《I was Sold at the Lowest Price in My Class, However My Personal Parameter is the Most Powerful》 CH 1 The school trip ¨C I¡¯ve been waiting for this day¡­¡­to confess to Yuki Shirayuki, who I¡¯ve loved since first grade. ¡°Hey, what are you freezing up for?¡­¡­You¡¯re not nervous now, are you?¡± You don¡¯t even know what a pure man¡¯s heart is, and it¡¯s my childhood friend Nagisa who says that¡­¡­.You¡¯re a delinquent and should be more careful with your nervous childhood friend. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Yuta looks like that, it¡¯s when he¡¯s too nervous to think about anything.¡± Yes, the confession is scheduled for the third night of a four-day, three-night trip, and now it¡¯s the first day of the school trip, there are still three more days to go¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be pleased to know that I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s a little nervous about this.¡± ¡°¡­..Your childhood friend is playing the game of a lifetime, so you should be more careful.¡± ¡°How dare you say that to your kind-hearted childhood friend who is willing to help you confess your feelings for free?¡­¡­If you say that, I won¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡­! I won¡¯t be cocky anymore, so please help me out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. But¡­¡­are you really going to confess? If you want to stop, now is the time to do it, because the other party is not only the class, but the whole school, even the most beautiful girl in our town, Yuki Shirayuki, you are too disproportionate¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡­even if the place we¡¯re attacking is impregnable, I¡¯m not giving up!¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s at least impregnable¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s when ¡­¡­ the bus we were on shook like crazy. ¡°What, an earthquake?¡± Things were strange for an earthquake. ¡­¡­ The scenery outside had changed into something unusual. ¡­¡­ It was a very colorful pattern of lights, swirling like a blur and a large amount of smoke. Then, as an even bigger shock occurred, the bus felt as if it had fallen somewhere with a thud. ¡°What the hell? What happened?¡± ¡°No, I think he fell off a cliff.¡± ¡°Calm down, everyone¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Minami-sensei, what¡¯s going on?¡± Minami-sensei, our homeroom teacher, tried desperately to calm us down, but it was hard to keep the noise down once it started¡­¡­! The door of the bus was opened with great force. And then a person in an unfamiliar outfit, like a medieval soldier, rushed in. ¡°Everybody out of here!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Why do we have to leave?¡± Funashio, the hottest guy in the class, attacked the soldier¡­¡­. The soldier hit Funashio in the leg with his spear. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Next time I¡¯ll stab you.¡± When he said this with a straight face, even Funashio fell silent. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go outside like we were told.¡± As soon as we stepped outside, I was the first to see Yuki Shirayuki¡¯s figure¡­¡­.Thank God, she seems to be safe¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta ¡­¡­ I¡¯ m scared ¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa is unusually weak. ¡°If they wanted to harm us, they would have done it by now.¡± I¡¯m not sure why, but I said that to reassure her. Outside the bus, we were in a primitively built structure that looked like the streets of old Rome. ¡­¡­ Seeing the scene, Namiji Tabata, a nerd and video game enthusiast, exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in another world! This is definitely a different world! Wow, I didn¡¯t think such a world really existed¡­¡­.¡± Another world¡­¡­. Surely it would be too strange not to think so¡­¡­. Once everyone is outside, the bus is transported somewhere by a strange machine¡­¡­. It looks like a primitive civilization, but I¡¯ve seen some machine-like things in places, so I¡¯m not sure what the level of civilization is. ¡°All right, everybody, get over here.¡± Surrounded by dozens of soldiers, we were moved somewhere¡­¡­well, I expected a little, but it was a prison. ¡°Everybody in!¡± ¡°What the fuck is¡­¡­? Why do I have to be in here?¡± ¡°Just get in! Next time you say something I¡¯ll stab you in the back.¡± No one can complain when they are threatened like that¡­¡­.We were put together in a big jail. After a while, a slightly pompous man in different clothes than the soldiers came to the front of the jail¡­¡­.He started talking about¡­.. ¡°I¡¯m the director of this summoning center, and my name is Vermol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a summoning center, so this is another world after all!¡± Namiji said happily. ¡°Yes, I suppose it would be called an alien world to you earthlings.¡± ¡°Earth¡­¡­do you guys know about it?¡± Minami-sensei asked. ¡°Of course, we summoned you because we know you¡¯re from Earth.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°In this world, the tools of the old magic civilization called magic machines are used in all sorts of situations, such as construction, engineering, transportation, etc., but the magic machines must be linked to a special energy to operate. In the event that you¡¯ve got a lot of time and energy, you¡¯ll be able to take advantage of it¡­¡­.There are few people in this world, Falva, who have strong energy, and there¡¯s an absolute shortage of people who can pilot a magic machine.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡­¡­¡± ¡°You Earthlings, many of you, have high levels of that special energy¡­¡­we call Ludia, which is why we spend a huge amount of money to regularly summon people from Earth in summoning rituals like this.¡± ¡°Such selfish¡­¡­disregard for our wishes!¡± ¡°Well, I feel bad about it, but the pilot of a magic machine in this world has a high status, I guess it¡¯s not a bad life.¡± Apparently we don¡¯t have the right to refuse¡­¡­.Nagisa is holding my clothes with a worried look. ¡°Anyway, tomorrow you will be put up for sale. The higher the Ludia value, the better the place you¡¯ll be bought, so keep your fingers crossed that your Ludia value is high.¡± With that, the director of the summoning center left¡­¡­. CH 2 In the meantime, they served us food¡­¡­that I didn¡¯t understand, and it wasn¡¯t very tasty, but it filled my stomach, so I decided to go to bed anyway¡­¡­.Women and men are in the same prison, but naturally the girls clustered together and the boys gathered nearby. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­I wonder what my Ludia value is.¡± ¡°What the heck, Haranishi, you¡¯re quick to accept the situation¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You know, the higher the value, the better the treatment.¡± While I was having such a conversation with Yuji Haranishi, a relatively good friend of mine in class, the rich and slightly pretentious Mamoru Mikage unusually entered our conversation. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure my numbers are high¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure about that, Mikage?¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the event you¡¯re not sure what your Ludia value is, you can¡¯t fool the intrinsic qualities of a person. In this class, I think it¡¯s me or the girl, Yuki Shirayuki.¡± I don¡¯t know what the basis of Mikage¡¯s confidence is, but for some reason I agree with him that Yuki Shirayuki is expensive. And the next day, we were made to stand in a line, one by one, on a strange round wooden machine¡­¡­. The first one is Ren Iwanami from the soccer team, who is very athletic. ¡­¡­ When Iwanami stood on the round board, the man who was checking something in front of the machine shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡± ¡°Twelve thousand, that¡¯s over ten thousand Highlanders!¡± As he said this, the people around him began to rustle¡­¡­. ¡°If the first one is a Highlander¡­¡­isn¡¯t this product of ridiculously high quality ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get a double Highlander for the first time in a while¡­¡­.¡± The soldiers around us were having a conversation about it¡­¡­and it seems that over 10,000 is a standard. Iwanami was moved to the next room¡­¡­and the next guy was put on the round board. The next one is Haruma Sakaki, who is dark and quiet and doesn¡¯t stand out in class¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s Sakaki. He¡¯s that dark-skinned. He¡¯s low anyway¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if I was lower than Sakaki.¡± But Sakaki¡¯s numbers shut the mouths of those who were talking behind his back¡­¡­. ¡°And¡­¡­29000 is¡­¡­a double Highlander!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­and it¡¯s almost a triple¡­¡­.¡± He wasn¡¯t happy about it at all, but the people around him were in an uproar¡­¡­.I guess that¡¯s how great it was, but it hadn¡¯t sunk in to us yet. ¡°Two Highlanders or better in a row¡­¡­.Looks like we¡¯ve hit the jackpot this time¡­¡­.¡± I had such high expectations, but after that, the number didn¡¯t exceed 10,000 for a while¡­¡­.I¡¯m a little disappointed¡­¡­.By the way, Kayama, who said earlier that he couldn¡¯t live if the number was lower than Sakaki¡¯s, was at 2,200. ¡°And the next big thing was her¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There it is! Triple Highlander! 36,000 is the highest number in years!¡± Yuki Shirayuki¡­¡­had a talent that was different from the norm after all¡­¡­¡± Is it really so great to be a triple highlander?¡­¡­The excitement around us was extraordinary¡­¡­.It was like a festival¡­¡­. Now, the next one is my childhood friend, Nagisa Kouri¡­¡­Well, she¡¯s not that big of a deal¡­¡­I thought so, but she did surprisingly well. ¡°6,500.¡± Shirayuki¡¯s 36,000 is great, so it doesn¡¯t stand out, but so far, only five of the 25 have over 5,000, so it¡¯s pretty high up there¡­¡­.Well, that¡¯s what he¡¯s like. ¡°Okay, I guess it¡¯s my turn now!¡± With that, Haranishi climbed onto the round board¡­¡­. ¡± 3300.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m sorry, am I doing something wrong?¡± ¡°What the hell ¡­¡­you¡¯re 3300.¡± ¡°No,¡­..that¡¯s not possible¡­¡­.can you measure me again?¡± They measured again, and the number was still 3300¡­¡­. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡­.No¡­¡­something¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just go!¡± They told him that and he was forced to move to the next room¡­¡­. ¡°11000¡­¡­Highlander!¡± That¡¯s what Mikage told me¡­¡­.Unlike Haranishi, this one seems to have gotten a decently high number¡­¡­. The next one was Minami-sensei¡­¡­.From that side, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a teacher or a student, everyone is in line¡­¡­Minami-sensei¡¯s number was 4300 and¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re lying about ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.2 has ¡­¡­needles pointing to 2¡­¡­.¡± The person in charge of measurement is calling another person to check¡­¡­ ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡­how is that number possible? It¡¯s not broken¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, dude, just get off for a second.¡± That¡¯s what he told me and I got off the round board¡­. ¡°Yeah¡­¡­is working fine¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Try it again.¡± I did as I was told and got on there again¡­¡­. ¡°Oh¡­¡­wait a minute; didn¡¯t the needle just go around?¡± ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡­this machine is the latest and greatest, it can measure up to 100,000, it¡¯s not going to go around.¡± ¡°100,000. That¡¯s impossible if it¡¯s¡­¡­.If it¡¯s ¡­¡­then his Ludia value is two¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen less than 100¡­¡­.Well, I guess even earthlings have garbage like this once in a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What? Garbage¡­..is a terrible thing to say¡­¡­.¡± CH 3 Apparently, we¡¯re going to be auctioned off¡­¡­.One by one, we¡¯re made to stand on a stage in front of a venue with hundreds of people¡­¡­.Then a man who looks like a moderator begins to explain. ¡°The first rider is a Highlander with a Ludia value of 12,000, and since he¡¯s a Highlander, the starting price is a high 10 million gold¡­¡­Then you can bid. ¡°30 millions!¡± ¡°50 millions!¡± The price keeps going up and up¡­¡­. ¡°There is no other bidder¡­¡­then the Valkyria Empire¡¯s bid of 160 million is the winner.¡± The MC looked around, made sure there were no other bids, and hit the hammer in his hand. ¡°Since your bid was successful, the Valkyria Empire will not be able to bid again until the fifth round.¡± Apparently there¡¯s a rule that you can¡¯t win bids in a row¡­¡­ ¡°And now for the next rider, this is a double Highlander with a Ludia value of 29,000! We¡¯ll start at a high price of 20 million¡­¡­.Please bid accordingly.¡± When they heard the figure of 29,000, the audience started to get excited¡­¡­.The face of the person in charge of the Valkyria Empire, who had just won the bid for Iwanami, turned pale¡­¡­.Even if they wanted to, the Valkyria Empire could not bid, so they could only watch with their fingers crossed¡­¡­. ¡°300 millions!¡± ¡°400 millions!¡± ¡°700 millions!¡± There are some outrageous prices popping up¡­..29000 seems to be such a great number¡­¡­ ¡°1.2 billion¡­¡­Is there any other bidder?¡­¡­Then, the Kingdom of Rubel is the winner.¡± How overpriced a Highlander is becomes apparent in the prices of the mediocre classmates that follow¡­¡­I was surprised that there was so much difference between 300,000, 450,000, and a million at the most¡­¡­ And finally, it¡¯s her turn¡­¡­to be the highest priced snow white in the class¡­¡­ ¡°So here¡¯s today¡¯s best rider¡­¡­Ludia Value 36000¡­¡­Triple Highlander.¡± With those words from the moderator, the room became the noisiest it had been all day¡­¡­Then, with the words of the auctioneer, high pitched voices overflowed. ¡°One Billion!¡± ¡°Two Billion!¡± ¡°Two and a half billions!¡± The order of magnitude of the amount of money in dispute is different from what it used to be¡­¡­And then one man¡¯s words silenced the audience¡­¡­. ¡°One hundred and twenty billions¡­¡­.¡± ¡°One hundred and twenty billion¡­¡­.Is there any other bidder?¡­¡­Then Elysia Empire¡¯s bid of one hundred and twenty billion will be the winner.¡± When the winning bid was decided, the audience started to get excited¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s Elysia again¡­¡­.Lately, the best riders are always taken by Elysia¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, Elysia has found another new orichalcon mine and things are going pretty well.¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been hearing¡­¡­ Now it¡¯s Nagisa¡¯s turn, I wonder how much¡­¡­she is going to be sold for. ¡°Twenty million¡­¡­is there any other bidder¡­¡­then the Kingdom of Amuria¡¯s bid of twenty million wins.¡± Twenty million is a lot of money¡­¡­Well, actually, I didn¡¯t do anything, but I was a little bit happy that my childhood friend was appreciated¡­¡­. The auction proceeded in a bland manner, perhaps because the highest-priced auction was over¡­¡­.The Highlander¡¯s Mikage was a little more exciting, but that was it¡­¡­.And then I¡­..My auction gets exciting in a different way¡­¡­ ¡°Now¡­¡­here comes the unfortunate rider¡­¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, he¡¯s not for sale but we¡¯ll auction him at least once¡­¡­Ludia value¡­¡­2¡­¡­This value is like some kind of joke¡­¡­It¡¯s not going to help you, but you might want to bid on him as a memento¡­¡­.And so it begins.¡± But no one¡¯s hand is raised¡­¡­.The audience is just making a lot of noise¡­¡­.No¡­¡­they¡¯re not making noise. They¡¯re laughing¡­¡­.I was being laughed at by the audience¡­¡­. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Ludia value?¡­¡­2¡­..Damn it¡­¡­¡± And if it was only the audience that laughed, it would still be forgivable¡­¡­.For some reason, my classmates, who were supposed to be my friends, also laughed at me as if they were looking down on me¡­¡­.That¡¯s terrible¡­¡­But Shirayuki and my childhood friend Nagisa were the only ones not laughing¡­¡­.They were looking at me with concern¡­¡­.That made me feel a little better¡­¡­ ¡°Is there anyone betting? I¡¯ll accept even one gold coin.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy him! But I can¡¯t even give you one gold; I can only give you two of these Lago fruits¡­¡­.Hahahahaha!¡± When the man said that, the audience burst into laughter¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so funny about that¡­¡­.I¡¯m only worth two pieces of fruit¡­¡­ CH 4 I was sold for two pieces of fruit, and my treatment was terrible¡­¡­.I was chained up and taken away in a carriage that looked like a prison wagon¡­¡­.Then, after a short ride; I arrived at a large mansion on the side of a mountain. At the mansion, I was taken not to the main house, but to a stable-like place in the garden¡­¡­. ¡°Come on in, this is your home from today!¡± It was not a house¡­¡­.A shack would be a good place to start, no matter how you look at it¡­¡­There were about ten men and women crammed inside¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m hungry¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s what I said to the man who was leaving¡­¡­. ¡°You¡¯re done eating for the day; you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­I¡¯m so hungry I can¡¯t sleep¡­¡­.While I was depressed thinking about it, a girl came up to me. She was wearing tattered clothes and had shaggy hair¡­¡­.I guess it¡¯s not a bad idea in a place like this, but she wasn¡¯t the prettiest girl¡­¡­. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± The girl said bluntly. ¡°¡­¡­ Oh¡­¡­I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Here, you can have this¡­¡­¡± Then she handed me a black dumpling¡­¡­. ¡°Nanami, that¡¯s your precious emergency food, you can¡¯t give it to a newcomer like that.¡± When the auntie said that to the girl, the girl said with a blank expression¡­¡­ ¡°You know Nanami is spicy when she¡¯s hungry¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s all she said¡­¡­.I can¡¯t believe such a little girl would say that¡­¡­. I can¡¯t take this dumpling; indeed¡­¡­.I gave it back to her. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be able to eat tomorrow so I¡¯ll put up with it for a day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force it. You can eat. And I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll even have food tomorrow¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The auntie answers that question¡­¡­ ¡°Yes¡­¡­the owner here is fickle¡­¡­we eat once every three days, that¡¯s all¡­¡­.¡± Well¡­¡­that¡¯s why they¡¯re all so skinny¡­¡­. ¡°Okay, thanks Nanami. ¡­¡­ Well, let¡¯s split it in half, it¡¯s good enough for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Half is enough?¡± ¡°Yeah, half is enough for such a big dumpling.¡± I split the dumpling in half and handed the larger one to Nanami. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s eat.¡± Me and Nanami sat down on a dirty wooden table and ate it together¡­¡­.As you can see, it doesn¡¯t taste as good as it looks¡­¡­.But more than the taste, Nanami¡¯s feelings made me happy¡­¡­ After eating the dumplings, Nanami led me to my bed¡­¡­.I wasn¡¯t expecting a proper bed, but¡­¡­it was worse than I expected. It was a bed of flimsy straws on a board, no quilt¡­¡­and everyone was sleeping together¡­¡­. When I lay down to sleep, Nanami came to sleep beside me¡­¡­.She was a little cold, but she hugged me¡­¡­.I held her shoulders to keep her a little warmer¡­¡­. I couldn¡¯t sleep at all¡­¡­I was cold and stiff¡­¡­But they wouldn¡¯t let me rest in that situation¡­¡­A man came to our hut and took me out. The women were taken towards the house and the men were taken to the cliffs behind the house and made to work¡­¡­. Our work was to excavate something¡­¡­.We were forced to dig and carry something¡­¡­.We were forced to do this all day long without a break. And when the sun went down, we were sent back to the hut¡­¡­. A little bit of water was given to us while we were working¡­¡­.After we finished our work for the day; we were given water and a piece of hard bread, like a cookie¡­¡­. ¡°So this is today¡¯s meal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing¡­¡­.On a good day; we get a big loaf of bread, some cheese, and some dried meat, but that¡¯s once a month¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡± Apparently this is the worst place to be¡­¡­ ¡°Nanami, why would a little girl like you be in a place like this?¡± ¡°Sold to¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sold by whom?¡± ¡°My mom¡­¡­.¡± Oh, I guess I shouldn¡¯t have asked¡­¡­ But she said that the money from selling her would allow her family to live for a month, so¡­¡­Nanami was fine with that. What a healthy girl¡­¡­.Uhh¡­¡­Wait a minute¡­¡­her family can live for a month¡­¡­Nanami was sold for a higher price than me?¡­¡­I felt a little upset¡­¡­ For a while after that, I worked during the day and slept at night¡­¡­.Sometimes I would get a meal and eat it. The turning point came when I noticed the unusual behavior of the man who owned the hut¡­¡­. ¡°They don¡¯t lock the hut, do they¡­¡­?¡± When I said that, the old lady told me the reason¡­¡­. ¡°That door has a Ludia control key¡­¡­.People with a Ludia value of 300 or less can¡¯t open it¡­¡­.There are only people in this hut with a value of 100 or less. It¡¯s¡­¡­sarcastic¡­¡­.¡± I see¡­¡­.My Ludia value is 2¡­¡­.Well, that means I can¡¯t open it¡­¡­.I thought that, but I casually put my hand on the door and opened it¡­¡­ CH 5 ¡°Oh¡­¡­it¡¯s open¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­hey, did you¡­¡­open the door?¡± ¡°Yeah, it opened with a little touch.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your Ludia value?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s¡­¡­then the guy in charge forgot to close it¡­¡­.¡± They forgot to close it¡­¡­.But the door was open¡­¡­.This is a great chance to escape¡­¡­. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to get away with this¡­¡­.There are no guards¡­¡­.¡± I was chained up when I came here, but now I¡¯ m free¡­¡­ ¡°They¡¯re not here, but there are guards at the entrance¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­maybe we can escape through the mountains in the back¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­the mountains are dangerous at night¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s better than being here¡­¡­.I¡¯m leaving¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡± Strangely enough, no one but me tried to escape from there¡­¡­. They¡¯re used to living here¡­¡­.I felt that way¡­¡­.But¡­¡­only one person seemed to want to follow me¡­¡­ ¡°Nanami, are you coming¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes¡­¡­I¡¯m following Yuta¡­¡­¡± Apparently, Nanami thinks of me as an older brother or something¡­¡­.For her sake, I have to get out of here somehow¡­¡­It¡¯s true that there were two guards at the entrance¡­¡­but there were no guards at the back of the mountain¡­¡­which might make the mountain that much more dangerous¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t hesitate to head towards the mountain¡­¡­. Once I entered the mountain from the mining site, I made my way through the steep bushes¡­¡­.I¡¯m not good at studying, but I¡¯m relatively good at exercising¡­¡­.Physically, I didn¡¯t seem to have a problem. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to understand why I¡¯ve been so impressed with my performance. ¡°All right, Nanami, I¡¯ll take you on my back.¡± ¡°On your back?¡± ¡°Like this.¡± I said that and carried Nanami forcefully¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­.¡± Nanami squeezed me from behind¡­¡­I guess she had no experience of being piggybacked because her family sold her¡­¡­.We spent the night crossing the mountain¡­¡­.They lied to us about the danger, probably to make us think that and to keep us from escaping¡­¡­.It was hard, but we managed to cross the mountain safely¡­¡­.And on the other side of the mountain was a large city¡­¡­ ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some work to be done here¡­¡­.Wait for me, Nanami, I¡¯ll earn some money and buy you something to eat.¡± Nanami nodded¡­¡­.However, when I said that I wanted to work in a place where there was¡­¡­ likely to be work, I was always asked this question¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°What¡¯s your Ludia value?¡± If I answer 2, they won¡¯t take me seriously¡­¡­.Apparently, in this world, you can¡¯t even get a job unless you have a high Ludia value¡­¡­.But if you don¡¯t work, you can¡¯t buy food¡­¡­.I searched hard and finally found a place that would let me work regardless of my Ludia value¡­¡­. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡­okay, I¡¯ll let you work¡­¡­that girl too?¡± ¡°Just me.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­well, the job is simple; it¡¯s to turn the motor of the ship.¡± ¡°Motor?¡± ¡°Power the ship, it¡¯s a simple job, anyone can do it¡­¡­.Food twice a day, pay is three gold a week, is that okay?¡± ¡°No problem¡­¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t know if 3 gold was expensive or cheap, but I had no right to choose¡­¡­. It was a big ship that took me and Nanami¡­¡­. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll be working¡­¡­.Don¡¯t worry, you can sleep in here.¡± Sleeping there means¡­¡­ ¡°Come on in¡­¡­.¡± When he said that, I went inside and the door was shut with a slam¡­¡­Nanami held my hand anxiously¡­¡­. As I walked to the back, I saw a bunch of people¡­¡­all dressed in shabby outfits¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re new here¡­¡­.What¡¯s your name?¡± It was an old man with white hair who approached me¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m Yuta¡­¡­and this is Nanami¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s your Ludia value?¡± ¡°Two¡­¡­.¡± When I said that, I could hear the breaths of disappointment around me¡­¡­. ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than nothing¡­¡­I¡¯ll explain what we do here, look at that.¡± When I looked in the direction the old man was talking about, I saw a round gear that looked like a large windmill turned on its side¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s our job to move it. ¡­¡­ We all hold those handles and spin it around. ¡­¡­ The higher the Ludia value, the easier it is to spin. They¡¯re all below 100, so they¡¯re at the bottom of the ladder¡­¡­.They¡¯re heavy¡­¡­.Be prepared¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.I understand¡­¡­. More importantly¡­¡­I heard you can sleep in here¡­..Where is the room?¡± ¡°The room¡­¡­is here¡­¡­we sleep here, we eat here, we work here, that¡¯s our life.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you go outside?¡± ¡°Of course not. What do you think you are, a slave-driver?¡± I¡¯ve been duped¡­¡­Apparently, this is where slaves work¡­¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s easier now that the ship isn¡¯t moving, so don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not so bad once you get used to it.¡± Slave to slave¡­¡­what bad luck¡­¡­Nanami¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­ CH 6 The ship didn¡¯t move for a while, but food was served twice a day, which is good because this treatment is better than the previous place¡­¡­. It looks like the ship is leaving¡­¡­Things are getting hectic on board¡­¡­ Finally, the order to turn on the motor was given¡­¡­Nanami was also forced to work as a turner¡­¡­Damn it¡­¡­I can¡¯t protect a single girl. However¡­¡­when I held the handle to turn the motor¡­¡­the motor began to rotate at a frightening speed¡­¡­The people in the room were startled and began to make a fuss. ¡°What the hell? The motor just started spinning on its own!¡± ¡°Wow, this is easy¡­¡­.What¡¯s going on?¡± Apparently, judging from everyone¡¯s reactions, the motor was running differently than usual¡­¡­.Indeed, the motor was running much easier than I heard, requiring very little effort¡­¡­. I don¡¯t know why, but the motor turns at an unbelievable speed and the ship moves along effortlessly¡­¡­This put the ship¡¯s master in a good mood¡­¡­. ¡°Well, you did a great job today, and if you keep it up, we¡¯ll reach our destination in half the number of days we planned¡­¡­.If that happens, we¡¯ll offer you a reward.¡± The captain of the ship said this before dinner¡­¡­and everyone cheered when they heard it. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve prepared a more sumptuous meal than usual for today, so you can start working hard tomorrow.¡± The food was certainly better than usual¡­¡­hot stew, bread, and a stir-fry with meat in it¡­¡­.Cheese and wine were also served¡­¡­and proper meat, not dried meat¡­¡­. No one could figure out why the motor was running so well, but they didn¡¯t care¡­¡­.They seemed to think that as long as they got a belly full of food and a reward that was all that mattered. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Nanami, you don¡¯t eat bread?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m saving it for¡­¡­future.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­I¡¯ll save some for you.¡± ¡°Yuta worked hard, so eat up. I¡¯ll give you half of Nanami¡¯s food when we eat the preserved food.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty of food today, I¡¯m already full.¡± The next day, and the day after that, the motor ran smoothly¡­¡­and the ship arrived at its destination at an incredible speed¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, the captain¡¯s rewarded us with a bounty and permission to go out.¡± The fact that they arrived at their destination in a third of the time meant that they had made a huge profit¡­..The captain, in a super good mood, gave us ten gold coins each as a reward and permission to go out¡­¡­.That was an unusual treatment for a slave and it meant that the profits were worth it¡­¡­. ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone think that¡­¡­we¡¯re just going to go away¡­¡­?¡± When I asked this question, one of the old guys on the boat said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hahaha, where do you think we¡¯re going? It doesn¡¯t matter where we go as long as we have a low Ludia value, we¡¯d rather be on this ship where we can eat properly.¡± That¡¯s how it is¡­¡­.Sure, it¡¯s easy to eat and have a good time, but¡­¡­I still want proper freedom¡­¡­. ¡°Nanami¡­¡­do you want to stay here?¡± ¡°Nanami wants to stay with Yuta.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­if you stay with me, you might not be able to eat again¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I still want to be with Yuta.¡± When I heard those words, I took Nanami¡¯s hand and left the ship¡­¡­.I have no intention of returning to this ship¡­¡­.We have 20 gold together¡­¡­It seems that the price for a large loaf of bread is about 5 silvers, and 100 silvers is worth 1 gold, so if we save, we can live for a while¡­¡­ Since we¡¯ve been slaves for so long, we were both pretty dirty¡­¡­.I suggested that we buy some clothes and take a bath first. ¡°Bath? What¡¯s that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Nanami, you¡¯ve never taken a bath?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­.Nanami doesn¡¯t know¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± When I tried to enter a store that sold clothes I was kicked out immediately¡­¡­.I had no choice but to find an open-air store that sold clothes, so I decided to buy some there. ¡°Nanami, which one do you like?¡± Nanami¡¯s eyes were shining as I wondered if this was the first time she had ever picked out an outfit¡­¡­.Then, after an hour of agonizing, she picked out a dress¡­¡­.It wasn¡¯t cheap at 20 silver, but when I saw Nanami¡¯s smile, I was glad I bought it. I¡¯m going to buy a pair of sweatshirts and pants on sale for 1 gold each¡­¡­.I also need to buy some shoes¡­¡­.What Nanami has on is a pair of tattered straw sandals¡­¡­.That¡¯s going to hurt her feet¡­¡­. Even at the shoe store, Nanami had a twinkle in her eyes¡­¡­and chose a pair of pink shoes¡­¡­1 Gold 30 Silver¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s about right If there were cheaper ones, I would have bought them too, but they were a bit expensive for men, so I decided to hold back¡­¡­. CH 7 ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nagisa¡­¡­.Nagisa Kouri¡­¡­¡± Bought for twenty million, I had been handed over to the purchaser¡­¡­.It seems that the purchaser was some royalty, but her appearance was not so extravagant¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m Ranelle, second princess of Amuria. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re worried¡­¡­because you¡¯ve been brought into a strange world and sold¡­¡­but don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t harm you and I promise you the same treatment as royalty.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I think riders with high Ludia value are treated quite well in all countries, especially in my country, which is small enough that they¡¯re treated as¡­¡­equal to royalty.¡± ¡°But if you have a low¡­¡­Ludia value, you will be treated badly¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Your friends all have high Ludia values¡­¡­.Oh¡­¡­except one of them¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to him? I¡¯m worried about that.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­it was probably a slaver who bought him¡­¡­¡± ¡°So¡­¡­that¡¯s not¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you¡­¡­in love with that person?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve¡­¡­been in love with him for a long time, but¡­¡­he¡¯s got someone else¡­¡­he likes.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­okay, I¡¯ll check it out, maybe I can buy him back¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m from a small country, but I can buy one slave with my allowance.¡± Yuta¡­¡­stay safe¡­¡­ The Kingdom of Amuria, where I will be staying, is small, as Ranelle said¡­¡­The population is about 500,000, and the size of the country is about the size of Tokyo metropolitan area, as it can go from one end to the other by carriage in half a day¡­¡­ The castle where Ranelle lives is also a large mansion, and looks more like a noble residence than a royal palace. [TL Note :Tokyo Metropolitan Area size is 2.194 km2] ¡°Oh, that must be the Half-Radar Rider. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m King Majni of Amuria.¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Nagisa.¡± ¡°Father, you look nervous, smile more.¡± Ranelle warned her father, the king. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­sorry about that.¡± The king drawls but smiles at me¡­¡­.I could see the goodness in their hearts just from this exchange¡­¡­.Apparently, I¡¯ve been bought by a good country¡­¡­ ¡°Big sister! Introduce me too!¡± Then a middle school girl came into the room¡­¡­. ¡°This is Himari, the third princess. She¡¯s a jerk and I can¡¯t handle her¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible. She¡¯s been quiet lately.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡­.And where¡¯s Yukiha, Himari?¡± ¡°Yukiha is at her usual place.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­shall we go for a walk then?¡­¡­I have something to show Nagisa.¡± Then they took me to a place that looked like a big warehouse¡­¡­.There was a¡­¡­I don¡¯t know much about it, but¡­but it was a robot-like¡­¡­vehicle that looked like something a boy would like¡­¡­. ¡°Yukiha!¡± When Ranelle called out, one of the robots walked briskly up to us¡­¡­. Then a door in the chest opened and a woman with long blue hair came out from inside¡­¡­. ¡°Ranelle, this must be the Half Radar rider!¡± ¡°Yeah, come down and I¡¯ll introduce you.¡± ¡°All right, hold on.¡± Then she got off some kind of ladder-like vehicle and came over to us¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m Yukiha, the First Princess. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Nagisa. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s have a quick look at Nagisa¡¯s Magicraft, shall we?¡± Yukiha said as if it was obvious. ¡°My Magicraft¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the machine I bought you to drive¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on¡­¡­.¡± I still didn¡¯t know what was going on, but what I found at the place where I was brought was a red robot¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the strongest Magicraft our country has¡­¡­¡± ¡°This Magicraft¡­¡­is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, this Magicraft needs a minimum Ludia value of 5,000 to run¡­¡­but even Yukiha, who has the highest 4,000 Ludia value in the country couldn¡¯t operate it¡­¡­.that¡¯s why I participated in this auction of earthlings.¡± ¡°We¡¯re being used for war¡­¡­.¡± I was shocked¡­¡­because apparently I knew I was supposed to get on this thing and fight¡­¡­. ¡°Oh, sorry, it¡¯s true that many countries use Magicrafts in war, but Amuria is a defensive force¡­¡­.In fact, there hasn¡¯t been a major battle in 20 years, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­you don¡¯t have to move this Magicraft¡­..?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called deterrence¡­¡­.If Amuria has a Half-Radar that can move, the countries around it won¡¯t be able to do anything easily.¡± Deterrence¡­¡­I¡¯ve certainly heard stories like that¡­¡­but I¡¯m getting a little worried about my life here¡­¡­ CH 8 I bought some clothes and shoes, and I¡¯d like to change right away, but I¡¯d better get rid of this dirty grime first. I needed to take a bath somehow, soI asked an uncle around where the bath was. ¡°You want to take a bath? Well, I guess you¡¯d have to stay at an inn with a bath or go to a hot spring somewhere.¡± Hot springs, that¡¯s nice. ¡°Are there any hot springs nearby?¡± ¡°Yes, there are. It would take about three hours by web-liner to get there.¡± I didn¡¯t know what a web-liner was, but apparently there were none nearby. I had no choice but to stay at an inn with a bath. ¡°Nanami, we¡¯re going to stay at a very expensive inn today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to an inn before.¡± At first, we looked for a cheap inn with a bath. A room in the places that looked good was 10 gold per night, so we couldn¡¯t stay there. Finally, we found a cheap inn with a bath for only 2 gold per night. When I entered the room, I found only one large bed¡­¡­but that was no problem since I always slept cuddled up with Nanami. The bath was a wooden tub with a wooden floor. There¡¯s soap and towels, so we¡¯ll be able to get in right away¡­¡­.The hot water seems to come from some unknown force, and when you twist the faucet, it comes out¡­¡­.The feeling of warm steam after a long time is impressive. ¡°Okay, Nanami, you want to come in with me?¡± When I ask that, Nanami comes into the bath without answering. ¡°Nanami, we need to get you undressed.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I took off my clothes along with Nanami. I don¡¯t need these anymore, I thought as I looked at our tattered clothes. Then I went to wash Nanami¡¯s body and was surprised to see her. She was small, but her breasts were swollen. I was a little nervous and looked away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yuta?¡± ¡°No, Nanami, how old are you?¡± ¡°14.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Oh, shit! I thought she was about 10 years old. That¡¯s not good. She¡¯s only three years younger than me. ¡°Nanami. Can you get in there by yourself?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± I can¡¯t tell you how nervous I am. ¡°So, yeah, can you wash yourself? ¡° ¡°I¡¯ve never done that.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡­.¡± I don¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯ll just close my eyes and wash.¡­.. I squeezed my eyes shut and washed Nanami¡¯s body¡­¡­.I let her do the bottom part herself, but he was still insistent ¡°Why, why, why did Yuta ask me to wash it?¡± I wash her hair from behind. Her shaggy hair begins to unravel and become clean. Then I washed her face as well. Normally I can¡¯t see her eyes because of her shaggy hair, but now I¡¯m holding her hair back to wash her face. This may be the first time I¡¯ve seen Nanami¡¯s face properly. Maybe she¡¯s cute! ¡°Okay, now Nanami will wash Yuta.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I can wash myself.¡± ¡°Just let me wash you.¡± ¡°Okay, then you wash my back, because I can¡¯t wash my own back¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± Nanami scrubbed and washed my back. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­stay with me forever¡­¡­.¡± Nanami said unexpectedly. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll always be together.¡± Nanami is like a sister to me now. I had no hesitation in replying that way. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯ll wash your bottom too.¡± She said, but I refused, saying that I would do it myself. I had a little bit of a fight with Nanami, who tried to wash me forcefully, but I managed to win. Then we both got into the bathtub. There I listened to Nanami¡¯s story. She talked about her family, about being a slave, about¡­¡­me. I told her about my life before, my family, and about school, which she was very interested in. Well, she never studied, hasn¡¯ she? I don¡¯t know if there is a school in this world, but I wanted Nanami to learn something. Okay, I¡¯ve got my goal, I¡¯ll create an opportunity for Nanami to learn. That¡¯s what I decided. Now that her age has been discovered, sleeping with her has become more and more difficult. She didn¡¯t know how I felt about that, but she was sticking to me as usual. In addition, the degree of closeness was twice as much as usual, probably because she was happy to have taken a bath and become clean. It would be strange to suddenly reject her today, so I suppressed my nervousness and went to bed. CH 9 In order for Nanami to study, we needed to earn money¡­¡­.I had to find some kind of work¡­¡­.I bathed and changed my clothes, which made me look better, and she started to listen to me more than before. Even so, the Ludia value of 2 is a barrier, making it impossible for me to get a job¡­¡­. ¡°Today was another bad day¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry, Nanami¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No problem, as long as Yuta¡¯s with me¡­¡­.¡± Nanami tells me this as we share a loaf of bread¡­¡­.The money we got from the ship won¡¯t last that long¡­¡­.I have to find a job somehow¡­¡­ ¡°Are you looking for a job?¡± It was an elderly man who approached me¡­¡­. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°What do you say? I have a job for you that pays 50 gold a month¡­¡­.¡± 50 gold¡­¡­now that¡¯s a lot of money for us¡­¡­ ¡°What kind of job is it?¡± I asked cautiously here, because of the matter of the ship. ¡°I have a daughter about your age¡­¡­that I¡¯d like you to talk to¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes, and if you don¡¯t have a home, I¡¯ll give you a place to stay, if you want.¡± I took the job because I had no other choice, even though I was incredibly well treated¡­¡­and might get cheated again. ¡°Good¡­¡­.¡± The first man said happily¡­¡­. The man¡¯s name was Mr. Belfast, a member of the country¡¯s nobility¡­¡­.Immediately; Mr. Belfast took me to his house. The house was a large mansion¡­¡­with servants, there was no doubt that he was rich¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m going to take you to see my daughter now, but I don¡¯t want you to be surprised¡­.Okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.Okay¡­¡­.¡± What does that mean? Is she weird?¡­¡­When I actually met Mr. Belfast¡¯s daughter, I understood what he meant¡­¡­.She wasn¡¯t a person¡­¡­.She looked like a half-beast¡­¡­.I listened to her story and heard about this phenomenon called half-breed, it seems to be a kind of curse¡­ ¡°I have a lot of business enemies¡­¡­and it seems that someone somewhere has a deep grudge against me¡­¡­ my daughter became like this¡­¡­Ugh!¡­¡­I can¡¯t help but pity my daughter¡­¡­.¡± When I heard the story, I approached the daughter¡­¡­.She was frightened, but I said proudly ¡°I¡¯m Yuta, this is Nanami, nice to meet you, can you tell me your name?¡± When I told her that, she was frightened and told me¡­¡­ ¡°Farma¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, Farma, from now on we¡¯re your friends and you can tell us anything you want.¡± ¡°Friends¡­¡­¡± She was born in this form, and until recently she had been living confined to her room¡­¡­.This is the first time she has talked to anyone outside of her family, let alone friends, so she is still wary. ¡°Farma, play with Nanami!¡± ¡°What¡­¡­do you want to play with¡­¡­?¡± Nanami forcefully pulled Farma out of bed and took her to the garden¡­¡­. In the beginning, Farma was confused by Nanami, but she gradually got used to it and started to smile¡­¡­The two of them started to play happily¡­¡­. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­Farma looks so happy¡­¡­.¡± Mr. Belfast said joyfully. ¡°I¡¯m glad that Nanami has found a friend her age.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­actually, I¡¯ve brought someone like that before you guys¡­¡­but that time the person I brought saw my daughter and said she was a monster and ran away¡­¡­I stopped looking for someone to talk to my daughter for a while because of that¡­¡­. I still wanted her to feel normal and happy¡­¡­. I¡¯m really glad I reached out to you this time.¡± Strangely enough, I didn¡¯t feel that Farma was a monster at all¡­¡­In another world, there would be girls like that¡­¡­. From that day on, my life at Belfast¡¯s house began¡­¡­I would sleep in a proper bed, wake up, eat breakfast, talk to Farma, eat lunch, play with Farma, eat dinner, talk to Farma, and go to bed. After a month, Farma and I became very close¡­¡­Nanami and I became even closer, almost like real siblings. CH 10 ¡°Come on, Nanami, let¡¯s catch up.¡± ¡°Wait, Farma. You¡¯re a little early¡­¡­.¡± I sat in my chair and watched them chasing each other¡­¡­.It¡¯s like being a slave was my imagination¡­¡­.I wish I could just stay here¡­¡­ ¡°Come here, Yuta.¡± Farma calls me¡­¡­ ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be the demon, so you two better run.¡± When I said that, Nanami and Farma ran away, screaming. ¡°Wait!¡± That¡¯s what I said as I chased after them. However¡­¡­both of them were quite quick¡­¡­and I couldn¡¯t catch them at all, I was getting a little tired¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, Yuta.¡± That¡¯s right. What are you going to do if you¡¯re so exhausted? ¡°No¡­¡­I¡¯m going to take a break¡­¡­.¡± They had escaped to a warehouse in the mansion¡­¡­where I found a large white robot¡­¡­that was maybe 10 meters tall¡­¡­As I looked up at it, they approached me¡­¡­. ¡°This is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°This is a Magicraft my dad bought a long time ago¡­¡­.He says it¡¯s broken¡­¡­. ¡°This is a Magicraft¡­¡­Everyone has one of these¡­¡­.It¡¯s not working¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­dad said it can¡¯t be fixed because he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡­.Are you sure it¡¯s broken?¡± ¡°After the excavation, a triple highlander got on board, but it didn¡¯t work¡­ It seems that it¡¯s broken because there¡¯s no Magicraft that triple highlanders can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Excavation¡­¡­aren¡¯t Magicrafts constructed?¡± ¡°It seems that the core cannot be recreated with today¡¯s magic technology¡­¡­so it is common to dig up Magicrafts from old civilizations and use them by repairing everything but the core¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You know a lot, Farma.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­I like Magicrafts¡­¡­they¡¯re very attractive¡­¡­we can¡¯t make them from scratch with our current magic technology alone¡­¡­I¡¯m also attracted to their unknown power¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me if this thing works; after all, I have a Ludia value of 2.¡± ¡°What, Yuta, you have a Ludia value of 2?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s low.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a number that low before¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Farma¡¯s Ludia value?¡± ¡°7800.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, it¡¯s that high.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­but¡­¡­it¡¯s not helping me¡­¡­I can¡¯t appear in front of people¡­¡­¡± ¡°If your Ludia value it¡¯s so high, why don¡¯t you just take whatever Magicraft you want?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡­.¡± After a long talk with Farma, Nanami joined the conversation, as she felt alone. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not the only one.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, does Nanami know her Ludia value?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­.I¡¯ve never measured it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.But if you can¡¯t open the door to that slave cabin, it must be low¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never tried¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve never touched the door of the slave cabin¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s possible that your Ludia value is high¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about those numbers¡­¡­.Nanami is Nanami¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t really matter, I¡¯m a 2 and I¡¯m totally fine.¡± Nanami said she didn¡¯t care about the Ludia value, but a short time later, her Ludia value was discovered¡­¡­and it was a surprising number¡­¡­. ¡°And¡­¡­triple highlander¡­¡­¡± Nanami¡¯s Ludia value was 32,000¡­¡­ Since we didn¡¯t know her Ludia value, Mr. Belfast took the liberty of measuring Nanami¡¯s Ludia value¡­¡­That¡¯s where the surprising number came from¡­¡­. ¡°Nanami, this is great¡­¡­.These numbers will get you good treatment as a rider in any country¡­¡­.I really hope you¡¯ll always be a friend of Farma, but¡­¡­¡­I can introduce you to this country royalty if you want¡­¡­.¡± However, Nanami didn¡¯t seem to be interested in such things¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m staying here¡­¡­with Yuta and Farma.¡± Hearing this, Mr. Belfast patted Nanami¡¯s head happily¡­¡­. ¡°Thank you so much for saying that¡­¡­.Farma has good friends¡­¡­.¡± Normally, Nanami would be more appreciated, have a better life, and be able to do¡­¡­whatever she wants, but she still wants to be with us¡­¡­.honestly I felt happy¡­¡­but¡­¡­this will cause a big problem later¡­¡­that would change the fate of Farma¡¯s family for the better¡­¡­. CH 11 Strange World¡­¡­Strange Auction¡­..What will happen to me¡­¡­Everyone in my class has been torn apart¡­¡­I wonder if Sakira and Nanami will be okay¡­¡­and Yuta¡­¡­everyone made fun of him like that¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what to think. ¡°Dear Yuki, we have arrived¡­¡­Watch your step¡­¡­.¡± The man who said this to me was an uncle called Eo, the Minister of War of the Elysian Empire¡­¡­.This is the man who bid for me in that strange auction. After the auction, I was brought to an amazing castle¡­¡­I wonder how many Tokyo Domes it would hold¡­¡­My personal feeling is that it would easily hold two hundred¡­¡­Inside the huge castle I was led to a gorgeous building further in¡­¡­ ¡°Salute Triple Highlander Yuki-sama!¡± Many soldiers salute me¡­¡­I¡¯m not that great¡­¡­.I¡¯m not worth that much¡­¡­.I knew that in my heart¡­¡­ In an even more luxurious room in a luxurious building¡­¡­ a person was waiting for me¡­¡­ ¡°Hoho¡­..a young girl¡­¡­.I like the fact that she doesn¡¯t look like a triple Highlander¡­¡­. ¡°In the presence of His Majesty the Emperor, Miss Yuki, please bow your head¡­¡­.¡± I did as I was told and tried to bow¡­¡­. ¡°Good, good, don¡¯t bow you¡¯re special¡­¡­.You¡¯re my country¡¯s fifth and most valuable triple Highlander¡­¡­.Instead of bowing, pledge your loyalty to me with your power¡­¡­.¡± After he said that, I was told to back off, and I was escorted out of the room¡­¡­ ¡°Miss Yuki, please come this way¡­¡­.Before I show you the room, I¡¯d like to show you your Magicraft.¡± ¡°Magicraft¡­¡­¡± He then led me to a huge warehouse-like area¡­¡­where large robots were crammed together¡­¡­. ¡°What you see here are the ordinary Magicrafts¡­¡­. The advanced models are in the hangar at the back.¡± Then he led me further inside¡­.. ¡°This is Yuto-sama¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that the new rider?¡± ¡°Yes, this is triple rider Yuki-sama.¡± When the person called Yuto heard this, he approached me and extended his hand¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m Yuto. Nice to meet you, Yuki.¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Yuki.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Japanese. If you have any questions, you can ask me. I can explain most things.¡± ¡°Japanese¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I was sold like you, for about five years now. ¡° ¡°Oh, really¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Master Yuto! We¡¯ve finished the maintenance of Ajura!¡± A voice called out from behind me. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been summoned, so I better get going.¡± After saying that, Yuto walked away¡­¡­Mr. Eo explained about him after Yuto left¡­¡­. ¡°This is Yuto-sama, a Quintuple Highlander¡­¡­a rider with a Ludia value of 57,000¡­¡­said to be the strongest on the continent.¡± The most powerful rider on the continent¡­¡­is such a person¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, because of him, our Elysian Empire is considered the strongest on the continent¡­¡­.Sometimes he has more authority than the king, so there is no harm in getting to know him.¡± I can imagine what you mean by¡­¡­saying that with a slightly unpleasant smile, but I didn¡¯t dare answer. What was shown to me was a jet-black Magicraft¡­¡­with a slender body and a dragon-like frame¡­¡­that I honestly thought was beautiful¡­¡­. ¡°This is my ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monstrous Magicraft with an activation value of 30,000, a maximum output of 3 million, SS-ranked armor, and SS-ranked mobility¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s how they explain it to me, but I don¡¯t understand it now¡­¡­.I¡¯m not interested¡­¡­. ¡°You will be taught how to operate it by our trainers at a later date, so please get on board and help this country¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­well¡­¡­could you do me one favor¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What can I do for you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I think there was a boy who was sold at that auction for that¡­¡­fruit¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, the defective product with the Ludia value of two.¡± ¡°Defective¡­¡­he¡¯s not like that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about this¡­¡­.What about him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about what happened to him. Can¡¯t you check it out?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, yeah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­I care about him¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.I can¡¯t refuse a request from a triple Highlander¡­¡­.Very well, I will instruct Elysia to buy the man back.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a small gift for Miss Yuki.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I¡¯ve liked him since freshman year because of his honest and kind nature, but it¡¯s only recently that I¡¯ve realized I like him¡­..I was going to be brave enough to confess my love for him on the school trip, but then this happened¡­¡­ The room that was prepared for me was luxurious¡­¡­about fifty tatami mats in size, with a bath and toilet¡­¡­and a human being¡­¡­. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Yuki¡­¡­I¡¯m Miss Yuki¡¯s personal maid, my name is Rusha.¡± ¡°My personal¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, in this country, every rider above the rank of Highlander has a personal maid, at their disposal.¡± That being said¡­..¡±I¡¯m hungry¡±¡­¡­I was telling that to Rusha. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have your meal ready in a moment.¡± In about an hour or so, a meal was prepared¡­¡­It was a sumptuous meal in a quantity that I couldn¡¯t finish, and I was a bit confused¡­¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t eat this much¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can eat as much as you want, and if there¡¯s anything else you¡¯d like to eat, we¡¯ll have it ready for you soon¡­¡­.¡± I eat a small portion of the food that was served to me¡­¡­.All of it is delicious¡­¡­.I wonder what Yuta is eating. CH 12 That day, Mr. Belfast came back in a hurry from somewhere. ¡°Prepare to leave here immediately¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s what he told me¡­¡­. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡­?¡± When I asked, Mr. Belfast gave me a very sorry look and began to talk¡­¡­ ¡°The people of this country found Nanami-chan¡¯s Ludia value¡­¡­.The technician who measured it must have leaked it¡­¡­.That¡¯s why they ordered me to recruit her into the army, but¡­¡­Nanami-chan¡¯s intentions were known to me¡­¡­.I refused¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­are you sure you¡¯re okay doing that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­.I already had information that the military was on the move, so I rushed back.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to us¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yuta¡­¡­you guys have to get out of here¡­¡­.If you don¡¯t, Nanami will be forced to join the army¡­¡­¡± Nanami in the army¡­¡­I would never want that¡­¡­I nodded to Mr. Belfast and agreed to him¡­¡­but¡­¡­It was already too late¡­¡­. The door of the mansion is violently slammed¡­.. ¡°Boom, boom, boom!¡± ¡°Viscount Belfast! Open up! It¡¯s the Ludawan army! Give us the Triple Highlander¡¯s child!¡± ¡°Yuta-kun¡­¡­take Nanami-chan and run out the back!¡± I nodded at that and headed upstairs to Farma¡¯s room where Nanami was¡­¡­. ¡°Nanami, we need to get out of here now!¡± When I said that, both Nanami and Farma looked surprised¡­¡­. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yuta? I want to stay here.¡± ¡°If we stay here, Mr. Belfast is going to be in trouble.¡± When she said this, Nanami almost cried, but she shook Farma¡¯s hand and said goodbye¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­Nanami¡­¡­¡± ¡°Farma¡­¡­I¡¯ m sorry¡­¡­¡± Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard a loud¡­¡­sound of something breaking¡­¡­. When I looked out from Farma¡¯s room, I saw three Magicrafts in the garden of the mansion¡­¡­. ¡°This is Zofus, Magicrafts of the Ludawan army¡­¡­¡± Farma tells us so¡­¡­ ¡°That sounded like¡­¡­.¡± I had a bad feeling about this and immediately ran downstairs¡­¡­. My bad feeling was right¡­¡­The front door had been broken by the big spear of the Magicraft¡­¡­And Mr. Belfast was lying in a pool of blood¡­¡­ ¡°Dad!¡± Farma, who came downstairs with me, saw this, screamed¡­¡­and immediately ran over¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Farma¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­Dad is already¡­¡­¡± ¡°Dad! Dad! No! No!¡± ¡°Yuta-kun¡­¡­take Farma¡­¡­with you¡­¡­I don¡¯t want her to be lonely anymore¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mr. Belfast!¡± ¡°Hurry up¡­¡­they¡¯re already coming in¡­¡­gghhh¡­¡­¡± With a short moan, Mr. Belfast collapsed without strength¡­¡­. ¡°Dad!¡± I could hear voices coming from the crumbling doorway¡­¡­.They were already coming inside¡­¡­.I¡¯m not going to let this¡­¡­ ¡°Farma, Nanami, we¡¯re going to get caught if we don¡¯t leave¡­¡­Let¡¯s run like Mr. Belfast said!¡± With that, I forcefully took them around to the back of the mansion. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­.¡± As she walked out the back door, crying, Farma took a small box off the shelf. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­..the box dad said to take in case of emergency¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡­¡± Maybe it¡¯ll be a memento of Mr. Belfast¡­¡­. However, there were also Magicrafts placed in the backyard¡­¡­.There was no way to escape¡­¡­.That¡¯s right¡­¡­.Let¡¯s hide in that warehouse for a while¡­¡­ I ran to the warehouse where that motionless Magicraft was and looked for someplace to hide¡­¡­. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± What Nanami meant by that was the inside of the cockpit of that non-working Magicraft¡­¡­.It¡¯s true that the three of us could barely fit in there. Once we were inside the Magicraft, we manually closed the hatch. ¡°Shhh¡­¡­quiet¡­¡­.¡± I was sitting in the cockpit chair, with Nanami and Farma snuggled up on both sides of me as if they were hugging me. ¡°Crack!¡± I can hear the entrance to the warehouse being broken. ¡°Oh no¡­¡­.Did they find¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± ¡°Did you really see someone go in here?¡± ¡°Definitely. They were sneaking in.¡± I can hear voices¡­..They¡¯re loudspeaker-like voices, so they might be the voices of the pilots of the Magicrafts. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a Magicraft.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­that¡¯s some raggedy antique.¡± ¡°But, you know, it¡¯s a triple Highlander we¡¯re after¡­¡­. If it¡¯s in this thing¡­¡­¡± ¡°No matter how many triple Highlanders there are, they can¡¯t defeat us with an antique like this.¡± The voice gets closer and closer¡­¡­and says something outrageous¡­¡­ ¡°You want me to smash it just in case?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­¡± Oh no¡­¡­if we don¡¯t get out of this¡­¡­ CH 13 ¡°What should we do, Yuta? If we don¡¯t do something, the Magicraft will be destroyed¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, can I borrow your spear?¡± Looks like the enemy out there got a spear from one of his buddies¡­¡­.He¡¯s going to destroy this guy with a spear¡­¡­.No¡­¡­.If we don¡¯t¡­¡­ ¡°Damn¡­¡­this guy¡­¡­really doesn¡¯t work!¡± I said that and grabbed the levers of the spheres that were set up on either side of me¡­¡­.Boom¡­¡­woof¡­¡­beep¡­¡­crinkle¡­¡­Some strange sounds echoed around me¡­¡­the lights of the devices around me went on¡­¡­and the outside was projected¡­.. ¡°No way¡­..it moved¡­¡­.¡± There are voices from outside¡­¡­ ¡°He¡¯s moving!¡± ¡°Just stab it with your spear!¡± ¡°Yuta! Stand up!¡± Farma screams¡­.. ¡°How do I get up¡­..?¡± ¡°The Magicraft can be controlled by consciousness, just imagine moving it with your mind!¡± ¡°Break it down, antique!¡± The enemy¡¯s Magicraft attacked me with a spear¡­¡­.I stood up and imagined avoiding it¡­¡­. I felt my body lift up from the ground and the Magicraft stood up¡­¡­and quickly avoided the spear¡­¡­ ¡°What the hell? This guy¡­..is surprisingly quick¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. It¡¯s going to take both of us to take him down.¡± Two Magicrafts entered the warehouse¡­¡­one with a large spear, the other with a sword¡­¡­and I am unarmed¡­¡­.Can I win in a fight? The Magicraft with the spear attacked me¡­¡­.Its movement is not very fast, but it looks like slow motion¡­¡­.I lightly avoided the attack and hit the body of the machine with my fist because I had no weapon. ¡°Boom! There was a great sound, and then, to my surprise, the Magicraft body dented¡­¡­and he collapsed to his knees with a plop¡­¡­. ¡°What the hell! A fist to dent the body of a D-ranked armored Zofus¡­¡­.¡± I don¡¯t know how good the D rank is, but the enemy is surprised¡­¡­.Another Zofus attacked me with both hands swinging his sword¡­¡­I stopped it with my right hand¡­¡­The enemy tried to swing his sword down with a lot of force, but it just made a squeaking sound and didn¡¯t budge¡­¡­It seems that the power of my Magicraft right hand is much stronger than the enemy¡¯s hands, and I pushed it back and forth¡­¡­Then I shoved it against the wall behind him¡­ I took the sword from the fallen enemy and swung it straight down on his head¡­¡­.Bash¡­¡­His head was crushed and he stopped moving¡­¡­ ¡°This Magicraft is strong¡­¡­.I can¡¯t believe that the Ludawan army¡¯s main Magicraft, the Zofus, is no match for it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s just ride this thing and get the hell out of here.¡± When I said that, they nodded and agreed¡­¡­But it wasn¡¯t that easy. When I came out of the warehouse, three Zofus Magicrafts were waiting for me¡­¡­ ¡°What the hell is this Magicraft¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stay alert, the triple Highlander we¡¯re chasing may be piloting it, surround and seize it carefully!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The three of them moved slowly around us¡­¡­.I was somewhat used to it from earlier, so I was calm¡­¡­The right one was equipped with an axe-like weapon, the front one had a sword and the left one had a spear¡­¡­the three of them moved at the same time. I grabbed the left one spear attack with my left hand¡­I grabbed the right one axe attack with my right hand, and for the sword in front of me, I pulled my right hand and forcefully used the Magicraft holding the axe as a shield to receive it¡­¡­ ¡°Agh!¡± The axe Magicraft is slashed in the back with a sword and it released a puff of smoke¡­¡­ ¡°What power¡­¡­.¡± I threw the Magicraft in my right hand in front of me and broke the spear. Then I kicked the Zofus, who was holding the spear, the machine that was kicked, spit white smoke through the gaps in the armor, and then collapsed. The Magicraft that had the sword tried to stab me but I quickly avoided the sword and punched him in the shoulder with my right hand. The armor on his shoulder fell off as if it had exploded and he fell flat on his back¡­¡­He made a pushy sound and tried to stand up, but it seems that something malfunctioned and he couldn¡¯t stand up properly¡­¡­. After putting all three out of action, we walked away from the compound on foot¡­¡­.The infantry was making a lot of noise, but it was easy to shake off the people chasing us on foot¡­¡­We succeeded in running away in one piece¡­¡­ CH 14 The Ludawan army is after Nanami¡­¡­.It¡¯s not safe for her to stay in Ludawan, so we¡¯ve decided to leave the country¡­¡­ ¡°If we go to the commercial nation of Arpeca, the Ludawan army may not be able to touch us¡­¡­.¡± Farma suggested¡­¡­ ¡°Okay, let¡¯s head there then.¡± When I said that, Nanami pointed out softly. ¡°This one stands out, is that okay?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­normally, Magicrafts travel in Ride-carriers or something like that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ride-carrier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small land ship for transport¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no such thing as that¡­..Let¡¯s just walk away.¡± However¡­¡­the suburbs are fine, but the city is a quagmire¡­¡­we moved as far as possible to avoid the human settlements. ¡°Farma¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­we made your father¡­¡­¡± I apologized for that in between walking around in my Magicraft¡­¡­ ¡°No¡­¡­.It¡¯s not Yuta or Nanami¡¯s fault¡­¡­.It¡¯s Ludawan fault¡­¡­.I¡­¡­I¡¯ll never forgive them¡­¡­¡± I felt her strong anger¡­..I also feel indebted to Mr. Belfast, and I liked that man¡­¡­So I felt indignant that he was killed¡­¡­It is the same with Nanami, who agrees with Farma¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s avenge your dad¡¯s death¡­¡­.Let¡¯s take down Ludawan!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­but we can¡¯t do that right now¡­¡­.We need to build up our strength¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get a powerful Magicraft¡­¡­.I think it¡¯s wrong that Yuta¡¯s Ludia value is 2¡­¡­.The fact that he¡¯s operating this Magicraft that even the Triple Highlander couldn¡¯t start is proof of that. Maybe his value is greater than we think¡­..¡± I don¡¯t know about that, but I know from the battle at the compound that even I can fight. ¡°Nanami will fight too, if it¡¯s to avenge my uncle, I¡¯ll ride a Magicraft¡­..¡± ¡°Nanami¡­¡­thank you¡­¡­let¡¯s get a Magicraft that is worthy of you, a triple Highlander, so we can defeat Ludawan¡­¡­Thank you.¡± We now have a goal of avenging Mr. Belfast¡¯s death¡­¡­.The first step is to get power, and the practical problem is to get money¡­¡­. ¡°Farma, what was in that box?¡± I remembered the box that Farma brought with her when we escaped from the mansion and asked her. ¡°I¡¯ll open it up a bit.¡± With that, she unlocked the box and opened it¡­¡­. ¡°Dad¡­¡­prepared something like this for me¡­¡­.¡± When I looked inside the box, I saw that it was packed with jewels¡­¡­.I guess it was prepared for Farma so that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money no matter what¡­¡­. Farma said she would not hesitate to sell the jewels that Mr. Belfast had prepared for her¡­¡­And suggested that we should use the money to buy a Magicraft. ¡°Calm down for now, Farma¡­¡­that¡¯s the most important thing your father left you.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡­¡­but¡­¡­.¡± I knew how she was feeling¡­¡­ We crossed the border from the suburbs and entered the commercial state of Arpeca¡­¡­The commercial state of Arpeca is a country that revolves around economic activity, so it is easy to enter¡­¡­.They only react to large military operations. And in the event that you¡¯ve got a lot of money to spend, you¡¯ll have many advantages here¡­¡­. ¡°Well¡­..Farma¡­¡­you¡¯re not going to change your mind, are you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­Sell jewelry¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­but why don¡¯t you keep one as a memento of your father?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡­dad¡¯s inside me¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s like she¡¯s in my mind¡­¡­I nodded, understanding the feeling¡­¡­. Okay, but how do we sell the jewelry¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to sell it poorly and get a cheap price¡­¡­ I decided to take just one piece of jewelry, ask around for the price to sell it and find a merchant I could trust¡­¡­. ¡°Ho-ho¡­¡­nice jewelry, I¡¯ll pay 2 million for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for a million¡­¡­it looks good, but it¡¯s a bit old.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cheap fake. Well, it looks nice, so I¡¯ll buy it for 10,000.¡± I asked 10 merchants and they all gave me different prices¡­¡­I¡¯m glad I checked¡­¡­So I tried to ask the merchant who gave me the highest price to buy all my gems¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, are you trying to sell jewelry to that merchant¡­¡­?¡± A pointy-headed man with red hair¡­¡­who looked suspicious approached me¡­¡­ ¡°Huh¡­¡­yeah?¡± ¡°Huh, I thought you might be since you were going around asking about the price of a single gem, but¡­¡­don¡¯t, not to that merchant.¡± ¡°But he offered the highest price¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he figured out that you still have a lot of jewelry¡­¡­.He¡¯s going to take it all and buy it off you at a low price.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.How could you possibly know that?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­you¡¯re really sweet¡­¡­that¡¯s because I¡¯m one of those evil merchants.¡± ¡°I call myself vicious¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more believable. No evil merchant would call himself evil.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s really simple¡­¡­.Well, okay, how about you hire me?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll negotiate the sale of the jewels for you¡­¡­and in return I¡¯ll get 10% of the sale.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you and I don¡¯t want to¡­¡­work with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust me¡­¡­Then how about this, if I don¡¯t sell the jewels to that merchant for a bigger price than what he offers I won¡¯t get paid.¡± I see¡­¡­That way we don¡¯t lose anything¡­¡­.I¡¯m not good at negotiating¡­¡­.I¡¯ll just ask¡­¡­ ¡°If you sell them for more than 20% than the price he offered, I¡¯ll give you 10% of the reward, is that okay?¡± ¡°OK, that¡¯s good enough for me, I¡¯ll take care of it, I¡¯m Jean, nice to meet you.¡± He said with a big smile on his face. CH 15 With Jean in tow, I showed the jewels to the merchant I chose and asked him how much they cost. ¡°Ten millions, some of them are good, some of them crappy, so that¡¯s about it.¡± At any rate, I told the merchant I¡¯d think about it and declined. Jean took it from there to negotiate¡­¡­.And then I learned what he was capable of. Jean wandered around, looking for merchants to negotiate with¡­¡­.Then he targeted one merchant, showed him the jewels, and began to negotiate¡­¡­ ¡°15 million for this gem¡­¡­.Keep the jokes to your face, old man¡­¡­.This is Emelda¡¯s Tenth, and this is Fifa¡¯s Grade A. These two alone are worth over 10 million at throwaway price, and 15 million at full price!¡­¡­Are you serious about that? Oh¡­¡­I see, you¡¯re in the business of doing that¡­¡­.There is also a network of merchants in the city, but let me tell you, Mr. Lambert, you are a merchant of this type. When Jean said that, Mr. Lambert turned blue and suggested this¡­¡­ ¡°All right¡­¡­How about 20 million, and I¡¯ll buy them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You still don¡¯t get it, Mr. Lambert¡­¡­.I know how much this gem sells for¡­¡­You know¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I¡¯ll buy them for 30 million¡­¡­that¡¯s really all I can afford¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, sold!¡± He sold the jewelry for three times the price I was offered. At first I thought he was suspicious, but I guess he¡¯s really a good guy¡­¡­. ¡°Hey¡­¡­I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m a nice guy¡­¡­.I got this 3 million just by moving my mouth¡­¡­.Originally, you didn¡¯t even have to pay for this¡­¡­.I realized that you guys were idiots. I talked to you and this is how I got this money, brilliantly¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That may be true, but¡­¡­if it weren¡¯t for Jean, we¡¯d have lost a lot more money¡­¡­thank you so much.¡± ¡°What are you planning to do with that money?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of buying a Magicraft.¡± ¡°Ho-ho¡­¡­you¡¯re a rider?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­at that rate you¡¯re going to get fooled again¡­¡­okay, I¡¯m on board, how about you hire me again?¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll negotiate the purchase of a Magicraft for you, I¡¯ll get you a good, cheap one.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Well, this is a free service; I made a lot of money off of you earlier.¡± This is a very helpful suggestion¡­..but I was a little concerned about the fact that it would be free of charge¡­¡­ ¡°What Ludia activation value are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for something over 10,000.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­Are you a Highlander?¡± ¡°No, not me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°One of those ladies must be a Highlander.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that out loud¡­¡­¡± ¡°But¡­¡­ your budget might not be enough for a Magicraft for a Highlander¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is it really that expensive?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­I think it¡¯s going to be a hundred million at the cheapest¡­..¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­we¡¯re not even close to that amount¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm, money is one thing you can¡¯t do without.¡± That¡¯s what Jean said when he saw my distress. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll use the money to make more.¡± ¡°More? How¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the Coliseum¡­¡­.Do you know those riders they call gladiators?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Magicrafts fight each other for money¡­¡­.Highlanders are rare among gladiators, so I think we can make a lot of money.¡± I see¡­¡­That¡¯s certainly a good idea¡­¡­I have a track record of defeating Ludawan regular army¡­¡­I¡¯m starting to feel like I can win¡­¡­. ¡°How can I fight in the Coliseum?¡± ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re on board¡­¡­Leave it to me, I¡¯ll make you a fortune.¡± I had to fight in the Coliseum to buy a Magicraft. CH 16 When I woke up in the morning, I found myself in a strange room¡­¡­I thought about it for a while and remembered that it was my new room¡­¡­. I was washing my face in the bathroom and someone knocked on the door of my room¡­¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± As I replied, I opened the door and Ranelle walked in. ¡°Good morning, Nagisa. How did you sleep?¡± ¡°I slept really well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, I¡¯ve had breakfast prepared for you, you can eat with me.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ranelle and I went to the dining room, where the king and two princesses were already eating. ¡°Good morning, Nagisa!¡± ¡°Good morning, Nagisa.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Each of them calls out to me¡­¡­.They¡¯re so friendly, I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re royalty. The breakfast consisted of bread, eggs, soup, salad, and a variety of stews, fish, and meat dishes. It was a simple meal for royalty, but it looked luxurious enough to me. After finishing the meal, Ranelle and Yukiha took me to the Magicraft warehouse¡­¡­where I was introduced to two people. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Jihad, an ace rider in the Amuria army!¡± The person who introduced himself as Jihad is a blond, fresh, sportsman-like man, and he¡¯s pretty cool¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m Delphine, and it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Delphine is a large, dark-skinned man who seems to be taciturn¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve heard half the stories about Jihad being an ace rider.¡± ¡°What the hell, Ranelle, who else is an ace?¡± ¡°You have me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Delphine, I¡¯m 108-107 against you in mock battles.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. I¡¯m 108-107. You¡¯re on a losing streak.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s get this over with right away.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± As they were talking, Yukiha interrupted them. ¡°You can¡¯t do this today, both of you, give priority to Nagisa¡¯s guidance.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait for the mock battle Delphine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the meantime, I got into the cockpit of the Magicraft. I thought there would be a lot of difficult equipment because of the robot appearance, but the inside was simpler than I expected, and I wondered if I could really operate it. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to be able to do that. ¡°It¡¯s a great way to get a feel for what it¡¯s like to be a part of a team.¡± That¡¯s what Yukiha explains to me. ¡°You mean it works just by thinking about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you need to do for most movements. Well, it¡¯s better to get used to it than to argue about it. Let¡¯s try it.¡± The cockpit hatch was opened and closed manually, so I clicked it shut from the inside. I placed my hand on the control sphere and imagined it starting up¡­¡­I heard something move with a beep and a click, and then the lights came on to supply power to the surrounding equipment¡­¡­ And then the outside was projected onto the hatch. ¡°Awesome¡­¡­I knew Nagisa was a half-radar, it activated properly.¡± ¡°Yukiha, what should I do¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Just try to move whatever you can and rest assured that Jihad and Delphine will support you.¡± Well then, let¡¯s try walking for now. ¡­¡­ I sent the image of walking to the control sphere¡­¡­.Lasbella slowly moved her feet and began to move forward. ¡°All right, keep it up.¡± I¡¯ve tried jumping¡­..I squatted down and jumped straight up¡­¡­I felt a sense of floating, and the next moment, I landed on the spot with a thud¡­¡­Apparently flying is not an option¡­¡­ As soon as I got used to the basic movements, Yukiha instructed me to do this. ¡°I¡¯ll have Jihad and Delphine restrain Lasbella, and you try to break free.¡± The Magicraft Jihad rides is called Barbera, its Ludia activation value it¡¯s 3000. Delphine¡¯s Magicraft is called Tarbella, its Ludia activation value it¡¯s also 3000. These two Magicrafts will hold me from both sides. ¡°What¡¯s this for, Yukiha?¡± ¡°It¡¯s combat training, of course. If you can¡¯t get out of that on your own, you¡¯ll die in combat.¡± Didn¡¯t they already say something about¡­¡­deterrence or something?¡­¡­I mumbled and tried to get out of those restraints by moving my body¡­¡­ In the beginning, they didn¡¯t falter, but I guess I got the hang of moving the Magicraft a little bit. I put my center of gravity in front of me and brought all my strength backwards at once, and swung my two arms through the air¡­¡­My Lasbella seemed to have more power, Jihad and Delphine fell backwards onto their buttocks as if they had lost their strength¡­¡­ ¡°Nagisa, you moved it so well, it looks like both Jihad and Delphine will lose their ace rider seats to you.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, Yukiha, cut me some slack, if I was serious¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t be long before you overtake Jihad.¡± ¡°Delphine, if I get overtaken, it means you¡¯ll get overtaken, too.¡± ¡°Huh, I doubt it.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch, all right, we¡¯ll settle this right here.¡± ¡°Both of you, today is Nagisa¡¯s day.¡± They both seem to be getting along well¡­¡­I knew this country was at peace¡­¡­ CH 17 The atmosphere near the Coliseum was completely different¡­¡­I¡¯ve never been there, but it seems closer to the image of slums, slightly chaotic streets, etc¡­¡­. ¡°Stay close to me, because all these people here are money-grubbing assholes.¡± Jean warns me. The Coliseum was a rather large dome-shaped building¡­¡­with seating arranged in a circle and a space in the middle about the size of a baseball stadium. ¡°Watch a gladiator fight once before you join, but don¡¯t use it as a reference, because gladiators have strong fighting habits and will respond very differently to different people.¡± As Jean said, the gladiators fight was an interesting one¡­¡­.When one of the opposing Magicrafts came out, the audience was unusually excited¡­¡­.An announcement was made in the hall. ¡°In the first round of today¡¯s tournament, the most notable rider of recent times, who is currently on a ten-fights winning streak, is Shinsuke Yamakura! Against him is an old gladiator, Aldmen, who has won a total of 300 games.¡± Wait a minute; didn¡¯t he just say Shinsuke Yamakura? There¡¯s a guy in my class with the same¡­¡­ Shinsuke Yamakura¡¯s Magicraft was a tough, yellow, gorilla-like machine¡­¡­.His opponent was the exact opposite, a smaller, thinner Magicraft, and from the looks of it, Shinsuke Yamakura seemed to be the stronger of the two¡­¡­. A large monitor like an electronic bulletin board displays the odds of the matchup¡­..It seems that the onlookers¡¯ assessment is that the old gladiator has the edge. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you regret that you didn¡¯t retire as soon as you¡­¡­could, you loser rider!¡± Hmmm¡­¡­the voice is also similar¡­¡­but I wonder if that quiet Yamakura Shinsuke would say something like this¡­¡­ ¡°Hmph, young man¡­¡­.I¡¯ll show you that a gladiator¡¯s fight doesn¡¯t just depend on the Ludia value.¡± As soon as the two sides finish their argument, the match begins¡­¡­.Yamakura seems to have made the first move¡­¡­. He lunges forward and approaches the enemy¡­¡­the opposing Magicraft was waiting for it. Yamakura attacked with a club-like weapon that he was holding¡­¡­The opponent avoided it and attacked Yamakura¡¯s body with a short, knife-like weapon¡­¡­However; it seems that he didn¡¯t do any damage, as he didn¡¯t had enough attack power. Yamakura realized that the enemy¡¯s attack was ineffective and approached the defenseless enemy¡­¡­.The opponent continued his attacks, but they were ineffective¡­¡­ ¡°I got you!¡± But it seemed to be an opening for the old gladiator¡­¡­ Yamakura Magicraft, who took a large step forward, was caught by a large hand-like arm emerged from the back of the other Magicraft. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°This is a huge arm that can make a Magicraft immobile¡­¡­. I want you to be tortured to death, kid!¡± He pinned Yamakura down with his big hand. The old gladiator takes out a stick and attaches the knife to the end of it¡­¡­.With that the weapon turned into a short spear. He began to attack Yamakura¡¯s Magicraft. It seems that the attack is more powerful than the knife, and he is taking damage. ¡°Hey, old man you think an attack like that will hurt this Gorion¡­¡­let me show you the power of 100,000 max!¡± He then began to pull away the arm that was restraining him¡­¡­ ¡°Useless, even at 100,000 power that arm is¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s when the old gladiator¡¯s words stopped¡­¡­because the shape of the arm that was restraining him began to transform. ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± With a great noise, the arm bent and broke. Yamakura, now free, swung his club wide and struck the old gladiator on the head with all his might! The old gladiator¡¯s lightly armored Magicraft seemed to have suffered fatal damage to its body, with its neck blown off by the impact¡­¡­.It collapsed on the spot with a pushy sound. ¡°The winner, Shinsuke Yamakura!¡± The crowd cheered as Yamakura celebrated his victory¡­¡­.Yamakura responded to the cheers by raising his hand. CH 18 ¡°All right, let¡¯s go find your opponent.¡± Jean said. ¡°What kind of opponent?¡± ¡°First of all, he has to have money¡­¡­.And be somewhat confident.¡± ¡°Is that something you can see on the outside?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have me. I¡¯ll take care of that. I¡¯m a good judge of character.¡± Jean chose a man who looked like a Viking from a movie who was laughing gaily in a bar. ¡°What, you want to fight me, that¡¯s interesting¡­..so what¡¯s that guy¡¯s track record?¡± ¡°This will be his first battle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t feel like fighting with such a snot-nosed kid, please choose someone else.¡± ¡°20 million on the line.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What the¡­..is that, are you serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re not gonna take it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­pfft¡­¡­okay, I¡¯ll take it ¡­¡­don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°You too.¡± Thus, my first opponent was decided to be someone named Keven of the Red Dragon. ¡°Your opponent looks strong, will you be okay¡­¡­?¡± Nanami said with concern¡­¡­and I gave her a confident look¡­¡­. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to win.¡± ¡°Wait a minute; are you the one who will fight? Isn¡¯t the little girl a Highlander?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, not the Highlander, but I¡¯m going to win this thing.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s better to let the¡­¡­Highlander handle the¡­¡­Magicraft, because the Ludia value can make quite a difference¡­¡­. ¡°No, well, actually, I don¡¯t have a choice, since only I can run the Magicraft we have.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the logic behind that? You¡¯re running a Magicraft that a Highlander can¡¯t run?¡± ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s¡­..chemistry¡­¡­¡± ¡°No¡­¡­I¡¯ve never even heard of such a thing¡­¡­.It¡¯s reasonable to assume, simply, that you have a higher Ludia value than that Highlander.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, because my Ludia value is two.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What the hell?! 2¡­¡­this is getting weirder and weirder¡­¡­.you can¡¯t even lit a magic light with that value¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of a weird Magicraft.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not my money to bet, so it¡¯s okay¡­¡­¡± In the Coliseum, there was a union that managed the gladiators¡¯ fights, called the¡­¡­Gladiators¡¯ Guild, which managed and mediated the fights and guaranteed the victories¡­¡­.In addition, one can apply to the Gladiator Guild for the match in order to prevent the losing opponent from not paying. ¡°I thought it was some kind of gray business, but I guess it¡¯s all right¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, it seems like it used to be a mess, but now that the Gladiator Guild is so powerful, it¡¯s pretty quiet.¡± ¡°So when¡¯s my match?¡± ¡°First thing in the afternoon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a big match in the evening, so first-time fights like Yuta¡¯s usually get pushed into the early hours.¡± ¡°I see. Front seat, I guess¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, but you should probably get your Magicraft ready, there¡¯s a waiting room downstairs for the fighters, go there.¡± ¡°Nanami, Farma, I¡¯m going to get the Magicraft, can you wait here with Jean?¡± They nodded¡­¡­.Incidentally, Farma¡¯s large robe hid her entire body, so I couldn¡¯t see her nod well, but I could get the vibe of her movements. I was allowed to keep my Magicraft in the plaza near the coliseum. It doesn¡¯t have a lock or anything, but no one can move it except me, so no one will steal it. The Magicraft was placed safely in its place¡­¡­.I got on it and headed for the Coliseum¡¯s antechamber¡­¡­. When I went to the antechamber, an attendant approached me¡­¡­ ¡°Are you Yuta, who will be competing in the first match of the afternoon?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°This is the Magicraft you will use, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then may I ask the name of the Magicraft?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡± ¡°The name of this Magicraft is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m having trouble registering it, so can you give me a name right now, even if it¡¯s just a random one?¡± A name for my Magicraft¡­¡­I didn¡¯t even thought of that¡­..What should it be¡­¡­White Magicraft¡­¡­.Speaking of white¡­¡­I remembered an anime I saw when I was a kid¡­¡­. It¡¯s a story about a white lion cub whose name, I believe, is¡­¡­. ¡°Please register your name as Arleo.¡± ¡°Arleo, I see.¡± This is how my Magicraft got its name¡­¡­ CH 19 Before the match, Jean gives me some advice¡­¡­It was something very Jean-like¡­¡­ ¡°Look, even if you can win by a comfortable margin, make it look like you won by the skin of your teeth.¡± ¡°Why? The sooner I beat him, the better.¡± ¡°Stupid, if you show up looking strong, you¡¯re not going to get another match. Just act weak.¡± ¡°I see.¡± What a calculating man¡­¡­ ¡­¡­The attendant told me to get on the Magicraft and go out to the coliseum, and when I did, the opponent was already waiting for me. ¡°And now for the match of the day, our new gladiator, Yuta and his Magicraft Arleo! Let¡¯s see how far he can go with his unknown power!¡¡Against him will be Keven the Red Dragon, a mid-level gladiator with 50 victories to his name and his Magicraft Horga.¡± The odds are displayed on the electronic board¡­¡­.57/1.5¡­¡­ ¡°Come on! Let the games begin!¡± When I heard a buzzing sound, my opponent charged toward me. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with!¡± The enemy¡¯s weapon was a large axe¡­¡­that seemed to be very powerful¡­¡­ Keven swung his large axe at me¡­¡­.He moved very slowly. The Zofus Magicrafts that I fought in the mansion were still faster¡­¡­I dodged it lightly¡­¡­ ¡°Ho!¡± Keven seemed surprised that I was able to avoid the attack¡­¡­.I could go straight to attacking the defenseless body with my fists, but I was told to struggle¡­¡­I hit the enemy lightly but the Magicraft was blown away¡­¡­ ¡°Agh!¡± The crowd cheers¡­¡­I look over and see a puff of smoke coming from his Magicraft¡­¡­.No¡­¡­this is bad¡­¡­. What will Jean say if I win this easily? The enemy manages to get up, though he¡¯s staggering¡­¡­.Good luck, Keven, you can still fight! ¡°Damn¡­¡­I let my guard down¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to have this much power¡­¡­But now the real fight begins¡­ and you¡¯re about to get one of my special attacks!¡± Ummm¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what kind of attack¡­¡­I should take this one¡­¡­I¡¯m ready to be attacked by the enemy¡­¡­ Keven¡¯s special attack was a large axe that was rotating around like a tornado as it approached the opponent¡­¡­.I received it with my body, ready to take damage¡­¡­.I¡¯m not sure what to do. My Arleo flicked back Keven¡¯s axe with a loud clang and the impact blew Keven¡¯s Magicraft away again¡­¡­. Keven¡¯s Magicraft fell with a loud sound. ¡­..Ugh¡­¡­Wait a minute, don¡¯t fall down yet! However, in spite of my wishes, Keven did not get up¡­¡­. ¡°Winner, Arleo, Yuta!¡± Another loud cheer goes up¡­¡­.Ohhhh¡­..I won so easily¡­¡­.When I returned to the antechamber, Jean was waiting for me with a devilish expression¡­¡­. ¡°I told you to struggle, you idiot Yuta!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think you could win so easily.¡± ¡°The next opponent will be stronger, be prepared, because you won¡¯t be able to find a weak opponent anymore.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­¡­.¡± While I was talking with Jean, Nanami and Farma came in excitedly¡­¡­ ¡°Look, Yuta! We made so much money!¡± Then she showed me a large number of gold coins¡­¡­. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°I bet all the money for living expenses on Yuta.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± I¡¯m pretty sure I gave 100,000 gold to Nanami for living expenses¡­¡­.She said she bet it all¡­¡­.I¡¯m pretty sure my odds were something like 57¡­¡­So that means 100,000 times 57¡­¡­.5,700,000! ¡°Heh¡­¡­I actually had a bet on you, too¡­¡­.¡± Jean said happily. ¡°How much did you bet?¡± ¡°I got 100,000 gold! Damn¡­¡­I should¡¯ve bet more.¡± What the heck¡­¡­.Looks like we made a lot of money in that one fight¡­¡­. CH 20 My victory in the first round was so overwhelming that the next matchup was hard to decide¡­¡­.Then; Jean said he would use a secret plan. ¡°We¡¯re fighting in a handicap match. ¡° ¡°Handicap match?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to give you a disadvantage.¡± ¡°What? Disadvantage¡­¡­?¡° ¡°For example, a multiple opponent fight, like¡­¡­Yuta alone against three opponents.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair to Yuta.¡± ¡±Yeah, Yuta, you don¡¯t have to fight like that.¡± Nanami and Farma say so, but I can¡¯t refuse. It¡¯s also my fault for not listening to Jean¡¯s advice to struggle in the first fight. Then the next match was decided¡­¡­It¡¯s a big match, a three-on-one match with a stake of 40 million. ¡°Your opponents are three middle-ranked gladiators, all three are much better than your first opponent, so it¡¯s going to be a tough fight, but go all out.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to hold back?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything else, just think about winning.¡± Hmm¡­¡­to be honest, I haven¡¯t really fought seriously yet¡­¡­I don¡¯t even know how strong I actually am¡­¡­ ¡°Right, Yuta, three against one with bare hands is tough. Let¡¯s go buy some weapons.¡± ¡°Well, I could carry a weapon, couldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°What, you didn¡¯t prefer the bare-handed style?¡± ¡°I just never thought of using a weapon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not¡­¡­very smart, are you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­¡­you can¡¯t deny it, but¡­¡­¡± Anyway, I had to buy a weapon for Arleo¡­¡­The weapon shop for Magicrafts had all kinds of weapons. ¡°I think I prefer the sword.¡° ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s cool!¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll choose it for you. It¡¯s a hundred times better.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°I like the tonfa; it¡¯s a good weapon for both offense and defense.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.is not cool¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t choose a weapon based on its looks!¡± In the end, I was forced to buy a tonfa¡­¡­And it was quite expensive, 1.2 million gold¡­¡­ And the match begins¡­¡­ ¡°Yuta, look, that tonfa is custom made out of magnanite, it¡¯s got a lot of offensive power, so go ahead and smash them as hard as you can with it!¡± I nodded at Jean¡¯s words. ¡°Yuta, do your best!¡± ¡°Yuta, don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Nanami and Farma are also cheering me on¡­¡­.They have some kind of paper in their hands, so I guess they bet on me again¡­¡­. ¡°In today¡¯s special match, a newcomer who showed overwhelming power in his debut match against three middle-ranked gladiators in a handicap match¡­¡­Will he be able to overturn the rumors that he is reckless and too ignorant! This is his second match, the new gladiator Yuta and his Magicraft Arleo! Against him are three gladiators, Jimmy, Fal, and Epolini, and their Magicrafts Rudra, Benxi, and Hydra!¡± The odds appear on the electronic board¡­¡­48/1.7 Of course, I¡¯m 48¡­¡­Apparently, they thought the first match was a fluke¡­. ¡°Come on! Let the match begin!¡± As the match begins, the three of them slowly approach to surround me¡­.. ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡­you¡¯re an idiot¡­¡­you don¡¯t seem to understand how much of a disadvantage a three on one match is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­like this, if you are attacked from three directions at once¡­¡­you can¡¯t even dodge¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Our attack can destroy your Magicraft with a single blow¡­¡­.You know what that means don¡¯t you ¡­¡­?¡± The three of them explain to me how they have the advantage¡­¡­I don¡¯t need to be told that¡­¡­ They attacked at the same time¡­.. The enemy in front of me was a long spear, the one on the left was a large axe, and the one on the right was a two-handed sword¡­¡­.I avoided the attacks of the long spear by twisting my body, and then received the attacks of the right and left enemies with my tonfa¡­¡­. ¡°What the hell?¡± I took advantage of the three surprised people. Using the tonfa, I struck the long spear from above and snapped it, then stepped forward and hit the head of the enemy with the long spear by turning the tonfa. A dull thud was heard, and the neck was bent¡­¡­the Magicraft fell to his knees, making a puffing sound. The enemy on the right swung his two-handed sword at me¡­¡­.I kicked the Magicraft with my left foot, and the man, who had lost his balance, fell backwards. The aircraft on the left seems to be upset to see it¡­¡­.I spun my body around and struck it hard with the tonfa¡­¡­.There was a mashing sound and the body of the Magicraft was heavily dented, it let out a puff of smoke and slowly fell down¡­¡­. The right side Magicraft gets up, but when I look around, I realize that it¡¯s only me who can move. I poked him with the protruding part of the tonfa and a large hole appeared in its neck that stopped him from moving. He then dropped the two-handed sword he was holding and collapsed¡­¡­. ¡°Winner, Arleo! Yuta!¡± When the announcement was made, the crowd cheered loudly¡­¡­. CH 21 This chapter was sponsored by rOxSt3r.Thank you for your generosity. After winning the handicap match, I returned to the antechamber. ¡°Yuta!¡± Nanami and Farma come up to me. ¡°I¡¯ve made another fortune!¡± I knew she was betting on me, and she has a lot of money. ¡°How much did you bet this time?¡± ¡°A million!¡± Damn!¡± I splashed the water I was drinking¡­¡­.Well; I think the multiplier was 48x¡­¡­.So that¡¯s 48 million! No way¡­¡­.You¡¯re making more money than the cost of the fight¡­¡­ ¡°In the meantime, let¡¯s go¡­¡­for a sumptuous meal.¡± When I said that, Nanami and Farma nodded with big smiles on their faces. ¡°You¡¯re going out to eat, take me with you, ok?¡± Jean comes over with a beaming face and says so. That¡¯s the face of Jean who bet on me. ¡°It was a three-to-one handicap match, and most of the customers were betting against you, so I made a lot of money.¡± ¡°How much did Jean bet?¡± ¡°A million!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡­¡­How much money are you going to make off of my match?¡­¡­ Anyway, we came to an out-of-the-way restaurant to have a sumptuous meal. ¡°Excuse me, but this is a very expensive restaurant¡­¡­that a customer of your stature¡­¡­no¡­¡­It¡¯s not something you can afford, so why don¡¯t you go to that restaurant over there for the common people.¡± I was rudely refused¡­¡­and was about to give up, thinking that a common restaurant would be fine, but Jean didn¡¯t like the waiter¡¯s attitude and argued against him. ¡°What the hell¡­¡­are you saying we don¡¯t have enough money to eat in this restaurant? I don¡¯t know how much money¡­¡­food in this restaurant costs, but can you turn away a customer who has a pile of 100,000 gold coins?¡± As he said this, he displayed the 100,000-gold coin in a bag. ¡°Sorry about this ¡­¡­! We¡¯ll have a seat for you in¡­¡­a moment!¡± After all, money is a powerful thing, and the clerk changed his attitude in a hurry. The interior of the restaurant has the atmosphere of an old medieval palace and is obviously very expensive¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know if I can afford this kind of luxury, but today is special because it is also a victory celebration. ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I take your robe?¡± Farma is covering her face and body with a robe¡­¡­.The shopkeeper tries to¡­¡­ ¡°No, she¡¯s got a bad burn. Just let her be, okay?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡­.¡± The clerk said and stepped aside¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­¡­.I¡¯ve never had anything like this before¡­¡­.¡± Nanami is happy to hear that¡­¡­.Farma seems to be happy too, so I¡¯m really glad I came¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be glad you came.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Jean¡­¡­we¡¯ll split it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stingy. You made a lot of money.¡± ¡°You made a lot of money too.¡± ¡°Heh, well, yeah, I did. Ha ha ha¡­¡­¡± Jean is not really a bad person¡­¡­.Bad people can¡¯t smile and laugh like this. The four of us were having a nice dinner together, and¡­¡­someone appeared to interfere with that¡­ ¡°Gahhaha, you¡¯ve come a long way from being a¡­¡­slave!¡± It was a familiar face¡­ ¡°Yamakura, Shiba¡­Haranishi.¡± To my surprise¡­¡­three of my classmates were there¡­¡­. ¡°What kind of magic does a piece of trash with a Ludia value of 2 have to use a Magicraft? It must be a very one.¡± When Yamakura said that, Shiba continued to speak as well. ¡°And I saw the match today¡­¡­.What a bogus match¡­¡­.It was nothing short of monkey business¡­¡­.How much money did you give those three gladiators?¡± Apparently, he thinks today¡¯s match was rigged¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not playing any games¡­¡­.More importantly; I think you guys¡­¡­have changed your personalities.¡± ¡°Gahhhh! Changed personalities? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, we¡¯re special!¡± What happened¡­¡­apparently these guys¡­¡­thought they were special¡­¡­how pathetic! ¡°Haranishi¡­¡­you think so too?¡± Haranishi, who was my closest friend in the class¡­¡­I didn¡¯t want him to have changed¡­¡­ ¡°Huh? Who are you calling out to Yuta? You must call me Haranishi-sama! Don¡¯t you think you can talk to us as equals with your trash Ludia value!¡± I¡¯m not angry anymore, I¡¯m just sad¡­¡­.Perhaps sensing my expression, Nanami and Farma rebuffed Haranishi and the others¡­¡­. ¡°You guys are fooling around with Yuta! Get out of here!¡± ¡°Yuta is not trash! Yuta is a good guy!¡± I¡¯m glad you two think so¡­¡­. ¡°Gahhh! What, Yuta, are you raising these kids to be tame? Well, I guess raising trash suits trash.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not polite to wear a robe like that here, I know you¡¯re trying to hide your ugly face, but just take it off!¡± As he said this, Yamakura stripped off Farma¡¯s robe¡­¡­.Farma¡¯s beastly body was exposed¡­¡­.A small scream could be heard in the store¡­¡­and the crowd began to rustle. I quickly picked up the robe he had stripped off and put it on Farma¡­¡­. Then I punched Yamakura. ¡°Stay! What are you doing, you trash! Don¡¯t you dare touch my noble body!¡± ¡°What¡¯s noble about that, you idiots?¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­the trash called us stupid¡­¡­that¡¯s funny¡­¡­let¡¯s kill this guy¡­¡­.¡± Then Jean, who had been quiet until now, entered the conversation¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know what kind of relationship you guys have, but you¡¯re gladiators, right? Why don¡¯t you settle who¡¯s right in the Coliseum?¡± ¡°Oh, this garbage and us in a match? What kind of match is that?¡± I was indeed pissed off, and I shouted¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a three-on-one handicap match! The stakes are 100 million!¡° ¡°Gahhaha¡­¡­is going to be an easy win¡­¡­I¡¯ll fight you, trash Yuta~.¡± Thus, the next match was decided to be against a classmate. CH 22 The match between the three up-and-coming gladiators and the mysterious newcomer, me, was attracting a lot of attention even before beginning due to the high stakes of 100 million¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be disappointed to know that all three of these gladiators have won at least ten straight games since their debut¡­¡­.Are you okay, Yuta?¡± It seems that Jean has been looking up information on Haranishi and his team, and tells me so¡­¡­Ten wins in a row without losing?¡­¡­That¡¯s what warped their character. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡­.For some reason, I never felt like I was going to lose.