little purpose to damage the infrastructure of the cities and forts they wished to claim for themselves. In their plan, they had always seen the elimination or subjugation of the royal bloodline as the most preferred method.

    ¡°Still, how reckless¡­ For them to even abandon their capital, they must be gambling with everything on the line. If my assumptions are not mistaken, the only viable target for such a large force would be¡­ here.¡± Catalina said in a soft voice as she pointed at her feet.

    For everyone present, the old capital Delvincourt, now the seat of ?aloudek¡¯s viceroyalty, was undoubtedly the only reasonable target.

    ¡°Wait¡­ If we think about all this from a different angle, is it not preferable for us to have the Queen herself come knocking on our door? If they wish to end this farce once and for all, I am more than happy to oblige.¡±

    In a way, the situation benefited ?aloudek as well. If they committed to a decisive battle against the Queen, they could save all the trouble of taking the rebel¡¯s territory one fortress at a time. However, a sense of foreboding seemed to take root in the heart of Catalina.

    ¡°Send word to Lord Mardones. Since the enemy so neatly packed themselves up for us, there is no longer any need to take them out piecemeal. Let us meet their invasion force and burn it to the ground, alongside that figurehead Queen of theirs!¡± Catalina barked at the nearby messenger.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The Flying Dragon was tasked with assaulting the Kuschepercan fortresses. Therefore, if the order did not arrive, then ?aloudek¡¯s greatest weapon would not be able to arrive in time for the decisive battle. The messenger hastily ran out the audience chamber to deliver the orders to Doroteo, while the other officers silently went their own way to marshal their forces, leaving Catalina alone on her throne.

    ¡°A personal campaign¡­ and here I thought that sheltered girl would be more reserved. Not that any of it matters, since she is one of my enemies that I would have to strike down if I were to consolidate our rule. There are still things to be done before the Flying Dragon Battleship¡¯s return.¡± Catalina let out a deep sigh as she tapped her finger against the throne.

    With that said, to finish up her final ¡®preparations¡¯, she summoned a certain someone for an audience.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°As ordered, what does Her Excellency want of me?¡±

    The one to arrive to Catalina¡¯s summon was Gustav. As always, he answered in a tactless manner, but with the urgency, Catalina did not pursue his insubordinate tone further.

    ¡°Rejoice, Gustav Martones, I am granting you a new Silhouette Knight to replace the one you had lost. We can¡¯t have you on our payroll only to loaf around.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡±

    In the battle against the Silver Phoenix Knights, Doroteo was in charge of the Jade Dragon Knights that ran down the routing Kuschepercan troops. Despite inflicting heavy losses on the Kuschepercans, his Silhouette Knight ¡®Swordsman¡¯ was completely wrecked in the ensuing battle. Although the remains were later recovered, the Silhouette Knight was deemed beyond repair in the foreseeable future. Therefore, rather than having Gustav wait for his personal Silhouette Knight to be repaired, it was more prudent to just give him another.

    With a Silhouette Knight, Gustav was now able to return to active service. However, the man himself was not particularly thrilled about the prospect. For him, the slow and bumbling Tyrantor that served as the backbone of ?aloudekian Army was a terrible match to his nimble fighting style.

    Compared to piloting the Swordsman, a personalized Silhouette Knight uniquely designed for his combat style, he would be hindered by the non-compatible unit, if not outright strip him of any ability to serve as the ¡®ace¡¯.

    Furthermore, his only alternative to the Tyrantor would be one of the captured Kuschepercan Resvants. However, with the ¡®Eastern Model¡¯ already in widespread use on the battlefield, he was hesitant to rely on an obsolete model.

    ¡°Come, let me show you to your new Silhouette Knight.¡± Catalina did not care for Gustav¡¯s reservations and ordered him to follow.

    She led him to the Silhouette Knights workshop in town, and down to the deepest recess within, where a solemn unit stood. When Catalina pointed the Silhouette Knight out, Gustav could not help but be flabbergasted.

    ¡°I will leave this unit in your care.¡±

    ¡°M-milady! I-isn¡¯t this the royal exclusive model, ¡®Alkelorix¡¯?!¡±

    The ¡®Alkelorix¡¯ was the newest and most advanced Silhouette Knights designed specially for ?aloudek royalty. Its elegant body of pure white adorned with gold-plated rims was an undisputed masterpiece.

    ¡°That is correct. As far as Silhouette Knights are concerned, it is indeed the strongest in our arsenal, and clearly a better fit to your style than the Tyrantor. I know you have your own quirks, so I will lend you some knightsmiths for you to make adjustments as you see fit.¡±

    Gustav was at a loss for words. It was certainly a royal favor like no other, and he was unsure how to respond to Catalina.

    ¡°C-could this unit be Prince Crist¨®bal¡¯s?¡±

    Toward his hesitant question, Catalina merely shook her head.

    ¡°Alkelorix is not considered the King¡¯s Mount, but merely a unit that was reserved for the royals. As such, my brother was not the only one to have received one. This here is my personal unit.¡±

    Counting the unit given to their elder brother Carlitos, there were three units of Alkelorix in total, and before them stood one of the three.

    ¡°As you may have been aware, my piloting skill is mediocre at best. However, being royalty, they had one prepared for me, even though it has served as no more than a decorative piece. Originally, I brought it along as a spare for my brother¡¯s unit¡­ but Crist¨®bal is no longer of this world. In other words, there is no longer anyone left to pilot this unit.¡±

    Gustav could not hope to fathom the complicated emotions that swirled inside Catalina at that moment.

    ¡°You are the ace among aces in my army, but are well known for your numerous quirks ¨C you neither like working in a group, nor enjoy piloting the black knight. Therefore, I ask you to pick up my white sword. As far as my brother¡¯s revenge is concerned, I am certain Doroteo will see it resolved. Instead, I will ask you to defeat the Kuschepercan rebels in my stead, and return with a splendid victory.¡±

    Since the princess had thought everything through, Gustav had little reason to refuse.

    ¡°Please leave it to me. I will use my sword to strike down all enemies that dare to stand against Her Excellency and country!¡± Gustav declared as he took to his knee and bowed.

    Hearing Gustav¡¯s sincere promise, Catalina nodded in affirmation.

    After Catalina left, Gustav continued to gaze attentively at Alkelorix. Soon, a couple of knightsmiths appeared in the chamber.

    ¡°We are here at your command, and will remodel this unit as you deem necessary!¡± The knightsmiths excitedly announced.

    They were designated knightsmiths for the Alkelorix, and as such, were without much work since the passing of Crist¨®bal. With an unprecedented task now ahead of them, the knightsmiths were not able to contain their excitement. Sadly, their excitement only lasted until Gustav opened his mouth.

    ¡°The princess said I could modify this unit as I see fit. Then¡­ I will ask you to make that the armament.¡±

    ¡°Just leave it to¡­? Huh? S-swords? But milord, the Alkelorix already comes with a sword.¡±

    Gustav pointed to the countless swords that lay in the corner of the workshop. However, the Alkelorix already came with a sword on its waist. As such, the knightsmiths were at a loss for what to make of his request.

    Seeing the knightsmiths¡¯ baffled expressions, Gustav could only let out a wry smile.

    ¡°That one is not enough. I want you to attach all of the swords.¡±

    ¡°A-all of them?! Are you serious? There are at least thirty swords!¡±

    Understandably, the knightsmiths were bewildered by the request to install all the swords. Yet, Gustav just brushed aside their shock and staunchly stood by his decision.

    ¡°Yes. How could I function without my swords? Ah, just adding swords would not be sufficient, I will also need to have its strength increased. This way, I won¡¯t lose to that twin-sworded bastard again!¡±

    Gustav took to his own tempo and ordered modifications after modifications to recreate Alkelorix to match his desires. Soon, the modified unit bore little resemblance to the original Alkelorix.

    ¡°W-with all these new armaments, if we also change this¡­ Milord, I do not think it could be piloted!¡±

    With Gustav¡¯s demands seemingly at random and frequently difficult to implement, the knightsmiths could not help but protest. However, Gustav was completely fixated on his demands, and ultimately everyone failed to convince him otherwise.

    ¡°We will try our best to meet your demands¡­ Speaking of which, since you had taken to modify the unit this much, why not give the unit a proper name?¡± The knightsmiths, having resigned to his demands, asked Gustav.

    To the knightsmiths, the modified Silhouette Knight could no longer be called an Alkelorix, or rather, their wounded pride refused to accept it as worthy of the name.

    ¡°Ah, I had already decided on the name. My new sword was given by Princess Catalina, and served as a tribute to the late Prince Crist¨®bal. Therefore, I shall name this fellow¡­ ¡®Death Sword¡¯.¡± Gustav said with a confident nod.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Kuschepercan Army marched at a brisk pace toward the old capital, and had covered much ground in the short time since crossing the border. Much of their fast movement was thanks to their familiarity with the land, as they were marching through what was previously Kuschepercan territory. As such, they were able to avoid chokepoints and fortresses, and took lesser known paths to cut down on travel time.

    However, as the column neared Delvincourt, they were met with a difficult problem.

    On a certain evening since departing from Fontaine, Kuschepercan leaders and officers gathered before a map of the central region.

    ¡°Here lies our target, Delvincourt, and surrounding it, the Tetraspides Fortresses ¡®Silda Neljak¡¯¡­ the last line of fortresses safekeeping the capital.¡± Eleonora pointed at the four interlocking fortresses, each guarding one of the cardinal directions.

    Despite being the seat of a major kingdom, Delvincourt itself was built without any meaningful defense. The city relied extensively on Silda Neljak, which shielded Delvincourt from all approaches, as bulwark against attackers.

    ¡°Yet, the very fortresses we constructed to defend our capital now blocks our advance.¡±

    With the appearance of the Levitate Ships that circumvented conventional logic, Silda Neljak could only watch helplessly as the original capital fell to the invaders. With the collapse of the regime, the fortresses were now under the firm control of ?aloudek, which ironically, now stood in the way of its rightful Queen.

    ¡°Attacking Silda Neljak by land is futile. As it stands, we will only unnecessarily drag out the siege and allow ?aloudek to marshal greater forces.¡± Isadora explained.

    For the Kuschepercan Army, dragging out the campaign would not be ideal and they would preferably avoid a protracted siege. Beyond the more proximal reason of not allowing ?aloudek the time to marshal their forces, they had another concern for limiting the campaign length.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ If we delay for too long, that dragon will probably catch us from behind.¡± Emrys crisply said as he brought his fist to his palm.

    From the time when they have begun their advance, the Flying Dragon should still be in the vicinity of the borders. The greatest gamble for the Kuschepercan Army was the timing of the Flying Dragon¡¯s return. Of the possibilities, encountering the Flying Dragon while they assault Silda Neljak was the worst case scenario.

    ¡°Certainly, it is not at the level of Silda Trider, but Silda Neljak is still incredibly tough to assault frontally. In addition to the strong walls, Silda Neljak was built atop a network of rivers and controls the only drawbridge accesses.¡±

    For heavy mechanical Silhouette Knights, fording rivers could be said as a major weakness to their operation, as they would move sluggishly from the increased resistance in water. This would prove fatal as the defenders would have free range on the immobile Silhouette Knights. However, even if by the odd chance they survive the onslaught, the imposing gatehouse remained a daunting challenge.

    ¡°The gatehouse was designed with consideration for Silhouette Knights. It wouldn¡¯t even budge if we unleash our shots on it. The only way to break through the gate would be with some sort of siege equipment¡­¡±

    From the personalized mace of the black knights, to the large battering rams, there were numerous types of siege equipment they could utilize. Yet, they all have the crippling flaw of their sheer weight, making them unreasonable to move across the river.

    ¡°If that is the case, then our best option would be to open the drawbridge from within.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I guess we can¡¯t just ask nicely and have them open it for us¡­¡±

    No defender would be dumb enough to open the gate to their enemy. In short, the only options for them were to find some way to open the gate, or destroy the gate completely ¨C neither option was particularly enticing.

    ¡°The drawbridge is supported by steel chains. However, there are enough steel chains to make it so that one or two breaking is insufficient to drop the bridge. As such, we could rule out sabotaging the chains, which leaves us just the bridge controls.¡±

    After Isadora¡¯s explanation, Eru seemingly had recalled the perfect tool to carry out such an infiltration.

    ¡°I see¡­ Then, I guess it is time for the Silhouette Gears to make their appearance.¡±

    Isadora and Eleonora both nodded their heads, as they saw the similarity between this task and the mission where they were rescued from captivity.

    ¡°We are familiar with the land. The best approach would be to have the Silhouette Gears circle around the fortress and infiltrate through the forest at its rear. The main objective is to open the gate, then support our forces to sweep the fortress. As far as the personnel assigned¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone is ready, please leave the mission to us.¡±

    With the mission decided, Eru began to assemble the members. The commander of the Silhouette Gears was given to the familiar face of the Blue Hawk Knights, Nora Frykberg.

    ¡°Boss, how is Guyalarinde¡¯s repair coming along?¡± Dietrich, who had been quietly listening, suddenly asked Boss.

    ¡°Oh? Sorry, there was no progress on the repairs. We were all busy with the youngster¡¯s modifications of the Levitate Ship. That and, delegating the company commander¡¯s unit to be repaired by outside hands is hardly proper.¡±

    If it were just the Kardatolles, they would have no problem leaving the repairs to the Kuschepercan knightsmiths. However, the company commander¡¯s unit, especially the Guyalarinde, tend to have many quirks installed directly by Eru, and would be problematic if it were tampered by unfamiliar hands. As such, the repair had been set aside in favor of the Levitate Ship modifications, and didn¡¯t make it on time for the expedition.

    ¡°Since such is the case, I regrettably must ask you to borrow a Revantier for combat.¡±

    Seeing the distressed Boss, Dietrich seemingly was deep in thought.

    ¡°Then, Ernesti, is it alright for me to partake in the mission with the Silhouette Gears?¡± Dietrich asked after a moment of pause.

    ¡°Oh? You wish to volunteer?¡±

    ¡°I have at least some familiarity with the Silhouette Gear. Since Guyalarinde is still out of commission, I might as well put my skills to good use.¡±

    Hearing Dietrich¡¯s concise answer, Eru was now the one deep in thought. However, it didn¡¯t take long for him to bounce back, with a face full of anticipation.

    ¡°Great! Then let me borrow the second company for a while. I always wanted a force that I can freely move around!¡±

    Hearing Eru¡¯s loud announcement, the members of the second company could not help but be anxious.

    ¡°What now? The young master is being even more whimsical than Di.¡±

    ¡°Well, the young master always has been a whimsical one¡­¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ I guess we can¡¯t all jump in a Silhouette Gear, might as well see where the young master leads us.¡±

    After the storm of whispers passed, the second company seemed to have reached a consensus.

    ¡°We understand. We shall be under the young master¡¯s command.¡±

    ¡°For some reason, I can¡¯t help but be annoyed by how you all reached the consensus¡­¡± Dietrich let out a wry smile as the second company decided their direction.

    With the plans settled, the Silver Phoenix Knights and the New Kuschepercan Army continued their march, closer and closer toward Silda Neljak.

 Book 5: Chapter 44: Assault, Siege of the Tetraspides Fortresses

    In the Kingdom of ?aloudek¡¯s Central Kuscheperca Region, the Pan-Kusche highway connected the far end of the eastern region with the seat of the Viceroyalty ¨C Delvincourt. Cutting across the Pan-Kusche highway was the Mulberry River, with its headwaters high up in the Aubigne Mountain Ranges. At the intersection of the two, the eastern fortress of the Tetraspides Fortresses stood.

    The fortress was constructed on the banks of the river, and could easily repel any attackers with its daunting walls. As of late, the drawbridge that usually spanned the river was retracted to the walls, with its occupants seemingly on high alert.

    To the east of the gatehouse were the vast Cauderlier Plains, where the open expanse was void of any cover ¨C a perfect battleground for the highly mobile Silhouette Knights. After receiving the scout reports on the movement of the Kuschepercans, ?aloudekian forces could be seen in great numbers not only on the high walls of the Tetraspides Fortresses, but also on the Cauderlier Plains, visibly anxious for the upcoming battle. On the far end of the plains, the Kuschepercan army had long arrived and was forming up for the assault. As the two camps readied themselves for combat, the decisive battle for the gateway to the capital slowly unfolded.

    ?aloudekians were in their usual battle-tested wall formation ¨C an impenetrable black wall of countless Silhouette Knights, coloring the Cauderlier plains black with their shimmering armor. Opposite to ?aloudek, New Kuschepercan army was in the formation from their victorious battle of Missillier, with Resvant Vidos at its vanguard. Given their reliance on Silhouette Arms, having the tower knights at the front of the formation were indispensible.

    Even with the black knights¡¯ overwhelming defense, they were still vulnerable to the long range bombardments of the tower knights. As such,the ?aloudekian field army stood steadfast outside the range of the Kuschepercans, and the immobile tower knights could not hope to immediately close the distance.

    Just as the battle seemed to have devolved into a stalemate, a low rumbling sound was heard from overhead. As the air quivered, jet black Levitate Ships appeared through the dense clouds. The Levitate Ships¡¯ blow engines slowly revved up as they approached the Kuschepercan tower knights¡¯ formation.

    ¡°Levitate Ships! Enemy Levitate Ships sighted bearing south-southeast.¡± At that moment, a Kuschepercan sentry alerted.

    Immediately, a loud horn sounded within the Kuschepercan ranks, and the Resvant Vidos stirred to meet the newly arrived enemies.

    ¡°Vido units, enter anti-air formation! Do not let those Levitate Ships approach!¡±

    While the Kuschepercans adjusted their formation, the Levitate Ships continued their relentless approach. Soon, the ?aloudekian fleet angled their ships just outside the range of Kuschepercan Silhouette Arms, and opened up their ports. From within, numerous catapults readied themselves and began to shower rocks upon the Kuschepercan army.

    The Kuschepercan army swiftly prepared their defense. The tower knights launched a blanket of shots to blow apart the encroaching rocks. Accurately intercepting the rocks in midair was difficult for any unit. Therefore, the Kuschepercans relied on their sheer number of shots to overwhelm the attack. While many rocks were shot down, some did make it through and crashed into the Kuschepercan formation.

    ¡°Entering Silhouette Arms range! Anculosas, prepare for combat!¡± The commander of the fleet declared after hearing the report from the observers.

    ¡°Aye aye! Opening ether valves to lower ether concentration! Altitude decreasing for Silhouette Arms attack!¡±

    As the Anculosas prepared their attack, the black ships slowly descended as they approached the Kuschepercan army. All of these ships had seen major reconstruction since the ¡®Siege of Missillier¡¯, with new platforms added on either side of the ship where a row of Silhouette Knights now stood. Each of the Silhouette Knights has a thick ¡®Bulwark Robe¡¯, with quadruple Silhouette Arms protruding out from their backs. Designed by Horacio as a specialized Silhouette Arms unit, the Anculosa was a model akin to the tower knights.

    The Anculosas turned their Silhouette Arms on the tower knights and unleashed a barrage of shots the moment the Kuschepercan army entered range. The Levitate Ships themselves soon began to circle just in range of the Kuschepercan army, bombarding the Kuschepercan army from afar. Down on the surface, the tower knights valiantly stood their ground and counterattacked with shots. As the exchange intensified, the skies were soon covered in shots.

    While the Kuschepercan army had superior numbers, they were set in relatively tight and immobile formations, making them a poor match against the highly mobile airborne Anculosas. The difference in accuracy soon became pronounced, and before long, the Kuschepercan army could no longer ignore the mounting casualties.

    ¡°We won¡¯t last with the Vidos alone! It can¡¯t be helped¡­ move up the anti-air Revantiers!¡±

    Messengers were quickly dispatched to the rear, and soon, Revantiers were brought up to their aid. The Revantiers were each carrying a massive shield with an armored port in the center, and on their backs was a javelin thrower that had replaced the sub-arms. The construct was the same as the Vertical Launch Javelin Systems used during the Battle of Missillier, with the Revantier model carrying the single launch equivalent. Compared to the Tzendrinbles of the Silver Phoenix Knights, who could operate multiple launchers through their training and skill in the newer models, the Kuschepercan army¡¯s elites could only squeeze in enough training to accommodate just one launcher.

    To differentiate these anti-air models from the mass-produced Revantier models, the Kuschepercans tentatively named them the ¡®Javeliniers¡¯.

    ¡°Javeliniers, prepare for attack! First volley, fire!!¡±

    Under the orders of the company commander, the Javeliniers launched their wired javelins, and with streaks of red flame, headed straight for the Levitate Ships.

    ¡°Javelin launch detected! Port side Anculosas, intercept the javelins with ¡®Lightning Whips¡¯!¡± The observers loudly shouted into the communication voicepipes.

    Being able to change directions in flight and strike down Levitate Ships in a single blow, the javelins were a very threatening existence to the ?aloudekian air fleet. As such, even before the commander had issued an order, the Anculosas were fully ready to intercept the javelins. Their quadruple Silhouette Arms that were aiming at the Kuschepercan ground forces gave way to their two main arms, now pointed squarely at the approaching javelins. The javelins themselves continued to adjust and accelerate, until the silver nerves detached at their maximum length and the javelins continued on with their inertial force.

    Immediately, a loud thunderous crackle was heard from the Levitate Ships, as the ¡®Lightning Whips¡¯ casted a bright light upon the approaching javelins. Unlike the usual flame magic, lightning magic has a relatively short range and abysmal accuracy. Yet, against the metallic javelins, there was no better choice as a counter, and the ?aloudekians once again demonstrated the incredible stopping power of their ¡®proximal defense¡¯.

    While the Lightning Whips proved to be able to strike down many of the javelins, some did end up penetrating their impeccable defense. The Kuschepercans had long identified the most efficient way of sinking a Levitate Ship ¨C that is, to strike down the Etheric Levitator located at the heart of the ship. To protect the core of the Levitate Ships from harm, the Anculosas bravely stood in the way as meat shields, only to be impaled by the powerful javelins.

    ¡°Do not panic! Status report!¡±

    ¡°A few javelins got through from the port side! Structural damage minimal, but two Anculosas were severely damaged and now have compromised defenses!¡±

    ¡°Return fire with the catapults and pull our ships back! Let¡¯s pay those Javeliniers back for what they did to us!¡±

    With one final return volley, the Levitate Ships withdrew before circling around and returning back into the fray with their fresh starboard battery.

    As the aerial battle raged on, the black knights began their advance. The Kuschepercan tower knights were preoccupied with the Levitate Ships, so the black knights met little resistance in their march and quickly closed the distance between the two armies. The black knights were a model that emphasized ¡®close quarter combat¡¯, and as long as they can close the distance, the immobile tower knights would be of little consequence.

    Seeing the flood of black steel marching under the sporadic fire of the tower knights, the Levitate Ships also renewed their vigorous bombardment of the Kuschepercan army in order to divert attention away from the advance. Soon, the black knights set themselves upon the tower knights and crashed into the Kuschepercan vanguards. Faced with the onslaught, the Kuschepercan army began to waver.

    ¡°Darn it, have the Vidos withdraw!¡±

    Not willing to let the ?aloudekians maintain their initiative, the Javeliniers withdrew their javelin launchers and advanced on the black knights. While the javelin was an incredible weapon, it was not designed for close quarters. Against the black knights, the javelin lacked the necessary distance to accelerate and the penetrative power to break through their heavy armor. As such, the modified Revantiers brought out their swords and entered combat against the black knights. Soon, the battlefield devolved into a chaotic melee.

    Even after an hour, the battlefield remained in a state of chaos. Tyrantors and Revantiers were engaged in brutal combat, while Vidos tried their best to provide supporting fire. Up above, the Levitate Ships continued to probe for an opening while countering the numerous javelins launched from the surface to sink them. As clash of steel and the explosion of shots echoed across the battlefield, the sounds soon reached the core of the Kuschepercan army. At the battlefield headquarters, the King¡¯s Mount ¡®Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus¡¯ stood alongside her select Life Guards.

    ¡°I-is all this death unavoidable?¡±

    ¡°Ellie, you must stay strong. All of them are courageously fighting for the sake of our country and for you. Are you not here to bear witness to their noble sacrifices?¡±

    Queen Eleonora clenched her fists as she listened to the sound. Even without seeing the battle herself, Eleonora could imagine the carnage her countrymen were enduring. At that moment, Eleonora could only feel her powerlessness at guiding her countrymen to a more favorable outcome.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. Could we not send in the Life Guards to assist?¡± Eleonora suddenly asked.

    ¡°Calm down, Ellie. We must not weaken your protection. If by chance you were targeted and taken out, our country will lose our pillar. I am sure you are painfully aware of what will happen to the country without its king¡­¡±

    Upon hearing the convincing argument, Eleonora could not help but descend into silence. Isadora, on the other hand, was somewhat relieved that the Secundus had a two pilot system. If the Secundus only had the Queen herself, Eleonora would have long ago pushed forth to help her beleaguered countrymen, and others would have a hard time stopping her.

    ¡°¡­Although, if we keep this up, the prospect does look grim.¡±

    Isadora forcibly calmed her anxiety. However, her worry would soon come to reality, as a certain object slowly crept toward the chaotic battlefield.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°¡­The wind is racing. It is getting stronger.¡±

    Emrys, who was piloting Gordesleo that stood next to Secundus, was the first to notice the subtle noise through the loud clashes of the battlefield. Emry¡¯s astute intuition led him to turn toward the distant sky. Soon, a low rumbling sound entered into the ears of the Kuschepercan forces and the Life Guards began to stir. It was a sound that everyone knew.

    ¡°So it has come¡­ Guards, keep the Queen safe! Likely, it is here¡­¡±

    Hearing Emrys¡¯ warnings, the Guards created a protective cocoon around Secundus.

    ¡°Rys-nii! We¡­!¡±

    ¡°As agreed, just leave it to us. You stay safe.¡±

    As Isadora anxiously reacted to the tense atmosphere, the sound continued to grow louder, and a black silhouette soon appeared on the distant horizon. At first glance, it seemed to be a Levitate Ship, but as it drew closer, the Kuschepercan soldiers were rendered speechless.

    ¡°T-that is¡­ the ?aloudekian Flying Dragon! No wonder, the outer appearance definitely resembled dragonkin, truly an intimidating presence.¡±

    The Dragon¡¯s massive body seemingly eclipsed the sun, casting an ominous shadow with its outstretched wings.

    The Flying Dragon was an otherworldly monster. Its sheer size alone dwarfed even the ?aloudekian Levitate Ships. With its crimson jaws and outstretched wings, it bore little resemblance to a ship, and could only aptly be described as a ¡®monster¡¯. Even the stalwart Emrys could not help but stir at the terrible sight before them.

    ¡°If the Intel holds, that bastard should have a powerful siege weapon in its arsenal. It would be over for us if we let it get into our ranks¡­ Hmph¡­ The situation had certainly turned troublesome¡­¡±

    At the rear of the Kuschepercan formation stood the Queen. If the Flying Dragon Battleship, which appeared behind the Kuschepercan ranks, were to enter combat, the Queen would be one of its first targets.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we are here. Third company, give the Flying Dragon a warm welcome~¡±

    ¡°Got it, young master!¡±

    Emrys had long anticipated the Flying Dragon¡¯s arrival, and as such, kept the Silver Phoenix Knights in reserve. With the order, Tzendrinbles fired up their Vertical Launch Javelin System, the era¡¯s strongest anti-air weapon, at the prowling Dragon.

    ¡°Fire!¡± With one word, Helvi ordered the strike.

    The javelins all launched in unison and accelerated rapidly toward the Flying Dragon. However, just before impact, the Flying Dragon Battleship had the Anculosas positioned on either side of the ship unleash their Lightning Whips to intercept.

    ¡°Lightning again? How predictable. With the sheer numbers of javelins we have launched, having one or two taken out is within expectations~¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait, something is different. That is more like a net! It seems the defense has improved since the last time we fought it!¡±

    The javelins that even Silhouette Knights could not resist were effortlessly stopped by the net of lightning and blown to smithereens. Faced with the reality that the third company¡¯s full volley of javelins was unable to touch the Flying Dragon, the Kuschepercan army was awash with anxiety.

    ¡°¡­Fire the flare! The red one, now!¡± Emrys gave the order with a quivering voice.

    The Lightning Whip of the Flying Dragon seemed to be of a different magnitude when compared to the usual Levitate Ship. If even the third company was unable to break through, then the Kuschepercan anti-air was meaningless on the Flying Dragon. As such, they had to summon the one person who could fight against that monstrosity.

    ¡°As expected of Collazo¡¯s reconstructed ship. Silly Kuschepercans, your feeble javelins are rendered impotent before the might of the Flying Dragon. Let the Demon God come, we shall strike it down along with the rest of the rabble!¡± At the helm, Doroteo revealed a confident smile.

    During the repair of the Flying Dragon Battleship, Horacio personally supervised many upgrades to the craft that were deemed necessary to win over the Demon God, among which was the improved ¡®Lightning Curtain¡¯. With the Flying Dragon now impervious to the anti-air javelins, the crew now confidently believed in their victory.

    Doroteo scanned the chaotic battlefield and his eyes soon fell upon one particular point.

    ¡°That flag, that unit! Although I have heard the reports, I was still somewhat doubtful that the King¡¯s Mount would appear. I can¡¯t believe the ¡®brat¡¯ from back then would personally appear on the battlefield. I¡¯ve got to give it to her, she is showing more backbone than I would give her credit for~¡± Doroteo let out a sarcastic chuckle.

    Doroteo had previously met Princess Eleonora at Lacepede castle, and his impression of her was a porcelain doll that would break at the slightest touch. Therefore, he was rather surprised that the same girl would lead a campaign the moment she became Queen. Deep down in Doroteo¡¯s heart, a doubt remained that the King¡¯s Mount before him was just a body double, but he soon shook the thought away.

    ¡°It matters little if the King¡¯s Mount contained the real princess, as long as we just burn it all. Conversely speaking, we should instead be mindful of the missing Demon God. I am certain the Demon God is just waiting for the opportunity to strike, so we need to remain cautious¡­¡±

    After a moment of thought, Doroteo made his decision and ordered the jaws of the Flying Dragon to open, revealing the unparalleled siege weapon.

    ¡°I have no reason to let this opportunity slip. Prepare ¡®Dragonbreath¡¯ and strike down those who dared to oppose Her Excellency, Princess Catalina! Burn them all to ash!¡±

    Powerful magic began to stir in the mouth of the Dragon, and with the magic seals, soon erupted into flame. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, the Kuschepercan army was about to be scorched along with the very earth they stood on.

    However, moments before the Dragonbreath was unleashed upon the Kuschepercans, a streak of red light rose up from the surface. Along with the signal, a new Levitate Ship appeared on the battlefield.

    ¡°Huh? Who is in command of that Levitate Ship? I have not sent out any orders for the Jade Dragon Company¡¯s Levitate Ship to assist¡­ Wait, something about that ship-¡­¡±

    The ship did not come from the same direction as the Jade Dragon Knights¡¯ camp. Looking at the approaching Levitate Ship, Doroteo could not shake off a nudging feeling, as if something was amiss.

    Doroteo soon realized the reason for his unease. The Levitate Ship lacked ¡®sails¡¯, and was bellowing fire as it flew.

    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not one of ours! It is the enemy! This means-¡­!¡±

    Doroteo knew that among ?aloudekian Levitate Ships, the only ship that relied on flame propulsion was the Flying Dragon Battleship alone. The standard Levitate Ships simply did not have enough mana to maintain such a propulsion mechanism. As such, only the originators of the technology, Doroteo¡¯s sworn enemy, could fathom a method to make the mechanism viable.

    ¡°So you have come, Demon God! How dare you hold one of our glorious Levitate Ships captive, you bastard!¡±

    As the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Levitate Ship continued to advance, Ikaruga stood at the bow of the ship, glaring at the Flying Dragon Battleship in the distant.

    ¡°Hahaha! Behold my ¡®Levitate Knight Mk. IV, Modified Aerial Assault Levitate Ship¡¯!¡± Eru loudly declared while piloting Ikaruga, ¡°Ah, the name is a bit too long¡­ Let¡¯s shorten it to ¡®Aerial Assault Ship¡¯! Flying Dragon, I have the best welcome prepared for you! I won¡¯t let you get away this time, and will wholeheartedly ¡®gobble¡¯ you up~ Aerial Assault Ship, charge!!¡±

    The foundation of the Aerial Assault Ship was Crist¨®bal¡¯s Levitate Ship. If Doroteo were to know such a fact, he would certainly be fuming in rage. In a way, it was to Doroteo¡¯s fortune to be oblivious of this fact.

    Ever since the ship fell into the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ hands after the Battle of Missillier, the knightsmiths had performed a complete analysis of its functions and capabilities, and then had the ship fully modified for the battle against the Flying Dragon.

    The outer appearance of the ship had seen much change. The sails were completely removed and new armor plating was copiously added to the bow. In particular, the propulsion method was changed to accommodate the large rocket engines in the rear. While not as powerful as the ones mounted on the Flying Dragon, the new engines were adequate for a Levitate Ship of its size and were able to match the Flying Dragon in speed.

    With a massive burst of flames, the Aerial Assault Ship accelerated toward the Flying Dragon.

    ¡°Demon God, coming at me with your ship in tow? Perfect! Let us end this once and for all! Don¡¯t think your Levitate Ship will stand a chance against my Flying Dragon just because it has flame propulsion! Signaler, inform the Jade Dragon Knights that I will leave ground support to them!¡±

    The Flying Dragon Battleship had a light magic apparatus installed for ship to ship communication. With different choice of color, it provided for commands to be sent over long distances. With the order received, two new Levitate Ships appeared from the rear.

    Compared to the traditional Levitate Ships, the two new ships had increased armor for protection and were a model specifically designed to accommodate Silhouette Knights. The new arrivals, termed the ¡®Amphibious Assault Ships¡¯ by their knightsmiths, soon entered into the fray.

    From openings within their thick armor, a barrage of shots rained down upon the Kuschepercan forces. At the same time, a loud chain ground as the bottom cargo door opened, where Silhouette Knights began to drop onto the ground one after another. Although the ?aloudekian strike force was few in numbers, they were able to land next to the Kuschepercan headquarters, as if bringing a dagger to the throat of Kuscheperca.

    With the terrible Flying Dragon circling overhead, and the sudden appearance of an enemy to their rear, the Kuschepercan army could not help but waver.

    ¡°Guards, do not fear! We only need to keep them from reaching our Queen! Stop them and calmly strike them down!¡±

    Emrys tried to rally the Life Guards stationed at the headquarters. While they had plenty of experienced veterans in the form of the lesser nobility, the Kuschepercans lacked a strong figure to command the battle. As such, despite being part of the volunteer force, Emrys naturally took on the position of commander with his exceptional martial skill and the blood of royalty.

    ¡°Inform the vanguards to not worry about the headquarters. The Flying Dragon overhead will be felled by the Demon God in due time, and the Queen¡¯s defense could be left to us. If anything, the enemy has already revealed all their cards, and we only need to respond in kind to seize victory!¡±

    Although Emrys had little basis for his confident declarations, his stalwart demeanor gave his statements a strange air of authenticity. Regardless of the circumstances, the commander must stand strong. As such, Emrys maintained a collected appearance to calm his anxious soldiers in an act worthy of a descendant of the Lion King Ambrosius, and soon, the wavering soldiers rallied themselves to combat.

    On the chaotic front lines, the Kuschepercan vanguard reformed themselves into a wedge, seemingly prepared to smash through the line of black knights and bisect the enemy army in two. Standing amid the vanguard, Baron Mazquiar¨¢n looked up at the sky.

    ¡°The Silver Phoenix Knights are courageously fighting with that Flying Dragon! I am certain they will avenge our fallen brethren, so we must do our part! Comrades, do not fear! As long as we advance, we will certainly carve a path to the Tetraspides Fortresses!!¡± He loudly proclaimed.

    Despite the difficulties that lay before them and the old capital they had hoped to reclaim still far away, the Kuschepercan army¡¯s morale was high.

    Opposite the Kuschepercans, the ?aloudekians also experienced a surge of morale. With the Flying Dragon Battleship ¡®Vouivre¡¯ overhead and the strong walls of Tetraspides Fortresses behind, the intoxicating nectar of victory was right before them.

    ¡°Glorious black knights! Our guardian dragon has descended upon the battlefield, and it is only a matter of time before the sky itself submits to its might! Let the Kuschepercan rebels perish in its flames! Hold strong, glorious knights, and claim the victory before your eyes!¡±

    With a loud roar, the ?aloudekians raised their thick shield and braced for the incoming Kuschepercan assault.

    ¡°Young master, what should we do? Is it about time we commit to the attack?¡± Knight Runners of the second company asked Emrys, as they observed the vanguard¡¯s changing formations.

    At their suggestion, Emrys surveyed the current progression of the battle. The front had once again returned to a stalemate as the Kuschepercans pulled back to their new formation and steadily held their ground. Fortuitously, despite the sudden arrival of the Flying Dragon and the airborne reinforcements, the Kuschepercan army¡¯s morale stabilized with Ikaruga¡¯s rapid response and their troops were holding strong against the black knights. The situation seemed to favor the Kuschepercans, at least for now.

    ¡°¡­No, we must not act hastily while the drawbridge is still up. Let us hold off an all-out assault until our allies have secured the objective.¡±

    No matter how close they were able to approach the Tetraspides Fortresses, they would not be able to take the fortress as long as the drawbridge remained in ?aloudekian hands. Therefore, the assault would have to wait until they had successfully seized the drawbridge.

    ¡°Young master seems to be quite different from Di~¡±

    ¡°Either way, let us hold our forces in reserve for now, and wait for the big push at the end.¡±

    ¡°Even if we managed to survive through the plains, we will still need to assault the fortress. Who knows how many enemies lie within¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. The more enemies the better for our eventual rampage through their ranks!¡±

    If the drawbridge could not be seized soon, then the New Kuschepercan forces would sink into the quagmire of war. They had no reserves to tap, and if the battle devolved into a war of attrition, the first to strike their colors would be the Kuschepercans.

    ¡°That wall is becoming increasingly worrisome. I wonder if we have received any word from the infiltration team¡­¡± Emrys stared attentively at the distant fortress, which, despite his apparent calm, was eating away at him inside.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    As the ground forces engaged in melee, the aerial battle also continued to develop.

    The ?aloudekian air fleet of Jade Dragon Knights and Steel Winged Knights, commanding the sky with their greater numbers, encircled the battered Kuschepercan land forces. At the center of the encirclement was a single ship with Kuschepercan colors, the Aerial Assault Ship.

    With the Demon God at its bow, the Aerial Assault Ship accelerated straight at the jewel of the ?aloudekian fleet ¨C the Flying Dragon Battleship. It was not unusual for the Aerial Assault Ship to eclipse the standard ?aloudekian Levitate Ships in speed, since it relied on rocket propulsion, for which the inferior wind propulsion could not hope to compare.

    ¡°¡­Its speed could easily match my Flying Dragon. If they keep accelerating like this, perhaps they intend to ram the Flying Dragon with that reinforced bow of theirs¡­?¡± Doroteo carefully analyzed the approaching Aerial Assault Ship and noticed the reinforced plating at the bow. It was not hard for Doroteo to figure out its intended use. ¡°¡­Although, if the Demon God is involved, I am certain there is more to that reinforced bow than meets the eye.¡±

    Doroteo could not imagine something like the Demon God, who commanded the most advanced technology of its time, to waste its only Levitate Ship on a suicidal attack.

    However, as the Aerial Assault Ship did not veer from its collision course, Doroteo decided to probe the Ship¡¯s intentions. The Flying Dragon Battleship opened fire on the Aerial Assault Ship with its contingent of Anculosas. The countless shots pelleted the Aerial Assault Ship like a swarm of angry wasps, and forced the Ship to change course.

    However, either because of the long distance or the Aerial Assault Ship¡¯s incredible speed, few shots were able to find their mark.

    ¡°Increase the magic barrage, and bring us closer!¡± Doroteo barked.

    As the Aerial Assault Ship approached the Flying Dragon from its side, Doroteo ordered his ship to advance. The two ships began to spiral inward with their broadsides facing each other, and as the distance between the two ships drew closer, the Anculosas¡¯ shots were able to find their mark more often.

    ¡°¡­How is that, Demon God? At this pace, you shall perish under my barrage!¡±

    At the end, seemingly unable to resist the barrage any longer, the Aerial Assault Ship turned tail and cruised away from the Flying Dragon.

    ¡°Could they have thought that they would stand a chance if they had a Levitate Ship of their own, but failed to accommodate for the necessary crew to master the ship? How laughable! I won¡¯t let this opportunity slip away! Prepare the Lightning Curtain at maximum power, and set the Dragon to ramming speed! Let us smash that Levitate Ship of theirs along with the Demon God inside!¡±

    The Anculosas onboard activated their enhanced ¡®Lightning Whip¡¯, and encased the Flying Dragon with a powerful defensive cocoon. As the Flying Dragon glowed from the lightning, its speed picked up and it charged straight at the Aerial Assault Ship.

    With the Flying Dragon¡¯s maximum output, the distance between the two quickly shortened, but not before the two ships cruised far from the battlefield.

    At the bow of the Aerial Assault Ship, Ikaruga¡¯s head stirred as the crystal ¡®eye¡¯ focused on the Flying Dragon, and confirmed it had followed them away from the battlefield.

    ¡°¡­I have been waiting for this!¡± Eru revealed a devious smile, ¡°After all, we cannot afford to activate my new weapon above allies, but it is a completely different story here¡­¡±

    As the ¡®wings¡¯ extended from its flanks, the Aerial Assault Ship rapidly slowed down.

    ¡°Come, Flying Dragon. It is the time of your reckoning. With how long you had ruled the skies, you probably did not think my armored ship would be a challenge¡­ but that overconfidence will be the end of you! I will teach you what happens when you get close to my reconstructed Aerial Assault Ship!¡±

    Ikaruga¡¯s two massive Ether Reactors began to hum as a surge of energy was produced. However, his Ikaruga did not stir at all, and seemed to be in a state of hibernation. Behind the hibernating Ikaruga, countless silver nerves connected its back to the interior of the Levitate Ship. It seemed Eru had no intention of meeting the Flying Dragon with his Ikaruga, and the mana was being diverted elsewhere.

    ¡°Awaken, ¡®Multiple Launch Javelin System¡¯!¡±

    Eru¡¯s computations were transmitted along with the massive surge of mana to every corner of the ship. Then, as if the entire ship was awakening from a long slumber, the outer shell of the ship shifted and hidden Vertical Launch Javelin Systems began to sprout upon the surface. The tightly packed javelin throwers soon covered the entire top deck like a porcupine, with a total count of a hundred and twenty-eight throwers.

    Ernesti Echevalier demonstrated his greatest genius ¨C his sheer computational ability that provided the expertise necessary to command the capricious Ikaruga. It was not far from the truth to say that his insane strength was all thanks to his unparalleled skill in computation. This javelin storm was the product of his full potential, and was the secretive trump card he had installed on the Aerial Assault Ship.

    ¡°Come¡­ Our battle ¡®sacrificial ritual¡¯ has begun. Time to let slip the dogs of war!¡±

    The scene of all one hundred and twenty-eight launchers firing in unison was awe-inspiring. The burst of flame that propelled the launchers almost seemed to consume the top deck, as the air atop the ship groaned and crackled from the heat. Like the branches of a magnificent willow reaching into the heavens, the javelins continued to rise before curving toward the Flying Dragon Battleship.

    Before this sight, even the steadfast Doroteo was rendered speechless. As if sensing Doroteo¡¯s momentary shock, the countless javelins let out a burst of flame as they accelerated toward their target.

    ¡°H-how¡­ ridiculous! But¡­ na?ve! You are too na?ve, Demon God! You think just by adding a few more javelins, you would be able to break through my perfect defense? All hands, erase those encroaching javelins from my sight! ¡®Lightning Curtain¡¯, activate!!¡±

    Facing Demon God¡¯s javelins, the Flying Dragon has its impenetrable ¡®Lightning Curtain¡¯. The Anculosas tapped into the energy of the Flying Dragon and activated their greatest defensive weapon to resist the torrent of javelins. A net of lightning rapidly covered the Flying Dragon, and all the javelins that made contact were blown to smithereens and seemingly rendered harmless.

    ¡°Futile! As long as we have the ¡®Lightning Curtain¡¯, mere javelins are harmless to us!¡±

    Doroteo, who was sitting at the helm, failed to notice the subtle change and continued to laugh. However, for the Knight Runners of the Anculosas standing out on the deck, the situation was clearly abnormal.

    The debris of the destroyed javelins, which should have been made from metal and magic catalysts, seemed to also contain sawdust and a sparkling ¡®liquid¡¯. This unusual debris continued to rain down on the Flying Dragon. At first, the Knight Runners were perplexed by the strange liquid. However, as the smell of the liquid drifted into their nose, they all turned deadly pale.

    ¡°T-this is¡­ ¡®oil¡¯?!¡±

    By the time the ?aloudekians had noticed, it was already too late and the liquid had completely drenched the Flying Dragon. At that moment, a small flash from the Aerial Assault Ship caught their eyes. It was a single crimson shot of flame fired straight at them.

    ¡°¡­! ¡­Ah?!¡±

    They did not have any time to respond to the sudden coup. On contact with the airborne droplets, the crimson shot ignited the liquid and the flame soon reached the doused ship. Spreading rapidly from the bow to the rear, the flame consumed the entire Flying Dragon in a blinding fireball.

    The structure of the ship warped and creaked from the intense heat, as if the Dragon itself was writhing in pain. The once prideful visage that had dominated the sky sunk slightly from the shockwave before the Etheric Levitator fought against gravity to push the behemoth back into the air.

    The deafening explosion and the tremors from the shockwave were the strongest at the helm. Doroteo was momentarily stunned, but thanks to his experience, was soon able to recover.

    ¡°R-report! What has happened?! Where is all this flame coming from?! All stations, report now! Anyone!¡± Doroteo loudly barked into the voicepipes.

    However, all that greeted him was silence.

    Staring at the brilliant fireball in the sky, Ikaruga slowly stood up from within the Aerial Assault Ship. The numerous silver nerves detached in unison from its back as Ikaruga rearmed itself with its weapons. Eru¡¯s passion permeated the Demon God as its Ether Engines revved up, pouring immense energy into its every fiber.

    ¡°I knew full well you would respond with lightning. With the assumption that the lightning defense was certain to be rid of its flaws, the number of javelin should matter little. However, therein lay the trap. By preparing javelins with the full intention of being intercepted, I was able to create the perfect weapon against the Flying Dragon.¡±

    The javelins launched by the Aerial Assault Ship were different from the standard anti-air javelins. It was specifically made with a hollow wooden center filled with ¡®Magic Beast Oil¡¯, a highly flammable substance.

    In the previous encounter, Eru had learned of the Flying Dragon¡¯s ¡®Lightning Whip¡¯, and soon came up with the decoy javelins. The plan was to have the javelins purposely intercepted and have its flammable liquid rain down upon the target.

    ¡°Did you enjoy it? The ¡®magic missiles¡¯ specifically designed for our date today~ With that opening spark to light the way, let us enjoy our battle to its fullest!¡±

    As the surface of the Aerial Assault Ship returned to its original state, Ikaruga flew out from the bow with its thrusters spewing out flames, and dived straight toward the burning Flying Dragon Battleship.

    ¡°H-how dare you, detestable Demon God, to commit such a heinous act against my beloved Flying Dragon and subordinates! Absolutely unforgivable!!¡± Doroteo no longer had an ounce of his usual cool as he let rage consume him.

    Certainly, Doroteo was mentally prepared for the attack, as he had always assumed the Demon God would have a trick up its sleeves. However, the reality was shocking to almost a maddening degree, and even Doroteo could not have imagined that the hail of javelins was but a cog to the sinister plan.

    ¡°H-how dare you use fire! Fire belongs to the Flying Dragon! Your ember shall not harm the mighty Dragon!¡±

    The Flying Dragon remained consumed by the flames as the Magic Beast Oil, living up to its name of being hard to extinguish, continued to burn away its surface. At that moment, Doroteo had completely lost his reason. He could not accept that the rightful power of the Dragon was usurped by a pretender, and continued his unabashed verbal assault.

    The Flying Dragon Battleship started to creak loudly ¨C not of the damage, but of the flexing of its crystal strands. With a sudden and daring twirl of its massive body, the Flying Dragon was able to use the centrifugal force to fling off the burning oil on its surface, and successfully cleansed its body of flames. However, the first words Doroteo heard were the pained cries of his subordinates.

    ¡°C-commander, are you alright?! The earlier twirl was able to shed the burning oil¡­ but most of our Anculosas¡­ are now inoperable.¡±

    The officer¡¯s report jolted Doroteo back from his rage. The explosion and shockwave had severely damaged the Anculosas stationed at the head of the Dragon. Of the six Anculosas, five were completely incapacitated.

    ¡°C-commander¡­ the situation is terrible. At this rate, the m-mana supply will¡­¡±

    Doroteo knew the fatal problem even without the officer pointing it out.

    The unrivaled power of the Flying Dragon Battleship was built upon its enormous mana expenditure, which was barely held in check with thirteen Ether Reactors running in parallel. If they had lost five of those thirteen reactors, it won¡¯t take long before the Flying Dragon runs out of mana.

    ¡°¡­No. It is not over! I am certain of it!¡± Doroteo shouted as his bloodshot eyes stared attentively at the last card in his hand.

    It was the ¡®Dragonblood Reactor¡¯ built by Horacio Collazo and representing the pinnacle of ?aloudekian Ethelite technology. According to Horacio, it was a gluttonous reactor that could not be satiated even with all the Ethelite they have.

    ¡°The damage is severe, but as long as we maintain the mana supply, the Flying Dragon should still be able to fight. That¡¯s right, I doubt the Demon God could repeat that attack again.¡± Doroteo excitedly thought to himself as he extinguished his broiling rage.

    In his calm, Doroteo was able to identify a fatal flaw to the Aerial Assault Ship¡¯s earlier attack. Unlike magic shot, javelin was a physical weapon. As such, for them to repeat the earlier attack, they would need to have a stockpile of javelins in order to replace the ones used. From the small size of the Levitate Ship, Doroteo could easily deduce that the ship would have no way of carrying that large a stockpile on board.

    ¡°The Goddess of Victory had not abandoned us. As long as we¡­ activate the Dragonblood Reactor¡­¡±

    In his fervor, he could not shake off a terrible premonition. If he activated the Dragonblood Reactor, it would quickly consume the entire remaining Etherlite stockpile, the fuel necessary to keep the Flying Dragon afloat. As such, he would no longer have the fuel margin to escape to the upper atmosphere. His only path would be to defeat the Demon God and the Kuschepercan army or face destruction ¨C vincere nel mori.

    As he simmered over the difficult decision, time was rapidly running out. At that moment, an event that happened on the battlefield below dispelled all his uncertainty.

 Book 5: Chapter 45: Nemesis

    As the battle on the Cauderlier plains devolved into a stalemate, Kuschepercan Silhouette Gears circled around to the banks of the Mulberry River downstream of the Tetraspides Fortresses.

    While it was difficult to evade detection during the crossing if they had large Silhouette Knights, the group was armed with Silhouette Gears that were much more discrete and portable. The group only had to move the Silhouette Gears onto makeshift rafts to covertly ferry them across the river. After everyone reached the steep embankments on the other side, they hid the rafts in the lush forests that now surrounded them, and rearmed themselves in their Silhouette Gears.

    ¡°We are only able to move this freely in Silhouette Gears because of the lack of demon beasts.¡± Dietrich muttered.

    ¡°Agreed. If we did something like this back in Fremmevira, the risk would be quite severe.¡± Nora responded.

    Within the Kingdom of Fremmevira, a squad of Silhouette Gear would face considerable, although not necessarily life-threatening, danger if it were to operate alone.

    With everyone fully prepared, the Silhouette Gears ventured into the thickets. The terrain was incredibly rough, and would be difficult to traverse if it weren¡¯t for the enhanced mobility of the Silhouette Gears. Moreover, the group was able to cover much distance without rest given the endurance of the Silhouette Gears. After traveling for a while, Nora called for the group to come to a stop.

    ¡°¡­We are near the fortress. Stay alert for any ?aloudek sentries and watch your steps.¡±

    From that point on, they slowed their pace and silently crept along in the undergrowth. Soon, they departed from the forest, and found themselves in a large clearing.

    ¡°What should we do now? Advance quickly and eliminate any patrols we encounter?¡±

    Hearing Dietrich¡¯s question, Nora simply shook her head.

    ¡°No. We have detailed Intel on the layout of the region. There is a route that will allow us minimal risk.¡± Nora led the group to a tunnel tucked away in the shrubbery.

    At a glance, the tunnel seemed natural, without any locks or camouflage, and blended seamlessly with the surroundings. Unless one was informed of the entrance beforehand, one was certain to miss it.

    As the Silhouette Gears entered into the tunnel with magic lamps in hand, the natural rock and mud formation soon gave way to artificially carved walls.

    ¡°Is this a secret passage? Certainly fitting for our covert infiltration. However, while it is wide enough to allow Silhouette Gears through, isn¡¯t this a bit too snug a fit?¡± Dietrich grumbled as he walked.

    Perhaps it was done to make the secret tunnel as discrete as possible, but the space within was very small and barely allowed the passage of Silhouette Gears.

    ¡°It would be problematic if we encounter any enemies here.¡±

    ¡°Shush! Quiet down!¡±

    A quiet but sharp whisper that came from the front of the column made Dietrich reflexively close his mouth. Sound tended to echo in the tight space, and while it was unlikely for the sound to reach outside the tunnel, minimal precautions should be taken.

    At Nora¡¯s order, the group continued in silence. As a knight runner of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, Dietrich has been trained to remain steadfast on any mission. However, the constant anxiety and danger of the infiltration mission were really testing his limits. Comparatively, the Blue Hawk Knights continued to carry themselves in a calm and collected manner, by which Dietrich could not help but be impressed. Soon, the group arrived at a ladder.

    ¡°Finally, we can say goodbye to the tight spaces.¡±

    ¡°I will be opening the final switch. Everyone, stay alert!¡±

    The group extinguished their lamps as Nora worked on the switch in the darkness. After a few clicks and clacks, the exit slowly grinded open.

    The Silhouette Gears ¡®Shadowlad¡¯ lived up to their reputations, and stealthily made their way into what seemed to be a storage room. With this step, they had successfully infiltrated the Tetraspides Fortress.

    After the entire group left the tunnels, Nora took out a new map ¨C a detailed layout of the Tetraspides Fortresses. Understandably, as the important gateway to Delvincourt, no maps of the facilities were created. As such, the map in Nora¡¯s hand was painstakingly made through the memory of the royalty, and despite being woefully incomplete, was still better than nothing.

    ¡°Our next target is the drawbridge controls, but we must first confirm that the powertrain is engaged.¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the large drawbridge, strong enough to allow Silhouette Knights to march across, was extremely heavy. Even Silhouette Knights were unable to easily lift the behemoth of a structure. Therefore, much of the drawbridge operations required a waterwheel attached to a powertrain to function.

    ¡°This is where the passage led us, and here is where the powertrain is located. While the enemy is focused on our troops out on the plains, we must remain vigilant. We will act according to the predetermined plan¡­ does everyone know their task when we reach the room?¡±

    Every member of the Blue Hawk Knights had long memorized their tasks, and would be able to devote themselves to their objectives the moment they reached their target.

    ¡°¡­Alright, to victory!¡±

    After final confirmations, the Silhouette Gears began their operation.

    With Tetraspides Fortresses¡¯ impregnable outer fortifications and walls, the architects did not hold a great interest on internal defenses. Combined with the ongoing battle outside, gaps within the internal defenses were aplenty. As such, the highly mobile but stealthy Silhouette Gears swiftly moved through the ?aloudekian patrols with minimal resistance.

    Within the Tetraspides Fortress, the reserve black knights were anxious for the possible sortie onto the Cauderlier plains. Both the knight runners and the knightsmiths were busy making final preparations for combat, leaving little notice for the group of enemies that had infiltrated their base.

    ¡°The powertrain room should be ahead¡­¡±

    While Nora¡¯s group did not encounter any enemies on their way, they continued to remain vigilant and moved carefully through the corridors. Soon, they arrived in a large hall bordering the powertrain room.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I knew you would come.¡±

    The Silhouette Gears were met with an enemy force that stood in their way to the powertrain room. At the center of the guards stood Kerhild Hietakangas, commander of the Copper Fang Knights, and understandably, the ones behind her were members of the Knights.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I was deprived of my subordinates and of my Silhouette Knights, and then forcibly delegated to a mere support role. Your arrival is truly a blessing!¡± She revealed a terrifying smile.

    The Copper Fang Knights once launched a night raid against the Kuschepercans in Missillier, but the raid gravely backfired and the knights were almost wiped out. Because of the failure, the Copper Fang Knights were forced to take responsibility, and were relegated to a mere footnote in the ?aloudek Army.

    ¡°The drawbridge would be difficult to assault frontally. Therefore, I was certain a more covert approach was planned. As expected, those miniature Silhouette Knights really did come!¡± Kerhild could not help but smile at her perfect prediction, ¡°It didn¡¯t matter how the enemy infiltrated the fortress. As long as we knew the objective, a defense could easily be set up. We have been waiting a long time for your arrival!¡±

    At her beckon, the Copper Fang Knights raised their crossbows and staff weapons at Nora¡¯s group. No matter how agile the Silhouette Gear may be, it would have a hard time evading the hail of bolts. As such, Nora and the other Blue Hawk Knights prepared themselves mentally for a forlorn charge.

    ¡°¡­Let us serve as your shield, and go finish the mission in our stead.¡± Nora calmly said to the flustered Dietrich.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Even with Silhouette Gears, going up against that many enemies is suicide.¡±

    ¡°That is part of our job.¡±

    With that said, Nora leapt into action. Against the rain of arrows, Nora and the others had nowhere to run, and the meager armor of the Shadowlads was slowly chipped away.

    ¡°Your courage is praiseworthy, but you should just leave the fighting to me!¡±

    Dietrich pulled out a large sword from his Shadowlad, and charged into the fray. Using his speed, he quickly eclipsed Nora and the others, charging straight into the hail of arrows. However, Dietrich did not move to dodge, but with a swing of his sword, cut the arrows down. When all the arrows were fired, Dietrich stood unharmed between the two belligerents.

    Knight runners were not simply pilots of Silhouette Knights. Given the similarity between Silhouette Knights and the human body, strong knight runners were undoubtedly powerful martial artists.

    As the commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ second company ¨C the self-proclaimed ¡®Assault Company¡¯, Dietrich Cunitz was unmatched in his offensive power. Even if he was against arrows and bolts, Dietrich was still able to effortlessly cut them all down.

    ¡°Let us switch our tasks. I am better at using the sword, and you are more dexterous than me. So I will leave the drawbridge to you, just be sure to provide a few men to assist me.¡± Dietrich flashed a confident smile.

    Certainly, the Blue Hawk Knights were not shy in combat, but most of their training was geared toward covert operations. As such, when compared to regular knight runners, they were a bit lacking in combat expertise.

    ¡°How willful could you be¡­? In a way, you are surprisingly similar to the Knight Commander. However, I agree with your assessment. It seems the combat here is better suited to your expertise. I wish you luck!¡±

    About half of the knights followed Nora. With the receding footsteps, Dietrich cut down the second volley of arrows, seemingly in a particular good mood.

    ¡°Come, I was getting annoyed with all the sneaking around! Time for some rampage, prepare yourselves!¡±

    Before Dietrich finished his sentence, he had already leapt toward the Copper Fang Knights. The knights barely had the time to reload their crossbows, and could only try to delay Dietrich with sporadic blasts from their staff weapons. However, Dietrich was not fazed by the attack, and calmly blocked the shots with his sword.

    With a sudden swing near his foot, Dietrich tossed up a large piece of rock, before having the Silhouette Gear¡¯s powerful kick propel the shattered pebbles at the Copper Fang Knights. The power behind the attack was immense, and crashed into the ranks, inflicting heavy casualties.

    ¡°Huh?! This bast-¡­? Oh no!¡±

    Dietrich swiftly pressed his advantage against the wavering enemy and began to cut indiscriminately in his Silhouette Gear. Before long, all of the enemies were vanquished.

    ¡°All done. Now that our gig is up, let us go on a rampage in the fortress. If anything, it would help to take some attention off Nora¡¯s group!¡±

    As such, with the intention of providing cover for the drawbridge group, Dietrich and his group began to unleash fury within the fortress.

    On the other hand, the Copper Fang Knights¡¯ greedy decision to claim the credit for the defense for themselves backfired. The entire interception was planned without the knowledge of the garrison commanders, and understandably, the rest of the garrison was uninformed of the infiltration. The startled garrison was unable to respond to the sudden attack, and was easily beaten down by Dietrich¡¯s group. Moreover, the interior of the fortress was primarily designed for the knight runners and the foot soldiers. As such, Silhouette Knights could not hope to join in the defense.

    Against the sudden assault by the superhuman Silhouette Gears, the entire fortress soon descended into chaos.

    ¡°¡­Their distraction seems to be working.¡±

    After confirming the powertrain was engaged, Nora and her group safely arrived at the drawbridge controls. Even with the chaos, the drawbridge room remained well guarded, which spoke of its importance. Therefore, Nora¡¯s group first had to subdue the guards before they could reach their objective.

    ¡°The army is still waiting for us, let us hurry.¡±

    With that said, Nora released the drawbridge mechanism.

    ¡°B-bastard! Must you get in my way every time?!¡± Kerhild could not stop cursing as she wandered the corridors.

    With Dietrich¡¯s overwhelming attack, Kerhild was quick to abandon her subordinates. The repeated loss had hardened Kerhild toward her subordinates, and she now only saw them as disposable pawns.

    For Kerhild, the chance to regain her former glory was infinitesimal, especially now that the Copper Fang Knights were left only with her. However, despite the setbacks, Kerhild continued to hold a determined gaze.

    ¡°Even if there is only the slightest chance¡­ I will seize it with my own two hands!¡± With that said, Kerhild dashed to the smithy.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The eastern stronghold of the Tetraspides Fortresses ¨C the final defense of Delvincourt resting on the banks of the Mulberry ¨C made a low grinding sound as the drawbridge mechanism began to churn.

    The Kuschepercan Army¡¯s morale rapidly rose at the sight, and regained a new vigor in their advance. For the Kuschepercans, the final obstacle to their liberation had been removed, and victory was within reach.

    Having recently shed off the flames, Doroteo was flabbergasted aboard the Flying Dragon Battleship.

    ¡°Fools! Why would they lower the drawbridge?! If they do that, the rebels will march right in! What is the garrison doing?!¡± As Doroteo cursed, he recalled a certain night raid from before, ¡°I see¡­ It is those miniature Silhouette Knights! They are up to their old tricks again!¡±

    ?aloudekians had learned much from their previous defeats at the hands of the Kuschepercans, and had made ample preparations to the changing technological landscape. However, due to their preoccupation with the security and strength of their Levitate Ships, they overlooked the possible infiltration by Silhouette Gears. Doroteo had no way to know that the Copper Fang Knights did anticipate the attack, but such an achievement was moot with Kerhild¡¯s poor attempt to monopolize the victory.

    With the damage to the Flying Dragon, and the sudden coup within the fortress, Doroteo needed to make an immediate decision before the situation became irreversible. As such, Doroteo overcame his own reservations and decided to activate the ¡®sealed reactor¡¯. With the voicepipes, Doroteo declared his intention to the surviving crew.

    ¡°¡­Vincere nel mori, activate the Dragonblood Reactor.¡±

    With the order given, the Flying Dragon cut off its own retreat and was committed to the battle.

    Doroteo had always steeled himself for death in combat, but he had been reluctant to make his subordinates follow him to his end. However, with the recent development, Doroteo had to commit or shoulder the certain defeat of the ?aloudekian army on his conscience.

    ¡°With this, we shall win or we shall perish! I hope all hands will fulfill their duty to the utmost! For victory!¡±

    A low hum came from the interior of the Flying Dragon as the channels were opened up one by one. The Ether Supplier hungrily consumed the Ethelite as it spewed out massive concentrations of Ether, fueling the activated Dragonblood Reactor and the surviving Anculosas.

    ¡°Ethelite has reached critical mass and fission has started! Concentrated ether diverted to reactor! Dragonblood Reactor is now at maximum capacity!¡±

    With the constant injection of concentrated ether, an unfamiliar noise echoed within the vessel as the Dragonblood Reactor powered up. At the same time, all the remaining Ether Reactors also began to run in overdrive.

    ¡®Maximize¡¯. It was a term used to describe the activation of the Dragonblood Reactor, which was coupled with the rapid consumption of the ship¡¯s Ethelite stock. With the increased mana output, the already powerful Flying Dragon Battleship would be able to exceed all its prior operational limits.

    ¡°Perhaps, even if we do win this battle, the Flying Dragon will likely not last.¡±

    On the other hand, the Dragonblood Reactor was a double edged sword. Ether Reactors were originally designed by the people living on the ground for the sparse atmospheric Ether available on the ground, and could not be chronically exposed to concentrated ether. In prior experiments at the ?aloudek Atelier, excessive exposure to concentrated ether from the Ether Supplier quickly led to the deterioration of the Ether Reactor, ultimately resulting in the reactor¡¯s ¡®death¡¯. The ?aloudekian knightsmiths tried everything to fix the dead reactor, but all efforts were moot.

    As such, even with the Dragonblood Reactor, the same problem remained for the Flying Dragon Battleship. At the cost of time, the Flying Dragon was able to gain immense strength. Yet, the only fate that awaited it was certain death.

    With a low and terrifying rumbling, Doroteo was able to palpitate the surge of strength from his controls.

    ¡°Ugh, the ¡®Maximized¡¯ Flying Dragon is incredibly willful¡­ As expected, even I could not completely control it¡­¡±

    With the sudden burst of mana, the Flying Dragon acted almost with a mind of its own, beyond the command of any human. Even the slightest twitch came with incredible power. As if it was a wild beast, the Flying Dragon would not even submit to the battle-hardened Doroteo.

    ¡°Do not force the controls! Just charge directly at the enemy and cut them down!¡±

    Doroteo gave up on mastering the Flying Dragon, and simply channeled the unwieldy power toward his closest enemy and nemesis ¨C the Demon God. He knew that unless he relied on the Dragonblood Reactor, they would not be able to overcome the Demon God.

    ¡°C-commander! The Demon God has left the Levitate Ship, and is heading directly for us!¡±

    ¡°So it has come¡­ Perfect! We won¡¯t last long, so let us greet the Demon God with our entire arsenal and take it out with one fell swoop!¡±

    The Etheric Levitator had a very peculiar mechanism of action. As long as no outside force acts upon the object, it could remain indefinitely at the predetermined height without power. As such, despite the Flying Dragon¡¯s severe injuries, it remained serenely afloat.

    ¡°Now, start the Lightning Curtain!¡±

    At that moment, they had no path of retreat, so the Flying Dragon and the whole crew aboard were fully resolved in their fight against the Demon God.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Winding back to the moment when the massive fireball appeared in the sky, when the miniature sun shone brightly as it consumed the Flying Dragon.

    The two armies on the ground were mesmerized by the sight, and let their weapons fall idle. To the Kuschepercans, the greatest threat to their victory was the Flying Dragon ¨C a powerful symbol of ?aloudekian might. However, with the explosion that had torn the sky asunder, the Flying Dragon let out a pained cry. While there did not seem to be any lasting damage as it continued to hobble forth, the Flying Dragon no longer held the same prideful and terrifying visage for the Kuschepercans.

    ¡°Oooh!! The Silver Phoenix Knights have dealt the first blow on the Flying Dragon!¡±

    ¡°L-look, the drawbridge!¡±

    Immediately after, the New Kuschepercan army let out an even greater cheer. The impenetrable fortress that rested upon the Mulberry River had finally opened its gates as the drawbridge fell upon the river.

    The path was now open. The final obstacles to their victory were neutralized. With renewed vigor and undeterred momentum, the Kuschepercan army bravely pushed on, carving a bloody path through the proud defense of the black knights as they rapidly approached the Tetraspides Fortresses.

    ¡°Tetraspides Fortresses belongs to the Kuschepercans! We shall have you return what is rightfully ours!¡±

    However, before the unstoppable torrent of Kuschepercans, a single ?aloudekian Silhouette Knight emerged from the gates.

    ¡°Really? Could they be lacking reinforcements? Perfect! Men, cut away at their meager defense and reclaim our fortress!¡±

    As the Kuschepercans approached the lone Silhouette Knight, they soon realized its peculiar design. Juxtaposed upon the elegant white body and gold-plated rims, countless swords jutted out from its back, as if purposely ruining a work of art. A unit that could only described as the product of a madman.

    The Kuschepercan vanguard was immediately awash with a terrible premonition as they searched their memories. From their previous encounters, they knew the white and gold Silhouette Knights were characteristic of the ?aloudekian command unit. Despite their reservations, the opportunity was too sweet to pass up ¨C with the fortress just within reach and only one unit remaining standing in their way. Casting aside his worry, one of the Kuschepercan vanguards thrust its weapon at the lone unit.

    Before anyone realized, the lone unit held a sword in its hand, but had seemingly already made its slash. Without being able to follow the entire attack, the Kuschepercan vanguard was bisected by the lone unit and collapsed into the river. At its sheer might, the Kuschepercan army¡¯s advance stalled only inches away from total victory.

    At that moment, the lone unit was the one to take a step. On the other side, despite their absolute numerical superiority, the Kuschepercans could only shirk back.

    ¡°Do not waver! No matter how strong the enemy is, it is just a single Silhouette Knight!¡±

    As expected of the Kuschepercan vanguard, many brave Silhouette Knights stepped forth to engage the lone unit. No matter how strong the lone unit might be, it was restricted to swords. As such, Kuschepercans could easily seal its moves with a wall of shields.

    However, contrary to their beliefs, the lone Silhouette Knight did not hesitate against the group of Revantiers, and with a carefully-placed jab with a short sword, decapitated a Revantier with ease. Swiftly, the lone unit stepped in the gap created by the downed Revantier, and with two swords, unleashed a torrent of strikes upon the Revantiers.

    ¡°Darn it! Why are we getting pushed back by a single Silhouette Knight?!¡±

    The Kuschepercans launched attack after attack on the Silhouette Knight that stood alone. However, all of them were easily parried, by sword or scabbard, and received lethal counterattacks in return. By the time the dusts were cleared, only broken Revantiers lay around the lone Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°D-darn it¡­ What is with that Silhouette Knight? How could a single unit wipe out our entire vanguard?!¡±

    The massacre on the drawbridge was indescribable. To the Kuschepercans, the precision of its strikes was an awe-inspiring sight, if only trumped by the shock of the countless Revantiers that littered the drawbridge. While the Kuschepercans stood in shock, the lone unit uncaringly kicked the broken Revantiers into the river below, as if clearing the drawbridge for a second charge.

    ¡°S-so that is the strength of a command unit? The incredible pressure that overpowers its foes¡­ is it not like the Demon God?!¡±

    A single unit that was able to completely suppress the entire Kuschepercan advance¡­ ¡®abnormal¡¯ was the only term to describe such a coup.

    ¡°Fall back! We cannot simply win against it with numbers, so leave it to me!¡±

    Edgar¡¯s Erledyradcumber leapt between the stalled Kuschepercan army. With its mobile defense, Erledyradcumber now stood at the front of the formation.

    ¡°Cover my rear while I take care of it!¡±

    ¡°Understood! Be careful, that bastard is pretty strong.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have seen what it did to the Revantiers.¡±

    With Edgar¡¯s orders, the first company spread out to the flanks. The first company was designed for defense, and as such, was armed with numerous shields in a similar fashion to Erledyradcumber.

    They spread out to the flanks to assist the stalled Kuschepercan breakthrough with their strong defensive formation. Like an impenetrable wall, the first company now stood against the split ?aloudekian army attacking the spearhead from both directions.

    ¡°As expected, the enemy is taking full advantage of the chokepoint at the drawbridge. Although I doubt just anyone could pull such a feat off¡­¡± Edgar let out a sigh while gazing at the sight on the drawbridge.

    Even if the drawbridge was wide enough for two Silhouette Knights to march abreast, it was still a severe chokepoint. Despite the Kuschepercans¡¯ superior numbers, they were unable to overcome the lone defender simply because of the difference in individual power. Therefore, it was no surprise why the ?aloudekian unit would make its stand on the drawbridge.

    ¡°If we wish to break through that defense, we would instead need a small elite force.¡±

    The lone Silhouette Knight was one who had singlehandedly defeated numerous Revantiers. As such, any run-of-the-mill Silhouette Knight would only feed the death count, and only the officers of the Silver Phoenix Knights would stand any chance for victory. Without Dietrich and Guyalarinde around, the only one who could be called upon was Edgar and Erledyradcumber.

    ¡°A Silhouette Knight armed with an obscene amount of swords¡­ Is it the one that Di mentioned? The one that had bested Guyalarinde in melee combat¡­ I guess it is worthy of an opponent Di acknowledged.¡± On a close inspection, Edgar furrowed his eyebrows.

    Erledyradcumber charged forth, to which the lone Silhouette Knight responded in kind. The moment they entered melee range, Erledyradcumber shifted its mobile armor ¨C not for defense, but for the Silhouette Arms hidden underneath.

    Facing the sudden reveal, the ?aloudekian Silhouette Knight rapidly cut away the shots with his swords, before unleashing a slash at Erledyradcumber. Edgar immediately responded with the mobile armor, but was pushed back by the powerful blow.

    ¡°How could it overpower Erledyradcumber in strength?! Even the armor¡­¡±

    Edgar leapt back to make some distance between him and the enemy. At a glance, Edgar could see Erledyradcumber¡¯s mobile armor was warped from the heavy blow, with pieces of Strand Crystal flaking off. Edgar knew instinctively that if the fight were to continue, his Erledyradcumber would not last long. Taking advantage of Edgar¡¯s momentary worry, the ?aloudekian Silhouette Knight pressed its advantage. With one sword parrying Erledyradcumber¡¯s sword, it dealt heavy blow to Erledyradcumber¡¯s armor with the other and forced Erledyradcumber back.

    ¡°Hahaha! You are no different from those trashes earlier! Seeing your movement, I was hoping that you would be at least as capable as that duel-wielding bastard!¡± A loud laughter came through the lone unit.

    The relaxed and jovial announcement brought a surge of anger in Edgar.

    ¡°Duel-wielding? You mean Guyalarinde¡­ the crimson knight?! So you were the nutcase he fought!¡± Edgar spat out in response.

    ¡°Oh? So you really are companion to that duel-wielding bastard. Here I had hoped that he would be here so we can have our rematch, but you shall do for now. I shall grant you the privilege to be defeated by me and my ¡®Death Sword¡¯!¡± Gustav proudly declared.

    As a battle junkie, Gustav could not help but grow excited before a capable foe. Opposite to Gustav, Edgar kept his focus on the opponent despite the disturbing laughter.

    ¡°Surely you jest. I cannot let your rampage continue. For our victory, I will need you to step aside.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I love an obstinate fellow. Go ahead! As long as I defeat someone as strong as you, I will make quite the dent on the rebel¡¯s morale!¡±

    Gustav easily called Edgar¡¯s bluff. Surprisingly, the seemingly foolish opponent had an astute intuition, and had easily seen through Edgar¡¯s worry. Edgar¡¯s personal unit, Erledyradcumber, was indisputably among the strongest Silhouette Knights on the field. As such, if it were to be defeated, the Kuschepercans¡¯ morale was sure to crumble. Moreover, the symbolic importance of losing the drawbridge to the ?aloudekians after such a defeat would be catastrophic.

    ¡°Dream on!¡±

    Erledyradcumber leapt at Death Sword while maneuvering its mobile armor and sword. Both sides intensely observed the other while probing for weaknesses. With Edgar¡¯s heightened concentration, he did not leave the slightest motion to chance.

    Only through his intense concentration did Edgar notice the slight change behind Death Sword. As a shadow came down upon it, Erledyradcumber immediately parried the attack and reorganized its defense.

    ¡°Ugh! Enemy reinforcements?!¡±

    With the mobile armor shielding its front, Erledyradcumber kicked hard on the drawbridge to propel itself back. Immediately, the shadow pursued, and after a few hits against Erledyradcumber¡¯s mobile armor, forced Edgar off the drawbridge. With Erledyradcumber¡¯s retreat, the shadow slowly rose up next to Death Sword.

    Edgar¡¯s face turned extremely grim. He knew Death Sword was already a daunting foe by itself, but with the powerful new arrival, the battle would surely swing in the ?aloudekian way.

    However, contrary to Edgar¡¯s worry, the two ?aloudekian Silhouette Knights seemed to be at odds with one another.

    ¡°Hey! What the heck are you doing, ¡®Bronze Fang¡¯! That bastard is mine, so bugger off! Otherwise, expect some pain coming your way!¡± Death Sword loudly roared at its new shadowy companion.

    ¡°Ha! Dream on! Isn¡¯t there still plenty of enemies over there? How much time are you planning to waste on a single rebel Silhouette Knight? If you have the energy, why not do what you were supposed to do and take out that King¡¯s Mount?! Didn¡¯t Her Excellency precisely hand you the Alkelorix for that purpose?¡± Shaking off Gustav¡¯s rage, the shadowy Silhouette Knight jabbed back.

    ¡°¡­Hmph! What a twisted mouth you have¡­ Fine. I will leave that white one to you!¡± Gustav was severely conflicted by the shadow¡¯s words.

    He loved to fight against strong opponents. It could even be argued that such fights were his greatest desire. However, aboard the Silhouette Knight granted to him by Princess Catalina, Gustav shouldered an important task that trumped his personal desires. Therefore, despite his own strong inclinations, Gustav was able to calm down from his battle fervor and reluctantly turn away from combat.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you dare¡­¡±

    ¡°Out of the way!¡±

    As Edgar attempted to intercept Death Sword, the black Silhouette Knight stood in his way, and with a flourish of the sword, forced Erledyradcumber to defend with its shield.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so eager to leave. I¡¯m your opponent, and I can¡¯t have you keep on making trouble for us!¡±

    With that said, the black Silhouette Knight launched a flurry of attacks, to which Erledyradcumber was not given a single opportunity to retaliate. While Erledyradcumber was preoccupied, Death Sword effortlessly strolled past him. Before Erledyradcumber could do anything, more black knights poured out from the fortress, with clear intent of mounting a counterattack.

    ¡°¡­How bothersome. Stay out of my way!¡±

    ¡°Bothersome?! That¡¯s what I should be saying! No matter where I go, I always find you getting in my way! Even here¡­!!¡± Accompanied by a woman¡¯s shouting, the black Silhouette Knight continued its flurry of attacks against Erledyradcumber.

    While Erledyradcumber fended off the strikes with its sword and mobile armor, Edgar was somewhat baffled by the verbal abuse, but deep inside, he had an inkling of her meaning. With a gentle shake of his head, Edgar turned his focus onto the black Silhouette Knight in front of him.

    ¡°Looks like if we do not defeat you, we will be unable to advance. Then, let me give you my full attention, to bury you under my blade!¡±

    As Erledyradcumber¡¯s Ether Reactor loudly hummed, Edgar called upon all of its strength and leapt toward the enemy, to which the shadow replied in kind. With a sudden clash of white and black, the battle for the drawbridge over the Mulberry River intensified.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The ?aloudek garrison left the fortress and crossed over the Mulberry River. With their glistening black knights, the garrison followed Gustav¡¯s charge into the wavering Kuschepercan ranks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, Death Sword. Let us wash our past dishonor away with rebel blood!¡±

    Death Sword sheathed its two longswords in hand, and drew a massive greatsword in their place. The sheer weight of the greatsword was enough to visibly strain the powerful strand crystal. Gustav¡¯s Death Sword was remodeled from the royal-exclusive Alkelorix, and as such, had strength unmatched by the standard Tyrantor. Therefore, despite the greatsword¡¯s weight, Death Sword was able to swing it with ease.

    ¡°Men! Follow me! Our target is under that gaudy banner ¨C the Kuschepercan King¡¯s Mount! If we claim the head of their Queen, victory will be ours!¡± Gustav let out a terrible howl, while brandishing the massive sword like a baton.

    With the signal, ?aloudekian black knights charged into the dumbfounded Kuschepercan Army.

    ¡°The enemy has begun a counterattack with the command unit in the lead!¡±

    ¡°We were so close to reclaiming the fortress. To think they launch a counterattack at this junction, and a strong one at that¡­ but we cannot let our troops buckle at their aggression. Third company, prepare for launch!¡± Emrys, who commanded the battle in Gordesleo, quickly gave his orders to his surroundings.

    At the orders, the third company¡¯s Tzendrinbles aimed their Vertical Launch Javelin Systems as the loader Silhouette Knights finished reloading the javelins. Understandably, the javelins not only were effective against Levitate Ships, but also could be used against ground targets.

    ¡°Target, enemy command unit! Fire!¡± At Gordesleo¡¯s command, the Tzendrinbles launched their javelins in unison.

    With their launch, plumes of flame drew wide arcs on the sky as the javelins accelerated. With the distance, the javelins accelerated to the point where it could easily pierce the hardest steel.

    ¡°Ha! You think those dumb sticks could hit me?! Too na?ve!¡±

    While raising its massive sword, Death Sword accelerated toward the hail of javelins. Inside Death Sword, Gustav revealed a bone-chilling smile despite seemingly being faced with certain death. With precise swings of the greatsword, Gustav cut away the javelins one after another. The same javelins that were able to destroy even the black knights with ease had been rendered impotent before the mesmerizing swordsmanship.

    The Silhouette Knight gained the title of being humanity¡¯s strongest weapon not because of its size and destructive power alone. Rather, its design allowed the amplification of the ¡®Human Element¡¯ within. Before the sheer skill of the sword maniac Gustav, javelins were meaningless to Death Sword.

    ¡°Follow the commander! Do not worry about a few flying toothpicks! Let them feel the full fury of the black knights!¡±

    The black knights raised their large shields, and followed Death Sword in its charge. Each of the ?aloudekian black knights following behind Death Sword were personally given their improved Silhouette Knight from Princess Catalina ¨C the heavily armed CQB models. Even the powerful javelins could not pierce through both the thick shield and armor. It was a lesson of blood gained through the countless encounters against the Kuschepercans, and the ?aloudekians were finally able to devise a counter to the hail of javelins.

    Soon, the rain of javelins slowly cleared up, and nothing now blocked their view of the Kuschepercan core.

    ¡°The shower is over?! Then, I guess it¡¯s our turn!¡±

    Death Sword began to creak as the strand crystals flexed in power. As if sweeping the path ahead with brute force, Death Sword dashed with incredible vigor. A unit that combined the strength of a Tyrantor and the agility beyond any known Silhouette Knight, Death Sword soon found itself back at the head of the charge.

    On the other hand, the Kuschepercans could not help but gasp at the realization. The great ¡®weakness¡¯ of the javelin throwers, the sheer time it took to reload the javelins, meant that a pause in the attack was unavoidable. Not to mention, the loader and launcher units were vulnerable while the javelins were being rearmed. As such, the third company was clearly disturbed by the sudden coup and was sluggish in their response.

    ¡°?aloudekian scum! You shall not pass-¡­ Gah?!¡±

    ¡°Begone! I have no time for you trash!¡±

    In that time, Death Sword carved ahead with the same air as the Demon God, cutting down any hapless Revantier that dared to stand in its way. The black knights followed closely behind and filled up any gap before the Kuschepercans could respond. No one could stand against the might of Death Sword, and it advanced with impunity, as if parting the Kuschepercan forces with sheer will.

    ¡°E-enemy command unit is too strong! The troops can¡¯t seem to stop it!¡± looking at the situation unfolding from the safety of the headquarters, Emrys cursed as he revved up Gordesleo¡¯s Ether Reactor, ¡°To think it was able to endure through the javelins without the slightest scratch. The Flying Dragon, and now this Silhouette Knight, ?aloudek sure has some problematic elites in their midst. The third company won¡¯t be able to fire javelins any time soon, so second company, you are up! Do not let the enemy get close to Ellie! Let us blunt their advance here!¡±

    ¡°Got it! Leave the melee to us!¡±

    With a loud horn, the Kuschepercan formation began to shift once more as the troops parted from the center.

    At first, Death Sword was baffled by the peculiar development, and slowed its charge. Not a single Silhouette Knight seemed to now stand in its way toward the Kuschepercan headquarters.

    Soon, a force of Silhouette Knights burst forth from the Kuschepercan headquarters, with a golden Silhouette Knight leading the charge. The Silhouette Knights that followed were all brilliantly decorated with a red cross.

    ¡°It is that dual-wielding bastard¡¯s subordinates! Seemed like they have finally wised up to our attack. However, it matters little. Whoever dares to stand in our way will be vanquished! Black knights, charge!!¡±

    ¡°Second company, draw! Anyone that dares to stand before us is an enemy! Cut them all down!¡±

    With their swords drawn, the second company charged ahead without an ounce of hesitation. The company was known as the ¡®Assault Company¡¯, and as such, preferred to overpower any opponent with their sheer physical prowess.

    Facing the new force that sallied out from the Kuschepercan headquarters, the black knights cast away their thick shields and drew their massive hammers. With a huge burst of speed, the CQB Tyrantors charged ahead and greeted the Kuschepercan attack head-on.

    With a loud clash of steel and sparks, the two camps devolved into a chaotic melee. At the center of the storm, Gordesleo engaged Death Sword in combat.

    ¡°So you are the commander? You are too strong to leave alone, so I will have you defeated here!¡±

    ¡°Oh? What a gaudy fellow! Was there another command unit besides the King¡¯s Mount?¡±

    Although Death Sword was burdened with countless swords large and small, its movement was surprisingly nimble. With greatsword in hand, Death Sword unleashed ferocious attacks upon the Gordesleo. However, Gordesleo was able to keep up with Death Sword in performance, and countered the blows with its own large sword.

    As the two massive sheets of steel clashed with sparks flying, the very air surrounding them quivered. Under the cacophony of strand crystals, the two steel titans fought for supremacy.

    ¡°¡­H-how?!¡±

    Soon, the balance tilted in Death Sword¡¯s favor. Between the two offensive models, Death Sword¡¯s ferocious attacks offered little room for Gordesleo to launch attacks of its own, and reluctantly forced Gordesleo into defense. Emrys gritted his teeth in face of Death Sword, but none of his hits could reach Death Sword.

    Both Death Sword and Gordesleo were royal-exclusive models designed with the most advanced technology, and as such, their performance was largely comparable. Therefore, the difference in performance could only be explained by the abilities of its knight runner.

    ¡°As expected of the unit to cut down the flying javelins with a mere sword! S-strong¡­ it is undoubtedly stronger than me.¡± Emrys¡¯ acute intuition quickly came to the conclusion, ¡°However!¡±

    Rather than despair, Emrys¡¯ blood boiled as he faced a truly worthy adversary. The muscles on his face warped into a terrifying smile as he let out a beast-like howl.

    Death Sword continued to quicken the pace of its attacks. The feat of swinging its heavy sword with smooth movements despite the sheer weight was difficult to imagine, even with Death Sword¡¯s reinforced strand crystals. It was a feat accomplished by relying on the centrifugal force of the sword, allowing for minimal efforts after the first swing by flowing from one attack to the next. A stance that allowed Death Sword to have the perfect offense and defense in one, all thanks to the genius of the sword maniac.

    Surprisingly, even with his overwhelming power, Gustav was somewhat apprehensive of the development.

    ¡°This bastard is just refusing to go down! How obstinate could he be¡­ despite only being a second-rate swordsman!¡±

    Even under relentless attacks, Gordesleo stood strong and prevented Death Sword¡¯s advance. For Gustav, whose mastery of the sword allowed him to easily gauge the skill of an opponent with a few simple exchanges, he could not help but be surprised when facing against an obviously inferior swordsman, yet one who still refused to go down.

    Certainly, Emrys was only an amateur knight runner at best. However, his powerful fighting spirit and lack of hesitation, combined with the strength of Gordesleo, allowed him to hold on against Death Sword. If there was even the slightest hesitation or reservation, Emrys would likely be immediately cut down.

    ¡°No matter how strong you are, I will not give up that easily! As long as I still stand, this battle is not over!!¡±

    Gordesleo¡¯s obstinacy only further fueled Gustav¡¯s apprehension and annoyance. He had to forgo the fight with Erledyradcumber in order to claim the head of the King¡¯s Mount. Although Gordesleo was a reasonable opponent, it was a far cry from the skilled Erledyradcumber. As such, Gustav was awash with dissatisfaction.

    ¡°How annoying, just die already!¡± Gustav let out an annoyed grunt.

    In his haste to end the pointless struggle, Gustav called upon all the strength within Death Sword. As the strand crystals creaked from the incredible tension, Death Sword slashed its greatsword at Gordesleo, unleashing all its power behind the strike.

    ¡°Oooh!! Taste this!!¡±

    Toward the slash, Gordesleo did not show even the slightest avoidance, and moved to intercept the blow head-on. As its air intake valve roared, Gordesleo arched its body slightly and swung its sword at the incoming blow.

    The impact was just for a fraction of a second, but the shockwave was felt all around. As their swords shattered from the sheer force, both Gordesleo and Death Sword were flung back, creating a gap between the two units for the first time since combat started.

    ¡°Heh! To take my blow head-on! Not bad, golden one. You have some guts!¡± Gustav let out a loud laugh, ¡°¡­But now your sword is broken. Surely you do not think you can win against me with that toothpick you are holding now?¡±

    While Death Sword lost his greatsword in the exchange, it still had countless swords on its back of various shapes and sizes. Comparatively, although Gordesleo also got away with minor injury, it has lost its main sword, and Emrys knew the backup sword would be of little use against the powerful arsenal of Death Sword.

    ¡°Certainly, the situation is quite problematic, but¡­¡±

    Emrys took a glance behind him. It was the Kuschepercan field headquarters, where the King¡¯s Mount ¡®Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus¡¯ stood. Although Secundus could swing a sword, it would be hard to describe the action as anything more than a ¡®swing¡¯, and could not be counted upon for self-defense. Therefore, even in his current disadvantageous state, Emrys could not let the Death Sword near Secundus. As Gordesleo lowered itself in preparation for any upcoming attack, Emrys let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Oh? Although your swordsmanship is second-rate, you make quite the convincing form, golden one. Very well, let me see how well you respond to my sword!¡± Gustav remarked as he altered his stance in response.

    ¡°You talk too much! However, your arrogance is quite understandable, and if I leave it like this, I will surely lose¡­¡±

    As Death Sword charged over with a new sword in hand, Emrys racked his brains for a chance of victory.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With a red streak, Ikaruga flew straight at the Flying Dragon.

    Behind it, the Aerial Assault Ship remained motionless in the sky. Boss, the head of the Silver Phoenix Knights knightsmiths, sat at the helm.

    ¡°Seriously, I am a certified knightsmith, not some Levitate Ship seaman¡­¡±

    ¡°Boss, to be honest, in the whole of Fremmevira and Kuscheperca, not a single person is certified to sail a Levitate Ship.¡± Batson sarcastically responded with his hands on the wheel.

    Certainly, all of the crew on the Levitate Ship were knightsmiths. It was the result of the elite nature of the Silver Phoenix Knights, where there were a limited amount of hands to spare in combat. As such, when the knightsmiths finished their analysis of the Levitate Ships, they naturally took on the position of crew.

    ¡°Everything is going according to plan, right? What is up next?¡± An unclear voice came through the voicepipes.

    The voice came from the two Tzendrinbles locked in place behind the armored bow, with Addy and Chid inside. To ensure contact, the knightsmiths forcibly connected voicepipes between each unit and the bridge, and bolted everything down to prevent the contraption from falling apart in flight.

    The two Tzendrinbles largely existed to maintain the mana output after Ikaruga took off. Unlike the standard Levitate Ships, the Aerial Assault Ship was designed with a rocket propulsion system, for which even the slightest movement would drain an exorbitant amount of mana. As such, the two Tzendrinbles were the bare minimum to allow some semblance of movement without Ikaruga.

    ¡°We should be helping Eru! How are the launchers coming along?!¡±

    ¡°About midway through the ship. They are trying their best, but I doubt the javelins could be launched again anytime soon.¡±

    The ship lacked the storage space for the sheer number of javelins required by the ¡®Multiple Launch Javelin System¡¯, and they had at most one more full volley at their disposal. However, if the situation were to turn against them, a second volley would not change the outcome.

    ¡°From the look of it, we will have to place our hopes on the youngster. Hopefully, he will create the opportunity for the javelins to exploit.¡± Boss contemplated as his eyes fixed itself on the battle ahead.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With a deafening roar, the Flying Dragon flew toward the fortress once more. The sight of the approaching Dragon shocked the Kuschepercans battling near the drawbridge, who had no way to defend themselves against its powerful attacks.

    ¡°Ugh, is it planning to involve itself with the battle on the ground?!¡±

    The descending Flying Dragon raised its head high, as if proudly posing in the sky. At the cost of raw speed, the Dragon magnified its intimidating air, to which the Kuschepercan army momentarily paused their footsteps in awe.

    ¡°Do not fear! The Knight Commander shall be here-¡­!¡±

    Before the officer could finish, a lone Silhouette Knight flew above the Kuschepercan army, propelled by bellowing flames. Like an arrow, Ikaruga chased the Flying Dragon, surrounded by the cheers of the Kuschepercans.

    ¡°Come! Time for round two! I won¡¯t let you have your way this time!¡±

    Seeing the approaching Demon God, Flying Dragon did not show any initial response. Since they have activated the Dragonblood Reactor, the Flying Dragon gave off an ominous air in its awakened state, as if silently roaring in the sky.

    In an instant, the Lightning Curtain shrouded the entire Dragon, followed by a barrage of shots. The Flying Dragon itself charged toward Ikaruga, with ¡®Fortification¡¯ maintaining its structural integrity during the intense acceleration.

    It could only be described as a force of destruction in the shape of a dragon, blitzing straight for Ikaruga. Even the powerful Ikaruga would not be able to survive an attack of such terrible magnitude. However, Eru remained on course without the slightest hesitation.

    ¡°Is that so~ Even the lightning defense got amplified with that power. Certainly, ramming me with that massive body and defensive spell is a wise tactic! But you should know, I do not need to meet the ¡®whole¡¯ of the Dragon~¡±

    With ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heart¡¯ and ¡®Empress¡¯s Coronet¡¯ churning inside, Ikaruga prepared to fight the Flying Dragon with mana not shy of the division-class demon beast.

    ¡°I only need to break through at a single point with my significantly smaller Ikaruga!¡±

    With both his hands on the command panel, Eru temporarily cut the power to the rocket propulsion and relied on inertial force to continue in the sky. At the same time, Eru revealed the Silhouette Arms behind him ¨C each holding a sword with an empty center. At the base of the sword was a stout tube with spell runes etched on its silver plate surface.

    ¡°Let us see if your ¡®Vouivre¡¯ or my ¡®Ikaruga¡¯ is the greatest!!¡±

    Ikaruga pointed the Sword Cannons toward the incoming Dragon and then unleashed countless red shots through the tip of the swords. Like a gigantic blooming carnation, the shots created a massive explosion on the Lightning Curtain of the Dragon. However, despite Ikaruga slowly falling from gravity, Eru did not lift the continued barrage.

    The contest of wills did not last long. Compared to the Sword Cannons, the Lightning Curtain was stronger overall, but had to cover the entire Dragon. As such, under the pinpoint barrage, a small hole was soon torn through the immaculate defense, through which Eru charged in with his Ikaruga.

    Seeing Demon God¡¯s infiltration through its lightning defense, Doroteo revealed an almost indescribable rage. He could no longer know if his shaking was from the Dragon itself, or from his own fear. As he temporarily cast aside the terrible feelings, Doroteo gripped the controls tightly, and gazed at the Demon God with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°The destruction of those five units of Anculosas would affect the Lightning Curtain to such a degree? To think it could brute force its way through our defenses! However, that ends now! As a moth to flame, I shall have you burned to ashes!!¡±

    The Flying Dragon Battleship responded to the intruder by opening its massive jaws. From within, concentrated magic unleashed a firestorm before it. The greatest siege weapon known to the world, ¡®dragonbreath¡¯, poised to wash over Ikaruga with flames.

    Despite breaking through the Lightning Curtain, Ikaruga was now trapped between the lightning and the fire. Its only path of escape was through the hole created by the barrage, but even that was impossible to evade the scorching flames. No matter how strong Ikaruga was, it could not exceed the innate defense of a standard Silhouette Knight, and was certain to perish in the flames.

    ¡°Dragonbreath~ That is just a siege weapon! It is useless against my Ikaruga!¡±

    Ikaruga turned on the magius thrusters once more as it drew the mana channeled to the Sword Cannons back to its core. With a turn of the thruster¡¯s directional controls, Eru released a burst of flame toward the front. However, Eru had no desire for Ikaruga to propel itself backwards. Rather, through a carefully placed burst, it cut into the incoming Dragonbreath. The two flames twisted onto one another before dissipating.

    Not losing a beat, Ikaruga swiftly flipped the thrusters around and returned to flight. Dragonbreath was the greatest weapon aboard the Flying Dragon Battleship, but Doroteo had mistaken its destructive nature. For it to maximize its damage, Dragonbreath need to immerse the target in flame for a lengthy time. However, when compared to the agile Ikaruga, it would be no more than an oversized magic shot.

    ¡°Secret Move: Ikaruga leaps over the Dragon¡¯s Gate! That was fun. I should remember that for the future~¡±

    Ikaruga continued to dance around the flames with precise thruster control, and closed in on the Flying Dragon as if riding atop the flames.

    Faced with the absurd sight, Doroteo could no longer rationalize his opponent. The Demon God danced freely in the ¡®Sky¡¯, as if rejecting the very notion of physics. Before long, Ikaruga found its way before the bridge. No one could explain the scene, or rather, only Eru alone could understand what had transpired.

    ¡°Y-you monster!!¡± Doroteo lashed out uncontrollably at the abnormal existence, and reflexively thrust the dragon¡¯s horn toward Ikaruga.

    The years of experience did not betray Doroteo, and his reflexive lunge managed to parry Ikaruga¡¯s incoming sword blow. As sparks flew from the exchange, Ikaruga jetted to the rear of the Dragon.

    ¡°Has he moved back? D-darn it! The Anculosas back there are still broken!¡±

    The Anculosas placed at the head of Flying Dragon had been disabled by the Multiple Launch Javelin Systems, and were still in a state of repair. Without any Silhouette Knights standing guard, Ikaruga would be free to land on the Flying Dragon. Knowing this fact, Doroteo stomped hard on the control plate.

    Thanks to the earlier clash against the horn, Ikaruga was able to kill its forward moment and easily land on the Dragon, before making a dash to the center of the ship.

    ¡°Then¡­ The Etheric Levitator, should be around the center-¡­ ah?¡±

    As Ikaruga tried to make a step, it suddenly started to lean on its side. Or rather, it was the whole Flying Dragon Battleship that tilted. Without a concern for the terrible creaking, the Flying Dragon was making a barrel roll, as if attempting to toss away the pest that had landed upon its back.

    Despite the sudden change, Ikaruga calmly ignited its thrusters to regain its balance, but just as it was about to land upon the back of the Dragon once more, a massive claw swept its way. The barrel roll was done not only to dislodge Ikaruga, but also to allow the dragon to deploy its greatest CQB attack.

    ¡°It¡¯s the claws again! I had already seen it before!¡±

    Eru¡¯s response was incredibly swift. Unlike the previous encounter, where dodging took everything he had, Eru was well-prepared for the claw this time around. With a smooth motion, Eru unleashed the Sword Cannons upon the base of the claw. The fearsome barrage cut deep into the claw as fragments broke off one after another.

    However, the shots alone were not enough as the claw continued its relentless approach. Just as the claw was about to shred Ikaruga, Eru activated the other function of the Sword Cannons, and cut deep into the heavily-damaged claw. As Ikaruga passed through the swing unharmed, the claw fell toward the ground below.

    Ikaruga had survived through everything the Flying Dragon was able to throw at it. For Doroteo and his men, the shock alone was paralyzing.

    Certainly, for the Flying Dragon, it had never gone on such lengths to defeat a single Silhouette Knight. With ¡®Maximize¡¯ activated, the Dragon should have more than enough strength to shred any Silhouette Knight or Levitate Ship that dared to stand in its way. However, reality was cruel, and their strongest attacks were all repelled with ease, with only a broken claw to show for their attempts.

    ¡°D-Demon God¡­ What manner of demon are you?!¡± Doroteo and the rest of the crew felt reality draining away.

    They were all emotionally prepared for the one that legends were sung about, but they had never thought the Demon God to be this omnipotent.

    Demon God had simply exceeded the realm of Silhouette Knights. An incredible agility coupled with an unmatched knight runner, the Demon God was able to singlehandedly defeat the seasoned Doroteo and his subordinates.

    ¡°Even the Flying Dragon is no match for the Demon God? No¡­ It was overconfidence in the Lightning Curtain that led to the flame attack¡­ and then to this tragic outcome!¡±

    The initial damage was too severe. Even with the Dragonblood Reactor, the Flying Dragon would not be able to demonstrate its full potential without the Anculosas.

    Just as they were wavering from the realization, they felt a sudden jolt of attack. At the rear of the Flying Dragon Battleship, there was a long tail used to stabilize the vessel, and that stabilizer was currently under siege by Ikaruga.

    ¡°¡­T-that bastard! Did he not leave?!¡±

    At the Dragon¡¯s rear, Ikaruga disconnected the Silhouette Arms on its back, revealing a wide silver nerve connecting the Arms to the Body. With a sudden burst, his ¡®Rahu¡¯s Fist¡¯ shot into the tail, and tethered itself onto the Dragon.

    Doroteo wrongfully assumed that the Demon God had prepared his attack on the rear. Rather, the Demon God was slowly creeping up the Dragon¡¯s body, fully intent on exploiting a critical structural weakness. By the time Doroteo noticed the Demon God¡¯s intent, no amount of barrel rolls were able to dislodge the tethered Demon Lord, and the battle between the two titans continued.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    As Death Sword led the black knights in their charge at the Kuschepercan field headquarters, Erledyradcumber remained in a deadlock with the Black Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°Move aside!!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­! No can do~ I have no interest in letting you go~¡±

    Edgar shrugged off her taunting laughter, and carefully observed the movement of the enemy. Although he appeared calm, Edgar was deeply anxious inside.

    The sheer strength of the Demon Sword was an indescribable threat to the Kuschepercan Army. Although Emrys and the second company remained at the headquarters, Edgar could not help but worry about their prospects of survival against such a foe. To Edgar, the most prudent solution was to quickly resolve the current fight and rush to their aid.

    The black Silhouette Knight was painted in the same color of Tyrantors, but the structure bore little resemblance. The entire build was rather slender, with only a slight protrusion on its back ¨C presumably carrying all manners of weapons.

    On close inspection, Edgar soon was awash with a sense of familiarity.

    ¡°Y-you were the one at Missillier-¡­?¡± Edgar let out a gasp.

    During the night raid on Missillier, the Silver Phoenix Knights fought against a group of stealthy Silhouette Knights intent on seizing Princess Eleonora. The black Silhouette Knight that stood before Edgar not only resembled the attackers in shape, but also reflected the attackers in agile techniques.

    ¡°Huh? Hahaha! Correct.¡± The Knight Commander of the Copper Fang Knights, Kerhild, gave a forced laugh, ¡°We were thankful for your hospitality~¡±

    Kerhild was currently piloting a Silhouette Knight based on the earlier Wittendora, with custom modifications made for the command unit ¨C a unit named ¡®Veylocinos¡¯. After the failure of the night raid, the Copper Fang Knights lost almost all their units in the ensuing counterattack. Only the lone command unit, Veylocinos, survived the onslaught. In reality, the Copper Fang Knights were for all intents and purposes, a defunct unit.

    ¡°How frustrating! You always make a mess no matter where you go! Even here, you had to go about annihilating my painstakingly reformed Copper Fang Knights! How could I possibly forgive you lot?!¡± Within Veylocinos, Kerhild revealed a warped expression.

    As Veylocinos pressed ahead with unpredictable movements, Erledyradcumber suddenly came to a pause. Edgar had finally realized the source of his peculiar sense of familiarity.

    ¡°Y-your voice. It sounds like that person¡­¡± Edgar tightly gripped his control as the silver nerves channeled his rage into the strand crystals, ¡°Y-you! Are you that ¡®thief¡¯?!¡±

    Hearing Edgars anger, Kerhild maintained an uncaring visage, almost as if she enjoyed the anguish Edgar emitted.

    ¡°Haa? Why, aren¡¯t you the forgetful one~ And after the night we shared together in each other¡¯s embrace~ It took you this long to realize? You dopey knight! If I had known how often you would get in my way, I would have ended you right then and there! Oh, the regrets!!¡±

    With a loud roar, Veylocinos lowered its stance and leapt at Erledyradcumber.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late! My dream has yet to end! Or rather, I refuse to let it end! As long as I return with your head, I still have hope. Consider this your just deserts!¡±

    ¡°Just deserts? The words of a thief are pointless, but I still have a promise to keep with a friend. The one to receive just deserts will be you! I shall have my vengeance for Earlecumber and the stolen Tellestarle, and reclaim my debt for Casadesus!¡±

    With the encounter with a fated enemy, Edgar cast off his anxiety and was burning with vengeance. As if responding to the pilot¡¯s will, Erledyradcumber lifted the mobile armors and unleashed a hail of shots from the weapons beneath. Veylocinos leapt aside to dodge the initial burst of shots, before breaking into a dash.

    ¡°Heh~ Why aren¡¯t you the passionate one! Even my heart seemed to have skipped a beat~¡±

    The remodelled Wittendora had an agility unlike any other Silhouette Knight, and was like a shifting shadow, cutting in and out of view.

    All of a sudden, Veylocinos made a large stride toward Erledyradcumber, taking advantage of its leg armaments to attack, which Erledyradcumber blocked with its mobile armor. Compared to before, Kerhild¡¯s attack was crisp and accurate.

    In the previous encounter at Casadesus, Kerhild was in the unfamiliar Tellestarle. Yet, despite her unfamiliarity, she was still able to defeat the Earlecumber. Now, she was piloting a personalized Silhouette Knight, and was certainly significantly more of an opponent.

    Even with the slightest opening, Veylocinos would make a timely attack. Edgar¡¯s intention was to repel her dominant sword with the mobile armor to create an opportunity for counterattack, but Kerhild easily foiled all his attempts. By the time Edgar had responded to Kerhild, Veylocinos had already moved away from the spot. With the absolute difference in agility, Veylocinos continued the skirmish without pause or worry.

    After a few bouts, both sides were unable to inflict any critical wounds on the other. As such, Edgar changed his tactics, and relying on his superior defense, pressed the Veylocinos for a melee. By sealing Veylocinos¡¯ agility with its mobile armor, Edgar hoped to be able to land a crippling counterattack.

    ¡°Hahaha! I certainly don¡¯t mind an aggressive man~¡±

    Edgar¡¯s expression was surprisingly calm despite the constant taunting, and kept his eyes locked on Veylocinos. At that moment, Veylocinos opened up its back, from which countless ¡®arms¡¯ emerged.

    The arms were filled with joints, and at a glance, seemed to resemble a Silhouette Arm. However, to Edgar, it looked like countless spider legs growing out from Veylocinos¡¯ back.

    With almost a spring-like character, the long arms lunged themselves at Edgar as the sharp tendrils gave an ominous glare. Erledyradcumber¡¯s left mobile armor was already occupied by the previous attack, and was unable to respond in time. Immediately, Erledyradcumber twisted its body to receive the unavoidable attack, bringing up the right mobile armor to shield the vulnerable core. At that moment, countless tendrils made contact with Erledyradcumber, and by virtue of sheer number, shaved away at Erledyradcumber¡¯s armor.

    The damage was heavy, but Erledyradcumber was able to avoid any critical damage. Its steps remained steady, and its center of balance remained intact. As Edgar planned to make a counterattack, Veylocinos took a leap back once again.

    ¡°Tsk! Your reaction was quite impressive, and I am surprised my attack was unable to finish you off. So? What do you think? I call it ¡®mobile assault arms¡¯, a flexible weapon that suits my desires perfectly~¡±

    Having already revealed her card, Kerhild found no reason to hide it any longer. With that said, Veylocinos returned to the attack with its arms.

    ¡°Aaah!!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    With a sound like snakes and a shape like spider legs, Veylocinos¡¯ mobile assault arms launched a barrage of attack in perfect unison with its physical arms. Edgar responded with the careful placement of his mobile armors to resist the torrent of attacks. A contest began between the spear and the shield ¨C between the mobile assault arms and mobile armor. It was a clash between two opposite principles.

    Soon, the fight devolved into an uneasy stalemate.

    ¡°Ahaha~ Doesn¡¯t this bring back memories?! Weren¡¯t you turtling like this during our first encounter?!¡±

    No matter how Kerhild taunted, Edgar remained calm and steadily repelled one hit after another, constantly searching for an opening. Yet, Veylocinos¡¯ dynamic attacks provided little opportunity for a counterattack.

    No opening? Could that really be true?

    A curious thought made its way into Edgar¡¯s mind.

    The mobile assault arms were designed to function as additional arms. However, the pilot is still a mere human¡­ Could a single knight runner really be able to control that many arms alone?

    To Edgar¡¯s knowledge, such a feat was extremely difficult, and he knew of only a single madman who could pull off such intricate controls ¨C Ernesti.

    While it was certainly possible that Kerhild could match Eru in skill, there was a much simpler answer. Likely, the Veylocinos¡¯ arms function under the same principle as Edgar¡¯s mobile armor, relying on a few predetermined patterns and the knight runner to select the pattern that best fit the situation.

    Edgar carefully observed Veylocinos for any patterns while maintaining his defense. With his prior experience in the development of mobile armor, Edgar did not take long to catch a few patterns. With an understanding of the patterns, Edgar was able to effortlessly defend against the repeated lunges.

    ¡°This bastard¡­ Has he seen though the mobile assault arms in such a short period of time?!¡±

    Seeing Erledyradcumber¡¯s smooth movements, Kerhild broke in cold sweat.

    ¡°He is dangerous¡­ Despite getting bombarded by my ferocious attacks, he was still able to remain calm. Certainly, I had always felt him to be a problematic bastard from back then¡­¡±

    From experience, Kerhild knew the white Silhouette Knight tend to lean heavily on defense, only to counterattack when an opening was discovered. Even in the previous encounter, he was able to cut away the stolen Tellestarle¡¯s arm ¨C a failure Kerhild had little interest in repeating. As such, Kerhild decided that rather than playing into Erledyradcumber¡¯s defenses, it was more prudent to create some distance.

    ¡°My moves have been completely analyzed, so repeating the same attacks would serve little purpose. Not to mention, I am also worried about my mana reserves¡­¡±

    Compared to the melee-oriented Erledyradcumber, Veylocinos has greater mana expenditure, and would certainly be the first of the two to run out in a prolonged battle.

    Before Kerhild could put her plans into actions, Erledyradcumber went into the offensive. Shifting away the mobile armor, Erledyradcumber unleashed a hail of shots at Veylocinos. However, Kerhild immediately responded to the attack. With a lowered posture, Veylocinos broke into a full dash. The mobile assault arms did not stay idle, and with carefully timed stabs into the ground below, propelled Veylocinos to an even greater speed.

    ¡°Hehehe! You should let a girl rest after such a steamy exchange. How brutish of you~¡±

    ¡°What an annoying trick!¡±

    At the approaching Veylocinos, Edgar expanded the mobile armor into a full defense shell. Yet, instead of a direct attack, Veylocinos launched itself into the air with its many ¡®legs¡¯ and landed immediately behind the bracing Erledyradcumber.

    ¡°Ahaha! What a fool! You think my Veylocinos is the same as those run-of-the-mill Silhouette Knights?!¡±

    Having circled around the front, Veylocinos charged at the back of Erledyradcumber with its dagger in hand. Kerhild knew her trick would likely not work for a second time, and was fully intent on ending the combat with this blow.

    On the other hand, Erledyradcumber was put in a disadvantageous position with Veylocinos¡¯ daring maneuver, and knowing Veylocinos¡¯ greater agility, decided to take an incredible gamble.

    The mobile armor opened up like a pair of steel wings and collided with the mobile assault arms. Despite the collision, Veylocinos showed no signs of slowing down. With a dagger in hand, Kerhild accurately aimed for a gap between the plates to deal the fatal blow to Erledyradcumber.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over! Erledyradcumber! Show her¡­ your power!!¡±

    Edgar immediately opened the control panel, and began pressing the buttons inside. By activating the emergency bypass, Edgar was able to ¡®release¡¯ certain spells, and soon, the ¡®Fortification¡¯ was shut down.

    Without ¡®Fortification¡¯, the mobile armor no longer had any means to hold it together, and soon fragmented. With the mobile armor dissipated, the mobile assault arms were once again free to resume its lunge.

    On the other hand, the sudden release from heavy armor allowed Erledyradcumber to quickly turn around, forcing Veylocinos to barely miss its mark.

    ¡°Bastard! Why won¡¯t you just die!!¡±

    Knowing her strike had failed, Kerhild tried to make some distance between her and Erledyradcumber. However, Erledyradcumber, now without the burden of its heavy armors, was able to barely keep pace.

    With its buckler as a bludgeon, Erledyradcumber swung down hard on the head of Veylocinos, smashing it into pieces. Deprived of its vision, and littered with broken fragments of armor, Veylocinos wobbled from the lack of balance.

    ¡°Y-you bastard! What have you done!!¡±

    With the light taken out of her monitor, Kerhild angrily lashed out at her attacker with mobile assault arms. Given Erledyradcumber¡¯s lack of armor and close proximity, Kerhild was not hindered by the lack of vision, and only needed to attack in the general direction of the previous attack.

    Despite the incoming lunges, Erledyradcumber pressed ahead with a sword in hand. The attacks shaved and cut away at the arms and legs, but Erledyradcumber remained steadfast in its charge. The disabled Veylocinos had no way to anticipate or dodge the fateful blow, which plunged deep into its chest, bringing with it the screech of metal. Ironically, it was an exact opposite of the duel between Earlecumber and the stolen Tellestarle.

    ¡°Veylocinos¡­! W-why? How could I¡­! Darn it¡­¡±

    The attack had destroyed the air intake valve, and the sound of broken parts rubbing against one another echoed in the cockpit. Kerhild knew that she had lost.

    With the mana supply cut off, Veylocinos had no chance of moving. With a large click of her tongue, Kerhild quickly turned to opening the frontal hatch and leapt out, without a single concern for the height of the drop. Kerhild needed to get away while the enemy remained focused on Veylocinos. Without taking a glance back, Kerhild prepared her escape.

    However, to her surprise, the destroyed Veylocinos was tossed before her, blocking her path. As Kerhild waved away the dust, she came face to face with a beaten and battered Erledyradcumber. No matter how nimble Kerhild was, escaping from the focus of a Silhouette Knight was simply too much.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ Hey, are you serious? A noble knight like you won¡¯t attack an unarmed human with a Silhouette Knight, right?¡±

    Even when pushed into a corner, Kerhild still sought for a chance of survival. She tried to appeal to the sense of chivalry, and hoped to be spared. However, her hopes fell on deaf ears as Erledyradcumber raised its sword high.

    ¡°I have said it before, there is still the matter of the ¡®debt¡¯. This war began with that stolen Tellestarle¡­ Since I wasn¡¯t able to prevent it then, let me at least end it now!¡±

    Before Kerhild could react, the massive steel sword came down upon her with all the power the strand crystal could give.

    ¡°Aaah!! Nooo!¡±

    As the earth split from the impact, dusts and rocks flew up into the sky. By the time everything had settled, not even blood remained. Such was the fate of a human to receive the attack of a Silhouette Knight.

    Erledyradcumber paused for a moment, before straightening up and turning to the front.

    ¡°¡­The nemesis of the Silver Phoenix Knights has been taken care of. Stay safe, everyone.¡±

    With its battered body, Erledyradcumber pushed itself onward. During the time Edgar was in combat with Veylocinos, Death Sword was rampaging at the Kuschepercan Headquarters. With his past grudges resolved, Edgar dashed to the aid of his friends.

 Book 5: Chapter 46: The Dragonâ€™s Resolve

    The New Kuschepercan army finally seized the initiative in the Siege of the Tetraspides Fortresses.

    The Silhouette Gears wonderfully broke through the impregnable fortresses, and, by dropping the drawbridge, the Kuschepercans now gained a foothold. With newfound vigor, the Kuschepercans took the opportunity to press their advantage. As long as the Tetraspides Fortresses fell to New Kuscheperca, the old capital, Delvincourt, would be within arm¡¯s reach.

    Faced with the disadvantage, the ?aloudekians did not wish to just meekly wait for their demise. With Gustav at their lead, the Jade Dragon Knights launched a daring sortie against the Kuschepercan field headquarters. Their target was the King¡¯s Mount and the Queen within. Opposite to the Jade Dragon Knights stood the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ second company, tasked with the Queen¡¯s defense.

    ¡°Charge!! Break through their advance! As long as we take the head of the Queen, victory will be ours!!¡±

    The ground rumbled loudly as dust shrouded the air. The black knights continued their relentless charge in their armored formation, like a boulder rolling down a hill, smashing all that dared to stand in their way.

    On the other end, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ second company stood at the ready. Despite the heavily armored black knights that could plow away the Karrdatolles with ease, the second company remained steadfast in their approach.

    The Karrdatolles began the battle with a salvo of their Silhouette Arms as they closed the distance. The focus of their barrage was the upper half of the black knights, with the hope to destroy the Tyrantors¡¯ heads and disable their vision. However, the Tyrantors simply raised their shields in defense and easily resisted the shots that rained down upon them.

    ¡°Do not underestimate the black knight¡¯s armor! This level of bombardment is impotent before us!¡±

    With their enemies before their eyes, the black knights steadied their charge. Like a hammer of destruction, the black knights were poised to plow through the lightly armored Karrdatolles, smashing them to dust. However, the agile Karrdatolles avoided the brunt of the impact and, with gentle sidesteps, let the black knights flow through their ranks.

    The Jade Dragon Knights wanted to change course and engage the Karrdatolles, but their momentum precluded them from any immediate response. Understandably, with the sheer momentum of the charge, it was only expected that the Karrdatolles would choose to avoid. The Jade Dragon Knights knew that a dodge was likely, but the hail of shots dulled their senses and obscured their view.

    With the Karrdatolles¡¯ timely maneuver, the second company was now optimally wedged against the side of the Tyrantor formation. Taking advantage of the opportune development, the Karrdatolles launched a devastating counterattack on the Tyrantors¡¯ flanks with their dual-wielded swords.

    Karrdatolles were built with the superior strength of the ¡®eastern models¡¯ and with large slabs of thick steel in the vague shape of a sword, that seemed to pummel more than it slash, cut deep into the armored Tyrantors. Shards of strand crystal and armor were scattered with every blow, and, with the crippling damage to their frames, the heavy Tyrantors began to wobble from the loss of balance.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Bastards! Why? Why would you dare to fight the Tyrantors frontally! Do you not realize a single Tyrantor blow would smash you to pieces?!¡±

    The Tyrantors¡¯ knight runners were flabbergasted at the recklessness of the second company. To attack an enemy that could easily destroy them with a single blow, no sane person would take up on the task.

    ¡°A single blow? That is just a normal day with the demon beasts! How could we possibly call ourselves knight runners if we are afraid of something like that?¡± The Karrdatolle¡¯s knight runner replied.

    Certainly, no one present could point out that even among the Fremmeviran knights, few could match the second company in ferocity. Under the unrelenting attacks, the black knights were being slowly forced back and crushed. Furthermore, having their unstoppable advance turned back had thrown the Jade Dragon Knights into disarray.

    Tyrantors were built with a focus on the overwhelming power in their strikes. This concept had worked to their advantage against the Kuschepercans, but had revealed a critical flaw in the melee against the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ second company. The overt focus on power had led Tyrantors to neglect their agility, with the powerful but unwieldy hammer as an exemplary result of the doctrine. In combat against the Kuschepercans, Tyrantors would use their superior armor to shrug off blows and then counterattack in force. However, against the powerful Karrdatolles, their armor could no longer be relied upon.

    Unlike the stopgap Silhouette Knights used by the Kuschepercans, Karrdatolles were able to pierce through Tyrantor¡¯s armor with their large swords and cut deep into the strand crystals underneath. With a lateral slash inside the Tyrantors¡¯ soft interior, the strand crystal structure would become irreversibly damaged, and, with the loss of structural integrity, the Tyrantors would be open to further attacks. In this vicious cycle of attacks, it was only a matter of time before the Tyrantors fell to the Karrdatolles.

    Under the ferocious attacks, the second company steadily shaved away at the numbers of Tyrantors.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Hahaha! This is certainly problematic. Losing the longsword has turned into quite the handicap for me. This fellow is not going to be defeated by a mere backup sword.¡±

    The battle between Emrys and Gustav was tilted in favor of Death Sword. Gordesleo had endured countless blows, with clear signs of damage sewn all across its armor. If Eru had not designed Gordesleo with improved defense, Emrys would surely have perished under Death Sword¡¯s powerful strikes.

    ¡°Ha! What happened to all that spirit earlier? You can¡¯t seem to mount a counterattack at all. If my blow was a little bit heavier, you would have already been finished!¡± Faced with Gordesleo¡¯s pitiful appearance, Gustav scoffed with a condescending remark.

    ¡°Hmph! Dream on. Gordesleo and I will not be defeated that easily!¡± Emrys shot back at Gustav.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind a bit of bluff, but you clearly cannot back that statement up in your current state.¡±

    Emrys remained steadfast against the overwhelming odds. However, he knew very well that the longer he drew the battle out, the less the chance for his victory, especially with Gordesleo¡¯s mounting injuries.

    No, I still have a chance. As long as I can find an opening to use ¡®Blast Howling¡¯!

    Gordesleo¡¯s secret trump card, Blast Howling, was an attack strong enough to wipe out a company-class demon beast. Therefore, no Silhouette Knight who received such a powerful shot could survive. However, the powerful attack required time to charge, time that Gordesleo desperately lacked under Death Sword¡¯s relentless strikes. At that moment, Emrys could only hope for an ally to capture the attention of Death Sword, long enough for the opportunity to present itself.

    ¡°Hey, are you underestimating me? I¡¯ll teach you to let your mind wander while fighting me!¡±

    In the moment of thought, Emrys revealed a small crack in his defense. Before Emrys could cover the weakness, Death Sword has already moved to attack.

    ¡°Ugh, another one of those absurd moves!¡±

    Emrys has only fallen behind by just half a beat, but was pressed into the corner by the aggressive Death Sword. Taking aim at the critical joints, Death Sword sought to cripple Gordesleo and break through the deadlock. Emrys barely managed to parry one of the swords before the other swung down hard on Gordesleo.

    ¡°You know, swords are not the only weapon in the world!¡±

    Gordesleo clenched its left hand into a fist and blocked the second sword with its arm. Upon impact, shards of crystal and metal scattered to the wind. It was a move of desperation that would surely not last a second time.

    ¡°Oh? Not bad, but now you are done for!¡±

    Hearing Gustav¡¯s loud declaration, Emrys could only grit his teeth. Certainly, he had to sacrifice his armor to endure through the attack, but the fight was far from over. With a twist of his body, Death Sword carried through the momentum of his attack and quickly launched a third blow. By now, Gordesleo was completely spent and could no longer defend against the impending strike.

    Just moments before the strike, a unit flew between Death Sword and Gordesleo and, with an unsuspecting shot, broke Death Sword¡¯s longsword mid-swing. The surprised Gustav quickly leapt back as he drew a replacement from Death Sword¡¯s impressive arsenal.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cut into another¡¯s fight!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! So what? This was my intention all along! But aren¡¯t you a slow one, Edgar! The battle over here had heated up for quite some time already!¡±

    Seeing the new arrival, Emrys could not hold in his excitement.

    ¡°Apologies, young master. I had an appointment with an old ¡®acquaintance¡¯ that I could ill afford to miss.¡± Edgar responded in the battered Erledyradcumber, holding a Silhouette Arm in hand still glowing faintly from the recent shot.

    ¡°Haa¡­! To think after all that boasting, Copper Fang was done in so easily. Regardless, I give you praise for your victory, but I hope you aren¡¯t seriously thinking about challenging me with that piece of scrap!¡±

    Gustav was not wrong with his statements. Erledyradcumber¡¯s damage was not any less than that sustained by Gordesleo. Its characteristic mobile armor was lost, and its once beautiful white armor was now dotted with holes. Even the Silhouette Arm was torn from a dysfunctional sub-arm and barely made to work.

    ¡°Do not underestimate me. As long as Erledyradcumber could move, it would be sufficient.¡±

    ¡°Seriously! It seems the fools have multiplied!¡±

    ¡°¡­Or so you think. With my arrival, our tactical options have also multiplied!¡±

    Edgar¡¯s boasts were not without basis.

    While he kept the attention of Gustav, Gordesleo has been silently circling around to Death Sword¡¯s rear, poising to sandwich Death Sword between the two. It was a simple but effective maneuver, as no matter how brilliant a pilot, Gustav would be hard-pressed to defend against attacks from opposite sides.

    ¡°Not to mention, you think we are your only opponents? Look around you. Gaze upon the remains of your subordinates while you indulged in your fight!¡± Edgar raised his sword and pointed to the surroundings.

    Gustav was alerted by Edgar¡¯s words and quickly scanned around. Many of the original formation of black knights that had followed his charge were left disabled on the ground, a clear reflection of the ferocious second company. Only a few straggling black knights continued to fight.

    ¡°Fools! How dare you do that to my men! I see that you half-dead bastards are getting a bit full of yourselves! In that case, let me bury you with your pieces of scrap!!¡±

    Before Death Sword could act, Erledyradcumber took the initiative and swung its sword at Death Sword. At the same time, Emrys launched an attack from the opposite side. Despite the injuries sustained by Erledyradcumber and Gordesleo, Gustav would still have a hard time responding to a simultaneous attack from opposite sides. However, contrary to expectations, Death Sword swung its weapons with maddening efficiency and repelled the pincer with ease.

    Having their offensive parried, Erledyradcumber and Gordesleo were put off-balance and could not defend against Death Sword¡¯s follow-up attack. With a short sword, Death Sword delivered critical strikes to their units.

    ¡°Heh, I think it¡¯s about time to wrap this up. Oooh!! ¡®Awaken, Death Sword¡¯!!¡± Gustav roared.

    In an instant, countless swords on Death Sword¡¯s back flew out of their sheaths and, with simplified sub-arms, were held at the ready. Gordesleo and Erledyradcumber were taken aback by Death Sword¡¯s sudden transformation.

    ¡°What the heck? Are you playing porcupine? How could you possibly fight like that?¡±

    ¡°This is perfect. I am no longer the parrying blade, but a powerful sword devoted to cutting you all down. Let your body experience my wrath!¡±

    It was the ramblings of a madman. For Gustav, the countless swords on Death Sword served not only as weapon, but also as armor. To abandon the ¡®sheath¡¯ meant that Death Sword was now wholly devoted to attack, unshackled to demonstrate its power as an avatar of destruction.

    ¡°Hiyaa!!¡±

    With an entire body covered with swords, Death Sword lunged itself toward Erledyradcumber. Erledyradcumber quickly readied its sword and shield to defend against the onslaught.

    Sparks flew as the two units clashed head-on. Under the flurry of strikes, Erledyradcumber was clearly being pressured. Before long, Death Sword broke through Erledyradcumber¡¯s defense and thrust itself into the chest. As shards of crystal flew, Erledyradcumber slowly crumbled onto the ground.

    ¡°Hahaha! And that¡¯s one! Now¡­ time for number two!¡± Gustav loudly declared.

    Without a care for his surroundings, Gustav swiftly turned to engage Gordesleo. At Death Sword¡¯s charge, Gordesleo reflexively shielded its vulnerable core with its arms. However, Death Sword had seen through its intentions and, using its countless swords, pushed Gordesleo aside. In a simple comparison of strength, the awakened Death Sword was greater, and, with Gordesleo¡¯s balance broken, Death Sword launched a critical strike at that opening. To avoid being skewered, Gordesleo punched at the approaching blade, but was blown back by the sheer impact.

    With the two units brought down in quick succession, Death Sword proudly stood as the air intake valves roared to feed the voracious reactor.

    ¡°¡­That little act drained a surprising amount of mana.¡±

    Following Gustav¡¯s specifications, the ¡®Awakening¡¯ would unleash powerful offensive capabilities at the cost of increased mana consumption. With a complicated smile, Gustav activated the Ether Supplier. As Ethelite was broken down to its constituent parts and converted to concentrated Ether, Death Sword recovered its usual vigor.

    ¡°Hehehe, thanks to you two, I have finally gotten around to needing this little toy. Therefore, I bid you to sleep soundly, knowing you had pushed me to such lengths!¡±

    With that said, Death Sword leapt toward the wobbling Erledyradcumber with the clear intent to finish it off. The critically damaged Erledyradcumber was no different from a living target and meekly stood there as Death Sword approached. As the sword on its back rattled, Death Sword swooped at Erledyradcumber.

    Given the damage it sustained, Erledyradcumber would not survive a direct attack from Death Sword, and the only way to avoid destruction was to dodge. As such, Gustav was fully prepared for any suspicious movements that would bring Erledyradcumber out of harm¡¯s way.

    However, Edgar remained steadfast at the approaching Death Sword and, rather than displaying any intent to dodge, stepped forward to receive the strike. Despite Erledyradcumber¡¯s inexplicable actions, Gustav remained on course, since Gustav knew full well that there was little Erledyradcumber could do to reverse Death Sword¡¯s overwhelming power.

    ¡°¡­Erledyradcumber, let¡¯s do this!¡±

    Moments before impact, Erledyradcumber stretched out its fist to intercept the sword strike. As Death Sword sunk its swords deep into Erledyradcumber, shards of metal and crystal scattered from where the strand crystals were torn asunder.

    ¡°Hahaha! Now you won¡¯t even be able to hold a sword! Since you are so eager to die, let me fulfill your wish¡­?!¡±

    Before Gustav could finish, Erledyradcumber pushed forward and, in doing so, lodged more of Death Sword¡¯s swords into its wounded body.

    At that moment, Gustav noticed that despite the crippling injuries it had received, Erledyradcumber had perfectly preserved the cockpit from harm, and he soon realized it had been Edgar¡¯s intention to sacrifice Erledyradcumber to pin Death Sword in place.

    ¡°¡­Finally stopped you from prancing around. Are you ready? It¡¯s time of your reckoning!¡±

    ¡°Lies! What could you possibly do in that state of yours? It won¡¯t take long for me to break out, and when I do¡­¡± Gustav suddenly stopped halfway and turned to look behind him.

    Certainly, Erledyradcumber wasn¡¯t the only enemy he had to worry about.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we are not fighting alone.¡± Emrys declared.

    During the exchange with the white knight, Gordesleo had long stood up and, under the control of Emrys, revealed the hidden magic devices tucked underneath the golden armor. As mana surged into the activated scripts, the magic devices began to hum with energy.

    ¡°That bastard¡­ has a hidden weapon?! Darn it! Let go, you madman! Are you planning to take me to the graves with you?!¡±

    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Gustav began to struggle frantically to break free from Erledyradcumber¡¯s grip. On the other hand, Erledyradcumber slowly turned the panicked Death Sword toward the charging blast.

    ¡°Taste Gordesleo¡¯s greatest attack! ¡®Blast Howling¡¯!!¡±

    The magic devices all activated at the same time as Gordesleo unleashed ¡®Blast Howling¡¯, a form of wind magic. The magic concentrated and pressurized the nearby air, refracting even the light. In a sudden burst, the blast tore through the air as it washed over Death Sword and Erledyradcumber. With all its mana spent, Gordesleo slowly collapsed onto the ground after the magnificent display of might.

    Across from Gordesleo, Death Sword and Erledyradcumber were both caught in the blast wave and tossed helplessly into the air before crashing into the ground. Covered from head to toe with broken swords, Death Sword rolled on the ground before coming to a motionless stop. The concentrated ether leaked out from between the armor plating, creating a cacophony of color as it sprayed into the surrounding air. Having received the brunt of ¡®Blast Howling¡¯, Death Sword had been dealt catastrophic damage, with both its air intake valves and Ether Supplier irrecoverably destroyed.

    Behind Death Sword, Erledyradcumber also lay motionless on the ground. As its mangled chest armor was forced open, Edgar peered out through the cockpit door.

    ¡°I have no intention to accompany someone as obnoxious as you in death, but that was quite the gamble.¡±

    Moments before the impact, Edgar had forcibly pulled Death Sword in front of him as a human shield to keep Erledyradcumber from the brunt of the blast. As such, he was able to escape complete destruction. However, despite their best efforts, Erledyradcumber still ended up with crippling injuries, with its limbs completely immobilized by the force of the blast.

    ¡°Hey, Edgar, good to see that you are still alive! Even though we timed our opportunity perfectly, I was still anxious when we carried it out.¡±

    At that moment, Emrys climbed out from the battered Gordesleo in a similar manner as Edgar. With a bright smile plastered across his face, Emrys raised his arms toward the sky in triumph.

    ¡°Honestly, it was quite close. Young master, your control of ¡®Blast Howling¡¯ is terrific.¡±

    Edgar had seen the full power of ¡®Blast Howling¡¯ during its testing. If Emrys had unleashed ¡®Blast Howling¡¯ in full, Edgar would surely have perished alongside Death Sword. As such, Edgar was certain Emrys held back out of consideration for his survival.

    ¡°Ahaha, really? That was probably because of the lack of magic-¡­ I mean, aren¡¯t I awesome?!¡± Emrys nervously replied and turned his gaze away from Edgar.

    ¡°Y-young master?¡±

    Emrys¡¯ slip of tongue made the two share a nervous laugh together.

    ¡°Haa~ Looks like I have lost again.¡±

    Surprisingly, Gustav also survived the blast. Thanks to Gordesleo¡¯s lack of mana, the well-built royal-exclusive model was able to shield him from harm.