¡± Wherever it comes from I had no doubt at all that I would win¡­¡­.I don¡¯t think it comes from confidence in winning, I think it comes from the belief that I will win. The Coliseum was more exciting than I¡¯ve ever felt before¡­¡­.The match time was also at night and treated as a main¡­¡­ ¡°Yuta, don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; you can lose, but don¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡± When Nanami and Farma told me that, I felt energized¡­¡­.I got into Arleo and walked to the entrance. The hottest match of the day! Shinsuke Yamakura, Yuji Haranishi, and Yosuke Shiba, the up-and-coming gladiators from Team Dorf, who haven¡¯t lost a single match since their debut, and have double-digit victories! Their Magicrafts are Lanza, Edal, and Mishee. Against them is Yuta, a rookie gladiator who has won the last two matches by a landslide! His Magicraft is Arleo!¡± The odds are displayed on the electronic bulletin board¡­¡­.42/1.6 They still think my wins were a fluke¡­¡­Or is that Haranishi and his team are highly regarded¡­.. ¡°Hey, Yuta¡­¡­don¡¯t complain about dying¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, Yamakura, don¡¯t be so crazy about killing your former classmate, such a reckless fight would be like suicide.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right, this is Yuta¡¯s suicide, killing him is not an option.¡± Hmmm¡­¡­people can change so much¡­¡­I should be careful¡­¡­The buzzer sounds to start the match¡­¡­ ¡°The fight is beginning!¡± Yamakura wielded a club-like weapon, Shiba a long spear, and Haranishi a two-handed sword¡­¡­.The three of them seemed to have completely underestimated me and approached me unguarded¡­¡­. ¡°Here, Yuta, try to avoid it!¡± Yamakura then came at me with his club¡­¡­.It¡¯s certainly faster than the two opponents I¡¯ve fought so far, but¡­¡­it still feels slow¡­¡­.I avoided it lightly¡­¡­. ¡°Oh, he dodged that one¡­¡­.Lucky.¡± ¡°Yamakura, next time let me attack him, I¡¯ll skewer him with this Longinus spear!¡± Shiba attacked with his long spear¡­¡­The long reach seems to be its advantage, but he is using the spear in close combat, not at a distance. I hit the spear handle with my tonfa as hard as I could and broke it off¡­¡­. ¡°Hey! What the hell are you doing! This spear is expensive!¡± ¡°So much for playing around, come at me like you mean it.¡± I said that with a great deal of trepidation¡­¡­ ¡°Tch¡­¡­what the hell are you talking about Ludia value 2?¡± ¡°Yamakura, I¡¯m seriously going to kill you¡­¡­because it seems that idiots need to die to understand¡­¡­.¡± The three of them move to surround me¡­¡­.Suddenly, the Shiba, whose spear has been broken, jumps on me. He clutches at Arleo¡¯s torso, blocking my movement¡­¡­ ¡°Die, Yuta!¡± Yamakura¡¯s club and Haranishi¡¯s two-handed sword attacked me from both sides¡­¡­.I caught both attacks with my hands¡­¡­. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°You gotta be kidding me!¡± After grabbing Yamakura¡¯s club and Haranishi¡¯s two-handed sword I crushed them. ¡°Crushing a tektite weapon with one hand¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No way!¡± I lifted Shiba, who was clinging to my body and tossed him high in the air. He flew up quite high before falling¡­¡­. Boom! When he fell, smoke came out of his Magicraft and stopped moving. ¡°Shiba¡­¡­Damn!¡± Yamakura hit me with his body¡­¡­.I punched him in the torso with my tonfa. The torso deformed to the point where the original form could not be recognized. He fell backwards like he was blown away¡­¡­.The last remaining Haranishi was completely freaked out and backed away from me¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s a lie¡­¡­.There¡¯s no way Ludia Value 2 can do this¡­¡­.What the hell is wrong with you?¡­¡­You lied to us! What are we going to do? If we lose this game, we¡¯re¡­..finished¡­¡­.It¡¯s all over!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean¡­¡­you got what you deserved¡­¡­¡± ¡°Damn it! Ohhhhhh!!!¡± He just said that and lunged at me. I smashed Haranishi¡¯s face with my tonfa as hard as I could. Its head was blown off with a beautiful sputtering sound¡­¡­.Haranishi¡¯s Magicraft collapsed on the spot¡­¡­. ¡°Winner, Arleo, Yuta!¡± I listened in silence to the loud cheers¡­¡­.I wondered if the rest of the class was like this¡­¡­.I was worried about that¡­¡­. CH 23 Two on the right¡­¡­and three on the left¡­¡­I synchronized with Elvira and searched for signs of my surroundings¡­¡­Suddenly, I felt a large presence behind me, I imagine minimal movement¡­¡­twisting my body to avoid the attacks from behind¡­¡­and at the same time attacked with my right rapier¡­¡­The attack was aimed precisely at the joints of the legs, and the blow put the Magicraft out of action¡­¡­. Taking a large leap, I landed behind the two on the right and pierced the core drive on their backs, disabling them¡­¡­.Then I ran to the remaining three¡­¡­. The three of them tried to fight back with swords. First, I quickly poked the one in front of me in the face and destroyed it¡­¡­I grabbed the Magicraft on the left that attacked me with the sword and threw it to the other one. The two bodies collided and I attacked quickly with my rapier. After a series of fast attacks the 2 Magicrafts were filled with holes and stopped moving. Then Yuto¡¯s voice came over the communication stone. ¡°Yuki, that¡¯s enough.¡± This was a mock battle to show the results of a month of training¡­¡­where I achieved results that everyone could appreciate¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m amazed at how much power you¡¯ve acquired in a month.¡± Eo, the Minister of War, called out to me after seeing my achievements. ¡°No, I owe it¡­¡­to Yuto-san, who taught me everything.¡± I answered that, but the person who was mentioned denied it. ¡°No, it¡¯s Yuki¡¯s talent. I didn¡¯t expect you to grow up so fast either.¡± I think he¡¯s just encouraging me, but no one will deny what he says, and even the military brass who were there praised me hands down¡­¡­ ¡°Then let me give you a chance to get some real combat experience.¡± ¡°Yes, perhaps you¡¯d like to join the Zimrian front.¡± The conversation went on and on, and my first real fight was about to be decided¡­¡­ ¡°In the meantime, Mr. Eo, what happened to the case I asked you about?¡± It was about Yuta¡¯s rescue¡­¡­.I listened with high expectations, but the result disappointed me¡­¡­. We identified the slaver who bought him and negotiated to buy him back, but he seems to have escaped¡­¡­.The slaver hid it and negotiated with us, we made him pay with the sanction of death.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, our intelligence agencies are working on a top priority case, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have some good news for you in the next few days.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­I¡¯m worried about him¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± That night the military hosted a party to celebrate my growth. Many top riders of the Elysian Empire were present. ¡°You must be Yuki. Yuto tells me you have great talent.¡± ¡°Lady Yuki, this is Emesis a Quadruple Highlander.¡± Eo introduces him as such. ¡°I¡¯m Yuki¡­¡­.Nice to meet you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so rigid, you¡¯re the star of the show today. Yes, I¡¯ll have them prepare the best drink, a 60-year-old Bretona, and we¡¯ll drink it together.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡­I¡¯m not a drinker¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡­I¡¯ll have them bring you some fruit wine.¡± As I was talking with Emesis, a beautiful woman with red hair approached me. ¡°Emesis, it¡¯s not nice to have the star of the day all to yourself.¡± ¡°Yuki-sama, this is Rosetta-sama, a Quadruple Highlander.¡± Eo quickly introduces the woman¡­¡­ ¡°Nice to meet you, Yuki.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Rosetta, weren¡¯t you in the fight against Luganan?¡± Emesis asked Rosetta. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you hear? Luganan fell three days ago.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­fast work¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even have to go there, because we already had the upper hand.¡± ¡°I see. I guess Prince Amuno is scoring points.¡± ¡°I think the fall of Luganan has elevated Prince Amuno¡¯s status as successor.¡± As the two quadruple Highlanders were having a conversation I didn¡¯t understand, my mentor, Yuto, came over and warned them. ¡°Leaving the main character alone and having an adult conversation is not a very thing to do.¡± ¡°Oops, indeed¡­¡­Yuki, my bad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right; we shouldn¡¯t be having this conversation right now.¡± It seemed to me that these two people, who were honest enough to apologize, were not bad people¡­¡­ CH 24 Me, Nanami, and Farma were staying at a top-quality hotel, which was a reward for having made a lot of money from the fight against¡­¡­Haranishi and his team, which was more than enough for us. ¡°Come on, Farma. It¡¯s soft.¡± ¡°Nanami, let¡¯s see who can jump higher.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m in.¡± Nanami and Farma are happily jumping in the bed¡­¡­but Jean and I were having a serious talk. ¡°It¡¯s about time¡­¡­.You won¡¯t be making any more money as a gladiator¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too strong. No one¡¯s going to fight with you.¡± Well¡­¡­I knew I overdid it¡­¡­ But you¡¯ve already made over 200 million, so let¡¯s use that to buy a Magicraft. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy two Magicrafts and a ride carrier if possible¡­¡­.Can I buy them¡­¡­?¡± I wanted to get a Magicraft for Farma, and I still wanted to buy a ride carrier for transportation¡­¡­ ¡°One is for the Highlander, right? What kind of performance do you want from the other one?¡± ¡°I want a Magicraft that can match 7800 Ludia value.¡± ¡°Half-radar¡­¡­.That¡¯s going to be a pretty expensive purchase, too¡­¡­Half-radar Magicrafts are in high demand, so they¡¯re very expensive.¡± I see¡­¡­.I was thinking that it would be half the price for a Highlander Magicraft¡­¡­. ¡°That¡¯s going to take more than about 200 million¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just have one more match?¡± When I said that, Jean named one person who might be willing to accept my challenge¡­¡­ ¡°There is one guy, though, who might be willing to accept a match with you right now¡­¡­.But I wouldn¡¯t recommend fighting that person.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the King of the Gladiators¡­¡­called the strongest gladiator¡­¡­undefeated in 120 battles¡­¡­absolute champion of the Double Highlanders.¡± ¡°Double Highlander?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster with a Ludia value of 23,000. No matter how strong Yuta is, he¡¯s a difficult opponent¡­¡­.¡± 23,000 would be better than 32,000 Nanami¡­¡­.I think I can handle him¡­¡­ ¡°I will fight that champion¡­¡­and it will be my last match as a gladiator.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! You¡¯re facing a double Highlander!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m going to win!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you do, but how much do you want to bet¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking 200 million.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot¡­¡­.¡± Thus, I had to negotiate a match with the strongest gladiator¡­¡­ That day, Nanami, Farma and I slept side by side¡­¡­.In a large room with several beds, we lay close together in one bed¡­¡­. ¡°After we avenge Farma¡¯s father, let¡¯s buy a house somewhere and live together.¡± Nanami began to talk about the future¡­¡­. ¡°Yeah, I want the three of us to live together too¡­¡­ ¡° Farma agreed with that¡­¡­ ¡°Yeah¡­¡­that would be good.¡± I was really hoping we would¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta, you¡¯re going to have another match, aren¡¯t you¡­¡­?¡± Nanami said with a bit of sadness in her voice. ¡°Ah, my last match as a gladiator¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Take it easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never taken it easy.¡± ¡°If Yuta gets hurt there¡¯s no point¡­¡­.¡± Farma says so too¡­¡­.I wonder if they both have some kind of ominous premonition¡­¡­.Maybe they have a sense that my next opponent will be a very strong¡­¡­ The next day¡­¡­we went to ask the gladiator king for a match¡­..The opponent for my last match was in the VIP room of the coliseum¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, I thought you were some reckless old man who wanted to challenge me to a match, but you¡¯re a pretty boy.¡± The king of gladiators, I imagined a stern uncle, but¡­¡­there was a beautiful woman with short red hair¡­¡­ ¡°So what are the terms of the match?¡± ¡°How about 200 million?¡± Jean offers. ¡°Two hundred million¡­¡­I¡¯m not interested in money¡­¡­.Well, how about two hundred million plus, the loser of the match becomes the property of the winner? Hey you, you¡¯re cute and I want you as a pet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I can¡¯t accept such terms.¡± Jean immediately refused. ¡°Oh, well, then I¡¯m not going to take this fight.¡± When she said that, I didn¡¯t hesitate to speak up. ¡°I¡¯ll accept your terms. Let¡¯s have a match.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re cute and you¡¯ve got guts. I seriously like you.¡± ¡°Hey, if you lose, you¡¯ll be her property, don¡¯t do it, the conditions are too bad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­..I¡¯ll win.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your confidence coming from?¡± ¡°Boy, I¡¯m Alana. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a boy, I¡¯m Yuta!¡± Hmmm¡­¡­so¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­I can¡¯t wait to make you mine¡­¡­.¡± I got chills down my back¡­¡­.What will she do to me if I lose?¡­¡­This was the first time I felt fear. CH 25 The match against Alana attracted an extraordinary amount of attention compared to previous matches¡­¡­.Hearing that the strongest gladiator was fighting, a large number of fans rushed to the Coliseum. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a crowd.¡± Jean commented as he looked at the crowd overflowing outside the coliseum instead of entering it. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many people are watching, I¡¯m going to fight as hard as I can.¡± ¡°The odds on this fight are going to be crazy. 67/1.1 is unheard of.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody¡¯s betting on me.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s one guy here.¡± ¡°What, are you betting on me again, Jean?¡± ¡°Jean¡¯s not the only one. Farma And I bet on Yuta, too.¡± ¡°¡­..I have to win in order to make the three of you money.¡± ¡°Hmm, I only spent 100,000 this time, so I won¡¯t be upset if I lose. Go ahead and crush your balls as hard as you can!¡± ¡°No¡­¡­if I lose, I¡¯ll become Alana¡¯s property.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­¡­.Well, if you¡¯re pretty, go ahead and win.¡± ¡°Good luck, Yuta!¡± ¡°Be careful¡­¡­Yuta.¡± Most of the audience will probably be rooting for Alana, but I have some reassuring friends here¡­¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ll go win¡­¡­and make some money¡­¡­. Since it was a high-profile match, the entrance was more flamboyant than usual¡­..fanfare, and some kind of band playing¡­¡­ ¡°In today, or rather¡­¡­the hottest match of the year, the strongest of the gladiators, Alana, has returned to this coliseum! The queen, who has been on the management side as a gladiator advisor for a long time, now faces a new challenger! Against her is Yuta, a rookie gladiator who¡¯s been on a roll, winning a series of handicap matches! There¡¯s a lot of talk about how long he can last against Alana! By the way, Alana¡¯s longest match so far is 2 minutes and 32 seconds, can he beat that?¡± Apparently, the topic of discussion is not about winning or losing, but about how long I can fight¡­¡­. The venue began to buzz with excitement¡­..anticipating Alana¡¯s appearance¡­¡­with a fanfare that was even louder than my own¡­¡­ The bright red Magicraft¡­¡­had a slim and lean form¡­¡­and its weapons were small swords in both hands¡­¡­I guess you could call them twin swords¡­¡­.I¡¯ve ever felt it in my gut¡­¡­.She¡¯s definitely the strongest opponent I¡¯ve ever fought¡­¡­. ¡°Boy, are you ready for this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a boy. I¡¯m Yuta.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Yuta.¡± The buzzer sounds to start the fight. ¡°The match begins!¡± The moment I heard the sound of the buzzer a red Magicraft was already approaching me. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­fast!¡± Alana attacked me quickly with both swords¡­¡­.I hurriedly blocked them with my tonfa¡­¡­.The tonfa and swords clashed with and sparks flew¡­¡­ After five or so attacks, Alana moved to the right. I stepped back once I saw an opening. But when Alana saw this, she took a step forward and closed the distance between us again¡­¡­.She also attacked me with her sword, just like before¡­¡­. I managed to block that attack with my tonfa. Damn¡­¡­her attacks are so fast that I don¡¯t have time to counter attack¡­¡­I wonder if I can do something¡­.. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yuta? You¡¯re not attacking me?¡± I would if I could¡­¡­. But then I got an idea¡­¡­.Alana¡¯s Magicraft seems to specialize in speed¡­¡­.Maybe it doesn¡¯t have much power¡­¡­If I could somehow bring it to a power comparison¡­¡­ Alana attacked with both swords in rapid succession as if she were dancing¡­¡­.Her quick and irregular movements made it impossible to find an opening¡­¡­ Maybe I should just take a few hits and go for it. With that in mind, I forcefully stepped forward and tried to hit her as hard as he could with my tonfa¡­¡­.Alana quickly avoided the attack and poked Arleo in the neck with her right sword¡­¡­. Click! The sound of metal striking metal echoes, and Alana¡¯s sword is bounced back¡­¡­ ¡°No way!¡± Alana seemed to be surprised by this and stopped moving for a moment¡­¡­.I spun the tonfa in my left hand and smashed Alana¡¯s body. She twisted her body to avoid a direct hit¡­¡­only to have the attack graze her body, making a strange crackling sound and shaving off part of the body¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re doing¡­¡­it, Yuta¡­¡­.You¡¯re the first person to ever hurt my Bercya¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not just hurt¡­¡­I¡¯ll defeat you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny¡­¡­try it¡­¡­and if you can do it, I¡¯m yours¡­¡­.¡± The audience cheered loudly¡­¡­.I looked at the electronic board and saw that the time had passed three minutes¡­¡­. CH 26 The fact that I had bounced back Alana¡¯s sword had given me a sense of security¡­¡­.The enemy¡¯s attack would not work on my Arleo¡­¡­.That¡¯s what I thought. I attacked her with the tonfa, and Alana dodged it lightly. It was a big swing, and it left a big gap. In that gap, Alana went into an attacking stance¡­.Instead, a strange sound was heard¡­¡­A high-pitched sound, as if countless sharp winds were blowing¡­¡­And then it turned into an explosion. Boom! The Magicraft shook from the tremendous impact¡­¡­.I looked and saw that Arleo¡¯s shoulder parts were blown off. ¡°What?¡± I was surprised to hear Alana say this. ¡°What, you don¡¯t even know how to concentrate Ludia? How can you fight me like that?¡± Concentrate Ludia¡­¡­ ¡°Ludia value is constantly changing depending on your emotions and concentration, you have to focus your consciousness to control the Ludia value and bring it to the maximum value¡­¡­.That¡¯s Ludia concentration.¡± Alana was kind enough to explain that to me. ¡°Well¡­¡­lecture is over¡­¡­it¡¯s time to end it¡­¡­.¡± The movement of Alana augmented with Ludia¡¯s had changed dramatically. Alana¡¯s twin swords attacked me with great speed¡­¡­.I tried to block them with my tonfa, but I couldn¡¯t and Arleo was hit. Parts of his arms are blown off, his body is torn apart, and part of his face is blown off¡­¡­. No¡­¡­.I¡¯ m going to lose¡­¡­What should I do? Then it occurred to me that¡­¡­I should just concentrate my Ludia, too¡­¡­.But I don¡¯t even know how to do that¡­¡­.Can I do that?¡­¡­No¡­¡­.I have to do it! I meditated¡­¡­and concentrated my consciousness¡­¡­a few times I accompanied Nagisa to the temple to meditate¡­¡­the feeling of that time. Eventually, I saw a glowing white dot in the darkness¡­¡­.The more I concentrated on it, the larger it became¡­¡­And the dot of light was turning into a large circle of light¡­¡­I imagined the circle to be even bigger¡­¡­.Soon that circle of light filled my entire field of vision and I saw something¡­¡­. ¡°What are you waiting for; I¡¯ll finish you off without reservation!¡± It¡¯s strange¡­¡­I saw Alana¡¯s attack even though my eyes were closed¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t dodge that attack¡­¡­.I felt no need to avoid it¡­¡­. Oh, my God! It was Alana¡¯s Bercya who was blown away by the attack¡­¡­ ¡°What the hell!? That attack used the maximum 2.5 million power of Bercya. It¡¯s enough to tear apart even a double Highlander Magicraft¡­..And that aura on Yuta¡¯s Magicraft is¡­¡­¡± My Arleo was surrounded by a pale aura¡­¡­and there was some kind of sizzling sound¡­¡­It was a strange feeling¡­¡­like I was assimilated into Arleo. I felt like I could move it like my own body now¡­¡­. Alana quickly stood up and attacked with her twin swords. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to win¡­¡­! Yuta!¡± Alana¡¯s attack appears to be slow¡­¡­I lightly twist my body to avoid it¡­¡­and in a split second, I slam the tonfa into Bercya¡¯s body¡­¡­There was a dull thud, and Bercya¡¯s body dented¡­¡­.She fell to her knees and collapsed¡­¡­.Then she stopped moving, while emitting a puff of smoke¡­.. ¡°¡­¡­Winner¡­¡­Arleo¡­¡­Yuta!¡± The venue was quiet for a moment¡­¡­.After a few seconds of silence, a loud cheer broke out. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I won¡­¡­.Just in time¡­¡­.I quickly approached the fallen Bercya. ¡°Alana, are you okay?¡± The hatch of the Bercya is opened with a strange¡­¡­noise¡­¡­and Alana appears, safe and sound. ¡°Yuta! Open the hatch!¡± She screamed¡­¡­are you mad that I won¡­¡­but¡­If I ignore her, I¡¯m afraid of what she¡¯ll do later¡­¡­.I opened the hatch as Alana said¡­¡­.Then she came up to the cockpit with a thump¡­¡­and hugged me. ¡°Yuta~ I¡¯m seriously in love with you¡­¡­.I¡¯m all yours now¡­¡­.You can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Yeah! No¡­¡­that¡¯s it, but¡­¡­even if we don¡¯t talk about you becoming my property¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Of course you can¡¯t do that! A bet is a bet! Just as it¡¯s wrong for the loser to say no to the condition, it¡¯s wrong for the winner to say no to the condition!¡± What¡­¡­? I¡¯m not sure that makes sense¡­¡­Now¡­¡­what should I do¡­¡­ CH 27 After the battle with Alana, we had come to a restaurant to eat¡­¡­.It was a celebration of victory, but¡­¡­for some reason, there was also a loser among us. ¡°Here, Yuta, give me a kiss.¡± The loser was attached to me so tightly that she wouldn¡¯t leave me. ¡°Hey¡­¡­sister! Get away from Yuta!¡± It was Nanami who said this, with a slightly different vibe than her usual quiet demeanor. ¡°Oh¡­¡­well¡­¡­you¡¯re jealous¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m Yuta¡¯s property! I¡¯m his property, and I¡¯m allowed to be around him and make out with him!¡± What¡¯s your logic? ¡°¡­¡­property¡­¡­Yuta! I¡¯ll be Yuta¡¯s property too!¡± Hey¡­¡­what are you talking about, Nanami¡­¡­ ¡°Waa¡­¡­me too!¡± For some reason, Farma started saying that too¡­.. ¡°Hold on¡­¡­for now, Alana, it¡¯s hard to eat when you¡¯re so attached to me, so get away from me¡­¡­.¡± When I say so, she surprisingly obeys me. ¡°So, are you sure you want to be Yuta¡¯s property? Yuta says you don¡¯t have to become his property.¡± ¡°Of course I will! I¡¯ll never leave Yuta! I¡¯ll always be with you, Master.¡± Ugh¡­¡­my head hurts¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve made enough money and I¡¯ll quit being a gladiator. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quitting too, I don¡¯t have any opponents anyway¡­¡­.I¡¯ve been an advisor, but it hasn¡¯t been fun, so I¡¯m retiring just in time.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind, but a double Highlander would be useful for my next business venture.¡± Jean just said something strange¡­¡­.What¡¯s the next business? And what¡¯s this strange feeling? I couldn¡¯t keep quiet and asked Jean. ¡°Jean, what¡¯s your next business venture?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, I¡¯m going to start a mercenary group?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute¡­¡­you didn¡¯t tell me you¡¯re staying after I purchase the Magicrafts.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just abandon me when you¡¯re done with me.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­that¡¯s right, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Think about it, those ladies over there, the double Highlander gladiator and Yuta who defeated her¡­¡­ How can we not make a mercenary group with this lineup?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­I don¡¯t need to make any more money¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why not? You know, you never told me what your ultimate goal was.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to defeat Ludawan¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Ludawan? Come on¡­¡­no matter how strong you are, you can¡¯t go to war with a country¡­¡­.You¡¯ll need more money for that.¡± ¡°What? Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. Without supplies, there¡¯s no war¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± Alana, who was listening, also joins in the conversation. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­that man is right¡­¡­.You can¡¯t fight with a country just because you¡¯re strong¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s how it is¡­¡­I was thinking of defeating the army and getting the leaders to apologize to Farma. Looks like that¡¯s a naive idea¡­¡­ ¡°What does a mercenary group do?¡± ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s war. You¡¯re hired by the government to fight the enemy.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t let Nanami and the others join such a dangerous thing!¡± Yeah, that¡¯s true¡­¡­ Well, you and Alana can start off with the two of you, and then we can get more people to join you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­fine, but¡­¡­¡± It seems that Jean can¡¯t be beaten with words¡­¡­. ¡°No! If Yuta fights, then Nanami fights too!¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡­I¡¯ll fight too!¡± Somehow I had a feeling you two were going to say that. ¡°Nanami, Farma¡­¡­this is war¡­¡­it¡¯s absolutely dangerous¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But we were going to fight Ludawan; Ludawan is a country too, what¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Yes, Yuta¡­¡­we can fight too.¡± Wait a minute¡­..I¡¯m starting to think this is another one of Jean¡¯s plans¡­¡­anticipating that the two of them would say this¡­¡­I really can¡¯t be too careful. He¡¯s a really tricky guy¡­¡­. ¡°All right, you two, we¡¯ll fight together¡­¡­but don¡¯t overdo it¡­¡­and run if you¡¯re in danger.¡± When I said that, they nodded cheerfully¡­¡­.So, it¡¯s decided that we¡¯re going to form a mercenary group¡­¡­. CH 28 ¡°A ride carrier and two Magicrafts¡­¡­.I have a ride carrier, you don¡¯t have to buy it.¡± That¡¯s what Alana tells me when I tell her about what I plan to purchase. ¡°Look, I know ride carriers are expensive¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about, I am Yuta¡¯s property¡­¡­.my property is Yuta¡¯s property.¡± I¡¯m a little confused as to what her logic is¡­¡­.Well, if I can get it for free, that¡¯s great. ¡°Also, Yuta, there¡¯s someone I¡¯d like to introduce you to¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Liza, come here.¡± When she called out to her, a boyish girl came running up to us. ¡°This girl wants to be a part of our group¡­¡­.She¡¯s a mechanic who¡¯s been working on my Bercya for a long time, and she¡¯s a genius at magicraft maintenance.¡± ¡°It would be great if you could help us out with the maintenance of the magicrafts¡­¡­Nice to meet you, Liza.¡± I called out to her, but Liza stared at me with an angry look on her face. ¡°¡­¡­Did I¡­¡­do something wrong¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I hate you¡­¡­! Stop trying to seduce Lady Alana¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡­¡­No¡­..don¡¯t say that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, Liza¡­¡­I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s not like I was seduced, I lost and became Yuta¡¯s property.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How dare you win? And just because you won, it¡¯s vulgar to own a woman! Give me back Lady Alana!¡± It seems that this girl¡­¡­just wants to be with Alana rather than wanting to be a part of the team¡­¡­.If she wants to complain, she should do it to Lady Alana. ¡°Liza, this is a done deal, and if you don¡¯t like it, go somewhere else.¡± In response to the cold words of Alana, Liza clenched her mouth into an indescribable expression and returned to her work in silence¡­¡­.Looking at her sad expression, I felt somewhat sorry for her¡­¡­. ¡°More importantly, Yuta, what kind of specs do you want for the magicraft?¡± It seems that Alana has a history of buying magicrafts, so she asked me. ¡°They want a magicraft for a Highlander.¡± Jean answers for me. ¡°I see¡­¡­but isn¡¯t Arleo enough for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not for me. I want to buy magicrafts for Nanami and Farma.¡± ¡°Wait a minute; you¡¯re a Highlander, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± ¡°My God¡­¡­we should definitely fight¡­¡­.So what¡¯s their exact Ludia value?¡± I was a little hesitant to say that when I was asked that¡­¡­.I heard that Nanami¡¯s Ludia value is at a level that could move a country¡­¡­.But¡­¡­Alana and Jean I¡¯m not sure what to think. ¡°Nanami¡¯s at 32,000, Farma¡¯s at 7,800.¡± ¡°What? Nanami is a triple Highlander!¡± Jean exclaimed loudly in surprise¡­¡­.We¡¯re in a private warehouse of Alana, so outsiders wouldn¡¯t have heard us¡­¡­. ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡­I thought I was the second best in the mercenary corps¡­¡­¡± Alana is also surprised by the number. ¡°So I guess I should buy a triple Highlander or double Highlander magicraft instead of a Highlander one¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­there¡¯s not much demand for them, so the price isn¡¯t too different from the Highlander ones.¡± Alana nodded at Jean¡¯s suggestion¡­¡­and I also agreed with the two of them. The top class magicrafts are not sold by ordinary merchants, so we went to a large merchant who does business with the government through Alana¡¯s connections. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s¡­¡­Jalma¡­¡­Epsis¡­¡­awesome¡­¡­all these magicrafts you only see in books.¡± Farma, a magicraft fanatic, was looking at the models lined up with a glint in her eye. ¡°Well, well, well, Miss Alana, what brings you here today, perhaps you¡¯re switching from Bercya?¡± A small, fat man who looked like he was a merchant approached and spoke with Alana. ¡°No, I¡¯m here today to purchase magicrafts for my companions, can you show me the ones you recommend for triple Highlanders and the ones for half-radar?¡± ¡°¡­..Triple Highlander? That¡¯s a big deal¡­¡­Okay, we have just the best magicrafts¡­¡­Actually, I was thinking of selling it to the Elysian Empire, but¡­¡­since it is none other than Alana.¡± Then he took us to the back of the hall¡­¡­.There was a beautiful, golden, shining magicraft¡­¡­. ¡°The Magicraft Vajra¡­¡­has a startup ludicrous value of 30,000, a maximum output of 3.2 million, SS rank for armor, and S rank for maneuverability, so its performance is unquestionable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.So how much is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to say 500 million, but since it¡¯s¡­¡­none other than Alana, I¡¯ll sell it to you for 400 million.¡± ¡°What do you say, Yuta? It¡¯s a nice magicraft, no doubt, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­..Nanami¡­¡­you like this guy?¡± After all, it can¡¯t start unless the person riding it likes it¡­¡­.I thought I¡¯d let Nanami make the decision¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­beautiful figure¡­¡­my dad used to say that gold is the color of happiness¡­..I like this one.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­.I¡¯ll buy it then.¡± Just as I was about to make that decision, Jean entered the conversation. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! You can buy it! It looks like a nice plane, and Nanami likes it¡­¡­.That¡¯s fine¡­¡­.But don¡¯t just accept the first price the merchant offers! Four hundred million ¨C don¡¯t be stupid, of course I¡¯m going to bargain!¡± Well¡­¡­it¡¯s true that from Jean¡¯s point of view, there is no such thing as shopping without bargaining¡­¡­.Jean began to bargain with the merchant¡­¡­.It turned into a big battle that lasted one hour. CH 29 Jean is amazing¡­¡­In the end, the price of 400 million dropped to 250 million. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good¡­¡­how about you¡­¡­come work for me?¡± The big merchant suggested this to Jean¡­¡­but he laughed and turned it down. ¡°Why did you say no, I think you could use your talents better than you do with me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s obvious?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to make more money with you.¡± He patted me on the shoulder as he said that¡­¡­.You¡¯re going to make more money with me¡­¡­.I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what he meant by that, but it seems that he has some kind of arrangement going on. ¡°How about this one for half-radar? It¡¯s a special magicraft, but it¡¯s very strong if you know how to use it.¡± He showed me a small blue magicraft. ¡°What kind of special¡­¡­is it?¡± ¡°Garuda: Activation Ludia value 6200, maximum power 100,000, armor C rank, maneuverability A rank. It¡¯s an excellent half-radar magicraft, but its main selling point is that it can fly!¡± ¡°It can fly?¡± A magicraft that can fly seems to be rare, which surprises both Alana and Jean. ¡°Although it can fly, it only floats, but if you use it with weapons such as arrows, you can attack from the sky in a one-sided manner, which is very effective.¡± Arrow is probably a bow and arrow¡­¡­.Sure that sounds strong. ¡°So¡­¡­how much is¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­I hope I don¡¯t have to deal with you again¡­¡­so I¡¯ll give you the bottom price, and if that doesn¡¯t satisfy you, you can give up.¡± The price offered by the merchant was 100 million¡­¡­which is not a problem since Nanami¡¯s magicraft was bought at a discount¡­¡­and we¡¯ll see what Farma thinks¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that¡­¡­can fly¡­¡­.I¡­¡­want to ride this baby¡­¡­.¡± Apparently, Farma liked it¡­¡­but¡­¡­Jean didn¡¯t give up on the bargaining¡­¡­. ¡°Mister¡­¡­I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to deal with me either, so I¡¯ll give you 100 million, but can you give me a¡­¡­freebie?¡± ¡°A freebie?¡± ¡°Yes, for example, as you said earlier, an arrow which suits this guy.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.Okay, then let¡¯s get the latest Arrow.¡± Both of them were tired, but unlike earlier, the negotiation was concluded quickly. ¡°How¡¯s the ride, you two?¡± I call out to Nanami and Farma as they get into the magicrafts they purchased. Both of them were somewhat awkward as it was their first time piloting a magicraft, but they managed to move. ¡°Wow¡­¡­Yuta! I¡¯m riding the¡­¡­magicraft¡­¡­.It¡¯s moving¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, Nanami, move slowly, but don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°You both have good senses¡­¡­.It should be difficult to walk at first.¡± That¡¯s right¡­¡­.I was suddenly in a battle from the beginning¡­¡­. I moved it unconsciously and I don¡¯t even remember if I was moving it well. ¡°This¡­¡­How do you fly?¡± ¡°Wait, Farma, you can¡¯t do something so dangerous before you get used to the controls¡­¡­.¡± When I looked at it, the fan-like thing on Farma¡¯s Garuda¡­¡­back started buzzing around and it slowly started floating. ¡°What should I do? Yuta! It¡¯s floating!¡± ¡°Farma! For now, just imagine you¡¯re going down! Don¡¯t fly yet!¡± Hearing my words, Garuda came down slowly¡­¡­. ¡°We¡¯ve got to train before we go into battle.¡± Alana said as she watched the two moving the magicrafts. I came here with Alana¡¯s ride carrier to purchase magicrafts and take them back home, so I loaded Vajra and Garuda into it¡­¡­.Incidentally; Alana¡¯s ride carrier is large and can carry up to six magicrafts! So my Arleo and Alana¡¯s Bercya are already loaded. In addition, this ride carrier had an 11 square meters living space and a bath, so it looked like it would be fine to use this as a live-in base. Jean¡¯s Ludia value was surprisingly high. Even though it¡¯s high, it¡¯s only 1500, nothing compared to the rest of us. In fact, it was Jean who was now piloting the ride carrier¡­¡­.The ride carrier¡¯s activation value was 1000, so he took over piloting. ¡°Quick, tomorrow we¡¯ll load up the supplies and head for Kirks.¡± Jean suddenly spoke up while singlehandedly maneuvering the ride carrier. ¡°What is Kirks, Jean?¡± ¡°The Republic of Kirks¡­¡­is currently at war with the Cilicia Empire. It¡¯s the perfect place for a mercenary group to make their debut.¡± Alana replied on Jean¡¯s behalf. ¡°Yes, the Kirks have a couple of tiatite mines, and they have gold, and I hear they¡¯re pretty much outmatched by the Cilicians right now.¡± Well¡­¡­it¡¯s true that they won¡¯t pay you much if you sell to the dominant side¡­¡­.But isn¡¯t it dangerous to side with someone who is losing? That¡¯s what I was afraid of. CH 30 As I was eating a quick lunch with Yukiha and the others on the roof of the castle, Ranelle told me about Yuta¡¯s case. ¡°Sorry, Nagisa¡­¡­we just got a report that¡­¡­the enslaved friend you¡¯re looking for¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Yuta? Could it be that he was found?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­the merchant who bought him was found¡­¡­but it seems that someone killed him¡­¡­and your friend has disappeared.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.Yuta¡­¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not a report that he¡¯s dead¡­¡­.If he escaped, there¡¯s a possibility that he¡¯s not a slave anymore, so don¡¯t be so depressed.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­if it¡¯s Yuta, he¡¯s doing well somehow¡­¡­.But¡­¡­I¡­I want to meet Yuta¡­¡­.¡± When I say this with an honest heart, Ranelle looks a little troubled. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­Okay, I¡¯ll ask the agency to investigate¡­¡­but don¡¯t expect too much because our intelligence network is poor.¡± Still, I was pleased that there was hope. After that talk, I was summoned to the castle¡¯s office¡­¡­though it seemed to be about work. ¡°Next week, there¡¯s a meeting of the leaders of the surrounding nations in this area, and I¡¯d like Nagisa to be my escort.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡­an escort¡­¡­.Will it be okay?¡± ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t be alone, Ranelle and Jiad will be with you, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°But why me?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s because I¡¯m proud of my country¡¯s Half-Radar.¡± The summit of the surrounding countries is held in the neighboring country, Temira, and we took the royal ride carrier called Domna to the country. ¡°How does this Domna work?¡­¡­It looks like it¡¯s floating a bit.¡± I asked Ranelle, surprised to see an object the size of a school gymnasium floating across the ground. ¡°The ride carrier is made of levitating stone crystals, so it floats a bit and is powered by the same Ludia core as the magicrafts.¡° To be honest, I didn¡¯t really understand, but I vaguely replied, ¡°Oh, really?¡± There are more than ten rooms available in this ride carrier for the royal family¡­¡­.It will take about three days to reach Temira by Domna, so we will be living here for a while. The king is accompanied by Ranelle, me, Jihad, Delphine, the foreign minister and about 30 soldiers who are his bodyguards¡­¡­.The soldiers sleep in a capsule hotel-like place in the hangar where the magicrafts are stored. I was given a proper room, but I was a little distressed. ¡°Nagisa, we have some time before we arrive at Temira, so let¡¯s study.¡± Ranelle¡¯s escort didn¡¯t do anything, but she said that to me when she saw me looking bored. ¡°Study¡­¡­what?¡± ¡°You should know what¡¯s going on around here.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­yeah¡­¡­¡± I honestly didn¡¯t want to learn that, but¡­¡­I was bored and had nothing better to do, so I agreed. ¡°First of all, this summit is being attended by a group called the Eastern Alliance, a coalition of 12 small countries.¡± ¡°Coalition¡­¡­why would we need such an organization?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to conduct diplomacy on an equal footing with the larger nations around us. If we don¡¯t have the power to fight, we can¡¯t talk, and we¡¯ll end up being threatened or crushed.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The center of the Eastern Alliance is Temira, a relatively large country within the small Eastern Alliance, about three times the size of Amuria.¡± I listened to Ranelle¡¯s story, but I was not interested in it at all, and it barely entered my mind. ¡°So, the main topic of this meeting is the preparation for the Ruja Empire, a nearby country that has been acting suspiciously lately.¡± ¡°What kind of suspicious activity?¡± ¡°The most important thing is the expansion of the army. They¡¯re gathering a lot of magicrafts and riders.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡­you mean there might be a war?¡± ¡°This is a meeting to prevent that from happening. If the Ruja Empire and the Eastern Alliance go to war, other neighboring countries will start to move in and we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± The unfathomable horror of war had me feeling a tingling, uncomfortable sensation throughout my body. CH 31 After loading food and other supplies related to the magicrafts into the ride carrier, we set off for Kirks. A large living room of about 20 tatami mats was used as a meeting room¡­¡­.Everyone on board this ride carrier gathered and was discussing some of the first issues that needed to be decided. ¡°First things first, the name of the mercenary group.¡± You certainly can¡¯t make a name for yourself without a name. ¡°I like Flowers and Birds.¡± ¡°Rejected, it doesn¡¯t sound strong enough.¡± Jean dismissed Nanami¡¯s idea without a second thought. ¡°Well, what do you propose, Jean?¡± ¡°How about the Reaper Guards? Sounds strong.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not cute.¡± ¡°A mercenary group doesn¡¯t need a pretty name!¡± You¡¯re right, but I¡¯m not so sure about Jean¡¯s Reaper Corps either. ¡°I¡¯d prefer a noble name, like Elegant Hunters or¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl Alana! That¡¯s great!¡± Liza praised Alana¡¯s idea without question¡­¡­ I have a feeling that no matter what Alana says, she¡¯s going to say the same line. ¡°How about the Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix Brigade?¡± It was Farma who suggested a stern name that didn¡¯t fit her character¡­¡­.It sounds a bit good, but¡­..when I think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense. ¡°So, Yuta, what do you have in mind?¡± When Alana asked I thought about it¡­¡­.I¡¯m not one to have a naming sense, but¡­¡­I just said what came to my mind. ¡°What about the Iron Knights?¡± Well, I was expecting it to be rejected, everyone¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t bad, except¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s nice. It sounds strong.¡± ¡°Yeah, it sounds like we¡¯ve got class.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very pretty, but if Yuta says so¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s very good. I agree with Yuta¡¯s idea¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No way, I think Master Alana¡¯s is the best¡­¡­¡± Only one person was against it, but a quick glance from Alana turned her in favor of it, and it was unanimously decided to be the Iron Knights. ¡°The next step is to choose a room, which is important because this ride carrier will be the center of our lives from now on.¡± ¡°I already have a room of my own, so I¡¯ll take that one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so selfish. That¡¯s the biggest room in the back. I want to stay there.¡± ¡°The ride carrier is mine. I have the right to choose my own room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you funny head, shut up!¡± Liza tangled with Jean to defend Alana. ¡°Who¡¯s a funny head? This is the new hairstyle in Kalurn, in the north!¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the west of the continent! We don¡¯t want any fads from the north!¡± ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re male or female.¡± ¡°You must be blind if you can¡¯t tell the difference between men and women!¡± ¡°Go to¡­.¡± Even Jean, unexpectedly, is a little overwhelmed by Liza, perhaps because he¡¯s not good at arguing with women. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to get into a fight over this, so let¡¯s just have a fair ¡®random draw¡¯ to decide.¡± When I suggested this, everyone seemed to be confused and didn¡¯t seem to understand what I meant¡­¡­.Well, there is no such thing as ¡°lottery ¡± in this world¡­¡­.Anyway, as I explained, I wrote down the numbers on the paper. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s interesting¡­¡­.Earth culture has had a huge influence on Falva, but¡­¡­this thing is going to be popular too.¡± As Alana said, there are a few similar cultural aspects with Earth¡­¡­.For example, in the cuisine, there is a Japanese menu. On the paper I wrote, there were numbers from 1 to 6, and it was decided that the rooms would be decided in the order of these numbers¡­¡­.And the result of the lottery was¡­¡­ This means¡­¡­. ¡°See, God is watching. Of course I¡¯m going to choose that back room.¡± ¡°Damn it! There¡¯s something wrong with this lottery!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t complain, you¡¯re the last one, so be quiet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm, come on, Yuta, pick one.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­I don¡¯t care where I go, but I think I¡¯d like the front room with the best view.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­I was aiming for that room too¡­¡­.If you don¡¯t care where, give it up, Yuta!¡± ¡°No, Yuta, you can¡¯t do what Jean wants.¡± It¡¯s true that if I give Jean the room the lottery will be meaningless. ¡°Jean, I¡¯m sorry, but this is non-negotiable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­screw you.¡± ¡°Farma¡¯s next. Where do you want to stay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­in the room to the right of Yuta¡­¡­¡± She said modestly. ¡°Next, it¡¯s Nanami, right? Nanami is¡­¡­uh¡­..fine in the room with Yuta.¡± When Alana heard this, she complained. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Nanami. If that¡¯s the case, then I will too!¡± ¡°Yeah~ I want to sleep with Yuta as usual, but¡­¡­then the room to the left of Yuta is fine.¡± When she was told no, Nanami said she had no choice but to do so. Liza chose the room next to Alana¡¯s and Jean chose the largest room of the remaining rooms. This is the first time I¡¯ve slept in my own room since I came to this world. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like sleeping with Nanami, but it¡¯s nice to be able to sleep alone. CH 32 On the way to Kirks, it was decided that Nanami and Farma would practice with their magicrafts and conduct combat training in a wilderness canyon. ¡°Liza will fix any minor damage, so don¡¯t worry, just go for it.¡± Nanami¡¯s Vajra and Farma¡¯s Garuda grabbed towards Alana¡¯s Bercya¡­¡­.With a light step, Alana avoided their attack and lightly pushed the two¡¯s back¡­¡­.The two of them lost their balance and tumbled to the ground. ¡°You have to keep your balance; the most important thing in a fight is not to lose your center of gravity, so you will be able to respond to unexpected attacks.¡± Alana is a good instructor, and as she teaches them, their movements become much better¡­¡­especially Nanami¡¯s growth is very fast¡­¡­.It¡¯s obvious why¡­¡­. She¡¯s a triple Highlander¡­¡­.And it looks like Vajra¡­¡­was a real bargain¡­¡­. With the two of them fully capable of riding the magicrafts, Alana and I decided to do some serious combat training. Vajra equips one-handed sword and shield, Garuda equips arrows. I thought that Garuda¡¯s flying ability was dangerous when I actually fought her¡­¡­It¡¯s not that she can fly fast, but if she floats up to about 50 meters in the air, I can¡¯t do anything without flight gear¡­¡­And yet, the other side is attacking with arrows¡­¡­.If a special metal is attached to the tip of the arrow, it will penetrate even S-rank armor, and its power should not be underestimated. There are many times when Nanami¡¯s Vajra ability is also astounding, and even though she¡¯s holding back because of practice, there are many times when Alana Bercya is overwhelmed¡­¡­. Nanami is still going to grow, she¡¯s scary. ¡°But¡­¡­what am I supposed to do against a flying opponent¡­..?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to use our flight gear.¡° As Alana said, I don¡¯t think I can do anything without flight gear¡­¡­.I can¡¯t say that flying enemies won¡¯t appear in the future, so I might want to think about how to deal with them¡­¡­. After the combat training, we decided to have a meeting. ¡°I want a flying magicraft too.¡± I¡¯d claim that in a heartbeat¡­¡­ ¡°A flying magicraft¡­¡­ Arrows or bowguns¡­?¡­ And then there¡¯s the magic bullet. The Arrow uses both hands, so if you equip it, you won¡¯t be able to equip melee weapons¡­¡­.Bowguns can be equipped in one hand, but they¡¯re not very powerful and you can only load a few arrows, so it¡¯s only a temporary relief.¡± ¡°What kind of weapon is this ¡°magic bullet¡±?¡± ¡°The Magic Bullet is a magical weapon that uses the Ludia Core. It is small enough to be worn on the arm, but its power depends on the Ludia value¡­¡­.And it is so weak that even I, a double Highlander, can only produce enough power to frighten my opponent. It¡¯s rare to see a rider using one of these.¡± ¡°Then it seems pointless for me to use it, since I have a Ludia value of 2¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.Ludia value 2¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­what are you talking about?¡­..¡± Alana says in surprise¡­¡­.Come to think of it, Alana didn¡¯t know that¡­¡­. ¡°Oh, I have a Ludia value of two.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡­.You can¡¯t ride a magicraft with a Ludia value of 2¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, but he insists it¡¯s two.¡± Jean also agrees with Alana and says so. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I measured it with the latest measuring equipment.¡± People don¡¯t believe my Ludia value¡­¡­.Is it so strange¡­¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re so sure, let¡¯s take a proper measurement next time. There are probably facilities with measuring machines in large cities.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if Ludia values matters that much¡­¡­.To be honest, I don¡¯t really care.¡± ¡± Nanami isn¡¯t interested in Yuta¡¯s Ludia value either¡­¡­.Yuta is Yuta¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s what Nanami and Farma told me, but Jean and Alana wanted to be sure, and they were ready to put me through the measuring machine when they had the chance. CH 33 When we arrived in Kirks, we immediately decided to sell ourselves as mercenaries¡­¡­ The Kirks Republic is a democratic country without a king, whose main source of revenue is the production of ore, which is used to make the outer shells of magicrafts. We visited a military facility in its capital. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the Iron Knights¡­¡­.Sure, we¡¯re looking for mercenaries, but we can¡¯t afford to hire people who we don¡¯t know where they come from.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, the Iron Knights aren¡¯t horse bones, they¡¯re a mercenary group with two gladiators who were invincible in the Arpeca Coliseum, just have someone at the top handle it, you need strength.¡± Jean said it forcefully, but the officers of the Kirks army are looking at us suspiciously¡­¡­and don¡¯t seem to believe Jean¡¯s story in the first place. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll talk to the higher ups but I think they¡¯re probably going to turn you down since they¡¯ve already got contracts with three mercenary groups.¡± Apparently, they already have previous contracts. That afternoon, I was summoned by the Kirks army¡­¡­to talk about the mercenary contract, apparently¡­¡­.Anyway, me, Alana and Jean visited the place. There were about ten other people in the room where we were called. ¡°First of all, I would like to thank you for coming to the aid of my country. I would like to accept all mercenary groups unconditionally, but we have a fixed budget and can¡¯t do that¡­¡­so I¡¯d like to make a suggestion: I¡¯d like to make a contract with all the mercenary groups here, with compensation based entirely on performance.¡± When the commander of the Kirks¡¯ army said this, the uncle, who looked exactly like a mercenary, gave his opinion. ¡°I don¡¯t mind that, but how much do I get paid?¡± ¡°How about 5 millions for each enemy magicraft destroyed, another 10 million as a bonus for every 10 magicrafts destroyed, plus the ability to receive supplies at Kirks Base?¡± Sixty million for ten magicrafts¡­¡­.I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a lot or a little, but the guys here seemed to agree¡­¡­. ¡°Plus, I¡¯d expect some kind of bonus for the most successful mercenary group.¡± Jean suggested this in a loud voice¡­¡­.Hearing this, the commander thought for a moment and replied. ¡°Very well, then, let¡¯s give out 100 million as a bonus to the mercenary group with the best results¡­¡­.This will motivate everyone.¡± In this way, we have signed a mercenary contract with¡­¡­However, it is a good idea, because this means that if you are not useful, you will not be paid, and Kirks will be very happy because they have been able to sign up many mercenary groups that are a force to be reckoned with. ¡°It¡¯s Yuta. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Yuta.¡± When I looked at them, I saw that they were my classmates, Naoshi Horibe and Akane Imamura. ¡°What, you¡¯re both mercenaries?¡± ¡°Well, the country that bought us soon lost the war and disappeared, so we were picked up by this mercenary group when we were in trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s tough¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been a slave, but you¡¯ve come a long way from being a con artist.¡± ¡°What? Who¡¯s a scammer?¡± ¡°Because, you know, Ludia value 2¡­There¡¯s no way you can ride a magicraft! You were trying to trick Kirks into signing up as a mercenary group and make money. But too bad you can¡¯t cheat them out of a reward with a performance-based system.¡± ¡°Who would do such a thing?¡± ¡°How are you going to get results if you can¡¯t even ride a magicraft? You can¡¯t defeat a magicraft with your bare hands.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really funny ¨C I¡¯m ashamed of myself for thinking you were kind of good before I came into this world.¡± ¡°What, Akane, did you have feelings for Yuta?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it, it¡¯s embarrassing. It¡¯s like saying you had a crush on someone with a Ludia value of 2.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Just as I was about to say something back, Alana stepped in front of them and said. ¡°I¡¯m in love with Yuta¡­¡­.Do you have a problem with that?¡± Alana has a high level of beauty that can be described as an exquisite beauty¡­¡­.When she said that, the two of them were unable to say anything back and fell silent. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.The only thing you¡¯ve improved on is your ability to trick people¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡­ because our Beast King mercenary group is definitely the most successful ¨C after all, there are two half-radars in the Beast King mercenary group, there¡¯s no way we can lose.¡± We have a triple Highlander and a double Highlander¡­¡­.I thought about that, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything about it because I didn¡¯t think it would be good to show my hand too much. CH 34 We were handed our first assignment as a mercenary group by Kirks¡¯ army. ¡°They want us to take back the Ruba fortress.¡± Jean was a little surprised when I informed everyone of this. ¡°Recapture the fortress! Hey ¡­¡­that¡¯s a heavy request all of a sudden¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It seems that this operation is not just a mission for us Iron Knights, but a joint operation with all the contracted mercenary groups.¡± ¡°What about the strength of the fortress?¡± ¡°About a hundred magicrafts, but they don¡¯t seem to have a complete grasp of it.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what the enemy¡¯s strength is, but we have to go there anyway, that¡¯s pretty careless.¡± ¡°It seems that about 30 Kirks regular army magicrafts will also participate in the attack, so it looks like they don¡¯t want to completely abandon us¡­¡­I think they want to test our strength.¡± As Alana said, I think it¡¯s more of a test of strength than a way to discard us¡­¡­. Ruba Fortress is located 10 kilometers from the border of the Cilacian Empire, which is at war with the Kirks¡­¡­.We headed there with other mercenary groups and the regular Kirks army. ¡°Our strength is 30 Kirks regulars, 12 Wolf Hunters, 23 Beast King Mercenaries, 14 Crashbunkers, and 4 Iron Knights with a total 83 magicrafts, which is not really powerful, but the Kirks infantry force is estimated at 5,000¡­¡­and the enemy is estimated at 100 magicrafts and 150 ballistae¡­¡­.It¡¯s going to be a bit of a lopsided battle.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a ballista?¡± ¡°A ballista is a weapon used by infantry. Think of it as a stationary arrow.¡± ¡°Arrows!? 150 of them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as powerful as the arrows that Farma¡¯s Garuda shoots, but it does enough damage to magic machines that we can¡¯t be too careless.¡± We¡¯re outnumbered by magicrafts, and then there¡¯s the ballistas¡­¡­. As we neared Fort Ruba, a final strategy meeting was held on a Kirks military ride carrier. ¡°We¡¯ll attack from the west, south, and east of the fortress at once.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be attacking from the north?¡± One of the mercenaries from some mercenary group asks at the words of the commander of the Kirks army. ¡°We don¡¯t have the strength to attack from four directions, and the north has hard defenses and a large number of ballistae¡­¡­.There¡¯s little advantage to attacking here, so it¡¯s better to abandon that side.¡± ¡°I see, so how will the forces be distributed?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go with the regular Kirks from the south, Crashbunkers and the Wolf Hunters from the east, and the Beast King Mercenaries and the Iron Knights from the west.¡± When the commander of the Kirkus army said that, the leader of the Beast King mercenary group objected. ¡°Wait¡­¡­we refuse to fight alongside the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t trust my back to these stinkers! My friends tell me they¡¯re a bunch of crooks¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­well, are there any other mercenary groups¡­¡­that would be willing to attack the west with the Iron Knights?¡± However, no mercenary group responded to the commander¡¯s words¡­¡­. ¡±Hmph¡­¡­then it can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll only ask the Iron Knights to attack from the west, the Beast King Mercenaries will join the attack from the south with the regular Kirks army.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! You want us to attack the west by ourselves!¡± Jean protested involuntarily. ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t blame them. They don¡¯t want to fight with you.¡± ¡°Is that the same with the Kirks¡¯ regular army?¡± ¡°I¡¯m responsible for the lives of my men. I won¡¯t take any unnecessary risks.¡± You don¡¯t care about our lives¡­¡­.I was about to retort strongly, when Alana declared. ¡°Okay the Iron Knights will attack the fortress from the west alone.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Alana¡­¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t trust my back to these people¡­¡­.But remember, if you¡¯re struggling and in trouble, we¡¯re not going to help you.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha~ It¡¯s only a matter of time before we¡¯re defeated if we¡¯re saved by four magicrafts.¡± The leader of the Beast King mercenary group said that with a hearty laugh. Here¡¯s a reminder that even though it¡¯s a joint operation, the other mercenary groups are not on our side. CH 35 We went around to the west side of Ruba¡¯s fortress and prepared to attack. ¡°Uh-oh. Can you all hear me?¡± ¡°Alana, Bercya, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Nanami, Vajra, I read you.¡± ¡°Farma, Garuda¡­¡­copy.¡± ¡°Jean, Ride Carrier, I copy you.¡± ¡°Yuta, Arleo, copy.¡± I don¡¯t know what the principle behind it is, but the magical technology called the Spirit Box has made it possible for magicrafts to talk to each other via ride carriers. Also, the Kirks gave us something called a beacon crystal to identify our allies, so we¡¯ve installed that in each of our magicrafts. This beacon crystal shows the approximate location of your allies as dots on the crystal, so you can see their movements, albeit roughly. ¡°Wait a minute, there¡¯s something weird attached to Arleo¡¯s right arm¡­¡­.¡± When I looked at it, I saw that there was a large watch-like device attached to Arleo¡¯s right arm. ¡°Yuta, you said you wanted a long distance attack method, that¡¯s the magic bullet I told you about.¡± ¡°This is the¡­¡­.How does it work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s connected to the Ludia core, so it¡¯s like controlling a magicraft, you just imagine it and shoot it.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t expect it to be very powerful. It should only be used as a deterrent.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± Five kilometers west of the Ruba fortress¡­¡­From here, the ride carrier was conspicuous, so we decided to get off and ride the magicrafts¡­¡­ ¡°Ride-carrier, drop us off and stay in the back.¡± ¡°All right, you four, take it easy.¡± When I looked at the beacon crystal, I saw three dots moving together around my point. When you touch the beacon crystal, it seems you can zoom in and out, and a number of dots appear¡­¡­Based on the number and location, I can tell that they are friendly dots attacking from the east and south. In addition, the beacon crystal has a battle recorder function, and it seems that when you defeat an enemy, it is stored here, so that the number of defeated enemies can be confirmed and proven. It seems that the battles for the fortress has begun¡­¡­.The sounds of fierce fighting are beginning to be heard. I can see the enemy¡¯s magicraft troops in front of us¡­¡­and their number is about 50 at a glance¡­¡­their number is higher than I thought. ¡°Farma, take flight and prepare to fire your arrows. I¡¯m going to charge into the center, so Nanami and Alana, take out the enemies from the left and right!¡± I was confident that I was strong enough, so I decided that I would charge into the center and attract the enemy. That way, I feel like there¡¯s less risk of danger to my friends. As soon as I charged, four enemy magicrafts approached me¡­¡­.When I saw that all four planes were armed with long spears¡­¡­I then attacked them at close range, swinging both tonfas. The enemy¡¯s magicraft is more fragile than I thought¡­¡­A single blow to the body caused it to emit smoke and stop¡­¡­ ¡°One magicraft first!¡± I turn my body and hit the left and right side magicrafts with the tonfa as well. Like the first one, the two magicrafts on either side made a swooshing sound and fell to their knees, motionless. When I hit the head of the remaining one, the head is blown off with a swoosh it falls over backwards and it too stops moving. After defeating four enemy magicrafts, I looked around and saw that Nanami and Alana had also defeated several enemies. In addition, a second group of enemies was approaching¡­¡­There were about 20 of them. ¡°Farma, attack with arrows!¡± Farma began to shoot arrows at the approaching enemy magicrafts¡­¡­.The accuracy of Farma¡¯s Garuda arrows is high, every arrow that shoots hits. ¡­¡­The arrows also seem to be very powerful since the pierced enemy magicrafts stopped moving. Seeing that the enemy was scared, Alana shouted. ¡°The enemy is scared! Let¡¯s finish them!¡± Alana¡¯s Bercya said, accelerating to charge into the enemy magicrafts¡­¡­Nanami and I followed suit. After all, Alana¡¯s combat power is tremendous¡­¡­.In an instant; three magic machines are disassembled by Bercya¡¯s twin swords. In addition, Nanami¡¯s growth is remarkable¡­..Nanami¡¯s Vajra is equipped with a one-handed sword in her right hand and a shield in her left, a good balance of offense and defense, with the shield preventing attacks and the sword cutting down enemies. Her movements were so seamless that I even thought that if I fought her for real, I would lose. I can¡¯t afford to lose too. ¡­¡­I kicked the enemies away with the tonfa while rotating my body¡­¡­.I¡¯m getting used to handling the tonfa, and I¡¯m finally starting to understand the strength of this weapon¡­¡­.power, speed and versatility that allows the user to demonstrate its power in both offense and defense¡­¡­I don¡¯t think I can lose in close combat. We were so focused on fighting that we didn¡¯t realize it, but¡­¡­the total score of the four of us was already over 50¡­¡­ A third of a hundred enemies is about 33, but something doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ CH 36 ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­¡­.There are too many enemies.¡± Alana says this after decapitating the last enemy magicraft nearby. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right¡­¡­.I think we¡¯ve already beaten a lot of them on our own.¡± ¡°Maybe 100 enemy magicrafts of the enemy is a very wrong estimate¡­¡­.See, as if to prove it, the friendly forces in the east and south seem to be struggling a lot.¡± When Alana said that, I checked the beacon crystal¡­¡­and found that the points that identify allies were disappearing at an alarming rate¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta, let¡¯s get this over with quickly¡­¡­If we don¡¯t, everyone but us is going to be wiped out.¡± ¡°I thought you said you wouldn¡¯t help them.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to, but it wouldn¡¯t be cool if the Iron Knights first mission failed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Then let¡¯s get on with it.¡± The only enemies in the west were the magicrafts near the fortress and the ballistae installed in the fortress. ¡°The fortress ballista looks nasty¡­¡­.Farma, can¡¯t you get up and target them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Farma¡¯s Garuda rose steadily, rising higher than the walls of the fortress¡­The people who designed the fortress probably didn¡¯t expect that the walls would be attacked from above. The installed ballista seemed to be in plain sight from Farma¡¯s position. Farma slowly flicked her bow, and then fired it at one of the ballistae¡­¡­.The arrow drew a straight parabola, breaking the targeted ballista into pieces. ¡°Great job, Farma. You got it in one shot.¡± Perhaps pleased by my praise, Farma went on to shoot ballista after ballista. The ballista in the fortress also tried to fire back, but it seemed we were out of range and the arrows fell in front of us in vain. Oh, yeah, I had a long range weapon, too¡­¡­.I¡¯ll give it a try¡­¡­.I held up the magic bullet and sent an image to the control sphere of aiming at one of the ballistae and shooting it out¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t know the range, and I didn¡¯t think it would hit, but¡­¡­ A sound and light more intense than I imagined was emitted from the tip of the magic bullet¡­¡­.It became a large band of light, a straight line of light like a laser beam, and extended to the targeted ballista¡­¡­.Boom! The ballista shattered into pieces with a tremendous explosion sound. ¡°Yuta! What was that?¡± Alana exclaimed in surprise. ¡°I tried to shoot a¡­¡­magic bullet¡­¡­.¡± While we were talking about this, the enemy¡¯s magicrafts that were near the fortress came towards us, perhaps surprised or angered by my attack. Well, I guess they couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that Farma¡¯s arrows were destroying the ballistas. ¡°Yuta! Alana! We¡¯ve got company!¡± Nanami warned us. ¡°Okay, one more shot at¡­¡­.¡± I tried to shoot a magic bullet at the approaching enemies¡­¡­but no light bullets came out like before. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not coming out¡­¡­.¡± ¡°With that much energy in the attack¡­¡­maybe the Ludia core is about to burst.¡± ¡°Burst?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in a temporary state of restricted power. It should recover in a little while.¡± ¡°I see, so that means I can¡¯t fire magic bullets in rapid succession¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ enemies are here.¡± Oh, that¡¯s right¡­¡­Nanami called out to me again, and I turned to face the approaching enemies. Alana chopped up two enemies approaching from the right with her twin swords¡­¡­.Even though she was talking to me, her consciousness seemed to be watching the enemies properly¡­¡­.Nanami also used her shield to block the enemy attack with her sword, and then skewered them with her sword I used the tonfa to blow off the heads of the approaching enemies, and then leapt to land in the middle of the group. The startled enemies froze when they saw me. I swung the tonfa at the group of enemies, which was full of gaps, and destroyed them one after another as I spun around. ¡°Everything all right?¡± ¡°Yeah, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any more enemy magicrafts nearby.¡± In the meantime, all the ballistae in the castle seemed to have been destroyed by Farma, and the west side of the fortress was completely silenced. CH 37 After silencing the west side of the fortress, we headed to the south side to help¡­¡­.Looking at the beacon crystal, the number of friendly troops on the south side had already been reduced to about half. As we approached the battlefield on the south side, we could hear the conversations of our allies on the Kirks military channel set up in the spirit box. ¡°Stick to¡­¡­what the hell is this? There are over a hundred magicrafts on the south side alone!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Lets retreat, Commander!¡± ¡°No¡­¡­We¡¯re already surrounded¡­¡­There¡¯s no way to escape!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask our¡­¡­allies for help!¡± ¡°Where can we find allies with that much power? The rest of the troops are in a similar situation! Naoshi! Akane! Do something about it, you¡¯re half-radar!¡± ¡°There¡¯s one enemy who¡¯s incredibly strong! Me and Akane can stop him for now but we need help!¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡­Kirks¡¯ army is quickly dying¡­¡­It¡¯s not worth it!¡± It seems that the ones surviving on the south side are the Beast King mercenaries¡­¡­To tell the truth, I¡¯d rather leave them alone, but¡­¡­I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re my friends¡­¡­. When I look, I find a black enemy magicraft that is fighting with two magicrafts of the Beast King mercenaries. Apparently, that¡¯s what Naoshi calls a very strong enemy¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t look that strong though. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that black one, and Alana and the others can take care of the small fry around it!¡± ¡°Farma, rise and attack, Nanami, I¡¯ll take the left, you take the right.¡± ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ m going up!¡± I headed straight for the black enemy magicraft¡­¡­Just as Naoshi and Akane were struck by the black magicraft and collapsed. I leapt in front of the black enemy magicraft to protect Naoshi and Akane¡¯s magicrafts. ¡°Ha¡­¡­help us quickly! We¡¯re going to be killed! Get us out of here!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it! I can¡¯t move! I don¡¯t care who you are, just help me!¡± I ignored them because it was too much trouble to reply to them, I decided to finish off the black enemy magicraft. The black enemy magicraft immediately slashed at me with the two-handed sword it was holding¡­¡­I flicked it back with my tonfa¡­¡­It bounced back violently, and I could tell by its subtle movements that the rider of the black enemy magicraft was flustered. I could feel it¡­. The black enemy magicraft was flustered, but swung his sword wide to attack. I narrowly avoided the attack and landed a tonfa blow on its body. The black enemy magicraft fell to the ground; making a dull sound, smoke started coming out and it stopped moving. ¡°Wow¡­¡­you took him down with one blow.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­¡± Naoshi and Akane seemed surprised, but I didn¡¯t want to waste my time with them. I silently left the area and began to eliminate the enemies. In about 10 minutes, the destruction of the enemies on the south side was completed¡­¡­.The exhausted Beast King mercenaries were useless, and we took care of most of them, but the words from the leader of the Beast King mercenaries were¡­.. ¡°You¡¯ve gone the extra mile. We¡¯re on a full performance system!¡¡Don¡¯t you dare take someone else¡¯s catch!¡± Wow, how can you say that when¡­..you were about to be wiped out? ¡°You know what? You can¡¯t talk to me like that after I saved your life.¡± I was about to complain about that, but Alana¡¯s words interrupted me. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to deal with these idiots, there¡¯s still the east side.¡± It¡¯s true¡­¡­It looks like they¡¯re struggling a lot over there too, so we need to go to the rescue¡­¡­.I did as Alana said, stopped dealing with the idiots and headed east. The number of allies on the east side had already dwindled to single digits¡­¡­.They¡¯re clumping together to prevent the enemy from attacking, but at this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time¡­¡­. I immediately charged towards the encircling enemies¡­¡­.By the time they noticed us, I had slaughtered three of them with my tonfa¡­¡­.At the same time, Alana two, Nanami two, and Farma destroyed three of them. In an instant, ten magicrafts were destroyed, and the enemy army was in chaos ¨C before they could mount an organized resistance, we took them down one by one. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing? Don¡¯t take what¡¯s mine!¡± After destroying the enemy in the east, the dialogue with the ones we saved was the same as with the leader of the Beast King mercenaries¡­.. ¡°What the hell, Nanami and the others saved you!¡± Even Nanami was a little upset. After that, the fortress ballistas were also neutralized by Farma¡¯s arrows, and the Ruba fortress was completely overrun¡­¡­.Then, the infantry of the Kirks army rushed in and took control of the inside of the fortress as well, ending this operation. CH 38 After the operation was over, we returned to the capital of the Kirks Republic. I was expecting to be summoned to the military headquarters immediately and thanked for our efforts in the fortress battle. ¡°I got to see the battle records¡­¡­that¡¯s an impressive number of kills, but only if those are the real numbers¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Other mercenary groups have reported that you¡¯ve been taking credit for their work and even rigging the battle recorder to inflate the number of kills.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything stupid like that. Who said that?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­but there are too many destroyed, what¡¯s this joke number of 152 destroyed magicrafts¡­¡­I heard that the Iron Knights only have four magicrafts. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Four magicrafts took out that many enemies, and the fact that we¡¯ve conquered the fortress is more than enough proof.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been informed that it was the Beast King¡¯s mercenaries that took it down.¡± ¡°What? The Beast King mercenaries suffered an early defeat and were of little use.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡­.That¡¯s a different opinion from what the commanders in the field and the other mercenary groups are saying¡­¡­.Oh well¡­¡­.Either way, I can¡¯t trust your defeat numbers at this point¡± ¡°Wait a minute, so you¡¯re saying we won¡¯t get paid for our work?¡± Jean, who is sensitive when it comes to money, asked in a desperate manner. ¡°We can¡¯t pay you as it is, but I have a suggestion.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I want to give you an independent mission, and if you can complete it, I¡¯ll believe in the number of magicrafts you¡¯ve destroyed and pay you for it, and of course I¡¯ll pay you for the new mission.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you¡¯re using this to your advantage! Pay me for my work!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t do it, then I¡¯m breaking my contract with you and I won¡¯t pay you anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s outrageous!¡± Jean¡¯s anger was understandable, but it was a bit much. ¡°What should we do Yuta¡­¡­?¡± When Alana asked me that, I thought about it¡­¡­.I guess I¡¯ll just have to take that new mission¡­¡­.If I¡¯m alone, the other mercenaries won¡¯t be able to lie¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯ll take that new mission.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s hard to get results like this, and I was going to take the new mission anyway.¡± And so I was given a new mission¡­ ¡°Take back the border town¡­¡­.¡± Jean reacts to my muttered words. ¡°This country¡¯s been robbed, huh?¡± ¡°And they say there are at least a hundred of them.¡± ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡­we¡¯re gonna take them out by ourselves?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be easy for you guys. You¡¯ve destroyed 152.¡± ¡°Fuck! What¡¯s that, you don¡¯t believe us at all?¡± Even though it was the sole mission of the Iron Knights, a small unit of five magicrafts and 500 infantrymen was to accompany us, as the Kirks army had to control the town. ¡°So you¡¯re the Iron Knights, I heard you cheated in the battle to retake Ruba Fortress, but I hope everything will be okay this time.¡± That¡¯s what the captain of the small unit says to me sarcastically. ¡°We didn¡¯t cheat in the Battle of Ruba Fortress.¡± ¡°I heard that there were reports from the Beast King Mercenaries and others at¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe our reports, but you believe what the Beast King mercenaries say?¡± Jean retorted in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Of course, the Beast King Mercenaries and Kirks have known each other for a long time, so who would you trust more?¡± What an unreasonable story you¡¯re telling¡­¡­. ¡°At any rate, we Kirks troops will be keeping watch in the rear, so quickly destroy the enemy, for the Iron Knights that boasted 152 kills in the Battle of Ruba Fortress should be a piece of cake.¡± I was a little annoyed, but we can prove it with the results, there are no Beast King mercenaries here to give false reports, so it won¡¯t be a problem. CH 39 Chapters 39 and 40 we\¡¯re sponsored by rOxSt3r. Thank you for your generosity. A great number of magicrafts were stationed in the border town we were going to retake¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not a hundred¡­¡­There must be 300 of them¡­¡­¡± The first thing I did was to scout the town, and it seemed that there were considerably more enemies than I had been informed. ¡°Is it bad?¡± ¡°No, there don¡¯t seem to be any Highlander magicrafts, so it looks like we¡¯re okay in terms of strength¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Most of them are Bourbon, a general-purpose machine from Tchilakia. Bourbon¡¯s performance is 1,200 activation Ludia, 8,000 maximum output, F-ranked armor, and G-ranked maneuverability, which is one of the lowest performance military magicrafts.¡± ¡°Thanks for the information, Farma.¡± When I thanked her, Farma¡¯s face turned red and she was embarrassed. As I returned to the ride carrier to begin the attack, Alana called out to me. ¡°Yuta, why don¡¯t you try using this weapon?¡± What she showed me was a spear-like weapon with a large blade attached to both ends. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a double spear. There are a lot of enemies this time, so I think this weapon is more suitable for annihilation than the tonfa, which has a better balance of offense and defense.¡± ¡°I see, I¡¯ll try it.¡± On Alana¡¯s recommendation I changed my equipment from the tonfa to the double spear. The strategy was pretty much the same as the fortress battle: me, Alana, and Nanami would charge into the enemy, and Farma would shoot arrows at them from above. I¡¯m not even sure if I can call this a strategy¡­¡­ When the enemy¡¯s magicrafts noticed our approach, they all started moving ¨C we accelerated at once and rammed into the enemy group. I slashed the enemy¡¯s magicrafts while spinning the double spear ¨C the mere touch of the double spear¡¯s blade would slash the enemy¡¯s magicrafts, and if the timing was right, it would split them in half¡­¡­. ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a cut¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t normally cut that well¡­¡­.I think it¡¯s probably the effect of Ludia¡¯s augmentation, but¡­¡­I¡¯m still curious about Yuta¡¯s Ludia value¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ludia values also influence attack power.¡± ¡°Yes, it affects all the abilities of the magicraft.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Even as we were having this conversation, we were slaying the enemies. Farma¡¯s arrows, however, have a much higher rate of fire speed and accuracy than before. If she¡¯s careful, she¡¯s going to get the most kills. Nanami¡¯s swordsmanship has also improved greatly, and her dancing fighting style is probably based on Alana¡¯s, as she slashes through her enemies in rhythm. An hour after the battle began we had eliminated more than half of the enemies and their attacks began to slow down. ¡°As expected, the enemy it¡¯s starting to get scared after this much fighting.¡± Alana said as she saw the change in the enemy¡¯s movements. ¡°Maybe if we eliminate a few more they¡¯ll run.¡± ¡°Nanami, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could help me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired too¡­¡­.¡± As Nanami and Farma said, fatigue will accumulate, and after an hour of fighting, they¡¯re starting to get tired. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it one more try and force them to retreat!¡± Everyone responded well to my words. ¡°Oh!¡± And I resumed my attack on the scared enemies¡­¡­. After defeating more enemies, just when they were about to retreat, there was a magicraft unit approaching at great speed from the east. At first, I thought they were enemy reinforcements, but I recognized that magicraft. ¡°How come the Beast King Mercenaries are in the picture?¡± Yes, the unit was that Beast King mercenary group¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m here in response to your call for reinforcements!¡± That¡¯s what the leader of the Beast King mercenaries said, but I didn¡¯t ask for any reinforcements. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t ask for reinforcements.¡± I said, and got a surprising response. ¡°Not from you, but from a junior officer in the Kirks army who is accompanying you.¡± ¡°What?¡± It seems that the Kirks army, which is accompanying and waiting behind us, has requested reinforcements from the Beast King mercenaries¡­¡­. ¡°Wait a minute, this is a solo mission for us Iron Knights, we don¡¯t need reinforcements.¡± I really don¡¯t need reinforcements when the battle is already won. ¡°Hmph, you people who pretended to help us who didn¡¯t need help during the Battle of Ruba Fortress and then snatched our prey have no right to say that!¡± No, no, no¡­¡­.If I hadn¡¯t helped you then, you would have been in trouble¡­¡­. After such a ridiculous exchange, the enemy forces, judging that they would be further outnumbered by the appearance of the Beast King mercenaries, immediately began to retreat¡­¡­ CH 40 For some reason, the operation to retake the border town that was supposed to have been completed by us Iron Knights was supposed to have been retaken by the Beast King mercenaries¡­¡­. ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re the ones killing most of the enemies! Just check the battle recorder and you¡¯ll see!¡± Jean¡¯s angry protest was directed at the commander of the Kirks¡¯ army. ¡°Huh¡­¡­.You guys seem to have the technology to tamper with the battle recorder¡¯s numbers, so I wouldn¡¯t trust you with that.¡± ¡°How can you tamper with a battle recorder, I¡¯ve never even heard of such a thing!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not interested in such methods either, but the number of planes destroyed this time was 221, which is an unrealistic number, and it¡¯s inconsistent with the fact that the NCOs in the field told us that the total number of enemies was about 100! If you were going to falsify the data, you should have used more realistic numbers.¡± ¡°Why did the Beast King mercenaries come to reinforce me when I was on a solo mission in the first place? Isn¡¯t that strange!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the junior officers in the field thought it would be too pitiful for you guys to do it alone.¡± ¡°Who told you to do all that extra work?¡­¡­¡­..What about the reward?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold off on saying that the Beast King mercenaries did a good job this time, you can prove it in the next mission.¡± ¡°What the hell is that? I can¡¯t accept that! Yuta, you should say something too!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Jean¡­¡­there¡¯s nothing you can say, let¡¯s just back off here.¡± ¡°But, man! We¡¯re not getting paid!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, we¡¯ll prove it next time, but Commander, if we prove our strength in the next mission, you¡¯ll pay us for all the magicrafts we¡¯ve destroyed.¡± ¡°Hmm, of course I will pay you if I can prove it, good luck with that.¡± Quite frustrated, we returned to our ride carrier. ¡°Yuta! You¡¯re being a little too good-natured!¡± Jean¡¯s anger still didn¡¯t seem to subside. ¡°There¡¯s a saying in my country¡­¡­Even a Buddha¡¯s face is good three times.¡± If the result is the same next time, we¡¯ll give up on Kirks and move on. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting term¡­¡­it means there won¡¯t be a fourth time, well there better be, there¡¯s a bit of something going on behind the scenes between the Beast King mercenaries and the Kirks army, the timing of the reinforcements in the border town is too strange.¡± As Alana said, it seems as if there was some force at work to undermine us. In fact, we could have given up on them this time, but we decided to follow the old Japanese saying and give them one last chance. That day, we celebrated our victory¡­¡­because we were sure we had won and we knew it ourselves, even if no one else recognized it. We had a toast, but Nanami and Farma were children, so we toasted with fruit juice, and I was given a light drink. It seems that in this world, 16 is the age of adulthood, so I¡¯m just barely old enough to drink. ¡°Come on! What¡¯s with the Beast King Mercenaries? We¡¯re a hundred times stronger than them!¡± ¡°What the hell, Jean, you¡¯re the angriest one of all.¡± ¡°Of course I am! I hate working for free the most!¡± In response to Jean¡¯s anger, Alana has a calm expression on her face and drinks in a mature way. ¡°You¡¯re right, we don¡¯t have any income, but we do have something much more useful than that.¡± ¡°What, more important than money?¡± ¡°Well, in a way.¡± ¡°So what is it?¡± ¡°Battle experience¡­¡­.Two major battles have greatly improved our skills¡­¡­.I¡¯m sure that will be an asset for a mercenary group.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I also want money.¡± ¡°Well, if Kirks doesn¡¯t work out, we can always make money in the next one, there are plenty of countries.¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­you¡¯re such a positivist.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the man I fell in love with.¡± ¡°No, you make me sound like a petty little man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, because I¡¯d be broke without you, too.¡± ¡°Hmmm, well, that¡¯s all right, but did anyone eat the meat I cooked?¡± ¡°Jean said, looking at the grill where the meat was cooking.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t eat your meat.¡± ¡°Hoho¡­¡­I like my meat well cooked, so I guess Nanami ate the meat I carefully nurtured and cooked on the edge¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t eat it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, you greedy bastard!¡± Ignoring Nanami and Jean¡¯s meat fight¡­¡­anyway, this may be the last time we¡¯ll be in Kirks¡­¡­.With the way that commander is acting, I¡¯d say that¡¯s a good possibility¡­¡­.Well, even if that happens, it¡¯s a good thing, because as Alana said, we¡¯re getting experience, which is more important than money¡­¡­. CH 41 The rapier pierces the enemy magicraft¡¯s head, and the magicraft, having lost its head, falls backwards helplessly¡­¡­ ¡°100 enemy troops wiped out at once¡­¡­.No matter how strong the Elysian army is on the continent, it¡¯s too much¡­¡­.Especially that jet-black magicraft¡­¡­Is the Triple Highlander a monster?¡± The admiration of the officer of the Teim army, a friend of mine who is accompanying me, leaks out of the Word Box¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so great about this, but it might definitely help me defeat the enemy more efficiently. ¡°Yuki, you¡¯re getting pretty good at this, I¡¯m no match for you.¡± Emina, a double Highlander who has been fighting with me since my first battle, compliments me. ¡°I¡¯m still no match for Emina. You have more kills this time than I do.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve killed two of the enemy¡¯s ace Highlanders.¡± ¡°I just happened to be the one who met him. If he had encountered Emina, you would have defeated him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not buying you dinner, even if you say that.¡± Emina and I get along quite well, and she has become my best friend since I came to this world¡­¡­.We spend a lot of time together, both in battle and in our personal lives, and we¡¯ve come to know each other. ¡°Lady Yuki, Lady Emina, the general is calling for you, please come to the command ride carrier later.¡± I was sent to the Zimrian front, the fierce battleground of the war between Teim, a tributary of the Elysian Empire, and the Kingdom of Hurrij¡­¡­.The war is already turning towards Teim, and those around me are saying that victory is only a matter of time, so I guess we¡¯re talking about returning home¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯d like you two to go take the Magicrafts Unit and head for the Cilacian Empire.¡± ¡°This is a country that recently became a member of Elysia, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, the Cilacian Empire is currently at war with the Kirks Republic, but they seem to be outmatched and have requested reinforcements.¡± ¡°I¡¯d heard they had the upper hand until recently.¡± ¡°Looks like the tide has turned with the arrival of a powerful mercenary group.¡± ¡°A powerful mercenary group¡­¡­it¡¯s not the Sword Saint¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, as expected, the Sword Sage¡¯s Sword Clan won¡¯t be fighting in such a small war, the mercenary group that is siding with the Kirks Republic is called the Beast King Mercenaries.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡± ¡°It is indeed an unknown name, but it is said that in just two battles, they defeated a third of the total army of the Cilacian Empire¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the kind of warfare that mercenaries are capable of.¡° ¡°I hear the Black Havens Highlanders of the Cilacian Empire have also been defeated¡­..I think Yuki and Emina will be fine, but be on your guard.¡± Emina and I led 50 magicrafts to the Cilacian Empire. The fifty magicrafts were the Elysian Empire¡¯s mid-range general-purpose magicrafts, all of which had an activation Ludia value of 3000, an elite force with high performance for a mass-produced machine. ¡°Thank you Elysian army for coming all the way here to reinforce us.¡± The commander of the Cilacian army politely bows down to me¡­¡­.Since it is a vassal state of Elysia, I am treated quite politely. ¡°So what enemy do we have to defeat?¡± Emina asked, to which the commander replied with trepidation. ¡°Can you first deal with the front line troops of the Kirks army that have crossed the border and invaded?¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s head there as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Then let a hundred magic machines from the Cilacian army accompany you.¡± The offer was made immediately, but Emina replied with a calm expression. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need you to accompany me as it would be too difficult to fight.¡± ¡°What? But the Kirks have a huge army of over 200 magicrafts¡­¡­¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The commander couldn¡¯t say anything more to Emina, who said so. Indeed, to be honest, I feel that the rest of the army is just a hindrance when it comes to coordination and such. We received information that the Kirks¡¯ army had invaded as far as a region called Chiruni, so we headed there immediately¡­¡­. ¡°You are free to annihilate the rest.¡± That was all Emina instructed her subordinate riders before the battle. ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be free to move around, and there¡¯s no danger of you wandering off on your own.¡± ¡°Can I take that as a sign of trust? I feel like you¡¯re just abandoning me.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ll get more results if you move freely.¡± ¡°You just put a lot of pressure on me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you know you can do it.¡± Apparently, she¡¯s being misled, but I¡¯m pretty sure she trusts me. We deployed in squadrons of five magicrafts, spread out around the perimeter, and attacked a large force of over 200 magicrafts. I move alone, destroying any enemy I see¡­..enemy movement seems slow, as if they are moving in slow-motion. First of all, enemy attacks don¡¯t hit me, and my rapier thrusts put enemy magicrafts out of action with a single blow. Emina also moves alone, and destroys the enemy magicrafts at a great speed. The riders under her command are also elite, and they are overwhelming the enemy¡¯s forces. ¡°Bang!¡± The sound of enemies being destroyed flooded the surroundings. 200 magicrafts were turned into scrap in a matter of minutes, and our damage was zero¡­¡­.Is there any enemy that can fight on equal terms with Elysia? I had even started to think about such questions. CH 42 It seemed that there had been a major change in the battle situation, and the Kirks army was in a panic, telling us to come to the command center. ¡°He didn¡¯t hesitate to call after treating us so badly.¡± ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad treatment.¡± ¡°Yuta¡¯s right, he¡¯s probably so empty inside his head that he doesn¡¯t even feel bad.¡± When I came to the command center with Jean and Alana complaining about this, I found many people gathered there, including the various mercenary groups and the regular army. ¡°We received a report that the front line army invading Cilacia was wiped out¡­¡­It was a large army of 200 magicrafts, but they were wiped out in a matter of minutes.¡± That¡¯s what the commander reported to everyone. Well, so what, I thought, realizing that I did not have good feelings about the Kirks army. ¡°It is uncertain, but it seems that Cilacia has called in powerful reinforcements. If we leave such a powerful force unattended, we will be in a dangerous situation in the future¡­¡­.Therefore, we have decided to crush that enemy reinforcement force with all our might, and we will carry out a large-scale eradication operation with all mercenary groups and the regular army here.¡± ¡°How many enemies are there?¡± The leader of the Beast King mercenary group asked. ¡°I heard that the reinforcement force is about fifty magicrafts, but about a hundred of the Cilacian army are accompanying them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s our strength against that?¡± ¡°Ninety mercenaries and one hundred and fifty regulars.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s a piece of cake. This is a chance to make some money.¡± That¡¯s what the leader of the Beast King mercenary group says when he sees the difference in numbers¡­¡­.Are you forgetting the information that the enemy reinforcements wiped out 200 magicrafts without difficulty? ¡°Hey, Yuta, you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°You really do seem to have a lot of luck.¡± When Naoshi and Akane found me, they called out to me. ¡°Well, you know, my luck has always been good. Looks like you guys are as lucky as I am.¡± ¡°Luck? We¡¯re half-radar, we survived on our own merits!¡± ¡°Is that so? I heard a pathetic voice that didn¡¯t sound like a competent person saying, ¡°Anybody can help me,¡± and I wondered if he was surviving on luck alone.¡± ¡°Which¡­¡­why would you¡­¡­no, we wouldn¡¯t say that! You must have mistaken it for someone else¡¯s voice!¡± ¡°Well, okay, but more importantly, this time the enemy might be pretty strong, tell your Commander that it¡¯s not safe to keep dragging people down too much.¡± At any rate, I only warned him because we were old classmates. The large-scale eradication operation was immediately put into effect, and we headed for the bordering Chiruni region, which was to become our battleground. ¡°It¡¯s best to stay away from the Beast King mercenaries as much as possible.¡± Alana suggested this to me as we were discussing the mission. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t trust those guys, and I don¡¯t trust Kirks¡¯ regular army either, so it¡¯s probably better to work alone.¡± ¡°I think so too¡­¡­.The only people I¡¯ll be fighting with are the Steel Warriors.¡± ¡°Nanami will feel safer if she¡¯s with everyone else. I don¡¯t like it when other people make fun of Nanami and her friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that as long as I¡¯m with¡­¡­everyone else¡± They all unanimously decided that the Steel Warriors will act alone in this operation¡­¡­.If true, it would be more dangerous for them to act alone, but it is also strange that they feel more secure in their current situation. ¡°Yuta, I think you should save the magic bullet this time for emergencies.¡± That¡¯s what Alana advises me as I prepare to go out. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be in trouble if I couldn¡¯t shoot when I wanted to.¡± It¡¯s true that the magic bullets can¡¯t be fired continuously, so it¡¯s better not to use them in case something goes wrong, I agreed with the advice. The battlefield was going to be a large area of the Chiruni region¡­¡­.We received information that the regular Kirkus army would invade from the center and the other mercenary groups would proceed from the east to the center, so we chose the route of invading from the west without hesitation. ¡°Whoa, Steel Warriors, you¡¯re so scared you¡¯re going into a corner like that.¡± The leader of the Beast King mercenaries is being sarcastic in the long-distance communication channel. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to fight with some mercenary group.¡± Jean¡¯s reply was even more sarcastic. ¡°It¡¯s the enemy reinforcements you should be afraid of, so just stay in your corner and shake.¡± Jean ignored him. This time, because of the distance, we wouldn¡¯t be able to help the Beast King mercenaries if something happened to them, and we really didn¡¯t want to. CH 43 Chapter 1/4 sponsored by KingPen.Thank you for your generosity. Having defeated a large enemy force in Chiruni, we had joined up with the Cilacian army and were preparing to invade Kirks. ¡°Yuki, you¡¯re a girl too, so why don¡¯t you dress up a little more even on the battlefield?¡± That¡¯s what Emina said to me as I greeted her in the morning in my drab clothes and shaggy hair. ¡°I¡¯m going to change into my military uniform anyway, and I want to look comfortable in my ride carrier.¡± We, the senior riders, were not told anything in particular about our attire, but both Emina and I usually changed into our military uniforms because we said it would not be a good example to our subordinates. ¡°I¡¯ve got men coming in and out of here.¡± ¡°I already know.¡± ¡°Yuki doesn¡¯t have any clothes at all, does she?¡± ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t been long since I came to this world¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s a nice store in Teito. Shall we go there together when we get back?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s great. I¡¯ve always wanted some clothes.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to kill the enemy and go home.¡± While we were talking about this, I received an urgent call from the Cilacian army. ¡°I¡¯m told there¡¯s a large enemy force heading this way.¡± ¡°Does the large¡­¡­army include the Beast King mercenaries?¡± ¡°Emina asked, and the commander of the Cilacian army answered after seeing the information from his subordinates.¡± ¡°Yes, the Beast King mercenaries are included in that army.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very convenient¡­¡­Yuki, get ready for battle right away, let¡¯s clear out the Beast King mercenary group and return to the imperial capital.¡± She had a big smile on her face as she said this. We took up position at Chiruni, ready to intercept the enemy forces. ¡°It seems that the enemy forces are coming towards us from three directions.¡± The movement of the enemy army was transmitted from the Cilacian army. ¡°Three ways¡­¡­do you know where the Beast King mercenaries are coming from?¡± ¡°Our spies tell us that the Beast King mercenaries will invade from the east.¡± ¡°How many enemies are coming from the other directions?¡± ¡°From the center, the main army of the Kirks is over a hundred magicrafts, and from the west¡­¡­is this some kind of error or something?¡­¡­It seems that a mercenary group called the Iron Knights is invading alone¡­..I¡¯m getting reports of four magicrafts.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­the Cilacian army should intercept the main army of Kirks in the center, we will divide the troops into two and deal with the enemies in the west and east.¡± When Emina informed the commander of the Cilacian army, he instructed his men and me as follows. ¡°I, Yuki, and two squads will crush the Beast King mercenaries in the east, and the rest of you will defeat the enemies in the west, and then reinforce the center.¡± Emina seems to think that the only strong enemy is the Beast King mercenaries¡­¡­.I think so too. When I moved to the east side and waited for the enemy, I saw about a hundred magicrafts, that¡¯s the Beast King mercenary group¡­¡­I heard from information that they are quite strong enemies, I have to be on guard¡­¡­. ¡°Yuki, take your squad and go around to the right, I¡¯ll take the left.¡± ¡°Roger that. Be careful, Emina.¡± ¡°You too.¡± I accelerated at once and plunged into the enemy army¡­¡­.As I intended, the enemy concentrated on me¡­¡­.Then a squad of my men attacked. A squad of five magicrafts attacked and suddenly crushed a double-digit number of enemy planes. I was also the target of attacks, but I destroyed the enemy with my rapier¡­ It¡¯s fragile¡­¡­This is the Beast King mercenary group¡­..No way is this the best they can do? I and a squad of my men had just taken out half of the enemy, and Emina would be communicating with us. ¡°Yuki, you¡¯re acting a little strange, the Beast King mercenaries can¡¯t be this weak¡­¡­.Maybe there¡¯s an error in Cilacia information.¡± I thought the same thing, the information was wrong¡­¡­.If that¡¯s the case, where is the real Beast King mercenary group?¡­¡­That question was answered by a transmission from a subordinate who was sent in the west side. ¡°¡­¡­is a monster¡­¡­.What is this strength?¡­¡­Zuzu¡­¡­and the¡­¡­ west squad was wiped out!¡­¡­Ta¡­¡­help me! Zsa Zsa¡­¡­Zuzu¡­¡­¡± And with that, the communication was cut off. ¡°No way! I should have known¡­¡­sooner¡­¡­.I thought there were too few enemies attacking from the west, but there¡¯s no way there are only four¡­¡­magicrafts. I¡¯m sure the Beast King mercenaries are in the west¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What do you say, Emina, we head west right away?¡± ¡°Emina, what should we do? ¨C Emina, do you want to head west right now? ¨C No, we can¡¯t go help the west squad right now.¡± We began to decimate the enemy forces to the east, but some of them, seeing that they were outnumbered, began to flee. ¡°You got away, well, okay, let¡¯s leave the little fishes alone and head west right away.¡± I agreed with Emina¡¯s decision. CH 44 Chapter 2/4 sponsored by KingPen. The other 2 will be released Sunday. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the tenth one!¡± I decided to use the Double Spear as my weapon for this fight as well. I prioritized annihilation because I often avoided enemy attacks and didn¡¯t have much of a chance to prevent them, but it was still nice to be able to kill enemies quickly and stress-free. ¡°Yuta, you look like you¡¯re doing well, but you need to keep your guard up. This enemy, unlike the Cilacian army we¡¯ve fought so far, is very strong, with lean movements, coordination, and control.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡­that my attacks have been dodged a few times, too¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re still not our match if we¡¯re careful.