    Gustav tried to fiddle with the controls, but to no avail. He could only gaze helplessly as the display slowly faded to black from the loss of power. With Death Sword¡¯s eyes fixed squarely at the Flying Dragon that cast a plume of flame across the sky, Gustav opened a communication channel.

    ¡°Sorry, old man¡­ looks like this is as far as I¡¯ll go.¡± Gustav lamented.

    With the defeat of the ?aloudekian sortie led by Death Sword, the Tetraspides Fortresses¡¯ defense was sure to crumble. The only one left to defend Kingdom of ?aloudek was the Flying Dragon.

    ¡°¡­ I shall leave the rest to you, old man. Please avenge us.¡±

    With the last of the message sent, Gustav descended into silence. With all the haphazard modifications made to the unit, Death Sword could not hold its structure together with the loss of its mana supply. As Death Sword¡¯s ember of life slowly burned out, Gustav sat silently in the darkness.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Flying Dragon appeared to fly drunkenly through the sky. Rather than mechanical failure, it was a dance brought about by the desire to throw off a particular Silhouette Knight latched onto its tail.

    Ikaruga slowly moved toward the body of the Dragon, firmly anchored to the structure by the repeated launch and retraction of Rahu¡¯s Fists. Certainly, given the Dragon¡¯s chaotic movements, Ikaruga would not be able to advance with such leisure if it was not tethered down like a mountain climber.

    Soon, Ikaruga made its way to the trunk of the Dragon. With its body fastened onto the surface, Ikaruga raised its Sword Cannon.

    ¡°The massive weapon made possible by combining Levitate Ship with Silhouette Knights¡­ its combat potential is certainly stunning. However, in the end, it is just a single unit, and, as such, weaknesses could easily be found. As long as I am tethered down like this, it is impossible to shake me off.¡± Eru gazed upon the back of the Flying Dragon Battleship affectionately, ¡°Weapons created by the hands of men have always sought greater destructive capability. However, to equate size with power is, for lack of better words, simply tasteless.¡±

    With a few simple commands, the Sword Cannon held by Ikaruga¡¯s many arms began to glow.

    ¡°In the end, I still find humanoid weapons to be the best. In its perfected form, humanoid weapons are an effective amplification of the human body. I am very fortunate to have arrived in a world where that wonderful principle has existed since time immemorial, so how could you carry on such blasphemous thoughts? Even if you obstinately pursued a large weapons platform, it should still be as mere support to Silhouette Knights. Either way, I think it is about time for our battle to end and for you to be laid to rest.¡±

    Ikaruga stood on the Dragon, where the Lightning Curtain could not reach. Tethered together with its target, Ikaruga could not possibly miss. As it turned all the Sword Cannon on the Dragon, Ikaruga unleashed a hail of shots.

    ¡°Hahaha! Taste this!¡± As if announcing the climax of the battle, Eru let out a devious laugh.

    As the barrage punched through the layers of armor, the Flying Dragon twisted as fire bellowed out from its interior. Some of the shots pierced all the way to the helm of the ship, where Doroteo and the others sat in command of the ship.

    All around him, the reinforced structure began to disintegrate, as pieces of the Dragon fell toward the ground below. Faced with the crippling strike, the massive Flying Dragon shook violently as it was forced to change direction. However, despite the explosions, the experienced Doroteo maintained his tight grip on the controls.

    ¡°No, it cannot be¡­ How can anything surpass the power of the Flying Dragon so easily?!¡± Doroteo cried out loudly with bloodshot eyes.

    Enduring the terrifying bombardment, Doroteo and his subordinates were fraught with anxiety. In his worry, Doroteo once again tried to dislodge the Demon God from the surface of the Dragon with a vigorous swing. It was likely a fruitless endeavor, but with Demon God tightly latched onto its body, Doroteo was left with few tactical options. With most of its Anculosas disabled, the Flying Dragon could no longer hope to screen the Demon God away with shots.

    ¡°Oh? Still trying to throw me off? You should know that trick won¡¯t work a second time.¡±

    Feeling the sudden shift in balance, Eru immediately added a few more Rahu¡¯s Fists to strengthen its anchor. With four fists tightly gripping the Dragon¡¯s body, Ikaruga would not be so easily thrown off.

    Before his eyes, Eru could see the rapidly rotating landscape. As the wave of centrifugal force washed over Ikaruga, Eru gritted his teeth and endured through the crushing g-force.

    ¡°B-before you can get your way, I shall make you¡­ stop!¡±

    Ikaruga stabbed its Sword Cannons into the deck and forced shots directly into the interior of the Flying Dragon. Despite repeatedly missing the Etheric Levitator, Eru was able to inflict crippling damage to the internal frame and shaved off pieces of crystal and steel. As the damage slowly mounted, the Flying Dragon could no longer risk any aggressive maneuvers and resolved to meekly fly through the sky.

    ¡°W-why?! Why is this happening?! Why can¡¯t we win against a mere Silhouette Knight?!¡±

    Doroteo¡¯s common sense screamed out against the abnormal development. The Flying Dragon and Ikaruga were like a pair of twins, both born far ahead of its time. Based on the most advanced theories and honed by passion that bordered madness, the opposing pair was heralds of their type.

    On one hand, Flying Dragon was the synthesis of its many Silhouette Knights. As a crystallization of teamwork, it subsumed the output of an entire squad to a single will and granted the Flying Dragon with unimaginable power.

    On the other hand, Ikaruga relied on the existence of Eru. Aside from its powerful twin reactors, Ikaruga¡¯s greatest potential lay within Eru¡¯s unique ability to assume ¡®direct command¡¯ of its scripts, through which every one of Eru¡¯s thoughts could be translated into action and allowing him to act as one with his unit.

    In contrast to the Flying Dragon¡¯s emphasis on quantity, Eru demonstrated the pinnacle of quality Silhouette Knight operation. It was the product of a madness not native to their world and, without Eru, would likely never have come to existence.

    ¡°Darn it. This is not over!!¡±

    Doroteo shook away the fear that had gripped him and, with all his will, regained control of the Dragon.

    With a blast of flame, the Flying Dragon accelerated through the sky while resuming its vigorous maneuvers. Despite the crippling injuries, Doroteo knew the Dragon would not last if they could not find a way to dislodge the Demon God on its back. At the risk of spontaneous destruction, the Flying Dragon increased its violent thrashing.

    Doroteo and the entire crew gritted their teeth as the loud groaning and creaking of the Flying Dragon entered their ears. At the same time, they remained steadfast as their bodies were assaulted by the incredible force generated by the Dragon¡¯s twist and turns.

    ¡°The Demon God will not take this lying down¡­ we must find a way to win before its retaliation!¡±

    The Demon God was likely debilitated by the same severe forces. However, even if they managed to temporarily disable the Demon God, the Demon God was certain to restart its rampage once the Flying Dragon stopped.

    While struggling to find their hope of victory, Doroteo was soon presented with a new problem.

    ¡°¡­Oh no!¡±

    A single Levitate Ship came to view. It was not a ship flying ?aloudekian colors, but the companion to the Death God. It was the Aerial Assault Ship.

    ¡°Not only the Demon God, but that Levitate Ship as well¡­ even for the Flying Dragon¡­¡±

    Doroteo had a terrible premonition. With the arrival of a new enemy, the Flying Dragon¡¯s Etheric Levitator was certain to be destroyed, and the Dragon would crash onto the ground below. Doroteo could almost sense death looming nearby, waiting for its eventual feast.

    The Flying Dragon was built with incredible dexterity with its countless joints sewn together with strand crystal. It swiftly turned in place, revealing its flank to the approaching Aerial Assault Ship. Despite losing all its Anculosas at the helm, the Flying Dragon still had a functioning contingent of Anculosas at the lower deck. With line of sight clear, the Anculosas unleashed a hail of shots toward the Aerial Assault Ship.

    As the shots landed on the approaching ship, the Aerial Assault Ship slowed down its advance, providing the Flying Dragon with valuable time.

    ¡°Our Dragon¡¯s life is at its end. I hate to admit it, but the Demon God had won.¡± Doroteo muttered to himself.

    The Flying Dragon could not reply to Doroteo, but the creaking sound from the damaged frame sounded almost like a pained cry. The Flying Dragon had had half of its Anculosas taken out by Javelins, its powerful claws severed, and its proud flames proved useless. Even if the Flying Dragon still had the mana output to maintain the fight, it no longer had a weapon to counter the Demon God, not to mention the Aerial Assault Ship prowling in the distance.

    Heralded as the vanguard of the sky, Levitate Ships were the world¡¯s first viable combat airships. Among which, the Flying Dragon, designed as a powerful counter to the anti-air javelins, was in a class all by itself. With powerful claws that could cleave Silhouette Knights with ease, and a flame that consumed all that dared to stand before it, the Flying Dragon was destined to dominate the skies.

    In their era, the Flying Dragon Battleship was indisputably a technological marvel and should have reigned over the skies for decades to come¡­ that is, if it weren¡¯t for the existence of the Demon God.

    ¡°However, I will not meekly hand you your victory. If we simply give up, how could we face the valiant ?aloudekian army fighting below?¡±

    Hearing Doroteo¡¯s words, gasps were heard through the numerous voicepipes. Certainly, the moment the Flying Dragon fell, the Demon God would be free to descend upon the ?aloudekian army below. In the minds of the surviving crew, nothing in existence could stand against the Demon God, and the ?aloudekian army was sure to perish alongside the Flying Dragon.

    The guardian dragon was the protector of the Kingdom of ?aloudek. The weapon of immense power was now littered with injuries and only moments away from certain destruction. If the ?aloudekian army were to suffer a crushing defeat, even Princess Catalina was sure to perish in the ensuing chaos.

    Despite the hopelessness of the situation, Doroteo could not let such misfortune befall upon the ones he wished to protect and, with all his remaining will, steeled his resolve.

    ¡°We cannot simply give up. If we do, how could we face the late Prince Crist¨®bal¡­ and Princess Catalina? Even if we are to perish, let us strike at the heart of the Kuschepercans! Alert the signalers and let them announce our resolve!!¡±

    With the flashes of light, the crew aboard the Flying Dragon transmitted their resolve to the ?aloudekian army below.

    ¡°I, Doroteo Mardones, will not let our death be meaningless!¡±

    With words that bordered insanity, Doroteo channeled all the remaining energy to propulsion, and the Flying Dragon began to accelerate at an incredible pace. It no longer tried to dislodge the Demon God latched onto its back, nor worried about the frame that was slowly coming apart. The Flying Dragon simply accelerated and descended.

    Even Eru could do little but endure the sudden acceleration. With crushing g-forces pressing down upon him, Eru could not help but be baffled by the Dragon¡¯s decision to ignore his presence.

    ¡°It would have no chance at victory or escape if it could not throw Ikaruga off its back. So what is it up to-¡­ Ah!¡±

    As Eru gazed ahead, the Flying Dragon¡¯s intentions were slowly becoming clear, and, for the first time since the start of the battle, Eru revealed a complicated expression. At the end of its acceleration was a massive Kuschepercan standard ¨C the Kuschepercan field headquarters.

    ¡°The Queen! As long as we take out the Queen, the rebels will lose their cause! This way, even if the Dragon is to perish, the Kingdom of ?aloudek will survive!!¡± Doroteo loudly declared.

    With all its remaining mana, the Flying Dragon pushed its flame propulsion to the limits. Shards of metal and crystal continued to chip off from the surface, and the Dragon seemed to be barely held together. Doroteo neither cared to activate the claw nor the dragonbreath and, with a singular will, sought to use the crippled Dragon¡¯s body for its final strike. His intent was to turn the smoldering wreck into a hammer of judgment to be brought upon on the Kuschepercan field headquarters. As such, Doroteo continued his advance without a concern.

    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t let you!!¡±

    Certainly, Eru would not stay idly by.

    Despite the limited time, Eru deemed Ikaruga¡¯s destructive capability to be sufficient to bring the Flying Dragon Battleship down. With its frame reinforced with magic to resist the crushing forces, Ikaruga aimed its Sword Cannons at the center of the ship. As long as Ikaruga could destroy the Etheric Levitator, the Flying Dragon would prematurely crash into the ground.

    Moments before Eru commenced his bombardment, a single shot flew toward Ikaruga. With ease, Ikaruga deflected the shot aimed at its torso.

    ¡°Seriously, why continue this pointless struggle?¡±

    The statue of the Dragon Knight fired the shot. Despite the crushing acceleration, Doroteo was still able to accurately aim the shot at Ikaruga, a clear reflection of his skill as a knight runner.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ accursed Demon God, while I could not defeat you, I will not let you torment my people! In our remaining time together, I hope you will keep me company and not interfere with our resolve.¡±

    The Dragon Knight unloaded shot after shot on the Demon God. While all of the shots were harmlessly deflected, Doroteo did not seem to mind, as his objective was to keep the Demon God occupied from interfering. On the other hand, Ikaruga could not bear Doroteo¡¯s delaying tactics with time slowly ticking away.

    ¡°Seriously, why won¡¯t you just die quietly! Don¡¯t think you could keep Ikaruga occupied by something as petty as this!¡±

    While blocking shots, Ikaruga steadied its stance with support from Rahu¡¯s Fists. With thrusters perpendicular to the Dragon, Ikaruga activated its propulsion. Fed by the mana from two massive reactors, the thrusters pushed strongly against the Flying Dragon, and it didn¡¯t take long for the Dragon to start shaking from the irreconcilable force.

    ¡°To think you would still find a way to obstruct us! However, if it¡¯s just shaking¡­¡±

    Doroteo could barely resist the massive force bearing down on the Flying Dragon from above, and the Dragon was becoming increasingly difficult to control. With his attention divided between firing at the Death God and piloting the Flying Dragon, Doroteo did his best to maintain the course.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    From the Kuschepercan field headquarters, the sight of an unsteady Flying Dragon soon came into view.

    ¡°Your Majesty, there! The F-Flying Dragon is falling!¡±

    The jubilance of the Guards was soon overtaken by horror. Certainly, the destruction of a powerful foe was worthy of celebration, but it was a different matter if the wreckage were to fall upon them. Even the crash of a standard Levitate Ship would cause massive damage to its surroundings, to say nothing of the catastrophic damage from the crash of the significantly larger Dragon. If by chance it were to land upon them, the Guards were certain to share the Dragon¡¯s fate.

    ¡°Is it planning to crash into us? Quickly, have the Queen moved to a safe location!¡±

    Although they had the intent, the Guards were unsure where they could possibly move the Queen to keep her safe. Other than the panicking Guards, Isadora, who sat behind Eleonora in Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus, also turned deadly pale at the approaching Dragon.

    ¡°Eleonora, what should we do? If we do not get away, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Where could we possibly go? At that speed, it is already too late for us to evade.¡±

    With how violently the Flying Dragon was shaking, it was impossible to predict where it would crash. Not to mention, they were unlikely to escape from the fast approaching Dragon with the limited mobility of Secundus.

    One thing was certain, Eleonora¡¯s designated knight was on the Levitate Ship chasing after the Flying Dragon.

    ¡°¡­I know you will definitely protect me. If even you could not stop the Dragon, I am certain nobody can.¡± With her hands clasped, Eleonora gazed upon the sky.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Open Ether valves! Do not overthink it! We should be good as long as we ram that bastard from the side! Thrusters to full, get that mana burning!¡±

    ¡°Boss, the thrusters are already operating at their maximum power!¡±

    Boss shouted loudly from the helm, with Batson tightly gripping the wheel. They were frantically trying to match the Flying Dragon in altitude while pumping all their available mana into the thrusters. Thanks to Ikaruga¡¯s efforts, the Flying Dragon Battleship was slowing down, allowing the Aerial Assault Ship to close the distance.

    ¡°Time to stop that bastard! Chid, let¡¯s do this!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I won¡¯t let it gets its way!¡±

    Within the two Tzendrinbles, the twins activated the Multiple Launch Javelin System. With their modified Javelins exhausted in the initial engagement, they only had standard Javelins at their disposal.

    The Javelins flew straight at the Flying Dragon. Occupied by the fight against Demon God and the control of the Flying Dragon, Doroteo did not have the spare capability to dodge the approaching Javelins.

    The target was quite large, so the Javelins had little problem finding their way onto the Flying Dragon and pierced into its body. Yet, despite sustaining a massive barrage of Javelins, the Flying Dragon showed little change in its course. Its well armored interior helped to mitigate the concentrated strike and prevented any crippling damage to its key components.

    ¡°H-how? It is not stopping! D-darn it!¡± Addy cried out in disbelief.

    The Flying Dragon remained staunchly on course for the Kuschepercan field headquarters, and time was quickly running out.

    ¡°J-just a little more! We have almost caught up! Is there any way¡­¡±

    The Aerial Assault Ship had finally caught up to the Flying Dragon Battleship, but the difference in speed between the two was negligible, so the Aerial Assault Ship was at a loss with what to do.

    ¡°On the Dragon¡¯s back¡­ It¡¯s Ikaruga!!¡±

    Chid noticed the pillars of flame on the Flying Dragon¡¯s back, and at its base was a lone Silhouette Knight parrying shot after shot. It didn¡¯t take long for Chid to understand what was happening; Ikaruga was using its thrusters to delay the Flying Dragon, while trying its best to derail the Dragon¡¯s plan.

    Chid suddenly had a thought. If he could defeat the enemy unit, Ikaruga would be free to unleash a barrage upon the Flying Dragon. More than anyone, Chid knew Ikaruga¡¯s terrifying firepower, and, as long as the deterrence was gone, the Flying Dragon would not last long under the concentrated bombardment. However, Chid had just recently fired all of the Javelins, and reloading would take too long.

    Looking around, Chid desperately tried to find a weapon that could reach the Flying Dragon, and, in his panic, his eyes fell upon a large lance nearby.

    ¡°Ahaha, I think I have a way, but I am going to be kicking myself later for this.¡± Chid jested as he let out a deep sigh.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Chid to commit to his plan. Chid immediately disconnected the tethers and slowly had the Tzendrinble stand up. Picking up the nearby lance, Chid dashed across the top deck of the Aerial Assault Ship.

    ¡°Hey, Chid? What are you doing?! If you leave, I won¡¯t be able to keep up the mana by myself!¡±

    ¡°Sorry! Please try holding on for now. I need to go smack that Dragon and make it slow down.¡±

    Chid¡¯s Tzendrinble lowered its stance as power gathered at its soles, and Addy immediately knew what Chid was planning.

    ¡°Oooh!!¡±

    Before Addy could protest, Tzendrinble took off and, with a loud roar, leapt from the edge of the deck. The distance between the two Ships was not far, and Tzendrinble was able to gently land on the back of the Dragon.

    ¡°W-who is it? Not that it matters. Anyone coming over from that Levitate Ship is certain to be an enemy. Either way, you will not get in the way of our plan!¡±

    The sudden arrival of an interloper surprised Doroteo, but it did not take long for Doroteo to regain his usual calm. Doroteo¡¯s plan was simple enough that there was no need for any hesitation. On the other hand, Eru was shocked by the unexpected reinforcement.

    ¡°Tzendrinble? Which one? Rather, why are you over here?¡±

    ¡°Is it not obvious? I am here to beat that bastard down! Eru, I will leave the rest to you¡­¡±

    With that said, Chid charged toward the Dragon Knight. At the charge, Doroteo had to respond and turned his shots on Chid. Under the hail of shots, Chid tried his best to block with his lance and shield. However, some shots easily sneaked through his defense and punched into Tzendrinble. Despite the mounting injuries, Chid was unfazed in his charge toward the Dragon Knight.

    ¡°Just a little more! Tzendrinble, let¡¯s do this!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way!!¡±

    The Dragon Knight could finally no longer divide its focus and unloaded all its remaining shots at the fast approaching Tzendrinble. However, it was already too late, and Tzendrinble¡¯s lance stabbed deep into the stationary Dragon Knight.

    ¡°D-darn it!¡±

    With a lance firmly lodged into the Dragon Knight¡¯s torso, the cockpit was completely pierced through. Inside, the half-crushed Doroteo looked at the lance in shock as he coughed up blood.

    ¡°Ugh, Y-Your Excellency¡­ Looks like I won¡¯t be a bearer of good news.¡± With that said, the famed Doroteo Mardones breathed his last.

    Having lost its will, the Flying Dragon began to slow down as the flame propulsion sputtered out.

    ¡°Oooh! The youngsters did it! It¡¯s our turn now, ram it!¡±

    Before Boss was able to finish his order, the Aerial Assault Ship had already turned to ram the Flying Dragon, pushing the Dragon away from its collision course.

    ¡°Ugh, how worrisome. I wonder how long we can keep this up with a single Tzendrinble¡­¡±

    As the Aerial Assault Ship hungrily consumed mana to feed its thrusters, the remaining Tzendrinble was clearly inadequate to keep up with the voracious demand. Addy looked on anxiously as the mana reserves were rapidly depleting, before a familiar shadow flew over.

    ¡°¡­Eru!¡±

    With the destruction of the Dragon Knight by Chid¡¯s powerful charge, Eru was quick to spring into action.

    ¡°Chid did say to leave the rest to me~¡±

    Landing on the Aerial Assault Ship, Ikaruga immediately shot out Rahu¡¯s Fists to reconnect itself to the silver nerves. Through the connections, Ikaruga began pumping massive amount of mana to supply the Aerial Assault Ship, instantly amplifying its acceleration.

    ¡°?aloudekian Dragon, it is time for you to scoot out of the way!¡±

    The Aerial Assault Ship pushed the Flying Dragon away from the Kuschepercan formation and turned it to the Tetraspides Fortresses. With Doroteo dead, there was no one left to command the Dragon, and the Dragon could only meekly bend to the will of Eru. As the two approached the Tetraspides Fortresses, Ikaruga raised its Sword Cannons for the last time and unleashed a terrifying bombardment.

    Ikaruga¡¯s shots tore through the trunk of the Flying Dragon. As the Flying Dragon became engulfed in flame, the structure slowly unraveled and the Anculosas were consumed by explosions, one after another. Even the Etheric Levitator was not spared from this fate, and, with its passing, the massive Flying Dragon began to fall toward the ground.

    ¡°Ah, it seemed the situation has turned a tad problematic.¡±

    Sitting in the cockpit of the Tzendrinble, Chid felt the shifting gravity as the Dragon plummeted toward the ground. With the lance still lodged in the Dragon Knight, Chid felt a tinge of regret for his reckless behavior. After all, Tzendrinble couldn¡¯t fly.

    As he savored his last moment before embracing the ground with the Dragon, Chid saw an approaching Silhouette Knight in the corner of his eye.

    ¡°Chid! Forget about the Silhouette Knight and jump over here!¡±

    Ikaruga flew over after delivering its final blow on the Flying Dragon and landed near Tzendrinble. At Eru¡¯s word, Chid leapt out from the cockpit without hesitation.

    As the strong winds washed over Chid, Ikaruga reached out with its hands.

    ¡°¡­Gotcha!¡±

    With Ikaruga¡¯s dexterous control of the thrusters, Eru managed to carefully catch Chid before he was blown away. Ikaruga then kicked off from the Dragon and returned to the air, before safely landing back on the Aerial Assault Ship.

    ¡°¡­Seriously, how reckless could you be?¡±

    Ikaruga opened its hands, and, from within, Chid emerged with an exhausted smile and mangled hair.

    ¡°It¡¯s not reckless! There just weren¡¯t many options available at the time. Either way, Eru, sorry for losing the Tzendrinble.¡±

    Behind Ikaruga, the flying dragon fell faster and faster without the support of the Etheric Levitator. The Tzendrinble still aboard would certainly not survive the impact with the ground below.

    At that moment, the cockpit of Ikaruga opened up, and Eru made his way next to Chid. There, Eru reached out with his hands and patted the exhausted Chid on the head.

    ¡°I am not angry at your efforts: it¡¯s just that what you did was quite dangerous, and I hope you will never do something like that in the future. As far as Tzendrinble is concerned, we can always build a second one. The important thing is that you are safe and sound.¡±

    With a loud explosion, the flying dragon smashed into the ground below.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    From inside the Tetraspides Fortresses, the remaining garrison stared in shock at the sky.

    Above them, the smoldering carcass of their guardian dragon fell ominously toward them. The ?aloudekian army was in a complete state of panic, but they had no time to run for cover as the massive fireball came crashing down on them.

    In a blazing inferno, the Flying Dragon smashed into the ground. Without the reinforcement magic to support its structure, the behemoth collapsed into itself in a smoldering wreck. On the other hand, the black knights caught in the blast shared the Dragon¡¯s fate. Despite Tyrantor¡¯s impressive defenses, all was for naught before the catastrophic explosion.

    With this, the Jade Dragon Knights held in reserve were sent to the afterlife alongside the Dragon.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    As the battle drew to an end, the Aerial Assault Ship turned off its propulsion and calmly floated in the skies above. At the top deck, a small shadow went up to Eru and Chid as they observed the fireworks below.

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s not fair that only Chid gets praised! Other people were working quite hard as well!!¡±

    Addy leapt out from inside the cockpit of the remaining Tzendrinble and, with a slight physical reinforcement magic to boost her up, joined Eru and Chid on Ikaruga¡¯s hand. The moment she arrived, Addy grabbed Eru and hugged him from behind. Only when Eru gave her a satisfactory pat did she release him.

    Soon, the rest of the jubilant crew came to join the trio on the deck. As the members of the Silver Phoenix knights celebrated their hard won victory, the Aerial Assault Ship made its way back to the Kuschepercan camp.

 Book 5: Chapter 47: Liberation of Delvincourt

    The destruction of the mighty Flying Dragon Battleship created a lull in the combat as many turned to watch the fiery spectacle. The Flying Dragon was not just any Levitate Ship. It existed both as the greatest threat to the Kuschepercans and the indisputable guardian of the ?aloudekians. As such, between the two, the death of the Dragon came as a greater shock for the ?aloudekians.

    On the Cauderlier Plains, where the sound of war died down, a clear voice ran out from the Kuschepercan Queen.

    ¡°Brave knights of Kuscheperca, now lies the greatest opportunity for us to reclaim the Tetraspides Fortresses once and for all!¡±

    Eleonora¡¯s declaration spread like wildfire among the Kuschepercan ranks, and, with their renewed vigor, they prepared for an assault on the panicked ?aloudekian army. After numerous close calls, the Kuschepercans had finally commanded a clear path to victory. With unshakable morale, the Kuschepercans readied their weapons.

    ¡°All forces, advance! Onward, to our capital!¡±

    With the King¡¯s Mount in the lead, the whole of the Kuschepercan army advanced on the ?aloudekian positions. The long stalemate between the two had finally broken as the advantage swung decidedly to the Kuschepercans. Unlike the Kuschepercans, who charged ahead with an unstoppable momentum, the ?aloudekians no longer had a capable commander to rally the despairing troops. One after another, the black knights fell to the Kuschepercan assault. One after another, the Levitate Ships high above were shot down by volleys of javelins. It was only a matter of time before the whole of the ?aloudekian army perished on the Cauderlier Plains.

    ¡°D-darn it¡­ S-sound the retreat! We have lost the day! Save your units for the next battle!!¡±

    The ?aloudekian army no longer had the stopping power, a large part due to the ?aloudekians having lost their strategic reserve alongside the death of the Flying Dragon. As the ?aloudekians started to rout, many of the survivors who were not fortunate enough to escape were cut down as they fled. Soon, the colors of New Kuscheperca flew above the Tetraspides Fortresses, proudly fluttering in the wind.

    The routed ?aloudekians no longer had any semblance of an army as they fled for their lives. It was clear to everyone that the Kuschepercans had won the day.

    ¡°Chase after the ?aloudekians! Do not let a single one of them escape and cut them all down! Long live New Kuscheperca! Long live the Queen!!¡±

    As the Kuschepercans rose up in cheer, the war had finally left the Cauderlier Plains.

    With Revantiers at their core, the Kuschepercans followed closely behind the shattered ?aloudekians, all the way down the road to Delvincourt.

    The loss of the old capital Delvincourt was the start of the Great Western Storm. It not only signified the fall of the Kingdom of Kuscheperca, but also represented its replacement by ?aloudekian rule. As such, the liberation of Delvincourt was both the personal wish of Queen Eleonora, and the collective desire of every Kuschepercan.

    With the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ third company at the vanguard, the first and second company loaded up for transport, and the Kuschepercan Revantiers following closely behind, the Kuschepercan army did not show the slightest exhaustion as they chased the fleeing ?aloudekians toward the capital.

    ¡°Now! Charge through their defenses, and open the path forward!¡±

    ¡°Advance! Revenge for our late commander Edgar!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Erledyradcumber aside, I am perfectly alive and well!¡±

    Despite their lighthearted banter, the Silver Phoenix Knights did not relent in their assault. Faced with the overwhelming power, the ?aloudekian defenders simply melted away.

    In Delvincourt, Silhouette Knights were scrambling to escape as the Kuschepercan forces slowly approached. The surviving Levitate Ships took off one after another and turned toward the safety of the west. Delvincourt lacked any meaningful defense, and the black knights woefully lacked the numbers to face the might of the Kuschepercans. When the Tetraspides Fortresses were lost, the ?aloudekians no longer had any staying power within central Kuscheperca.

    ¡°¡­Looks like we are defeated.¡±

    Princess Catalina sat motionless on the throne as she gazed out at the fleeing Levitate Ships. At that moment, a single person hastily came before the throne.

    ¡°Your Excellency! The Tetraspides Fortresses have fallen, and the Jade Dragon Knights are in full retreat! The Kuschepercan army will soon reach the gates. Your Excellency, please make your escape as soon as possible!!¡±

    Despite the worrying report, Princess Catalina did not stir at his words. Her inaction only further amplified her subordinate¡¯s anxiety, almost to the point of forcing the princess to evacuate.

    However, with a loud explosion, the subordinate froze. It was the recently departed Levitate Ship. Before it made far from Delvincourt airspace, the Levitate Ship came crashing down in a smoldering ball of flame.

    The reason was obvious. It was a certain Silhouette Knight that roared across the sky, bellowing a trail of fire. With the Flying Dragon gone, the Demon God was now unchallenged in the sky. Leaping from Levitate Ship to Levitate Ship, the Demon God sunk them with painful efficiency.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s useless. With the Dragon¡¯s loss, our deaths are already set in stone.¡±

    Princess Catalina had realized it the moment she saw the destruction of the Dragon. Against such an overwhelming existence, there was simply no escape.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With Resvant Vidos holding the walls, and the Revantiers lining the road, the King¡¯s Mount, Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus marched through Delvincourt¡¯s massive gates.

    ¡°¡­Father, I have finally returned.¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Knights were now in full control of the area around Delvincourt. As such, the Kuschepercans and their King¡¯s Mount could march peacefully through the gates. The banners that lined the main roads had all been replaced by the advancing troops to Kuschepercan colors, in a bid to declare the return of the Kuschepercan regime.

    ¡°Delvincourt was originally the seat of the ?aloudekian viceroyalty, and, as such, was governed by ?aloudekian royalty. Now that we have retaken Delvincourt, I had hoped to meet one of the ?aloudekian royals.¡±

    The surrounding guards could not help but stir at Eleonora¡¯s statement. After witnessing the ?aloudekian invasion and the death of the previous king firsthand, they were unsure what would happen if the Queen were to meet their royal.

    In victory, Kuscheperca has to act in a way befitting the victor. If they had captured an enemy royal, they would need to decide the treatment. After all, as with the Kingdom of Kuscheperca, the Kingdom of ?aloudek also relied on their bloodline to rule. As long as they have their hand on a ?aloudekian royal, the Kuschepercans would be at an advantage in the ensuing negotiations.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you must not act rashly.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Walking in the middle of its bodyguards, Kartoga Ol Cauchard Secundus had finally reached the front of the castle.

    In the courtyard, the group descended from their Silhouette Knights and were greeted by Dietrich and Nora in Silhouette Gears. The two removed their Silhouette Gears and knelt before Queen Eleonora.

    ¡°We have been awaiting your arrival. The captured ?aloudekian royal rests in the audience chamber.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, we will head over there immediately.¡±

    Queen Eleonora walked at the center of the armed bodyguards as they made their way down the deserted hallways on foot. To them, it was a familiar setting, as even with the change in ownership, the layout of the rooms remained the same. Without making a single wrong turn, the entourage found their way to the audience chamber.

    The audience chamber was filled with the Silhouette Gears of the Blue Hawk Knights. They kept alert as they encircled the throne. On the throne sat an astute-looking woman, who remained calm and collected despite being surrounded by imposing Silhouette Gears that could crush her on a whim.

    As Queen Eleonora entered the chamber, the Silhouette Gears parted to make a path. Meeting the ?aloudekian royal, Eleonora waved off the nearby Silhouette Gears to make room.

    ¡°¡­So you are the daughter of the King of ?aloudek, King Bartolomeo.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I am the crown princess of the Kingdom of ?aloudek, Catalina.¡±

    Princess Catalina did not have the slightest air of a defeated ruler. Sitting on the throne, Catalina displayed no fear, but remained dignified as her eyes met Eleonora¡¯s. It was a scene that easily misrepresented the power dynamic in play.

    If it was still the previous Eleonora, she would likely be overpowered by Catalina¡¯s presence. However, now as the Queen, and after enduring many trials to return to Delvincourt, Eleonora was no longer the naive flower.

    ¡°We have only one question for you. When we were close to breaching the city, did you never think of escape?¡± Without breaking eye contact, Eleonora asked the seated Catalina.

    ¡°Escape is pointless¡­ Your Majesty should know very well. Even a child knows the ending that befalls the Levitate Ships attempting to flee.¡±

    At that moment, a loud roar of flame could be heard as the six-armed Demon God descended upon the courtyard.

    ¡°With the Demon God, how could Your Majesty possibly expect me to escape? With Delvincourt already under its grip. Even if I tried to escape, I would be easily caught.¡±

    Eleonora slowly approached the throne without a hint of hesitation as Catalina answered her question. Nearby, the bodyguards were on their toes and carefully watched the scene unfolding. As Eleonora made her way up the final steps, Catalina voluntarily stood up and stepped aside.

    ¡°One who was defeated could no longer have the privilege to sit on this throne. I return this to you, Your Majesty.¡±

    Eleonora, on the other hand, did not immediately take her seat, but stared attentively at Catalina.

    ¡°¡­You will be treated as a prisoner of war. In future negotiations, we will count on you to serve your role. As such, we will afford you the treatment worthy of a royal.¡±

    ¡°I am rather surprised. Do Your Majesty not plan to have me killed? After all, I am among those responsible for the death of your father.¡±

    Despite talking about her own death, Catalina carried the conversation with a lighthearted air, even revealing a slight smile on her face. Yet, Eleonora could see in Catalina¡¯s eyes an indomitable will, as if judging Eleonora for her capacity as a sovereign.

    ¡°¡­As far as what ?aloudek had done, I have my own thoughts on the matter. However, as the Queen of Kuscheperca, my actions will determine the fate of the kingdom. In my capacity as the Queen, I simply deem that having you alive for future negotiations will be more advantageous to the kingdom.¡±

    Hearing Queen Eleonora¡¯s words, Princess Catalina nodded in agreement.

    ¡°As Your Majesty wishes. I had already been mentally prepared for the worst. This loss dealt a crippling blow to the Kingdom of ?aloudek. As such, it is in my kingdom¡¯s best interest to avoid further escalations in this conflict, and I believe Your Majesty¡¯s kingdom carries the same intention.¡±

    With everything said, the nearby knights came up to Princess Catalina and escorted her away from the audience chamber. For the foreseeable future, Princess Catalina would be kept under arrest until the conclusion of peace.

    After Catalina had left the room, Eleonora finally turned toward the throne.

    Over a year since the death and defeat of the late King Augusti, the throne of Kuscheperca had finally returned to its Queen.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    During the Kuschepercan¡¯s final push on Delvincourt, one Levitate Ship secretly departed from an airship dock near Delvincourt. It was not a Levitate Ship of particular note, and it even lacked the usual contingent of Anculosas aboard. The heavily armed Levitate Ships of the Jade Dragon Knights had already departed for the final battle on Cauderlier Plains. As such, the unarmed Levitate Ship did not number among the Jade Dragon Knights. The one who sat at the helm was a laid-back man.

    ¡°¡­Chief knightsmith, are you sure we should depart at this time? D-Delvincourt remains firmly in our hands, and Princess Catalina still holds command. Not to mention, the signal fires from the Tetraspides Fortresses-¡­¡± One of the crew asked the man at the helm.

    Faced with the question, the man only looked sheepishly at his crew. It was the Chief knightsmith of the Kingdom of ?aloudek ¨C Horacio Collazo. As always, Horacio remained shoddily dressed, and did not have the air befitting his station.

    ¡°Haa¡­ I believe that signal is real. Sadly, the Kuschepercans will be reclaiming their capital. Do you have a desire to stay and fight to the death?¡± Horacio glared at the crew member.

    ¡°N-no, that was not my intention.¡±

    The man shirked back at Horacio¡¯s stern tone. Seeing his subordinate¡¯s reluctance for escape, Horacio could only let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Us technical staff have no role in the combat to come. Although some may slander our willingness to abandon our allies, our first duty is to bring the fruits of our research and experiences back home. This way, our nation will be able to adequately respond to any future threats. It is a plan that Princess Catalina would surely support.¡±

    Horacio¡¯s logic was sound. However, even if defeat was certain, his crew wondered why Horacio did not show even the slightest remorse as the first to flee. Not to mention, everyone knew Horacio gravely valued his life, so his words lacked a certain authenticity to them.

    ¡°Granted, the defeat this time will be quite the crippling blow. How everything plays out will ultimately depend on Prince Carlitos.¡±

    In his mind, the well-chiseled face of Prince Carlitos surfaced. At that moment, Horacio knew that, given their national power, a repeat invasion of Kuscheperca was nigh impossible. As such, even Horacio had few ideas as to how the regent would tackle the ensuing diplomatic scuffle.

    Sitting at the helm, Horacio suddenly leapt up in excitement.

    ¡°Our army had the Flying Dragon Battleship, my greatest masterpiece! Although it was a rushed construction, who could have possibly imagined it beaten? Has it really been defeated?¡±

    Horacio¡¯s mouth curled up into a dreadful smile. Unlike his words, Horacio¡¯s voice did not carry the same sense of loss, but rather one of excitement.

    ¡°In the end, reaching the skies is harder than I thought. However, none of this was a waste, and we have gained valuable experience through its loss!¡±

    Horacio continued to mumble as his gaze turned below deck and toward the hanger that held the crystallization of his research. While the research served as insurance for his early departure from Delvincourt, Horacio himself also did not wish for his research to be lost, and that, in turn, prompted his escape.

    Not to mention, with his untimely escape, Horacio was likely to be punished for abandoning Princess Catalina. To avoid such a fate, Horacio thought to bring a ¡®welcoming gift¡¯, and this research served as the perfect gift.

    ¡°Our work is not over, and the path for me to reign over the skies is still far in the future. However, one day, I shall create the greatest Battleship. Let this be a valuable lesson for the time to come.¡±

    As the humming of the wind turbine disappeared alongside Horacio¡¯s Levitate Ship, thick clouds rolled over Delvincourt, blanketing the clear skies in a thick layer of gray.

    Before long, rain fell upon the battlefield, washing away the flames of war.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With the most recent report, all the nobles present could only hold their breath.

    At the ?aloudek capital, Crown Prince and Regent Carlitos Emden ?aloudek listened to the report on Kuscheperca. His well-chiseled face clearly twisted from anger.

    ¡°¡­After the loss of Delvincourt, rebellion broke out all over Kuscheperca. New Kuscheperca have remained largely silent after their victory and have only sent small forces out to assist the local rebellions. Second Prince Crist¨®bal has died in combat, and Crown Princess Catalina has fallen into enemy hands. The morale of our forces is beyond salvage, and the troops are in full retreat¡­¡±

    With every report that found its way to ?aloudek, Carlitos¡¯ brows would furrow to an ever greater degree. His usual cool manner, when combined with his silent fuming, created an unbearable pressure on his surroundings.

    ¡°How? Hasn¡¯t Kuscheperca already been annexed? At most, I have received the report that a lone princess managed to escape from captivity. How, then, did our army suffer such a crippling defeat? As security, I even had the Flying Dragon sent to assist!!¡±

    The reversal in Kuscheperca was sudden and unexpected.

    Despite ?aloudek¡¯s decade-long preparation for its reunification, New Kuschepercan only took mere weeks to bridge the technological gap. With new Silhouette Knight models, the Kuschepercans erased the advantage the ?aloudekian black knights afforded them. Moreover, ?aloudek had lost most of its Levitate Ships, and even the Flying Dragon Battleship could not avoid the same fate.

    Worse still, with the death of the Second Prince, and the capture of the Crown Princess, the ?aloudekian Reunification Army lacked a proper leader. Carlitos understood perfectly that any attempt on Kuscheperca would now be a fruitless endeavor.

    The strength of the black knights made it hard for anyone to rationalize the defeat, and the loss in materiel was beyond ?aloudek¡¯s ability to cope. The more Carlitos thought about their current predicament, the more uneasy he became.

    However, the bad news did not seem to end.

    ¡°Your Excellency, the Eastern Flag of the Eleven Flags has begun to marshal their forces at our southwestern border. We have also detected suspicious movements on our northern border. If the surrounding nations invade, we will likely not be able to hold with the Lead Bone Knights alone.¡±

    ¡°One after another! To think they would pounce at the slightest weakness¡­ Hyenas, the whole lot of them!¡± Carlitos erupted as his anger finally reached a boiling point.

    In a surprisingly short amount of time, the reversal in Kuscheperca had brought a huge change to the regional power dynamics, and the winds had turned against ?aloudek.

    ¡°They believe we are on our last throes and think to take a bite? It seems that we need to put them in their place!¡±

    ¡°However, Your Excellency, our forces are already stretched too thin. Even if recall our army in Kuscheperca¡­¡±

    The news of the Kingdom of New Kuscheperca¡¯s recent victory had already spread like wildfire, and many of the neighboring nations had already mustered their forces to take advantage of the chaos.

    Initially, many of the neighboring nations preferred to simply observe the situation, as the ?aloudekian army held an overwhelming superiority. Even though Kuscheperca was defeated, other nations didn¡¯t immediately seize the initiative, since doing so would make the black knights their enemy. Having troops spread between occupied and home territory tended to thin out one¡¯s defenses, yet, ?aloudek at the start of the reunification had enough power to compromise neither.

    At the same time, the other nations could also not carve their own territory from the remnant of Kuscheperca, as they worried that any hard-earned territory would soon be retaken by the black knights. In the end, the surrounding nations could do nothing as ?aloudek took over Kuscheperca in its entirety.

    However, with the sudden reversal, in which ?aloudek suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Kuscheperca, the other nations no longer needed to worry about the now shattered black knights, and one after another, sought a bite of the wounded beast.

    ¡°W-why¡­ why did this happen?!¡±

    On that day, at the center of the ?aloudekian Capital, Regent Carlitos Emden ?aloudek collapsed from excessive shock.

    Since then, the ?aloudekian borders began to weaken. At first, there were only minor incursions, but soon, the surrounding nations turned to outright invasion.

    Despite the worsening situation, ?aloudek¡¯s Lead Bone Knights fought bravely against the countless invaders from all corners of the vast kingdom. However, overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, the Lead Bone Knights could only fight a fighting retreat as more and more land was taken by their enemies.

    Yet, on this terrible battlefield, one group of Silhouette Knights were able to hold the lines and threw back multiple assaults.

    ¡°Haa¡­ So in the end, only I survived.¡±

    It was a rapid response group carved from the survivors of Kuscheperca. The group was led by an oddly-shaped Silhouette Knight armed with countless ¡®swords¡¯.

    ¡°Very well, I guess I shall take up their share of the fight.¡±

    With their fragile and deteriorating situation at home, ?aloudek could not help but abandon their ambition to reunite the fragmented nations.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Kingdom of New Kuscheperca¡¯s capital, Delvincourt ¨C originally the seat of the ?aloudekian viceroyalty, the capital had now seen better days since its reclamation by New Kuscheperca.

    The chain of defeats from the Tetraspides Fortresses to Delvincourt had lost ?aloudek both the largest metropolis in the region and their commander, Princess Catalina. Additionally, with the situation deteriorating rapidly at home, the ?aloudekians could not help but retreat from Kuscheperca.

    Since then, the Kingdom of New Kuscheperca declared the relocation of their capital from Fontaine to Delvincourt. The whole kingdom was in a state of celebration as the citizens welcomed the return of their capital and their Queen. Despite the losses they suffered during the long war, the Kuschepercans now looked once more to the future.

    On a certain day, at a dock near Delvincourt. Queen Eleonora, accompanied by Martina, Isadora, and the Kuschepercan nobility, watched over the Silver Phoenix Knights as they loaded their supplies aboard their Levitate Ship ¨C the Aerial Assault Ship.

    ¡°Still, with this ship around, transporting supplies got a whole lot easier. Hey, silver boy, let us keep this ship with the Silver Phoenix Knights!¡±

    Boss had a bright smile plastered over his face as he gazed upon the Aerial Assault Ship. Since the battle, the Multiple Launch Javelin Systems had been removed, and the Aerial Assault Ship returned to a lightly-armed Levitate Ship meant for transportation.

    The Aerial Assault Ship was currently packed to the brim, with a large part occupied by the cores and parts of the ?aloudekian Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°Oh? Are you sure you want to hide this ship from Gramps?¡±

    ¡°He is free to look, but we definitely won¡¯t hand it over. This ship is our spoils of war!¡±

    ¡°Looks like you have grown attached to this ship. Although, we could always construct a new ship from what we learned¡­ but, either way, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Batson and Eru looked at each other before shaking their heads. Having commanded the Aerial Assault Ship in war, Boss seemed to have developed a special attachment. The first ¡®Aerial Knightsmith¡¯ seemed to be leaning toward a suspicious direction.

    As the Silver Phoenix Knights finished loading their supplies, Eleonora turned to Emrys.

    ¡°¡­Looks like you plan to return to Fremmevira.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. With the Queen back in the capital, and the ?aloudekians removed from Kuscheperca, there is little reason for us combat specialists to remain. As far as the restoration is concerned, it is a matter for Kuscheperca and her Queen.¡±

    On that day, the Silver Phoenix Knights planned to return to the Kingdom of Fremmevira, and Eleonora was here to see them off.

    Among the nobility, there were many who wished for the Silver Phoenix Knights to remain in Kuscheperca. After all, the Silver Phoenix Knights had rendered a great service to their cause, and, during the restoration, every little bit of military power was necessary to maintain order.

    However, the Silver Phoenix Knights were still an expeditionary force on loan from the Kingdom of Fremmevira. As such, they could not remain indefinitely in Kuscheperca. With the immediate goals of defeating the occupying ?aloudek force, their service was complete. Still, the same cannot be said for its individual members.

    Among the loaded supplies was a wrangled wreck of a Silhouette Knight, beyond any recognition, but with parts that greatly exceeded a normal model. It was the Tzendrinble that fell alongside the Flying Dragon.

    ¡°Chid¡­-san.¡± Eleonora called out to the young Knight Runner staring at the wreck.

    Hearing the voice, Chid immediately turned around. Despite standing right in front of him, Eleonora closed her mouth without saying another word, as if she reverted to the sheltered princess from a long time ago.

    Chid wasn¡¯t sure at first how to respond. After gathering his thoughts, Chid turned once more to Eleonora.

    ¡°I¡­ am a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and I will need to return with my companions. I am¡­ sorry that I could not keep my promise from that time.¡±

    At his answer, Eleonora turned downcast and, after a slight tremble, clasped her hands together.

    ¡°N-no¡­ I understand. Know that you helped me¡­ and gave me strength¡­ in my time of greatest need. As my designated knight, you have accomplished your task wonderfully.¡±

    As Eleonora finished, she did not face Chid again. Then, a single teardrop fell onto the ground below.

    At that moment, Chid took a step back and knelt before the Queen, reminiscent of their first encounter. The only difference was that now the girl had become the Queen, and the boy was soon to depart. Despite all this, Chid remained the same boy who desired to serve as her strength.

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty, I wish you well. If Kuscheperca is ever in danger, I will immediately return to your side once more.¡±

    ¡°Chid-san as well. Once you return to Fremmevira, I wish you luck in your pursuit to be a splendid Knight Runner. I¡­ will try my best not to trouble you in the future.¡±

    Eleonora finally picked her head up. The hesitation cast away, and, in its place, Eleonora stood with the dignity and confidence befitting a Queen. Only a single tear streak remained on her face.

    As Eru quietly watched over the two from afar, Addy quickly hugged him from behind.

    ¡°Hey, Eru, were you thinking about leaving Chid here?¡± Addy asked.

    ¡°How blunt. Still, this is not something I could decide alone.¡±

    ¡°Then, if it¡¯s the young master¡­ would you be able to do something about it?!¡± Seeing Eru¡¯s complicated expression, Addy turned to the nearby Emrys.

    ¡°F-fine, just leave it to me! However, the Silver Phoenix Knights technically fall under the command of my father, so I can¡¯t arbitrarily remove a member from its roster. Let me talk with my father! If anything, I will at least figure something out.¡± Emrys responded confidently with his chest held high.

    However, no one had ever seen Emrys lacking in confidence before.

    ¡°Rys-nii.¡± On the other side of the dock, Isadora called out to Emrys.

    Emrys nonchalantly walked over to Isadora, only to pause his footsteps when he found Isadora¡¯s facial expression to be particularly stiff.

    ¡°Rys-nii¡­ Thank you for saving me, Ellie, and mom. At that moment, we really thought we were done for. We didn¡¯t think we would ever have our kingdom back.¡±

    ¡°I was well taken care of by you and Auntie, so there was no way I wouldn¡¯t come to your rescue!¡±

    ¡°But now, it will be up to us to rebuild our kingdom. Just leave the rest to us¡­ Then, when everything settles down, would you come and visit?¡±

    At her question, Isadora sounded slightly nervous. Emrys simply rubbed his chin for a moment, before turning to Isadora.

    ¡°Who knows! We are bringing quite a big present back to Fremmevira, so things will get busy back home. Either way, shouldn¡¯t it be your turn to visit?¡±

    Isadora¡¯s eyes widened at Emrys¡¯ answer, before revealing a charming smile.

    ¡°Yes. Next time, we will be sure to visit Rys-nii¡¯s kingdom. I will do my best to stabilize the kingdom so we can visit without worry.¡±

    ¡°Mmn, that¡¯s the spirit! Ah, right. When you come, I will show you how we hunt demonic beasts. After all, the west doesn¡¯t have demonic beasts. Please look forward to it, the whole hunt¡­ quickens the blood!¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Isadora bluntly rejected his suggestion.

    As everyone finished their goodbyes, the Silver Phoenix Knights boarded the Aerial Assault Ship. Under the auspices of the Kuschepercans, the Aerial Assault Ship slowly took to the skies.

    ¡°Then, Silver Phoenix Knights, time to return home¡­ We have plenty of presents to go around once we get back!¡±

    The Aerial Assault Ship sailed at the head of a column of ground transports. Known to be the strongest knights in the east, the Silver Phoenix Knights won a great victory in Kuscheperca, and returned home in triumph.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Great Western Storm that started with the annexation of the Kingdom of Kuscheperca, and ended in the collapse of the Kingdom of ?aloudek, ultimately led to the flames of war to spread across the western nations. As the distrustful invaders of ?aloudek sought to partition the weakened hegemon, they inexplicably agreed to an armistice after some time.

    The reason for the armistice was intricately linked to the unique technology held by ?aloudek, the highly secretive Levitate Ship and its construction.

    At first, the reasonable conclusion was that the invasion brought about the spread of the Levitate Ship technology. However, how the technology made its way to the other nations remained a mystery.

    Some rumors stated that ?aloudek knightsmiths caught on the losing side of a war defected with the technology. Other rumors said that the western nations developed their own Levitate Ship based on their observation of ?aloudekian Levitate Ships. There were even rumors that said it was provided by a suspicious package that circulated between the countries during the invasion.

    Regardless, with the spread of the Levitate Ship technology, many nations had turned their focus to its production. The Great Western Storm had demonstrated the Levitate Ship¡¯s superiority and effectiveness in combat, making it foolish for any nation to neglect its development. After all, the initial fate of Kuscheperca had perfectly demonstrated the consequences of going to war with a technologically inferior army.

    Still, beyond the regular Levitate Ship, the nations also sought after the powerful Flying Dragon Battleship. However, the critical secrets to its construction were lost alongside the disappearance of its creator, Horacio Collazo.

    In the end, they only managed to acquire the technology for constructing the Etheric Levitator and the Levitate Ship, but that alone was able to revolutionize warfare in the western nations. Without the limitations of terrain, the Levitate Ships had amplified the mobility of their armies.

    As if guided along by the mysterious hand of fate, the nations soon expanded beyond the confines of Zetterlund, ushering in an escalation of the Great Western Storm.

    It was a time later called the preamble to the ¡®Great Age of Flight¡¯.

    Note: Ama-kun is a fan of Koei¡¯s games.

 Book 6: Prologue

    Zetterlund, a place where man and giant robots coexisted¡­ A place where demon beasts roamed the land.

    The vast continent was bisected by the imposing Aubigne Mountains into the east and west. The Kingdom of Fremmevira lay on the plains east of the Aubigne Mountains, in which the Academy City Laihiala stood nestled at the boundary between the mountains and the plains.

    One day, from a certain mansion in the Academy City, Selestina ¡®Tina¡¯ Echevalier by chance looked out the window, only to find a mysterious ¡®ship¡¯ floating by. The ¡®upside-down ship¡¯ seemed to be sailing on the clouds with filled sails, gently cruising forward.

    ¡°Ah, I should probably get ready.¡±

    Tina stared at the flying ship for only a moment and, as if remembering something, left the room in a hurry.

    Tina was not the only one who witnessed the spectacle. Villagers, peddlers, and even students of the Laihiala Pilot Academy were awestruck by the sudden appearance of the Levitate Ship.

    With nary a care for the commotion stirring below, the Levitate Ship slowed its pace above the academy proving grounds and opened a port on the bottom of the ship. From within, a giant armored humanoid flew out with arms outstretched. Everyone knew at an instant that it was a Silhouette Knight.

    The Silhouette Knight fell toward the academy without a single cable to slow its descent. However, before the crowd could turn pale at the impending impact, plumes of flame burst out from beneath the Silhouette Knight and brought itself to a hover. With a thud, the Silhouette Knight landed at the center of the proving grounds, tossing up a cloud of dust in the process.

    The academy¡¯s instructors, including one named Mathias Echevalier, squeezed through the bustling crowd and emerged before the Silhouette Knight. Despite having been relatively far away at the time of the landing, the instructors could only sigh at the abnormally shaped Silhouette Knight with its telltale plumes of flame. Even in all of Zetterlund, they would not find another that could defy common sense as the one before them ¨C both the unit and its peculiar pilot.

    ¡°Here I was wondering what the commotion was about¡­ To think it was just Ikaruga.¡±

    Mathias ignored the dumbfounded stares around him and walked over to the landed Ikaruga.

    ¡°Seriously, Eru, what are you up to now¡­¡±

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    That day, the entire Academy City Laihiala was in an uproar with the arrival of the Levitate Ship above the academy. Everyone¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the incredible construct hovering in the skies as they gossiped wildly in the streets.

    A small shadow darted through the jubilant crowd. His silky platinum hair shimmered in the sun, catching the attention of onlookers as he threaded his way down the busy road. Leaving behind a streak of silver, the boy soon made his way to a familiar neighborhood with a large ornate mansion with a lone female standing by its doors.

    ¡°Eru, welcome home.¡±

    Upon seeing Eru, Tina revealed a brilliant smile. Eru immediately returned a smile, and made his way next to Tina.

    ¡°I¡¯m back! Mom, have you seen it? Isn¡¯t that ship a wonderful souvenir?¡±

    Following Eru¡¯s introduction, Tina turned her gaze upon the Levitate Ship. Despite the extraordinary sight, Tina remained her usual calm and collected self.

    ¡°Wow, so you really were the one behind that ship. To have something so large float effortlessly in the sky, those in the west sure are incredible.¡± Tina said with a gentle tilt of her head.

    ¡°Right? That ship is quite the catch! Would you like to come aboard for a tour? I can guarantee the view of Fremmevira from the skies is truly a sight to behold!¡±

    ¡°I can come aboard? Just so you know, I have never boarded a regular ship before. However, since you recommended, I will delightfully take you up on your offer.¡±

    ¡°Great! There is also much I want to tell you, about the incredible fun we had over there¡­¡±

    Having effectively commandeered the kingdom¡¯s greatest spoil of war for his own personal use, Eru enthusiastically chatted away as the pair made their way into the mansion.

    It was the early days of winter in Anno Occidentes 1283.

    The Silver Phoenix Knights returned triumphantly from the battlefield of the Great Western Storm after rescuing their ally, the Kingdom of Kuscheperca, from the brinks of destruction.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    A few days later, the uproar that had shaken Academy City Laihiala repeated itself at the capital of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, K?nk?nen.

    As the Levitate Ship slowly made its way to the barracks of the Royal Guards and retracted its sails, the surprised guardsmen were fully prepared to attack. Only when a familiar Silhouette Knight emerged from the ship did the guardsmen relax their stance.

    Accompanied by the sound of rattling chains, a Silhouette Knight was steadily lowered onto the ground. It was a Silhouette Knight in the shape of a golden lion, glowing brilliantly in the afternoon sun.

    ¡°Hello, K?nk?nen! I¡¯m back!¡±

    Emrys soon found his way to Chateau Schreiber¡¯s royal audience chamber, where King Leotamus could only let out a disapproving frown in response to his gleeful appearance.

    ¡°¡­Seriously, you dumb brat. Why did you not bother to promptly report your return, but instead went joyriding around the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Ah! Sorry, dad. We just thought it was appropriate to have the Silver Phoenix Knights visit home after such a long trip.¡±

    ¡°Appropriateness aside, do you know how much chaos that ¡®flying ship¡¯ of yours will cause to K?nk?nen?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m not surprised! It¡¯s really quite the marvel!¡±

    It was quite clear that Emrys was not reflecting on his actions. For a moment, Leotamus almost let out a long sigh, but resisted the urge in the presence of his court.

    ¡°That ship of yours definitely has piqued our interest, and we will certainly be expecting a full briefing. But firstly, tell us¡­ Did we win?¡± Leotamus asked Emrys after correcting his posture on the throne.

    ¡°Obviously! Although it had been close at times, we have successfully revived the Kingdom of Kuscheperca! Auntie, Isadora, and Eleonora are all safe!¡± Emrys happily announced with outstretched arms.

    ¡°Is that so¡­ Good.¡±

    While it was but for a moment, Leotamus revealed a soft and grateful expression upon hearing Emrys¡¯ report. More so than the state of the Kingdom of Kuscheperca, Leotamus was feeling relief for his beloved sister, Martina. With his worries put to rest, Leotamus finally turned his attention to the flying ship moored outside his castle.

    ¡°¡­Still, to think that ships could fly. Are we wrong to presume that Ernesti is behind it?¡±

    For a world before the age of flight, the existence of a flying ship could be said to shake the world at its very roots. As such, in Leotamus¡¯ mind, and in the minds of everyone at court, a genius who could create such an astounding machine should be none other than the young commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Therefore, they could not help but shudder when Emrys shook his head in reply.

    ¡°Sadly, no. The Levitate Ships were built by the Kingdom of ?aloudek. Even for the Silver Phoenix Knights, this war was the first time they had heard or seen ships that could fly. As such, we had quite the hard time dealing with them¡­¡±

    At Emrys¡¯ seemingly calm words, the members of the court all held their breaths as they turned to the Levitate Ship moored outside the castle. This held especially true for the veteran commanders, who speculated the scene of their own first encounter with such a ship on the fields of war.

    Just as everyone was awash with anxiety, Emrys¡¯ next words were able to wonderfully clear up the atmosphere.

    ¡°However, since the Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights really liked those ships, we ended up taking the ones we wanted and had the rest shot down!¡± Emrys declared with a puffed chest, as if speaking of his own achievements.

    Comparatively, Leotamus was left enervated with the aftershock and slumped slightly in the throne. However, his unbecoming behavior was not noticed by the rest of the court, who were also recovering from the surprise.

    ¡°¡­Leaving the details as to how you managed to do so, tell us, what of the rest of the Silver Phoenix Knights?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha! The rest of the knights are still in Kuscheperca. The capacity of a single Levitate Ship is surprisingly limited, and since we gave the rest of the ships to Kuscheperca, only a few of us were able to fly back in advance. However, I imagine the rest of the knights will soon arrive.¡±

    Hearing Emrys¡¯ loud laughter, Leotamus finally broke character and brought his palm to his face.

    ¡°¡­Your arbitrary choice in the matter aside, we clearly see the potential in the flying ship, and you decided to return with only a single one of the vessel? How problematic¡­ Since you mentioned that it was captured technology, will its method of construction elude us?¡±

    ¡°Need not to worry! The Silver Phoenix Knights had already performed a detailed analysis of the vessel and had shared the schematics with the Kingdom of Kuscheperca. If my predictions are correct, the various western nations should be rushing to its production.¡±

    To Fremmevira, the Silver Phoenix Knights were an autonomous group at the pinnacle of technological advancement on the continent. Therefore, there were no better alternatives to the Silver Phoenix Knights when it came to delving into unknown technology. At that moment, Emrys clapped his hands, and an attendant entered the audience room with a large stack of documents at hand.

    With the documents, Leotamus took a moment to digest the secret of the Levitate Ships before letting out an appreciative sigh.

    ¡°¡­With this, our kingdom will not fall behind the rest of the nations. Now, we think celebrations are in order. Have the heralds announce our victory and our new ship, and, once the rest of the Silver Phoenix Knights arrive, let there be a great triumph for our returning heroes!¡± Leotamus declared in a clear and resounding voice before adjourning the court.

    The courtiers all hurried to their tasks with much on their minds. Rather, all with the single exception of Emrys, who only thought about how he would finally be able to nap the afternoon away on his old and familiar bed.

    Walking down the empty halls of Chateau Schreiber, Leotamus gestured into the air, and a shadow immediately appeared behind him.

    ¡°Send a message to Olver and Gaizka. Just tell them it is ¡®matters pertinent to the flying ship¡¯ and they will surely come flying over.¡±

    With a slight glance, the shadow had vanished from his presence. Leotamus continued his way down the empty halls, with a heart filled with anxiety for the future.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Days later, a pair of individuals appeared at Chateau Schreiber answering the king¡¯s summons. Instead of the royal audience chamber, the guards led the two to a discrete meeting room where they waited in silence.

    When Leotamus finally arrived, the pair¡¯s response was oddly mismatched with their appearance. Despite his youthful appearance, the Director of NTR Laboratory, Olver Blomdahl, appeared unusually calm. On the other hand, the grizzled Chief Knightsmith of NTR Laboratory, Gaizka Johannsson, was brimming with enthusiasm. At the scene, Leotamus could not help but reveal a wry smile before bringing up the main topic of their visit.

    ¡°As you are aware, we summoned you today to discuss the matters pertinent to the flying ship, or rather, the ¡®Levitate Ship¡¯ that had shocked the kingdom. We have a task of utmost urgency for the technical staff of NTR Laboratory. Are you interested?¡±

    The question itself was almost rhetorical. It has been only two days since Eru and Emrys returned on the Levitate Ship and had the ship moored near K?nk?nen. Therefore, despite their high posts, the two had not received any details on the Levitate Ship beyond the occasional rumors. Their curiosity for the Levitate Ship was what prompted the pair to rush over to K?nk?nen.

    ¡°O-of course!! For such a large ship to fly freely in the sky, it is a wonder what mechanism could allow for such a feat¡­¡±

    Gaizka had recalled the lessons forced upon him during the competition and tried to appear calm. Yet, despite his best intentions, his excitement clearly bled through his poorly held visage. Even Olver, who appeared calm next to Gaizka, stirred in curiosity.

    Unlike the retired regnant Ambrosius, Leotamus does not have the desire to toy with the pair¡¯s enthusiasm and beckoned his assistant to bring over the stack of documents on the Levitate Ship.

    ¡°These documents detail the technology relevant to the construction and operation of the Levitate Ship that the Silver Phoenix Knights brought back. From what I gathered, the secret behind the ship¡¯s flight is something called the ¡®Applied Ethelite Theory¡¯.¡±

    Olver held his breath as he browsed through the documents.

    ¡°To think Ethelite could be used in such a way. A ship that could fly¡­ the Levitate Ship. What a terrifying invention!¡±

    Even as a mere gatekeeper, Olver was nevertheless a member of the proud Elves race ¨C masters of magic and builders of Ether Reactors. As such, Olver held complicated emotions when presented with the Applied Ethelite Theory and its undeniable proof. Rather than his usual aloof demeanor, Olver delved into the documents with unbridled passion, hungrily consumed page after page of information.

    ¡°Seriously, that Emrys. All because he thoughtlessly paraded the Levitate Ship straight through the capital that so many weird rumors have begun to float around.¡± Leotamus muttered under an exhausted tone.

    The appearance of the otherworldly Levitate Ship above the skies of K?nk?nen had led much of the town to gossip. To address these rumors and prevent more outlandish ones from taking root, Leotamus and his ministers had been working around the clock with little rest.

    ¡°Either way, since the Levitate Ship has already proven its effectiveness in Kuscheperca, we are certain the relevant technology will shape the world for the years to come. From what Emrys had told us, all of the western nations are stirring in the background to develop their own.¡±

    Leotamus¡¯s stern words had turned the enthusiastic Gaizka deadly pale. At that moment, Gaizka had finally realized the severe implications of the technology before him.

    ¡°From the experiences of the Silver Phoenix Knights, we have learned that our technological advantage is not infallible. As such, our edict for the NTR Laboratory will be as follows: Spare no expenses, and focus all your resources on the research and development of a Fremmeviran Levitate Ship!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± The pair loudly affirmed the royal order.

    With detailed documentations and blueprints to the Levitate Ship in hand, Olver and Gaizka hastily left for the NTR Laboratory in Dufaure, where they would undoubtedly began work on the Levitate Ship.

    Left alone in the room, Leotamus let out a deep and audible sigh.

    ¡°Speaking of which, it had only been a few short years since the Silver Phoenix Knights introduced those revolutionary designs for Silhouette Knights. It pains us to accept this, but whenever the Silver Phoenix Knights become involved, absurdity results.¡±

    Leotamus did not share the same enthusiasm as Ambrosius and Emrys for new advancements, and only stared blankly in the distance with a fatigued visage.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    At the NTR Laboratory, all of the craftsmen and knightsmiths were completely devoted to the development of a Levitate Ship and worked ceaselessly on a viable prototype. Everyone understood that the secrets of the technology were obtained at the cost of their pride, and no one dared to slack at work.

    Fortunately, most of the critical components had already been dissected by the Silver Phoenix Knights, and the NTR Laboratory only needed to follow the blueprints to recreate their own. Furthermore, the structure of a Levitate Ship was based on existing technology in shipbuilding, and they simply needed to apply it around the Etheric Levitator core. As such, it didn¡¯t take long before the lightly-armed variant of the Levitate Ship, the ¡®Transport Ship¡¯, came to be and began to see widespread use in the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    From that moment on, the ¡®Great Age of Flight¡¯ clearly dawned upon the continent of Zetterlund.

    Unlike the western nations, who were still struggling to recover from the aftermath of the ¡®Great Western Storm¡¯, the Kingdom of Fremmevira was completely unscathed from the flames of war. Armed with the improved Silhouette Knights, the risks posed by demon beasts greatly diminished, and the kingdom¡¯s spare military capacity rose accordingly.

    With the safety afforded to them in the sudden leap of military technology, and the endless possibilities granted to them by the mobility of the Levitate Ships, the people of Fremmevira began to float around a previously unimaginable thought: the exploration of the enigmatic ¡®Bocuse¡¯, Sea of Trees.

 Book 6: Chapter 48: The World of His Dreams

    Arc 11 Wind knight development arc

    Soon after the return of Emrys and Ernesti on the ¡®Aerial Assault Ship¡¯, the rest of the Silver Phoenix Knights that marched overland crossed over the imposing Aubigne Mountains and eventually arrived safely back in the Kingdom of Fremmevira. Back in the capital, the news of their triumphant return spread like wildfire, and the people cheered loudly for their victory.

    At the same time, the kingdom had finally lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding the Levitate Ship to the general public. The very thought of the ship flying freely across the azure sky enticed the people¡¯s imagination, and gave everyone a sense of foreboding to the eventual dawn of the Great Age of Flight.

    After much celebration, the Silver Phoenix Knights were finally free to return home.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Everyone, gather around! I know we have just made it back home, but we should immediately start our development of a ¡®Flying Silhouette Knight¡¯!¡± At the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Headquarter of Fort Olvecius, Knight Commander Ernesti Echevalier addressed the gathered members.

    It heralded the return to their typical routine.

    After having just moved everything back into the fort, the pilots and the knightsmiths revealed a complicated expression at the sudden announcement.

    ¡°Good, you all know the drill. There won¡¯t be a fight anytime soon, so I expect all the Silhouette Knights to be sparkling clean!¡±

    When it concerned an object the size of a Silhouette Knight, even a simple wash proved to be consuming. Granted, the knightsmiths had performed a complete maintenance on the Silhouette Knights when they had departed from Kuscheperca, but even they could not deny the need for another maintenance after such a long march home.

    With everyone¡¯s task assigned, David ¡®the Boss¡¯ Hepken signaled for the officers to gather.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I thought the announcement was pretty predictable¡­¡±

    ¡°Flying Silhouette Knights¡­ Is that right?¡±

    As Boss cracked and stretched his tired shoulder, Helvi Oberg, the commander of the third company, let out a sigh in resignation.

    ¡°By the way, wasn¡¯t there the matter regarding our report on the Levitate Ships?¡± Edgar C. Blanche, the commander of the first company, said with his arms crossed, ¡°If I remember correctly, there was that announcement during the celebrations¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although we were worked to the bones, I¡¯m glad we managed to get all the documents together in time.¡± Boss replied as he gently flexed his muscles.

    In combat with the Kingdom of ?aloudek, the Silver Phoenix Knights managed to dissect the Levitate Ships captured from ?aloudek, through which, they gained a familiarity with the construction of Levitate Ships rivaling their original builders. However, transferring that knowledge into a presentable form was nevertheless a difficult task, especially while a war raged on.

    ¡°From what I have heard, His Majesty had already issued an edict for the NTR Laboratory to immediately begin development of a Fremmeviran Levitate Ship. I bet those over at the NTR Laboratory are completely overwhelmed by the size and urgency of the project.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention, they were basically given a complete blueprint of the Levitate Ship with little warning¡­¡±

    Thinking back, Helvi could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for the members of NTR Laboratory. As the world¡¯s first airship, the Levitate Ship was daunting for anyone but the most peculiar of geniuses like Eru.

    ¡°The NTR Laboratory certainly deserves our sympathy, but we mustn¡¯t fall behind the various western nations. In a way, with the push toward the development of a Fremmeviran Levitate Ship, our current plan will be seen as clearly deviant. Given our official status as His Majesty¡¯s personal order of knights, I do not see our course of actions as particularly wise.¡±

    Dietrich Conitz, the commander of the second company, no longer showed any surprise at Eru¡¯s spontaneous antics. To Dietrich¡¯s concerns, Eru nodded his head in understanding. However, everyone knew instinctively that Eru would not compromise his plan even the slightest.

    ¡°I understand your concerns. However, let us not forget the purpose of the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡± Eru declared as he pumped his fist into the air, ¡°We exist for one reason and one reason alone: the development of new and advanced Silhouette Knights, and that will never change. In a sense, our actions are perfectly aligned with our raison d¡¯¨ºtre!¡±

    ¡°I guess that also makes sense.¡± Boss said as he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

    At that moment, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed Eru by the head.

    ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you convinced a bit too easily? If anything, Eru¡¯s reasoning is contrived at best. Considering the sheer utility of the Levitate Ships, it is clear where His Majesty¡¯s priorities lie. Yet, here we are planning the opposite. In all likelihood, an official edict may arrive any day now and order us to focus on the development of Levitate Ships.¡± Dietrich said while rubbing Eru¡¯s head vigorously, turning his usually straight hair unkempt.

    Although the Silver Phoenix Knights were formed in the personal interest of Ernesti and have a reasonable degree of autonomy, the members nevertheless had reservations toward openly defying the interests of the kingdom. At its core, the Silver Phoenix Knights were the direct subordinates of King Leotamus and, as such, must pay heed to the effect of their actions.

    ¡°Do not worry. I have everything already figured out. Even I wouldn¡¯t abandon all sensibilities and push stubbornly for the development of new Silhouette Knights.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Really? ¡­I mean, really now?!¡± Addy inquired as she glared at Eru with suspicion.

    ¡°Yes. To be precise, it is the very emphasis on Levitate Ships that require us to hasten the development of a flight-capable Silhouette Knight.¡± Eru answered with an unwavering smile.

    At Eru¡¯s words, Edgar and Helvi looked at one another quizzically before turning to Dietrich, who merely shrugged his shoulders in response. Next to them, the twins were completely lost by the discussion. Only Boss seemed to have an eager glint in his eyes.

    ¡°As for the reason¡­ I¡¯m sure everyone has an inkling of the experience. With the arrival of Levitate Ships, the original two-dimensional battlefields are now extended into the air. If, hypothetically, a group of earthbound Silhouette Knights was to face suppression from the aerial Levitate Ships, what would be the options available to it?¡±

    The answer was not hard to imagine, since the Silver Phoenix Knights experienced such difficulties firsthand in the battles against ?aloudek.

    ¡°The presence of the Levitate Ships is not negligible. An overhead bombardment would pose a considerable threat to an earthbound force, and neutralizing such threats should be the utmost priority.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. However, even the Tzendrinble have difficulties in outpacing the Levitate Ships, so a speedy withdrawal is pretty much out of the question.¡±

    ¡°Precisely! In other words, no matter which form of combat we will encounter in the future, ¡®air superiority¡¯ will play a significant role in determining the outcome.¡±

    At that moment, the twins nonchalantly brought a blackboard next to Eru. On it, Eru excitedly drew a Silhouette Knight on the bottom and a Levitate Ship above, then circling the Levitate Ship with the words ¡®air superiority¡¯ next to the bubble.

    ¡°I think that explains the concept of ¡®air superiority¡¯. Now, let me ask you all, what is the most effective way to neutralize the enemy Levitate Ship and claim air superiority?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I understand what you are saying. However, isn¡¯t that the entire purpose of staff weapons and magic javelins? For what reason do we need to devote resources to a specialized flying Silhouette Knight?¡±

    Eru turned to the baffled Edgar and revealed a bright smile. At the same time, Eru¡¯s attitude emitted an indescribable pressure on the surroundings.

    ¡°Do you honestly think that will suffice?¡±

    Turning to the blackboard, Eru added staff weapons and lightning curtain, the defensive package seen in combat against ?aloudek, next to his sketch of the Levitate Ship.

    ¡°We should not underestimate the resourcefulness of men. In that short time period, the ?aloudekians have already developed a reasonable counter to our anti-air weapons. In other words, it is safe to assume that the effectiveness of staff weapons and magic javelins will only continue to decrease in the future.¡±

    As the developer of magic javelins, Eru was the one most familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of his invention. As such, Eru knew perfectly well that magic javelins were but a temporary solution against Levitate Ships.

    ¡°Not to mention, we tend to label them all as Levitate Ships, but there was that battleship in the shape of a dragon.¡±

    At the mention of the battleship, the officers¡¯ faces turned rigid.

    The Flying Dragon Battleship ¡®Vouivre¡¯. Although they had only ever encountered one such vessel during the battles against ?aloudek, its combat potential exceeded an entire battalion of Silhouette Knights. The Flying Dragon was a foe that had even fought on equal ground against Ikaruga, and only with the creation of the Aerial Assault Ship did the Silver Phoenix Knights manage to defeat it. In short, the strength of the Flying Dragon was indisputable.

    ¡°While your logic is sound, it¡¯s hard to imagine any nation but ?aloudek having the technology and resources to construct one. Considering how severely we have crippled ?aloudek in the war, I doubt they will make another in the near future.¡±

    Eru nodded at Dietrich¡¯s words, but his view on the matter was slightly different.

    ¡°Perhaps we should be safe in the foreseeable future. However, now that people know such a ship is possible, we cannot deny that there won¡¯t be imitators. As such, we should be fully prepared to face another and plan accordingly.¡±

    Certainly, the task of planning a counter would logically fall on the Silver Phoenix Knights, who had triumphed against one in the past.

    Hearing Eru¡¯s response, Dietrich crossed his arms as he sunk deep into thought. While the staff weapons and magic javelins would be able to reach the Levitate Ships, Dietrich knew that such methods would prove insufficient in sinking the Flying Dragon.

    ¡°Countering the Flying Dragon with Levitate Ships would also be difficult. Its powerful ground attack aside, the Flying Dragon was even unmatched in aerial combat. Therefore, the next logical step would be to construct a similar Levitate Ship as counter¡­ No, a counter based on attrition would be costly and inefficient.¡±

    After thinking through a few possible scenarios, Dietrich could not help but raise his hands in resignation. Yet, a nagging concern arose in his thoughts.

    ¡°Still, would Silhouette Knights really be a viable counter to the Flying Dragon just because they could fly?¡±

    While it is true that if Silhouette Knights could fly, the two would be fighting on the same three-dimensional battlefield, it did not predispose that such a fight would be an equal fight. The sheer difference in power and output was an undeniable truth.

    ¡°The Flying Dragon¡¯s lightning curtain is most effective against ranged attacks, and, when you combine it with its innate mobility, leaves close quarter combat as the only reasonable solution.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ However, if I have to say the one major flaw in your plan, it is that you are assuming others could replicate your performance in the Ikaruga.¡±

    ¡°As for that, Ikaruga is my personally designed unit, so I do not hold the same expectations for others. However, even if it is just a standard aerial Silhouette Knight, as long as we have adequate numbers and well-trained pilots, I doubt we would so easily lose to a Flying Dragon.¡±

    Such tactical reasoning is commonplace in the Kingdom of Fremmevira, where the officers were faced with the daily incursion of demon beasts and needed to formulate plans in the field.

    ¡°With our current situation, we certainly lack a viable counter against the Flying Dragon. I, for one, think it would always be better if we have more options available to us.¡±

    As the crowd slowly came to terms with Eru¡¯s reasoning, Eru cleaned the blackboard and turned to the audience.

    ¡°Now, what we just discussed predispose our opponent as a Levitate Ship. However, as far as His Majesty is concerned, my next topic is the most important.¡±

    There¡¯s more?

    No one said it out loud. Whenever the discussion involved Silhouette Knights, Eru would always have much to say, if not sometimes too much. For the officers who have been with Eru for a while, such ramblings did not come to them as a surprise.

    ¡°The greatest advantages provided to the Levitate Ships are its mobility and sizable capacity. With the advent of the Levitate Ships, people will definitely let their mind wander. In that case, would they be satisfied with just the western nations and the Kingdom of Fremmevira? Certainly not! Before long, they will find the world to be incredibly small, and with it¡­¡±

    Eru drew a rough sketch of a map of Fremmevira and the western nations. It didn¡¯t take long for everyone to understand what Eru was hinting. For the Levitate Ship, which was no longer constrained by the earthbound terrain, previously unthinkable destinations were now open to exploration.

    ¡°Would it be Bocuse, the Sea of Trees, or the far ends of the ocean? Regardless of the destination, we will definitely encounter countless demon beasts. As such, Levitate Ships alone would prove too fragile for such a journey, and we are certain to need a viable escort. In that case, what better escorts would there be than Silhouette Knights?¡±

    Edgar, Dietrich, and Helvi gently let out a sigh. While Chid and Addy actively thought back to their lessons in the Academy.

    ¡°All in all, we could no longer be content with our tether to the ground. As the defenders of humanity against the constant threat of demon beasts, it is our duty to shed our earthly shackles so that we could best defend the people. Do you all agree?¡±

    None present could refute Eru¡¯s logic, and the plan was therefore decided. The western nations aside, as far as the Fremmeviran knights were concerned, a large part of their duty was to protect the population from the threat of demon beasts, and the Silhouette Knights served as their swords and shields. To the Silver Phoenix Knights, the answer was obvious.

    ¡°The lands that humans inhabit are ever expanding, and such change could only be accelerated with the arrival of Levitate Ships. If our next battlefield is in the vast skies above, then Silhouette Knights and pilots must adapt¡­ Or rather, we shall make them adapt. Even if we reach the corners of the world, we will be accompanied by our Silhouette Knights.¡±

    With the explanation, everyone simply looked at each other. They all understood that their Knight Commander was a peculiar one, but this time felt completely different. Rather than being merely content with advancing the current world, Eru sought to actively reshape the world in his image. No one could imagine what sort of world Eru desires, beyond the fact that it would certainly be a world filled with Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°¡­With that said, it¡¯s hard not to admire our Knight Commander. As a professional knight runner, his words are quite invigorating.¡±

    ¡°Either way, we are not shipwrights. It feels more at home when it¡¯s Silhouette Knights.¡±

    ¡°Right. I think that cleared up our most pressing concerns. As usual, will we be devoting all our resources to the development of a new Silhouette Knight?¡±

    ¡°I guess I better brace myself for the eventual operational tests¡­¡±

    As each of them confirmed the plan in their own way, Knight Commander Eru seemed rather perplexed.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a slight misunderstanding. It won¡¯t just be the Silhouette Knight. We will also be working on a new Levitate Ship.¡±

    Hearing those words, everyone suddenly froze. Only Eru alone began to write happily on the blackboard.

    ¡°If we were to have flying Silhouette Knights, then the supporting Levitate Ships must also evolve to properly accommodate them. Likely, both will have to be designed from scratch. As such, our task at hand will be to develop a viable aerial Silhouette Knight and its supporting Levitate Ship!¡±

    What awaited the Silver Phoenix Knights on their return from the battlefield was another battlefield. Those present could only sigh at the long battle to come.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    A while later, the knightsmiths had finally completed the maintenance on the returning Silhouette Knights. Just as they were taking a break, Boss showed up with a pained expression on his face, and the knightsmiths all had a terrible premonition for what was to come.

    ¡°As you are well aware, His Majesty has deemed the Levitate Ships a national priority. However, we shall keep our focus on the development of a flying Silhouette Knight. Since I can see quite a few of you bracing for my announcement, I¡¯m sure you are all familiar with the drill by now.¡±

    None of the knightsmiths seemed particularly shocked by the news. After all, many of them were veterans of dealing with the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights and could easily foresee the development.

    ¡°Well, we already expected Eru to pick Silhouette Knights over Levitate Ships.¡±

    ¡°If anything, it was a mere question of ¡®when¡¯.¡±

    ¡°After all, it is the Commander we are talking about here~¡±

    With a few simple laughs, everyone easily accepted Eru¡¯s decision.

    ¡°In our previous battle against the Flying Dragon, I frequently dreaded how it would¡¯ve turned out if it weren¡¯t for Ikaruga. Rather, we were almost certainly doomed without the presence of Ikaruga. Our anti-air Silhouette Knights proved almost ineffective in combat, and it was only through our unique armament on the Aerial Assault Ship that we barely managed to avert disaster. Such an outcome was a disgrace for us knightsmiths.¡± Boss reluctantly said after much thought.

    The knightsmiths of the Silver Phoenix Knights all participated in the construction of Ikaruga. As such, they were the most familiar with the uniqueness of Ikaruga, as well as its most significant flaw. Ikaruga¡¯s full potential could only be brought out by an equally peculiar pilot like Ernesti. Conversely speaking, none other than Eru would be able to serve as its pilot, and it was this exclusivity that made Ikaruga a fundamentally flawed unit. To a knightsmith, the sheer strength of Ikaruga was a source of pride, but, at the same time, its exclusivity left a sour aftertaste.

    ¡°The Knight Commander desired for everyone to be able to fly, so it was hard for me to refuse.¡±

    In the future, other Silhouette Knights would be able to soar in the azure skies, and the knightsmiths that would serve as their support will need to keep up. Seeing Boss wholeheartedly embracing the challenge, the other knightsmiths were also inspired. However, it was at that moment that Boss let slip the second piece of bad news.

    ¡°By the way, it seems silver boy also plans to develop a new Levitate Ship in tandem.¡±

    With those few words, all the knightsmiths spontaneously froze where they stood.

    Some had doubted whether they had heard it correctly from Boss ¨C that on top of developing a new Silhouette Knight, they were to also develop a new Levitate Ship, and no less in tandem. It was the very definition of apocalypse. With summer fast approaching, the knightsmiths could do little but brace themselves for the long days ahead. Even the bright smiles they had earlier were now but a shell of their former selves.

    ¡°Now, Batson! I guess I will leave the new Levitate Ship¡¯s development to you!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? W-wait a minute! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard about this! W-why me, Boss?!¡±

    The sudden announcement made Batson Termonen leap in surprise.

    ¡°Silly, I only just mentioned it now. Since silver boy is your childhood friend, I thought it would be best if I entrust one of Eru¡¯s projects to you.¡±

    Certainly, Batson had known Eru since they were young and had the achievement of developing the Silhouette Gears under him. Yet, there were some responsibilities Batson would not accept.

    ¡°If I were assigned to the Levitate Ship, what would Boss be doing in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Make Silhouette Knights fly.¡±

    Seeing Boss¡¯s almost childlike attitude, Batson could not help but envy.

    ¡°That sounded much more interesting than the Levitate Ship! It¡¯s not fair for you to pick the good parts for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Still, orders are orders, and I order you to oversee the development of the Levitate Ship!¡±

    ¡°Boss, that¡¯s certainly an abuse of power!¡±

    As the pair bickered, the rest of the knightsmiths simply stared blankly into the distance. Regardless of who ended up in charge, they would still have to step up to the hellish development ¨C their battlefield.

    With their plan settled, the Silver Phoenix Knights once again sought to make their mark in the world under the command of Ernesti. For the Kingdom of Fremmevira, which had only recently been exposed to the existence of Levitate Ships, would Eru¡¯s creations prove to be a newfound strength, or a mere source of chaos? Only time will tell.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    To their luck, the Silver Phoenix Knights did not receive any specific edicts from Leotamus.

    Perhaps due to Leotamus¡¯s own reservations about imposing on the autonomous order of knights, or perhaps due to his trust in the abilities of the NTR Laboratory, the Silver Phoenix Knights were untethered in the pursuit of their goals.

    ¡°Now, let us test out the basic parameters.¡±

    ¡°So this is our first model. I understand that function is important, but for it to turn out like this¡­¡±

    The Silver Phoenix Knights began on the design of the flight-capable Silhouette Knight. Understandably, they couldn¡¯t immediately dive into the blueprint. The seamless incorporation of flight onto the Silhouette Knights was foreign to them, and it was haphazard to treat flight as a mere attached module. To create a flying Silhouette Knight, they would have to integrate the Etheric Levitator directly into the Silhouette Knight¡¯s frames, and for such a significant addition, the basic parameters of ¡®form¡¯ and ¡®function¡¯ would need to be properly assessed.

    Eru and Boss gazed up into the air with a somewhat apprehensive expression. Within their sight was a Silhouette Knight, floating gently in the air with listless limbs. On its back was a sizable hump, or rather, referring the object as a mere ¡®hump¡¯ would be a misnomer, as it was about the same size as the rest of the Silhouette Knight.

    For the pair, the Silhouette Knight represented an attempt to see if it was possible to incorporate the Etheric Levitators used in Levitate Ships, and the results were disappointing at best.

    ¡°It certainly seemed to fly, or at least, float. However, I doubt a Silhouette Knight like this would be of much use in action.¡± Boss frankly stated his assessment.

    The Silhouette Knight was indeed floating, but that was the extent of its operation. It simply hovered helplessly in mid-air, completely devoid of any meaningful action. Boss could only sigh at its pitiful appearance.

    ¡°If our goal was only to make a Silhouette Knight float, this would be more than sufficient. Although, I think we already expected this outcome. After all, the Etheric Levitator was a device that enabled an object to float in the air, but by itself lacked any form of propulsion. In other words, we will need a separate propulsion system.¡±

    ¡°If that is the case, was there any purpose to this experiment?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! It shows that we will have to miniaturize the Etheric Levitator.¡±

    ¡°I think that was pretty obvious from the start¡­¡±

    Eru simply ignored Boss¡¯s comment as he happily scribbled away in his notebook. Despite his own reservations about performing such a seemingly pointless experiment, Boss nevertheless entertained Eru¡¯s fancy.

    After its conclusion, Boss thought Eru would come up with a groundbreaking declaration, but what followed were more experiments that merely confirmed widely held facts. While others were unable to keep up with Eru¡¯s thoughts, Eru knew that such experiments were necessary building blocks for a flying Silhouette Knight.

    As the experiments progressed, Boss began to brainstorm for possible solutions to the various issues.

    ¡°For the propulsion, will we be relying on the flame propulsion system?¡±

    Currently, the Silver Phoenix Knights had two forms of propulsion system available to them ¨C flame propulsion and wind propulsion. For wind propulsion, they would need to install a blow engine and corresponding sails. While wind propulsion was an effective solution for large Levitate Ships, it would prove too cumbersome and limiting for Silhouette Knights. As such, the only viable choice was flame propulsion.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Unless we come up with a new form of propulsion, flame propulsion will probably be our only choice¡­¡±

    Although unintended, this seemingly pointless series of experiments helped the Silver Phoenix Knights organize their thoughts and gave them an overview of the task before them.

    ¡°All in all, we just need to create a miniaturized Etheric Levitator, incorporate the flame propulsion system onto the Silhouette Knight, and then find a way to provide enough mana to fuel both systems¡­ Are you serious?!¡± Boss roughly summed everything up before throwing his hands up into the air.

    The current Silhouette Knights were not designed for aerial maneuvers, and would require significant additions to weight and size to accommodate for flight. However, no matter how much Boss and Eru tried, there was simply not enough spare capacity for all the new additions.

    ¡°For that problem, I do have a few ideas¡­¡±

    ¡°Not bad, let us hear them.¡±

    Eru took a moment to organize his thoughts before holding two fingers up in the air.

    ¡°Firstly, we could simply construct another Ikaruga that utilizes the Etheric Levitator. This way, we will only have to worry about the miniaturization of the Etheric Levitator.¡±

    ¡°Rejected! Constructing another Ikaruga is close to impossible!¡±

    Ikaruga relied heavily on the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heart¡¯ and the ¡®Queen¡¯s Coronet¡¯, two massive Ether Reactors, to provide sufficient mana for its complex propulsion system. However, given the scarcity of such reactors, Ikaruga could not accommodate their need for a mass-produced Silhouette Knight ¨C one of their fundamental design criteria.

    ¡°I agree. Therefore, we should look to the existing case.¡±

    ¡°Existing case? Is there already a flight-capable Silhouette Knight?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. I am talking about the ¡®Flying Dragon Battleship¡¯.¡±

    The Flying Dragon Battleship has an Etheric Levitator for flight, flame propulsion system for maneuver, and adequate mana output to maintain the systems. In other words, it has all the parts necessary for an effective flying Silhouette Knight. However, given that the Flying Dragon was a variant of the Levitate Ship, it wasn¡¯t particularly applicable for the design of Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°¡­Sometimes I really want to give your head a good smack.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t. My head will probably end up flying off if you smack it with that herculean strength of yours. As for the Silhouette Knight, let us just say that neither plan is particularly applicable, and we will need to change our paradigm of thought.¡±

    Standing beside the enthusiastic Eru, Boss revealed a face full of fatigue.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The morning sun basked the Academy City Laihiala in a warm glow.

    At first light, the students at the Laihiala Pilot Academy greeted one another as they made their way to class, passing by Adeltrud ¡®Addy¡¯ Olter as she happily skipped down the street in nostalgia.

    The gossips of the surrounding students inevitably reached Addy¡¯s ears, of which the majority dealt with the Levitate Ship. It wasn¡¯t limited to Laihiala, as the whole kingdom was in an uproar to learn that it was humanly possible to construct such a wondrous vessel. For the students at least, one inevitable topic was whether the Academy would eventually start a ¡®Department of Aeronautics¡¯. As one with intimate knowledge of the Levitate Ships, Addy could not help but feel a sense of superiority to the student¡¯s mere gossip. Traveling down the familiar roads, her lithe footsteps soon brought her to her destination.

    ¡°Morning! Eru, are you ready to go?!¡±

    At the Echevalier Residence, Addy promptly invited herself in and, after exchanging simple greetings with Tina, called out to Eru. Soon, Eru came down the hall with a suitcase full of documents.

    ¡°Yes, let us be off~¡±

    Saying their goodbyes to Tina, the pair then headed out from the mansion. Fort Olvecius, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Headquarter, was located not far from Academy City Laihiala. As their families lived in Laihiala, the Silver Phoenix Knights felt it was proper to visit home from time to time. For Eru and Addy, their favorite means of transportation was in Addy¡¯s Tzendrinble.

    On their way back to Fort Olvecius, the sound of a sudden gust caught the attention of everyone. As they turned their gaze to its source, they saw a ship with filled sails cruising across the azure sky. They instantly recognized the ship as the newest creation of the NTR Laboratory, the Fremmeviran ¡®Transport Ship¡¯.

    It hasn¡¯t been long since its introduction, so only a limited number was produced. For now, the Transport Ships were primarily tasked with transporting provisions along the eastern hinterlands. However, everyone dreamed that the ships will one day carry passengers between cities. In a world plagued by demon beasts, the freedom and safety offered by air travel could not be understated, and the Transport Ships were the physical embodiment of that dream.

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t fall behind. Addy, let¡¯s hurry back to the fort.¡±

    ¡°Got it~¡±

    It had been two months since the return of the Silver Phoenix Knights from Kuscheperca. In that period of time, no one could deny that monumental changes were occurring within the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    As for the Silver Phoenix Knights, they had been working fervently to develop the necessary technology since the conclusion of their initial experiments. During the two months, the sheer complexity of the flight technology proved to be an incredible challenge for everyone.

    ¡°To think we actually managed to miniaturize the Etheric Levitator. With this size, we could finally use it for Silhouette Knights.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as hard as we had initially imagined. After all, a Silhouette Knight is a much smaller load than a Levitate Ship.¡±

    The Etheric Levitators used in Levitate Ships originally were about the same size as a Silhouette Knight. Comparatively, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ new Etheric Levitators were significantly smaller.

    A large part of their success at miniaturization was due to the simplicity of the underlying concept. At its essence, an Etheric Levitator generated buoyancy by maintaining a supply of concentrated ether within itself. For an object the size of a Levitate Ship, the Etheric Levitator would have to be of a minimum capacity to generate enough buoyancy. However, for the lighter Silhouette Knights, the Etheric Levitator could be constructed with a significantly lower capacity while still achieving the same effect.

    ¡°Next up. The redesigned flame propulsion system and the control plate.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Such complicated magic scripts, the engraving is so small that the scripts are barely legible¡­¡±

    After discussion, Eru redesigned the flame propulsion system by substituting mana storage frames in its design, and, to regulate functions, incorporated a mithril plate with detailed scripts. At a slight cost to overall thrust, the redesigned propulsion system was significantly more compact, and the decreased thrust would also translate to decreased mana expenditure. Given the Silhouette Knight required numerous components to support flight, every bit of saved capacity was important to their goal.

    ¡°Now, the last part, and the hardest part, is the Ether Reactors. We would need enough mana for aerial maneuvers, while providing a sufficient reserve for combat. Despite our best efforts, we likely couldn¡¯t avoid the need for multiple reactors. For now, I think we could use Ikaruga as a reference for the design of the Silhouette Knight frame, as I am leaning toward two Ether Reactors.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Although we won¡¯t be able to produce additional Ikarugas, I am at least thankful that there is a viable reference for its overall layout.¡±

    With that resolved, they had decided upon the Etheric Levitator, the flame propulsion system, and the Ether Reactors.

    ¡°With that in mind, I had created a rough blueprint of the final design.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Let me take a look.¡±

    Eru took out his sketches from the suitcase and taped them onto the blackboard. From the onset, Eru decided to use the Fremmeviran mass-produced model Karrdatolle for reference. Karrdatolle was known for its strong performance and ease of control. As such, it would prove to be an effective base for designing the flying Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°H-hey¡­¡±

    The blueprint showed a clear inspiration from Ikaruga, with two Ether Reactors placed on its torso and back respectively, and a miniaturized Etheric Levitator behind the pair of reactors. Although they had tried their best at miniaturizing the components, it still proved impossible to have all the components internalized due to space constraints. Furthermore, it had to incorporate a stockpile for Ethelite that would provide sufficient fuel for the concentrated Ether.

    Eru¡¯s most pressing concern came down to the protection of the main components, especially the Etheric Levitator, which would risk a catastrophic leak of concentrated Ether if it suffered a breach. As such, Eru did his best to design all the core components as closely together as feasibly possible, with increased armor to provide protection, essentially resulting in the creation of an armored citadel around its core.

    Lastly, the newly redesigned ¡®armored flame propulsion system¡¯, combining mana storage frames and the original flame propulsion system, were installed circumferential to the core, thus allowing for the mobility and freedom of movement necessary for aerial combat. To achieve the incredible range of motion, Eru took inspiration from the Silhouette Arms.

    ¡°Is it just me, or does this Silhouette Knight look slightly obese?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not cute¡­¡±

    With much of the core components in the torso, the thick armor surrounding them, and the circumferential propulsion lining the outer rim, an unnatural bulge was seen on the trunk. Its spherical appearance was, to say the least, unappealing to the eyes.

    ¡°¡­Hey, silver boy. If this is the best you can come up with, consider it my resignation.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±

    Even the designer himself was slightly conflicted inside, and his usual confidence seemed slightly blunted. On the other hand, Boss hesitantly turned to Eru with a complicated expression.

    ¡°I agree that this design contained all the essential parts, but it is difficult to appreciate the design when the Silhouette Knight turned out looking like this.¡±

    Boss¡¯s words seemed to have resonated with all the knightsmiths present, as they all raised their hands in agreement. Outward appearances aside, the design was even problematic from purely a functional point of view. With its cumbersome design that emphasized the trunk, the Silhouette Knight would clearly lack the natural dexterity of its predecessor, such that it would likely have an unsatisfactory combat performance even if it did successfully achieve flight.

    Although Eru had expected some resistance to the design, the severe backlash had pushed him to reconsider.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ How problematic. I agree that the design is a bit unappealing¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t describe it as merely ¡®a bit¡¯.¡±

    ¡°However, before we could achieve flight, there are still many difficulties to overcome. In that sense, we should not be too held up by what we could and could not achieve, nor how to perfect the design. We simply know too little at the current moment.¡±

    At Eru¡¯s words, the clamorous knightsmiths slowly calmed down. Even the ones who were most opposed to the design silently retracted their hands.

    ¡°Invention requires thought, and thought requires experimentation. At this stage, it is no more than a prototype, so there are definitely improvements to be had. However, before you all judge it a failure, I sincerely ask you to at least see it build.¡±

    Granted, the Silver Phoenix Knights was an organization formed for the sole purpose of assisting Eru with the development of new Silhouette Knights. In other words, Eru did not need their expressed approval for the projects and only had to hand down orders as the Knight Commander. Yet, despite his rank, Eru had never simply forced others to adhere to his will. To Eru, the Silver Phoenix Knights who had built countless Silhouette Knights ¨C ¡®Robots¡¯ ¨C with him, who had experienced the exhilaration and anguish of creation, were already a brotherhood. Regardless of what others thought, Eru would continue to openly express his opinions and convince the members with words.

    ¡°As always, it sounded like the whispers of the devil. With that said, I guess we have no reason to refuse¡­¡± Boss said as he let out a sigh, ¡°You are certainly correct. There is still much to be learned in the field of aeronautics, and, despite its unsightly appearance, this prototype will likely prove necessary in furthering our knowledge.¡±

    In the end, Boss¡¯s curiosity as a knightsmith overpowered his sensibilities, and he raised his hands in resignation.

    ¡°Fine. Let us leave the appearance for now, and focus on making the Silhouette Knight fly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all for the sake of science!¡±

    Led by Boss¡¯s response, the other knightsmiths begrudgingly came around. Granted, everyone held a complicated expression, but for now, they were willing to put aside their personal reservations and devote themselves to the project.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to say this now. This one is only for the sake of testing, the next prototype better be decent looking!¡± Boss loudly declared just as the meeting ended.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    At that point, the Silver Phoenix Knights spent the better half of a month to complete the prototype. Although there were numerous new additions, the assembly itself wasn¡¯t particularly special. Thanks to their years of experience and the flexibility afforded to them by Silhouette Gears, the time they spent in its construction couldn¡¯t be considered long.

    Understandably, the knightsmiths grumbled extensively throughout the process, yet despite their own reservations, no corners were cut on its creation. Before long, the first prototype Silhouette Knight took form before them, with the designation of ¡®Syrphirne¡¯. Disappointedly, the final product remained faithful to the blueprint, and seemingly retained its chubby appearance.

    On the scaffolding, a somewhat apprehensive figure stood next to the cockpit of Syrphirne.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ It has a cute name, but that doesn¡¯t cover for its appearance¡­ Eru, do I really have to pilot it?¡±

    Addy looked over Syrphirne with drooped shoulders, a complete opposite of her usual enthusiasm. After the knightsmiths themselves, even Addy, the selected test pilot for Syrphirne, could not bring herself to appreciate the design.

    Worse still, the sheer size of Syrphirne precluded itself from the standard stationary stance, and instead was sitting on the ground with outstretched legs, a stance that exuded laziness.

    ¡°Sadly, you were the only one right for the task. As the unit relies on flame propulsion for its maneuvers, I think it would be best for someone familiar with thruster control. In other words, there was no better candidate than you, who has experience in operating pneumatic thrusters.¡±

    ¡°As for that, why can¡¯t you ask Chid?¡±

    ¡°He is currently busy with another assignment¡­ Therefore, Addy, I want to borrow your strength for the sake of opening a path to the skies. Will you help me?¡±

    Eru eagerly hoped to convince Addy to take the role. Yet, despite Eru¡¯s best efforts, Addy did not budge, with a clear reluctance displayed on her face. Seeing his usual persuasion ineffective, Eru took drastic measures.

    ¡°¡­Once it is done, there will be a sizable reward for your troubles.¡± Eru gently whispered after bringing his lips next to Addy¡¯s ear.

    ¡°J-just leave it to m-me! I w-will make that bucket fly e-even if I have to k-kick it up myself!!¡±

    Addy suddenly sprang into action and lithely leapt into Syrphirne¡¯s cockpit. Nearby, Eru could not help but wryly smile at Addy¡¯s enthusiasm.

    As the armor closed up around the cockpit, the strand crystals began to creak with activity, and the giant slowly came to life. Accompanied by the humming of the twin Ether Reactors, the initially dark interior soon became illuminated with light.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It doesn¡¯t look particularly bad from the inside.¡±

    Addy methodically went through the initialization sequence and fine-tuned the reactor output to a manageable level. For Addy, it was a simple and familiar routine, as the controls were no different from any other Silhouette Knight. Just as she was about to make Syrphirne stand, Addy recalled the need to activate the Etheric Levitator.

    ¡°¡­Right. Everyone, I will now activate the Etheric Levitator! Starting the ether feed¡­ now!¡±

    Addy informed everyone through the speakers before opening the ether valves. As the concentrated ether poured into the Etheric Levitator, the indicator slowly rose toward critical threshold, and Syrphirne began to stir. Due to its unbalanced construction, Syrphirne was unable to stand on its own power, and had to rely on the field generated by the Etheric Levitator.

    ¡°Ether concentration rising, levitate field reaching critical threshold.¡±

    As the levitate field¡¯s capacity exceeded the weight of the unit, Syrphrine floated up to a standing position. Although everyone was left speechless by its clumsy operation, they nevertheless gave a round of applause once Syrphrine rose.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s floating¡­ All this feels somewhat surreal~¡±

    All the knightsmiths held complicated emotions as they looked on to the spherical balloon floating up into the air, with limbs dangling motionless on its sides. Near the front, Eru paid little attention to the other knightsmiths and busily scribbled away in his notebook.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ The Etheric Levitator seems to be operating as designed, but the limbs seems somewhat redundant. I will have to reconsider the purpose of the limbs later on. With the decent weather today, I doubt Syrphrine will be so easily blown away, then¡­ Addy, begin the propulsion test!¡±

    ¡°Got it. Activating circumferential thrusters!¡±

    With a serious expression, Addy carefully operated the temporary flight controls installed next to the mechanical controls. Under the command of the magic scripts, mana surged into circumferential thrusters as they slowly propelled Syrphrine forward.

    ¡°Gently now¡­ Maintaining minimal thrust.¡±

    To avoid a repeat of Eru¡¯s sudden acceleration during the Ikaruga test, Addy kept the thrusters to a bare minimum as it glided around the test ground. Curiously, the sound of the thrusters and the dangling limbs created an eerie sight.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s working. I guess it is somewhat impressive in operation, but it is still unsightly.¡± Boss mumbled as he looked over to the floating Syrphrine.

    At the very least, they were able to conclude the functional tests and could now focus on the improvements¡­ Or at least, that was what they thought.

    After a while, Syrphrine floated to the edge of the testing ground.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Time to turn Syrphrine around¡­ W-was it like this? Huh? Odd¡­¡±

    The circumferential thrusters had no problem propelling Syrphrine forward, but disaster struck when Addy tried to perform the turn. With all the thrusters pointed along the axis, what should have been a simple turn turned into an uncontrolled spin.

    ¡°W-waaait¡­ Uwaaa¡­!!¡±

    It all boiled down to an unfamiliarity with aerial maneuvers. Unlike an earthbound Silhouette Knight, Syrphrine could not rely on friction to slow down or stop its turn once initiated. Without knowing the need for a reverse thrust, Addy unwittingly put herself into a horrendous spin.

    ¡°B-boy, what happened?!¡±

    ¡°I see. So the thrusters will need to be adjusted for turns¡­¡±

    The situation only further devolved into chaos as Addy attempted to correct the spin with the thrusters. The sudden acceleration broke the fragile balance as Syrphrine began to fling itself aimlessly through the air.

    ¡°Eeeru¡­! Heeelp! Saaave me!!¡±

    ¡°Boy, hurry up and do something!¡±

    Boss¡¯s bellowing voice broke Eru out of his contemplation as he leapt into Ikaruga.

    At last, with Ikaruga¡¯s timely intervention, Syrphrine finally ended its rampage.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Seriously, no matter how much you beg me in the future, I will never test another one of your Silhouette Knights before it is complete!¡±

    After being liberated from Syrphrine, Addy was fuming with rage. She was absolutely adamant about her decision, no matter how Eru tried to placate her.

    ¡°Uuu¡­ If even Addy couldn¡¯t pilot the Syrphrine, I will need to rethink the design.¡±

    Although Addy was mad at Eru, she nevertheless hugged Eru tightly in her arms. On the other hand, Eru did not resist Addy¡¯s advances, as he also hoped to make up to Addy for her troubles, and only quietly contemplated his designs. Addy was one of Eru¡¯s direct pupils, and could be said as the most adaptable pilot among the Silver Phoenix Knights. If even she has problem with Syrphrine¡¯s controls, then it would be nearly impossible for other pilots.

    Given the particular form of flight offered by the Etheric Levitator, Eru and the others would need to devise a control scheme different from that of Ikaruga to offer the new Silhouette Knights a stable flight.

    Incidentally, Syrphrine¡¯s field trials were tentatively placed on hold since the mishap. Without significant upgrades, the current Syrphrine would prove too hazardous to pilot, not to mention a complete lack of willing test pilots. As such, Eru and the others needed to reevaluate the entire design, even if only to give meaning to Addy¡¯s brave sacrifice.

    ¡°The enhanced maneuverability ended up only increasing the difficulty of control. Perhaps it would be better to place a limit on the possible movements and design some sort of stabilizer¡­¡±

    Syrphrine¡¯s circumferential thrusters were designed to be omnidirectional, thus allowing for an extensive range of complex aerial maneuvers. Conversely speaking, it meant that the slightest mishandling would have the Silhouette Knight spin out of control. Beyond the obvious difficulty for pilots, the flexibility of the omnidirectional thrusters also made corrective maneuvers nearly impossible.

    ¡°We need to somehow achieve an ease of control without compromising its maneuverability.¡±

    At first glance, the goals seemed to be at odds with one another. However, for Eru, who had the knowledge of his past world, there were inspirations to be had.

    How were planes able to maintain stability in flight? Other than relying on the propulsion from the thrusters alone, planes also stabilized itself with the surrounding airflow¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we need ¡®wings¡¯.¡±

    Where could we possibly place the wings on a Silhouette Knight? At the very least, it should be somewhere that doesn¡¯t interfere with its combat potential¡­

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ on the hands?¡±

    An image of the design slowly materialized in Eru¡¯s mind, with the arms of Syrphrine switched for wings. At the thought of the balloon-shaped Syrphrine with two wings and two listless legs, Eru could not help but let out a slight chuckle.

    ¡°¡­An obese harpy.¡±

    It was a design completely devoid of beauty. Furthermore, Eru could not imagine how such a design would function in combat beyond kicking with its pair of dangling legs.

    ¡°¡­Hey, Eru? What are you doing?¡±

    Without him noticing, Eru had stretched his arms out like wings, and only broke out of his trance when asked by Addy.

    ¡°I am currently thinking about ways to redesign the Syrphrine, but it is not coming along well.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Let me take a look¡­¡±

    Addy continued to cling to Eru as he sketched his earlier thought on paper. With just a single glance at the obese harpy, Addy let out a sigh.

    ¡°What is this? So. Not. Cute.¡±

    Eru also wanted to improve the form, but that had to wait until the basic functions were satisfactory. Granted, as a knight runner himself, Eru tended to place a greater emphasis on the functionality, to no small part due to the attitude of the Kingdom of Fremmevira as a whole, but even that emphasis has its own limits. Regardless of what Eru or others thought about its form, Syrphrine would be considered pointless if it did not meet even the slightest operational needs.

    ¡°Looks like we will need to start over from the very beginning and rework the design from there.¡±

    With that said, Eru pushed aside all the existing paperwork on the table and laid out a new sheet of paper.

    Etheric Levitator, Ethelite stockpile, Ether Reactor, flame propulsion system, and lastly, wings¡­

    Eru mentally juggled the different components like a jigsaw puzzle as he brainstormed for possible arrangements.

    ¡°To maintain a Silhouette Knight¡¯s combat ability, while ensuring sufficient maneuverability and stability in the air¡­ This is turning out harder than I thought.¡±

    Eru could not seem to come up with a viable arrangement even after numerous attempts. Worse still, his focus on the components made him slowly lose sight of the overall design. Even if he did come up with a design in this state, it would be no more than the half a dozen components forcibly jumbled together. Sensing his tunnel vision and growing impatience, Eru took a deep breath and turned to the nearby Addy for a change of pace.

    ¡°Hey, Addy. If it were up to you, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I certainly don¡¯t want to experience that spin again. If anything, I would hope for an obedient child like our Tzen-chan~¡±

    As Eru seemed to be busy in thought, Addy laid out another sheet of paper.

    ¡°Say, Eru. Compared to our earlier failure, how does a Levitate Ship sail so smoothly over the sky?¡±

    ¡°That? The Levitate Ship and the Silhouette Knight functions on different principles. Not only does the sheer size of the Levitate Ship offer itself stability, but the sails also create resistance-¡­!¡±

    At Eru¡¯s sudden silence, Addy tilted her head in perplexity.

    ¡°¡­Eru?¡±

    Eru slowly turned to Addy with wide open eyes and stared blankly. At Eru¡¯s strange behavior, Addy was slightly taken aback and took a few steps away.

    ¡°¡­I see. I was too focused on the humanoid frame of the Silhouette Knight. That¡¯s right! The answer is the exact opposite. Since there was already a successful case, we should do our best to emulate it. For the tactical considerations¡­ Definitely cavalry. The wings¡­ The layout¡­ If we do it like this¡­ It may just work out!!¡±

    As a sudden jolt of inspiration hit Eru, thoughts began to flow as all the pieces quickly fell into place. Before long, a single image appeared in his mind, and the elusive path to completion opened up before him.

    In his excitement, Eru leapt up and hugged Addy tightly.

    ¡°Thank you, Addy! It¡¯s all thanks to you that I was able to think of the perfect solution. Look forward to the result!¡±

    Eru lightly kissed Addy on her cheeks before sprinting back to the table as he concentrated on replicating his thoughts onto paper.

    Nearby, a beet red Addy stood there motionless and stunned. After slowly returning from her trance, Addy gently hugged Eru from behind.

    ¡°¡­Eru, could you do that again?¡±

    ¡°Maybe later, I¡¯m busy right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Cheapskate.¡±

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The next day, a single Tzendrinble charged into Fort Olvecius, to the horror and confusion of everyone inside the fort. Before everyone had recovered from the shock, Eru leapt out from the cockpit.

    ¡°Is Boss around?! Also, have everyone gather immediately in the conference room!¡±

    With that said, Eru swiftly dashed toward the conference room. It didn¡¯t take long for everyone to reasonably conclude that, as before, Eru likely has a new and revolutionary design up his sleeves.

    The pilots and knightsmiths slowly made their way to the conference room, where Eru awaited them with a thick stack of papers and a brilliant smile. Everyone was taken aback by the Knight Commander¡¯s sheer enthusiasm.

    ¡°Without further ado, let us begin the meeting. I had finished the new design for the flying Silhouette Knight. In it, I took a new approach and designed a Silhouette Knight that would fly, but without using the Silhouette Knight as the base.¡±

    Just as everyone was baffled by Eru¡¯s words, Boss took a peek at the blueprints.

    ¡°It has turned into something completely different!¡± Boss gasped at the sight.

    ¡°Yes. We have two known successes to look for inspirations, Ikaruga and Levitate Ships. Syrphrine was modeled after Ikaruga, but has ended in failure. As such, we should now look to the Levitate Ships.¡±

    On the blueprints laid out along the table, there was an unusual Silhouette Knight. One could even call it a ¡®mini-Levitate Ship¡¯. It seemed to have combined the upper torso of a knight with a bottom in the shape of a ¡®ship¡¯, with the two halves merging seamlessly at the waist. Understandably, the Levitate Ship was a few magnitudes larger in size than the typical Silhouette Knight, but the ¡®ship¡¯ on Eru¡¯s design had shrunk to match the rest of the Silhouette Knight. Furthermore, the lower half contained movable joints that were evidently taken from the design of the Flying Dragon Battleship ¡®Vouivre¡¯, creating a seemingly surrealistic design.

    ¡°It is a Silhouette Knight that was based on a compact revision of the Levitate Ship design. If I had to describe the appearance, it would probably be half-man, half-fish. A fish that freely swims through the sky, don¡¯t you all find that fascinating?¡±

    In other words, Eru¡¯s new design was akin to the mythical creature called a ¡®Mermaid¡¯.

    Not long ago, Horacio Collazo designed the Flying Dragon Battleship by superimposing designs from Silhouette Knights onto a Levitate Ship. In a twist of irony, Eru had now done the opposite, and resulted in a Silhouette Knight that took inspiration from the Levitate Ship. For the pair of inventors, their respective results could be said as a reflection of their own values and priorities.

    On the other hand, the Mermaid was not a particularly unique design, since the Silver Phoenix Knights had long designed Silhouette Knights with unusual appearances, chiefly among them was the Centaur Knight ¡®Tzendrinble¡¯. In a way, Eru had only swapped the horse half with the fish half.

    ¡°While I did look to the Levitate Ships, I had taken much of the technical aspect from Tzendrinble. As for the tail, the joints would allow for increased maneuverability, and, if we prepare strand crystals within, we would be able to provide for a decent mana storage.¡± Eru continued, leaving everyone behind just as they had almost caught up to his pace.

    The Mermaid¡¯s overall construction was similar to Tzendrinble, with all the core components placed in the bottom half. Although the size was slightly bloated, the tail didn¡¯t look particularly out of place without the dangling feet of the previous design. As expected, a Silhouette Knight designed for aerial combat has no use for legs and would rely on its Etheric Levitator for all its operational needs.

    ¡°This design looks oddly familiar¡­ How is it controlled? Hopefully, it won¡¯t start spinning uncontrollably like before.¡±

    ¡°As for the controls, I kept it similar to the scheme seen within Tzendrinble. From our experiments, I had concluded that the circumferential thrusters only complicated the controls and decided to keep the thrusters in a single direction. As for aerial maneuvers, the Mermaid will instead be relying on the attached fins.¡±

    Rather than offering the high degree of maneuverability as previously envisioned, Syrphrine¡¯s omnidirectional thrusters had made control of the Silhouette Knight nearly impossible. As such, Eru changed the thrusters to point in only a single direction, where any turns and fine-tuning would instead rely on the newly added fins.

    Combining all the changes, the redesigned Silhouette Knight would share characteristics and motion with freely swimming fishes, and a role similar to heavy cavalry, with even the controls largely replicated from the existing Tzendrinble.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ In other words, this child is Tzen-chan¡¯s little sister?¡±

    Hearing Addy¡¯s remark, Boss could not help but break out in laughter.

    ¡°¡­Or maybe a little brother. Then again, since it took about half of its existing technology from Tzendrinble, I would rather call it a cousin.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we should make it even cuter!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Maybe if we add another fin or two¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would make it cuter¡­¡±

    As a synthesis of Silhouette Knights and Levitate Ships, the newly designed Silhouette Knight was the crystallization of the most advanced technology of their era. Yet, despite its revolutionary design, the minds behind its creation instead seemed to be preoccupied with its appearance. To an outsider, such conversations must felt absolutely shocking.

    After a while, Boss finally steered the conversation back on topic.

    ¡°Either way, this design looks much better than the previous one, and I am starting to feel a bit motivated. So, what¡¯s next? With how different this Silhouette Knight is from pre-existing models, we will probably need to set its classification.¡±

    Eru took a moment to think, before revealing a bright smile.

    ¡°For this class of Silhouette Knights¡­ Let us call it ¡®Wind Knight¡¯.¡±

    Incidentally, for this new Silhouette Knight, Eru decided upon the name ¡®Syrphrine Mk. II¡¯. However, to the rest of the Silver Phoenix Knights, there was an unspoken rule to pretend its predecessor had never existed. Therefore, as far as everyone else was concerned, Syrphrine Mk. II was the one and only Syrphrine.

 Book 6: Chapter 49: Inhabitants of the Sky

    A single ship flew by with full sails.

    It was a Transport Ship exclusive to the newly formed branch of the Fremmeviran Royal Life Guards, the Levitate Ship Corps. One that was directly subordinate to the King of Fremmevira himself. The ship was filled to the brim with provisions, evidently on a supply run to the eastern hinterlands. Managing the supply lines was the task given to all the new Transport Ship operated by the Royal Life Guards, collectively known as the ¡®Life Lines¡¯.

    ¡°¡­The wind is stronger than usual. Retract the sails!¡± On the ship¡¯s bridge located at the front of the vessel, the captain bellowed orders to his crew, ¡°We have quite the full load today, so it would be dangerous if we were to pick up too much speed.¡±

    Since the Transport Ship used sails for propulsion, it could take advantage of natural air currents instead of relying solely on its Blow Engines. However, even so, it should only be done in moderation, as too high a speed would prove hazardous. While the travel time could be considerably shortened, the high speed stiffened the controls and made the ship difficult to steer. Furthermore, high speeds would also cause incredible stress on the frame of the Transport Ship itself, severely shortening its operational life.

    It had been only a few short months since the Levitate Ship first appeared during the Great Western Storm, where it held the unique distinction as the world¡¯s first effective airship. As such, few had the experience to adequately command and crew these vessels. The crew could only hope to slowly accumulate their knowledge through trial and error. Furthermore, the production was still in its infancy, which made every ship precious. Such were some of the reasons why only the Fremmeviran Royal Life Guards were provided with the Transport Ships.

    ¡°I hope our trip will continue to be an uneventful one¡­¡±

    The captain¡¯s worry was not unfounded. As of late, not a single trip on the Life Lines ended smoothly. Sadly, their trip was not the exception.

    On the deck of the ship, the sentries soon noticed activity in the air and quickly turned to the voice pipes.

    ¡°Winged demon beasts sighted on a direct course. Believed to be duel class, numbering¡­ at least ten!¡±

    A group of black shadows appeared to grow on the backdrop of the azure skies. As they flapped their wings, they let out a bone-chilling screech. They were demon beasts known as ¡®Glaive Wings¡¯, categorized as duel-class.

    Atop the Transport Ship, it was easy to assume the demon beasts were far off in the distant. However, this in itself was a visual deception in a place void of comparative objects, and their relative speeds meant such distances could easily shrink before notice.

    ¡°Slow the ship and change course! Circle around them!¡±

    On the captain¡¯s command, the blow engines on one side of the ship were put into overdrive, and the ship slowly began to list to starboard. Incidentally, due to the sheer weight of the ship and its cargo, the course change was sluggish at best.

    Sadly, despite the captain¡¯s quick judgment, his efforts were for naught as a group of Glaive Wings broke from their flight and came after the object that intruded upon their territory.

    ¡°Looks like a fight is now inevitable¡­ In that case, have the Wizards ready their units for combat! Tell them to screen the demon beasts away from the vessel! There¡¯s no need to chase down the demon beasts that flee!¡±

    At that moment, the top armor of the Transport Ship began to stir. Curiously, what arose were not part of the Transport Ship¡¯s internal armor, but a form of mana storing armor called the ¡®Bulwark Robe¡¯, a critical component for the ranged Silhouette Knights. As the ship was designed for transport, it was only assigned three Silhouette Knights for defense. Having received their orders, the Silhouette Knights took aim at the approaching demon beasts with the staff weapons on their backs.

    Perhaps the greatest reason for the Royal Life Guards¡¯ monopoly on the Transport Ships was these ranged Silhouette Knights called Wizards. Knowledge and experience alone were insufficient for the skies, and those who venture into this new landscape needed to have the courage to survive. As such, the select elites in the Royal Life Guards became the top picks to venture into the unknown.

    The Transport Ship not only prepared itself for combat, but also searched for an opening to escape. At that moment, the howling of the Glaive Wings could be heard as they entered into range.

    ¡°¡­Open fire!¡±

    The Transport Ship unleashed a torrent of shots on the approaching demon beasts. This barrage could be said is the specialty of the Wizards, taking advantage of their teamwork to curtain the skies with shells. Incidentally, unlike their tough-skinned terrestrial cousins, the aerial Glaive Wings were lightly built and would easily go down with a single shot. However, the problem was landing a hit.

    The natural agility of the flying demon beasts proved to be a challenge for the Wizards. Despite the concentrated barrage, only a few demon beasts fell to the shots, as the rest continued their approach.

    At that moment, the Glaive Wings spread their wings as they soared above the Transport Ship before entering into a dive. With weight and momentum on their side, the Glaive Wings accelerated straight at the ship. While it appeared suicidal to the uninformed, their bodies were enhanced with reinforcement magic, making themselves into powerful living lances.

    One after another, the Glaive Wings pierced through the Transport Ship.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Keep it up! We have to get away!¡±

    The provisions poured out from the openings, but the crew didn¡¯t give the loss much thought. The cumbersome Transport Ship could not easily escape from the agile Glaive Wings. Under the command of the captain, the Wizards continued their relentless barrage until all mana was exhausted.

    After a brave and unwavering defense, the Transport Ship finally found an opening and escaped from the Glaive Wings¡¯ relentless assault. At the same time, the ship was battered beyond all recognition. Their successful escape was all due to the diligence of the crew and, in no small part, sheer luck.

    ¡°¡­This line won¡¯t work. Too many darn demon beasts.¡± the captain lamented as he spread a map on the navigation table, ¡°¡­I guess we will need to try a new route.¡±

    On the map, countless X¡¯s could be seen.

    When the Life Lines were established, the Fremmevirans were quickly presented with a difficult problem ¨C No matter where they flew, they¡¯d always end up encountering demon beasts.

    Even though the kingdom had a sizeable force of Silhouette Knights, they were largely restricted to only certain regions. Stationed in cities, villages, and important highways, the Silhouette Knights were kept to defend key population centers for the sake of efficiency. Beyond these select locations, the kingdom tended to simply ignore the presence of demon beasts. However, with the advent of Levitate Ships, the freedom of movement made it easy to wander into demon beast infested territory.

    To ensure safety, the kingdom committed sizeable resources to demarcate the demon beasts¡¯ territory. With new means of travel, came new obstacles to overcome. For the Kingdom of Fremmevira, there still remained large swathes of area that proved hazardous to life.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    A missive arrived at Fort Olvecius, the headquarters of the Silver Phoenix Knights. The royal crest of Fremmevira on the missive clearly betrayed the sender¡¯s regal identity.

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s orders?¡±

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s certainly nothing good.¡±

    Eru opened the letter and checked its contents. Standing beside him, Addy was hesitant to take a peek over Eru¡¯s shoulders. After all, since the letter was directly addressed to Eru, there was likely privy information not meant for her eyes.

    ¡°They had assigned the new Transport Ships to the Life Lines. However, due to harassment from the local flying wildlife, they had suffered severe setbacks. Only with the Wizards were they able to avert disaster.¡±

    Eru revealed a complicated expression as he waived the letter around. Addy, on the other hand, had a serious look.

    ¡°Flying demon beasts are difficult, and few have experience fighting them.¡±

    ¡°Quite true. It¡¯s nearly impossible to escape, and the staff weapons are inaccurate against them. As it stands, I doubt they could keep the Life Lines up for long.¡±

    By and large, flying demon beasts were treated as a greater threat than their terrestrial cousins. While they were more fragile, they were significantly more nimble and thus difficult to target. As such, it is generally preferred to avoid conflict whenever possible.

    ¡°I guess His Majesty wants us to provide a plan?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but it doesn¡¯t specify in the letter. Maybe His Majesty has already caught wind of our development? Either way, we should hurry with our work on the Syrphrine.¡± Eru declared with a stern face.

    After Eru had finished the design, the knightsmiths of the Silver Phoenix Knights worked day and night on assembling the Syrphrine prototype.

    As a matter of fact, the entire process could not be so easily accomplished without the assistance of the veteran knightsmiths. Even in all of Zetterlund, few knightsmiths had endured the same unimaginable trials as those in the Silver Phoenix Knights. Conversely speaking, these trials had forged the knightsmiths of the Silver Phoenix Knights into a skilled and adaptable workforce, capable of incredible feats with the advent of the Silhouette Gears.

    ¡°Now, let us hurry with the operational trials.¡±

    Eru gazed upon the huge Silhouette Knight hanging from the workshop ceilings.

    Syrphrine Mk. II was over halfway done. Compared to the fully assembled upper torso, the lower torso remained a rudimentary frame, where the knightsmiths were busy finishing the internal components.

    The gap in progress was largely due to the difference in familiarity with the associated technology. While the upper half used existing Silhouette Knight frames, the lower half required extensive skills in shipwright.

    It was unquestionably a revolutionary design, combining not only the Ether Reactors and the Etheric Levitator, but also the Ether Supplier, all together in a compact core. Around this core, the unit had mobile capacity armors and the modified propulsion system. On mobility and stability alone, Syrphrine was a marvel of construction.

    When Eru drew up the blueprint, he was exceptionally careful with the placement of the various components. Moreover, the knightsmiths were able to provide suggestions during its assembly, allowing Eru to further refine the design. Bold in design and delicate in execution, these were the bare minimum of attributes necessary for challenging the unknown.

    ¡°Oh? It is slowly turning cute.¡± Addy commented with a cheerful smile, a complete reversal from during the tests of Syrphrine Mk. I.

    Through repeated revisions, Mk. II has gained a streamlined appearance, which not only lowered air resistance in flight, but also gave it a surrealistic beauty. Eru did not know which part of the design Addy liked, but it seemed Mk. II did fit her tastes.

    While the upper torso was based on existing technology, changes were still made to fit the new design. Most of the internal components were rearranged, with the most prominent being the move of the cockpit to the back, all for the sake of providing room for a ¡®critical component¡¯.

    ¡°Heh¡­ The cockpit seemed to be quite large, but with the Silhouette Gear, it may be quite the tight squeeze.¡±

    As the test pilot, Addy stood on the back of the incomplete Silhouette Knight. Curiously, she was dressed in a Silhouette Gear, neither the Motorbeat nor the Motorlad, but a wholly new different Silhouette Gear.

    This Silhouette Gear was highly compact and did not enclose the whole body. It also had a pair of long arms, making it difficult to imagine in combat.

    Syrphrine¡¯s cockpit was designed to incorporate the use of the modified Silhouette Gear. The cockpit was never particularly roomy inside. As such, no matter how they redesigned the Silhouette Gear, it was still quite the tight squeeze.

    ¡°It may feel awkward at first, but connect the arms of the Silhouette Gear with the unit¡­ Yes, with this, you should be able to control the Silhouette Knight with your arms and the thrusters with your legs. Now, Addy, I will leave the rest to you¡­ Everyone, we will start the operational trial.¡±

    Eru walked Addy through the process, as she was still unfamiliar with the new control scheme, and performed a final systems check before closing the rear-facing cockpit door. With everything ready, Eru had all the knightsmiths clear away from Syrphrine and take cover behind prepared ramparts, in fear of any uncertainty during the trial.

    ¡°Good. Addy, start the ¡®armored propulsion system¡¯ test!¡±

    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    At Eru¡¯s command, Addy pressed the initiation button. Within seconds, the Etheric Levitator activated as the entire Silhouette Knight took off into the sky.

    ¡°Uwaaa! I-it¡¯s unruly! Ugh!¡±

    Addy quickly adjusted the form of Syrphrine as she activated the second function of the armored flame propulsion system.

    The muscular strand crystals within the subarms covered the intricate scripts below, scripts that commanded the newly incorporated ¡®Air Burst¡¯. When Addy injected mana into the subarms, the scripts would activate spells and called forth a powerful burst of wind that slowed Syrphrine¡¯s descent.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Moments before reaching the ground, Addy activated a second burst to cushion the landing. With that, the first trial successfully concluded with both the Silhouette Knight and its pilot¡¯s safe return to the cheers of the knightsmiths.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It still feels somewhat unpolished, but the overall performance was quite satisfactory. Even on the off chance that something like the previous test were to happen, the pilot now should be able to safely bail out through the Gear Ejector from the rear.¡±

    ¡°While you and the young missy could probably survive the fall, other knight runners may not be as fortunate. Since the danger is much greater for an aerial unit, an escape plan certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    The Gear Ejector described the connection between the Syrphrine and the Silhouette Gear. Its greatest function was the eponymous ¡®ejection¡¯ mechanism. When activated, the system would command the Magius Engine to cut off the strengthening magic surrounding the cockpit and thus allow the armor to unfold. At the same time, the system would cause an air burst to eject the Silhouette Gear from Syrphrine, pilot and all.

    In a sense, it was more accurate to say the knight runners were wearing ¡®scripts¡¯ rather than a real Silhouette Gear, in order to allow runners without the knowledge of ¡®air burst¡¯ to sufficiently escape the Syrphrine. Granted, the Silhouette Gear does have some strengthening magic to it, if nothing else to resist the force of the ejection. All these improvements were made in light of the Mk. I¡¯s trials in order to increase the survivability of the knight runners.

    ¡°Well done, Addy! Both the Silhouette Knight and the Silhouette Gear functioned as expected, and the landing was splendid. I had always known you could do it with a bit of training!¡± Eru congratulated Addy for the successful first trial, ¡°Next up, I would like you to test the ejection system to ensure it is working as designed.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe¡­ Huh? W-wait¡­ You couldn¡¯t possibly mean¡­¡±

    Addy was at a loss when Eru suddenly praised her, but his next words made her turn her head in shock. When it came to testing the Gear Ejector, there was only one method.

    ¡°Therefore, I will need Addy repeatedly catapulted out from the Syrphrine.¡±

    ¡°H-huh? E-Eru, just wait a moment¡­ I really don¡¯t want to be shot out that many times!¡±

    Addy was not the only one to voice her displeasure, even the nearby knightsmiths revealed a complicated expression at the prospect of reassembling the armor after each and every ejection.

    ¡°Addy, the Syrphrine is different from any previous Silhouette Knight, as it is a unit meant to fly unassisted through the sky. If by chance an accident were to happen, even you wouldn¡¯t be able to get away unscathed from a fall of that height. The trials to follow are certainly not without risks. Therefore, I hope for you to receive enough training to ensure your safe return.¡± Eru declared.

    ¡°E-Eru¡­ To think you thought so much for my safety! Alright, I understand! No matter what, I will definitely return to your side!¡± Addy responded as she hugged Eru tightly, to which Eru returned the hug and gave a slight nod.

    ¡°Say, since the young missy is already fine with the trials, why are the rest of you hesitating? This is to ensure the safety of the knight runners, so I expect all of you to work hard!¡±

    Hearing Boss¡¯s sharp words, the knightsmiths overcame their reluctance and proceeded to work.

    For the next segment, Addy was catapulted time and time again from the cockpit, and stress tested the Silhouette Gear by leaping off tall buildings.

    As one previously familiar with Silhouette Gears such as the Motorbeat, and as one of Eru¡¯s star pupils, Addy was able to survive a moderate fall with magic alone. As such, the repeated ejections not only served as her training, but also served as the field trial for the Gear Ejector, and to thoroughly evaluate the capabilities of the Silhouette Gear. Certainly, the Silhouette Gear had seen through multiple iterations during the development of Syrphrine thanks to Addy¡¯s trials. Just to mention, other than Addy, Eru had also kidnapped a few regular knight runners for the field trials, and, in time, the Gear Ejector was honed to perfection.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    In time, the eagerly awaited lower half was finally done, albeit slightly behind schedule when compared to the upper torso. Regardless, the finished Syrphrine Mk. II has finally appeared before the Silver Phoenix Knights. The upper torso has a slight bulge on the back, while the lower tail has a streamlined appearance. On its flanks, two large fin-like wings stretch out, making it the perfect embodiment of the word ¡®mermaid¡¯.