¡± As Alana said, there were no visible struggles against such a strong enemy force, and Nanami and Farma increased their number of defeats one after another. In the middle of such a smooth battle, I heard that nasty voice over the long-distance communication. ¡°Gaga¡­¡­Gaga¡­¡­help me!¡­¡­We need reinforcements! We have a ridiculously strong enemy in the east! What are you doing, Iron Knights!¡¡Come and help us! No¡­¡­ta¡­¡­help me! Zaza ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s the voice of the leader of the Beast King mercenaries¡­¡­.He is in dire need of help. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re too far away to help you.¡± I replied coldly. Well, it¡¯s true. ¡°The¡­¡­Beast King Mercenaries are making a strategic retreat! It¡¯s not our fault if we lose this battle! It¡¯s your fault for not coming to our rescue!¡± ¡°Go ahead, run off on your own.¡± I didn¡¯t want to deal with them anymore, so I replied that. ¡°Oh my god, the way he¡¯s acting, he¡¯s going to blame us for losing this fight.¡± That¡¯s what I thought when Alana said that to me. I¡¯m not sure if I should have said it a little more softly¡­¡­.No, it doesn¡¯t matter what I say, I thought to myself. I regained my composure and began to eradicate the remaining enemies. After that, I encountered some resistance, but it wasn¡¯t until I was struggling that I was able to destroy the enemies one after the other, and then the last enemy was shot with Farma¡¯s arrow. ¡°Okay, annihilation complete, now what do we do, rest a bit and head for the center?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­let¡¯s take a break for now, there seems to be a strong force to the east, let¡¯s get ready for anything.¡± As I was resting a bit, having a drink and a meal, I had a strange feeling in my chest¡­¡­. ¡°Hey guys¡­¡­wait a minute¡­..something¡¯s coming¡­..¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yuta? What are you feeling?¡± ¡°Nanami doesn¡¯t feel anything either¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡­either¡­¡­.¡± At the moment when Farma finally said that, about ten magicrafts flew out of the forest. ¡°It¡¯s here! They¡¯re early!¡± The enemy¡¯s movement was quite fast¡­..especially the jet-black magicraft approaching us at a speed I¡¯ve never seen before. The jet-black enemy craft swooped down on Nanami¡¯s Vajra and began attacking with its slender weapons. Vajra is also attacked from behind by a purple magicraft, not as fast as the jet-black one, but quite fast, and Nanami is in trouble! I tried to move quickly to help, but five enemies blocked my way. Alana, like me, was tangled up in five enemy magicrafts and was unable to help. ¡°Farma, rise and cover Nanami with arrows! Nanami, hold them off until we¡¯re clear!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.Yeah!¡± Against two strong opponents, Nanami was fighting an even battle. On the contrary, an enemy that can fight evenly against the triple Highlander Nanami is¡­¡­ We need to get this over with. I pierce a nearby enemy plane with my Double Spear, easily skewering it due to the fact that it was caught off guard. Alana also sensed the danger of this group, and hurriedly began to clear away the enemies around us. But just like before, these guys are no ordinary enemies, and they¡¯re not going to be easy to defeat¡­¡­. When I slashed at it with the Double Spear, it sacrificed its right hand to catch it, and one of the enemy planes hit me with its body while I was out of balance, then two enemies attacked me with swords and spears. I managed to eliminate them. One of the enemy magicrafts moved back a little, probably upset that his comrades had been torn apart, so I closed the gap between us and pierced it with the double spear! Only one left¡­¡­ In order to clear the last one, I accelerated and approached it. It didn¡¯t run away or avoid me, but came at me with a body blow. I was momentarily shaken by the unexpected action, my movements slowed down, and I was hit. ¡°Damn¡­..you¡¯re stubborn!¡± The enemy magicraft clings to me, but I pull it off and slam it into the ground. ¡°Kyah!¡± I¡¯m horrified to hear Nanami¡¯s screams¡­¡­ ¡°Nanami you okay?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡­yeah¡­¡­just grazed me a little¡­¡­but this enemy is strong!¡± Even though she was covered by Farma¡¯s arrows, Nanami was still vulnerable to the attacks of the two enemies. I immediately tried to rush to her rescue. The next thing I saw, however, was a defenseless Vajra, its movements blocked by a purple magicraft, about to be pierced by the slender sword of the jet-black magicraft. ¡°Nanami!¡± I quickly readied my magic bullet ¨C and sent the image of shooting through the jet-black fuselage to the control sphere in order to avoid hitting Vajra. ¡°Tsiu!¡± (If anyone knows a better sound effect leave a comment) A line of light extends, piercing the shoulder of the jet-black magicraft in attack position and blowing off its right arm ¨C the purple magicraft also leaves the Vajra in response. Nanami didn¡¯t miss that moment, and with minimal movement, she swung the sword in her right hand and pierced the body of the purple magicraft. At that moment, I thought I heard some kind of scream. It was a loud voice, full of sadness and anger¡­¡­. CH 45 After wiping out the enemies to the east, we headed west in the fast ride carrier we had waiting in the rear. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re outnumbered in the center, we¡¯ll be wiped out if we don¡¯t quickly clear out the Beast King mercenaries in the west and head for the rescue.¡± Emina said as she looked at the beacon crystal display. While the ride carrier is moving, we need to rehydrate and prepare for battle. The opponent is a strong enemy that decimated our elite troops, we need to be well prepared¡­¡­ When we arrived at the area where our squad had been annihilated, we boarded the magicrafts and searched for the enemy army. ¡°I found them¡­¡­.But there are only four of them¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t seem to have noticed, do you want to wait and see?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s attack. First squad will deal with the red one, second squad with the white one, Yuki and I will deal with the gold one and the blue one.¡± Under Emina¡¯s direction, her subordinates immediately began to move¡­¡­.I also went with Emina to the golden magicraft. As I accelerated and approached, the other side seemed to have noticed me, and immediately counterattacked. Here I felt a strange sense of discomfort¡­¡­a bad feeling or a strange sensation¡­¡­well, it must be my imagination, now I have to concentrate on the enemy¡­¡­ I tried to pierce the golden enemy magicraft with my rapier, but the attack was blocked by its shield. I was surprised because it was the first time I had ever been blocked. In the gap between my attacks, Emina¡¯s Magicraft, Shriapur, got behind the golden enemy magicraft. Emina attacks the golden enemy with her sword, but her attack is also blocked. This enemy¡­¡­is strong¡­¡­ Emina unleashed a series of sword attacks, and I matched them with a fierce rapier attack. However, the golden enemy magicraft continued to block mine and Emina¡¯s attacks with its shield and sword. ¡°This enemy is definitely the Beast King Mercenaries! What strength¡­¡­.¡± Emina was also in awe. ¡°Yuki! Avoid it!¡± In response to the voice, I barely reacted to the arrow fired from above¡­¡­.The arrow grazed Elvira¡¯s shoulder and stabbed into the ground behind her. ¡°Wait a minute, that blue enemy plane¡­¡­is flying in the sky!¡± It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a¡­¡­flying magicraft. ¡°Yuki, watch out for the arrows.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± However, it was extremely difficult to fight the golden enemy magicraft while keeping an eye on the arrows, and the number of attacks made by Emina and I would be drastically reduced. ¡°Yuki, I¡¯ll stop the gold, you take it down while I do.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Emina slashes at the golden enemy with her sword, and when she gets into a low posture, as if she was aiming for the moment when the shield blocked her, she moves around to the side and at once, she clung to the golden enemy magicraft. ¡°Now!¡± I readied my rapier and was about to pierce the enemy¡¯s torso and knock him down¡­¡­.But at that moment, my Elvira was hit by a powerful impact. ¡°What?¡± I can see Elvira¡¯s right arm is blown off¡­¡­but I didn¡¯t know what the attack was¡­¡­I regained my bearings and looked around¡­¡­Then I saw Shriapur being pierced by the golden enemy magicraft sword. ¡°No, no, no! Emina!¡± The enemy¡¯s sword pierced the cockpit¡­¡­ I felt a chill and called out to Emina. ¡°Emina! Emina! Come in, come in, come in!¡± But there was no response from Shriapur¡­¡­.The blood drained from my veins¡­¡­.Despair and sadness flooded me, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything else¡­¡­ The golden enemy that had defeated Emina was coming towards me¡­¡­.Stunned by the loss of my right hand and the loss of Emina¡­¡­I was unable to move. ¡°Lady Yuki!¡± While shouting, the high-speed ride carrier that was waiting behind me charged the golden enemy. The gold-colored magicraft took the hit and was blown backwards. ¡°Lady Yuki, please hurry up and board!¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything else, so I did as I was told and climbed into the high-speed ride carrier¡­ The ride carrier let out a loud boom, and we were off. As it was, I retreated to the imperial capital of Cilicia¡­¡­.I was told there that the battle of Chiruni ended with the complete defeat of Cilacia. Then the news of Emina¡¯s death and the annihilation of her troops reached Elysia¡­¡­.Elysia is a nation that values its senior riders, and the death of only a double Highlander and her elite was reason enough to anger the emperor. An army of avengers was immediately sent from Elysia¡¯s to avenge them¡­¡­. ¡°Mr. Yuto¡­¡­¡± The army of 500 magicrafts was led by the strongest rider on the continent. ¡°Yuki¡­¡­are you okay?¡± ¡°Emina¡­¡­Emina¡­¡­in front of my eyes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, now that I¡¯m here¡­¡­the Beast King mercenaries and the Kirks Republic will be annihilated, this is the Emperor¡¯s order, so no prisoners or surrenders will be tolerated, let¡¯s avenge Emina together.¡± I nodded quietly. CH 46 Chapter 3/4 Sponsored by KingPen. The strong enemy in the purple magicraft was defeated by Nanami¡¯s blow. The jet-black one escaped, but the west was completely subdued by the Iron Knights. I had planned to go to the center for reinforcements immediately after the battle, but as I was checking the defeated enemy planes, I heard a moan. It seemed to be coming from the purple magicraft that had tormented Nanami. ¡°Wait a minute. I heard something.¡± ¡°Maybe the enemy is alive.¡± When I heard Alana¡¯s words, I hurriedly approached the purple magicraft. ¡°Hey, are you alive?¡± It was strange to ask that question after we had defeated them ourselves, but no matter how much of an enemy they were, if we defeated them, they were just injured. If he¡¯s alive, I want to help him. I think I heard a little bit of moaning, I pried open the hatch part of the purple magicraft with my Arleo¡­¡­Inside was a woman lying in a pool of blood. I got off the Arleo and quickly approached the woman. ¡°Are you okay?¡± However, there was no reply from the woman¡­¡­.When I put my ear close to the mouth area; I could hear the sound of breathing. ¡°It looks like she¡¯s alive, but her injury is very bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yuta, she¡¯s an enemy, are you going to help her?¡± ¡°She was an enemy until a while ago. Now she¡¯s just a wounded woman.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the man I fell in love with¡­¡­.There¡¯s a medical capsule in the ride carrier, let¡¯s get her there.¡± We managed to get there in time, and the woman¡¯s condition was stabilized in the medical capsule. ¡°Great, can you fix anything with this medical capsule?¡± ¡°It can handle most physical injuries, but it¡¯s an older model, so it will take time. This injury will take ten days to heal completely¡­¡­¡± Ten days is a long time, but I¡¯m glad I could help. Then we tried to head for the center, but before we could get there, the Kirks defeated the Cilacians in the center, and the battle of Chiruni ended with Kirks victory. ¡°Those jet-black and purple magicrafts you fought at the end, looked pretty strong, but you held your own well, Nanami.¡± When I praised her, Nanami shook her head and said, ¡°I was just fighting really hard, I don¡¯t remember how I was able to defend myself¡­¡­.I think Nanami would have been killed if Yuta hadn¡¯t saved her.¡± I¡¯m really glad I was able to save Nanami. ¡°So, who were these reinforcements, after all?¡± When Jean casually asked this, Farma replied. It¡¯s hard to tell because the enemy¡¯s magicrafts¡­¡­had their national mark hidden and its color changed, but that was the Elysian Empire¡¯s intermediate general-purpose magicraft.¡± Jean¡¯s face changed when he heard that. ¡°Are you serious, Farma?¡± ¡°Yeah, definitely, I like Elysia¡¯s magicrafts, I know them well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Tyrrhenian Empire has become a vassal state of Elysia, but I didn¡¯t expect us to go to war with a vassal state.¡± ¡°I wonder if¡­¡­the Kirks army has that information.¡± Alana also seemed to know about the Elysian Empire. I remember hearing about it somewhere too, but I can¡¯t remember where. ¡°No, they don¡¯t know, Kirks¡¯ intelligence department seems to be incompetent, if they knew, they¡¯d be more panicked.¡± ¡®I agree that the Kirkus military intelligence is incompetent, though I think the entire military is incompetent, not just the intelligence department, to be exact.¡± I could tell from her expression that Alana meant what she said. ¡°Yes, I have a feeling that they won¡¯t pay the reward again this time for whatever reason¡­¡­.I think the Beast King mercenary group is manipulating them¡± ¡°Hey, Yuta, if Kirks doesn¡¯t pay up this time, I¡¯m leaving this country.¡± ¡°I know, Jean. I¡¯ve said it before, three times in my limit.¡± And as expected, the¡­¡­tussles were even more forceful this time, enough to leave us dumbfounded. ¡°Refusing to reinforce the Beast King mercenaries who were fighting well against a large army, avoiding the battle in the center and fleeing to the west where there were no enemies, pretending to fight and only reporting the defeat of the enemy¡­¡­.¡± The words no longer brought any emotion to my heart. ¡°Is that your assessment of the Iron Knights¡¯ performance in this battle, Commander?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid the Iron Knights will not be rewarded again this time.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ m breaking the contract, I can¡¯t fight for this country anymore.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad, I personally would have appreciated you guys, well, free mercenaries, do as you please.¡± I have a hard time understanding what he was appreciating. ¡°I don¡¯t know if a strong enemy will come after we¡¯re gone! If you regret it then, it will be too late.¡± Jean seemed to have said that because he knew that the reinforcements in Cilacia were the Elysian Empire, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on the commander of the Kirks¡¯ army. ¡°When a strong enemy comes, the Beast King Mercenaries will take them down, because unlike you, they have real power.¡± ¡°Real ability¡­¡­.Then you¡¯ll have to depend on the Beast King mercenaries.¡± This is how I decided to leave Kirks after three battles¡­¡­.I don¡¯t have very good memories, but it might have been a good experience. Also, that enemy woman is still in our ride carrier, not handed over to Kirks, as it would be dangerous to take her out of the medical capsule now. ¡°After all, we¡¯re just working for free¡­¡­.And with the ally riders as baggage¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It is true that there was no reward, but we were able to receive supplies, so it wasn¡¯t too much of a loss. ¡­¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right, the enemy is a senior rider of the Elysian Empire, can¡¯t we get a ransom or something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of a ransom¡­¡­because it makes me feel like a criminal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re such a good boy, Yuta.¡± ¡°You should learn a little from him.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Now, where do you want to go next?¡± When Alana asked that, Jean quickly replied ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to leave Kirks so soon, so I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± ¡°Well, how about a small group of countries in the south, there¡¯s a lot of skirmishes there.¡± ¡°Well, yes, there¡¯s not a lot of money to be made¡­¡­but there¡¯s also not a lot of bad countries like Kirks, so that could be a possibility.¡± Alana and Jean are discussing, but I¡¯m not familiar with geography or the state of affairs in this world, so I can¡¯t offer any opinions¡­¡­. Alana and Jean decided that we should head south in search of our next employer¡­It was five days later when we heard the news that the Kirks Republic had fallen¡­ CH 47 Chapter 4/4 sponsored by KingPen, once again thank you for your generosity. My Elvira, which had lost its right arm, was repaired by a mechanic from Elysia¡¯s. The mechanic looked at the broken parts and said with a dubious expression, ¡°What kind of weapon could break the SS armor of Elvira like this?¡± I couldn¡¯t see the enemy¡¯s weapon either, what the hell was that¡­¡­ ¡°How¡¯s it going, Yuki?¡± As I was checking the repaired Elvira, Yuto-san spoke to me. ¡°Yes, no problem.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know. I¡¯m leaving now. Can you come with me?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m coming! To avenge Emina¡¯s death¡­¡­.¡± Yuto nodded when I said that. The attack on the Kirks Republic and the Beast King Mercenaries was a complete siege and annihilation operation. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let any of you go, and I¡¯m not going to accept any surrenders, this is total annihilation.¡± Surrounding the Kirks Republic and attacking it from eight directions to destroy the enemy. It was a simple but impossible mission without absolute strength, but Yuto¡¯s army had the power to carry it out. And the ability of the continent¡¯s strongest riders was real. We overwhelmingly overran the Kirks Republic and destroyed the enemy¡¯s magicrafts. The Kirks Republic only resisted at the beginning, but when they were driven to the capital, they waved the white flag and desperately wanted to surrender. Of course, it was pointless to surrender in this situation, where the emperor had ordered complete annihilation. The capital city has fallen and the Kirks Republic has been conquered¡­¡­.Most of the enemy¡¯s magicrafts have been eradicated and the leaders of the Kirks Republic have been captured. However, there was one thing that remained on my mind, that golden magicraft and its companions were nowhere to be found in the enemy army¡­¡­.Where did the Beast King mercenary group go? Then I received word that the leader of the Beast King mercenary group had been captured. ¡°Where is the leader of the Beast King Mercenaries now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the central square of the capital. It looks like he¡¯s about to be executed.¡± I hurriedly headed there¡­¡­to check and see if I could get to the end of my revenge. Two men were tied up in the central square. ¡°Which one of them is the leader of the Beast King Mercenaries?¡± I asked the officer on guard. ¡°This is the commander of the Kirks army, and the leader of the Beast King mercenaries is the man tied up over there.¡± I spoke to the leader of the Beast King mercenary group. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I am the rider of the jet-black magicraft that fought you in Chiruni.¡± ¡°Jet-black¡­¡­could it be that you¡¯ve been hurting us so much! Were you the rider? Damn it!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, we¡¯ve been defeated by you.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about! We, the Beast King mercenaries, were beaten to a pulp by you guys and ran away!¡± I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s talking about¡­.. ¡°Are there no golden magicrafts in your group?¡± When I said that, the leader of the Beast King mercenary group started laughing vigorously, as if something had hit him. ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m not sure if it was the four magicrafts (gold, white, red and blue) that beat you up so badly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­! That¡¯s the Beast King Mercenaries, right?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha! That¡¯s funny! This is exactly what digging a grave is!¡¡Listen, I¡¯ll tell you, they¡¯re not the Beast King Mercenaries, they¡¯re a mercenary group called the Iron Knights!¡± ¡°Iron Knights¡­¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re ridiculously strong! We knew we couldn¡¯t win if we tried to compete with them, so we bribed Kirks military intelligence, other mercenary groups, and regular soldiers in the field to take credit for their work behind their backs! I didn¡¯t think the enemy knew about it!¡¡This is a masterpiece!¡± The man next to me, the commander of the Kirks army, I believe, shouted loudly when he heard what was said. ¡°Wait a minute, you! What are you talking about? Tell me what this is all about!¡± ¡°I told you! I saw it at the Battle of Ruba Fortress! The Iron Knights are the strongest mercenary group full of monsters! We can¡¯t compete with them head-on, so we¡¯ve been sneaking around behind their backs!¡¡Commander, you¡¯re a fool! If you hadn¡¯t kicked them out, you wouldn¡¯t be in this mess! Hahahahahaha!¡± ¡°You¡­¡­! Oh¡­..you fooled me too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late! They¡¯re already gone! Let¡¯s both be executed in peace.¡± ¡°Fuck you! Because of you¡­¡­I have a wife and kids!¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so blind.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­that joke of Iron Warriors defeats count was real¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­¡­I¡¯m¡­¡­I¡¯m going to¡­¡­those monstrously strong guys.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for your execution.¡± The officer in charge of the execution said coldly and nonchalantly¡­..The method of execution is burning at the stake. I didn¡¯t want to see that, so I left the place. CH 48 When we arrived in Temira, we immediately entered the castle where the conference was held. ¡°The meeting will be attended by myself, Ranelle, and Nagisa¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to show you off.¡± This king¡­¡­thought so, but I don¡¯t hate such peaceful thinking. The meeting was held at a large round table with twelve seats. The king sat at one of the seats, and Ranelle and I stood behind him, waiting. ¡°It¡¯s funny¡­¡­the meeting¡¯s already started and only about half the people are here.¡± It¡¯s true, as Ranelle said, there are a lot of empty seats. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Then one of them came into the conference room, but no one else came after that. ¡°What do you mean, four countries are absent?¡± Eight countries participated in the summit, which was scheduled to include 12 countries, and it was an elderly man who pointed this out. ¡°King Arpa, the four absent nations¡­¡­have just announced their intention to withdraw from the Eastern Bloc in a communication.¡± ¡°What the hell? What do you mean by that? Lord Veda!¡± The elderly man known as King Arpa shouted in surprise. ¡°The Ruja Empire is involved¡­¡­.They want to divide us.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­if that¡¯s the case¡­¡­then war is inevitable.¡± Wait a minute¡­¡­Isn¡¯t this a meeting to avert war? I¡¯m getting a really bad feeling about this. ¡°If the four nations that have withdrawn are going to side with the Ruja Empire, we¡¯re going to be at a significant disadvantage.¡± ¡°We might want to consider alliances with other countries.¡± ¡°What about the Emoh Kingdom? They don¡¯t get along well with Ruja and they might be on our side.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll move in that direction, but does anyone object?¡± No one expressed any opposition to the question. ¡°Since there is no opposition, I would like someone to represent us in forming an alliance with Emoh, but I think King Amuria, Majni-dono, would be the best choice here.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that King Amuria and King Emoh are old acquaintances, and I can think of no one more qualified.¡± It seems that some important work has fallen to the king. I wonder how he will respond to it. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of that for you.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­hey dad¡­¡­it¡¯s not that easy¡­¡­.¡± Ranelle protested in a whisper. In the end, the atmosphere didn¡¯t seem to be right for showing me off, and the meeting ended with a discussion of alliances and military cooperation for defense. Back at the ride carrier, the daughter struck the father king. ¡°Dad! Why are you accepting such an important role so easily?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­inevitable. How could I refuse in that atmosphere?¡± ¡°And when they said you and King Emoh are old friends, it only meant you know each other in a bad way! Mom told me you two didn¡¯t get along.¡± ¡°Gosh¡­¡­well¡­¡­that¡¯s true, but¡­¡­he and I are both grown up, so let bygones be bygones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just your opinion, you don¡¯t know what he thinks.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Apparently, Ranelle had the advantage in the argument, and the king was tense. Still, Ranelle was desperately trying to figure out how to persuade King Emoh in the end. She is a good daughter, after all. ¡°He loves fruits, so let¡¯s bring him some rare ones as gifts.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of trusting the fate of the country to some fruits? It has to be a big gift, like a monopoly on the metal trade.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­well, how about the mining rights of Miur?¡± ¡°If you give that away, our income will plummet!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­that¡¯s right¡­¡­.¡± For now, it looks like Ranelle can handle it. Since it was closer to go from Temira to Emoh than back to Amuria, we decided to head to the Emoh Kingdom on our own. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nagisa. I¡¯ve been working long hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but are you okay? Are you sure there won¡¯t be a war?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a war either, so I¡¯ll definitely stop it.¡± Ranelle said so, but a strange feeling of unease and discomfort flooded my heart. CH 49 ¡°Hey, check this out! The Kirks Republic was destroyed right after we left.¡± Jean happily reported this after reading the information paper he had purchased in town. ¡°Did the Elysia Empire destroy them?¡± When Alana asked this while reading a book, Jean replied with a big smile on his face. ¡°The strongest rider on the continent came from Elysia, Kirks didn¡¯t had a chance.¡± ¡°Yuto¡­¡­.He¡¯s a real monster¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Alana, do you know him?¡± ¡°I had a run-in with him before.¡± ¡°Even Yuta will lose?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­knowing Yuto¡¯s absolute strength, I¡¯d think Yuta could handle him¡­¡­I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m in love with him.¡± I felt uncomfortable being there, so I decided to go towards Nanami and Farma, who were playing outside the ride carrier. We were resting in a forest after a long journey. There is a beautiful spring in the forest, where Nanami and Farma are bathing and playing. ¡°Yikes!¡± Suddenly, I heard a scream. That voice was Nanami¡­¡­I hurriedly ran toward the voice. When I looked, I saw a large bear-like man standing right in front of Nanami and Farma¡­¡­I jumped in between them. ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted to the man, shaking a little. ¡°O¡­¡­ode¡­¡­go¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­I scared you¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­¡± The man said so sadly¡­¡­So, he¡¯s not a bad guy? ¡°Um¡­¡­what can I do for you?¡± I asked, and the guy looked like he wanted to say something. ¡°You won¡¯t understand unless I tell you.¡± The man began to speak as if he had made up his mind. ¡°I was worried when I saw that you came into this¡­¡­big box¡­¡­where a lot of animals live¡­¡± Apparently, he came to see if we would kill the animals in the forest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t kill animals.¡± The man smiled happily as I said this. ¡°Ode¡­¡­Lorgo¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m Yuta, and they¡¯re Nanami and Farma.¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­Nanami¡­¡­Farma¡­¡­remembered¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­I¡¯m dumb, but I can remember people¡¯s names¡­¡­.My mom taught me that I should at least remember people¡¯s names.¡± Lorgo looked scary, like a bear, but the more I talked to him, the more I could tell he was a good guy. ¡°The animals in this forest¡­¡­have been hurt badly before¡­¡­and I couldn¡¯t¡­¡­do anything for them¡­..That¡¯s why I rushed here today¡­¡­ to protect the animals¡­¡­.But¡­¡­Yuta and the others are good people¡­¡­thank goodness¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, Lorgo is kind.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡­ kind?¡± ¡°Yes, Lorgo is kind.¡± ¡± Kind¡­¡­hehehe¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­is kind¡­¡­?¡± Lorgo was so happy with my words that he repeated the word ¡°kind¡± over and over again, smiling. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± ¡°My mother told me a long time ago to be a kind person¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t know how to be a kind person¡­¡­.Then¡­¡­¡± Lorgo was smiling as he said this, but now he began to shed tears¡­¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden? Did something sad happen to you?¡± ¡°Mom, I remembered¡­¡­Ode¡¯s mom is gone¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­misses her¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a mom or dad¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Farma, no mom, no dad¡­¡­.Ode¡¯s dad died last month¡­¡­.So no dad, no mom¡­¡­.Farma and Ode¡­¡­.the same¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.But I¡¯m not lonely. I have Nanami and Yuta now.¡± ¡°Farma has both Yuta and Nanami?¡­..Ode has no one¡­¡­.Ode¡­.lonely¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lorgo, how about you become friends with me so you won¡¯t be so lonely for a bit.¡± ¡°Really! You¡¯re going to be my friend? No one has ever made friends with me because I¡¯m so ugly¡­¡­.I¡¯m glad¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then be my friend too, even though I am so ugly¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Farma is not ugly¡­¡­and I¡¯m happy¡­¡­to be friends with Farma.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t just leave Nanami out of this; let¡¯s be friends with her too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­the best day of my life¡­¡­.I¡¯ve made more friends than I can¡­¡­count.¡± Lorgo¡¯s smile looked really happy when he said that. CH 50 KingPen sponsored another 4 chapters. Only 3 releases today since I¡¯m busy, the other 2 will be released tomorrow. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say, you eat a lot¡­¡­.¡± Jean says so in a dumbfounded way. In fact, I invited Lorgo to dinner to celebrate us becoming friends. ¡°Yummy! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had something this good.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s plenty to go around, so you can eat.¡± I said, and Lorgo responded with a smiling expression. ¡°Ah! LORGO! That¡¯s Nanami¡¯s!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.I¡¯ll return it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me back what you put in your mouth!¡± ¡°You can have this one.¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡­.That¡¯s for Farma, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­.What do I do?¡­..No more Lorgo.¡± ¡°Lorgo, you can have some of mine.¡± ¡°Really? I want to eat¡­¡­more of it, but I feel sorry for¡­¡­Farma¡¯s lost¡­¡­food. I¡¯m sorry for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made some extra food for you, so don¡¯t look so sad.¡± Jean, who had seen the situation, went and cooked some more and brought it to him¡­¡­He¡¯s a kind guy, after all, isn¡¯t he? ¡°I got a lot¡­¡­Nanami¡­¡­Farma¡­¡­Let¡¯s eat together!¡± Lorgo said to them happily¡­¡­The scene, which was quite funny, naturally brought laughter from everyone. ¡°Lorgo, are you close to home?¡± Lorgo replied to my question while munching. ¡°Near¡­¡­right there.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a lift later.¡± It was already getting dark, and it would be dangerous to move through the forest. ¡°Thank you¡­¡­so much¡­¡­Ode¡¯s house¡­¡­I invite everyone¡­¡­though there is nothing. It¡¯s my dream to have¡­¡­friends over to my house.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit it when I drop you off.¡± Lorgo smiled happily when I said that. Surprisingly, Lorgo¡¯s house was a small castle¡­¡­ ¡°This is Lorgo¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s¡­¡­my house¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lorgo, who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­the lord of this place¡­¡­since last month¡­¡­.¡± He told me that his father died last month, so he took over the family. I¡¯m surprised that Lorgo has such a family background. However, when Lorgo led me into the castle, I felt a great sense of discomfort¡­¡­.It was too quiet. I wondered if everyone had gone to bed early, but it didn¡¯t seem to be at that level. Moreover, the inside of the castle was a little rough and untidy. ¡°Lorgo, this castle, is it empty?¡± ¡°Last month¡­¡­Ode became lord and everyone in the castle¡­¡­went away with the money and stuff in the castle¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­Now I live here all by myself¡­¡­.¡± The people at the castle fled with the castle¡¯s valuables when Lorgo became lord¡­¡­.They¡¯re terrible people. ¡°You didn¡¯t get mad at those guys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not smart, I¡¯m not good at¡­¡­work, I can¡¯t do¡­¡­anything¡­¡­.so everyone got angry and left¡­..I¡¯m not angry at anyone¡­¡­¡­¡­Ode-¡­¡­ is just sad¡­¡­.¡± What a sad story. I feel a little bad because I just found out that Lorgo is a good guy. As Lorgo said, there was nothing in the castle, that¡¯s how much household goods and things were taken¡­¡­.The only things that were there were Lorgo¡¯s bed and an old wardrobe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­there¡¯s really nothing¡­¡­hospitable¡­¡­I can¡¯t do¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Hospitality is all about feelings, and I¡¯m sure Lorgo¡¯s feelings are well understood.¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stay here today.¡± ¡°Yes, it would be nice to stay in a castle.¡± Nanami and Farma suggested that. It is true that there is nothing to do but stay here. ¡°But¡­¡­is where I sleep¡­¡­so you can use my bed¡­¡­.¡± Lorgo tries to offer his own bed, but¡­¡­ ¡°No, we can borrow some scrap wood or something from around here, and I¡¯ll have a bed ready for us in no time, Nanami, Farma, get some sheets and blankets from the ride carrier.¡± As Jean said this, Nanami and Farma ran to the ride carrier. Jean is surprisingly handy¡­¡­.He made good use of scrap wood and prepared an improvised bed. ¡°Come on, Lorgo, we can all stay here.¡± When Jean said that, Lorgo smiled happily. ¡°I wish Liza would come over here.¡± As Nanami says, Liza is the only one left on the ride carrier¡­¡­she usually doesn¡¯t get involved with us unless she has to, so I¡¯m a little worried. ¡°That girl likes to be alone¡­¡­A little more camaraderie would be nice.¡± Alana also seems to be worried for her. Then we all lay down on the bed and listened to Lorgo¡¯s story¡­¡­.He didn¡¯t have much to say about his experiences, but he seemed happy to be talking to us. CH 51 When I woke up from my unusual and not very comfortable bed, Nanami and Farma were already up and making breakfast for everyone. ¡°That¡¯s unusual, you two cooking together.¡± Jean usually cooks our meals, and I couldn¡¯t help but tell them. ¡°Just get the plates ready, Yuta, because I made the most delicious food.¡± It seems that Nanami has confidence in her cooking, and she says so happily. However, when I ate, I found that¡­¡­ ¡°Hot! Wait a minute, Nanami! What the hell did you put in this?¡± Nanami food was ridiculously spicy¡­¡­even Alana, who loves spicy food, frowned, and I was in agony after taking a bite. ¡°What? It¡¯s the red spice that¡­¡­Jean always uses¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How much did you put in there?¡± ¡°One bag.¡± ¡°You idiot! That¡¯s like putting a pinch of spice in your food! If you put a bag of it in, it¡¯s bound to get spicy!¡± ¡°Because¡­¡­Nanami¡­¡­thought it would be tasty¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Jean, don¡¯t be so upset with Nanami because she made it for a good cause.¡± When I said that, Jean was like, I know that, too, and as he got up from his seat, he said, ¡°Damn¡­¡­I¡¯ll make it again.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡­wasted food¡­¡­¡± Nanami says sadly, but¡­¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t waste¡­¡­time¡­¡­eating it all¡­¡­.¡± Lorgo said and brought all of Nanami¡¯s food in front of him. ¡°Lorgo, don¡¯t do this, this spiciness is out of the ordinary.¡± Lorgo just smiled and didn¡¯t stop eating. ¡°Yeah¡­¡­hurts a little, but¡­¡­is so delicious¡­¡­.¡± Lorgo¡¯s face is bright red and he¡¯s sweating as he eats. ¡°Take it easy, Lorgo.¡± Nanami was worried and said so, but Lorgo smiled as best he could and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± No, I think he¡¯s clearly pushing it¡­¡­.But I guess that¡¯s Lorgo¡¯s kindness¡­¡­. ¡°Lorgo, give me some of that.¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­don¡¯t worry¡­¡­I can eat all the food¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, I just want to eat.¡± Then I brought the food to my mouth. A ridiculous amount of stimulation spreads in my mouth. No way, Lorgo that guy, how can he keep up eating like that? As if my actions were contagious, Alana also took a bite of Nanami and Farma food. It¡¯s not that bad once you get used to it. Even so, Alana¡¯s forehead was sweating unceasingly. Nanami and Farma also feel responsible, crying and eating spicy food¡­¡­.They don¡¯t seem to like spicy food and stopped after one bite. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, do you have anything to eat?¡± It was Liza, who was alone in the ride carrier. ¡°There you are, that looks good, I¡¯ll take some.¡± ¡°Ah! Liza! It¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± Before I could stop her, Liza brought Nanami¡¯s very spicy dish to her mouth. ¡°Delicious! That tastes amazing, can I have some more?¡± We watched in dismay as Liza ate Nanami¡¯s extremely spicy food without a care in the world¡­¡­. I had just finished breakfast and was thinking of going for a walk when the gates of the castle were violently banged. ¡°My lord! Come on out!¡± Lorgo answered the call and went outside. We were curious about what had happened because the people were so swarthy, so we went along with him. ¡°Oh¡­¡­came out¡­¡­what¡¯s wrong¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? I told you about the canal in the rice field and the well in the village! What do you mean you haven¡¯t done anything yet!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to do it! If you¡¯re a lord, do your job like a lord!¡¡We¡¯re in trouble!¡± ¡°Ode¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­¡± Lorgo wants to meet the needs of his lordship¡­¡­but he really doesn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Hey, guys, that¡¯s enough.¡± Jean said to them, as if he couldn¡¯t keep quiet about the people blaming Lorgo. ¡°What the hell, you, stranger, shut up¡± ¡°Just tell us what it is you want him to do, and we¡¯ll do it for you.¡± ¡°You guys? The canal in the rice field collapsed during the last heavy rains, and the well in the village also collapsed, so there is no drinking water.¡± When Jean heard this, he turned to us and said, ¡°Hey, Yuta, Nanami, Alana, Farma, can you get the magicrafts?¡± ¡°Okay, but what are we doing?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? We¡¯re repairing the canal and the well.¡± Well, it¡¯s true that a magicrafts can do construction work¡­¡­.But I wonder if this is something that an amateur can do? CH 52 When I brought my magicraft, Jean was measuring something. ¡°Yuta, can you make a ditch between here and there, Nanami remove that big rock over there, Alana level that hollow you see over there, and Farma fix the village well, come with me.¡± I obediently followed the instructions¡­¡­It seems that Jean is also giving Farma detailed instructions on how to fix the well in the village. We followed Jean¡¯s lead, and to our surprise, the repairs to the canal and well were really completed. ¡°Does Jean know anything about construction?¡± ¡°No, a merchant is only as good as his knowledge and experience, so I¡¯ve studied a lot of things, though I never thought I¡¯d actually use my knowledge of construction.¡± Lorgo seemed to be grateful and bowed to Jean several times. ¡°Oh¡­¡­Jean¡­¡­wow¡­¡­oh¡­¡­I respect you¡­¡­.respect¡­¡­¡± The Lord was very grateful, but the result did not seem to affect the people. ¡°Hmph, you finally fixed it, you really are a useless lord, you¡¯d better respond faster next time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that tone? Don¡¯t you guys have any words of gratitude?¡± I was so angry that I couldn¡¯t help but say so. ¡°It¡¯s natural for a lord to work for his people! If you want me to be grateful, you¡¯d better respond sooner.¡± Jean¡¯s fist flew at the people who shouted that. ¡°Don¡¯t take it for granted that people will do things for you! It doesn¡¯t matter what position you¡¯re in! You think it¡¯s normal for a lord to do something for his people! Some lords make their people work like slaves and don¡¯t give them enough to eat, and they starve to death, but only they eat rich meals every day¡­¡­.How fortunate are you? I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t treat you like slaves! He¡¯s just a little clumsy, that¡¯s all!¡± I don¡¯t know why I found Jean¡¯s words so compelling. The people sensed this and returned to the village without saying anything back. ¡°Jean¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, I agree you¡¯re not cut out to be a lord, so I won¡¯t say anything bad about that, but you might want to think about returning your lands back to the king.¡± ¡°Ode¡­¡­.Is renting this place?¡± ¡°No, not you. Your ancestors.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I promised¡­¡­that I would protect the¡­¡­people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good person¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I have the power to protect¡­¡­.I want to show you¡­¡­.Come with me¡­¡­.¡± Then Lorgo took us somewhere¡­It was the basement of a castle. ¡°This¡­¡­is the only place I can go¡­¡­.¡± As he said this, Lorgo held up his hand to the shiny stone. A large door was opened and there was a round, pale blue magic machine. ¡°What is this, Lorgo?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my magicraft¡­¡­and it protects my people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, this is the magicraft Ganesha, a high level Highlander exclusive machine with an activation Ludia value of 15,000¡­¡­.I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing a very rare magicraft, only few of them exist on the continent¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s what Farma explained to me. Tsk, wait, you mean¡­¡­ ¡°Lorgo, are you a Highlander?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­Highlander, but¡­¡­my dad said so.¡± That fact was enough of a surprise for everyone. ¡°If you¡¯re a Highlander, you need more dignity! You must speak back to your subjects!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­and¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Not ¡°but¡±! All right, I¡¯ll train you up a little bit. Just follow me!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­¡± Jean took a bewildered Lorgo and headed outside. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Lorgo is a Highlander.¡± At Alana¡¯s words, I expressed my own thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that Jean is so meddlesome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, too. His angry words were very powerful. Maybe he experienced it firsthand¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the story of the lord who treated his people like slaves was Jean¡¯s real experience?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it would make sense if it were.¡± Well, I didn¡¯t know anything about Jean before we met so maybe it was real. CH 53 Jean and Lorgo¡¯s indescribable training continued into the night¡­¡­ ¡°All right, you can say it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like I can¡­¡­do this.¡± ¡°Then say it again!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­I¡¯m a lord then¡­¡­there¡¯s more to it than that!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s it¡± It¡¯s good that Lorgo is gaining confidence, but I don¡¯t actually think his personality is going to change that easily¡­¡­ ¡°Jean, I think it¡¯s time to eat.¡± At Nanami¡¯s sorrowful request, the training session came to an end. Jean had prepared a rather sumptuous meal, probably in recognition of the fact that he and Lorgo would be parting ways today. ¡°Lorgo, we¡¯re leaving for the south tomorrow, so this will be the last time we¡¯re eating together like this.¡± When I said that, he gave me an exquisitely sad look. ¡°Ode¡­¡­alone again?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡­but we can¡¯t stay here forever.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­I can¡¯t help it¡­¡­I¡¯m going to miss you¡­¡­but Yuta and the others have things to do¡­¡­.¡± For a moment, I almost asked Lorgo if he¡¯d come with me, but he¡¯s the lord of this place¡­¡­.I can¡¯t interfere with that. We stayed at Lorgo¡¯s castle that day as well, planning to leave tomorrow morning. We and Lorgo talked all the way to sleep¡­¡­.I knew Lorgo was a good guy, and I¡¯m glad we became friends. The next morning¡­ ¡°Dear¡­¡­Lorgo¡­¡­take care.¡± ¡°Nanami¡­¡­take care too¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lorgo, eat your dinner.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to eat my¡­¡­food, Farma¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Take it easy. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Alana¡­¡­okay, I¡¯ll contact you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tell them to get off their asses! Don¡¯t be scared.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll¡­¡­try my best, Jean¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡­be well.¡± ¡°I wish I could have talked to Liza¡­¡­more.¡± ¡°Lorgo, wherever you are, we¡¯ll be friends.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­Yuta and I are friends¡­¡­¡± We got into the ride carrier and left Lorgo¡¯s castle, Lorgo kept waving his hand all the way until we were out of sight¡­¡­ ¡°That was a funny guy.¡± Jean says wistfully and Nanami tells me. ¡°You should have invited Lorgo to join the Warriors.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a Highlander, he¡¯d be a great asset.¡± Jean agreed with her before I could answer. ¡°I thought about that, but Lorgo¡¯s the lord of that place, and he¡¯s got his own agenda.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a role¡­¡­Maybe he¡¯s not ready to be a lord¡­¡­¡± ¡°I agree, but I can¡¯t ask him to leave everything and come with me.¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡­.I wonder what that guy would have thought if we told him to follow us¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m not sure, but I think Lorgo would have been happy. When I think about it, I still regret that I didn¡¯t invite him. With such a feeling of bewilderment still lingering, we headed south¡­¡­we stopped at a bar on the way to have a light lunch out, as the atmosphere was getting a bit strange. The taste wasn¡¯t great, and as I was eating, I thought that I would have been better off making something to eat in the ride carrier. At the same time I heard loud talking from a seat a little farther away. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys take part in that looting job in the neighboring territory that Gaboro invited you to?¡± ¡°I wanted to, but my magicraft broke down. It¡¯s a shame, because it¡¯s good work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really good work, isn¡¯t it, when the lord is a fool and there are no vassals or soldiers we can loot all we want.¡± ¡°So how many of you ended up participating?¡± ¡°I heard about thirty magicrafts. Oh, man, I wish I could have been there.¡± We silently got up from our seats and approached the men who were talking. ¡°Hey, can you tell us more about that?¡± Jean asked the men. ¡°Aah! What the hell are you guys trying to fight?¡± Alana kicked them without mercy. She¡¯s strong even if she¡¯s not in a magicraft¡­¡­ ¡°We¡¯re asking you to elaborate on what you were just talking about.¡± When Alana asked this, she pulled out a knife and flicked it at the neck of one of the men, one of them, shaking, began to speak. ¡°A bandit-head named Gaboro, who has this area as his territory, came to me with information that there was a territory that was¡­¡­left with only the lord, and he was gathering people to attack¡­¡­the territory¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that territory just north of here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­it is!¡± I knew it was Lorgo¡¯s territory¡­¡­.Oh no! Lorgo is supposed to be trying to protect his people¡­¡­.But with his personality, I¡¯m not sure if he can even fight a bandit¡­¡­.We have to save him! We quickly returned to the ride carrier and headed north to Lorgo¡¯s territory. CH 54 When we entered Lorgo¡¯s territory, we could see that it had been ransacked in places¡­¡­.It seems that the bandits have already started looting. ¡°There he is, Ganesha of Lorgo! It¡¯s already almost wrecked.¡± Ganesha was being attacked one-sidedly by quite a few magicrafts¡­¡­He tried to protect the people of his domain by fighting with his magicraft, but he didn¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta, Arleo, ready!¡± ¡°Alana, Bercya, ready!¡± ¡°Nanami, Vajra, ready!¡± ¡°Farma, Garuda, ready!¡± We jumped out of the ride carrier and started attacking the bandit¡¯s magicrafts that surrounded and attacked Lorgo. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you people? You¡¯ve come to steal what we have!¡± I heard a shout from one of the thieves¡¯ magicrafts. ¡°We¡¯re not with you! We¡¯re here to save our friend!¡± I replied as I smashed two magicrafts with my double spear. The thief¡¯s magicrafts were even weaker than the magicrafts of the Cilacian army that we fought before. They were so fragile that they would stop working after a light hit, and their movements were awkward and slow. When I thought that a Highlander¡¯s aircraft had been beaten to shreds by such weak opponents, I realized how long Lorgo had been under a one-sided attack. ¡°Lorgo! You okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­tried to protect everyone¡­¡­but I don¡¯t know¡­¡­how to do it¡­¡­.Ode¡­..Ugh¡­¡­¡± Even through the magicraft, I could see that Lorgo was crying. I said, ¡°It¡¯s all right now, you don¡¯t have to cry.¡± While I was consoling Lorgo, the thieves magicrafts attacked me. Two of them attacked me from both sides at the same time. I pierced the one from the right with the double spear, and the one on the left was smashed in the face by Arleo¡¯s elbow. One of them came from further back, swinging a sword, but was pierced by Farma¡¯s arrow. Alana and Nanami moved quickly to destroy the thieves¡¯ magicrafts one after another, and as they passed by, the thieves were unable to do anything. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡­¡­Against so many magicrafts¡­¡­.¡± From the dozens of magicrafts only three were left, including the one that looked like the boss. ¡°We are the Iron Knights, a mercenary group!¡± ¡°The Iron Knight¡­¡­Tsk¡­¡­for such an obscure mercenary group.¡± We¡¯re still nobodies¡­¡­but if we keep making a name for ourselves like this, I think we¡¯ll become famous one day. While blowing off the head of the enemy boss¡¯s magicraft and chopping off its arms and legs to put it out of action, the other enemy machines were cleared out by Alana and the others. Once all the bandits were taken care of, I approached Ganesha, Lorgo opened the hatch and came out. ¡°Ode¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­¡± He wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t seem to know what to say, so instead I shouted to Lorgo, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Come with us! Join me, Lorgo!¡± ¡°Ode¡­¡­is stupid and slow and ¡­¡­annoys Yuta and the others¡­¡­.Ode¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! Lorgo is Lorgo, you¡¯re my friend companion now.¡± When I said that, Lorgo looked up and shouted back excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ll be one of you, Ode¡­¡­Yuta! Ode¡­¡­quit being a lord!¡± Lorgo choose to quit being a lord and become one of us. Thus, we welcomed Lorgo into the ranks of the Iron Knights. We immediately made arrangements for the relinquishment of Lorgo¡¯s domain, informing the king in formal writing. Jean took care of all the paperwork and stuff, he can really do anything¡­¡­ ¡°Look, if you send this letter out, you¡¯ll no longer be lord of this place.¡± Jean made one last check. Lorgo made his intentions known with a face full of hesitation. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡­be a lord, I can¡¯t¡­¡­be a nuisance to the people, I want to be friends with Yuta and the others.¡± Jean nodded and handed the letter to the courier he had requested to come, paying him in advance for the delivery. The courier immediately went to the king. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s rare for anyone to relinquish a territory, I think the king would be surprised¡­¡­. ¡°Lorgo, we can be together forever.¡± ¡°Come on, we have to find a room for Lorgo.¡± Accompanied by Nanami and Farma, Lorgo was pulled to the ride carrier¡­¡­.When I saw Lorgo¡¯s happy expression, I truly felt glad that I invited him to join the Iron Knights. CH 55 I feel like I¡¯ve been asleep for a very long time¡­¡­I¡¯m in a daze and my recent memories are fuzzy¡­¡­ ¡°Where am I?¡± I look around, but I¡¯m in a strange room, though considering that I¡¯m sleeping in a medical capsule, it looks like I¡¯ve been treated for injuries¡­¡­. I exited the medical capsule and tried to walk out of the room¡­¡­but realized I was naked and looked around the room for clothes. At that time, there was a sound and the door of the room was opened¡­¡­.It was a young man who came in. When he saw me naked, the man looked flustered, closed his eyes and apologized. ¡°Sorry¡­¡­! I didn¡¯t know you were up already!¡± He handed me a simple white dress without looking at me. I put it on and asked the man a question. ¡°Where am I? Ride-carrier medical bay. ¡°What am I doing here?¡± ¡°You were badly injured. I was treating you. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re better.¡± ¡°You saved my life. I want to thank you.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re the ones who hurt you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute, you said you hurt me¡­¡­.?¡± Those words triggered a little bit of memory¡­¡­.As I recall, I was in a battle with the Beast King mercenaries¡­¡­. ¡°Are you from the Beast King Mercenaries?¡± I exclaimed, looking around the room for some kind of weapon. But the man shook his head and denied it. ¡°How come the name of the Beast King Mercenaries came up?¡± ¡°I was killed by the Beast King mercenary group¡¯s magicraft¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the Iron Knights, why are we talking about them?¡± ¡°Iron Knights¡­¡­what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The mercenaries, the ones who defeated you, remember!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then that golden magic machine¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Vajra, my friend.¡± ¡°Fu ¡­..okay, I understand that you Iron Knight defeated me, but I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°You were badly injured and needed to be treated immediately, so you were put in a medical capsule for treatment¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, that¡¯s why you saved me, the enemy?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re an enemy or not, you¡¯re injured and it¡¯s normal to help.¡± I¡¯m not sure I understand what this guy is saying¡­¡­.Well¡­¡­he saved my life and will probably get a ransom from Elysia¡­¡­. ¡°Okay, you want a ransom¡­¡­.That¡¯s a wise decision, I¡¯m a double Highlander, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll give you a hundred or two hundred million easily.¡± ¡°Ransom? We¡¯re not criminals, we don¡¯t need ransom. We¡¯re not going to hold you. You¡¯re healed now, so you can leave anytime you want.¡± What is this guy saying¡­¡­that he helped the enemy without getting any benefit from it? That¡¯s impossible¡­¡­.There¡¯s no such mercenary, there must be something more to it than that¡­¡­. ¡°Are you hungry? If you¡¯re going to leave here, why don¡¯t you at least eat?¡± Although I was wary of the enemy¡¯s invitation to eat, my stomach reacted honestly¡­¡­.I convinced myself that replenishing my energy here was an important act to return to my homeland, and accepted the offer. ¡°The Kirks Republic has been destroyed!¡± As we ate, I listened to what happened after I was put into the medical capsule. ¡°Yes, it seems that someone from Elysia, the strongest rider on the continent, came and quickly destroyed it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Yuto-san is¡­..How did that happen? It¡¯s impossible for Yuto-san to be in the war of a vassal state, no matter how much he wants to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, because as soon as we rescued you, we canceled our contract with Kirks and left the country.¡± The man with the weird pointy head said indifferently as he chewed on a sausage. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll find out when I get back to Elysia¡­¡­.But more importantly, you guys are so natural, even though you¡¯re eating with the enemy, aren¡¯t you wary?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask if it was because there were children present, or because the atmosphere was so homey. ¡°You said you were an enemy, but that was while you were under contract with Kirks, and now that Kirks doesn¡¯t exist, you¡¯re not really an enemy, are you?¡± ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s just a dry feeling peculiar to mercenaries, but the fact that I was defeated by one of you doesn¡¯t go away, don¡¯t you think I have a grudge against that person?¡± When I said that, for some reason, everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to one girl, who got out of her seat and walked towards me. ¡°Gosh¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­Nanami was desperate too¡­¡­.¡± With her head bowed, the girl apologized to me. ¡°No way¡­¡­could it be that you are the rider¡­¡­of that golden magicraft.¡± The girl who introduced herself as Nanami gave a small nod. I was shocked¡­¡­that the rider of that powerful magicraft was such a young girl. CH 56 It is normal to be defeated and beaten in war, and it is impossible for me, as a professional soldier, to hold a personal grudge against them¡­¡­but to be beaten by a girl like this¡­¡­for the first time I was shaken by an indescribable emotion. ¡°¡­¡­fight me again!¡± I said without thinking. ¡°What, you want to play¡­¡­with Nanami?¡± ¡°Fight me in a mock battle!¡± ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? I¡¯m not going to accept a match like that for less than a goldmine.¡± The pointy-headed man interrupts the conversation, and I certainly don¡¯t see any reason to accept such a match, but my emotions won¡¯t stop. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll pay you 500,000 gold coins just to play and another 500,000 if you beat me.¡± ¡°All right, Nanami, give her a squeeze.¡± ¡°Ew! No way¡­¡­.¡± The pointy head was on board, but Nanami was having difficulty, and adding more money didn¡¯t seem to change her mind. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to fight me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re strong, and I know who you are, so it¡¯s hard to fight you.¡± You can¡¯t fight someone you know¡­¡­.You¡¯re still a kid, even for a mercenary¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s a mock battle. Don¡¯t your friends fight each other in training?¡± We do, but¡­¡­you don¡¯t have a magicraft, so how do you fight?¡± ¡°Please lend me someone¡¯s magicraft.¡± As soon as I made my request, the red-haired woman declared, ¡°I¡¯m not lending you my Bercya.¡± The girl, who is a beastie, refuses to budge. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to ride my Garuda.¡± It¡¯s true that for mercenaries, the magicraft is an important tool of business, and I¡¯m well aware that they don¡¯t borrow it¡­¡­ ¡°If it¡¯s my Arleo, I can lend it to you, but I don¡¯t know if you can ride it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Can I borrow it?¡± ¡°Yeah, but you probably won¡¯t be able to ride it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a double Highlander, I can fly most magicrafts, so I¡¯ll be fine!¡± ¡°But, you know, my Arleo is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay! If you want to use it, you can borrow it, but whether you can ride it or not, you¡¯ll have to pay 500,000 gold coins for the loan.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll pay you 500,000 gold coins!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t ride it, you lose, is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Of course. In that case, I¡¯ll take my loss.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s why¡­¡­Arleo is¡­¡­.¡± Yuta still wanted to say something, but the pointy-headed man went on and on. ¡°All right! Let¡¯s get to the hangar! Nanami, you get ready!¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± The magicraft that was loaned to me was the white one that I saw in Chiruni. I remember it was moving well¡­¡­.I can fight with this¡­¡­. I opened the hatch and got inside. Then I immediately placed my hand on the control ball and tried to activate the magicraft¡­¡­ ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± The magicraft does not respond at all. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Hurry up and start it up!¡± I can hear the pointy-headed voice from outside. Why isn¡¯t it working?¡­Don¡¯t tell me this is a dedicated triple Highlander plane?¡¡I¡¯ve been had! The pointy head knew I couldn¡¯t ride it, so he gave me those conditions. ¡°Hey, you! You set me up!¡± I yelled that at him as I opened the hatch. ¡°Set you up? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°This is a triple Highlander magicraft! You knew that, and that¡¯s why you made the conditions you did¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come on, Arleo¡¯s rider, Yuta, is not a Triple Highlander.¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you ask him what his Ludia value is?¡± When I asked him, Yuta replied in a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°My Ludia value is ¡®2¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°No one believes me, but it¡¯s true!¡± It¡¯s hard to believe that people with a single-digit Ludia value even exist, but what does it mean that I can¡¯t even start up a magicraft that a single-digit person can use? ¡°Well, the match is over, 500,000 gold coins for the match, 500,000 for the victory reward, and 500,000 for the Arleo lending fee, making a total of 1.5 million gold coins.¡± The pointy head said this with a smirk and a disgusting smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the nearest town and withdraw the money from the Ladl Bank.¡± He was quick to act when it came to paying the bill, quickly drove us to a nearby town and dropped us off in front of a branch of a Ladl Bank. When I entered the Ladl Bank, I handed my card to the receptionist to make a withdrawal. I decided to withdraw the money for the trip to Elysia as well, and told the receptionist that I wanted to withdraw 2 million gold coins. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your card is no longer valid.¡± ¡°What? Why is¡­..invalid?¡± ¡°Your account has been frozen due to your death. Where did you get this card?¡± The receptionist looked at me suspiciously¡­¡­.She said I passed away¡­¡­. ¡°Oh dear¡­¡­apparently you¡¯re supposed to be dead back home.¡± That¡¯s what the pointy-headed man said¡­¡­.Maybe he was right¡­¡­.What should I do? There are no facilities in Elysia this far south on the continent. It has become difficult to return to Elysia, let alone pay the 1.5 million gold¡­¡­ CH 57 In the living room of the ride carrier, one depressed woman, Elysia¡¯s senior rider, who was badly injured by Nanami, was in trouble because of Jean¡¯s unreasonable debt. In addition, her account has been frozen due to the death of the owner, and it seems that she is penniless and cannot even return to her country¡­¡­. ¡°What are you going to do, sister? You have to pay what you owe.¡± Jean told her with a businessman¡¯s face. ¡°I know, I¡¯ll pay you properly, but¡­¡­I can¡¯t pay you right now because I don¡¯t have any money, how about if you drive me to Elysia, I¡¯ll pay you 1.5 million plus.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, we¡¯re going south now, the other way.¡± ¡°So how do I get to¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have the money, maybe you can pay with your body.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­are you doing? You¡­¡­can¡¯t be that obscene to me¡­¡­¡± I thought that was a terrible idea, so I complained to Jean. ¡°Jean, that¡¯s a bit harsh, you should think of a different solution.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡­¡­I¡¯m asking her to work and pay us back.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You want me to work¡­¡­help you with your mercenary work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you can¡¯t do anything but ride magicrafts.¡± She didn¡¯t argue with him, as he seemed to have a point. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡± ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the deal: 10,000 gold a day, plus food, room, and board. I¡¯ll prepare a magicraft for you, and you can use the amount minus the rental cost to repay the debt, and when the debt is gone, the contract is over.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­¡­10,000 gold a day cheap?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you know the daily wage of a commoner? Even a very well paid, high Ludia value person can earn a thousand gold in a day.¡± ¡°I certainly don¡¯t know the salaries of the common people, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°By the way, how much did you get from Elysia?¡± ¡°I get three million gold a month as a base salary, and then bonuses for wars and other practical work.¡± ¡°100,000 a day, that¡¯s amazing, but this is not Elysia, and if you think about your position, you will understand that the conditions I mentioned are not bad.¡± Jean¡¯s powerful words seemed to convince her, and she accepted the terms. However, Jean¡¯s trap was also laid in this proposal¡­¡­ ¡°The most she can pay back in one day is practically 500 gold!¡± Jean tells me this just as she is returning to her room. ¡°Yes, the magicrafts for the Double Highlanders are expensive, so even if we buy and sell them when we no longer use them, we should get 9,000 gold for a day¡¯s rental, plus 500 gold for food and room, so 9,500 gold.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­500 gold a day to pay back 1.5 million, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take 3,000 days.¡± ¡°No, I think that¡¯s a bit excessive¡­¡­¡± ¡°You idiot! She¡¯s a double Highlander! You can¡¯t get that kind of talent very often! Let¡¯s have her work for the Iron Knights for a long time.¡± That¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a good person¡­¡­. Well, whatever the case, we were going to welcome a new member to the Iron Knights. On that day, we decided to hold a welcome party for her, and a slightly more luxurious meal than usual was prepared. ¡°I¡¯m Emina, I¡¯m going to work here for a while, please take care of me.¡± She doesn¡¯t know yet that it¡¯s going to be quite a while¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m Yuta, nice to meet you.¡± When I introduced myself, everyone followed suit. ¡°I¡¯m Jean. I¡¯m going to use you, so be prepared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lorgo, and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nanami. Emina is very strong and reassuring.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Farma¡­¡­.Nice to meet you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Alana. Whatever you do, don¡¯t mess with Yuta.¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Liza. Nice to meet you.¡± After the introductions were complete, Emina asked me this. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the relationship between men and women, so I just want to make sure¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Yuta and I have such a deep relationship, you shouldn¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°No, Alana is just Yuta¡¯s property.¡± ¡°The relationship between owner and property is a very deep relationship.¡± ¡°The relationship between Nanami and Yuta is much deeper!¡± ¡°What kind of relationship?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve taken a bath together.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean by that? Nanami! Explain it to me!¡± Emina, who had been listening to this exchange between Alana and Nanami, said to me with a straight face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Are you¡­¡­the kind of person who would take possession of a woman and even bathe with a girl?¡± ¡°No! No¡­¡­is not a mistake, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡­will keep my distance from you.¡± Wow¡­¡­I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve been despised even more¡­¡­ CH 58 We came to a large city to purchase a magicraft for Emina, who joined the Iron Knights. ¡°A city this big probably has some double Highlander magicrafts for sale.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I suppose there are Highlander magicrafts, but there¡¯s no general demand for double Highlander ones.¡± ¡°Merchants sell them because there are some rich collectors.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, we do have a potential collector in the family.¡± Certainly, Farma seems to have that quality in spades. After going to several merchants, we finally found someone who dealt with double Highlander magicrafts. ¡°We do have Double Highlander¡¯s magicrafts, go check it out.¡± I went to the back and found about five magicrafts stored there. That one and the one in the back are double Highlander-only magicrafts, both of which are top-quality products, so I recommend them, though they¡¯re pricey.¡± ¡°Okay, Emina, since you¡¯re using it, you get to choose.¡± ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± ¡°But! The higher the price, the higher the cost of renting the magicraft, so if you¡¯re thinking of paying us back, I¡¯d recommend a cheaper one, that doesn¡¯t have to be a dedicated Double Highlander magicraft, you decide for yourself.¡± ¡°I understand that the cost of renting a magicraft will be high¡­¡­.But I still want to choose one that will allow me to get the most out of it.¡± Oh¡­¡­Jean¡¯s trying to get Emina to make her own choices like this so she doesn¡¯t complain about the high cost of renting a magicraft¡­¡­. ¡°Can I test ride it?¡± When Emina said this to the merchant, he was seriously surprised. ¡°You¡¯re a double Highlander! Well, that¡¯s fine, but don¡¯t move too hard.¡± Emina tested the two dedicated double Highlander magicrafts and chose the slender, frail-looking green one. ¡°I like this one, it has more power than it looks and it¡¯s very maneuverable.¡± ¡°This is Artemis, a magicraft that specializes in mobility with a startup Ludia value of 21,000, maximum output of 2 million, armor B rank, mobility SS rank. It is capable of stealthy actions that make it difficult for the enemy to find you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an amazing ability, so I¡¯m guessing the price must be high as well?¡± Jean asked the merchant in a deliberate tone. ¡°No, it¡¯s a good magicraft, but there¡¯s not much demand for it, so I¡¯d say 200 million.¡± ¡°200 million¡­¡­.At that price, it must have been sitting in this warehouse for a long time without a buyer.¡± It seems that Jean¡¯s point was right on the money, and the merchant¡¯s expression changed abruptly. ¡°Yes¡­¡­it¡¯s certainly hard to sell, but you know it¡¯s a bargain compared to how well it performs.¡± ¡°Magicrafts are expensive to maintain. If it¡¯s been unsold for years, it must have costed a lot of money, right? If you don¡¯t sell it soon, it¡¯s going to become unprofitable and you¡¯re going to have to take it off the market¡­¡­.¡± It seemed that Jean was the better merchant, and the negotiations were led by him from start to finish, resulting in the price of 200 million dropping by half to 100 million. ¡°Okay, I got it! Emina, can you get in and carry me to the ride carrier?¡± Thus, we were able to purchase a dedicated double Highlander magicraft for an unbelievable price of 100 million. We finished our shopping, but Liza wanted to buy some parts for her magicraft, so we went to the magicraft market. ¡°Ten blocks of magnetite, fifteen blocks of tektite, and three dozen nanotubes and elemental rope.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be 32 million gold.¡± ¡°Jean, pay him.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Liza, do you really need these?¡± ¡°I bought them because I needed them. Now pay up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­here¡¯s 32 million.¡± When I asked her about it, she replied¡­¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t bargain for materials because the market is fixed.¡± Well, that¡¯s how it works¡­¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that the latest Bow Gun Launcher?¡± Emina said excitedly to Liza in front of one of the weapon shops. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a high-powered, rapid-fire, automatic-loading system, but I hear it¡¯s as powerful as the Arrow at that size.¡± ¡°I want to equip my Artemis with it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but, Jean, what are you going to do? It¡¯s going to cost 50 million.¡± ¡°50 million for a weapon¡­¡­is fine, but the rental fee will be high, so be prepared.¡± This is a good thing for Jean, who wants to put Emina in debt¡­¡­.He seemed to agree reluctantly, but there was a smile on his face. This means that Emina will be unable to return to her country¡­¡­. CH 59 After the shopping was done, we could have gone straight back to the ride carrier, but Jean said there was a place he really wanted to go, so we all went there. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to come here.¡± It was a rather large facility with a large ¡°YU¡± symbol on the sign. ¡°Oed Spa, I know it¡¯s an entertainment center that¡¯s recently opened branches in many countries, but what does it do?¡± When Alana asked, Jean began to explain happily. ¡°Oed Spa has dozens of baths, massages, food stalls with delicacies from all over the world, and the sauna is rumored to be the best.¡± Jean¡¯s explanation reminded me of a familiar entertainment facility in Japan. ¡°Oh, so this is a health spa.¡± ¡°As expected of an Earthling, you know what you¡¯re talking about. I heard that the owner of the Oed Spa is from Earth.¡± I¡¯m familiar with the health spa because my parents love saunas and I¡¯ve been there many times. It¡¯s certainly a good place to get a little refreshed. ¡°What? This place is mixed bathing?!¡± I walked into the Oed Spa and was surprised to hear that men and women take baths together¡­¡­.It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but¡­¡­ ¡°What, they have separate baths for men and women on Earth?¡± ¡°Yeah, not many mixed bath houses exist.¡± ¡°That¡¯s boring.¡± I¡¯m a boy, too, and the thought of mixed bathing makes me blush as I imagine Alana and Emina naked. But when I actually went inside, I found¡­¡­ ¡°What, you have to wear a bathing suit to get in¡­¡­.¡± It was indeed a mixed bath, but it was a bath where you had to wear a bathing suit. ¡°What, did you think it was naked? How can a man and a woman who don¡¯t know each other take a bath naked?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­sure, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, Yuta, did you want to see me naked? I¡¯ll show you whenever you want.¡± ¡°Nanami will show too.¡± It¡¯s not that I want to see¡­¡­No, I want to see¡­¡­but that¡¯s not what I meant. Farma, who didn¡¯t want to show her beastman characteristics, was reading a book alone in the rest room, while the other members were enjoying the dozens of baths available. As a Japanese person, I was a little concerned about Nanami swimming in the large bathtub, but in this world, it¡¯s not against etiquette, and it¡¯s accepted as a matter of course. And I was refreshing my body in a massage bath with bubbles gushing out¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, you! I¡¯m going to take that bath now, so please get out!¡± I was suddenly approached by someone I didn¡¯t recognize. When I looked, I saw a woman with long, blonde hair and a great style, standing there looking down at me. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of room in here, why do I have to get out?¡± I argued, because there was plenty of room in the massage bath, which was not designed for one person. ¡°It¡¯s disgusting to be in the same bath with a stranger of the opposite sex¡­¡­.Can¡¯t you even imagine¡­¡­such a thing?¡± ¡°I was here first. If you don¡¯t want to go in with me, wait till I get out.¡± What a selfish woman¡­¡­ ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not leaving yet.¡± ¡°Well, then I¡¯m going to have to use my powers, Arthur!¡± So I called out for someone, and a beautiful, tall man with silver hair came swooping in. ¡°Hello, Madame Linnecarlo, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°This man won¡¯t give up his bath. Get him out.¡± ¡°Yes, madam!¡± As he said this, the beautiful man grabbed me and tried to pull me out of the bath with all his might. ¡°Hey, stop it!¡± Hearing my voice, Alana came running over. ¡°What are you doing to my Yuta?¡± With that, she gave the beautiful man a merciless kick in the face. ¡°Agh!¡± Hey! What are you doing? Kicking the only thing that Arthur can be proud of to others, his well-shaped face¡­¡­.If this face is distorted, there will really be nothing good about Arthur! What are you going to do when that happens? ¡°I don¡¯t care; it¡¯s bad enough you misbehave with my Yuta!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whose Yuta he is, but I¡¯ve lost my patience¡­¡­.Let¡¯s duel it out! Fight with us!¡± ¡°A duel¡­¡­.Okay, but what¡¯s your weapon of choice?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t use barbaric weapons! The only thing to compare is your spirit and endurance!¡± ¡°Wow, interesting¡­¡­what exactly is your method of dueling?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± That said, Linnecarlo pointed to the sauna room¡­¡­ CH 60 ¡°Alana, this is your first time in a sauna, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time, but it¡¯s only hot, right? I don¡¯t mind the heat. I can handle it in the summer.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same as summer heat. You have to be prepared for it.¡± ¡°Well, even so, I think I can beat that gutless young lady.¡± ¡°The rules are simple: two-on-two deathmatch, we enter the sauna at the same time and the last team standing wins. The loser does whatever the winner says.¡± ¡°If you lose, I¡¯ll make you dance naked.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s my line. If you lose, you¡¯ll have to get down on your knees.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like to be on my knees, but I braced myself to not lose. Me, Alana, Linnecarlo and Arthur entered the sauna at the same time as the start signal. The moment we entered, an intense heat enveloped our bodies. ¡°Alana, it¡¯s cooler down there, so let¡¯s go to the bottom.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± We whispered to each other and sat down in the lowest seats. Linnecarlo and Arthur didn¡¯t know it and moved to the top seats. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡­sitting down like that¡­¡­..Your deep-rooted servility is evident in your actions.¡± She seemed to be very confident, but within five minutes, her relaxed expression had disappeared and she was sweating and breathing heavily. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve reached my limit. You have to stay until the end!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­okay, leave it to me!¡± With that, Linnecarlo ran out of the sauna. As expected, the young lady dropped out quickly, but she didn¡¯t think much of the handsome man who accompanied her¡­¡­.Arthur¡­¡­who is enduring the heat with a great deal of huffing and puffing, is ruined. ¡°What¡¯s the matter Arthur¡­¡­have you reached your limit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡­call me Arthur, you lowlife!¡± ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± ¡±Mister Arthur!¡± ¡°Well, Arthur. Arthur.¡± ¡°Why do you have to say it twice?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so red, you look like you¡¯re about to pass out. Are you okay, Arthur?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­.I¡¯d be lying if I said I was fine¡­¡­.If I said I was at my limit, it would be taken as weakness¡­¡­.But! I¡¯m not going to get out of here before you do, for Linnecarlo sake!¡± The moment he shouted that¡­¡­Arthur collapsed and fainted on the spot¡­¡­.Of course, Arthur was taken out of the sauna by the doctor, and we won the sauna endurance battle. ¡°You better not think you¡¯ve won¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, in reality, we won.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­a three-round game! We only lost the first round!¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the second round?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a¡­¡­breath-hold contest! You dive into the bath and whoever can stay in there the longest wins!¡± It was already a hassle, so I accepted the challenge. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­.holding his breath¡­..is good at¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m not particularly good at it, so I let Lorgo play the game for me. As a result, Linnecarlo gave up after about 20 seconds, and Arthur tried his best for two minutes, but he fainted and came back to the surface. He was taken away by the doctor again. ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s not over yet! Let¡¯s do the third round!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for a third round!¡± ¡°In the third round, the points are tripled! So whoever wins this one wins!¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°points¡±?¡± ¡°Just do it, it¡¯s the third round!¡± It¡¯s a real pain in the¡­¡­ass, and it doesn¡¯t seem to matter what I say, I¡¯m going to accept the third round. ¡°You know, you¡¯ve been a complete mess for a while now, maybe you should start playing to your strengths.¡± I kindly told her so, because if she loses at something she¡¯s good at, even this arrogant young lady will have to admit defeat. ¡°The thing I¡¯m best at¡­¡­Are you suggesting that I compete in the thing I¡¯m best at?¡± ¡°Yes, it would be quicker.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­you¡¯re going to regret those words¡­..because in the thing I¡¯m best at, I don¡¯t need to compete, the outcome is already decided¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just say it and I¡¯ll accept whatever you want.¡± I said that because I felt like I could beat the naive young lady at anything, but what Linnecarlo was good at was something I hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°I¡¯m best at magicrafts, the third round will be a magicrafts match!¡± CH 61 It was good that Linnecarlo and I decided to have a magicraft match, but everyone else didn¡¯t want to leave yet because they hadn¡¯t enjoyed the Oed Spa, well, I still wanted to stay here too, so I told the lady that the magicraft match would have to wait until tomorrow. ¡°Okay, but we¡¯re going to have to stay with you to make sure you don¡¯t run away.¡± So we decided to have a drink after the bath, and for some reason we ended up at a food stall area where you can enjoy food and drinks from all over the world. ¡°Who are these people who are gobbling up the food I ordered as if it¡¯s theirs?¡± Jean looks at Linnecarlo and Arthur and asks. ¡°They¡¯re going to have a magicraft contest with us tomorrow, so they¡¯re accompanying us until then to make sure we don¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°A magicraft game? What the hell are you doing playing a game that¡¯s not even worth one gold?¡± Jean lamented in exasperation. ¡°What are the rules for tomorrow¡¯s magicraft game? We don¡¯t really care what the rules are, but¡­¡± When Alana spoke to her, Linnecarlo replied as she gobbled down her meal with a vigor that you wouldn¡¯t expect from a young lady. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so confident, you think you can win under any rules?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident I can beat you no matter what the rules are, so I¡¯ll take you on in whatever you are good at.¡± ¡°Are you all riders? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be happy to take on all of you by myself.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­that¡¯s interesting¡­¡­but I¡¯m not into a lot of people messing with one person, and since there¡¯s two of you, we¡¯ll just have a normal two-on-two match.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret it. I hope you don¡¯t end up wishing you¡¯d all fought together later.¡± Linnecarlo seemed pretty confident, but we have a triple Highlander, Nanami, and two double Highlanders, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way we can lose, but her confidence was really bothering me. ¡°Miss Linnecarlo, do you really intend to fight an equal match with such a lowly man? You¡¯re playing around too much, there¡¯s no way he can win.¡± Arthur advises that as if he was a fan of Linnecarlo, but it¡¯s hard to hear that we¡¯re not a match for her. However, the moment they heard Linnecarlo¡¯s name, the reaction of Alana and the others changed at once. ¡°Wait a minute! Oh¡­¡­are you the Thunder Emperor Linnecarlo?¡± Alana raised her voice in deep surprise. ¡°Oh, you know my name, then you know who you recklessly challenged.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter, is Linnecarlo famous?¡± I asked Jean in a dumb tone, and he muttered a few words with sweat pouring down his forehead. ¡°She¡¯s one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters¡­¡­. ¡° ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the collective name for the top twelve strongest riders on the continent, including Yuto-san from my home country of Elysia and the strongest mercenary, Sword Saint Veft.¡± It seemed they were very famous, and Emina explained it to me right away. ¡°What do you say? I can change it to all of you now.¡± She said this with a relaxed expression on her face, and I flatly replied. ¡°Keep it that way. Let¡¯s play two against two.¡± When Linnecarlo heard this, she looked surprised¡­¡­. ¡°Have you been listening to me? I am the Thunder Emperor Linnecarlo, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re strong or famous, I don¡¯t want to play a game where a bunch of people are ganging up on one person! If we¡¯re going to fight, let¡¯s do it on even terms!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a funny guy¡­¡­.I like you, I¡¯ll ask your name.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yuta¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­I¡¯ll remember that name.¡± ¡°Miss Linnecarlo, you don¡¯t have to remember the names of those lowlifes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Arthur, shut your mouth!¡± Afterwards, after a lot of drinking and eating, Linnecarlo and Arthur said they were going back to their own ride carriers and left. ¡°Ah! They made us pay for the food here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for her tomorrow¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t notice that she left so brazenly.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll meet her tomorrow, so why don¡¯t you bill her then?¡± ¡°If we lose the fight, they¡¯re going to bury the hatchet¡­¡­.Yuta! You better win tomorrow!¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m supposed to fight?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the only one who has a chance against Linnecarlo is Yuta, so I think Yuta should fight her too.¡± Emina, who was listening to the conversation, asked in surprise. ¡°Wait a minute, isn¡¯t Nanami the strongest member of the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°Yuta is stronger than Nanami, he even beat Nanami, he¡¯s probably the strongest of the bunch.¡± Sure, I¡¯ve beaten Nanami in mock battles, but I don¡¯t know what would happen if we fought for real¡­¡­. ¡°Ludia value 2 Yuta is the strongest¡­¡­.This is getting more and more confusing¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, no one believes Yuta¡¯s Ludia value is 2.¡± ¡°Yes, I too believe that it definitely has at least as much Ludia value as a triple Highlander.¡± Jean and Alana still seem to be suspicious of my Ludia value. ¡°I was actually planning on going to measure Yuta¡¯s Ludia value tomorrow, but you accepted a strange match¡­¡­.¡± Apparently, according to Jean¡¯s schedule, tomorrow was the day to measure my Ludia value. Well, I¡¯m not interested, so I don¡¯t really care¡­¡­. CH 62 KingPen is back with another 4 sponsored chapters! Thank you for the support! The location of the fight with Linnecarlo was in a canyon some distance from the city. Even if we fought a little harder here, it would not be a nuisance. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m impressed you didn¡¯t just run away.¡± ¡°Of course! You¡¯re going to pay for the food and drinks yesterday!¡± It seems that the cost of food and drink is more important to Jean¡­¡­. ¡°Huh¡­¡­fine I¡¯ll pay if you beat me.¡± When Linnecarlo said this with a relaxed expression, Alana pointed out bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s a sure thing¡­¡­.We¡¯re going to win today¡¯s game and make yesterday¡¯s food and drink bill disappear.¡± I¡¯m concerned about the fact that we¡¯re talking about paying for food and drinks, but a fight is a fight, let¡¯s be serious. It was going to be a two-on-two fight, with Linnecarlo and Arthur on the other side, and me and Nanami on this side. When Linnecarlo and Arthur appeared in their magicrafts, Farma was impressed. ¡°It¡¯s the magicraft Sentor¡­¡­and the magicraft Odin¡­¡­I¡¯m happy to see two very rare magicrafts at the same time¡­¡­¡± Arthur¡¯s magicraft had a slightly unusual appearance, with a lower body shaped like a horse, similar to the imaginary race of centaurs that appear in fantasy games. His weapon is a long, thick spear¡­¡­like those held by medieval knights is held in his right hand and in the left hand he has a small shield. Linnecarlo¡¯s magicraft has a solid body shape with black and yellow coloring, and although it doesn¡¯t look like it moves very fast, it does look powerful. Her weapon, however, is a cane-like object with a long stick decorated with a large jewel on the end, and I can¡¯t imagine how it would be used. ¡°What do you want, two against two at the same time, or one against one, in order?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to make a mess, so let¡¯s fight one on one, in order.¡± ¡°Okay, then Arthur will be the first one to go.¡± ¡°Nanami, you want to go first?¡± ¡°Yeah, Nanami¡¯s got it.¡± So the first battle was a one-on-one between Nanami and Arthur. All right, then, I¡¯ll be the referee, and when I give the signal the battle will begin. Jean calls out over the ride carrier¡¯s external output sound device. After some distance, Nanami¡¯s Vajra and Arthur¡¯s Sentor stared at each other¡­¡­in silence, and then Jean¡¯s call to begin sounded. ¡°Start!¡± The first to move was Arthur¡¯s Sentor, who rushed towards Nanami¡¯s Vajra¡­What was surprising was his speed: his horse-like appearance was no mean feat, and he approached Nanami at once. His speed was then she had imagined, and Nanami had to use her shield to block him. Sentor¡¯s spear and Nanami¡¯s shield collided violently, and Nanami¡¯s Vajra was blown backwards by the tremendous power of the spear with the added force of the charge. ¡°Yikes!¡± ¡°Nanami!¡± ¡°Nanami, be careful! Sentor ramming force is powerful enough to deal a fatal blow to a triple Highlander!¡± Farma tells her in a loud voice. ¡°Well, you did a better job than I expected of blocking Arthur¡¯s Sentor¡¯s thrust, I wonder if you¡¯re as powerful as a triple Highlander.¡± Linnecarlo spoke over the external output sound of her magicraft. Before Vajra could stand up, Sentor spun around to get some distance again¡­¡­and when he was within a certain distance, he accelerated and executed a second lunge towards Vajra. However, perhaps it was her innate sense, but the same attack did not work on Nanami twice. She dodged the charge by the slimmest of margins, and spun around to cut off one of Sentor¡¯s legs with her sword¡­ ¡°What?¡± After one of his front legs was cut off, Sentor lost his balance and slumped forward. ¡°How did you know that Sentor¡¯s weakness was his legs? With the loss of one of his legs, Sentor can no longer charge.¡± Sentor managed to get up, but he could barely keep his balance. Vajra approached Sentor and cut off his remaining front leg. Sentor lost both his legs and was unable to stand up, so the fight ended there. ¡°Nanami wins.¡± Jean declared and the first round ended. ¡°How dare you, Arthur, think that you can be my knight in shining armor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­sorry Miss Linnecarlo¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay, I was planning on fighting alone from the start, so no problem.¡± Looking at the current battle, Linnecarlo¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound anxious or upset. The fact that she didn¡¯t even waver against the triple Highlander Nanami was eerie. CH 63 Arthur and Nanami¡¯s fight was over, so Nanami continued to fight with Linnecarlo. ¡°I¡¯ll have it done in no time. Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°She said she¡¯d get it done in no time¡­¡­ Nanami, be careful, she¡¯s strong!¡± ¡°I know, you¡¯re strong enough to deserve respect, but I¡¯m going to show you that there are some things in this world that can¡¯t be overcomed with a little strength.¡± As in the earlier battle, Nanami and Linnecarlo glanced at each other a little¡­¡­and then Jean called out for the battle to begin. ¡°Start!¡± Unlike earlier, Nanami moved forward with her¡­¡­shield in front of her, ready for Linnecarlo¡¯s attack, which began at the same time as the start signal. ¡°Nanami, be careful! There¡¯s a rumor that Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin has an unidentified long-range attack!¡± Alana advises her. What does unidentified mean? I thought so, but I soon saw it ¨C just as I thought Odin had pointed his staff at Nanami¡¯s Vajra, there was a powerful flash of light and Nanami¡¯s shield was blown away. The arm that held the shield was also torn to shreds, and Vajra had been severely damaged by the blow. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see anything¡­¡­.¡± Nanami was puzzled, but did not give up on the game. She lowered her stance and approached Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin¡­¡­A flash of something struck Nanami, but she avoided it by a paper-thin margin. Then Odin was within Vajra¡¯s attack range, and Nanami tried to pierce it¡¯s head with her sword¡­¡­Odin grabbed Vajra¡¯s right arm, which was holding the sword. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since anyone got this close to me. You¡¯re strong enough, you should be proud of yourself.¡± The moment Linnecarlo said this, a dazzling flash of light shone, and Vajra¡¯s head had been blown off¡­¡­.As it was, Vajra slowly collapsed to his knees. ¡°The winner is Linnecarlo¡­¡­.¡± ¡± Ahhhh! What a way to break it¡­¡­.It¡¯s going to be hard to fix¡­¡­.¡± Liza blurted out, but I¡¯m more surprised by the outcome of the match, triple highlander Nanami lost so one-sidedly¡­¡­. ¡°Well, now it¡¯s your turn, Yuta, since you¡¯ve made me learn your name, let me have a little fun with you.¡± Okay, let¡¯s do it. I don¡¯t know how far I can go, but I¡¯ll give it my all! ¡°Yuta, how are you going to prevent Odin from attacking like that?¡± Alana asked me, but I didn¡¯t know what to do either¡­¡­.Then I looked over and saw the shield that Nanami¡¯s Vajra was equipped with. The shield was blown off, but looking at it, the shield itself was not damaged¡­¡­If I hold the shield tightly; I can block that attack¡­¡­. ¡°Nanami, may I borrow Vajra¡¯s shield and sword?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, take care of Nanami¡¯s enemies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± I replied lightly to Nanami and equipped myself with Vajra¡¯s shield and sword. ¡°How long do you think that¡¯ll hold?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to win.¡± ¡°If you beat me, you¡¯re strong enough to be one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how great that is¡­¡­.I just heard the term ¡°Twelve Heavenly Masters¡± yesterday.¡± ¡°Your ignorance is nothing to brag about, then you can taste the power of the Twelve Heavenly Masters for yourself now.¡± As she said this, Linnecarlo naturally kept her distance¡­¡­.I guess she¡¯s not so good at close combat¡­¡­. ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s the final round, and whoever wins this one wins the game, so don¡¯t complain.¡± Jean reminded her. ¡°Start!¡± As soon as the signal was given, I quickly set up my shield in preparation for Odin¡¯s long-range attack. For a moment, I saw Linnecarlo¡¯s face, which I shouldn¡¯t have been able to see¡­¡­.She was smiling weirdly. CH 64 I waited for Linnecarlo to make her move¡­¡­.Odin¡¯s staff was pointed at me, and I strengthened my grip on the shield¡­¡­I thought during the battle with Nanami, Odin¡¯s attacks seemed to have a slight time lag between them, so once I¡¯ve blocked the first attack, I can approach her and set the pace of the fight. Zoom! The mysterious sound that I heard in the battle with Nanami rang out¡­Instantly, I felt a strong impact on the hand holding the shield. ¡°Damn it!¡± It was quite a shock, but I think I managed to block it¡­¡­.I was about to sprint towards her before the next blow came. ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯m sorry you thought I couldn¡¯t attack you in rapid succession.¡± Reacting to Linnecarlo¡¯s words, I quickly readied my shield again. Instantly, an incomparably strong impact struck Arleo. ¡°Agh!¡± Incredibly, the shield I was holding was blown to pieces ¨C when I looked at Odin, the staff in his hand was still pointing in my direction. I felt that I was in trouble and immediately took evasive action by rolling forward to the right. Thud! There was a cracking sound like a thunderbolt, and the ground in my location was gouged out. It was a very powerful attack, and I couldn¡¯t predict what would happen to even the sturdy Arleo if he took a direct hit. There was no shield to block the attack, so I had to avoid the attack by looking¡­¡­in the direction of Odin¡¯s staff and anticipating the attack. I looked at it, and for some reason the cane was pointing down¡­¡­.I think I can get close to her now¡­¡­.I took my chance and started running. However, it seems that it was a trap. Suddenly, a buzzing sound like static electricity began to rumble around him, and then there was a crunching sound like a thunderbolt, which impacted Arleo. ¡°Ggh!¡± What¡¯s with the lightning attack that just¡­¡­struck the entire surrounding area? ¡°It¡¯s really amazing that you can withstand Tempest¡­¡­it¡¯s impossible to avoid Tempest, which is a ranged attack that hits a wide area, I can¡¯t wait to see how many shots you can take¡± Ranged attack, that¡¯s a foul play¡­¡­. I hear the same crackling sound as before, like static electricity around me¡­¡­.It seems that it¡¯s not a lie that it¡¯s a ranged attack, and if I look closely I can see small lightning bolts all around me. Then there was a crunching sound like a thunderbolt, and I was shocked. Damn¡­¡­no¡­¡­I¡¯m gonna get hit if I don¡¯t¡­¡­what am I supposed to do¡­¡­ ¡°Yuta! You forgot to concentrate your Ludia!¡± I huffed at the sound of Alana¡¯s voice. That¡¯s right, I hadn¡¯t had a chance to fight any strong enemies lately, so I forgot. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re lying¡­¡­.You endured Tempest without even concentrating your Ludia?¡± Linnecarlo was more than a little surprised by Alana¡¯s words. ¡°I won¡¯t let you concentrate your Ludia now!¡± I can¡¯t even avoid her attack¡­¡­This is why I put my left hand out in front of me and caught Linnecarlo¡¯s attack with my hand ¨C a strong discharge of electricity overlapped, and Arleo¡¯s left hand was blown off. ¡°Yuta!¡± I¡¯ve lost my left hand and I¡¯m in a desperate situation¡­¡­but with this blow, something has changed in me¡­..I¡¯ve lost the thread of tension, or rather, I¡¯ve entered a strange state of relaxation, and that state led me into a state of concentration. ¡°There¡¯s a pale aura around Arleo¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Looks like Yuta¡¯s entered a concentration state.¡± Alana replied to Emina¡¯s words. ¡°What¡­¡­is that pale aura¡­¡­?¡± Linnecarlo seemed surprised to see this scene. I¡¯m slowly approaching Linnecarlo¡­¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no point in trying to deceive me with your strange¡­¡­tricks!¡± Then she pointed her staff at me and fired an attack¡­¡­.I avoided it by a thin margin. As I continued to dodge the attacks, Linnecarlo pointed her staff downward, ready for a ranged attack. ¡°The Tempest is unavoidable!¡± She certainly thought it was impossible to avoid, but my senses told me that I didn¡¯t need to avoid it. The sound of a thunderbolt was heard then she attacked. However, when the attack touched Arleo¡¯s pale aura, it was repelled with a sizzling sound. ¡°No way! I can¡¯t believe you just repelled Tempest!¡± Because it is a ranged attack, Tempest¡¯s attack power is scattered and weak. That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t seem to work against Arleo, who is in a state of Ludia concentration right now. ¡°Triple Lightning, then!¡± Then Linnecarlo pointed her staff at me¡­¡­I held up my magic bullet¡­¡­and released it just as Linnecarlo released her lightning bolt. The magic bullet scattered the oncoming thunderbolts and blew away Odin¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°Aah!¡± I approached Odin, who had lost his balance, and swung my sword at him, sending his head flying¡­ ¡°It¡¯s over! Yuta wins!¡± Jean declared as he saw that Odin was out of action. CH 65 ¡°Please don¡¯t add more¡­¡­work by destroying not only¡­¡­Vajra, but also Arleo like that.¡± Liza tells me in a sincerely disgusted tone. ¡°That¡¯s the man I¡¯m in love with, he really defeated the Thunder Emperor!¡± Alana praised me. ¡°Hey, who are you really! You¡¯re dealing with one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters! What¡¯s with that last attack, it doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Emina asks me this as she shakes me, but I don¡¯t know how to explain it, so I just have to keep quiet and let her shake me. Linnecarlo got off the magicraft and approached us¡­¡­.I thought she would be depressed because she lost, but¡­.. ¡°It¡¯s quite a feat to draw against me.¡± ¡°What? I won the fight.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, I was still able to fight but your buddy just stopped the fight on his own, that¡¯s invalid. So this fight is a draw.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s funny that the judge is one of the parties in the first place, you lowlifes!¡± Arthur agrees with Linnecarlo. You should have told me that first¡­¡­. ¡°But! A draw against me is a great thing, and in recognition of that result, I¡¯m going to hire you.¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡±hire¡±?¡± ¡°You¡¯re mercenaries, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll hire you.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t decide on your own, do you even have the money to hire us in the first place?¡± Jean pointed out that he thought it was contradictory that someone who didn¡¯t want to pay for food and drinks would hire mercenaries. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­you don¡¯t seem to know that I have another identity other than the Thunder Emperor Linnecarlo.¡± Before Linnecarlo could tell us who she was, Alana started to explain first. ¡°As the third princess of the Kingdom of Meltaria, she is the commander of the Meltarian army and the magicraft unit. In the war with the neighboring Drakia Empire, it is said that the number of enemy magicrafts that have been destroyed is in the hundreds, and the neighboring countries fear her as the God of Destruction¡­¡­.As a female rider, I know a little about her.