    In its unmanned state, the Etheric Levitator maintained a minimal output, which allowed the Syrphrine to hover slightly above the surface. Rather than a flaw, the lack of foot was by design, or in the words of the designer, ¡°The Etheric Levitator was unique in that as long as the unit is functioning, it cost little to nothing in maintaining the altitude. As such, it was unnecessary to land on the ground each and every time. Rather, it takes more effort to manage the altitude in a landing.¡±

    In daily operation, the Syrphrine simply relied on tethers to keep it from floating away, while its large fins help serve as a landing gear for when it needed to land. Curiously, the fins also allowed for some limited mobility on the ground, even if it was slightly cumbersome.

    ¡°Internal ether concentration reaching the critical threshold. Eru, I am ready.¡± Addy announced using the loudspeaker within Syrphrine.

    Eru nodded as he confirmed Ikaruga was nearby and ready for deployment before giving the order.

    ¡°We shall commence the propulsion test. Syrphrine, detach tethers!¡±

    The knightsmiths in their Motorlad released the tether controls as a sharp metallic sound echoed in the chamber. Syrphrine, now untethered, slowly floated up by the strength of its levitation field. As a safety precaution, the Syrphrine prototype had its ether output severely limited, so its climb was quite sluggish. With a slight breeze, the fins wobbled as designed to stabilize the craft.

    ¡°Activating magius thrusters¡­! First, let us start gently¡­¡±

    After reaching a reliable height in order to not damage the workshop, Addy pressed down on the throttle. By her command, a jet of flame burst out from behind as the magius thrusters hummed with activity, and Syrphrine began to cruise forward.

    While they had intentionally limited the thruster output, Syrphrine seemed to be relatively stable in its flight. Certainly, both the fins and the streamlined design both helped mitigate any turbulence.

    ¡°¡­So the trial is a success? Good! Syr-chan, time to take it up a notch!¡±

    Haunted by the painful memories from back in the Mk. I, Addy had purposely held back during the initial stages of the trial. However, with the smooth handling so far, Addy seemed to have forgotten her earlier anguish. As she familiarized herself with the control, her movements began to show less and less restraint, or rather, she was simply reverting back to her usual impulsiveness. With every press of the throttle, Addy called for a stronger and stronger burst of flame through the magius thrusters.

    Syrphrine sliced through the air as it flew. Its long and slender build allowed for a moderate, but stabilizing, amount of air resistance, minimizing any risk of suddenly spinning out of control. Furthermore, the unidirectional thrusters simplified its overall control, with directional movement relegated to the fins that took advantage of the surrounding air flow and the flexible tail that move the thrusters to the desired position. In this regard, the new design was a resounding success, demonstrating a flexibility not previously seen in the Mk. I.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It feels like Tzen-chan. I guess this could work!¡±

    While Syrphrine¡¯s undulating motion through the air was clearly reminiscent of a swimming fish, Addy had felt its overall control was rather similar to Tzendrinble on top of its already similar shape and design. It was a familiar feeling for Addy, and it didn¡¯t take long before Addy was freely swimming through the sky.

    On the ground, the knightsmiths were jubilant at their success. With the tragedy of Mk. I engraved in their memory, the knightsmiths had worked ceaselessly on the Mk. II in a bid to regain their honor. Even Boss, stroking his beard, seemed incredibly pleased with the results.

    ¡°Although it still requires a bit of fine-tuning, the overall design could be deemed a success. I¡¯m glad the previous tragedy didn¡¯t repeat itself.¡±

    ¡°Yes. From the looks of it, we should be able to report to His Majesty soon¡­ That aside, I would like to take it out for a spin later on.¡±

    As the knightsmiths were celebrating, Eru seemed to be deep in thought.

    Just to mention, later on, there were sightings of a mysterious object flying over Academy City Laihiala at incredible speed, where it caused another uproar in the streets.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Archid ¡®Chid¡¯ Olter briskly walked through the hectic streets.

    He was in the capital of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, K?nk?nen. The capital had always been a massive metropolis, but it had become exceptionally brimming with activity ever since the advent of the Levitate Ship. After all, the capital was the headquarters of the Royal Life Guards, and, with it, the main dockyard for the new Transport Ships.

    Chid nimbly navigated through the crowds and headed to a small tavern in the outer rims of the city. The tavern was located in a quiet and discreet alleyway, far away from the boisterous streets. If Chid wasn¡¯t informed of the location beforehand, he certainly would have a difficult time finding the tavern.

    Chid slowly pushed open the door to find the place filled to the brim by patrons, chatting away as they had their meal.

    Among the patrons, one stood out above the rest and had attracted much attention. It was a man close to two mels in height, with a muscular build that seemed mismatched for the tiny bar stool as he gorged away on plates after plates of food.

    The man was named Emrys Geijer Fremmevira and was the one who had called to meet with Chid. He lifted his face from the now empty plate and waved Chid over. Despite being the second prince of the kingdom, he did not seem to sport a particularly regal air.

    ¡°Oh, Chid! Over here! Sorry about calling you over so suddenly! Have you eaten yet? The food here is not only good, but the portions are also quite large! It has my full recommendation!¡±

    ¡°Your High-¡­ Young Master, why do you even know about this place¡­?¡±

    Faced with Emrys¡¯ rather empty apology, Chid could only let out a sigh. As Emrys¡¯ was innately brusque, Chid felt it would be a waste of time pointing out every little mistake in etiquette.

    ¡°Since it was the Young Master¡¯s summons, how could I have refused? I am only surprised that you have picked such a remote meeting place.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha~ Quite the perfect hideaway, is it not?¡±

    Emrys¡¯ bold question made replying difficult. As such, Chid simply chose to sit silently across from Emrys and ordered a light meal.

    ¡°¡­May I ask why you¡¯ve asked me to come alone? To even specify not to bring Ernesti along, is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, I see. Leave that aside for now and let us focus on the main topic at hand.¡±

    Emrys revealed a stern expression. If it weren¡¯t for the sauce stuck in the corner of his mouth, his words would have an incredible weight to them.

    ¡°As you are aware, dad had pushed for the development of the Levitate Ship the moment we had returned from Kuscheperca, and, from what I¡¯ve heard, the Silver Phoenix Knights have been working on something interesting as well. At this rate, I am certain the Kingdom of Fremmevira will be at the forefront of the technological race. For that reason, I wish to make another trip to the Kingdom of Kuscheperca. Not as an observer or a clandestine operative, I wish to proceed as the representative of Fremmevira. After all, I am pretty sure that I have gained quite the fame for my participation during the war.¡±

    As one of the main contributors during the war, Emrys was held in high regard among the Kuschepercan nobility. Additionally, he held close relations with the royal family as one of their blood relatives. Although there were some reservations having Emrys take up an important diplomatic position with his carefree personality, Chid thought as far as Kuscheperca was concerned, Emrys should be fine.

    Just as Chid was contemplating Emrys¡¯ suggestions, Emrys sprang upon him an even more shocking news.

    ¡°When that time comes, I will need a few followers¡­ So, Chid, come with me to Kuscheperca.¡±

    ¡°H-huh? M-me? To K-Kuscheperca? Isn¡¯t it a bit too sudden¡­ and, why me?¡± Chid exclaimed as he leapt up from his seat, for a moment forgetting that they were in a public space.

    ¡°Actually, I had always planned to bring you with me! Don¡¯t you have fond memories of Kuscheperca? Moreover, I am certain you are quite the able assistant, having to deal with Ernesti for so long. Just to mention, I have already gotten permission from Marquis Serrati.¡± Emrys simply replied after revealing a wide smile.

    ¡°Y-Young Master is certainly quick¡­¡±

    Whenever Emrys had decided on something, he was certain to push it through. From how he made all the necessary preparations prior to the meeting, Chid could only sigh in amazement.

    ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t have much room to refuse. However, would you mind if I talk it over with everyone in the Silver Phoenix Knights first?¡±

    ¡°Of course! If there is anything you need, feel free to let me know. After all, I am borrowing you from the Silver Phoenix Knights, so we will definitely need to obtain Ernesti¡¯s permission. Oh, but do not worry, just leave convincing Ernesti to me.¡±

    After that exchange, Chid half-heartedly ate the delicious meal and chatted with Emrys before taking his leave for Laihiala.

    Sitting in the cockpit of Tzendrinble, Chid seemed to be deep in thought. Certainly, when Emrys mentioned his ¡®fond memories¡¯, they certainly only point to the one obvious lingering attachment he had for Kuscheperca.

    ¡°I had originally wanted to gently refuse the invitation and take some time to think everything through¡­¡±

    What to do now?

    Chid felt the answer slowly taking form in his heart. In order to discuss his thoughts, Chid raced down the road in the Tzendrinble.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Castle Schreiber stood at the center of K?nk?nen. In the main audience room, King Leotamus let out a deep sigh with drooped shoulders. Across from him stood Olver Blomdahl of the National Technological Robotics Laboratory, with one hand over his mouth and trembling uncontrollably at the recent report sent over by the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°Seriously, just when I thought they were silently recuperating from their recent adventures¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know what to say anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°We did receive reports of their new developments. Since the project did have its merits, we didn¡¯t plan to interfere. Still, to think they would be able to make the Silhouette Knight fly so soon after the advent of the Levitate Ship. Ernesti is quite the fellow¡­¡± Leotamus muttered with a complicated expression.

    The report detailed the completion of the ¡®Wind Knight¡¯, a Silhouette Knight that could fly unassisted through the air. It was news enough to make anyone quiver in shock.

    ¡°Since ships could now fly, nothing barred Silhouette Knights from doing the same¡­ Although such is the logic, we still couldn¡¯t believe one could turn such a mere figment of imagination into a working prototype in so short a time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like watching an innocent child making a new toy for himself. However, thanks to his absurd actions, we were provided an aerial Centaur Knight and a valuable new addition to bolster the kingdom¡¯s forces. Either way, he is the same as always¡­¡±

    Olver gave praise not in the sense of the gatekeeper, but as the director of the NTR Laboratory. The hint of sarcasm in his complement was unavoidable given the subject matter.

    At that moment, Leotamus turned to a serious expression.

    ¡°Given our chain of fortifications along the hinterlands near Bocuse, we had always assumed the interior of the kingdom as relatively safe. Yet, as experience had shown us, the demon beasts are still as pervasive as ever. In a way, the advent of the Levitate Ships has shown us the vastness of the sky.¡±

    There were many demon beasts living within the Kingdom of Fremmevira. Recently, thanks to the introduction of the new ¡®Eastern Model¡¯ Silhouette Knights, people had come to believe the demon beasts were defeated as a major threat. However, there was both truth and falseness to this belief.

    Long ago, when the kingdom was founded, the people tend to settle on relatively safe regions for their towns and villages. Consequently, the settlements were like islands in the wilderness, connected by thin strips of roads. As such, there still existed many uninhabited regions within the kingdom. Considering they still haven¡¯t fully pacified the land, it was to no one¡¯s surprise that they would suffer such a setback in the air.

    ¡°We are certainly troubled by the frequent attacks on our Transport Ships and are in need of a solution. In a way, this project is a perfect fit for our problem. Do you think the Silver Phoenix Knights had anticipated our troubles?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ but it is hard to say for sure. In my humble opinion, there is no greater mystery in this world than the mind of Ernesti.¡±

    Leotamus nodded to Olver¡¯s assessment.

    ¡°Either way, the timing couldn¡¯t have been better. With this new Silhouette Knight, our command of the sky will be significantly improved. It will undoubtedly usher a whole new era for our kingdom¡­ In that regard, I hope the NTR Laboratory will keep up its good work.¡±

    ¡°Understood. It is my honor to serve.¡±

    As Olver departed from the audience chamber, Leotamus returned to deep contemplation once more.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    A few days later, Eru received a summon from Leotamus and soon made his way to K?nk?nen. There, Leotamus presented Eru with a proposition.

    ¡°Your Majesty wishes for me to organize a new company¡­ with the new Wind Knights?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The fact that you designed the Wind Knights aside, we recognized the importance of flying Silhouette Knights in future exploration with the Levitate Ships. However, this new design also presented us with many new problems. Besides the unorthodox production, one of the most pressing issues was the difficulty in finding able knight runners.¡±

    The limiting factor that precluded the widespread use of the new Wind Knights wasn¡¯t its production or materials, but rather the complete lack of trained knight runners. New models like the Karrdatolles were more of an upgrade to existing Silhouette Knights, and the knight runners tended to have a basic understanding leading up to its operation. Comparatively, models like the Tzendrinble were seen with a significantly smaller pool of capable knight runners to that of Karrdatolles, given its more peculiar operation. Yet, the Tzendrinble was still a terrestrial Silhouette Knight, and could be mastered with sufficient training.

    On the other hand, the new Syrphrine was completely different. Named the ¡®Wind Knights¡¯, their operation was vastly different from any existing Silhouette Knights. As such, one could expect a long period of training before the knight runners could achieve proficiency.

    ¡°Even the crew of the Transport Ships are still fumbling their way through the new technology, we could only picture their resignation if we were to present them with a flying Silhouette Knight. After all, we don¡¯t even have an instructor for something as unique as your recent creation. Therefore, we might as well start with a new batch of cadets to specialize in Wind Knights, as they may be able to learn better if they are without the entrenched habits of veteran knight runners.¡±

    ¡°I see. Your Majesty intends to have a new generation responsible for the new technology.¡±

    Leotamus gave a strong nod in reply. Wind Knights were simply too unique, and any knight runner would essentially be relearning from the basics. As such, Leotamus thought it may be better to leave the Wind Knights to new cadets. Certainly, there were instances where veterans with ample experience would be appropriate, but in case of the Wind Knights, the quicker uptake of young students was preferred.

    Haa¡­ It is only half of the reasons¡­

    For Leotamus, there was a more pressing concern.

    Ever since its formation, the Silver Phoenix Knights had always served as the center for the development of new Silhouette Knights, and the kingdom saw it as their trump card against adversity. While the Silver Phoenix Knights were nominally under the direct command of the king, the group had grown to be largely autonomous under the command of its Knight Commander, Eru, and would act unexpectedly from time to time. Furthermore, due to the unique circumstances that led to its formation, the Silver Phoenix Knights had little in the ways of personnel changes.

    As such, there had been incessant requests from courtiers to send their relatives to obtain achievements in the famed Silver Phoenix Knights. Since Leotamus did not wish to meddle in the internal affairs of a largely autonomous order, he had largely suppressed the requests.

    ¡°We shall issue a call to the whole kingdom for able knight runners to form the new company. We will leave the specifics of the selection to you.¡±

    The formation of the new company presented Leotamus the perfect opportunity to quell the discontent. Furthermore, regardless of their achievements, the Silver Phoenix Knights were too exclusive an organization and would definitely benefit from new blood from time to time. As such, Leotamus decided to take advantage of the situation to solve two problems with a single stroke.

    The glint in Leotamus¡¯s gaze did not escape Eru¡¯s notice. Despite being relatively willful in the pursuit of his desires, Eru still possessed an uncanny discernment.

    ¡°I understand. As per your orders, I will organize a new company based on the Wind Knights.¡± Eru affirmed his new task with a brisk bow.

    As always, Leotamus could not discern the meaning of Eru¡¯s soft smile. Without revealing his unease, Leotamus gave a silent nod in reply.

    With the meeting, the plan to form a new company with the Wind Knights was decided.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Not long since the discussion between Leotamus and Eru, a certain rumor began to circulate around the pilot academies in Fremmevira.

    ¡°Hey, have you heard?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, ¡®that¡¯, right? Everyone is talking about it, the new ¡®Knight Order¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Just to tell you something more interesting, I¡¯ve heard that the knight runners will be piloting¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­To think it would be flying Silhouette Knights!!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t spoil the big reveal! Either way, it is hard to believe that Silhouette Knights could fly. After all, we only learned about flying ships just the other day. Looks like things are becoming weirder and weirder.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that! I think it sounds rather exciting, not to mention it is the newest model. Newest model! I¡¯ve heard the ones behind it are¡­¡±

    ¡°Those Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    ¡°Stop spoiling the reveals!¡±

    In the enthusiastic discussions of the cadets and knight runners, the name of the Silver Phoenix Knights would arise from time to time.

    It was a group dedicated to the development of advanced Silhouette Knights, with the Tzendrinble and the Levitate Ships among its impressive repertoire. At the same time, the Silver Phoenix Knights were a famed Order under the direct command of the king, under which they had defeated the incursion of powerful demon beasts and triumphed in an expedition to a distant kingdom, holding the title of being the strongest Knight Order.

    Furthermore, the Silver Phoenix Knights were known within the kingdom to be comprised of relatively young members. As such, they served as a role model for young and ambitious knight runners desperate for fame and recognition.

    Beyond their martial achievements, they were intricately linked with the new ¡®Wind Knight¡¯. It was rumored to be the Silver Phoenix Knights newest Silhouette Knight, for which the king himself held in high regard and desired the creation of a new ¡®Knight Order¡¯ to accommodate the creation. For many, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

    As with all rumors, there were certain embellishments as they passed from person to person. What was originally supposed to be an experimental company soon became a whole new ¡®Knight Order¡¯, with interesting consequences. As the scale of a new Knight Order was different from a mere company, the expected demand in personnel was worlds apart. Incidentally, not only were the cadets of the various academies riled up by the rumors, but also the cadets of the lesser nobles, and they all gathered at the gates of K?nk?nen to seek their fortunes. Before long, the streets of the already crowded capital became unruly and booming with activity. (1)

    Faced with the unexpected development, Leotamus was at a complete loss for what to do, and he quickly summoned Eru back to the capital to devise a solution. The two faced one another with complicated expressions.

    ¡°¡­Ernesti, as you can see, perhaps it would be better to establish a new Knight Order?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ but I already have my hands full with the Silver Phoenix Knights¡­¡±

    ¡°We understand, but¡­ with the current scale of mobilization, we doubt they will accept the addition of a mere company.¡±

    Leotamus was clearly stressed by the situation. While the kings within Zetterlund ruled as absolute monarchs and could easily disperse the crowd with a single command, Leotamus was reluctant as he was behind the call in the first place and retracting his decree would undermine his authority. Additionally, the countless nobles that had gathered in K?nk?nen would see such a move as an affront to their pride. Since the Levitate Ships and the Wind Knights represented the forefront of technological development, the nobles all wanted a chance to demonstrate their valor in the new Knight Order, and Leotamus did not want to be the one to pour cold water on their enthusiasm. As such, Leotamus was left with limited options.

    ¡°If possible, I wish for some time to evaluate the feasibility of a new Knight Order and discuss it with the other officers of the Silver Phoenix Knights. If possible, Your Majesty, I wish to request assistance in the production of the Wind Knights and preemptively increase its output.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We will divert a portion of the staff at NTR Laboratory to assist you in the production.¡±

    With his request satisfied, Eru was clearly uplifted.

    ¡°Understood. By Your Majesty¡¯s will, The Silver Phoenix Knights will do its utmost to see it done.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we shall leave it in your able hands.¡±

    Leotamus finally revealed a more peaceful expression upon hearing Eru¡¯s confident response.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Eru immediately returned to Fort Olvecius and ordered a meeting. Upon hearing Eru¡¯s explanation, everyone was slightly anxious about what was to come.

    ¡°¡­And there you have it. We originally planned to organize a company, but the large influx of applicants made it difficult to limit the size. In all likelihood, we may have a full brigade on our hands.¡±

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped, let us just pretend we didn¡¯t hear what you said and be on our way.¡±

    Just as Dietrich was making his way out of the room, Eru grabbed his arm with a clearly forced smile.

    ¡°This determines the widespread use of the Wind Knights and is a personal request of His Majesty. I have deemed the assistance of Silver Phoenix Knights necessary for its completion. As a loyal knight of the kingdom, I am certain Dietrich would not refuse the request of His Majesty, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yes.¡±

    Faced with the domineering pressure of Eru¡¯s smile, Dietrich could only resign himself to fate before turning to look at others.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, none of us could escape fate.¡± Edgar lamented nearby with drooped shoulders.

    ¡°Of course, it is a revolutionary Silhouette Knight. Although, it can¡¯t be helped now that things have come to this¡­¡±

    They were unsure whether to laugh or cry at their fortune.

    ¡°Whenever Eru is involved, the situation would undoubtedly escalate in the end.¡±

    Even Helvi could only casually accept the development as she shook her head. At that moment, Eru took a serious expression.

    ¡°Honestly, I was half-joking about the brigade. Certainly, we can¡¯t accommodate such a huge force¡­ I image it would be at most a few companies or a battalion.¡± (2)

    It was impossible to accept everyone who applied. Even Leotamus understood that there was to be a selection exam where they could hand out a few rejections. However, given the heavy involvement of the nobility, it would undoubtedly be quite the sizable number remaining.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, establishing a new Knight Order won¡¯t be difficult. The problem is what comes next.¡±

    ¡°The training?¡±

    As the new Knight Order was tasked with organizing a force of capable knight runners for the Wind Knights, it would need to take care of the training. They know full well the headache of dealing with such a large number of trainees.

    ¡°As such, Edgar-senpai, Di-senpai, and Helvi-senpai, why not try piloting the Syrphrine?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Now? Although I am quite interested in the Wind Knight, I do not have any plans of abandoning Erledyradcumber. Why not leave it to someone new?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t wish to give up the Guyalarinde. At most, I will drop by during their training.¡±

    Not only the two, other knight runners of the Silver Phoenix Knights had been accompanied by their respective Silhouette Knights for some time. As such, there was an overwhelming sense of attachment to the units that had fought and protected them.

    ¡°I am fine. After all, the third company is known for our interest in new creations.¡±

    Only Helvi alone agreed to the new arrangement. As the test pilot for Tellestarle, Helvi held an insatiable curiosity for the new Silhouette Knight.

    While others may not be as enthusiastic as Helvi, they still held some interest in the new Silhouette Knight. Hearing the divergent and reluctant responses, Eru revealed a bright smile, striking the three with a terrible premonition.

    ¡°I am not asking you to abandon your customized Silhouette Knights. I am only asking you to acquire some experience in the new Silhouette Knight and be familiar with the feeling of operating them.¡±

    ¡°Huh, Ernesti?¡±

    The premonition continued to grow with Eru¡¯s smile.

    ¡°Afterwards, I only ask everyone to ¡®assist¡¯ with teaching the newcomers¡­ Even if they are part of a different branch of service, they are still members of the Fremmeviran Army. I am certain as veterans, you will assist the newcomers to the best of your abilities.¡±

    Despite knowing that the mentorship to come would be difficult, Eru had no desire to let the officers off the hook. They blankly looked at each other before the three raised their hands in resignation. The Silver Phoenix Knights were not only faced with combat against the demon beasts, but also tasked with overcoming the countless challenges set up by its Knight Commander. By now, the officers had long resigned to their fates.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Soon, the officers and members of the Silver Phoenix Knights began their training, with members of the third company making up the majority of the volunteers. As Helvi described, the third company was especially interested in new inventions.

    Although it was meant as training, the Wind Knights were still in production. As such, the best they could do at the moment was practice with the Gear Ejector.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much about it during Adeltrud¡¯s trial, but now that I have personally experienced the system¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by his creativity.¡±

    Having been shot out into the air and landing many times, Dietrich looked upon the seemingly relaxed Eru and Addy with annoyance.

    If they were to face disaster in the air, they would be unable to reach safety. As such, everyone knew the importance of ejection training. Despite such being the case, the training was still difficult, and the volunteers quickly began to feel enervated.

    Just as they thought there was no end to the ejection training, the NTR Laboratory had sent word that the first batch of Wind Knights was to be delivered. With the news, everyone finally breathed easy at the eventual start of operational training.

    However, the operational training was not as simple as they had thought. Despite having weathered all types of difficulties, the domain of the sky was one not easily breached.

    ¡°I have never seen so many different buttons and instruments before¡­ Are all these necessary for flight?¡± Edgar sighed while sitting in the cockpit, looking around at the various instruments around him.

    Etheric Levitator, Ether Supplier, and magius thrusters, not to mention the controls for the Silhouette Knight itself. Everyone knew at a glance that it would be no easy task to master the Syrphrine¡¯s operation. Ostensibly, of all the test pilots, Dietrich¡¯s familiarity with the magius thrusters on the Guyalarinde made him the quickest learner.

    Just as they finally had completed the basic operational training, the volunteers were faced with basic aerial maneuvers. The training first started with low altitude maneuvers, and then slowly increased the speed and height. The controls were repeatedly drilled into the volunteers until they had gained enough familiarity to fly in formation.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, the operation is not as hard as I had initially thought. Although it feels awkward not touching the ground.¡± Edgar mumbled during a break.

    ¡°Yep! Other than the weightlessness, the Wind Knight is not that much different from the Tzendrinble. It should be fine to move with a bit of confidence.¡± Helvi cheerfully added.

    ¡°They did mention the entire design was based on the Centaur Knight, so it is not a surprising conclusion.¡±

    Incidentally, Helvi demonstrated the highest competence with the Syrphrine of the three officers. Only Edgar came from a background that did not benefit his mastery.

    ¡°I am also slowly getting the hang of it. In my opinion, this fellow is really like an untamed stallion.¡± Dietrich interjected into the conversation with a shrug.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Rather than calling it an untamed stallion, wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate to call it an untamed fish?¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t get hung up on the appearance. While Syrphrine may appear as a mermaid, its maneuvers more closely resemble cavalry, so it isn¡¯t wrong to call it a flying stallion.¡±

    As long as there was no outside force acting upon it, the Etheric Levitator would always maintain its set altitude by design. Therefore, even if they change the altitude using the magius thrusters, Syrphrine would eventually normalize to its original altitude. As such, from purely a theoretical view, Syrphrine¡¯s ¡®flight¡¯ was merely on a two dimensional plane of a different height.

    Once they had acquainted themselves with the sensation of flight, Syrphrine would feel no different from any other Silhouette Knight. When it is combined with the inspiration they took from Tzendrinble, the trio came to see Syrphrine as no different than the typical cavalry.

    ¡°On the other hand, I am having difficulty maneuvering with the fins. I wouldn¡¯t want to face demon beasts with such stiff controls.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry! Syr-chan is very gentle, and, as long as you figure out the trick, you will find her surprisingly obedient!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t compare us with a frequent test pilot like you.¡±

    After a period of intense struggle, Addy had obtained a complete mastery of Syrphrine. Least of all thanks to her experience in aerial combat during the subjugation of shelled demon beasts.

    ¡°I agree, Syrphrine is an exceptionally obedient Silhouette Knight, how could you possibly mess up? Don¡¯t make yourself sound like a novice.¡±

    ¡°So true.¡±

    Addy and Helvi, a pair of veteran knight runners for Tzendrinble, began a duet of praise for the new Syrphrine.

    ¡°Honestly¡­ I won¡¯t deny that it is fun to pilot the Syrphrine. Definitely worth the risk of serving as lab rats for Eru.¡±

    As they chatted away, Eru was within earshot of Dietrich¡¯s comment and approached with a glowing smile.

    ¡°I am glad to hear everyone is having fun. Therefore, let us kick it up a notch and have a mock match! I certain you will have double the amount of fun!¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ Me and my big mouth.¡±

    With that, Dietrich took an incredible amount of effort to convince Eru not to hold a mock battle against Ikaruga.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    While the knight runners were busy with their training, the knightsmiths were not simply lazing around. Other than Boss, who was sent to the NTR Laboratory to instruct and supervise the production of Syrphrines, other knightsmiths were thrown into another project.

    ¡°¡­Eru, are you sure about this?¡± Batson nervously asked after going over Eru¡¯s blueprint, ¡°Haven¡¯t we told you that we are not shipwrights?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. Surely you must agree that the combination of Syrphrine and this vessel is a match made in heaven?¡±

    The blueprint before Eru and Batson was one for a massive ship. It was the design for the aforementioned Levitate Ship, but its structure was nothing like the preexisting Transport Ship.

    ¡°I need someone deeply familiar with the Levitate Ships, the Silhouette Knights, and the new Wind Knights to participate in its design. Since Boss is away, you are the only one who could take up the task.¡±

    ¡°That sounds nice, but I know that getting involved in any of your projects would mean a world of trouble! Haa¡­ I should¡¯ve been more adamant about switching over to the development of the Wind Knights.¡± Batson lamented with tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.

    The other knightsmiths that stood behind Batson turned deadly pale the moment they glanced upon the blueprint.

    ¡°Why do we even need to redesign the Levitate Ship? What is wrong with just sticking to our current Levitate Ships?

    While they were experts of Silhouette Gear and Silhouette Knights, the knightsmiths were mere amateurs when it came to the design of ships, and, by extension, Levitate Ships,

    ¡°As long as Wind Knights become widespread, I am certain we will need a ship like this in the future. After all, Silhouette Knights alone are still too fragile to dominate the skies by themselves.¡±

    The Levitate Ship on the blueprint included many special functions, of which a significant number was based on Silhouette Knight¡¯s technology. As such, only those involved in the development of the Wind Knights could imagine such a design.

    ¡°As such, we need to create this ¡®Wind Carrier¡¯ to serve as a mobile base for the Wind Knights.¡±

    Eru was not satisfied with simply organizing a Knight Order of Wind Knights. To allow them to achieve their full potential, Eru sought after a new creation.

    Therefore, while the knight runners continued their training, the knightsmiths turned to a new development as they began to dabble in the art of shipwright.

    Far in the capital, the selection of members proceeded smoothly, and soon, a new Knight Order was born in the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    Note:

    (1) An interesting tidbit on the word ¡®cadets¡¯: here, the former ¡®cadets¡¯ indicate military academy students, while the latter ¡®cadets¡¯ indicate non-firstborn sons of nobles. Yes, I purposely left it as is since it is quite an interesting coincidence.

    (2) Since someone asked, I will put a note here about the military organization. In K&M, a company is made up of 10 Silhouette Knights, a battalion is 3-4 companies (Silver Phoenix Knights is a battalion-sized Knight Order, with 3 companies), and a brigade is 100 Silhouette Knights, or about 3 battalions (As first stated in Ch43). Knight Orders are of variable sizes, and are more of an organizational unit than a purely military unit.

 Book 6: Chapter 50: The Violet Swallow Knights

    Near the capital K?nk?nen, there was a large proving ground used by the Royal Life Guards. It was the same site where Tzendrinble first revealed itself to the world.

    On this day, countless young knight runners gathered. They hailed from all across the Kingdom of Fremmevira, each a survivor of the grueling selection exam. All of them stood tall, with unbridled ambition clearly reflected in their eyes. While they appeared somewhat anxious for what was to come, there wasn¡¯t a bit of hesitation for the glory they would eventually receive.

    At the top of the stands in front of them, a shadow appeared in the royal balcony. The man, accompanied by the Royal Life Guards, was none other than the current monarch of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, Leotamus.

    At the king¡¯s arrival, the knight runners all knelt. After looking over the sizeable gathering, Leotamus gave them permission to return to their feet.

    ¡°¡­You had all endured vigorous training to reach this point. As the vanguard of the future of the kingdom, we are certain you have heard the rumors prior to the assembly today.¡± Leotamus announced under the covetous gaze of the young knight runners, ¡°As you all must be aware, our recent expedition to the western nations has returned with the Levitate Ship technology. Through effort, we have come to stand on the precipice of history, as we prepare to challenge the unknown and explore the unexplored! To claim the vast sky for our own!¡±

    Leotamus looked up at the azure sky above. It was an untamed realm that stretched endlessly in all directions and, thanks to the advent of a new technology, within reach.

    ¡°Yet, the Levitate Ship technology is not exclusive to our kingdom, having had been spread to the numerous western nations. Before long, our control of the skies will be contested by other challengers. As such, we could not simply sit back and rest on our laurels. To that end, we formally announce the completion of a new technology, exclusive to our fair kingdom¡­¡± Leotamus declared with a slight pause before the grand dramatic reveal. ¡°¡­The flying Silhouette Knight! Understand this, knight runners, the future battlefield will no longer only be restricted on the ground, but in the vast skies above as well!¡±

    At that moment, Leotamus heard gasps from the crowd below. Certainly, for the king himself to address the recruits in person reflected the importance of the occasion to the knight runners below. From his words, the knight runners came to understand the responsibility they were about to shoulder.

    As the crowd grew sterner at the realization, Leotamus continued.

    ¡°You shall be members of a new Knight Order. It is an order with the expressed purpose to accommodate the new flying Silhouette Knights, and your performance in it will serve as a model for all posterity. Never forget that you are all the vanguard of a new realm! Now, let us introduce you to your instructors.¡±

    With his speech finished, Leotamus beckoned with his hand as all the knight runners stood at perfect attention.

    At first, nothing seemed to have happened, and the proving ground descended into a period of awkward silence. The knight runners were all perplexed by the inaction. Just as they were about to break their stance to look around, they noticed small shadows off in the distant. The shadows slowly grew on the backdrop of the azure sky. At a glance, the knight runners were quick to realize the silhouettes were significantly smaller than a typical Levitate Ship.

    Before long, the shadows zoomed overhead, accompanied by the deafening roar of explosions. Everyone felt an intense pressure at the sight, now clearly displayed before them.

    ¡°H-hard to believe¡­ The S-Silhouette Knights are really flying!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just the knight runners, even the Royal Life Guards could not help but gasp at the incredible sight.

    Everyone had expected Silhouette Knights to be largely humanoid in shape, despite the rare eccentric ¨C such as the Tzendrinble. However, the ¡®flying Silhouette Knights¡¯ above them were just as outlandish as the Tzendrinble. While the upper torso was humanoid, the bottom half was something completely extraordinary. It had a tail that resembled fish, with weird fin-like protrusions on its flanks. Additionally, almost to feed the sense of growing abnormality, the Silhouette Knight lacked any legs.

    Overall, it was a Silhouette Knight even more aberrant than the Tzendrinble. One that defied any common sense.

    As the knight runners stood shocked by the sight, the ¡®mermaids¡¯ drew an arc around the sky with colorful streaks behind them.

    ¡°Are they¡­ landing?¡±

    From the ground, the observers could see that the Silhouette Knights were slowly descending. As the streaks of colorful light slowly faded away, the four Silhouette Knights approached an opening in the proving ground.

    At that moment, loud shots followed by intense metallic grinding could be heard as chained stakes flew out from the Silhouette Knights. They stabbed deeply into the ground below, anchoring the Silhouette Knights firmly. Further grinding could be heard as the Silhouette Knights retracted the chains, pulling themselves closer and closer to the ground.

    Since the magius thrusters were turned off during the descent, dust was not blown up to obscure the view. Incidentally, it created an eerie calm in the landing, and everyone held their breaths as they watched.

    Once they had reached the appropriate height, the pair of massive fins came into contact with the ground. Stabilized by the fins and the anchors, the Silhouette Knights stopped all action as the Ether Reactor wound down.

    For everyone present, it was the first time they had seen such an impressive feat of engineering. In silence, everyone watched the Silhouette Knights before them. Only Leotamus did not seem particularly shocked by the sight.

    ¡°¡­Seriously, that Ernesti sure loves to scare new recruits.¡± Leotamus sighed at the mastermind behind the whole display.

    Certainly, this event showed a particular childish aspect of Eru. However, there was a certain hint of irony as the criticism came from the king that approved the plan in the hope that the reveal would create an everlasting impression on the new recruits.

    At that moment, the mermaid began to stir once more. From its back, the whistling of air could be heard as the armor slowly bulged up. Everyone instantly recognized that the cockpit of this specific model was placed on the back. Under the gaze of everyone, a few human-sized shadows emerged wearing Silhouette Gear.

    Standard convention dictated that the cockpit usually opened to the front, and the knight runners only wore a lightweight suit as pilots. Just as everyone was left flabbergasted by the unusualness, the heavily armored pilots lithely leapt from the back of the Silhouette Knight and made their way to the recruits. There, they opened up the Silhouette Gear and removed the fitted straps before stepping down onto the ground with their own two feet.

    At the sight of the pilots, the recruits stirred once again. All four of the knight runners were exceptionally young, at most a few years above the recruits. At the forefront was a relatively well-built male, and they all knelt before the king.

    ¡°¡­As ordered, four Wind Knights of the Silver Phoenix Knights are here to answer Your Majesty¡¯s summons.¡±

    Leotamus nodded in reply before turning to the recruits.

    ¡°Knight runners! Burn this sight into your minds, for these Silhouette Knights are the ¡®Wind Knights¡¯ you shall pilot!¡±

    The recruits were left completely speechless as they silently gasped. After the Levitate Ship, they have flying Silhouette Knights now. It was a completely foreign realm for anyone to fathom. Certainly, they had all heard the rumors, but it was something altogether to see them in person.

    Considering what is to come, it would be problematic if the knight runners did not treat their positions seriously. Therefore, Leotamus agreed to parade the Syrphrines before the new recruits to give them a slight jolt of intimidation. However, the effects went beyond their expectations, and Leotamus was troubled for a solution. Regardless of his inner turmoil, Leotamus would never wear such thoughts on his face.

    ¡°With these new Silhouette Knights at its core, we shall now proclaim the formation of the new Knight Order, to which we shall name the ¡®Violet Swallow Knights¡¯. It will be an order destined for the air, with the Wind Knights as your wings. For the time being, we shall leave you under the command of the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    Although it was possible to have the Wind Knights under the direct command of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Leotamus was reluctant when considering Eru¡¯s spontaneous and unrestrained nature. He feared above all else that Eru would lead the new Wind Knights astray. As such, Leotamus had decided from the very beginning to establish the Wind Knights as a separate Knight Order, regardless of its size.

    ¡°Where the Levitate Ships take to the sky, Silhouette Knights must follow to keep them safe. As the vanguard of the virgin sky, we look forward to your valiant performance.¡±

    Not just the new recruits, but even the veteran Life Guards turned to give a resounding shout of affirmation. Satisfied, Leotamus gave a slight nod before giving a glance to the knight runners of the four Syrphrines.

    ¡°Now, you will be under the guidance of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Knight Commander, approach¡­¡± Leotamus said to one standing behind him, ¡°We shall leave the rest to you, Ernesti¡­ Remember to show restraint.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Leotamus remained somewhat unconvinced, but he simply let out a sigh before leaving the royal balcony from the rear. In his place, a short boy came forward.

    Just as the recruits expected him to start his speech, the young boy leapt from the balcony to the proving ground below.

    ¡°Greetings. I am the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti Echevalier.¡± Eru declared with a wide smile, as all the recruits looked upon in wonder.

    Only select few knew about the identity of the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, given his importance to the national security. Outside of Academy City Laihiala, barely anyone had known his face. Before long, the Knight Commander turned into an enigmatic existence only foretold by rumors.

    As a being preceded by rumors, the Knight Commander was known to be an unparalleled genius who began developing Silhouette Knights while himself only a mere student, as well as piloting the new Silhouette Knights with incredible skill. Not long after, even the king recognized his excellence and honored him with a Knight Order. In short, the Knight Commander was a character that almost felt surreal for his fantastic feats ¨C a truly legendary existence.

    Yet, the so-called Knight Commander that stood before them was unusually young, with a fairness of complexion that resembled a maiden. He lacked the imposing stature and attitude worthy of the rumors. To the recruits, the Knight Commander was no less surprising than the flying Silhouette Knights straddled on the ground nearby.

    However, Eru did not seem to particularly mind.

    ¡°From now on, I will expect everyone present to pilot the newly designed Wind Knights. Although the Levitate Ships have already taken to the air, they are still too fragile. As such, it is in our nation¡¯s most urgent interest to train you all into capable knight runners for the Wind Knights, to defend the Levitate Ships from attack.¡±

    Just as the recruits were frozen in shock, the four knight runners of Syrphrine made their way behind Eru. While three of the knight runners looked like veterans of countless battles, one curiously looked about the same age as the recruits. The four were Edgar, Dietrich, Helvi, and Addy.

    Seeing their deference, the recruits were finally convinced that Eru was the commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°One day, when you are able to stand alone, the Violet Swallow Knights will officially be independent. By that time, the Levitate Ships would undoubtedly fly far, perhaps even venture to other continents. Do you not feel that is unfair? If ships could fly, why not Silhouette Knights? In order for Silhouette Knights to reach every corner of the world-¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait. Knight Commander, you are veering off topic.¡± Edgar whispered into Eru¡¯s ear.

    After a slight pause, Eru continued.

    ¡°Either way, you will be placed under the tutelage of these four. Through training, I expect you to become the world¡¯s first group of knight runners to reach the sky and leave your names in history.¡±

    The recruits were slightly put off by the sudden change in pace, but, intimidated by Eru¡¯s enthusiasm, they all nodded to his words. With that, the Violet Swallow Knights were officially established.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Not long since the inauguration of the Violet Swallow Knights, the new recruits found themselves in Fort Olvecius, sharing the fort with the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    A small clearing was made by felling the trees near the fort in preparation for the eventual Wind Knight hanger. However, until its construction, the company (ten units) of Wind Knights were temporarily parked in the clearing, set abreast to one another.

    These Wind Knights, designated as ¡®Touediane¡¯ by the NTR Laboratory, were an improved version of the Syrphrine. It had a simplified but refined design compared to the prototype, with an appearance that was both clean and elegant. However, given the limited field testing done, everyone understood that further improvements were sure to be made in the future.

    The Violet Swallow Knights were now in their practical training, during which they will familiarize themselves with the Wind Knight¡¯s basic operation. Furthermore, the training will be done under various conditions to further assess and improve the Wind Knight¡¯s design. Understandably, there was still quite some work to be done before they could shed the prototypes and officially finalize on a production model.

    The recruits, now members of the Violet Swallow Knights, constantly shot glances over to the nearby Wind Knights, clearly anxious for their first ever experience in a Wind Knight. Before them, Eru gave the recruits their instructions.

    ¡°As everyone is probably aware, a new batch of Silhouette Knights had recently arrived. Although I would like to have you all try a hand at piloting, I would need you all to complete the basic training regimen first before I could allow you in the Touediane.¡±

    The recruits revealed a serious expression as they prepared themselves mentally for training. They were particularly pumped up with the prize dangling right next to them.

    Sadly, the enthusiasm quickly waned when they found out the training entailed repeated drops from up high.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°¡­This is different than what I had imagined.¡±

    After a few days of brutal ejection training, the recruits began to grumble.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t we all excited when we first laid our eyes on the flying Silhouette Knights¡­?¡±

    ¡°To think we wouldn¡¯t get the opportunity to pilot one¡­¡±

    The training they endured lately were either getting catapulted out by the Gear Ejector, or to run laps with the modified Silhouette Gear, the Descendlads. It was a regimen designed to build physical endurance of the knight runners and to gain a familiarity with the new Descendlads. For the recent graduates of the academies, the regimen created an uncanny sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Although the recruits did not refuse the training, as they were told that it was an important part to become capable pilots, they nevertheless felt slightly disappointed by the mundane regimen.

    Opposite them, the officers and veteran knight runners of the Silver Phoenix Knights served as their instructors.

    Edgar was tasked with teaching the use of the Gear Ejector and the correct posture for landing after the ejection.

    ¡°Understand that this repetitive training is absolutely important! In order to allow you to perform under any circumstances, you will need to be repeatedly drilled until the actions become second nature.¡±

    With that said, Edgar let them perform the ejections again and again, until the sequence of actions became drilled into their very beings. As the recruits became more and more familiar, Edgar would increase the height of the landing, even requiring the recruits to perform simple evasive maneuvers. With Edgar¡¯s stoic and uncompromising attitude, the visage of a demonic instructor soon became ingrained in the minds of the recruits.

    In between breaks of Edgar¡¯s training, Dietrich would make the recruits wear Descendlads with him and run laps.

    ¡°Faster! In most battles, the stamina and mana will determine the final victor. I expect you to train until you are able to survive even if the Wind Knights run into difficulties! Remember, this is a matter of life and death!¡±

    As the head of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Assault Company, Dietrich had survived countless bloody battlefields. Not only him, the Silver Phoenix Knights as a whole were veterans of the Great Western Storm, through which each of the knight runners held a wealth of experience despite their young age.

    In the difficult and long run, Dietrich remained emotionless even as the recruits became exhausted. To the students, Dietrich was a demonic instructor on a level no less than Edgar, leaving them without a single hope for respite.

    Other than the hellish training, the recruits also had to attend lectures to build up a rudimentary understanding of the operation. The lecturer happened to be Addy, the youngest of the officers. Incidentally, Edgar and Dietrich were quite young themselves among the knights of the kingdom, while Addy was about the same age as the recruits. Although the recruits felt odd to have a lecturer so young, they hoped that it would at least provide a refuge from the difficult physical training.

    ¡°When you pilot the Wind Knight, you must first Fwoosh the Etheric Levitator to allow it to float. Afterward, you Swish on the air currents when you move forward, and you will be able to move quite fast!¡±

    ¡°M-ma¡¯am¡­ We r-really couldn¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Contrary to their expectations, Addy¡¯s lectures were incredibly painful to sit through. Thankfully, the lecture materials were prepared by Eru and Boss, so the overall details were quite complete. However, the lecturer assigned to the recruits was Addy, one who piloted by vague ¡®feelings¡¯. As such, the lecture was filled by onomatopoeias and made nearly impossible to understand, through which the recruits sadly resigned themselves to self-study the material.

    ¡°¡­Looks like this won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Should we lend a hand? As it stands, there will certainly be trouble when we put them into practice.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Addy, haven¡¯t we already told you to use fewer sound effects?¡±

    With that said, Helvi became assistant to the lecturer and clarified the vague parts of Addy¡¯s lectures. Helvi¡¯s previous experience of learning Tzendrinble¡¯s operation from Addy helped with her interpretation. As the recruits took in Helvi¡¯s comprehensive explanations, they had finally seen a glimmer of light in their grueling day to day life. Incidentally, Helvi soon gained the nickname of the ¡®Healing Goddess of Training¡¯ among the recruits.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    After months of hellish training, the Violet Swallow Knights were finally allowed aboard the Touediane. Although that was the case, the knight runners could only take turns piloting the Touediane given the lack of units. For the recruits, those without their turns were forced to continue their usual training regimen.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all have looked forward to this moment! It is time for everyone to take to the skies, so I hope you all remember your training. Now, prepare for boarding!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    After enduring through Edgar¡¯s incessant drills, the recruits were swift in their actions. They smoothly slid into the Descendlad with practiced movements and inserted the silver swords into the appropriate slot. Once the lock had been disengaged, the recruits quickly performed a system check and then stood before Edgar in attention.

    There was a visible nervousness on the faces of the recruits. Despite the vigorous training they had endured, they were anxious for their first flight.

    ¡°Good! Next up is boarding the units, just like we practiced. If there are any questions, be sure to let me know!¡±

    The recruits gave a strong affirmation before climbing aboard their respective Wind Knights. Firstly, they had to link their Descendlads to the Gear Ejector.

    ¡°Ugh! Although they had mentioned it before, there really are too many instruments! To think it would be this complicated¡­¡±

    Although the recruits had ample experience piloting Silhouette Knights, they were still surprised by the complexity of the Wind Knights. The sheer number of buttons and instruments were simply incomparable to the terrestrial Silhouette Knights.

    It was a common drawback of all the new Silhouette Knights developed by the Silver Phoenix Knights. With every new feature they added to the successive models, there needed to be a corresponding control system, resulting in an ever-increasing complexity for knight runners to master ¨C the most extreme case being the Ikaruga itself. However, beyond the additional dials and switches on the Wind Knight, there were other difficulties the knight runners had to overcome.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Just follow Adeltrud-¡­ I mean, Helvi¡¯s instructions. Set the Etheric Levitator to a minimal output, just enough to have the unit float, all the while not making any sudden movements.¡±

    The recruits regained their calm with Edgar¡¯s recommendation and followed the instructions to slowly manipulate the controls. The Ether Supplier began to hum as concentrated Ether streamed into the Etheric Levitator. Before long, the unit reached the concentration threshold as it floated into the air, and the tethers were held taut on the ground below.

    ¡°Good! Time to retract the tethers. Be ready, the moment the tethers are detached, the Wind Knights will experience a sudden rise. Everyone, remain calm when that happens!¡±

    With the tethers were detached, the entire unit took to the air. The sudden freedom from the confines of the ground gave the recruits a new rush of excitement.

    The objective of the session was to establish a stable altitude with the Etheric Levitator. Although some of the recruits did struggle with balance, they were able to quickly regain control with their practiced movements. Granted, a select few did end up ejecting out after losing control.

    After completing their initial flight, the recruits slowly build upon that experience with increasing height and, eventually, with propulsion. Soon, the Violet Swallow Knights finally reached the point where they could freely fly in the air.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Switch to wedge formation!¡±

    The tail of Edgar¡¯s Wind Knight flashed in color as the rest of the Wind Knights fell into formation closely behind. With their fins outspread, the Wind Knights freely coursed across the sky in the practiced wedge formation.

    ¡°Good, it looks like they are slowly coming together.¡±

    With the sound of strong wind whistling high above, the knight runners could not communicate by sound. As such, light signals were installed as an effective mean of communication.

    Although there were few obstacles in the sky, the amount of information they need to process was certainly not lacking. Furthermore, they needed to establish formations if they were to be effective in combat.

    ¡°They are still somewhat shaky, not to mention there isn¡¯t much in the ways of preexisting aerial tactics. However, this level of performance should suffice for now.¡±

    As the instructor, Edgar settled into his role as he began to subconsciously score the other Wind Knights. At that moment, a Syrphrine zipped past the formation with incredible speed.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Adeltrud is as impressive as always. If only her lectures were better.¡±

    Compared to the Touediane they were piloting, Addy¡¯s Syrphrine was much nimbler in flight. In other words, while the recruits were barely passable as pilots, Addy was flying as one with the Syrphrine across the air currents.

    The recruits were all mesmerized by Addy¡¯s incredible performance. Although her instructions were difficult to understand in class, they could not deny her unmatched skill in the air. The recruits could not help but regret her inability to transmit her experience properly in words.

    ¡°To think she was able to control that fish this well! Perhaps she was feeling a familiarity with her experience in the Tzendrinble? Either way, we won¡¯t admit defeat!¡±

    Edgar signals for the Wind Knights to increase their speed as they chased after Addy¡¯s Syrphrine.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Thus, the training continued to a certain day.

    ¡°Edgar-senpai, Di-senpai, Helvi-senpai, and everyone else, please gather around.¡±

    ¡°What is wrong?¡±

    It had been some time since Eru summoned everyone to a meeting. His face was plastered with worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious¡­ Just that His Majesty had informed me that with the sheer amount of resources we had poured into the Wind Knights, there had been a growing amount of grumbling at court that voiced doubt about their actual usefulness.¡±

    ¡°Has it reached the point where His Majesty must intervene?¡±

    Dietrich knitted his brows at Eru¡¯s words. Considering the efforts already spent to recruit and maintain knight runners for the Violet Swallow Knights, it was odd for them to voice their concerns about the Wind Knights¡¯ utility this late in the process.

    Eru revealed a complicated smile, apparently not denying the possibility.

    ¡°Perhaps there were some nobles that honestly believed the Wind Knights to be ineffective. However, I think the majority at court only desired for a proper demonstration of the Wind Knights in actual combat.¡±

    Everyone quickly understood Eru¡¯s words.

    ¡°Since the grumbling of the nobility had reached unbearable heights, His Majesty is also at a loss. Therefore, His Majesty had ordered us to claim some achievements with the Wind Knights in the coming days.¡±

    ¡°¡­As in actual combat? Not to disappoint¡­ While the training has been progressing relatively well, I certainly wouldn¡¯t deem any recruits as battle-ready.¡± Edgar mumbled under his breath.

    Although the Violet Swallow Knights had acquired a certain familiarity with the Wind Knights, they still had too little experience in mock battles and were untested as a fighting force. Therefore, Edgar was reluctant to have them stand in combat.

    ¡°Of course, His Majesty had given our circumstances some considerations and will provide a proper stage for our performance, with outside help permitted. If my assumptions are correct, His Majesty should be asking us to provide escorts for the beleaguered Life Lines, with the Transport Ship themselves fully armed for combat. If that is the case, I would like to ask Edgar-senpai and the rest of the officers to participate and bring the full force of our arsenal to bear.¡±

    ¡°Uwaa¡­ That is quite the stage.¡±

    The officers looked at each other for a moment. Certainly, the recruits were all mere neophytes when it came to aerial combat, and the lack of actual combat experience was a problem they would eventually have to overcome. Therefore, it might be better to take advantage of the king¡¯s proposition, especially when the king permitted outside help.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it perfect that we are allowed to help with the demonstration? I will definitely do my best in Syr-chan~! So, Eru, will you be participating as well?¡±

    ¡°Not only Addy, the whole of the Silver Phoenix Knights will provide support. As for me¡­ Sadly, the main actors of this field trial are the Wind Knights, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to accompany the group in my Ikaruga.¡± Eru begrudgingly declared with a clenched fist.

    ¡°If you really want to participate, why not simply pilot a Wind Knight yourself?¡± Dietrich suggested, to which Eru only gazed at him with wide-open eyes.

    ¡°I would probably singlehandedly wipe out all demon beasts! Hmm¡­ That certainly is an idea-¡­ No, I want it to be an impartial demonstration, so I cannot participate.¡±

    With Eru as the pilot, any unit would vastly exceed its expected performance. In a way, Eru wasn¡¯t particularly bragging about himself, but merely offered an objective point of view.

    Looks like the Knights Commander finally learned some humility.

    Edgar kept his thoughts to himself and merely nodded in reply.

    ¡°I understand. Since His Majesty personally demanded a demonstration, we will do our best to comply. It isn¡¯t too much of a surprise, since an actual combat is within our eventual plans. As for the knight runners, we shall personally select the skilled ones among the recruits.¡±

    ¡°I shall leave the details to you.¡±

    With the discussion, the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ long-anticipated debut in actual combat was finally set, with the close support of the Silver Phoenix Knights and the Royal Life Guards.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Near the Kingdom of Fremmevira¡¯s capital of K?nk?nen, a giant shadow slithered across the recently cleared patch of forest at the foothills of Aubigne Mountain Range.

    It was a Transport Ship under the command of the Royal Life Guards. The wind from the Blow Engine filled the sails as the ship cruised atop the strong air currents. Its speed not losing even the slightest to the powerful surrounding winds.

    Soon, the ship slowed its pace. A single black speck had appeared on the far horizon. It approached the ship at an incredible speed, catching the eyes of the sentries aboard.

    ¡°Enemy attack from the front! Everyone ready? Squad Kiverahati, enter battle formation!¡± Edgar loudly shouted through the voice pipes on the bridge.

    His orders soon were amplified through the loudspeakers and were received by the three Silhouette Knights docked next to the skip.

    ¡°Understood! Undocking and entering formation!¡±

    With a humanoid upper torso and a fish-like tail, the group of mermaid-shaped Silhouette Knights accompanied the Transport Ship in the sky. They were the Violet Swallow Knights ¨C a Knight Order formed around the world¡¯s first flight-capable Silhouette Knight, Touediane.

    The Wind Knights were towed by the Transport Ship on tethers. Since they had already matched their Etheric Levitator¡¯s output to that of the ship, they would be able to fly on their own the moment they uncoupled the tether from the hook on the exterior surface of the ship.

    The Wind Knights wiggled the fins accordingly, taking advantage of the surrounding air currents to pull some distance from the Transport Ship. Once they were at a safe distance, the Wind Knights activated the propulsion system as they zoomed forth with a burst of flame. There was simply no comparison between the flame propulsion and the Blow Engine. Even the metal-clad Silhouette Knights could easily achieve incredible acceleration at just a moment¡¯s notice.

    The company of Wind Knights entered formation at the front of the Transport Ship. It was a formation designed to intercept an approaching attacker.

    ¡°¡­Enemy to the front. Squad Kiverahati, engaging!¡±

    At the front of the formation, the designated command unit flashed its light signal to the rest.

    In the time the Violet Swallow Knights entered combat formation, the speck of dot continued to close the distance. On closer inspection, the approaching object was also a Wind Knight. However, unlike the Touedianes of the Violet Swallow Knights, it was the prototype Syrphrine piloted by Addy. It was a mock battle with Addy serving as the enemy.

    ¡°Do not go easy on Instructor Olter! Let¡¯s show her the fruit of our training! Surround her!¡±

    The command unit began to accelerate with its lance at the ready. All the while, the light signal flashed its intention to the rest of company.

    ¡°Wedge formation, pincer attack!¡±

    At the command, the Touedianes broke off into squads of three as they began to encircle Addy from both sides. With only a single Syrphrine as their opponent, the recruits sought to take advantage of their superior numbers in a pincer attack.

    As both sides entered firing distance, an intense barrage of magic shots was unleashed upon the Syrphrine in an attempt to disrupt its movement. At the same time, the other Touediane approached from the sides with lances at the ready.

    The recruits carried out their orders with practiced motions as their impeccable teamwork isolated the lone Syrphrine. However, the Syrphrine simply disregarded their barrage and charged headlong into the encirclement.

    Although they were using practice rounds, getting hit by them will still cause ample backlash, sufficient to seal any movements. As such, Syrphrine would not stay still to receive the shots.

    Syrphrine turned the thrusters toward the ground with a slight twist of its tail. Like a fish leaping out of water, Syrphrine rapidly gained altitude, before dropping back down by the force of gravity. While the Etheric Levitator allowed the unit to maintain a certain height, there was no reason why they should limit themselves. Syrphrine took full advantage of its fins as it glided effortlessly through the barrage of shots.

    ¡°Do you have any thoughts regarding the Violet Swallow Knights?¡± Edgar asked the one seated in the captain¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It is certainly quite the show. I certainly didn¡¯t hold many expectations when I first heard about flight-capable Silhouette Knights. However, now that I have witnessed them in action, I have to say they could certainly hold their own. By the way, are they all the new recruits of the Violet Swallow Knights?¡±

    The man seated in the captain¡¯s chair was the captain of the Transport Ship. At the same time, he was the commander of the Royal Life Guards¡¯ Levitate Ship Corps.

    ¡°The ones currently piloting the Wind Knights are the most skilled recruits within the Violet Swallow Knights. Do you not think they are performing quite well?¡± Edgar replied with an affirmative nod.

    ¡°I see. So there are some differences in aerial combat when compared to terrestrial combat, and their encirclement was pulled off quite admirably. Still, the one who managed to evade their attack is in a league on its own.¡± The captain muttered as his gaze was focused on the single Syrphrine, ¡°¡­The movements are almost mesmerizing. I doubt there would be any concern if the whole of the Violet Swallow Knights reached that level.¡±

    ¡°¡­She is one of the few aces within the Silver Phoenix Knights, and she serves as an instructor with the rest of our officers.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I guess it¡¯s as expected for the Silver Phoenix Knights,¡± The captain mumbled while he gazed around the bridge, ¡°On other note, to host this cooperative mock battle with the Transport Ship as support, I am quite surprised by the ingenuity of the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The Knight Commander mentioned that, given the inability for Wind Knights to land frequently, there needed to be a support platform to provide rest and maintenance during operation. As such, it didn¡¯t hurt to entertain a cooperative training as early as possible.¡±

    Edgar simply regurgitated Eru¡¯s earlier explanation. The new Wind Knights were vastly different from the original terrestrial models. Even the slightest adjustment would require incredible effort. Furthermore, the intricate design made the internal quarters relatively cramped, precluding the possibility of extended operations.

    As such, when the demonstration was decided upon, Eru gave an interesting suggestion. Since the Wing Knights were originally designed as an escort, they should at least carry out a cooperative training with the Transport Ships.

    ¡°As expected of the Knight Commander. To think he didn¡¯t only invent a new Silhouette Knight, but also thought of a proper tactic for its use.¡±

    Of course, Eru did have inspiration from his previous world, with the symbiotic relationship between aircraft carriers and airplanes. That being the case, no one else could fathom the source of such an inspiration beyond Eru himself.

    ¡°Either way, the focus should be on the Wind Knights. Just knowing that they are not as useless as the rumors made them out to be will suffice. Since anything could happen on an actual battlefield, I will entrust you to keep up the wonderful preparation.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, we will do our best.¡±

    ¡°Good, I will leave everything to you.¡±

    Just as the two reached a tacit understanding, a sudden burst of wind zoomed past the Transport Ship. Thankfully, the wind wasn¡¯t too strong, and the Transport Ship only experienced a light wobble. On board, the crew entered into high alert.

    They soon realized the cause of the wind was Syrphrine, who skidded past the Transport Ship after breaking through the Touedianes¡¯ barrage. In other words, the interception was a complete failure.

    ¡°Looks like they are still quite green.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about it. Looks like we will need to increase their training,¡± Edgar replied with a sigh, before muttering under his breath, ¡°Still, Adeltrud, this is only training. Why couldn¡¯t you hold back a little.¡±

    The Syrphrine soon came back to the side of the Transport Ship, waving happily at the bridge.

    Although the mock battle was a failure, the Violet Swallow Knights did not give up and continued with further rounds of cooperative training.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With the mock battles behind them, the Transport Ship returned to K?nk?nen. The Violet Swallow Knights and their Wind Knights also returned to base, relieved at the liberation from the evaluative gazes of the Royal Life Guards.

    ¡°Argh! To think we couldn¡¯t land a single hit on Instructor Olter again!¡±

    ¡°Haa~ I guess we must look miserable in front of the Royal Life Guards. I wish the instructors would go easy on us.¡±

    ¡°How could she maneuver so freely in the sky? Magic shots aside, I do not think we were even able to close in on her.¡±

    The recruits each expressed their own opinions of the mock battle results. Curiously, one common topic was their view of Addy¡¯s exceptional piloting. It was simply difficult for the recruits to imagine how she could move that freely despite piloting the exact same Wind Knight as themselves, or rather, compared to the prototype Syrphrine, their Touediane should be superior in every aspect.

    ¡°Since she was able to act as our instructor, I don¡¯t doubt her potential. Yet, it does feel somewhat disheartening to not be able to close that gap with our immense effort.¡±

    All the instructors sent from the Silver Phoenix Knights were relatively young in age. In particular, Adeltrud Olter was about the same age as the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ recruits. Yet, the skill between the recruits and Addy were like heavens and earth, one that allowed her to easily evade the concentrated barrage of an entire company. As such, the recruits were curious about the experience necessary for Addy to achieve such an overwhelming skill.

    At that moment, one of the recruits opened his mouth.

    ¡°Say, do you think our loss against Instructor Olter would bar us from participating in the demonstration?¡±

    The barracks turned silent at the thought. While they were given the title of Violet Swallow Knights, they were still mere recruits. Therefore, they would always run the risk of being disbanded from a lack of confidence by the higher-ups.

    ¡°¡­No. I do not personally think that would be the case. We are, after all, selected through a rigorous process, and thus allowed to partake in this training. At least¡­ I do not think we will be dismissed before a proper demonstration.¡± The youth that served as the commander reasoned, breaking the stifling silence.

    Despite it being mere conjecture, the recruits gave a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Y-yeah! We shouldn¡¯t stay depressed forever. As long as we do our best¡­¡±

    ¡°Yup, we will definitely improve. No matter what, I want to fight demon beasts in the Wind Knights.¡±

    ¡°It is definitely an opportunity! Speaking of which, wasn¡¯t His Majesty looking forward to our performance?¡±

    Everyone tried their best to encourage themselves.

    ¡°In that case, as long as we do not give up, we will definitely¡­ become the next generation of heroes!¡± The young commander capped off the conversation.

    Heroes. It was a title monopolized by the Silver Phoenix Knights for many years. They had vanquished demon beasts large and small, keeping towns safe from harm, and provided aid to allies in their greatest time of need. Beyond a few remaining obsolete models within the kingdom, most of the advanced Silhouette Knights were the result of their handiwork.

    Even if the Wind Knights proved to be a success, the Violet Swallow Knights could not hope to immediately match the achievements of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Yet, the Violet Swallow Knights would at least gain fame as the first pilots of Wind Knights in history, or so they believed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not stay depressed. Why not review today¡¯s mock battle? Was it because our encirclement was too lax?¡±

    ¡°No, I feel as if it was because her movements had misled our focus.¡±

    The recruits once again regained their vigor. After a moment of banter, they returned to review their most recent mock battle. The young commander, Lafal Kiverahati, looked upon his company with a satisfied smile.

    Lafal was not wrong. The joint training with the Transport Ships was meant to provide them experience for the eventual demonstration. In other words, they were seen as the representative knight runners in the whole of the Violet Swallow Knights.

    The top officials had already decided on a company (ten units) of Touediane to participate in a live combat demonstration. As such, ten knight runners were chosen among the recruits to partake as pilots for the operation. To lead them, Lafal was selected for his calm demeanor, skill, and mastery of tactics.

    Lafal was born as the third son of House Kiverahati, a lesser noble within the Kingdom of Fremmevira. As a mere third son, Lafal could not count on the allodial inheritance to live out his life, especially with the extent of primogeniture practiced within the kingdom. While the second son might be kept as an heir-in-waiting, younger sons must seek their fortunes elsewhere. Therefore, Lafal settled on the same career common to many cadets of lesser nobles, to polish his martial skills and serve as a knight runner for the kingdom. At least up to this point, his story was not much different from any other, but he alone had the benefit of timing.

    Just as he was about to graduate from his studies, a rare opportunity presented before him. It was the reveal of the world¡¯s first flight-capable Silhouette Knight, and, with it, the demand for young knight runners to train as their pilots. It was a strange opportunity, as such openings were usually given to veteran knight runners with years of experience.

    As the top of his class, Lafal jumped on the opportunity and made it through the final selection. With hard work and natural talent, Lafal was eventually selected as the commander of the company.

    He was still young, and the Violet Swallow Knights were still in their infancy. As such, there were many difficulties before him. Yet, depending on his future performance, reaching the stars was no longer a mere dream. This ambition was not limited to him along, all the recruits contained an unquenchable will to succeed. In the constantly evolving Kingdom of Fremmevira, the vast skies remained an unknown realm. If they were able to tame the sky, glory was certain to follow.

    ¡°We will definitely succeed.¡±

    Hearing Lafal¡¯s quiet mumbling, the rest of the recruits nodded in agreement. With hearts as one and heightened morale, the recruits looked forward to the upcoming challenge.

    Their own drive aside, the recruits did feel that, since the mock battle, Edgar had become stricter with their training. As such, despite their own personal conviction, they could only lament their misfortune.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Time passed quickly, and soon, the day of reckoning had finally arrived. At a certain airship dock near K?nk?nen, the Royal Life Guards¡¯ Levitate Ship Corps carefully performed the final checks on their Transport Ships. Nearby, a company of the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ Touedianes stood attention, and across from them were Syrphrines and Touedianes of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for battle. After the countless trials you had all endured, it is finally time for you all to demonstrate the fruits of your training!¡± Edgar announced while facing the nervous Squad Kiverahati.

    The rest of the crew borrowed from the Silver Phoenix Knights were busy with their own checks. Rather than sheer drive for perfection, the other members of the Silver Phoenix Knights simply wanted to avoid the task of babysitting the Violet Swallow Knights and thrust it onto Edgar.

    ¡°You and the Wind Knights are the stars of this show! Stay vigilant and you will all perform well! In any case, we will always be close by to assist!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes sir¡­¡±

    Despite knowing the Silver Phoenix Knights were around to assist if anything were to go wrong, the recruits still could not resolve their anxiety. After all, real battles were completely different from the mock battles they had experienced.

    ¡°Do not worry. The actual demon beasts are nowhere near as terrifying as Adeltrud.¡± Edgar declared with a hint of sarcasm.

    With their current state of mind, the recruits took longer than usual to catch Edgar¡¯s icebreaker joke. In their nervousness, they could only reveal a complicated smile in return.

    ¡°Demon beasts are weak individually, but are a powerful threat as a group. The same could be said for you. No matter the situation, never let go of the advantage you have in numbers. Remain steady and make the most of your excellent teamwork!¡± Edgar continued, brushing aside the recruits¡¯ lukewarm response to his joke.

    ¡°Y-yes sir¡­¡±

    After a few words of encouragement, Edgar received the order to depart.

    ¡°Now. Violet Swallow Knights, to battle!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    With Wind Knights on the flanks of the Transport Ships and hearts full of expectation, the fledgling knights spread their wings and took to the azure skies.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Transport Ship smoothly cruised across the sky, parting the powerful winds with its sturdy bow.

    ¡°¡­We should be arriving at demon beast territory soon. The last time we were here, it took everything we had just to escape. However, this time will be different.¡± The captain muttered with a serious expression.

    It was a route he had attempted to chart on a previous mission, where his ship had suffered the crippling attack of the Glaive Wings. During the previous encounter, the Wizards performed splendidly, but in the end, they were still forced to withdraw.

    However, the captain felt this mission would be different. Instead of provisions, the hold of the Transport Ship was filled with the newest models of flying Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°Now, let us witness the strength of those fledglings! Inform the Violet Swallow Knights to prepare for combat!¡±

    With the order delivered through the voice pipe, the cargo hold began to clamor below. Knight runners scurried aboard their Wind Knights and initiated the start-up procedures.

    ¡°We will begin the airdrop. All deckhands, clear the area!¡±

    As the deckhands evacuated from the chamber, the floor of the Transport Ship swung open and the tethers that held the Touedianes detached. At that moment, the Touedianes were evicted from the bowels of the Transport Ship by the force of gravity. However, the Touedianes didn¡¯t collide with the ground below. Rather, they slowed to a stable altitude with the concentrated Ether already prepared within the Etheric Levitator. After only a slight dip in altitude, the Touedianes began their aerial maneuvers.

    Other than the units kept within the cargo hold of the Transport Ships, the Wind Knights tethered on the outside also disconnected their links. They were a detachment kept externally for the sake of sudden emergencies.

    As the mermaid Silhouette Knights freely swam in the strong air currents, they carefully pulled away from the immediate vicinity of the Transport Ship. With a burst of air, the streamlined Wind Knights accelerated from the cumbersome ship.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you are capable of¡­¡± The captain muttered with narrowed eyes as he gazed upon the exhaust trail stretching out from his ship.

    ¡°Demon beasts sighted ahead in loose formation!¡±

    Squad Kiverahati soon detected movements far ahead and reorganized themselves into formation.

    The loudly squawking demon beasts were known as ¡®Glaive Wings¡¯, a relatively common duel-class flyer in the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the Glaive Wings to notice the intruders encroaching on their territory, and they were soon awash with enmity. Be it terrestrial or aerial intruders, the territorial Glaive Wings were not willing to relinquish their hunting grounds without a fight. Following a high-pitched screech, the Glaive Wings focused on their intended target and, with bodies bathed in the gentle glow of magic, quickly accelerated through the air. Thus, the first historical air battle between Silhouette Knights and demon beasts commenced.

    ¡°Just as the instructors foretold, there are quite a number of demon beasts¡­¡±

    Lafal used the light signals to transmit his intentions to the rest of the company, and Squad Kiverahati nimbly changed their formation. Opposite them, the Glaive Wings did not form up into any discernable formation as they clumped closer to one another.

    In the battle against demon beasts, the tactical maneuvering of a Silhouette Knight was as important as, if not more so than, the performance of each individual unit. With the correct practiced formation, the Silhouette Knights¡¯ potential could be greatly amplified.

    ¡°Do not get encircled and slowly whittle down their numbers from the outside! Screen them away with ranged attacks and do not let them approach!¡±

    With Lafal¡¯s unit in the lead, the company changed their course. Rather than charging headlong into the demon beasts, the company turned to the side of the approaching demon beasts and trailed their staff weapons upon them.

    With a faint glow, the staff weapons unloaded their shots upon the unsuspecting Glaive Wings. A curtain of orange shots curved toward the demon beasts and blanketed them with spectacular explosions.

    Enduring waves after waves of shots, the Glaive Wings fell one after another. However, the Glaive Wings did not simply resign themselves to the slaughter. With their natural agility, the Glaive Wings nimbly dodged the shots and steadily closed the distance.

    ¡°F-fast. Looks like we won¡¯t get through this with shots alone¡­ I think it is about time. Company, switch to lance and form up into a wedge!¡±

    The Wind Knights quickly altered their formation to wedge and charged straight at the center of the Glaive Wings. As the magius thrusters roared, the Wind Knights accelerated into combat.

    As far as melee weapons were concerned, there was a slight difference in its use for aerial combat. Without the benefit of a stable footing, aerial melee combat relied heavily on their inertia. For the heavy Silhouette Knights, their charge became incredibly lethal once they reached the desired speed.

    Like a loose arrow, the Wind Knights tore a gaping hole in the center of the Glaive Wing formation. Although the large size of the Glaive Wings gave them an imposing appearance, they were built relatively light and were easily split asunder by the powerful thrust of the Wind Knights.

    Now on the far side of the Glaive Wings, Squad Kiverahati did not slow their flight. After reaching a certain distance away, Squad Kiverahati circled around for a second charge.

    ¡°Good¡­ This could work! Looks like our initial charge shaved off quite a few of Glaive Wings!¡±

    With his eyes on the large gap torn by the earlier charge, Lafal became convinced of the effectiveness as he savored the success. Even with body strengthening, the Glaive Wings could not resist the Wind Knight¡¯s devastating charge. Incidentally, the Glaive Wings, while blessed with superior agility, lacked the tough skin and ferocious attacks of their terrestrial cousins.

    With the crippling blow, the gathered Glaive Wings quickly scattered in all directions, before turning back with the intent to surround Squad Kiverahati. Despite their low intelligence, the Glaive Wings seemingly recognized that clumping together was a recipe for disaster.

    ¡°It seems we won¡¯t be able to immediately wrap this battle up. In that case, we will proceed to our next formation. Squad Kiverahati, break off into flights and run them down!¡±

    From their individual performance, the Wind Knights held an absolute advantage. Thus, they were not in the slightest disadvantage when split into flights. With a burst of acceleration, each of the flights separated themselves from the company and raced to intercept the approaching Glaive Wings.

    As one group of Glaive Wings tied the Wind Knights down in combat, a separate group of Glaive Wings began to ascend. Unlike the Wind Knights, Glaive Wings relied on their powerful wings rather than concentrated Ether to stay afloat in the air. Therefore, unlike the Wind Knights, which was relatively limited in vertical maneuvers due to the nature of the Etheric Levitator, the Glaive Wings could adjust their altitude with ease.

    Once the Glaive Wings reached a point directly above the Wind Knights, they collapsed their wings as they spun into a dive. Reinforced by powerful strengthening magic, the Glaive Wings made their body into a living lance as they performed their classical attack maneuver.

    Beyond the difficulty of receiving an attack from directly overhead, the Wind Knights also struggled from the inability to quickly adjust the altitude, thereby precluding them from engaging the foe.

    The Wind Knights had also noticed the Glaive Wings¡¯ movements. Curiously, they remained surprisingly calm despite the impending attack.

    ¡°While having enemies overhead is a considerable disadvantage, it doesn¡¯t mean we are not prepared for the possibility!¡±

    Lafal pressed a few buttons next to the movement controls and activated one of the prepared weapons. At Lafal¡¯s command, Touediane¡¯s lower torso opened up and revealed a Multiple Javelin Launcher System beneath.

    ¡°Now, have a taste of Magic Javelins!¡±

    With a loud explosion, Javelins burst forth from the launcher. The launcher installed on the Touediane was a truncated version of the standard Multiple Javelin Launch System, but with all the necessary parts included, such as the use of Silver Nerves.

    Despite it being smaller than its predecessor, the shortened light-weight Javelins were not the least weak. Essentially, it was a weapon designed with aerial combat in mind.

    The short Javelins flew with incredible precision toward the approaching Glaive Wings and pierced through them with ease. Despite their superior agility, the Glaive Wings were unable to respond to the fast-approaching Javelin and was easily decapitated by the strike. Without its head, the Glaive Wing slowly fell toward the ground.

    ¡°Success! To take out the Glaive Wing with a single strike, this weapon is devastatingly powerful! However, I cannot believe how hard it is to control the course. If anything, I doubt I would be able to fire these Javelins on the move.¡±

    For the fledgling knight runners, the guidance system for the Javelins was extremely difficult. As such, it was very easy for the knight runners¡¯ focus to be drawn away by the Javelins and neglect the control of the Wind Knight. However the case, the sheer destructive power of the Javelin was undeniable.

    Just as Lafal let out a sigh of relief from felling the Glaive Wing, a second Glaive Wing that was obscured by the first took advantage of his temporary negligence.

    By the time he had noticed, the second Glaive Wing was already on top of him.

    ¡°Wh-¡­ Darn it!¡±

    As there was no longer any time left to dodge, Lafal spontaneously raised his shield, hoping to minimize the damage to follow.

    At that moment, a single Silhouette Knight tore through the air and moved between the Glaive Wing and him, with the tip of its lance wonderfully catching the approaching Glaive Wing and knocking it away. The Wind Knight continued for a short distance before turning to Lafal.

    ¡°While it is not wrong to be proud of your achievements, you should not let the success go to your head. There are quite a number of enemies left, and, as the company commander, you should keep a good grasp of your surroundings. Your company is currently way too dispersed! Hurry up and gather them back in formation!¡±

    ¡°¡­Instructor Blanche! U-understood, my sincerest apologies!¡±

    After Edgar confirmed his safety, he gave a few words of admonition before flying away. Taking the criticism to heart, Lafal also returned to the fray.

    With a few flashes of the light signal, the dispersed company soon formed up behind him and Squad Kiverahati once again launched an offensive.

    From that point on, the Squad Kiverahati held an absolute advantage over the Glaive Wings. Although there were a few sticky situations, Edgar was able to bail them out from disaster. Before long, the Violet Swallow Knights stood victorious.

    In comparison, the Wind Knights held the advantage of options over the Wizards, able to fight in both melee and ranged as the situation dictated. With its superior performance, it could even hold its own against a dozen of duel-class demon beasts in the sky.

    The captain watched the triumphant Violet Swallow Knights attentively from his Transport Ship in the rear.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly hard to believe. Looks like a new era is upon us, where mankind will seize the skies. I am certain the Violet Swallow Knights will play a critical role in what is to come. We should consider ourselves fortunate to be at the vanguard of technological development.¡±

    In his critical gaze, the captain seemed to have arrived at his own conclusion.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    As the victorious Violet Swallow Knights and Transport Ship returned to K?nk?nen and reported to the king, the Wind Knights had finally proven its strength and established themselves within the kingdom.

    While they were unable to immediately spare the industrial capacity for Touediane¡¯s production, the Wind Knights did find themselves with a steady increase in production alongside the Transport Ships. The successful cooperation between the Transport Ship and Wind Knights soon spread across the kingdom.

    With that, the Violet Swallow Knights slowly developed a fame that was reminiscent of their parent Knight Order, the Silver Phoenix Knights.

 Book 6: Chapter 51: Choice of the Silver Phoenix Knights

    The tales of the encounter between Violet Swallow Knights and the Demon Beasts soon spread like wildfire throughout the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    Ever since the advent of the Levitate Ships, the people of Fremmevira held an insatiable interest in any development pertaining to the sky. The reveal and subsequent success of the flight-capable Silhouette Knights only further invigorated the population. While the efficacy of the Transport Ships had always been held in doubt when faced with the presence of flying Demon Beasts, the timely news gave people hope for a positive change.

    Under the tumultuous circumstances, the Violet Swallow Knights were not given a single respite. From the earliest inception of the flight-capable Silhouette Knights to the establishment of a Knight Order, the recruits have finally reached the point where they could officially graduate to become full members of the Violet Swallow Knights. At that moment, the Violet Swallow Knights were to receive a few new appointments to their ranks, including their long-anticipated Knight Commander.

    ¡°The Royal Life Guards have sent over all the experienced personnel for the operation of the Levitate Ships, who will be joining the Violet Swallow Knights as new members. They will also be taking over the command of the Wind Knights.¡±

    ¡°With this, the Violet Swallow Knights have finally obtained official recognition. Not to mention, Silhouette Knights are now deemed indispensable for the sky¡­ I guess all¡¯s well that ends well.¡±

    The inaugural Knight Commander of the Violet Swallow Knights was to be Torstei Koskensalo, the commander of the Royal Life Guards¡¯ Levitate Ship Corps and the captain of the Transport Ship during the combat trial.

    Since the trial, Wind Knights and Transport Ships were devoted to cooperative training, through which they were able to correct any faults in the teamwork and further amplify their combined performance. Certainly, with the accumulation of experience, the effectiveness of a joint operation was no longer disputed. At the same time, the appointment of a veteran Levitate Ship commander to lead the newly formed Violet Swallow Knights was to no one¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°The cooperative training with the Transport Ships will soon proceed to the next phase. If all goes well, we can likely expect similar Knight Orders to be established in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are certain the Violet Swallow Knights will serve as a wonderful template for future Knight Orders.¡±

    Other than the newly transferred officers, the composition of the Violet Swallow Knights saw little change since its initial inception. While Squad Kiverahati encompassed the entirety of the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ current aerial combat capability, the Violet Swallow Knights could expect future supplementations to their air fleet.

    ¡°The production quota for Levitate Ships will remain the same as before, but now we will also need to accommodate the production of Wind Knights. As such, we are pained to say that we will be burdening the industrious knightsmiths for the months to come.¡±

    ¡°Understood, it is also our honor to work on such a project.¡±

    On the other hand, the official recognition of the Violet Swallow Knights meant that the originally exclusive Transport Ship fleet of the Royal Life Guards will be split to meet their needs. At the same time, there would certainly be others who wished to emulate the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ proven success, and with it, increase demand on the already overstretched production of Transport Ships and Wind Knights. Consequently, the training of new knightsmiths with the relevant skillset was made an utmost priority.

    ¡°Leave it to us. We will have Boss head over to assist.¡±

    The one known as ¡®Boss¡¯ in the Silver Phoenix Knights, David Hepken, was to head to the NTR Laboratory with a few of his subordinates. Both the Transport Ship and the Wind Knight were technology deemed beyond the command of mere nobility and were kept under the strict supervision of the royal household.

    Boss was one of the few knightsmiths within the kingdom who has a working understanding of both the Levitate Ship and the Wind Knight, making him an indispensable technological advisor second only to Ernesti himself. His task at the NTR Laboratory was to advise and establish a dialogue with their knightsmiths, thereby further streamlining the production of Touediane to meet the royal demands.

    ¡°We shall look forward to the wonderful performances. Now, for other matters.¡±

    King Leotamus sat under the expectant gazes of the Fremmeviran aristocracy, all of whom had answered his summons to hold a realm-wide conference on a topic that was not the least unexpected, especially given the recent developments. Understandably, the nobles did not delay their attendance by the slightest and swiftly made their way to K?nk?nen.

    ¡°As everyone is likely aware, the Silver Phoenix Knights had returned from the west with new technology pertinent to the Levitate Ship and, through its application, had managed to develop the technological marvel known as the Wind Knight. Therefore, we hoped to seek opinions regarding the appropriate uses for these new technological advancements.¡± Leotamus sternly prefaced the purpose of the conference.

    It was a declaration that immediately brought about intense chatter among the kingdom¡¯s aristocracy. Certainly, there were severe regulations regarding the deployment and use of the Transport Ships and Wind Knights in the proposal.

    Firstly, there was the difference between the regulated size of the respective Knight Orders, in which strict limits were placed on the permissible number of Transport Ships and Wind Knights available to each of the feudal subjects. Secondly, the Transport Ships were restricted to predetermined lanes, with severe punishments reserved for crews who operated beyond the demarcated regions.

    Although the restrictions felt overbearing, the nobility did not push for significant adjustments. They understood that certain limits need to be placed when considering the impressive freedom of movements afforded to them in the sky and the cost of maintaining state-of-the-art Wind Knights. While it was unlikely for them to be excluded from the new technology, they felt it would best not be greedy. As such, they decided to best start small.

    To Leotamus¡¯s surprise, the conference proceeded smoothly despite the initial reaction and the prolonged discussion.

    ¡°¡­The nobles are all eagerly petitioning the crown, in order to be given authorization for Transport Ships and Wind Knights.¡±

    All the nobles sought after the authorization to incorporate Transport Ships and Wind Knights into their feudal Knight Orders. Incidentally, the demarcation of the ¡®lanes¡¯ between the feudal territories took up most of the discussion, followed by determining the order in which the nobles received their Transport Ships and Wind Knights.

    As the eve before the dawn of the Great Age of Flight, the kingdom continued to stir in preparation for the eventual daybreak.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The wind of change blew across the Kingdom of Fremmevira, affecting all who it touched ¨C even the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    Ernesti was summoned to Castle Schreiber for the duration of the conference as a technical advisor, providing suggestions and clarifications on a diverse number of topics. To Eru, any task wasn¡¯t considered too tiresome as long as it led to the proliferation of his ¡®half¡¯ humanoid robots.

    Even though the conference lasted for many days, Leotamus showed not the slightest fatigue.

    ¡°Ernesti, looks like your Wind Knight will soon be spread throughout the kingdom. That aside, we would like to discuss the current state of the Silver Phoenix Knights,¡± Leotamus said as he turned to the ever-enthusiastic Ernesti, ¡°There should be a few able officers under your command, is that right?¡±

    ¡°Is Your Majesty referring to Edgar-senpai, Dietrich-senpai, and Helvi-senpai? Is something the matter?¡±

    While Eru¡¯s creations were frequent topics of discussion between him and Leotamus, the Silver Phoenix Knights themselves were rarely brought up. At Eru¡¯s cautious reply toward a seemingly odd topic, Leotamus paused for a moment before continuing.

    ¡°As you are aware, Transport Ships and Wind Knights are in constant demand, and the situation was further aggravated with the conclusion of the recent realm-wide conference. However, there remained many difficulties to overcome before our current production could even remotely meet the voracious demand. One of the most pressing is the need for trained knight runners to operate the new Wind Knights. Since the operation for the Wind Knights is vastly different from current terrestrial models, we are short on able instructors to the new models.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see. Then, I presume Your Majesty is trying to say that the trio was selected as instructors?¡± Eru deduced from Leotamus¡¯s words.

    ¡°Precisely. Simply put, it would be similar to the situation with Violet Swallow Knights. Therefore¡­¡± Leotamus reluctantly suggested, ¡°Would you be willing to part with the three of them for the good of the realm?¡±

    At the suddenness of the proposal, Eru was at a slight loss for words.

    ¡°Your Majesty, there were certain considerations to have them as officers within the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡± Eru replied only after a long pause.

    ¡°We had already discussed with our predecessor on the matter. However, Ernesti, the current predicament no longer allowed us to afford such a luxury.¡± Leotamus calmly stated, seemingly already have made up his mind, ¡°With your numerous achievements, there is no longer anyone left within the kingdom who would slight you for your young age compared to when you had started the Silver Phoenix Knights. We understand that you have all gone through much together, and there would undoubtedly be attachments to your subordinates. However, they too have grown much through your exploits, and it would be an undeniable waste of talent to keep them as mere knight runners forever.¡±

    Eru carefully considered Leotamus¡¯s position. Since the establishment of the Silver Phoenix Knights, they had fought many difficult battles with the Demon Beasts, even participating in a distant war as an expeditionary force. Among the Knight Orders within the Kingdom of Fremmevira, the Silver Phoenix Knights were without parallel as far as real combat experience was concerned.

    In a way, the Silver Phoenix Knights had become an assembly of combat veterans. Certainly, given the spontaneous nature of Eru¡¯s command, the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights were all drilled to be elites. This held especially true for the trio, who were not only skilled knight runners for both new and old Silhouette Knights, but also experienced tacticians and instructors.

    ¡°Wind Knights will certainly bring about an incredible change within our kingdom. With the change, excellent knight runners will be in constant demand, especially with the few who are intimately familiar with the Wind Knight.¡±

    Although Eru understood the logic, he was still reluctant.

    ¡°Certainly, we will arrange for capable successors to their positions, to ensure the least disruption to the daily operations of the Silver Phoenix Knights. We won¡¯t force the decision upon you, but would you at least consider our proposition?¡±

    ¡°I understand. I will discuss with the officers. If they are interested, I will¡­¡± Eru replied with a slight nod, seemingly deep in thought.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    At roughly the same time as the discussion between Eru and Leotamus, a few visitors arrived at Fort Olvecius.

    While they were not donned in armor, their elegant demeanor allowed one to easily discern their elevated positions. They each held introductory letters decorated with the crests of aristocratic houses to prove their identities, but their request was a peculiar one.

    ¡°¡­So, you have asked for us rather than the Knight Commander?¡±

    The visitors specifically requested for an audience with Edgar, Dietrich, and Helvi, to which the trio received in the conference room.

    ¡°Yes, we are here specifically for Sir Blanche, Sir Kunitz, and Lady Obary. We operate under the auspices of the various Knight Orders and nobles to resolve pressing personnel matters.¡± One of the visitors stated in a respectful tone, ¡°The three of you are well known across the kingdom for your exploits as the company commanders within the Silver Phoenix Knights. As such, the purpose of our visit today is to ask you to contemplate the possibility of a promotion, specifically to serve as Knight Commanders. Understandably, proper remuneration will be prepared.¡±

    The trio was momentarily left speechless by the sudden proposition. Dietrich simply sat motionlessly as he glared intently at the visitors with raised eyebrow. Nearby, Edgar was at a loss by what he had heard, to the point of doubting his own ears. On the other hand, Helvi nervously looked over to Edgar for leadership. The trio was used to the lack of common sense within the Silver Phoenix Knights, but even they could not accept the ridiculous declaration.

    ¡°T-this is quite unexpected¡­ Not to mention, we are only company commanders. Suddenly elevating us to Knight Commanders is¡­¡±

    Seeing the trio¡¯s suspicious gaze, the man gave a light nod.

    ¡°Perhaps the three of you are not aware of your own fame? In that case, it is certainly no wonder that you would be baffled by the offer. Therefore, let me take the opportunity to explain. If the three of you had belonged to a regular Knight Order, such an offer would seem to be a bit extreme. However, the three of you are officers within the Silver Phoenix Knights. By merits alone, you are all more than qualified to lead your own Knight Orders!¡±

    Edgar had always had a serious personality, and the severity of the discussion only further amplified his intimidating visage. Yet the man did not seem the slightest deterred.

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that the Silver Phoenix Knights had many achievements, but those are largely due to the skill of its Knight Commander.¡±

    ¡°I understand. As for Lord Echevalier, we do not deny that he is somewhat of a legendary existence. At the same time, we could not deny that the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights all contributed to the success.¡± The man explained as he revealed a gentle visage, providing a slight pause for Edgar to internalize the discussion, ¡°It was your excellent skill that allowed you to keep up with all the accomplishments and, if I may so state, enabled you to receive your own customized Silhouette Knights. I think you are all well aware that, in most Knight Orders, customized Silhouette Knights are only reserved for the Knight Commander. While you may only command a company within the Silver Phoenix Knights, your potential is clearly equivalent to a Knight Order!¡±

    The trio simply looked at each other with a few involuntary blinks. With the incessant actions they had experienced, they rarely had the opportunity to look introspectively at their own activities. Certainly, even their common sense was slowly eroded by their exceptional Knight Commander.

    ¡°Everyone has heard of the role that the Silver Phoenix Knights played in bringing about the new Silhouette Knights. As a matter of fact, the three company commanders who had attained success on countless battlefields are the aspiration, or more accurately, the idol, of all young knight runners.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­ I had never thought much about it.¡±

    Upon seeing the visibly shaken trio, the man quickly continued.

    ¡°Achieving such fame despite your young age was the result of your own talent and hard work. Therefore, I am certain you do not wish to remain a mere company commander forever.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting we depart from the Silver Phoenix Knights?¡±

    ¡°We do not wish to pressure you, since we only serve as an intermediary. Not to mention, we understand that you are still unfamiliar with the extent of your own worth from our discussion. Therefore, with that in mind, we will certainly respect your decisions.¡±

    The man looked satisfied now that he had cleared the trio¡¯s initial suspicion and saw the trio seriously considering his proposition. Regardless of the outcome, he had already accomplished his task.

    ¡°As I had said at the beginning. If you are willing to accept the positions, proper remuneration will be prepared. In my humble opinion, commanding one or two Knight Orders would not be difficult with your incredible talent. It is an opinion shared by even the nobles who had provided us the introductory letters.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please afford us the chance to discuss the matter over with our Knight Commander.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Feel free to take your time. Once you come to a decision, you can reach us here, and we will immediately arrange for an interview.¡±

    With that said, the man stood up, left his contact information, and departed the room with an elegant bow.

    Edgar, Dietrich, and Helvi sat quietly in the conference room, still haven¡¯t overcome the shock of the proposition. While Edgar seemed deep in thought, Dietrich soon let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ I see¡­ Honestly, I had never given it much thought, but on careful inspection, we had really done quite a bit.¡± Dietrich said.

    ¡°¡­I am quite happy to be praised. However, I had never dreamed of ever leaving the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡±

    ¡°¡­Our Knight Order. Certainly, it would be more comfortable to remain.¡±

    Edgar slowly raised his head, seemingly had come to his own conclusion.

    ¡°Circumstances aside, the establishment of the Silver Phoenix Knights was mostly for the sake of Ernesti. Not to mention, we needed closure for the slight we had experienced. It was for these reasons that Di, Helvi, Boss, and the rest of the current members came together to form the Knight Order.¡± Edgar stated.

    ¡°When you put it that way, I guess we had already accomplished our duty?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    In the distant land of Kuscheperca, the nemesis that had stolen the ¡®Tellestarle¡¯ was erased from existence.

    On the other hand, Ernesti no longer needed the protection afforded by the Silver Phoenix Knights. Both his fame and his strength had long reached legendary proportions, almost to a point where he could rival the king himself. With achievements that reached as far as the distant Kingdom of Kuscheperca, even if they ended up with unfamiliar recruits, no one would now dare to underestimate Eru.

    ¡°With the development of Wind Knights, the Silver Phoenix Knights is slowly changing¡­ In that case, is our continued presence really absolutely necessary?¡± Edgar muttered his thoughts on a topic he had never contemplated before.

    Next to him, Helvi remained silent at Edgar¡¯s rhetorical question.

    ¡°Who knows? However, as long as I stay in the Silver Phoenix Knights, I will certainly be exposed to even newer technology. It is not wrong to say such was the reason why I had joined the Silver Phoenix Knights. Not to mention, I enjoy the atmosphere here. Even if the offer to serve as a Knight Commander is very enticing, I doubt I am suited to leading anything more than a company.¡± Dietrich declared with a shrug of his shoulder.

    Having seemingly made his decision, Dietrich slowly made his way out of the conference room, only to be stopped by Edgar¡¯s voice.

    ¡°So have you already decided? If so¡­¡±

    ¡°Edgar, do not worry about what I think, nor should you worry about the first company. Just be true to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Di, I¡­¡±

    Before Edgar could finish, Dietrich had already made his way out of the conference room, uttering one final sentence from the hallway.

    ¡°No matter what you choose, face your decision wholeheartedly.¡±

    Edgar sat in his chair as he watched Dietrich closed the door. At that moment, Helvi also stood up from her seat.

    ¡°¡­Helvi.¡±

    ¡°No, this is your own decision. Edgar, no one could choose for you, nor should you ask others to choose for you.¡±

    Helvi gently flicked Edgar¡¯s forehead with her finger before leaving the room with a wave of her hand.

    Alone in the room, Edgar continued to contemplate the difficult decision.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The moment Eru returned to Fort Olvecius, he summoned the trio to a meeting. However, before he could bring up the topic of his discussion with Leotamus, Dietrich retold of the earlier visitor they had.

    ¡°¡­I see. They are surprisingly quick.¡±

    ¡°From the looks of it, you were already made aware of their intentions?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it could only have said to be a short while before. Whether this was all just a coincidence aside, they beautifully managed to avoid the awkward situation of secretly negotiating outside the chain of command.¡± Eru replied with a complicated expression on his face.

    Compared to Eru, who calmly shrugged his shoulder, Addy was left completely frozen by the news, having only had just heard about it through Eru.

    ¡°So? What have you decided?¡±

    ¡°My decision? How to put this nicely¡­ Whenever I see you, my enthusiasm for leading a whole Knight Order simply evaporates.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Have I misheard something¡­?¡±

    Dietrich could not stifle his laughter.

    ¡°Either way, I would feel more comfortable remaining as a company commander. Rather, are you fine with us leaving?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ After all that we had gone through, I am certainly reluctant about letting you go¡­¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right! There is no reason to leave at all! If that were to happen, then¡­¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡± Eru immediately interrupted Addy¡¯s sudden outburst, ¡°To serve as a Knight Commander is the greatest honor for any knight runner. I simply could not find it in my heart to ask you three to abandon such a golden opportunity.¡±

    Not just Addy, the trio were all left speechless by Eru¡¯s declaration. Everyone knew that Eru was serious, with the same seriousness usually reserved for Silhouette Knights.

    ¡°Therefore, I ask you to carefully consider, and find the most acceptable answer for yourselves. No matter what you decide in the end, I will wholeheartedly endorse your decision.¡±

    Overwhelmed by Eru¡¯s forthrightness, the trio all nodded in reply. With that said, Eru soon left the three to their own thoughts with Addy closely behind.

    ¡°Eru! Are you really fine with them leaving?!¡±

    Addy could not understand why Eru would be willing to accept their departure. Although the Silver Phoenix Knights were established by pure necessity, they were still comrades that had survived through countless grueling trials together. Therefore, Addy believed everyone would remain together for the foreseeable future. No way had she ever thought Eru would instead endorse their decision.

    ¡°If that is their wish¡­¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°Addy.¡±

    Eru looked intently into Addy¡¯s eyes. Faced with the serious Eru, Addy could only back down and listen silently.

    ¡°Life will fly by in the blink of an eye. As such, one should not live in constant hesitation, especially when the opportunity to fulfill a life-long desire appeared before oneself. Even if there are concerns, that should be left until the opportunity is firmly in one¡¯s hand.¡±

    ¡®Carpe Diem¡®, such was Eru¡¯s own motto in his second life, one that was clearly reflected in his actions. From when he landed in this world, he had not let the slightest opportunity pass by.

    ¡°Even if they depart from the Silver Phoenix Knights, they will still remain our friends. Therefore, they should think seriously and decide based on their own desires.¡±

    Despite Eru¡¯s nudging, Addy still could not seem to accept his decision. At the same time, Addy could not think of any way to retort his sound logic. As such, Addy could only tightly hug Eru with a complicated expression.

    ¡°If they left with regret, and there was no reincarnation to follow, they will certainly feel sad.¡± Eru muttered as he gently patted Addy on the head.

    Perhaps no one in the world could comprehend the depth of Eru¡¯s final muttering.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Even as the whole nation was swept away by waves of enthusiasm, time continued to move steadily forward.

    The Transport Ships made their way into the lives of the people, with numerous lanes established between locations within the Kingdom of Fremmevira, transporting both passengers and cargo at a speed never before possible. Before long, the sheer convenience of air travel made the inhabitants of Fremmevira reliant on the new technology.

    Just as everything slowly settled down, a tense meeting was held in Castle Schreiber.

    ¡°¡­An expedition to Bocuse, the Sea of Trees?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. Although the new lanes had only recently stabilized, the expectations for the Transport Ships had continued to grow unabated. Chiefly, everyone looks to the new technology as a mean to venture into the previously unexplored Bocuse.¡±

    Eru had anticipated a troublesome request when he was greeted by an unsettled Leotamus in the throne room. However, in no way did he imagine it would be such a problematic request.

    ¡°From Your Majesty¡¯s words, I expect it would not be a simple investigation?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, yes. With the current political climate, the formation of a ¡®Bocuse Expeditionary Force¡¯ would likely become a foregone conclusion. We had always known there would be suggestions along these lines when we first set our eyes on the Levitate Ships. In a way, this development was wholly within our expectations.¡±

    The ¡®Bocuse Expeditionary Force¡¯ had its roots intricately linked to the birth of the Kingdom of Fremmevira. From when mankind had developed the world¡¯s first Silhouette Knight to combat the Demon Beasts in what was now the Western Nations, they had sought to claim the whole of Zetterlund for themselves. Yet, after a series of victories that pushed Demon Beasts across the Aubigne Mountains, mankind soon encountered Demon Beasts of immense power in the depth of Bocuse ¨C Demon Beasts that even Silhouette Knights could not overcome.

    Although mankind suffered a crippling defeat, they were able to retain a portion of their conquests on the far-side of the Aubigne Mountains. At the base of Aubigne Mountains¡¯ eastern foothills, mankind established a nascent kingdom that eventually grew to become the current Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    In the months that followed, the Western Nations enjoyed a golden age of peace without the threat of Demon Beasts. Even Kingdom of Fremmevira was able to avoid destruction and slowly change, where the threat of the Demon Beasts became increasingly marginalized in the minds of its inhabitants.

    Sadly, despite its importance to the history of Fremmevira, the first ¡®Bocuse Expeditionary Force¡¯ left little in the ways of records. A large part of the blame fell upon the chaotic times that followed its untimely demise. However, one thing could be certain, the expedition met its end at the hands of Demon Beasts that rivaled the Behemoth (1) in strength, said to have the ability to wipe out hundreds of Silhouette Knights with ease.

    From the rumors alone, retracing the footsteps of the first ¡®Bocuse Expeditionary Force¡¯ was borderline suicide, and no sane person would recommend such a foolhardy expedition if it weren¡¯t for the advent of the Levitate Ships and Wind Knights.

    ¡°Although the Levitate Ships and Wind Knights have their advantages, I still consider mounting such a major expedition at this point in time to be haphazard at best.¡±

    ¡°We understand, but between the Levitate Ships¡¯ incredible mobility and the Wind Knights¡¯ able protection, air travel had become convenient and safe. Not to mention, the widespread use of Karrdatolles had served as a powerful deterrence to Demon Beast attacks. Simply put, for the first time in our history, we have the spare military capacity.¡±

    ¡°¡­Therefore, Your Majesty wishes to turn our attention outward.¡±

    Since the west of the Aubigne Mountains had already been settled by the Western Nations, ¡®outward¡¯ could only imply the virgin lands in Bocuse, the Sea of Trees.

    ¡°Presumably, Your Majesty expects the Silver Phoenix Knights to bear the brunt of this mission?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like you had just been dealt a terrible hand. Your performance has repeatedly¡­ exceeded our expectations.¡±

    Even the nobles that held marches bordering Bocuse could only provide limited intelligence about the Sea of Trees. With the centuries that had passed since the first Bocuse Expedition, little was known about the Demon Beasts that lurk in the depth of Bocuse, and there always existed the risk that a haphazard expedition would wreak calamity on the kingdom by stirring up the rage of another Behemoth. As such, the nobles were in full agreement that any expedition should tread with the utmost caution. After all, unlike their brethren in the Western Nations, the nobles of Fremmevira have lived under the constant threat of Demon Beasts for countless generations, where only the cautious remained in their ranks. Incidentally, the nobles of Fremmevira had a strong sense of camaraderie, perhaps a testament to the unique environment in which they rule.

    Therefore, when the usually cautious nobles openly petitioned the king for an expedition, their intention was as clear as day. In their minds, as long as the expedition was spearheaded by the famed Silver Phoenix Knights and their legendary Knight Commander, success was all but assured. As such, the Silver Phoenix Knights was a victim of its own success and fame.

    ¡°We think you should be the one most aware that other than the Silver Phoenix Knights, no one could undertake such a difficult expedition. Not to mention, regarding the earlier report about the ¡®Wind Carrier¡¯¡­ Do you not think this expedition would be the best stage for its maiden voyage?¡±

    Eru was slightly moved by Leotamus¡¯s words and began to fantasize the most effective way to utilize the newly designed ¡®Wind Carrier¡¯.

    ¡°¡­In that case, may I borrow the Violet Swallow Knights for the expedition?¡±

    ¡°The Violet Swallow Knights? We understand that they are able knight runners, and their familiarity with the Wind Knights is evident to all. However¡­¡±

    Leotamus was at a slight loss by Eru¡¯s request.

    ¡°As Your Majesty may have been aware, while the Silver Phoenix Knights do boast a single company¡¯s worth of Wind Knight (2), the Knight Order as a whole remains largely terrestrial. Not to mention, there was the recent bid for the officers, and I would like to provide them some time to decide. As such, the Silver Phoenix Knights would volunteer the Wind Carrier and myself in the Ikaruga for the expedition, but I would humbly request the Violet Swallow Knights to provide the Wind Knight escorts.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ Very well. As the Knight Order with the highest number of active Wind Knights, the Violet Swallow Knights shall participate in the expedition. Just leave the detailed arrangement to us.¡±

    Regardless of Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ strength, sending them on a terrestrial expedition into the depth of Bocuse would be foolish at best, especially when considering the strength of the terrestrial Demon Beasts within. Therefore, most of the expedition would rely heavily on the Transport Ships and Wind Knights.

    ¡°As for the Wind Carrier, I would need to confirm its status with Boss.¡±

    Following the audience, Eru needed to discuss the matter with the ¡®Captain¡¯ of the Wind Carrier and quickly organized the key points of the meeting in his head.

    With that, mankind prepared to venture once more into Bocuse, the Sea of Trees. No matter the challenge Eru and the Violet Swallow Knights may face within its bowels, they could only steadily prepare for all eventuality.

    Note:

    (1) Behemoth ¨C The poor division-class Demon Beast defeated by Eru, whose heart was torn from its corpse to fuel Eru¡¯s terrible machine of destruction.

    (2) Most of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ 3rd company were trained as Wind Knights, thereby would be able to double as a Wind Knight company. There isn¡¯t an actual company of only Wind Knights in the Silver Phoenix Knights.

 Book 6: Chapter 52: Departure of the Vanguard Fleet

    Arc 12 Second Bocuse Expredition Arc

    On a certain day, the residents of K?nk?nen turned their heads to the sky.

    In the early hours of the morning, a massive object blots out the sliver of light, casting a long shadow on the ground below. It was a Levitate Ship, meandering slowly across the calm morning sky. Despite all the excitement not so long ago, the residents of K?nk?nen had all grown accustomed to the sight, in part due to the massive air fleet under the command of the Royal Life Guards.

    However, on this occasion, their gaze remained locked on the Levitate Ship overhead, as the ship was significantly larger than the typical Transport Ship. While Transport Ships designed to carry a contingent of Silhouette Knights were already a sizable construct, the Levitate Ship before them was well over twice their size, making many doubt the sanity of its designer. Yet, regardless of their thoughts, the truth was before them, floating peacefully above the capital.

    ¡°How¡­ majestic. I wonder which Knight Order commands such an impressive vessel¡­¡±

    Onlookers asked, but it didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at an answer. On the countless sails that line its flank, they were able to see the magnificent crest of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, as well as a smaller silver crest in the shape of a phoenix.

    ¡°¡­So that is the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ newest Wind Carrier. Although I had heard the rumors, seeing it in person is still quite a shock.¡±

    On top of the balcony in Castle Schreiber, King Leotamus gazed at the distant silhouette with squinted eyes. He was fully expecting the arrival of the Wind Carrier at K?nk?nen, since its arrival was by his orders.

    As part of the planned expedition into Bocuse, the Sea of Trees, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Wind Carrier was to serve as the flagship. It was to be accompanied by the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ fleet of Transport Ships in an altogether massive fleet. Although being airborne afford them certain advantages, the planners understood fully not to underestimate the enigmatic Bocuse. By the time they had noticed, the vanguard fleet had grown to an unimaginable size.

    Incidentally, considering that the majority of the western nations were still in the nascent stage of Levitate Ship development, the vanguard fleet was likely one of the few sizeable air fleets in existence on the continent, likely exceeding even the ?aloudekian Steel Wing Knights in its heyday.

    ¡°¡­Speaking of which, I did not expect it to be this massive. Perhaps I had made a mistake in summoning them to the capital for the departure ceremony?¡±

    At the thoughts of the disturbance such a massive Levitate Ship would cause to the residents of K?nk?nen, Leotamus could not help but hold his head in despair.

    ¡°Ahaha!! How about it? Impressive, right? I bet everyone is completely shocked! After all, I had spent a whole lot of effort to get it ready! Feast your eyes on its magnificence!!¡±

    ¡°For the residents of K?nk?nen, this ship would certainly be a shocking sight. Still, I hope such an act will burn the new Wind Carrier ¡®Izumo¡¯ deep in their memories.¡±

    Batson excitedly peered out the window on the bridge, while Ernesti stood behind with a mischievous smile.

    Wind Carrier ¡®Izumo¡¯ was a Levitate Ship designed from the bottom up as a support vessel for the new Wind Knights. On top of its massive size, it boasts an impressive capacity for up to a whole company of Wind Knights.

    With Batson leading the team, the knightsmiths had toiled countless hours to finish this massive ship on schedule.

    Incidentally, the Aerial Assault Ship from their earlier excursion to the Kingdom of Kuscheperca was of little help to the team, as the ship itself could not fulfill the excessive demands of the Bocuse expedition. Long distance aerial expeditions naturally required extensive preparation and self-sufficiency, a facet clearly reflected in the ships extensive size. As such, the team was essentially forced to design the ship from scratch, making modifications as the development proceeded.

    With everything that had happened, Batson was at the height of exhilaration. Even his fellow knightsmiths were likely tucked away in the bowels of the ship celebrating their success with alcohol.

    ¡®Boss¡¯ David sat in the captain¡¯s chair behind the pair.

    ¡°Hey, I think that should be enough horseplay for now. Are you both satisfied? If so, it is time to use the Blow Engines to turn the ship around and head outside the city perimeter. At this rate, we will end up blocking out the whole capital.¡±

    Boss seemed particularly careful about their actions. After indulging their mischievous trick for the fruits of their labor, it was finally time to get down to business.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll head down in the Ikaruga and give my greetings to His Majesty.¡±

    As the crew busied themselves with the Wind Carrier operations, Eru descended to K?nk?nen in his Ikaruga.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Haa¡­ I ended up getting scolded~¡±

    ¡°Obviously. I am surprised you were brave enough to play such a prank on His Majesty¡­ Seriously, I am left completely speechless.¡±

    Knight Commander Torstei Koskensalo of the Violet Swallow Knights let out a deep sigh at Eru¡¯s innocent smile.

    Although the sudden appearance of Izumo had caused quite the disturbance, the departure ceremony itself ended rather uneventfully. Overall, the people responded positively to Izumo¡¯s reveal, with no shame brought upon the royal family that sponsored the event. However, it did not excuse Eru¡¯s mischievous prank.

    ¡°It is quite the impressive ship, I will give you that¡­¡±

    Torstei looked out at the adjacent ships through the glass of the bridge. Nearby, several Transport Ships flanked the Izumo in formation, accompanied by two companies of Wind Knight ¨C the entire force of the Violet Swallow Knights.

    Of the Wind Knights, a single company would be docked within the Wind Carrier, with the other company in charge of security and patrol. As such, the Wind Carrier would be wholly responsible for the deployment and maintenance of Wind Knights. Instead, the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ Transport Ships would focus on carrying the fleet¡¯s provision, sufficient to sustain the expedition for over a year.

    Their destination was not the boundless sea, but rather over vast expanses of land, where they always had the option to land and restock when their supplies ran low. However, considering the sheer consumption of Ethelite in such a maneuver and the danger Bocuse presented, it was set as a plan of last resort. Therefore, the expedition was expected to carry all their necessities on Transport Ships.

    Torstei turned to Izumo¡¯s bridge, gawking around like a kid in the candy shop.

    ¡°Speaking of which, Izumo is not only impressive from the outside, the internal design is also a marvel in and of itself. Although my Transport Ships¡¯ accommodation certainly isn¡¯t bad, the Izumo is on a whole different¡­ level.¡±

    The Transport Ships of the Violet Swallow Knights largely kept its initial configuration, with little accommodation for prolonged inhabitation and comfort. In contrast, the Izumo was built to greater capacity, allowing ample room for its crew. Furthermore, with the personal quirks of its designers, many quality-of-life improvements were made to allow Batson and others have smoother control. With the length of their expedition, Izumo¡¯s superior accommodation was certain to impress.

    ¡°¡­Either way, I will be under your care for this voyage, Knight Commander Echevalier.¡±

    ¡°¡­And I as well, Knight Commander Koskensalo.¡±

    The two shook each other¡¯s hand in agreement. Yet, to the uninformed observer, it was a strange sight between an adult and a child. Few would have believed they stood as equals, if not with the child marginally superior.

    ¡°Still¡­ I am surprised you didn¡¯t end up in that seat.¡±

    Torstei gestured toward the dwarf in the captain¡¯s seat. Personally, Torstei doubled as the Knight Commander and the captain of the Transport Ship, which was a logical arrangement that emphasized the need for a clear command structure with two distinct positions. Incidentally, many Knight Orders followed the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ example. As such, the fact that the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights was not the designated captain of Izumo came as a surprise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is done in consideration of the fact that when in battle, I am likely fighting in my Silhouette Knight. Therefore, it would be better to leave the command of the ship in his hands.¡± Eru replied with a smile.

    ¡°I s-see¡­ The Silhouette Knight that you spoke of¡­ was it called Ikaruga? I¡¯ve heard rumors about it being a terrestrial Silhouette Knight that could freely fight in the sky like a Wind Knight?¡±

    Torstei remembered the oddly shaped Silhouette Knight in the hanger of the Izumo, with its peculiar six-armed design. Before the advent of the Wind Knights, Ikaruga held the unique distinction as the world¡¯s only aerial Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°Yes. In this long journey, I am certain you will have the opportunity to witness it firsthand.¡±

    ¡°Then I will eagerly await the opportunity. Once again, we can certainly expect success with your participation.¡±

    Torstei once again turned to the youth. Although this was only a preliminary expedition, they nevertheless would venture into the enigmatic and dangerous Bocuse, with all the associated stress. As such, they gratefully welcome the power of the famed hero within the Kingdom of Fremmevira. While the two commanders exchange pleasantries, the fleet calmly advanced across the sky.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With Izumo at its center, the expedition fleet slowly made its way across the Kingdom of Fremmevira, casting shadows upon villages it passed. Soon, they passed by Academy City Laihiala and Fort Olvecius.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve heard Eru is on that large ship in the middle.¡±

    Selestina ¡®Tina¡¯ Echevalier gazed upon the fleet to the backdrop of the azure sky as she pointed at the largest ship of the group. It was difficult for anyone to believe that such a massive artificial ship could freely soar in the sky. Nearby, her husband Mathias Echevalier looked to where Tina was pointing, with one hand blocking out the stinging sunlight, before turning to her.

    ¡°Really, Eru just can¡¯t seem to slow down¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?¡±

    Beyond her calm exterior, Tina was an intelligent and independent woman with a tenacious will, bearing a close resemblance to her stubborn son. Reflective of her attitude, she was someone who could send Eru off to war in a neighboring kingdom with a smile. However, for some odd reason, she did not have her usual cheerful expression.

    ¡°Yes. I understand that our son is very strong, and he will certainly perform with distinction. Yet, I cannot shake this bad premonition about the expedition.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ It is the Bocuse after all. Even for someone as amazing as our Eru, the journey still leaves much for worry.¡±

    Ever since the founding of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, Bocuse had been a source of constant dread for its residents. It could almost be described as a primal fear, which resisted any attempt to extinguish even with all the advantages afforded by recent advances in technology. Incidentally, it was also used as a common threat for disobedient children.

    However, Tina could not easily put her worry in words. After all, Eru was someone who had previously bested even the division-class Behemoth, and the expedition should not meet difficulty any greater than it.

    Seeing her gloomy visage, Mathias turned once more to the sky.

    ¡°Our son has the strength to overcome any challenge, and he always keeps his promise. Did he not give you his word before he departed? That he would definitely return?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, you are correct. Eru would never break his promise.¡±

    Tina clasped her two hands before her breast. Even she did not perfectly understand the reason for her anxiety. However, no matter the cause, she could only wish for her son¡¯s safe voyage as her eyes followed the departing Levitate Ships.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    As the fleet continued its journey east, it sailed past Fort Olvecius. Within the fort, the remaining members of the Silver Phoenix Knights looked on.

    ¡°So¡­ they have finally set sail. We did see Ernesti and Batson busy with their preparations.¡±

    ¡°Still, even considering all that had happened in the recent days, I still felt that it was somewhat unfair for them to ditch us.¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t really ditch us. Rather, we still have our own duties in the base. Not to mention, the expedition was formed with the Wind Knights at its core, so I doubt we would be of much help, especially with Erledyradcumber and Guyalarinde ruled out.¡±

    ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t the third company satisfy that requirement?¡±

    ¡°Well, forcing a single company would be just as awkward.¡±

    Among the onlookers were the three company commanders, for whom all subordinates were excluded from the expedition. Curiously, the entire fort seemed oddly placid with Eru¡¯s departure.

    ¡°Now, although we were left to look after the fort, I don¡¯t think there is any pressing matter for us to address. In that case, let us enjoy this well-deserved vacation.¡±

    Ostensibly, while the three companies were tasked with overseeing Fort Olvecius in Eru¡¯s absence, the fort itself was not expected to see combat. Therefore, it was effectively a long vacation for those who remained. Hearing the discussion, Edgar turned his attention back to his fellow knight runners.

    ¡°As for that, I have to settle some personal matter and will be away from the fort. Therefore, Di and Helvi, I would like to ask you to watch over the fort while I am away¡­ There is someone that I need to meet urgently¡­¡±

    Dietrich raised his eyebrow at Edgar¡¯s announcement, while Helvi simply nodded in understanding. After all, there was only a single person that Edgar would consider meeting given the circumstances.

    ¡°Is it related to that previous matter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Honestly speaking, I am still somewhat hesitant about my decision. However, if I do not talk it out with him, I doubt my uncertainty will ever resolve.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ It is certainly better than simply ignoring.¡±

    Despite Edgar¡¯s hesitation, the very fact that he was willing to meet with the interviewer showed that he was partial to the opportunity. At the very least, the interviewer would certainly not let such an opportunity slip by.

    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Either way, I doubt we will get any more unwanted visitor at Fort Olvecius during your absence, so be at ease on your vacation.¡± Dietrich said as he shrugged in response, ¡°Speaking of vacations, wasn¡¯t this the first real vacation we had since the formation of the Silver Phoenix Knights? Seriously, it makes me shudder just to think about. I guess we should all enjoy this vacation to its fullest!¡±

    Edgar did not care to realize the reluctance in Dietrich¡¯s words. On the other hand, Dietrich was overcome with a wave of melancholy as he turned once more to the fleet, sailing to the east with the Izumo.

    It was an expedition to the enigmatic Bocuse, one that would undoubtedly impact the future of the Kingdom of Fremmevira. At its helm stood Ernesti, the youth that had time and time again led everyone toward a new era.

    ¡°We cannot chase after him forever. Now is as good a time as any for us to take that difficult step.¡±

    Under the gaze of many, the fleet continued its journey, eventually finding themselves at the border walls. Beyond, they could see the home of the Demon Beasts ¨C the great Bocuse, Sea of Trees. Without the slightest pause, the fleet sailed into their destination.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°¡­So, this is the air of Bocuse. Ugh¡­ It certainly lives up to its rumors.¡±

    Eru took a deep breath on the top deck of Izumo.

    While the breeze blown over from the approaching Bocuse felt no different than when they were in the Kingdom of Fremmevira, the air contained a certain indescribable smell that churned the stomach.

    The land was blanketed by green for as far as the eyes could see, with lush foliage stretching all the way to the ends of the horizon. The terrain was also difficult and rugged, where distant silhouettes of mountain ranges stood to the backdrop of the blue sky.

    As Eru stared intently at the scenery, two arms reached around and gently pulled him in. At that moment, Eru annoyingly turned his head to meet the culprit in the form of a lass named Addy.

    ¡°Addy, didn¡¯t I tell you to not hug me like this with the members of the Violet Swallow Knights nearby?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know! However, it should be fine right now, since no one is around~¡± Addy teased with her head resting on Eru¡¯s shoulder.

    Eru was the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and, by extension, the highest-ranking officer on the Izumo and the expedition fleet as a whole. As such, there were certain considerations for the dignity of a commanding officer that forced him to instruct Addy not to hug him in public. However, it seemed his words fell on deaf ears, to which Eru could only let out a deep sigh.

    Originally, the only participants of the Bocuse Expedition were to be Eru and the knightsmiths experienced with the Izumo. Yet, Addy willfully declared ¡®to go with Eru¡¯ and ended up boarding the Izumo herself. As a direct consequence of Addy¡¯s decision, the Izumo had to load the Syrphrine alongside the Ikaruga. On the other hand, as the combat instructor for the Violet Swallow Knights and an excellent knight runner in Wind Knights, Addy was more than qualified to join the expedition.

    ¡°Fine, just for a little bit. Keep in mind that there are plenty of folks not from the Silver Phoenix Knights on this voyage.¡±

    ¡°But~ I think it would be fine even if people see us! Not to mention, I doubt you need something like dignity when you are this cute~¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±

    With that said, Eru walked with Addy back into the ship. Just before he entered the door, Eru took one last look at the surroundings. The Transport Ships kept themselves close to the Izumo, with Wind Knights swimming in and out of the fleet formation. The two companies of Wind Knights were tasked with security and patrol in alternating shifts. After all, despite the lack of any obvious obstructions, the fleet could not afford to be lax in its vigilance.

    Once the pair returned to the bridge, they were met with Torstei, who was carefully analyzing the course on the map table. Nearby, Boss sat slovenly in the captain¡¯s seat. Boss cared little about the expedition beyond the operation and maintenance of Izumo, an opinion shared by Batson, who was at the helm.

    ¡°We will soon enter Bocuse, so I wish to confirm our operation protocol.¡±

    As soon as Torstei finished, a cloud of dust could be seen in the distant forest, accompanied by the crunch of falling trees. Likely, Demon Beasts were the behind the turmoil. After a few tense struggles obscured by clouds of dust, the forest finally regained its initial calm. On reflection, everyone lightly nodded to one another.

    ¡°As expected of Bocuse. I could barely fathom the troubles we would encounter if we were a terrestrial expedition.¡±

    ¡°Even with the Silver Phoenix Knights¡­ I am certain we would incur casualties. Glad we are on Levitate Ships.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Good thing we finished Izumo in time.¡±

    No matter the intensity of the conflict in the forest below, the Levitate Ship fleet could remain high above harm¡¯s way. The entire crew once more recognized the value of Levitate Ships.

    ¡°Considering the few informative expeditions of the Bocuse in the past, we should be safe to increase our speed for now and leave heightened caution to later.¡± Eru commented with the navigation map open.

    ¡°Yes. Regardless of the danger within Bocuse, there had always been few aerial Demon Beasts. Although we should not be careless, we also don¡¯t need to be on highest alert at this point in time.¡±

    The map laid out in front of them only shows a tiny sliver of land on the eastern border of the Kingdom of Fremmevira. Incidentally, one of their primary objectives in this expedition was to expand the details of the map.

    Afterward, they plotted the course for the fleet and the patrols, before transmitting those orders to the rest of the fleet. With the plan settled, Izumo slowly expanded its sails as the air current carried the ship swiftly into the Bocuse with the rest of the fleet following closely behind.

    ¡°So, we have finally entered Bocuse¡­¡± Knight runners of the Violet Swallow Knights muttered silently within the hanger of Izumo as they experienced the jolt of acceleration.

    ¡°I had never thought we would be entrusted with such an important mission.¡±

    The knight runners all held deep emotions as they looked over their Wind Knights. Certainly, few within the Kingdom of Fremmevira were isolated from thoughts on the Bocuse.

    ¡°It is not just us¡­¡±

    They gazed past their Wind Knights and at the massive but oddly shaped Silhouette Knight at the other end of the hanger.

    ¡°¡­The Silver Phoenix Knights? Although it seemed our instructors are absent.¡±

    ¡°I had seen Instructor Olver earlier, alongside the young Knight Commander.¡±

    ¡°However, they are not the main actors for the expedition.¡± Lafal interjected, after silently listening to their exchange. ¡°This is a perfect opportunity for us. While this ship belongs to the Silver Phoenix Knights, the core combat power of the fleet remains with us. Therefore, this is our mission.¡±

    His face revealed the deprecative and anxious feelings of a company commander. After all, this mission was vital to the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that, while Wind Knights had been issued to numerous fiefs within the kingdom, we remain the premier order of Wind Knights. However, we must not rest on our laurels.¡±

    The knight runners all nodded in acknowledgment. While they remain the most veteran knight runners for Wind Knights, the competition remained too close for comfort, especially with the kingdom¡¯s emphasis on air power.

    ¡°We must perfectly complete this important mission and attain honor for our Knight Order.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let them know our strength! Glory to the Violet Swallow Knights¡­!!¡±

    The entire company raised their fist in agreement. No matter how difficult the task ahead, they remained confident in their abilities.

    With the dreams and aspirations of countless Fremmevirans, the fleet made its way into the Bocuse.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The Sea of Trees did not betray its namesake, where trees covered the landscape for as long as they had traveled. The view remained good, with unobstructed sight in all directions. However, no one could deny that dangerous Demon Beasts lurked in the Bocuse, and their unmolested sailing could not continue forever.

    ¡°Object sighted on course! Instruct the fleet to be vigilant!¡±

    The Wind Knights scouting ahead had noticed suspicious activity and immediately signaled the fleet with light flashes. On the Izumo, the lookout received and immediately relayed the message to the bridge.

    ¡°Captain¡¯s order! Forward patrols have detected suspicious activity ahead. All knight runners are to head to the hanger and be prepared for launch!¡± Eru shouted into the voice pipes before turning to the captain¡¯s seat, ¡°I¡¯ll head down to the hanger myself and be on standby in the Ikaruga. Can I leave the command of the bridge to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, rest assured.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also head down to Syr-chan. Eru, let¡¯s go together!¡±

    After watching the two depart from the bridge, Boss turned his attention to the front. At the helm, Batson also steeled himself for the upcoming battle.

    At the same moment, the patrol approached the wobbling mass floating in the path of the fleet.

    ¡°Is that a¡­ Demon Beast? Rather, is that even alive?!¡±

    ¡°Not sure. While it looks like a rock, it is oddly floating in midair. For all we know, it could be some sort of shelled Demon Beast.¡±

    The object before them took on the shape of an uneven boulder, bearing little resemblance to a characteristic shell. Furthermore, it was not alone, with numerous other boulders in its vicinity.

    The Wind Knights slowed their flight and remained guarded against the unknown structure.

    ¡°What size! A single boulder is larger than several Silhouette Knights put together. How exactly are they floating?¡±

    ¡°Who knows¡­ Perhaps they also make use of the properties of Ether? I hope they are harmless and doesn¡¯t interfere with our fleet.¡±

    Toward the suspiciously benign structures, the Violet Swallow Knights were uncertain about their next course of action. Understandably, if an object of such a large size were to lash out at the fleet, they would certainly suffer inconceivable losses.

    Just as they were hesitant, the structure suddenly began to stir. The sound of crunching was accompanied by a small hole opening on its surface. From within, a single shelled Demon Beast crawled out and leapt into the air, spreading out wings that were something akin to fins or membranes. Following the first that took to flight, more poured out from the opening, and new openings appeared elsewhere. At the sight, the knight runners finally understood the nature of the structures floating before them.

    ¡°I see¡­ The boulders are not the shell of Demon Beasts, but rather Demon Beast ¡®lairs¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Darn it, those Demon Beasts could fly, and so many of them to boot! All units, withdraw! We need to meet up with the main force!¡±

    Everyone hastily pressed down on the pedal. At that moment, the magius thrusters churned as it spat out jets of flames and the Wind Knights quickly accelerated. With the positioning of the fins, the patrol made a swift U-turn and raced back toward the fleet.

    In that time, more and more Demon Beasts poured out from the lair, following behind the patrol and rapidly closing the distance.

    ¡°Those Demon Beasts are fast¡­ Is it because of their miniature size?¡±

    The flying Demon Beasts had a teardrop shaped body that was just slightly larger than a human. Its fin-like wings did not flutter as it flew, therefore likely relying on some sort of magic for flight.

    ¡°Ugh! One after another, how many of these bastards are there?! This won¡¯t do, we need to trim their numbers down before we return to the fleet.¡±

    The patrol peppered their rear with staff weapon shots as they flew, where the sheer number of Demon Beasts removed the need to accurately aim. One after another, the Demon Beasts exploded into flame. However, the remaining Demon Beasts simply shrugged off the casualties, perhaps knowing their advantage in overwhelming numbers.

    ¡°What are those?! Darn it, certainly a grand welcome from the Bocuse!¡±

    On the bridge, Boss could see the distant mass of Demon Beasts rapidly approaching.

    ¡°Captain¡¯s order! Immediately change our bearings and avoid the approaching Demon Beasts! All Wizards, be ready to fire upon the Demon Beasts from the flanks!¡±

    ¡°We will experience turbulence on the turn! Boss, return to your seat!¡±

    Reminded by Batson, Boss scurried back into the captain¡¯s seat and braced for acceleration. At that moment, the Izumo creaked as it began to turn, and the other vessels followed suit after receiving Boss¡¯s order. However, given their cumbersome size, none of the ships could make a nimble turn.

    In tandem with the turn, the Wizards (1) stationed on the vessels stood up and trailed their staff weapons on the imminent threat. Incidentally, the Wizards on the Izumo were covered by the Bulwark Robe, integrated directly into Izumo¡¯s armor. It was a design that replicated the Flying Dragon Battleship¡¯s increased mana capacity and output. As such, the Wizards on the Izumo were able to fire for a longer period than similar Wizards without the design.

    Just as the Wizards prepared to unleash their shots on the swarm, Izumo¡¯s deck opened up and revealed a massive six-armed Silhouette Knight within.

    ¡°I see¡­ The Demon Beasts that we have encountered this time seemed particularly problematic. I doubt we could resolve this with just the Wind Knights¡­ Firing flare to signal for shots and whittle down the approaching critters!¡±

    The flare flashed brightly in the sky. At the same moment, the hangers of the Izumo descended into a state of chaos as knight runners hurriedly boarded their Touedianes.

    ¡°Initiating the Etheric Levitator! Remember to not activate the magius thrusters until you clear the hangers!¡±

    As Izumo kept a sizeable store of Ethelite, the initial ether for the Etheric Levitator could be directly provided from the ship¡¯s internal stores.

    The air intake of the Touedianes started to hum as the Ether Reactors were activated.

    ¡°Ready for takeoff! Everyone, push¡­!¡±

    The maintenance crew in Silhouette Gears drove the Wind Knights toward the hanger door at the rear. Within the hanger, the Wind Knights had to be moved manually to avoid damaging the internal structure with their magius thrusters. Although the Wind Knights benefited from the Etheric Levitator, its actual mass did not change, and the maintenance crew had to perform the task with the assistance of Silhouette Gears.

    ¡°Now, it is my turn! Just leave everything to me!¡±

    One of the crew stood by the hanger door and reached into a device with his arm. It was a sizeable mechanical arm, almost as if someone grafted a Silhouette Knight¡¯s arm onto the wall of the ship.

    ¡°Hiyaa!¡±

    The crew member channeled magic into the device. It essentially functioned under the same principle as a Silhouette Gear. While a single person could not move a Silhouette Knight without the assistance of an Ether Reactor, it was a different matter for just a part of one, or rather, a slightly miniature and simplified copy of one.

    The purpose of the arm was incredibly simple. With its strand crystal fingers, it grabs the Wind Knight and ¡®throws¡¯ it out the ship. The device, aptly named ¡®Crane Arm¡¯, was able to solve the difficulty of launching the Wind Knights from the ship while giving them an initial acceleration. Effectively, it was a variation of the catapult system.

    Afterward, another Wind Knight was moved onto the launch pad. The operator of the arm was visibly fatigued.

    ¡°Haa¡­! N-next¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, you are at your limit. Let¡¯s switch!¡±

    Although the Crane Arm was simplistic in design, the amount of mana expenditure was not insignificant, and a lone operator could not continuously operate it for long. However, the current operator was reluctant to switch.

    ¡°No! I¡¯m still good!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be stubborn. It¡¯s my turn! Switch already!¡±

    ¡°N-no! I can still go on!¡±

    Incidentally, the task of operating the Crane Arm was oddly popular among the maintenance crew, where everyone always squabbled over the role.

    The Wind Knights evicted from the bowels of Izumo soon entered into flight formation, with Addy¡¯s Syrphrine at the front.

    ¡°Wow, there really are quite a number of them, but each and every one of them is so small! It seems to be a problematic battle ahead!¡±

    Addy signaled her students from the Syrphrine, and the company soon separated into two columns as they circled toward the Demon Beasts from the left and the right, with one of the two led personally by the Syrphrine.

    ¡°We shall whittle them down from the periphery and force them to clump together. Once they are herded together, we shall have the Wizards annihilate them by staff weapons!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    With flames pouring out from the magius thrusters, the Wind Knights entered into a swift acceleration toward the Demon Beasts. Some poured shots onto the Demon Beasts, while others skewered the demon with the lance. The Wind Knights swam freely in the sky, slowly trimming down the Demon Beasts on the periphery as the rest clumped into the center.

    However, the Demon Beasts did not take the attacks one-sidedly, and a portion of the Demon beasts attempted to encircle the Wind Knights. At their maneuver, the Wind Knights immediately changed their direction and evaded the encirclement.

    At that moment, one of the Demon Beasts started to balloon in size. The knight runners noticed the sudden change in size, but merely deemed it as a target and poured shots onto it. Only when the shots came in contact with the ballooned Demon Beast did the knight runners realized the cause.

    The Demon Beasts burst into a large inferno, sending shockwaves far beyond the effect of a staff weapon shot. It was the result of the Demon Beast¡¯s own device.

    ¡°Those Demon Beasts can¡¯t be¡­!¡±

    Although momentarily stunned, the knight runners were immediately awash with fear. The ballooning of the Demon Beast followed by a sizeable explosion could only be explained by a single hypothesis.

    ¡°Their method of attack is suicide bombing?!¡±

    ¡°Wind Knights, cease the lance charges! We cannot be certain which one will explode next, so keep your distance and rely on your staff weapons to attack!¡±

    The sudden realization about the Demon Beasts immediately cut down the venues of attack available to the Wind Knights. As a melee-focused unit, the Wind Knights were essentially crippled by the handicap.

    Although the Demon Beasts were relatively fragile, with little means to resist the powerful Wind Knights, its explosive capacity still posed a serious threat to the Wind Knights. If they were to swarm, the sluggish Levitate Ships would be made the most vulnerable. Without the Levitate Ships, the Wind Knights would lose their base in an altogether hostile land. The high stakes fostered an atmosphere of anxiety.