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re very knowledgeable. But that¡¯s not the latest information, I¡¯m no longer the commander of the magicraft unit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a commander and you¡¯re hiring us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hiring you as the third princess, and as royalty, at least I have the money to pay you.¡± ¡°Hmph, yeah, but we¡¯re more expensive than most mercenaries.¡± Probably because he missed out on making money in Kirks, Jean seems to be blowing it with Linnecarlo. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what you can do, and I understand that you need to be paid a lot of money. 300 million¡­¡­for a three month contract is a good price.¡± ¡°Hmm, sorry, but that still won¡¯t move us.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pay you 500 million, you can¡¯t complain about this amount.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a pretty good negotiator, princess. I can¡¯t believe you raised your offer so much in one shot and left no room for negotiation. What do you think, Yuta? I think it¡¯s not a bad price.¡± If the amount is reasonable, I see no reason to refuse¡­¡­. ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t sound like a bad deal, we¡¯ll take it.¡± I saved myself the trouble of looking for a client, so I¡¯m happy with the result. ¡°But, princess, how dare you, a royal, be so stingy with the cost of food and drinks?¡± In response to Jean¡¯s question, Arthur excitedly explained. ¡°We originally came to the city in search of mercenaries but Miss Linnecarlo gambled away all the money we brought.¡± No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a reason to be proud of¡­¡­. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have the money when I get back home. I¡¯ll pay for your food and drinks.¡± In response, Emina voiced her doubts. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in the reason why Princess Linnecarlo, who is so strong, needs mercenaries.¡± It¡¯s true that if you¡¯re that strong, you don¡¯t need to hire mercenaries¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more about it later, it¡¯s not something I want to ramble on about here.¡± Thus, the next job of the Iron Knights was decided. CH 66 The royal capital of the Emou Kingdom, Ruhrbul, we came to this country to form an alliance with the Emou Kingdom. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to King Emou first, and you wait here father.¡± ¡°But, Ranelle, if I, the king, don¡¯t go, there can be no negotiation.¡± ¡°What if father offends King Emou by suddenly visiting him? I¡¯ll go settle things first, and then you can negotiate in earnest.¡± ¡°Mm¡­..well, then I guess I¡¯ll let you do that.¡± Although it seemed a little unclear, the king, who trusted his daughter, listened to Ranelle¡¯s words honestly. As an official envoy of the Union of Eastern Nations, King Emou did not refuse to meet with her. The visit went smoothly, and she was promised a meeting, but for some reason I had to be present at the meeting. I can understand why Delphine would be present as an escort, but I don¡¯t understand why I would be there. ¡°King Emou is waiting for you in the audience chamber. Please come with me.¡± One of the guards led us to the audience chamber. ¡°You must be Princess Ranelle, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve met¡­¡­though the last time I saw you, you were such a small child you wouldn¡¯t remember me.¡± King Emou called out to her as soon as she entered the audience chamber. Ranelle didn¡¯t seem to remember and she faked it with a bitter smile. ¡°My mother has told me that King Emou has been a great help to us¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ruriha told you that story. Well, sit down and let¡¯s talk.¡± He seems like a very friendly and nice person¡­¡­.I wonder how the king could have fallen out with such a nice person¡­¡­.King Emou has a very kind smile¡­¡­it¡¯s like¡­¡­no, now is not the time to think about that. ¡°How long has it been since Ruriha died?¡± ¡°Five years¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­she was a truly beautiful and wonderful person¡­¡­.¡± Oh yeah¡­¡­Ranelle¡¯s mom passed away¡­¡­.Sure, she was mentioned in passing, but I never saw her. ¡°So, King Emou, let¡¯s get down to business¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right, you¡¯re visiting as ambassadors for the Union of Eastern Nations, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­. In fact, the relationship between the Union of Eastern Nations and the Ruja Empire is deteriorating¡­¡­.In order to restrain the Ruja Empire, we want to establish an alliance with the Emou Kingdom.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is there any chance you¡¯ll think about it? ¡°An alliance with the Union of Eastern Nations is 100 % unlikely. That much I can tell you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°One hundred percent! How can that be¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t trust the Union of Eastern Nations as an organization.¡± ¡°However, the Kingdom of Emou is hostile to the Ruja Empire, and if there is a mutual interest¡­¡­Being allied with someone you don¡¯t trust is detrimental, even if they are your enemy¡¯s enemy.¡± ¡°Why is it so hard to trust them?¡± ¡°Princess Ranelle, you already know that some countries have left the Union of Eastern Nations, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.Four countries have left.¡± ¡°Do you know why?¡± ¡°It was a plot of the Ruja Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but how much damage can the Ruja Empire do in such a short period of time?¡± ¡°So¡­¡­what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to do that without having collaborators within the Union of Eastern Nations¡­¡­.I¡¯m sure those collaborators are still working to break it apart.¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s impossible that the Union of Eastern Nations was so solid that it could be trusted?¡± Ranelle¡¯s face changes, as if she has an idea¡­¡­ ¡°You see, there can be no such thing as an alliance with such an organization, because there are no advantages, only disadvantages.¡± Ranelle couldn¡¯t say anything more¡­¡­.I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a very good motive, but I don¡¯t like the look on King Emou¡¯s face when he talked about the Union of Eastern Nations. He had such a kind smile on his face¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. ¡°Then why not form an alliance with the Kingdom of Amuria?¡± ¡°You¡¯re suddenly¡­¡­saying that Emou and Amuria should form an alliance? I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not possible. The countries are too different in size.¡± ¡°But Amuria is a trustworthy country, and you know that better than anyone!¡± ¡°Hey, Nagisa! What are you talking about!¡± Ranelle stilled at me, but I didn¡¯t stop speaking. ¡°Ranelle¡¯s mother¡­¡­No, King Emou had a very kind expression on his face when he was talking about Ruriha! That¡¯s the kind look you get when you¡¯re thinking of someone you love! How can you not trust a country that had a loved one¡­¡­and a daughter of a loved one!¡± ¡°Nagisa! You¡¯re being rude to King Emou! Apologize!¡± Ignoring Ranelle¡¯s words, I continued to say more¡­¡­But why am I so angry¡­¡­ ¡°What about you, King Emou? Is what I¡¯m saying wrong?¡± ¡°I wonder why women are so good at seeing through the essence of things¡­Indeed, I loved Ruriha, she is still the most important woman in my life. Ruriha¡¯s daughter in Ruriha¡¯s country?¡­¡­Surely I can trust her¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll make an alliance with Amuria, that idiot Majni is here with you, right? You can call him here so we can formalize our alliance.¡± Ranelle was surprised when she heard those words¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t expect it to work out this way either, so I was lost in thought for a while. CH 67 There are 3 sponsored ch in the queue that will be released later today. I was to busy yesterday to tl them. This ch was tled at 2am and couldn¡¯t do more. I schedule my releases at 8am my timezone for those who don¡¯t know. We were headed to the Kingdom of Meltaria, Linnecarlo¡¯s home country, and we were about to board a ride carrier to get there. ¡°Wait a minute, your ride carriers are the Edra type, right?¡± Linnecarlo¡¯s question, which I didn¡¯t quite understand, was answered by Alana, the original owner of the ride carrier. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an Edra type, second generation.¡± ¡°Then it can be connected to my ride carrier.¡± ¡°Yes, it might be possible, but I think we¡¯ll have to move them separately.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only two of us here, and it¡¯s hard to maneuver, so I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to have to hook you up.¡± It seems that the same type of ride carriers can be connected to each other, and Linnecarlo is trying to make it easier for her to maneuver. ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, may I also ask you to repair my magicraft?¡± ¡°Liza, can you do it?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.You want me to repair four magicrafts by myself?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re the only mechanic, so I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad, you¡¯ll have to pay for the repair separately¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, Liza¡­¡­let¡¯s give it our best shot.¡± Jean said blackly when he heard that the repair cost was extra. ¡°I¡¯ll take the¡­¡­bonus. And with the increase in the number of magicrafts, it¡¯s going to be hard for you to work alone, so think about getting some mechanics to help you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I feel sorry for Liza in this situation, so we¡¯ll have to find another mechanic.¡± When I expressed my opinion, Liza looked at me seriously and said ¡°I¡¯d be most happy if you¡¯d stay away from Lady Alana!¡± She blushed a little and shouted at me¡­¡­Take it easy, I was so careful, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡­ Then, without question, Linnecarlo connected the ride carriers and started relaxing in our ride carrier as if it were her home. ¡°Why are you lounging around here, you stupid princess?¡± The relentless Jean complained straightforwardly even to the princess. ¡°It¡¯s boring because there¡¯s nothing over there.¡± ¡°Lowlife you should be grateful that the beautiful Lady Linnecarlo is relaxing with you! I could eat three bowls of rice with the sight of Lady Linnecarlo relaxing!¡± ¡°Hey Arthur, don¡¯t say that because it¡¯s perverted.¡± Arthur was a little depressed when Linnecarlo warned him with a serious face. ¡°I¡¯m guessing, by any chance, you¡¯re not trying to steal my food right?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not that shallow. Well, you can invite me to dinner if you insist.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a ¡­¡­ client, so I¡¯ll at least feed you, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to show a little gratitude or something.¡± For what it¡¯s worth, Jean is kind, and he¡¯s going to make sure she eats dinner. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be grateful, though you won¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean!¡± I imagine that Linnecarlo has been gambling all her money away and hasn¡¯t been eating properly, but her appetite is really good. She gobbled up Jean¡¯s food with relish. ¡°Here¡¯s another one for you, sister¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, I¡¯ll take it.¡± Nanami was so concerned that she shared her portion with Linnecarlo. ¡°I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about the job, Linnecarlo, since the last job wasn¡¯t a very good one.¡± I naturally asked this in the course of our dinner conversation. ¡°¡­¡­Yes, that¡¯s fine, but if you ask me, it¡¯s still no deal-breaker.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about that, we¡¯ll honor the contract once it¡¯s made.¡± Jean replied without a pause. ¡°Then I will tell you, I am ashamed to say, that the situation in the Kingdom of Meltaria is currently unstable.¡± ¡°What, is there a civil war going on?¡± ¡°No, the king is in a critical condition. He doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°The king is Linnecarlo¡¯s father, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.Father is dying¡­¡­.So there¡¯s a lot of confusion about the succession¡­¡­.¡± Linnecarlo looked very sad¡­¡­I knew it was hard to see her father in such a state. ¡°Wait a minute, you didn¡¯t hire us to fight your own war for power, did you?¡± Alana asked back in surprise. ¡°No, I¡¯m the third princess ¨C ninth in line to the throne in the male-dominated Meltaria, and I¡¯m not aiming for the throne despite my status.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If this continues, the first prince, Mushym, will become king¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t the first prince be king?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to speak ill of my brother, but¡­¡­he¡¯s a scum! No, he¡¯s an outcast with no humanity! If he becomes king, Meltaria will be ruined.¡± I think Linnecarlo is mostly right, but such a strong condemnation of her brother is¡­¡­ CH 68 After three days of travel, we arrived at the royal capital of the Meltaria Kingdom. We parked the ride-carrier in a vacant lot near the royal palace, and we headed for the palace on foot. ¡°In the meantime, Yuta, Jean, and Alana, please come with me so that I can introduce you to the people in the palace.¡± ¡°What, do we really need to make them aware of that?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have unknown persons wandering around the palace.¡± That¡¯s true so Linnecarlo took us to a certain room in the royal palace. ¡°There¡¯s a meeting going on right now with all the major players to discuss the throne, so we should head there.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think a mercenary is allowed to show up at a meeting like that.¡± I told Linnecarlo that because I felt it was out of place¡­¡­. ¡°I don¡¯t care, most of the people there are my enemies, so I don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± We care¡­¡­. As expected, the people in the room reacted in a blatantly unpleasant manner. ¡±What¡¯s with those filthy people! Who gave you permission to enter this sacred round-table conference room?¡± An old man with the appearance of a raccoon and the look of an evil officer shouted at us. ¡°It¡¯s me, Prime Minister Brom.¡± ¡°Hmmm, Princess Linnecarlo, I¡¯m troubled that you would bring such lowly people to this place¡­¡­who are they?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hired these mercenaries, and they¡¯re important guests, so please don¡¯t be rude.¡± Linnecarlo¡¯s words were not responded to by the person called Prime Minister Brom, but by a young man nearby. ¡°Mercenaries¡­¡­Bullshit, Linnecarlo! Are you going to ignore the previous rule that forbids the heirs to the throne from seizing control of the army to prevent civil war?¡± ¡°Oh, Brother Bildello, they are indeed mercenaries, but I only hired them to talk to me, and the proof is that there are less than ten of them, or are you so weak-minded as to fear that a single digit mercenary is an army?¡± ¡°Less than ten, even if it is¡­¡­!¡± Bildello words were interrupted by the figure behind him. ¡°Why not, Bildello? It¡¯s just a joke from my little sister, let¡¯s cut her some slack.¡± ¡°But, Brother Mushym¡­¡± Oh, so this is the first prince of Mushym that Linnecarlo was talking crap about¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what a mercenary group of less than a dozen people can do, scum is scum after all.¡± ¡°We have an army of two thousand magicrafts.¡± ¡°Oh, Brother Bildello, I thought it was forbidden for the heir to the throne to seize control of the army, what do you mean by an army of two thousand magicrafts?¡± ¡°Nah¡­¡­it¡¯s nothing! I just misspoke!¡± Oh, really? It¡¯s a good thing, then, that the current commander of the magic machine unit, Cruz, is not someone under brother Mushym and he controls of the magicraft unit behind the scenes is it?¡± I see. It seems that the reason why Linnecarlo was forced to resign as the commander of the magic machine unit has something to do with this area of the story. ¡°Well¡­¡­Linnecarlo, if you¡¯re going to go that far, you must at least have some proof¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo! You ¡­¡­¡± The other party is trembling with anger and is about to grab¡­¡­Linnecarlo so I unconsciously went in front of her to protect her. ¡°Get out of my way, mercenary, or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in sibling rivalry, but I don¡¯t want to see a man assault a woman.¡± ¡°Hohoh¡­¡­don¡¯t think a mercenary like you can be a shield.¡± When Mushym and Bildello grabbed their swords and looked like they were about to pull them out, a young man sitting at a table in the back of the room stopped them with a loud voice. ¡°Please stop that, this is the sacred roundtable.¡± The two princes seem unable to ignore the man¡¯s words, and their movements come to a halt. ¡°Hmph, we certainly can¡¯t have the blood of the lowly staining this place.¡± With that, the two men put their swords away. Linnecarlo did not swear at the young man, but obeyed him and took a seat at the round table in a quiet manner. Who is this person that the two princes and princesses can¡¯t ignore his words? I know he¡¯s one of Linnecarlo¡¯s relatives, but who is he¡­¡­? CH 69 Today sponsors are squish with 3 chapters and Qayos Sturmz with 1 chapter. Thank you for the support!!! ¡°How long are those mercenaries going to stay here?¡± We stood behind Linnecarlo and watched the meeting from the sidelines and lost track of when to leave the room. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that he¡¯s my escort as well.¡± Apparently Linnecarlo wanted us to see this meeting, or so she said, and maintained this situation. ¡°Hmph, accompanying royal guards are allowed under all circumstances, but I hope they¡¯re at least knights or regular soldiers.¡± It seems that the presence of royal guards is pretty much guaranteed, and even we mercenaries were allowed to be here. ¡°I will now proceed with the topic of this discussion, the succession of the throne.¡± When Prime Minister Brom said those words, Linnecarlo immediately spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we need to discuss the succession to the throne, the crown prince has already been named, I think it¡¯s best if Crown Prince Yudin takes over the throne.¡± ¡°Hmph, no matter whether it was Yudin who was nominated by father king, he said it in a daze on his sickbed, it¡¯s impossible that father king really meant it!¡± ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± ¡°I am the first prince! How can I not be named the crown prince? I don¡¯t understand why Yudin, the third prince who can¡¯t do anything, would be nominated?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s just that our father had a good eye for people.¡± ¡°What the hell, Linnecarlo! Are you implying that I¡¯m inferior to Yudin?¡± ¡°You can take it that way.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be so sure just because you have a slightly higher¡­¡­Ludia value.¡± To stop the siblings from arguing, Prime Minister Brom suggested. ¡°How about this, then, the Crown Prince or the First Prince succession to the throne will be decided by voting.¡± Linnecarlo reacted strongly to Prime Minister Brom¡¯s words. ¡°I disagree! The will of the king is absolute, the Crown Prince should be the king!¡± ¡°I say the will of the king is questionable! I vote yes on the voting resolution!¡± Mushym wants to be king so badly that he agrees to the idea himself. ¡°I agree with you, it is Mushym who is fit to be king.¡± Bildello followed Mushym and argued in favor. ¡°Well, well, well, ladies and gentlemen, then, let those of us gathered here vote on the pros and cons of the resolution to vote for the throne.¡± When Prime Minister Brom said this, most of the people present raised their hands. ¡°It has been decided that the succession to the throne will be decided by vote.¡± Linnecarlo looked very grim, but said nothing more¡­¡­. It was decided that the voting resolution would take place in ten days, and that the voting would be carried out by the five dukes and the four adult members of the royal family, excluding the parties concerned. ¡°It¡¯s all going as I expected. If this continues, Mushym will become king.¡± ¡°But according to what you just said, it will be decided by a vote. I don¡¯t think it means that Mushym will definitely be the king.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, Yuta. Votes for the country¡¯s top officials are usually decided before they¡¯re even held because there¡¯s already some sort of faction.¡± ¡°Jean is right, of the four royals who are entitled to vote, the second prince, Bildello, and the second princess, Linda, will definitely vote for Mushym, since they are at Mushym¡¯s beck and call. And of the five dukes Brom, the vizier, and Duke Karon, Mushym¡¯s father-in-law will vote for him as well. The Duke of Holomel, who has business interests with Mushym, is also expected to vote for Mushym.¡± ¡°That¡¯s five votes. I guess he already won.¡± ¡°I think the other side knew that, so they made sure it would be that kind of vote.¡± Jean¡¯s words seemed to be what Linnecarlo and Alana were thinking as well, and the air in the room dulled. ¡°You must have an idea, Linnecarlo.¡± Linnecarlo answered Alana¡¯s question with a blank look on her face. ¡°Honestly, at this point, the only people who are certain to vote for Crown Prince Yudin are I and First Princess Rhydiria. However, the two dukes¡­¡­Duke Leydemarte and Duke Barelma, do not think well of Mushym, and if persuaded, they should vote for Yudin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still one vote short.¡± ¡°Yes, so we really need to take one of their votes away from them.¡± ¡°Are you trying to convince the second princess or the second prince?¡± ¡°No, those two are just like the Mushym. They are scum who think that everyone but royalty is insects and the people are slaves. They think that if Mushym becomes king, they will be able to do whatever they want and they will not turn to us.¡± ¡°That would make it one of the three dukes.¡± ¡°The Duke of Caron, Mushym¡¯s father-in-law, is out of the question, and Prime Minister Brom, who has been his educator since he was a child and considers Mushym like his own son, is also not going to turn to us, so the target is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see. Greed for greed.¡± Alana said, as if she understood the whole story so far. ¡°Yes, the Duke of Holomel, with whom he only has a business interest, would turn to us if we offered him more beneficial terms.¡± I know what you¡¯re talking about, but what exactly are we, the Iron Knights, going to do? I¡¯m starting to get worried because I feel like I¡¯m getting caught in the royal family turmoil. CH 70 ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll give you 100 million in advance for the commission, plus the unpaid food and beverage bills and the cost of repairing the magicraft.¡± Linnecarlo handed Jean a large bag of money as she said this. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s very good of you to pay up, Linnecarlo.¡± ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m a woman of my word.¡± ¡°Sister, can you introduce me to them?¡± The young man who brought the money Linnecarlo gave Jean asked, tugging on Linnecarlo¡¯s clothes. As I recall, he was the one who stopped the two princes at the meeting¡­¡­. ¡°Ah, yes, these are the Iron Knights mercenaries Yuta, Jean and Alana, and this is my lovely brother, the Crown Prince, Yudin.¡± ¡°Stop talking like that, sister. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Why are you embarrassed? It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°I was just wondering, this money that Yudin brought, could it be Linnecarlo¡¯s money?¡± ¡°Yes, my sister told me to prepare that for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hey Linnecarlo, you don¡¯t have any money, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t happen to have any, so I had Yudin pay for me.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just come home and not have any money. Tell me the truth, you don¡¯t have any money.¡± It¡¯s¡­¡­true, I don¡¯t have any right now, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have my royal allowance for the next term soon!¡± ¡°I hope our fee is safe. It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t pay us because Mushym becomes king!¡± ¡°Gentlemen, let me talk to you about it. Actually, there is a reason why my sister doesn¡¯t have any money. My sister personally pays the bereaved families of the soldiers who died in the war every year, so she is always short of money¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m surprised that Linnecarlo has a side like that. ¡°Yes¡­¡­Linnecarlo, why are you doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of principle! It¡¯s not right that people should be forced to fight for the convenience of the royal family and die in the process¡­¡­but we should at least take care of the families left behind! It¡¯s the least we can do!¡± I think I may have misunderstood her a bit¡­¡­.At least I got the feeling that she cared about human life. ¡°That¡¯s right, low-lifes, Master Linnecarlo didn¡¯t gamble away her savings for personal gain, she only took a chance because she was in need of money to hire mercenaries and support the bereaved families.¡± I don¡¯t know why it annoys me when Arthur says it like that¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it, but whatever you do, make sure you pay us.¡± ¡°Well, leaving the money aside, we need to figure out a strategy for the future.¡± Alana put the derailed conversation back on the right track. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re going to bring the Duke of Holomel on our side, what exactly are we going to do?¡± ¡°I have an idea. I hear that the Duke Holomel¡¯s territory is currently experiencing massive economic losses due to a large number of brigands running amok. The amount is 30 billion gold, so how about getting his vote in exchange for solving the problem?¡± I see, we don¡¯t have the money to buy him off, but we can do something about that. ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ll leave it to the Iron Knights to take down the thieves.¡± ¡°What? We¡¯re going to defeat the thieves on our own?¡± ¡°Yes, I have to persuade the two dukes at the royal palace, and if I go to Duke Hormel¡¯s territory at this time, they might be suspicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, but¡­¡­how powerful are the thieves?¡± ¡°It seems that the thieves are mainly the remnants of Stogar, which was destroyed by the Meltaria in recent years, so they are quite tough. It seems that Duke Holomel¡¯s private army is no match for them, so you must be on your guard.¡± ¡°Hmph, work for what you¡¯re paid, you lowlifes! Go beat the bastards!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Arthur? You¡¯re going, too.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair for them to be on their own in a strange land, so you¡¯re going to help them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s good to have you, Arthur-chan.¡± Arthur hung his head in disgust as Jean held him by the shoulders. CH 71 I was getting ready to head to Duke Holomel¡¯s estate when I noticed a large crowd of people in the square near the royal palace ¨C I was curious, so I asked Linnecarlo about it¡­¡­. ¡°What are they doing, Linnecarlo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to explain too much, but it¡¯s a public trial.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to explain the trial?¡± ¡°Because a trial is a public execution in all but name, one of the shames of our country, a vice that will be absolutely abolished when Yudin becomes king.¡± ¡°Public Executions¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a charge written down over there. I think you¡¯ll understand a little better if you read it.¡± As Linnecarlo said this, Jean read out the charges. ¡°What is this?¡­¡­These men are to be executed for spreading bad news about the first prince Mushym. Anyone who disagrees must prove it with a valid argument¡­¡­.I don¡¯t get it, what does prove it with a valid argument means?¡± ¡°In the past, we had to prove it with arguments, but now we have to prove it with things.¡± The magicraft was standing in front of Linnecarlo¡¯s gaze. ¡°Hey, do you want me to fight with a magicraft and win?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­¡­.Most of the people who are stuck there are people who can¡¯t even ride a magicraft¡­¡­That¡¯s not a trial by any means.¡± ¡°The reasons and everything are absurd¡­¡­Is it only the person accused of the crime who is allowed to fight with the magicraft?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re allowed to represent the accused as a defense attorney.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why doesn¡¯t Linnecarlo just go poof and defend them?¡± ¡°Since Arthur and I are public figures who are supposed to be impartial, we are forbidden from being trial lawyers, otherwise we would go right ahead and destroy that executioner¡¯s magicraft¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are some weird, fair-minded rules here ¨C so how do I become a defense attorney?¡± ¡°Yuta, are you really going to be a defense attorney?¡± ¡°All I have to do is defeat that magicraft, right?¡± ¡°But if the defense attorney loses, he will be executed for the same crime.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad they¡¯re going to execute them just for badmouthing the prince, I¡¯ll go defend them.¡± Whether they trusted me or were angry at the unreasonable public execution, Jean and Alana didn¡¯t stop me. I walked into the square and approached the enforcer ¨C he had set up a platform in the middle of the square and was shouting to the crowd on it. ¡°Hey, is there anyone here to defend them? We¡¯re about to have all these people hanged! It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have a magicraft, we¡¯ll give you one, so don¡¯t hesitate to defend them!¡± I did not hesitate to raise my voice. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll defend them!¡± When I told the executioner that, the crowd all looked at me at once ¨C some with curious expressions, others with pity and concern. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡­.Defending them means you¡¯re guilty of the same thing.¡± ¡± Crime?¡­..What kind of Crime have those people hanging there committed, they just told the truth.¡± ¡°No! What the hell are you doing! Do you mock Prince Mushym!¡± ¡°No one is making fun of Prince Mushym, or do you think it¡¯s true what they say about him?¡± ¡°Come on¡­¡­I¡¯ll give you a chance to explain yourself as a defense attorney! You can take the magicraft over here if you want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it because I have my own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t regret it¡­¡­. Prepare the executioner¡¯s magicraft!!¡± The defense attorney¡¯s testimony seemed to be unusual, and the crowd around us began to make noise. It was like a big event, and more and more people were gathering around. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± As the executioner was preparing the magicraft, first prince Mushym appeared from the royal palace and said¡­ ¡°Well, well, Prince Mushym, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going to fight that defense attorney?¡± ¡°Ha! I may look like this, but I¡¯m a mid-level rider with a Ludia value of 3800, so rest assured that I won¡¯t fall behind those low-lifes!¡± ¡°Huh. Look closely at who that man is with.¡± The executioner who was told this shakes his head when he sees Linnecarlo next to me. ¡°¡­¡­Princess Linnecarlo¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you think that a rider who is allowed to stay by the side of Linnecarlo, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, can be beaten by a mid-level rider, fool!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll provide the rider to fight that defense attorney.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Hey, defense attorney, one question, are you sure you want to take on the defense of all those criminals?¡± ¡°Yes, I will defend them all!¡± ¡°Hmmm, good, then I¡¯ll get you the best executioner I can.¡± As he said this, he rattled off instructions to the person at his side, which seemed to be preparing something for him. CH 72 I went back to the ride carrier to get Arleo and when Nanami saw me getting in she called out to me. ¡°Yuta, where are you going with Arleo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to defend someone.¡± ¡°Defend?¡± ¡°Yes, innocent people are about to be killed, and we¡¯re going to help them.¡± ¡°Nanami¡¯s coming with you.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a proper, official fight, so you¡¯ll just have to watch.¡± ¡°I want to help innocent people, too. ¡­¡­¡± In the end, Nanami invited Farma to come and observe my defense. Neither of them seemed to have the slightest thought that I was going to lose, and they happily mingled with the crowd and looked at me. The defense was to take place in a large open space near the square, and as I waited there, the magicraft of the executioner who was to be my opponent arrived with Mushym and his group¡­¡­. ¡°Wait a minute! Why are there twelve of them?¡± The executioner¡¯s magicrafts are lined up in front of me. In front of the magicrafts, the riders who piloted them were also neatly lined up ¨C an intimidating sight, and I protested impatiently ¡°What are you talking about? You said you would defend all the criminals. There are 12 criminals, so there will be 12 executioners.¡± Yes, the logic is right, but why do I have to fight them at the same time?¡­¡­This didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Linnecarlo and she protested. ¡°Brother Mushym, your logic is atrocious at best, then we¡¯ll have more attorneys.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, do you really think that¡¯s acceptable, he already agreed to defend all the guilty. You know the rule of one defense attorney for one criminal, and you can¡¯t withdraw your defense once you¡¯ve accepted it, so what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Come on¡­¡­you can¡¯t reason with¡­¡­.¡± Apparently, the rules don¡¯t allow me to overrule this situation, and I prepare to fight those twelve magicrafts. ¡°Linnecarlo, that¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll just take out all twelve of them.¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­those twelve enforcers are no ordinary riders, they are the elite¡­¡­of the Kingdom SS, all of them are above half-radar, and those three in the middle are Highlanders.¡± ¡°Can Linnecarlo fight all those guys and win?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re good enough to draw with me, it¡¯s true that I can fight all of them and win, then you can do it too, I won¡¯t say anything else, go kick the shit out of all those enforcers!¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do it then!¡± As I was about to get motivated and board the Arleo, I was approached by the executioner in the center. ¡°Yuta-kun, aren¡¯t you Yuta-kun?¡± ¡°Mikage¡­¡­Mikage Mamoru!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you. I was worried about you because you were bought by some unknown merchant.¡± I didn¡¯t recognize him right away because his hair had gotten longer and he seemed very different from his old self, but it was my classmate, Mikage Mamoru¡­¡­.I¡¯m not very close with Mikage, but I was a little happy to see him again after a long time. ¡°You were bought by Meltaria?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a member of the Meltaria Kingdom¡¯s SS now, but more importantly¡­¡­are you by any chance the one I¡¯m about to fight?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the lawyer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s reckless, there are twelve elite members of the Kingdom SS, and with all due respect, you¡¯re no match for them. It¡¯s not too late for you to surrender and beg Prince Mushym¡¯s forgiveness, and maybe he¡¯ll spare your life, I¡¯ll even help you with that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Sorry Mikage, I¡¯m not going to abandon someone who¡¯s about to be killed for a few bad words, and I¡¯m not going to lose.¡± ¡°But your Ludia value is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mikage, what¡¯s the point of having a low Ludia value? Why can¡¯t I try to do the right thing? Besides, I¡¯m stronger than you think.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay, I won¡¯t stop you now that you¡¯ve said that, I¡¯ll do my best to fight you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t cut corners either, so don¡¯t make excuses later if you lose.¡± Mikage walked towards his own magicraft without looking back ¨C the second time I¡¯ve had to fight a classmate¡­¡­.I still don¡¯t feel very good about it¡­¡­. CH 73 I boarded Arleo and confronted the twelve executioners¡­ ¡°I am the Kingdom¡¯s SS, Captain Bilkea, Ludia value 18,000, and I shall demonstrate by my power the legitimacy of this sentence! Defending attorney, identify yourself by name and show your intent!¡± I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s a kind of self-introduction, I had no choice but to say the same thing. ¡°I am Yuta of the Iron Knights! I will demonstrate their innocence with my power!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? With a Ludia value of 2, you can¡¯t even move a toy! How can you ride a magicraft?¡± It doesn¡¯t matter what they say¡­¡­but this time there was a guy there who knew my Ludia value, Mikage followed the captain. ¡°Captain, what I¡¯m saying is true, I can assure you, I was there when it was measured.¡± ¡°What the hell, Mamoru?¡­¡­If you say so, it must be like that. But a Ludia value of 2 is ¡­¡­ if that¡¯s true, what are we going to fight now, it¡¯s not even a battle.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­.I don¡¯t care what the Ludia value is! Take him down!¡± Mushym seems to be short-tempered, and he doesn¡¯t want to watch such an exchange, so he tells them to start fighting right away. ¡°Then let¡¯s hear the arguments, counsel, upon the signal begin your plea.¡± The official in the center of the room was holding a yellow flag, which would probably start the battle when it was waved. The yellow flag was waved and at that moment, the magicrafts of the executioners started to move all at once. I raised my right hand to the captain¡¯s magicraft, pointed my magic bullet at it, and fired it at his neck. Whoo! The captain¡¯s magicraft neck was blown off; he fell to his knees and collapsed on the spot. The other enforcers stopped moving, staring at the captain¡¯s broken magicraft, as if they couldn¡¯t understand what had happened, and I took advantage of the opportunity to accelerate and close the distance to Mikage¡¯s magicraft. Mikage was also shocked that the captain¡¯s magicraft was disabled by a single magic bullet and he couldn¡¯t react quickly enough when I approached. I hit the defenseless Mikage with the tonfa and the body of the magicraft dented. He collapsed backwards with a thud. After the Mikage was defeated, the other enforcers finally cooled down and attacked. First, I destroyed the head of the magicraft that attacked me with the sword by poking it with the tonfa, then I avoided the attack of the enemy who attacked me from behind with a large axe and blew its head off by hitting it while spinning. I hit the leg of an enemy magicraft approaching from the right to stop it from moving, and then I crush the head of the enemy plane with a knee kick as it gets into a low stance. After twisting my body to avoid the simultaneous attacks of the two magicrafts, I blow off the head of one with my right tonfa as I thrust it up from below like a boxing uppercut, and rotate the tonfa in my left hand to deliver a powerful blow to the body of the other. Having defeated the Highlander, which was the main force at first, the remaining enforcers were slowed down by fear and agitation ¨C normally they would be able to fight a little more, but they feared the enemy and were rushing in without coordination. While moving, I rotate my body and swing my tonfa to destroy more and more enemy magicrafts that come near me¡­¡­The next thing I knew, there was only one enemy left. The last one has already lost its will to fight and is only slowly falling back, not willing to attack. I think the battle has already been decided, but I thought it would never end if I didn¡¯t defeat it, so I gave the neck of the magic machine, which was too scared to do anything, a quick poke with my tonfa to disable it. ¡°You¡­¡­idiots! Twelve magicrafts in such a short¡­¡­time, and you¡¯re all elite members of the Kingdom¡¯s SS¡­¡­.¡± To the surprised Prince Mushym, Linnecarlo said proudly. ¡°You seem surprised, Brother Mushym, but I¡¯m afraid you miscalculated by underestimating him, a rider who could tie with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a mercenary other than the Sword Saint.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you declare the outcome of the trial, the crowd is waiting for it.¡± As Linnecarlo said, the people watching the trial were looking at Mushym with great interest¡­¡­.Mushym seemed to feel some power in their gaze, and reluctantly said these words. ¡°Acknowledging that the defense¡¯s argument is valid¡­¡­I find all those here not guilty¡­¡­.¡± The moment Mushym said that, there were loud cheers from the crowd¡­¡­.Some of them were probably the families of the innocents, and I was very happy to be able to help them. CH 74 ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better do it right, because if you win over the Duke of Holomel but I don¡¯t get the votes of the other two dukes, we¡¯re screwed.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯ll take care of that.¡± I won the battle as a defense attorney and headed to the Duke of Holomel¡¯s territory with a good feeling ¨C after the battle, Mikage said he was afraid of the punishment for losing, but Linnecarlo told me that even in this country, Highlanders and Half-Raiders are valuable human resources, and no matter how mad Mushym is he will not give them a big punishment! I was relieved. We were led to the Duke of Holomel¡¯s domain by Arthur, who was very unhappy. ¡°Here Arthur, your food is ready, don¡¯t be so depressed, come and eat with us.¡± ¡°¡±I¡¯m good¡­¡­I have no appetite¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a completely different person when you¡¯re around Linnecarlo¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything without master Linnecarlo¡­¡­Just leave me alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby! Who¡¯s this mission for? Is it for us? No, it¡¯s for your precious Linnecarlo! Get a grip! Do your job and get Linnecarlo¡¯s praise!¡± When Jean grabbed Arthur¡¯s collar and shook it, Arthur¡¯s eyes changed color as he said enthusiastically. ¡°I see, if I complete this mission properly, Master Linnecarlo will praise me¡­.Yes, she¡¯s going to make me her personal knight.¡± He¡¯s a simple guy¡­¡­ ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal with you and Linnecarlo?¡± ¡°Bohuh hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah¡­¡­mmm¡­¡­me and Master Linnecarlo have a strong bond.¡± Arthur replied as he swallowed his food in a panic when Jean suddenly asked him that. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the point. What¡¯s your official position?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an apprentice knight, the second son of Count Rickremer.¡± ¡°Apprentice knight? That means you¡¯re half a knight.¡± ¡°How rude! I was the top student at the knight academy, even though I look like this, and if I entered the civil service, I would have been a knight in no time.¡± ¡°How come you¡¯re not even a knight yet?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, Master Linnecarlo doesn¡¯t approve.¡± ¡°So a soon-to-be knight in shining armor is wandering around with royalty.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not obsessed with the royal family! I want to be with Master Linnecarlo!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so great about that insane princess, she¡¯s just a naive person with a high Ludia value and a lot of pride.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand that lovely beauty, that purity of heart and modesty?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t! And I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s no such thing as modesty.¡± ¡°¡±Hmph, you¡¯re a very blind man.¡± ¡°I think Linnecarlo is actually a nice and kind girl, even if she is a bit competitive¡­¡­.¡± When I said that, Arthur happily agreed. ¡°Yes, Master Linnecarlo is very kind, sometimes she shares her extra sweets with me, and sometimes she gives me books that she no longer needs.¡± I¡¯m not talking about that kind of kindness¡­¡­. It took us about two days to reach our destination, the Duke of Hormel¡¯s domain. By that time, Arthur had become quite familiar with us, and he and Farma in particular seemed to be on the same page, and they often talked about magicrafts together. ¡°I think the strongest magicraft is Yuto¡¯s Arleo.¡± ¡°I admit that Arleo is a great specimen, but Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin is no slouch when it comes to attack power!¡± ¡°Yes, but in terms of overall strength, he can¡¯t beat Arleo.¡± ¡°No, Master Linnecarlo¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s still the same story about magicrafts, and before we know it, it¡¯s all about Master Linnecarlo, but I think it¡¯s good that Arthur is opening up. ¡°What about my Arleo?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a little curious about the performance of Arleo for a while now, so I decided to talk to him about it.¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure about Yuta¡¯s Arleo¡­¡­.As Liza said, if you just look at the specs, it looks like an ordinary magicraft¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to understand how that magicraft could have beaten master Linnecarlo¡­¡­or even draw with her.¡± ¡°What determines the performance of a magicraft in the first place?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s the Ludia core first, then the elemental line, the inborn, the exoskeleton, well, 90% of the time it¡¯s the Ludia core.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what a Ludia core is.¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, no one knows anything about it, it¡¯s a mysterious component that we don¡¯t know anything about in terms of structure or principle, we just know how to use it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a battery that works even if you don¡¯t understand the principle¡­¡­¡± ¡°The parts of the magicrafts other than the Ludia core can be repaired with today¡¯s technology, but once the Ludia core is destroyed, it can never be put back together again, so if the Ludia core is destroyed, it means the death of the magicraft¡­¡­Well, in most cases, the magicraft itself will be disabled before the Ludia core is destroyed.¡± It is true that magicrafts seem to be surprisingly fragile, because just blowing off their heads will cause them to stop working. CH 75 This ch was sponsored by squish and an annonimous supporter. Thank you both for your generosity! I still couldn¡¯t accept the fact that Emina was dead¡­¡­.Back in the imperial capital, I spent many days locked in my room, doing nothing. ¡°Iron Knights¡­¡­¡± I mention the name of the mercenary group that I heard from the head of the Beast King mercenary group¡­¡­ I made a report to the army, and there was no information at all, as if they were an unknown mercenary group. It seems that the army, which believes that they have already avenged Emina by destroying the Beast King mercenary group, will not move, but I will never forget. I had made up my mind that I would definitely hunt down the Iron Knights even if I have to do it alone. Mr. Eo came to see me one day and said, ¡°Mr. Yuki, His Majesty the Emperor wants to see you.¡± I wondered if he would be angry with me for staying in my room forever¡­¡­.With that worry in mind, I headed for the audience room. ¡°Dear Ms. Yuki, you asked for information on a friend of yours who was sold to a slave trader¡­¡­¡± Mr. Eo talked to me on the way to the audience room. ¡°You¡¯ve found Yuta?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­we haven¡¯t found him yet, but we¡¯re starting to get some leads¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°It seems that your friend, who ran away from the slavers, worked for a while on a slave trading ship, then entered a small country called Ludawan, and had some trouble with the Ludawan army.¡± ¡°Trouble with the army¡­¡­.I hope he¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°That¡¯s still unknown¡­¡­.We¡¯re sending special forces to Ludawan right now to gather information, so please be patient.¡± Oh¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­if you were with me right now¡­¡­this sad feeling would be healed a little. I wish I had you by my side right now¡­¡­. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been in a bit of a slump lately with what happened to Emina, have you calmed down a bit?¡± The emperor doesn¡¯t seem to be angry, and he said so gently. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m back on my feet yet, but I think I¡¯ve regained some composure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big task, but I found some interesting information in the old archives¡­¡­.It says that there is a shrine of the legendary Great Sage deep in the forest of Diable. I¡¯m thinking of sending a survey team to find out the truth behind it.¡± ¡°The Legendary Great Sage¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the great sage Rafishal, who, truth be told, was the first person to build a magicraft.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re having bad thoughts when you¡¯re stuck in your room, can you join the survey team?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be a good idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the arrangements to Eo and he¡¯ll tell you the rest.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± With that, I left the audience chamber. ¡°Thank you for participating in the search for the Great Sage¡¯s shrine, Miss Yuki.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a change of pace¡­¡­.Anyway, have you decided on the members of the survey team yet?¡± ¡°Yes, we have three scholars, twelve riders, twenty mechanics, and about fifty guards already in place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bigger than I expected.¡± ¡°Diable is a scary place with a lot of scary legends, so a small survey team would be too scared to go there.¡± ¡°What scary legends?¡± ¡°It is said that in the past, it was a place where giant beasts lived, and they ran rampant in herds of thousands or tens of thousands. Giant beasts are said to be extinct now, so I don¡¯t think there are any that survived.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine what a giant beast would be like, but I figured that with my magicraft, I wouldn¡¯t have to fear any enemy. The riders of the survey team consisted of ten Highlanders, two double Highlanders and an elite group. Including me, the force was more than thirteen Highlanders, enough to subdue any small country, according to Eo. ¡°Yuki the Triple Highlander, I¡¯m Mary, my home country is the United States, and you¡¯re from Japan like Yuto.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Well, not just the Japanese people transported in this world. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t just get along with other Earthlings, I¡¯m Enrique, nice to meet you, Yuki.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± At the meeting of the survey team, the two double Highlanders spoke to me in a friendly manner, but the ten Highlander riders only greeted me stiffly and did not seem to open up to me. There seems to be a huge difference in status between Highlanders and Double Highlanders in Elysia¡­¡­.I¡¯ve heard that there are hundreds of Highlanders compared to only a few dozen Double Highlanders, and I wonder if that difference in numbers is what is making them so different¡­¡­. CH 76 Chapter 1/4 sponsored by KingPen.Thank you for the support. Today only 2/4 chapters will be released, the other 2 will be released tomorrow. The Duke of Holomel¡¯s residence was a gorgeous, opulent mansion¡­ ¡°So, Princess Linnecarlo sent you¡­¡­.What can I do for you?¡± The Duke of Holomel had the appearance of a great nobleman. He had a round, fat body, a long beard, and narrow, sharp eyes¡­..He didn¡¯t look very friendly, even though he was smiling. ¡°I have a secret letter from Princess Linnecarlo, please take a look at it.¡± Arthur handed over the letter he had received from Linnecarlo. I¡¯ve heard about the vote on the succession to the throne, but I¡¯ve never heard of¡­¡­me voting for Yudin¡­¡­.In exchange, you¡¯ll have to defeat the brigands that are running rampant in my territory¡­¡­Hahahahaha, funny, really funny proposal, the best deal a poor princess with no money could come up with.¡± Arthur looks disgusted by those words¡­He was about to grab the duke, but Alana caught him by the scruff of the neck and restrained him. ¡°Fine, sure, if one vote can wipe out those bastards, it¡¯s a win-win, I¡¯ll take the offer.