    The Wind Knights tried their best to cut down the Demon Beasts, but the countless fliers continued their relentless push toward the fleet.

    ¡°¡­They are now in range. Wizards, fire upon the Demon Beasts, do not let them approach the fleet!¡±

    Standing on deck, Ikaruga waved its sword cannon in command. Up top, Wizards began to unleash their shots upon the swarm.

    The barrage of shots flew over and immediately made contact with the swarm, causing bursts of flame all over the sky. In-between the smaller bursts of flame were occasional explosions, presumably from the Demon Beasts¡¯ own destruction. With Izumo¡¯s mana output, the Wizards were free to fire without pause.

    ¡°Ahh, there are too many of them! We can¡¯t stop them all!¡±

    ¡°Darn it, there are a few that evaded encirclement! Stop them!¡±

    However, it didn¡¯t take long for the Wizards to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of Demon Beasts. Even the powerful barrage could not counter the incredible advantage in numbers as the Demon Beasts inched ever closer to the fleet.

    ¡°If that many Demon Beasts were to attack the fleet, we won¡¯t escape this unharmed!¡±

    The Wind Knights continued their incessant barrage, yet the anxiety was quickly rising among the knight runners. The company commander, Lafal, came around to the Syrphrine in a panic.

    ¡°Instructor Olver, the fleet will be in danger! Perhaps we should assist¡­¡±

    ¡°Wizards will bring down the closest Demon Beasts. We won¡¯t be of much help to the specialized Silhouette Knights even if we rotated over to assist. Therefore, remain focused on the enemy in front of us!¡±

    Far from the fleet, the Wind Knights did their utmost to attack the Demon Beasts, but the Demon Beasts continued to surge forth from the floating lairs. To any observer, the fleet was slowly being overwhelmed by the Demon Beasts.

    ¡°We are almost at our breaking point! We must find a way to cut them off at the source¡­ Let us launch a direct attack at their lair!¡±

    Addy was hesitant to abandon combat with the never-ending stream of reinforcements and instead attack the lair itself. Although it was a sound plan, doing so would leave the Levitate Ships vulnerable.

    At that moment, a loud howl was heard on the battlefield.

    ¡°¡­Emperor¡¯s Heart, Empress¡¯s Coronet to maximum output!¡±

    On top of the Izumo, the Demon God unleashed its killing intent.

    Eru had Ikaruga turn the sword cannons in its six arms on the Demon Beast swarm, steadied itself on the deck, and poured in large amounts of mana into them.

    ¡°The Demon Beasts are exploding themselves. Yet, one must ask why they chose to suicide? Isn¡¯t it quite unnatural for a Demon Beast to not strife for their own survival? If so, what is their purpose?¡±

    Eru¡¯s eyes soon turned to the floating structure behind them.

    ¡°I could be wrong. However, if we assume those Demon Beasts are mere biological missiles, the body of the Demon Beast should be located¡­¡±

    The monitor focused on a certain point in space, where a dark shadow could be seen in the distance.

    ¡°Let me show you the power of Ikaruga¡­ Not a barrage, but a single overwhelming shot of destruction!!¡±

    In a flash, a blinding shot drew an arc across the sky. The target was the Demon Beasts¡¯ lair. Before long, the incredibly powerful shot made contact with the lair.

    Its intense heat pierced through the surface and sunk deep into the lair. At that moment, the scripts within the shot activated as flame burst out through the openings seemingly in tandem.

    Following the first shot, Ikaruga shot a few more. One after another, the shots pierced the lair and exploded, until the entire lair disintegrated. Among the chunks of boulders, pieces of wrangled meat and fluid could be seen falling down to the earth below.

    ¡°I see, the actual body or the hive mind of the Demon Beast remained within the lair. In that case, I think we found the ideal target. Yet, how should I go about doing this¡­?¡±

    Ikaruga did not mind the approaching Demon Beasts and continued firing at the distant lairs. Under the shelling, more and more lairs crumbled to the earth.

    ¡°Huh¡­? The Demon Beasts are reversing course?¡±

    The reversal had finally arrived.

    The swarm of Demon Beasts had turned away from their suicidal attack and retreated toward the lairs regardless of the constant barrage.

    They soon departed from the firing range of the Wizards and made contact with the lairs. However, instead of entering the lair, they remained stuck on the exterior. At the same time, the entire lair began to slowly move.

    ¡°They are using the small Demon Beasts as a mean of propulsion?¡±

    The countless Demon Beasts pushed the lair away from the fleet. Although the lairs were a sizeable mass to them, the Demon Beasts took advantage of their incredible numbers. Before long, the lair slowly accelerated and disappeared on the horizon.

    ¡°No need to give chase as long as our fleet is safe from harm. After all, our task is not to eliminate Demon Beasts.¡±

    Izumo and the Wind Knights could not afford to underestimate the Demon Beasts and remained on high alert until the lair was no longer visible. Fortunately, not many Demon Beasts made contact with the Levitate Ships, so the fleet itself suffered only minimal damage. Furthermore, all the Wind Knights survived with minimal injury. Considering the threat posed by the Demon Beast, it was effectively a perfect end.

    ¡°For a moment there, I wasn¡¯t sure if we would survive. Glad we were able to get through that in one piece.¡±

    On the Violet Swallow Knights¡¯ flagship, Torstei let out a deep sigh of relief. He did not expect to meet a Demon Beast that, instead of the colossal power of a single division-class ¡®Bahamut¡¯, relied on incredible numbers to overwhelm its foes. If they did not threaten the Demon Beast at its lair and force them to withdraw, it would be no surprise if they lost one or two Levitate Ship in the encounter. At that moment, Torstei turned his gaze to the Silhouette Knight standing atop the Izumo.

    ¡°¡­So, that is the Ikaruga, the customized Silhouette Knight for the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights. I can¡¯t deny its overwhelming presence on the battlefield.¡±

    The strength of the Silver Phoenix Knights was known to many. However, the achievements of the Silver Phoenix Knights in the development of new Silhouette Knights was even more well known.

    Just the inventions alone would net Eru incredible fame, and that was not even considering the sheer power of the Ikaruga. For the first time, Torstei was able to observe firsthand the sheer absurdity that surrounds the existence known as the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    ¡°I see now why His Majesty praised him. Certainly, I feel that it could not get any safer than him guarding this fleet.¡±

    At that moment, Torstei felt an indescribable confidence that the expedition would turn out to be a successful one.

    The Wind Knights remained vigilant for a time after the departure of the Demon Beasts before slowly returning to the hanger. Lafal gazed longingly at the distant sky as he bit down on his lips in frustration.

    ¡°In the end, we alone could not defend the Levitate Ships with our own power. If then, for what purpose do the Wind Knights exist?¡±

    Before long, it was Lafal¡¯s turn to dock. The Wind Knight entered the hanger with a slight shudder as the Crane Arm pulled it in, followed by Silhouette Gears pushing it to its respective hanger positions. After the Wind Knight attached its tethers, the knight runner descended from the cockpit. For a while, Lafal remained motionless as he observed the bustling interior of the hanger.

    Soon, Lafal¡¯s gaze fell upon the Ikaruga deep within the hanger.

    ¡°As expected of the customized Silhouette Knight for the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights. However, we will not yield so easily¡­¡±

    With renewed determination, Lafal once more sprang into action.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    A month had passed since the expedition had first entered Bocuse.

    Within the Kingdom of Fremmevira, Dietrich continued to spend his lethargic days in Fort Olvecius.

    ¡°I wonder what they are doing right now¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Probably bashing a few Demon Beasts?¡± Helvi responded with a similar sluggishness.

    ¡°Certainly, there must be quite a few Demon Beasts in Bocuse¡­¡±

    The relaxed atmosphere wasn¡¯t limited to just the two company commanders. The entire fort was enveloped by an unusual tranquility, likely stemming from the overall lack of direction. Certainly, for the majority of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Eru¡¯s absence had spelled for a lull in activity and, by extension, a de facto vacation. At the moment, Dietrich was enjoying his days off relaxing in the hanger.

    ¡°Yeah. Compared to the Wind Knights, I find my Guyalarinde a much better fit.¡± Dietrich muttered as he gazed upon his customized Silhouette Knight while pumping out his fist.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ My company has rather become used to the Wind Knight, so I don¡¯t mind either one.¡± Helvi responded as she reached her hand into the sky.

    ¡°As expected of the third company. In that case, will the Tzendrinbles be put into disuse?¡±

    ¡°Not now, at least. For the mobility of the first and second company, don¡¯t we still need the cart-drawing Tzendrinbles?¡±

    Although such was the case, Helvi and the rest of her company had spent most of their time with the Wind Knight. As such, they cannot deny that they were slightly rusty with the Tzendrinble.

    ¡°If you continue to slack off, won¡¯t all future aerial combat fall squarely on the third company alone?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ That reminded me, there were a few new equipments designed for close combat. Although I prefer not to use them in aerial combat, as I consider the equipment more specialized for support.¡± Dietrich sighed as he recalled the new equipment furnished on the Izumo, ¡°Then again, nearly all the knightsmiths went with the Izumo. Without Boss and Eru around, I¡¯d rather not experiment with the new equipment.¡±

    Certainly, even if the trial did turn up with some problems or deficits, there would be no one to address the issues. Until the knightsmiths returned, the new equipment was probably better left to gather dust in some remote corner of the fort.

    ¡°Since there is nothing to be done, we might as well just rest up!¡± Helvi exclaimed.

    ¡°While you say that, weren¡¯t you the one who had repeatedly snuck into the Wind Knight practice?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I find it enjoyable to test out new Silhouette Knights.¡±

    ¡°Just like our dear Knight Commander~¡±

    ¡°Uuu¡­¡±

    Without a comeback, Helvi turned her gaze afar.

    ¡°So, you refused the offer?¡± Dietrich asked, seeing Helvi¡¯s melancholy.

    ¡°Huh? Ah, not yet.¡± Helvi answered tersely.

    ¡°Is it because of Edgar? If Edgar were to accept the offer, do you planning on following him?¡±

    ¡°Uuu¡­ It is quite the difficult decision for me. However, I think my reasons are similar to yours.¡± Helvi muttered as she turned her gaze to the Wind Knight, ¡°For both the Centaur Knight and Wind Knight, I found joy in testing new Silhouette Knights and piloting them in combat.¡±

    From the time of the Tellestarle, Helvi had always volunteered to test new Silhouette Knights. Initially, it was probably meant as a way for her to recoup from her defeat. Soon, she found herself enjoying the process, and accompanied one new model after another from its initial design all the way to battle. Participating in the day to day development of the Centaur Knight and Wind Knight had made Helvi especially attached to both.

    ¡°As such, I do not feel particularly qualified for the position of Knight Commander. In a way, I sometimes feel even the position of company commander was beyond my abilities.¡± Helvi sighed as she revealed a complicated smile.

    ¡°Certainly, only someone like you could command the third company, known for their attraction to new Silhouette Knights.¡±

    ¡°If you put it that way, I guess the same could apply to you as the leader of the second company.¡±

    Considering Dietrich role in leading the aggressive ¡®Assault Company¡¯, Helvi could not help but snicker. Now on the receiving end of a verbal jab, Dietrich gave a complicated smile in response.

    Just as the pair jousted verbally, a single Silhouette Knight appeared before them. It was a unit of pure white and was instantly identified as Edgar¡¯s Erledyradcumber.

    Dietrich waved lethargically at the approaching Erledyradcumber.

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this our newly-minted Knight Commander? Long time no see, how have you been?¡± Dietrich quipped.

    Edgar was away on personal business and had only recently returned. He gently draped his overcoat on the back of the chair and sat down.

    ¡°It sounds weird coming from you. Either way, the trip had proved quite successful.¡±

    Not long ago, the intermediaries for the various nobles had visited Fort Olvecius with the intention of recruiting the company commanders. After the meeting, Edgar had contacted them and went to discuss the details.

    ¡°I was actually introduced to a certain aristocrat, who was quite impressed by the Erledyradcumber. While the initial discussion revolved around the charge of a garrison Knight Order for a medium-sized city, I think I can expect an even higher position from him given his overall attitude.¡±

    Dietrich let out a whistle.

    ¡°Not bad. The Knight Commander of a garrison Knight Order is already quite the esteemed and trusted position, yet you were still able to make him feel lacking in offer. You have my full respect, Lord Knight Commander~¡±

    ¡°Stop that, didn¡¯t I tell you already that it sounds weird?¡±

    ¡°What is so weird about that?¡±

    ¡°Well, it makes me sound like a second Eru.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you put it that way, it certainly does sounds weird.¡±

    No one could deny that they had a very eccentric Knight Commander. While his achievements were beyond compare, Eru was prone to bouts of ¡®insanity¡¯ in his pursuit of Silhouette Knight. The trio all let out a profound laugh as they came to the same thought.

    As they slowly regained their calm, Dietrich once again turned to Edgar.

    ¡°Serving as a Knight Commander is the aspiration for all knight runners. Everyone should feel happy when they see their dream soon turned into reality. If so, why do you have such a long face?¡±

    Edgar was taken aback with surprise and reflexively turned to Helvi.

    ¡°Yeah, I have to agree with Dietrich. You seemed to have doubled your usual dose of melancholy.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­?¡±

    Dietrich aside, Edgar was not expecting Helvi to corroborate the observation. While Edgar was known for his control of his emotions, it was impossible to hide them from his old friends. Having been seen through, Edgar let out a deep sigh as he dropped the act, finally letting his fatigue show.

    ¡°Although the negotiation was smooth, I still feel reluctant to leave the first company.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Won¡¯t the first company be in good hands?¡± Helvi inquired.

    ¡°I know about the replacement. However, they are all comrades who have shared countless battles with me, so I couldn¡¯t help but worry about their future. Not to mention, I am leaving them for purely selfish reasons.¡±

    Edgar turned his gaze toward the tidily lined up Karrdatolles in the hanger, each decorated with the white cross of the first company.

    ¡°Haa¡­ You are being too absorbed in the details. Don¡¯t concern yourself with what comes later. No matter who takes over, I doubt they would act out of hand with the overwhelming prestige of Knight Commander. Rather, I am more worried about your replacement when it comes to Eru.¡±

    The most difficult task faced by the Silver Phoenix Knights was to meet the incessant demands of its quirky Knight Commander, such as suddenly declaring one day to ¡®challenge the strongest possible Demon Beast¡¯. As such, not many could survive their pace.

    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, it shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. If the replacement is found lacking, I can always train him personally. I will not permit the successor to squander the wonderful order we¡¯ve established~¡±

    ¡°No way¡­ Did you become addicted to the position of an instructor?¡±

    Edgar turned to find Dietrich¡¯s almost maniacal laughter. It seemed that the earlier training of the Violet Swallow Knights had flipped a certain switch in Dietrich. As such, it was decided that before the replacement could take over command of the first company, the individual would have to survive a series of intense training regimen designed by the veterans of the Great Western Storm.

    ¡°Regardless, you need not worry about us, Edgar. Just follow your heart.¡±

    Edgar looked at his friends with startled eyes. All his worries and hesitation were seen through, to which Edgar could only laugh in response. At that moment, the wrinkles on Edgar¡¯s forehead slowly unraveled.

    ¡°¡­Fine, consider it a personal debt. I will certainly return the favor one day.¡±

    ¡°We shall look forward to it.¡±

    Helvi revealed a smile as she looked at the exchange. She then turned her head up and gazed at the plethora of stars. While the days were calm, the Silver Phoenix Knights were certain to return to their usual bustling one day.

    ¡°Nngh~ Then, until the time when the Knight Commander returns, let us fully enjoy our long-awaited vacation!¡± Helvi declared as she stretched her stiff body.

    At that moment, the trio¡¯s gaze subconsciously fell upon the eastern horizon.

    Note:

    (1) Wizards are the name of the Fremmeviran specialized Ranged Silhouette Knights inspired by the Kuschepercan Resvant Vido, possibly using the chassis of Fremmeviran Karrdatolles instead of the Kuschepercan Resvants as its base.

 Book 6: Chapter 53: The Poisonous Demon Beasts

    The fleet continued its slow advance high above Bocuse, Sea of Trees.

    After the sudden attack by unknown Demon Beasts, the entire fleet remained on high alert.

    They did not let the slightest anomaly out of their sights. Thanks to their vigilance, the few threats they had encountered were all perfectly avoided.

    Even in combat, there were few Demon Beasts that could survive the onslaught of two full companies of Wind Knights, a full contingent of Wizards, and the powerful Ikaruga. As it happened, the hives of Demon Beasts they had previously encountered were nothing more than an outlier.

    Since their initial entry into the Bocuse, two months have passed relatively uneventfully.

    ¡°The map has been expanded considerably¡­¡±

    ¡°Although we had a few scares along the way, our expedition has overall been quite successful. We now have enough details to design a few low-risk courses through the Bocuse.¡±

    The two Knight Commanders stood over the cartography table. The ¡®map¡¯ had seen countless new additions, including the surrounding terrain and the course the expedition fleet had taken.

    ¡°The number of Demon Beasts encountered within the Bocuse seemed fewer than we¡¯ve previously expected. While we are limited to aerial reconnaissance, we haven¡¯t detected any powerful Demon Beasts.¡±

    Division-class Demon Beasts were typically known for their massive size that could easily be seen from afar. As such, if they couldn¡¯t spot any from the air, then it was not wrong to assume that division-class Demon Beasts were nowhere near.

    ¡°We still have ample supplies available. However, we should at least take the opportunity to decide on the extent of this expedition.¡±

    ¡°Yes. While distance may not be much for Levitate Ships, such a trip should be considerably more difficult for a terrestrial expedition. Even with the map, I doubt a second expedition could just follow the course without worry. As such, it is in my opinion that we should wrap up this expedition soon.¡±

    After the exchange of thoughts, the two Knight Commanders set their course of action. As battles became few and far between, the initial anxiety of the crew gave way to calm. After months of staying airborne, the crew grew restless for the comfort of the land.

    In the end, they had decided to return with the current progress. However, just as they were about to set their course for home, the unthinkable occurred.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    A flock of birds waded gently across the air, only to find a huge shadow approaching. They hastily evaded the object with a powerful flap of their wings.

    The object cut its way through the clouds, passing by the birds as it advanced. The object was called a Levitate Ship, which could only be described as a ship that could fly in the sky. Specifically, it was the Bocuse Expedition Fleet led by the Izumo, the Wind Carrier under the command of the Kingdom of Fremmevira¡¯s Silver Phoenix Knights. On top of the bridge of the Izumo, Ernesti looked out through the front window, as he absent-mindedly followed the flock of birds with his eyes.

    ¡°Full rudder to port! Look¡¯s like the path ahead is ¡®blocked¡¯.¡±

    Boss¡¯s order echoed from the rear of the bridge as the crew hastily adjusted course. The frame of the ship groaned slightly as Batson turned the wheel, with the scene outside the window slowly turning. As the flock of birds moved out of sight, Eru let out a deep sigh as he turned his attention to the front.

    Before the fleet was an imposing mountain range, stretching far into the clouds. Given the nature of the Etheric Levitator, the Levitate Ships would need to consume an exorbitant amount of fuel if it wished to fly over the peaks, enough to exhaust all the remaining fuel reserves.

    As such, the fleet had to sail along the border of the mountain range for a navigable pass. Eru turned his gaze below, following up a small stream coursing down from the mountain.

    ¡°What a steep mountain range. I wonder how it compares with the Aubigne Mountains.¡±

    ¡°Likely more expansive than Aubigne Mountains, since I could not seem to make out the northern end.¡±

    The mountains rose up like a natural barrier, reaching all the way to the horizon. Boss was likely correct in assuming this mountain range could rival the Aubigne Mountains.

    ¡°There is a small stream coming from the mountains, and the foothills seems relatively flat. If there weren¡¯t any threats in the vicinity, the area could easily fit a second Kingdom of Fremmevira.¡±

    ¡°I think it is about time that we set our course for home. This would make for a great story to tell once we return.¡±

    Having chanced upon a good site for future settlements, the cartographers carefully marked the site on their growing map.

    The forward reconnaissance squad of Wind Knights was first to notice the anomaly. It started with a violent rustle of the woods below, as the monstrosity slowly ascended to meet Wind Knights.

    ¡°Is that a Demon Beast? It seems different from all the Demon Beasts that we¡¯ve previously encountered!¡±

    ¡°Signal the Izumo, fast! It is at least a duel-class! Do not underestimate it!¡±

    The Wind Knights immediately activated its signal lights while carefully observing the monstrosity. Seeing the lights, the fleet behind entered into a state of high alert.

    ¡°The shape¡­ Is it an insect It is also quite large, enough to place it above a duel-class.¡±

    The Demon Beast resembled a beetle, with a long protrusion on its face. It had its entire body covered by a shell, and thin membranous wings fluttered behind its thorax. Although it was only about the same size as a Wind Knight, the expedition conservatively assumed it to be at least above a duel-class Demon Beast. As the reconnaissance squad observed and made their report, the Demon Beast continue to ascend with a low hum.

    ¡°Note the horn. I doubt the Wind Knight could survive a thrust from that horn.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Also, is there only one? If so, we can simply take it out with our staff weapons.¡±

    The Wind Knights remained vigilant of the surroundings. However, other than the approaching Demon Beast, they did not detect any other peculiarities. As such, the Wind Knights decided to use their staff weapons to launch a preventive strike, hoping to eliminate the threat in a single volley. They spread out from their tight formation and surrounded the insectoid Demon Beasts before unleashing a barrage from all directions.

    As the shots approached the insectoid Demon Beast, its wings began to flutter with an even louder hum. Immediately, the insectoid Demon Beast displayed an almost uncharacteristic agility, easily dodging all the incoming shots.

    ¡°This bastard¡­! Its movements are faster than we had assumed! We can¡¯t hit it like this! Everyone, close the encirclement!¡±

    The crew of the Izumo could see the shots fired from afar as the voice pipes transmitted updates to the bridge.

    ¡°Report, one Demon Beast! The reconnaissance squad shall attempt to eliminate it!¡±

    ¡°Just in case, have all knight runners be on standby in the Wind Knights and ready for immediate launch. Since we are not familiar with this Demon Beast, have the remaining Wind Knights on picket duty stay vigilant of the surroundings.¡±

    As Eru issued orders on the bridge, he wondered whether he should head out in the Ikaruga. The number of threats was few, so Eru believed the reconnaissance squad alone should be able to handle it. Not to mention, if Eru launched in the Ikaruga, the current command structure would undoubtedly be affected.

    At that moment, the observers let out a dejected gasp.

    ¡°W-what¡­! H-how could it be?!¡±

    ¡°What is it? Let me see.¡±

    Eru took over the telescope and turned to the battlefield ahead. Simply put, it was the worst possible scenario.

    Although the reconnaissance squad had successfully encircled the insectoid Demon Beast, they still weren¡¯t able to defeat it. The insectoid Demon Beast was simply too nimble and strafed in all directions, making it nearly impossible for the Wind Knights to land a solid hit. Soon, one of the knight runners became completely fed up with the fruitless chase.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to hit it with shots! I will head in for a lance charge, cover me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t approach! That bastard has a horn! You can¡¯t assume that it¡¯s a pushover in melee!¡± The squad commander warned, but the knight runner had already begun its acceleration.

    ¡°Still better than having all our shots miss. If the situation takes a turn for the worse, I will simply withdraw!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine. All units, suppressive fire! Seal its movements!¡±

    The lone Wind Knight charged ahead, rapidly closing in for a strike, while other Wind Knights laid down a hail of shots. Although the Demon Beast easily dodged the shots, they still served to restrict its movements. Predicting the Demon Beast¡¯s most likely dodge, the lone Wind Knight readied its lance.

    Unexpectedly, the insectoid Demon Beast did not attempt to dodge. Rather, it unfurled its legs and pointed them at the approaching Wind Knight as a suspicious fluid began to ooze out. As it formed the fluid into a compact sphere, the insectoid Demon Beast started to prepare a wind spell, proving that it had abilities beyond mere flight.

    Once the wind magic fully enveloped the sphere, it was launched toward the Wind Knight. While the Wind Knight planned to dodge, the sphere ¡®detonated¡¯ just as it was about to make contact. The fluid within the sphere vaporized into a white gas and, rapidly expanding in all direction, enveloped the Wind Knight completely.

    ¡°What is this? Can it be a smoke¡­ b-bomb¡­ Ugh? cough¡­¡±

    The gas was taken in by the Wind Knights air intake and soon filled the entire interior. The Wind Knights had many modifications to ensure flight, one of which was the air intake that maintained breathable air for the pilots. At that moment, the pilot of the lone Wind Knight was sitting in a chamber awash with white.

    Before long, the pilot began to vomit large volumes of blood onto the controls. His eyes became upturned as his whole body shook violently. The gas was a powerful ¡®poison¡¯ made from the bodily fluid of the insectoid Demon Beast. Given its habitat, the poison certainly wasn¡¯t designed for the weak constitution of a human. As such, after just a few more shakes, the knight runner took his last breath.

    Without its knight runner, the Wind Knight ceased all function and floated helplessly to the wind.

    Yet, the effects were not limited to only the knight runner.

    Nearby survivors of the reconnaissance squad saw the Wind Knight¡¯s external armor began to bubble and twist. The gas rapidly ate into the entire frame ¨C first the external armor, and then the strand crystals. Eventually, what remained of the Wind Knight disintegrated as pieces fell toward the ground.

    Eru stood on the Izumo¡¯s bridge and observed the entire process before lowering the telescope with his trembling hands. Between the Demon Beast¡¯s shot and the demise of the Wind Knight, Eru could easily hypothesize the nature of the attack.

    ¡°That Demon Beast¡­ its ability is to shoot out a highly volatile and corrosive bomb¡­!¡±

    Eru¡¯s words brought a wave of silence on the bridge.

    In the air, there was simply no natural defense against an attack that could turn the surrounding space into a deadly corrosive cloud. If the insectoid Demon Beast turned to attack, even a single hit would spell doom.

    Witnessing their own squadmate¡¯s death had also greatly affected the surviving members of the reconnaissance squad. Although they were unsure if the knight runner died from the gas, they were certain that the knight runner had certainly perished when the entire Wind Knight crumbled to pieces. The death has spurred the reconnaissance squad forward.

    ¡°We must not let a single one approach the fleet! If it is that Demon Beast¡­ even a single one may sink our entire expedition! We shall make our last stand here!¡±

    ¡°S-squad leader! L-look over there¡­!!¡±

    The squad leader had already steeled himself for death. However, hearing his squadmate¡¯s quivering voice, he turned toward the indicated direction. At that moment, he saw a scene that overwhelmed him with despair.

    Behind the insectoid Demon Beast that they were chasing, more shadows appeared rising from the forest.

    One, two, three¡­ five¡­ ten¡­ and even more¡­

    Countless insectoid Demon Beasts poured out from the foliage.

    ¡°T-this bastard¡­ he is just a scout like us. Darn it! When we already have problems dealing with one of them¡­ There¡¯s no way this is just a duel-class threat anymore! This is a company-¡­ no, a battalion-class threat!¡±

    When a single insectoid Demon Beast could already outperform the entire reconnaissance squad, the squad leader could easily imagine how a fight against so many would end.

    In the rear, the fleet was also shaken by the sudden appearance of the Demon Beast swarm. Faced with inaction, Eru took command and immediately proceeded to dissipate the chaos.

    ¡°All ships, turn around now! Withdraw from this area immediately!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying! But those Demon Beasts are fast¡­ Think we can escape unscathed?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t¡­ if we leave it like this!¡± Eru responded with a voice tinged with anxiety before turning to the voice pipes, ¡°All Wind Knights, launch immediately! We will be marooned if we lose our ships! Fight with everything you have!¡±

    After giving his orders, Eru dashed out from the bridge and headed straight to the hanger. The moment he arrived in the hanger, he boarded the Ikaruga.

    At the rear cargo bay door of the Izumo, the Wind Knights launched one after another. Eru himself seemed impatient as he headed out from the aft door.

    ¡°Other than those on picketing duty, all Wind Knights should attach themselves to the exterior of the Levitate Ships!¡± Eru ordered, using Ikaruga¡¯s speakers on the maximum setting.

    ¡°Knight Commander Echevalier! What are you planning?!¡±

    ¡°We will replicate the trick used by the hive Demon Beasts! Have the Wind Knights assist the Levitate Ships¡¯ acceleration! If we rely only on the blow engines, we won¡¯t escape in time!¡±

    ¡°However, won¡¯t that impede our defense? Who will be able to guard against those insectoid Demon Beasts?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave that to me and Ikaruga!¡±

    With that said, a loud rumbling came from the Ikaruga as its twin Ether Reactors began to churn, spitting out a massive amount of mana to feed its plumes of flame. With all six of its arms holding Sword Cannons, the Demon King launched into combat.

    Syrphrine caught the Ikaruga right before its final acceleration.

    ¡°Eru! Let me go with you!¡±

    ¡°Addy, as the expedition¡¯s final line of defense, I¡¯ll leave you to clean up any Demon Beasts that sneaks past me.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Eru, why¡­¡±

    Without waiting for Addy¡¯s response, Ikaruga shot out toward the Demon Beasts. With its superior thrusters and twin Ether Reactors, Ikaruga immediately opened a large gap between it and Syrphrine. Far behind, Addy could only helplessly watch as Ikaruga pulled away.

    ¡°Seriously! Why must you be this selfish every single time?! Hmph! Wind Knights, start pushing the Levitate Ships! If any Demon Beasts approach, use your Staff Weapon to screen them away!¡±

    Incidentally, Eru¡¯s decision to not bring Addy wasn¡¯t all due to selfishness. Rather, from what he had observed earlier, Eru has realized that the Wind Knights suffered from an important design flaw when fighting against the insectoid Demon Beasts.

    ¡°With an attack that could corrode a Silhouette Knight, the Wind Knight¡¯s lack of a powerful ranged attack would easily prove fatal.¡±

    Between the rumbling of the Ether Reactors and the bellowing of the Flame Propulsion System, Ikaruga approached the insectoid Demon Beasts at a speed close to a Staff Weapon shot.

    ¡°These Demon Beasts¡­ I¡¯ll bury them with Ikaruga!¡±

    Ikaruga readied its six Sword Cannons as it brushed by the withdrawing reconnaissance group. Eru focused the Sword Cannons on the leading insectoid Demon Beast.

    The Demon Beast was hovering in a cloud of its own corrosive juice while being completely immune to its effects. At the right moment, Ikaruga fired it powerful shots at the center of the cloud, piercing the Demon Beast¡¯s carapace and blowing away the surrounding gas. However, as the Demon Beast disintegrated, a huge amount of corrosive gas poured out from its flesh, instantly saturating the entire region.

    ¡°Even in death, it remains a pain¡­!¡±

    Ikaruga swiftly changed its thrusters and circled around the massive amount of corrosive gas in front of it, all the while firing at the remaining Demon Beasts.

    The remaining insectoid Demon Beasts, seeing their brethren blown to pieces, instinctively sensed the danger posed by Ikaruga¡¯s Sword Cannons. They hastily attempted to circumvent the Ikaruga, but let out an anxious flutter as they realized that they were cut off from their prey.

    ¡°You shall not pass¡­¡±

    Ikaruga stood firm before the swarm. Its thrusters bellowed out flames in all direction as it stared intensively at the Demon Beasts.

    From the scene captured by the crystal eyes, Eru had carefully observed the insectoid Demon Beast in detail and soon chanced upon a curious finding. Behind the vibrating wings, the Demon Beasts seemed to have another wing that glowed brilliantly in changing colors.

    ¡°That light¡­ So these insectoid Demon Beasts also rely on Ether to fly. Would that explain its flight? If so, then I am certain my Ikaruga is superior.¡±

    Without using an Etheric Levitator, Ikaruga relied completely on its magius thrusters to fly. Although it did cost an incredible amount of mana, the magius thrusters provided Ikaruga with freedom of movement unrivaled by mere Etheric Levitator. As such, compared to the two-dimensional movement of the insectoid Demon Beasts, Ikaruga should easily outclass it in terms of agility.

    At that moment, the insectoid Demon Beasts began to launch fluid bombs. As before, the spheres exploded midair, creating a wall of white gas between the Ikaruga and the Demon Beasts.

    ¡°Trying to prevent my approach? Useless! My Sword Cannons could easily shoot through the clouds!¡±

    Ikaruga raised its Sword Cannons and turned them toward the shadows tucked away in the white clouds. However, relying on its naturally high agility, the insectoid Demon Beasts simply dodged the shots.

    ¡°They are more agile than a Wind Knights and very dangerous in close quarters¡­ How problematic.¡±

    Although Eru had already made quite a few shots, the insectoid Demon Beasts had easily dodged all of them. The cloud also had little intention of dissipating, forcing Eru to remain at a distance. Without much alternatives available, Eru was forced into a problematic stalemate. Soon, a nagging question arose in Eru¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Weird, why haven¡¯t they approached? While I am only here to delay their approach, they should not need to do the same, especially with those effective attacks of theirs.¡±

    While the corrosive clouds prevented Ikaruga from approaching, the Demon Beasts had no reason to remain within the clouds themselves. Eru certainly wouldn¡¯t simply approach the could haphazardly. Just as Eru was confounded by the insectoid Demon Beasts¡¯ action, a terrible premonition flashed across his mind.

    ¡°Could they be¡­ Impossible, how?!¡±

    With his eyes opened wide in surprise, Eru had the Ikaruga quickly turn around. Its crystal eyes soon caught sight of his worst nightmare.

    Three insectoid Demon Beasts had long ignored Ikaruga and headed straight toward the fleet. To prevent their attack on the fleet, the Wind Knights and Wizards had long entered into a precarious situation.

    Eru shuddered as he turned to the corrosive gas surrounding him.

    ¡°¡­It is neither an attack nor a defense, but a mere distraction! The insectoid Demon Beasts here are all mere bait! To think Demon Beasts would know tactics!¡±

    In all the battles between humans and Demon Beasts, the Demon Beasts were known for their lack of tactical maneuvers. Although there were some Demon Beasts with leadership qualities, they had never demonstrated the intelligence to perform complex tactics like ¡®Deploying smoke, leave bait, then circle around the threat¡¯. As such, Eru had never imagined the possibility revealed before his eyes, or rather, it was a possibility no veteran knight runner could ever imagine.

    ¡°I was had!¡±

    Neither the Wind Knight nor the Wizards had any real means to counter the corrosive cloud. However, even though they knew they had fallen into the Demon Beasts¡¯ ploy, they were left with few alternatives but to fight with their lives on the line.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    The fleet launched a blanket of shots in an attempt to screen away the insectoid Demon Beasts. The Wind Knights were unable to enter into melee in fear of the corrosive bombs. Yet, allowing them to approach would spell doom for the Levitate Ships. As such, without any real counter to the Demon Beasts, the Wind Knights were forced to take the unfavorable fight.

    ¡°Darn it, can¡¯t we move any faster?! At this rate, they will definitely catch up!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up, just keep firing at them! Let them know with our shots that approaching is suicide!¡±

    The fleet¡¯s overwhelming firepower had some positive effects. For the three insectoid Demon Beasts, a stray shot could still inflict considerable damage. Therefore, they remained largely outside of the effective range of their own corrosive bombs.

    However, the Demon Beasts suddenly altered their tactics. Instead of a straightforward approach, they pulled back slightly before accelerating to the side of the fleet.

    ¡°Not good, they are planning to circle around to the front!¡±

    A few Wind Knights immediately detached from the Levitate Ship to intercept. Due to the risk of the corrosive bomb, they could not risk too brazen an approach and were soon thrown off the Demon Beasts¡¯ tail. At that moment, the Demon Beasts launched a few corrosive bombs ahead of the escaping fleet.

    ¡°They have cut off our retreat! Change course! We can¡¯t risk running into the cloud!¡±

    ¡°Take out those Demon Beasts now! We can¡¯t risk another intercepting shot!¡± Batson shouted in panic as he turned the wheel.

    The fleet scrambled to avoid the bursts of clouds. The fleet¡¯s survival seemed incredibly slim now that the initiative was lost.

    The insectoid Demon Beasts seemed to be smirking at the scrambling Levitate Ships and their fruitless struggle. Despite the Wind Knights¡¯ best efforts, the massive Levitate Ships were not exceptionally nimble, and it took everything they had just to avoid the clouds.

    Hoping to secure their escape, the Wind Knights continued to blanket the sky with shots. However, their efforts failed to translate into results, and, as the corrosive cloud continued to expand, the remaining routes were soon blocked off.

    ¡°Darn it! We will end up running into clouds no matter what direction we sail!¡±

    With the blockade complete, the atmosphere aboard was incredibly heavy as a wave of despair washed over the crew.

    Piloting the Syrphrine, Addy carefully observed the motion of the corrosive clouds. Interestingly, far from stationary, the clouds were actually slowly shifting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Look closely, the corrosive cloud is descending. Since the cloud is heavier than air, we could definitely escape from above! Levitate Ships, maximize the Etheric Levitator¡¯s output and run the blockade!¡± Addy declared after noticing the motion of the clouds.

    Every Levitate Ship grasped for the single strand of hope as their Etheric Levitator hummed with activity, increasing the Ether concentration.

    Sadly, before they managed to ascend, the insectoid Demon Beasts had already pierced through the clouds. As they had used the corrosive clouds to entrap their prey, they certainly wouldn¡¯t let their prey escape without a fight.

    ¡°Fire Staff Weapons! Ascend, come on! If this keeps on¡­¡±

    As before, the Levitate Ships attempted to screen away the Demon Beast with shots. However, the panicking Wind Knights¡¯ disorganized shots were ineffective at limiting the movement of the nimble Demon Beasts.

    Faced with certain doom, Lafal called for action.

    ¡°Wind Knights, let us delay the Demon Beasts! We can¡¯t let them touch the ships!¡± Lafal announced as he sent a signal to charge the Demon Beasts.

    The squad under his direct command took up the call to arms as they lunged toward the Demon Beasts with their lance. Although the numbers were equal, the unique characteristic of the Demon Beasts¡¯ attack meant that approach was essentially suicidal. Even then, Lafal¡¯s squad remained resolute.

    ¡°He is¡­ not the only defender of the fleet!¡±

    Lafal gave a quick glance to a distant place, to which his mind conjured up its heroic visage. In a split second, the magius thrusters shot out flames to close the distance as the squad laid down a continuous fire.

    The insectoid Demon Beast beat its wings as it dodged the shots. At the same time, it prepared its corrosive bombs to greet the incoming attackers.

    ¡°Everyone, disperse! Evade the shots!¡±

    The Wind Knights forcibly changed their flight while feeling the corrosive cloud on their backs. Surviving the bomb, the squad then turned to engage the Demon Beasts once more. On the other hand, the Demon Beasts seemed to have laughed at their pointless efforts and simply flew straight through the corrosive cloud as they continued their way toward the fleet.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get away! I still have one more trick up my sleeves!¡±

    Lafal discarded his lance and Staff Weapons, to the surprise of all his squadmates, and accelerated toward the insectoid Demon Beast with the now unencumbered Wind KNight. As he rapidly closed the distance between the two, Lafal released his controls.

    ¡°¡­Instructor, I shall leave the rest to you!¡±

    Below Lafal¡¯s Touediane, the Multiple Javelin Launcher System turned toward the Demon Beast and fired one after another. Lafal focused all his concentration on the guidance of the Javelins, without any hesitation or evasion, all in order to score a hit.

    The Demon Beasts had sensed the approaching Javelins and attempted to evade. However, the Silver Nerve-guided Javelins could not be easily thrown off their scent. Faced with imminent impact, the Demon Beasts sprayed the corrosive fluid from his legs and created a defensive cloud.

    As the Magic Javelins entered the cloud, the Javelin itself was able to resist some of the initial corrosion, but the Silver Nerve quickly dissolved. With the magic supply and navigation cut off, the Javelins fell harmlessly from the sky.

    ¡°H-how¡­ Even the Javelins won¡¯t work? What the hell are we to do with these Demon Beasts?!¡±

    The Demon Beasts simply disregarded the helpless Lafal and continued their approach on the fleet as their leg¡¯s prepared their corrosive bomb. If they had the chance to fire on the fleet and spread more corrosive clouds, then both the Levitate Ships and the surrounding Wind Knights would all meet a pitiful end.

    ¡°How¡­ Why! Someone, stop them!!¡±

    Just as the Demon Beast was ready to fire, a single flaming shot from behind Lafal pierced its carapace and caused Demon Beast to explode, leaving only a massive corrosive cloud in its place.

    Lafal reflexively turned to look at the source of the shot. From the monitor, what he saw was a Silhouette Knight bellowing flames.

    ¡°One down! Now, the next one!¡±

    It was the Ikaruga. The surprise attack succeeded largely because Lafal had kept their focus. Without pause, Ikaruga fell a second Demon Beast with another shot.

    ¡°Next¡­ Darn it, it¡¯s too close!¡±

    As Ikaruga raised its Sword Cannons toward the last Demon Beast, Eru could no longer afford to fire. In the time Eru had brought down two of the Demon Beasts, the last one had already flown too close to the fleet. If Ikaruga were to fire now, Eru could not imagine the damage wrought upon the Levitate Ships and the Wind Knights by the corrosive cloud.

    Faced with imminent danger, Eru pushed Ikaruga¡¯s thrusters to the max as he slammed into the side of the remaining insectoid Demon Beast. While the force of impact had caused a crack in the carapace, no corrosive gas sprayed out. Eru knew that a Demon Beast this size were generally quite resistant to physical impact, and thus would not easily receive damage without the use of shots or weapon.

    At that moment, Eru had taken advantage of the Demon Beast¡¯s sturdiness and rammed it away from the fleet with its four powerful thrusters. After the Demon Beast was a fair distance away from the rest of the fleet, Eru shot at it with Sword Cannons. In a violent explosion, the final insectoid Demon Beast was destroyed.

    ¡°So that is Ikaruga, the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Knight Commander Silhouette Knight,¡± Lafal muttered after witnessing the Demon God¡¯s overwhelming power against the threats he couldn¡¯t even scratch.

    Before the Kingdom of Fremmevira¡¯s strongest Silhouette Knight, Lafal could not help but feel an intimidating chill.

    With the three insectoid Demon Beasts eliminated, the fleet finished ascending to its desired altitude and continued its retreat. As Eru finally let out a sigh of relief, Syrphrine pulled up next to Ikaruga.

    ¡°Eru, it¡¯s time to leave. Let¡¯s make a run for it!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t do that, Addy. Look, the insectoid Demon Beasts still haven¡¯t given up its chase. I doubt they would easily let us off¡­¡±

    Since the moment Ikaruga had escaped from the insectoid Demon Beasts¡¯ trap, the remaining Demon Beasts continued to follow Ikaruga. With its bright wing glittering in the back, the remaining Demon Beasts accelerated toward the fleet.

    ¡°Addy, I will leave the command of the Wind Knights to you. In the meantime, I will take care of the Demon Beasts myself!¡±

    ¡°Eru! Must you really ditch me again¡­?!¡±

    Ikaruga accelerated once more toward the Demon Beasts before Addy could finish her sentence.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°How dare you trick me!¡±

    Ikaruga fired upon the approaching insectoid Demon Beasts with a barrage of shots in order to stop their advance. Surprisingly, the Demon Beasts took the battle against Ikaruga rather than advancing on the fleet.

    ¡°Hahaha~ Now this is better. Come and let us have a wonderful dance!¡±

    The insectoid Demon Beast seemed to have also realized the threat posed by the powerful and agile Ikaruga. As such, they had deemed the defeat of Ikaruga as their main priority.

    ¡°Sadly, I doubt I will be able to return to the fleet after this battle. Well, whatever¡­¡±

    Eru used his flame shots to disrupt the Demon Beasts¡¯ attempted encirclement and their corrosive clouds. Regardless of Ikaruga¡¯s strength, it was still susceptible to the Demon Beasts¡¯ powerful corrosive clouds. Yet, despite slowly being forced into a corner, Ikaruga did not display the slightest fear or despair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, you are the one who is trapped here.¡±

    Instead, Eru¡¯s eyes revealed an incredible rage, a rage that had even surpassed the intensity of its flaming shots.

    ¡°Demon Beasts who uses corrosive fluids¡­ You are the greatest enemy of my beloved Silhouette Knights¡­¡±

    The Silhouette Knight otaku, Ernesti, could not bear with the existence of such Demon Beasts.

    ¡°¡­And by extension, you are my greatest enemy! How could I possibly let any of you live in my ideal world?!¡±

    Both the Emperor¡¯s Heart and Empress¡¯s Coronet began to run at maximum capacity as Ikaruga let out a blood-curdling roar. The battle for survival commenced.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Ikaruga stood in the sky with the expedition fleet to his back. Nearby, the insectoid Demon Beasts surrounded the Ikaruga, as their wings beat at a numbing frequency. Neither seemed to act in this calm before the storm.

    ¡°Very well, let us do this Ikaruga! Let us annihilate these enemies!¡±

    The magius thrusters hummed in anticipation as the insectoid Demon Beasts started their attack. It was a coordinated strike from two directions, a classic pincer maneuver.

    As they approached, all the Demon Beasts launched their corrosive bombs at the Ikaruga. The fluid could be vaporized into a gaseous form that acted as a poison and ate away at a Silhouette Knight. Even the Ikaruga would not easily survive for long in such a caustic environment.

    Yet, Ikaruga would not take the attack standing still. With a powerful burst of its thrusters, Ikaruga shot up and avoided the exploding bombs, before unleashing a barrage of shots at the insectoid Demon Beasts below.

    The burning shots cut through the white clouds, but the insectoid Demon Beasts had long moved away. The insectoid Demon Beasts were blessed with a naturally strong agility that rivaled even the Wind Knights.

    As Ikaruga exchanged fire with the closer Demon Beasts, the ones further away also crept nearer. On top of the advantage in numbers, the Demon Beasts had a second unique advantage.

    ¡°As I had expected, these Demon Beasts really are working together. Their movement demonstrated strong teamwork. Yet, to think even the simplest of group tactics would prove this difficult for me to overcome¡­¡±

    Eru could not let himself be surrounded. Using a combination of thrusters and shots, Eru sought to contain the Demon Beasts¡¯ movements.

    Given the distance, Eru could not hope to land a hit. Yet, if this were to keep up, the surrounding area would end up saturated with corrosive clouds.

    ¡°Their extinction is certain¡­ but if I don¡¯t find a way to disrupt their teamwork, I won¡¯t have an easy time making it happen¡­ Ugh!¡±

    One of the Demon Beasts fired a corrosive bomb straight up at Ikaruga. Yet, the bomb did not explode until it had reached high above Ikaruga.

    ¡°Trying to limit my upward mobility?¡±

    The corrosive cloud spread out like an umbrella before slowly drifting downward. To avoid the corrosive cloud, Ikaruga rapidly turned its thrusters downward, directly into the insectoid Demon Beasts laying in wait below with their corrosive bombs.

    Faced with incoming bombs, Eru pushed the thrusters in a sudden burst of acceleration. With Sword Cannons in hand, Ikaruga flew ahead of the exploding bombs and passed by the Demon Beasts.

    At that moment, a few flaming shots pierced through the head of the Demon Beast, followed by a large explosion. As chunks of Demon Beast flesh fell from the sky, the remains reacted with the air and created a large cloud of corrosive gas, yet not before the Ikaruga successfully flew out from the encirclement.

    ¡°Since the Demon Beasts have some semblance of tactics, it would be better if I took the initiative¡­ Hmm?¡±

    At that moment, Eru had noticed a suspicious shadow on his monitor. Due to Ikaruga¡¯s acceleration, all Demon Beasts should¡¯ve been behind him. Yet, the Demon Beast appeared right in front of him, meaning that it did not join the attack at all.

    Eru was not surprised at the presence of the Demon Beast, but rather at its appearance that did not resemble the others he had fought. This Demon Beast was slightly larger, with a light red carapace. It had many more wings on its back and a large protruding thorax that glowed in a mysterious golden hue.

    Its pair of compound eyes glared at Ikaruga as it let out a screeching sounds that cut across the air.

    Immediately, the insectoid Demon Beasts behind Ikaruga changed formation. Rather than coming at him in a single group, the Demon Beasts split in two and launched bombs on the sides of Ikaruga.

    Seeing his sides cut off by corrosive clouds, Eru immediately realized their intentions.

    ¡°¡­I see. Trying to cut me off? Here I thought I had finally seen Demon Beasts with a semblance of tactics, to think they were just operating through a single mind¡­¡±

    Eru had understood that the larger insectoid Demon Beast before him was the ¡®Mind¡¯ of the group.

    ¡°In that case, your very existence is a weakness!¡±

    Eru pushed the Ikaruga to advance, believing that if he could eliminate the brain of the Demon Beasts, the rest of the Demon Beasts would lose their coordination, leaving them to be easy pickings. Although the corrosive clouds still proved to be an issue, the Demon Beasts would not be a problem for the powerful Ikaruga.

    The red Demon Beast uncurled its legs at the approaching Ikaruga and secreted its corrosive fluids. It then opened its jaws and let out a slight screech. Accompanied by the faint glow of magic, the surrounding air began to gather and swirl.

    The red Demon Beast¡¯s magic appeared not to be preparing for flight, but rather to set the corrosive gas into a twister. Soon, a corrosive tornado formed before Ikaruga, threatening to dissolve all matter it touches. At the center of the tornado, the Demon Beast glared intentively at its prey.

    ¡°Impressive! So the leader of the swarm also happens to be the strongest!¡±

    Surrounded by corrosive clouds on all sides and an approaching tornado to the front, Ikaruga had no obvious path of escape. Yet, with a single burst of thrusters, Ikaruga went into action.

    As the flames shot up into the air, Ikaruga sped his way downward by the pull of gravity. While the corrosive clouds were heavier than air, its descent wasn¡¯t particularly fast. As such, Ikaruga was able to take advantage of its higher speed and drew an arc between the bottom edge of the clouds and the approaching tornado.

    However, the Demon Beasts would not let him escape so easily. With a loud buzz, the Demon Beasts returned to the chase.

    ¡°Although I wanted to knock out the leader first, I doubt I could ignore these Demon Beasts for long¡­¡±

    Ikaruga and the Demon Beasts continued to exchange shots as they flew. Soon, the entire sky was blanketed by patches of corrosive clouds and fire.

    In the meantime, the red Demon Beast made some distance from Ikaruga to command its swarm from afar. With a piercing gaze that did not let past the slightest detail, the red Demon Beast would change its sound and the insectoid Demon Beasts would adjust accordingly. As Eru had expected, a Demon Beast with the intelligence for ¡®tactics¡¯ proved to be a difficult challenge even for the battle-hardened Ikaruga.

    Eru shot down another Demon Beast that flew through the cloud, yet his face did not show any signs of relief. Even with all the might of the Ikaruga, Eru still could not reliably eliminate the Demon Beasts. After all, despite their limited and ever-decreasing number, the Demon Beasts would always adopt the best possible formation for the situation.

    ¡°Ugh, so my only option is to slowly whittle down the numbers¡­ Hiya!¡±

    The insectoid demon beasts launched another wave of corrosive bombs, intending to saturate the area with corrosive clouds. Responding to their attack, Ikaruga had to immediately pull into a pirouette and use its magius thrusters to push away the approaching white clouds.

    ¡°I doubt I could solve this by dodging. It¡¯s quite the troublesome attack, but I believe they should have a limit to their body fluids¡­¡±

    Eru¡¯s words slowly faded out as he had realized another anomaly that appeared on his monitor. The originally swiftly receding scenery was slowing down.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Eru to figure out the cause: The thrust provided by the magius thrusters were rapidly decreasing. Despite Eru¡¯s best effort at avoiding the corrosive clouds, small particles still ended up inside the air intakes and ate away at the mithril plates within, eventually damaging the scripts.

    The powerful thrusters that had kept the Ikaruga in the air were slowly being snuffed out. While the thrusters on the waist still supported minor adjustments, they could not compensate for the entire weight.

    ¡°Corrosive cloud¡­ To think they would have such an effect without even coming in close contact. Although I did not underestimate the danger, I do have to say that I may have messed up.¡±

    While Ikaruga had exceptional performance, it was also incredibly heavy with its immense repertoire of weapons and armor. A large number of thrusters proved to be the bare necessity to keep such a behemoth afloat.

    With the slightest disturbance of the thruster¡¯s outputs, the insectoid Demon Beasts soon caught up.

    ¡°Haa¡­ I was wondering why they had attacked in waves, were they waiting for this opportunity? You think that you could win against me just because I am a bit slow? Don¡¯t underestimate me!!¡±

    Ikaruga raised its Sword Cannons and launched a barrage at the incoming Demon Beasts. As always, the insectoid Demon Beasts easily evaded the burning shots without the slightest decrease in speed. Perhaps sensing weakness in their opponent, the insectoid Demon Beast moved to deliver the finishing blow.

    The Demon Beasts prepared their corrosive bombs for the final bombardment. Yet, at that moment, a single silver thread entered into the insectoid Demon Beast¡¯s vision as a certain object pierced through its head. It was Rahu¡¯s Fist, a guided attack that used the Silver Nerves.

    Still reeling from the attack, the Demon Beast was then struck by a flame shot and exploded. Sadly, the attack had left Rahu¡¯s Fist out of commission. The fragile Silver Nerves aside, the entire fist fell apart after coming into direct contact with the corrosive fluid. While the loss of Rahu¡¯s Fist was an undeniable loss for Ikaruga, its sacrifice was not in vain.

    ¡°Perfect, you have another major weakness for me to exploit¡­ The time delay between commands!¡±

    Seeing their kin being struck down, the insectoid Demon Beasts were left in a momentary disarray. Eru did not let the opportunity slip and launched a massive barrage, blasting the remaining insectoid Demon Beast out from the sky.

    With that, the skies regained its usual calm. The numbing sounds of the Demon Beasts¡¯ beating wings were no more as the battered Ikaruga floated in the air.

    ¡°The fleet had already made some distance. Looks like¡­ you are the only one left.¡±

    Ikaruga turned to the large shadow behind the corrosive clouds. Although it had lost its swarm, the red Demon Beasts remained unshaken.

    ¡°My Rahu¡¯s Fists gone, and I am left with just two Sword Cannons and two magius thrusters. I won¡¯t be able to go all out like always, but¡­¡±

    Ikaruga was littered with damage. Weapons aside, Ikaruga had already lost over half of its mobility. As such, Ikaruga could not remotely hope to reach its usual performance. Furthermore, the surroundings were still saturated with corrosive clouds, worsened by the recent deaths of Demon Beasts. With the vast spread of corrosive clouds between the Ikaruga and the red Demon Beast, even reaching the Demon Beast would prove to be an incredible challenge. Eru and Ikaruga had to fight the red Demon Beast under such unfavorable conditions.

    At that moment, the red Demon Beast unleashed a sharp cry that pierced the air, seemingly laughing at the terrible state Ikaruga was in. After all, the red Demon Beast had some evidence of intelligence, so it probably understood the advantage it held.

    Despite the unforgiving circumstances, Eru still charged ahead with its waist magius thrusters on maximum output, toward the slowly descending layer of corrosive clouds.

    ¡°Corrosive cloud is dangerous due to its gaseous nature, but it could also be exploited¡­¡±

    Ikaruga raised both of its Sword Cannons and shot in tandem on a slight intercept angle. The two shot soon collided with one another and caused a massive explosion midair. Given that corrosive cloud was relatively light and that Ikaruga could channel more of its output toward the two weapons now that most of its thrusters were disabled, the force of the blast was strong enough to scatter away the surrounding corrosive cloud and create an opening.

    After a few more shots, Ikaruga managed to carve a path through the corrosive clouds, straight to the red Demon Beast. Without stopping, Ikaruga pushed through the tunnel.

    The red Demon Beast began to emit more of its corrosive fluids at the sight of the approaching Ikaruga and prepared to unleash a repeat of the earlier tornado.

    ¡°Too slow! Closing air intake, let this be the final strike!¡±

    Yet, the red Demon Beast was just a step behind Ikaruga, and Ikaruga swung its Sword Cannon to sever the Demon Beast in two halves.

    At that moment, a large shadow appeared off to Ikaruga¡¯s side and let out a terrible cry. It was an insectoid Demon Beast that survived the earlier carnage, hiding inside the corrosive clouds. The surviving Demon Beast flew over and, without the slightest hesitation, placed itself between the sword and the red Demon Beast. Without any chance for recourse, Ikaruga¡¯s Sword Cannon cut into the surviving Demon Beast, body and all.

    ¡°How¡­ it took the blow? To think a Demon Beast sacrificed itself?!¡±

    For any intelligent creatures, suicide should be the furthest from its mind. If the red Demon Beast could even command them to lay down their own lives, then its combat potential was clearly abnormal.

    The insectoid Demon Beast did not die in vain. With its body crushed, the internal fluids quickly leaked out and vaporized into a massive corrosive cloud. As such, it didn¡¯t just serve as a meat shield for the red Demon Beast, it also unleashed a corrosive cloud on Ikaruga.

    Thankfully, Ikaruga had closed its air intake for the melee. As such, Eru was able to avoid inhaling the poison. However, the two waist thrusters were not as fortunate. When the corrosive air entered into the magius thrusters, the flames sputtered out as Ikaruga slowly descended by the force of its own weight.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ C-come on! Ikaruga! Just a little bit more!¡±

    Ikaruga¡¯s fall allowed itself to pull away from the corrosive cloud. With the remnants of its magic scripts, Ikaruga ignited a faint ember. With the final glow of its thrusters, Ikaruga was able to slow its descent and allow for a safe landing on the ground below.

    However, Ikaruga¡¯s respite was short-lived, for a certain shadow fell atop of the Ikaruga. It was half of the severed Demon Beast, which soon splattered itself onto the ground next to Ikaruga. The corrosive fluid rapidly vaporized and consumed the now immobile Ikaruga.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Darn it! Hey, any news on the fight?!¡± Boss bellowed in anger while sitting in the captain¡¯s seat on the Izumo.

    Ikaruga¡¯s fight with the insectoid Demon Beasts had provided the fleet time to escape. At this time, the battlefield was already far beyond the horizon, and the anxiety among the crew had slowly died down.

    ¡°No idea. We couldn¡¯t exactly afford to remain in the vicinity and spectate.¡± Batson retorted with a serious face.

    ¡°I know¡­! Ugh! Darn it all!¡± Boss shouted in reply as he stood up and began to pace around the bridge, ¡°Very well, inform the other ships! The Izumo shall turn around to pick up silver boy!¡±

    ¡°Belay that order.¡±

    A calm voice immediately followed Boss¡¯s words.

    Turning around, Boss found the voice to be from the Knight Commander of the Violet Swallow Knights, Torstei Koskensalo, who had moved to the Izumo at the outbreak of hostilities.

    ¡°Without the Izumo, the defense of the fleet will be compromised. As the highest ranking officer currently in the fleet, I cannot let you go.¡±

    ¡°I will leave all the Wind Knights to the fleet. Surely that would suffice for defense?¡±

    Boss was obstinate in his decision, one that was shared by all who were on the bridge, including Batson. Accurately speaking, everyone was supportive of Boss¡¯s plan, as all of them were members of the SIlver Phoenix Knight.

    ¡°Our Knight Commander is still out there. So it is only natural for us to go to him.¡±

    Yet, Torstei refused to budge.

    ¡°However, Captain Hepken, that Knight Commander had also given you the order to leave him behind. Not to mention, even if do you return, you would only serve as a hindrance to Ernesti. After all, you should be well aware that there is no role for the Izumo on that battlefield.¡±

    Boss was left speechless at Torstei¡¯s sound argument. Certainly, if a Levitate Ship were caught in a corrosive cloud, it would certainly sink within a matter of minutes. The Izumo was no exception.

    Eru ordering them to leave him behind was for the same reason. If Izumo were to return, it would only end up handicapping the Ikaruga. Torstei¡¯s words were the objective truth, while Boss¡¯s words were just an emotional outburst. Torn between the two opposing standpoints, the crews were left at a loss.

    ¡°¡­Who cares, we cannot abandon the silver boy!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go! Everyone, get ready!¡±

    Even so, Boss remained obstinate. Even Batson stood in support of Boss, likely because of the childhood friendship between him and Eru.

    ¡°The battlefield is currently saturated with corrosive clouds. Returning to that battlefield now is simply asking everyone aboard to die with you. Do you even understand why he stayed on that battlefield? Who do you think is disrespecting Knight Commander Echevalier¡¯s will?!¡± Torstei growled.

    With Torstei¡¯s strong words, Batson¡¯s hands paused on the steering wheel as his strong grip chafed the hapless wood.

    ¡°If you are just going to hesitate, let me take over. Move aside!¡±

    Boss pushed away the hesitant Batson and grabbed the steering wheel himself, only to have his hands pressed down by Torstei¡¯s.

    Boss turned angrily to Torstei, both glared with absolute conviction into each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°If the Izumo sinks, Eru¡¯s efforts would be for naught.¡±

    Hearing Torstei¡¯s low whisper, Boss finally relented as he reluctantly released his grip on the steering wheel.

    At the same moment, a knight runner of the Violet Swallow Knights ran over, dissipating the earlier tense atmosphere on the bridge. Seeing the complicated stare between Torstei and Boss, the knight runner hesitated for a moment, before being overwhelmed by his sense of duty and began his report.

    ¡°Sir! We have confirmed that, other than a single Wind Knight, all units are present and accounted for! However¡­¡±

    The knight runner revealed a tinge of worry, but was prodded on by Torstei to continue.

    ¡°The Violet Swallow Knights aside, we could not locate Instructor Olver!¡±

    Everyone on the bridge was shocked by the news. Boss contemplated as he closed his bloodshot eyes for a moment.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ it¡¯s the girl. I see¡­ This is pretty much expected. If silver boy was no longer here, why would she remain? Darn it¡­ It isn¡¯t fair that you get to head out by yourself,¡± Boss muttered with a sigh as he sat down where he stood.

    Despite knowing that it would be a one-way trip, Adeltrud would not hesitate to follow after Eru. At that moment, Boss felt a tinge of jealousy toward Addy. After calming himself down, Boss stood up once more.

    ¡°Let the fleet hold position for a bit. If silver boy still doesn¡¯t return¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. I do not want to abandon him. If he doesn¡¯t return soon, we should send out some Wind Knights to search the area.¡±

    With that said, Boss returned to the captain¡¯s seat with heavy steps.

    After a few days, the expedition fleet waited for Eru and Addy to return. Yet, no matter how long they waited, Ikaruga and Syrphrine did not ever return. No matter how many enthusiastic Wind Knights went out to search the area, they caught no sight of Ikaruga and Syrphrine, nor any of the insectoid Demon Beasts.

    ¡°¡­Let us return. All ships, to the west.¡±

    After a week, the expedition fleet begrudgingly decided to return to the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

 Book 6: Chapter 54: The World without â€˜Himâ€™

    Kingdom of Fremmevira, Eastern Frontiers.

    Within the chain of forts that lined the Life Lanes, knight runners suddenly noticed a dark shadow cast down from above. As they looked up, they saw a massive object that blotted out the sun. It was a ¡®ship¡¯ that coursed across the air with full sails.

    ¡°Could that be a Levitate Ship that had returned from the Bocuse? That emblem¡­ it¡¯s the Silver Phoenix Knights! They have returned!!¡±

    Seeing the emblem emblazoned on the sails, the knight runners waved their hands in the air and cheered.

    With Transport Ships in formation around the Izumo, the fleet that had departed for Bocuse, the Sea of Trees, had finally returned after many months of voyage.

    As the fleet crossed over the edge of the forest, those aboard could see the fortress and roads below bustling with activity. In contrast, the atmosphere was quite dark on the bridge of the ¡®Izumo¡¯. Despite having finally completed their extensive expedition and returning safely home, the crew lacked any signs of joy.

    The center of the negative atmosphere was the one seated in the captain¡¯s chair. He was of relatively short stature, but had a sturdy and well-built body. With his head hanging low, the man sat with his arms crossed across his chest. After a long period of torpor, David ¡®the Boss¡¯ Hepken finally raised his head.

    ¡°So, we have returned¡­¡± Boss groaned as he glared at the scrolling scenery outside the glass.

    Reminiscent of a snuffed-out stove, Boss did not have even a speck of his usual domineering attitude.

    ¡°Yes, we have¡­ Although much had changed from the time of our departure, we were still able to complete our mission.¡± Torstei, the Knight Commander of the Violet Swallow Knights, exclaimed.

    After the ¡®battle¡¯, Torstei had assumed command of the fleet and moved his command aboard the Izumo.

    Although lacking his usual enthusiasm and having yielded the fleet to Torstei, Boss strongly insisted on retaining his position as captain and remained in the captain¡¯s chair. This stubbornness wasn¡¯t limited to just Boss, even the rest of the Izumo¡¯s Silver Phoenix Knights remained vigilant at their posts, first and foremost with Batson still behind the wheel.

    ¡°We will need to head for K?nk?nen and report to His Majesty. Although, you can just leave the matter to me.¡± Torstei proposed after seeing Boss¡¯s fatigued expression.

    After arriving in the skies above the Kingdom of Fremmevira, such was the reality that the fleet had to face. Contemplating Torstei¡¯s proposal, Boss descended into a long silence.

    ¡°Very well. Let me be the one to break the news to¡­ the boy¡¯s family living near Fort Olvecius.¡± Boss answered with broiling frustration.

    With their minds made up, the fleet continued its flight above the Kingdom of Fremmevira with a stagnant atmosphere within.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Seeing the return of the expedition fleet, the entire city of K?nk?nen was burning with anticipation. With all the Levitate Ships returning visibly unscathed, everyone was confident that the fleet had completed its mission without issue. Considering that few dared to venture into Bocuse in the past, the people were convinced that the day had finally come to remove the veil of enigma that had shrouded Bocuse.

    As such, few were prepared for the news that followed: the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti Echevalier, as well as his adjutant, Adeltrud Olter, failed to return with the fleet.

    When Torstei touched down with the Levitate Ship, he immediately headed for Chateau Schreiber.

    ¡°¡­That was, unexpected.¡± King Leotamus sighed upon hearing Torstei¡¯s report, ¡°In retrospect, we expected him, more than anyone else, to return safely with the expedition.¡±

    King Leotamus slowly came to realize the magnitude of the report. Certainly, the expedition had many gains, but it all paled in comparison with what had been lost.

    Amid King Leotamus¡¯s frustration, Torstei provided additional details regarding the battle ¨C from the Demon Beasts with corrosive fluids to Ikaruga¡¯s fight with the Demon Beasts in order to cover for the retreat of the expedition fleet. As a result, while Ikaruga had successfully kept the fleet safe, it was lost alongside the Syrphrine.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it, especially considering his usual willfulness, that he would step up on such an occasion. Does he feel no fear? Or rather, did he simply seek the challenge?¡±

    King Ambrosius was the one who bequeathed Ernesti with the Silver Phoenix Knights, to which the Silver Phoenix Knights had wonderfully lived up to his expectations. Since the day of their establishment, the Silver Phoenix Knights had forged one miracle after another. On top of developing the new Stranded Crystal Silhouette Knights, the Silver Phoenix Knights were seen as indefatigable champions in the fight against the Demon Beasts and Silhouette Knights alike.

    Regardless of the situation, the Silver Phoenix Knights would step up to the challenge and triumph against all odds. Perhaps due to their overwhelming strength, everyone had simply neglected the possibility of them losing, with King Leotamus at the forefront.

    ¡°In any case, this has created a huge problem. We could not think of anyone capable enough to fill the void left by Ernesti¡­¡±

    Even if they scoured the entire Zetterlund, King Leotamus had no confidence in finding someone able to replace Ernesti. King Leotamus had not foreseen Eru¡¯s sudden disappearance and the unprecedented issues that it would cause. Even so, as the reigning monarch, King Leotamus was left to face with the problem.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    While Torstei gave his report in K?nk?nen, Izumo alone left for Fort Olvecius.

    As Izumo appeared in the backdrop of the distant horizon, the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights who remained in the fortress began to stir in excitement.

    Yet, their excitement was short-lived, as they had come to realize the absence of Ikaruga and Syrphrine in Izumo¡¯s hangers. The celebration where they would congratulate and share their adventures came to an abrupt halt as their Knight Commander was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°What the heck¡­?! Boss? What happened?¡±

    As the demoralized crew unloaded the Izumo, Dietrich rushed over to Boss. Although he tried to get some clarification on the circumstances, Dietrich completely froze upon seeing the dark expression on Boss¡¯s face.

    Boss did not display the slightest of his usual enthusiasm, seemingly had the light snuffed out from his body. Despite knowing Boss for a long time, Dietrich had never seen him this depressed and enervated. As such, Dietrich hesitated to ask, as it was obvious to him that something terrible had happened.

    In the end, Dietrich braved his fears and confronted Boss.

    ¡°Boss, tell me everything in detail. Exactly what had happened on the expedition? What in the world did you all encounter? And¡­ why did Ernesti and Adeltrud not return?¡±

    In an act completely contrary to his usual forthcoming attitude, Boss¡¯s face dimmed at the question and turned his gaze off to the side as he hesitated for a response.

    ¡°¡­appeared. Unfamiliar Demon Beasts¡­ Flyers¡­ Shaped like beetles¡­ We thought they were nothing but pushovers¡­ However, they were able to spray body fluids that ¡®dissolved¡¯ Silhouette Knights!¡± Boss replied with broken words after a long moment of pause.

    Dietrich furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing the report. As a career knight runner, he immediately envisioned himself fighting against such a Demon Beast and, given his personal abilities, soon realized the difficulty of such a scenario.

    ¡°¡­As such, the Wind Knights were essentially useless. After all, none of them could approach the Demon Beasts with the corrosive fluids. Only the boy¡¯s Ikaruga had any chance against them. As usual, he charged headlong into battle.¡±

    Boss¡¯s expression had slightly relaxed and revealed a bitter smile. Dietrich could vividly imagine such a situation.

    ¡°Even facing a Demon Beast that could spray corrosive fluids, the boy¡¯s performance was incredible. He had completely suppressed the Demon Beasts¡¯ attack and created an opportunity for the fleet to withdraw. Yet, it was an incredibly poor match-up against Silhouette Knights. After we had fled¡­ The boy was caught by a corrosive cloud. We¡­ were unable to save him. At that moment, the lass went after the boy.¡±

    Boss¡¯s words were not only heard by Dietrich, but also by the surrounding members of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Chatter quickly sprang up as news of Ernesti¡¯s disappearance spread.

    ¡°Was¡­ there nothing that could be done?¡±

    Everyone was at a loss for words. They certainly couldn¡¯t pin the blame on Boss. Not to mention, it was an opponent that even the Ikaruga had difficulties with, so additional Silhouette Knights would just be a liability in the fight. Among the few that had the ability, Adeltrud had already gone to help and had suffered a similar fate to Eru.

    At the same time, they could not blame the Violet Swallow Knights. Rather, they should be commended for their effort. Under such trying conditions, they had wonderfully brought the Izumo and rest of the fleet back from the Bocuse unharmed.

    The current situation was upsetting for the Silver Phoenix Knights, and no valve existed for its release. Dietrich scratched his head in frustration, but with the ¡®battle¡¯ already over, there was little anyone could do to alter the outcome. As a wave of bitterness spread through the surrounding crowd, Edgar stepped forward.

    ¡°With the Knight Commander gone, what will now happen to¡­ our Silver Phoenix Knights?¡± Edgar muttered after listening quietly to the earlier exchange.

    At his question, everyone drew a deep breath.

    ¡°¡­Y-you! What do you mean? Of course, we will¡­¡±

    Dietrich immediately jumped at the question, yet was at a loss for a realistic answer. In the end, he could only shirk back with drooped shoulders. Nearby, Boss let out a sigh.

    ¡°To be honest, with things as they are now¡­ It is fortunate that you had accepted the commission.¡±

    ¡°Even Boss¡­?! You make it sound like¡­ as if¡­¡± Dietrich uttered only a few words before tightly shutting his mouth, in fear that his words would jinx the situation.

    ¡°Without the boy, what else is there for us to do?¡±

    Not even Boss knew how many times he asked himself that question. Perhaps ever since he had returned without Ernesti, Boss had already mentally prepared himself for the inevitable outcome.

    ¡°Either way, let us get some rest¡­¡±

    Boss pushed Dietrich aside and departed from the crowd. His back seemed to appear uninviting from behind, making it difficult for others to follow. With the confrontation over, Dietrich also stepped away.

    Edgar stood as he took a glance at the surrounding faces.

    Boss wasn¡¯t the only one who had suffered, Batson and the rest of the Levitate Ship crew all appeared listless. Despite Izumo¡¯s safe return from its long maiden voyage, Fort Olvecius was eerily silent.

    Edgar felt as if he could still see the lingering figure of the quirky youth with boundless imaginations and the lass that followed him around. He couldn¡¯t have fathomed that the Silver Phoenix Knights would shed this much of its usual vigor when two youths were absent.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so pessimistic. It is still not certain¡­¡±

    Faced with the suffocating atmosphere as she glanced over at the crowd, Helvi was at a complete loss for words of encouragement.

    ¡°What will we do now? Or rather, what should we do now¡­?¡± Edgar muttered.

    It was a difficult question, to which Helvi did not know the answer. The Silver Phoenix Knights were originally a Knight Order that existed for the sole purpose of supporting Ernesti, be it to carry out his whims that sometimes have far resounding effects on the kingdom or to step forward in fights against Demon Beasts. It was the existence known for its strength across the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

    No one could replace Ernesti. Without him, the Silver Phoenix Knights would cease to exist. At that moment, everyone had finally understood.

    ¡°So, this is it then?¡±

    Helvi stood silently in place as the bright future before her seemingly had been snuffed out.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    ¡°Boss! Wait¡­ There has to be a way!¡±

    Hearing the sound coming from behind, the boss stopped and turned around. His expression was even dimmer than before, as if he was ready to face death.

    ¡°Di, I will be taking a trip to Academy City Laihiala.¡±

    Dietrich immediately understood what the boss meant and let out a pained grunt.

    ¡°Someone has to tell their family¡­ of their final bravery. This is my duty.¡±

    ¡°Bring Batson with you¡­¡±

    ¡°Bastard¡­ How could I bring him on something like this? Especially when he was forced to leave his best friend behind!¡±

    Seeing the Boss¡¯s back, Dietrich held back his words for a moment to let his thoughts gather.

    ¡°Then¡­ let me go with you. I will be worried if you are forced to make this trip alone.¡± Dietrich insisted.

    Instead of stubborn denial, Boss simply nodded in silence.

    Fort Olvecius was not far from Academy City Laihiala. It was sufficiently close that Ernesti and Adeltrud were able to commute from home every day.

    After settling their horses in the stables near the gates of Laihiala, Dietrich and Boss made their ways to the Echevalier Residence, where Selestina ¡®Tina¡¯ Echevalier eagerly expected the return of their child. Incidentally, Ernesti¡¯s father Mathias was still at the academy.

    Selestina was joined by Adeltrud¡¯s mother, Ilmatar ¡®Ilma¡¯ Olter. As it happened, Archid was away in the Kingdom of Kuscheperca at the time. With both of the Olter twins gone, Ilma stayed over at her good friend Tina¡¯s place.

    Instead of Ernesti and Adeltrud, they were greeted by Boss and Dietrich. Almost immediately, Tina and Ilma realized that there was an accident. Tina invited the pair inside and calmly prepared the tea.

    ¡°My boy¡­ Eru had encountered some problems¡­ right?¡± Tina asked after taking a deep breath.

    Boss drained the entire cup in a single breath. After mentally preparing himself, Boss turned to Tina without evading her inquisitive gaze.

    ¡°The Knight Commander fought valiantly to ensure the survival of the Izumo and the rest of the expedition fleet, yet he was unable to return. As the captain of the Izumo, I personally witnessed part of the battle.¡±

    To Tina and Ilma, Boss repeated the details that he gave to the Silver Phoenix Knights back at Fort Olvecius. He explained the unique characteristics of the enemies they had encountered, Ernesti¡¯s departure to the battlefield and his subsequent failure to return.

    As Tina listened, colors slowly drained from her face. With an ominous premonition creeping up from the depth of her heart, Tina forced herself to remain focused despite her receding consciousness.

    After Boss finished, Tina was left unable to respond. Seated nearby, Ilma covered her mouth in sorrow as she tried to stifle her whimpers.

    ¡°Addy¡­ at least she won¡¯t be lonely with Eru by her side¡­¡± Ilma said with a quivering voice before turning to Tina, ¡°Tina, our poor children¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ilma.¡± Tina firmly stated with a pale face, if only to convince herself of their survival.

    ¡°Mr. Hepken, my boy tends to follow his own convictions. I¡¯m certain that he fought to protect everyone in order to live up to his own ideals. However¡­¡±

    At this moment, Tina revealed her usual gentle smile. Although still clearly affected by the earlier shock, Tina steeled herself to finish her thought.

    ¡°Ernesti would never break a promise, and he had promised to me that he would definitely return. Therefore, I am certain he will be fine.¡±

    Boss and Dietrich were unable to respond to Tina¡¯s statement. They only dipped their heads in silence. After a few small exchanges, they departed from the Echevalier Residence.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    With their backs to the setting sun, Boss and Dietrich began their journey back to Fort Olvecius.

    The scene of the visit remained in their minds. Even until the very end, Tina and Ilma remain convinced that Ernesti and Adeltrud, who lost their Silhouette Knights and fell into the depths of Bocuse, would eventually return. It was a conviction that defined the bond of a family.

    Incidentally, as a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Dietrich instead thought about the part that he could play, given the circumstances.

    ¡°Alright, we should go!¡± Dietrich declared just as they approached the fort.

    Boss did not turn his head to face Dietrich as he quietly listened.

    ¡°Given the circumstances, I doubt even someone like the Knight Commander could return by himself. In that case, I say we go and pick him up.¡±

    ¡°How many days did you think the return trip took? Even if we depart now, it will take that many days again to arrive!¡± Boss grumbled in reply.

    ¡°And? It¡¯s the Knight Commander that we are talking about here! He won¡¯t die that easily. If anything, he will find a way to survive, so it¡¯s definitely worth making the trip.¡±

    ¡°Sending out an expedition requires an exorbitant amount of supplies. It¡¯s nearly impossible for just the few of us to scrape it together, not to mention¡­¡± Boss immediately refuted.

    Dietrich¡¯s suggestion was not unfamiliar to the Boss, who had long since considered it in exquisite detail. As such, Boss had already known the problems of such an expedition.

    ¡°If returning would change anything, we would¡¯ve decided on it a long time ago!¡± Boss spouted before ditching Dietrich for the hanger.

    Dietrich simply watched Boss¡¯s departing silhouette as he tightened his grip on the reins.

    ¡°¡­Even so, I could not accept it. How could they possibly expect me to just accept it?!¡± Dietrich cursed as he jerked the reins and turned the horse around.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Not long after, a small commotion broke out in Chateau Schreiber, all because of a certain uninvited guest who barged through its gates.

    ¡°What¡¯s all the commotion?¡± King Leotamus, who was dealing with governmental affairs, asked his attendant after hearing the noise outside.

    However, before the attendant was able to give an answer, the source of the commotion burst forth before him. It was a single knight runner, forcing through dozens of royal bodyguards before reaching Leotamus.

    ¡°I am the Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Second Company, Dietrich Kunitz! I apologize for my rudeness, but I have a matter of utmost importance that I need to report to Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Unauthorized individuals are not allowed past this point! Cease and withdraw!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Release him.¡± Leotamus ordered, after inspecting Dietrich with narrowed eyes.

    With the order given, the royal bodyguards reluctantly released Dietrich and stepped back. At that moment, Dietrich knelt before the king.

    ¡°We presume you are here on matters of Ernesti?¡± King Leotamus inquired at the breathless Dietrich.

    King Leotamus did not rush Dietrich for an answer and gave Dietrich a few minutes to catch his breath. In a way, it was a somewhat pointless question, as there was no other reason why a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights would present himself before King Leotamus at this time.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! In order to rescue the Knight Commander currently stranded in Bocuse, I beseech Your Majesty to permit the Silver Phoenix Knights to depart on an expedition!¡±

    ¡°Denied.¡±

    Dietrich was left frozen in place with King Leotamus¡¯s flat-out rejection.

    ¡°We understand that Ernesti¡¯s Silhouette Knight is the strongest known to man. However, the reports indicated that these Demon Beasts were strong enough to not only fell the Ikaruga, but also directly threatened the fleet.¡± King Leotamus explained, ¡°What could a few of you accomplish? You, of all people, should know best Ernesti¡¯s strength. If it was an enemy that could match even against the Ikaruga, how big of a force do we need to send out on such an operation? How many sacrifices must we suffer?¡±

    ¡°I understand Your Majesty¡¯s concerns, and I know perfectly well that it will be a daunting task. However, we, the Silver Phoenix Knights, were the ones who fought against the Behemoth alongside Ernesti! Therefore, an opponent of this magnitude should not be impossible!¡±

    King Leotamus continued to shake his head in refusal.

    ¡°We know of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ strength, but the chance for defeat is not negligible. If even the Silver Phoenix Knights were to be lost, our kingdom will lose our only trump card against the Demon Beasts. We had already lost Ernesti, so we cannot afford any more risk. Therefore, I will have to deny your petition.¡±

    Although the Knight Commander was lost, the Silver Phoenix Knights remained intact with the Izumo and all the knightsmiths. In other words, the technological advances made by Ernesti was not truly lost.

    Ernesti¡¯s achievements were certainly beyond compare. However, it was too much to ask King Leotamus to gamble the fate of the kingdom on the chance of his rescue, if there was even a chance. As the monarch of a kingdom, King Leotamus had made the responsible choice.

    Dietrich gritted his teeth in frustration and descended into silence, as he was unable to refute King Leotamus¡¯s sound reasoning.

    ¡°Again, we understand you are overwhelmed by grief. We will look past your discourtesy this time, but be mindful of your behavior in the future.¡± King Leotamus lectured Dietrich in a soft tone.

    At this moment, the kneeling Dietrich suddenly stood up. He stared eye-to-eye with the King in an incredible sign of disrespect, such that no one could argue otherwise if he were to be put down on the spot.

    Faced with the confidence reflected in Dietrich¡¯s eyes, King Leotamus let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°I¡­ had personally fought alongside the Knight Commander in the battle against the Behemoth. In the moment of despair, I had forsaken my chivalric duties. Yet, Ernesti was the one to have brought me back to my proper path.¡±

    The surrounding royal bodyguards slowly crept toward Dietrich, such that they could respond to any sudden outbursts. However, they all paused at his words.

    ¡°¡­Such was the reason why I chose to follow him! It is something that will never change. No matter the obstacle, we, the Silver Phoenix Knights, shall simply overcome. If it is for him, I and my Guyalarinde will take on any danger with a smile.¡±

    With that said, Dietrich gave a bow before turning to leave.

    ¡°Wait¡­ what are you planning?¡±

    King Leotamus¡¯s tone was inquisitive at most, without the slightest hint of intimidation.

    ¡°Let me resign my commission.¡±

    ¡°What do you hope to achieve alone?¡±

    Dietrich revealed a fearless smile while he kept his back to the king.

    ¡°No, Your Majesty. I am not alone.¡±

    King Leotamus soon understood his answer. Dozens of Second Company¡¯s knight runners arrived and pushed aside the royal bodyguards, each of them in the same breathless state as their company commander.

    ¡°Seriously, each and every one of you¡­ We had hoped that attitude of your Knight Commander hasn¡¯t rubbed off on you lot.¡±

    ¡°With much respect, I believe each and every one of us had found our reason through him¡­ Now, Your Majesty, I shall excuse myself.¡±

    No one stood in Dietrich¡¯s way as he left.

    ¡°Wait¡­! I guess this outcome was unavoidable. Without Ernesti holding the reins, the Silver Phoenix Knights immediately spiraled out of control. What a pain!¡±

    This message will self-destruct in three days: If you are not reading this chapter on Noblesse Oblige Translations, kindly tell the website you are reading it on to at least update their releases once in a while to the edits made by translators. (If you are seeing this message, it meant they didn¡¯t bother to update it accordingly) Otherwise, feel free to read it on Noblesse Oblige Translations for the most recently corrected/edited version and/or the EPUB/PDF version.

    ¡°Sire. With your command, we will head out and stop them¡­¡± One of the royal bodyguards said at the sight of a troubled King Leotamus.

    However, King Leotamus shook his head in response.

    ¡°Are you sure, Your Majesty? Aren¡¯t we spoiling them too much?¡±

    ¡°If this results in Ernesti¡¯s safe return, then all is well. Furthermore, with their attitude, we doubt there would be much point in detaining them by force.¡±

    Despite the circumstances, King Leotamus could not simply leave them as they were. With a slight wave of his hand, King Leotamus saw a man silently step out from the shadows.

    ¡°We do not really want to rely on this method¡­¡±

    The man vanished into the shadows after King Leotamus whispered a few words in his ears.

    ¡°As expected, the Silver Phoenix Knights has begun to stir. Order the Violet Swallow Knights to hasten their reorganization. Regardless of the outcome, we must prepare a backup plan.¡±

    With the order given, the royal bodyguard stepped out from the room.

    Now, alone in the room, King Leotamus reflected on the earlier scene. Dietrich¡¯s brave words were not lost on him. Although King Leotamus did not have a martial upbringing, he could still somewhat empathize with the knight runners.

    ¡°What persistence and candor¡­ almost made me a bit envious.¡±

    Despite his personal frustration at the development, King Leotamus revealed a bright smile.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    After their adventure in the capital, Dietrich led the second company back to Fort Olvecius. Their destination was the workshop. Dietrich soon found his way to Boss, who was sitting listlessly in a daze, and gave him a solid punch to the face.

    ¡°Ugh! What the heck?!¡±

    ¡°Ugah?!¡±

    Boss was enraged by the sudden attack. For a staunch dwarf, the punch wasn¡¯t able to cause any serious harm, but Boss had no reason to simply take the punch for no reason. As such, he immediately retorted with a punch of his own, right at Dietrich.

    Boss and Dietrich have vastly different arm strength. Drawing a beautiful arc across the air, Dietrich fell to the ground and almost fainted from the pain, only to recover after a short while. With his training and experience as a company commander, Dietrich was able to endure the punch by the dwarven race.

    ¡°Ugh, as expected of¡­ what a strong punch! Boss, now¡¯s not the time to relax. We plan to head out to the Bocuse, so prep the Izumo for departure!¡±

    ¡°Huh? You¡­ bastard. It has already been decided. So, just let it go!¡±

    Despite Dietrich usual brashness, he was not particularly reckless. Seeing Dietrich¡¯s unwavering attitude, Boss could not help but took a step back.

    ¡°Hmph! Just think, Boss. Those Demon Beasts are the natural enemy to all Silhouette Knights. Do you honestly believe that Knight Commander of ours would simply leave them alone?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Just like you said, he did rush over in a fit of rage¡­¡±

    Boss did not hesitate in his answer. From Eru¡¯s usual attitude, everyone knew of his obsession with Silhouette Knights. As such, Eru¡¯s actions were not a particular mystery to anyone.

    ¡°Not to say, we are talking about Ernesti here. You know, the one who cheated death time and time again. Even if he has to crawl back from the brink of hell, he would wipe those Demon Beasts off the face of the world. In that case, as a member of the Silver Phoenix Knights, should it not be our duty to advance to the battlefield?¡±

    ¡°You and your nonsense¡­¡±

    Boss could not figure out how much of Dietrich¡¯s words were serious. Yet, he did not doubt their validity, despite his own personal feelings.

    ¡°Boss, was the Ikaruga destroyed?¡±

    ¡°¡­Probably. Considering its opponent, the Ikaruga has likely been disintegrated. Even if it somehow miraculously survived, the Ikaruga definitely suffered debilitating damage.¡± Boss muttered as he reminisced about the scene outside the Izumo.

    At the time, the battlefield was completely obscured by corrosive clouds, so Boss was unable to obtain any visual confirmation, with only the occasional explosion and falling carcasses of Demon Beasts to indicate the progress of the engagement. Considering that they were unable to locate the Ikaruga after the battle, Boss did not doubt that the Ikaruga had been crippled.

    ¡°I doubt even Ernesti could repair the damage done to the Ikaruga out in the fields. Although, he could always surprise us.¡±

    ¡°Then again, Ernesti would likely be stricken with grief at Ikaruga¡¯s tattered appearance, so it would not be simply a matter of having the means.¡±

    Boss gazed down at his own hands. Although he had taken up the unfamiliar position of captain during the expedition, Boss was still a knightsmith at his core. As such, Boss thought of only what he could do with his own two hands.

    ¡°Do you really trust the boy that much?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of trust, but intuition.¡±

    Boss slowly reached for his waist. As a knightsmith, Boss would have many of his tools attached to his utility belt. This time, he held up his trusty hammer, the quintessential tool of a knightsmith, and one that gave him courage.

    ¡°Fine. I never thought that there would a day where you managed to convince me like this.¡±

    Boss had found his mission. Even if it may be a fool¡¯s errand, Boss was still willing to give it a shot.

    ¡°Until we arrive, the second company will serve as escort. Boss, it is knight runners¡¯ job to fight, so leave fighting the Demon Beasts to us.¡±

    ¡°How will you fight? Those Demon Beasts are able to spray corrosive clouds everywhere. Even the Wind Knights were helpless against them.¡±

    Faced with the difficult problem, Dietrich did not shirk back the slightest.

    ¡°I understand. In that case, I will use the Javelineers. Hopefully, the javelins would last long enough in the corrosive cloud to pierce the Demon Beasts. We shall bring all the javelins in our arsenal.¡±

    Boss let out an impressed sigh. As far as combat was concerned, Dietrich, who had led the second company through many victories, were able to offer crucial insights.

    The Insectoid Demon Beasts were nimble enough to dodge all the shots from afar. As such, a pursuit battle with Javelin-armed Wind Knights might be more preferred. After all, Ikaruga had demonstrated that the Demon Beasts were fragile enough for any hit to sink them.

    Incidentally, with the development of the shortened Javelins, the usual magic javelins were now called ¡®Long Javelins¡¯.

    ¡°¡­So the mission is really happening.¡±

    The mission was set, and the plan was set. Although it would be a challenge, Boss definitely wanted to give the rescue a shot. With a clenched fist, Boss met Dietrich¡¯s fist midway in a pound.

    ¡°Hmph! In that case, just leave Ikaruga¡¯s repair to the knightsmiths¡­ Hey!¡±

    Boss suddenly sprang into action as he met the stares of stunned knightsmiths with a beast-like sneer.

    ¡°You lot, start loading Ikaruga¡¯s spare parts onto the Izumo, as many as possible! Be mentally prepared for the Ikaruga to be completely trashed, with all components shy of the core destroyed!¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yes!¡±

    At that moment, Boss was a man who had rediscovered his purpose. He had regained the usual brash and confident demeanor of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ Chief Knightsmith, David ¡®Boss¡¯ Hepken.

    With their old Boss back, the other knightsmiths did not slack around. With a single purpose that guided them, all the knightsmiths sprang into action.

    ¡°Although, there¡¯s still a huge problem we have yet to solve¡­ Reaching the site would require a massive amount of time and supply. What are your plans for that?¡± Boss asked with crossed arms as he looked upon the busy hanger.

    ¡°Yeah, we may need to resort to force. In other words¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry to interject on your conversation, but we feel that it is wrong for you to cut us out of the fun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, to think the two of you are plotting all this by yourselves!¡±

    Just as Dietrich and Boss mulled over their plans, new voices came from behind. At first, Dietrich was startled, but as he turned around to look, he couldn¡¯t help but stare in surprise.

    ¡°Edgar, Helvi?! Why are you here? I don¡¯t think that I had told you anything.¡±

    ¡°With all the commotion, how could you expect us not to notice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I purposely wanted to exclude you two. After all, our current actions are no different from treason. Since there could only be a future for the Silver Phoenix Knights if we bring back Ernesti, this mission is something that I must do as someone who plans to remain with the Silver Phoenix Knights.¡± Dietrich said as he shook his head in disbelief, ¡°However, Edgar, you had already received a new commission. There is no reason for you to get involved in this operation.¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you saying that it was perfectly fine to rope me in for treason?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ How could I possibly let you go? After all, we need you to get Ikaruga repaired!¡±

    As such, Dietrich did not have any qualms about convincing Boss. From his estimates, having the knightsmiths alongside the Second Company was the only way to have any reasonable chance of success.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I part of the Silver Phoenix Knights as well? Why would you cut me out of the mission?¡±

    ¡°If I had told you, won¡¯t you immediately reveal the plans to Ed-¡­?¡±

    Dietrich cringed as he was cut short by Helvi¡¯s stare.

    ¡°Yes. Although my new commission had already been determined, and they are probably willing to give me some time before I take up my post, it would be a different story if I were suddenly away for an extended absence in Bocuse. In all likelihood, such an action would enrage my new employers and see my new commission go up in a puff of smoke.¡± Edgar explained without denying Dietrich¡¯s words.

    At Edgar¡¯s blunt explanation, Dietrich was left completely speechless.

    ¡°In that case, why would you come here? Are you an idiot?!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there would ever be a day where I would be called an idiot by Dietrich¡­ I am welling up in tears.¡± Edgar joked with a shrug of his shoulders before turning serious once more, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Erledyradcumber¡­ if it weren¡¯t for Ernesti, I would have never garnered such prestige. At its core, my new commission was not entirely due to my own abilities.¡±

    Edgar had always been an excellent knight runner. Even without Ernesti, he would¡¯ve definitely been a capable and successful leader one day. Still, their fated meeting had no doubt accelerated Edgar¡¯s rise to glory.

    ¡°In other words, I owe him for my success. I¡¯m not someone who could simply ignore what happened to him and proceed to my new post.¡±

    ¡°What? I doubt that Ernesti would care about this sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ Well, I¡¯m also doing this for myself, regardless of what Ernesti thinks. I would be greatly troubled if he were to disappear before I¡¯m able to properly return his favor.¡±

    ¡°If it is your own decision¡­ After all, I¡¯m in no place to judge.¡±

    Dietrich was also someone who would involve himself on matters other than his own, so he was in no place to criticize Edgar. Incidentally, the entire Silver Phoenix Knights could be said as a gathering of problem children, with little care for the consequences as they rush toward their goals.

    ¡°The ones we will be facing are flying Demon Beasts, correct? Isn¡¯t this the perfect match for the Third Company?¡±

    ¡°We are all idiots! I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­ Let us go on our rampage!¡±

    Dietrich looked around at the Silver Phoenix Knights gathered around him. Everyone from the First, Second, and Third Company were present alongside the knightsmiths as they prepared themselves for the operation ¨C to save Ernesti and Adeltrud.

    Not a single person uttered the possibility of their death. Even if it could be too late, the Silver Phoenix Knights refused to stop. Yet, the huge logistical problem remained.

    ¡°Now, back to the issue at hand. Our journey would take close to two months. The food and fuel we need alone will be staggering, not to mention the replacement parts, weapons, and other expendables along the way. Do you have any good ideas?¡±

    ¡°As for this¡­ I think our best option is to pilfer¡­ I mean, ¡®borrow¡¯ what we need.¡± Dietrich answered with a nefarious smile.

    At Dietrich¡¯s plan, Boss could only reluctantly nod. Even Edgar and Helvi, who usually would step in at a time like this, remained silent. With the situation as is, they might as well do what they can.

    ¡°¡­What a bunch of brats. Cool your heads! What silliness are you planning?¡± A familiar voice interrupted.

    Everyone was startled by the sudden interjection and turned to the source of the voice. They saw a few Silhouette Knights making their way into the hanger with heavy steps, with the one in the lead on its speakers.

    It was a silver-plated Silhouette Knight with black accents, one that was not unfamiliar to the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights. The name of the unit was ¡®Gilbatiga¡¯, and the one to pilot it was¡­

    ¡°What mischief are you brats up to this time? Seriously, stop making me worry all the time.¡±

    ¡°Ah! L-Lord Regnant!¡±

    ¡­None other than the retired regnant of Fremmevira, Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira. As he stepped down from his unit, Ambrosius waved his hand to stop the hastily kneeling crowd.

    ¡°Silver Phoenix Knights! You not only went against His Majesty¡¯s explicit orders, but also seek to commit an even more heinous crime! We are greatly disappointed in you all! Have you all learned nothing through your battles?!¡± Ambrosius declared with an overwhelming air of seriousness.

    The roar of the retired regnant echoed through the hanger.

    The Kingdom of Fremmevira¡¯s tenth king, Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira, was not only famed as a renowned warrior in a society that valued martial prowess, but also was known as a capable scholar. No one could deny that Ambrosius was an enlightened monarch who had forged the foundation on which the current Kingdom of Fremmevira stood. Although he had since passed the throne onto his son, King Leotamus, and retired from public activity, Ambrosius still appeared to be in perfect health.

    Incidentally, Ambrosius was the one who, against the advice of his ministers, decided to gamble on Ernesti and endorse the formation of the Silver Phoenix Knights. As such, the Silver Phoenix Knights owed much of its current success to Ambrosius.

    At Ambrosius¡¯s stinging words, the Silver Phoenix Knights cooled its previously burgeoning fervor. The entire hanger descended into an awkward silence as everyone hanged their heads and kept their mouths shut.

    ¡°When we first commissioned the Silver Phoenix Knights, we did not envision for you to become this sort of impulsive rabble.¡± Ambrosius admonished the crowd as he walked closer.

    While most took the reprimand in silence, Dietrich strengthened his resolve and boldly stepped forward. After all, Dietrich was the heart behind the entire operation.

    ¡°I do not deny the legality of our actions. However, for the sake of our entrapped Knight Commander, we cannot abide by the orders!¡± Dietrich insisted.

    ¡°Is that why you came up with the plan to seize the supplies? In that case, let me ask you¡­ With such a haphazardly planned operation, how do you envision your success?¡±

    Dietrich was left speechless by Ambrosius¡¯s inquiry. After all, Dietrich knew best the sheer folly of such an operation.

    At Dietrich¡¯s silence, Ambrosius simply let out a disappointed scoff before turning to the rest of the crowd.

    ¡°As knight runners, if you are going to strike, aim only for victory! Remember, amat victoria curam! How disappointing it was to see you all lacking an understanding of proper logistics¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty is absolutely correct-¡­ Huh? Y-Your Majesty?¡±

    Expecting a stern refusal, Dietrich looked up at Ambrosius in surprise. Before him, Ambrosius revealed a mischievous smile reminiscent of his grandson Emrys, or rather, it should be more appropriate to say that his grandson resembled him instead.

    ¡°Listen up, our knight runners! You will soon go on the offensive in the Bocuse infested with Demon Beasts, against an unprecedented foe. We had only done a preliminary survey of the Bocuse and therefore still blind to many of its dangers. However, what we do know is that there exist Demon Beasts who could bring even the Ikaruga down, so don¡¯t expect an easy win without adequate preparation!¡± Ambrosius declared before turning to the shocked faces of Boss, Edgar, Helvi, and Dietrich, ¡°We presume you four are the mastermind behind this operation?¡±

    Ambrosius slowly made his way to the four before sitting down on the ground. The appearance of the monarch himself sitting on the ground was a surprise to all. Ambrosius, however, did not seem to mind the attention.

    ¡°Everyone, sit down as you will. It¡¯s time for us to give you lot a proper lesson¡­ As long as you plan to commit to this operation, then, irrespective of your numbers, you are all warriors. Aren¡¯t you all planning to bring back that silly boy?¡± Ambrosius ranted to the dazed crowd.

    ¡°No matter what happens, no matter the difficulty, those who does not take the first step will never succeed. Although such may be the case, you are all still too naive. Let this old man teach you all a thing or two.¡±

    With that said, Dietrich exchanged a glance with Edgar before the two of them knelt down before Ambrosius.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ The battle against the Demon Beasts of Bocuse will be a magnificent one. We¡¯re jealous! If only we¡¯re a decade younger, then we would definitely sign up as the vanguard of the offensive.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty does not intend to stop us?¡± Dietrich and Edgar inquired almost simultaneously.

    ¡°Hahaha! Hot-headedness is the privilege of the young. Not to mention, we have no desire to overrule the authority of His Majesty. As for you lot¡­ To charge into Chateau Schreiber and openly challenge His Majesty¡­ A bunch of idiots, we say! Do you all know how much of a headache your actions have caused for His Majesty and harmed the stability of the kingdom?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are deeply remorseful for our actions. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±

    Both Dietrich and Edgar were at a loss for words. Ambrosius simply waved them off before pulling out a document from his coat.

    ¡°We understand your intentions. However, we hope that you could also understand the dilemma that His Majesty faced. For the monarch of a whole kingdom, every decision has to be carefully scrutinized lest it has far resounding consequences. As such, a monarch simply could not act on impulse nor permit whimsical behavior. Moreover, do you honestly think His Majesty has no plans of his own?¡±

    After signaling for permission, the two picked up the documents. At first glance, Dietrich and Edgar were completely amazed by the details.

    ¡°This is the outline for a second Bocuse Expedition?¡±

    ¡°Only a few are privy to this information. While His Majesty could not simply abandon Ernesti, the disappointing results of the First Bocuse Expedition have dampened the enthusiasm of many supporters. However, you should also not underestimate the kingdom¡¯s zeal toward Bocuse. It¡¯s not something that would simply dissipate with a single failed expedition.¡±

    ¡°It is my fault for not sensing His Majesty¡¯s true intentions.¡± Dietrich confessed to Ambrosius while the latter stroked his beard, ¡°Although, with the urgency of the situation, I doubt we have the patience to wait for the enthusiasm to recover naturally.¡±

    Ambrosius sensed an unrelenting stubbornness in Dietrich¡¯s words before revealing a wry smile.

    ¡°Did we not tell you to cool your heads? Much time had already passed since the time the Violet Swallow Knights returned to Fremmevira, so this sense of urgency is inappropriate.¡±

    Two months had already passed since the day Ernesti fell into the Bocuse. As such, a day or two would not make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. Rather than haphazardly set off on the expedition, it would be more prudent to take the extra moment to plan everything out.

    ¡°Both humans and Silhouette Knights alike take a huge amount of supply to feed and maintain. Once again, amat victoria curam. If you hope for victory, you must not skimp on the logistics! We sincerely hope that you will adequately prepare for the long journey ahead.¡± Ambrosius preached as a smile floated upon his face.

    It was the same face that was once said to contain the ferociousness of a lion.

    ¡°Needless to say, no one could deny Ernesti¡¯s importance for the future of the kingdom, and we must do everything we can to ensure his safe return. However, all of you are also indispensable talents for the Kingdom of Fremmevira ¨C talents that our kingdom cannot afford to lose. Not to mention, the obstacles this time are not something that could be simply overcome with a haphazard expedition.¡±

    With that said, Ambrosius¡¯s expression softened slightly.

    ¡°To attain our objectives, no amount of preparation is excessive. As for supplies, we recommend you to seek out those with resources and humbly ask for their assistance. Ernesti may be whimsical and egoistical, but even we cannot deny his ability as a dealmaker.¡±

    Ernesti was a visionary, but also highly peculiar. Beyond topics that pertain to his personal interests, he would rarely care for anything else. Incidentally, to achieve his ends, he would spare no effort at convincing the opposing party, frequently overwhelming them with his sheer passion. Sadly, other than Ernesti, no one else within the Silver Phoenix Knights would remain undaunted at the prospect of negotiating with the high aristocracy.

    ¡°Y-yes¡­ We have now realized a new facet of our Knight Commander.¡±

    ¡°We had originally planned to set aside some time for a proper lesson¡­ However, time is of the essence, right?¡± Ambrosius joked as he turned to an old man behind him.

    The old man emerged from a Silhouette Knight that accompanied Gilbatiga. He slowly made his way in front of Ambrosius before kneeling. At that moment, mixed chatter started among the Silver Phoenix Knights, as many had recognized the new arrival.

    ¡°D-Duke¡­Dixgard¡­?¡±

    The now-retired Duke Knut Dixgard rose up again and turned to the restless crowd.

    ¡°When His Majesty retired, I had also passed the Duchy onto my son and heir. As of now, I am just a simple old man.¡±

    Yet, Knut spoke with an intimidating air, without the slightest dullness of old age. If anything, his words had a certain sharpness that easily cut through the crowd.

    ¡°Just as His Majesty had said, the loss of Ernesti had greatly set back our ambitions for Bocuse. Personally, I believe the expedition was done with good intent, just executed a tad to prematurely.¡± Duke Dixgard stipulated, with little difference from Ambrosius¡¯s own thoughts, ¡°Now, onto the matter at hand¡­ Ernesti is indispensable for the future ambitions of the kingdom, so you must bring him back. As for the supplies, just leave them to me. After all, I still have an agreement with him since ¡®that day¡¯.¡±

    Dietrich, Edgar, Helvi, and to a lesser extent, Boss, all revealed a dumbfounded expression at Knut¡¯s statement. Only after a long time did the four return a passive nod.

    ¡°¡­Do Your Grace also believe Ernesti to be alive?¡±

    ¡°I simply do not think he would die from something like this. Trashed his Silhouette Knight? Fell into the Bocuse? So what? He is someone who will find a way to live even if he has to consume the blood of Demon Beasts.¡±

    Although the words were a tad blunt, it was not a scene too absurd for the Silver Phoenix Knights to imagine, and many nodded in agreement.

    Ikaruga was the projection of Ernesti¡¯s strength and was undeniably a powerful weapon. However, it was not Ernesti¡¯s only weapon. Ernesti¡¯s true strength came from the dauntless will that drives his petite body. Everyone understood what would happen if such a force of nature was channeled toward a goal.

    At that moment, another man appeared from behind Duke Knut.

    ¡°Although my strength is meager, let me offer you my assistance as well.¡±

    ¡°Even Marquis Serrati is here.¡±

    Marquis Joachim Serrati ruled a large and fertile march bordering the Bocuse that supplied the kingdom with much of its grains, for which he was known as the ¡®breadbasket of Fremmevira¡¯. Due to its proximity to the Bocuse, the House of Serrati had always leaned heavily toward the conservative faction.

    ¡°I owe him some favors, so it is always nice to repay him a bit. Not to mention¡­ there is someone that I must rescue.¡±

    Incidentally, Marquis Serrati also had another, more personal reason, for supporting the second Bocuse expedition.

    As it happened, Adeltrud was lost alongside Ernesti during the initial expedition. Within the Knight Order, few knew of the relationship between her and the House of Serrati. As such, most were left scratching their heads at Marquis Serrati¡¯s statement. Regardless of the reason, no one would think to refuse help at such a moment.

    With the endorsement of wealthy patrons, the Silver Phoenix Knights were left in jubilation.

    ¡°Silver Phoenix Knights.¡± Ambrosius stated, ¡°We understand your reasons for war, but never forget that you are facing against Bocuse. Before you are knight runners, remember that you are all warriors. Value your lives and do your utmost to survive. Before you clinch your final victory and bring him back from Bocuse, you must not let yourself fall. Consider this our final advice.¡±

    Dietrich and the rest of the Silver Phoenix Knights all nodded in unison.

    With the logistics settled, the Silver Phoenix Knights once again returned to the preparation for the expedition into Bocuse.

    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô

    Not long since that day, a large fleet had emerged around Fort Olvecius.

    With the backing of the Duke Dixgard and the Marquis Serrati, the second Bocuse expedition was able to amass supplies rivaling that of the first expedition. Almost the entire stockpile within Fort Olvecius had been emptied onto the Izumo, filling the flagship to its maximum capacity. Furthermore, the expedition was able to garner an impressive military contingent, comprised of three Silver Phoenix Knights companies and two additional Wind Knight companies on loan from the two aristocratic houses. Effectively, the second Bocuse expeditionary fleet could be described as an aerial Silver Phoenix Knight stronghold.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect that you guys are also coming along the expedition.¡±

    Dietrich was astonished by the familiar face within the newly arrived contingent of knight runners. As it happened, Ambrosius had brought the Blue Hawk Knights with him.

    ¡°We have received ample training with the Wind Knights, and we definitely won¡¯t be a burden to the expedition.¡± Nora Frykberg asserted on behalf of the Blue Hawk Knights.

    The Blue Hawk Knights served as the eyes and ears of the reigning monarch. Given the very nature of their covert operations, the Blue Hawk Knights deemed the new Wind Knights indispensable to their future success at a very early stage of development. As such, they were afforded the first opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Wind Knights.

    ¡°Don¡¯t act so unfamiliar. We are comrades who fought alongside one another in Kuscheperca. How could I possibly doubt your ability?¡±

    During the Kuscheperca campaign, Dietrich had infiltrated the Tetraspides Fortresses alongside the Blue Hawk Knights. While they were far from the quintessential ¡®knight runners¡¯, Dietrich happened to be familiar with their strengths. With the arrival of reliable allies, Dietrich gladly shook Nora¡¯s hand.

    As such, a new expeditionary fleet centered around the Silver Phoenix Knights had finally finished its formation.

    With all preparations set, Ambrosius stood before the gathered knight runners in full battle attire.

    The knight runners that stood before Ambrosius had all benefited from his ¡®education¡¯. On top of the confidence gained through countless battles, the knight runners¡¯ faces all shone with a tenacious determination.

    ¡°Silver Phoenix Knights, depart! Bring that willful brat back!¡± Ambrosius ordered with a satisfactory nod.

    ¡°¡±¡±Understood!¡±¡±¡±

    At that moment, the Silver Phoenix Knights finally took to the skies, with countless more supporting their back. Their destination was Bocuse, the Sea of Trees.

    Within their hearts, the Silver Phoenix Knights all believed that Ernesti and Adeltrud were safe, and they departed with the expressed purpose of bringing the two of them back.

    Despite the dangers and obstacles that stood in their way, the Silver Phoenix Knights showed not the slightest fear. With the Izumo at the vanguard, the second Bocuse expeditionary fleet steadily sailed forward.

 Book 6: Chapter 55/89 An encounter in the Demonic Forest

    Warning!!! This is not from Web Novel.

    --Back to the three months ago. After the defeat of red demonic beast that commanding the bug-type demonic beast, and the time where Ikaruga has fall to the ground.

    Ikaruga who was barely reached the ground safely from the fallen bug-type demonic beast which had been chasing him. When it was crushed after failing down, a liquid like fluid splashed to the surrounding on the impact. The magic that had been supporting the giant body was already lost in the same time after its life has ended. The corpse becomes brittle, and the contents were scattered all over the place, then began to evaporate at once.

    It has formed an Acid Cloud in a tremendous momentum and swallowing Ikaruga as a whole. Now that the Magi Jet Thruster which known as the best propelling system has lost its function, and there¡¯s no other ways for Ikaruga to escape the death cloud.

    ¡°This is the worst! If I don¡¯t escape soon, I would be melted sooner or later¡±

    Then, Ernesti is trying to make Ikaruga run but after a few steps, it got on its knees.

    ¡°What. This is bad, the Crystal Tissue is????¡±

    In order to protect himself, he shut off the external air intake and switch it to internal ones. However, its not like the whole Silhouette Knight¡¯s body has completely sealed off. The Acid Cloud was easily invaded the inner part, and damaged the Crystal Tissue first.

    Even though Ikaruga was called as the first generation of Eastern Mode¡¯s Silhouette Knight, the durability of each one Crystal Tissue are still remain same despite being upgraded into the Strand Type which certainly improved the overall durability. And it can be said it was unexpected to be able to function in the middle of the corrosive atmosphere.

    To make matters worse, it doesn¡¯t mean the lost function of Crystal Tissue is only damaging the driving system. In short, the Crystal Tissue is responsible to store a mana in the Silhouette Knight.

    When the huge partial of Crystal Tissue has been lost by the corrosive atmosphere, on the other hand the enormous mana that Ikaruga had been stored are being depleted at once. In this worst-case scenario, no one ever imagined the structural defects of the Silhouette Knight have been exposed.

    While it can¡¯t stand up, the itching-like Ikaruga¡¯s exterior began to peeled off. In the same time, the Capacity Frame has lost functioning, and Ikaruga lost its little remaining mana again.

    The situation will soon to be getting worse.

    Losing a large amount of mana means that there is a problem on the enhanced magic which was used for strengthening Ikaruga¡¯s body.

    Unfortunately, the air intake to the heart furnace is closed to prevent the corrosive atmosphere. Even the overwhelming mana supply that known as Ikaruga has lost from now.

    Without knowing when will Ikaruga began to collapse. Even the prideful strongest knight runner was no longer able to operate one finger. And just sit and wait until everything began to collapse.

    ¡°?????I can¡¯t move it. I wonder if it still has a proper shape left. Moreover, I can¡¯t even get out from this¡±

    The surrounding area is covered by the corrosive atmosphere. Although, Eru didn¡¯t really know it was accompanied by a strong toxic, either way the result will be same if it exposed to an acid.

    He even can¡¯t escape from here. When the pilot¡¯s seat began collapsing, that would be his last moment.

    ¡°?????Haa. So, this is the end¡±

    When Eru takes a long deep breath, he leisurely sinking himself into the seat. Now the cloud has completely covered him, while Ikaruga just waiting for its last moment, there¡¯s no sign of resistance left on him.

    ¡°Oh, this is not good. At this rate, I can¡¯t fulfill my promise to my mother. It seems I can¡¯t show to her since I had already made the Wind Carrier¡±

    He suddenly raised his eyebrows after remembering something. There¡¯s a promise he hasn¡¯t fulfilled yet. And he began to bet everything to find a way on this unexpected possibility.

    However, the situation is still ruthless.

    There is a loud noise coming from the machine. The strengthening magic finally getting weaker, and the corrosive atmosphere has reached the inner skeleton. Without any delay, it would eventually reach his last protection.

    ¡°At least, everything will be over. I¡¯m sorry Ikaruga. I just still wanted to more, and always to run wild with you¡±

    While patting the keypad, he muttered it by showing a small smile.

    ¡°At least, at least I was happy to be with you till the end. In the first place, I had already died once, and this time I¡¯ll die while piloting a robot. I¡¯m just glad¡±

    Died while piloting a robot.

    Eventually, the destination of this mecha otaku was always be here. It just this time has come by pure chance. It¡¯s not like he was prepared for it, in a certain way he is always seeking this place.

    Ernesti Echavalier has lived with the robot and died with the robot--.

    --However.

    For instance, when Eru already giving up on everything, there¡¯s someone who absolutely will not tolerate it. Several lights of bullets come from the sky as if it was ready to break his sentimental feeling. An attack which come from Silhouette Arms. After the bullets touching the ground, by following the script, an explosion has occurred. The barrage equal to the OverdSpell that causing a tremendous blast along with hole that had been pierced on.

    Not just only that. A long and continuous barrage still comes in a short moment. Although, it can be said if it goes bad, even Ikaruga would be blown away, though the ones who has released the barrage doesn¡¯t seems to hold back at all.

    Now the Acid Cloud covering Ikaruga has blown away, a cleared hole has opened. On the straight line, the shape of half-man and fish can be seen.

    ¡°Give!! Eru-kun!! Back!! To!! Meeee!!¡±¡±

    It is none other than Adeltrud who ride the Syrphirne.

    By deploying the Magi Jet Thruster to the limit while releasing the ether on the etheric levitator, she has rapidly descended the altitude.

    ¡°I finndd you!! Heeree I coommee!!¡±

    After discovering Ikaruga which had almost turn into a wreckage, this time she began to decelerate rapidly. While supplying ether on the etheric levitator, the fins stabilizer had been deployed widely to reduce the air resistance. Then adjusting the speed and return like she was ramming the Acid Cloud. On that moment, she ejected the equipped twin anchor.

    While pulling the long silver light, the thread-like tow flying in the air. It has an iron-like shape on the tip and it can grab an object. With Addy operating technique, it can fly freely in the air and arrives at the damaged Ikaruga to bites strongly into the brittle body armor.

    Syrphirne has begun to pull up the tow while ascending. Hence lifting Ikaruga¡¯s body in the short moment and quickly escaped from the clouds.

    Although she smiled in satisfaction, soon it turns into clouded state.

    ¡°Ah, aaahh!??????Noo!!¡±

    Even though it looked like has worked well, but that just the end of it. The barrages were certainly blow off the surrounding Acid Cloud. However, it was not completely blowing them all, there¡¯s a thin cloud still remained in there.

    Yet, the thin Acid Cloud were plenty enough to melt the fragile Silver Nerve¡¯s tow.

    After seeing the damaged silver wire, Syrphirne began to turn around in a high speed. At the same time, the etheric levitator has released the ether to descend again. On that moment, the last towline has been disconnected, and Ikaruga¡¯s body was thrown into the air.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!!¡±

    Syrphirne began to accelerate at full throttle and aiming to the Ikaruga¡¯s body. Before it fell back again into the Acid Cloud, Syrphirne successfully catch Ikaruga¡¯s body by rushing to the side. Addy somehow trying to rise the altitude, but???

    ¡°It won¡¯t rise!? Why!? Shii-chan please! Just a little more!!¡±

    It doesn¡¯t stop descending, and Syrphirne was facing the ground while keep falling.

    She might not know about this, but this was due to one of Undinestarle¡¯s flaw. Or rather, it can be said it was one of etheric levitator deficiency. The principle of this device is to create a floating force field by supplying an enough amount of high purity ether to make the machine able to float.

    But when the supplying and discharging were repeated in an instant, the ether density inside the vessel will become unstable, as the result, it won¡¯t able to create enough floating force field. And without floating force field assistance, the Undinestarle cannot soar high to the sky.

    Fortunately, rather than rushing toward the Acid Cloud, Syrphirne was able to jump out from the cloud¡¯s range because of the acceleration to catch up with Ikaruga. But the situation is quite different to relax yet. After all, the altitude still continues to fall and now the ground is already before the eyes. The Wind Knight won¡¯t able to soar high by only using the propulsion system and Fins Stabilizer. While Addy looked at the approaching ground, she braces herself with determination.

    She moves Syrphirne and hold Ikaruga tightly. From there she prepared to hold her breath.

    ¡°Shii-chan, please????! Please protect Eru-kun!!¡±

    By operating the rest of ether supplier, the large amount of ether floating force field is capable to climb them up. Afterward, twisting the body and let the Syrphirne fly in reverse state.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Before the impact, Addy has activated the Gear Ejector. The pilot¡¯s seat that located on the back is separated in an instant, and the compressed gas had ejected her into the air.

    Ejection is one of the hellish training before getting into the machine. She immediately spreads the Descend Rad¡¯s arms and hold in the air. After stabilizing her posture, she was looking for Syrphirne first.

    Just around that time, Syrphirne was already crashed down on the ground. Because of the reverse flying, Syrphirne was able to protect Ikaruga just before the impact to the ground. While tearing down the trees and scraping the ground under its own momentum, the dust cloud begins to smear out. The armor is blown away from the body, the crystal¡¯s fragments are scattered all over place, and the unbearable sound can be heard on the surrounding.

    It¡¯s not strange if the machine was shattered into pieces if it crashed on that such momentum. However, beyond the dust cloud, Syrphirne managed to stop the momentum while holding Ikaruga¡¯s body firmly.

    Even though the floating force field was lost its function due to unstable ether, in the end, it has regained its little strength after the forced supply. In the aftermath of the effect, the floating force field was able to perform as the shock absorber, and reducing the damage of the frame.

    However, because it was scrapping above the ground surface. The damage is so serious and almost same like it had being shoot down. Especially when the early rammed shoulder to the upper body damage is pretty serious, probably it was already distorted on the inner skeleton part.

    Furthermore, the lower body was not left unscratched, there¡¯s a rainbow-colored light spouted from place to place. With the impact, the etheric levitator is damaged, and the inner ether are leaking out. It seems, Syrphirne won¡¯t able to dance in the sky again.

    But, on its arm.

    It was proudly holding the Ikaruga¡¯s body, which had been protecting by sacrificing itself.

    ¡ô

    Addy flies in the sky using the Aero Thrust magic and arrived to the Syrphirne side. Without getting out from the Descend Rad armor, she ran to the Ikaruga that being held in the arms.

    As she tries to climb up the body, she began to tremble after seeing Ikaruga¡¯s grave damage. The exterior was next to nothing, above of all, the Crystal Tissue have been dissolved, and even the inner skeleton was already exposed. It¡¯s reminded like a corpse that had been covered by the leaf, and surely in terrific state.

    Nonetheless, she began to shook her head and leaving aside the bad precognition. Her objective is not Ikaruga itself. No matter how damaged the machine is. As long the chest part has still remained, there¡¯s a possibility the ¡®content¡¯ was also safe.

    When she runs upward the Ikaruga¡¯s wreckage, she is trying to knock the distorted armor that had been dissolved by the acid.

    ¡°Eru-kun! Eru-kun! Are you okay!? Are you still alive!? Please, respond to my call!!???For crying of loud! Get out of my way!!¡±

    Although she was calling him, soon it become too bothersome. Immediately, when she tried to pull the Gunn Staff, she shoots a magic without reserve. The fragile chest part has blown away by the fire ball in one hit, and leaving a deep black hole inside.

    The light coming from the forest, illuminating the internal pilot¡¯s seat. When Addy looked into it, there¡¯s a figure of Eru with his eyes closed and in fetal position. At first glance, it doesn¡¯t look like he is injured or anything. Addy leans out to him and make sure everything is fine.

    ¡°Eru-kun, please be safe????uwa¡±

    From the face, she hit something somewhat elastic and transparent while being held down near Eru side. Addy immediately notice the trick. That is mass of compressed air created by Air Suspension magic. And one of the magic that had been created by Eru which supporting the maneuverability. If something like this was here that means.

    By the time Addy was watching over the mass of compressed air, it began to squeeze slowly. In front of her who sit closely to him, Eru has began to open his eyes and start to move.

    ¡°????Umu, that was one of terrible tremor. Is that you Addy? I see, you come to save me. I narrowly become a mince meat back then????here??we go¡±

    Before saying anything, Addy is gone hugging him like she was jumping away. When she was embracing him without holding anything back, a strange voice can be heard on Eru¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad?????Eru-kun, is alive. Is still alive????! Eru-kun, Eru-kun????!¡±

    ¡°W-wait, I can¡¯t breathe. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m really okay. So please, hold back a little, or I die?????¡±

    While wiping her tears, there like a crushed frog-like sound every time Addy strongly hugs Eru. In the end, she needs a lot of time to settle down.

    ¡°Fuu, I thought I was gonna die ????¡±

    ¡°Uuu, Eru-kun, Eru-kun. I thought it was over. I¡¯m glad, I¡¯m on time?????uuu, this fluffy sensation, its feel good ehehe¡±

    Although the power is loosening, it doesn¡¯t seem she want to release Eru at the moment. She is busily poked his cheeks and patting him while cuddling. Sometimes, there¡¯s liquid-like fluid that falls into Eru¡¯s cheek. When Eru hugged Addy back, he strokes like he was caressing her hair.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m still alive. Because the one who have saved me it¡¯s you Addy¡±

    ¡°Yes????¡±

    ¡°Listen Addy, have you forgotten that I asked you to protect the ship. In the end, you came along with me¡±

    ¡°Even so!¡±

 Book 6, Chapter 55/89 An encounter in the Demonic Forest Part 2

    Warning!!! This is not from Web Novel.

    When Addy tries to loosen the strength to embrace him, she sharply looks at Eru¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Even if I have protected the ship, Eru-kun will! Left alone????! Ikaruga eventually will be crashed down too????¡±

    It seems she has remembered a lot of thing while saying all of that, when the tears began to flowing on her eyes, Eru somewhat lowered his eyebrow.

    ¡°Because of you, I¡¯m saved. However, if something goes wrong, you might as well the one who in danger, Addy¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! I¡¯m fine die together with you rather than being left alone by Eru-kun!¡±

    He finally let out a long sigh.

    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t die carelessly too. I need to be careful from now on¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I will not forgive you!!¡±

    At long last, in response to Addy who start crying again, he spoke in a gentle whisper to her ear.

    ¡°????Thank you, Addy¡±

    Then he softly kisses her cheek.

    Although she stopped crying at once, there¡¯s still some dissatisfied looks on her face.

    She gave Eru a blank stare, and silently demand something.

    ¡°?????Ummm?¡±

    ¡°It not enough. I¡¯ll forgive you if you kiss me a little longer¡±

    When Eru gave a wry smile, he eventually brings his face closer.

    And sealed off her lips.

    ¡ô

    Although, there are a lot of thing had happened, they went outside at least.

    Once again, they are looked up the two machine that have become like a corpse, and just stand still out there without doing anything.

    One of it was broken into pieces after crashing on the ground, while the other one was dissolved by an acid that can¡¯t even keep its original form. It can be said those machines had been fulfilling its own life to protect their master.

    Soon, Addy began to turn around and looked at the surrounding. In the middle of the forest where the grass and trees grow thickly, the traces of Syrphirne are remained on the dragged straight line. Other than that, there¡¯re mountains and forests as far they could see. Also, any kind of human activity is nonexistent.

    ¡°What should we do from now on?????¡±

    After the fight has ended, the sky is returned to the tranquil state. Surely, their Knight Orders¡¯ levitate ship were already leave this land. None of them would think to return here due to the dangerousness of bug-type demonic beast. In other word, those two were left alone in the Bocuse Sea of Tress.

    After knowing all of it, a cold shiver ran down on Addy unconsciously. Looking back into account, they were always with the people in Laihala Kinght Runner Academy, or the later with the comrades in Silver Phoenix Knight on every battlefield situation. Unlike before, they never had been isolated like this.

    ¡°???????¡±

    In the same time, Eru was staring at the Ikaruga¡¯s wreckage without saying anything.

    Addy who stick close to him, try to speak but stopped halfway as if she was unsure. Reminding on how much effort Eru has spent when building Ikaruga, she got feeling that no matter how much she tried to console him, it would be in vain.

    ¡°Fufu. Fufufufu, ahaha, ahahahahahaha¡±

    And then, some kind of laughter has reached to the girl who lost in thought. Addy is startled. As expected, Eru seems at lost after losing Ikaruga.

    ¡°Ahaha, haha! ?????Okay then, let¡¯s eradicate them¡±

    However, his word is full of contradiction.

    ¡°That bug-type demonic beast????they are able to evolve to have strong acid in their body, in order to dissolve other demonic beast¡¯s shell, I suppose. They are literally natural enemy for Silhouette Knight. But I don¡¯t need that kind of existence on the world where I live¡±

    Depending on how someone listen at, it was such very arrogant line. However, as long they are not compatible to each other, there is no other way for one of them who will be destroyed. Then, he surely would do it.

    ¡°Although, we must somehow do our best to eradicate them?????the most important is, Ikaruga and Syrphirne are in this state. Our lack of war potential also big, this is not good. First, we must repair them¡±

    While mumbling something, he counts what should he do in the future with his finger.

    ¡°Well then, was it faster to go back to the country first and go back to recover, or aiming to be repaired in here with two of us. What do you think, Addy?¡±

    ¡°Hohe!? Er, hmm. I don¡¯t know the answer in this kind of situation¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also right?????we still have too little information about this place. Let¡¯s start with reconnaissance, we should go with safety first. Addy, we will start to collect any kind of things we can bring¡±

    ¡°Ah, eeh? Yeah¡±

    Even Addy was stunned after seeing Eru¡¯s sharp movement which not too long ago make her feel sentimental. She was also worried about his positive way of thinking about confirming the current situation.

    ¡°Are you not afraid Eru-kun? We are in the middle of Bocuse, right? We also don¡¯t know how many demonic beasts live in here¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m scared?????I am really scared for two of us who have crashed in here along with Ikaruga and Syrphirne¡±

    But it seems, Eru point of view about fear was somehow a little different. For a madman (mecha otaku) whose purpose will always lead to Silhouette Knight in the end, the condition itself are full of contradiction.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s remember what we¡¯ve learned in the school. What should we do if we separated from the group? How to find a way to survive? Didn¡¯t we already had done any various exercises before?¡±

    ¡°I think nobody would consider it if the situation was in the middle of Bocuse¡±

    Stranded in the forest full of demonic beast, Silhouette Knights got ruined and there¡¯s no possibility for their allies to rescue them. Normally, only death will wait them on this kind of situation. Either they will stop their advance in despair. Will they fall in distress. Or will they freeze in fear.

    ¡°Also, the problem from now on to repair Ikaruga is. There are many troublesome substantial difficulties even if I think for a moment. Among of it????¡±

    When he reaches out his arm to the waist and draw out the gunstaff. Eru has smiled upon staring at the blade that gave a faint radiance.

    ¡°A problem where ¡®cut, shoot, and beat them out¡¯ is nothing but trivial things to do. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun is way to positive????¡±

    Granted, Eru started to move again.

    The burials for the robot are left for other occasion. Now is the time for them to move and do what they can for the rebirth of their beloved machine. Even if only suffering awaits them in the end of their way. There¡¯s no way for Ernesti Echavalier who has set his goal, to stop his advance. After all, he is a madman (mecha otaku) who cannot be stopped even the death itself.

    ¡°Hence, we need basic necessity first. We need to find a place where we can rest¡±

    On that moment, a lightning has struck Addy¡¯s whole body.

    ¡°???A, are you mean????! Eru-kun and I will have a sweet life for a while!? Somewhat I feel the urge to do our best!!¡±

    For sure, Addy is like Addy who is same like Eru whose an oddball.

    ¡ô

    Then the two of them went through to find as much supplies they could carry in Ikaruga and Syrphirne.

    As a customary, the Silhouette Knight is equipped with some supplies in the case of emergency. Fortunately, Ikaruga was no exception. In Syrphirne case, because it was equipped with Descend Rad as an escape mechanism, from the start it can be taken out safely. A variation of medicines, blankets even a simple cookware. And rations. For time being, there¡¯s no need to worry about starvation.

    What next to confirm is their war potential. Its hard to say, their Silhouette Knight are completely broken. Then, the biggest factor of their remaining strength will be Addy¡¯s Descend Rad. Although Addy want to pass it to Eru who was enviously staring at her Descend Rad but.

    ¡°As for that armor, I would like Addy to use it. Either way, the size doesn¡¯t fit me well so???¡±

    Although Descend Rad is not exclusive, it was adapted to the user physique to some extent. Eru needs to make special order for his small build. He was even more sad than losing an Ikaruga back then.

    And the weapon he held are two Winchester and several wire anchors that had been attached on his waist. Although he did think about the machine was not enough in a spur-of-the-moment, he immediately pushes out the worries.

    ¡°Let¡¯s secure the water source for time being. I¡¯m sure when I view from above, there should be a river in vicinity¡±

    The bulky luggage is being carried together in the Descend Rad. Although if they are using Silhouette Gear, this kind of luggages would be an easy task. In the first place, it was a frame that would help them after being thrown like this situation. Unexpectedly, they themselves were able to complete their purpose.

    Thus, after completing the preparation, the two of them start to walk to the center of the forest

    ¡ô

    On the shades of the leaves, and while jump over the rocks, Eru moves his nose. When he looks around the surrounding, there is something that move stealthily in the middle of his sight.

    ¡°????There is. I won¡¯t let you escape¡±

    It was a beast similar like a rabbit which ran through the trees swiftly. Then he jumps out using the Aero Thrust magic, and accelerating like an arrow.

    Although the rabbit was also fast, it cannot escape from the lost child¡¯s high-speed movement. Eru cuts the neck after passing it. By using the Sonic Blade magic, the rabbit has struck in one blow and died after losing much blood.

    As intended. After hunting the prey, he hangs it on the tree to bloodletting. With that kind of pace, he returns happily after collecting several of them.

    While hanging the prey on his gunstaff, he lightly passes the forest. Leaving the place where the trees grow thickly, his destination is the place where a widely rocky terrain located.

    ¡°I¡¯m home Addy. I got something for the dinner tonight¡±

    ¡°My. Welcome home, d-e-a-r¡±

    After hearing his voice, Addy comes out from the tent. Somehow Addy is in a good mood.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it soon. Would Eru-kun prepare the fire for me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes????speaking of which Addy-san? Why are you seem so happy about?¡±

    ¡°How can I not happy when waiting Eru-kun back in the house????uehhehehe¡±

    ¡°Here is just temporary one for reconnaissance. I won¡¯t settled in here you know¡±

    Eru who doubting her misplaced one¡¯s priorities, and somehow Addy nodded in affirmation, but no matter how it looks, she¡¯s plenty happy about it. Although, it was better than feeling down, or so what Eru thought.

    Upon passing over the prey, Eru began to gather the firewood. By igniting the basic foundation of explosive magic. Anyone could have an unlimited fire source if able to utilize the magic phenomenon. However, it¡¯s often said too meaningless if everything left with magic alone. That¡¯s why trees used as a fuel.

    It has been one week since they are start crawling in the forest. As soon as they are leaving the Silhouette Knight, they found a river. From that point, they climb up and build a base, thus living in here by hunting modestly.

    Their base is based on Addy¡¯ Descend Rad. The tent is fixed with framework and the waterproof cloth. In the cases of emergency, they can fold the cloth and move away immediately.

    ¡°Although we had the Descend Rad, I couldn¡¯t help myself to leave all the load on Addy¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Isn¡¯t this child somewhat looked like our house? Our house????I will surely protect it!¡±

    With that, Addy seems to be full of motivation for an unknown reason, while Eru gives up barging in any further. It is important to have a motivation after all.

    Today dinner is a roaster meat, with smashed trees¡¯ nuts and wild grass. Because food is always gathered from the forest, everyday somewhat it turns out like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad there is a beast which can be turned into a meat in this area¡±

    ¡°Too bad we could have only made the seasoning with the baked herbs¡±

    Although there are many inconvenient about the environment, but that was where Addy skill shine. Because her cooking skills are quite good. When she serving Eru, somewhat she looks at him while smiling, but Eru let her do as she please.

    With that kind of unforeseen adventure continues. The only human being are themselves, everything beside that is the nature. Incredibly small and confined safe territory. And even if they are gonna laid back a little, they feel their mind will be swallowed among the trees.

    The Knight inside Fremmevira Kingdom were taught how to survive in the forest. Even so, there¡¯s many things where the situation that cannot be seen so far.

    However, they were adapting on live on the forest. There¡¯s no sadness on the two people that had been stranded on the forest. There is also no despair on them who live in a place full of danger either. If the mind already breaks on that kind of degree, Ernesti Echavalier won¡¯t able to reach into this point. Because he always going for the next steps.

    Furthermore, they are blessed with high fighting ability as individuals. They could even take the duel class demonic beast as long they are being cautious about it. As a result, they had lived in an audacious manner between the forest.

    ¡ô

    ¡°????Mu, it¡¯s already morning¡±

    As soon as opening the eyes, immediately jumps to the thin waterproof cloth while in sight. In a small tent utilizing the Descend Rad. A tent that enduring the rain and wind as much as possible, but there is the most important thing for them; a house.

    The morning sun kindled their surroundings. And the new morning has greeted them. When Addy want to drove off her sleepiness, she embraces someone next to her tightly.

    In the fearful Bocuse Sea of Trees, there¡¯s no people beside her who live in the forest; it¡¯s none other than Ernesti. Addy gave a delightful smile. In some condition, Eru is always morning person than Addy, but sometimes their position is reversed. On that such time, it was a chance where she could have fun.

    Eru¡¯s sleeping face can be seen in the dawn light. Although, from the start Eru have a baby-faced appearance, he becomes more purely and cute when sleeping. Even though they are in the same age, like always he still has a petite body, and she hugged on between his arms.

    ¡°Fufufu. Oh my, Eru-kun is cute after all????¡±

    She gently pokes his cheek with her finger. A smooth sensation and refreshing body texture transmitted to the fingertips. She drools over them on the mouth, but closed it soon.

    ¡°But after waking up, always do reckless things¡±

    That fight which caused them to live in the forest. There¡¯s a danger within his action. Although it is okay to seek something in straight way, in his case there are too many times he could engulfed in danger. What worse was the person itself know too much about his ability. Even though, some of it can be managed, the risk still exists if he even fails a little, and it would lead to dangerous. Granted, just like this time.

    ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t leave him alone anymore¡±

    She affirmed her determination while staring at the side of his face. Even she wasn¡¯t thinking about how to stop Eru at all. Because mostly will become useless after all. And while looking at Eru face, an ¡®etching to do something¡¯ urge has risen inside her. By being careful to not wake him up, she closes her face. A small sleep breath is opened, and the sensation of the breath tickling her off. She seemed like wanted to laugh in any moment but she continues to approach him and kiss on his cheek.

    ¡°Yeah, Eru-kun is soft after all¡±

    Of course, on that position she will wake him up. Thus, bring her face close to his unforgettable lips and--

    After the distances between her cheeks are narrowed, she stopped her movement. When she looks closely at the opened thin eyes, she could see Eru who couldn¡¯t hide his wit¡¯s end expression and holding down her face.

    ¡°Good morning Addy. What are you up to do in the early morning?¡±

    ¡°Morning Eru-kun. You can still sleep you know, I¡¯ll give you a wake up kiss¡±

    ¡°Haa. Good grief, what are you saying now, this child¡±

    While groaning a sigh. Immediately Addy has launched her face, in response of that, Eru moves swiftly. On that short moment, their lips are connected to each other but soon separated.

    ¡°Now we have finished our morning greeting. Get up properly Addy¡±

    In the same time Eru began to wakes up, Addy face melt down in a smile form and a deep blush spread on her. When she trying to get up, she hugs him in meantime.

    ¡°For crying out loud, I love you so much Eru-kun¡±

    While hearing the ¡®uhehehehe¡¯ eerie laughter, once again Eru has groaned a sigh. Somewhat as if has been become troublesome, he leaves it as if while being hugged.

    Around of their tent, a faint roar of a beast can be heard. The scenery was too calm that they couldn¡¯t think it was a demonic beast territory.

    ¡°Eru-kun, we really can go back to home, right?¡±

    By whispering on his ear, Eru has stood up slowly and embracing her back.

    ¡°We will return without a doubt. Of course, with Ikaruga and Syrphirne too¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    Leaving a kiss on Addy¡¯s cheek, Eru goes out from the tent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make out breakfast first. Then which direction we should go today¡±

    Today as well, they are kept going on through the forest. Although the information is increasing on the self-made map, there¡¯s still no clear destination.

    And one day they finally meet ¡®that¡¯. It was an encounter that changing every future in the forest.

    ¡ô

    When traveling through the forest, Eru has suddenly stopped.

    After listening to his surrounding and runs to the nearby trees. If he would stand still, a slight vibration was transmitted into his body.

    ¡°????There¡¯s something far away, and heavy. It is duel class demonic beast, I suppose¡±

    ¡°Shun it again?¡±

    ¡°Normally it is. However, I want to know the location, let¡¯s search it from the top of the tree¡±

    A duel Class demonic beast is supposed to be a deadly for a living human flesh who doesn¡¯t have a Silhouette Knight.

    Nevertheless, the fighting ability of those two are little off for a human. For them, there is no opponent they couldn¡¯t beat. Still, they are always avoiding on the most time-consuming one.

    Eru and Addy who wearing the Descend Rad, climbs the nearby tree quickly. After securing the position, they¡¯d searched around carefully. Eventually, a something huge entering their vision.

    Two giant creatures that walk through the forest while resonating a heavy footstep. As assumed, their size would be categorized as duel class. However, they gulped their breath and opened their eyes in surprise.

    The shape of the giant creatures they could see between the trees. After all they are--a huge version of a ¡®human¡¯

    ¡°Are you kidding me, why there is a Silhouette Knight in here!?¡±

    ¡°???No. That not it, not at all. There¡¯s something wrong with them. Don¡¯t tell me, they are????!¡±

    And then, it was ¡®wearing¡¯ a ridiculously huge beast bone. From its size, they believe it was a bone equivalent or higher rank than duel class. Like before, it was ¡®equipping¡¯ an armor made by demonic beast. If only that, it can be said it was something like a Silhouette Knight.

    However, there was the most important dissimilarities. It was looking around with its one-eyed lid, from its mouth is hot and exhaling a moist breath. The partially exposed limbs possess the freshness of a blood vessel and the texture of flesh.

    Granted, this kind of titan is alive. Not a man-made titan, but a genuine ¡®living titan¡¯.

    ¡°???A giant. Not a Silhouette Knight????but a duel class giant in flesh!!¡±

    With that kind of cognition, a cold shiver ran down Eru back. Eighteen years have passed since he was born in this world. From the time he has spent, he was already used experiencing the existence of a monster that boast the huge body using magical power.

    If he thinks it carefully, it¡¯s not strange at all. Because if a mere beast was able to grows in size, there¡¯re possibility that humanoid creature will also grow in size.

    However, until this point, they have treated the man-made huge humanoid machine as a weapon. For them a titan is the best armed force of humanity, that is nothing other than a Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°For????a living giant exist. I-I won¡¯t allow that such thing???¡±

    Addy who confused and shaking in uneasiness state, grabs Eru¡¯s hand tightly. When he gave a smile, he points at the titan direction with his finger.

    ¡°If you look at the giant closely, aren¡¯t they wearing an armor that has been made with demonic beast¡¯s shell. That¡¯s also mean there¡¯s a crafting technology, and culture. Or even more, they have a language¡±

    ¡°????Fue!? Eeh, is, is that so. Eh, eeeh!?¡±

    Eru is staring down every titan moves. Due to the size, their body is heavy, and also, they have strong and robust muscle strength, probably using a strengthening magic. On their hand there¡¯s something like a club which mainly for hitting. The hand¡¯s finger is five, mostly same like a human do.

    Probably the armor had been made from demonic beast corpse. Bone, hide, and shell as the main materials, while any metallic part hasn¡¯t been seen yet. There are also decorative parts that had been made with fur and feathers, and it was clear they have a concept of a culture.

    The longer he looks at them, the much firmer Eru¡¯s face changes into a smile.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s follow the giant Addy¡±

    ¡°Ehh!? Are you serious Eru-kun¡±

    Addy shook her head in side. Naturally, if the other party is a mere demonic beast, it would not brother her. But she didn¡¯t even think to get close to a huge creature which could rivaling the Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°If we able to get that giant armor???we could do something with the outer skin. We can always use a bone. I guess it would be difficult to ¡®take off¡¯ their bone. What remaining is only Crystal Tissue, this is certainly difficult. However, this is much better than nothing at all!!¡±

    ¡°Are you jumping the conclusion too soon!? Say, it¡¯s a living giant. Are you not surprised at all?¡±

    Addy stunned while looking at Eru who confirming the reality in relaxed manner. Leaving aside the amazement and start looking for application first, certainly giving off a few screws already loose impression.

    ¡°How advanced do you think about their crafting skill? There¡¯s possibility of blacksmithing too? If so, building mutual relationship might even help us in a certain way¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so!? Eru-kun, its reassuring to see you like that but calm down first¡±

    Certainly, if the titan could have a blacksmith skill, it is likely to be more efficient than a normal human works. But it¡¯s not like they have to ask the unknown huge humanoid creature (possibly) to do some blacksmithing works. It can be said that anything is possible for his purpose.

    ¡°I know the threat of living humanoid giant. But wasn¡¯t more interesting than the two of us who wandering around the forest aimlessly. Well then let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°It would not good at all if this kind Eru-kun state¡±

    No matter how many unknown creatures, Eru will be Eru. And Eru who has found the purpose and a way to do it, is cannot be stopped. Addy eventually gave up and agreed to his proposal. Then the two of them start sneaking behind the titan.

    A very small creature has been mixed in the vast forest.

    In order to return what they have lost, a ship that flying in the sky once again advancing to the forest.

    The unknown tribes that lives in the forest, the titan.

    These encounters will later evoke an unprecedented tremor in the fearful Bocue Sea of Trees.

    Note:

    Terrestarle: Ground type Silhouette Knight. Undinestarle: Flying type Silhouette Knight.

 Book 7: Chapter 90: The Giantâ€™s Nation

    Beyond the Fremmevira Kindom, there was a vast woodland that covering the east side of Zetterlund continent. The forest is known as ¡®Bocuse Sea of Trees¡¯.

    There is no human that reigning this vast forest. Only countless demonic beast who power struggle to keep their own land.

    ¡®Silhouette Knight¡¯ human greatest weapon, a giant knight made from steel.

    In the past many people attempt to use this power for unlocking the path to the forest. But their ambition perished after facing the enormous demonic beast who loitering inside the forest.

    Since then no one permitted to enter, furthermore Bocuse Sea of Trees become a symbol of dread and terror.

    Amongst thick and dense trees, there was two giant beings are walking.

    Their height reaching 10 meters at maximum. Although every living being that living in this forest without exception is demonic beast, and with that size most of them can also categorized as ¡®Duel Class Demonic Beast¡¯.

    Utilizing the super physical power known as ¡®Magic Phenomenon¡¯, the demonic beast can enormously make their body huge and increasing their destroying ability.

    But those two were different from demonic beast.

    After all, they were wearing ¡®Armor¡¯ that made by demonic beast¡¯s leather and bone. Behind the armor they wearing, there is absurd swells in their muscular body, moreover they were stepping on the ground by their two feet.

    Yes, these two massive creatures that shaped like a human, in other word a ¡°Titan¡±.

    The cause of this large beast trail, because there were many duel classes demonic beast that active in the forest. These two titans walking on the gap stepped by enormous beast before.

    One of them wearing demonic beast skull¡¯s helmet, within the helmet, there was huge one eyelid while looking around.

    On the hand, there was a primeval axe that made by combining stone with huge log and moving forward cautiously. Even thought the axe was shaggy, it sure can demonstrate the great power by the weight itself.

    While the other titan has different characteristic from the one-eyed titan.

    A large body with full of vigor and strength, wearing more complicated armor which decorated by lots of fur in some places.

    Their biggest difference was behind their helmet. There were additional small eyes than the one-eyed titan.

    In brief, he is the ¡®Third eyes Titan¡¯.

    While the one-eyed regularly looking cautious, the third eyed one moving forward casually without care.

    Eventually, the one-eyed who slightly late behind hurriedly increase the pace and then regaining the sight of third eyed back.

    There was something conspicuous in there. An extended baggage warped by demonic beast¡¯s leather.

    While mentioning the contents, the one-eyed titan began to open his mouth.

    ¡°???Third Eyed Seat (Tertias Okrys), we were lucky this time. Who knows we can obtain stained beast (Cretvastia) husk while still intact¡±

    Likewise, the third eyed titan still not looking back.

    ¡°So dull, ended without a scratch. I am the one who went to fight. Gathering leftovers was subservient responsibility, right?¡±

    ¡°However????however it was Cretvastia. When I hear many eyes of Brave (Fortissimos) has fallen into their mouth, as I thought I cannot think other than the hundred eyes (Algos)¡±

    At last, the third eyed titan start to slow down, and then facing to one-eyed titan forehead.

    ¡°But, there is something interesting. Someone beside me has defeated Cretvastia. Was its beast? Or human? Eventually a foe worthy of the Fortissimos, surely we will face each other???¡±

    The third eyed titan pursed his lips so ferociously that looks like a grin, while the one-eyed titan become stiff when seeing that.

    The one-eyed titan was just a servant (Almygera) who also cannot display the ragging heart that only the Fortissimos can hold. Because the one who can hold courage is only the Fortissimos.

    ¡°Anyway, we must tell the Sorcerer (Marga) about this. Let¡¯s hurry¡±

    After he say that, the third eyed titan hurriedly turn his foot, while the one-eyed titan quickly after him.

    Then after going through the beast trail, they eventually leave the forest and went to open space.

    There is a settlement in there. A place similar to them, a settlement where the titan lives.

    The building arranged side by side and made with timber framing while covered in demonic beast¡¯s leather. There is not many of them. And it seems that¡¯s is not too large reminding of their scale.

    But there are the sites where the titans live. Of course, every house was massively huge. The leather that used for covering was at least duel class or something more than that. Or they must use that kind of material to support their huge housing.

    The two titan that passed through the forest procced to the center of the settlement.

    In the middle of the route, the titans living in the settlement sighted two of them, and after calling around they were gathered in one place.

    By the time two of them arrived in the center of the settlement, they were surrounded by the titan who living in the village.

    Their number didn¡¯t even reach 20 titans. In this small clan living on the village was relatively common for them.

    Then the third eyed titan look around the surrounding, focused his power and raise his voice.

    ¡°I am the Third Eyed Seat of Brave (Fortissimos De Terrias Okrys) now have finished the battle and returned!¡±

    In response of his screech, the enclosed villagers opened his path.

    Behind of them, a titan slowly stepped out from the biggest settlement in the village.

    Every titan who assembled in this place have different appearance.

    Most of them have giant figure representing their name as a titan, but there are also children among of them. There were also men and women, furthermore there is also distinguishing variation that can be seen.

    The titan living in this place have a constant number of eyes.

    There were one-eyed and two additional pair of eyes mixed in them. Only two titan who have tree eyes including the Brave (Fortissimos) that just now have returned.

    And there was a titan who come from the biggest settlement.

    Dressed in gaudy clothes that collected with gorgeous demonic beast material.

    In one glance anybody could understand the specialness of that titan because the other titan is wearing clothes that made from fur and already plain enough.

    A lot of wrinkles inscribed on the faces. Unlike the others, the limb was too thin to walk. Exactly an elderly woman, the aged titan.

    However, the four eyes that buried in that wrinkle staring quietly deep in the mind.

    The third eyed titan place his arm and kneeling before her while keeping open only one eyes on his forehead.

    Beside him the one-eyed titan took similar position and his eyes was not closed.

    ¡°The Sorcerer of Four Eyes Seat (Marga De Quortos Okrys) I have been returned from the battle¡±

    The old woman looks at them with her four eyes and nodded.

    ¡°You have returned well, Fortissimos. Did you fight well?¡±

    ¡°Nay, we do not archive the victory¡±

    The moment he said so, the buzzling sound echoed on the shocking truth.

    ¡°Then what did you obtain?¡±

    ¡°Please look at this!¡±

    The third eyed titan presenting the load he was carrying on the back. What came out from him was a long and thin developed horn which similar to demonic beast shell.

    The moment she saw that, a groan leaked out from the old woman mouth. Continued, the unpleasant sound rumbling among the surrounding titan.

    ¡°Ooh, this is surely the stained beast (Cretvastia)¡±

    ¡°Did you slay it? What a bravery! As I expected of our Fortissimos!¡±

    ¡°It was strange isn¡¯t? Why did Fortissimos say it is not prevailed?¡±

    Ignoring the surrounding noises, the fourth eyes woman looks at him with immerse eyes.

    Concerning about that, the third eyed Fortissimos began to explain.

    ¡°My sorcerer (Marga). Unfortunately, it was not me who slay this beast. Someone already slayed it before we obtained this from the fallen corpse¡±

    ¡°I see, therefore it was not your victory? But even so, it will not change your determination to fight at all¡±

    He still keeps his posture while resuming his stance.

    ¡°Not only that. There is still countless corpse out there, we only pick this one¡±

    The old titan woman slightly extends the wrinkles covering her faces.

    ¡°????was it true? I wonder what kind of living being able to resist this spreading stained calamity. And with that many????¡±

    ¡°I am do not know. There is only Cretvastia¡¯s corpse in that place¡±

    When the old woman impulsively thinks over it. The villagers began to shivering after hearing those two stories.

    ¡°Then, if the Cretvastia has been defeated. Was this will be our opportunity?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Without Cretvastia, we will not afraid of Rubel clan (Genos De Rubel)!¡±

    ¡°Messenger. Send the messenger, ask the enquiry to the new wise man!¡±

    The piled-up enthusiasm was pushed out when the fourth eyes old woman got enraged.

    ¡°Silence! I will not allow any reckless movement!¡±

    The old woman strikes the ground with the staff she held.

    Although the titan calmed for a moment, they starting to argue viciously.

    ¡°Now the Cretvastia has fallen, there is no other reason to afraid Rubel clan!¡±

    ¡°It might not be the whole beast. Besides, do not regard your opponent as being inferior to yourself, we already losing by our number¡±

    The old woman gradually took control the situation. She carefully choosing her words not to fuel the further conflict.

    when the titans begun to calm down, one of them open their mouth and murmuring.

    ¡°However My Sorcerer, you might already known this. They do not befit the throne properly. The previous wise man didn¡¯t worthy the selection of hundred eyes at all. This kind of savagery cannot be tolerated. Someday it would be necessary to ask the enquiry¡±

    The old woman slightly narrowed her four eyes between the wrinkles, and think deeply this time.

    ¡°Listen everyone. There is no other than me who surpassing the four eyes sorcerer. Even if I must sacrifice my eyes, we will not hesitate. But I am already aged too much. Without eyes that can inherit me, I cannot offer my eyes lightly¡±

    The titan correspondingly calmed down and reproved.

    And then the brave of third eyed who quietly listen for a while, begun to stand up and looked at the old woman in ease.

    ¡°My Sorcerer, we must inform this to other clan. If we ask, their eyes might be opened after that¡±

    ¡°Do not be hasty, Fortissimos. Will you going to repeat the same mistake like before? Whatever it was by force, we still cannot stop the savagery that Rubel clan has done. Far from that, aren¡¯t we just stick at each other throat?¡±

    The brave of third eyes is filled with no word to return.

    Enemy of our enemy is allies, he cannot say that nonchalantly. In fact, the bitter history where they cannot defeat their opponent when joined hands still exist.

    ¡°But, you have your point there. There is someone who occurring this cause, whoever it was, must not able to keep silent for a longer time. For now, we must close our eyes????we must wait for the right time¡±

    After the crowd has calmed down the fourth eyed old woman grasped the horn with allegiance and told him majestically.

    ¡°The Third Eyed Seat of Brave (Fortissimos De Terrias Okrys), I will praise your courage. You must decorate this stained beast¡¯s horn with honor¡±

    ¡°Acknowledged. The hundred eyes, be my witness!¡±

    The old woman bestowed the demonic beast horn while the third eyed of brave receive it graciously.

    Even thought it was obtained from the fallen corpse, the deed of arm ceremony was acknowledged by exchanging the horn. It was very important for them to decorate them self with the demonic beast where have been defeated with their own power.

    By griping the horn, he raised his hand.

    ¡°Even thought this is what I am got from fallen corpse, next time I will decorate it after taking it down myself!¡±

    With that yell, the titans began to shout each other.

    ¡°Fortissimos! Fortissimos! Fortissimos!¡±

    The time he knocks his fist and stomp the ground heavily. The surrounding titan began to shout with joy in every direction.

    While the titans gathered and bounded in frenzy, there is tranquil gaze that keep staring at them.

    A human shaped figure who located on the forest encircling the settlement, while standing in the highest tree trunk.

    The two shaped human that rather far too small compared those raging titans.

    Those two small figures were Ernesti and Edeltrud. Using his skill to hunt demonic beast as a knight, they secretly follow the titan¡¯s trail after encountering them in the forest.

    ¡°What is this????that such thing¡±

    Addy embraced Eru with her might by using her hand.

    She was trembled on seeing the spectacle right now.

    ¡°This is truly shocking. Leave aside the giant have a culture to speak????¡±

    Not only her, Eru was also astonished. That reason is.

    ¡°????to think we can also ¡®understand¡¯ it too¡±

    Eru as a human has very different entity than a titan.

    Although they were shaped like a human, as long they have knowledge and culture, its not strange if they can also speak.

    However, the language they speak was too similar on what Eru have been expected. Of course, some of it might be wrong but, most of it you can understand it briefly.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!? Who??? are they? I thought they might be a demonic beast who shaped like a human but, it¡¯s not????¡±

    Addy as the knight runner who have been in the battle field countless time.

    When she was facing the demonic beast whatever it was duel class or division class, she would not frighten at them. Because of their destructive nature, to human demonic beast is beyond understanding.

    But the scene in front of her was nothing like comprehension. And the unusual feeling slowly builds up deep inside her.

    ¡°???In other words, we can converse with them. Then, can they understand us too?¡±

    ¡°Eeh!? Eru-kun, are you perhaps planning to speak with them!?¡±

    Addy become surprised the moment she heard the bizarre words within his arm.

    ¡°Just as I thought, we shouldn¡¯t do that before we know it was safe or not. But, let¡¯s think it as an option in emergency situation¡±

    ¡°It, it might be so, but????¡±

    Instead replying for the right choice, she was already embracing him tightly.

    While the gust of wind blowing Addy who still briskly hugging him, in meantime Eru was listening to the titan¡¯s silliness.

    ¡°Oh, look at that the horn they brought. That is the bug demonic beast¡¯s shell. Ufufufu, so they were called ¡®Stained Beast¡¯ (Cretvastia), huh. Ahahaha, surely, I remember that my nemesis¡±

    ¡°So you did really hear that?????¡±

    Somehow Addy finally reach her limit and leaking out a long sigh.

    ¡°Oh my, Eru-kun! Although they somewhat looks like human but it was giant proportionately like duel class demonic beast, right? And then they were talking! Isn¡¯t that absurd. Did you even think it was scary??? or creepy?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Now I wanted to learn them more. Of course, you need to do that properly, right?¡±

    He was acting usually at this kind of situation, somehow being upset at him become more and more ridiculous.

    Thus, without noticing Addy stopped being upset and starting to observe the titan calmly.

    ¡°But it is somewhat strange isn¡¯t it? Their word somewhat archaic, right? Kind of hard to understand¡±

    ¡°It seems they have different linguistic after all, I thought it was same at first¡±

    After observing them for a while, they seem begin to scattering around.

    Some of them back to settlement, and the latter back to work.

    After watching all of that Eru began to fold his arm and think deeply.

    ¡°Well then, what kind of approach we need? Even though they have culture, their movement are pretty wild. And pleasant approach might be impossible after all????¡±

    ¡°Uuu, as I thought you are serious about it, Eru-kun¡±

    ¡°Of course. In regard we able to communicate, they might have some kind of technology. So we still have hope to have them repair our Silhouette Knight¡±

    Certainly, it would be more efficient if they leave it to those titans.

    But it doesn¡¯t mean abruptly ask to do smiting on the gigantic human shaped demonic beast (guesses), that is insane.

    In the end, he is choosing what would the best for his beloved Silhouette Knight.

    Although, there is a limit in everything but, without that much confidence, it sure would be hard to survive.

    Leaving aside the titan attitude, Addy begin to tilt her head with anxious looks.

    ¡°I wonder it would turn out well????¡±

    ¡°From the start it would be not good. Even if we fail, we can confirm them as an enemy, so it would not futile at all¡±

    That was not the problem. As she though that, she immediately given up on reciting that.

    Besides, it can¡¯t be helped if she was thinking it was someone else¡¯s problem. Somewhat, it was necessary to take action than do nothing.

    ¡°Anyway, we need more information. If possible, we need to know their lifestyle and culture, after that we will decide if we wanted to negotiate or make them an enemy¡±

    ¡°Then, how about sneak in?¡±

    Eru nods.

    ¡°We should not come from the front. Let¡¯s wait for a moment and sneak in at night¡±

    Reminding their height difference, it might be not difficult to sneak in. They are already certain to collaborate with the darkness cautiously.

    But Addy cannot remove her anxious feeling.

    ¡°I hope some of them can do smiting. Moreover, it would be great if they can lend us their power. While at it repairing Ikaruga might be good too¡±

    In contrast with the unlimited possibilities, Eru busily thinking a lot of thing.

    Eventually the day is falling down and the darkness of the night covering through the forest.

    The moonlight began to pour down, with the mysterious howling that goes through the trees.

    Unlike when daytime, the nighttime in titan settlement warped in tranquility.

    As Eru thought, the titans seem to have habit to sleep at night.

    There is something like jet black shadow running around of giant houses in the settlement. Eru and Addy who wearing silhouette gear.

    They were far too small compared to the size of the titan¡¯s house, because of that they able to move stealthily.

    In addition, they were capable to flying around by using enhancement magic, but still difficult enough not able to see clearly in the darkness.

    In the end they were sniggling each other in the edge of titan¡¯s house while looking up figuring the scenery.

    ¡°Somehow I feel like a mouse crawling in the house¡±

    ¡°Now then, our objective is not to find some food. However, let¡¯s find any information as many we can before we got caught¡±

    While Eru pointing it the direction, Addy began to going up using the silhouette gear.

    Those two secretly crept into the house where the titan live and residing.

    In the house there is no light can be seen, it was completely dark.

    Actually, there was a gap on the top, but most of the light cannot penetrates the house layer because it was made using double structure. Furthermore, the doorway was closed up with a curtain, so even the moonlight cannot past through it.

    If those two listens carefully, they can hear the heavy breathing that caused by the titan on the back of darkness.

    A normal respiratory sound, it seems they were already sleep and doesn¡¯t seem like moving at all.

    ¡°Buut, can see anything¡±

    ¡°Umu, it seems more troublesome than I thought¡±

    The two of them whisper with lowered voice.

    There is no light or whatsoever. So, they couldn¡¯t begin their investigation. Nonetheless, no matter how deep the titan sleep, they still doubtful to light a lamp.

    Then, their situation now in a deadlock.

    ¡°What a blunder, we cannot investigate anything at this rate¡±

    ¡°It is dangerous?????we still don¡¯t know where the giant too¡±

    It was too dangerous to wake the titan in this darkness.

    After trying anything, in the end the two of them give up their investigation and went out from the house.

    What only left is just an ordinary titan¡¯s sleeping breath.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªthat what supposed to happed but, their sleeping was interrupted.

    Within the darkness, there is huge presents getting up. It moves like a massive wild beast who hold its breath.

    At the time, the moonlight caught Eru and Addy who just recently went out from the house.

    ¡°As I expected, the giant sleep at night. However, it sure hard to find anything without light¡±

    ¡°In the case, how about sneak in during daytime?¡±

    ¡°Although it was dangerous, it seems there is no other choice. What shall we do???then????ah¡±

    That was something Eru planning on what to do next.

    Blocking the fickle moonlight, there is a big shadow cuts out their surroundings.

    The two of them look up and raised their faces.

    Something very large just now come out from the titan¡¯s house¡ª¡ª¡ªthat was a head.

    That head alone able to surpass Eru height several times.

    A titan, there is no other word than that.

    On the face that cast a shadow, the three eyes sparkled in reflection of the ground.

    Wilts Fortissimos Terrias Okrys De Caelleus, one of the Clan of Titan (Astragali). The titan frowned when stared on a small creature within his feet.

    As if a creature that looks like them but smaller.

    He does recognize their identity, and also as well their ¡®owner¡¯¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Goblin? Why you are here????don¡¯t tell me you rascal! Aren¡¯t you the goblin that kept in Rubel Clan!!¡±

    ¡°Ehh?¡±

    Even thought Eru and Addy know what he speaks, they didn¡¯t understand what he means at all.

    Ignoring those two who still at bewilderment, the agitated titan quickly grabbed a weapon near him.

    ¡°I could see their pained looks losing the stained beast! However, being able to snoop around with a goblin alone, their eyes sure had been cloudy!!¡±

    ¡°No, you are mistaken. I think you got wrong person¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun!? This is not time to respond it calmly!?¡±

    A huge club swing down on them when two of them begin reciting each other.

    Because of the titan¡¯s huge weapon hitting the ground, a small like explosive sound echoing around the settlement while the others titan waking up from their slumber.

    Note: I intend to take over the translation from vol 7. Cause, I hear the previous translator still planning to translate vol 6 epilogue.

 Book 7: Chapter 91: Letâ€™s Start Conversation with a Giant

    Even though it was so dark, the stone axe overwhelming destructive power have been proved closely.

    The third eyed titan staring at the goblin who dwells in the dark. The next moment, the limb¡¯s muscle swing down the stone axe violently.

    The raw physical strength who will inherit the Brave (Fortissimos) name. There is nothing like a mere goblin who can escape that overwhelming attack.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªIf that was a goblin then.

    The one who stood again him were the strongest knight order of Fremmevira Kingdom. Ernesti Echavalier the commander of Silver Phoenix Knight and his number one disciple Adeltrud Olter.

    Didn¡¯t even need glances at the titan, using the ¡®Gun Staff¡¯ on the hand, they already completed the ¡®script¡¯ in their ¡®magius circuit¡¯.

    No one know how many times they have used that kind of magical phenomenon. Because they now don¡¯t even need to think anymore.

    By using the script, the air has been amassed and compressed, and it can be guided thru launching the high pressure.

    Eru and Addy who have been utilizing the ¡®Aero Thrust¡¯ magic, flies around the midair.

    As soon as that giant axe smashing the ground where the spot those two belong before. The outburst-like force shimmering down the ground, with the titan¡¯s weapon which is overly sized than a human height.

    A blunt explosion noise, roaring through the serene night.

    ¡°Nu!?¡±

    His frame as third eyed of brave was not just for show, but.

    He caught the glimpse of the goblins who had jump faster than his strike and escaped right before the direct hit.

    He surprisingly opened his eyes. And with that shock alone unblocking the dust that have been covering him.

    ¡°How dare someone like goblin able to escape my attack!?¡±

    He is the Brave (Fortissimos)¡ª¡ª¡ªthe strongest and highest position in the village.

    The fact that a mere undersized goblin able avoid the attack, hurt his eyes too much.

    The time he starts running by lowering his hips, the clacking sound made from his teeth can be heard clearly.

    Break through the dust, and leaped to the goblin who wanted to run away into the darkness.

    ¡ô

    Without waiting the titan who still at full of rage, Eru and Addy began to turn their back.

    ¡°Umu, I couldn¡¯t agree with this. Even though we are not goblin or anything¡±

    ¡°Aah, enough! You can do that latter! Moreover, what should we do now!?¡±

    The titan has a huge step, his movement speed is very fast despite he was just sprinting.

    Even though the two of them using aero thrust magic and move like a bullet, the titan still able to catch up them.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s withdraw to the forest!¡±

    Without further ado, the two of them run into the darkness between trees shade.

    The titan also followed them from the behind without much thinking. Yet, after entering the forest, his advance come to a halt.

    ¡°Kuh!? Curse you!¡±

    It was difficult to track ¡®small animal trail¡¯ who ran away in the forest at night. Also, it would be impossible to find small animal who move swiftly like that.

    He was drifting in the fury while gazing at the dark forest. His mind become clouded because of the sound of the trees combined with small animal who running in the dark.

    ¡°?????Being able to escape from me. No matter how small are they, do not disregard them, huh?¡±

    He stares at the forest with a sheer expression for a while, eventually shook his head and return to the village.

    At the time when the Brave come back to the village, every titan who hear the commotion gathering up and waiting for him.

    And in the center, there is a four eyes old woman who also called ¡®The Sorcerer¡¯.

    ¡°Brave, such commotion in the middle of night. What¡¯s happened?¡±

    ¡°My Sorcerer. There are a few goblins who snoop around something. Feasibly, they were from Rubel Clan¡±

    ¡°Oh my?????£¡¡°

    Between the titan, the buzzling sound echoed on them.

    The fourth eyed old woman began to close her eyes, afterward she opened her mouth.

    ¡°????Goblins. There is no other clan who keep them other than Rubel Clan. To depend on that miserable eyes, what a bunch of wretched clan. Then, where this goblin now?¡±

    ¡°Regrettably, their leg is so hasty and have run away. ????as the one who inherit the brave name, this is a disgrace¡±

    The Brave kneeling down while closing his pair of eyes. The stone axe in his hand making a thump sound as he grasped it.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can heed for now. Soon or latter, someone might know about the corpse of stained beast hearsay. However, to think Rubel Clan using goblin to move around. How prominent of them to do such an extent???¡±

    ¡°My Sorcerer. There should not be only goblin here, it¡¯s insufferable for Rubel Clan to sustain their eyes closed¡±

    The old woman nods back at the Brave words.

    If the goblin loafing around the village, there must be someone nearby who control it. They were certain a titan from the Rubel Clan might be hiding somewhere in the forest.

    ¡°What a fool. Rubel Clan is being impatient. ????Everyone listen! Let¡¯s send a messenger. We must convey this to our neighbor clan¡±

    ¡°My Sorcerer, in that case, I will be going!?¡±

    The surrounding titan who listening the Brave and old woman began to murmur in lower voice.

    ¡°Our eyes already opened. Before the Rubel Clan begin their move, we must joint with various clan and ask the enquiry to the wise man. Without any delay. Everyone, we must prepare¡±

    To respond the old woman phrase, every titan arising out their war cry. In a short moment, the tranquil forest quaked and the birds fly at once in dismayed state.

    To not being pursued by those madness, two small human shaped shadows run past through the forest.

    ¡ô

    The environment of titan settlement within that night has changed completely.

    ¡°Prepare for hunting!¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself in armor! Display our courage without question!!¡±

    This situation, usually were no different from hunting for food. But their behavior become too enthusiastic.

    The amount of armament has increased several times than usual.

    In addition, targeting a demonic beast that normally didn¡¯t often to hunt before.

    For example, the robust crustacean. The demonic beast which have a larger body than the titan.

    It possesses overwhelming toughness which requires considerable amount of effort and endurance to hunt. An opponent whose didn¡¯t really efficient to hunt.

    For such opponent, the titan grouped together enhancing their attack persistently.

    As not to damaging the shell as possible. Aiming its weak point at the gap of the shell, a truly time-consuming attack strategy.

    Eventually the massive demonic beast become weakened and then collapse into the ground.

    ¡°Alright, pull it!!¡±

    With the synchronized yell, every titan pulls the massive load. By placing the demonic beast on lined logs, they pull it by using a rope made from demonic beast hair.

    No matter how superior the titan¡¯s strength is, it sure difficult to transport a demonic beast that surpass battalion class in one go.

    The titans pass through the forest with triumphant war cry while carrying massive demonic beast carcass.

    The population in Kaelleous Clan¡¯s settlement is not too many from the start.

    Most of them preceding to hunt, but a small number of them, heading to different route.

    Their attire was also different from when hunting, and they also will not return for several days or weeks. Their duty as a messenger leading them to travel around to another clan within the forest.

    To ask an enquiry to the wise man, they need to assemble at least 6 number of clans.

    The titan is relatively use small number of clans as a central to relay the message.

    ¡°Today is the big catch! Well, then everyone, let¡¯s do our best!¡±

    The prey that had been hunted brought to their settlement.

    Every whole of them regardless of whether they are man or woman, went to hunting and also every one of them begin to handle the prey.

    The demonic beast skin will become soft after they lose its strengthening magic when they died. After it, disassembling them will be an easy task.

    The titan peel of the shell as if they were already used to this, afterward they mince the meat.

    Tanning the skin, lining up the bone. Excluding the fresh meat for today feast, the leftover must made into dried meat.

    Although, there is no reason for them to preserve the meat, because for most titan always consume what they hunt at that day.

    But now, they must prepare for approaching occasion, to ask the enquiry to the wise man.

    They were carefully maintained their weapon, cleansing the whole place, and then back to their own house with a leather and shell on their hand.

    The material they hunt today used to strengthen their hunting attire like armor or fur coats.

    They can make it durable and flexible by combining the hard shell and leather to replace the old and damaged part.

    By twisting the demonic beast hair, they can make simple thread or sometimes they even use demonic beast sinews as substitute.

    Including the battalion class demonic beast¡¯ material, the armor it self become firmer than before.

    The beast material that has been gathered by themselves, will be acknowledged by the Hundred Eyes (Algos) and will bless them with greater power if they use that material to make the armor.

    Soon or later, their preparation has come to close.

    ¡ô

    Morning has come, the light shine down the Bocuse Sea of Trees.

    Countless number of animal living in the forest start poking out their head, and bustles with its fullest.

    As the small demonic beast raises, the fluttering noises imbued through every tree.

    Ernesti opened his eyes when that peaceful melody going through his ear.

    The leaf that covering his face, instantly falls away from his sight. He was in the top of huge tree dotted within the forest.

    Eru began to stretch his body, peeks out his face from the edge and looking out at the condition below the tree.

    At the same time, Addy who began to move fidgety after noticing Eru has been awake. Stretching out her arm and then embracing Eru who observing down below the tree.

    ¡°???Eru-kun????is something happened?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing particular nearby. Even the Sound Chirping Bird (Ring-ring Bird) is still sleeping, right?¡±

    The place where they still sleep-talking each other.

    A bird-like hemispherical place, made by compiling tree branch and leaves¡ª¡ªactually, it was really the bird¡¯s nest itself.

    Though in the center of it, there is a big bird that can extend its wing up to 10 m. Of course, it was categorized as duel class demonic beast.

    Of all things, they snuck out into duel class demonic beast¡¯s nest, from all this time they have been using the demonic beast itself as a pillow.

    Although that kind of deeds can be said as reckless, obviously they won¡¯t do that such thing without clear reason.

    This big bird is a species with possessing the friendliest characteristic amongst demonic beast, besides it doesn¡¯t feed on human.

    It also posses interesting trait, it will ignore any presence that would not endanger itself, but it will react perceptively when it senses any danger even if just only a slight of it.

    When it got endangered, it would cause intense cry while notifying its kind, that¡¯s why it called Ring-ring Bird.

    Eru and Addy who took it as their property, utilizing the demonic alarm device, moreover using its feather as pillow to sleep.

    Furthermore, even their silhouette gear placed inside the nest.

    Despite the fact it is placed at the edge of the nest with some diffidence. Without any covering, it was arranged to able get in at any time they want.

    No matter how much they can be exploited, they must not forget to be cautious.

    And when they enfolded in drowsy, the big bird indicated a slight nervousness.

    The dozing bird immediately reveal its pupil, and began to steer its neck impatiently.

    Those two who notice it, peered down again from the edge of the nest.

    A huge human shaped shadow can be seen between the forest¡¯s trees. Soon after confirming that, the two of them withdrew their head.

    ¡°Uun. The giant still wandering around the forest. Are they still looking for us?¡±

    ¡°Assuming that is the case, it¡¯s not like they were still resentful about it but????rather, they were only targeting demonic beast. Maybe it was something like a hunting season for them. Umu????¡±

    While crossing his arm and bothering something, no clear answer can be obtained yet.

    Because of their previous investigation ended with failure, there is no way for them to know the titan circumstances.

    However, no matter what is the circumstances, having the titan aggressively moving around is sure bothersome.

    It doesn¡¯t matter how vast the forest is, they cannot foresee when they will meet next, and even if they happened to meet, for sure they will be attacked again without question.

    ¡°This is not good, I can¡¯t see the situation. Anyway, we still didn¡¯t have many cards to play¡±

    The big bird loosening its nervousness since the titan already passed by.

    As Eru praises and patted the wing. The big bird catches the glimpse of him for a moment and then lost its interest while closing the eyes.

    ¡°Well then, I believe we must consider how to take opponent card soon¡±

    ¡°It would be troublesome if we don¡¯t do something about the giant, right?¡±

    Eru and Addy who leaning on the big bird, thinking about what they planning from now on.

    ¡ô

    In the other place, not far from the center of the forest.

    There is a three eyes titan. The Brave who walking without fear like usual.

    Since accepting the blessing, he always keeps leading even at the hunting time.

    The three eyes of his seeking around the trees, and then discovering a beast¡¯s traces there. Although, it was hard to find the trace of small beings, but it would be different story if the target was a demonic beast.

    Below from the large tree, there is a dung scattered around the tree¡¯s root.

    Of course, it was dropped from the top. When the titan trying to look up, there is a nest which made by combining tree¡¯s branches and leaves.

    ¡°Sound Chirping Bird, huh????alright¡±

    He knows the demonic beast who live in that nest. For a titan, this kind of prey is not worthy to eat but their feathers are good for decorations.

    To meet and ask the enquiry for wise man, it was important to decorate the armor. Because armor value is not just stiffness at all.

    As the Brave thought that way, the titan grab holds of boulder that loitering around of him.

    Immediately, the Ring-ring bird opened its eyes. In a flash, a loud ¡®alarm¡¯ noise ringing from its beak.

    Eru and Addy were tripped over due to loud cry blaring them at the close range. In the same time, the big bird flapping its wing and jumped from its nest without hesitation.

    Immediately afterwards, a bulk of rock come flying through the nest.

    Penetrating the branches and leaves on its way, leaving a huge hole in the nest. It was really tremendous strength.

    ¡°Addy!¡±

    Although their ear still ringing, Eru and Addy were forced to make a move.

    Addy who start up the silhouette gear as soon she rides, leap into the nearest tree branch.

    ¡°Throwing, huh? I thought there is no tools that can be used in this forest¡±

    They soon spotted it if they look at the ground, the glaring eyes. The figure of a glaring titan who look at the Ring-ring bird direction.

    ¡°Eru-kun this is our chance! It would be fine right if we didn¡¯t let this guy free right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this also good opportunity for us. Let¡¯s go talk a bit with him¡±

    After Addy said that, moodily. Eru responds it with a refreshing smile.

    Afterward, the two of them jumped off from the tree branches.

    ¡°What a fast bird as ever. It¡¯s hard to hunt at this distance¡±

    While watching the loud-cries shriek from the distance, the third eyes brave click his tongue.

    Because of the Ring-ring bird special trait, they will inform the threat to their kind. For awhile they will be alerted and will not able to hunt easily.

    It can¡¯t be helped if it was a failure. As soon the titan wants to walk away, a faint noise entering his ears.

    The titan looks around quickly, eventually he found a small human-like figure standing in the tree branch.

    ¡°????What, a goblin! To think hiding in this such place¡±

    His eyes shine brightly, and then his mouth began to grin twistedly.

    At the same time, Eru who noticed something start to narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°That voice, I do recognize it. It seems you are the same giant from other day. This might be some kind of fate¡±

    ¡°What a luck. To able face my failure again. This time, for sure wipe it!¡±

    The whole titan body infused with his fighting spirit. The titan gathering his power not solely for hunting but for a hot-blooded battle.

    ¡°Goblin. Your luck already ran out without your owner eyes¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything at all. As I told you many times before, we were not being kept by anyone at all¡±

    The Brave face loose its smile after hearing the fearless Eru answer.

    By slowly moving forward while measuring the distance, he glares at the top of the branch.

    ¡°You awfully talk a lot. Are you saying you are ¡®stray¡¯? Then it would not necessary to snoop around didn¡¯t you¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to know about you guys¡±

    ¡°I cannot understand. Just ask to your owner is enough for that. But????I no longer emit any more word¡±

    The titan who carefully shorten the distance, landing his last step.

    At the same time, the stone axe cut down the branch into a small piece.

    Eru who think ahead, jumped out in the midair. As if they have been replaced, Eru now attempting to leap over the titan, but resulting the stone axe bounced up.

    Eru who still in the midair, by utilizing aero thruster magic he forcefully change the direction.

    The stone axe swings into the sky once again, and pierced through the ground pointlessly.

    ¡°What a feat to able avoid my attack continuously! For a mere goblin, you are not bad. However!¡±

    ¡°Honestly, what a giant! Was it your word is only for show!?¡±

    For a stone axe that used to beat huge demonic beast easily, sure have a bad affinity when aiming at small opponent.

    Yet, despite having been evaded countlessly, the titan swung up the stone axe again.

    With attack combining on stepping in, Eru once again avoided it.

    But, at that time Eru felt something wrong. There is something suspicious¡ª¡ªsoon he notices the reason. The titan¡¯s third eye is always glancing his figure.

    The titan is not only having a lot of eyes. As consequence, their field of vision is wide and also have outstanding dynamic vision.

    When they mean glaring at the prey is.

    ¡°!!¡±

    The stone axe that supposedly cutting an air, suddenly curved like a living being, and chasing after Eru in three times.

    Eru immediately change aero thruster direction but, what most terrifying is, the stone axe also able to change the trajectories.

    The Brave¡¯s cheek filled with grinning.

    When he swings the stone axe, he deliberately pulls his strength. And by suppressing the momentum, he can move the stone axe freely. His aim was the gap between prey¡¯s movement.

    For a titan, it was easy thing to do swinging without momentum. Even if Eru got hit from stone axe, he cannot come off without a hitch after all.

    Complicated movement to freely swing the huge stone axe with such weight, all of that due to the strength of the titan.

    The stone axe raises its roar and approaching Eru.

    In front of approaching a large mass. What on earth was he thinking, by posing up the gun staff to the front.

    Is he planning to catch a huge stone axe with that thin gun staff? There is no way to think other than desperation.

    Even so, he still took his gun staff toward the stone axe¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªin a second, there is compressive-air outburst occurred.

    Eru¡¯s body blown off like a tree¡¯s leaf after being overwhelmed by raging wind storms.

    The gathered air functioning as a cushion, furthermore he was able to escape to the distance.

    ¡°Sonic Boom????it¡¯s been a long time huh?¡±

    As it is turn around in the midair, by using Air suspension magic he slowly going down to the ground.

    ¡°Whaat????!?¡±

    Before the spectacle, even the Brave start to distrusted his eyes to that extent.

    Although, swiftly avoiding the attack was still relatable. But, able to survive after receiving the overwhelming titan attack from the front is too unbearable for him.

    The Brave has a preconceived view toward the goblin as he has strength to crush them in piece.

    The titan began to forgot lifting up the stone axe, and then a smile broke into his faces.

    ¡°How could????haha! To able survive that! Goblin, I must apologize to you! For a mere goblin, you are the worthy Brave opponent. Then I am also, as a Brave will not display shameful fight! Hundred eyes, be my witness!¡±

    The titan acknowledged, he had no choice to admit it. In front of him, there is no mere goblin at all, he is worthy opponent who should not be disregarded.

    Therefore, as the Third Eyed Seat of Brave (Fortissimos De Terrias Okrys), he completely changed his posture.

    ¡°????you are really selfish, huh? None of mutual understanding can be done. Fine, Let¡¯s hear it even if it just an obstinacy¡±

    Finally, Eru has reached the point to give up.

    He was preferring to negotiate, if they could start a proper conversation. With his ability, evading any attack was not hard at all.

    But, the titan in front of him somewhat convinced by himself, furthermore increasing his wariness. It was not the vibe that makes proper conversation at all

    There is one way to converse with a battle junkie.

    ¡°I have one favor for me before we fight¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rule talking in the middle of the fight??? but, for a mere goblin. Fine, it would be your last word. I will consider it¡±

    He leans the stone axe on his shoulder, and then the Third Eyed of Brave look down with overconfident manner.

    If this was a battle between titan, exchanging conversation before the fight is considered become useless when the fight begins.

    However, this time is not a titan but a goblin. Was it the strongest composure or the matter of enthusiasm? The third eyed titan seems interested enough to hear it.

    After nodding, Eru nonchalantly opened his mouth

    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else¡±

    ¡°????what?¡±

    The titan who excused him to speak. Intentionally respond with that kind of doubtful condition, he concerned about this stupidity.

    Still, the next word he speaks make the titan speechless.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to your village, and fight there in front of everyone¡±

    Without confirming the true meaning in Eru words, the titan has no word to reply. Even the Brave, began to doubt his weariness.

    ¡°In this fight with no meaning at all, should be displayed only once. Well, please guide me there¡±

    Disbelieving on what he hears, for the first time, the Brave finally look at the small figure clearly.

    The goblin that looks like a titan. They were only small and easy enough to trample.

    Whatever how big the size, he is the ¡®Brave¡¯, that is the truth which even the Brave himself admitted it.

    ¡°Fine. Fight between the Brave must be acknowledged widely¡±

    While thinking in a short moment. The Brave nod his head solemnly.

    ¡ô

    Afterwards. The titan which located in the village, wondering about the Third Eyed Brave early arrival.

    ¡°Third Eyed Seat? What happened, return with empty hands. Did you close your eyes while on hunting?¡±

    Even with that bizarre looks, will be replaced with surprised expression by the Brave responds.

    ¡°Will change the enquiry to the wise man. Watch it¡±

    ¡°What did you say!? We still haven¡¯t sent the messenger. What on earth is happening????!?¡±

    The titan who seek the figure of the Brave opponent in hurry, eventually discovering a hideous being.

    Behind the Brave, there is a small figure who was being accompanied without afraid or anything.

    The titans could not understand at all. While still stunned, the frightened titan asked the Brave.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me????the enquiry to the wise man, will be that goblin!?¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡±

    ¡°What a fool!? Did your eyes become clouded, Third Eyed Seat?¡±

    ¡°Nay. This is what I have been bestowed to call a Brave. As for the truth, it should be revealed after this¡±

    The titans look at the Brave with sudden turmoil, and without clearing the confusion, changed their line of sight.

    The Brave who become stubborn to this extent, how can they able to persuade it. And then, in a such terribly shrewd air, a savior appeared between them.

    It was the fourth eyed old woman who dressed in a gaudy decoration. The Sorcerer of Four Eyes Seat (Marga De Quortos Okrys).

    When the old woman come out in front of the titans, she glared at the Brave.

    ¡°Brave. I have heard the story. Was it true, to give a goblin an ask to enquiry?¡±

    ¡°I swear it on my eyes¡±

    The brave kneels down before her leaving his eyes on the forehead opened.

    After watching him kneel, hearing his words, the old woman groaned. The Brave word right now is the highest oath for the titan.

    The Brave knew immediately about how much is the unbending confidence he had.

    ¡°If you say that much, then there is no room for me. What left is asking the Hundred Eyes????¡±

    ¡°No, please wait. Please don¡¯t make the decision only by yourself¡±

    The objection that come from the unexpected place.

    The old woman, open her eyes which buried in the wrinkles and seek the source of the sound.

    Even though surrounded by huge figure, the small being who didn¡¯t even show any shred of fear, cool and calmly standing between them.

    None of the titan, expecting this miserable mouth speaking its words.

    They do not know the reason why the Brave would ask to enquiry to the wise man so whimsically, besides they still believed and will not doubt on a mere goblin who can simply just be crushed.

    Yet that also, will be ended until this moment.

    ¡°This is a duel. Then I want a demand if I win this fight¡±

    With just one breath the titan expression changed dramatically.

    With their Brave as his opponent, this small being is¡ª¡ª¡ªspeaking, with intention to win.

    ¡°Fine, say it¡±

    ¡°Brave!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, between the goblin he must be the brave. Then, the Hundred Eyes must be pleased. That victory need requital¡±

    The titan¡¯s line of sight now traverses through the Brave and Eru.

    The situation that going in front of them were already beyond anyone imagination.

    Gathering various clan, and then asking the enquiry to the wise man, why all of this happened at the time like this.

    Only one man, the only Brave who remain elegantly.

    ¡°After I win the battle, you must hear what I¡¯m trying to say¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    And yet, after listening beyond unexpected demand, even he (the Brave) couldn¡¯t hide his bizarre looks.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what is the circumstances, you guys didn¡¯t even to listen despite of how much I have been explaining all this time. If you guys really have a language, at least show me we can do proper conversation¡±

    ¡°???Are you fine with that kind? This is the battle between Brave¡±

    Unlike the confused Brave, Eru puffed his chest and nodded proudly.

    The old woman who seeing all the details, buried her four eyes into the wrinkles.

    That small brave is, different matter with the goblin that Rubel Clan has been kept.

    There is no history, fighting a titan without using phantom beast help.

    Then, it would be something different from the old woman thought.

    Without hiding that doubt, the old woman said it with serious tone.

    ¡°????the preparation has been fulfilled. With this, as for the Hundred Eyes, we will ask the enquiry to the wise man. Brave, your name!¡±

    Formally, the beginning of the duel has been announced.

    At the moment, the surrounding titan become tightened. When the enquiry begins, there is no room for objection anymore.

    The Brave inhaling the air heavily, put his stone axe in the ground and puts out his chest.

    ¡°My name is Wilts Fortissimos Terrias Okrys De Caelleus! The Hundred Eyes, be my witness!!¡±

    Afterward, he held his favorite stone axe.

    There is no reason for him to held back, even if his opponent is a small goblin. Yet, that such thing was futile, because this goblin didn¡¯t even afraid a slightness thing against the titan.

    ¡°My name is Ernesti Echavalier, I¡¯m just a knight commander¡±

    As a prove, he glares at the Brave with the small blade on his hand.

    Next, after they introduce them-self, the two beasts start running in the same time.

 Book 7: Chapter 92: Letâ€™s Confront Enquiry to the Wise Man (Duel)

    There is one of titan¡¯s clan called Kaellous who are now enveloped with unusual excitement between them. The reason of their excitement was the showdown between brave which is raised in the midst of preparing to ask an enquiry to the wise man.

    Without regard to their age and gender, all of the titan gathering in the center of the village. And in the center of them, there is a three eyed titan who received the Brave¡¯s blessing, also a human boy who was not tall enough to reach the titan¡¯s knee.

    While all the attention focused between two of them, Adeltrud who wear silhouette gear, sneaked into the village secretly. The titans raised their voice every time the Brave and Ernesti exchanging their blows. At the same time, Addy who snuck up behind the titan peeked at the battle situation.

    When the ground quaked every time the titan swings down the stone axe, Ernesti run around by evading it. After seeing that, Addy who hold her palm while wearing silhouette gear, quietly murmured.

    ¡°Eru-kun, seemed pretty annoyed?¡±

    Was it regarding to pay no heed to what he says, or fighting without Silhouette Knight?

    ¡°Maybe both. Oh, well. Anyway, while they at it????¡±

    Thanks to Eru who challenging the Brave from the front, their houses was quite vacant now. Addy who move quietly as possible, invading the vacant house.

    ¡°There is nothing much here¡±

    Inside the house that made accordingly to the titan size, was duller than what she imagined. There are tools that made for hunting and fighting. A repaired armor, and a simple weapon such as stone axe and club are lying around. Along with that, there were also have weapon looks like a spear. A thin grip with needle-like-spearhead were lined up, maybe they are used for throwing.

    What¡¯s remaining is the preserved food that had been piled up which leaving a bad scent within the house.

    ¡°Uu, if I know this going to happen, I should have fight too!¡±

    Other than that, no matter how many small tools sighted, that was not enough to call it something like a tool. Basically, the titan who have a robust body, only use few kinds of essential tools to live. There was mostly equipment for hunting, like weapon that has been made mainly from a stone and armor that has been made mainly from a beast material.

    ¡°I think it would be impossible to build Silhouette Knight with this¡±

    The titan¡¯s culture was completely different from what they expected. Eru might be disappointed. No, it¡¯s probably not in the case. If it something possible he will challenge it, but if it was impossible to do, he will immediately be given up. If it was Eru, he would like to think so.

    As long as the titan can be used for heavy laboring, their technology was not matter at all.

    ¡°Although, they didn¡¯t have any technology. Then, at least they can be used for heavy laboring, right?¡±

    Once she has held someone like a fear, she was already considered them as a heavy labor resources, it seems she was already poisoned by Eru that much.

    With this Addy has completed her run through and looking around. Even if the duel with the titan ended with failure, the minimum result already has been achieved. While she doing it, a loud cry from the village center can be heard.

    ¡°???????There is nothing left to do! Is it fine to help Eru-kun soon right?¡±

    Although, to whom is she representing that kind of resolve to, now she started to run.

    ¡ô

    A stone axe runs through along with its roaring wind. Whatever it was Silhouette Knight or a titan, there is no human being who can receive their attack without a hitch. The destructive power that created by size and weight plus momentum was too overwhelming.

    But if only can hit the target thought.

    A small opponent who challenge the Brave¡ª¡ª¡ª Either way Ernesti was awfully too nimble. Even the blows of wind that made from stone axe attack couldn¡¯t scratch him. The Brave already know about his swiftness several times before the duel, and now he had renown that difficultness again.

    ¡°Was goblin such this tough opponent before! It seems my eyes still clouded after all!¡±

    Whatever it for hunting or fighting, it was normal for the titan to attack enemy while defend incoming enemy attack. Because the battle between gigantic being with overwhelming destructive power wouldn¡¯t need any cheap tricks at all.

    Therefore, no matter how much the titan received the brave¡¯s blessing, he has no experience on fighting with small and swift opponent. Although his struggle was due to Ernesti who specialized in extremely high-speed combat among the Knight Runner.

    The Brave was trying to catch the back of Eru movement by swinging the stone axe with various controlled pace of attack. But he wouldn¡¯t get caught easily once the Brave has shown his real intention.

    The Brave realized that he was not getting anywhere moved on more boldly. The movement which didn¡¯t really think about his defense at all. Although, it was understandable. For a goblin who use a small blade like that was not enough threat against a titan. Leaving aside damaging the armor made with demonic beast, even piercing the titan skin might be impossible after all.

    But why this goblin tends to fight with full of confidence?

    Their answer was appeared suddenly.

    The moment when the the Brave stepped on his all-out attack, suddenly a ¡®fireball¡¯ come from the air.

    ¡°Nu!?¡±

    A fireball come out of nowhere flying through his side¡¯s vision, and the Brave remarked in a small surprise. Although it was small, it was something that cannot be ignored. When he steeps strongly to kill the motion, he can avoid it by bending himself backward.

    In the same time, Eru took his distance from the Brave. With that movement, the Brave began to suspect his surrounding without distracting any attention.

    ¡°Where did that flame come from?¡±

    But he was certain, it was not come from the goblin direction.

    ¡°This goblin, I though he was the Brave first, but to think he was the sorcerer all along. I could not understand at all¡±

    The titan also knows about the magical phenomenon that can create flame. But they couldn¡¯t understand when it comes out of nowhere.

    ¡°I think its time to finish this¡±

    In a space which is dominated by doubt, only Eru who in settled condition.

    ¡°You have attacked enough right? Next, I will be coming at you¡±

    The Brave start to take a step firmly without replying to him. No matter what he does, the Brave will not allow any petty trick anymore. And the only way is, to crush him in the front.

    That assumption was forced to be altered shortly afterwards. This time the fireball that come from the air were not only one. They come from right and left after another, all of them flying to the Brave blind side. As expected, it was impossible to dodge them all, the armor that had been licked by the fire leaving a brown mark on it.

    What strange from it is, the surrounding titans who watching the fight also couldn¡¯t understand the true nature of Eru¡¯s attack. They couldn¡¯t think other than a fireball suddenly come from the nowhere.

    But there should not be ¡®comes from nowhere¡¯.

    Of course, there was a trap

    Surely, there is something that flies around the air. However, for a titan that was something so small and couldn¡¯t be seen properly.

    ¡°If Ikaruga was here, I call it????¡¯Rahu¡¯s Fist¡¯¡±

    Through a fist that connected by Silver Nerve to make magical phenomenon and shoot at long distance. It was named Rahu¡¯s Fist, one of Ikaruga armament function as well as Ernesti beloved machine.

    The metallic scissors that can be driven using Crystal Tissue by relaying magical power through the Silver Nerve¡ª¡ª¡ªmatching it perfectly with ¡®Wire Anchor¡¯.

    ¡°Unfortunately, this is a fight without Ikaruga but????for now, I will become Ikaruga substitute so, lets endure it for a moment. Also, to train my intuition for not being too dull¡±

    While muttered, Ernesti took step forward.

    At the same time, a reel that positioned on his hip launched the Wire Anchor. Leaving the sharp jet-like sound and flies to the sky.

    Wire Anchor was originally created based on auxiliary device for movement. And he used it as a ¡®Magical Launching Device¡¯ to run in the midair.

    Following the ¡®Script¡¯ that had been sent through the Silver Nerve, the Wire Anchor can be used as intermediary to perform magical phenomenon in the midair. From that principle ¡®Fire Ball¡¯ magic can be released from that place.

    The Brave might able to capture Wire Anchor movement if he calmly observes at it. But, Eru was already in front of his eyes. To make the Brave took attention on Eru, he moves quickly so the Brave cannot afford to overlook him.

    While controlling the Wire Anchor, Eru took the Gun Staff and face it to the Brave. From there, a Fire Ball were launched one after another. And before he knows it, the Brave is confined with fireball from all side

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªThe Brave was being toyed.

    The moment he realizes that fact, an explosion-like anger began to run through the Brave annoyed state. Even though each one of the fire balls is relatively small, attacked from either side can also too bothersome for him.

    A goblin who able to repeating this kind of attack was surprising at first, but on the second though it was still small kind of magic. Considering the armor durability, each one of them lacking firepower to inflict damage to the Brave.

    ¡°You¡¯re splendid, goblin¡¯s braver. But if you can only do that much, you can only scratch me!¡±

    While the Brave body still barraged by magic, he was unleashing a brute force attack. The Brave thought, all of this will be ended if he can defeat his opponent first.

    Using tremendous force, he unleashed a sharp strike from above while running at high speed. Unlike before, this kind of momentum would be impossible to stop.

    ¡°Yeah, I have been waiting for that kind of attack¡±

    Eru smiled while staring at the approaching stone axe. And now, he uses whole different magic.

    A faint light engulfing the tip of Gun Staff, that was also known as the activation of magic phenomenon. From there launched several sparkling lances of fire. That was the ¡®Piercing Lance¡¯ magic.

    ¡°????Canister Shoot¡±

    Without realizing, the stone axe got stuck between Wire Anchor which had been changing its position. The flame bullet that come from Wire Anchor and Eru. All of them launched toward Piercing Lance¡¯s firing lane to the stone axe at once.

    Because of compressed flame bullets, the stone axe blade and handle turned into numerous lights. Immediately afterwards, a massive outburst occurred because of the light turned into electromagnetic properties according to the Script.

    The stone axe was eaten from inside and outside by countless flame bullets. Although the Brave weapon was indeed big and strong, originally it was just made by combining lumber and stone. And then, the stone axe now has been crushed in one clap.

    ¡°I, impossible?????!?¡±

    The astonished Brave¡¯s face can be seen beyond the outburst flame and the scattering fragments. The Brave had made one big mistake. In order to defeat Ernesti, that kind of huge stone axe was not necessary at all. Eventually his fatal gap will be exposed after his usual accustomed weapon has been destroyed.

    Within the swirling flame, a silver radiance run through the scattering fragments. Ernesti who rush like a wind after seeing the Brave unrest expression.

    Using the hand as a footing, ride into the momentum of blowing air and run through to the Brave who still on same position when swinging the stone axe.

    As the Brave sight the approaching Eru. Soon the Brave known what his aim. Even for the Brave who wearing an armor and have a strong body due to strengthening magic effect, his weakness was already exposed. Eru true aim is his ¡®Eyes¡¯.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you!¡±

    The Brave instantly throw his stone axe remains, and preventing Eru attack by returning his arm. It can be said his reaction alone was too quick to be praised.

    Although, if his opponent was not Ernesti from the start.

    At that time Eru already in the front of the Brave. By using ¡®Sonic Blade¡¯ magic, a distorted edged-like blade attached on the Gun Staff. The Brave closed his eyelids and avoided the swinging blade by hairbreadth.

    ¡°Gnu!! Gaah!¡±

    The blade cuts the eyelids and leaves a horizontal scar. The Brave fallen back hardly, while a red blood splatting from his face.

    By confirming his eyes was safe, he began to reforming his collapsed position while opening his eyes. And immediately searching Eru figure who have gone after kicking his helmet. For the Brave, moving with high speed and aim at the eyes from the blind spot was too dreadful tactic.

    On the other hand, the Brave trying to bend his body, and backwards jump in a distance. Of course, Eru did let him escaping from his sight. If Eru go around behind, he can still attack the Brave body. Otherwise, Eru can attack to the front or go back from the Brave sight. A truly attack and defense movement.

    As usual, Eru who went around to the Brave¡¯ back, he accelerated his charge and swirling his body in the midair. As it continues descending to the ground. A rumbling sound can be heard when the Wire Anchor went back.

    The Brave began to lower his waist and sets his fist after seeing Eru figure. The brave who will not show any carelessness and unshaken feeling. Now, he didn¡¯t think his opponent was too weak anymore. There is only, to build up the strength to defeat each other.

    No feeling despises anymore. Defeat it with small and swift strike. It might not only his eyes alone if he let Eru to strike him for the next time. The Brave calmed his remaining eyes and would not overlook any small movement.

    Because of the blood flowing from the torn eyelids, one of his eyes cannot be opened properly. While not getting angry about not being able to see, he calmly grips his fist. After opening his eyelids, he was learning first time in his life on how to fight against small enemies. He doesn¡¯t need a big move. Just a quick and small move will do.

    And the titan who watching the fight, grasping their own breath. For a mere one goblin able to pin down the Brave was not imaginable for them. Although, there is nobody who can do that in the first place. Probably, if he was not the Brave, he might already fall on the ground while his eyes have been crushed. Leaving aside the size, his opponent is way too terrifying.

    For a moment, each one of them mutually reading their opponent moves.

    While not aware, the Brave began to smile. For him, to lost the stone axe might be good after all. In the first place, he doesn¡¯t need that exaggerated weapon at all. All of the titan body including the enormous mass were already deadly weapon for him. He didn¡¯t consider the advantage of having a huge body before, but he didn¡¯t consider it as a disadvantage after think it calmly.

    ¡°Thank you, My Hundred Eyes????this is truly the duel between Braves!¡±

    After resolving himself, the Brave greatly stepped forward. The movement that increasing his concentration to the limit, and from that huge body leaving the sharpness that beyond imaginable.

    A plain stepping attack, from diving in.

    Of course, Eru went to the midair. Aiming for that, a wiggling jab flying toward him.

    Eru who got caught on the raging storm of fist that pierced through the wind, dancing like a fallen tree¡¯s leaves. Using the projected fist as a footing, Eru aimed to jumps higher than that.

    The Brave utilizing his size to broaden him arm widely. By mow down the widen arm as it is, he could create a suppressive attack.

    As he stopped swinging his arm, he could feel a slight discomfort. It was there when he glanced all over the place. By sticking on the Wire Anchor, the goblin was standing there on his arm.

    Eru who start running faster than the Brave who noticed his figure and want to waving his arm. The Wire Anchor flies into the air while passing Eru and rushing to the Brave.

    A flame is born in the midair. However, because that small fireball cannot inflict damage to the Brave, he ignored it and poked his head out.

    By ignoring his speculation, the flying Wire Anchor launch a magical phenomenon. It was specially dazzling, and run through in red. Also, that was not a fireball magic. ¡®Flame Strike¡¯¡ª¡ª¡ªIt was Middle Spell from fireball magic tree, which is more powerful than fireball.

    The fireball firepower that Eru has been used so far were indeed small but, he deliberately used it to bait the Brave. Afterwards, from the Brave sides, a fierce explosion can be heard.

    Although, the penetrating ability is much inferior than Piercing Lance, the explosive bombardment was much higher than a pure impact. And that firepower alone was enough to impact the helmet.

    Immediately afterwards, the Brave began to crumble in abnormal state.

    Run through the shoulder on the leaning titan, Eru swung up his Gun Staff. The magic has been activated on his twin sword. By using ¡®Sonic Boom¡¯, the compressed air and the shock wave overlapping each other hitting the Brave face. As if he had been punched by a titan, the Brave crashed intensely.

    The Brave head was greatly tilted over after being punched in the face, from that sight an opened jaw can be seen.

    Eru who jumped up from the collapsing titan, immediately sticking out his Gun Staff and releasing a barrage of Flame Strike as if the they were sucked into unprotected jaw. When the Flame Strike landed on the unprotected jaw, a great flame of flower bloomed on there.

    The Brave who received the Upper Cut bombing in the jaw, begin to float into the air and thrusting his head into the ground leaving the rising dust. With that trajectory alone, it could even draw a gentle slope mountain on it.

    By using Air Suspension magic, Eru landed on the top of sprawled Brave body.

    The Kaellous clan who staring at the scene before their eyes. Their Brave who fell down in the center of the dust, and a small Braver who stand on the top of their Brave. A suffocating silence running through between them.

    At that time, the small Brave swallowed a deep breath, and asking unbelievable question with the small head of his.

    ¡°Well then, how can you decide the outcome of this battle? It was indeed too troublesome for me to kill a giant¡±

    The Brave who has lost its consciousness and a goblin who look down on it. Before the surrounding titan began to panicking, the Fourth eyed old woman come toward at them.

    ¡°My Hundred Eyes, the outcome has been brought. It¡¯s already ended, goblin Braver????it¡¯s your victory¡±

    The surrounding titan looked each other and wanting to said something but, without saying anything they just petrified with puzzled looks on their face.

    In the meantime, a groaning voice can be heard from the fallen Brave.

    ¡°Did you come to your sense, Third Eyed Seat?¡±

    ¡°??????Did I, close my eyes?¡±

    While shocking his head sharply to make him come to his senses, he gets up slowly and unexpectedly calm without getting any remorse at all.

    ¡°It was my loss¡±

    Before the old woman want to say something, the Brave suddenly say it by himself and asking while facing at Eru direction who just jumped out to the ground.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you end me?¡±

    ¡°You are certainly big. I couldn¡¯t even easily kill you¡±

    ¡°Fu, sound reasonable¡±

    There is something changed inside him. When the Brave began to grin, he suddenly tightens his expression. From his position, he starts to kneel before Eru while not to wipe the blood that flowing from his forehead¡¯s eyelids, he closed his unharmed eyes.

    ¡°My small Braver, you are acknowledged by the Hundred Eyes. By following your victory, I will ¡®obey your words¡¯¡±

    ¡°??????I think this kind of direction was a little off but. Well whatever, from the result, it was not problem at all¡±

    After Eru got seriously and nodded, a huge shadow overlapping each other.

    ¡°That word, can I hear it too?¡±

    ¡°My Sorcerer¡±

    The old woman also began to kneel next to the Brave and sat on the ground.

    Because of their height difference, it was hard to keep a conversation after all.

    ¡°Before that, I must ask you goblin Braver. You said that you are not being kept by Rubel Clan, was it true?¡±

    ¡°It was true. From the first place, you guys are the first giant I have meet¡±

    Although Eru was in serious expression, but for the titan that answer was too puzzling.

    ¡°For the first time? Where on the earth you have been living before?¡±

    ¡°A country far too west from here, the Kingdom of Fremmevira¡±

    Even though, it was the truth. None of the titan known that name, uselessly deepen the mysteries between them.

    The old woman narrowed her eyes while thinking about it, but the Brave nodded without hesitation.

    ¡°????The one who had been acknowledged by the Hundred Eyes. I will believe in your words. Without a doubt you are not from Rubel Clan¡±

    ¡°I have been saying that from the beginning, did I?¡±

    The Brave touched his own wounded eyelid. Although the blood already stopped, the half-dried part stickily stuck on the fingertips.

    ¡°Naturally, the one who hold this kind of power. I cannot imagine for Rubel Clan to able obeying them¡±

    There is a goblin that being kept by the titan. That was also a common sense among the titan. But even so, he cannot believe that kind of fearsome being able to tame it. Whatever who is the big clan, they definitely get their hand burned for sure.

    From the wound he owned, the Brave understood that. The fact that this goblin was accustomed on fighting against ¡®huge being¡¯.

    Did they have been hunting a titan, or a beast?

    In any case, he was worthy as the Brave. That¡¯s enough for him.

    The Brave start to stand up and looked around.

    ¡°Small Braver. From now I will treat you as a guest of our clan. Any objection, everyone?¡±

    The surrounding titan who look at the Brave and Sorcerer, began to stare at themselves in a confusion, but eventually nodded.

    They had been convinced because of the duel between two braves.

    Then the old woman also began to stands up.

    ¡°Unknown????clan name. I must ask further from your truth. It might become important guiding toward our clan¡±

    The old woman seized on Eru appearance.

    It was like trying to see something on his little body which had a sharpness.

    ¡°A, did the fight already ended? As I though, you already win, Eru-kun!¡±

    At that time, a strange in lump of metal came through the titan. It was Addy who wearing Silhouette Gear.

    After seeing unfamiliar object and come straightly to Eru, the Brave narrowed his eyes like a warrior.

    ¡°Is that also a goblin? The same Brave like you?¡±

    Gradually, the gaze becoming stronger. Eru who felt a disturbing situation groaned faintly.

    Although he was able to convince them with one duel, it would become hassle if they start asking to duel again.

    That why, he pointed his finger to Addy direction.

    ¡°Umm. This is my????wife¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s your wife¡±

    ¡°!? Wifeeeeeee!!!!????¡±

    Even though the brave still in the middle of asking, somehow a big scream come out Addy.

    Ignoring all of it, Eu nods quietly.

    ¡°Wife, married couple, mating. Such that kind of custom and words. Do you didn¡¯t have it?¡±

    ¡°Nay, we have, we have. But to think you are married couple. I see, with that kind of Brave, sound reasonable enough?¡±

    The goblin is too small for the titan. Among them Eru is particularly small than them.

    Although, he thought something unnatural in there, but the Brave was convinced by his blessing as a Brave who have various kind of power on him.

    By the way Addy was not caring the situation at all.

    After leaving the Silhouette Gear, she began to rush and embracing Eru.

    ¡°Eru-kun, Eru-kun, Eru-kun, hufufufufufufufufufuhyou!!¡±

    ¡°????Calm down Addy. If I didn¡¯t tell them that, we might repeat again that kind of duel. For a while, talking with a giant already succeed, and we got safe place to sleep too¡±

    Despite Eru explaining all of that, sure enough she didn¡¯t listen to him at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if we become that way, no, we must become that way¡±

    ¡°?????We can talk that for latter but, for now the surrounding gaze makes me uncomfortable though¡±

    Anyhow, they were located in the center of the titan.

    Being able to defeat the Brave was enough for them to keep their eyes on Eru.

    Of course, Addy would not care that kind of thing.

    ¡°Eru-kun! After we got back, we should plan the ceremonies soon. Together with everyone, we will decorate Fort Olvecius! With Ikaruga grapping my Tzen-chan, we will go around everywhere!!¡±

    ¡°You surely think the future too much. Although we just got acquainted with the giants, I still cannot see the way to return home yet¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really fine at all! Because I will kill anyone who become hindrance. I will do my best!!¡±

    Eru looks away as he given up while he guesses this will not stop for a while.

    ¡°It was good to have a motivation¡±

    And for a while, Addy had turned into an object who always leaked a cringe laughter.

    Before those two-small people, the Brave confusion began to deepening again.

    ¡°????Truly, what on the earth are you guys?¡±

    ¡°A missing knight commander and its assistant¡±

    As he though, the Brave didn¡¯t understand at all.

    From now on, the titan will need quite a bit of time to understand this little brave.

    Like this way, is one of titan¡¯s clan called Kaellous, visited by a rare guest and also began to live in the village

 Book 7: Chapter 93: What he always seeks

    Capital of Fremmevira Kingdom, K?nk?nen.

    On the city main street, there was a horse-like Silhouette Knight who lined through the center of the street. The Centaur Knight ¡®Tzendrinble¡¯, which designed by having upper torso as a human and the lower body of a horse, leading the other steel horse that making a hard-like sound mixing with the crowd.

    A large number of residents looking on the side of a street while cheering and waving their hand to the leading centaur knight. The flag of national crest of Fremmevira Kingdom and a Silver Phoenix¡¯s emblem that spread its wings, raised on every building along the road.

    Eventually the Tzendrinble ceased their advancement after reaching Castle Shreiber.

    The centaur knight opens its armor and revealing the person inside the cockpit. The one who come from the cockpit is no other than Ernesti Echavalier, the commander of Silver Phoenix Knight. Unlike his usual knight runner attire, he was wearing glorious clothes used for ceremony.

    He turns the beautiful embroidered mantle over, and reach out his and to the cockpit. It was Aldtrud Olter, also as commander assistant who take his hand with her slender arm. Her attire was also not wearing her usual easy-to-move knight runner uniform, but a lovely dress which made by several layers of fabric.

    The two of them dressed themselves with their fullness.

    As Eru wanted to draw Addy¡¯s hand, he turns his hand to her back after looking at hard-to-move dress and hold her with his both hands. Even though Eru looked too small for bearing Addy who have taller body than him, but that kind of problem was solved because of absurd benefit of his magical abilities.

    Eru who held Addy with his both hands smiled once, and immediately show himself from the Tzendrinble back with casual manner. While the mantle and dress skirt fluttering in the air, they use Air Suspension Magic to decelerate before reaching the ground. Afterward, those two fell down softly and letting their costume tucked each other. And then went to the castle while keeping their appearance as before.

    In the castle, the knight guards who holding a sword in their hand were lined up each other with a salute gesture.

    ¡°Silver Phoenix Knight, the commander of knight order, Echavalier, entering!¡±

    The sound of trumpet and bell ringing together.

    Eru who still hugging Addy, continue walking on the carpet that stretches toward them.

    ¡°Uehehehehe. Look, everybody is celebrating us!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Of course, they will do. Since this is our wedding ceremony, His Majesty will also be going to give us a word too¡±

    From her facial expression, Addy who still held by Eru looked as the happiness itself as she embraced Eru tightly.

    Although, with that position Eru should not able to see, somehow his footsteps were firm enough for him to walk.

    ¡°I cannot believe we are able to held the ceremonies???I have been waiting for this long. It sure was difficult to find a way to get home back then!¡±

    While talking over each other, Eru began to step into the podium.

    In the vast space, the decorated Silhouette Knight were arrayed up while in the innermost presence, there are the King Riothamus seated on his throne and the King¡¯s machine ¡®Raids of Valor¡¯, standing up behind him.

    Before the King Riothamus, the member of Silver Phoenix Knight Order; Boss, Edgar, Dietrich were lined up in a straight line. And in the far side of them there is Eru¡¯s parent and Addy¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, we¡¯re already returned right. Well then, we have arrived. Everyone is waiting us, here we go my beloved Addy¡±

    ¡°Yes, my dear, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Eru who had dropped Addy, now holds her hand while walking together on the carpet that continued into the king. It was very unusual for a king to manage the ceremonies. But that also mean a person named Ernesti have a great influence in the kingdom.

    ¡°I still cannot believe, I will together with Eru-kun as a married couple now????¡±

    While walking, Addy still confirming the truth that befall before her. The bond she makes with him was more important than blessing from the surrounding.

    ¡°From now on, we will be together, my beloved Addy¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will definitely stay with you forever!¡±

    They are even fell into the demon¡¯s forest back then, with no one can foresee difficulties that can separate them. Because now, Addy was filled with determination and unshaking confidence.

    ¡°We will together????as a married couple right. And then, we will have a child afterwards??????uhehehe, Eru-kun! How many children you want?¡±

    ¡°I want a lot. If possible until we can make our own Knight Order with it¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun?????!¡±

    Although, they were still in the middle of the ceremony, Addy who in overexcited appearance tightly embracing Eru. Within her arm, Eru raises his face after smiling at her. Eventually their eyes were aligned and then those two faces closing each other.

    ¡°Like I said Addy, it¡¯s already morning¡±

    ¡°?????Eru-kun?¡±

    Eru suddenly asked if their lips were touching or not for no reason, which make him wonder what does she mean about it.

    The surprised Addy opened her eyes, and remembering the smiling Eru after closing to her face---

    ¡°How long are you planning to sleep. Get up¡±

    ---When Addy leisurely opens her eyes, the first thing she look was Eru worried face which covered in a blanket and shook Addy shoulder as she continued to daydream. While looking at her surrounding, there was nothing like a royal castle but it was nothing else than a simple tent.

    ¡°?????Mu. Huh? Eru-kun? Where is our Knight Order????¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? We are now doing our best to get back to our Knight Order, right?¡±

    She was still spacing out for a moment but, gradually woke up for real this time and let out a big sigh.

    ¡°It was a dream after all?????¡±

    As soon as she is being sulky after feeling drained out, her hand was reaching out to the Eru waist that sat beside her, dragging her face and closely hug his chest. On the other hand, Eru who got embraced, softly hug her back with a bitter smile on his face.

    ¡°Are you perhaps dreaming about the Knight Order? It sure had been long time since we got stranded on this forest¡±

    A half-sleep response can be heard between his arm if one of Addy¡¯s curly hair got strained after going to fall sleep again. Eru muttered with a soft voice when he closely put his face on Addy ears.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best in order to return to Fremmevira, there are a lot of things we have to tell to my father, mother, and also aunt Ilma right?¡±

    Addy who was still trying to sleep again now waking up at once.

    ¡°That right! We need to report for holding the ceremonies properly too!! Alright, Eru-kun, let¡¯s do our best!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s start it with breakfast first¡±

    Leaving aside the over excited Addy. Eru just walked over by bringing the pot with one hand.

    There is one small tent between the corner of the settlement in the Kaellous Clan, one of titan clan. A tent where Eru and Addy lives that looks like actual toys if it compared to the other tent.

    In the front of the tent, the pot placed on a small furnace that lit with fire. There is a small amount of wild grass and dried meat that had warmed up inside the pot.

    Those two always prioritize consuming the preserved food since they have come to this settlement. Although, no matter how much they preserve, one day it would not change for a food to become rotten.

    It sure was convenient to have a proper house. Because they were able to live in the titan settlement, they now afford to store things and arranging various thing in their tent.

    ¡°You are rather late to wake¡±

    The voice come from over their head, the figure of Three-eyed Seat of Brave (Fortissimos De Terrias Okrys) sighted as they looked up. The brave who lightly dressed without helmet and armor got curious after seeing the small pot beside those two.

    ¡°Hou. Is that your cooking?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Thank you for giving us your preserved food yesterday¡±

    ¡°Do not heed. Your kind of appetite was too small for us¡±

    Although Addy and Eru always prioritizing to consume the preserved food, there is no way they could able to eat all of it. For a titan, giving two human who have different stature and appetite was too insignificant. Even if just the edge was already enough for two of them. But they were also securing the fresh food as well beside the food that had been hunted by the titan before.

    ¡°Most of the giant eating by hunting the prey, right? Have you tried to eat a fruit?¡±

    ¡°There is no fruit that can fulfill our belly. It also takes too much time to find. If our body was small like yours, it might be worth considering though¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. But, somehow eating with just a meat, kind of too bland????¡±

    In general, the dishes that made by the titan was most likely cooked through roasting the prey and most of the dishes were prepared by only using animals. As for other ingredient like fruit was not enough to fill their stomach. Although most of the plant that grown up in this forest were huge enough to have a giant fruit, but even so, its still can be considered as a snack for them.

    In this forest, they will never run out of beast to hunt. So, the meat was their staple food after all.

    Eru who finished his breakfast after having that kind of conversation, start to get up and seems like he decided on something.

    ¡°As a guest, it seems we can¡¯t always ask for food. Let us help your hunt too¡±

    ¡°So, you wanted to hunt for yourselves. That¡¯s a good spirit, let¡¯s have a good sight of the Hundred Eyes together¡±

    The Brave nods his face. Although, they were not worrying about sharing their food. Compared to how much they usually eat, Eru and Addy portions were nothing to fulfill stomach at all. Nonetheless, there is nothing wrong either if they wanted to collect their own food.

    That was the Brave though first, but Eru shook his head and denying the Brave statement.

    ¡°No, we will help hunting the same prey like yours. Although, it wasn¡¯t that much, we will gladly lend our strength¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    After the Brave heard Eru proposal, he began to twist his head strangely. While the Brave still looked contemptuous, Eru and Addy who finished cleaning their meal, began to prepare swiftly. In the end, the two of them entering the forest after persuading the Brave who still leaning his head in confusion. Although, the Brave didn¡¯t notice that he was being drifted on the moment.

    In the forest, a titan footstep can be heard clearly because of their weight. Indeed, their size were big yet, their walking speed were also fast. In this world, because of the strengthening effect could strengthen the body, an enormous existence can be petty agile regardless of the size. Despite of their speed, the two small shadows flies around between the trees.

    Eru, and Addy who wearing the silhouette gear.

    They were utilizing the Aero Thrust magic on tree¡¯s branch as a footing then proceeding to fly away. This way would be faster than running normally.

    After proceeding through the forest, eventually they caught presence of a beast among the trees. A wild boar-like duel class beast with a huge tusk as a main feature of their body.

    The Brave hold his new stone axe and take his stance after comes forward to the front.

    ¡°Fumu. You two, wait here. Immediately got one, I¡¯ll get the food at once¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s won¡¯t do. Since we already here, let¡¯s us show how we hunt first.?????Addy¡±

    ¡°Ro-ge-r¡±

    Although the Brave wanted to say something, the two of them already flies around leaving the speechless Brave. They left behind a titan who somewhat having a complex expression after remembering the duel he had not too long ago.

    The small hunters quickly shorten the distance to the demonic beast. And after they got close, the demonic beast finally realized their presence.

    While it looked like a wild boar, it was still classified as a duel class demonic beast. Sighting Eru and Addy who got close at a tremendous speed yet, the beast reaction was too dull. Originally, that kind of beast was not being cautious after all.

    And that kind of negligent would be fatal. There is no mercy for those two who aim to hunting the beast. As Eru jump forward by using his foot, there is a countless magic released at once. His aim was the beast leg, although it was a non-powerful magic, anyone couldn¡¯t ignore the power if it launched one after another in a concentrated point.

    A small-like explosions continued toward the leg¡¯s joint. The demonic beast leaking a short scream as soon as tilting its own body. But the beast quickly regained its stiffness and began to take back its position. As they though, that four legs were no joke at all, it wouldn¡¯t fall down even if it already wounded.

    The demonic beast raises its scream and quickly turns into a rage, eventually start looking for the small enemy---the figure of Eru who attacked and turned it into that state. Normally, the beast wouldn¡¯t mind at all but, in the case when the beast got hurt, there is no reason to overlook it.

    However, that kind of behavior already anticipated by those two. After the beast got enraged, this time Addy comes to the beast¡¯s blind spot. The magical phenomenon has already activated on the palm of her Silhouette Gear. Her target was also the leg¡¯s joint. A flood of fireball magic aiming for the unscratched forefeet.

    The demonic beast raises a brief scream again. But this time, the beast was unable to endure the damage and eventually fall down to the ground. Even for the demonic beast couldn¡¯t stand a chance if their feet were injured. A two small shadow now approaching the demonic beast who trying to get up after enduring the injured feet.

    The Three-eyed Seat of Brave who behold that kind of spectacle, can¡¯t help to cross his arm and raises a groan.

    ¡°As I expected for the Brave who could beat me????¡±

    In front of his eyes, the demonic beast who got cut on the neck, splatted its blood and collapsed. As the bleeding continues, the demonic beast movement gradually weaken.

    A splendid demonic beast which have a firm meat and muscle, also having superior rushing power by utilizing its own weight. Even if the opponent were the titans, it could even break their bone. Of course, the Brave could take it down alone. But this time, the one who attained it were two goblins. To response with that, the titan Braver show its head in amazement.

    ¡°Hunting together, and eat together. This is more than a guest¡±

    While the Brave nod his head in consent, Eru had come to his feet as if he was feeling apologetic for some reason.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There is something I would like you to help me¡±

    ¡°What. You already take it down. There is nothing I could help you to slay it¡±

    ¡°Err, no. Although we certainly slay it, we sure will have trouble if we take it to the settlement by ourselves????¡±

    ¡°????Sound reasonable¡±

    In the end, not only his own prey but the Brave also carrying Eru and Addy prey to the settlement. Next time, he secretly decided to bring more people as baggage holder when they go out for hunting.

    In the center of the village, the gathered titans filling the crowded grounds. It was a rare scene in the past but, soon after Eru and Addy lives here, it has become frequently can be seen.

    There is a duel class demonic beast corpse in the center--the hunted prey. That was one of their prey.

    ¡°I am, by offering the Brave eyes, I will swear to the Hundred Eyes. This prey is surely hunted by the goblin Braver¡±

    The Brave began to explains to everyone. As the one who know that battle, the titan also recognizing the goblin Braver were strong enough. However, the amazement precedes them after seeing them doing the same thing like themselves.

    ¡°Therefore, they were not only as a guest. As the one who hunt and eat together, we should welcome them as a companion in our clan¡±

    It was like a rule for them. When wanting to joint another clan, it was required to hunt and eat together before recognized as a member of the clan. Although, it was unprecedented to applying to a goblin yet, all the titans were already giving their consent.

    After the Brave nods with satisfactorily, he swift his sight into the small person on his feet with gloomy expression.

    ¡°But I was forgot about this????if it is a member of the clan, you must decorate yourself with the prey you hunted but¡±

    The titan¡¯s clan traditionally make various weapon and armor using the prey they hunted. By doing that, they can clearly display their competence to the surrounding. For that reason alone, the prey they hunted for the first time is regarded as important. As for the titan who don¡¯t have that much, making the tools using that kind of material was customary to make memorable items.

    If Eru and Addy use the hunted beast¡¯s material, they could make many tools and equipment as they like. But the problem is, there were no technology for the titan to make the ¡®smaller one¡¯.

    Eru who looked at the puzzled Brave, nodded with a smug smile on his face.

    ¡°Yes. Since we already accepted as clan member, I¡¯d like to make an armor with this prey¡±

    ¡°Nu, although I want to give it as a celebration, to match with goblin is????¡±

    While the Brave cross his arm and worrying it, Eru respond it with a calm and fresh expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can make it the ¡®same¡¯ armor like yours¡±

    ¡°?????It¡¯s not possible for you to wear it. No matter it was a celebration for a new clan member, if you cannot use it then there is no meaning making it¡±

    As expected, they couldn¡¯t let the two small Braver using the same armor like them. It¡¯s not like there is a problem with it, but for sure they would likely be crushed. For the Kaellous clan who didn¡¯t have close relations with the goblin, they couldn¡¯t sure how to handle this kind of case.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not forcing myself to wear it. However, since this is an occasion, you can decorate it to somewhere¡±

    ¡°????Fumu. If you wanted it that bad, fine then. I am as a Brave will prepare an armor for you¡±

    Although the Brave was somewhat irritated, but somehow Eru able to convince him that there is no difference in decorating for the honor anyway.

    ¡°Ah?????I might know what are Eru-kun thinking right now¡±

    Addy, the only one person who always known Eru for a long time can imagine what kind of treatment he wanted to do with the titan. As for the titan, they were genuinely wanted to make the armor by using the demonic beast skin with honor.

    The huge leather armor made by duel class demonic beast which Eru and Addy had been hunted not too long ago was stored inside the Brave¡¯s house. There is no way for this huge thing could enter Eru and Addy house, and yet the Brave didn¡¯t even hesitate or suspicious thinking about it.

    The armor that made from the prey for the first time. Unlike the titan, Eru was pleasingly looking at it with a joy. While Eru looked like he was imagining things with a smile, Addy strangely take her distance from him.

    ¡°Still planning something again????¡±

    ¡°No, no way I plan something dangerous. If we could process all kind of thing with this condition, I just thought if we could make a Silhouette Knight by using this leather¡±

    Of course, Eru was not thinking to make a leather armor just because they were in occasion. What he always aims is only one. A huge humanoid weapon---to make a way to build Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°Hmm, but I¡¯m sure it will be difficult. We could might use the Inner Skeleton as substitute for demonic beast¡¯s bone? Or might not¡±

    Addy began to counting her finger. No matter how much they could make the outer body, they still couldn¡¯t make the Silhouette Knight. Because, there is no inner part to move them away.

    Eru also nodded at Addy statement. In the first place, there is too many problems to begin with, but there were two main problems.

    ¡°The last thing we would need is Crystal Tissue after all¡±

    ¡°Uun. Then, why not we ride inside the giant instead!¡±

    ¡°That would be a normal giant then¡±

    While exchanging the vague discussion, they were thinking about any various possibilities. Leaving aside about Eru¡¯s hobby, they surely need Silhouette Knight to return back to Fremmevira Kingdom. Addy was also encouraged about it too.

    ¡°However, using demonic beast as a material?????I couldn¡¯t even think about this back in the kingdom¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too troublesome?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Its only takes much time and effort for processing it¡±

    Back in the kingdom, there are blacksmith who have wielded technology and have enough facilities to process metal. Also, it was more flexible when using metal as the material. In that sense, using material from demonic beast was sure hard to handle. Didn¡¯t even fulfill the standard and mass producing, it can be said that is a method which emerged in emergency situation.

    ¡°Its not just a matter time and effort. Because a living being is filled with their own Mana and Script, it would not accept any other than them even if we overwrite it. That¡¯s why the Crystal Tissue that can be moved and controlled from the outside is very useful¡±

    Furthermore, it was not so easy in the case using the demonic beast as a material. Because there are various restriction exists.

    ¡°On the contrary, if it just a corpse that can suspended the mana supply and maintain it by using a script, it would be possible to use it as a material on that kind of basis, though¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun. As I thought, wouldn¡¯t too much riding such a Silhouette Knight that made from dead demonic beast meat¡±

    ¡°Yes, first of all, that kind of thing would likely rot soon after we make. The mobile efficiency also still uncertain too, as I thought it was not practical at all¡±

    Although, Addy reason was fundamentally different from Eru, she decided not to mind it deeply.

    ¡°Crystal Tissue are crystal catalysts, that has been modified through alchemy. In other words, it doesn¡¯t exist naturally. We can¡¯t also dig it out either. Umu, I didn¡¯t have much knowledge about alchemy though?????¡±

    With materials and technology, Eru will accomplished it no matter how long it takes. But there were too many things left.

    ¡°If we could salvage any Silhouette Knight nearby¡±

    ¡°Then what about Shii-chan? Although it was crashed and already broke, the inner part should be fine¡±

    The Syrphrine was destroyed after crashing from the impact, while Ikaruga had almost lost all the parts other than the center. And if they recover it, it could be used as a material.

    ¡°Of course, I will collect both Syrphrine and Ikaruga. But that alone were not enough right. I wonder where we could find many Silhouette Knight lying around?????haaa. I want to go to the western countries and pick up some wreckage¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much convenient for us¡«¡±

    Although Addy was already fed up with it, while Eru suddenly think another possibility.

    ¡°?????No. Perhaps, it might not be the case¡±

    Eru was smiling faintly towards Addy who has a strange look on her face.

    ¡°Historical question: What is the reason Bocuse Sea of Trees becoming prohibited land before Fremmevira Kingdom established?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Err, a?????the ¡®Forest Military Campaign¡¯?¡±

    --Forest Military Campaign.

    It was a history when the entire human race was burning in the ambition to rule everything after the west already conquered by eastern army. The disastrous military campaign that crossed Aubigne Mountain Range by gathering a large-scale division of Silhouette Knight toward the Bocuse Sea of Trees.

    Although at that time, the Silhouette Knight was far more inferior than the latest one. The division demonic beast was also treated as brigade class demonic beast back then. Furthermore, the demonic beast that living in the forest was catastrophically tyrannize the Military Campaign until destroyed. Eventually wears down to the extent barely annihilated, and returned with the remaining main troops.

    Although the campaign was considered as a big failure, the only achievement is succeeded securing some territory on the east of Aubigne Mountain Range. After that incident, that land will be known as the Fremmevira Kingdom.

    In the first place, there is meaning when using Levitate Ship as a preliminary survey for the second Forest Military Campaign.

    ¡°Its still unknown how deep they come to Bocuse. But the possibility for recovering their heritage should not be impossible after all¡±

    No matter how low is the hope, Eru could not help to expecting it to be happen. If the debris still remains and reusable, his goal will be increased significantly.

    ¡°And if we were able to gather all the material????the remaining problem is, one more. Very important problem¡±

    Addy was puzzled. She thought after hearing all of the problem, it would be possible if they can do something about the material.

    ¡°That point is, from the collected material, how can we assemble it into a Silhouette Knight¡±

    If Boss was here. Even it will take time, they could able to assemble it. Certainly, Eru is knowledgeable about the design, but its not like he can do any blacksmithing. In the first place, it was necessary to have many skilled people to build Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°Hey, hey! We know how to use demonic beast material. We might manage to build it even without Boss assistance, right?¡±

    ¡°I see. We can also plan to educate the giants if it comes to????ufufufufu¡±

    Addy keeps her distance and hit her hand after Eru who began to leak his ecstatic laughter.

    ¡°L-let¡¯s pick up Shii-chan first! Ah, was it better for Ikaruga first? Shii-chan won¡¯t even move if we don¡¯t do something to Etheric Levitator, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes?????yes? Huh? Technically speaking, the Levitator was more important considering the way we could go home¡±

    ¡°I see. We did think to return by walking, right. But isn¡¯t that more complicated than Silhouette Knight?¡±

    It was out of the question if they were returning by walk from the distance that traveled using Levitate Ship. Also, even if they can build the Silhouette Knight, it should be difficult to return from walking alone.

    They could do faster than using their body. But, if they move without stop, the Silhouette Knight will be exhausted. Furthermore, it might be broken again after encountering the demonic beast along the way. The most realistic way to leave the forest was securing the ¡®way to flies in the sky¡¯.

    ¡°Too much problem!! Give up?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Since it come to this, let¡¯s use the demonic beast until the most. For now, let¡¯s study about the Stained Beast¡¯s material¡±

    Eru was remembering Ikaruga¡¯s last battle. He saw it during that battle, a Stained Beast was flying with the shining rainbow wings. That light is similar to Etheric Levitator reaction. In other words, it can be assumed that Stained Beast is also flying with the same principle.

    While Eru seemingly motivated, Addy had confused looks on her face.

    ¡°Are you sure? Isn¡¯t that Eru-kun enemy?¡±

    ¡°For me they were an enemy I must destroy, and if they were died, that would be a good thing, right?¡±

    Although it was such a dangerous reason yet, since there is no other person who could respond his statement, Addy was able to convinced so easily.

    ¡°Alright, lets talk with the giants first. After getting along, they will come and help us to gather the materials????we should think how can do from now on¡±

    With this, they were going to spend their days in the titan settlement while continuing various trial and error for their own purpose.

 Book 7: Chapter 94: A Sign of War

    ¡°????Well done, for coming here¡±

    Far from the side of a wide tent, a voice can be heard from the darkest part. The master of the tent, the Sorcerer of Four-eyed Seat exposing her wrinkled eyes after looking at the visitors. Among the tent around the Kaellous Clan¡¯s settlement, there is a place where the Clan Chief residing in a large and more dignified tent.

    Although the entrance was made for the titan size, the two small shadow simply standing on the widely opened curtain. Ernesti and Adeltrud who¡¯s referred as a goblin for the titan.

    ¡°I hear you need something from me today¡±

    ¡°Indeed, thank you for coming. Please come here¡±

    The old titan waving her hand to invite the small guest. After that, she poured a tea (or something like that) on the huge stone bowl and put it in the front of those two as her hospitality. Even though it was used only for the titan, that bowl alone already surpassed Eru height in a slight margin. However, they were nonchalantly bringing the container and drink it as they already used to.

    While the two of them catch their own breath, the old woman gently opens her mouth.

    ¡°I have nothing else to ask other than the goblin who lives in this land and also commonly kept by Rubel Clan. However, you two were not from that clan, no? Please let me hear the truth¡±

    ¡°I see, it will be a long story. Would you mind it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is my duty as a Sorcerer. Speak it to your heart¡¯s content¡±

    While sipping the tea, the Sorcerer nods her head.

    ¡°I understand. Well then, first let me tell you about where I come from?????¡±

    Afterward, Ernesti Echavalier began to speak.

    To the west far from the forest where the titan lives, there is a place where the human lives. They formed many countries and lives within it¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The old woman who keep listening quietly for a while, now slowly open her eyes like there was no wrinkles in the first place.

    ¡°A country where the goblin lives????there is no giant, but only goblin country, huh?¡±

    ¡°From our respective, you guys were the first giant we encountered after being stranded in the forest¡±

    ¡°In the west, was it truly many goblins live in there? Then, were you two also come from the west?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. In the first place, we still don¡¯t know if the goblin was truly same race like us¡±

    Addy who got bored after the old woman and Eru talking in a long time, finally barged into the conversation.

    ¡°We come from the country called Fremmevira Kingdom. Our objective is to explore this forest. And for that reason, ????¡±

    Eru continued her story. About a huge weapon that can match the titan, the existence of Silhouette Knight. And embarking to the forest by using the Levitate Ship that can soar the sky.

    As they expected, when they told about the Levitate Ship to the old woman, she was clearly exposing her eyes as she understood all of that.

    ¡°????Is it the truth? Its hard to believe for a goblin who lives in the west. But then, why only you two left after all of that happened¡±

    ¡°In the middle of our journey, we encountered the Stained Beast and fought against them¡±

    It seems the old woman finally understood the situation now.

    ¡°We certainly dealt massive damage to the bug that attacked us. However, both my giant and the bug were destroyed each other. In the end, together with Addy, we got stranded on this forest¡±

    ¡°For you to able manipulate the Mystical Beast????wait, in that case, the corpse that had been found by the Brave. Was it the Stained Beast you two have slayed?¡±

    The old woman began to leak a groan from her mouth after looking at Eru who nods his head.

    ¡°I see. There is no such word other than an amazement. Previously, my eyes might have not able to perceive that. But, after seeing you able to defeat the Brave, that kind of valor must be happened. The Hundred Eyes might be aware of you two too.????This is such bountiful time, being able to know the truth behind the tip of the Hundred Eyes vision¡±

    Once again, the wrinkles around the old woman face began to succumb her eyes, meanwhile Eru opened his mouth and start to ask the old woman.

    ¡°If I may, can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Do not heed. I will answer everything I know¡±

    ¡°What kind of????being are the goblin, who under Rubel Clan rule? Were they truly same like us?¡±

    Addy who still in the middle of her drowsiness trying to get up after lying on Eru¡¯s lap. She was also curious about the goblin¡¯s true identity.

    ¡°What I know is; they have same appearance like us, their height couldn¡¯t even reach our knees, and they have the same eyes like the Deuce-eyed Seat (Seconda Okrys). However, they couldn¡¯t do anything for themselves, and just listen to our words. In the end, only Rubel Clan who obsessed on keeping them¡±

    The old woman said so after bringing her face closer to them. While looking back at the huge eyes, Eru start to tilt his head.

    ¡°In the past, are they also residing on this land too?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. But I¡¯m certain that long ago before me, they were already residing here¡±

    A race like a human already have lived here since the previous generation of the titan. From their appearance, by only having one pair of eyes, can be said they have close relation as a human rather than a titan.

    ¡°?????In that case, can we take them as our allies? No, I understand. Well then, just one more question?????about the Stained Beast. Are they not demonic beast? And why they were also under Rubel Clan rule?¡±

    ¡°Like I know! In the first place, they were an enemy for every clans!¡±

    The respond comes from Eru and Addy¡¯s back rather than the Sorcerer that lies ahead. When they trying to turn their back, they could see the Brave who standing in the entrance.

    ¡°I have heard your stories. As the one who had been acknowledged by the Hundred Eyes, it was splendid O goblin¡¯s Braver. Was it your Mystical Beast who slew that Stained Beast?¡±

    As the Brave continued to talk, especially he was entering without reserve. And the Sorcerer seems didn¡¯t try to stop him either, rather she was serving tea for him. While sipping the tea, the Brave sits down next to Eru and Addy.

    ¡°Are you believe it?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I have promised with you before, I will not doubt¡±

    The Brave exposing his teeth with a big grin. After that, he narrowed his eyes as he remembers something.

    ¡°The Stained Beast is our nemesis. They were soaring the sky while spreading their stains. In the first place, their target were not only us, but every living being in the whole forest were their prey¡±

    Certainly, they are bug-type demonic beast who flies on the sky while sprouting the toxic¡ª¡ªa strong acid as a weapon. After encountering them in the forest, it was easy to imagine about how difficult to dealt with them.

    ¡°We have always fight them from our ancestors. It can be said slaying them was one of the Brave duties?????alas! After the eye¡¯s incident, they were obeying the Rubel Clan now! That was the beginning of everything!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like it happened recently then?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It was happened after ¡®The Eye of Truth¡¯s Disturbance¡¯, while the Hundred Eyes still not around¡±

    Eru and Addy looked at each other.

    ¡°The Eye of Truth¡¯s Disturbance?¡±

    ¡°That Rubel Clan bastard! They were jealous on the chosen¡¯s Hundred Eyes! They were blemishing our throne!!¡±

    ¡°Throne?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! There is only ¡®Six-eyed Seat (Sexts Okrys)¡¯ who able to call themselves as a king. Anyone who have less than that is worthless!¡±

    While they were talking, the Brave¡¯s breath become rougher. No matter how much time flies, it seems his anger is still vivid. More importantly, Eru began to point another question.

    ¡°Perhaps the more eyes you have, likely to be chosen as a king isn¡¯t it? Not considering the person abilities?¡±

    ¡°There is no such thing. From the start the Six-eyes Seat is the closest being to the Hundred Eyes. And if the Six-eyed Seat reign the throne, the Hundred Eyes will reveal more eyes to observe us¡±

    For the titan, the meaning of royalties was very different from Eru¡¯s knowledge. To depends on the supreme beings, it seems has strong nature to meditate with a God rather than a King. Furthermore, unlike human beings, it was required to have specific physical features.

    ¡°So, it was something like that. Now then, what would you do if the Six-eyes Seat is not around?¡±

    ¡°When our eyes were not enough, our deeds will not reach the Hundred Eyes. Hence, we will hold the wise council and will endure until the birth of a new Six-eyed Seat¡±

    ¡°That was quite unique method. Then now, there is no Six-eyed Seat¡¯s reign, right?¡±

    The moment the Brave heard Eru question, he suddenly opens his eyes while standing up eagerly.

    ¡°Yes! The Fifth-eyed Seat (Quints Okrys) from the Rubel Clan bastards!! Even though the eyes were insufficient, they shamelessly claimed the throne!! What a bunch of ridiculous! With this, the Hundred Eyes will close the eyes!!¡±

    The old woman who had been silent for a while, once again open her mouth.

    ¡°However, among the clan in this land, the Rubel Clan is the largest and blessed with many eyes. Although up until now, they have taken the throne many times before¡±

    ¡°I see. So, they finally ignore the required number of eyes after they have the biggest populace¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it! For such foolishness proclaiming as a King that has been foretold by our ancestors. In addition, the Rubel Clan has acknowledged this shameful act! Normally, they must repent the disgrace first!!¡±

    After the Brave condition has calmed down, he loosens the firm grips of his fist.

    ¡°????There is no clan will want oppose this kind of savagery. No, there¡¯s no one! But????!¡±

    ¡°And the Stained Beast????who supporting behind all of this by force, right¡±

    ¡°Yes. For such thing, the whole clan¡¯s nemesis¡ª¡ªthe Stained Beast began to abide Rubel Clan reign. Many Braves fall down after receiving their stains in The Eyes of Truth¡¯s Disturbance¡±

    Finally, the Brave return to sit down again. Unlike before, he no longer feels the anger. Instead, a strong regret shows on his face.

    ¡°We, couldn¡¯t stop them. But?????in contrary, it might be the best if the Six-eyed Seat hasn¡¯t appeared yet. We couldn¡¯t bear if the Hundred Eyes seen our deed for something like this¡±

    Eru cross his arm beside the depressed Brave.

    ¡°????The Stained Beast, and goblin? Fumu, the more I hear, the more I know about Rubel Clan who have different from others¡±

    What kind of conclusion did he find out? While thinking about it, the Brave who sat beside him began to strike his fist.

    ¡°But not yet! O goblin¡¯s Braver. You two already have slayed the Stained Beast, no? This is mean, the Hundred Eyes have shown its path. We must correct the mistake, by repenting this disgrace!¡±

    ¡°In other words, we must fight against Rubel Clan? Certainly, the number of Stained Beast were already deceasing, but aren¡¯t they still the largest clan, right?¡±

    As the Brave looked down at Eru face, he greatly nods his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware. But this is our true enquiry, we cannot leave it by. We need more eyes to correct their path. Therefore, we gather the other clans and ask enquiry to the wise man¡±

    ¡°Are you perhaps, in order to prepare that, you had been hunting from all of this time????¡±

    Eru confused on how to handle this situation. Their journey somehow given a huge impact to the titan who lived here.

    ¡°It seems I have no more time to be relaxed¡±

    At that time, Addy who was beside him, pulled the tip of Eru¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°The giant seems like want to start a war but, what should we do? should we help them?¡±

    ¡°For some reason, we become the main cause of this conflict. But its not like we are already hostile with the Rubel Clan. More importantly, I don¡¯t want to fight without Silhouette Knight¡±

    ¡°As I thought, that was the problem eh????¡±

    Seeing the two of them discussing each other, the Brave began to move his mouth and barging in on their conversation.

    ¡°The goblin¡¯s Braver. Although you two already become the member of our clan, but that doesn¡¯t mean you need to joint the battle. This is what we must shown to the Hundred Eyes¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m already satisfied with your strength in defeating the Stained Beast¡±

    The Sorcerer also nods her head.

    Eru start to straightened his figure, and look up to the two titans.

    ¡°?????If we could, we want return to our home. And for that reason, we want to prepare everything we can¡±

    ¡°I see. The wanderer and also as a goblin¡¯s Braver. We, everyone in the Kaellous Clan will lend our hand for our companion. If you ask our help, we will gladly lend our strength¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly splendid for a giant that will lend their strength for us. We are in your care¡±

    While Eru smiling happily, Addy was showing delicate expression after thinking about the strength definition was different from what they mean.

    ¡ô

    The time has flies and the villager was bustling with noise since the conversation had finished. The massager has returned after informing every clan in the vicinities.

    ¡°Many clans will participate according to the response of ask an enquiry to the wise man¡±

    ¡°As expected, we can¡¯t allow the Rubel Clan doing. The Hundred Eyes will never forgive this mistake¡±

    In order to response the Kaellous Clan¡¯s plan for ask an enquiry to the wise man, many clans in vicinity had return to fulfill the call. The one who used for massager are small to medium populated clans that scattered in all over the place. In other words, they are forming an alliance between many clans to oppose the Rubel Clan who have the largest population.

    ¡°Indeed. In the end, we cannot leave the Rubel Clan as it. The Stained Beast was gone for good, now this is our opportunity to rise. Everyone understood it very well, right?¡±

    In the middle of the village, every titan who had gathered in there, nod their head and giving the war-cry sound by beating their limbs after hearing the Sorcerer words. Their heart has united as one after waiting and preparing for this time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to their clan to ask an enquiry. I¡¯m counting on you while we were away¡±

    To ask an enquiry to the wise man¡ª¡ªin short, it was a conference before the war begin. Of course, the only one who will participate are the Sorcerer and the Brave as a representative, rather than not something like every clan member will participate.

    Looking at the absent minded Eru, the Brave approached Eru who still gazing up to the highly spirited titans.

    ¡°As you can look. We will go to ask an enquiry to the wise man. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I will stay here with everyone, because we still have something to do¡±

    ¡°Understood. I will tell it to my servant. If you need something, just ask it without reserve¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you¡±

    Thus, by seeing them off, the Sorcerer and the Brave went out to ask an enquiry to the wise man.

    The titans who remained in the settlement were returning to their daily lives, even after the Sorcerer and the Brave¡¯s departure. Speaking of which, one thing had become different from before, something like unsuppressed euphoric feeling has included between them.

    ¡°?????What kind of game is this¡±

    In the middle of that, there is one titan who feeling deeply confused. The One-eyed Seat of Servant who looking down at the foot while flickering his huge one-eyelids. There is a small figure with no larger than his knees plus another small figure who somewhat a little bigger and wearing an armor, it seems they were busily moving around.

    The smaller one; Eru who cross his arm and leaking out a ¡®Uu¡«¡¯ groan from his mouth, finally raised his head to the questioned voice.

    ¡°This is for research¡±

    ¡°????Umu? Do a goblin fulfill their livelihood by lining up some bones?¡±

    It can be said, all he had to do was picking up an abandoned demonic beast¡¯s bones and arranging them into a human shaped. Although when he was at it, he does complain about ¡®ah this won¡¯t do¡¯ or ¡®ahh, this one neither¡¯.

    The shell or leather from demonic beast that had been hunted by the titan will be used to make an armor, while the meat will be possessed as a food. Even though, the bone was also used to make an armor, there are too many unused parts and must be thrown away from the settlement. As for Eru and Addy, they have gathered it on purpose.

    ¡°Eru-kun, what about this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that looks right. It seems long and sturdy too, let¡¯s use it on the legs¡±

    Addy who wearing the Gear Ejector (Descent Rad) carrying a huge bone larger than her height and place it on the ground.

    The One-eyed titan couldn¡¯t hide his confused expression even though Eru already had explained to him. Originally, his task was something like the Brave follower. For that reason, he was holding the Servant position.

    Because the Brave now went to ask an enquiry to the wise man, he was ordered to make himself useful to the goblin¡¯s Braver. Speaking of such, this strong small goblin was able to defeat his lord who also the Brave. Although, it was not a disgrace to serve him, he couldn¡¯t fathom their behavior at all.

    For a titan, arranging the demonic beast bone was more likely played by children. In the case when they are playing it, it would be called completed if they could reassemble it in a beast figure. But, these two goblins had gathered from the various bones and arranging them apart.

    Furthermore, it can be said too weird for a something like a titan figure.

    ¡°Are my eyes did not enough. I couldn¡¯t understand what are the goblin thinking at all¡±

    Although the One-eyed of Servant taken back weirdly, he still helps Eru with sincerity. But in reality, Eru also thought the same like him.

    ¡°Umu. Why I do feel like something ominous will happen after arranging the demonic beast¡¯s bone, no?¡±

    ¡°So, just noticed it at this point, eh?????¡±

    There was an atmosphere where they could be called a Necromancer due to their work. Of course, it¡¯s not like Eru had changed to that kind of flashy job.

    ¡°As I thought, the demonic beast¡¯s bone and the shape was not compatible at all. The size was not always consistent, and there is no guarantee to found the right shape????even if we design this, truly the bone will break, huh¡±

    What he always seeks is still unchanged. The humanoid weapon, Silhouette Knight. The first step of Silhouette Knight alternative manufacturing plan which arranged by demonic beast¡¯s bones.

    ¡°How difficult¡«. This bone might more fragile than I thought if we use the strengthening magic on the Inner Skeleton¡±

    ¡°The output also become too wasteful, right¡«¡±

    They were known enough to process some metals. However, they never have any experience building the Silhouette Knight using the demonic beast¡¯s bone. That¡¯s why the preparatory studies were required to execute.

    Eru began to write a memo on the tree¡¯s bark.

    ¡°When it doesn¡¯t take the shape, let¡¯s combine it with the small bones and then attach it with strengthening magic. Even if we do that, we surely couldn¡¯t leave the dimension tolerance. It can¡¯t be helped if we need more some power, huh?????¡±

    Fortunately, Ikaruga Ether Reactor; Emperor¡¯s Heart has abundant output. From the first place, Ikaruga itself is a machine which supported by high-powered strengthening magic.

    ¡°It will be necessary to use Emperor¡¯s Heart. As for the placement will be supported like this, what¡¯s left is????¡±

    After organizing the information, the next step is the design. Leaving aside the strength factor, the procedure itself is no different from the previous Silhouette Knight design. The part between the heart were also left unscathed, so it can be useful to some extent.

    ¡°There is a lot of efficiency loss if we use the demonic beast¡¯s bone. But somewhat we could secure a normal Silhouette Knight¡±

    ¡°If we could able to build it though¡«¡±

    Eru slowly looked around the arranged bones. It looked like a titan¡¯s skull corpse instead. Of course, it was in the silence of the death

    ¡°There is no point in arranging it like this. To move???as I expected, the problem is Crystal Tissue, right¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun. Before the giant starting their war, would it be bad if we don¡¯t collect Ikaruga and Shii-chan soon?¡±

    At that time, Addy suddenly clap her hand. According to the Sorcerer and the Brave, the titan will soon enter the war state. In the midst of that, it was difficult to build Silhouette Knight nonchalantly.

    ¡°I think so too but????even if we can ask the giant to carry it. We still don¡¯t know where should we go to not get caught up in the battle¡±

    ¡®I see. Then, we can¡¯t move without building a Silhouette Knight and in order to build the Silhouette Knight we need to carry it to the safe place. Huh? It doesn¡¯t seem right at all?¡±

    There is no end of it, Addy began to tilt her head.

    ¡°We just need to carry it somewhere. Seriously, if this could work, we can carry as much as we want¡±

    Whatever the material, if it can move as a humanoid weapon, Eru will happily riding it to transport. Although, it was a problem when reality is reversed by order.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped if we worry something we can¡¯t do. As swiftly as possible, let¡¯s look for Crystal Tissue alternatives¡±

    ¡°Yes. Can¡¯t imagine it at all¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too¡±

    After that, they asked ¡°Is there any demonic beast material that can easily expanded and shrunk by magical phenomenon?¡± unreasonably to the One-eyes of Servant, and then his eyes changed into white and black panel.

 Book 7: Chapter 95: Letâ€™s Comfort an Enquiry to the Wise Man (Conference)

    The place where the enquiry to the wise man will be held is located at the separated and innermost of the forest, rather than being held in a clan¡¯s village. A wide and empty space can be seen abruptly soon after passing through the thick forest which have been guided by the beast¡¯s trail. In there, the stone were lined and the plant were also grown in an unnatural way. Although the stone were still rough, it was polished enough for a titan to sit it down and it were arranged in an encirclement for such event.

    Granted, from that old and mossy condition. It was certain this place has been used many times in the past.

    From that place, two persons from the Kaellous Clan were the fastest who comes earlier. When the enquiry to the wise man occurred, usually the ones who called the conference would be the first one that comes first.

    ¡°????Umu. For such old body to endure this¡±

    A four-eyed old woman immediately sitting down as soon as she has reached the conference place. No matter how much muscle the titan can have, it seems their muscle will decline after living for a long time. Yes, just exactly like this old woman.

    ¡°I must have troubled you Brave¡±

    ¡°My Sorcerer, please don¡¯t hide your eyes. This is also my duty as a Brave¡±

    The Three-eyed Brave who has escorted the Sorcerer from this far, shook his head while showing his smile to her. As he said, it was normal for him to do his duties.

    After that, the Brave went through the lined stone and stand in the center of the place. In there, a blank space without any stone was left alone and replaced by piled-up ash that already changed the ground¡¯s color.

    The Brave start to piles a firewood he brought and then he starts handling the beast which is he already hunted on his way before. He was already skilled at handling the beast by doing it every day. The beast was quickly dismantled and lined after skewering each part of them.

    The Sorcerer comes over him after resting her body and place her hand on the firewood.

    ¡°Come (Venit)¡±

    Along with her muttering, a swirling flame has appeared on the edge of her hand. Eventually lit up the firewood, and begins to burn up.

    ¡°????I suppose, this enquiry will become major turning point for us¡±

    Said the old woman while gazing at the burning flame.

    The Brave who had already faced the burning firewood nod in agreement.

    ¡°Indeed. There is no history where the Truth of Eye¡¯s Disorder occurred within our ancestors before¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t return to the Hundred Eyes side while my eye still reflected that evilness¡±

    The old woman who was covered with wrinkles slowly gathered the strength in her eyes, as if she was looking at the future inside the flame.

    And then, while they were waiting, the titan began to assemble one after another. Although every clan who had comes here were in a small number, the number of various clans that have been gathering here were far too much to count. Also, each one of them were bringing their own baggage. Soon after that, only a few stone seat now remains.

    In the center of the place, the firewood that had been brought by everyone delivered into wavering flame. Besides of that, there is a clan who began to grill the meat other than Kaellous Clan.

    Looking at the titan who have gathered there, most of them have two pair eyes which can be said as the ¡®Four-eyed Seat¡¯. Although among that group, a small number of ¡®Fifth-eyed Seat¡¯ arrogantly mixed between them.

    On the other hand, there is no ¡®Three-eyed Seat¡¯ other than from the Kaellous Clan.

    ¡°Hm? Have you returned to the Hundred Eyes sides yet, the elderly of Kaellous Clan?¡±

    One of the Fifth-eyed titan comes to Kaellous Clan seat. He was glaring at the Sorcerer while smirked with a devious mouth. Before the old woman began to open her eyes, the Brave already stood between them.

    ¡°I will not allow any insolent mouth before our Sorcerer¡±

    ¡°What did you say. Don¡¯t dare you interrupt me for a mere three eyes!¡±

    The five-eyes of his were staring down intensely above the Brave. Not only he has two additional eyes, his body size also bigger than the Three-eyed Brave. Although, the Brave didn¡¯t falter to look back at the Fifth-eyed Seat without any pressure at all.

    Because of that, the tension between them increased significantly. Eventually the titan around them slowly shut their mouth after sensing their intent. In the amidst of the quiescent, all attention was directed toward those two.

    Before the tension reach its peak, the old woman began to stand up and put her hand on the Brave shoulder. As if she wants to displace the Brave and face the Fifth-eyed Seat.

    ¡°Fifth-eyed Seat. This is the place for enquiry to the wise man. A place where we convey our word, there is no need for such standing¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I see, for such dictum really exist didn¡¯t they¡±

    While he was taking breath from his nose, the Fifth-eyed Seat has lost his interest on those two. As if he was trying to walk away by pushing the Brave, he finally sat down on the nearest stone seat.

    The surrounding titan who have saw the scenery before them leaving an astonished looks on their faces.

    ¡°Promptly, there are already many of us gathered here. Let¡¯s us begin the enquiry to the wise man¡±

    Taking the advantage on the focused attention, the old woman informs them to start the enquiry. The remaining mixed voice in the surrounding also began to crumble. With a composed gait, the old woman went into the center of the place and put her hand on the top of burned flame.

    ¡°The Hundred Eyes, please be our witness¡±

    Following the old woman, every titan began to murmur the same word like her. Giving prayer to their guardian god; to the God of Hundred Eyes (Algos De Plenus Okrys).

    By doing that, every argument that will be conveyed from now on, would have given their deity acknowledgement. This is also one of the enquiry to the wise man¡¯s dictum which must be followed.

    ¡°First, I want to inform everyone about this enquiry. There¡¯s no other thing than the Rubel Clan¡¯s grieve mistake ¡°

    ¡°????The enquiry, already passed long time ago. In the end, our Brave were stained!¡±

    Not long after that, various clans raise their own voices. Every clans who have received devastating damage from the Truth of Eye¡¯s Disorder. Especially the Brave who have been called by the strong men, become the first victim after being defeated by the Stained Beast which under Rubel Clan control.

    ¡°Indeed. But, the Hundred Eyes will no overlook our mistake. Our Brave finally discovered the Stained Beast corpse¡±

    Among the raising commotion, the Fifth-eyed began to barge his voice.

    ¡°Was it only one? Or perhaps telling me the Third-eyed Seat able to defeat it!¡±

    ¡°Nay. Our Brave was discovering only the corpse¡±

    ¡°You had asked an enquiry just for that? Damn you Kaellous, you have aged too much!¡±

    The old woman slowly faced the Fifth-eyed who has stood up from his seat. The eyes that had been wrinkled her face, didn¡¯t lose any strength at all.

    ¡°The number of Stained beast¡¯s corpse that have been discovered by our Brave, is exceeding more than ten number¡±

    This time, an uncontrolled astonishment spreading among the titan. Even the Fifth-eyed Seat has shocked by her word.

    ¡°The Stained Beast????¡±

    ¡°Was it truly, for such thing????¡±

    ¡°Then, nothing to be scared!¡±

    ¡°However, the Truth of Eye¡¯s Disorder????¡±

    The titans are grumbling each other. It seems the titan were still persisting by not opposing again Rubel Clan¡¯s deed. And one of the reasons is, the existence of Stained Beast¡¯s strength.

    If their presence has gone, then the prerequisite will become different too.

    ¡°We will demand the decision for the Hundred Eyes. The Rubel Clan¡¯s deed, was it true or false!?¡±

    With a silent voice, no one has raised their voice. The enquiry already has been said, then the answer must be given without any unnecessary word.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªHowever, this time was not in the least.

    ¡°Rubel Clan¡¯s deed?????was it truly a mistake?¡±

    Among the seated titan, there is another person who has stood up beside the old woman. Having the largest body than anyone else, the Fifth-eyed Seat broke the current flow and throwback the enquiry.

    ¡°In the first place, the Six-eyed Seat are too few when they born. When the Six-eyed Seat appeared, we should guide it to the Hundred Eyes. But when there is none of them were born, won¡¯t it sufficient if the Fifth-eyed Seat able to replace them!¡±

    ¡°????Are you sane?¡±

    At that time, the Sorcerer has realized. This Fifth-eyed Seat wanted to gain favor by themselves after make the Rubel Clan as an example.

    Unable to endure the scene before him, the Third-eyed Seat of Brave also began to stand up. Same like before, the Brave shout at the Fifth-eyed Seat with a glaring eye.

    ¡°How???how shameless you can be. We are in the midst of the enquiry. There is a limit to say such statement in the front of the Hundred Eyes!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the great Hundred Eyes will observe us with full of forgiveness¡±

    An anger slowly swells inside the Brave after hearing the Fifth-eyed Seat¡¯s evilness intent before him. Not only staining the sacred enquiry, he even tries to changes the king selection. For the Brave, it was not something he could forgive.

    ¡°How much????how much rotten your eyes have been!!¡±

    ¡°You have heard it Kaellous????in the first place, are you speak the truth about the Stained Beast? Aren¡¯t you mistaken it for something cowardice like a mere Third-eyed Seat!¡±

    ¡°You even call us without shameless! What an unsightly remark! Don¡¯t even think you will be acknowledged by the Hundred Eyes!!¡±

    When the Brave wanted to ask a new enquiry with outrage, in the same time a sudden roar blasting through them.

    ¡°Sileeeence!!! ????We are still in the Hundred Eye¡¯s presence¡±

    A roaring voice which made everyone hold their tongue went through the place, it was not something like an old person can do. Everyone attention is focused on the Four-eyed Seat of Sorcerer. At the time when she opened her eyes, even the upper Fifth-eyed Seat like him was losing his power against her.

    ¡°The Fifth-eyed Seat. You may watch the enquiry if you think like that. Tonight is the enquiry to the wise man¡±

    As the Fifth-eyed Seat shut his mouth and look around him, the piercing gaze shoot through at him from the seated titan. And because of that, he was unable to say anything back.

    ¡°Only the Hundred Eyes who able to guide the chosen throne¡±

    ¡°We will not forgive the Stained Beast who disturbed this rightfulness¡±

    ¡°This is something we must see with our eyes¡±

    ¡°Enquire it, let¡¯s ask an enquiry to them¡±

    ¡°Once again, to the Rubel Clan, we must enquire it¡±

    ¡°We must enquire their mistaken deed at once¡±

    One by one their voice has risen after another.

    ¡°The enquiry has been revealed. This time, the Hundred Eyes has also acknowledged this enquiry¡±

    The old woman reached out and highly lift her arm to creating a burning fire ball.

    ¡°Our clan (Barysu Genos) has once again united as one. Hundred Eyes, be our witness!!¡±

    Among the titan who got excited after standing up, only the Fifth-eyed Seat who has bitter expression on his face.

    ¡°?????What a fool¡±

    He began to walk away while leaving the dissatisfaction feeling behind. Not long after that, the one who in the same clan like him, start to follow his back.

    Only the Third-eyed Seat of Brave who intensely gazing at them and try to follow them, although he cannot leave the old woman side. At least, seeing them off was the best thing he could do.

    After leaving away from the fruitful enquiry to the wise man¡¯s place, several titans moving through the forest in a quick pace. Between them, the titan who have the biggest body, heavily shook his head. The Fifth-eyed Seat titan who roughly stepping out in frustration.

    ¡°Damn you Kaellous! Prying too much with the past sealed eyes!!¡±

    ¡°The enquiry has been revealed. They will surely saw this as a mistake¡±

    For the titan, the result of enquiry to the wise man will be considered as the Hundred Eyes Deity¡¯s will and has absolute restriction power. For starter, the clashes between Rubel Clan and united clan are certainly cannot be avoided.

    ¡°What should we do Fifth-eyed Seat. If we leave it be, our clan will be confused????¡±

    ¡°We cannot leave it as it is¡±

    The Fifth-eyed Seat comes to halt his step. Smile with a vicious smile while thinking an devious plan.

    ¡°????Then, we can simply tell them¡±

    The titan beside him looked at each other.

    ¡°To the Rubel Clan¡±

    After narrowing his fives eyes, the titan was looking at the edge of the forest.

    ¡ô

    Not long after the enquiry has been revealed, every clan were returning to their own village. From now, they will be preparing for the war and assembled once again after that.

    The titan from the Kaellous Clan were also already returned back to the village. As if the clan member were waiting for the return, and excitedly making a noise by their feet after hearing the alliance.

    The old woman informs her clan member after returning from a long trip.

    ¡°My brethren Kaellous Clan. The time for the truth is near. Soon we will join together and once again ask an enquiry to the Rubel Clan. For now, we must prepare for that!¡±

    The voice of agreement was overlapping each other, and then every titan began to divide for fulfilling their roles.

    Although they were the first one who cast the enquiry, the Kaellous Clan is the most prepared clan in vicinity. Because of that, they have much time to be relaxed.

    ¡°My Servant! I have returned! Where is the goblin????!?¡±

    The Brave who have returned to his tent, at that place, he has found strange thing created beside him.

    ¡°What????kind of joke is this¡±

    Even with the braveness which only the Brave can have, he couldn¡¯t help to feel freaked out. What placed in there was an armor made from the demonic beast which the Brave wanted to give for the goblin Braver. Although, there should be no progress before he went to enquiry, there was something like a human form which created by the bone of demonic beast. Moreover, it had already hanged on the nearby tree before he notices it.

    Because of that, it was looked like a deceased titan skeleton. Even for the Brave, this kind of bad taste make him speechless into that extend.

    The Servant who has been glared by his three eyes, shrunk from the distance, but eventually pointed at his feet as if he has something to say.

    ¡°This is, what the goblin Braver say it was necessary for them¡±

    With a great interest and vigor, the Brave now asking the goblin who moving around quickly on his feet.

    ¡°Goblin Braver. What kind of harassment is this!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we are now securing the movable range by estimating the available space. Thanks to that, we are able to calculate the amount of muscle we need to move. Although, we still can¡¯t secure the right amount, we will estimate it on how far we can go?????¡±

    They should be able to converse but, their word is not connected at all. All the Brave can do is completely covered his head.

    ¡°????Hundred Eyes, please guide me!!????Well, fine. More importantly¡±

    After giving up everything he saw, the Brave sit down heavily on the spot.

    ¡°The enquiry has been revealed. As the Hundred Eyes had guided us, we will once again ask an enquiry to the Rubel Clan¡±

    ¡°Oooh????!¡±

    As the Servant continue to cross his arm while sit down with one knee up, his eyes now lifted by the upcoming battle before him.

    ¡°Because of your work, we cannot thank you enough for defeating the Stained Beast for us, goblin Braver. Originally, it was something we must to face but????¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. But from now on, you will go to fight, right?¡±

    While sitting there, Eru give a wry smile. Just like the Brave said before leaving for the enquiry, he nods in agreement.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We will face the Rubel Clan to ask an enquiry. But we still have time for a while. I will gladly lend my strength anytime when you need it???if it was not something like this harassment¡±

    The Brave trying to keep his sight on the fake skeleton corpse beside.

    Eru who start thinking after crossed his arm, leaking a ¡®mm-hmm¡¯ noise on his mouth. There is something he must do in this short time, and that answer is most certainly.

    ¡°Then, before you going out to fight, there is one thing I would like to borrow everyone strength¡±

    ¡°Fumu. What is it?¡±

    As he stood up and began point his finger to the west where their hometown located.

    ¡°I want to recollect my treasured????my Silhouette Knight which had been destroyed after fighting Stained Beast and fall in that area. However, because it was too heavy for us to, we need a great strength to bring it here¡±

    ¡°Fine, it will be easy. I am with my Servant will lend our strength to you¡±

    For a titan who have a tremendous power, carrying a luggage was too easy for them.

    ¡°We might need some round trips though. The place is around the Stained Beast¡¯s carcass¡±

    ¡°I see. Then, we already know that place. Fumu, well then Servant, bring the basket¡±

    ¡°Understood¡±

    By the Brave order, the One-eyed Servant brought a huge bag which had been made with a strong vine.

    ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you have another important matter to attend on this time, right?¡±

    ¡°We still have a time to spend, reminding we still need to prepare. Besides, this is our thanks to you, goblin Braver. No need to reserve¡±

    The Brave proudly hit his chest. Under such circumstances, Eru and Addy who brought along with the Brave and his Servant went left to recover the Silhouette Knight¡¯s wreckage and a place where the Stained Beast¡¯s carcass located.

    Bocuse Sea of Trees.

    There are many powerful demonic beasts who lived in this land, both from the ground and either on the air. There is no other way to survive except having a power like a titan or using a weapon like Silhouette Knight.

    In that such forest, there is a huge shadow who was flying and ruling from the sky. It was something shaped like a bug with a shining rainbow wings around it, and also leaking a buzzling sound to its surrounding.

    The giant bird, monster bird, and any other demonic beast who live in the sky, would rather run away after sighting that figure. It can be said that such being is on the topmost demonic beast. Among of them, there is a thin and reddish tint that rising a loud cry. And then, with an inorganic, and emotionless eyes; ¡®they¡¯ are turn to one direction, lowering the altitude, and landing to the ground.

    Their destination is a small opened village in the forest. With many eyes opened in astonishment, the death incarnation of spreading stain has been descended.

    The first one who notice the oddity is the Third-eyed Seat of Brave.

    ¡°????Did something happen?¡±

    In the group who was moving through the forest, the Brave suddenly stop his step and began to look around. It seems his sense of being trained warrior was able to notice something. Was it something like a sound or tremor, even the Brave himself doesn¡¯t know either. But he certainly feels something.

    ¡°Look everyone, what is that?¡±

    In the group who have stopped their advance, Eru was pointing at the sky after he trying to turn around his body. The group who looked at it, obviously notice something has happened in there.

    Several lines of black smoke flowing from the ground, and a shadow-like figure who flying on the sky. Moreover, the surrounding area was already covered in a fog.

    The Brave recognized it the moment he saw the scenery before him. He knew the existence who could do that. Therefore, the Brave shout a loud cry and opened his eyes.

    ¡°The Stained????Beast!! No way! Why they are here????!¡±

    ¡°Brave! Don¡¯t tell me that direction, our????clan¡¯s village!!¡±

    The Servan screamed with a trembled voice. Right now, that direction is where they had come and also the direction of the Stained Beast and the smoke. And the place lies before it is none other than anything they could thought.

    Not even thinking about it, the Brave running straight to that direction. Soon after that, the Servant was also following him on the back.

    ¡°Addy, we will follow them!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    In pursuit of the titan who rushing at the maximum speed, Eru and Addy were also start to follow them.

    The closer they have come back, the better they could see the sky above the village. The sky has changed into ashen clouds mixed with the strong acid poison which had been released by the Stained Beast. They weren¡¯t sure what kind of state happened bellow it. Even thinking optimistically couldn¡¯t help them from imagining it.

    At that time, the Brave who running on the front suddenly reduced his speed. They got someone else presence coming from the front. From this situation, they cannot think other than their allies at all.

    As the Brave stood up and pull out a rod without hesitation. The Servant was also stand beside him, and preparing to engage the person who come to them.

    ¡°Please wait, Brave! That is your????¡±

    Eru who was watching above the trees, giving him a warning. The Brave and his companion who still hasn¡¯t jumped at the front, waiting for a slight movement.

    ¡°Aah, Brave????¡±

    What appeared before them were the titans from the Kaellous Clan.

    ¡°You fellow, so you¡¯re safe! What¡¯s happening in the village????¡±

    Although the Brave began to regaining his calmness after sighting a familiar eye, he soon returned to that state again when considering the number of the titan who lives in the village were obviously less than appeared before them. Besides, many of them were wounded and even some of their body has swollen after taking the strong acid.

    ¡°What happened????where is the rest!?¡±

    The Brave pulling out the unscathed titan unintentionally.

    The titan who still full by themselves began to firmly look back at the Brave.

    ¡°Without noticing, they come from the sky. When we realized it, we are already too late and everything covered in stain????we cannot even attack them, running from them was all we can do¡±

    The Brave expression has changed like a something crushed. Eventually, he realizes that there was no old woman figure on that place.

    ¡°W, where is the Sorcerer????!?¡±

    ¡°????To let everyone escape, the Sorcerer use her magic????to fight the Stained Beast alone! But I¡¯m afraid the Sorcerer was already retuning to the Hundred Eyes side????¡±

    As soon as he heard the answer, the Brave had sunk to his knees. Then he whammed his fist against the ground.

    ¡°????????????I will not forgive this???!!!!¡±

    The Brave who had raised his face with a bloody eye, trying to run through while leaving a loud cry. Eru jumped in the front of his eyes after seeing the Brave who was going to lose himself.

    ¡°Brave! You must not go!!¡±

    ¡°Goblin! Don¡¯t stop me! This is our???!¡±

    The Brave right now was no different from a beast. Although he was emitting a massive killing intent on the head-on, Eru didn¡¯t even hesitate to oppose him.

    ¡°If you go, then who will protect your wounded clan member after leaving them here!?¡±

    The Brave took one step ahead, and endure it. Gritting his teeth until a bubble start to leak from the edge of his mouth. Even now the anger that emitting flame has turned into shimmer, and shakes the Brave surrounding.

    Eru slowly reached a word to the Brave who had changed into a beast.

    ¡°And from their information, the village was already???covered in stains¡±

    ¡°I already know about that! I am! ????I am a Brave!! If I don¡¯t stand right now, then when will I must stand for the future!!¡±

    The one who stand to stop the Brave is his companion words.

    ¡°Brave???just like the goblin said. The village are already????our companion, many of them couldn¡¯t escape and become stained????¡±

    The Brave who had trembled while gripping hard his fist, suddenly hit the ground using his head.

    ¡°Damned Stained Beast! Damned Rubel Clan! Such a deed! For them to show this to the Hundred Eyes????!! I will not forgive?????I will never forgive this????!!¡±

    One of the titans went forward to the Brave who was grieving in the sadness. There is a young female titan who held on its arm.

    The Brave slowly raised his face and faced the girl¡¯s four eyes. A young eye, who lived with fear and stain; engulfed with an anger, even so giving the light of a strong will inside it.

    ¡°Brave, I have a word from the Sorcerer????I must apologies for returning to the Hundred Eyes side ahead. You must correct this mistake, Brave. For that reason, you must train as for the one who will succeed my eyes???in the end, we will hide our embarrassment and we must escape to live!!¡±

    Afterwards, the Brave has leaked a roaring voice that doesn¡¯t even to be in this world. As for real intention, he wanted to leave it to his anger and find a way to avenge her. But now, as the strongest warrior in the village, and as the protector of the Sorcerer. It doesn¡¯t change if the Sorcerer was still young and immature.

    The Brave who had been shaking for a while eventually placed his arm and kneeled before her while keeping open only one eye on his forehead to face the girl.

    ¡°My new Sorcerer, I will swear it here. I will protect you from any disaster until you have succeeded your predecessor????and I will surely to correct the Rubel Clan deeds, and have them to be judged by the Hundred Eyes¡±

    ¡°Brave, there are not many who inherited this eye from our predecessors. But I will surely overcome this trial. Until then, I¡¯m in your protection????¡±

    Although the titan still considered as a child, she was still big for a titan. And she was rather successfully replying to his words, even though she seemed had been tensed in the front of trembled Brave.

    One after another the surviving Kaellous Clan member, imitating the Brave by kneeled before her while closing their eyes.

    While the Clan¡¯s life pulse hasn¡¯t been run out after falling from the misery, the remained clan member was united and resumed their walk.

    ¡°????I¡¯m glad, it seems has already settled then. Brave also stopped rushing in too¡±

    Eru and Addy were watching the titan condition above the tree. They couldn¡¯t intervene their clan problem. They just lend them their power a little.

    Suddenly, Addy who hasn¡¯t got any reply from Eru; look at his direction. His sight is far away from them, to the direction of Kaellous Clan¡¯s village which still covered in a white fog.

    ¡°?????What happened? Eru-kun?¡±

    ¡°Nee, Addy. The Stained Beast attacking the village meaning¡±

    At that time, Addy has remembered something. In that village, together with Eru, she does know what he means by that¡ª¡ª¨D¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°What do you think about the demonic beast material we that still in research?¡±

    ¡°?????Uwaa¡±

    Without knowing she took a step back. Because she now has seen. The smiling Eru. A smile with full of anger that will incites the whole world.

    ¡°Fufufu????for a mere bug stand against me again in the second time¡±

    From the top of the branch, Eru looks at the remaining Kaellous Clan including the Brave.

    ¡°It seems, we have a same interest with them¡±

    Eru and Addy were working for their own purpose. It would be the best if the just could escape the forest and return to the kingdom. Although it was coincidental, his Silhouette Knight had already destroyed twice, there is no way he will leave it as it is.

    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t intent to get involved between the giant¡¯s conflict????but, it seems I must have Rubel Clan-or-whatever is pay for it. The cost of destroying my Silhouette Knight is expensive you know????!¡±

    At this time, one of the titan¡¯s clan; the Rubel Clan has completely make an enemy of the world most problematic Knight Comander; Ernesti Echavalier from the Silver Phoenix Knight.

 Book 7: Chapter 96: Reunion

    Arc 14 The Country of Small Person

    A silent shock had run through the demonic forest.

    ¡°What did you say, the Kaellous Clan were already????!?¡±

    ¡°Curse you Rubel Clan. They still have that many Stained Beast¡±

    ¡°Just same as Eye of Truth¡¯s Disturbance. If we leave it as it is, I wonder if we can win???¡±

    The destruction of Kaellous Clan and the release of Stained Beast¡¯s attack by the Rubel Clan within the settlement soon become known to the other clans. The united clan which had been formed to oppose the Rubel Clan now completely stopped their advance.

    At the same time, an important implication can be noticed by that assault. In other words, another attack could have happened again if a new clan become the center of all the unified clans. It can also a frightening thing even for a hot-blooded being like a titan, and the opportunity to oppose has been rapidly deceased.

    ¡ô

    While the united clans were drowning in dejected swamps, the Kaellous Clan¡¯s survivors have lurked around the corner of the forest. All of them are wearing a dark expression. In fact, their opponent was the Stained Beast which can found them while flying in the sky. And for that reason, they have to hide in the deep woods of the forest. The deeper they would go, the harder they can move. And because of their small number, they were able to survive even without hunting at all. With that such delicate life continues along the way, they were sharing the remaining hunted prey carefully to everyone.

    ¡°?????If this life going on, I have no intention become a part of the trees¡±

    The Third-eyed Seat of Brave has been decided to discuss on what to do for the future. While the Fourth-eyed young girl looks up at him with anxious face.

    ¡°I will certainly repay this kind of deed to the Rubel Clan. The Sorcerer????everyone¡¯s vengeance, I will avenge for them¡±

    While sitting in a circle, the titans nods in agreement quietly. Any one of them have the same feeling about the vengeance.

    ¡°However, we do not have enough strength to fight them. Our clan were also?????small in comparison¡±

    ¡°What about the unified clan, Brave? The enquiry has been revealed, then they must have already starting to move????¡±

    The Brave has begun narrowing his eyes and shook his head in disagreement.

    ¡°Remember on what happened to our clan who have been attacked by the Stained Beast. With that fact alone, we could expect on what their move eventually¡±

    The titans let out a groan in frustration.

    After seeing the destruction of Kaellous Clan and the remaining Stained Beast, there would be a few of them who still wanted to move. And without their strength, they can¡¯t oppose the largest Rubel Clan if they not stand up together.

    ¡°That strength is no longer visible. The Stained Beast, and Rubel Clan. We must have defeated these two in the same time¡±

    ¡°Are we really able to do that? Please show us the way, the Hundred Eyes????¡±

    When the surrounding titan looking down in bewilderment, the young Sorcerer was looking around with an uneasy look. Leaving aside their enthusiasm, it was something very difficult to achieve. The more they think about it, the more they know about their difference in overwhelming power the opponent have. But despite of that, the Brave¡¯s still standing up by himself.

    ¡°I am also confused on what to do. Our enemy is certainly too big. But I can¡¯t leave it as it is. How can I face the Sorcerer who have returned to the Hundred Eye¡¯s side?¡±

    The Brave himself was aware he is just pretending to become strong. But as the strongest warrior and the guardian of the clan in the same time, as well as the young Sorcerer who still in training; he still needs the purpose for the Kaellous Clan to walk forward from their former path. Even it was difficult to walk, he was aware to rise by himself before anyone else.

    Thus, at the place where the grave atmosphere has begun to appear, a bell-like sound can be heard.

    ¡°I see, I have fully understood about the situation now. This is certainly difficult¡±

    The surrounding titans began to concentrates their gaze on the young Sorcerer. Without further ado, the young titan girl shook her head in swiftly. It was not something she would say; the source of that sound is come from Ernesti who have sit down next to her. The Brave suddenly softened his expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry the goblin Braver????for you to have caught on our conflict¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about me. I was also recognised as one of the Kaellous Clan members, didn¡¯t I? Then, I will lend you some of my power to help too¡±

    ¡°Did you perhaps have a plan?¡±

    In the direction of doubtful Brave, Eru has put his hand sharply and show his two fingers to the Brave. Although his two fingers were too small for a titan, nobody knows what he does at that time.

    ¡°Yes. First of thing, we still have two option. To make more allies, or only us who take a move¡±

    ¡°As I said earlier. The united clan would not rather to act carelessly. And I am fully aware we cannot fight the Rubel Clan by ourselves¡±

    If we could at least do something to have them act

    That kind of thought, run through his mind while grinning his teeth.

    The Brave still confused even if he was able to unite with them again, how many of them will face the ruin after their respond to his call. However, this goblin Braver has a different idea than he would think.

    ¡°I¡¯m agree. Then for a starter, lets go near their place for a while?¡±

    ¡°Near them? Where we should go in vicinity?¡±

    Eru responded with a bright smile to the suspicious looks of the Brave.

    ¡°Yes. The settlement where the Rubel Clan lives. Of course, they have it, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Wha?????are you saying we should go to capital of the Hundred!?¡±

    Not only the Brave, but the surrounding titan also switch their gaze to Eru direction. No one have been thinking about going to enemy base with their small number of clan member with this kind of situation.

    In the other hand, Eru had smiled in agreement.

    ¡°Fumu, so it was called capital of the Hundred? Either way, that Stained Beast will come to hunt the remaining Kaellous Clan, right? Then, this forest must be targeted by them. No one will notice if we went to their own foothold, right? The answer is there was no safe place other than near capital of the Hundred¡±

    The titan in Kaellous Clan confusedly look at each other face. None of them could reply Eru statement and neither of them have been thinking about it. At that time, the Brave has sat down in a heavy thud.

    ¡°As you said, it was not easy at all. We can¡¯t sneak in to their foothold with our own¡±

    ¡°We will be easily noticed if we come with a large number. That¡¯s why with our small number can do it¡±

    The Brave has crossed his arm and stares at Eru. Unlike the young titan girl beside him and the Brave who still can fight them on his own, Eru has a different perspective which any other titan can think. Was it the differences of their races or due to their experience, no one could fathom it.

    ¡°????even if we go to capital of the Hundred, what should we do after that. We cannot enquiry to them by ourselves¡±

    ¡°Indeed, let¡¯s find more about them. We must find out why the Stained Beast suddenly reigning in Rubel Clan¡¯s control first¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s??????umu. Certainly, we don¡¯t know¡±

    For the Brave, it was not something he could wondered ever since the Eye of Truth¡¯s Disturbance. And with the time flies, there was only few selected titans who still questioning about it and the topic was rather become common for them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is a trick behind it. If we can reveal it, we might can???¡±

    ¡°Are you saying, we could deal with the Stained Beast?¡±

    ¡°At least, we could return them to become all of the giant¡¯s enemies. It would be better if we have less enemy after all¡±

    The Brave once again cross his arms. In the past, Stained Beast is known as every titan nemesis. That¡¯s why the Brave duties was solely to defeat them. But the situation where they had under control with a certain clan is rather strange.

    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t separate them with the Stained Beast. At any rate, there are many things we could find out about them¡±

    While thinking out another idea, Eru began to add one more finger to count.

    ¡°Certainly, the Rubel Clan have many clan members. But then, was it they have same will? Among of them, there might be someone who still think the rightfulness of the Hundred Eyes. It¡¯s not like every clan member was our enemy at all, right? Then we need to divide them into two. If we have the difference between our number, we don¡¯t need to attack them on the front. I suppose, I could say to confuse them by separating themselves into two faction and then defeat them afterwards????or, at least we could let them to defeat each other¡±

    With a freshly looks and a big smile in full of motivation, he told them about their future.

    ¡°Eru-kun, I thought you are not seriously fighting them????¡±

    Meanwhile, Addy was slightly taken aback in a distance, and secretly retreats into the young titan girl¡¯s shoulder.

    Until now the Rubel Clan doesn¡¯t know about the fierce disaster who have turn its fang into their throat. For Eru, destroying his Silhouette Knight twice (including the latter build) was unforgiveable act.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such????thing for the clan to be divided¡±

    ¡°It would be helpful for us if they wanted to fight by themselves¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we can do that. Definitely, we have to deal with the Stained Beast after all????¡±

    The surrounding titan look at each other face. Certainly, Eru suggestion was not usually known as a way of fighting by their culture alone. For them, they will move when the clan have decided something. Especially for a small clan like the Kaellous Clan. That reason has allowed themselves to not able believing the idea to divide the member of same clan. Of course, Eru didn¡¯t really care about their circumstances.

    The Brave looked at his surrounding and once again turned to the small Brave direction. In the Brave chest was filled with sign of lostness. Eru has given them a few means to fight, and with that suggestion will certainly bring hope to the Kaellous Clan. But in the same time, it also said that kind of reasoning has given birth to a great source of resistance. In short.

    ¡°??????I wonder if that kind of fighting will be recognized by the Hundred Eyes¡±

    The three eyes of the Brave have been bitterly bending over it. In their battle, they had always coming from the front when the enquiry to the wise man started. That¡¯s why, they could get the right answer by defeating their opponent with that way. It can be said Eru suggestion are kind of hectic for them.

    ¡°Then, are you saying that the Hundred Eyes has been wishing for the Kaellous Clan¡¯s ruin? Did the enquiry already have reached its answer?¡±

    After the Brave has been questioned again and again, the latter word finally stuck on his mind. For the titan, enquiry to the wise man have the same meaning to the Hundred Eye¡¯s will. And it was unforgivable for them to drop the answer which have been raised at once. Furthermore, in this situation they couldn¡¯t allow it at all.

    At that time, a small but clear voice can heard through the Brave.

    ¡°Brave. I will accept the goblin¡¯s proposal¡±

    ¡°Young (Pallva), Sorcerer (Marga)¡±

    Surprisingly, the source of the voice was the young titan girl who had inherited the Sorcerer name. Among the surrounding titan, the small and young girl confirming the word by nodding her head.

    ¡°Without the Stained Beast, surely the enquiry among us will be revealed. And if this was the only conclusion we can have, I¡¯m sure the Hundred Eyes will recognize our deeds¡±

    The Brave has opened his eyes widely. They are agreed; the reason of their animosity to the Rubel Clan¡¯s deed since the Eye of the Truth¡¯s Disturbance had occurred. And the answer is rather simple, because it was not something they could answer by themselves after all.

    ¡°Someday, there will be the right time to enquiry. And for that time, we must prepare in advance¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right Brave. We will surely correct this mistake. For that reason, we must separate them¡±

    The Brave look at the Ernesti¡¯s face and turned his eyes to the young Sorcerer. Despite they are in a such difficult situation, all of them filled with the strong will. There¡¯s none of them who had scared in opposing the largest clan and the Stained Beast.

    ¡°It seems my eyes hasn¡¯t fully opened yet????¡±

    The Brave has been leaked out a bitter smile unintentionally. It seems even the strongest warrior in the clan was also weakened after his defeat. That¡¯s another reason to not let him shown his current condition to the Hundred Eyes.

    The Brave couldn¡¯t help but had been inspired after seeing this kind of courage. He is no other than a titan; the Brave of the prideful warrior.

    ¡°When fighting with a huge beast, we must fight it little by little. And same applies for the larger clan. Even though all of it are out from the Hundred Eye¡¯s sight, we can only fight based on what we have seen¡±

    The Brave stood up once again. In his sight, there is no lostness and weakness remaining.

    ¡°The Rubel Clan and also the Stained Beast have given us so much disdain. From now on, it¡¯s our turn to crush their eyes!¡±

    The surrounding titan began to consent at once. Unlike before, they had raised their arm and roaring a loud anger after a while. The young Sorcerer also showing her smile after standing up with Addy who had been riding on her shoulder.

    ¡°Well then, I will think a way to defeat the Stained Beast when the first encounter I have meet them¡±

    ¡°Are you still wanting to challenge that goblin?¡±

    ¡°For me, it was something I must have to eradicate¡±

    Even if they could separate the Rubel Clan and the Stained Beast, there is no change they still become his enemy. And someday they surely will clash with them again. The Brave also grasped his fist and headed to the Eru direction.

    ¡°I will give you my strength goblin Braver. We now have nothing to be afraid anymore. But certainly, there will be more difficulties when fighting them. From now on, we might need your power to archive that¡±

    ¡°Please leave it to me. I may look like this but, I¡¯m actually a knight commander after all¡±

    His reason was something they cannot fathom at all but, they are known he was full of confidence.

    Thus, the Kaellous Clan has started to fight back. The first thing, they must go to the deep in the forest where capital of the Hundred located. Without letting the Stained Beast notice their presence, they already had procced with a steady progress.

    ¡ô

    ¡°?????There is no taste in the meat¡±

    Within their way to the capital. Adeltrud-san is engulfed in a bad mood.

    ¡°Since we leave everything in the Kaellous village, together with the settlement our belonging were lost right? Even the blanket, medicine, and also rations?????¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, aren¡¯t our seasoning has been decreased lately! I won¡¯t forgive that bug at all!¡±

    At that time, Addy and Eru who were about to go out while carrying some remaining supplies using the Ejection Gear. However, it was still at minimum. Little by little, their taste in food had faded considerably over a long journey.

    ¡°Even if we gather it in the forest, it seems walking through for another way was rather difficult. At least we can¡¯t relax if we don¡¯t find some place as our base soon¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re still chasing us, right¡«. Isn¡¯t difficult for now?¡±

    The titan was fine if they¡¯ve just had to burn the meat. But for those two, it was really serious problem. The most irritated was rather the person in charge of Eru meal and cooking¡ª¡ª Addy.

    ¡°Haaa. I wonder if we can find some settlement which okay to steal from them¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun has become merciless????if we don¡¯t make the Silhouette Knight as soon as possible, it might be dangerous¡±

    Addy took her distance from Eru who is rather seriously disappointed in their situation. Apparently, by losing the Silhouette Knight, he seems had become wilder.

    Within that conversation the young Sorcerer who slowly walk from their back, listen with a full of curiosity.

    Before long, they have arrived in an open spaced place within the woods. This trails where several titans can walk together side by side was still continued on. Many beings like a beast or titan had used this trail many years until this extent.

    The Brave has pointed his finger onward.

    ¡°If we¡¯re aiming for the capital, this way is the fastest one¡±

    ¡°But its not like we come to their front door. right?¡±

    There are only a few trails in the forest. And it can be said the one who have been utilizing that wasn¡¯t only themselves. In exchange for the speed, the danger comforting them is rather not a small chance.

    ¡°You are the one who suggesting to sneak into their foothold. They were also doesn¡¯t think we are heading to their place. Then, there is no other choice than choosing the speed¡±

    ¡°I see, you¡¯re right. Then we will go using this path????¡±

    At that time, Eru was looking back after their conversation.

    ¡°????What is that?¡±

    Eru has noticed someone who was approaching from the west side of the trail. A humanoid shaped existence, they are a titan and a group who have brought a cart.

    The titan who also noticed Eru situation, turn their back and together they realizing at each other presence.

    ¡°Rubel????Clan!! Why you are in a such place!?¡±

    ¡°Oh my????Kaellous! I see you hasn¡¯t dead yet!!¡±

    By the Brave cry. The young Sorcerer began to strengthen herself and hides behind the Brave. While Eru and Addy stared blankly at the new appeared titans.

    Just like the Brave says, it was the Rubel Clan¡¯s members. They are certainly different from the Kaellous Clan. However, it doesn¡¯t mean they have a different shape from a normal titan. The most intriguing part is the attire which can be said their armor was different from the other parts.

    Their armor was not only decorated with demonic beast material, but there¡¯re also used some kind of ¡®metal¡¯ works on it. Clearly, that shape is created by the human hand and not something they can found in the forest.

    ¡°So, that is the Rubel Clan. Is that an iron????!? No, more importantly¡±

    ¡°They are pushing a cart?????huh, Eru-kun!! Is that!?¡±

    Realizing the presence of Kaellous Clan, the Rubel Clan also somehow found themselves in a loud noise. But instead of them, Eru and Addy were interested in the cart they brought.

    A cart who had been dragged by a huge Duel Class four-legged demonic beast. It seems the Rubel Clan¡¯s members were in the middle of carrying something.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Stained Beast! I see, they even have no intention on giving up the carcass!!¡±

    As the Brave said, the Rubel Clan had been carried the Stained Beast¡¯s carcass with the cart they brought which is the time when Eru and Ikaruga were defeated.

    Between the titan who starting to bark at each other, Eru line of sight was being drawn far on the back. Following the Stained Beast¡¯s cart, there is another cart beside the carcass. The flatform was tied up on it and it was something he knows too well.

    ¡°You lot, don¡¯t tell me that is¡±

    It was a lump of metal that had been melted and dissolved by a strong acid and something like a huge lump of steel with a tube entwined like an offal. On the other side, there is a slight crystal-like radiance on the remaining part. Looking at the damaging part, something was clearly attached in the past, and there was an empty hole in some spot. Furthermore, in the center of the space, there is a path that likely to be accessible to human.

    Before he knows it, Eru began to walk out.

    The Wire Anchor which have been carried on his hips, relaying his mana and begins to release the air flow violently. He also grabs his Gun Staff ¡®Wincester¡¯ in both hands.

    ¡°????My Ikaruga!!¡±

    The wreckage of Ikaruga; the Silver Phoenix Knight flag unit, and also Ernesti Echavalier beloved machine. There is no way for him to be unable to notice his own machine. No, that¡¯s wrong, no matter how many times he will reborn, the answer would be same.

    ¡°Hey wait! Even my Shii-chan too!!¡±

    Moreover, it was not only Ikaruga in there. Next further than Ikaruga, there is a Syrphirne¡¯s wreckage which also Addy¡¯s treasured machine. Although, it was easier to knows because of the entire shape is still remains.

    ¡°Mu, what happened goblin!?¡±

    The Brave who has noticed the odd atmosphere between Eru and Addy, wondering about what happened to them after glaring each other with the Rubel Clan¡¯s member.

    ¡°Brave, we will take them down now. I will not let anyone of them run away¡±

    ¡°By all means, I have nothing to argue with that. But, did you know what they took?¡±

    The Brave asked with dubious looks on Eru which had more intense than fighting him in the first time.

    ¡°They are trying to steal our treasure. I will not give it to them, you damned barbaric beings, I¡¯ll kill them all????!¡±

    ¡°Wait, goblin! Oh well, they¡¯re our enemy in the first place. Let¡¯s go!!¡±

    After shook off the restraining, the Brave issued a command to his servant for following Eru who had flown and leaving behind a cloud of dust.

    ¡°What a fool. I¡¯m grateful for the time and trouble to meet you guys in this place. Just go to the Hundred Eye¡¯s side without resist!!¡±

    The Rubel Clan¡¯s member were also having a weapon and planning to attack. The clash between the Rubel Clan who had to protect the cart and the Kaellous Clan¡¯s violent attack couldn¡¯t avoided anymore.

    Among of them, a silver glow ran through of those movement. The Aero Thruster which sound like a jet, traveling in the air exactly as an arrow.

    A foreign object was sighted to the Rubel Clan who was cautiously looking on the Kaellous Clan¡¯s movement. Without a time to defend itself, a sparkling barrage of bullets pierce through the one-eyed titan. Afterwards, a small explosion occurred on its face.

    ¡°Guh!! Gaaaggyaa!!!!¡±

    Seeing the one-eyed titan suddenly screamed with its face being held down, the Rubel Clan¡¯s member start to shift their attention. With that chance, the silver light is flying in the sky and heading for his next prey. Beside it, a Wire Anchor fired around the titan¡¯s neck.

    ¡°What is this!?¡±

    The titan who starting to feels uneasy trying to stretches its arm but, it was already too late. The arrow-head-like part of the Wire Anchor has begun to show the magical phenomenon. The ¡®Sonic Blade¡¯ run through the neck while generating the vacuum-like blade with a strong cutting ability.

    At the same time, the Wire Anchor is returned to Eru direction. Afterwards, he jumped back on the titan¡¯s shoulder and then with a heavy thud falling on the ground, a blood splatted on its neck.

    ¡°What is this!? Kaellous! What did you do!?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something here!? What¡¯s happened!¡±

    In a short time, the Rubel Clan¡¯s member fall into confusion. Without knowing one after another have been killed and injured. Moreover, they couldn¡¯t know what is the reason. They couldn¡¯t even catch the small and fast moving Eru¡¯s movement.

    In a midst of that, the Kaellous Clan¡¯s member danced enthusiastically. They are the one who have killed the member of their clan. With that reason, they have swung down the wooden rod and knocked down the Rubel Clan without mercy.

    ¡°For a someone like your eyes are worthless after returning to the Hundred Eye¡¯s side!! Let¡¯s smash them here!!¡±

    ¡°Silence, don¡¯t get too cocky!!¡±

    The Rubel Clan who was a late starter, receiving their blows in the armor. The Rubel Clan¡¯s armor that had been made from iron and demonic beast material, is extremely strong. The clubs blow was reflecting back and they start to taking stance back.

    ¡°If you have followed our King obediently, we don¡¯t even need to use the Stained Beast! All of these was your fault in the be????¡±

    The Rubel Clan¡¯s member was holding a huge iron axe and swing it back to the Kaellous Clan. But something went down above the pointed-out axe. There is a something like small silver radiance which has raised a doubt within the titan¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Wha? Goblin? What are????gu. Ggyaa!?¡±

    Before he could finish the word, the hand that could hold the axe are already cut off in the middle. The Wire Anchor which flies freely in the sky, comes through the gap of the armor.

    ¡°For a mere goblin inflicting us!? Guhh!!¡±

    The titan who was trying to help, took a peek and hold its face. The blade swayed and cut the eyes. Not only Eru but Addy with a sword in the both hands also joint the battle on that place.

    ¡°As expected for the Brave who I have been acknowledged! Everyone, my brother! This is the proof which had been approved by the Hundred Eyes!!¡±

    The Kaellous Clan¡¯s member raises its roar and their spirits. Although, the Rubel clan have an advantage in equipment, each other clans have the same number.

    However, by flying and swing down the blade, Eru and Addy presence are the one who deciding the victory.

    ¡°Do not touch my Ikaruga!¡±

    The titans have cuts in the necks, split their arms and smashed their eyes. Eru mercilessly hunt down anyone who want to take his beloved machine without his consent.

    It didn¡¯t take that much time until the Rubel Clan¡¯s number were reduced and falls down. No matter how strong their armor is, it¡¯s not like they are invincible at all. After the attack they received from the Kaellous Clan, they finally fell one after another.

    Soon after that, there is only the Kaellous Clan remaining. Among of them, after raising the victory cry, Eru was jumping on the cart without a glance. As if he was trying to lick them in each corner.

    The Brave and the young Sorcerer looked at that spectacle with confused looks in their face.

    ¡°Is that your treasure. Seems like important to you?????¡±

    The Brave leak out a groan after glancing the titan¡¯s corpse who had lost its head. Surely, if he made one mistake back then, could be he will become like that too. Even though they have won the battle, he could not say anything after the cold sweat run through his body.

    ¡°Yes. This is also the one we wanted to take along back then¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I see, you said it was near the Stained Beast wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    When talking about that, somehow the satisfied looks has been returned from Eru faces.

    ¡°This is an embodiment of the most I love in this world. Although it was a bit broken for now¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but, can you fix it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also one of our targets to find a way to fix it¡±

    The demonic beast who had pulling the carts are somehow still staying there without worrying anything. The Kaellous Clan¡¯s member were trying to put a bridle on them and pull it away.

    ¡°Fumu, alright. This is also one of the Hundred Eye¡¯s guides. Let¡¯s aim to the capital of the Hundred with that spirits¡±

    The surrounding titan began to nods in agreement. At that time, Eru was looking at the Rubel Clan¡¯s corpse in vicinity.

    ¡°About that????????do you know a trick to fool an enemy, Brave-san?¡±

    ¡°Mm? I don¡¯t know. The enquiry must always be straight forward. Otherwise, there is no way the Hundred Eyes will acknowledge us¡±

    Although it was a sudden question, the Brave answer it without deception.

    ¡°I see. Then how about this. Let¡¯s wear these equipment and sneak into their settlement¡±

    ¡°What!? Are you saying to wear the loser armor!!¡±

    As expected, the Brave was angry. If it was a demonic beast, without a doubt he would using it but, these are originally coming from Rubel Clan and the ones who had lost to them. It seems in the titan culture, it was hard to allow themselves to wear that.

    ¡°No. This is just our spoils of war. And by any chance the spoils of war are coming from the Rubel Clan, please think it you had just deceived by it¡±

    ¡°There no such joke! There¡¯s no way the Hundred Eyes will accept it!!¡±

    On the other hand, Eru doesn¡¯t lose his smile.

    ¡°The other party is not the Hundred Eyes but the Rubel Clan. They didn¡¯t have enough eyes to take the reign, right? If none of them notice it, we might able to get some important secret¡±

    ¡°????But that is!¡±

    ¡°You must have look for the truth with that eye. That¡¯s why we must think it carefully to get close to them. However, didn¡¯t you say we have difficulties when facing them? You might able to win if you able to endure it for a moment¡±

    ¡°?????b, but????¡±

    ¡°With our small number, the options to do that is limited. Wouldn¡¯t you like to make the most efficient way to win?¡±

    ¡°???????¡±

    Addy has shrugged her shoulder after seeing the fluffy smile on the Eru faces and the bitter most expression in history which the Brave has.

    ¡°Eeh, Eru-kun trying to do something evil again¡±

    ¡°Is that how the goblin Braver¡¯s way of fight?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m not sure. Honestly, it might be not in the case for now¡±

    Addy was also showing a complicated look. The young Sorcerer who sat down close to her, tilt her head in confusion.

    Without the Silhouette Knight¡¯s power, Eru knowledge would be limited. Although, that kind of knowledge is leaning into a vicious direction though.

    In the end, the Brave goes along with Eru suggestion without something he could refute back.

 Book 7: Chapter 97: The Village of Goblin

    While staring at the passing clouds, Adeltrud was sitting on the edge of the cart. Her Ejection Gear is also placed beside her by kneeling on the heels.

    ¡°Eru-kun has stopped moving????¡±

    After the clash, every Rubel Clan¡¯s member were eradicated. The carts which had been carried by the Rubel Clan are now in the hands of Kaellous Clan. Using the four-legged demonic beast to pull the cart, they are going at slow pace. Alongside the cart was Ernesti who had recovered Ikaruga¡¯s wreckage.

    ¡°Eru-kun¡«. Ikaruga won¡¯t recover even if you held it that much, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter????I can????I can feel the strength coming from it¡±

    ¡°Aah. Eru-kun has turned into a good-for-nothing person¡±

    He was refusing to leave Ikaruga¡¯s side and didn¡¯t even trying to move either. Seeing Eru in that such state, Addy let out her breath on a sigh.

    There¡¯s nothing she could do right now, the best way she can do is leave him alone while riding the cart to pulled them away. After absentmindedly without doing anything, a voice come down from their overhead.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to sleep, goblin Braver¡±

    Beside the cart, there is the Third-eyed Seat of Brave who took a peek at them while running along the cart.

    ¡°We will soon arrive at capital of the Hundred. However, we can¡¯t keep to bring these carts forever¡±

    They are heading to capital of the Hundred to fight the Rubel Clan. There is no fighting power for a such inanimate object like these carts. No matter how strong Eru and Addy are, they sure can¡¯t afford to protect them all.

    ¡°It would be good if we leave it somewhere????¡±

    Of course, Eru has shown extreme reluctance to his statement.

    ¡°I cannot leave Ikaruga just because it got broken! I must have to keep it from being stolen again!!¡±

    Addy shook her head in the front of reluctant Eru who was still hugging the wreckage.

    ¡°This is not good. If you wanted to force Eru-kun in that state, you will need to resolve yourself to fight him¡±

    ¡°To that extend?¡±

    Even for the Brave, he doesn¡¯t want to fight Eru for no such reason. And Eru might even opposing him seriously.

    ¡°Fumu. But, won¡¯t it hard to move while bringing these carts?¡±

    By using their small number and sneak into their base¡ª¡ª is one of strategy that had been suggested by no other than Eru himself. While the titans are still need his advice, it would be difficult too if they leave the cart along with Eru.

    ¡°In other words, it would be okay if we have a reason to not throw it, right?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s the case?¡±

    Although Addy was tilting her head, Eru was rather oddly motivated.

    ¡°Let see about that. First, this cart is the one which have been brought by Rubel Clan¡¯s soldiers. I mean, they wouldn¡¯t be thinking to throw this cart if they really need it right???? Second, won¡¯t be more valuable for us to keep the Stained Beast¡¯s material rather than throwing them up?¡±

    Not only Silhouette Knight wreckage, but the Stained Beast¡¯s carcass also loaded in the cart which had been carried by Rubel Clan.

    ¡°Fine. I know, I know. Leaving aside we can¡¯t throw it away, however, we can¡¯t also leave it as it is¡±

    It can be said Eru has a silver tongue when it comes to a humanoid weapon. Meanwhile the warrior who had always been come to fight; the Brave cannot refute back to argue with Eru. And the brave was rather quickly given up after remembering about Eru nature.

    ¡°I agree too. At least we must create a base somewhere in this forest¡±

    When they¡¯re looking around the surrounding, nothing but a dense trees and tropical ground can be seen. Although one can assume if they proceeding the forest without leaving a mark is same like throwing them away. At any rate, they must create something as a landmark if they decided to hide it in the forest.

    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s start with proceeding further¡±

    The titans began to continuing their advance with the four-legged demonic beast along them. Eventually, the road has gradually changed into wide and firm place. Granted, it¡¯s a place where many other titans who were also using that place. By knowing that, the Third-eyed Seat of Brave has begun to increase his cautiousness and nervousness.

    ¡°????We will arrive at the capital of the hundred. Do not lost your sight¡±

    All of the Kaellous Clan¡¯s members were nodding their head in agreement. Still no one knows when they will encounter someone in Rubel Clan¡¯s members. Its not weird given the situation they are already in the enemy base.

    By using the stolen helmet and armor, they are gambling how far they can go and if they were fighting in here, they will easily be crushed by sheer number of the enemy.

    ¡°If we have to fight, we can¡¯t protect it alone goblin Braver¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I will destroy every existence who want to touch my belonging without mercy¡±

    They had not understood the reason but, it seems they are not worrying about it anymore.

    ¡ô

    As far as they¡¯re proceeding it further, finally the time has come. A huge shadow has appeared beyond the roadside. A giant-like humanoid form mixed with lump of metal. The closer they came at it, the more they realize it was an armed Rubel Clan¡¯s member.

    ¡°It would be nice if we can ignore it, but at least I want to gather some information about them¡±

    ¡°You want to ask them? I think not¡±

    Behind his helmet, the Brave shows his bitter face. It was unlikely for the Brave to exchange words with the loathing Rubel Clan¡¯s soldiers. And so, the One-eyed Seat of Servant who had been carrying their baggage all this time, come before the Brave.

    ¡°Leave it to me Brave¡±

    As he said that, he takes the lead. Eventually, closing up their distance and close enough to exchanging words. As for Eru and Addy, they are secretly hide in the wreckage. Because they are not sure if they should be seen to them.

    ¡°Halt. You there, what are you carrying on that cart?¡±

    Just as they thought, one of the Rubel Clan¡¯s members start talking to the one in the lead. In response to the question, the One-eyed Seat of Servant from Kaellous Clan replied.

    ¡°Agreed. We brought the Stained Beast and Mystic Beasts¡¯ corpse here¡±

    When the Servant pointed his finger in the cart direction, the Rubel Clan¡¯s member smirked after taking a glance.

    ¡°Hmm. That was goblin¡¯s food, wasn¡¯t it? Then just carry it at once¡±

    In the shadow of the wreckage, Eru and Addy look at each other. They have realized something on the titan¡¯s word. And the Servant continued to ask a question to the Rubel Clan without knowing there is someone who heard their conversation secretly.

    ¡°Understood. Then, where should I carry it?¡±

    ¡°As usual. To the goblin¡¯s settlement¡±

    As if they were saying the most obvious thing, soon they¡¯re leaving and spits without interest.

    ¡°Right. Then, which direction is the goblin¡¯s settlement?¡±

    After continuously asking a question, the Rubel Clan¡¯s members stopped their advance and looked back slowly. A slight nervousness runs through the Brave guts and withdrawing his weapon whenever he ready to strike them down. As he thought they had asked them too many questions.

    However, although they have tilted their helmet a bit, the next moment, they are responding with a mocking voice and told him bluntly.

    ¡°Hmm? Given by your eyes, I thought you are smarter than that? Obviously, it was over there. Did you have not opened your eyes properly?¡±

    While they glanced at him with a sneering expression, they had pointed to the other separated road.

    ¡°I see. Thank you, I must go now¡±

    Although his response is kind of laid-back, every Kaellous Clan¡¯s member continued moving the cart forwards. Behind them, a faint laughter can be heard as they could imagine it clearly what are the Rubel Clan¡¯s members talking about.

    Then, after passing over the Rubel Clan¡¯s members, the Brave went to the Servant¡¯s side. Even though the Brave was doing his best to keep quiet, his face now looks something like a dreadful criminal beyond the helmet.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have you close your eyes to face the Rubel Clan????¡±

    When the Brave grabs his axe tightly, the Servant understood what he means and shook his head in disagreement.

    ¡°I am the Servant, the one who will follow its master. The Brave duty is to fight. Therefore, other than fighting is my role. I do not mind it¡±

    ¡°????Leave it to me. When the time for enquiry has come, let us fight with all of our might¡±

    Once again, the Brave has renewed his resolution. He cannot betray the expectation from his own clan.

    ¡°Nee, Eru-kun. Its look like we will head to the goblin place¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, when they were looking at the wreckage, they are immediately point to the goblin¡¯s settlement direction. I¡¯m grateful for it but, what else could they have in there?¡±

    While they were being drifted away by the cart, Eru and Addy are lost in the train of thought after proceeding through to the forest.

    Anyway, the Kaellous Clan had no idea where this path will lead them to, still they have no other choice than moving toward the direction indicated. Also, when the road divided into other path again, for the time being they had to choose the same direction like before. The road they had took before were already headed into different direction, of course.

    ¡°Looks like we have arrived. Hou, is that what they call goblin¡¯s settlement?¡±

    The tree¡¯s density had become sparse, entering the open spaced place.

    In there, there are a small building obviously too small for a titan which had been lined up. And there was a thin smoke rising from all over place, they even could feel the breath of life between them.

    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ve found it. What¡¯s to do next?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t hand over our baggage to them though¡±

    There¡¯s no way for Eru to hand over his precious treasure which had been carried in the cart. But at that time, he suddenly raised his face and twitched his nose like he smells something.

    ¡°This is, the smell, of blacksmith????¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun, did you get any strange quirks again¡±

    Despite Addy¡¯s confused looks, Eru has begun to think about that village. The existence of goblin¡ª¡ªthe similar shape which had been carried in the cart¡ª¡ªand the technique of blacksmithing.

    ¡°????Perhaps, they were the one in charge to process the material. So, I could fathom why we must bring the material here. If I am right, we might able to persuade them to help with anything¡±

    The answer is clear.

    With a big grin, his face has changed to form a (evil) smile.

    ¡°To the goblin? But we won¡¯t know if the Rubel Clan really keep them that way¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why let¡¯s us suppress it. Their scale seems small, and we could easily conquer them with our small number¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the same race like you, aren¡¯t they?????¡±

    Although the surrounding titans seems taken back, only Eru who was full of motivation.

    ¡ô

    On that day, the goblin¡¯s village was hit by sudden uproar. The heavy footsteps can be heard from the other side of the road which the only path leading to them, as if it was driving away the tranquility while they are still working in the middle of the day.

    ¡°Is that????huh!? A giant!?¡±

    ¡°What they want in our lowly village????the ¡®payment¡¯ day hasn¡¯t arrived yet¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know?????inform this to the chief, quickly to the village chief!¡±

    They were in havoc after seeing a group of titans who wearing an armor approaching to them steadily, because it was very rare for a titan coming to this distant land. The village¡¯s resident, regardless of adult or children, were forced to lock their doors and windows while shutting themselves away in their homes. Although, there¡¯s no meaning to lock themselves in their homes, but for now, they had no other place to flee from them.

    The village has engulfed in tranquility, as if they were living to hold their breath from the approaching titan¡¯s footsteps.

    ¡°What a small settlement for a goblin¡±

    At the end of the road, the Brave sighed after looking around on the entrance of the village. Still, this village is not much different from a small scale like the Kaellous¡¯s settlement among the other clan. Moreover, their buildings are just for a goblin, so it was rather hard to stand out.

    When they were waiting at the village¡¯s entrance, a few goblins tottered unsteadily while coming to greet them. Apparently one of them is already old and walk slowly than the other.

    ¡°?????So that was a goblin. They are truly a normal human after all¡±

    Eru who was watching quietly from the shadow in the cart, uttered a groan after looking at them. No matter how they look, everyone who had lived in this village and been called as a goblin were just a normal ¡®villager¡¯. There is no difference between the people who lived here and the people who lived in Flemmevira Kingdom or in the west. However, they seem wearing rugged clothes which likely have been worn out many times in the past. Although their atmosphere was even worse than the rural area in the kingdom.

    Then, among the gathered attentions, the elderly people had come to the titans¡¯ feet on their knees and lowering their head into the ground. Although their shape was already small, they are even smaller as if the ground itself.

    ¡°Oh???ooh, m, may I ask what kind of business for Your Grace to come to this lowly village? Perhaps, we still have a time before the payment day for this year???¡±

    As they spoke with a trembling voice, they can¡¯t even lift their own faces. There is a 18m titan before them, and they could be easily crushed even if they slightly worsen the titan mood. However, they seem have another reason beside their excessive fear.

    Well, so far, the Kaellous Clan had to come here for no specific reason. Although the one who seriously planned to conquer the village is only Eru.

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong. We were just carrying the material¡±

    ¡°I, I, I am afraid Your Grace has mistaken for lowly village like us???? According to Your Grace, the right path to take would be the ¡®upper town¡¯ direction¡±

    The surrounding titans look at each other face. Of course, they don¡¯t know the goblin have a multiple settlement.

    ¡°I see. But, must we carry this to upper town-or-somewhat too?¡±

    Soon after that, their faces come in bewilderment. For a titan, they don¡¯t really care about the goblin society.

    At that time, a bell-like voice can be heard in the cart direction.

    ¡°Then, how about we took a rest in here?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡±

    Clearly, another voice can be heard among the surrounding titan. When the village chief raises its fearful face in astonishment, a small shadow standing on the cart could be seen.

    A small figure standing out among the group of intimidating titans with armor. No matter how they look at it, the small figure that looked like a child was standing there beside the surrounding titans confidently.

    The village chief opened his mouth after comparing the small figure with the titan, shortly after that he had noticed something different between the hair color and attire.

    ¡°H, how??? can be for an upper town¡¯s ¡®nobility¡¯ like yourself in this lowly place?¡±

    In the amazed elderly and the groaning village chief. Eru who still doesn¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on, start to tilt his head while the villagers were lowering their head to him.

    Aside from their situation, the surrounding titan began to discuss each other.

    ¡°What are you going to do, Brave? Build a base in here for a while?¡±

    ¡°Too small for us. However, I do not mind at all. I think the goblin Braver will be satisfied if we leave it here¡±

    For the Kaellous Clan, they didn¡¯t really mind at all about the village itself.

    ¡°I hear there is no other clan who comes here. In that case, encountering them would be unlikely then¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a hunt first. We have eaten too much in these past few days. We need to replenish back our reserve¡±

    While the goblins are having conversation, the titan was trying to give a breath among themselves. Thus, the group began to settle down in the village of goblin for a time being.

    ¡ô

    Without troubling the villagers, the Kaellous Clan have begun to hunt in vicinity after dropping their baggage. Even though there were not too many, with reasonable results they are lining up their prey in satisfied looks. First, they need eat a food for today. When they are handling the prey by chopping them, they pass it to the fire for a while. As always, the titan¡¯s cuisine was truly astonishing.

    ¡°This is yours Braver¡±

    ¡°Thank you as always¡±

    After receiving suitable piece of meat, Eru and his company will prepare the dinner. For a titan, one slice of meat is same as huge-pile of meat for a human being, which had been cut nicely by Addy. Although she was trying to cook using many different kinds of herbs, her expression becomes cloudy soon after that.

    ¡°Hmmm, as I thought there¡¯s not enough seasoning¡«. I wonder if I can trade something here¡±

    When the Kaellous Clan¡¯s settlement was attacked, they had lost a lot of luggage because of that. And without any supply, their food is become more and more tasteless. But now, they have come to this far, there are many things they wanted to replenish in this full of life¡¯s place.

    While thinking about that, Addy shook her head by looking around. Soon, her eyes meet with a villager. Although the villager was rather a small child thought.

    The children who had been watching them for a long time, were staring at the meat which has been cut off by Addy.

    Eru and Addy looked at each other face without nothing but unshaken enthusiasm.

    ¡°????Nee, want to eat this?¡±

    ¡°!? Ah????uu¡±

    The children didn¡¯t expect being called up by them, as if they were wanted to run away, soon they are immediately stopped in hesitation. Their gaze now reciprocates between the lump of meat and Addy.

    ¡°What should I do? Trade and exchange it with some-kind of materials?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s worth considering but????before that. I will give you a meat in exchange would you hear my story?¡±

    The children were even more puzzled and hesitated for a while, eventually they had come closer. Even if given a meat that have been cooked, they didn¡¯t even mind the heat.

    ¡°Do you like this meat¡±

    ¡°Yes????yes!! It¡¯s delicious!! Very delicious!!¡±

    Although, without much seasoning but only cooked by a fire. Eru had narrowed his eyes after seeing them eat like a feast.

    ¡°Are you usually doesn¡¯t eat that much meat?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Because we need to hunt for that¡±

    ¡°?????Hou¡±

    Eru was listening with a slight smile on his face¡ª¡ªbut, for Addy who had always be with him, know what he will thinking for. That¡¯s a face when he started to planning something.

    ¡°Eru-kun?????¡±

    ¡°I see. I think this will be a good ¡®businesses¡¯ for us¡±

    When the children were eating with them, the adults who looks like their blood had been drained from their face, ran through to them.

    ¡°Wh, what are?????!! What are you guys doing here!!¡±

    Their face turned to white when they are seeing Eru and Addy after appearing in anger. They soon bow down on the spot as if they were rubbing of their head into the ground.

    ¡°How can you so rude to the nobles!! However????however they are still a children, please! Please be mercy at us????!!¡±

    ¡°I hear this village is forbidding to hunt¡±

    Eru asked them while ignoring their beggar.

    The villagers trembled in fear, because they could not ignore his question and raises their head.

    ¡°????We are not only one who live in here. If we enter the forest carelessly, we will easily become the beast¡¯s prey. Therefore, the honorary ¡®Knight¡¯ forbit us to hunt¡±

    ¡°I see, it would be dangerous if you encounter demonic beast, right?¡±

    Although Addy was convinced after hearing that, Eru has sensed something wrong in the story.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking since the first time I come here but. Slightly, feels off, right?¡±

    ¡°What are you mean?¡±

    ¡°Why the giant won¡¯t live together with the goblin in this village?¡±

    This is a village only for a goblin. A village dedicated to a small person which located in the corner of the demonic forest; Bocuse Sea of Trees.

    ¡°For us, we had to use Silhouette Knight to repel the demonic beast. But there is nothing here. Although I can understand if they are scared being protected by the giants but, there¡¯s nothing like that¡±

    While looking around, Eru let the villagers raise their head and stood among them.

    ¡°Why they forbit to enter the forest because it was dangerous but was forsaken in the forest? It¡¯s almost like, they had been treated like no one cares if they died in here?¡±

    ¡°That would be right if you say it like that. But, what should we do?¡±

    With a kind smile, Eru slowly stands in the front of the villagers. They don¡¯t know what kind of speech he would give to them while trembling in fear.

    ¡°I have something to discuss with the villagers here. Would you like to have a deal? I will give you enough foot and security¡±

    Eru put the cooked meat in front of them. And the villagers who saw it got their stomach pangs.

    ¡°In return, I want you to provide blacksmithing technology for us¡±

    Ah that was your aims from the start

    At that time, the first one who notice that was Addy.

    ¡ô

    ¡°Yes, yes. Line up properly please. It¡¯s okay, we still have many so please be patient. It¡¯s not like we normally can eat the whole duel class demonic beast at all¡±

    In the next day, a duel class demonic beast which had been hunted by the titan placed in the center of the village. By Addy command, the woman in the village were taking it apart and dismantling it together.

    ¡°Well then. Because the demonic beast¡¯s muscle is hard, it would be troublesome if we don¡¯t handle it properly!¡±

    In the first place, Addy has considerable cooking skill, and she has completely mastered dismantling a demonic beast while living among the titan.

    She had to arrange the unskilled villagers without a miss.

    The line of sight of the women who were following Addy¡¯s command was oddly glistening. With a knife in the hand and a basket in the back, they were participating in a war to get as much meat as possible. For the villagers, the opportunity to get enough meat was valuable enough to think it like a battle.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking to hunt more for us¡±

    ¡°I do not mind. We didn¡¯t have any trouble to cover for a whole goblin. Moreover, it was natural to get reward from the hard work¡±

    This is not just a good intention. But it was a contract and business negotiation. The villagers who had received the meat will fix the Kaellous Clan¡¯s armor.

    ¡°Because the ¡®spoils of war¡¯ we get from the Rubel Clan were different size with us¡±

    ¡°Please leave it to us! We already used to make an armor for Your Grace to wear!!¡±

    The men who were gathering at the titan continue to appeal one after another. Rather than appealing to work hard, it was an attitude to give them more meat after all.

    And then, the duel class demonic beast is dismantled before the villager¡¯s appetite. At that night, a banquet was held in the center of the village. Drinking the treasured alcohol and eat the cooked meat.

    Addy was also happy to get their seasoning, including the herb they had used first time in their live. It was better to cook with a proper seasoning after all.

    ¡°Well then, we can make the Outer Skeleton with this????¡±

    In the loud voice, Eru has deeply smiled in satisfaction.

    ¡ô

    Thus, the time has flown so fast.

    ¡°How about that master¡±

    ¡°Fumu, this is good. It won¡¯t get in my way. Hmm, I cannot underestimate the goblin skill at all¡±

    ¡°Well, we are eating a meat nowadays. So, everyone were also motivated by that¡±

    The villagers have worked hard. In the first place, this village has many blacksmiths and their main livelihood were producing an armor for the Rubel Clan but got replaced by a deal with Kaellous Clan.

    As a result, not only meat, but their food situation was also had been improved at once. Because blacksmithing is a physical labor and their food had increased, the blacksmiths are getting better and healthier. So, they can move more energetically.

    The one who have increased their work is not only the blacksmiths. Everyone in the village were making a dried meat after getting the meat from the demonic beast. They intend to use the food without exception. In their eyes, there was a glimpse of an extraordinary obsession in them. At the same time, they were also preparing to make a dried meat for the Kaellous Clan.

    In the busily village, Eru and Addy have visited the village chief.

    ¡°Aah. My, my. We are really grateful for a noble like yourself and of course without the giant help we still able to live to this extend¡±

    ¡°No, no. This is what they call a business. More importantly, we have a few things to ask you today¡±

    The old village chief nods in smile while advising Eru and Addy to take the brewed tea.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll answer it everything I know¡±

    ¡°I am probably not a noble like you have known¡±

    Unable to understand the sudden released words, the village chief blinked his eyes.

    ¡°We might even not a goblin either. I want to know about the tribe called goblin who looks like ours, and able speak in the same language like ours¡±

    With a fluffy smile, Eru has done taking a sip of tea.

 Book 7: Chapter 98: The Peaceful Village and The Unrestful Occurrence

    ¡ª¡ªNot a noble, moreover not even a goblin.

    The village¡¯s chief was unable to hide its bewilderment when Ernesti try to introduce himself.

    ¡°????Then what should I do to call you for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also troubled too. That said, let¡¯s just leave it as a traveler¡±

    They look at each other face, revealing the puzzlement expression.

    ¡°A traveler????I thought that kind of word have no relation for us who can¡¯t move from here¡±

    The village¡¯s chief is mumbling with a smile. Because the world they know was only this narrow place.

    ¡°I would like to know, who in the earth are you guys¡±

    As they were putting their body forward, they shook their head after asked that question.

    ¡°We do not really know about that complicated things. However, we have lived here by generation after generation and we¡¯d called as a goblin since that time¡±

    In the villager chief¡¯s face, which has been carved with many wrinkles, there is no doubts or denials at all. Although, they may not be interested in the first place. For them, living in here were the most natural thing in the world.

    ¡°My great grandfather was also doesn¡¯t know how long we have been living here. Even if someone asked the same question, I¡¯m sure there is no further answer than that¡±

    ¡°Is that so????come to think of it, you had always made an equipment for the giant on this village, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although not only our village, but many villages other than us should be doing that, I suppose¡±

    Eru began to tilt his head.

    ¡°Are you saying there is other village like yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes, from what we¡¯d heard. Since we can¡¯t go elsewhere, we do not know very much about¡±

    In his mind, the sense of discomfort start rising again.

    Numerous isolated villages in the middle of the forest, and the people who doesn¡¯t know the outside world¡ª¡ª there is no kindness toward the human beings in the Bocuse Sea of Trees, even though there were also other human which had been living in here.

    ¡°From what I¡¯d heard, aren¡¯t you being protected by the giants?¡±

    ¡°There are the ¡®nobles¡¯ who lives in the upper town with the giants alongside. They are come to our place only in rare occasion¡±

    So that¡¯s why they are surprised, said the village¡¯s chief answering Eru question.

    ¡°Then, why this village made giant¡¯s armor? Its not like you are in their protection either¡±

    ¡°Although they are not helping us directly, we also receive their blessing by living closely with them¡±

    The village¡¯s chief said that without breaking the calm expression. It can be said, all of that were something absolute with no room to doubt for them.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t dangerous for you to live in this forest with a few demonic beasts?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s?????the reason why the nobles forbit us to go there¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you having difficulties in finding the forest¡¯s blessing? Did you receive the food only on the field? In fact, we were also having difficulties to find a meat since arriving in here¡±

    The village¡¯s chief faces who had been calm until now, shook his head in the first time. Although its only few, there is a bitter-like wrinkles shows on the face.

    ¡°We have no choice????there¡¯s no ¡®knight¡¯ among us. The one party who live in the upper town alongside the giants is only ¡®Knight Runner¡¯ which belongs to the knight order. We are unable to enter the forest if only just among us????¡±

    Along with the long sigh which had been exhaled among the word, Eru slowly raised his face.

    ¡°????Did you say Knight Runner?¡±

    With a word that cannot be misheard. Eru has faced the village¡¯s chief with an unusual look.

    ¡°I wonder why I have heard that such words. However, it seems like it was quite different from what I know. What kind of people are the nobles and that knight runner?¡±

    ¡°The knight runner and their companion were nobles in a same time. They are living in the upper town and conversing each other with the giants¡±

    At that time, the village¡¯s chief who had been answered Eru¡¯s question until now, has changed his line of sight.

    ¡°May I confirm that you are a traveler who had come from different place?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We come from a country far in the west¡±

    Eru has shut his eyes and think upon the far place. He was wondering about the safety of the escaped levitate ship after he and his beloved machine has fallen. Although, he suddenly concerns about that.

    ¡°There¡¯s no giant on that country and there is also someone like us????like you who had small body and lived in a number¡±

    ¡°A place where there are no giants????I suppose, it¡¯s hard to imagine¡±

    The village¡¯s chief muttered and lost in thought after imagining Eru stories.

    ¡°Same like here, we encountered many demonic beasts there. But, with the Silhouette Knight¡¯s power¡ª¡ªthe giant knight, we able to protect our land and people¡±

    The village¡¯s chief and his surrounding looked at each other face. They could feel the dizziness between the confusion as if they were trying to imagine Eru¡¯s country.

    ¡°You say they would protect us. But we don¡¯t have anything?????¡±

    ¡°In that case, would you like to build it by ourselves?¡±

    The village¡¯s chief raises his face without thinking after hearing the unexpected word.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of knight you might prefer to but, I have the knowledge to create an existence which can fight toe-to-toe with the giants¡±

    Eru cheerfully shows his smile without concerning the doubtfulness of village¡¯s chief. He is something more than a goblin, villager or even noble. Granted, it can be said he is more like a heterogenous form of living being.

    ¡°What in the earth are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I need someone who will act as my arms and legs. I can¡¯t do it alone even if I have knowledge and skill¡±

    Eru has stood up among the buzzed villager.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Its faster if you look at it, please come here¡±

    After he said that, they are leaving the village¡¯s chief house. Although the confused villagers were still hesitating, but after knowing the village¡¯s chief has stood up, soon they are following Eru after that.

    The destination ahead of them was the cart which had been delivered in there before.

    ¡°Are you trying to do something again?¡±

    In the middle of their way, the One-eyed Servant complaining to them while walking beside. He has learned if Eru gets involved in something then it would turn into something not good at all.

    Thus, the villagers who had come to the huge cart somewhat looked uneasy, because they wouldn¡¯t know what kind of thing hidden in there.

    ¡°How is it? Do you recognize what is this?¡±

    The Servant heave a sigh after being asked by Eru to lift something on the cart with sincerity. The thing is a wreckage¡ª¡ª a metallic corpse that barely looks like an upper body of a person. It was the upper body of the destroyed Syrphirne.

    The villagers have stopped their breath. The village¡¯s chief lip trembled slightly as he opened his eyes that had been buried in the wrinkles.

    ¡°Is, is this???a knight, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°As I thought you have recognized it. Then you are perhaps?????no, that¡¯s not important right now¡±

    As Eru shook his head a little, once again he looks at the surrounding people.

    ¡°This is what they call Silhouette Knight. Unfortunately, it was broken on my way going here. Our purpose is to repair this¡±

    After listening Eru¡¯s explanation, every villager looks at each other faces. They were still unsure on what to do next, eventually their line of sight gathered in one place. On their sight, there is the village¡¯s chief who have opened his mouth in determination after his lip still trembled slightly.

    ¡°Ahh????even it was truly a knight. I suppose we still can¡¯t help you because we have no skill to do that¡±

    ¡°You already have the skill in blacksmithing to make the giant¡¯s armor. The remaining is, if some of you might know about alchemy¡±

    The village¡¯s chief slowly shook his head.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any knowledge in alchemy?????the one who know about that is only a noble one¡±

    Eru lightly nod in agreement and cross his arms.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t know anything about alchemy then we might be lacking in crystal tissue. Still, I have no choice to find for an alternative. Now that you mention it, I wonder if the material for giant¡¯s armor still available¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was stored in the village warehouse. If you would, I will lead you there¡±

    ¡°Then, please do¡±

    The village chief call its people and guiding Eru to the warehouse.

    After they went to the warehouse, everyone who live in the village had gathered to the village¡¯s chief side who still remained in there.

    ¡°Was it fine to bring him to the warehouse? Inside that warehouse¡ª¡ª were it not ours but the nobles¡¯ belonging wasn¡¯t it? What would happen if they found it out in the next inspection????¡±

    ¡°Everybody in the village are grateful for the fare. But that doesn¡¯t mean???¡±

    After listening their opinion one after another, the village¡¯s chief eventually raises his face.

    ¡°Even if we continue to live like this, would we be just starving again?¡±

    With that single word, the surrounding people fell into silent.

    ¡°Are you still depending on the nobles who has helped us until now. Then, the giants who have arrived here were far better than them¡±

    ¡°It may be true, but¡±

    ¡°Even if we have no knight, if we are able to talk with the giants???we might able to state our wish for living in the upper town to the king (Oberon). Even if we can¡¯t archive that, we could change something¡±

    When the village¡¯s chief spoke slowly, and look around to the everybody presents.

    ¡°First of things, let¡¯s return the goodwill we receive. Then, find another solution on the other day¡±

    While the villagers were discussing something, Eru and Addy are exploring the village warehouse. An unusually large for a warehouse compared to the size of the village. That reason could be understood in one glance on the inside.

    ¡°Woow! There is many demonic beast¡¯s material here!¡±

    ¡°I see, naturally it would be like this to make an equipment for the giants after all¡±

    In order to make it easy for the villager, the materials hadn¡¯t piled up too high. Because of that, they need a large area to stack them.

    Eru walks around the lined shelves and the materials. While the etching Addy began to tilt her head on the side.

    ¡°Eru-kun, did you find something useful?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it would be good if we had a silver but, the variety of metals didn¡¯t many as I thought¡±

    ¡°Silver, huh¡±

    ¡°If we had a silver plate, at least we can build some Silhouette Arms¡±

    ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t something we carved on the Magius Jet Engine¡¯s Emblem Graph, right????ahh, that was sure tough to do¡«. But even if we create it, we have no unit to equip it, right?¡±

    Their Silhouette Knight were still in wreckage condition. No matter how many they can build the silhouette arms, there is no way for them to use it in flesh. However, Eru tilt his head to the other side.

    ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why I need the giants to use it¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡±

    After hearing such unexpected word, Addy has stopped her feet suddenly.

    ¡°Because they have a huge body close to the duel class, perhaps their mana was also suitable for them too. Then what left is, how to utilize it¡±

    ¡°Ehh!? I know but, why so sudden?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make everything we can here. We can take it back if we need it and also it will strengthen them too. In that sense, this kind of weapon are convenient¡±

    However, after looking through the warehouse, Eru let out a slight dejection with a sigh.

    ¡°That being said, we do not have the materials. After this, let¡¯s go exploring area around the village¡±

    When the two of them leave the warehouse, they were coming to the titan¡¯s place.

    ¡°Brave-san! We want to explore the surrounding village for a while¡±

    ¡°Hmm. What are you trying to do goblin Braver?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve to find a weapon for the giants to use¡±

    The Third-eyed Seat of Brave has looked down on his foot and raises his doubt to the small Eru.

    ¡°A weapon you say? Will we able to use the weapon which had been made by a goblin?¡±

    ¡°Not a problem, didn¡¯t they make an armor for you guys?¡±

    The Brave now cross his arm and think deeply. This small goblin was always saying something exaggerated about their body difference. Although, having any weapon doesn¡¯t mean they are clearly at disadvantage.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how but, it¡¯s fine if you want to made that. Servant, please do¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood¡±

    Of course, the one who will help them was the One-eyed Servant role. Eru thanked him happily.

    ¡°Well then, should we go then¡±

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve to prepare a lunch before that!¡±

    Addy who somehow in high spirit begins to bring various preparations. In the end, they didn¡¯t leave on that day.

    Instead they leave on the other day, Eru and Addy who had made the preparation, entering the forest with the Servant in group.

    ¡ô

    There is only deep green forest that surrounding around the village. Sometimes they just had found some silly demonic beast. In order to fulfill its hunger after finding a small human, the demonic beast was killed with tremendous speed. They took out their anger on the demonic beast, because they have found nothing.

    The three of them were resting on the tree after walking around until the sun has surpassed the middle point of the day.

    ¡°Haa. We got nothing????¡±

    ¡°At least we could get something to eat today¡±

    The demonic beast will become their food. It can be said that alone was not in vain. Although, what they found was at least the minimum from what they anticipated.

    ¡°No matter how they look, it was just a forest. Why not make some silhouette arms with engraved demonic beast bone instead¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun gradually changed and in bad taste!? Somehow I don¡¯t want it????¡±

    Addy who had imagined a weapon that made from demonic beast¡¯s bone, immediately show a disappointed look.

    ¡°Generally, mana conductivity on the demonic beast weren¡¯t too high in the first place, it would be our last resort if we must¡±

    ¡°As I thought, that was the reason¡±

    If the machine has assembled, a little bad taste will not discourage Eru at all. It just a little price to pay. However, for the time being, they have no intention to take such means. While complaining about it, Eru face was turned upwards.

    They were leaning and resting on a tree. Although he was looking up for a while with a sloppy look, suddenly he got up and strikingly hit the tree¡¯s surface then confirming the surface texture. After that, he unexpectedly pulled out the Winchester and peel off the wood. After examining the smashed peeled skin, he now strokes the below surface. Somewhat there is a conviction on his face and smiled broadly.

    Addy and the Servant looked surprisingly at the sudden Eru¡¯s movement who happily lift the peeled tree¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Eru-kun. What so sudden?¡±

    ¡°Addy, this tree. Isn¡¯t this tree! Do you know about this tree?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Addy doesn¡¯t really understand but, for now she is trying to look at the tree¡¯s skin. On the white surface, somewhat it was smooth. As she was trying to remember a plant with such characteristics, somehow, she managed to remember it from the bottom of her memory.

    ¡°Mm¡«. Ah! I see, I¡¯ve heard it from the class. This is what they call ¡®White Mist¡¯, isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what are their characteristics?¡±

    ¡°Errr. Normally, a wood is hard to flow mana, right? On that point, silver is the best metal which easier to pass. But I hear White Mist is a tree that have good mana conductivity exceptionally well¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡±

    Eru applauds excitedly with joy. Because he looked so much cuter, for time being Addy was hugging him closely.

    ¡°For that reason, the wand¡¯s handle uses this kind of tree????this is truly fine catch¡±

    ¡°Ehh, Eru-kun. Are you trying to use this tree?¡±

    The two of them looked up behind the tree. Eru immediately look back and speak to the one-eyed titan.

    ¡°Servant-san! I have a request¡±

    ¡°What do you need goblin Braver¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut this tree and bring it back¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    It was quite unexpected offer, although the Servant only have one eye, he thoughtlessly stares at the tree. The tree itself has grown quite well. It will not be easy for him to bring it back.

    ¡°?????This tree? I guess????you are serious about this¡±

    Looking at Eru, there is no sign of him telling a joke. The Servant now thinking about how to do it, while endlessly heave a sigh.

    ¡ô

    ¡°???May I ask you goblin Braver. What are you trying to do with this¡±

    The bewilderment of the Brave¡¯s three eyes when he looks at the Servant who was supposed to explore the surrounding area, coming back desperately with carrying a tree. Indeed it was too heavy even for a titan, the Servant who just had returned from the forest ended in ragged breath and carrying a tree. In the same time, he would also have to carry the beast he hunted.

    The scenery itself was very empathic. Even the Brave saw him off without saying anything to him.

    Furthermore, without caring the titan¡¯s hardship. A certain small thing (Eru) was somehow excitedly without reason.

    ¡°For time being, to make it easy to use, we still need to process this wood into a board first????Brave-san! Pleas lend me your hand!¡±

    ¡°I said, what are you trying to do!? Are you telling me this log is a weapon!?¡±

    The Brave doesn¡¯t have any idea on what Eru trying to do at all. He was confused to imagine what kind of reason he needs to cut this tree.

    ¡°No. After processing this into a board, I will carve the emblem graph here. To the everybody in Kaellous Clan. I will lend you my tactical magic (Overed Spell) knowledge¡±

    Even though the titan stared at him with a sharp look, Eru is not afraid at all. Or rather, he was even more fight it back strongly.

    Although they were doubtful about it, the titan at least helping Eru. That because their trust in Eru who had bring them to this point. He has insisted to do that, either way they had decided it will not be useless at all in the end.

    Although the titan doesn¡¯t really have special skill on handling that, above of all they had their own processing technology¡ª¡ªtheir strength.

    Because of the villager and the titan were going all out, the board is finished in a short time.

    The issue is, they have to carve the emblem graph on the whitish board¡¯s surface. More than anything, the problem is there was no other than Eru who had memorized the Overed Spell. For time being, they had to write the graph on the other place and then engrave it on board together.

    As expected, it sure took some time but, either way they have completed a new equipment.

    ¡°This????So what is this?¡±

    The third-eyed titan was looking at that in bewilderment.

    Certainly, it took a form like a box. A rectangular wooden box. There is no accurate explanation other than that.

    Inside the box, there are large number of the carved Overed Spell on the surface. Literally, it is just tightly packed. Furthermore, the crystal catalyzation which had been pulled out from the demonic beast was attached on the outside of the box, at least the function was satisfy enough.

    There is a handle on the outside while they can also grab it to hold. Although the handling wasn¡¯t good at all, at least they were able to aim with it.

    But it wasn¡¯t suitable for hitting something. Rather, it was something more fragile and cannot be used for fighting. For someone like a Brave or his companion, it can only be described as a mysterious object rather than categorized as a weapon.

    ¡°Brave-san. Please face to that tree while holding that¡±

    Said Eru while pointing to a tree on the distance.

    The Brave following his order with a vague movement. No matter how you look at it, it just a figure of a titan who holds somewhat unknown box.

    ¡°Now, pour some mana on it!¡±

    ¡°????What is that¡±

    At that moment, Eru has stopped working. He slowly turns his neck to the surrounding and somewhat showing an embarrassing look while smilingly at the glaring Brave.

    ¡°What kind of movement is pouring some mana on it? I can¡¯t understand if you describe it poorly¡±

    ¡°How can be????perhaps the giants are not conscious about mana that much?¡±

    There¡¯s also possible if he thinks about that way. For Eru; for a human who had a small body, they have to polish their wisdom for the technique of magic instead.

    But for the titans. A huge body which can fight toe-to-toe with duel class demonic beast. Have a high strength and attack power. Even if they didn¡¯t do anything, they already had built up their power by living in the forest. Thus, without polishing the skill, they haven¡¯t known how to use mana or magic.

    ¡°This is troubling????No. Speaking of which, there is someone among the giant who could handle a mana¡±

    Soon, Eru has remembered something. There¡¯s someone among the giants who had been called as a magician.

    Before answering his question. Someone has come from the Kaellous Clan¡¯s group.

    ¡°Brave. Please lend that to me¡±

    ¡°Hm. Is that you young Sorcerer (Parva Marga)¡±

    A little girl (among the titan) who have inherited the Sorcerer¡¯s name.

    She stood before the Brave and reach out her hand. At first, the Brave was troubled for a while, eventually he handed the box on his hand to her.

    Although the box was made for the Brave, it is slightly oversized even for her. Somehow, she able to hold it and start to opens her mouth.

    ¡°Goblin Braver. There are not many among us who can use magic¡±

    ¡°It seems that way. I didn¡¯t really think it at all¡±

    ¡°Although I¡¯m still inexperienced. At least I can pour some mana on it. Do I need to do like this?????kyaa!?¡±

    On the moment when the young Sorcerer has poured some mana on it. A strong light came upon them. It was a White Mist which a wood that can easily absorbed the mana. With the mana that has traveled over the carved graph, it will make the magic through the fiber of the wood. Soon as it reaches the top of the catalyst, a phenomenon will appear in this world.

    The unique luminescence soon takes a form like an orange¡¯s ball of flame. The type of script that had been inscribed is explosion-type magic called ¡®Spear of Flame (Carbalion)¡¯.

    It went through according to the script and flew into the air. In the faint light, a flaming bullet strikes a tree at the end of the trajectory. Soon turned into a detonating flame and shattered after hitting the trunk then explode into pieces.

    ¡°?????What¡±

    The young Sorcerer who had opened her four eyes, become petrified with her opened mouth. Even though the Brave was also showing an astonished expression, this time he was immediately derived in joy.

    ¡°To think you has learned such a wonderful magic (Magia) young Sorcerer! With this, the Sorcerer will also be proud of you!!¡±

    ¡°?????No, that wasn¡¯t me. Just????what is this¡±

    The young titan girl looks at the weapon she held nervously.

    That was something she felt in the first time despite being a magician. Even though she didn¡¯t build her own magic, the magic phenomenon still occurs. There is a tremendous discomfort along with a something impossible has happened. But more importantly, she has immediately understood the meaning of this ¡®weapon¡¯.

    She now looked at the person who had made this weapon in some kind of admiration. But the right person who have made that; Eru was troubled by crossing his arm.

    ¡°Mumumu, as I though it can be used if we can pour some mana properly. But I didn¡¯t expect that the giants weren¡¯t good at handling mana. Now what to do????muu¡±

    Although the young Sorcerer seems stunned for a while, eventually on the line of her sight, she regained her strength back. She has remembered about what should she do and the only one she could do.

    ¡°Goblin Braver. Was it fine to teach everyone on how to use mana?¡±

    Eru began to look up at her face.

    ¡°I will be saved if you could do that. If you do your best, at least I can prepare some silhouette arms for everyone¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying that everybody will be able to use this if I could do it????¡±

    It might be something terrific for a someone like a Sorcerer. It can be said that was possible for her to relinquish her role which was being an expert in magical knowledge. However, at the same time, she knew her immaturity.

    She didn¡¯t even need time to decide. The young Sorcerer turned back and looked around her clan¡¯s companion.

    ¡°Brave, everyone. Please, open your eyes and hear me. If we could use magic without being a Sorcerer. It means anyone will become able to use magic. This weapon will surely lead us who have a less power¡±

    On the figure of the immature and young Sorcerer who holds the silhouette arms, the Brave has already opened his eyes. Although she was still small, part her behavior is showing the glimpse of the Sorcerer¡ª¡ªthe one who lead their clan.

    After a while, the Brave nods in agreement.

    ¡°I will believe on what you have seen young Sorcerer. We need some power for us who still in small number¡±

    Everyone from the Kaellous Clan began to gather. They have believed on the young Sorcerer¡¯s determination and made their will as one.

    From that day, the titan began to train every day. It was nothing so advanced at all. They just need to recognize the mana inside them.

    If they¡¯re able to learn how to pour mana, what¡¯s left can be handled by the silhouette arms. It was something revolutionary for a titan who able to use magic without being a Sorcerer¡ª¡ª.

    ¡ô

    While the titan passionately trains to mastering the silhouette arms, every villager on the goblin¡¯s village were busily undertaking on manufacturing silhouette arms

    Their lifestyle on food assumption has also improved dramatically, because the titans were supporting them. Even it was strange for them, to be perfectly balanced on each other.

    With that situation, Eru was being called by the young Sorcerer. Before the young titan, Eru sat down there. Although she is still young, her height easily reached near 5m¡ª¡ªwhich three times larger than Eru.

    Even though she didn¡¯t do anything, a strange intimidating atmosphere leaking out on the blatant pupils of her four eyes. However, Eru didn¡¯t seems to care anything at all.

    ¡°Umu, Although, she is cute, surely she¡¯s big!¡±

    And Addy the other person who strangely sits down on the young Sorcerer shoulder while knitting her hair. Beside the big hair, it seems fairly strong and hard.

    ¡°I hear you know many things goblin Braver¡±

    ¡°Yes, I may look like this but I had led one Knight Order back in the country¡±

    Although his answer didn¡¯t clear enough for the young Sorcerer to understand, at least she was able to understand his behavior and self-confident were not groundless at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m????haven¡¯t inherited that much from my predecessors. Because I¡¯m still young to learn?????my predecessor was already gone to the Hundred Eyes side¡±

    Addy began to peek up the dejected young Sorcerer who looking at the ground. When she was distracted for a moment, the young Sorcerer regains her strength and stare at Eru.

    ¡°To become able to make something like that. You are truly the Sorcerer among the Brave¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. I wonder that would be in the case if it was from the giant¡¯s perspective¡±

    Eru tilt his head to the side. Granted, that kind of perceptive is the unique culture of the titan.

    At that time, the Four-eyed Seat of young Sorcerer has corrected her posture. Facing him with sincere attitude and unheeding their difference in height.

    ¡°Then I want you to teach me. Your knowledge of magic¡±

    ¡°That is?????even for me, I do not know anything about giant¡¯s magic?¡±

    ¡°Still. I do not have enough power as a Sorcerer. I can no longer receive such teaching anymore????¡±

    She holds her fist firmly. Even for the immature titan like her, she couldn¡¯t lend her power in a situation where her clan in peril.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was okay to stay this way either. The magic that had been used by those weapons. I think just knowing it might become a power¡±

    After listening her earnestness, Eru nods his head.

    ¡°I see. Now I understand, I will do my best to teach you my knowledge¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, goblin Braver¡±

    In the same time, Addy who still on the top of the young Sorcerer shoulder, suddenly poked out.

    ¡°Then, call us ¡®master¡¯ from now on!¡±

    ¡°Err, Addy?¡±

    Leaving aside the twins who had been taught a magic by Eru. For Addy, she was her first disciple or somewhat like her junior. And apparently, she seems like it very much.

    ¡°I understand, master (Magister)¡±

    ¡°Master! Fufufu, what a nice ring!¡±

    ¡°Addy????are you fine with that?¡±

    ¡°Although she¡¯s a little big, it was okay because she is cute!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sometimes I cannot understand Addy at all¡±

    Even though it was a little unexpected, Eru didn¡¯t stop her. Because Eru is a quite person who will not stopping other people¡¯s actions. Thus, Eru has acquired a new disciple in ages beside the twins.

    After that he want to start the lesson for the eagerly young Sorcerer and said.

    ¡°Can you show me the giant¡¯s magic first? Its fine if it something simple. Please draw it like what kind of script did you use¡±

    The young Sorcerer began to nods her head and pick up a stick then start drawing the shape on the ground.

    ¡°Hm. Basically, there are no change. It sure interesting. But, as expected for a giant to use this kind of high output. However, there is a lot of useless things. I wonder if that was because they could break through the output without considering the importance of efficiency¡±

    Eru was staring on the ground, but soon he grabs a wooden stick on his hand.

    As he walks around, he has rewritten the script on the ground. More precisely, he makes it more efficient. While compressing the meaning of the script many times.

    A countless number of cutting-edge weapons in the Kingdom of Fremmivira. The one who have assembled the precise script for it was none other than Ernesti himself. Although, recently he had gotten more job as a knight commander and as a knight runner, that kind of skill deeply sleep inside him.

    For a long time, he hasn¡¯t showed himself as a programmer.

    ¡°The core script was too na?ve. It doesn¡¯t have to be connected that much, for that reason let¡¯s just expand it around. Even with this, the power won¡¯t be reduced if the flame is spread out????¡±

    ¡°Ma, master?????¡±

    In front of her eyes, her technique is going to be rewritten. All the young Sorcerer can do is only watching him over. Because, she couldn¡¯t fathom what Eru¡¯d done at all. She has understood it clearly that something she learn from the previous Sorcerer was quite different.

    ¡°In any case, why not use magic more efficiently. Wasn¡¯t this giant¡¯s magic already good enough. They had been made with a firm build¡±

    Eru start to stands up while smiling in satisfaction.

    Thus no one know, a something formidable was about to start¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª.

 Book 7: Chapter 99: A Peaceful days in the Middle of a Certain Village

    The young Sorcerer as well as the new Sorcerer in the Kaellous Clan, she had a lot of worries on that day.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basic first. Please try to remember the expansion script or connecting script by concentrating between the foundation script¡±

    ¡°Magister, were there so many spells used by a goblin?¡±

    Although Ernesti was a goblin, he has become the Sorcerer¡¯s master and teach her with passion. While slightly move his small body, he draw the script in the front of her.

    The young Sorcerer quickly lose herself after seeing him drawing the small-scale script line by line. She wasn¡¯t looking down on it but, it was something more than she expected.

    ¡°The foundation of magic which being used by the giants is same like us. If you are able to learn this, we¡¯ll continue to combine them next. Or rather, that is the most important part when using a magic¡±

    ¡°Do I need to memorize this too?¡±

    Eru began to describe about the combining after the young Sorcerer who just had desperately learned to memorize the script. The method about the most efficient magic he invented. How to draw the script precisely and a method to make the script more efficient.

    In contrary, his method was way too obscure for a titan who excels in using magic to exercise their senses. In the first place, Eru method was categorized as a special for a human being, but there¡¯s no way for the young Sorcerer to know about that.

    ¡°This script still can be drawn in more detail. If you connect this part, you might able to increase the output¡±

    ¡°Ye, yes¡±

    After Eru corrected the drawing, she bears it in mind. The days where she had headache by remembering the script and how to combine it continue every day. It was nothing comparable than substantial lecture she got from the former Sorcerer.

    Eru¡¯s method is focused heavily on the basic. He was thinking if she can remember the simple and accurate method, then the later should be practical use. That¡¯s why he strictly teaches her to memorize thoroughly.

    At this point, the young Sorcerer got teary-eyed.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s increase the scale. I¡¯m sure the giant¡¯s Magius Circuit is larger than ours. It should be able to operate more than this¡±

    ¡°Ah, aaahh?????¡±

    ¡°If you get used to this, we should able to operate more than one at the same time, let¡¯s work hard, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°????Eu¡±

    Everyday after she has done her training, the young Sorcerer fell down tiredly.

    Eru as her teacher is quite strict. Whatever it was magic or any relation regarding to a Silhouette Knight, it was something like a hobby for himself to investigate, memorize, fiddle it around, and let it go in one strike; in short, it was what he lives for. His passion itself is a little different however.

    Even so, the young Sorcerer desperately following him. Although, she has no longer understood was it for her pride as a Sorcerer or as a member of her clan.

    ¡°You can¡¯t learn it if you only observe what¡¯ve you seen. It is important to put into practice from what you have learned before¡±

    ¡°?????! I understand. Magister, please watch me!¡±

    After learning the theory, next is practical use. The young Sorcerer immediately got motivated. Because it was better than remember any knowledge forcedly. Her senior disciple, as well as her teacher; Addy was also the one who guide her.

    ¡°Well, then Parl-chan! Try to swoosh the movement of mana inside the body with a feeling, then squeak it to gather into your hands!¡±

    ¡°Magister Addy, I understand! I just need to swoosh and squeak it, right!¡±

    The young Sorcerer replies to her strongly, and close her upper two eyes. Fundamentally, the larger body she has, the stronger magic circuit she could have. The young Sorcerer began to process the script she just had learned quietly.

    ¡°When operating the script, you can line up them all with a bang! And then you can just stick them one after another!¡±

    ¡°I understand! Line them up?????and stick them????¡±

    Although her processing is still slow, her script was assembled one after another. Gradually, the scale was increasing to the point of becoming an Overd Spell which comparable to a titan usage.

    ¡°Combine the script with mana! And hit it at once!!¡±

    ¡°I will, hit it at once!!¡±

    A crimson flaming bullet has created in the palm of her hand. A magic which had been connected to the foundation of an explosive flame script. The flame that created from titan¡¯s mana was flying through along with the young Sorcerer surprised eyes.

    The target is a huge boulder which located not too far from the village. In order to restrain themselves to blast away the tress every time for training, they have been looking for something hard to hit. There were already a number of cracks and burn on the surface. And now, there is much more will be included later.

    The flaming bullet changes to bursting explosive soon after reaching the boulder. A blaze raises with a shock wave like a sticking on the surface of the huge boulder.

    ¡°One more shoot! Do it with flashy move!¡±

    ¡°One, more!¡±

    The young Sorcerer created another flame on her other hand. She reaches out her hand to the sky, and hit it once again to the huge boulder.

    Then, her rough breathing continues as she tries to keep her palm up. Although she is indeed a titan, she was too young for that. There is still lack of mana to handle Overd Spell continuously. However, her skill has certainly improved, and so is her magical power. Despite her strict teacher, she is definitely have gotten stronger because of their teaching.

    ¡°Magister! Did you see that!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, as I thought Parl has a same perceive like Addy. In a first place, giant might not able to know about the theory until now, so it seems like natural for them????¡±

    Eru began to mumble something as he tries to cross his arm while looking at Addy and the young Sorcerer.

    ¡°Either way, we already can see the result of the training. If you continue this way, you might become a fine sorcerer without ashamed your predecessors¡±

    ¡°????! Yes. Someday when I¡¯ve return to the Hundred Eyes side, I¡¯ll show this to them!¡±

    Still, there is one serious problem in this Eru special menu training regime. That problem is he didn¡¯t really familiar with the magic which had been used by the titans.

    That¡¯s why, he was using the huge being¡ª¡ªthe Silhouette Knight performance as a standard.

    Thus, the young Sorcerer keep her enthusiasm in training, unaware of the abnormality for a normal titan. Now, the peaceful days of young Sorcerer has ended in another sense¡ª¡ª.

    ¡ô

    While the young Sorcerer was devoting herself in magical training, the remaining Kaellous Clan¡¯s members are practicing using the silhouette arms. They have used it in turns on the rocky place not too far from the village.

    ¡°I never thought for us who are not a Sorcerer able to wield a magic. To think there is such a way, certainly I can¡¯t despise the goblin¡¯s technique¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It was inevitable for the Rubel Clan to gaining this much power¡±

    The third-eyed Brave look at the boxy object on his hand while the one-eyed Servant nods in agreement in his statement.

    Since they are deeply impressed, it can be said using Ernesti as a standard is very dangerous. Unfortunately, they haven¡¯t known no one other than Eru, so there is no other person who can correct their misunderstanding.

    If the enemy is strong, then they must have become strong too. While tighten their mind, they were engulfed in training their body and mind.

    Day by day, the Kaellous Clan with Eru and Addy spends their days in the forest, furthermore in the enemy base in the relaxed state (?) without even expecting it before.

    Eventually, the young Sorcerer¡¯s lecture focused on the practical use than theories, and nowadays only Addy who is better teaching her. The Kaellous Clan¡¯s member are enthusiastically training the silhouette arms, and the villagers were being driven to help them.

    Eru who had a little time to spend, now facing the new Silhouette Knight. They are offering the open-spaced house to live in there. Although it was supposed to be a vacant house in the beginning, nowadays many miscellaneous tools are scattering around before no one realize it.

    With a flutter sound, Eru began to spreads the scroll on the desk. He was using the scroll that had been made by White Mist as a material. Brought his favorite pen and write what he thought by adding an ink.

    ¡°There are enough materials from the remaining Ikaruga and Syrphirne. And also, from demonic beast¡¯s materials¡±

    With a scratch sound, he draws a skeletal blueprint. Looks like an Ikaruga, similar like a Syrphirne. Of course, he has remembered the whole blueprint.

    ¡°However, with the remaining crystal tissue????I can build with a half body at most¡±

    It would need only the upper body or lower body at most to make it works as a Silhouette Knight. If so, then it would be hard to imagine about fighting or even moving away.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s make a quite????slight???compromise. There¡¯s a way even if I must use the Etheric Levitator¡±

    If there is an Etheric Levitator which can make any object regardless the shapes float. Then he can make a simple flight machine if he can prepare Magius Jet Thruster.

    Because it was possible to prepare numerus silhouette arms by using White Mist. And probably he could made Magius Jet Thruster with some effort too. But as expected, there is some fatal problems left.

    ¡°This is not good. It¡¯s impossible to make another Etheric Levitator. I cannot find anything in here to supply the Etherlite¡±

    He stopped his hands. The problem keeps occurring in the same place. Although in the Flemmevira Kingdom they were able to mass produce it, the reason is because the existence of the excellent blacksmiths and the Boss they are able to do it. For Eru, he doesn¡¯t have a skill but a knowledge.

    ¡°If only an Ether, there¡¯s plenty in here¡±

    Eru who finally getting bored, leaning on his chair and stare at the air.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is an ether in the atmosphere, if we collect it?????collect it. Collect!?¡±

    He opens his eyes. Kick up the chair and try to stand up. Slowly looking down at the drawing, and pointed his shaken finger at the one point.

    ¡°They are gathering???in here. Isn¡¯t there a large amount of highly concentrated ether?¡±

    In regard of his answer, there is an Ether Reactor which can be said the heart of Silhouette Knight.

    ¡°Mana Pool????!¡±

    The Silhouette Knight that had been induced by the ether will transforms into mana with the work of the furnace. The crystal tissue will absorb the stored mana, and by consuming it the Silhouette Knight can be driven. Conversely speaking it would be¡ª¡ª.

    ¡°Mana is an excited state of ether. Then, if I can convert mana back to ether????I can make use a big ether filter on the Silhouette Knight body????!!¡±

    The idea that appeared like a comet, ran through his brain to the body, and then flowing to the fingertips. Grabs a pen and draw the idea like the ink was flying.

    ¡°How about it? What should I do? I can do it. I will do everything from what I can afford¡±

    A strange shape has been produced. It doesn¡¯t need various function, but his thought has reflected to the form.

    ¡°Please wait a little longer my Ikaruga. It may become a little ¡®weird¡¯ but?????since we¡¯re fighting, it would be okay right?¡±

    Eru reaches up the scroll up high, and shows a cheerful smile.

    ¡ô

    Eru has come to Addy and young Sorcerer who still in training without notice. The young Sorcerer was wondering if he wants to teach her a new knowledge but, it seems not in the case.

    Then noticing the young Sorcerer beforehand, and take out Addy with him. As he keeps his head and goes straight to the cart direction. On the scattered wreckage, Eru began to turn his back.

    ¡°I have a request for Addy¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that formalities? If it Eru request, everything is fine!¡±

    ¡°Err. Please hear me out first¡±

    ¡°Okay¡«¡±

    Although she was already embraced Eru, well, it always been like this for now.

    ¡°Actually, I want to dismantle Addy¡¯s Descend Gear (Descend Rad)¡±

    She was wondering what it is, but his request seems like unexpected for her too. While she blinks her eyes in bewilderment, she looks at Eru on her arm and tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like we are not necessary to use it????again, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. This is a valuable weapon for us. If we could, I want to leave it as it is but????¡±

    After being stranded in the Bocuse sea of trees, the Descend Rad¡¯s strength has successfully led them in housing problem. And there may be many situations that can still be used if they think carefully. Naturally, he didn¡¯t think to give it up in meaningless way.

    ¡°I have made a new design. To make it, I would like to teach the people in this village our technology¡±

    Eru who had gone out from Addy arm said that in the front of her face.

    ¡°Although the Descend Rad have a simple design, its still use our technology in Silhouette Knight¡±

    ¡°I see. It would be easier to understand if they can actually see it right???¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to break it that much but????I¡¯m sure, it would be difficult. They have to learn it by their hand rather than their eyes after all¡±

    Addy closed her eyes down for a while. As its owner, she might be sentimental about it. Eventually, she raises her face with a smile.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine! We have to fix Ikaruga and Shii-chan, right!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Addy. I¡¯ll promise to fix it back. Even though it may be different from before, I will make it to able to move again¡±

    Thus, Ernesti Eru Echavalier has begun to move. In his blueprint, a man-made monster comparable to the demonic beast that live in the forest was starting to move.

 Book 7: Chapter 100: Just a Little Longer to The Sky

    Bocuse Sea of Trees, a forest where the countless trees grow thickly.

    There are many beast trails because of the demonic beast that have an enormous body walking slowly through on this forest. For a demonic beast that surpassed the duel class category, leaving path by tearing the trees on its way was an easy task. While the surviving plants evolved themselves to stretch their stem higher until the branches have reach at the height where the demonic beast cannot touch them and spread their leaves thickly. Thus, the beast trails in the Bocuse was shaped like a tunnel made by tree¡¯s leaf.

    In that natural tunnel formed by the trees, there was a huge shadow walking. Stand on its own feet, and shaped like a human being. But, no one couldn¡¯t think it was something other than a titan.

    Unlike titan in the Kaellous or even Rubel Clan, this kind of titan¡¯s ¡®imitation¡¯ have a kind of mechanical form, oddly-thickish long arm that rubbed on the ground, and a rounded shoulder like an aged farmer usually do. Their neck was also not clearly separated from their body and there is a pointed head-like shape on the tip of their torso. When the small head move with a clacking sound, several small eyes sharply searching around the surrounding. Furthermore, the whole body is covered with an armor leaving no space for a softest part to be shown.

    It¡¯s looks like a titan wearing such an armor or even appear like a living being who have a shell on the body. Truly, a mysterious being.

    There are five of them. Going through the natural tunnel without difficulties. Eventually that titan¡¯s imitation went through the forest tunnel and arrive at the open hill. When the small eyes blink over the place in the corner of the forest, a village where the goblin lives can be seen.

    Soon, the titans¡¯ imitation noticed. In the middle of the village, there is a glimpse of huge presence between the trees.

    There is a titan in the goblin village. Not a fake one but a real titan.

    The titans¡¯ imitation who had noticed that, began to leak a growling sound. Eventually they start to go downhill together. And their target is a certain goblin¡¯s village¡ª¡ª.

    ¡ô

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Eru-kun! Guess what, would you like to see Parl-chan¡¯s training today with me????what are you doing?¡±

    Adeltrud who had undergoing training with the young Sorcerer day by day, on her way she found and called Ernesti out. Although she always has joyful appearances, soon turn into doubtful looks. For some reason, Eru had brought a cart full of wooden boards.

    ¡°Yes, since I want to prepare this board for everyone, I¡¯ll carve the emblem glyph from now on. Although the glyph requires quite a bit of space????would Addy mind to help me too?¡±

    ¡°Eh?????Err. You see, I still have to teach Parl-chan after all!¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry to leave her to you all this time¡±

    Addy retreated immediately after seeing the wooden boards were bulkier than Eru¡¯s height. No matter how much she loves him, apparently, it seems there¡¯s still have a limit. Meanwhile Eru began to nods in agreement without bothering anything.

    Behind Addy, there¡¯s a confident young Sorcerer while her four eyes sparkling.

    ¡°I do not mind, Magister Eru. Magister Addy has taught me well. Someday, I will show you the result of my training¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m eager to see that happens. In my case, there¡¯s still lot of work though¡±

    ¡°I see you have made a lot of thing, recently¡±

    Said Addy while looking at the back of the cart. Even though no one who can stop Eru when he was working on something. This time, he has made something big again.

    ¡°Yeah, I caught on something very interesting this time! After all I have????¡±

    ¡°Err, Eru-kun! Look, you can explain that later, okay?¡±

    That¡¯s surely will be long. Addy splendidly know too well how to avoid it.

    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s right. Fufufu, I¡¯m sure Addy will be surprised after seeing it¡±

    ¡°So, it would make me surprised too????I got feeling Eru-kun¡¯s brake already flew away in ages¡±

    Thus, Addy and the young Sorcerer went to forest leaving the place where a dry laugh can be heard.

    Because of the forest area near the village was already destroyed remarkably by the Kaellous Clan, their training ground are also gradually separated away from the village.

    ¡°Yeah, it seems I can¡¯t lose too. I¡¯ll make it with my fullest!¡±

    Eru who just had left behind, excitedly leaking out the ¡®Physical Boost¡¯ on his limbs and run toward the workshop while nimbly dragging the cart.

    ¡ô

    There¡¯s one goblin¡¯s village on the corner of great forest. Not too long ago, this village, which only had to spend their days by waiting their lifespan, now they are in the middle of unprecedented heat.

    The center of the heat is located on the back of the village and known as the only workshop they have. This place was also used for making the titan¡¯s armor, because of that, it has exceptionally large space and well-equipped.

    The men who live in this village were mostly working on this workshop. Once in the past, they had to process the metal and demonic beast¡¯s materials as a duty.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with this. I should have remembered all of this????¡±

    ¡°What a complex structure. Were all of this assembled on this scale?¡±

    ¡°Look carefully at the assembling process. We have no future if we don¡¯t make ourselves useful for knight-sama¡±

    Right now, every one of them are trying to get close with a huge wreckage.

    That were the wreckages of Silhouette Knight which have been carried by the Kaellous Clan; Ikaruga and Syrphirne.

    Beside them, there¡¯s a half-remained dissembled Descend Rad. And they are eagerly used it as a real object to master their skill. Because their lives will be greatly changed on the future depend on the result they have got in here. Just like before, they couldn¡¯t help themselves to let their live in half-dead hunger state anymore. In order to not let that happen again, every one of them were desperate.

    ¡°Line up those similar parts¡±

    ¡°Prioritize the useable part first! Make sure to send the broken ones to the furnace!¡±

    Next to men¡¯s heavy laborers, the group of women are also busily moving around by collecting and sorting each part which had been dissembled. Granted, their job is not only to dissemble after all.

    ¡°Wow. In the back of the armor, almost all of them are Crystal Plates¡±

    Peeling the huge armor by using chisel, and tearing off the back part. All of these were from Syrphirne. While Ikaruga have nothing but the heart part after losing from the Stained Beast.

    The cutting-edge Silhouette Knight technology in Fremmevira Kingdom are utilizing Capacity Frame on part of the armor. That is a simple combination of an armor and crystal plates, a method to increase mana pool, and it was easy to made with a little alchemy knowledge. For that reason, the materials were carefully separated.

    Then, after all parts have been dissembled.

    ¡°Knight-sama, what should we do after this?¡±

    The men who remained in the workshop are lined up in the front of the small ¡®knight¡¯. Around them, the workshop¡¯s floor is filled with a large amount of steel and demonic beast¡¯s materials which had been dissembled and stored all this time.

    In the middle of them, there are an offal-like object and hardened metal pipes. It is Ikaruga¡¯s Emperor Heart, which remains untouched.

    ¡°First. We will use this heart. While repairing the exhaust tubes, let¡¯s reinforce the surrounding area¡±

    This heart part is the innermost Silhouette Knight technology, which can be said it was impossible to reproduce it again.

    If this part was damaged even a little, Eru shouldn¡¯t able left unscratched. However, because of this, Eru can continue to walk again once more.

    By following Eru¡¯s order, the villagers start moving in unison. From now on, their battle has just begun.

    ¡°Please bring the firmest demonic beast¡¯s bone here¡±

    Around the heart part, a number of demonic beast¡¯s bone are combined. On this area, sturdiness is prioritized more than anything. That also the reason why they had to made the small steel, and strong bone materials. Although, originally a Silhouette Knight must have a flexibility in movement, but this time the idea making Silhouette Knight more flexible has not to take into account.

    In addition, the White Mist wood that has been cut out like a thread, are included on the gap.

    This is the Silver Nerve alternative.

    Without using any Crystal Tissue, anything can be used if the object does not move and able to passes through enough mana.

    This processes steadily build up which make someone fainted if those blacksmith people back in the country see it.

    ¡°How is the limbs condition?¡±

    ¡°Knight-sama. I¡¯ve tried as far I know but?????¡±

    After building the body which had been made by materials like from mysterious pot, the neck and arms are attached. In here, the mechanism for movement was included.

    Unlike the body that must have to be firm, these sections are require more labor. After all their skill are still na?ve. They must have to lower the difficulties as much as possible.

    As expected, the demonic beast¡¯s bone is usable on the inner skeleton, and the Strand Crystal Tissue based on the Descend Rad¡¯s blueprints has been attached carefully.

    ¡°Because it would be dangerous if we fail, so let¡¯s test it carefully¡±

    A cheer come from Eru surrounding when he tried to show the temporary fixed arms in the uncovered pilot seat. Little by little, the knight has formed to the shape by their own hands. When they think who lives in the lower villages couldn¡¯t do anything, now they have grasped the power to challenge the forest. How could they able to stand still after this. With that spirit, their morale has increased.

    ¡°Let¡¯s increase a little more firmness. If we keep going like this, we would able to completed this soon. So, let¡¯s do our best until we¡¯ve finished!¡±

    With a loud high-spirited voice, the workshop has been filled by a strong cry.

    ¡ô

    And then, while the villagers were working desperately. Meanwhile Eru had to carve the Emblem Glyph on the White Mist¡¯s board with full of concertation.

    ¡°At any rate, I still need a strong aerial operation. Let¡¯s just divide the Sonic Boom magic and borrow from the fundamental script¡±

    He uses the arrayed wooden boards to build up a magic which belongs to wind element.

    Although no matter how much powerful it is, if using combustion type of propulsion, certainly Magi Jet Thruster was more efficient. Nevertheless, he has decided to choose the wind propulsion without blinking his eyes on the others.

    ¡°Gotta make many Amplifier script and many and many and more, more, more, more, more¡±

    While singing some absurd song, Eru continues carving the script. Because it was too eerie, let alone the villagers, even Addy was keeping her distance.

    Leaving that aside.

    The time has passed, the terrific wooden board¡¯s glyph which can draw out destructive power have been lined up.

    In a simple term, the output can match or even exceeding the Gordesleo¡¯s Blast Howling. If someone used this thing, it would even erase a half dead demonic beast in one hit.

    However, more terrifyingly. This is not a weapon to attack.

    ¡°Well then, will it go well with this output?¡±

    Eru who still remained in good mood, connecting the line on the middle of the airframe. Ikaruga¡¯s heart was still alive. It still possible to process some mana at any time.

    The Behemoth¡¯s Heart which had awoken from a long time, began to generating large amount of mana while filly sucking the air. While the villager turned their eyes to the source of loud sound that shakes the workshop, only Eru who pleasantly gazing the wooden board.

    ¡°????Reconverting large amount of mana. Release the Ether¡±

    The radiance of overflowing mana, flowing through the carved glyph on the wooden board. And that faint light eventually turned into rainbow color. Producing a rainbow vortex. Painting a rainbow light on the stunned Eru¡¯s smile.

    ¡°Fufufu?????as I expected. Marvelous, truly marvelous. Well then, it seems you are able to move properly, my next beloved one¡±

    It has deviant half-baked body as a Silhouette Knight. Including the terrifying magic. And the beast he wished for has gradually formed to shape.

    Then, he suddenly realizes something and fold his arm.

    ¡°I know! Isn¡¯t this a whole different form than Ikaruga. If so, I need to think a name for this new machine. What should I do?????¡±

    Thus, he began to tilt his head, while humming a song mixed with troubled expression.

 Book 7: Chapter 101: The Young Sorcerer, Fought

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s review about many kinds of magic today!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Magister Addy. I count on you¡±

    A cheerful voice has resonated in the corner of the forest. It was Addy and young Sorcerer daily training regime. Due to the place around the goblin village have been destroyed, those two girls had to go much farther location. There was a sign of scratched rock around them, it was a destructive power which had been shown by the young Sorcerer hard work.

    Along with line of sight of young Sorcerer who is riding a boulder around her, Addy began to swing her gunstaff.

    ¡°If it is the matter of destructive power alone, I think from explosive system is the best!¡±

    ¡°Fumu¡±

    Fire arms¡ª¡ªthe gunstaff, the imitation of a weapon that doesn¡¯t exist on this world, a flaming bullet is fired from the tip of the gunstaff. A flower of fire bloom as soon as it reached the target.

    ¡°Wind system is useful for defense or want to move fast!¡±

    After activating the Aero Thruster on her heels, with that burst-like reaction, Addy¡¯s body is flying up in the air. When she tries to land on the young Sorcerer shoulder, she then returns on the top of the rock lightly.

    ¡°But it might be difficult for a giant who have a more body weight¡±

    ¡°Yes. The magic consumption is way too much when I tried to use it¡±

    The young Sorcerer sadly nods in agreement. Although she is still young and light, it seems her affinity with the magic is not good at all.

    ¡°The last one is from Lightning system! Although it is troublesome to operate and the range is limited, but it is almost impossible to evade instead¡±

    As she extended the gunstaff, and aim to the target. Immediately afterwards, a sound of thunder roaring on today fine weather. The roar along with the spear of light are smashing the target and destroyed it. Lightning system is certainly having unmatched accuracy and impossible to evade, however it has a flaw about the mana consumption will become heavy as soon as it shoots on the distance.

    ¡°As expected of Magister. For a Sorcerer, one must have many kinds of magic, right!¡±

    In front of the young Sorcerer who doesn¡¯t hide her adoration, Addy looked happily with her head held high.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Parl-chan also has been able to use many kinds of magic too, I¡¯m wrong?¡±

    ¡°Uuu, I still have long way to go????How can Addy Magister and Eru Magister were able to remember that much¡±

    Suddenly, the young Sorcerer is feeling dejected for some reason. Leaving aside someone like Ernesti who will remember anything as long as it was concerned with the Silhouette Knight. She has been working hard to keep up with Addy and Eru. As expected, their years in training were different after all.

    ¡°If you can understand the basic, then the rest would be practical use. That¡¯s why Eru-kun will review about that matter!¡±

    ¡°Yesh, I will do my best???¡±

    The young Sorcerer was arranging the information while drawing a script on the ground. No matter how much they had to leave it with their senses, they couldn¡¯t help themselves to learn it even with that alone. In the end, the only one that can save them is hard work.

    After a while, Addy who just recently reviewing along with the young Sorcerer, suddenly began to stand up. She is listening to the surrounding with a sharp-like expression on her face.

    ¡°????Be careful, Parl-chan. Something is, coming¡±

    Her sense that had been trained as one of Fremmevira¡¯s knight, was telling her about something is coming near them. The young Sorcerer gets up immediately and also look up to find a presence on her surroundings.

    ¡°A beast?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so. I don¡¯t mind if it just few of them, but it would be bad if they come in group. Let¡¯s get away from here????¡±

    She cut her lines in the middle way, and look at the back of the forest. On that direction, a heavy sound reaches out to her continuously. Soon after that, the sound is mixed with the teared down trees, and then showing their appearance.

    ¡°????Eh. Is that, a beast?¡±

    After seeing the whole body, Addy couldn¡¯t help to show her bewilderment. The young Sorcerer was also opened her eyes in surprise.

    That is something looked-like a titan, who shaped like a human. However, the most striking difference between them is the whole body that covered in distorted shell. For a moment, it does look like an armor, but they are soon realized it was not an armor after looking at the several eyes on the pointed-like chest. It was a creature that they never heard before. And they are five of them, poking their head out between the trees.

    ¡°I do not know. But I don¡¯t think I have meet them either¡±

    ¡°They are not cute at all!¡±

    Those ¡®variant titan¡¯ were openly showing a cautious behavior in front of Addy and young Sorcerer. The claw attached on the long arms, now pointed out to those girls. Then, a portion bellow the head part is opened. Was it mouth or something, from the inside a cried can be heard. And then, after several strange growls continues, they start to come forward slowly.

    ¡°Mu. Aren¡¯t they intend????to fight with us¡±

    The young Sorcerer faltered while facing her palm. Although she has been trained in magic, given the immatureness of her age, her experience in fighting is still green. Hence, Addy who has jumped into her shoulder, whispering to the young Sorcerer¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Parl-chan. Release the fire ball magic¡±

    ¡°There are too many enemies, Magister¡±

    With the young Sorcerer current power, it sure difficult to deal with them. Her mana would likely to run out first if she does that.

    ¡°I know. Just fall back after slowing them down with the barrage. The Brave-san will surely come if he heard someone¡¯s fighting¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure the Brave will be dealt with them in one glance on this kind of situation!¡±

    On the four eyes of hers, a strength is overflowing to her arm. There¡¯s no need for her to confront with them alone. Eru is at the village, while the Kaellous¡¯ clan members are in the vicinity.

    Addy who was riding on her shoulder, cautiously looking at the surrounding. Although she is fine if her alone, but right now the young Sorcerer is with her. Once they are surrounded, it would be difficult to pass through.

    ¡°Unlike beast, their eyes are clouded. Then I do not need to hold back. Flame, come forth (Igniadel)!¡±

    The script that has been knitted up, began to appear into her palm. She throws the curled fireball toward the variant titan after producing it. Leaving a bursting flames that spout and jammed out from the middle of the pack.

    The nose of that variant titan has bended in a such unnatural way. And while leaking quiet growling sound, they went to left and right avoiding the flame.

    By using that gap, the young Sorcerer tries to turn back her body and return to the way where the village is located.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened but we will stand victorious if we able to flee, right!¡±

    Following the young Sorcerer, Addy was also running through the sky.

    ¡ô

    A little further away from the young Sorcerer training ground. The Third-eyed Seat of Brave (Fortissimos De Terrias Okyrs) was moving his forehead¡¯s eye around.

    The Servant asked worriedly to the Brave who has been looking at the air for a while.

    ¡°Is something wrong¡±

    ¡°The wind. I can see the gust of someone who fighting¡±

    ¡°My eyes didn¡¯t reflect that sort of thing. Where is it????¡±

    The Servant makes his giant eye swirling around. In response of that, the Brave moving his three eyes to look around but eventually he realized what it was. There is a presence of somebody in a certain direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s the direction of the young Sorcerer where it¡¯s at! We must hurry, my fellow comrade!!¡±

    ¡°Wha! Ou, let¡¯s go with the Brave!!¡±

    Following the Brave who start running without hesitation, every Kaellous clan¡¯s member began to dash away at once.

    With the silhouette arms that used for training on their arm.

    ¡ô

    The young Sorcerer has been running around toward the goblin village. By using her small body as an advantage and running through straight away between the trees. However¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Mu, they are!? Fast!¡±

    Those variant titans, despite their distorted shape, they were quicker than the young Sorcerer. The distance they have made in the beginning, little by little catching up with the young Sorcerer. The heavy footsteps come closer to her back and turned around unintentionally. She looks at the enormous swayed claw and it is coming down to her back without mercy.

    ¡°Gale, gather (Vent)!¡±

    The moment she shakes her fist, a mass of compressed gas is created. The variant titan has halted the attack and avoiding the direct impact. With that, the young Sorcerer has managed to increase the gap but the other variant was able to overturn and sealed up the escapes route.

    ¡°Fuh, ha???!! This is nothing????¡±

    The young Sorcerer is still unskilled. It¡¯s hard to say her magic is powerful enough when used. Furthermore, without prior knowledge of fighting while running, her breath soon reaches its limit and lost her calmness.

    By restraining the closed in variant titan using her palm, not to mention how long she can hold them away. Addy who moving around the trees has come by jumped to her.

    ¡°Calm down, Parl-chan! Catch up your breath first!¡±

    ¡°Magister????¡±

    ¡°You can use magic only in the short time. When you drive away the enemy. When you knock down the enemy. Aim at the most opportunities you can win!¡±

    ¡°Acknowledged, my Magister. I swear upon these four eyes that I can do it!¡±

    The young Sorcerer is not alone. If someone can guide her, her lack of experience will be compensated. While her breath has become calmer, her four eyes looking at all over place.

    Around them, the variant titans are widening their limbs as if they mean to block someone¡¯s path and soon the encirclement will be completed. Before that happen, she faces one direction of the encirclement, standing face to face to the variant titan and jabbing up by using her palm.

    The variant titan rolled its long arm and spread out the claw. Then, when they try to stab the young Sorcerer who come close by jumping in.

    ¡°Sorry. Our target it¡¯s not that way¡±

    On their line of sight, a small human figure has jumped in. Addy who was riding the variant titan¡¯s head, strongly release a flaming bullet into look-alike eyes without holding back.

    A single-handed human might not able to deal some damage. However, the flame will surely block the visibility, and makes the variant titan agitated. With their true purpose revealed, the claw has waved in the air.

    ¡°Wind, gather to sever apart (Procillae)!¡±

    The young Sorcerer has jumped to the chest. After gaining assistance of her teacher, she hit the unguarded body with her palm. Without using any unnecessary mana, releasing a simple compressed mass of air. Changed into concentrated and intense shock, blowing off the variant titan.

    The path now has opened.

    There¡¯s no one who can blockade the young Sorcerer. She began to run all her might. And the village is just before her eyes.

    ¡°Magister! Brave! There¡¯s an enemy!!¡±

    After she jumped into the village, as soon she catches her breath, she began to rise her scream and believe her comrade is in here.

    However, no one responded to her cry. Every goblin¡¯s villagers are just looking up with a grim face.

    ¡°Somebody! There is nobody, in here???!?¡±

    The despair has created a gap.

    ¡°Parl-chan! It¡¯s dangerous, take cove???!¡±

    The moment she heard Addy¡¯s warning shout. The fist of the variant titan has grasped the young Sorcerer¡¯s torso. After taking from the back, her body flew into the air once she received the blow.

    Feeling suffocated, she crashes into the building in the back without taking any defensive. Slamming through the wall and jammed into the interior, she has disappeared in the dust smoke.

    ¡°Hi, hiii! Is that????!!¡±

    ¡°Run!!¡±

    The villagers have screamed and run away. What they can do even a titan can be blown away by one hit. In the first place, there is nothing they can do.

    The variant titan who has arrived, entering the village one after another. While leaking a writhed sound, they turn around the neck.

    The next moment, in the back of the village, a burst-like explosion has happened. There is the building where the young Sorcerer had previously been rammed in¡ª¡ªit¡¯s the workshop.

    It¡¯s not an attack from the variant titan, rather than it was blown off from the inside. By keeping their vigilance, they fixed the dust smoke with a gaze.

    A quiet full of nervousness raise on the village. The villagers in the goblin village keeps on eye with their mouth in agape, while the variant titan still in alert.

    In the middle of that tense air, a piercing strong air inlet sound can be heard. Deep inside the dust, a light is flickering. Giving a dull-like noise, as if something is trying to crawl in there.

    In a short moment, the light shines like it¡¯s under water. A rainbow-colored radiance circling around and illuminate the surrounding. The tremendous heavy noise blew away the dust and ¡®that¡¯ has made its appearance.

    ¡°What is that???¡±

    Addy sighed in impression without realizing. Because it has a shape that way too bizarre. From what she has seen, there is an upper-half humanoid form that float in the air. It was completely something like an uncompleted object¡ª¡ªor something dying¡ª¡ªthat float in the air imposingly.

    ¡°Is that, Eru-kun right???? Wasn¡¯t it still uncompleted yet¡±

    Her doubt has blown away in the next moment. Unlike before, ¡®that¡¯ has risen more powerful air inlet noises. Then, a light was produced in a space where there should had been an abdomen. The rainbow-colored radiance eventually become brighter and along with that forming a clear shape.

    ¡ª¡ªa Halo (Ring).

    It was a rainbow-colored halo. Only the upper part of its body floats on the top of the halo that widens its diameter. No one truly understand what is happening right now.

    Then, ¡®that¡¯ has stretched its both arm and gently hold the fainted young Sorcerer up in the air.

    The armor that had been folded in the back up until now, began to blossom and wraps around it like a cloak. As if to protect itself and the young Sorcerer.

    When ¡®that¡¯ head moved to extend one corner from the line of the sight. Addy was yelling at the moment she saw the face. Because it was shaped like a skull. On the back of the open eye socket, a light of the crystal swaying on the eyeballs.

    ¡°Eh???Eru-kun! What¡¯s gotten with you to have that kind of bad taste!¡±

    In this unexpected situation, the variant titans were also stuck without moving. A cold and fearful stranger voice flies to the such anticipated titan.

    ¡°????I don¡¯t really care who are you but it seems my disciple has been attacked. Then you lot is surely my enemies. As for the price, let me use you to become my trial test partner. Prepare yourself¡±

    In the pilot seat of that terribly machine. Ernesti Echavalier looked like he was being petulant.

    When he confirming the young Sorcerer condition in the Holomonitor, he reach out his arm to the controller stick.

    ¡°Mana pool, 50% remaining¡±

    He can directly send his intention to the Magius Jet Thruster even if he just only grabs it¡ª¡ª full control, every function is based on what he wishes.

    ¡°Status check, ¡®Ether Ring Generator¡¯ is stable. The Magius Jet Thruster driver also good condition. Then, let us go?????¡¯Kasasagi¡¯. Show your power in here and now¡±

    The sounds of explosion detonation become louder, and the cold and fearful stranger has started to move.

 Book 7: Chapter 102: The Young Sorcerer, Fly

    The rainbow-colored halo brightens the radiance. No one would think, the thing that floating on the top of them is something from this world. That¡¯s the latest Silhouette Knight, a shape that float which only have an upper-half and a skull face. It was the prototype machine called ¡®Kasasagi¡¯ which created by Ernesti.

    Kasasagi which was like sitting in a throne of rainbow-colored halo, turning its neck and glaring at the fake titan.

    ¡°Well then, who are you guys really. Are you a demonic beast? Or a giant? Or not either of them? Whatever you are, it has nothing to do with me but????¡±

    At the cockpit of that strange machine, Eru looks at the young Sorcerer condition in the monitor.

    Although she has lost consciousness after blown away due to the impact, it doesn¡¯t seem her life is in danger.

    ¡°You have done well, Parl. I¡¯ll give you a reward for hurting my disciple¡±

    The flexible coat that warps around the young Sorcerer body and Kasasagi, change its position. At the same time, a flame is emitting from the Magius Jet Thruster that had been deployed, and the strange machine began to slide like it was flying in the sky. Incidentally, the Magius Jet Thruster is a handmade device using a wooden board as the material.

    The fake titans are showing a confused condition after the sudden appearance of unidentified existence who moving in the air with a rainbow-colored halo. They busily move their small head, and their eyes are also swarming around restlessly. They look like they are in a panic and it also like the fake titans were in the middle of conversation. They start preparing to intercept after seeing the approaching Kasasagi. Because of Kasasagi figure was rather sinister they couldn¡¯t decide to take friendly relationships.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make the first move¡±

    When Eru taps the keyboard lightly, the flexible coat began to move. From the bottom, he let them face the tip of the Silhouette Arms. The crystal eye moves together along with the direction of Silhouette Arms¡¯ line of sight.

    Accompanied by the magical phenomenon that emitting a light, and releasing a barrage. Although the Silhouette Arms generally released a single hit high output Overd Spell, this time it was using a low output flame bullet. But in contrary, it can be released continuously.

    It drew a trail of explosion on the ground like a machine gun, and the fake titan who stand on its way has been caught. Unable to avoid, the fake titan bathes its whole body in the barrage imitating a stormy weather. Then an exploding flower bloomed on the fake titan¡¯s outer shell.

    It looked like¡ª¡ªit was beating the huge body formidably without moving. However, the fake titan is moving like nothing has happened. Although the outer shell is burned, it doesn¡¯t seem like it caused that much damage. Or rather, due to the clear intention of the attack, it was only causing the fake titans roar in anger.

    ¡°This is bad. The output is taking more than I thought????¡±

    Eru expressed impatience while changing the Kasasagi¡¯s pathway. Kasasagi main equipment; Snider Arms is certainly lacking in output power as a Silhouette Arms. Although it capable to fires continues barrage instead but it would be unreliable when facing a duel class or higher who have a solid outer shell and durability.

    Then why did he use such unpowerful Silhouette Arms. Was it the limit of the weapon that can be manufactured at this place, the answer is no. As a matter of fact, the Silhouette Arms that created for the Kaellous Clan, it has destructive power enough. Different from that, there is a certain limitation in Kasasagi¡ª¡ª

    The fake titans began to throw a stone toward the turning Kasasagi on the sky. Even though all they can do is only throwing stone, they themselves didn¡¯t have any method to attack from a distance. However, given their existence as a duel class threat, it wouldn¡¯t left unscratched even if got hit by a stone (rather than a stone, it is something like a boulder).

    Eru operates the thruster and avoiding the projected stones. Although his movement somewhat dangerous, he moves with full of caution. The flame emitting inside the thruster also seems suppressed under his mind, and it doesn¡¯t seem he is moving too fast either.

    The main composition of Kasasagi¡¯s core is originally from Ikaruga¡¯s heart. In the Ether Reactor, there¡¯s nothing can compare the high output power of Ikaruga that possessing the Emperor¡¯s Heart. But that kind of impression, doesn¡¯t exist in Kasasagi.

    ¡°Ether Ring Generator! It is working well up until now but????as I thought was it too reckless to do everything with a magic. These fellow eats way too much mana!!¡±

    While possessing a large type of furnace, that is the cause why Kasasagi troubled in mana consumption. That large type of furnace is none other than the new and most important device called Ether Ring Generator.

    This device is extracting high purity ether to compose the levitation field, and it was forcibly anchored in the middle of the air by operating the aero magic.

    The source of ether is a mana that being held in the machine. Furthermore, in order to anchor it into the air, it was necessary to always burn a large scale of magic. In short, this device works by consuming the mana pool like it has no regret, and it is not normal for a poor fuel-consumption device.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been overdoing it by moving directly from here, the device and script are boiling! From the first place, the machine itself was a rushed product though???¡±

    While complaining, Eru is busily operating the machine. Kasasagi is something like a half-dead machine that hasn¡¯t fully resurrected yet. With the case that had been made in order to make in time, it was a formidably hard-to-operate device.

    During the time he forcedly assembled them together, he even pushes it to fly with his ability who was known as the strongest knight runner. And while he is operating the machine, he was also in the middle of tuning at the same time.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. A battle waits for no one after all¡±

    In the meantime, the fake titan¡¯s attack gradually increasing. After realizing the Kasasagi¡¯s incapability, back then they were taken back to flee now boldly advancing to the front.

    In there, Kasasagi turned around and fired the Snider Arms. Although they couldn¡¯t ignore the damage after a number of direct shots, it would be nothing if they got several hits of direct shot.

    Kasasagi which had been attacking for a while, now just above the fake titan¡¯s head. In that such time¡ª¡ª

    ¡°????Uu. Ouch???¡±

    The young Sorcerer who was being held in the Kasasagi arm has regained her consciousness. Although she just had regained her senses, she tries to wake up while in the low spirit state. The first thing she noticed was the mysterious floating feeling right after she awoke and also the sensation of something is bearing her body as if someone is embracing her. The first thing comes to her mind is to remember someone she knows.

    ¡°Have you come Bra???ve????!?¡±

    Shortly as she remembered, she was attacked by the fake titan. When she fussily tries to get up, she opened her eyes. Immediately, a terrifying face of person¡¯s skull jumps in within her line of sight.

    After noticing her own body has been supported by that, she unconsciously reaches out her palm.

    ¡°Flame! Come forth at once????!¡±

    The magical phenomenon that had been guided by the script is born with a radiance. And soon after noticing that, a panicked voice flew from the skull faced direction.

    ¡°Parl! Wait, wait just calm down a bit! This is me, I¡¯m not your enemy!! That¡¯s why you must stop your attack!¡±

    ¡°????!! That voice, is that you Magister Eru? But what is this about????!?¡±

    After stopping the attack, the young Sorcerer shouts with a strained look. Afterward, she stares upon the skull face¡¯s whole body.

    Below that sinister neck, there is a person who was wearing an armor made with the combination of demonic beast¡¯s shell she knows. By utilizing the shell, a larger armor warped surround it which also protecting her as well.

    ¡°Magister, why are you in such appearance???I thought you should have been smaller¡±

    ¡°Now I¡¯m understa¡«nd that much about how you look at me. For a time being, the one who holding you right now is the machine I operated¡±

    The young Sorcerer looks at the whole Kasasagi¡¯s body again and calmly mumbling something.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s not cute at all¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s seems you got it from your senior disciple in a weird way?????anyway, you got the right time from waking up. Let¡¯s fight together¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I must repay to them¡±

    That being said, she began to search the enemy. Soon she realized, she was floating in the air.

    ¡°Hiii ahh!? Magister! We, we are in the sky!! I-I¡¯m falling!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass the explanation but, everything will be fine because of this Kasasagi¡¯s power¡±

    ¡°What do you mean everything will be all right! Magister! I need explanation!¡±

    ¡°I do not mind but, let us beat them first¡±

    When the sinister skull face points at the direction, she¡¯s finally caught the enemies¡¯ appearance.

    From the time the young Sorcerer has woken up, her eyes have been swarming around from time to time because of the sudden change of situation but after she¡¯s confirming the appearance of the enemy that she must have to defeat, she quickly increases her concentration.

    ¡°Certainly, my Magister. Let¡¯s end this before the Brave come!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the spirit. Because a certain circumstance, Kasasagi and my attack didn¡¯t have enough attack power. That¡¯s why I need you to go offensive¡±

    ¡°Me? I would gladly but I can¡¯t aim with this kind of condition¡±

    While having embraced by Kasasagi, the young Sorcerer shows a difficult look. Not only she needs to attack an enemy in a distance, she has been flying on the sky while in an inconvenient position. For the young Sorcerer who just recently has been learning magic, it is truly ruthless situation.

    The troubled young Sorcerer¡¯s face is reflected in the monitor. Meanwhile Eru is showing his fearless smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is a way that surely¡« make you easier to aim¡±

    Then Eru operates Kasasagi by releasing its arm which had been holding the young Sorcerer.

    ¡°Magister!? What are ?????you?¡±

    The young Sorcerer reaches out her arm with astonished looks on her face. Soon, she realizes her body didn¡¯t fall from the altitude. The young Sorcerer has included within the effective range of rainbow-colored halo which is encircled around the Kasasagi¡¯s abdomen.

    ¡°What is this???!?¡±

    Without any support and the feeling of unsettling while floating in the air are giving the young Sorcerer runs in confusion.

    In the same time, Kasasagi moves like it was covering the young Sorcerer. And deploying the Sub Arms which had been folded in the Kasasagi torso. By given that, it grasped the young Sorcerer¡¯s body with its two arms and strongly fixity it.

    ¡°Eeek!? Magister! What are you trying to do!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m finally getting used with the control. Put energy on your belly, Parl¡±

    Ignoring the young Sorcerer states of panic, Eru is mercilessly increasing the machine output. The rainbow-colored halo brightens its radiance, and the Emperor¡¯s Heart began to roar. Eru¡¯s controlling ability has interrupted with the script and collecting the output little by little.

    The Flexible coat began to fuss around. And it was placed around the young Sorcerer as a center.

    In a short time, Kasasagi has transformed into a robe-like appearance or a something that protecting the young Sorcerer. However, no matter what it looks, the skeleton like head that extending from the back only makes her drift in strange feeling.

    The young Sorcerer herself is still flapping in the confusion.

    ¡°Uuuu Magister! This is not settling at all!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, please bear it for a moment¡±

    The young Sorcerer faces her line of sight to the ground. The ground flows away at high speed under the unreliable footing which float in the air. Just about among the titan, there¡¯s no one who have experience flying in the air. Even though Kasasagi just only want to borrow her power, right now she is living in an unknown world.

    ¡°Parl, leave the movement and defensive to me. You can attack those things as much as you like¡±

    ¡°! I just???have to attack, right! Although, I don¡¯t know the reason, all of this are their doing! I¡¯ll show terrifying scenery to them!!¡±

    Kasasagi along the young Sorcerer turns around and advancing to the direction of the fake titan. She was also the one who causing the half of them burned and raising the hostility toward the fake titan.

    They are move like sliding in the air and approaching to the enemy¡¯s head. Kasasagi has fired the Snider Arms together with the young Sorcerer who cast a magic. Using the high output magic by perform the calculation it right. However, it just only missed from the aim and opening a huge hole in the village.

    The fake titans become wary after confirming the attack was different and stronger than before.

    ¡°Parl. Please look at the enemy movement calmly and aim it well. If this continues, the village will be damaged¡±

    ¡°Impossible for me to calm down in this kind of situation, Magister!¡±

    Along with Kasasagi, moving through the unknown skies, furthermore firing a magic is necessary. As expected, it was too much for her. Eru who looking at the half crying young Sorcerer groans in agreement. After rotating in the air, once again they are moving at the fake titans¡¯ direction. When they are closing, suddenly the movement speed is decreased.

    ¡°Magister, why!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Parl. In the first place, we took advantage where their head is below us????¡±

    There¡¯s no time for listening Eru¡¯s mumbling. Because of the Kasasagi¡¯s dull movement, the counterattack stones are coming one after another. If this going on, they will get hit from the front. The young Sorcerer puts her hand over in reflex and protecting herself.

    ¡°Parl. Open your eyes, and look carefully. This is our power¡±

    Beyond them, the Flexible Coat defending on their way and flipping the stones. Although the surface is sparked in fire, but none of the armor have damaged.

    ¡°Kasasagi and I will block the attack. There¡¯s nothing to fear about. You just have to aim with all of yours might and defeated them¡±

    After hearing the guidance-like word, the young Sorcerer began to open her four eyes. An armor that blocking enemy attack. A strength within the sky. The advice of the master who support her back. And the role she needs to do.

    When she¡¯s determined, the power inside her belly has unleashed and glare at the enemy.

    ¡°I understand, my Magister. I will show you the magic I¡¯ve learned from you here!¡±

    A pale light has begun to dwell in her palm.

    ¡ô

    A sound of ravage has echoed through the forest. It was a sign of battle caused by the explosion which is one of the magical phenomenon.

    ¡°Did the young Sorcerer change her location¡±

    ¡°I cannot see it at all. All I can hear is only the sound of magic¡±

    Said the Kaellous Clan¡¯s member while running. There¡¯s a little more distance from the goblin village.

    ¡°There¡¯s something in the air. Was it a beast!?¡±

    One of the titans suddenly points up at the air. Beyond them, something has crossed them at high speed. Furthermore, an attack is released toward the ground, leaving a destructive sound.

    ¡°Nu! Young Sorcerer, please be safe!!¡±

    While suppressing the impatience, they start running. Then the warriors of the Kaellous Clan have reached the battlefield.

 Chapter 103: The young Sorceress, Fall

    The Magius Jet Thruster that equipped on the Kasasagi blowing explosive flames from each part. Every time a powerful roar rises, Kasasagi and the young Sorceress has roar high into the sky after gaining the propulsion force.

    While rotating around the goblin¡¯s village, the young Sorceress is directing her line of sight at the center of the enemies.

    ¡°Flames, come forth (Igniadel)¡±

    Along with the chant, a flame spews out from her palm. And while she raises her palm high, she looked carefully at the enemy with her four eyes.

    Although Kasasagi hasn¡¯t fully completed yet, the equipped Magius Jet Thruster is working in good condition. If he would like it, he even could have revealed Kasasagi¡¯s extraordinary speed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go head on. Beat them as much you like¡±

    ¡°Understood, Magister Eru!¡±

    The reason why he hasn¡¯t done it until now is because he is still holding the young Sorceress who doesn¡¯t have any experience in mobile fight. By deliberately made simple moves, Ernesti could make her able to aim easier.

    Kasasagi raises the thruster output to take aim at the fake titans. When the Flexible Coat is opened, the appearance of young Sorceress has been revealed. She placed her palm and shoots a lump of flame at the fake titan.

    The fake titan who just had noticed it, jumps into the sideway and caught the flame bullet on the foot. A powerful blast raises, blowing up the fake titan to the ground.

    After receiving an attack which is different than before, a commotion ran through among the fake titans. Even though Kasasagi¡¯s appearance was a bit bizarre, it¡¯s not like it was a threat in the first place. Although, the moment titan¡¯s child wakes up, it suddenly become dangerous.

    Aiming at Kasasagi who soar high in the sky, the stones are being thrown. In response of that, Eru shoots them down with Snider Arms.

    Although the rapid-fire magic which being shoot by Snider Arms were not enough power to deal with demonic beast, because of the composition is rather light, it was easy to turn around. With his skill as Knight Runner, he could unleash the intercept-type equipment which can¡¯t be ignored by his opponent.

    After Kasasagi flew away again, the fake titans began to bawl noisily, unlike before. They are unexpectedly sensitive about the fact they were being pushed back by the young Sorceress at this rate. And if that happened, they wouldn¡¯t have accomplished their purpose. Therefore, they need to change their strategy.

    When Kasasagi take a glance at the corner of its vision after finishing turns around to start attacking again, the fake titans were moving differently unlike before. The short and thick shell that covering their whole body. And the parts within the neck have opened one after another.

    There was a black-hollowed space inside it. Also, the area around the neck has opened like a cave which is too strange to call it a mouth. Moreover, the fake titans were opening their back as well. The hollowed space can also be seen. Now, the fake titans have taken appearance like a shape full of holes.

    From the deep of the hollowed space, a growling sound has leaked out. With the effect of the wind that flowing through the hollowed space, a low vibration sound had been made. Gradually the wind¡¯s cry become stronger. And it has violently become something unnatural for a living being. In the end, the roar become too fierce and resonating through the forest.

    ¡°Hm! What is this sound!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like they want to crush our ears at all¡±

    Behind the frowned young Sorceress, Kasasagi is moving around its skull-faced neck and looking at the enemy condition. When the remaining sound is still reverberating, there are a number of presences that raise around the forest.

    ¡°Most likely, this should be something like a signal. Let¡¯s be careful of enemy reinforcements¡±

    For them who can survey the area in the sky, they should able to notice immediately. There¡¯s an unnatural movement between the woods. All of a sudden, the trees are breaking from all over the place, and start to fall down. The forests¡¯ screeches are gradually approaching the goblin¡¯s village. There is no doubt, an existence more than duel class is the one who has caused it.

    ¡°They were calling their friend after all?¡±

    ¡°????No. Look closely Parl. Do you really think they are their friends?¡±

    When the young Sorceress look at the direction which Kasasagi pointed, she quickly bends over her neck. What they could see over there is a demonic beast that covered in fur and shell. A normal and common duel class demonic beast. Of course, their race is also different from the fake titans.

    ¡°Have they attracted to the sound?¡±

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. There¡¯s no way if only one duel class demonic beast that comes here¡±

    In regard of his word, another demonic beast has appeared from another direction. A quick four-legged demonic beast with a long arm and limbs. While the existing beast takes advantage, they¡¯ve already come into the village.

    Following after that, another kind of demonic beast besides them has begun to occupying the village while they are look at it.

    ¡°Parl, let¡¯s change the strategy¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to do Magister¡±

    ¡°If we let the demonic beast gathering in one place. At this rate everyone in the village will be harmed!¡±

    Kasasagi drops its altitude and land on the surface facing the fake titans and demonic beast. Protecting the back of the villagers where they had fled, and extending the Flexible Coat.

    ¡°Whatever to send the demonic beast away or defeat them. We don¡¯t have any choice to run away anymore. Let¡¯s face them here¡±

    While they are talking each other, the presence of demonic beast has increased. Furthermore, the demonic beast didn¡¯t even try to attack the fake titans. Without concerning what kind of species, but rather they were looked like protecting the fake titans instead. Thus, leaving Kasasagi as a sole foreign object that treated like an enemy.

    ¡°Magister, what with this number!¡±

    ¡°I know. Everybody in the clans will surely come here soon. Please bear it for a moment¡±

    Even while they are talking like that, the demonic beast starts running to the Kasasagi¡¯s direction. The ones who leading them is the long-limbs demonic beast. By taking advantage of their superior agility, they could strike into the enemy¡¯s heart at once.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    While they still have a range, the young Sorceress has released the barrage. When the demonic beast which has evaded the flying lump of flame with its nimble footsteps, they even increased their movement speed further. Closing to the Kasasagi¡¯s last defense, and jumps.

    The young Sorceress couldn¡¯t able to make in time. Before that happens, Kasasagi has released the Snider Arms. Although it has small firepower, this is also one of magical attack. Aiming at the demonic beast that has fallen from the balance after taking the large amount of flame bullets, Kasasagi slammed it with its Flexible Coat. By pointing the sharpened tip, it swings with the inertia force. Also combined with the momentum from the demonic beast itself, which could deliver a deadly blow into the demonic beast neck.

    Kasasagi activated the thruster, and takes distance from the dead demonic beast. When the Flexible Coat has opened again, the young Sorceress who just had happened to keep casting release the barrage. The flame bullet hits the ground, leaving a hole and the smoke dirt. At some extent, their movement has been slowed down.

    ¡°At this rate, we will be doomed!¡±

    From the current battle so far, and the numerous enemies. More than anything, the young Sorceress mana reserve has begun to writhing down. Reminding her experience in battle is still green, she was rather doing well.

    ¡°With only Kasasagi, it seems it would be hard to deal with this number????if we just had Ikaruga¡±

    If Eru¡¯s beloved machine has been completed, whatever one hundred or two hundred of demonic beast, surely it would be easy. However, there¡¯s nothing to be said on this kind of situation. While embracing the bitterly moment, all he can do is doing his best for now. Kasasagi who has been scattering the Snider Arms barrage and focusing to keep the demonic beast away at once.

    From the wandering group of demonic beasts, one kind of beast has jumped on them. It was a tough four-legged demonic beast that covered in a shell all over its body. This kind of demonic beast is superior in endurance, and known as powerful enemy among the duel class demonic beast.

    ¡°Coming from this kind of situation, it sure troublesome, huh¡±

    ¡°Magister! Let me!¡±

    Without concerning to swipe the sweat, the young Sorceress began to cast a magic. But her concentration has reduced, and her breath is disordered. Unable to combine the script, leading her to take longer time than usual.

    In the same time, the demonic beast was already before them.

    Eru began to increase the Ether Ring Generator¡¯s output.

    At this rate, they couldn¡¯t able to defeat them all, in the worse case scenario, the young Sorceress might be in danger.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with me. But????!¡±

    When Kasasagi escapes into the sky, surely the demonic beast will attack the villagers instead. Unlike Kasasagi, the villagers don¡¯t have any way to fight against them. But, still. For Eru, his disciple is more important.

    However. Beyond those options, something has appeared before them. A single shot of a flame bullet flies from the middle of the forest, aiming precisely at the side-face of the demonic beast. After being intercepted, the demonic beast has lost its bearing and fall down.

    When the full of hatred demonic beast has raised its face, there is a sharpened armor on its field of vision. The Magius Jet Thruster operates in maximum output, and with armor that swings in a momentum, slayed the demonic beast¡¯s life.

    ¡°What was that attack????!?¡±

    There¡¯s a cry echoing from the forest.

    That is not something which the fake titans would do.

    ¡°Why the beasts have gathered¡±

    In there, a genuine titan. One of the titan¡¯s clan; the Brave from the Kaellous clan was carrying the Silhouette Arms on his shoulder while leaking a complain full of doubts.

    The place where the goblin¡¯s village was ruined without anything can be seen. Not too long ago the clash between the fake titans and Kasasagi, and now there were filled with a large number of demonic beasts.

    Without concealing his annoyance, the Third-eyed Seat of Brave has raised his weapon and commands.

    ¡°My fellow warrior of Kalleous Clan! The young Sorceress is here, go search????!?¡±

    The moment he turns around, his three eyes are opened in surprise. In the line of his sight, exactly the young Sorceress he was looking for¡ª¡ªand the mysterious living being behind her.

    That was wrapped around the young Sorceress body on her back. Trying to rotates the neck of the skull-face, and look at the brave. In the back of the hollowed eye, a faint light is dwelled.

    There¡¯s no such thing on this world that can be understood at first glance.

    Or it was rather suspicious if existing in another dimension.

    Obviously, it was already beyond the Brave¡¯s comprehension.

    ¡°Curse you, show yourself!! Whatever who you are, give back our young Sorceress!!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡±

    By following that, the Brave takes the Silhouette Arms¡ª¡ªand aiming at the Kasasagi. Because of the result of his training, his sentence has quite becoming more intimidating. Although, it was better if his aim was not his allies.

    ¡°I see, this is not good¡±

    After looking at the flame bullet that being released by the Brave, the young Sorceress shows her bewilderment face. How come, Brave. Before that kind of question will be revealed, a tight sensation from the back has pulled her away. Kasasagi activates the thruster, moved her away to avoid the flame bullet.

    The rainbow-colored halo has brightened its radiance, and soaring into the sky. Following their trace, the Brave continues his barrage.

    ¡°Brave! Why you are attacking me!¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s not attacking you Parl, but he was rather aiming at me¡±

    ¡°Magister!? Why???oh¡±

    She looks at her back. An unknown flying living being that supports her body in the sky. After looking at the unknown origin of horrific appearance, there¡¯s no one that would think it was their allies. As a proof, the young Sorceress was also trying to attack at first.

    ¡°Then let me talk with him! If so, I¡¯m sure he will open his eyes¡±

    ¡°Sorry but, it seems we can¡¯t approach him with that kind of temper¡±

    When they look at it, the Kaellous clan¡¯s members have appeared and challenged the demonic beast. By fully utilizing the Silhouette Arms and weapon, they were overwhelming the demonic beast.

    Some of them chasing Kasasagi who had escaped into the sky while point out their Silhouette Arms. They are desperately trying to get back the young Sorceress by their own way. Even if they have approached them, how much time they need to persuade them.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, I need to go rough¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I need you to persuade them¡±

    Eru then operates Kasasagi, and took turns in the sky. Facing the Kaellous clan direction, and fly in a straight line.

    After looking at the demonic beast (?) who had abducted the young Sorceress comes in his direction, the Brave smiles viciously.

    ¡°My fellow warrior, this is a chance! Open those eyes, and look carefully!¡±

    ¡°Ooo¡±

    The titans hold the Silhouette Arms, and shoot at the approaching Kasasagi.

    When the flame bullet came flying, Kasasagi intercepted it from the other side. One group is the titans who started learning the Silhouette Arms¡¯ usage until recently, and the other side is the strongest Knight Runner in Fremmevia Kingdom. There¡¯s no way for them to not take head on after intercepting the flame bullet.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    Then Eru has released the auxiliary arms that had been supporting the young Sorceress body. When the she leaves, Eru pressed her back. Within the momentum, her body went out from the Ether Ring floating field.

    Feeling the wind resistance and the normal gravity, the young Sorceress has been thrown out into the sky.

    ¡°Gale, gather (Vent)¡±

    The wind swirls on the reached-out palm, and ceasing the momentum. While she was slowing down, the young Sorceress went to the middle of the Kaellous Clan direction.

    ¡°Young Sorceress, great to see you are fine!¡±

    In the end, the Brave spreads his arms and grab her. After confirming the safely of her appearance within his arm, he then deeply sighs of relief.

    Aside from the Brave worried out figure, the young Sorceress turns her face to her clan members.

    ¡°Brave, and my fellow clan! I¡¯ll explain latter but, that was my Magister mystic beast. It¡¯s not an enemy!¡±

    After hearing something they could not imagine, the Brave and his Servant look at each other faces.

    ¡°The goblin¡¯s Braver, in that thing. Are you sure?????¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it with my eyes, and we exchanged words together. More importantly, we must defeat the beast around here. Our goblin neighbor will be harmed!¡±

    ¡°Yes, gladly¡±

    The Kaellous clan¡¯s members have gained sudden spirit after recovering their young Sorceress. There¡¯s nothing that could concern them right now.

    From the start, for the titan¡¯s warrior who lives in this forest, this kind of duel class demonic beast was originally their prey. By facing battle after battle, plus after gaining new weapon called Silhouette Arms, they were overwhelming every demonic beast in this area.

    As time passed, there are only fire and corpses left. As expected, when a place become titan¡¯s battlefield, nothing such like goblin¡¯s village could withstand that. It was truly miraculous for the villagers who had run away are nearly safe.

    ¡°Why does those beasts come to challenge us?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I am and Magister couldn¡¯t understand that. It just those unfamiliar giants who have called them¡±

    In the same time, the young Sorceress has noticed something and rush to the place. She goes around the corpses that remain there, and confirming a certain fact.

    ¡°Gone. Those giant corpses are, not here????!?¡±

    What¡¯s remained in there was only the demonic beast¡¯s corpse¡ª¡ª.

 Chapter 104: The Ones who Known A Certain Someone

    After the goblin¡¯s village that has been struck by a disaster which already lapsed away. Any sign of conflict in the village were already changed into a feeling of relief. Eventually, the villagers who have been running and hiding from the danger nervously snuck out their faces.

    ¡°Is everyone all right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine. But our place????¡±

    At first, they were overjoyed after confirming each other¡¯s safety, but gradually lose their spirit while looking at the surrounding.

    Their village is wretched into horrible state.

    A mere goblin¡¯s residence facing the enormous weapon and a titan, moreover a huge beast that has been rampaging around without restrain was nothing more than a pebble.

    ¡°Even so everyone, we still have our lives. This is our sign to make a new live, please do not be disheartened¡±

    The village¡¯s chief come up to the front and said that to anyone present. Even though the villagers are still depressed by thinking about it, it¡¯s not like they have completely given up at all.

    They have escaped from the fake titans¡¯ attack. In addition, they were already prepared for the worst when the demonic beast has appeared before them. Although they are able to overcome it by sheer luck because of the titan¡¯s effort.

    When the village¡¯s chief walks slowly to the titan¡¯s direction, and soon prostrating himself before them.

    ¡°We have not enough gratitude for the giants who have fight with the demonic beast and save us in difficulties. We are not sure how much we can repay for that???¡±

    ¡°Do not mind it. You¡¯ve already made our armors and weapons. We¡¯re just to recompense what you did for us. Besides, your dwellings are gone¡±

    The Third-eyed Seat of Brave as he was, he somewhat responded it awkwardly. From the titan perspective, there is no problem for them to not have a house because they could always lie down on the ground. However, it¡¯s not like everybody could do that. For example the goblins, they surely need a village after all.

    While they are arguing so, an explosion-like sound of the propulsion engine comes from the sky. Both the titans and goblins are illuminated under the rainbow-colored light. When it looks down ahead in their line of sight, a dreadful specter has come down from the sky. That strange-looking object has a face like a skull and has only the upper half of the human body. The one who has appeared is none other than Kasasagi which had been spreading its armor while leaking a clattering sound.

    When Kasasagi cuts down the altitude, the rainbow-colored halo has also narrowed at once. Eventually it began to descend quietly in the middle of everyone gaze. The moment its armor in the chest has opened, a compressed-air sound can be heard. After seeing Ernesti comes from the inside, everyone without exception whatever it was titans or goblins, heave a sigh from their mouths.

    ¡°????So, it was truly you, goblin¡¯s braver¡±

    Then everyone in the Kaellous Clan release their tension, leaving no mark in nervousness. Although they were informed beforehand by the young Sorceress, they were still doubting until the saw Eru¡¯s figure. That must be the reason. Meanwhile the Brave throw amazed face at him.

    ¡°What kind of dreadful thing is that?¡±

    ¡°How rude, don¡¯t say it that way¡± he frowned. ¡°This is my newest machine. Although it is still needed more adjustment, she¡¯s such promising child you know¡±

    ¡°I did not mean to ask that!¡±

    Said Eru while not minding despite the fact that they were not too long ago caught in the friendly fire situation. Then the young Sorceress tries to soothe the open-eyed Brave.

    ¡°Just like I¡¯ve said right, Brave? However, Magister Eru, I¡¯m also think it was a little???kind of???no I think it is too repulsive¡±

    ¡°With everyone help. We¡¯ve worked hard to finish it even though we have limited materials¡±

    Eru is proudly said that in front of the titans. Adeltrud who also seeing along with the villagers fold her arms around her chest.

    ¡°Umm, I think it is impossible to make Eru-kun reflecting what he has done when related to Silhouette Knight¡±

    While looking at such scenery, everyone in the goblin¡¯s village showed complicated face. The one who¡¯ve lend their strength to make Kasasagi was rather they themselves after all. Along with the hardship of assembling it, they were also already understood the way of aero dynamics about. They are indeed in strange position.

    ¡°Forget about Kasasagi. Let us discuss about this village from now on, shall we?¡±

    Leave that aside, the villagers start to twitch after hearing Eru¡¯s word who just had regained his sense.

    ¡ô

    A few days after the fake titans¡¯ assault.

    There is many houses standing in here and there hurriedly, the village has been rebuilt by the titan¡¯s help. Although it does seem like a simplest hut, at least it can be used to protect against wind and rain.

    In the meantime, everyone in the goblin¡¯s village were searching around to find some usable stuff between the destroyed building. Even though the damage was quite severe, they are still able to stand and regained their spirit again.

    ¡°Who were they, anyhow?¡±

    Soon after everything has settled down, the titans are gathered along with the goblin¡¯s village chief to held a meeting. The Brave who just sit with a loud thud scratching his gaze around the goblin¡¯s village chief. Although the village chief was closing his eyes for a while, soon he looks at the Brave strongly and open his mouth.

    ¡°They are???? the ones who called, Tutelary Knights¡±

    ¡°You said they are a guardian knight? They didn¡¯t look like that though¡±

    After hearing the village chief¡¯s story, Eru unexpectedly tilt his head.

    Granted, there is no such word like a guardian for them who have destroyed the village.

    ¡°I though first, they were kind of similar like a giant¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lump us together in the same eyes like those!¡±

    Answer Brave with a snarl while screw up his face in disapproval.

    ¡°What you¡¯ve seen was not a giant. It was the noble¡¯s mount which called????the Mystical Knight¡±

    Eru suddenly stopped moving. His face shows like he is smiling, though he somewhat turns his head oddly in slow motion.

    ¡°Did you just say a Mystic Knight?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A Mystic Knight is the proof as a knight. The ones who¡¯ve mount it will gain status as a noble and called Knight Runner¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see! That¡¯s what they call Knight Runner huh, then???¡±

    Addy goggled at the village chief in surprise. In convey of that word, Eru gradually shows his smile.

    ¡°Are you saying the Silhouette Knight???and my Kasasagi have same similarity like them?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s right. Wasn¡¯t that Kasasagi mean to be your Mystic in the beginning?¡±

    The village chief nods. Although it¡¯s a bit different, they might be interjected it like that.

    ¡°I get it, that makes sense. I didn¡¯t know that kind of coincidence really do exist, if so then???¡±

    Somewhat Eru starts to think something, soon he nodded gravely.

    ¡°I should have hunted them back then it seems¡±

    Thus, everyone beside him has decided to ignore his remark. Leaving the Brave opens his mouth.

    ¡°Have your eyes truly seen the truth? Why those Mystical Beasts damned to challenge you? No matter how they look, they were your fellow countryman wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s???one of the reasons I do not fully understand¡±

    The village chief exposed an embarrassed look in each other faces.

    ¡°Mmm. Sometimes I do not understand your way of thinking at all¡±

    ¡°At least we know the reason why they had to come here however¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°The payment¡¯s day will come shortly. In other words, they must be????¡±

    Then, a commotion has occurred in the outskirts of the village when village chief is trying to explain to them. One of the villagers dashed in with an alarming look.

    ¡°Th-this is bad! The nobles????those Mystics have come again!!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    The moment the Brave narrowed his three eyes, a swift sound of the titans¡¯ raising footsteps has paid no heed of the panicked village chief.

    ¡°It seems the Mystical Beasts which had fled at that time found themselves back in here. By that means, are they want to inquire with us?¡±

    ¡°But, that kind of thing is????¡±

    Among the pack of the titans, their spirit to battle is already increasing. In other hand, around the village chief was unable to wipe off their confusion.

    ¡°While I don¡¯t know the reason of their returns, we can¡¯t just do nothing when we are in danger. Besides, I¡¯m kind of interested with that man-made existence. It seems they will make a good material and somewhat I just wanted to dismantle them too¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun?¡±

    ¡°Village chief-san, the titans and I will face them. Please take everyone with you and leave this place¡±

    ¡°Very well. Right, I leave it the rest to you????¡±

    When Eru tries to walk away, Addy¡¯s arms stretch out from Eru¡¯s back. Then it slipped between his hand, peeking her gaze through it.

    ¡°Eru-kun. What about me?¡±

    ¡°I want Addy to protect the villagers instead of me¡±

    ¡°Eh! Leaving me alone again?¡±

    ¡°Our opponent is most likely the Mystical Knights again. Besides, there¡¯s still possibility of another diversion beside the knight¡±

    ¡°Mmmm???Eru-kun. If you¡¯re going to capture Silhouette Knight, please make it one for me! Next time we¡¯ll fight together, alright!¡±

    ¡°Sure, no problem. I intend to exterminate them all in the first place¡±

    Eru is smiling brightly, as expected it sure he will be fine by himself. Granted, Addy looks very satisfied and went to the villager¡¯s direction. On the contrary, the villager chief surrounding was rather trembling for some reason. They think their guardian knight might be annihilated for real.

    ¡ô

    ¡°Nu, something is strange¡±

    Every clan member in the Kaellous Clan quickly gathered at the entrance of the village. They are ready at the time with armor, variety of weapon, and even the Silhouette Arms. However, there was no sign of them going to attack.

    ¡°What the meaning of this. Are they waiting for different attack from somewhere?¡±

    The young Sorceress was squirming her four eyes around. Nevertheless, she hasn¡¯t found any movement that would make them in dangerous situation.

    That time, the piercing propulsion¡¯s roar comes along with Kasasagi.

    ¡°How is the enemy¡¯s situation? Did they bring up a horde of demonic beasts again?¡±

    ¡°No, Magister. About that????¡±

    The young Sorceress slowly points her finger. Meanwhile Kasasagi is trying to move its neck along with the creaking sound it made.

    Inside the forest¡¯s beast trail which leads to the goblin¡¯s village, there¡¯s an enormous human-shaped figure.

    It was-- the Mystic Knight, the mount that used like a chivalry across this land and also the goblin¡¯s Guardian Knight.

    However, there¡¯s just a single person in there.

    Not even a group, none of the demonic beast has come along in there. Just only one person. If they are going to battle like this, they must be very skilled indeed or just a lone drunk man. Still, none of those movement was taken from the Mystical Knight.

    The Mystical Knight shows its opened hand which possessed with a claw and slowly sat down just like that to pick up something from its foot. That wasn¡¯t a stance for fighting at all. On its feet there is one goblin despite it was concealed by presence of the Mystical Knight.

    Naturally, every attention on that place focuses on that person.

    There¡¯s one man who stood proudly on the top of Mystical Knight¡¯s hand. Apparently, he was wearing exquisite leather armor which use the demonic beast as a material. It has a feather-like ornament line up each other, and with that kind of colorful glossy appearance indicating how many influences the person has.

    ¡°????Hello! Nice to meet you, the giants other than Rubel Clan!!¡±

    Shout the man with the clear voice and hailed boldly. The Kaellous Clan¡¯s member as they were, they even didn¡¯t dare to fight without warning. Eventually they lowered their caution and decided it wasn¡¯t a fight.

    After receiving the gaze from the young Sorceress, the Brave nods in respond and go the front. Face to face with the Mystical Knight, and stare at the small figure who standing on the top of that.

    ¡°Goblin, how dare you tries to exchange words after you have once bare your fang on us¡±

    ¡°I am truly regrettable for that! We have circumstances too you see. Our contract is basically, the giant other than Rubel Clan must become an enemy! So, you see, at least I must fight them once, okay?¡±

    ¡°I do not care about your doing. There¡¯s no other choice until us seek our presence to the Hundred Eyes once you¡¯ve bared your fang¡±

    In the front of the Brave who have focused his power on the three eyes of his, that goblin male doesn¡¯t look like he was scared or anything instead he shrugged off his shoulders.

    ¡°Haahh¡± He sighed. ¡°Giants do seem to act like that but, aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±

    ¡°That does not concern you¡±

    His behavior is way to bold even though he was receiving attack from the Brave who has overflowed with his fighting spirit, and he just laugh it off the stubborn Brave attitude like it was nothing happened.

    ¡°Well, whatever. Anyway, the reason I¡¯ve come here alone is not for you guys¡±

    ¡°What¡±

    While he persistently being daring, in the line of his sharp gaze none of the titan can¡¯t be seen. What he sees was the strange doll which floating in the sky. The only lone foreign object that just brought upon this land, the Silhouette Knight; Kasasagi.

    ¡°Neither giant nor demonic beast. And yet not even a Mystical Knight????wasn¡¯t it none other than the appearance of that legendary ¡®Silhouette Knight¡¯, O my humble visitors!!¡±

    Along with his shout, the propulsion device still continues to roar. Kasasagi slowly passed forward the titan¡¯s head in response to its name.

    ¡°It seems he was looking for me. Brave, could you please leave this enquiry to me?¡±

    ¡°?????Very well. However, even it was your request, I cannot leave him alone if he bared his fang again¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it. When that time comes, I wouldn¡¯t stop you either¡±

    After finished talking, Eru and Kasasagi faced the Mystical Knight once again while the goblin man laughs in the top of the Mystical Knight¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Haha! What kind of appearance is that! Is this truly same like our ancestor!?¡±

    In the front of bizarre looking Kasasagi, he doesn¡¯t show any sign of fear at all. Or rather, he was smiling while bathing in the rainbow-colored light.

    ¡°Mu¡± he frowned in annoyance. ¡°Good grief, either you or everybody else are being disrespectful you know¡±

    While Kasasagi floats in the sky, the armor in the chest has opened.

    His opponent is exposing by himself and stand in the front of the titans. Then, Eru should also show himself in response of their manners.

    However, when the goblin man took a peek with his eyes on the small figure that appeared from the inside, he laughed himself into convulsions. Although he kind of laughing too much that almost made him stumble from the Mystical Knight¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Fuh???hahha, what kind of dream is this! A-are you really a visitor from that far land? I though you are more li-, like a trained warrior! What a lovely little lady you are!!¡±

    ¡°Well then. I wanted to say we¡¯re just a lost person but as I thought I can say same too as a travelers¡±

    Soon after, the goblin man finally settles down his laughter and corrected his posture.

    ¡°No, pardon me, this is too much for me. Welcome here, honored guest! No, our separated brethren from the legend. I welcome you from the bottom of my heart!!¡±

    ¡°With that way of speaking, you must know where did we come from then?¡±

    ¡°I know it very well! Yes, very¡±

    The man flapped the feather-like decoration and declared it strongly. The knight that resides in the sky; Kasasagi and the Mystical Knight that dwelling in the land are glaring at each other. Then, the two figures also asserted themselves with dignity, and were facing each other.

    ¡°My name is Ernesti Echavalier. The commander of Silver Phoenix Knight Order, now I¡¯m just a mere lost person. May I ask your name?¡±

    ¡°Of course. My name is ¡®Oberon¡¯. The ones who rule goblin over this land, in short I¡¯m a king!¡±

    Thus, the knight commander is seeking an audience with the king.

    Note:

    It can be said that the villagers are either ashamed or proud since their hardwork to build kasasagi is getting ominous vibe from the giants.

    The author seems misstyped on his dialogue, in web novel he said ¡®Rudel Clan¡¯ but when I check on the ln seems changed into rubel clan again, so it must be editor-san work.

 Chapter 105: Oberon, the Goblinâ€™s King

    ¡°King you say???? How unexpected, aren¡¯t you the highest person then. Is that really true?¡±

    On the top of floating Kasasagi, Ernesti is glaring at the person who called himself the king with a suspicious look. But without flinching to his gaze, the king burst into loud laughter.

    ¡°Haha! My, my, you are not convinced even though I just introducing myself, how thoughtful of you!¡±

    What kind of amusing thing did he thought, all he do was laughing for a while now. Moreover, he doesn¡¯t seem care about his attitude which is one of the reasons why Eru doesn¡¯t believe in him. But rather, he was deepened his smile with his self-confident attitude.

    ¡°However, your kind of doubt is correct and doesn¡¯t have any meaning at all. Sure, I am the only one King, everybody else are just the ones who lead the Mystical Knight?¡±

    By waving his arm, the Mystical Knight that he rides on the hand was responding with a low growl. But that proof alone is not enough to determine whether it is true or not. However for now, Eru decided to lay it aside. What¡¯s more important right now is to talk about ¡®that¡¯.

    ¡°Fine. Then, what is the reason for the King himself has come to this far? Accepting that we¡¯re able to talk, you should have been able to send someone instead of you, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s way too boring. Since I¡¯ve worked my hard to meet you¡±

    With that, Oberon scoffed all the doubts at once and he gave instructions again by his hand. The Mystical Beast slowly crouched down and lowers him to the ground.

    ¡°Well then, follow me guest! The ones who I wanted to talk is you, you don¡¯t need that giant over there, right?¡±

    After said that, Oberon came to the village without care. Leaving the Mystical Knight and went alone. Even though the ones around him are the Kaellous Clan¡¯s member which also can be said not his allies either, moreover Eru is still on the top of Kasasagi. Given by that situation, Eru could attack him at every moment but he didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all.

    Then, as he walked for a while, he tries to look at his surrounding and look up at Kasasagi in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Hm, what¡¯s wrong with these villagers? Even though I came here by myself, why is no one come to greet me?¡±

    ¡°I told them to get away since you have come here¡±

    Along with the rumbling noise of the propulsion device, Kasasagi began to move. After arriving at the center of the village, Eru stepped off from the machine.

    ¡°Oh, color me surprised. Even though the King has come, I didn¡¯t expect for them to run away! You sure do some tricky thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    While he is laughing off again, Oberon meets with Eru who had come to him. Welcoming him by deliberately spread the arms and showing no ill intend.

    ¡°You sure have a quick hand even though you have a lovely face. No, was it because you¡¯re pretty? Kuhahahaha????¡±

    Then Oberon twisted the edge of his mouth, and walks up to the nearby house. Even though the house was made by the titan, he, without hesitation kick the door and enter without permission.

    Eru is heaved a small sigh while oddly raised his brows.

    ¡°????Parl, could you call Addy for me. And just in the case, please protect the villagers¡±

    ¡°Mu, understood. Do not let your eyes lose the cautions, Magister. He is the enemy right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. But I can¡¯t say it for sure right now¡±

    Leaving the sound of footsteps of the young Sorceress who starts running, Eru follows Oberon and enters the hut. Inside the house, there is no much thing in there. But in the middle of it, Oberon is leaning back proudly in a roughly made chair.

    ¡°Once again, nice to have you here guest. Although there¡¯s nothing in here, go make yourself at home!¡±

    ¡°Say that again. The village has been destroyed. And whose fault do you think that is?¡±

    While sits on his opposite, Eru stares at him with glaring eyes.

    In the first place, for them who is the King¡¯s subordinate challenge him in the village should not have to be happened.

    However, in response of Eru¡¯s question, Oberon was rather showing pleased condition.

    ¡°Haha¡± he shrugs off. ¡°My, my, how kind of you. It seems your perspective is pretty biased. We are here in the land of that Rubel Clan¡¯s rule, there should be not another giant¡¯s place. The ones who have ignored that is surely you guys first. Well, I¡¯m pretty sure disputing this on a guest is meaningless. At any rate, that was not the main subject anyway¡±

    By one clap, he separates the conversation and leans forward without hesitation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that trivial thing, ahh yes, that was truly trivial. Let us talk more interesting topics, won¡¯t you my fellow brethren. The story about ours past and present between yours¡±

    ¡°I see, you made a point. I¡¯m also interested about that topic too¡±

    By cutting the space between the hastily made table. Eru is tightening his expression while Oberon laughed thinly, yet both his eyes are sharp enough to not let the opponent losing its caution.

    ¡°Kuhkukuhaha. This is amusing, truly entertaining. Just like the guest I expected. I didn¡¯t even think I am able to meet them while I can still move¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I was able to meet the fellow brethren in a far land. To be honest, I felt so vexed seeing those villagers meets with you for the first time. That¡¯s why I had to come here by myself!¡±

    I wonder if the ¡®King¡¯ was genuinely able to come here for such a trivial reason. That kind of thought runs out from Eru¡¯s mind but after seeing his attitude face to face, it doesn¡¯t seem like a lie. That can be said, Oberon is in an excited state to that extent.

    In Oberon perspective, he was directly capturing Eru figure, from the head to his tiptoes as if he is burning it within those eyes. To Eru who receives that kind of gaze, steepened his expression.

    ¡°It seems our garments are quite different. How was it? Our clothing has many kinds of beast¡¯s materials but it is quite something, isn¡¯t?¡±

    Said Oberon after showing his opened arms. Just like he said, it is a costume that used a lot of beast¡¯s materials. The thick part which mainly made of leather is most likely closer to an armor than a garment. It is also attached with an ornament by using the colorful part of the beast.

    ¡°Generally speaking, there is not many people who dressed like that. Or rather, it does like a knight attire¡±

    ¡°Hohou, Knight right! Certainly, I can say a Knight is our origin!¡±

    The King seems convinced on his own and nodded pleasantly. Then raises his head like he has thought on something.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I hear you was a knight commander, wasn¡¯t you? That is even more hard to believe. You don¡¯t look like suited in fighting at all¡±

    ¡°Humph. Maybe you¡¯re right but you have already seen it right, as the one who can move that. Or you still want to doubt that too?¡±

    ¡°Certainly. Moreover, someone who have come to this land and even tricking the giants. I can¡¯t let my guard down at all!¡±

    While the King chuckling on the edge of his throat, his sight caught on Eru¡¯s figure. In response of that gaze, Eru glared back at him while he was felt a bit creeped by his opponent.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that, I didn¡¯t trick them at all. They are moved by their own will, and their will is line up with mine, that¡¯s all¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So, I take it your interest is match up with those Kaellous Clan. That¡¯s sound rough¡±

    Despite of his words, the King doesn¡¯t really mean it not the least bit.

    ¡°You???you are under Rubel Clan¡¯s protection, aren¡¯t you? If so, you might think it is not be desirable for you. At least, to you who have attacked them¡±

    ¡°Though I¡¯ve said it earlier. Well, in short, we were under circumstances must to do that. That¡¯s all. Our intention has nothing to do with it¡±

    The King doesn¡¯t seem annoyed. And it seems, he really doesn¡¯t really care from the bottom of his heart.

    Meanwhile, Eru thinks deeply for a moment.

    ¡°You and those Rubel Clan. Nevermind, the story about your relationship????with the giant, it seems I need to know from the beginning¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡±

    ¡°The beginning of those who are called as the goblin. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of it don¡¯t you, goblin King?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. I might know more than anyone else¡±

    While Oberon waiting for Eru¡¯s respond, he continues to smile thinly.

    ¡°Then, tell me. The reason of those ¡®brethren¡¯ word of yours¡±

    ¡°As expected from someone in knight commander position, it seems you are knowledgeable about many things. Then, you already realize the answer, didn¡¯t you? Come on, tell me about it¡±

    ¡°You guys are???most likely, the survivors of those who were once called Bocuse Expeditionary Force¡±

    A deep and intense smile broaden Oberon¡¯s face. Immediately after that, he kicked the chair, stood up, stretched out his arms and shout.

    ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re right! Wonderful, truly wonderful my fellow brethren!! Yes, that¡¯s right, we are the separated descendant which lost in the past!¡±

    ¡°I hear the Bocuse Expeditionary Force was annihilated by the mighty demonic beast in the forest. Given that situation, why you were able to come to this deep???no, that¡¯s wrong. Were you perhaps strayed away from the others or you have successfully run away?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re correct again! Once those who called the Bocuse Expeditionary Force in the past was destroyed by an unfortunate encounter. However, not all of their lives have run out in truth!¡±

    His speech continues with excitement along with unnecessary gesture.

    ¡°Was it by sheer luck, but either way most of those fools have made the wrong escape. Kuhkukuh¡± he gave a little chuckle and continued his phrase. ¡°Fortunately, the Bocuse Expeditionary Force whose suppressed the attack has survived however. Then, in the end of their lost¡¯s journey, they meet the giant for the first time¡±

    On that moment, he sighed deeply and finally calmed down his excitement.

    ¡°I still couldn¡¯t grasp my parent feeling back then. At the end of various discussion, we have changed our name into goblin, and served the giant. Those who know this truth were already gone, and I made the right choice to met you directly after all!¡±

    ¡°Was it necessary to conceal the truth? In fact, the people in the village had no idea of their forefather at all¡±

    ¡°Indeed, because even if they know, none of it will help them in the end! In a worst-case scenario, it might flame the conflict between the giant¡±

    ¡°If you went that far, why did you tell me all of this?¡±

    ¡°How could I hide from someone who know everything? Unlike those villagers, your presence is way much bigger too¡±

    Eru slightly narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°From the way of your stories, then the origin of those Mystical Knight was a deformed Silhouette Knight, right?¡±

    ¡°In order to deal with the enormous giant, we need a certain amount of power to match with them. One of it was the power of Silhouette Knight but you know about it too, right? That power requires a lot of materials¡±

    After the King leaning on the back of the chair, he closes his eyes as if he was remembering something.

    ¡°For us who had always run of our lives, we have a difficulty maintain that. Along with the time, we had to replace the skeleton with demonic beast¡¯s material. Eventually, it has transformed into a beast???which was beyond our limit¡±

    As he slowly opens his eyes and directly looked at Eru.

    ¡°We¡¯re groping for a way return. We were searching for a way, ended with a dead end???then, a ship that flies in the sky appeared. Now it¡¯s my turn to ask. You are the person who originally come to this land from that ¡®flying ship¡¯. I am wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, you are correct. Our ship encountered the Stained Beast, we fought them, and we were left behind¡±

    Oberon who have heard Eru¡¯s answer excitedly leaned forward as never before. Even now, he is snapped like he was going to grab Eru.

    ¡°Oh! Your Silhouette Knight is also flying! Although it has a strange appearance, so you already have a skill to make the knight fly, right!? Can you use it to cross this forest!?¡±

    ¡°Assuming you can do that, you¡¯d like to use it and go to the west?¡±

    ¡°Do you even need to ask that? The west land, the land of our origin. If we could, we will set it as our goal with our current technology but, I won¡¯t hope that much¡±

    ¡°More than hundred years already passed between our and the goblins. At this point, there¡¯s too late???¡±

    The King violently shook his head.

    ¡°That kind of degree! Will be over in the blink of an eye. I¡¯m already tired and enough of this. Rather than becoming one to the great path of the nothingness! I will set sail myself to that place¡±

    In the determined face of his, he cried.

    ¡°And that key would be you. We were also thought of the only way to get back. Do you want to know, how is the outcome?¡±

    ¡°No thanks. But well, the goblin which is the long absence fellow countrymen that separated in the forest????I¡¯m not sure if I can take you along with me¡±

    When Eru lost in his train of thought, Oberon stood up from his chair, walks to the house¡¯s entrance and turns his back.

    ¡°We have much time to think over that. First of all, I will invite you to our capital. Ah, yes, I don¡¯t mind if you go along with those giants¡±

    ¡°With Kaellous Clan? But they have hostile relations with Rubel Clan¡±

    On that very moment, the smile has disappeared from Oberon¡¯s face. He changed into serious-like expression and said.

    ¡°That was rather what we need. With you, and those giant, we will work together as one. And strike down the Rubel Clan¡±

 Chapter 106: Ulterior Motive

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    When Eru leans on the chair, he stares at the goblin king. In response of that kind of sharp glance, he shrugs it off like it was nothing.

    ¡°Of course, I have been and always will be ¡®think¡¯ about that. Finally, I got my hand with every card I need, and now it is the time to put it into realization. Do it for all-or-nothing! No need for me to hesitate anymore¡±

    As he snaps his finger, he tries to leave the house as is.

    ¡°Still, from your side it might be a sudden proposal. Think about it for a while. Either way, you guys will also need that in the near future???¡±

    Then, the moment he puts his hand on the doorknob. Just before he opened it, the door has opened it self in a sudden momentum.

    A lone girl stands up in the front of the narrowed King¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hm? That appearance, you¡¯re not a villagers???is she your friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please open the way Addy¡±

    Although Eru has said that to her, Adeltrud snarl up at Oberon with glaring look. When he smiled back, his path is cleared. However, he doesn¡¯t leave the house instead as he watches the two of them simultaneously with a delightful smile on his face.

    ¡°Yes, indeed, how can I say it. The people in the west is surely send a lot of beauties. Is that really how it is?¡±

    ¡°Well, who knows?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, either way I will welcome them all! hahaha???¡±

    In the front of Eru who just merely pretending, the King has left the house after he suppressed his laughter. As if he was being replaced, Addy rushed to Eru direction.

    ¡°For crying out loud, what a creepy guy! Eru-kun, are you okay? Did he do something weird to you!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What did you mean weird thing????¡±

    Like always, she is being herself and embraced Eru who have a grim smile.

    ¡°Who is that person? Oh right, I heard from Parl-chan that giant was actually a Silhouette Knight, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In here they are called Mystic Knight apparently. And the one who comes from that is his majesty Oberon himself. He is the King of the goblin who reign over this land¡±

    Addy raised her face and starts blinking her eyes.

    ¡°Eh. Why does the King suddenly come to us? I thought he is more like a knight commander to me¡±

    ¡°I thought so, his way of speaking is rather bold after all¡±

    Even without figure it out, there¡¯s no king who would come so boldly like that. But after hearing from the scale of his story, apparently it was true it seems.

    ¡°Leaving that aside. Let us go too Addy¡±

    ¡°Together with that King?¡±

    ¡°I can say for sure the goblin is same like us. For that reason, they are asked us to fight Rubel Clan along with them¡±

    When Addy is frown upon her brows, she then whispered in Eru¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it way too sudden. Somehow I caaan¡¯t trust him at all. What about you, Eru-kun?¡±

    ¡°I think we should accept his offer¡±

    Addy is unexpectedly tilted her head on the side.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°We have nothing to gain even if we refuse, in contrary we will gain more allies if we accept it. Besides, Kaellous Clan also wants to fight with Rubel Clan, my debt to them hasn¡¯t been paid too either way. It looks like we have a same interest with him¡± as he said that, he deepens his smile. ¡°Moreover, it seems like he has many motives behind his situation. We must keep our link to his surrounding in order to find more about it¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, sure. The basic of hunting is gathering information, right!¡±

    ¡°Our battle will start once we know their true motives¡±

    Addy is once again hugged Eru tightly.

    ¡°Fufu¡± she chuckled. ¡°It will be fine. No matter where you going, I will surely come with you my dear commander!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Addy. While we¡¯re talking with them????it seems we need to hide Kasasagi for a time being¡±

    ¡°Kasasagi? For what?¡±

    ¡°Beside fighting with Rubel Clan, they were looking for a clue to return to the west. I suppose they were already known about levitate ship. In that case, they surely want to know about Ether reaction theory which is the flight technology that doesn¡¯t rely on any demonic beast¡±

    Eru is looking at the village center, within his sight the precious piece-of-junk flying object was still enshrined in there.

    ¡°Unlike the levitate ship which whereabouts are still unknown, Kasasagi is here after all. Although it is not something you can be imitated that easily, it is not like I can give it to them too. They surely must be prepared to be burned if the want to touch it¡±

    ¡°They are from our precious Ikaruga and Shii-chan after all¡«¡±

    Both of them nodded at each other.

    ¡°Let us go to see their capital or whatever it was first then¡±

    Afterward, when the both of them who have already decided on something left the house, unexpectedly Oberon was still in there. For some reason, he who was looking at the surrounding scenery spread his arms in the front of them.

    ¡°Well, well, I take it you already decided, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We will take your offer. All that is left is to explain everything with the Kaellous Clan¡±

    Oberon then give a clap with his hand and deepen his smile.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear it! It is truly wonderful, people of the west! And also????¡±

    He suddenly stops his remark and look up at the two of them for a while. Then closing his distance to the puzzled cautious¡¯ pair and stretch out his hand.

    ¡°Hmm. As I though, it is different from our people???¡±

    As if he was trying to lay his hand into Addy¡¯s hair, but instead his arm got nothing to caught. In an instant, Addy moved behind Eru¡¯s back and glare at the King from Eru¡¯s small presence.

    ¡°Oh my. Kuku, pardon me. Well, don¡¯t be so hard on me¡±

    He showed unexpected emotion at first but immediately smeared it with a smile. When he shrugs off his shoulder, he immediately returns to his heels and beckons.

    ¡°Anyway, shall we go to our capital, then? I can¡¯t even show you our hospitality on this small village. You can expect to be welcomed with a party by then¡±

    Addy is closely hugged Eru while glaring at the King¡¯s back.

    ¡°What¡¯s his problem? Now I¡¯m certain, I don¡¯t like that guy at all¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Well, for time being, he is in our side. Let¡¯s leave it on the right times if we are eventually going to be against him¡±

    With a sullen look, Addy pulled Eru¡¯s squishy cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Eru-kun is looked like planning two or three steps in the future, but in truth you¡¯re juuust flowing from the flow, I am right?¡±

    ¡°Whet aeee you syaing jeezz. Please say it like I¡¯m always do my best in everything¡±

    Thus, the lovely couple went to the Kaellous direction.

    ¡ô

    There are many titans gathered near the entrance of the goblin¡¯s village. There is a Mystical beast in front of them. Although it is something like an enemy for them who have challenged the battle, but now Eru is talking with them. They couldn¡¯t afford to fight with them. They are waiting quietly as if they were meditating but without releasing any tension, they were able to fight immediately if something has happened.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting¡±

    In there, Eru has come back. The Third-eyed Seat of the Brave opens his closed pupil and look at his feet.

    ¡°How was it the enquiry?¡±

    ¡°We have decided to not fight with them¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    Eru continues to explain the contents of the discussion with the King. The member of the Kaellous Clan looked at each other faces and think deeply about the contents. Among of them, the Brave smack his knee in amusement.

    ¡°So, the goblins have decided to fight Rubel Clan. That¡¯s the good thing to hear. I can see how much their eyes have been corrupted to an extent being betrayed by their own prot¨¦g¨¦. That¡¯s what you get when you can see your surrounding¡± sneered the Brave and tries to stand up. His eyes are pointing at their hundred capital (Metropolitan). ¡°It seems you are correct, goblin braver¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Rubel Clan was indeed the largest clan among of us. And in order to defeat them we need to unite ourselves with another smaller clan. However, that ignorance was our fault in the beginning. They also have a weakness as well. In order to do that we must know more about them first. Just like as you said¡±

    ¡°Brave, so you mean¡±

    In the response of the Servant question, the Brave nods his head.

    ¡°We shall go as well. To be closer with them, to know them better. We still have many things to know¡±

    The Kaellous Clan¡¯s members responded to the Brave¡¯s word, then stood up and rang their arms in unison.

    Also, Eru is nodding his head in agreement.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go with them. I¡¯d like to go there immediately but it seems I need to explain this to the people in the village¡±

    Later, Eru goes to the hiding villagers and explain the situation. Although they were looked each other face in an uneasy condition, eventually the village chief came forward like he has determined his intentions.

    ¡°How could???the King want something from me¡±

    ¡°It seems his interest is focused on us, and it¡¯s not like he was coming to blame us either¡±

    When Eru said he is accepting their offer, a groan has raised between the villagers.

    ¡°Then, what should we from now on???¡±

    ¡°Yes. Together along with us, let¡¯s go to the upper city¡±

    In regard of their determination who just nods one after another, Eru was rather put his head on the side.

    ¡°If you go with them, what you will face later on is a war. And the opponent is Rubel Clan which known as the largest clan among the giant¡±

    In one word, they are depressed at once. It can be said, they have no power to fight at all, this fact alone already proved by earlier assault. They can feel a whole new change like a wave will hit them.

    ¡°Moreover although, we will go along with the King, this battle will surely give an impact to every goblin¡¯s live who resides in this land¡±

    Once again, Eru corrected his posture and face in the villagers¡¯ direction.

    ¡°Everything will be fine. I will do my best to make it a good result for you guys. I will return the favor for giving me a change to build Kasasagi in here¡±

    When Eru shows his gentle smile, every villager nod in agreement. There is no other choice for them who didn¡¯t know what will happen in the future other than believing this small knight.

    ¡ô

    A strange looking group was advancing through the beast trail surrounded by the hollowed path among the trees. The one who leading them in the front is the artificial titan, Mystical Knight and the ones who following it are several numbers of titan. In addition, Eru and Addy are riding Kasasagi just above of them which look like a bizarre-looking machine that floats in the sky.

    It was such a disoriented group but their objective is focused in one place. The journey to the goblin¡¯s capital was quite peaceful than they imagined. Speaking of commotion, there was once an appearing demonic beast that happened to misread the situation then served for their meal of the day.

    Then, after going through the path for a while. Eru and his companion are basically working with the Kaellous Clan. When they are in move, he is always above of them, and when they are resting, he also rested with them. One day right at dinner, Oberon show up his face among the Kaellous Clan group. So far, the goblin didn¡¯t interfere that much with the Kaellous Clan and just lead through the way. While the titans were also having no intention talking to the goblin, in the end there was a little distance between them.

    At first Oberon himself was rather not mind about it. However, as expected, he can¡¯t bring him along by himself and eventually he had several servants behind him.

    All of his followers are wearing leather armor that focused on beast¡¯s fur, and they clearly know how to fight. They are not a mere follower, but they are the highest class within this land, which known as a knight.

    Unlike the King who behaved like a fool, they are just stayed on the behind. Although they were always shut their mouth, sometimes they were ogling at Eru and Addy which is guest from the west without reserve.

    Addy was rather creeped by it but in contrary Eru didn¡¯t seem to mind them at all and then greet them.

    ¡°Let us have a nice detailed story. I don¡¯t want to turn this trip into a boring guide tour one however!¡±

    The King laughed while companying Eru on the dinner.

    ¡°I see, when you¡¯re always with the giant, you don¡¯t have to worry about food, huh. That¡¯s really convenient¡±

    Then, while he was eating the dinner away, somehow, he nodded by himself and looked back again.

    ¡°By the way Ernesti, it seems you have a good relation with the giants, right¡±

    ¡°Well, are you not?¡±

    When Eru asked Oberon back, he made a straight face for a moment then immediately laugh it off that enough to make him hold his belly and long enough to make him settled.

    ¡°Are we not you say? Haha! Yes, we¡¯re not. We are absolutely had no good relation at all! Those guys think us no more than like an insect with a brain inside!¡±

    Although he was laughing for a while, none of his eyes reflecting the faint glint of joy.

    ¡°Even though you have such splendid Silhouette Knight, you are also familiar with the giant enough for them to share their food. How wonderful! How can you able to tame them this much?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing like a taming you know. Albeit, a lot of thing happened first, in the end we are welcomed as a clan member¡±

    ¡°You say, the goblins and the giants!! My, my, your humor is quite good, I see!!¡±

    Eru didn¡¯t blame for the King who is casually laughing in front of him for not believing. He was welcomed as a member of the Kaellous Clan because he is the top-class knight back in his country. There are no much people who able to defeat the Brave with skill alone. Moreover, if this kind of power were also having the same extent in other clan, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to imagine how the remnants of the Bocuse Expeditionary Force which once had been exhausted and lived on this land.

    ¡°A military power???in other word, the Silhouette Knight, I mean, the Mystical Knight is the ones who maintain this land right¡±

    Eru looks at the person behind the King who still continue laughing. Comparing the loud King, they didn¡¯t say even a word and just stay there. That kind of atmosphere is more refined and dangerous than the knight from Fremmevira Kingdom. Granted, their relationship between the titan isn¡¯t the peaceful one.

    ¡°Kuku. Sorry I just hear something very important. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not lying when I see you were working with them like this. I¡¯m grateful for you to deal with the Rubel Clan no matter what the result!¡±

    After that, the King and his follower went back to their camp.

    ¡°He surely wanted to do something, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    The only one person who was making noise until the end is the King, as for the follower, they didn¡¯t even change their expression at all. From Addy¡¯s way of things, she finds it rather creeped by it and then puts her head on the side.

    ¡°Was it to deepen our relationships, or just want to sell us high with praise. I don¡¯t really care either way¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun, sometimes I find you rather evil¡±

    Thus, she washed away her previous thoughts and sigh to embrace Eru again.

    ¡ô

    The camping location of the goblin is surrounded by the Mystical Knight. Unlike the titans who were able to do move freely when they are attacked, or like Eru who gifted with many kinds of abilities. They need to be prepared for the demonic beast.

    ¡°Sometimes, a lively meal is not bad too, huh¡±

    ¡°However, My King???there is no reason for you to behave like that¡±

    An elderly man advanced from the middle of the followers. He opened his mouth on the slightly wrinkled face in distortion.

    ¡°It is fine already. I think it would be a good training when dealing the brainless giant to have a hearth together¡±

    The man couldn¡¯t hold his breath anymore. He already knows from his past experience that this King will not listen from such a word. When he regained his composure, he changes the topic.

    ¡°My King. No matter how it looks, we¡¯re unable to see them no more than a child¡±

    ¡°You already saw it didn¡¯t you? His attire, there¡¯s no way for him to be a mere villager. And there¡¯s no way for us to know he is already a knight¡±

    ¡°Certainly, he is sure the strange one. Even so, what can a mere child do to us?¡±

    Looking at the man who uttered the obvious reason, the King twisted his mouth into a shape of a smile.

    ¡°Whether young girl or dying old man, I do not care. Someone who keeps that strange-looking Silhouette Knight, and a technique to fly in the sky without anyone help. That¡¯s enough for me¡±

    ¡°Yes, we only need the Silhouette Knight. There¡¯s no need for a child, no?¡±

    Immediately, the King erased his smile. When he takes a long deep breath, he glare at the man with different gaze unlike before.

    ¡°You fool. We¡¯re only taking the ¡®Song Catastrophe (Necrolis Song)¡¯, how long do you think it would take. Our opponent is an unknown Silhouette Knight, there is no guarantee we can handle it easily. And whatever it is, we absolutely need it¡±

    The King stood up, and looked at the surrounding knight.

    ¡°Once we have the song and the sky, we joint hand together and slay down the enemy. When the giant has left, we will get the ¡®ship¡¯????that is the only wish we have¡±

 Chapter 107: Let us be welcomed

    As the King lead the path, the titans of the Kaellous Clan were advancing through the forest. Eventually beyond the step ahead, the tress starts to look differently.

    ¡°Is that???a wall?¡±

    ¡°Hou. I hear that¡¯s the settlement for the goblin¡±

    The Servant opens his only one eye wide while the Third-eyed Seat of Brave crossed his arm in amazement.

    What appeared before them is a castle wall that made of piles of boulders. It was a sturdy piece of rock that even the titans themselves may struggling to carry it alone, moreover there¡¯s a detailed rock that lined up on the top of that. Unlike the same appearance of small cities in the Fremmevira Kingdom, it was made to make sure can defend against the demonic beast enough.

    Especially for the titans who lived as it is in the forest, the goblin¡ª¡ªthe human city is surely a rare thing for them. Besides, the only settlement they know was the village that had been destroyed a few days ago.

    ¡°It seems there is no place for our size to live in there¡±

    Along with the gesture and unreasonable remarks, Oberon who have heard it come in one glance.

    ¡°That¡¯s not even a joke! Giants are not allowed in this land. There¡¯s no way I can let you in!¡±

    The Brave and his Servant look at each other face.

    ¡°Albeit their walls are splendid, most likely have a same building like in those villagers had inside. Then we might not even shade ourselves from the sunlight¡±

    ¡°Agreed. Just like in the village. We will spend our day in the forest like we always do¡±

    Nabbing Kasasagi that floating in the sky, eventually comes to the young Sorceress side.

    ¡°Magister, we have decided to wait on the outside. It seems that goblin also prefer us like that too¡±

    ¡°I see????by the way Parl. If you have decided to wait on here, I¡¯d like to ask you something¡±

    In the front of Ernesti who just opened the cockpit and went outside, the young Sorceress tilts her head in wonder.

    ¡ô

    The goblin¡¯s capital. From the people who lives in the lower village it is called the upper-town. In truth, it has a scale to be called as a castle town instead, everything inside the wall is having a sense of safety. There is a crucial difference between the lower village who just in other day almost get wiped out from the threat of the demonic beast and this place. This is a place where the nobles¡ª¡ªthe knight lives.

    The Mystical Knight moves forward and opened the huge gate and then they continued inside of the walls.

    ¡°When I look at that castle walls, somewhat it kinda remind me of Fremmevira a little¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we have seen a city I suppose. But hey, it¡¯s quite different atmosphere unlike Fremmevira Kingdom¡±

    Adeltrud was also looking around in a curious manner. There are human activities and civilization in here. However, the town atmosphere is very different from their hometown. Inside the town wall, a lot of trees is still left behind. And it just not only the trees beside the town streets. The town is also largely encroached by the trees, and even the building itself already combined with the tree as if the forest in here was just turned into a city.

    Eru is slightly having a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu while looking at the town atmosphere and cocked his head to the side. Not long after that, he decided not to bother about it. It has been few hundred years since the Bocuse Expeditionary Force has disappeared into Bocuse Sea of Trees. It was enough for goblin to build their own unique culture within that time.

    While holding a various impression, they went toward the center of the town. The further they went in, the larger building they have seen. Sometimes, the Mystical Knight is standing like a sentinel. Among the highest position in knight, this area is probably the place where the Knight Runners lives.

    In the midst of that, there is a huge building that slowly raises a smoke bit by bit. There were many similar ones in the Fremmevira Kingdom too. Soon, Eru realized what is it.

    ¡°Is that, a workshop I suppose. As expected, there are many of them huh¡±

    ¡°So, you are only noticed that????¡±

    How in the earth he could miss that. Eru is already beat every workshop¡¯s location within the town into his head. That how just he is, the way he remembers all of the workshop location is just like Eru after all.

    Eventually, they reached at the center of the town. In there, a huge building like a castle is firmly standing. No matter where they had gone, it seems the people who have power is still same everywhere. Just before they went inside the castle, Oberon now faces them face to face.

    ¡°Welcome my guest, to my town, my castle! Once again, I welcome you all!¡±

    Advancing to the castle, the two of them were summoned by Oberon over their brief stay. When they are wondering what is it, Oberon is showing his smug face while there is a huge feast already prepared. Although he has somewhat faithful personality, it seems he already prepared a grand welcome for them as he promised.

    The banquet was much bigger than Eru had imagined. They have used a spacious room and every dish is lined on the table one after another. Not just numerous, every one of them have a detailed works in one glance. While on the corner of the room, people who somewhat looked like a musician playing a gentle symphony.

    Certainly, he made a promise about it but reminding they were just a traveler, this kind of hospitalities are indeed a little excessive. As expected, they are not only one who participating the banquet. When they are just entered the room, there were already many people attending.

    ¡°Hou?????a guest from the west, huh¡±

    ¡°I heard they were a Knight Runner who controlling the Mystical Knight. Aren¡¯t they just a kid?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, I don¡¯t think a mere child would be invited in such extravagant banquet¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re talking about that King¡¯s personality????¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Eru and Addy. The ones who have participated in this place is none other than the noble class who lived in this land. Although they haven¡¯t heard the full story, they are just frequently whispering the rumors.

    While still on the unsettled atmosphere, Oberon seems really satisfied.

    ¡°On that village, there¡¯s nothing that could fill my taste. Do not hold back to eat up everything! Well then everyone, you may dine as much you like!¡±

    As soon they got his permission, Eru and Addy are running wildly on the dish direction. Even though they have been living hardly in the forest, everything they ate were tasted like a wild and unpolished. It has been long time since they were tasted the real ¡®cooking¡¯ made by hand. Given with that momentum, they are throwing the meaning of restrain and gobbled the dish.

    ¡°Hahaha, how was it, guest. The dishes in this land¡±

    ¡°Although they are different unlike from Fremmevira, it¡¯s quite something!¡±

    ¡°True, it is very delicious. The meat is soft, is this from demonic beast?¡±

    With their attitude, the nobles give their attention to them. Although it can¡¯t be said that is comfortable enough for the flattery but the gaze surrounding them seems don¡¯t really mind even if they haven¡¯t said anything. After all, the two of them are the central figure of the Silver Phoenix Knight Order, who have released all kind of nervousness from their dictionary.

    ¡°Yep, because we have a livestock in here! So, we don¡¯t have to hunt the demonic beast like the giants. But, how to put it????you sure have a splendid way of eating. Indeed¡±

    In contrary, the nobles were stopping their hand while still completely dumbfounded. For them the travelers who had pass through the forest is full of mysteries. With that awkwardness, the banquet still continued in a friendly manner.

    ¡°Oh my, thank you for your generous hospitality¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind it at all! It¡¯s been a long time since we have been reunited with my fellow brethren!¡±

    After fulfilling his stomach, Eru is having pleasant conversation with the King while the nobles didn¡¯t show any careless movements, that¡¯s also why the King makes his move first.

    ¡°Although we have lived in the forest and being surrounded by the giants, it¡¯s not all bad to be honest¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can see that you were able to build this town¡±

    ¡°Our parent????have borrowed giant¡¯s power, and able to live in this land though. Still, the meaning of us being in their feet is not that small¡±

    ¡°For that reason, you need Mystical Knight to do that, right¡±

    When Oberon raises his hand, the nobles are keeping their head high and nodded in agreement. For them, it was great pride to become a protector in this land. Then finally, their speech started to become specific.

    ¡°Right. Because of us, we were able to live along with the giants¡±

    ¡°Guest from the west, regardless of your appearance, I heard you¡¯re also a Knight Runner too¡±

    ¡°Hou???then, I would like to see that¡±

    The nobles increased their gaze. They wanted to see how much power their opponent possesses.

    ¡°Yes. I have been leading a knight order back in my hometown¡±

    For a moment, the nobles laughed it off a little. They seem received Eru¡¯s answer as a joke. However, they didn¡¯t realize the smile on his face is going wider.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s stop it for a moment, everybody. They might find it troubling for our guest if you suddenly ask him like that¡±

    Then, the King intercept their conversation. Although he is thinking while stroking his jaw in exaggerated manner, then he clasped his hand as if he found something good.

    ¡°Oh right. I know a good way for you to show your strength. How about showing off your Silhouette Knight to everybody in here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that would be hard. Because I had left it behind in someone care¡±

    On that moment, the King who just had realized by now showing a bitter expression.

    ¡°My dear guest, to think that you would entrust your precious Silhouette Knight????Although it¡¯s fine for you to have a friendly relationship, are you sure you can trust them that much?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain the Brave and the young Sorceress will not break their promise at all¡±

    The room now is filled with the suppressed murmur among the nobles. The relationship between Eru and Kaellous Clan were not known beforehand in the midst of their rank. There¡¯s a clear difference from someone standpoint if they compare the goblin who under titan control between Eru and his companion who have gotten somewhat equal position with the titan.

    With that momentum, this time Eru came up with another solution.

    ¡°Then, how about this. Let me use the Mystical Knight of yours for the time being. If we have to show off my skill, this would be enough, no?¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun, here he goes again???¡±

    ¡°Ha, ha, ha. Right, that¡¯s your counter, huh¡±

    Together with the King, Eru is showing the smile fiercely, to an extent, settled amicably with a little awkward enough to make the surrounding nobles suffocated while laugh at each other cheerfully.

    ¡°If it for the guest, I¡¯d like to use this opportunity to lend it for you but???the Mystical Knights are under Knight Runner¡¯s jurisdiction. I can¡¯t afford to lend it casually that much!¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, that¡¯s too bad. Then, how about I ask the kind nobles in here instead?¡±

    When Eru takes glance at the nobles, they looked away their eyes from Eru¡¯s line of sight. There¡¯s no one who want to jump in the middle of that strange tension between Eru and the King.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tease them that much, my dear guest. Mmm, indeed. It seems you are interested in our Mystical Knight¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m curious about them. The knight that protect this land???and their strength¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun, it¡¯s leaking, your drool is leaking¡±

    Oberon is clasped his hand in conclusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, no matter how much power I have as a king, I couldn¡¯t ask them for the impossible. So, how about this then, would you tell us about your Silhouette Knight. If so, we¡¯ll show you that we are able to re-create that again¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, sorry to disappointed you but, it is impossible to re-create that unless we¡¯re in my hometown¡±

    Suddenly, the atmosphere start to tremble menacingly. In the next moment, Eru and the King speak in a low voice and smile at each other face while the nobles held their breath to oversee the situation.

    ¡°Hometown you say???I¡¯m sure you want to go back to your own country. In that case, you will need something like ¡®that ship¡¯, I¡¯m wrong? However, asking the villager for that would lead you for nothing¡±

    ¡°Too much burden for them, I¡¯m sure¡±

    ¡°If that role changed to us, would be at least be possible to create that kind of ship, right. I will be more appreciate if you are able to lend us your strength though¡±

    On that moment, the King changes his expression firmly and take a good look at Eru.

    ¡°When that happen, even the giants???we could plan together after we¡¯ve defeated the Rubel Clan. Eventually, we¡¯re no place of being protected by the giants, thus left us no reason to stay in here forever¡±

    The atmosphere around the nobles also has changed, as if their will are lined together with the King itself. In the midst of that unspeakable feeling, Eru raises a question mark upside his head and crocked his head to the side.

    ¡°Will the people in lower village also included aboard that ship?¡±

    ¡°?????Of course they will. But I¡¯m afraid they are too many of them. We cannot overlook when it will take much time to do that¡±

    There is a long pause in the King answer and that kind of answer is plenty for Eru. Then he returns the King answer with a mega-sized smile on his face.

    ¡°Let me think it for a while¡±

    ¡°Hm. Well, fine. I wouldn¡¯t think you¡¯re wasting your time though¡±

    Eventually, the feast is over, and being lifted one by one.

    Eru and Addy were given a room in the corner of the castle. Incidentally, Addy was insisting to be one room for two of them.

    Naturally, there are a lot of difference from the ones in Fremmevira Kingdom, however ones can say it was fairly well-equipped room. With that kind of situation, Addy is walking around and checking their room interior.

    ¡°There¡¯s a real bed in here! It seems okay for two people too!¡±

    ¡°As I thought they were really welcoming us very well. Though, there¡¯s a guard in front of our room¡±

    Even though they have been accepting the two of them, they are still outsiders. There¡¯re many things need to be cautious of these two after all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care¡« alright! Let¡¯s sleep comfortably tonight, Eru-kun!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But, before that¡±

    Eru¡¯s line of sight place on window. An iron grid placed on there and looks like they are not able to leave quite easily.

    ¡°Would you like to have a night date with me Addy?¡±

    He chinked his wincester that just happened in his waist.

 Chapter 108: The seeds of conflict

    The goblin¡¯s town that warped in the darkness of night. The town is painted in unique kind of trees that mixed up with the building that creating a strange outline in the dark. In the top of the castle walls that located on the center of the town, Adeltrud is looking at the town scenery under cover of the dark, and finally she heaved a sigh in resignation.

    ¡°Yeah, I knew it would happen¡±

    ¡°On the way when we had come here, I¡¯m sure the ¡®workshop¡¯ is around here. Let us be haste then¡±

    Beside her, Eru is pointing his finger on a certain direction in the darkness excitedly. Although he¡¯s still not really familiar with the town¡¯s topography, but his obsession to find something that related to any kind of robot is real.

    In the first place, mastering a map is one of the required skills as a knight runner. Moreover Eru is a knight commander, in order to take command, he must decide what kind of route he need to choose. Therefore, he cannot forget once he has seen it before¡ª¡ªeven without that, he cannot forget the workshop location.

    He immediately set his sight on what he was looking for and jump off easily on the night sky.

    ¡°I guess, I have no other choice. We¡¯re talking about Eru-kun here¡±

    The wind that has been blowing across the forest caressing Addy¡¯s hair softly. As she made a wry face, she grasped the Gunstaff by lowering her waist a little. She is following Eru¡¯s back like she was rushing to the night of townscape.

    For some reason, the two of them are able to go out in the night town like this even though the guard was supposed to watch them back in the room. And answer was rather simple, they just can¡¯t stop Eru who full in armament by the iron bar and a mere guard alone.

    They easily removed the window and left the room, climbing the wall then went up to the roof. Like he always does, using the Aero Thrust magic and flying to the sky as he please, he takes off for sightseeing in the night town. No matter how highly classified place they are targeting, it couldn¡¯t stop Eru at all.

    ¡°Now then, we¡¯re here in their workshop, huh¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem have a different appearance like in the Fremmevira¡±

    Although they have been separated by several hundred years, either the people in Fremmevira and the goblin have same kind of culture. Among of it, the size of the workshop was rather big, so it has tendency of practical use. It is no wonder for the similar facilities to be like that.

    ¡°In that case, then entrance must be somewhere????there it is¡±

    ¡°Are we really going to sneak in?¡±

    ¡°Of course we are. Since we haven¡¯t told that much about the Mystical Knight, they must be referred us to see it by ourselves, I suppose¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t like that but stopping Eru-kun would be impossible too, right¡±

    While they¡¯re chatting, Eru and his companion smoothly descended to enter the vent and since they were invading from the unexpected place that normally not a height where people might come, their invasion has come to a success.

    ¡°Anybody here? Seems like nobody here. Let¡¯s begin then¡±

    There was a thick darkness in the unlively night workshop. There¡¯s no such thing as a light anywhere. Then Eru activated his magic by using the tip of his Wincester. He set the Fire Torch magic into a fixed state before it began launch, thus spreading the blurry light around them.

    In order to move the crane, the two of them are going down swiftly on the top of the beam. Eventually in the middle of the unreliable light, a giant object has showed its appearance that had been lined up in the wall of the workshop.

    ¡°???Mystic Knight¡±

    It was different than they thought as if they were still not used seeing that. The Silhouette Knight that had been remodeled repeatedly long time ago, now have a completely different appearance. Was it because they had to use demonic beast material to repair or they have a motive behind it to separate their original shape¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a good look at their problem then¡±

    Eru went to the Mystical Knight feet while skipping cheerfully with Addy who chasing his back and look at the Mystical Knight thoroughly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they look weird. I rather like Silhouette Knight¡¯s design, I guess¡«¡±

    ¡°I can see their effort even though the materials have changed a lot. Isn¡¯t great¡±

    ¡°Eru-kun, could you stop say anything goes like that?¡±

    While they are chatting, Eru runs up to the machine and dive into body-like area. Together with the clicking sound, the compressed air-like sound and the armor has opened.

    ¡°Fufu. They didn¡¯t change the way to open pilot seat after all¡±

    ¡°So, they are still Silhouette Knight buddies even though it looks like this, eh¡±

    When Eru hops into the opened cockpit, he grasps the control stick like he was already accustomed by it. He could sense the faint mana feeling that flowed ahead the passage. Then a smile of satisfaction spreads on Eru¡¯s face.

    ¡°As expected, it would be hard if dissemble them all. Let¡¯s take a look at the Magius Engine first¡±

    Same like the cockpit, the Mystical Knight¡¯s Magius Engine was completely defenseless against intruder. Although it can¡¯t be helped because they couldn¡¯t anticipate for the strange existence like Eru.

    On his consciousness, he captures a large amount of script that stored in the Magius Engine in fine detail.

    ¡°From what I see, I already know most of them. Body performance, output command???but on the back side, there is something I¡¯ve never seen before. I am sure¡±

    Moreover, this function can¡¯t be performed by Silhouette Knight but only in the Mystical Knight. The quality of Eru¡¯s smile has clearly changed.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I analyzed for real, it would be great if my skill didn¡¯t get dull though¡±

    While saying that, he began to eat away the unknown type of magic without delay. The basic of analysis are sorting and comprising. What he doing is mobilizing all kind of script he knows until this moment and searching for the slightest resemblance.

    Although it was known mind-separating works due to the quantity, for someone like Ernesti, he didn¡¯t bother it at all. It can be said his capability to coding any relation about magic is one of his greatest ability.

    What kind of evolution this humanoid weapon has undergone in this strange land so far? With that kind of situation, he is proceeding his analysis in super-duper happy like a child who just received a gift for his birthday.

    While Eru was sitting in the cockpit and focused with the analysis, Addy examined the Mystical Knight¡¯s body itself. Even though the shape was not her liking, it¡¯s not like she wasn¡¯t interested in it at all. She¡¯s thought she¡¯d be bored if just sitting around.

    Since the goblins are under control of the titans, their movement were also restricted in many ways. And the most difficult part is the acquisition of the resources. Any small amount of metal will be prioritized for the titan usage, while the remaining metal wasn¡¯t being supplied to the goblin properly. On the other hand, there are plentiful the demonic beast¡¯s material instead.

    Bocuse Sea of Trees was known as a paradise for demonic beast. Whether it is for self-defense of hunting, there¡¯s no shortage of opportunities to fight against the demonic beast. The demonic beast¡¯s material is rather easy to supply (if they could defeat it as a precondition). In fact, Eru had made Kasasagi by using the demonic beast¡¯s material in the mind.

    ¡°Somehow, they are weirder than their looks. It¡¯s not cute at all¡«¡±

    Although she was having simple examination on the limbs and body, her face showing a dubious expression. Of course, she is not in Eru¡¯s level but Addy was also familiar with the structure of the Silhouette Knight on her own way. In the first place, it is obvious for the Knight Runner to know thoroughly the machine they will rode, in her case, she has a personal story when its something involved from the manufacturing.

    ¡°Huh? Is this, not for air intake?¡±

    That¡¯s why she noticed it. The pipes that covers the area around the body are way too unnatural.

    ¡°Where it should be connected, I wonder? I think it would be meaningless if you don¡¯t connect the exhaust pipe to the Ether Reactor. Besides, there is????an emblem glyph inside it¡±

    Exhaust pipe is used as air intake system to flow the ether from Ether Reactor. Normally, there¡¯s no need to engrave the emblem glyph inside it. Although, it is somewhat similar like Magius Jet Thruster, it is not a technology which not supposed to be spread in here.

    ¡°????Uuun. I¡¯ve no idea what¡¯s engraved on it at all!¡±

    As soon when she tried to read the emblem glyph, she immediately given up. There¡¯re also many scripts that she¡¯d never seen before. Beyond this point would be Eru¡¯s job.

    ¡°Eru-kun, I don¡¯t know how but, there¡¯s something weird in here¡±

    ¡°Did you also find something, Addy?¡±

    ¡°Yep. How about you Eru-kun?¡±

    The faint light of the flame torch illuminates Eru who still in the cockpit. It looks like he still calculating on his part as he vaguely takes a glance while speaking.

    ¡°In the engine, there¡¯s something clearly fishy script in there. Normally, that kind of function is not used in the first place. Yet, in despite of that???¡± a puzzled expression showed on his face while Addy tilted her head to the side. It was rare for Eru who didn¡¯t have a clear grasp of the situation. ¡°From the script I know, the ones which have outmost similarity would be???¡¯the song of life¡¯. It is one of those ¡®elf¡¯ secret and it shouldn¡¯t have been something that can be handled by a normal person. I wonder why they are used in this such place¡±

    His query is disappeared in the thin air as if being dissolved in the night¡¯s atmosphere. It can be said they could feel something really important behind that strangeness.

    ¡°Mystical Knight. Apparently, they were not a distant relative of Silhouette Knight. I feel more interested all of sudden¡±

    That moment, they could hear a noise to their ears. Although it is still far away, but suddenly springing up everywhere.

    ¡°Eru-kun, it could be someone will be coming here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder if we¡¯re already discovered. Even though we just have our fun by now????¡±

    Their movement was rather quick by the time Eru heaved a sigh in loneliness. When they put it back where it was and erasing any trace on the Mystical Knight, they once again jump to the beam near the ceiling. After they are rushing over the top of the beam, they turned off the flame torch light when they begin snuck inside the vent.

    In the workshop that engulfed with the darkness, the hectic footsteps are coming closer. Eventually, they never seen any light that have been raised by someone. Soon after, a lot of people will surely come here. Eru and his companion are hurriedly returning back to avoid the trouble and once again set into the night town.

    ¡ô

    The town of goblin, which was supposed to be sleeping on the late night, suddenly had been forced to wake up. The lights are also increasing in the city along with the hectic footsteps that can be heard everywhere. This also applies in the castle. Or somehow it is only applied on the center of the town.

    A sound of knock can be heard from the door room which was addressed for Ernesti and his companion.

    ¡°???yes, please come in¡±

    A few people came into the room after receiving the reply. Oberon, which is the King himself brought some people with him.

    While Eru and Addy are¡ª¡ª¡ªfacing the guests with an innocent looks on their face, even though they were just got back by now.

    ¡°Is there any problem?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding in the late night! This might be sudden but, we got an urgent business here¡±

    ¡°Important matter you say¡±

    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the matter of Eru being able to sightseeing in the night. Either they didn¡¯t know or just don¡¯t care, it couldn¡¯t be read from the King¡¯s condition alone. Or rather, he is clearly in a bad mood now.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, I couldn¡¯t help to hide it from you but, just now, we have received an order from Rubel Clan¡±

    After hearing an unexpected word, Eru and Addy looks at each other face. And Oberon who takes it wrong nodded his head as if he understood it.

    ¡°Good grief that bunch of Rubel Clan! They most likely treat us like a small fry after all. Calling us like a whim!¡± he clenched his fist but, soon he lowered it again. ¡°Someday I will pay this debt to them. But now is not that time yet. Because we must obey their order first¡±

    After he finished informing that, he stood up right away. It seems he doesn¡¯t really have a time even he just explaining the bare minimum to the two of them.

    ¡°That is, we got a job here. I would like to continue our conversation but, I¡¯m happy if you would wait patiently for a while, my guest¡±

    ¡°Understood. It¡¯s a pity but we have no other choice, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯ll send you my men, just tell them is something happens¡±

    As if the King comes in hurry, he also left in hurry after finishing his business with the two of them. When they are leaving, Eru and Addy relieved while sending them off.

    ¡°That was dangerous huh Eru-kun¡±

    ¡°Yes. We also can¡¯t inspect at ease with this kind of fuss however¡± he crossed his arm and crocked his head to the side. ¡°What on earth has happened to the giants I wonder?¡±

    The noisy atmosphere of the town transmitted only from the other side of the dark night. What happened to the titans, in truth. Even Eru and his companion couldn¡¯t foresee about it either.

    ¡ô

    In the night sky, the sound of wind wafted into the air. There was something that going through in the middle of the silent and sleepiness night.

    The wind is getting stronger. It does like fanned by the wind but it was something like fueled by the wind itself. Those set sail like a fin and cuts through the night sky.

    Then it proceeds. To the darkness of the forest night space.

    In order to take back what¡¯s left behind, once again has invade the sky with resolve.

    The true identity of those was a ¡®ship¡¯. A strange ship that doesn¡¯t sail in the water but through the sky¡ª¡ª¡ªthe Levitate Ship.

    They have raised flags on the huge hulls. There¡¯s a crest that coated in sword and shield. Just below it, a figure of a bird that widen its silver wings.

    The flagship of Silver Phoenix Knight Order; the wing carrier Izumo, landing ship, cargo ship, and a number of Undine Style ship. The largest fleet in the west is swimming in the sky of Bocuse.

    To greet their chief who disappeared during the battle. The Silver Phoenix Knight was trying to break into the realm of the titans again.

 Book 8: Chapter 109: The Silver Phoenix Knightâ€™s Rematch

    The light of dawn drives off the darkness, illuminating the ridge.

    Dietrich trembled slightly in the coldness of dawn. The wind passing over the deck makes the hem of his outer coat flutter. In this unobstructed place, it¡¯s just a curse.

    ¡°I was really too whimsical¡­¡±

    He rides in a Levitate ship, an amazing ship that travels in the sky, not on the water. The ship doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s near the surface, and the temperature around it falls as it rises in the sky. It was even more so on the upper deck of the windswept vessel.

    Dietrich woke up early for some reason, just after dawn. He was beginning to regret his choice in not going back to sleep again as soon as possible.

    ¡°Well, now, the Bocuse Omori Forest¡­¡­ I¡¯m getting tired of this scenery.¡±

    The light of the dawn slowly reveals the appearance of the forest. The view below was filled with endless trees.

    The Bocuse Omori Forest is a paradise of demon beasts that reject human activities. It once swallowed many knights and has been regarded as contraindicated (forbidden?) in the Kingdom of Fremevira.

    ¡°The boss said that he had encountered a man at the edge of the forest. I wonder if that¡¯s true here.¡±

    The ridges if the mountain range blocked the end of the swell of the dense trees. There is a change in the forest, as if it were continuing on.

    ¡°Are you here, Our little knight commander?¡± he asked of the forest in general.

    The Levitate Ship he was riding in ¡ª the flagship of the Silver Phoenix Knights, ¡®Izmo¡¯, once embarked on a survey of the Bocuse Omori Forest as a forerunner of the Second Forest Expeditionary Force and it encountered an unprecedented enemy. It managed to return to Fremevira while losing Ernesti, who was the knight leader, and Adeltrud, who was his assistant. He himself did not participate in the fight. It was in the past, but never once did he think, ¡®If I had only been there¡­¡¯

    He shook his head, shaking off his extra thoughts. He hadn¡¯t come here to look back. ¡°But if it¡¯s this big, it¡¯s going to be a pain to find that little ringmaster.¡± Despite his words, Dietrich had a small smile on his face.

    After a war with the insect-like demon beast that created a cloud of acid, Ernesti fell down there with the Ikaruga and Adeltrud followed him in her Sylphiette. It is a near impossible task, to find only two people from that vast forest of demon beasts. He didn¡¯t think it was impossible for some reason.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really windy! It¡¯s about time we got back to bridge. Right?¡± He tried to go back, saying that, and suddenly stopped moving halfway. In the light of the dawn, he felt some sensation go through him. A small, worn black shadow shimmered, pale in a swaying light. There is something flying in the sky of the Bocuse Omori Forest. It¡¯s a Wind Knight?

    Perhaps not. If it were a Wind Knight, the Magic light communication equipment should be flashing. It¡¯s not a flying ship either. In the first place, all ships were behind Izmo. Then, the remaining possibility was -.

    Dietrich¡¯s expression showed a fearless smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard work for a demon beast, but it¡¯s just right for me. That being the case, it means I wasn¡¯t wrong here!¡± He dashed into the ship. A hectic day for the Silver Phoenix Knights was about to begin.

    The invisible boundary where the beasts active at night passed, and the beast which lived by day rose. There was a huge shadow rising in the twilight just after dawn. It was like a thin-winged beetle with a rainbow-colored light. It resembled a beetle.

    ¡°Troublesome Bug-Beasts. So, even I have to fight in the sky? Flying is a real pain.¡±

    There were those that had seen the flying beast off. The existence of a humanoid with a huge body compared to the demon beast. Giants, they were. One of them was taller than the others. He moved his five eyes swiftly; he spat out in a abhorrent manner. ¡°If it is on the earth, there is nothing that can stand against us. But it is difficult to fight the ones swimming in the sky. Just like the Cretvastia once did.¡±

    The fourth giant behind him looked seriously rotten, nodding. The fifth giant who saw it scowled. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why this is the role of beasts.¡±

    The giants whispered agreement and immediately scratched their heads. ¡°This is the Cretvastia that were sent out. I think there are less than before, though.¡±

    ¡°Magi, we can¡¯t make up for what was lost in the last fight.¡± The fifth¡¯s expression was downright heinous, face red as if he were about to explode. His expression was mercurial, changing often.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to use all the Cretvastia for this.¡±

    Immediately Oberon replied, ¡°Call on me.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    On receiving the fifth life, the giants descended. He returned the rest to the sky, seeing off the giants with one of his eyes.

    ¡°Are you the invaders coming from the sky, sweeping the filthy beasts? The time all giant clans unite beneath the Rubel Clan is just around the corner. Hundred Eyes, are you still testing me?¡±

    The mutter melts into the air without any response.

    The ship traveling the skies was filled with the sound of a loud bell. The knights, who were awakened by the emergency warning, rushed to their posts. ¡°Forward, Demon Beasts! There in the distance, the number is unknown!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see movement on the ground! There is no separate corps around me!¡±

    ¡°Magical light communication with each ship confirmed as good!¡±

    A number of reports fly through the voice system surrounding each part of the hull.

    The bridge of the fleet flagship Izmo was busy with preparations for a proper war.

    ¡°Hey, you came out of nowhere!¡±

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m keeping you from getting in here.¡±

    David spoke up, turning around in the captain¡¯s seat. However, he received a report and smiled militantly.

    Edgar, who was listening next to him, was checking the air route map. There¡¯s a navigator there as well.

    ¡°The sphere of influence of the demon beast we fought last time is reported to be narrow. Among them, specifically, is the territory of the insect type demon beast. Their last attack space exactly overlaps our present location.¡±

    ¡°Hello! Hey Edgar, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you!¡±

    ¡°Throwing me a curve ball immediately, boss?¡±

    When recalling their momentum, Edgar, who was lost in thought, heard the boss¡¯s hearty reply.

    ¡°I am just a simple mechanic! Well, I¡¯ll move the ship wisely, so don¡¯t worry, hey?¡±

    ¡°That is really encouraging.¡±

    In the opinion of the boss, the subordinates, who were packed on the bridge - even the mechanics whispered confidently. Even if they weren¡¯t direct combatants.

    At any rate, battle is the territory of the cavalry. Dietrich rushed off the bridge as Edgar tried to give instructions.

    ¡°Silhouette Knights, you¡¯re ready to go?¡±

    ¡°Di, are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°Ah. If the rumored insect beasts are coming, I won¡¯t be able to use my swords. I¡¯m going to borrow a Wind Knight.¡±

    With those words, Dietrich rushed on.

    Edgar¡¯s voice followed him. ¡°First company will protect the fleet. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    As it was, Dietrich hurried to the hold. There, the Wind Knights, who have completed maintenance, are now waiting for the time of their sortie. He jumped on to one of these.

    ¡°As expected, the finish is perfect. Tuediane (I¡¯m also seeing this translate as Toediane, left this as a personal preference for now.), let¡¯s get out!¡±

    The Silhouette Gear in the airship is carried by a lift heavy-arm Crane. It secured them in place.

    ¡°Captain Di! Please, do your best!

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s Wind Knight was thrown into the air immediately after, catching the wind. The thruster screamed smoothly and it quickly jumped out to the front of the fleet. The squadron aircraft gathered with his flame as their waypoint. They quickly took a dense formation and turned to the enemy.

    There, a shadow with a rainbow-colored glow in the sky is seen, gradually increasing in brightness. It is a giant beast, a demon beast that danced in the sky by the action of ether.

    ¡°Insect type Demon Beast visual! The number is five!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good place to be. A small trick or reconnaissance? Well, it¡¯s kind of similar.¡±

    In the windy sky, direct conversation is difficult. The loudspeaker mounted on the Wind Knight is enhanced by using magic, but the effective distance is still limited. For that reason, the formation was dense.

    Dietrich decided on his tactics, informing his squad, ¡°We have superior numbers. We¡¯ll drive them in!¡±

    ¡°Confirmed!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s collect on that last loan with interest!¡±

    ¡°Second Company, left and spread out!¡±

    Following the command, the Wind Knights split into two dense formations. They moved on the insect like Beast Demon with a pincer formation. The demon beast of this type is known, now. They show a speed which does not suit their huge bodies, closing the distance quickly. The lead Wind Knight of Dietrich¡¯s company flashed the magic light communication machine.

    ¡°This is an advantage in range, don¡¯t pack too much distance!¡± It¡¯s the beginning of their attack run!

    The Wind Knights, all at once, used their Silhouette Arms to release fire bullets in succession. A vermilion line was drawn in the sky, connecting the Wind Knights and the insect-type demon beast. And then, the bullets exploded on impact. The flower bloomed in flames one after another, but the insect-type demon beast evaded it with light movements.

    ¡°What a quick thing with such a huge body. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not with the national government!¡±

    Dietrich was disgusted, but he didn¡¯t relax. Dense barrages slowed the advance of the bug-type demon beasts, but the distance between the two gradually shrank. Before long, the demon beasts changed their movements. It folded it¡¯s leg, exuding fluid from a node in it¡¯s body.

    ¡°The attack is coming! Go down!¡±

    Immediately after, the body fluid bullet that was released burst in the air. It quickly became white smoke and created clouds; A vicious evil that caused all being to die. It¡¯s called an Acid Cloud.

    Dietrich opened his eyes and observed the spectacle in his Holomonitor. ¡°There were five body-fluid bullets fired. Depending on the wind, the clouds won¡¯t spread much. In other words, it¡¯s bad to allow them freedom.¡±

    Dietrich lit the magic light communication device. The squadron that followed him immediately changed its movement with his intentions.

    ¡°But¡­ Your chances are only within that range, until it narrows down!¡±

    Again, the fire attack began all at once. This time, the density of fire was not raised too much, and it was released to spread. A bullet exploded along the spreading cloud of acid. The blast disturbed the expanding cloud, pushing back a bit of the area carrying absolute death.

    The insect-like demon beast lurking in the clouds seemed to be irritated by the cloud of acid, which did not spread as expected. If you are in the clouds, insect-type beasts are invincible. Everything that approaches will be destroyed. But in the first place, the clouds were powerless if they didn¡¯t reach them. Therefore, as a matter of course, the bug-type demon beast choose to advance. The enemy is blocking the clouds with a fire attack. Then, it is only necessary to make the cloud of the acid appear in the same place as the enemy.

    ¡°As expected. Get out of here.¡± Dietrich can¡¯t assume something that even a demon beast can dream up.

    A bug-type demon beast jumped out of the cloud. It moved it¡¯s legs and aimed aimed at the Wind Knights. The moment when the body fluid bullet which produces the cloud of death was released, they noticed objects approaching at high speed, facing them. It is just before the insect-type demon beast emerges from the cloud of acid.

    ¡°Now, Tridents! This is where they come into play.¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s Wind Knight holds a strange spear in its hand. The center part is a Lance. It was long and extended, with two spears of steel attached to the sides. It¡¯s a strangely shaped weapon with the spears arranged side by side, as opposed to three pronged. (Think three shafts, as opposed to one shaft with a three-pronged head¡­ I think that¡¯s right?)

    In response to Dietrich¡¯s operation, a spear attached to the side begins to exhale the flame more violently from it¡¯s back-end.

    ¡°Long Lance, fixed release. Begin Acceleration!¡± As soon as it was removed, the magic flying spear began to accelerate furiously. By dropping a Trident directly into the air, the Rail Arm, manual aim can be omitted and the mechanism can be greatly simplified. This armament works very well with Wind Knights who suffer from weighty payloads (near capacity).

    Then, the magic flying spear which was released continues to accelerate while pulling the tail of a long flame. This steel spear, rushing toward the acid cloud, mercilessly attacked the insect-shaped demon beast which had just come out.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to do.¡±

    How amazing is the surprise of the demon beast? The enemy hastily evaded, yet at the same time, the Trident also changed course. It was like a homing missile, following the demon beast¡¯s movement. Dietrich is one of the most skilled humans who has been using it since the middle of the Great West War, when the Trident was created. There¡¯s no easy way to escape from his aim. As if sucked in, the Trident protrudes from the head of the demon beast.

    While insect-type demon beasts boast aggressiveness and mobility, its defense isn¡¯t very high. Although it is preferable to be light in order to move quickly through the air using the buoyancy field of ether, it suffers somewhat in it¡¯s loss of defensiveness. The shell of the demon beast was not able to withstand the direct hit of the Trident.

    The spear pierced it¡¯s head, penetrating the body through momentum. It acted on kinetic energy on the surroundings. The monster¡¯s body pops as if it were exploding. The head shattered and the soft abdomen broke off. The demon beast that died instantly exploded while scattering body fluids, then it became a huge acid cloud.

    ¡°Oh, it worked, but this is¡­ It¡¯s too much trouble to crush it.¡±

    The Wind Knights were vigilant and maintained their distance. They tried to attack the remaining insect-type demons with their Tridents. As before, the demon beasts rarely fired body-fluid bullets in a random way. A wide range of acid clouds are created, blocking the Wind Knights way.

    ¡°They¡¯re going to get anything close!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too rough for an attack. I¡¯ve read that I can¡¯t rush in, and I¡¯ve blocked my career path. No, I¡¯m going to escape.¡±

    Second Company maneuvered around the acid cloud.

    ¡°Control by the magic armament continues. Reconnaissance aircraft! Are the beast shadows around!?¡±

    A reconnaissance plane flying away lights a magic light communication device on the fin wing. Dietrich slowed down after receiving a report of ¡°Zenma no Sokotai-Kaknin¡±. Dietrich slowed down.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good place to stay.¡±

    ¡°Deep pursuit is forbidden. They were reported to be tactical. Maybe the main team is waiting for you.¡±

    Second company had been alert to their surroundings for awhile, turning around after confirming that they couldn¡¯t see the trail.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re done. Now, let¡¯s go back to the ship and have breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡±

    While sending a signal by the magic light communication machine to the convoy, second company proceeds slowly on its way back. Dietrich encircled the fuselage on his way by.

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s still here. Here¡¯s Ernesti¡¯s last known position.¡± (Verbiage is confused on all three sites, how droll¡­)

    Dawn is a memory now and full morning has come. He gazed at the view of the expanding forest and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°But how do I look for it? I can¡¯t just stay up in the air.¡±

    The Omori Sea is too wide to randomly search without any clues. Then he came up with a good idea and clapped his hands.

    ¡°No, I guess it¡¯s better to do this. There will be a big fuss somewhere in due course. It¡¯s about Ernesti, we¡¯ll do something!¡±

    It was a matter of course for the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    The convoy that recovered the Wind Knight resumed its advance.

    Spread beneath them is the area of the giants. Thus, the Order of the Silver Phoenix began to be deeply involved in the fate of this land without knowing it.

 Book 8: Chapter 110: Collecting the Enemies of Enemies

    That feeling of heavy vibrations permeating the ground herald the arrival of giants. The group of giants walked roughly and, as soon as they reached the room, one opened his mouth, calling out, ¡°The King! Where¡¯s the king!? I have an urgent message for the king¡­¡±

    The giants¡¯ momentum was rapidly diminishing. The reason being that the giant who was sitting in the back of the room looked rather grim. There, with five eyes, a giant that was outstanding among giants, was The king of the Rubel Clan. He caught the giants¡¯ eyes with his own, leaning sloppily on the chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m here. So we¡¯re in a hurry, do you have good news?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ That is¡­¡±

    The atmosphere of the giant, who was called the king, became stern at once. Anxiety is blown away and power is contained in his eyes. Under intense pressure, the giant, who had been carrying the report, was dismayed by these words.

    ¡°Hmm. Did you fail?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough eyes! Cretvastia (seems to be what the giants call the bug-type Demon Beast) have fallen and another is approaching.¡±

    The low sound is transmitted to the ear of the giant, who answered listlessly, whether it was an idea. Looking up in amazement, a rare sign was seen from the perspective of a Rubel Clan giant; The king was laughing.

    ¡°Kuku, ha-ha¡­ More Cretvastia were knocked down than the warriors that appeared in our sky. If I were to destroy this many beasts, I would lose respect in the eyes of the warriors of my clan. That said, how much have they been hurt?¡±

    The laughter soon fades. The giants were stepping down to the pressure of the rising king.

    ¡°There used to be Cretvastia above our heads. Beyond that, our clans would have looked at further prosperity.¡±

    The giant on his left spoke, ¡°The power of our clans has taken no loss. So what is that? Now something new has emerged. Will the sky always be our enemy?¡±

    The king¡¯s gaze is distant, as though he didn¡¯t see the giants nearby. He keeps whispering, as if to ask someone who is far away. ¡°What¡¯s that flying thing, why come here¡­ Is there no answer? It must be something you can¡¯t rely on when it¡¯s important.¡±

    God does not speak silently. There was no blessing. The giants of the clan talked among themselves, but there wasn¡¯t much substance to their words. ¡°One hundred-eyes without blessings. There¡¯s no difference in being an enemy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get rid of it, that is, if we are the true giants.¡±

    Hearing the words of the clan giants, the king¡¯s gaze returns to the present. A foreign object that comes from the sky, whose identity and purpose are unknown. The power that could surpass Crestvatia can be a threat to the Rubel Clan.

    ¡°As we once obeyed the Cretvastia, will it be our force or a disaster for us? Do you understand?¡±

    Oberon replied, ¡°Yo.¡± (>.> Seems senseless, this response.)

    The giants¡¯ gaze concentrates on a place almost behind him. There was a huge humanoid wearing the shell of the demon beast. A distorted existence that looks like a giant, though different in its roots. The Giant Modoki, or Mystic Knight, is what it is. A small figure standing on it¡¯s palm caught the king¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°On the battlefield, wherein there is the Cretvastia, there is always a poem of destruction. It echoes, but if you turn your fangs against me, I can¡¯t obey.¡±

    ¡°I think so¡­ But, Oberon, if you can¡¯t use it too much, you won¡¯t be needed, will you?¡±

    ¡°In the hope of such a thing, with our Mystic Knight, let¡¯s promise to do more work.¡±

    The giant king¡¯s mouth formed a distorted, mocking smile. Oberon did not seem to care and returned a bow.

    ¡°How shall I become a king, even if it¡¯s just over the Kaerreus clan, which I¡¯ve destroyed. If they had closed their eyes, the plague would have passed. If an enemy appears in the sky, even I must open my eyes again.¡±

    The king of giants closed his eyes and muttered. ¡°Allied Clan forces or¡­¡±

    Of the many large and small giant clans, the largest is the Rubel Clan. It is. In the past, there were a number of powerful clans. The majority of the powerful clans were destroyed in a massive struggle, the ¡®Right of the Eyes¡¯. The reason was that the Rubel Clan, who obeyed the Cretvastia, wielded overwhelming power. All that remained were the small clans, akin to a tree within a forest. It was impossible to go against the Rubel clan as things stood. Overturning that premise was why the formation of the allied clans came about in the first place.

    Adjusting numbers was important because of the Giants, who decide things by their own practice of asking their sage, then by winning or losing battles. No matter how small they might be individually, together they become a force that cannot be ignored. The king dismissed the concerns of those around him.

    ¡°No matter how many small clans gather out of sight, it¡¯s still useless. Just look at what happened the last time.¡±

    ¡°Even so, the enemy is not limited to them.¡±

    ¡°Then I need the next sacrifice¡­¡±

    The discussion of the pair raised a variety of eyes. For those who were not the Gods of The Hundred Eyes, some elements remained obscured. The consequence of chance wasn¡¯t factored in yet; the die was cast but had not yet stopped. Seeing the uncertainty around him, the king sighed. It was the largest clan and the most powerful power that the Cretvastia had acquired, so what was there to be worried about?

    ¡°Is it an unknown flying enemy? Isn¡¯t the timing just right, depending on how you think about it?¡±

    The giants around them turned their eyes to the king. ¡°In the first place, it is futile to be a mere clan. The protection of the hundred eyes is only given to the Rubel Clan, no other should receive it. We shouldn¡¯t have to close our eyes anymore, we just have to level it up.¡±

    Low laughter leaked out. The king walked calmly among the giants, who stopped moving like they were frozen.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t remember it at first glance, look at it a second time. If they start to work with the clan union, we will respond.¡± Eventually he came to stand before another king. He looked at Oberon with his five eyes, he whom governed the goblins.

    ¡°I am ready.¡±

    ¡°Until then¡­¡±

    On the palm of the Mystic Knight, the little king bowed. The king of the Rubel Clan nodded happily and left; The giants followed. The tall giants did not see the expression of the king. No one noticed that he was secretly smiling.

    A soft feeling slipped between Addy¡¯s fingers. Anything can be solved if it¡¯s played with, it seemed, as Addy¡¯s fingers ran through Ernesti¡¯s hair. She was suppressing a sigh.

    ¡°Oh, it feels good to toy with Eru¡¯s hair¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    A stunned voice was heard by the girl who ran her fingers through the boy¡¯s hair without getting bored. When Addy turned around, she saw a young man standing at the entrance of the room.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Zachariah. I¡¯m just doing this because Eru is sleeping.¡± (i.e. She¡¯s bored.)

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    While resting Eru¡¯s head on her lap, Addy is gently petting him so as not to wake him up.

    The young man, who was called Zacharia, started to say something before her strangely pleasing appearance, but wisely decided not to comment. Instead, he remembered his role. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for coming by while he¡¯s resting, but the king told me to call you two.¡±

    ¡°Oh, King Oberon. Eru-kun, come on.¡± Addy shook Eru¡¯s shoulder. After a while, he slowly began to move.

    ¡°When you¡¯re ready, talk to me,¡± Zacharia said, leaving the room.

    Then, Addy made quick preparations. While Eru was waking, she combed her hair and arranged her clothes. After checking everything, she whispered with satisfaction. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s cute today too!¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Addy. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s okay.¡±

    Once more beside the suspicious Eru, she happily hugged him. Together they left to greet the king of the Goblin Clan.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been waiting for you both,¡± King Oberon said, raising his hand with a smile.

    Eru and Addy had come to the meeting room in the castle. Ernesti arrived at his seat while exchanging greetings with the small king, whom in turn had his hands held behind his back. The king had a slightly apologetic coloring despite his usual smile.

    ¡°Even though I was invited here, time passed without me being able to do much of anything. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If there¡¯s a call from the Giants, we can¡¯t afford to deal with it,¡± Eru replied, sighing.

    Taking a deep breath, Oberon responded, ¡°Absolutely true; I¡¯m always following the orders of the Rubel Clan.¡±

    The two spoke quietly, Eru chatting with the king, whom got to the main subject swiftly.

    ¡°¡­¡­ At any rate. It looks like the Rubel Clan is about to make a big move, soon.¡±

    ¡°Is it against another Clan?¡±

    When Eru scratched his head, the king whispered and nodded.

    ¡°There is that too, but first of all, it¡¯s about your guys.¡±

    ¡°Ours?¡±

    ¡°The intruder flying in the sky have reappeared.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about that!¡±

    The king gently held back when Addy¡¯s hips involuntarily began to lift her off her seat. He had a smile on his face, as if saying that he understood.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you think. What¡¯s flying in the sky? No, let¡¯s be honest. A ship is heading to this land. The Rubels are now discussing a response.¡±

    Eru and Adi looked at each other. They exchange smiles with surprise and joy. He suppressed his desire to start moving immediately, and turned to the small king again.

    ¡°Thank you for the important information. So, we¡¯re going to pick you up soon.¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°No, wait. Just wait a minute.¡±

    The King was in a hurry to stop them. The two, half risen from their seats, sat back down, slowly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I want to do, but there¡¯s things that have to be set up.¡±

    With a small breath, the king leaned forward. ¡°You guys are are planning to join this intruder¡­ No, with our fellow countrymen from the west. That¡¯s fine. But are we to be left behind? Distant kin, that¡¯s so heartless. Even though I told you the information out of kindness, there were also some outrageous stories.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    In front of Oberon, who was lamenting on purpose, Addy was unhappy. Eru folded his arms and thought a little.

    ¡°I know. We¡¯re not so ungrateful.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really reassuring to hear that.¡±

    He probably decided he could continue to talk, so the king leaned back.

    ¡°First of all, let me hear a little more. The arrival of your people has forced the Rubel Clan to move. They are concerned that the coalition of clans will be formed again, and that there will be unidentified enemies in their skies. It is said that the enemy rejected the Cretvastia, which went up to intercept, and is still invading the territory of the giants.¡±

    When Eru and Addy heard this, they were once again filled with joy. ¡°Everyone is so strong! It¡¯s not likely they¡¯ll be killed by such a demon beast.¡±

    ¡°Once you bring back the information, Edgar and Di will surely be able do something for you. It¡¯s worth letting everyone go.¡±

    ¡°Yet, thanks to this, the Rubel Clan is in turmoil. No matter how great the clan is, it is inevitable that the giants will be hurt if they collide with each other. However, if even the Demon Beasts remain alive and well, a number of things, such as the Clan Union, won¡¯t matter.¡±

    The existence of the Cretvastia is very important in the strategy of the Rubel clan.

    ¡°Therefore, they are determined to wipe out the clans that remain before you are involved any more. It¡¯s the return of a full-blown rebellion, and it¡¯s going to be another big question.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no¡­ You can be a trump card that will completely change the power of this forest. It¡¯s absolutely responsible, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    With a little laugh, Oberon looked alternately at the pair, looking happy.

    ¡°This fight is our fault.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. You just happened to get lost here. There may be a bit of a mess, but you don¡¯t have to join us.¡±

    ¡°Phrased in such a way¡­¡±

    Addy glared at him, but the king was rather pleasant and smiling.

    ¡°However, the goblin clan¡­ This is a headache for me. Once you get involved in a battle between giants, we won¡¯t amount to much.¡±

    ¡°Does that means trying to take everyone in the village hostage!?¡±

    ¡°No way, that¡¯s a way of thinking¡­ However, I am in the position of the king of the Goblin Clan, even if it is just this. I just have to oversee a large are.¡±

    The king shrugged his shoulders, and Addy fell silent, discontent.

    In any case, she also knew that she had no power to resist the goblins involved in the fight. The bigger the battle, the less they could afford to protect them. The decision of the Rubel Clan was not very welcome.

    ¡°But, at the same time, I believe this is a good opportunity. The Rubel Clan is going to go directly into battle! If you¡¯re going to hit them hard, this is the only place.¡±

    The goblin clan was trying to break away from the Rubel Clan, but it didn¡¯t want a strike on their home base. However, if the are in the middle of fighting against various clans, they stood a chance. If they aimed for it, that¡¯s was.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be specific. What kind of action do you want us to take?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. There are so many things, but the battle is near. First of all, we¡¯ve been ordered to move immediately.¡±

    The king¡¯s smile waned as he stared at Eru. Various speculations were swirling in his mind, and his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°I want to make sure that the intruders in the sky are really on your side. I¡¯m going to have you guys move on to do that.¡±

    ¡°All right. I don¡¯t mind talking to everyone. Our objectives are consistent in that the Rubels are the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Soon afterwards, we will struggle with the Rubel Clan. It would be better if we could use the Clan Union, but we don¡¯t know how it works, so let¡¯s leave it for the time being.¡±

    Eru was nodding. It is an unbelievable request for him, who wanted most to join the fleet quickly. There was no problem fighting the Rubel Clan¡­ Though, he had some concerns.

    ¡°Certainly my order is not so far behind the Cretsvastia. Still, in a full-scale collision, bleeding can¡¯t be avoided.¡±

    Eru¡¯s gaze was locked to Oberon. The king of the goblins lightly gasped in response to the unexpectedly sharp gaze from the little boy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the role of shedding blood as a one-sided affair on our part.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s safe. In this battle, the Rubels will never gain the power of the flying Demon Beasts.¡±

    ¡°Eh. Why is that?¡±

    The two both looked surprised. The king took a breath and regained his smile.

    ¡°Why are you so confident? Do you know how to follow the Cretsvastia?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu. There¡¯s something we¡¯ve been preparing. That¡¯s why. This is a trump card. I can¡¯t give you the details.¡±

    The king and the knight leader smiled cheerfully. They kept laughing while those nearby kept their distance with subtle expressions.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s remember those words. To defeat the Rubel Clan together and gain freedom.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s expect each other to fight well.¡±

    Thus, quietly in the corner of the forest, the siege network against the Rubel Clan was built.

    ¡°Oh, yes. Wait a minute. Zacharia, this way.¡±

    It was Eru, who was going down the room to try and chase the ship immediately. Called by the king, he looks back.

    Oberon pointed to Zachariah and said, ¡°If you successfully reach out to your friends, you¡¯ll need a way to communicate with them. Accompany him. If you do that, we¡¯ll give you a hand.¡±

    ¡°How is that?¡±

    ¡°He has a little special skill. Well, it¡¯s going to be clear eventually.¡±

    ¡°I understand your role.¡±

    Zachariah knelt in front of the king, whispered, and was full of spirit to go from the look of him. Eru and Addy looked at each other. ¡°What do you want to do? He¡¯s probably been keeping an eye on us.¡±

    ¡°There are things that you want to know about us, but¡­ You¡¯ll need a liaison eventually, and you¡¯ll come back anyway. This way I won¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    After Oberon left, Eru and his companions left the city.

    ¡°Well. It¡¯s the same thing as searching for the Levitate Ship, first we have to join the Kaerreus clan.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay to leave the giants alone?¡±

    Zacharaia asked questions, suspiciously. From his point of view, he doesn¡¯t like any giant clan simply because they were giants, even if they weren¡¯t as powerful as the Rubel Clan.

    ¡°No, I need them. Ask them to come into contact with the Clan Union and Yara. After all, they are all hostile to the Rubels. To win, we have to use everything we can.¡±

    The accompanying young man was at a loss for a reply and stared at the back of the boy walking in front of him. Intruders in the sky, clan union and the goblins, all forces to defeat the Rubel Clan. This little knight is going to beat them thoroughly. Or he might just be more intense than Oberon. The end of his old compatriots from the west ¡ª he felt slightly terrified of his existence.

    ¡°¡­¡­ I think it would be good, if it is also for the future of the Goblin Clan.¡±

    When he shakes his head, he makes a decision. Then, he walked behind the boy and the girl.

 Book 8: Chapter 111: Engagement

    Small footsteps ran through the forest

    The new Magician of the Kaerreus Clan noticed the sound of faint footsteps and turned around.

    ¡°Parl, members of the Kaerreus clan; I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±

    ¡°Magister! Are you back?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Parl-Chan! How are you?¡±

    She found the pair as they were running lightly among the trees; Parl sat down. Eru responded with a small wave to Addy, who swung her arms.

    ¡°So, the Goblin Clan¡­ What kind of eyes did you get? What¡¯s up? In addition, Master, there¡¯s something going on.¡±

    Parl made a point of looking behind them, shaking her head. The reason is the unfamiliar goblins which seemed to be following the pair.

    ¡°Giant¡­ Are you really with the Kaerreus clan? Lord Ernesti is really accepted by the giants.¡±

    Zachariah, a young man of the Goblin Clan, revealed a complicated expression as he looked at the Little Mage sitting in front of Eru. The Giants in his memory were an arrogant race that looked down on them. They would surely never sit within the eyesight of goblins such as the small Eru, and it was outside the imagination that they¡¯d call any goblin ¡®Master¡¯ or ¡®Magister¡¯.

    ¡°If we could go out like you¡­ But no, you probably don¡¯t want to talk about that, do you?¡±

    While Zach struggled through his emotions, Parl gathers the members of her clan. A giant came out of the woods; a familiar Brave.

    ¡°The hero of the Goblin Clan. I¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± Brave whispered.

    ¡°Brave! And everyone else, too. I have very good news.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What kind of truth did the Goblin clan reveal?¡±

    In front of the assembled giants, Eru began to tell what he had seen and heard in the city of the Goblins. The giants were listening to him with a strange expression, but when they heard that the Rubel Clan giants were starting to move, they couldn¡¯t maintain their silence any longer.

    ¡°What does that mean. The Rubels don¡¯t need to look at the ¡®clans¡¯ themselves.¡±

    The hero roared and looked up to the heavens. It is not unusual in the history of the Giants that conflicts occur between clans. Rather, it can be said that the question between clans is their history. However, it might be the first time in their history that the Rubel clan thought that it was going to destroy all other clans.

    ¡°It may be strange, at this point, that they did not destroy the other clans in their blind revolt.¡±

    ¡°Or has your mindset changed over time? However, one of the reasons why the Rubel shims started to move in a hurry this time is the presence of intruders. It¡¯s probably my friends. So I¡¯m a little sorry.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s only natural to help your friends.¡±

    The little magician slowly shook her head. Eru smiled softly and inclined his head.

    ¡°Then we must relaunch the Clan Alliance. As it is, if you¡¯re diverted, you¡¯ll fall in front of the Rubels.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you should answer the question of the sage! Can we make it? Even if it¡¯s just the capital of the hundred eyes, it¡¯s pretty close.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. We once closed our eyes to them, so what do we say to gather the clans¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to convey my thoughts in words. Until you open your eyes anyway.¡±

    The brave kept silent and listened to the discussion. Eventually, he looks around with his three eyes and considered Eru.

    ¡°Goblin Brave, to what extent is it true that the Rubel clan cannot use Cretvastia? That will greatly change the plan we have to take.¡±

    As Eru opened his mouth, Zachariah advanced on his behalf. He knelt in front of the giants and looked up at the brave. ¡°For that, we¡¯ll make you a promise: The next question will not be given to the clans by Cretvastia.¡±

    The brave looks at him with a severe look that has changed since then.

    ¡°The brave of the Kaerreus Clan. What is this?¡±

    ¡°King of the Goblins, Oberon. He¡¯s one of my kind. His liaison follows me.¡±

    The brave leaned forward and looked closely at Zachariah. Covered by the giant¡¯s shadow, Zachariah¡¯s whole body grew tense.

    ¡°If you were to replace your eyes and ears, can you replace your mouth?¡±

    ¡°Even though he¡¯s a liaison, he is allowed to answer to some extent.¡±

    Eyeballs as large as his face stare at him. He was a little nervous and his body trembled. Naturally, the person who can act calmly and intimately in front of a huge existence which can pound them into ground meat in an instant doesn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°The King, my Lord, is the pilot of the Mystic Knight. This made it possible to stand against the power of the giants. Then, how did this little boy and girl achieve the same result?¡±

    The brave looked away, under pressure, upon hearing Zach¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Have you carried the clans? Then there is no lie in your words.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for believing¡­¡±

    The next moment, Zachariah pat his chest a little, surmounting the first challenge. The sound of the brave¡¯s voice became more severe.

    ¡°But if you were going to do that, it¡¯s not limited to good eyes.¡±

    Neither Eru, nor the Kaerreus clan, knew how the Rubels can subdue the Cretvastia. It was another matter, whether it was certain or not, if the giants can do something about this.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­!¡±

    The brave rose to his feet without being interested in the bloody Zachariah.

    ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s certain that the Rubels will move. So, it is important to build a new Clan Union.¡±

    Whether there was a Cretvastia or not, they must prepare for the question. The formation of the Clan Union was absolute. It had finally died close to the capital of the Hundred Eyes, but they couldn¡¯t spare it. They had to get back immediately and prepare to fight the Rubel clan.

    ¡°I have a few suggestions about that.¡±

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Eru raised his hand with a smile on his face.

    ¡°My Kasasagi, which I left with you, will be useful.¡±

    ¡°Your Silhouette Knight?¡±

    The brave and the little magician looked at each other. Eru¡¯s Silhouette Knight was in the care of the Kaerreus clan. The Kasasagi was an air combat machine, a Wind Style Knight that was both similar and different from the Sylphiette. It is an aircraft that can fly in the sky, powerful, but that wasn¡¯t the only advantage.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Master. Sure, it¡¯s fast. But¡­ Wouldn¡¯t something like that be the first thing you¡¯d be hostile to if you went around the clans?¡±

    The Kasasagi had great performance speed alone - but it looked deadly. Despite the fact that he¡¯d made extensive use of Demon Beast materials, Eru made full use of his unique ability, creating a genuinely confident enemy.

    ¡°Sure, you might be wary if an unfamiliar flying object comes along.¡±

    ¡°Eru¡­ That¡¯s not the problem, is it?¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. You can take the Kasasagi with you if you¡¯re one of the giants.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you have the eyes for that?¡± (Feels like¡­ ¡®Do you have the stones to try that, little man?¡± Same sentiment.)

    Parl, who had flown in the sky with the Kasasagi, clapped. Despite some forcing, the many special features of the Silhouette Knight were very valuable.

    ¡°Come to the west with me, so we can quickly persuade the clans.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡±

    The brave closed his eyes, thinking. Eru¡¯s proposal made sense. Now that the Rubels have decided to move, they can¡¯t afford to walk back to the chief. If they could move through the sky, time critical problems would be greatly mitigated.

    ¡°Alright Brave, your proposal is worthwhile. However, there is still one problem left. Who should go alone, then?¡±

    Among the survivors of the Kaerreus Clan, the most powerful is the brave. The only way to make a slightly better chance to persuade the clans is for him to go. At the same time, if he were to go, the battle of the Kaerreus Clan would be greatly reduced. For the brave who recognized that protecting the survivors was one of the most important roles he had, it was not an easy decision.

    ¡°¡­¡­ He¡¯s a Brave.¡±

    As the brave raised his head, Parl proceeded calmly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s work with my teacher to persuade the clans.¡±

    ¡°Apprentice mage!? But you¡¯re still not enough to replace the magician.¡±

    ¡°I know an apprentice like me is still immature, but if I don¡¯t move here now, what¡¯s the fourth-eye position even for?¡±

    That unique hierarchy, the ¡°eye position¡± which is a peculiar order to the giants. Of the giants living in the Kaerreus Clan, Parl, with the four-eye position, is the highest. In many cases, the head of a clan has a high eye rank. In the Kaerreus clan, the former magician was like that. If you want to persuade other clans, it is desirable to leave it to the person with the most eyes. The brave showed the difficulty of leaving such a task to one so young, even if it was understood in theory.

    ¡°Even so, if only one person could go. Can you face danger with only a little magician?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Apprentice Parl, if you¡¯re with Kasasagi, at worst you can run away from any disaster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    Watching Eru nod confidently, the brave closed his eyes for a while and pondered. After some small exchanges with the other clan giants, he let loose a long sigh.

    ¡°Apprentice mage?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll entrust the words of the clan to you. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°For sure!¡±

    Parl nodded with enthusiasm, taking on the critical role of betting on the future of the Giants without hesitation or fear. The brave narrowed his eyes to see such a dazzling face, but eventually turned to the giants of the clan.

    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to be closed off, here. We might be late, but we will follow.¡±

    The Kaerreus clan set a policy. When Eru saw it, he turned to the hidden Kasasagi.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯re done. Shall we prepare our departure?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Mr. Ernesti. The Little Magician with Kasasagi, Parl, knew that I¡¯m going to carry her. I¡¯m going to do it, but¡­¡±

    Addy had some concerns as she followed him.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be going with you, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Eru also noticed what she was trying to say and looked back at Zachariah, who was following after. He nodded greatly, of course.

    ¡°I will also accompany you, Lord Ernesti. That¡¯s why I came.¡±

    ¡°I guess. But I wonder if the three of us can get by in Kasasagi.¡±

    The cockpit was originally from Ikaruga. It¡¯s very narrow because it¡¯s built to fit Eru¡¯s physique and was small because it had been stuffed with quite a bit of equipment. If three people were put onside, it is sure to be more than ¡®a little¡¯ cramped. Beside the embarrassed Eru¡¯s, Addy seemed disappointed.

    ¡°It¡¯s no good. The cockpit is my place with Eru!¡±

    ¡°How about that?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ You will be using your Silhouette Knight to fly in the sky. So then, it is not possible for me to follow on foot. It¡¯s my mission to confirm this and to form the United Clans.¡±

    Like Addy, Zachariah is also stubborn and won¡¯t give up. Why else did he follow this boy for? He had a serious personality and was ordered to do so by his king, in person. Kasasagi carrying three people plus the giant was a sober and difficult problem. Eru worried at the problem for a little while, but before long, he became troublesome and smiled.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do this. Zachariah will be riding along¡­ on Kasasagi¡¯s palm.¡±

    In response to this terrible blow, Zach looked astonished. The sky of the Demon Forest is wide. Flying was the most important objective¡­ And it wasn¡¯t exactly difficult to do. Zachariah felt dizzy with the difficulty of their mission.

    Eru and Addy quickly prepare, while on other person is determined to be endure like some tragic princess. Addy got into the cockpit and looked around the seat.

    ¡°Mmmm. Well, I guess I can¡¯t just sit in my own seat. Well, Ernesti, this way.¡±

    ¡°Um, maybe.¡±

    She slipped into the seat and slapped her knees. Eru drew his eyebrows after receiving an indication that she wanted him to sit there.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to sit normally?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t do this, you won¡¯t be able to get into the cockpit, so you can¡¯t help it!¡±

    ¡°Is that really true? And won¡¯t it be hard on your knees?¡±

    ¡°If I can have Eru on top of me¡­ No problem!¡±

    ¡°What is with that strange confidence?¡±

    Kasasagi was starting to move, even though it was a smoldering thing. Intake and exhaust sounds are also high, the mana began to flow through its body. The Silhouette Knight, which had an extreme shape being only the upper body, can¡¯t even walk in it¡¯s present condition. However, when a rainbow-colored circle was created under it¡¯s belly, the eerie giant began to float in the air. The Ether Ring Generator was active. The Kasasagi could only fly with that device, after all.

    Parl walked out to see the Silhouette Knight, seemingly having appeared from the depths of the forest with a loud wind, as it began to float. The giants of the Kaerreus clan encouraged the young magician to fulfill her mission. They let her know they were praying to the Hundred Eyes.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go already!¡±

    Supporting the back of the little mage, Kasasagi raised it¡¯s power level. The rainbow glow strengthened and they flew up into the sky. There was one person, an attendant whom was riding on the palm, screaming loudly. It was conveniently drowned out by the intense intake and exhaust sound from the Silhouette Knight. Thus, the party advanced through the sky. Their aim was to be in the western part of the forest, where there are small clans of giants.

    In the terrible forest¡¯s sky where the monsters swarm, strange objects were flying. A weird giant with an odd appearance wearing armor that has been processed from the shells of demon beasts. It is a familiar little magician and Silhouette Knight. There is nothing to block the party. The Magijet thruster was spitting out flames seemed to be in good repair and it was moving through the sky as if it were easy. Feeling the wind playing with her hair, Parl narrowed her four eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve flown with my teacher and that¡¯s not bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to fly together!¡±

    Addy answered, and was pleased, hugging Eru tightly. As expected, she had to give up having him sit on her lap, but it doesn¡¯t change that they were sitting together after all. Some of them were enjoying flying through the air this way, however, there is one person who does not.

    ¡°Mr. Zachariah? Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°Oka¡­ No, no! I think this is for our future. But I don¡¯t want to do it!¡°

    This time, Kasasagi was flying without gaining too much altitude. The reason is that being still clinging to his palms in a desperate manner. The knights of the Goblins had guts. Eru was thinking that it was even comparable to those Silver Phoenix Knights of his.

    ¡°But teacher¡­ Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    As the flew in the sky, the little magician suddenly spoke to up.

    ¡°I persuade the clans and prepare the allies for the question with the Rubel Clan. It¡¯s important for us. But is the brotherhood of my teacher still somewhere in the forest?¡±

    The air convoy had come looking for Ernesti. Eru, who had been left in the forest, must have been waiting for them. But he smiled softly, not affirming.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve come this far and my Knights are not as flexible as I am. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going, even if I know what I¡¯m looking for. However, flying around in the dark clouds is a waste.¡±

    Addy, who was sitting behind him, hugged him a little more.

    ¡°Then we should be prepared for everything else. We is hostile to the Rubel Clan, but not all of the Giants are enemies. They just don¡¯t know it.¡±

    The scenery captured by the crystal eye of the Holomonitor reflects and flows therein. In it is shown the magial forest where Demon Beasts wriggle and monsters dance. The forest seemed endlessly wide, even if it is limited to the region of the giants. At that time, Addy found something strange in the projector and stared.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where the Knights are, but if you¡¯re a member of the clans, you can gather them around the forest. Let¡¯s gather them up here, first.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you, teacher¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey? Eru, what is that?¡±

    Addy interrupted the two of them and stretched her arms from behind him, pointed to a place in the sky. Eru carefully followed her finger, eyes widening.

    ¡°What is that¡­¡±

    A shadow of something floating in a pale, cloudy sky. The sizes varied. The number seemed to grow over time, and proved to be rather considerable.

    ¡°Is it the bug-type Demon Beasts?! No way, it was going ahead.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±

    In contrast to the panicking Parl, Eru¡¯s face grew happy. Addy also shined, leaning forward. Small shadows run around the sky at high speed. There was a huge thing in the center of the group, and a small one seemed to protect it.

    ¡°Why no longer. Everyone will find it surprising that such shadows exist¡­¡±

    ¡°Does that thing really exist?¡±

    ¡°Actually, here. It¡¯s clear what we should do.¡±

    ¡°Teacher? What is that?¡±

    She was an apprentice magician, who couldn¡¯t grasp the situation, and was surprised to hear Eru¡¯s explanation.

    ¡°Then, what are you going to do, teacher?¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­ I¡¯ll rush in. Parl, get ready!¡±

    ¡°OK, Master!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ernesti!? What the hell are you doing? Oh, my God!?¡±

    About one person screamed as the Magi Jet Thruster raised it¡¯s output. Kasasagi accelerated quickly, kicked off be the fiercely blowing flame.

    ¡°Fufu. It¡¯s an emotional reunion. Let¡¯s be flashy!¡±

    The rainbow glow intensified it¡¯s light, and the Silhouette Knight flew high. On the way to their destination is a number of shadows flying in the sky; a flying fleet. On that day, the Silver Phoenix Knights and the flying fleet were attacked by their Knight Commander.

 Book 8: Chapter 112: Wind Knights vs Metamorph

    A horn sounded suddenly over the quiet forest.

    ¡°Emergency signal from the reconnaissance aircraft!¡±

    The source is the center of the Silver Phoenix Knights and The Flying Fleet. The flagship of the Wind Knight Carrier group, the Izmo.

    ¡°Message warns of the approach of a Demon Beast, the number is¡­ What the hell? One?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be sending a platoon out to meet it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    David, who takes the captain¡¯s seat, nodded to Takaage. (?) Since they¡¯d reached this area, Demon Beast attacks had become a daily occurrence. Responding to this monster was an elite Wind Knight, the Tuediane. Besides, a single platoon is hardly an enemy. Yes, he was comfortable.

    ¡°¡­¡­!? Continue using visual comms! Ah, the demon beast is approaching! ¡­¡­ It seems to have been missed?¡°

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not sure about this one.¡±

    Everyone on that bridge, not just Izmo¡¯s master, were suspicious of the reports they were receiving.

    ¡°By any chance, is it a bug type?¡±

    ¡°No, there is no signal indicating the bug type. I mean, the type is unknown.¡±

    Edgar, the captain of the 1st Company groaned, arms crossed.

    One of the strongest enemies they¡¯d encountered in this region so far was the worm-type Demon Beast, which also had a soluble body fluid, though different than the bug-type. If it wasn¡¯t one of these, it must have been a new kind of monster. Even if it was alone, vigilance was necessary.

    ¡°Hey Edgar, what are you going to do? You¡¯re headed this way, but after all, there¡¯s only one of these things.¡±

    ¡°Think of me as moral support, or perhaps I¡¯m going along just in case. I¡¯m a flying knight, too. I¡¯ll take your Tuediane. 1st Company, prepare to launch.¡±

    ¡°Just for one of them, huh?¡± another squadron leader, Dietrich, called out a question to Edgar, whom was about to leave bridge.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of beast it is, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s ever been a time where a single enemy attacked, as opposed to a group of them. I don¡¯t think these Demon Beasts are quite that stupid.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the ships around you to keep their eyes open, hey?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to do anything stupid.¡±

    ¡°Just make sure you bring my Tuediane back, okay?¡±

    Dietrich remained leaning against the wall and waved. Edgar shrugged once and then headed off to the ship¡¯s hold. Wind Knights were struggling in the sky while such an exchange took place on the flagship.

    ¡°This guy¡­ He¡¯s fast!¡±

    ¡°Damn, he make it look easy to attack us!¡±

    Silhouette Knights with a half-human, half-fish design were fighting in the sky. They had a human-shaped upper body and fish-shaped lower body. The flames from the Magi-Jet thrusters spewed out violently as they feverishly tried to outpace the speedy Monster in their midst. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t enough to catch up with, let alone surpass, the speed of the other party. If the other enemies were Demon Beasts, surely this one was a Demon personified!

    ¡°But¡­ What is that? Are we facing a demon beast or a Silhouette Knight?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things. As if there could be a Silhouette Knight in a place like this!¡±

    ¡°But, look closely¡­ what does that look like to you?¡±

    A platoon of flying knights on the recon-duty encountered the enemy they were currently referring to as ¡°Sole¡± in the air. After sending a signal of the encounter warning to the fleet, they tried firing off a warning shot. Then Sole approached at an unusual rate, quickly overtaking the recon-company. In addition, it seemed that Sole was flying toward the center of the convoy in a clear, unwavering line. Thus it was quite clear: this enemy couldn¡¯t possibly be left to do as it pleased.

    ¡°Oorah! I hit him!¡±

    The shot released by the flying knight drew a tail of light in the sky, but the pilot spoke a bit prematurely. Sole easily avoided the bullet, it¡¯s remnants scattering. It moved exactly as if it had eyes in the back of it¡¯s head and it continued flying without slowing down even a little bit.

    ¡°If we keep going like this¡­ We¡¯ll be back to the Izmo!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll not be letting that happen. Look, it¡¯s a light signal!¡±

    From under the flying convoy floating in the distance came light flashes. A fixed pattern of flashing light conveyed a hopeful message.

    ¡°First¡­ Company! Captain Edgar is coming?¡±

    ¡°This is the end of that beast.¡±

    A flame seemed to have lit up in front of the fleet. This proved to be the Wind Knights of the first squadron on a direct intercept course. Granted, this was a force which seemed to be ¡®a tad bit¡¯ excessive for one enemy, but it was encouraging to see the Company in charge of preventing enemies from breaking through to the fleet.

    ¡°Well, finally. First company, permission to engage. We¡¯re going to pinch and shoot!¡±

    ¡°Watch out for each one! Magic-Guided Short Spear, get ready!¡± (This seems to be different than their Lances, but the context is all wonky. I maybe come back to this later.)

    The reconnaissance platoon ceased fire, concentrating on trying to at least maintain the current distance of, if not overtake, the enemy. While increasing speed, small twin spear-throwers were activated. From the front, first squadron¡¯s Wind Knights were approaching; The siege against this unidentified beast was beginning in earnest.

    ¡°It¡¯s quick but, after all, it is a monster.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly¡­ Magic short spear, projection!¡± (I feel this should be launch¡­ Welcome to the rough draft, folks!)

    Flames violently erupted from the small twin spear thrower. Silver wires on the inside held the magical commands, connected as well by a kind of sword, allowing a continual volley of spears to be released. The spears accelerate sharply and rushed toward the enemy. It felt like overkill, to use so much force against a single enemy. In front were the Flying Knights of 1st Company, from the rear came attacks by the magic guided short spears. No one doubted that this was the end of the¡­ Boss Demon.

    ====================================

    If it was just a beast, that might have truly been the end of it.

    The thing which seems to be a demon beast, this Boss Demon that the Flying Knight Corps chased, well¡­ it wasn¡¯t a Boss Demon or a Demon Beast at all. This enemy was, in fact, a deformed Silhouette Knight called ¡°Kasasagi¡± and was being piloted by none other than Ernesti Echeverria, the Knight Commander of the Order of the Silver Phoenix.

    ¡°Eru! There¡¯s more spears coming up behind us!¡±

    In the cockpit of the Kasasagi, Addy, who was currently hugging Eru happily, leaned forward. She seemed rather pleased that they were under attack. Incidentally, Eru nodded with an unclear expression on his face.

    ¡°Would you really like to use it? It¡¯s a really good decision.¡±

    ¡°Is this really the time to be relaxing? I mean, they¡¯re coming over.¡±

    Looking at the many spears reflected in the Holo-Monitor, Eru smiled fearlessly.

    ¡°Hehehe. In fact, these are just the same magic spears we used back then, against the Levitate ships, though they have been modified. I suppose it¡¯s safe to tell you that there are a few drawbacks to them.¡±

    Gripping the control stick, then, Eru intervened in moving the arms left to Addy¡¯s control. Receiving magic, they started to give off a pale light.

    ¡°Addy, if you please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Hehehe, is that the child of the Purple Swallow Knights, or is it one of our Silver Phoenix Knights?¡±

    There were two pilots in this cockpit. Taking advantage of this, the pair of them were able to respond to a variety of attacks that would overwhelm a single pilot. As a result of each maneuver, the Kasasagi took a strange position, an arm aiming backwards while advancing with all it¡¯s power.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fast-fire magic weapon that lacks power, but it also has surprising advantages.¡±

    He looked at the approaching spear as Addy fired. Rapid-fire magic weapons are great at what they do. Each one of these particular ones fired a small bullet, which can then be scattered quickly to form a barrage. The spears, in turn, are caught up in this barrage, which led to an explosion from the edge where the bullet hit, and the spear was blown up. Those that aren¡¯t outright destroyed lose their target and fly randomly.

    A hurried instruction came from a panicked Wind-Knight pilot, but it was already far too late. The barrage by the small method bullet destroyed the silver line nerve, that which was used to guide the short-spears. The magic-guided short spear, which had seemed to successfully deflect the target once, had just failed utterly.

    There is one big fault in the magic spear. After all, the magic guide spear is a spear which flies at high speed and does not have any other function, such as exploding. Without the magic to guide it, it becomes a dumb-fire attack, so once you¡¯re no longer able to be targeted then the attack fails. On the other hand, while not very powerful, the rapid-fire type magic-guided short spears functioned almost like a homing missile, making it a very effective interceptor. That said, it doesn¡¯t take much power to disrupt it, either.

    ¡°We¡¯re not sweet enough to just crash with only this type of attack.¡±

    Eru laughed at her, but he was the inventor of the magic spear. Of course he¡¯d understand the weaknesses of the weapon and how to counter it. Thus, the Kasasagi accelerated once again toward the place the spears were launched from. The little mage, supported by Kasasagi, felt a strong sense of acceleration, her whole body stiffening.

    ¡°Parl-chan, are you alright!?¡±

    ¡°Master Addy¡­ I¡¯m a giant, I don¡¯t care about a little thing like this!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an attack coming, be careful!¡±

    While the pursuers were left behind, the Wind Knight squadron from ahead of them closed the distance. Next, we have to break through this.

    ¡°How can I help? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much I can do, but¡­¡±

    Flying through the air, knights flying in the sky, flying spears, all approaching at overwhelming speed. All of these things are beyond the experiences of the Apprentice Mage. In fairness, there is no one among the giant clans who has experience with air-to-air combat. She is, honestly, in completely unknown territory.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, most of this can be left to me and Addy. Parl, we¡¯ll try to prevent them from attacking as much as possible, just do your best to defend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Nevertheless, the apprentice mage looked forward once more with no signs of discouragement.

    ¡°This is where the teachers are¡­¡­ I live in the west, we aren¡¯t like the Goblin Clan.¡±

    Because she¡¯d heard it from Eru and Addy, she knew that these flying things came from their home to rescue them. These people whom had the power of the sky, that can even defeat the Cretvastia. Parl, the only giant there, was firmly determined to do well.

    ¡°Now, get ready, it¡¯ll be here soon!¡±

    The Kasasagi accelerated toward the largest ship in the middle of the convoy. The little mage looked at the group in front of her from between narrowed eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Is it a ship like the master said? If we¡¯re few in numbers, we should be able to get inside. Hundred eyes¡­ Look at that!¡±

    At the same time, the massive attack was started against the Kasasagi, which continued to push forward. Though the aim of the attack was very accurate, just before it could hit the Kasasagi performed a lateral shift, avoiding it. Assuming, at first, that he¡¯d dodged the attack, he was soon oddly pleased to find that each bullet had been exquisitely aimed, like a large net cast to try and entangle the odd looking Kasasagi.

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve been taken in.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to do, but this isn¡¯t the time to be impressed!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to evade? However, the squadron which we¡¯re facing is probably elite. We¡¯d only be cornered by the next attack with just a little evasion.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the front!¡±

    The Kasasagi stopped evading. Quick-fire magical weapons were fired, shooting down the opponent¡¯s weapon. They rushed into the midst of the explosive flame that blossomed in the air a brief moment.

    ¡°Wind, Vento!¡± The little mage used wind magic to puncture the flame. The movable armor (Flexible Coat) shifted, protecting Parl.

    Despite the reckless brute force that broke through their attack, the Wind Knight pilots were calm. Three aircraft advanced in the center, prepared for melee battle while firing off another short spear attack. In addition, three platoons of Wind Knights drove in toward the Kasasagi while spreading out. Before the smooth movements, however, Eru was smiling, definitely in a good mood.

    ¡°Is this¡­ 1st Company?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind like Edgar-san, isn¡¯t it? Di¡¯s more likely to get hands-on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of fun!¡±

    ¡°Moderately.¡±

    Though not in tune with Eru¡¯s excitement, the rainbow-colored Ether Ring Generator under Kasasagi¡¯s torso increased in both light and diameter. It¡¯s output had increased the Levitate field as the patchwork Silhouette Knight was lifted further into the sky. This is the major advantage of the open-type source floater. By using the ether which existed with no limit in the atmosphere, even a conventional source floater can freely adjust it¡¯s altitude.

    =====================================

    Watching Sole begin to ascend, the pilots of the Wind Knights became upset. Though designed for aerial combat from the beginning, this action was beyond the limits of their machines. Chasing it, the Wind Knights were able to raise their altitude as well, but the delay of even a second was fatal. It would be impossible to defeat this Boss Demon by close-range fighting. Forced to give up on that strategy, 1st Company had to switch back to ranged attacks.

    Flame spouted from the Magi-Jet Thruster of Sole in small increments, taking an unusual trajectory in order to dodge these attacks. It¡¯s extremely difficult to kill this machine with a long-range attack. The Cavalry of the Flying Knights were growling with impatience and irritation.

    ¡°What the hell is that? It¡¯s not moving, is it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God, Izmo is right in front of us. We can¡¯t allow this to break through!¡±

    Edgar was caught in a strange sense of dismay while the crew became¡­confused.

    ¡°It blows out flames and shoots down our spears. What¡¯s more, that thing on the front of it¡­ It looks like a large human¡­¡±

    A terrible hypothesis passed through his mind. Unusual maneuverability, it didn¡¯t try sneaking up on them, it knew how to cope with the flaws of the magic spears as if it knew the shortcomings in advance, and then there was that strange, extreme shape that looked like a human of sorts. This all added up to give Edgar cause to doubt.

    ¡°Nevertheless¡­ Right now, it¡¯s nothing more than a threat to the fleet. 1st Company, let¡¯s hit that thing with all of our power!¡±

    Edgar decided to kick the stirrups and accelerate Tuediane at once.

    ¡°After all, Wind Knights have a weakness in vertical movement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard for Shea-chan to do well, too.¡± (Shea-chan? If anyone knows another name¡­)

    ========================================

    Kasasagi was flying and in good condition, though it had to evade the magic-spear attacks which came in occasionally. There was nothing to block them anymore. In the scenery reflected on the Holo Monitor was the Levitate ship, Izmo. It seemed to grow larger as they got closer. And then, the voice of Parl shouted out a warning.

    ¡°Master, something fast is coming from right in front of us!!¡±

    There was a flying knight at the same altitude as Kasasagi. It rose up while they¡¯d been fighting the other flying knights. It was yet another party not to be dismissed, having obviously seen through Eru¡¯s movements.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, and what acceleration it has! Is it Edgar or Di, do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ Let¡¯s wait for it to ¡®signal¡¯ and see.¡±

    Eru¡¯s smile deepened. It was probably the strongest knight of the squadron to be coming in on a straight intercept like that. He was dying to know how powerful it was.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be crossing paths just once, then the game will be over. Come on, let¡¯s go to war!¡±

    The Kasasagi accelerated even more. The distance between them shrank in the blink of an eye, then entered a fatal pause. It was the flying knight who took the lead. Multi-type air-to-air Lances were fired with the magic-guided short spears. A deadly spear attack, launched at Eru¡¯s Knight. There wasn¡¯t enough distance for quick-fire magic weapons to intercept them. Eru screamed.

    ¡°Parl!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Wind type, Prochylae!¡±

    The gathered atmosphere shook the Kasasagi just a bit. In addition, the movable armor was activated, strengthening defense. Immediately after, the magic spear hit Eru¡¯s Silhouette Knight! The protection of the wind magic diverted the tip of the spear, causing it to slid over the closed armor. While spreading sparks, the magic spear passed behind them.

    ¡°Now, Parl, attack!¡±

    ¡°Take that!¡±

    With a breath, the body of the Wind Knight jumped in. A composite air-to-air spear with a complex design, a Lance, is pushed out toward Kasasagi, trying to skewer it. Just before the tip could hit the little mage, the movable armor cut in to cover her. The weight and strength were different from the magic spears they¡¯d seen before. The spear broke through the additional armor, penetrating.

    The Tuediane swung the additional armor wide with the spear that seemed to be stuck inside it. While losing that armor, the attack was deflected from the body of the Kasasagi and Parl was protected. After the spear, the body of the Wind Knight thrusts forward. He intended to use himself like steel hammer, despite any attacks he might suffer.

    Staring at the approaching knight, the little mage stuck out her arm.

    ¡°Fire, come. Igniarde!!¡±

    A flame is created in her palm. The impact of the explosion hit the Wind Knight head-on. Tuediane was blown away, unable to do anything but watch the attack coming. An apprentice mage unleashed magic at close range, while the remaining movable armor protected her body. The attack was dodged, and three people breathed as one.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s dangerous. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that there¡¯s three of us, we might have lost.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful. All the flying knights are getting stronger; that¡¯s my knighthood.¡±

    ¡°Teacher? Should the Knights have really been attacking us all out like that? Is that really ok?¡±

    The little mage, whom was reluctant in the past, now seemed to have been having fun somehow. Then there was Kasasagi, whom dodged all pursuit and was finally approaching the fleet.

    At that time, the fleet got really noisy. Wizard Style magic began to emerge, and the tip of the magic weapon was turned toward Kasasagi. If they moved forward even a little bit, the barrage from all ships would greet them.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s tough to deal with this.¡±

    Despite it¡¯s light mobility, the sheer quantity of attacks was bound to make an impact. Addy opened her mouth while Eru thought about whether to use have her use her back hands or not.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Hey, you¡¯re not gonna shoot me, are you?¡±

    The sky remained quiet. No one is shot, and there is no sign that the Flying Knight will go further.

    ¡°Hmmm. Don¡¯t be shy.¡±

    Cautiously, Eru advanced.

    =====================================

    On the other hand, the bridge was as busy as ever, with a large number of reports coming in one after another.

    ¡°Wind Knight, ready to go!¡±

    ¡°Boss, we¡¯re ready to intercept. I can go anytime, it¡¯s almost here!¡±

    ¡°Dietaicho, don¡¯t you dare launch without orders!?¡±

    The boss remained silent while listening to his subordinates¡¯ reports.

    ¡°Boss, shall we open fire!?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Wait a minute.¡±

    The movement of the subordinates stopped upon hearing such unexpected words from the boss. What exactly was being said was that the demon-like beast was already there, it seemed, on the tip of their collective nose so to speak. Not answering their confused questions, the boss stood up.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to put on the kata. (No idea, this phrase might be nipped) You¡¯re not going to move too much.¡±

    ¡°What! I mean, where are you? Boss!?¡±

    The boss, who jumped up and left without a word to his subordinates, ran desperately with his short legs to the upper deck, crossed his arms, and stared at the sky.

    An unusual object on a sparkling rainbow ring approached. It was like a beast, yet it was also like a machine. In addition, there was something like a huge human seen in front of it as well, and the true colors of this Demon Boss were beyond being grasped just by looking at it. However, the boss was intuitively convinced.

    At that time, the door of the upper deck opened, and a familiar Silhouette Knight rose from the inside. It is a figure with twin swords and crimson armor, the Guelarinde.

    ¡°Di, wait! This is¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. There¡¯s only one idiot who flies in the sky with a Magi-Jet thruster that can also beat off Edgar¡¯s attack¡­¡­ It¡¯s a little too strange.¡±

    Guelarinde turned his sword down and prepared himself for battle.

    The rainbow-colored glow approached from right in front of them as they waited with tensely.

    The Kasasagi finally landed on the deck of the flying mother ship Izmo.

 Book 8: Chapter 113: Where the Knights are

    A rainbow circle drew a vivid trajectory in the blue sky. The Levitate-ship continued on its way through the air with something that gave off a strong presence floating on top of it. Looking up, David made a face at that particular something.

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡±

    In the center of the rainbow circle, there was something horribly strange. Even though it looked like a young girl, it looked like a duel-class demon beast with a huge body (though no gent would ever tell her that, surely?) and four eyes. Behind her was an armored creature, holding the shape of the upper body of a humanoid, covered with the shell of some strange beast, which was even more bizarre.

    ¡°The more I look at it, the more certain I am that it looks like an enemy.¡±

    ¡°I really agree with that.¡±

    In Guelarinde, Dietrich also had a similar expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to be all that good of a person, regarding this thing.¡±

    Piloting Guelarinde, Dietrich lowered his sword, though he didn¡¯t sheathe it. If events started to break down, then Guelarinde would be the last line of defense.

    The iridescent glow slowly approached, stirring up a lot of expectations, doubts, and even some tension. Suddenly, something small came out from inside the horror, jumping forward. It was a small figure that seems to be lost in the blue for a moment. It jumped out and did a flip, landing just a bit outside of the rainbow hued emission from the Ether Reactor.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Guelarinde¡¯s Holo Monitor certainly captured the image of the figure. Dietrich leaned forward in the cockpit, eyes practically devouring the image. Eventually, though, he exhaled slowly and smiled.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to meet again in this life, but here you are.¡±

    In front of the boss, whom remained standing there, the figure descended with a faint sound. The wind flowing over the deck caused the purple-silver hair of the figure to sway. The boss staggered, seeming to doubt whether or not he¡¯d been mistaken.

    ¡°¡­¡­Silver¡­Ernesti!¡±

    A few months ago, he challenged a herd of insect-shaped monsters and disappeared. There was an unchanging smile. Rather, nothing seemed to have changed about that impudent youth.

    ¡°Oh, I was safe after all¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, boss. Anyway, first of all, please get me some Magi-Comm gear.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ Oh!?¡±

    Ernesti Echeverria hasn¡¯t stopped once. Everything began to move at once.

    ¡°Tell them to stop fighting right away. Addy¡¯s in Kasasagi over there, not an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Hey, do I want a young lady, too? Oh, yeah¡­ Hey, Di.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Guelarinde was equipped with the Multi-purpose Launcher and had already began to fire. A bullet went straight up into the air and bloomed like a flower of light in the air. The color of the dazzling, shining light was blue. There was only one craft with this color in the Silver Phoenix Knights, the color indicating ¡°Ikaruga¡±.

    Each looking at the state of the flagship Izumo immediately grasped the situation.

    Fire-fighting specification machines release the battle wait, Silhouette Arms I¡¯m going to take it down. And, the convoy slowly regained calm. The air of the battle flows away from the sky. Looking around, Ell was singing her chest.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a way to communicate, so I thought what i should do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why i can¡¯t stick to it head-on.¡±

    The boss comes to Eru a bit of what was going on. At that time, a heartbreaking voice sounded from the sky.

    ¡°Eru¡­ It¡¯s a little hard to put this down!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God.¡±

    What Eru looked back on was the appearance of Kasasagi, which swayed side to side unreliably, floating with Parl looking back and behind.

    ¡°Well, Master Addy¡­ Yo¡­ Calm down!?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s okay. Well, is this it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Magister Eru! Help, help¡­¡±

    ¡°Ikaruga¡¯s cockpit, why is this button here at all!¡±

    Just as Eru impatiently started to make a cramp-like movement A Gun Like Rod was drawn.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯ll collect everyone.¡±

    Shortly before stopping, Eru was returning to the empty dwellers again.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but it¡¯s not as usual. You¡¯re a shaved boy!¡± (What the fuck? Edits to come)

    Contrary to the dialogue, the speaker had a huge grin on his face. The boss also returned to the ship lightly.

    Knight leader, return. The news ran around the ship at an incredible speed.

    ¡°Hey, the captain is back!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. He just showed up, but from where?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that small and it¡¯s able to fly?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s scary about it? But I¡¯m scared because if he can break through to the ship, others can too.¡±

    ¡°So scary.¡±

    The voice tube was filled with varied conversations, and they gathered in the ship¡¯s warehouse one after another, abandoning their duties. As everyone¡¯s attention was fixed on this new sight, the elevator began to descend, the gears creaking. Then, they saw the monstrosity that appeared on the pedestal, eyes widening in shock and awe. The elevator slowly entered the ship while the echoing creak of the gears continued.

    ¡°Oh, this is¡­¡±

    Looking at the scene inside Izumo, the little magician opened all four of her eyes.

    They were arranged in a narrow way, though Tuediane was near the front. In the back of each Silhouette Knight were the Silhouette Gear units were moving about in a leisurely manner.

    The knights they used were comparable, in scale, to the various giant clans in size. Granted, one primary difference was the capacity for flight and the over-all weapon usage. Parl, who was beginning to understand the meaning of such a thing trembled ever so slightly.

    Eru came to stand before the little mage, whom opened her eyes to eat.

    ¡°How are you, Parl? It¡¯s my pleasure to show you the Silver Phoenix Knights, led by me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s really not like the Goblin clan¡­ In this case, even should the Cretvastia show up, you won¡¯t get caught up in things as long as you look about properly.¡±

    A voice came from the cockpit of Guelarinde standing behind her.

    ¡°Is that clue something about that bug-shaped monster? We met a few on the way, but two or three of them were crushed easily enough.¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s a fierce thing! Everyone here must be Braves! Is that what you meant, back then?¡±

    She did not doubt Dietrich¡¯s words. The power of the flying Mystic Knight of the Goblin Clan was fully understood by even her, a young giant whom has known battle. Unknowingly, she was clenching her fist. As soon as the elevator arrived at the ship¡¯s hold, the members who were around him rushed in. If you have time to react to something, best to be about it. They were swallowed up by the hustle and bustle of routine.

    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s really our brave Knight Commander!¡±

    ¡°I mean, I was alive all this time¡­ I¡¯m just saying.¡±

    ¡°By any chance¡­ Is this Ikaruga?¡±

    ¡°Hey. There¡¯s no trace of it anywhere.¡±

    ¡°What is this again?! Phantom Knight? A demon beast?¡°

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I have four eyes, you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, there are a lot of phantom knights, so I¡¯m calm.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a duel-class giant? This forest is really too scary.¡±

    ¡°Tsuka, what are you familiar with?¡±

    ¡°If you look closely, it might be surprisingly cute.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Rather, why is it only half?¡±

    ¡°Yee-ye So you¡¯re going to make half of it? Give me a break.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there are a lot of them. Are the teachers of your clan influential among the small demons?¡±

    ¡°Is that thing really faster than the Flying Knight?¡±

    ¡°The iron incense is very fragrant.¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Maybe it¡¯s a little bit of a scale.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The demon tribe can¡¯t be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God, you¡¯re a great!!!!¡±

    At last, the place became quiet by one blackmail of the boss who was not able to gather. Involuntarily, he closes his mouth to the little magician and corrects his posture. After that, everyone¡¯s glance did not start and it faced one place. Eru, in the center, raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Chairman, permission to speak!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a leader. I¡¯ll explain it to you. Who is the chairman?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a good time.¡±

    The boss falls with a long sigh.

    And then, Eru stood in front of the Knights the same as usual. It¡¯d been a few months but it was his natural habit coming to the fore.

    First, he turned his hand to the little magician who was nervous.

    ¡°She¡¯s building a force to be reckoned with in this forest. I¡¯m a part of that force. The Giants are divided into clans, and we¡¯re technically representatives of the Kaerreus clan. Parl is definitely playing a role in that.¡±

    ¡°I was introduced by my master, me, a four-eyed child mage.¡±

    When the little magician looked around and said this, an uncontrollable noise spread among the members.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not mistaken, I know what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    ¡°Can you talk to such a big thing?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, you can communicate with the Giants. There are many circumstances in it, but¡­¡­ For the time being, I was indebted to them. Specifically, the Kaerreus clan.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, Ernesti. So you¡¯re a teacher, huh?¡±

    Guelarinde was fired. As you get on the aircraft, you can hear Dietrich¡¯s voice from the loudspeaker.

    ¡°What is a teacher?¡±

    ¡°Me and Eru, Parl. We taught you magic!¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m learning from my masters.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ Really, what are you guys doing?¡±

    Dietrich went out of his way to manipulate Guelarinde, holding his forehead and shaking his head.

    ¡°It was necessary because now there¡¯s a battle between the giant clans here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­!¡±

    Eru¡¯s words blew away the atmosphere that seemed to be loosely amazed, and the air was filled.

    Eru began to talk to it confirming that everyone¡¯s attention returned again. The giants are fighting for the throne, about the largest clans and small clans.

    ¡°There are two important things in that. First of all, the greatest clan, the beast as a weapon that the Rubel clan uses. They call it Cretvastia. It is what we think of as the insect-type demon beast.¡±

    ¡°They can use the demon beasts as weapons? Wait, that¡¯s possible?¡±

    ¡°We use horses, too. From the giant¡¯s point of view, I think they¡¯ll be tamed as a duel class.¡±

    ¡°But what is that bug type?¡±.

    A lot of confusion and the doubt swirled.

    There is the relation between the Knights and the demon beasts and it was shallow. Knights of the Kingdom of Fremevira are used to fight demon beasts; the demon beasts can never be overlooked.

    ¡°One more thing. Rather, this is more important.¡±

    Eru was slightly hesitant and the members took notice of it. They¡¯d never imagined that the Knight Commander even knew how to hesitate. Their resolve was not in vain.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the giants who are here. The descendants of the first expeditionary force are living down there.¡±

    There was no sound. It took a little time for understanding to come. As the meaning of the little commander¡¯s words finally took hold¡­ I wasn¡¯t as if the Great Bocuse Forest had been completely unexplored. It was true that there were those who had fallen into the forest, ambitious people seeking to create their own kingdom. However, so many people had been spent in the forest. Because of this, and the fact that the forest cutting expedition army was annihilated, it was assumed that all whom went in had all fallen.

    In addition, it is an old story for hundreds of years that the expeditionary adjure happened. It has been thought that it will be difficult to find the trace in the place where it entered the forest. It can be said that it is outside of the imagination as there is a descendant of the survivor in the much more.

    Seeing each looking on in puzzlement, Eru turned around and showed off the foreign object standing behind him.

    ¡°This is Kasasagi. It was made from the remnants of Ikaruga. It is due to the help of the people who live below that made creating this possible. In other words, it is the descendants of the Forest Cutting Expeditionary Force.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s going to take a lot of work to finish.¡±

    The boss groaned with the Kasasagi beside him. It is the one that it is interested strongly as the engineer who made Ikaruga at the same time as the captain of the Blacksmith Corps of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Whether it was possible to have the sanity really even if the detail was heard was another problem.

    Eru nodded back.

    ¡°This is also equipped with an Etherial Levitator, though I¡¯ve improved on it. It¡¯s to the point where I can fly for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute, what have you done this time?¡±

    ¡°So I just found everyone on my way¡­ I was on my way as a messenger with Parl.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. Where were you on your way too?¡±

    As Eru smiled and tried to open his mouth, the sound of a loud bell echoed in the ship¡¯s hold.

    ¡°Oh, wait a minute! Flying Knights Are Coming Home!¡±

    ¡°Put it in the maintenance team position.¡±

    ¡°Preparation for storage It¡¯s dangerous. Everybody stay away!¡±

    The members who heard the news began to move. The little magician was sending a curious look at the corner.

    In the meantime, the back door of the ship¡¯s hold opened.

    Flying knights approach from across the sky. At the same speed Lifting heavy arm machine¡¶Crane Arm¡·he grabbed the flying knight and carried it inside.

    ¡°Magister Eru. It¡¯s interesting to see the flying ships of the goblin clan.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We worked together to create these.¡±

    While Eru is proud of her, the flying knight¡¯s carry-in ends. After a while, we sifted through the crowd. A cavalry man.¡¶Night Runner¡·We came.

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m really the leader of such a fine force!¡±

    ¡°Yee-ye He¡¯s here. So that¡¯s the guy who was on board? Well, I¡¯m not gonna get caught.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s such a creepy monster in this world.¡±

    The cavalry men of the first squadron dropped their shoulders as long as they found Eru. If you go back in a hurry to see if you missed the beast, there was something worse of nature. There is also what it is.

    At the end of such cavalry, Edgar was there.

    He grabbed up to Eru, who was standing in the middle of the bay. He grabbed Eru¡¯s head, which was slightly tilted, and stirred his hair.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Edgar, stop. Hair. It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Edgar! Wait a minute! It seems fun and I want to do too!¡±

    In spite of Addy¡¯s attempted restraint, Edgar had been scratching Eru¡¯s hair for a while, but eventually he stopped, sighing.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you come back a little more quietly, Ernesti?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry. There was nothing left that could be used. Would it be better to build it in the aircraft and go outside and go directly to the cockpit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask for it by all means. At any rate.¡±

    Edgar smiled a little, then took a step back and corrected his posture.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re safe, Knights Chief. Welcome home.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡±

    Thus, the chief of the knights returned to the Silver Phoenix Order.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Where is this place?¡±

    Zachariah, a knight of the Goblin Clan, looked up at the ceiling in a vague manner.

    What he remembers is that he was moving on the palm of the magpie. Afterwards, there was a faint memory when the story of having encountered something was certainly heard.

    But before he could see anything, he lost consciousness in the strong inertia and wind.

    ¡°Did the customer wake up? Wait, I¡¯ll tell the Knights Chief.¡±

    When he was confused because he couldn¡¯t figure out the situation, the attendant called him. A little while, Eru is coming.

    ¡°Mr. Zachariah. It¡¯s safe and above all. When I saw that the palms of the heron were dripping from all over my face, I thought it was no good.¡±

    ¡°Even with this¡­ I¡¯m training as a knight. So, what¡¯s this place?¡±

    ¡°Flying ship. It is in the flying ship that we people in the west use. Do you want to stand up?¡±

    After lightly confirming that his body was safe, Zachariah nodded and got out of bed. Eru grabbed a guide, and then they followed.

    From there it was a succession of greatest surprises in his life.

    A huge container machine with unknown uses that leak the glow of the rainbow color. Phantom Knight in the ship¡¯s hold. What is also called the Flying Knight, Phantom Knight. From him who was accustomed to seeing, he had a strange, half-man half-fish figure.

    Is this the power of the legendary west?

    ¡°To the legend. All the knights came here looking for me.¡±

    The knowledge and experience in Zachariah alone cannot be estimated at all, both in the full picture of this knighthood and its power. This little boy who is the head of the knights leading it.

    We didn¡¯t underestimate him, but we had an equal relationship. Zachariah was grateful for his King¡¯s decision now.

    People were gathered in the center of the ship¡¯s hold. Addy¡¯s boss, and each squadron leader. Next to them, a small magician was chatting with the members. Albeit the first giant to come into contact with the members of the Silver Phoenix Knights, the little magician was relatively easily accepted. Certainly, the existence of the giant family is a threat. Nevertheless, the little magician is Eru and Addy¡¯s disciple.

    After all, it is a companion in the same standpoint from the knights. It was able to be easily solved. Eru and Zachariah were finally noticed, and the voices around them naturally died down.

    Then Eru looked around and said, ¡°The giant clan, the Kaerreus clan, Parl, and The Knight of the Goblin Clan, Zachariah. Silver Phoenix Knights, Squadron Leader Dietrich, Edgar. Captain David, the flagship Izumo. And I, Chief Of the Knights, Ernesti. It¡¯s a gathering of representatives of each team.¡±

    There are members of the hand-by-hand around, too. With everyone¡¯s attention, Eru marked the beginning.

    ¡°Then, I would like to discuss our plans for the future.¡±

 Book 8: Chapter 114: Determine Your Purpose

    ¡°But hey, that¡¯s it. What a weird look you have on your face.¡± David roared, arms folded.

    The people who belonged to the majority of the Silver Phoenix Knights had familiar faces, but the newcomers were unique. Among them was a giant. The Little Magician, Parl Marga, was sitting in a divine way. The main participants in the venue were the Goblin Clan. (From Parl¡¯s point of view, this broadly included the Silver Phoenix Knights.)

    ¡°giants¡­ It¡¯s amazing, but if you understand the language, we can be friends, unlike with Demon Beasts.¡±

    Edgar looked up at her.

    Next to them, Dietrich, leaning against the wall, said, ¡°The future, hey. Frankly, as far as we¡¯re concerned, now that we¡¯ve found Ernesti, we¡¯d like to leave quickly.¡±

    The members of the Silver Phoenix Knights all showed their agreement. They had come after Eru and Addy, so it can be said that their main purpose had already been achieved.

    ¡°Please wait.¡±

    There was a knight in an unfamiliar guise whom called out there. His equipment was a combination of Demon Beast fur and shells and there weren¡¯t many materials such as cloth. The design was also constructed in a way not seen in the west, including the Kingdom of Fremevira. This was Zachariah, the knight of the Goblin Clan.

    ¡°People of the West! People of this Flying Ship and it¡¯s Legendary Silhouette Knight Warriors within, I have something to ask you. Please, could you at least listen to me first?¡±

    He was the only goblin tribesman there. Depending on whether he could persuade the Silver Phoenix Knights here, the path that the Goblin Tribe would follow in the future would change greatly. A strong sense of a man on a mission came to the surface now in the serious face of the man standing there¡­

    As the members looked at each other, Dietrich silently urged him to continue.

    ¡°As you have already heard, we, the little demon tribe, were once known as the forest cutters. We are the descendants of those who were called Expedition Force. The old attempt failed, and our ancestors were able to survive by becoming slaves of the giants. There was no other choice but to live in a forest full of demon beasts.¡±

    Zachariah looked around at them and spoke wistfully.

    ¡°We¡¯ve endured a long time. But it is not eternal. From now on, I hope to change history. The battles of the members of the giant race, the hubris of the Rubel clan. The time is finally right and we cannot let this opportunity pass us by. That¡¯s why I am asking for your help, my distant brothers and sisters. Here, we have the power to make it possible!¡±

    The members of the group whispered to each other as he made an impassioned speech. The appeal was truly pressing, but they were not ready to make an immediate decision. Most importantly, they did not see the life of the goblin clan directly. The enthusiasm for the words of Zachariah were not fully shared.

    ¡°You are certainly the descendants of the Forest Cutting Expeditionary Force. In addition, if it is true that they are suffering, I would like to help you¡­¡±

    Edgar looked up beside him, a simmering look on his face. The little mage only glanced about with her four eyes, wondering what he might be thinking about. Fighting against the giants, he hadn¡¯t really felt that point yet either. The existence of the giant itself was phenomenal, but the fact that he didn¡¯t have a bad impression of the first magician he met had a big influence.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ What are you going to do, Ernesti? You must have seen both the giants and the goblins. I¡¯d like to hear your decision.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. I¡¯m going to join the fight.¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly when he heard Ernesti¡¯s plain answer. There was no negative tinge to it. He turned away from the wall.

    ¡°Well, I expected that. You were with the giant lady in the first place, you know. Then there¡¯s no pros and cons, we, the Silver Phoenix Knights, are at the will of the Commander¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, wait.¡±

    Just as he was about to conclude, Eru interrupted his words. To Dietrich, who blinked his eyes, Eru stated once and for all.

    ¡°Me and Addy are the only ones who will participate in the Battle of the giants. There¡¯s no need for everyone to join us.¡±

    An air of dismay ran through the hold of the ship. Eyes wide in a circle, Dietrich froze as he stared at Eru¡¯s face. It was Edgar who started to move first.

    ¡°¡­¡­ What do you mean, Ernesti?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You gotta take everybody with you, man. I mean, we can¡¯t just ditch you.¡±

    Even the master was flustered with a jittery expression. The Silver Phoenix Knights were a group founded for Ernesti. To battle and to develop technology was their primary job. The Knights would follow him in the direction he had indicated. That should have been the form it had taken so far. Eru thought for a moment, then looked up.

    ¡°After we crashed into the forest, we met the giants and the little mages. It was a mess, but we lent our strength to each other and survived in the forest.¡±

    He turned around and looked up at the little mage. Her four eyes stared at him silently.

    ¡°The fight against the Rubel clan was originally an internal conflict within the giant clans. Even the little mages didn¡¯t ask us to fight them. But there are things I can¡¯t forgive them for. I owe a debt, and I have a reason to fight. But that¡¯s none of your business. You don¡¯t need to be involved in extra battles.¡±

    Addy came over to the little magician and thumped his chest.

    ¡°We are part of the Karreus clan, too, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m not going to stop you here!¡±

    ¡°Master. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you should be grateful.¡±

    Edgar opened his mouth as the group members pondered.

    ¡°Then what about our forces? Ernesti, we know your power well, but a giant is like a phantom knight. What can you do with just two people joining?¡±

    ¡°There is still Kasasagi. It has a strange shape, but it is the one made with the body of Ikaruga. It¡¯s powerful enough to fight alongside the giants.¡±

    At that moment, Dietrich, who had been frozen, comes back with a long exhale.

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s not always easy to know whether you¡¯re being selfish or disciplined. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    There was a murmur, and voices of discussion sprang up everywhere. The destination of the Silver Phoenix Knights was left to each person¡¯s will. The fickle knight commander sent a question to them, and they all began to search for their own answers. In response to that, Zachariah became impatient.

    ¡°Please, Wait, Mr. Ernesti. You have a reason to fight, then why don¡¯t you order us to do so?! Here are the Knights you lead. I don¡¯t doubt your power, but surely you won¡¯t let this much of it sit idle!¡± (So¡­ I¡¯d love input, should I switch things fully to include the Japanese honorifics? i.e. Ernesti-sama as opposed to ¡°Mr.¡± as google and bing are fond of?)

    From his point of view, he wanted not only Eru, but all of the Silver Phoenix Knights¡¯ combat abilities. He could not have them decide lightly on his personal whims. However, it was also true that he didn¡¯t have enough materials to convince this mysterious group of people. Relief came from an unexpected source. Out of the murmur, Edgar¡¯s voice asked.

    ¡°Ernesti, what would happen if the entire Order joined the fight? What¡¯s it worth to us in there?¡±

    ¡°¡­the giants and us. These two species that lived apart from each other have met like this. We can no longer pretend that we didn¡¯t see this. So what¡¯s the next step in our relationship? Well, we could take each other¡¯s hands, as you can see, but the Rubel clan is a bit rough around the edges. It¡¯s too much. After all, they regard the small demon tribe as their slaves. It¡¯s not impossible to compete with them if you have a phantom knight, but it¡¯s just a lot of work¡­¡± Eru replied, thinking.

    ¡°Huge, human. We need to show our strength in building relationships with them. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. For both, the People of the West and the Goblins, as well as for the future, there is no way we¡¯re just going to sit on the sidelines here!¡±

    The people and the giants. For now, the forest still separates them. Nevertheless, now that they are clearly aware of each other¡¯s existence, it is unlikely that they will remain this way forever. More than anything else, man has a flying vessel, a Levitateship. Now, there is a powerful machine and it was recognized as such. (A powerful machine called a ¡°powerful machine¡±. Oh my word¡­)

    In addition, it wasn¡¯t just that this was a fight. This was a battle which was completely irrelevant for the humans of the West. The reason is that the goblin clan was caught up in the middle of the vortex. Zachariah had gained momentum, but the reaction he received from the squad did not live up to his expectations.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s too late for the leader to do whatever he likes.¡±

    ¡°What do you think? You don¡¯t have time to just wait around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m interested in the giant¡¯s fighting ability. Are they stronger than the demon beasts?¡±

    ¡°Second company, you¡¯re too much like battle freaks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Parl, because I can help you!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, get away from me!¡±

    ¡°Parl¡­ She¡¯s my disciple, so I won¡¯t allow her to look at me weirdly.¡±

    ¡°You are so arrogant!?¡±

    Their interests and movements are all over the place. Is this really the way to unite as a group of knights? He was in a gloomy mood as well as experiencing disbelief. His earnest wish for the future of the goblin family was also empty. The Silver Phoenix Knights had begun to move exactly as they pleased.

    ¡°Hmm. Then let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll follow our little leader without permission. Those who want to come with me should do so. The rest of you should have a way out. If possible, it would be better if we had a base.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know a good place to establish your base.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take it there, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll take control of the base ourselves!¡±

    ¡°The first and second companies will be divided first. Then the blacksmith team is next.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll work on the kid¡¯s machine. I¡¯ll follow you.¡±

    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll just split up the maintenance crew.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you got it.¡±

    Thus, the policy of the Silver Phoenix Knights was decided. There were generally two pairs, divided into those who would follow Eru and those who would build their base. Of course, the flying ships would also be assigned to each of them. Once the policy is decided, the rest is easy. The members of the group had begun chatting among themselves.

    ¡°I wonder if we can get a supply of food here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re going to be here for quite a while.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we ask the giants to do it?¡±

    ¡°I mean, are you going to eat a demon beast?¡±

    ¡°It was delicious.¡±

    ¡°The commander is getting all muscular¡­¡±

    Amidst the hustle and bustle, Zachariah was the only one who was dismayed by the existence of the Silver Phoenix Knights. What on earth is this? Isn¡¯t a knightly order a controlled group? Why do each of them behave as they please? The knights or cavalrymen of the goblin clan is a privileged class, as well as the Mystic Knight. They have an obligation to influence King Oberon.

    Under the rule of will, selfishness is not permitted. To begin with, there was a limit to the number of phantom knight positions and there were not a few people who aimed at that chair either. There should be no opportunity to show an opening.

    He casually turned to Eru, holding back his dizziness.

    ¡°Mr. Ernesti, you are the head of the Knights! Why do you allow selfishness like this!?¡±

    There seems to be no doubt that Eru is long. is the chief. This is because everyone in the Order is reacting to his words. But it¡¯s hard to believe that he¡¯s leading them.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll lead if I need to. But that¡¯s not the case now.¡±

    ¡°So fluent!?¡±

    He bit his lip. With so much power that it could even determine the course of battle, the wielders were completely selfish and unwilling to take care of themselves. We can¡¯t lose. At this rate, it was going to be difficult to even cooperate with the people of the west. He quietly left the place. Behind him, the clamor that the knights would give continued without end.

    Then the company commanders discussed and drafted a specific course of action. In the midst of all this, the master, who had quickly finished assigning the blacksmith team, came to Eru with an important consultation.

    ¡°Oh, boy. Are you going to use Kasasagi as it is?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do that¡­ Oh, could you possibly mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know what? I saw that it was busted, and I¡¯ve got a whole bunch of spare parts for the Ikaruga. It¡¯ll take a while to assemble, but we can fix it.¡±

    Unusually, Eru froze with a pouting expression on his face. The boss held the impression that it was worth bringing the parts along, just to see this expression.

    Eru, who had a little restart, turned his neck around awkwardly. He stops moving as he looks up at the phantom knight sitting in the corner of his eye, with only it¡¯s upper body.

    ¡°What are you going to do? I never thought this was going to happen. Are you going to leave Ikaruga alone?¡±

    ¡°Well, um. Oh¡­¡­ that.¡±

    Eru wandered between the Kasasagi and Ikaruga parts, like a demon. Ikaruga is the partner he desired and created with all his might. But even with the Kasasagi, he is no different from his buddy who shared his pain and suffering, and also possesses a very special function. It was a terrifying problem. At both ends of the balance, equally valuable things were piled up.

    ¡°In order to move Ikaruga, the Behemoth Heart is required. But Kasasagi can¡¯t move without it, either. Both require large amounts of magical power to keep them functioning¡­¡±

    Yes, and only one can be moved. It was the ultimate choice. When Eru who was deep in thought, finally began to tremble a little, the boss called out to him.

    ¡°Well then, I think it¡¯s okay to move the function of that Kasasagi to Ikaruga. Leave it to me, kid. I¡¯m a blacksmith of the Silver Phoenix Knights, right? I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s done right.¡±

    Eru¡¯s eyes widened and he looked back at David, looking more trapped than he had ever seen him before. The boss involuntarily took a step back.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to use the Kasasagi as it is. Of course, I know the ability of the boss more than anyone. But now we have to take the little mage with us. I can¡¯t afford to wait for a major renovation.¡±

    Eru made the decision like he thought he was going to be cut. The biggest feature of the Kasasagi, the Ether Ring Generator, is a very special device. Because it is made by the body, it is in the state that it moves by force only by output, and both the principle and structure are understood only by Ernesti. It would be a difficult thing for even the most dedicated master to grasp.

    Furthermore, Ikaruga¡¯s chassis had been pushed to the extreme to achieve overwhelming combat capabilities, and there is no room left to accommodate this many features. If he wanted all the features of both, he would need a completely new chassis. Despite his understanding, the boss couldn¡¯t suppress a sigh.

    ¡°After all, I brought Ikaruga with me. This guy is the face of the Order. This is one thing the the Kasasagi can¡¯t afford to do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only until I get back to Fremevira. When I get back I can think more calmly¡­¡±

    ¡°All right. Then I¡¯ve decided!¡±

    There, Addy interrupted him. She pointed to the parts of Ikaruga with a smirk and turned to Eru.

    ¡°If you won¡¯t use it, Eru, then I can use the Ikaruga!¡±

    ¡°Addy?¡±

    Eru was taken aback by the unexpected suggestion.

    ¡°Remember, Eru¡­ We used Ikaruga and Sylphiette¡¯s parts to make the Kasasagi, but there¡¯s still a whole heart left. Right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It would have been impossible for us to prepare a structure for another machine with the materials we had on hand.¡±

    To make the Kasasagi, he used the safe parts. Still, the lower half of the body had to given up on. As a result, the heart of Sylphiette remained in the village.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to use Sylphie¡¯s heart to move Ikaruga. What do you think?¡±

    When the boss heard Addy¡¯s suggestion, he stroked his chin in thought, but eventually his brows furrowed.

    ¡°The furnace on the Sylphiette was a popular model, wasn¡¯t it? That¡¯s a little harsh. Without the Emperor¡¯s heart, we won¡¯t be able to support Ikaruga¡¯s ridiculous power consumption.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ I thought it was a good idea.¡±

    Addy let her fingers wander around in frustration. The boss calculated something for a while after that, but eventually nodded with a snort.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not impossible. It¡¯s just a matter of figuring it out. You can¡¯t just blow through things like a kid using it. It¡¯s going to be limited in many ways.¡±

    ¡°Well, then, I can do it.¡±

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s no use keeping him asleep like this. Then, I¡¯d like to ask Addy to take care of Ikaruga from here.¡±

    Eru nods. Addy jumped at him with a small leap.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. I¡¯ll keep Ikaruga firmly in hand until I give it back to Eru! Yes, yes, that¡¯s what wives do, too.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡­ Yes, erm, yes. I¡¯ll ask you to take care of Ikaruga.¡±

    The boss secretly poked Dietrich beside him as he watched Addy swoon and peck his cheek from afar.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened to you. What the hell is wrong with you? Ah¡­ wife or whatever, the hell is wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Ernesti is so far away that he may have finally gone into a strange place.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    They both shrugged their shoulders. Addy hugged Eru to her heart¡¯s content.

    ___________

    The wind blew through the upper deck of Izumo. In a place where few people visited, Zachariah, could be found. He looked about and made sure no one was around, then took a tube from his pocket. He twisted the stopper open and waited for a moment before a small insect crawled out from inside. It was a beetle, clicking and snapping its jaws.

    When he clicked his tongue in his characteristic tone, the insect stopped meekly at the end of the tube. He clucked his tongue again as he quickly strapped a sentence to its body. The bug spread its wings and soared into the sky with a vague, iridescent phosphorescent glow.

    ¡°I beg you. The people of the West are out of my control. I need the help of the Little King¡­¡±

    The little insect quickly disappeared into the sky, and it became difficult to find. He put the tube back in his pocket and turned around. He stopped moving with a jolt when he noticed a figure there.

    ¡°I see. So this is what you guys call a means of communication.¡±

    It is Ernesti. Zachariah closed his mouth once and slowly reopened it.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Were you watching? But you didn¡¯t stop it, did you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I agreed that you would be a liaison. It¡¯s only natural to keep in touch. If there is anything else you would like to know, just let me know. I will guide you as best I can.¡±

    Leaving a soft smile behind, Eru walked back. Seeing him go, Zachariah wiped away the sweat he hadn¡¯t known was there but a moment ago.

    The only thing that matters is the fact that you can¡¯t get rid of it. What is this order? The people of the west, all of them, what are they thinking¡­?

    He will be troubled by problems that he can¡¯t solve for sure.

    Thus, the fate of the giants and the goblin clan began to be entangled in the fate of the Silver and Phoenix Knights as they did as they pleased. Unbeknownst to the parties involved, the situation was becoming more and more confusing.

 Chapter 115: A wild knight has appeared Part 1

    Omori, the flying ship, is levitating along the sea of trees.

    The ships that made up the fleet were divided into two groups.

    The main strike group consisted of several transport-type flying ships, and the base control group consisted of the remaining assault landing ships.

    After seeing the flying fleet leave, Ernesti returned to Izumo.

    In the midst of that, his master, David Hepken, was still scratching his head in front of the magpie, a strange phantom knight with only his upper body.

    ¡°Hey, what the hell is that! It¡¯s not the material of the demon beast! There is wood in the phantom knight!¡±

    When I removed the outer skin of the monster and examined the internal structure, I got it. The interior of the Magpie had become an exposition of indescribability and wonder.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do something horrible ¡­ ¡°

    The processing technology for each part cannot be said to be flattering. In addition, there are countless parts that may have been rushed or unfinished. The extra moving parts have been removed as much as possible, and it has an avant-garde appearance. In addition, the lower half of the body is completely gone.

    When viewed as a phantom Knight, it is a defect that even Ikaruga can not be compared to. It would be nothing but huge garbage.

    But the horrific thing is that this aircraft is not garbage and only has valuable stuff in it.

    Omori-umi, an aircraft that would not have been created had it not been in a place where materials and technology were scarce. Rather, thinking about rebuilding this Phantom Knight in this kind of situation is madness itself.

    The master once again tasted Ernesti¡¯s obsession with the phantom knight and had been attracted to his face.

    Elle, who had been talking with the small magician Parva Marga next to me, came calling.

    ¡°Master. It¡¯s okay for you to look into it, but don¡¯t break it up too much. I¡¯m going to go out with the little magician in the meantime. ¡°

    ¡°But if you don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside, you¡¯ll have trouble fixing it. Don¡¯t mess with it if you don¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    After waving his palm, similar to shooing away a dog, the master sneaked into the magpie again.

    Even a standard phantom knight needs enhanced magical assistance to maintain the aircraft. Even so, the magpie was extremely abnormal.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just strengthening. This is probably the true identity of the open source flotation ether ring generator. ¡±

    The magpie is not just a deformed phantom knight, so to speak. It can be said that it is ¡°Madou weapon silhouette arms of a variant¡±.

    The source element floater the only magic device in the world built to replace the ethereal levitator function. That was the Magpie¡¯s greatest value.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s impossible to incorporate this function into Ikaruga. At least not yet.¡±

    As a captain of the Silver Phoenix Knights blacksmith Corps, he had no choice but to raise the white flag.

    The same thing cannot be reproduced unless you have a deep understanding of the functions and mechanisms and have sufficient equipment. He calmly admitted it.

    ¡°The things that the boy makes are usually crazy. He¡¯s the most amazing, and even he doesn¡¯t know what to do with the new phantom knight. But¡­¡­ that¡¯s why it¡¯s interesting.¡±

    He wiped the sweat that ran down his forehead unknowingly.

    ¡°To extract the ether by diverting the magic savings amount mana pool, huh. It¡¯s a stupid idea, but he¡¯s going to make it happen. It¡¯s so funny. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to stay.¡­¡­ ¡°

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said.

    Then, the master continued to examine the Magpie¡¯s structure until the last minute.

    The master, who was enthusiastic about investigating the magpie, was aside, and the rest were discussing future policies.

    ¡°Master Magister, how are we going to do it? ¡°

    ¡°First of all, I have to persuade the giant clans.¡±

    ¡°We will make the Confederate Army. That doesn¡¯t change. ¡°

    The little mage nods happily. Originally they were traveling to gather the giant clans.

    It was the second time in four years that the government had been forced to change its policy.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said. That hostile clan. Was it the Rubel clan? Is there anything wrong with fighting them directly?¡±

    Dietrich shakes his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re the hero of the Red Demon Tribe¡­ You can beat the Rubel Clan alone. Is that not true?¡±

    ¡°No matter how strong the giant tribe is, each giant is not so different from a Phantom Knight. The problem is the numbers. We have a ship, we have mobility.¡±

    The little mage stared at Dee with four eyes and slowly turned his head to Elle. He nods.

    ¡°If Oberon the Little King can suppress the unclean beast Cretvastia as promised, it is not impossible. I will tell you what our advantages are.¡±

 Chapter 115: A wild knight has appeared - 2

    The little mage lightly lowered her eyes. There were no signs of lying to the small demons here, including Eru. It was also different from arrogance, it¡¯s just that they knew their power.

    Just as she was about to sink into a pensive mood, Eru stood up. He looked around and said.

    ¡°But it¡¯s only a bad idea for us to fight the Rubel Clan alone. That won¡¯t achieve our goal.¡±

    ¡°Even if we defeat it?¡±

    ¡°The problem is the procedure¡­ I¡¯m convinced. The Rubel Clan must be defeated by the hands of the giants. At least this matter must be considered.¡±

    The possibility is not the problem. If the Rubel clan were to be defeated by the Silver Phoenix Knights and the Little Demons, the remaining giant clans would never be satisfied. If that happens, the clans will fall into chaos, which will inevitably call for a new battle.

    ¡°Therefore, I will gather the clans. We will conclude this in a battle between the giants. At the same time, we will show our strength. So they won¡¯t underestimate the Little Demons.¡±

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re going to protect the survivors of the deforestation expeditionary force, right?¡±

    Dietrich said, turning his gaze towards Zachariah, who was standing near the edge of the room. Zachariah was quietly listening to the surroundings and especially his mouth doesn¡¯t show any movements at all.[1]

    ¡°Small mage . We will fight for it. ¡°

    ¡°We see things differently, but we follow the same path. We, the Caerleus clan, will not forget the work of the Little Demons.¡±

    The little mage nodded. For most giants, the Little Demons are insignificant. But the Caerleus Clan knows that is not the case because of Eru¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Thank you. So, we have to take the lead in this battle, and for that reason, we have to devise a way to send out the small mage, to the clans ¡­¡±[2]

    Then Eru explained his plan.

    While Izumo was approaching the territory of the giants.

    A little further away from there was a small village of the small demon tribe. This was the village that was once visited by the Caerleus clan, and because of that, it was involved in a battle with the demonic beasts.

    The traces of the battle¡¯s aftermath were still strong. Although the reconstruction of the houses had progressed considerably, still all of them were temporary ones to overcome the situation of emergency.

    The life of the villagers, which was a harsher environment than before was not easy. They lived hard every day with the words of a little knight who traveled with giants and the nobles of the upper town.

    Then suddenly one day, the village was visited by an unexpected situation.

    Villagers who were out for field work looked up at the sky with a stunned expression. The sun around them faded and the shadows fell. Speaking of whether the clouds were flowing, they weren¡¯t.

    With a low roar, a huge object drifted across the sky.

    It was formed by a combination of wood and steel, it was something that was not naturally created. Even to the inexperienced villagers, it was clear.

    ¡°What¡­ is that? It¡¯s not a magical beast.¡±

    ¡°By any chance, what is this Giant, ¡­¡± [3]

    ¡°Saying stupid, do they fly in the sky?¡± [4]

    A lot of strange things, like a fish, with different shapes, were flying around the huge object. They seemed to be protecting the giant object. If so, was this like a ¡®nest¡¯ of something like a fish?

    ¡°What the hell. Before the knight returns, this is what it is.¡±

    ¡°Uwah, we have to run away quickly.¡±

    ¡°Where to? There¡¯s no place to hide¡­¡±

    (Editor¡¯s note: I feel sorry for them, it seems you can¡¯t hide in the middle of the field.)

    They could only stand stunned. The little demons who have nothing, do not have the power to resist mysteries.

    At that moment, something jumped out of the giant thing that was slowly moving over the sky.

    It was as small as the size of a small dust, its shape becoming clearer as it fell and approached. It looked like a person, wearing a large full-body armor.

    When it neared the ground, it decelerated and a violent gust of wind blew out as the person in full-body armor slowly descended to the ground.

    As the villagers gazed at him with bated breath, the person in armor flipped up his helmet and spoke intimately.

    ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s been a while! Have you been alright?¡±

    A familiar face that appeared from under the helmet - was of Adeletrud. The villagers were frozen with their mouths hanging open.

    After a while, the village chief, who seemed to be in a hurry, arrived, as the villagers were finally regaining their sanity. The village chief alternately looked around Addy and at the ship in the sky.

    ¡°Ki, Kishi-sama. I didn¡¯t expect you to come back so soon¡­If that is the case, are those in the sky accompanying Kishi-sama¡¯s followers?¡±

    Alternatively, there may be an unknown Phantom Beast Knight, >. They had previously helped build a Kasasagi. There was a possibility that there was something beyond that, and it was not without a doubt.

    For such doubts, Addy shook her head with a bitter smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s the ship of our Order. So, I came to pick up the heart of Shin-chan that was left behind.¡±

    ¡°Haha. We have kept it just like you left it sir.¡±

    The village chief nodded. She seemed happy, thus she made more demands.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m here with the Knights, and I think it would be more convenient to have a base here. So, I was wondering if you could lend me the village¡¯s facilities again. Of course I would like to thank you and we¡¯ll try not to get in the way too much! ¡°

    ¡°There is nothing but demise. As you can see there is nothing there, but please feel free to use it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Then I¡¯ll contact them, hmm¡­¡±

    Addy launched the signal bullets installed in the Phantom Armor, >. A bullet of dazzling light signaled the success of the negotiations to the ship.

    After confirming the signal, the airship began to lower its altitude.

    When it had lowered enough, the door at the bottom of the ship opened. With the clunking noise of gears and chains in tow, a Phantom Knight, > dropped down.

    A heavily armored knight in silver-white armor. It¡¯s the First Company Commander¡¯s unit - Aldriadcumber.

    Following that, the squadron¡¯s Karrdetolles landed one after another. The white cross drawn on the armor shined brightly.

    In the blink of an eye, a company of Phantom Knights appeared in the village.

    The villagers were at a loss for words, staring at the scene in front of them. Wearing steel armor, a huge humanoid machine that is different from the giants. A phantom knight, a legendary existence to protect people.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m able to see this kind of scene while I¡¯m alive.¡±

    Drops of water flew down the cheeks of the village chief, who was overwhelmed by emotion.

    At that time, Aldriadcumber¡¯s chest opened and Edgar came down. He exchanged a few words with Addy and then came to the village chief as indicated.

    ¡°You must be the people of this village of the Small Demons. My name is Edgar C. Blanche, who leads the first company of the Knights of Silver Phoenix. The other day, the leader of the Knights and his assistant leader took great care from you.¡±

    ¡°No, no! No! It was rather them who helped us, we are so thankful to them¡­¡±

    ¡°However, I¡¯ve heard that due to being involved in a battle with the giants, I hear that the village was severely damaged.¡±

 Chapter 115: Part 3

    ¡°That¡¯s ah! Yes, I¡¯m sorry. Right now, there aren¡¯t enough houses in the village, enough for everyone to use¡­¡±

    The village chief looked stunned, he was very sorry and bowed his head.

    There were facilities for villagers to use. However, it was not considered to invite visitors. No way, he could guide the knights to the collapsed house.

    Edgar, who saw the village chief¡¯s situation, nodded vigorously as he told him to feel at ease.

    ¡°I understand. When it comes to a village that has been damaged by a demon beast, we cannot abandon it away. And don¡¯t worry about that and our share.¡±

    When Edgar returned to the cockpit of Aldriadcumber, he grabbed the loudspeaker.

    ¡°Everyone, listen. First of all, we¡¯ll help them with the restoration work of the village. I assume that the support activities and damage caused by the monster disaster will be enormous. I will contact the ship and move immediately.¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡±

    The Karrdetolles of the first company, started to move without hesitation.

    Although the Silver Phoenix Knights usually operate free-spiritedly, they are still one of the Knights of the Kingdom of Fremeverra. It is possible to say that preventing damage from demonic beasts and helping to restore the village if it is damaged, is said to be the first basic thing you learn as a knight.

    Immediately, a unit wearing a Phantom Armor came down from the airship. ¡°Atmospheric compression propulsion, ¡± is exercised, and the knights who landed smoothly started to move.

    ¡°The first group will explore the surrounding material situation in the vicinity. In addition, they will also scout the demon beast.¡±

    ¡°The second group was formed. Is there any unnecessary rubble? You¡¯ll clean it up a bit.¡±

    ¡°The remaining third group. Let¡¯s unload the ship. We will coordinate with the villagers.¡±

    ¡°Then, as the fourth group, the blacksmith corps, please submit the construction plan by the time of material procurement.¡±

    ¡°OK. I¡¯ll show you the building in a while.¡±

    Aside from the villagers whose mouths were left open again, the Silver Phoenix Knights began their activities furiously in the midst of a meeting. It was a terrifyingly familiar movement.

    ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡±

    Villagers who couldn¡¯t keep up with the situation, could only watch.

    Everything was too abrupt. But they too knew and vaguely understood that something even more outrageous than when the giants had visited was about to happen.

    The village which was half dead and half alive due to the damage by the battle, was reborn in a few days to be better than before.

    The work proceeded efficiently by combining a powerful transport machine called the Phantom Knight and a machine tool called the Phantom Armor that has a small maneuverability. Before the stunned onlooking villagers, the house was completed at a jest-like speed.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s not a big deal let¡¯s make our dormitory too~.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I want to live on the ground soon~.¡±

    ¡°I want a bed! A fluffy one!¡±

    ¡°Hey hey, as expected there¡¯s no cotton.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a good demon beast? The one who can get the animal hair.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I feel like I saw a good guy during the reconnaissance.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hunt.¡±

    The members of the Silver Phoenix Knights, who had repaired the village quickly, were building their own houses with too much momentum.

    So, when they went hunting for materials, a Karrdetolle led the Phantom Armor unit into the forest.

    Buildings are not the only ones that have changed. At the edge of the village, Phantom Knights are lined up in a parked position, and blacksmiths are moving around. In addition, a unit wearing Phantom Armor was guarding the surrounding area as a sentry. The airship stopped in the sky, Flying Knights are resting their wings.

    No longer, it¡¯s now a good base.

    ¡°What on earth it is trying to become¡­¡±

    Looking at the village which had become a better place to live, the villagers could only mutter in a daze.

    At that time, at the smithy in the back of the village, the members of the Blacksmith¡¯s Corps were bustling about.

    ¡°It¡¯s solid! It¡¯s not simple equipment! This one is good.¡±

    ¡°Well, after all is it easier to do it?¡±

    When Edgar, who was checking with them asked, they raised their fists.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Did they make armor for the giants? That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an unfamiliar place, but I think I can do it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to underestimate us. At the time of Kusheperka, we were running around and working here and there!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier when you can sit back and do it.¡±

    Their words were true, and they immediately began to move energetically.

    From the airship, various parts were unloaded. Among them, there was a distinct characteristic aircraft.

    ¡°Ikaruga, they¡¯re going to assemble it.¡±

    ¡°Well, leave it to us. If the Boss is not here we can do the maintenance, because we are trained too.¡±

    The parts of Ikaruga which were separated for each part were assembled, and the heart of Sylphyane was being carried there.

    The two remaining Magic Conversion Furnaces > increased their output and magic power flowed to the connected Silver Wire Nerves >. Reinforced magic was activated and the parts with increased strength were connected.

    They felt proud of themselves as they completed the work with skillful movements.

    The Devil¡¯s Forest, deep in the Bocuse Great Sea of Trees. In a corner of the area controlled by giants, Ikaruga regained its proper form.

    Addy raised her arm as she watched the aircraft being assembled in such a busy state.

    ¡°Eru-kun, Ikaruga is ready! Well, the output is a little low. And I wonder if I can handle it as well as Eru-kun.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Addy-chan, because she¡¯s got a secret plan from its master.¡±

    ¡°Eh. What What~?¡±

    Addy was surprised to see the drawings shown by the blacksmith.

    ¡°Hmm, I think I can do aerial combat¡±, Addy thought to herself.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it. Ikaruga¡¯s functions are a little excessive in the first place. There is something I can do as it is.¡±

    She turned around and looked up at Ikaruga. The terrifying demon face now looks somewhat boring.

    ¡°Once completed, I have to move it around and practice.¡±

    Addy smiled as she remembered its true owner. If she can control Ikaruga, she will be next to him forever. She was fired up and started a blast off into the future.

    Thus, a flag was raised in the village. It was a flag with a coat of arms of a Silver Phoenix spreading its wings.

    In the midst of the Bocuse Sea of Trees, A paradise of demonic beasts, the map is quietly being repainted.

    Notes:

    [1]. In Dietrich¡¯s observation, Zachariah¡¯s face was too impassive,

    [2]. The giants will only follow a ¡®high-ranking¡¯ giant, or through a test of strength. Parl is a 4-eyed giant, and in this case, the giants respect the numbers of ¡®eyes¡¯ one has as a hierarchy or law, the higher the better. Parl is the representative of the Caerleus Clan, so that¡¯s why she had to go convincing the other clans, but the question is ¡°How?¡±

    [3]. Astragal, Something like a furniture with half-round surfaces, mostly related to architecture like doors, hinges, columns, etc.

    [4]. Guess its villager 2 retorting villager 1¡¯s remark. And for their understanding it¡¯s supposedly not in the sky floating.

 Chapter 116: What to ask and what to â€˜Question Part 1 of 4

    Heavy footsteps echo in the Devil¡¯s Forest.

    In a forest where giant beasts roam, there is one giant who walks proudly. He walks through the trees in search of his prey.

    ¡°What? What is with the air in the forest¡­ it seems different?¡±

    The three-eyed warrior looked around and muttered.

    He should have entered the forest as usual, but he felt something different in the atmosphere today. He noticed it after thinking over it a little. The forest is too quiet.

    Normally, you should have already encountered one or two duel-class demon beasts. However, tranquility seemed to spread all around.

    ¡°Is there going to be a problem getting food today?¡±

    The warrior frowns and looks around. No matter how many times he turns his neck, he can¡¯t even see the shadow of the beast.

    He was a giant belonging to the Fraum clan, , a clan of the giant race .

    The Fraum clan is a small group, like many of the clans in this forest. A great battle that once took place - the True Eye Disturbance- caused no damage because it was too small-scaled and thus it didn¡¯t leave any aftermath.

    ¡°Did any of the clans start preparing for the question? We, the Giants , don¡¯t even know who has their eyes closed and open. Maybe it will be necessary someday.¡±

    The ¡®Disturbance of the True Eye¡¯ is getting more and more distant with the passage of time. It didn¡¯t seem necessary to prepare for the question anymore, but the giants still had big problems.

    That is, the existence of the Rubel clan.

    It¡¯s a clan that should have become the champion of the True Eye Disturbance. The Rubel clan viciously relied on the immense power of the Dirty Beast . Although the clans were dissatisfied with them, they¡¯d remained silent up to this point. It was just only a few days ago that this silence was broken.

    ¡°Question¡­? We can¡¯t be like the Clan Caerleus.¡±

    Unlike the Caerleus clan, who is small but has a strong tradition, the Fraum clan wants a peaceful life. Despite the Rubel clan¡¯s questionable behavior, they weren¡¯t interested in taking an active role.

    ¡°Hmm. I thought there was something in the forest¡­ is that the cause?¡±

    As the warrior walked around, he encountered the source of the anomaly.

    Looking up, he saw something strange hovering in the sky. He saw it slowly approaching and emitting a rainbow-colored light, so he readied his weapon and increased his vigilance.

    ¡°Unfamiliar, it doesn¡¯t look like a filthy beast.¡±

    The iridescent light approaches without hesitation. Eventually, as the whole picture became clear, the warrior¡¯s expression changed to one of astonishment.

    ¡°Are you from the Fraum clan?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ no way, the Caerleus clan?! You guys are all¡­ didn¡¯t you all go to Hundred-eyes !¡±

    A small figure for a giant floated in the air, surrounded by a rainbow-colored ring. This four-eyed little mage stared down at him from the top of the trees.

    Staring at the four young eyes, the warrior stood still, forgetting to lay down his weapon.

    ¡°By the works of the Rubel clan - who does not even ask questions, my clan was seriously injured. But still, some of my people open their eyes.¡±

    ¡°So it had been. But still, what of that figure? Isn¡¯t it one of the filthy beasts? Do you now follow such a beast?¡±

    Behind the giant girl who calls herself the small mage , there stands a strange presence.

    It is a figure that doesn¡¯t exist in the warrior¡¯s knowledge. It looks like a demon beast, but it looks strange for one. It wasn¡¯t just standing behind the little mage rather it is supporting her in the sky. The situation was too mysterious.

    The little mage doesn¡¯t care if the warrior¡¯s upset or doubtful, she continued her words.

    ¡°Fraum Clan. I have come here to ask you for a favour. This is for every clan. It will be an important question for all the Giants .¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    As the words spun out of the girl¡¯s mouth, the warrior opened his three eyes wide. It was an oracle-like word that heralded the beginning of a new battle.

    The settlements where the giant clans live, are scattered throughout the Devil¡¯s Forest.

    In the first place, the relationship between clans is not good at all. The hunting grounds for food overlapped, the eyes did not meet, and for some reason there was no end to the conflict. Due to this, it is now a common practice for each clan to live apart.

    Giants with news appeared in the settlements of such clans. They are messengers from the Fraum clan. The only thing they bring with them is - a request to gather to enlighten the question of the wise men.

 Chapter 116: Part 2

    ¡°Ask a question¡­ is it the Fraum clan? Are they sure of their eyes, I don¡¯t think they forgot to look at the scenery of the Caerleus clan¡¯s last days!¡±

    The clans who received the news wondered. But it was only a short time before they agreed to participate in the inquiry. Thus the clans will meet together again.

    In the woods a clearing space used as a square, was filled with giants.

    It was the same as before when they¡¯d responded to the call of the Caerleus clan. Most of the clans, except the Rubel clan, sent their representatives to this place.

    ¡°All the clans have gathered here. Fraum Clan, can you tell us what your question is tonight?¡±

    In front of the giants who are bubbling with excitement, the five-eyed mage, the head of the Fraum clan, keeps his eyes closed and remains silent.

    As countless gazes focused on him, the mage slowly opened his five eyes and stood up. Although the Fraum clan belongs to the gentle category in terms of personality, they are still casually a giant race.

    The five-eyed mage looked around, releasing a quiet pressure from his large frame.

    ¡°¡­To ask the question, it is not our role. We wait for the time to fill.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? You guys, have gathered the clans.¡±

    A mysterious buzz runs through the giants.

    ¡°Caerleus was deprived of their eyes because of its foolishness, but I don¡¯t think we can stare at peace as it is.¡±

    ¡°Rubel clan! You wouldn¡¯t think that Caeruleus would be the only one to complain about the shrewd guys.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯ve gathered the clans.¡±

    The once-formed Allied Forces of Clans, , was disintegrated by the fall of the Caerleus clan, which was at the center of the call.

    However, once it was established, the clans were hostile to the Rubel clans. Even if you defeat the ring-leader, they cannot always dismiss it. If that¡¯s the case, then which clan will be targeted next, makes anxiety swell equally in everyone¡¯s hearts.

    In the midst of that, laughter occurs.

    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s because you made a mistake like Caerleus! What you fail to see, the Hundred Eyes will not miss his judgement!¡±

    ¡°Artel Clan, but¡­¡±

    A five-eyed giant stepped out of the clan group called the Artel clan. He bared his teeth in a toothy grin and looked around the clans, who remained confused.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to see the same view as these fools! And no good eye can come out of a gathering like this. Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The clans were powerless and wandered their eyes. They are small and weak clans, so there was a coalition of clans. However, even if the figure was enlarged, it didn¡¯t make them stronger individually.

    ¡°Artel Clan.¡±

    In response to a quiet call, the five-eyed giant turned around. The owner of the voice is the Mage of the Fraum Clan. However, despite the call, he turned his gaze to the air.

    ¡°I have an answer to your question. Look. The one who should really be asking the question has arrived.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    The five-eyed giant quirked his mouth, and slowly followed his gaze. And he saw it. A rainbow-colored glow, that dimly illuminates the sky.

    ¡°That light, a filthy beast!¡±

    ¡°No, it looks strange for that.¡±

    The giants were immediately in a fighting stance. The question of the wise man is a sacred ritual for the giants. It is unacceptable to get in the way, and furthermore, the filthy beast is the enemy of all clans.

    ¡°Calm down! That is not a beast. Everyone, welcome it.¡±

    The excited clans are stopped by the Fraum clan. Do they know what the true nature of light is? A question runs through their mind.

    Meanwhile, the light approaches and slowly descends from the sky above the square.

    While the giants gulp down and watch with bated breath, a single giant jumps out from the center of the rainbow-colored ring.

    It has a small stature for a giant, and it falls under the stunned gazes.

    ¡°Wind , arise!¡±

    Decelerating with the support of the wind that had rolled up, she slowly landed on the ground. To the clans who are confused by the sudden development, she makes a clear statement.

    ¡°I am the four-eyed mage of the Caeruleus Clan. I am the one who has asked the Fraum clan to answer this question!¡±

    The giants roar when they hear the declaration of the Little Mage.

 Chapter 116: Part 3

    Editors: Sweepberry & Silver B.

    A five-eyed mage of the Fraum clan stood next to her. He indicates that she is definitely the one who has enlightened this question.

    ¡°What! Then, is this question a continuation from that time?¡±

    ¡°If so, the Allied Forces of the Clan will stand again!¡±

    The five-eyed giant of the Artel clan opened his eyes as he overheard the excited conversation. He continued to push his way through the giants and stood in front of the little mage.

    ¡±You¡¯re telling me a lie! The Caerleus clan had returned their eyes! Maybe the Rubel clan was attacked by the filthy beast!

    ¡°Certainly, there are many eyes that have returned. But we have survived and endured the filth to convey that sneaky deed.¡±

    The little mage glares back at the five eyes, looking down from such height without fear.

    ¡°The Rubel clan has despicably defiled their eyes. Even without asking the question, they have sent the filthy beast! They long since forgotten that the Hundred Eyes is watching them.¡±

    The five-eyed giant¡¯s expression was twisted for a moment as the little mage showed no fear at all, but he soon regained his composure.

    ¡°Yes, they may be despicable. But Caerleus, you¡¯re a clan whose eyes are closing. How powerful are you! Can you take such words and enlighten your question?¡±

    The five-eyed giant even smiles and looks down at the little mage.

    ¡°You should close your eyes quietly. When you have to put out with such a young eye, you can see your own power!¡±

    The words of the Artel clan permeated the clans and cooled their excitement.

    ¡°Oh, the filthy beast is still alive and well. Then, it will be a repetition of the Disturbance of the True Eye.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t win. It¡¯s not even a question. Forgive me, Caerleus.¡±

    The Disturbance of the True Eye. The threat of the filthy beast, which was introduced during the battle named ¡°Question¡±, was imprinted deep in the hearts of each clan.

    The pain was slowly tormenting the hearts of the giants, like a wound that could not be healed and would fester. Witnessing the devastation of the Caerleus clan, the pain further blunts the fighting spirit of the giants.

    The little mage looks up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to turn my eyes back and do nothing. You can join one of the clans¡­ or do whatever you want, it¡¯s okay with us. If I have four eyes, then these are enough.¡±

    With a grin, the five-eyed giant twists his mouth. The clans are not enthusiastic as it is, and there is only one small mage. There is no way to persuade them at this point.

    At that moment, only one word was on her side.

    ¡°The answer is probably that, Caerleus.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it.¡±

    The head of the Fraum clan is staring at the air. Beyond that was the Kasasagi standing in mid-air.

    The little mage points to the sky and glares at the clans with her powerful eyes.

    ¡°Surely, we have returned a lot of eyes. The clan¡¯s power is almost nonexistent. But! We will never see the same scenery forever. Here, I have a new brethren!¡±

    With her chest out, she told him proudly. The Kasasagi begins to move in response. When the rainbow-colored glow is strengthened and it soars into the sky, a lightning bullet is fired.

    Staring at the dazzling sparkle, the giants were dumbfounded.

    Eventually the light faded and the sky returned to its original form. At the same time, they noticed. Far beyond the clouds, they realized that something was approaching.

    ¡°That is¡­ not a beast. Was there such a flying thing?!¡±

    The sound of the wind whistling through the air reached their ears. The giants were speechless as they stared up at the sky with eyes wide open.

    ~ Massive! An object that is so huge that even giants cannot compare to it is moving in the sky calmly.

    Its existence is bigger than any beast that they have ever seen. The greatness of the Flying Wing Mothership > Izumo overwhelms the giants.

    With a sharp jet sound, the Flying Knight > flies around. Like swimming around Izumo, many knights were guarding it.

    Seeing an unknown army that seemed to fill the air above his head, the five-eyed giant unknowingly took a few steps backwards. He put all his strength into his trembling body and stared at the little mage.

    ¡°Caerleus¡­ you, you guys! What did you see?!¡±

    He screamed his question but she didn¡¯t respond and just stared into the sky.

    In the midst of the chaos on the ground, the onboard members of the Silver Phoenix Order were busily running in and around the Izumo ship above the sky.

    ¡°Yare-yare, I never thought we¡¯ll be deploying it here in a place like this.¡±

 Chapter 116: Part 4

    ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch full of giants at the bottom. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to drop the whole ship down there.¡±

    The Boss yells at Dietrich¡¯s murmur heard from Guairalinde.

    Guairalinde, was now wrapped in an armor plate like a Movable Additional Armor . It¡¯s like heavy equipment like the First company¡¯s aircrafts.

    ¡°I know. More than that, isn¡¯t it about time?¡±

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s your turn!¡±

    The members of the Second Company respond vigorously. Their aircraft, just like Guairalinde, were wrapped in additional armor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Give those giants a slap!¡±

    On the Boss¡¯ signal, the bottom of the ship was released. With Guairalinde in the lead, the Second Company¡¯s aircraft were dropped in turn.

    The Second Company was thrown into the middle of the swirling wind. However, there was one oddity. When dropping the Phantom Knight > from an airship, it is common for them to be suspended by chains. If they fall without deceleration, even the most sturdy Phantom Knight will not be able to withstand it.

    And yet, they jumped into the air without any support. They were not Flying Knights, but Close quarters > machines.

    Immediately, a reckless cry is heard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Additional Descent Armor >, Deploy!!¡±

    In the next moment, the armor wrapped around Guairalinde spread out into a wing-like shape. However, no matter how huge the wings were, they could not support the weight of the phantom knight. The main goal is right after this.

    ¡°Source Floater >, Start-up!¡±

    A rainbow-colored glow leaked out, forming a weak floating force field >. It doesn¡¯t support the aircraft, but it¡¯s enough to slow down the fall of speed.

    The Additional Descent Armor was state-of-the-art equipment that gave the Phantom Knight an aerial descent function by using a simple source element floating device that was downsized and omitted the replenishment function.

    The spread-out armor caught the atmosphere. The momentum of the fall was converted into thrust and the Phantom Knights began to glide through the sky.

    The giants become noisy when they see the Phantom Knight moving through the sky like a monstrous bird. Some of them even held their weapons.

    While falling slowly, Guairalinde turns around its head. He couldn¡¯t help laughing because of the turmoil on the ground.

    ¡°Jeez, it should have been exactly what we¡¯re supposed to do. With this nothing can be done, as we have come to play our role in the raid.¡±

    ¡°No, Di-taicho, this is just a side-dish.¡±

    ¡°Wow, there are a lot of giants out there.¡±

    The Second Company was laughing-out-loud, rushing into the land controlled by the giants.

    They descend with the little mage as their landmark, and skated across the ground with their armor spread out like wings. Using its two legs to break and kill the momentum, they immediately became alert to their surroundings.

    Holding up their weapons, they deployed their Rear Armament >. The Additional Decent Armor is placed on the left and right sides, it plays a role for increased armor.

    The second company formed a circle centered on the small mage and faced the giants.

    Giants dressed in steel suddenly emerged from the sky. Unable to measure its identity, the clans were in tension and silence.

    ¡°Come on, Little Mage, you go ask for the rest. This is your role isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I understand, Warrior Dee.¡±

    The Little Mage walks past Guairalinde and stands in front of the Artel clan.

    ¡°Listen, clans! In place of the eyes we¡¯ve returned, we have a new brethren. A warrior flying in the sky! Warriors of steel! Each one of them is a Brave, who has repelled the filthy beast! Not of the Giant¡¯s tribe. They are Small Demons and their Phantoms.¡±

    And her words were instantly drowned out by huge commotion.

 Chapter 117: How to give an answer Part 1

    There was a moment of fleeting silence everywhere after Small Mage ¡¯s declaration. Then immediately a big ripple spread through the giant race .

    ¡°Now¡­ it¡¯s a Small Demon >?! Well, are you going to cling to such a person?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how you can sweep the Filthy Beast >. Are you looking at the truth?¡±

    ¡°This is stupid. After all, Caerleus is still a clan with closed eyes¡­¡±

    Many of the words that flew around were negative.

    It¡¯s not unreasonable, from the perspective of the giants, such as the small demons (and humans) were just a tiny part of their existence. No matter how many Phantom Knight > you have, they don¡¯t know what you are capable of.

    The Little Mage expected this reaction so she took a decisive step forward in response.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate! The Little Demons who follow these Phantom Beasts are not inferior to us! Moreover, here is a Brave man who has defeated the Filthy Beasts many times over!¡±

    ¡°Do you look away1! What a bunch of nonsense!¡±

    In the noisy atmosphere, it was the giant of the Artel clan who raised his voice loudly. The five-eyed giant overshadowed the small mage looking down from above.

    ¡°After all, the little ones are the little ones. Caerleus, before exposing your eyes more to shame, you better send it back to Hundred-Eyes .¡±

    ¡°Do not get ahead of yourself, Artel Clan. You haven¡¯t got the answer to the Question yet.¡±

    The five-eyed giant reached out his hand. It was at that moment, the Fraum Clan Mage, intervened between him and the Little Mage. Both five-eyes facing each other, they compete with each other with their imposing physiques that is as strong as those of the Artel Clan.

    ¡°Fraum Clan¡­ No, no matter what! It¡¯s useless to enlighten the question in the first place. Let¡¯s match the numbers with the small demons. With such words, we will accept it well!¡±

    The five-eyed giant turned his attention to the Mage of the Fraum Clan. They glared at each other with their words.

    While hiding behind the Fraum Clan Mage, the Small Mage looks around gently.

    The clans were not voicing their agreement, but if anything, they were nodding in agreement with the Artel clan. The appearance of a flying fleet for the survival of the Caerleus clan. All of them were shocking, but they did not change the perception of the Giants themselves.

    For that purpose, it is necessary to change the ¡°preconditions¡± themselves ¨D¨D.

    When the Little Mage made up her mind she turned around to make a request. Almost at the same time, Phantom Knights lined up next to each other.

    ¡°Warrior Dee.¡±

    ¡°The avant-garde2 is changing. It seems that this is a scene where they are going to attack.¡±

    Guairalinde nods and looks at the giants. The Giants have many eyes. However, none of their gazes were directed at them. They were only looking within the Giants. It was necessary to move them first.

    Dietrich raises the output of the loudspeaker as he clears his throat.

    ¡°Apparently, these Giants have so many eyes that they can¡¯t see very well in the distance.¡±

    The measures he took were quite simple. At the same time, it was extremely effective.

    The buzz quickly dies down. With a sharpness that as if it was shooting, the Giant¡¯s gazes were focused on the Second Company.

    ¡°¡­what.¡±

    A giant with five eyes moves. He walked slowly and stood in front of the Second Company.

    ¡°Small demons, I thought that I¡¯d look at you with tolerant eyes if you kept silent. But I can¡¯t overlook those words. ¡°

    ¡°I hope not! I¡¯m glad to hear that your ears are in order.¡±

    (Ed note: LOL! Dee you devil!)

    The expression of the five eyes is distorted by anger. It¡¯s not just only him. Even among the other clans, a swordsman atmosphere4 spreads.

    The Fraum Clan Mage is curiously watching the proceedings with great interest.

    ¡°The Phantom Beast of the Small Demons. You think you can compete with us with such a mockery? It¡¯s the Small Demon¡¯s shallow wisdom3 after all.¡±

    ¡°Despite their great stature, it seems that the giants are incapable of making sound judgements. That¡¯s not much different from a beast. Rest assured, we¡¯re good at hunting beasts.¡±

    The Magic Conversion Furnace > growls and the intake noise becomes high. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re trying to intimidate their opponents. In fact, they probably intend to do so. On the other hand, the presence of the five-eyed giant has already gone beyond the swordsman atmosphere and was ready for battle.

    The signs of battle were growing denser between them.

    ¡°Are you against us, just like those Little Demon. Foolish¡­ but as always these guys have been misleading. Let¡¯s see the truth right away!¡±

    The whole body of the five-eyed giant, is filled with power. His fists were clenched tightly, and which will be shaken at any moment¡¯s notice.

    Before that, the Little Mage shouted.

    ¡°Artel Clan! If you have any doubts, look at them with a hundred eyes. We are here to ask! Are the Small Demons truly not worthy of your company?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The Five-Eyed giant of the Artel clan was taken aback and stopped. The buzz has returned to the clans.

    ¡°Oh¡­ the Question was released.¡±

    ¡°Before a hundred eyes. Make a testimony, Kaerleus. Then we shall see.¡±

 Chapter 117: Part 2

    The questions asked by the Little Mage were accepted by various clans but the Artel Clan was not convinced. The Five-Eyed giant howled.

    ¡°Ridiculous! Needless to ask, Kaerleus! Your mistakes, let me clarify it here and now!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to prove it to ourselves anyway.¡±

    Dietrich also nods with a ferocious smile.

    At that time, he heard a laid-back voice coming out of the place from the Kasasagi floating in the sky.

    ¡°As I thought, It does have a ring to it. It kind of reminds me of the time I met the Brave one.¡±

    ¡°Um, Master has answered the question brilliantly. If this is the case, everyone will be convinced.¡±

    Seeing the Little Mage nod, Eru secretly let out a sigh.

    Even in his encounter with the Caerleus clan, he had shown his power and was welcomed into the fold. It was an unnecessary fight, but he had to consider it as a rite of passage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go wild. Ernesti, I¡¯m here¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Di-taicho! Let me do it!¡±

    Just as Guairalinde was about to take a step forward, a voice interrupted him. One of the men from the Second Company had stepped forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯m quite curious to see how far these giants will do!¡±

    ¡°Muu. Since you say so, is there any chance of winning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll knock him down!¡±

    ¡°¡­Knight Captain, please say something to him.¡±

    ¡°Please do your best.¡±

    Guairalinde holds her head dexterously. Beside it, the member of the squad, who with the permission of the Captain happily proceeded.

    ¡°Ernesti. If we pull the trigger here, the conversation will get strangely complicated.¡±

    (Note: Di is stating if they fail, their plan will completely go south.)

    ¡°That¡¯s the time. If that doesn¡¯t work, the worst we can do is persuade them by raining Law Bullet Bombs down on them from the sky.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t call it persuasion.¡±

    Aside from the disturbing conversations that are happening behind the scenes.

    Karangur proudly stomps the ground with great strength. Standing in his way is the five-eyed giant of the Artel clan.

    The giant is superior in terms of height alone. His eyes narrowed in displeasure looking at the steel doll with a red cross in front of him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of the Small Demon¡¯s style of imitating us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to see for yourself if it¡¯s just an imitation. There are so many.¡±

    A vein emerges on the forehead of the giant.

    ¡°You fool. Know that there is no tomorrow for you to see.¡±

    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s good. Well then¡­¡±

    Immediately after, Karangur did an unexpected action.

    He lowered the weapon that was held in his hand and carried on his waist. In addition, the Back Armament with the Auxiliary Arm is also released, and the Additional Armor for Descent > was also separated. Smoke rose as the equipment fell to the ground one after another.

    Karangur, who became terribly light, took a stance with his bare fist.

    ¡°Show me your strength, no weapons! Fight with just your fists and body. Do you have any objections?!¡±

    ¡°No! Very well, that Phantom Beast will be crushed to dust!!¡±

    The five-eyed giant also threw his weapon and bared his fangs in a howl. The muscles in his body swelled up.

    There was no signal to start. The two ¡°giants¡± clenched their fists together and began to run at a pace that gouged the earth.

    The five-eyed giant took advantage of his height to strike down from above. Dodging the storm of swirling and approaching fists, Karangur¡¯s unit slipped inside the space.

    He then used his momentum to drive a fist into the giant¡¯s stomach - but it was unsuccessful as the five-eyed giant twisted around.

    The giant then leaps off his feet and launches a counterattack and Karangur jumps back in time.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost there! Go! Hit him!¡±

    ¡°Tsuka guy5, why did he choose to fist-fight with a Phantom Knight.¡±

    ¡°He was practicing his fighting skills in case he lost his weapon.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing? Train your sword normally¡­¡±

    ¡°No, a club is more convenient than a sword. Heavy armor is also good.¡±

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t get it, do you? The axe is good, smash it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a spear. It¡¯s all about timing.¡±

    ¡°You guys are a little noisy.¡±

    Carrying the grateful cheers of the Second Company, Karangur stepped forward again.

    However, he was pushed back by the wielding fist of the five-eyed giant, and it was difficult to get in time.

 Chapter 117: Part 3

    In a fight where the body frame itself used as a weapon, a large body is at a great advantage. In addition to simply having a wide space, a large skeleton also leads to great strength. If you are attacked by a giant, you will not be safe as a Phantom Knight.

    On the other hand, Karangur¡¯s unit is also a model with excellent output among Phantom Knights. The power generated by the Rope-shaped Crystal Muscle > will be sufficient even against giants.

    Both of them have the power to defeat each other.

    Amidst the cheer of the giants, the real giant and the steel giant clash their fists.

    ¡°To be able to manipulate the Phantom Beast, you¡¯re still a tribe of Small Demons! It requires a tremendous amount of excitement to get the answer to the Question of that level!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that!¡±

    Along with the strong gust of wind, the arms of the five-eyed giant reared up the air. Karangur, who avoided the attack with his agile movement, aimed at the opponent¡¯s face and thrust out his fist.

    The five-eyed giant moved his upper body to dodge. He then spread his arms and grabbed Karangur.

    ¡°N¡¯naro~o!¡±

    (Note: ¡°Shannaro¡± is like a cry to prove something)

    Realizing that it was inevitable, Karangur responded head-on. Grabbing each other¡¯s fists, the two giants combine. The muscles swell and they put all their energy into it.

    The five-eyed giant also took advantage of his upper back to put weight on his opponent. The load on the Karangur increases and the crystalline muscles squeak. His feet sank into the ground, demonstrating the intensity of the force applied. However, it is still able to bear the strength and weight of the five-eyed giant.

    A groan went up from the clans in front of the two giants pushing each other.

    ¡°How, it is against the five-eyed position.¡±

    ¡°That is the Phantom beast of the small demons. If you line up on your eyes, then it¡¯s like a Brave man.¡±

    In general, the higher the eye level, the larger the body and the higher the physical ability of the Giant race. If you have a Fifth eye rank, your physical abilities alone will be extremely high.

    The giants were beginning to look at Karangur¡¯s appearance in a new light as he defied them.

    ¡°Guu, I can¡¯t push it in¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Hang in there, Karangur! Now is the time to give it your all!!

    The intake and exhaust noise becomes louder, and the Magic Power Conversion Furnace further increases the output. A faint light ran all over the body, activating the Strengthening Magic. Gradually, Karangur pushes the giant back.

    The five-eyed giant showed an impatient expression for the first time. He never thought that the fake giant created by the goblin tribe would exert power comparable to that of himself, who is in the five-eyed position. No, rather¡­

    ¡°Impudent! Such a thing, shouldn¡¯t be happening!! ¡°

    For a giant of the fifth-eye rank, the reactions of the surroundings is something that is very unpleasant to him. However, the toys of the Small Demons were unexpectedly tenacious opponents.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a true giant after all. It¡¯s just a matter of strength, and I¡¯m in good shape!¡±

    Then, the five-eyed giant loosened the force he had been applying at once. Karangur, who had been fighting with all his might, lost his support and fell to his knees.

    As intended, the giant took another step forward and swung his fist down in a wide arc.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad! Get out of there!¡±

    Dietrich shouts. However, Karangur loses his posture and cannot escape. A fist slammed directly from above caught Karangur¡¯s shoulder.

    The armor cracked and collapsed due to the impact. The crystalline muscles inside broke and shattered, and debris scattered around. The impact reaches the skeleton and the joints are twisted. His left arm was nearly falling off fluttering and was no longer usable.

    ¡°Hmph! Let¡¯s end it, Little Demon!!¡±

    One of his arms was shattered, and Karangur¡¯s body tilted heavily. The damage was so great, that everyone was convinced that the fifth-eyed giant had won. Among them, there was only one who did not lose his will to fight.

    ¡°Haha, you let your guard down just because you took one of my arms! You¡¯ve got a big gap!¡±

    The Phantom Knight is a machine. Even if one arm is destroyed, there is no sense of pain and there is little effect on the remaining parts of its body. The giants did not understand the fundamental difference between living things and machines.

    Using the recoil of the attack received, Karangur sinks down. Aiming at the five-eyed giant while in a covered state, he thrust out his right fist as if he were jumping up. The aim of the punch is an unprotected torso. A fist, pierces into the giant¡¯s flank.

    Even giants have the armor of a magical beast protecting their torso. Karangur¡¯s fist was crushed by his own power. But by doing so, the impact penetrates into the armor.

    ¡°So hard, my stomach?!¡±

    The impact pierced his organs, and unbearably, the five-eyed giant broke his body posture. No matter how tough it is, as long as it is a living thing, it cannot withstand the impact on its internal organs.

    ¡°Ooraa! My fist just got crushed!!¡±

    Karangur spins around on the spot. Then, he launched a roundhouse kick towards the five-eyed giant who had lost his posture.

    -Roundhouse kick. It may be the first time such an attack has been carried out in the long history of the Phantom Knight.

    The leg armor with centrifugal force caught the giant¡¯s temporal region neatly. All of the power is transmitted, and the giant blows away from his head. His body floated in the air like a thrown sword, and plunged into the ground with great force. A cloud of dust rose up and covered the figure of the five-eyed giant.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    The settlement was instant and was too unexpected. The clans are quiet and gazing at the cloud of smoke flowing in a daze.

 Chapter 117: Part 4

    In the scenery that was exposed soon, the five-eyed giant was lying down and did not move.

    The giants of the Artel Clan rushed over in a panic and looked at them. A sorrowful cry rose, and the five-eyed giant had stripped off his eyes white and fainted.

    ¡°Did you see it! I won!!¡±

    Karangur swings up his remaining arm. A little later, all the clans that were present and gathered let out various cries.

    Immediately, the Little Mage declares to the clans.

    ¡°Here, the Question has been answered!! The Little demons, they are truly Heroes! Hundred Eyes, have witnessed it!!¡±

    ¡°Oooh!! Hundred Eyes, have witnessed it!!¡±

    The clans are all kneeling and praying to their god.

    In the midst of all this excitement, the giants of the Artel clan were flustered and confused.

    ¡°Fifth Eye! What does it mean, to be defeated by the likes of a Small Demon¡­¡±

    ¡°But no longer, the answer has already come out. The Hundred Eyes have seen it. If this goes on¡­¡±

    They held the unconscious five-eyed giant, and quickly left the scene.

    ¡°¡­Yareyare, somehow I manage it. That was really dangerous.¡±

    Seeing the victory of the member, the Second Company assumed a fighting stance. There was no certainty in the victory at all. In preparation for the worst, they were ready to go for another rampage.

    ¡°Oooh. Karangur, you broke it down.¡±

    ¡°Boss is going to yell at you. Hee hee hee.¡±

    ¡°My hardship is trivial. It¡¯s a medal for winning, a medal!

    The people around him sighed and were amazed as he proudly stretched out his chest while one of his arms was nearly ripped off.

    It was true for the Second Company, which is a raiding squadron, that any damage to their aircrafts was like a normal occurrence. That¡¯s why they were able to immediately launch a counterattack.

    As they were celebrating their victory in their own way, the Little Mage came back. The clans were lined up behind her.

    ¡°Warriors. With your Phantom Beasts, you guys deserve to be in line with the clans. Everyone understands that. Those in the sky, they can fight the Filthy Beasts¡­ The Hundred Eyes have acknowledged it.¡±

    The Little Mage looks up at the sky. There, the Flying Mothership > Izumo and with the Flying Knights > were swimming around.

    She knows it. She knows how powerful is the force they possess. They are Warriors who fly at high speed and use the power of Magic .

    She turned around and faced the clans.

    ¡°Once again, we ask the clans. The Rubel Clan is already on the move, the time for rest is over¡­ The Hundred Eyes, is about to test us again.¡±

    Secret words spread and whispered to each other like a ripple in the water, the clans finally made up their minds. In response to their will, the Fraum Clan¡¯s Mage stepped forward.

    ¡°Clan of Kaerleus and its new friends. You have possessed those great things that go through the sky, they will give you the strength to defeat the Filthy Beast. We believe in our friends, and are ready to face the trials together.¡±

    No matter how many clans gathered, they couldn¡¯t win as long as the Rubel Clan were manipulating the Filthy Beast. A force that could fight in the skies, would dramatically change the situation for the Giants.

    Accompanied with a rainbow-colored light, Kasasagi comes down.

    ¡°Also the Small Demons under the Rubel Clan, promised to help us and are hoping for freedom. Hopefully, the Filthy Beast will not interfere with the Question. From there what kind of answer you will get, it¡¯s up to you.¡±

    The lined up giants let out a roar.

    ¡°Now for sure, it¡¯s time to correct the mistakes of the True Eye Disturbance!¡±

    ¡°Only watching the backs of the small ones, is against the hearts of the giants! In front of the Hundred Eyes, I can¡¯t show you that kind of unsightliness!¡±

    ¡°We will release the Question! Now is the time to conquer!¡±

    The giants raised their arms and started to move. The Little Mage and the Knights of the Silver Phoenix saw them off and nodded at each other.

    _____THIS IS ANOTHER SCENE___

    The giants of the Kaerleus clan were heading west following the Little Mage. Unlike her, who flew through the sky with the Kasasagi, they were on foot. It was inevitable that they would be greatly delayed and weren¡¯t present at the scene.

    ¡°¡­Something¡¯s coming.¡±

    They were on their way when they felt the rumbling of the earth echoing from somewhere and stopped walking.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a beast¡­ this is, the sound is too loud.¡±

    ¡°This feeling. No way.¡±

    The rumbling of the earth was getting stronger and stronger, almost like an earthquake. Even for those who have lived in this forest for a long time, it is a scale that they never experienced anything like it.

    However, the same situation has happened only once in the past. That was, when the clans usually gathered and fought. At that time-

    ¡°Ooh¡­ what is this?!¡±

    Seeing the scenery beyond the trees, the Brave of the Kaerleus Clan opens his eyes.

    Colorful signs are fluttering between the dense and thick trees. The marks made by weaving the hair of the demon beasts indicates the clan to which the giants belong to.

    ¡°Allied Forces of various Clans ¡­¡±

    It¡¯s the first time such marks have been gathered since the True Eye of Disturbance. The Kaerleus Clan stood speechless.

    A rainbow-colored light came down to them. A small mage held by Kasasagi finds them and starts waving.

    ¡°Brave! I played my role!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Little Mage, Small Demon¡¯s Brave! Well, well done! Then up next is to ask the Hundred Eyes.¡±

    The Three-eyed Brave¡¯s cry escalates with great joy.

    At last, all the clans here have become one. The forest rumbled, as the giants headed east. Thus, the Demon¡¯s Forest is heading back into the midst of war.

 Chapter 118: Where is the answer? Part 1

    Editors: Silver B. & Sweepberry

    The clans of Astragali, the race of giants, have gathered to form the clan alliance Exarchitus de Baryisgenos. The sound of footsteps shaking the forest echoed like distant thunder.

    ¡°¡­ The Allied Forces of the Clan have moved?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before the Rubel clan, the Genos de Rubel, knew about it.

    They themselves are in the process of moving west to conquer the clans. Eventually the encounter was inevitable, and they were just a little better off.

    The ¡®False King of the Fifth Eye,¡¯ the leader of the Rubel clan, pondered over the report that had been brought to him.

    ¡°Until a moment ago, there was not even a hint that the Question would be answered, but now the allied armies of the clans have formed, and are even already on the move. Why, did you think you could see us moving?¡±

    He closed three of his eyes and sank into thought.

    The clans he knew did not think in terms of the big picture. His eyesight was poor and he could not see what was happening at a distance. It had never happened before that the tribes had moved ahead of the Rubel clan.

    ¡°They must have been trembling when Caeruleus closed his eyes. Who enlightened them to the Question?¡±

    In the first place, the clans were supposed to be cowards who closed their eyes for fear of the existence of the filthy beast, Kretvastia.

    The most annoying of them all, the Caeruleus clan, had just been destroyed the other day. It¡¯s hard to believe that after seeing one clan, albeit a small one, fall, that another will soon appear.

    ¡°I believe that the Allied Forces of the various clans are on their way here.¡±

    ¡°If so, our task remains the same. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re not just sweeping small clans anymore.¡±

    ¡°This is the second time of the True Eye Rebellion. We no longer need to overlook them, we just need to crush them!¡±

    The giants of the Rubel clan were all excited and showing their will to fight. They were originally moving to fight, so in that sense, there was no change in their plans.

    As he looked at his compatriots, the false king continued to think.

    ¡°The only reason to form a coalition of clans was once lost. The only reason to open your eyes again is that you have seen ¡­ our movement. After all, the clans and others are just an instant gathering and so there were leaks. But we are one clan, which eyes should be distracted?¡±

    For the giants, clan ties are absolute, and it is extremely unlikely that information would leak out from within. In the first place, there are no giants who would benefit from harming their own clan.

    But in fact, their movements had been detected. If that was the case, the list of suspects would naturally narrow down.

    ¡°Eyes without us¡­ No way, small demons?¡±

    The false king looked up at the sky with five steely eyes. The sky, cut off by the trees, was clear and calm. There was no sign of the filthy beast. Even though it had already been some time since he left the Hundred Metropolitans, he is convinced that something is wrong.

    The filthy beast still does not move. What are you doing, Maga, the Mage? No, it could also be the work of the small demons¡­ True Invisible Ones.

    The five eyes of the false king - a sign of the highest power of the giant race - reflect the shadow of something evil. The situation was taking a completely different form from the True Eye¡¯s disturbance.

    It was certain that the filthy beast would not be a force to be reckoned with in this Question. But what does it matter, the false king smiled grimly.

    ¡°I will not stop my steps, even if my eyes cannot see beyond them. Even if there are no filthy beasts, we are the Rubel clan. We are the ones who should rule the giant race! The Question must be answered by my hand!¡±

    Now that they knew that the Allied Forces of the various clans were on the move, the Rubel clan could not afford to back down. It was unforgivable in their face.

    The false king made a decision and led his clan to continue moving forward.

    The sound of his footsteps echoing through the forest soon became audible to both sides. Both sides already understood. The clash was imminent. The curtain rises on a battle that will shake the forest where the giants live.

    The Allied Forces of the various clans advance.

    In the sky above them, the airship fleet led by the Silver Phoenix Knights was slightly ahead of them. The speed of the levitate ships in the sky and the giants walking on the ground were originally different.

    They were moving forward as slowly as they could so as not to lose sight of the multicolored markers moving through the earth.

    ¡°Spectacular, I should say.¡±

    Ernesti muttered, looking out the window at the scene below.

    The giants were walking in the green of the forest. Each clan had its own distinctive color scheme, which made the ground look very colorful.

    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s quite an interesting sight.¡±

    ¡°The large army reminded me of Ksheperka. The colors are more flamboyant than then, though.¡±

    In comparison to the Silhouette Knight, which is basically a unified model for each country or knightly order, the clans of the giant race are many in number. The ground was like a brightly colored cloth being tossed about.

    As they were enjoying the scenery, an urgent shout suddenly came from the transmission tube.

    ¡°Reconnaissance cavalry, we have a luminous signal!¡±

    Immediately, the bridge was filled with tension. As they waited for the report, details from the surveillance arrived.

    ¡°¡­ My¡­ enemy has been spotted! Many giants¡­ on the ground!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got eyes on them! Ahead!¡±

    Ahead of the airship, there was a huge army that seemed to fill the entire ground.

    Unlike the coalition of the various clans, the markings coming up from various places are the same. In other words, they were one and the same clan.

    ¡°The largest clan of the giant Astragali¡­ the Rubel clan. No one else comes from this direction.¡±

    Overhearing Ernesti¡¯s murmur, Dietrich laughed in amusement.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, they were already closing in on us. But looking around, it seems that there are no magical beasts. What do we do?¡±

    ¡°If there are no filthy beasts, then we¡¯ll have to think a bit about our movements. I¡¯m going to head over to the little mage, Parl for a bit.¡±

    Ernesti ducked down as he said this.

    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll keep the fleet on alert and on standby.¡±

    Ernesti quickly ran through the hold and jumped into the magpie¡¯s cockpit.

    The magpie was dropped from the back of the Izumo¡¯s hold, and as the rainbow-colored circle unfolded, it proceeded towards the ground.

    ¡°The Rubel clan is closing in! They were definitely on the move.¡±

    The three-eyed hero of the Caeruleus clan roared. He grabbed his weapon and stood up, unable to stand still.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, then! It¡¯s time for the clans to unleash the true Question!¡±

    ¡°Please calm down. There are things that need to be resolved before we can ask them.¡±

    Ernesti calmed him down and the little mage nodded.

    ¡°Master Magister is right. If the Rubel clan is here, what about the filthy beast? It doesn¡¯t seem to be visible in the sky.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen it in our reconnaissance either. I wonder if they are hiding them very cleverly, or if the hard work of the small demons has paid off.¡±

    The hero sat back down for a moment. He was still holding his weapon, and you could see that he was straining.

    ¡°There is no filthy beast, then the righteous Question must now be asked by us, the giant race. This means that the Hundred-Eyed Argos wishes to settle the Question!¡±

    His gaze moved and caught Ernesti¡¯s. The three eyes of the brave man were elated and heated.

    ¡°¡­ hero of the small demons.¡±

    ¡°I know. Let¡¯s keep an eye on the sky and follow from behind.¡±

    The giants want a settlement between the giants. Even Ernesti had no intention of letting the involved Silver Phoenix Knights take the brunt either.

    He returned to the ship with the magpie to discuss the Knights¡¯ movements.

 Chapter 118: Part 2

    ¡°Deploy the second company on the ground. Let¡¯s move to fill in the holes of the clans as a back-up.¡±

    ¡°We could kick the crap out of a giant if we had to, but are you sure you want to go backwards?¡±

    ¡°If nothing happens, we can go a little crazy. But there¡¯s something else we should be wary of.¡±

    ¡°The Beast of Filth. If they¡¯re not here, they¡¯ve done well, haven¡¯t they?¡±

    Dietrich looked at Zachariah, who was standing by the wall.

    He seemed to have been in occasional contact with the bugs since then. The fact that there are no filthy beasts here suggests that the movements of the little king¡¯s side are working.

    ¡°They have fulfilled their promise. Now it¡¯s our turn to show the power of the humans and the small demons, so let¡¯s take advantage of it.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Knight Commander.¡±

    The two of them nodded at each other and immediately took action.

    The air fleet is located above and slightly behind the Allied Forces of the Clan. While keeping an eye on the overall battle situation, they fly the flying knights around the perimeter and stay alert.

    The second squadron descends to the ground alone and joins the clans in battle. At the same time, they raised the flag of the Silver Phoenix Knights and asserted their presence here and there.

    The clans continued to move forward, maintaining the tension and excitement of battle. Eventually, they reached a break in the trees.

    The allied forces moved out from behind the trees and into the sunlight. An open area with boulders lying on top of each other. The other side of the river was stained with colors that were not trees. It was red, a color not used by the other clans.

    The Rubel clan. A single clan can rival the size of a coalition of clans. That is the proof of the largest clan.

    After they saw each other, they stopped and faced each other across the wasteland.

    Dietrich looked at the Rubel clan on the holo-monitor and whistled happily.

    ¡°Hmmm. The Rubel clan uses red, good taste. Perhaps we should have had a talk, it¡¯s a shame to see them turn against us.¡±

    ¡°Captain, you can¡¯t tell from the color alone, can you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just using it for the time being. I have to be more particular about the design!¡±

    Aside from the second company, which was making a racket of its own, the giants began to move. A few of the giants from the Allied Clan and the Rubel Clan stepped forward.

    ¡°We are the Allied Forces of the Clan! The Rubel Clan, your actions in the True Eye Rebellion are unforgivable! We now rightly ask the Hundred Eyes!¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times you ask, the answer is the same. You cannot see the truth!¡±

    ¡°You are fools to use a filthy beast! Even a Hundred Eyes will turn away from you! That doesn¡¯t mean we got the answer!!¡±

    ¡°No matter how you argue, you will never get the truth. There are no more words to say!!¡±

    It was the usual exchange of words between them. It was a declaration of war for them, and they hadn¡¯t been able to settle it through discussion once the Question had been revealed.

    When they returned to their respective camps, the atmosphere changed drastically.

    It was as if even the rustling of the leaves in the wind had stopped, and instead, the air became tense. Both sides were gathering strength for the battle to come.

    ¡°Ask, ask, ask! The Question of the wise! Hundred eyes, behold!¡±

    Shouts rose from both camps. The cries of the vast number of giants shook the world itself. From this moment on, this place has become a different world filled with the blessings of the Hundred Eyes. The giants would devote their lives to finding the answer to the Question.

    The screams of the second company that was caught in the middle were easily drowned out.

    With their eyes black and white, the giants rushed forward. It was a head-on assault. There is no such thing as tactics in a battle between giants who are duel-grade beings.

    Although they were a little late, the second company also moved forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m still having trouble with my ears. I¡¯ve had a hell of a time. I let my guard down a bit.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But these giants, they¡¯re just going in?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why they don¡¯t even have a sword, they¡¯re just clubs. I think there¡¯s no culture other than hitting each other.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t there something wrong with that corner?¡±

    They checked out the battlefield and found something other than fisticuffs1.

    They found a battlefield that wasn¡¯t a fistfight, but a clan wearing bright blue ornaments - the Caeruleus clan. They didn¡¯t charge in a straight line, but kept their distance in a single mass.

    Their fighting style was familiar to me. That is because it¡¯s a tactic familiar to Phantom Knights.

    ¡°Magic Magia!¡±

    In response to the hero¡¯s order, the giants held their magical armored silhouette arms in their hands. It¡¯s a hastily made product, but in a battle of giants, it shines with a different kind of brilliance.

    It left behind a faint luminescence as it unleashed one legal strike after another.

    The same flaming technique as the ¡°Flame Spear Calvary¡± attacked the Rubel clan. The giants who were facing them head-on were confused by the unexpected attack. In a battlefield filled with the sound of blows and footsteps, the sound of explosions was very distinctive.

    They were not very powerful because they were made in time, but if they were concentrated, they could defeat a giant.

    But before that, the Rubel clan was having trouble dealing with it, and was moving in an awful manner.

    ¡°What the hell? Isn¡¯t that the Caeruleus clan? Why do those bastards have such a great magician, Marga!¡±

    ¡°We need a mage here too! We can¡¯t go near them at this rate!¡±

    The Rubel clan is blocked by a barrage of legal bullets that are hurled at them one after another.

    However, there are only a minority of places where long-distance battles have begun. In most places, direct fisticuffs have started.

    In the meantime, the battle situation became clearer.

    ¡°Gunu~tsu2, the Rubel clan, how hard!¡±

    The clans were slowly losing ground. The reason was obvious: the Rubel clan was better equipped.

    While the other clans use weapons and armor made from the materials of magical beasts, the Rubel clan adds metal to their weapons and armor. The weapons and armor made with the advanced technology inherited by the small demons from the Phantom Knights are powerful and raise the power of the entire clan to a new level.

    In a simple fistfight, the difference was immense. One by one, the clans fell and were forced to retreat.

    Finally, one clan allowed to break through, and the giants of the Rubel clan rushed into the hole.

    ¡°If this continues, the clans¡¯ armies will be defeated individually. It¡¯s time for us to come in!¡±

    The giants of the Rubel clan, who had kicked away the allied forces of the various clans, let out a roar. Immediately after, a crimson wind rushed in front of him¡­

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t use red other than us¡­ ?!¡±

    The Question was never fully put into words. The vacuum blade that was released struck the giant, causing it to lose its posture. The gleam of the white blade that followed took the weapon from his hand, and the remaining swing took his life.

    Leaving the bleeding giant behind, the Phantom Knights leap forward.

    The Rubel clan had been confronted by unfamiliar giants and had been kicked to pieces.

 Chapter 119: True Phantom Beast

    The five-eyed False King raises his palm to intercept the running three-eyed Brave.

    ¡°A Caeruleus Brave. For a clan with its eyes closed to challenge the Question. Such bravery is good, however¡­¡±

    A flickering flame was brought forth following the movements of his hand. The flames began to overflow with increasing force from the palm of the False King¡¯s hand.

    ¡°After all, you have fewer eyes. Count your eyes!¡±

    As he waved his arm the overflowing flames suddenly moved with purpose. The theory spun by the Magic Formula

    ¡°Certainly, I only have three eyes, and I cannot compare to one with five¡­ But! you must confirm the Truth with your own eyes!!¡±

    The Brave faced the thick stream of oncoming flames and prepared the Magical Weapons. A faint light is emitted as a magic bullet is shot and mows through the flames in the air.

    Even if it cannot match the power of the five-eyed False King¡¯s magic, it can fire one shot after another. In the space between the two, the flames become disrupted and swirl violently.

    ¡°A lowly three-eyed wretch has¡­ Our Magic was¡­?!¡±

    While the False King¡¯s face was twisted in astonishment, the Brave broke into a run. He endured the heat, and went through the flames that filled the air to close in on the False King. As he ran, he pulled out the weapon on his back and unsheathed it.

    Glittering in the light of the sun was a sword.

    It was a weapon not used within the giant¡¯s culture, a blade borrowed from the Silver Phoenix Knights. While it was a weapon he was unaccustomed with, the Brave¡¯s blow was aimed at the False King¡¯s throat. Through his fight with Ernesti, he had come to understand a little of how to use a blade.

    Immediately after, the sword is knocked aside leaving a high pitched sound and sparks behind. What had defended against the unfamiliar attack was a blunt, shiny metal club.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve pushed me this far.¡±

    The club swung with a roar. The Brave leapt back to avoid the blow that cut into the earth, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

    ¡°As expected of a five-eyed, it won¡¯t be that easy.¡±

    Five-eyed. One who manipulates magic like a Sorcerer while also being strong like a Brave. Since a six-eyed, which is considered to be the highest rank within the giant race, is extremely rare it can be said to be the highest rank in practice.

    In comparison the Brave is three-eyed. He was a size smaller than his opponent and has little background in magic. The gap between their combat abilities was large.

    ¡°That magic, those weapons. We don¡¯t recognize either of them, nobody amongst the giants knows them¡­ If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s the little demons¡¯ things huh. Those bastards have weapons this strong!¡±

    The False King looked away from the Brave and up towards the sky.

    There, floating above the Allied forces of the Clans was a huge ship

    His expression distorted as he stared at it with contempt.

    ¡°Such a foolish thing, obeying those things. Something as small as that¡­ where did your pride as a giant go!¡±

    ¡°Certainly, I too used to think that little demons are a small thing. However, their power is true. Looking down on such bravery lacks respect!!¡±

    The Brave fixed his posture and let out a bellow. Seeing this, the False King swelled with anger.

    ¡°Caeruleus. While reluctantly opening your eyes this much, you can only go this far. How foolish. As expected, our Truth is the one which should be seen by Hundred Eyes¡¯s eyes. Eyes such as yours are unnecessary!¡±

    As he said this the False King suddenly stepped forth and swung his club. A club is a solid, heavy, and powerful weapon. Receiving such a blow with a sword would be extremely difficult.

    A strong wind could be felt from each swing. The Brave managed to dodge each attack. Due to the difference in strength, matching blows would be difficult. The only thing he can rely on is his speed.

    While the Brave focused on evading, the False King let out a rapid succession of attacks. Using their strength to overwhelm their opponent, this is how the giants fight. Power is what they respect.

    However, while the Brave appeared to be cornered, he was in fact waiting for an opportunity.

    ¡°I am only three-eyed. I am smaller than you, and I am weaker than you. But even then, the chance of victory exists. That too was smaller and defeated me.¡±

    He focused on dodging the storm of attacks that could kill any giant with a single blow. The Brave remembered the time he was overwhelmed by a small existence that didn¡¯t even reach his knees. He was taught many things from that battle.

    ¡°Doing nothing but running away, yet you still claim to hold the title of Brave!¡±

    The False King was annoyed by the unexpected persistence of the Brave. With his overwhelming power as a five-eyed, and the steel club taken from the Goblins, it should have been easy to crush an opponent of this caliber.

    ¡°The False King will not understand!¡±

    Agitation had created a gap in the False King¡¯s movements. The Brave, seeing his attacks had become too wide, instantly launched a counterattack.

    The advantage of a close range magic attack using the Silhouette Arms is it leaves little gap. The bullet hit the False King¡¯s throat and burst into flames.

    ¡°Nguh!¡±

    The False King¡¯s posture collapsed. A once in a lifetime opportunity was created, the Brave immediately went for it. Closing the distance so he could not dodge, he unleashed his attack. A fierce yell containing his sharpened will accompanied his blade. However, the attack was intercepted by the club.

    ¡°¡­ That attack just now wasn¡¯t bad, but that¡¯s all it is.¡±

    The False King¡¯s expression was distorted, but he still managed to stop the strike. Certainly the magic bullet had hit him hard. However, the body of the five-eyed is tough and he was able to withstand the blow only due to his tenacity.

    In an instant the position of attacker and defender was reversed. The False King, relying on his power, pushed forth with his club to send the Brave flying. With a roar the sword was sent dancing in the air. The Brave deflected the power by letting go of his sword. He had lost his sword, but he still held the Silhouette Arms within his hand. Without hesitation he fired a series of rapid shots at the False King fiercely using up his remaining magic power.

    One after another explosions of fire enveloped the False King. Even a five-eyed would not be safe when showered with so many attacks. Such expectations were immediately betrayed.

    ¡°Such an eyesore!!¡±

    With a spirited shout the False King spun his own magic. The fierce flames that were created swallowed up the magic bullets. In the blink of an eye the Brave¡¯s attack was brushed aside and the False King¡¯s fist struck out.

    ¡°Thunder strike! ¡±

    Instantly widening the distance, the Brave¡¯s quick judgement should be commended. However, the False King¡¯s magic splits the air at lightning speed and firmly strikes the Brave. Escaping from this magic is impossible no matter who you are.

    ¡°Uguooo! Gah?!¡±

    The Silhouette Arms is sent flying from the impact. The lighting attack did not stop there, but continued through the Brave¡¯s body. The Brave¡¯s consciousness was blown away as his body twitched weirdly as if dancing.

    Then his body collapsed to the ground like a doll with its strings cut.

    Moving one¡¯s body shortly after an electric shock is impossible and the Brave¡¯s whole body is already covered in wounds. The False King on the other hand had a relaxed attitude as he slowly approached.

 Chapter 119: Part 2

    ¡°You fought well for a three-eyed. As expected of one who received the title of Brave. That you have bothered our eyes, go to the side of Hundred Eyes and tell him.¡±

    As he walked towards him, he raised his club into the air. The Brave let out an inaudible groan as he barely lifted his arm. He still had not recovered enough to move. A strike aimed at his head began to come down and¡­

    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­!! What!!¡±

    Just then, the surrounding giants raised their voices. A commotion spreading over the surroundings.

    What the giants are looking at is not the battle between the False King and the Brave. They were all pointing to something distant in the sky.

    The False King, who was suspicious of the attitude of those surrounding him, immediately realized something. He had forgotten about the Brave and turned back to him in a hurry. The edges of his mouth twisted as the words slipped out hatefully.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­ coming this late, what the heck are you thinking Oberon!¡±

    A huge shadow could be vaguely seen in the distant sky. As the numbers steadily increased it¡¯s true form was revealed, Dirty Beast. The great enemy of the giants and the ones that obeyed the Rubel Clan. Now they were moving with a different intention.

    The False King stared at them with a hostile gaze, then he noticed. It is not only the Dirty Beast in the sky. Beyond the group there was an extraordinarily huge existence. The False King opened his eyes wide and let out a scream.

    ¡°I cannot believe it¡­ you moved it?! What have the Sorcerer been doing? No, it¡¯s different¡­ I see, Little King. You bastard¡­!!¡±

    The False King¡¯s words were drowned out by the sound of the beasts¡¯ wings.

    -

    Prior to the giants, the Silver Phoenix Knights had received a warning from the flying knights.

    ¡°Luminous signal sighted! I¡¯m detecting a demon beast. Moreover, this is¡­ Cretovastia!¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯ve come.¡±

    On the bridge Ernesti listened to the report and pondered slightly.

    Dirty Beast has appeared, indicating that the Goblin¡¯s work had failed, or perhaps¡­

    ¡°What if this is exactly what he expects?¡±

    The smiling face of the Little King passed through his mind. He did not think it was a simple mistake. Sending the Dirty Beast in this situation must have a meaning.

    ¡°Also, it¡¯s not just Cretovastia. That huge thing is¡­¡±

    A huge presence looms behind the flock of Dirty Beast. Considering that the Dirty Beast is a duel class magic beast, what should it be called. In terms of size alone it passes even the Land Emperor . He had never seen such a huge flying creature before.

    ¡°Do you know it?¡±

    Eru turns to the person standing at the edge of the bridge. A smile floats across Zacharia¡¯s face when asked.

    ¡°Rest assured Sir Echevalier. That was the work of my lord. Let¡¯s call it his trump card. Let us now sweep away the giants and bring a good future to the little demons.¡±

    Hearing the words spoken with conviction, Eru thought for a moment

    ¡°I see¡­ in that case.¡±

    He gave his orders to the Silver Phoenix Knights.

    -

    It was not only the sky that started to move with the discovery of Dirty Beast.

    The same was true for the second company that had been deployed on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re late, but I see you made it.¡±

    ¡°What about the Izumo?¡±

    ¡°Seems like he already knows. He¡¯s on the move.¡±

    He looked up at the heavens and then ran his gaze across the ground, finally settling on Dietrich. He is the commander.

    ¡°They¡¯re being led by the Knight Captain, they¡¯ll probably do whatever it takes. We have something to take care of on the ground.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Our allies, the Allied forces of the Clans. That¡¯s also part of our duties.¡±

    The surrounded giants are deeply upset, the Second Company sighed deeply.

    ¡°We got the short end of the stick, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t grumble, that¡¯s just how it is at the front lines.¡±

    There¡¯s no point in lamenting. Once they decide on a plan of action, they promptly get to work.

    ¡° The Cretovastia are approaching! Giants, fall back!¡±

    ¡°But, we are in the middle of the Question. The Cretovastia are here¡­ if we step back now, we will never reach the Answer!!¡±

    A sorrowful reply flies. If the Dirty Beast join the battle, the Allied forces of the Clans will not stand a chance. This is something they learned during the True Eye Rebellion.

    ¡°For what reason do you think we are here? The Knight Commander will surely blast them away. More importantly, it¡¯s dangerous to be above ground!!¡±

    ¡°Nuu¡­¡±

    The giants looked at each other in frustration and reluctantly followed the Second Company¡¯s directions. The sky could only be left to those in the sky. The heat of battle receded and flowed with the wind.

    They retreated, wary of a follow up attack from the Rubel Clan, but they too seemed oddly confused about the situation. The late appearance of the Dirty Beast must have been an uncalculated event for them as well.

    Taking in both the sky and the ground, Dietrich¡¯s expression soured as he looked across the battlefield.

    ¡°Well, what will you do now, Knight Commander? To take on the Cretovastia, even if you say you won¡¯t fall behind easily, with this many of them¡­¡±

    If it was only smaller groups, similar to what they had encountered before, the Silver Phoenix Knights couldn¡¯t possibly fall behind. However, the scale of the Dirty Beast headed towards them was beyond just a few dozen.

 Chapter 119: Part 3

    On the bridge of the Izumo, Eru announced to his surroundings.

    ¡°The flying ship fleet will intercept and attack them. We cannot allow the Cretovastia¡¯s assault to reach the ground.¡±

    The Boss nodded and the crew burst into action. As a surprised expression was displayed across Zacharia¡¯s face, Eru¡¯s orders continued.

    ¡°Form a defensive formation with Izumo at the center. The next move is important, mind your distance so you don¡¯t get in each other¡¯s way. Deploy in Law Warfare specification mode spreads out amongst the Rubel clan.

    ¡°What the¡­!¡±

    A white Cloud of Death crawls across the ground, swallowing the giants.

    The Rubel Clan had been caught off guard. They expected the Dirty Beast to be under their control. And yet not only did they ignore their instructions, they brought death to them instead.

    The five-eyed False King bared his fangs and howled.

    ¡°Oberon you bastard! Have you forgotten my kindness of keeping you! In the end, you little pests are¡­!¡±

    Sensing movement behind him, the False King spun around. There in front of his five eyes, the three-eyed Brave was slowly getting up. His body was still numb and his movements were wobbly, but he forced a smile onto his face.

    ¡°Rubel Clan, now you see the Truth. That is Cretovastia. The Goblins are irrelevant. That, in the end, is the great enemy of the giants. What you guys saw was merely an illusion.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! We cannot turn back. You should thank your good fortune that you still have your eyes.¡±

    He no longer had time to deal with the Brave. The False King spun on his heel and hurried to his clan leaving the Brave behind.

    As he stood there exhausted, Guairalinde came to him. While the clans were retreating, he came to rescue the Brave who was left behind.

    ¡°Fumu, there don¡¯t seem to be any enemies. Hey, can you move? Let¡¯s head back, or do you intend to try fighting the Rubel Clan like that?¡±

    ¡°I have no eyes like that.¡±

    Leaving the screaming hell behind them they too followed after the Allied forces of the Clans. And so, the battle was about to enter a new phase.

    -

    Going back in time, shortly before the flying disaster struck the giant¡¯s battlefield.

    A four-eyed Sorcerer of the Rubel Clan was walking through a cave, along with his warrior escort.

    It was a passage wide enough for giants to walk through freely. The ground is bare, but there were some unnatural points for a cave.

    There were strange marks along it, as if it had been hollowed out by a huge creature.

    The Sorcerer was in a bad mood as he stomped roughly through the cave. They went deeper and deeper into the cave.

    Eventually they came out into an open area. A nexus of caves and passages. Within this space, that could be called vast even for giants, stood a majestic building.

    It was clearly a man-made object. It was finely crafted and not fit for the bodies of giants. Those who would use it, would have to be the Goblins.

    The Sorcerer furrowed his brow and let out an angry shout towards the building.

    ¡°I am a four-eyed Magha of the Rubel Clan! Someone get out here! By order of our King!¡±

    His booming voice echoed off the walls. The sound was weirdly distorted, changing into something ridiculous. This further accelerated the Sorcerer¡¯s irritation.

    After a little while, a small figure emerged from the building.

    ¡°Well, well, Lord Magha, we¡¯ve been expecting you.¡±

    The ruler of the Goblins, the Little King, bowed down his head¡¯s ¡°crown¡± more majestically as he solemnly greeted the Sorcerer. What came back at him was a low, angry voice.

    ¡°What are you doing?! Responding so leisurely to an order from the King!! You should immediately move as soon as you hear the song!¡±

    A four-eyed giant is glaring at him. Normally this would be a life-threatening situation.

    However, the Little King did not lose a trace of his cool expression, and let the Sorcerer¡¯s anger flow past him.

    ¡°The King is waiting! It is not long until his eyes¡¯ ¡°insight¡± opens! You little pests are always so useless! Have you forgotten the kindness that allows you to live here?! This is why your size and eyes are lacking!¡±

    It was not only the furious Sorcerer who was angry. The expressions of his guardian warriors were also grim.

    While the Little King received this pressure, another figure came out from inside the building, whispering to his ears and nodded his head to what he heard.

    ¡°¡­ Aah. We¡¯ve terribly kept you waiting, Lord Magha. The ritual is complete. Let us spin the Song of Destruction.¡±

    ¡°Finally!¡±

    The Sorcerer was still in a bad mood, but there was some relief in his voice.

    A little later, a low roar begins to echo throughout the room.

    A series of inexplicable sounds comes from inside the building. It could have been a song, or something resembling a song.

    In the open space, a change occurred. The ground rose up around the building containing Little King, and eventually the lid opened.

    From the hole that suddenly appeared, bugs crawled out. Huge bugs with dark red shells, Dirty Beast.

    An atrocious demon beast said to be the greatest enemy of all the life-forms living in the forest. But right now, it seems to have no will at all and is in such a state of emptiness. There was nothing in it that should be there as a demon beast, or even as a living being. It was nothing more than a large object.

    The Little King raised his arm and commanded those behind him, then the Goblins came out.

    Dressed in solid gears firmly, without a beam of raggedness, they are Nobles - or perhaps Knights of the ruling class.

    They stood below the red beasts facing them. Then, the awkwardly silent bugs started to move. From it¡¯s chest to its belly it split and opened.

    Peeking through the opening was not the inside of a living being. It was full of man-made parts of metal and various other materials. Clearly it was not a natural life form.

    The knights split up and each climbs into the belly of a red beast.

    There was a seat for a person to sit in, and there were controls and stirrups to transmit a person¡¯s will. It was as if it was the cockpit of a Silhouette Knight.

    The chests that had swallowed the knights closed. The red beasts began to move.

    -To be a beast, but it is not a beast. The worst kind of demon beast and man¡¯s wisdom combined to create and awaken an abnormal existence.

    The edges of the Little King¡¯s mouth twisted into a smile as he announced.

    ¡°Phantom Knight¡­ Now, finally, awaken! This is a true Phantom Beast! The end of time is now here!!¡±

    The red beasts, carrying the will of those housed inside, let out a cry.

 Chapter 120: Awakening of Destruction, Part 1

    A red beast carrying a human¡¯s will cried out.

    The voice reverberated throughout the space and was absorbed into the ground. As if in response, the ground began to tremble.

    The small tremor quickly grew in scale and intensity. The lids that dotted the floor of the cave opened. Something crawls out from those holes all at once.

    Cretovastia.

    One after another, countless beasts erupted. The sounds of their chitinous shells rubbing against one another filled the cave.

    Just as it seemed the cave would be filled with beasts, the Mystic Beast opened its wings and began to fly. Its cry changed in pitch and played a unique tune.

    As the Mystic Beast heads towards the cave leading to the exit, the cretovastia follow after it like a wave. They were completely under the control of the Mystic Beast.

    The giants of the Rubel Clan, who had been frowning at the sound of the writhing beasts, took a breath once the cretovastia had left.

    ¡°Hmph, finally. Such a waste of time. The king is waiting, we must leave at once. Stop the beasts, Oberon.¡±

    As he watched the cretovastia fly away, he suddenly felt like something was wrong. The poem. The sound was still continuing.

    The sound was still flowing from the building, even after the cretovastia had flown away. In fact, the sound was getting louder.

    It was no longer enough to shake the space, but it was enough to create pressure on the Magha. An intense headache assaulted him, and he couldn¡¯t help but hold his head. His guardian warriors were also affected, struggling to stand.

    ¡°What are you doing Oberon! The beast¡­ quickly put it to sleep!!¡±

    The poem just kept on increasing in pressure. Soon, it reached the point where the ground began to shake.

    No, that¡¯s wrong. It simply felt like the ground was shaking. The giants collapsed to their knees.

    The ground split apart in front of the Magha, who looked up with bloodshot eyes. The building began to crumble with a creaking sound, and the earth began to rise.

    Something was trying to rise to the surface, destroying the cave itself.

    ¡°Y-you¡­! Do you understand what you¡¯re looking at? Are you trying to make the ¡°Beast¡± open its eyes!?¡±

    The Magha¡¯s looked up, astonished at what moved in front of him. An enormous, too enormous being was moving. Amidst the billowing clouds of dust, numerous eyes looked down emotionlessly at the giants.

    From somewhere, Oberon¡¯s voice echoed.

    ¡°Magha¡­no, Astoragali. You are too late. The ¡°Beast¡± is completely within our hands. Your power is no longer needed anywhere. It¡¯s a shame, what a pity.¡±

    A feeling of dread welled up from the bottom of the Magha¡¯s heart. That which should not be awoken, had been awoken. He knew very well what it would bring about.

    ¡°Do not¡­! Do not let the ¡°Beast¡± awaken! You fool, your eyes are distorted!. If that thing is freed from its shackles, even you goblins will not be safe!¡±

    ¡°Hahahah! My apologies for causing you such worries. But really, did you truly think we would just keep doing what you said forever? Certainly, you managed to make such use of my parents. However, we do not exist for you to use!¡±

    Tearing through the earth, a giant ¡°limb¡± appeared.

    The limb, which alone was larger than the Astoragali, crushed the warriors with ease.

    ¡°I told you, the ¡°Beast¡± is in our hands. Did you not understand the meaning of those words?¡±

    The Magha stands up. Even in the face of an absolute existence, he weaves his Magia to resist.

    ¡°No, no, I will not let you!¡±

    With his shout, flames burst towards it, but they were easily dispersed with a swing of it¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Well, rest assured, giants. You will be the only ones getting eaten. From now on you guys will be it¡¯s food. Allow me to thoroughly enjoy such a scene. Don¡¯t hold back, this guy is filled with our true feelings as ¡°gratitude¡± for all you have done for us.¡±

    ¡°Oberon¡­! What you see is a mistake. You will pay for this one day¡­! The Beast is not something you can control¡­!¡±

    The Magha¡¯s shout was interrupted by a swing of the limb, crushing him easily.

    It was just too overwhelming. The Beast didn¡¯t care about the giants and continued to rise. The collapse of the cave accelerated and finally it¡¯s huge body broke through the ceiling, leaving the entire space behind, buried under the earth.

    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡­I already know that. I know that very well. But it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Within the vortex of destruction that tore the earth apart, Oberon¡¯s laughter echoed loudly

    ¡°Something to that extent won¡¯t stop me. The time has arrived, there¡¯s no point being silent any longer! I¡­I will take back¡­¡­everything!¡±

    -Upper Town

    The walled city of the goblins was now in the midst of collapse. The earth creaked and the streets cracked and shattered. The buildings collapsed one after another, and even the mystic knight workshop was swallowed by a cloud of dust. The tallest castle in the middle of the city also crumbled all too quickly.

    Everything was reduced to rubble and dust.

    A long limb protruded through the thick cloud of dust. Through the thick cover of smoke, something was wriggling. A rainbow-coloured glow flickered and the ¡°Beast¡± continued to rise. Rubble and dirt spilled out endlessly, and a thunderous roar echoed into the surroundings.

    In exchange for the existence of the city, the ¡°Beast¡± broke through the shell of the earth and was born on the surface. As if to celebrate the birth of their master, the cretovastia hovering in the sky gathered around it.

    The sound of the crumbling dirt that cascaded off it like a waterfall, combined with the strange poem, that continued to echo. A melody of madness that could not be called a cry or a scream. In addition, the sound of the buzzing wings of the cretovastia is added, and a song that would twist the sanity of those listening was born.

 Chapter 120: Awakening of Destruction, Part 2

    Soon, the ¡°Beast¡± began to fly slowly through the sky, trailing clouds of dust. It turned towards the west, heading towards the decisive battlegrounds of the giants, where the Question was unfolding.

    ¡°What perfect timing. The Rubel Clan and the Clan Alliance, all the giants are trying to kill each other. Even if you say it¡¯s for the Question, it¡¯s simply the deeds of barbarians. We should lend them a hand here. Ah, of course, we can just have them keep asking until they go extinct.¡±

    Following the movements of the ¡°Beast¡±, the cretovastia begin to move. Those who call destruction, the scatterers of filth, the manifestations of death. The corrosive demon beasts conquer the forest sky.

    There were those who watched the march of the beasts that consumed the sky. A short distance away from the place once known as (((Upper Town/Upper Street/Kamigai))) people were gathered. They were the goblins of Upper Town. They were surrounded by Phantom Beast Knights who seemed to be guarding them.

    They muttered to themselves as they felt the strange melody recede into the distance.

    ¡°The town¡­¡­it¡¯s gone¡±

    ¡°Ah, how are we going to live from now on? Was it really necessary to move that thing?¡±

    ¡°But we couldn¡¯t just keep following the giants. If (((Lord Oberon/King Oberon/Oberon-sama))) hadn¡¯t tamed it, eventually we would have been eaten.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Lord Oberon has headed towards the battle. The ¡°ship¡± will come for us soon, we just have to be patient until then.¡±

    Filled with anticipation and unease, the goblins could do nothing but wait. Believing what Oberon had told them. That their future would change.

    ¡°What¡¯s that!?¡±

    After a while they noticed when something was trying to pass overhead. A huge shadow covers them, and the wind echoes out of it as it leisurely advances¡ª¡ª A ship.

    ¡°Oh! That must also be a part of Lord Oberon¡¯s army¡±

    ¡°Is it going to join together with the others and defeat the Astoragali? Soon we will ride those back to our world.¡±

    They watched over it as the ship flew away, following a route towards the beasts. The people endlessly continued to pray towards the western sky.

    -

    White death fills the air as the giants collapse, spewing blood. The Question between the wise men of the Rubel Clan and the Allied Forces of the Clans had taken on a completely different aspect than it had at the beginning. What was happening now was not the Question, but a slaughter by the cretovastia.

    Gastric bullets rained down on the ground and exploded. Each one spreading the volatile miasma that swallowed the giants, increasing the number of corpses rolling on the ground.

    In the midst of this extreme confusion, a voice echoed.

    ¡°Brethren! See our words!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, our King!¡±

    The five eyed False King. When he raised his voice, the warriors of the Rubel Clan suddenly regained order.

    As the False King looked over the survivors, his expression hardened. His giants, that exceeded the Allied Forces of the Clans in number, had already been greatly reduced.

    ¡°Brethren, listen. That damn Oberon is moving the Beast. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s gone mad, but he¡¯s learned how to move it.¡±

    ¡°How could this be? If that is so then our King, the cretovastia that are attacking us are!?¡±

    ¡°The answer is reflected in our eyes.¡±

    He raises his voice in anger, but that won¡¯t improve the situation. The False King glared at the cretovastia flying through the sky, and the huge being behind them.

    ¡°Oberon, you think you can properly control the beasts, but you¡¯re just fooling yourself. Sooner or later, the beasts will fully awaken and break free of your control. When it does¡­¡­ the great enemy will awaken, and we will see the time of tribulation once again.¡±

    ¡°How foolish¡­¡­¡±

    As the giants let out a groan, they noticed the sunlight had suddenly disappeared and looked up. The Cretovastia that had been rampaging so loudly had moved away, and there was only one being above them.

    ¡°The Beast¡±

    A huge frame that matched the size of a city. The elliptical disc shape of it created an overwhelming presence just by being in the sky. It¡¯s eyes, small in comparison to its huge body, looked down on the giants in an inhuman manner.

    A familiar voice reached the ears of the giants of the Rubel Clan as they looked up helplessly.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s where you were, my dear King of the Rubel Clan. I was just thinking it wouldn¡¯t do to not say a proper goodbye to you.¡±

    ¡°Oberon¡­¡­what awakening the Beast will cause. You should already know.¡±

    The Beast let out an eerie rumbling sound. It seems the False King¡¯s words were well received.

    ¡°Kuhahahaha. Thank you very much for your concern. But in the end, you don¡¯t understand anything. We will not be destroyed, only the giants will fall.¡±

    At that moment, a strange melody overflowed from the Beast. It spread to the surroundings via the red beasts. Immediately, the sound of insect wings filled the surroundings. A pack of disgusting demon beasts that pollute the sky, surrounded the Rubel Clan.

    ¡°Well, it is time to say goodbye, my big friend. It would be nice if you died while writhing in agony.¡±

    With the announcement, the cretovastia attacked them at once. Gastric bullets poured onto them like rain, and a white mist enveloped the ground.

    ¡°Hmm~. Mmmmmm. Wonderful, how refreshing!¡±(((might be a better word for this than refreshing, he¡¯s saying his emotions have cleared up, similar to how clouds clear up)))

    The place where the giants of the Rubel Clan had been was blurred by the mist, and nothing could be seen. Following Oberon¡¯s carefree voice, the Cretovastia began to move.

    ¡°Now then, on to the main task.¡±

    A swarm of beasts changing the color of the sky. In the face of the all-consuming death march, there is one thing that comes forward.