¡± As planned, the Duke of Holomel came on board with Linnecarlo¡¯s proposal, and now all that was left to do was to defeat the bandits. ¡°All right, the fish is on the hook, we just need to pull it out.¡± ¡°So let¡¯s split up and find out more about the thieves. Me and Yuta, Jean and Emina, Arthur and Farma, Lorgo and Nanami.¡± ¡°Hey, why is it Alana and Yuta, can¡¯t it be Nanami and Yuta?¡± ¡°Yes, Alana, that combination is unbalanced, what kind of information¡¯s are Lorgo and Nanami going to obtain.¡± ¡°Hey, Jean, you sound like you don¡¯t think Nanami and Lorgo can do anything.¡± ¡°No, I meant gathering information. I didn¡¯t say they couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± Nanami wasn¡¯t the only one who wasn¡¯t satisfied with the combination that Alana had come up with, so we decided to be fair and use the lottery to decide. In order to avoid any danger in a strange place, it was decided that Alana, Emina, and Arthur, who had self-defense skills, and Jean, who could avoid danger with his mouth, would be split up and the pair would be decided by lottery. And so it was decided¡­ Alana and Nanami, Emina and me, Arthur and Farma, Jean and Lorgo. ¡°Then we¡¯ll meet at this square in the evening.¡± I nodded at Alana¡¯s words and we headed off in different directions to gather information. ¡°Emina, how are you getting used to being in the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ve gotten used to it¡­¡­¡± ¡°Speaking of which, do you have any hobbies, Emina?¡± ¡°Hobbies? You¡¯re not interested in my hobbies. You don¡¯t have to force me to talk about them.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m forcing you, but we¡¯re friends and we should get to know each other a little better.¡± ¡°¡±Yeah¡­¡­well, you¡¯re the leader of the Iron Knights, so it¡¯s not surprising that you¡¯d think that¡­¡­. My hobby is shopping; I like to look around for clothes and accessories.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Well, let¡¯s do a little shopping now, shall we?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We have to gather information about the thieves.¡± ¡°Yes, but we can gather information while we shop.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡­I owe you guys a lot of money.¡± ¡°Oh, right, well, if it¡¯s not too expensive, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, are you trying to get a piece of me or something?¡± ¡°You know¡­¡­well, I think Emina is beautiful, but I have a girl I love.¡± ¡°Who is it, maybe Alana or¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I like Alana, but that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Then who is it, maybe Nanami? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea!¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re separated now¡­¡­.I don¡¯t even know where she is¡­..I haven¡¯t told her I love her properly, so I don¡¯t think she thinks about me¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s right¡­¡­I¡¯m just a classmate to Yuki Shirayuki¡­¡­.I wonder what would have happened if I had confessed to her on the last day of the school trip¡­.. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find her someday¡­..and then you can confess your feelings to her then.¡± Emina said softly, probably worried that I looked a little sad. ¡°Then, feel free to let me shop with your money, come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Emina¡¯s expression brightened, but I was a little worried about the contents of my wallet. CH 77 ¡°Hey, I¡¯d like to ask you about the bandits that have been tearing up the area lately¡­¡­.¡± I spoke to the wives who were whispering in small voices around the living well water, but for some reason they didn¡¯t answer me and went away in disarray¡­¡­.By the time I got here, I had encountered similar scenes many times and had yet to get any information. ¡°It¡¯s funny, we¡¯re supposed to be having trouble with the bandits, but all the citizens are uncooperative¡­¡­.That reaction makes me think they know something but don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± I guess, as Emina said, they don¡¯t want us to find the bandits, on the contrary, I get the vibe that they don¡¯t think well of us. ¡°Hey, you want to hear about the bandits?¡± The ones who called out to me were a group of three people who looked like they belonged in a bad neighborhood. ¡°Yes, but do you have any information?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­I¡¯ll tell you a good story, I just can¡¯t talk about it here, so come with me to that back alley.¡± ¡°Yuta, don¡¯t you think these guys are a little suspicious?¡± Emina warned in a small voice. ¡°Sure, they¡¯re suspicious, but if we keep going like this, we¡¯re not going to get any information¡­¡­.¡± ¡°All right, well, listen to me, but be on your guard.¡± I told Emina that I understood and headed into the back alley with the three of them. When they came to the alleyway, the attitude of the three men suddenly changed. ¡°Hey! It looks like you¡¯re doing some research on the bandits, don¡¯t do anything unnecessary!¡± All three of them have knives¡­ ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re acquainted with the bandits or something?¡± Emina, who had quickly stepped in front of me, put her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist and asked. ¡°That¡­¡­doesn¡¯t matter! If you don¡¯t do what I say, I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± The moment the man said that, Emina pulled out her sword and in a split second, she had flicked the three knives away ¨C as expected of an ex-soldier. ¡°Damn¡­¡­how dare you!¡± ¡°Just answer the question, are you with the bandits?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a bandit, but I am indebted to them! They share the money and food they take from the lords, and we need them more than the evil lords who torture us with high taxes!¡± Well, it seems that the bandits are sharing the money and food they took with the people, and they seem to be much more popular with the citizens than that evil-looking lord. ¡°You can¡¯t just take something from someone for any reason, just tell me what you know!¡± With a sword at his throat, the man shakily replies. ¡°Oh¡­¡­we don¡¯t know anything¡­¡­because the bandits come without warning, hand out money and food, and then go away.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know where they come from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Rumor has it that there¡¯s a hideout up on Mount Dena.¡± ¡°Hey! What the hell are you saying?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice! I¡¯m scared of her eyes.¡± ¡°Do you have any other information? For example, tell me how many members there are, how many magicrafts they own, and anything else you know!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything about this, give me a break!¡± ¡°Emina, they really don¡¯t seem to know, so we¡¯ll just leave it at that.¡± When I said that, Emina put her sword away. It was almost evening, so we decided to leave the guys alone and head back to the meeting place. Arthur and Farma were already back at the rendezvous point, so I quickly asked what they found. ¡°How did it go, Arthur? Did you get any information?¡± ¡°Well, I did a lot of canvassing, but for some reason the people didn¡¯t want to talk about the bandits, so I got nothing.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the same situation, and we haven¡¯t gotten any information, so hopefully Alana or Jean will come back with some information¡¯s.¡± As I said this, Alana came back with a sullen look on her face. ¡°Alana, how did it go?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that the people in this town don¡¯t talk at all when it comes to the bandits, in fact they treat us like we¡¯re the bad guys for trying to find them.¡± ¡°I guess we are.¡± ¡°I suppose we can¡¯t expect much from Jean, either.¡± ¡°Oh, what can¡¯t you expect from me?¡± Jean and Lorgo appear. ¡°Jean, how¡¯d it go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it all, the location of their hideout, the numbers of the bandits and even their leader.¡± Both Alana and Emina were surprised by his response. ¡°How did you get so much information?¡± When I asked, Jean pointed his thumb at Lorgo and said, ¡°I used this guy.¡± ¡°Lorgo, what did you do?¡± ¡°I was just standing there¡­¡­cracking my knuckles when Jean told me to¡­¡­I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± I imagine Lorgo silently cracking his knuckles¡­¡­.Those of us who know Lorgo might not think anything of it, but those who don¡¯t know him might be terrified of what a big man with the appearance of a bear might do to him. I knew¡­¡­Jean was going to pull through. CH 78 Once we got the information, we went back to the ride carrier to discuss our tactics. ¡°It seems the leader of the bandits is a man called Lion King.¡± ¡°Lion King? Why do they call him that?¡± I asked Jean. ¡°They say he always wears a lion mask to hide his face. I can think of several reasons why he hides his face, but I can guess why someone who does something bad would hide his face.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible that he has a big scar or burn on his face that he doesn¡¯t want people to see, but it¡¯s more likely that he doesn¡¯t want anyone to know what he looks like.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal not to want people to know your face when you¡¯re doing something bad?¡± ¡°Do you think the average thug has the common sense to not want his face to be known? My guess is that the leader of the bandits is someone famous in this country, or at least someone that everyone knows if you mention his name.¡± ¡°Yeah! Wouldn¡¯t that be a huge problem?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a big problem, that¡¯s why he¡¯s hiding his face.¡± Jean is amazing sometimes. I don¡¯t know how you can predict so much with so little information¡­¡­Jean had even grasped the spots where the bandits would appear and the exact location of their hideout. ¡°The cave in the middle of Mount Dena is their hideout, I heard that they have about thirty magicrafts, so you guys should be able to win easily.¡± ¡°How could you get that kind of information from people in this town?¡± Alana said to Jean with admiration. ¡°They were so scared of Lorgo that they couldn¡¯t give me a straight answer.¡± ¡°How did you get the information then?¡± Alana asked suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯ve collected a lot of small pieces of information, scrutinized the inconsistencies and uncertainties, and turned them into one solid piece of information.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­Jean, tell me something I can understand.¡± ¡°The owner of the field told me that he would give me all the fruit from one of the trees, but only one of the four trees would bear good fruit. He wanted me to ask the workers in the field to find out which tree produced the best fruit, but the workers were told not to tell me which tree produced the best fruit. So I decided to ask each of them a small question, one to tell me the height of the good fruit tree, one to tell me the color of the leaves of the good fruit tree, and one to tell me the color of the leaves of the good fruit tree¡­¡­.Putting all this information together, I can figure out which is the good fruit tree. That¡¯s what I mean.¡± ¡°I see, so they¡¯re not comfortable spilling out the details, but comfortable with sharing a little information.¡± Alana seemed to understand. ¡°Now that we know where they¡¯re hiding, it¡¯ll be quicker. Let¡¯s storm that place and round them up.¡± When I said that, everyone nodded in agreement. Mt. Dena was a few hours away by ride carrier from the town where we had gathered information. Jean would take care of the transportation, and we riders would take a rest in the meantime. ¡°We¡¯re about to reach Mount Dena.¡± ¡°Jean, shouldn¡¯t the ride carrier wait around here?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re probably already on guard.¡± We decided to hide the ride carrier in the forest at the foot of Mount Dena and from there we would advance quietly with the magicrafts. The five of us who were going out were me, Alana, Nanami, Emina, and Arthur, while Lorgo and Farma were to stay behind as escorts for the ride carrier, just in case. ¡°Yuta, stop.¡± In a canyon about 10 minutes from the ride carriage, Alana suddenly said ¨C I panicked and stopped Arleo¡¯s steps. ¡°What¡¯s up, Alana?¡± ¡°Look over there¡­¡­.There are magicraft sentries.¡± When I looked closely, I could see the figures of two magicrafts on the cliffs a few hundred meters away. ¡°Sentries¡­.¡± ¡°Should we just get rid of them?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯ll notice if we¡¯re not careful, and it¡¯s better if they don¡¯t notice us yet if we want to catch them all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it, wait here.¡± Emina said and approached the sentry¡¯s magicrafts with Artemis. With a buzzing sound, Artemis¡¯ figure assimilated into the surrounding landscape ¨C at a quick glance, it was impossible to tell where Emina was. ¡°Artemis¡¯s ability to camouflage it¡¯s awesome.¡± As I watched, one of the guards¡¯ magicrafts suddenly fell to its knees and collapsed. The other guard noticed this and approached the fallen magicraft, but as soon as he did that he felt his body stiffen and he collapsed as well. When Artemis¡¯s camouflage was deactivated she appeared on the cliff and waved at us. Seeing this, we began to move forward with caution. CH 79 As Emina moved further from the cliff where she had defeated the sentries, toward the middle of Mount Dena, she saw another sentry¡¯s magicraft. ¡°Looks like that¡¯s where the bandits are holed up.¡± Magicrafts are standing guard over the entrance to the cave, the hideout is probably there as Alana said. ¡°Two guards, Emina, can you do it again?¡± ¡°Copy that. I¡¯m on it.¡± With that, Artemis activated her camouflage and blended in with the scenery around her. ¡°We¡¯ll go in after Emina takes out the guards.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to be found now?¡± ¡°I can see glimpses of infantry, so there¡¯s probably a limit to how much we can hide, and if they¡¯re going to find us anyway, it¡¯s better to subdue them all at once.¡± Indeed, it¡¯s impossible to take out all the infantry without being detected. In the same way as before, one of the guard¡¯s magicrafts collapsed ¨C the moment the other guard looked at the fallen magicrafts its head was blown off. Artemis appeared, pointing the bow gun attached to her left arm at the magicrafts whose head was destroyed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go! Ignore the infantry and prioritize destroying the magicrafts!¡± We entered the cave in the order of me, Nanami, Alana, Arthur, and Emina, as the entrance allowed only one magicraft to enter at once. The cave turned out to be a large space, with a lot of cargo in it, and a few magicrafts. The bandits were running away, making a lot of noise, and the magicrafts came out with weapons to intercept us. ¡°Alana and Emina, you take the right magic side, Nanami and Arthur, you take the left side, and I¡¯ll deal with the middle.¡± We scattered in three directions and began to attack the enemy¡¯s magicrafts. I hit the body of the magicraft that attacked me with a long spear with my tonfa and crushed it, then I kicked the approaching magicraft with a two-handed sword and took it out of action. I twisted my body to avoid the attack of a large axe that rammed into me from the front, then I crushed his legs and head rendering him unable to move. Enemy magicrafts attacked from both sides at the same time, turning my body and swinging the tonfas, I destroyed their heads almost simultaneously. I took out all the nearby enemies and looked around, it seems that Alana and the others have already taken out their opponents. It would have been impossible to escape from the cave, which had been conquered within minutes. ¡°Who are you? The Duke of Holomel¡¯s private army?¡± While shouting this through the external speaker, a lion-like creature appeared. It was a white magicraft with a head that looked like a¡­ ¡°No, we¡¯re mercenaries.¡± I replied. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been hired by the Duke of Hormel?¡± ¡°Not exactly hired. We came to take you down in an exchange.¡± ¡°In exchange¡­¡­if you weren¡¯t hired, that means there¡¯s still room for negotiation, how about we just talk, no loss to you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to negotiate with a bandit, you should just surrender.¡± Alana retorted to the bandit¡¯s suggestion immediately. ¡°Hmm, sorry, but I can¡¯t let you catch me, so if you¡¯re not willing to negotiate, I¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡± As he said this, the lion¡¯s magicraft held its sword and adopted a fighting stance. ¡°Alana, wait a minute, let¡¯s just talk to him, we can catch him afterwards.¡± I was curious about what he had to say because I had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t a normal bandit from what I heard about his reputation in town. When I said that, the lion¡¯s magic machine relaxed its fighting stance. ¡°It¡¯s not the kind of thing you want to talk about in a magicraft, so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to come down and talk to you.¡± ¡°Fine, but it¡¯s just me and one other person getting off, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to us, so I¡¯m going to ask the rest of you to stay in your magicrafts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll have my men move back as well.¡± The figure that came down from the lion¡¯s magicraft was wearing a lion¡¯s mask, just as Jean had informed us. After confirming that the other party got off his magicraft and that the bandits were backing away from the area, Alana and I got off as well to listen to what he had to say. ¡°First of all, let me say thank you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make my point.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very polite of you to say to someone who destroyed most of the magicrafts on your side.¡± Alana¡¯s sarcastic words did not anger the lion mask, instead he remained calm and collected. ¡°What I have to say it¡¯s more important than a few magicrafts.¡± ¡°Why are you talking to us mercenaries about something so important?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll capture me, because I¡¯ve seen the battle and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a match for you.¡± ¡°Oh, I see, you tricked us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I had to do it.¡± He seemed to be smiling a little at this point, though I couldn¡¯t see the expression on the face of the man in the lion mask. CH 80 This is chapter 4/4 sponsored by KingPen. Thanks for the support. The leader of the bandits, known as the Lion King, began to speak¡­ The story of the Lion King goes like this: once upon a time, this area was a small country called the Kingdom of Stogar, but 20 years ago, the king was killed and the young and beautiful queen was taken hostage by the young and ambitious Duke Holomel of Meltaria, who wanted to expand his own territory. Eventually, the queen responded to the frantic proposal of Duke Caron of Meltaria, who fell in love with her beauty, and she became his wife and bore him two children¡­¡­.However, a few years ago, she fell ill and died. ¡°Interesting story, but what does this have to do with us?¡± In response to Alana¡¯s question, the Lion King continued his story. ¡°The queen was loved by the people of Stogar, and this did not change even after the country disappeared and she became the wife of a nobleman from another country¡­¡­.The queen loved and cared for her people. Before she passed away, she left these words to her son: [The people of old Stogar are suffering from oppression¡­¡­and I hope that something can be done¡­¡­.]¡± When Alana heard this, she seemed to have realized something. ¡°You¡¯re the son of the queen?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination who I am, but you can be sure I¡¯m someone who can¡¯t leave the people of this land suffering under oppression.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, and I understand that you¡¯re not ordinary bandits, but we can¡¯t betray our client, and in order to do that, we need to destroy the bandits in this area, I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t just let you go.¡± ¡°Well, then what are you going to do, capture me?¡± ¡°Pretend to be dead, the bandits have been eradicated and you¡¯ve been defeated by us, if you do that, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± I was suggesting that, partly because the Lion King was more likeable than the Duke of Holomel. We just need to get him to vote for Yudin, not to destroy them. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you so supportive of the Duke of Holomel?¡± ¡°Our employer is Linnecarlo, soon there will be a vote for the succession to the throne between Yudin and Mushym, and in exchange for his vote we have to defeat the bandits.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay, we¡¯ll pretend to be dead, but can you do me one favor?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I would like you to arrange a meeting between me and Prince Yudin, it would be possible since you have a connection with Princess Linnecarlo.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, what¡¯s in it for us? It¡¯s not worth it to lose out and then ask the client to do something impossible.¡± ¡°First, I will pay you 200 million as a small token of my gratitude, and I promise you another¡­¡­vote for the succession to the throne, Duke Caron¡¯s vote.¡± I¡¯ve heard of Duke Caron, but he¡¯s one of the people who will be voting for the succession to the throne this time. If he promised me that vote, then it looks like Alana¡¯s right about the Lion King being the son of the Stogar¡¯s queen. ¡°Not bad. What do you think, Yuta? I think Linnecarlo would agree if the story about the vote is true.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll accept your offer.¡± ¡°I promise you won¡¯t regret that decision.¡± This is the end of my talk with the Lion King, I get my money, and the promise of a vote, what a great outcome. ¡°But if we were to report that I had destroyed the bandits, I doubt the Duke of Holomel would believe us so easily.¡± ¡°I have an idea.¡± I explained to Alana and the Lion King the method of reporting to the Duke of Hormel that I had been thinking about. ¡°Bringing back the head of a magicraft is¡­¡­a novel idea.¡± ¡°It reminded me of how people used to take credit for old battles in my home country.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you feel about that, but it might be enough to prove that we took you down.¡± ¡°Fine, take as much evidence as you can.¡± We cut off the heads of all the bandits¡¯ magicrafts and brought them back skewered on spears to create a cruel feeling. The Lion King was to accompany us to prepare the money for our payment and to meet with Yudin. ¡°How long are you going to wear that mask?¡± Alana pointed out to the Lion King as we returned to the ride carrier and took a break. ¡°Huh, yeah, I guess there¡¯s no point anymore¡­¡­¡± With that, the Lion King took off his mask. ¡°¡­¡­Lord Theseus!¡± It seems that Arthur knows the identity of the Lion King. ¡°The Duke of Caron son, Theseus, at your service.¡± CH 81 When we made our triumphant return to the Duke of Hormel¡¯s mansion, we all deliberately formed a conspicuous formation with our magicrafts and returned with spears pierced through the heads of the bandits¡¯ machines. ¡°Duke Holomel, as promised, we eliminated the bandits.¡± I reported this as I arranged the heads in the garden of the mansion. ¡°It¡¯s certainly the head of the bandit¡¯s leader magicraft¡­¡­.But why only the head, what happened to the body of the machine and the bandit¡¯s rider?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was a fierce battle and we killed all the bandits, we the Iron Knights have no mercy for our enemies¡­¡­.We couldn¡¯t carry all of the enemies bodies in our ride carrier, so we only brought back the heads.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­well¡­¡­well, you have done a great service, and now this territory will be at peace.¡± ¡°Please do not forget your promise.¡± ¡°I know, and I promise to vote for Yudin when the time comes.¡± Now that the mission was complete, Duke Hormel invited me to a victory party, but I politely declined, feeling guilty that I hadn¡¯t really eradicated the bandits, and also because I had Lord Theseus waiting on my ride carrier. ¡°That went well, now let¡¯s head back to the capital.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but before you go back to the capital, can you please go to my parents¡¯ residence so that I can get you the money, it¡¯s a bit of a detour, but it won¡¯t be too much trouble.¡± At the request of Lord Theseus, Jean, who was piloting the ride carrier, smiled and said¡­ ¡°Heh heh heh, I¡¯ll take all the detours I need for the money.¡± The Duchy of Caron, where the family home of Lord Theseus is located, is only a few hours¡¯ detour away. When Theseus arrived at the Duke of Caron¡¯s mansion, he asked us to wait for a while¡­but Jean was worried that he would run away¡­ ¡°Yuta and I will follow you.¡± Theseus agreed without showing any signs of displeasure at his words. ¡°Theseus, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, where have you been?¡± A middle-aged gentleman with gray hair and a dignified, aristocratic appearance approached us in the house. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve been touring the country for a bit of social study.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what you did¡­¡­.Who are those men there?¡± ¡°These are some of my recent friends, and they are very skilled riders.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a skilled rider¡­¡­.If you¡¯re that good, I¡¯d like to have you in the service of the Caron family.¡± ¡°Father, please don¡¯t take my friends.¡± ¡°Hahahaha, I¡¯m just kidding, go ahead and take your time.¡± After saying that, the middle-aged gentleman walked to the back of the mansion. That¡¯s the Duke Caron¡­..who seems to be a very pleasant person. ¡°It¡¯s a small token of my promise, take it.¡± Theseus went into his room and brought out a large bag, which he handed to Jean. ¡°Heh heh heh, I like a generous man.¡± ¡°In the meantime, please take care of my meeting with Prince Yudin.¡± ¡°I was just wondering, isn¡¯t it possible for a man of Theseus¡¯ rank to visit Yudin on his own?¡± When I expressed my honest question, Theseus replied with a subtle expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been having a lot of problems getting close to Yudin¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What problems?¡± ¡°Prince Mushym is my brother-in-law. You know the rest.¡± I see. It¡¯s a complicated relationship. ¡°Can we stop by the backyard before we head back to the ride carrier?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been home, so I thought I¡¯d stop by and say hello¡­¡­.¡± In a corner of the backyard, there was a magnificent stone monument. Theseus stood in front of it and closed his eyes quietly¡­ ¡°Mother¡­¡­please wait a little longer¡­¡­I will surely save the people of Stogar.¡± It appears to be the grave of Theseus¡¯ mother. His face was full of sadness and determination¡­¡­. CH 82 We went back to the palace and visited Linnecarlo right away. ¡°That was quick. So how did it go?¡± ¡°No problem, I made Duke Hormel promise to vote for Yudin.¡± ¡°Well, thank you for your efforts, we have been successful in persuading the two dukes, we just have to wait for the voting day.¡± ¡°So, Linnecarlo, I need a favor.¡± ¡°You want me to do something for you? Okay, go ahead, say it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone who wants to talk to Yudin. Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°Who is it? I can¡¯t let strange people get too close to the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°No, the person I¡¯m talking to is probably someone Linnecarlo knows, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad guy, and it¡¯s something that could benefit our interests.¡± ¡°¡­¡­If you insist, I¡¯ll at least give him a chance to talk, but who is he?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that because he asked me to keep quiet until he can meet Yudin.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll trust you guys. So where should I bring Yudin?¡± ¡°He¡¯s waiting at our ride carrier, so bring Yudin there, but he wants us to be very discreet.¡± ¡°All right, then, I will visit the ride carrier with Yudin this evening.¡± Now it looks like we can fulfill our promise to Theseus. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll say to each other, but it will happen. That evening, as promised, Linnecarlo and Yudin came to visit the ride carrier. Arthur was asked to stay at the ride carrier with Theseus until then, as we didn¡¯t want him to do anything unnecessary. ¡°So it was you.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Princess Linnecarlo, and Crown Prince Yudin.¡± ¡°Lord Theseus, I had no idea you were waiting for me.¡± ¡°Prince Yudin, thank you for coming.¡± ¡°So, Theseus, why did you want to meet Yudin?¡± Linnecarlo suddenly got to the point. ¡°I have a favor to ask of Prince Yudin.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­is there anything I can do for Lord Theseus now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you now, it¡¯s you as the king.¡± ¡°The son of Duke Caron¡­¡­no, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what Prince Mushym¡¯s brother-in-law should say¡­¡­.¡± ¡°My request is for a uniform tax rate for all of Meltaria and a ban on the persecution of the citizens.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that some nobles treat their people very badly.¡± ¡°Yes, Duke Holomel¡¯s domain is particularly harsh, with an 80% tax rate, an obligation to provide free services to Duke Holomel, and a ban on travel to other territories¡­¡­This is unacceptable.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­why do you want me to do that, I think you could tell Prince Mushym.¡± ¡°Do you think the Mushym will agree to this proposal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, my brother doesn¡¯t have a heart for the people¡­¡­.I understand. When I become king, I promise to set a uniform tax rate and issue a decree prohibiting the persecution of the people.¡± ¡°Thank you! Now I can comfortably persuade my father.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡°persuade¡±?¡­¡­¡± ¡°I will persuade my father that his vote should go to Prince Yudin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping for, but is it¡­¡­okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d like you to be my king.¡± The secret meeting between the Crown Prince and Lord Theseus seemed to end on a mutually satisfactory note. Lord Theseus had to go back home again to persuade his father, Duke Caron. ¡°You¡¯ve done well to get not only Duke Holomel¡¯s vote, but also Duke Caron¡¯s vote.¡± ¡°Haha, I appreciate the compliment!¡± ¡°Arthur, I¡¯m not talking to you, Yuta, no, the Iron Knights, you¡¯ve done well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get a bonus or something? I¡¯d be happier with that than with words.¡± Jean replied to Linnecarlo. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it once Yudin is safely on the throne.¡± Thus, Yudin was one step ahead in the voting for the throne, and all that was left was to wait for the results on the day of the vote ¨C I hope everything will go well. CH 83 During the signing of the alliance, King Emou and King Majni argued quite fiercely, but Ranelle¡¯s words, ¡°Good adults don¡¯t fight like children,¡± calmed them down, and the agreement was successfully signed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that bigot to agree to an alliance with Amuria.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Nagisa. You should thank her, father.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nagisa.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think the Eastern Alliance will be safe now.¡± ¡°But King Emou said that there are countries within the Eastern Alliance that are betraying it, so I don¡¯t think we can rest easy.¡± ¡°The countries that are betraying us¡­¡­.What¡¯s in it for them?¡­..I¡¯ll talk to Lord Beda when I get back.¡± We were returning home to Amuria, and on the way, deep in the mountains, it happened. ¡°Enemy attack! Unidentified magicrafts are approaching!¡± A soldier on guard duty warned loudly. ¡°The enemy attacked¡­..this is the Eastern Alliance¡¯s sphere of influence! What country are the magicrafts from?¡± ¡°There are no national markings, so we don¡¯t know their affiliation!¡¡The enemy number is around 20!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. We¡¯ll intercept them! Nagisa, I¡¯m sorry, but this is going to be your first mission.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± I never thought I¡¯d really have to fight¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want a war¡­¡­.Yuta¡­¡­What should I do?¡­¡­ ¡°We already have Lasbella, Idante, and Basim ready to go!¡± ¡°What happened to Leir?¡± ¡°Sorry, he is still recovering.¡± ¡°Sorry, Nagisa, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to join you for your first battle, so stay close to Jihad and Delphine.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Me, Jihad and Delphine set off as soon as the hatch of the ride carrier opened. ¡°They¡¯re around 20, quite a few more than us, so we¡¯ll have to stick together as much as possible.¡± Jihad said, and Delphine and I agreed. ¡°Here they come! Be careful Nagisa.¡± The first to attack us was a five-machine unit, all five equipped with swords and shields. The weapon of Jihad¡¯s magicraft, Idante, was a longsword, which he used to pierce the enemy that was charging at him. The enemy magicraft blocked Jihad¡¯s attack with its shield and responded with its sword. The weapon of Delphine¡¯s magicraft, Basim, was a large axe, which was swung wide and struck the enemy machine from above. The enemy magicraft blocked the powerful attack by raising its shield, but the force of the attack was so strong that it collapsed, breaking both knees. Against the collapsed enemy, Delphine swung his axe like a baseball bat at its neck, the enemy collapsed on the spot. Two enemy magicrafts were coming at me¡­ ¡°Islet!¡± Jihad and Delphine warned me to be careful, but they were stuck fighting the enemy. I guess I¡¯ll have to fight now. I remembered the training at the dojo ¨C the aikido that my father had taught me since I was a child ¨C he was a dedicated instructor and was relentless with his daughter, and thanks to him, I have grown to the level of 5th dan at this age. They are slow, compared to my father¡¯s movements in practice, they are as different as a turtle and a swallow, I can avoid their attacks if I concentrate. I twisted my body to avoid the enemy that attacked me with a sword, and using the momentum of the opponent, I put my hand on his neck and slammed him straight into the ground. In aikido practice, you take down the opponent in a way that makes it easy for you to catch him so that he doesn¡¯t get hurt, but since I struck him at a time when the fall will deal damage, the enemy plane stopped moving, spewing smoke from its body. With a fluid motion, I avoided the other enemy¡¯s attack, took its arm, spun it around, and used the momentum to strike it in the head with my elbow. With the added force of the rotation, the enemy magicraft head was blown off in a cruel manner. ¡°Amazing Nagisa!¡± Jihad marvels at the way I fight. ¡°Jihad, the next enemy is coming!¡± Delphine warned Jihad, who was in a daze. It seems that the enemy¡¯s main force is next, and there are more than ten magicrafts. I pull out the sword on my waist and hold my body still in a medium stance. ¡°Jihad, Delphine, stand back.¡± Thinking it would be difficult to move with my allies, I ordered them to move back. The enemy attacked my Lasbella. Aikido is not widely known, but there are a number of techniques that use weapons, and I am particularly good at taijutsu, and even my father, who is very strict with me, has agreed that I¡¯m stronger than him when it comes to taijutsu alone. I close my eyes and calm my mind¡­¡­I sharpen my awareness and focus on the enemy attacks ¨C I wonder why¡­¡­It¡¯s easier to focus when I¡¯m inside Lasbella¡­¡­My consciousness is moving more and more towards the core of my mind¡­¡­ It feels good¡­¡­I feel like I¡¯m floating. ¡°What the hell! There¡¯s a blue-white aura coming from Lasbella¡­¡­.Hey, Delphine, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡­.¡± I could hear their conversation, but I didn¡¯t care ¨C I was already in a kind of zone. My body reacted on its own to the enemy attacking all at once, and with surprising speed, I was able to counter precisely. One, two, three¡­¡­one hit to destroy a magicraft¡­four, five, six¡­¡­I didn¡¯t have to think about anything, something inside me was taking out the enemy on its own¡­¡­Seven, eight, nine¡­¡­the enemy¡¯s attack stopped there. I saw that the rest of the enemy planes were fleeing in the direction they came from¡­ CH 84 It was finally time to vote for the succession to the throne. Me, Alana, and Jean accompany Linnecarlo under the name of royal guards. In addition to the voters, about ten other important people from the country were present in the throne vote as witnesses. ¡°Duke Caron hasn¡¯t arrived yet, but it¡¯s time, let¡¯s start the voting.¡± The Prime Minister, Brom, who was in charge of the place, said so. ¡°We can wait until everyone is present.¡± Linnecarlo protests, hoping for the Duke Caron¡¯s vote since the appointment with Theseus. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about invalidating Duke Caron¡¯s vote, we¡¯ll let him vote if he comes later, so let¡¯s start already.¡± He doesn¡¯t seem to be saying that he¡¯s going to invalidate Duke Caron¡¯s vote because he¡¯s certain of his father-in-law¡¯s vote. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good, let¡¯s get started.¡± The voting was to proceed in turn by placing a card with the name of the voter under the card with the names of Yudin and Mushym. The first to vote was the second prince, Bildello. ¡°We don¡¯t need a poor king like Yudin! What this country needs from now on is an absolute ruler, and I¡¯m voting for Mushym!¡± Then he laid out his card underneath Mushym¡¯s name. The next person to vote was the first princess, Rhydiria, who I think was the older sister of Linnecarlo, but she didn¡¯t look like her at all, she was a mature woman with a clean and mature look. When she came in front of the names, she said, ¡°I nominate a king who will bring peace to the land, and Yudin will be the next king.¡± As she says this, she slowly places her card under Yudin¡¯s name. The second princess, Lindale, was next to step forward, and she walked to the names with a goofy smile on her face. ¡°I want freedom, I want a good life, and I don¡¯t want to be in a country ruled by Yudin because it looks too stuffy, so I¡¯m going to vote for Mushym.¡± As she said this, she roughly placed her own card under Mushym¡¯s name. It was Linnecarlo¡¯s turn to speak. ¡°Mushym has no heart. We need someone who can understand the feelings of the people to rule the country! I¡¯m voting for Yudin.¡± Then she placed her own card under Yudin¡¯s. The turn of events so far was as expected, and both Mushym and Linnecarlo looked relaxed. From here, the dukes voted, and Brom, the vizier, stepped forward first. ¡°I will cast my vote. I believe that in order to develop into a strong nation and a larger country, we need a strong leader, and I believe that Prince Mushym is the best choice for king.¡± Then he placed his own card under Mushym¡¯s name. Duke Leydemarte steps forward, followed by Prime Minister Brom. ¡°I had a hard time deciding which candidate to vote for, but I think Prince Yudin¡¯s personality is more suitable to be the king.¡± Duke Leydemarte was apparently close to neutral, and he placed his own bill under Yudin¡¯s name, aware of the¡­¡­stare that Mushym was giving him. Duke Leydemarte stepped back, and Duke Barelma stepped forward. ¡°I believe that the Crown Prince should be the heir to the throne, so I will cast my vote for Prince Yudin.¡± He proudly placed his card under Yudin¡¯s name. With this, there are four votes in favor of Crown Prince Yudin. The remaining two are the Duke Holomel and Duke Caron, both of whom are likely to vote for us, so victory is in sight. The Duke Holomel stepped forward with a grin. The moment I saw his face, I had a bad feeling¡­¡­.Maybe that money-grubbing guy was thinking of something strange¡­¡­. ¡°After much deliberation, I have decided that the king should be the one who will make the country prosperous, and his name is Mushym, not Yudin, so I will vote for Prince Mushym.¡± I knew it. He betrayed us at the last minute¡­¡­.Linnecarlo and Arthur are also looking reluctant¡­¡­.Oh no, the votes are tied, the only one left is Duke Caron, but¡­¡­I hope Theseus was able to convince him¡­¡­ ¡°Hahahahaha! I think we have a winner! I¡¯m the next king!¡± Mushym declares this with a loud laugh. ¡°Duke Caron¡¯s vote hasn¡¯t been cast yet!¡± ¡°Huh, it¡¯s already decided, Duke Caron has already promised to vote for me.¡± ¡°Maybe, but he might change his mind at the last minute!¡± ¡°You know the Duke Caron¡¯s character, he¡¯s a man who always keeps his promises, no matter what, he¡¯ll vote for me!¡± Sure, I¡¯d only met him once, but he didn¡¯t seem like someone who would break a promise¡­¡­.This seemed to be difficult, no matter how much Theseus tried to convince him¡­¡­. CH 85 ¡°Duke Caron is here!¡± The guards reported¡­¡­both Mushym¡¯s camp and Yudin¡¯s camp stared at the door of the room. Then the door was opened, and Duke Caron¡­¡­no, it was Lord Theseus who appeared. ¡°Theseus, why are you here? What happened to your father?¡± Mushym called out to Theseus. ¡°From this day forward, I am the Duke of Caron, Prince Mushym.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What nonsense!¡± ¡°This is the official certificate of inheritance, signed by my father.¡± The place was buzzing with excitement at the unexpected turn of events. Mushym checked the certificate and his face changed color¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t matter who it is, as long as you vote for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have the right to cast my own vote.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m your brother-in-law, and I have an agreement with your father¡­¡­but you!¡± ¡°Father¡¯s promise does not require me to keep it, and I will vote as I see fit.¡± Theseus then proceeded to the tags of Mushym and Yudin¡­ ¡°I will vote for a king who will conduct honest politics and impartial state affairs!¡± Theseus said emphatically, and placed his card underneath Yudin¡¯s. ¡°Nonsense! This can¡¯t be right! Theseus you will not be forgiven!¡± Seeing this, Mushym revealed his anger in a loud voice. ¡°Brother Mushym! This is the result of a legitimate vote, the throne will go to Yudin!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Yudin is not fit to be king! I¡¯m the only one! I¡¯m the only one who can be king!¡± ¡°Prince Mushym, this is it, you have lost, now admit defeat and allow Prince Yudin to take the throne¡­¡­ Ugh¡­¡­Oh¡­¡­prince¡­¡­what¡­..¡± Mushym unexpectedly plunged his sword through the belly of Vizier Brom, who was admonishing him for his hysterics¡­¡­. ¡°You¡¯re the one who got me into this mess! What do you want me to do, admit defeat! I won¡¯t be defeated by anyone! I¡¯m going to be king!¡¡This vote is invalid!¡± ¡°Stop it, Brother Mushym!¡± ¡°Huh, Linnecarlo, you thought I didn¡¯t think about losing the vote!¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡± When Mushym gave the signal, his soldiers, who were waiting in the next room, broke inside. ¡°Kill Yudin! I¡¯m going to be king!¡± Mushym had no idea he would be forced to do this, and Alana and Arthur stepped forward to protect Yudin. ¡°Mushym, don¡¯t you have any shame, this is an act of treason, how can you be a king if you are a traitor!¡± ¡°Treason¡­¡­Treason¡­¡­Don¡¯t get me wrong, Linnecarlo, Yudin is not king yet, no, he will never be king! Because today he will die here!¡¡What are you doing, kill him quickly!¡± Following Mushym¡¯s orders, the soldiers attacked Yudin, which was defended by Alana and Arthur. But how can you say that you can kill your own brother with no hesitation? ¡°Linnecarlo! It¡¯s not safe for you to stay here, you better think about running away first!¡± To Jean¡¯s warning, Linnecarlo nodded. Linnecarlo runs out of the room with Yudin and the soldiers try to stop them, but Alana and Arthur beat them with their swords. Arthur, who Linnecarlo says has nothing to his name except his face, is very good with a sword and overwhelms several soldiers. ¡°What are you doing, Yuta, you come here quickly too!¡± Jean told me to hurry up and follow Linnecarlo and the others. ¡°What do we do, Linnecarlo? From the looks of it, they¡¯ve blocked all the entrances and exits of the palace!¡± Jean asks Linnecarlo while running. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the basement, that¡¯s where my Odin is.¡± Well, it¡¯s true that a magicraft might be able to break through the encirclement¡­¡­.We dodged the oncoming Mushym soldiers and headed for the underground hangar. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± When Linnecarlo came to the underground hangar, she was astonished to find that her magicraft, Odin, was not there. ¡°Hahahahaha, Linnecarlo, I knew you¡¯d come to this hangar, I didn¡¯t think it was necessary but I had your Odin moved.¡± ¡°Mushym¡­¡­¡± Mushym explained, looking down at us from the space above the hangar. ¡°You will die knowing how helpless you are without your magicraft!¡± As soon as he yelled that, magicrafts came pouring in from the hangar entrance ¨C every entrance and exit was blocked by soldiers and there was no way to escape¡­¡­.What should I do? CH 86 There is no way out now, what should I do¡­¡­¡­.It¡¯s true that Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin and Arthur¡¯s Sentor aren¡¯t there, but I noticed that there¡¯s a magicraft on the floor, and I told Linnecarlo about it. ¡°Linnecarlo, is that magicraft broken?¡± ¡°It is the national treasure of this country, the magicraft of Ruzak, the hero who founded this country, but unfortunately, it cannot be used.¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s working.¡± ¡°The activation Ludia value is ridiculously high, no one in the history of this country has ever been able to move that thing, and of course I¡¯m no exception with a Ludia value of 48,000.¡± ¡°Okay, well, that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not impossible. Yuta, try getting on that thing!¡± Jean, who was listening to the conversation, suddenly said so. ¡°Wait a minute, did you hear what she said? It¡¯s a magicraft with a ridiculously high activation Ludia value, there¡¯s no way I can ride it.¡± ¡°No, you can move it! I believe so! I mean, there¡¯s no other way but to move that thing and break through this siege! You have to move that thing no matter what, Yuta!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that Yuta has an unfathomable power¡­¡­Normally, only royalty would be allowed to touch this magicraft, but I¡¯ll give you special permission. Yuta, board the magicraft, Viktor!¡± If we don¡¯t do anything, we¡¯ll all be killed. I have no choice but to board the magic machine Victor ¨C perhaps thinking that we are already surrounded and cannot escape, the enemy is not in a hurry and is slowly approaching us. The cockpit doesn¡¯t look much different from Arleo¡¯s¡­Come to think of it, this situation is similar to when I first moved the Arleo at Farma¡¯s house. Arleo worked then, surely Viktor will work this time, too. I rubbed my hands together to loosen them up, and gently placed my hands on the two control balls with a prayer¡­ ¡°Move Viktor!¡± The moment I shouted that with all my energy, the lights came on as the power was coming on to the devices around me, and then I heard the sound of a motor or something turning¡­ ¡°Yes! It¡¯s working!¡± I immediately sent an order to the control sphere to stand up. With almost no time lag, the image is immediately transmitted to Viktor. My friends shouted in admiration when they saw the figure slowly stand up with a creaking sound. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually¡­¡­moved Viktor.¡± ¡°What, Linnecarlo, you didn¡¯t think it would work after all?¡± Obviously! The activation Ludia value of Viktor is said to be 200,000.¡± ¡± ¡­¡­200,000!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what the legend says, so I don¡¯t know what the truth is. The only thing I¡¯m sure of is that Yuta¡¯s real Ludia value is ridiculously high, beyond common sense.¡± I stood up and looked at the approaching enemy magicrafts. The legendary Viktor began to move, and the enemy was clearly flustered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Viktor was going to move¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t matter, destroy that antique!¡± ¡°But, Master Mushym, that¡¯s a national treasure¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to destroy it, what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no¡­¡­problem.¡± Five enemy magicrafts were slowly approaching to surround Viktor. I had no weapons so I attacked an enemy magicraft with my bare hands. In an instant, Viktor was close to the enemy magicraft and slammed his fist into it. A heavy air-bursting impact occurs ¨C both arms and the head are smashed to pieces, and the upper part of the fuselage is shattered without a trace. It was surprisingly light¡­¡­and felt powerful, clearly moving better than Arleo. ¡°It¡¯s a Highlander. That¡¯s a Highlander¡­¡­magicraft, and you tore it to pieces¡­¡­in an instant. What are you doing? All of you, attack together!¡± In response to Mushym¡¯s order, the four remaining magicrafts attacked Viktor at once. I brushed aside the four magicraft as they approached, spinning around. With a single swing, the four enemy magicrafts were blown apart, their arms and heads torn to pieces. ¡°Master Mushym, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not safe for you to stay here. Please withdraw and leave the rest to the magicraft troops outside!¡± ¡°Tell the troops outside to make sure they finish him off!¡± And with that, Mushym left for the depths of the royal palace¡­ CH 87 After wiping out the enemy¡¯s magicrafts, the infantry who had surrounded Yudin and the others scattered at once to escape. ¡°Okay, Yuta, get out of the hangar and secure the entrance.¡± ¡°What about Jean and the others?¡± ¡°Arthur just went to get the ride hover at the back, so we¡¯ll escape in that.¡± I couldn¡¯t figure out what a ride hover was, but it was probably a vehicle or something. When I came out of the hangar, I saw that there was a fierce battle going on outside ¨C and when I looked, it was Nanami and the others who were fighting. ¡°Looks like the ride carrier was attacked by Mushym¡¯s soldiers.¡± I¡¯d like to talk to Nanami and the others, but Victor doesn¡¯t have a Horcrux, and even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with a Horcrux that he wasn¡¯t linked to, so I¡¯d have to get close to them and talk directly to them using the external sound output. The enemy¡¯s magicraft squadron, which has noticed Viktor, is approaching me. There are five of them, and I need to clear them out before the ride hover that Jean and the others are riding comes out. One of the enemy magicrafts attacked me with a trident. I avoided it and grabbed the head of the enemy, crushing it with a little effort. I took away the trident from the enemy magicraft, which collapsed helplessly, and pierced the torso of another enemy that was attacking me from the front with his sword, and then I destroyed the one that was attacking me from behind with a series of thrusts. I swung my trident at the remaining two enemies ¨C a direct hit broke one of them into pieces and blew the other one apart from the shoulders up. After clearing away the enemy magicrafts and securing the hangar entrance, a buggy-like vehicle flew out of the hangar. Perhaps this was a ride hover. When I looked at it, I saw that Linnecarlo and Yudin were also on it. ¡°All right, Yuta, continue to escort me to the ride carrier.¡± ¡°Okay, follow me but keep a little distance.¡± Around our ride carrier, Nanami and the others are fighting against a large number of enemy magicrafts. As soon as I approached the ride carrier, I heard a buzzing sound coming from behind me ¨C I turned around and was suddenly hit in the head with a crack ¨C I looked and saw a bent arrow from a bow gun had fallen out. There was more buzzing and then the figure of a magicraft with a bow gun appeared ¨C it was Emina¡¯s Artemis. ¡°Emina! It¡¯s me, Yuta!¡± ¡°Oh ¡­¡­you¡¯re Yuta? What¡¯s that magicraft?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. The ride hover with Jean and the others is coming. Can you protect it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Leaving the ride hover escort to Emina, I decided to wipe out the enemies around the ride carrier. I wielded the trident that I had taken from the enemy earlier and eradicated the squadron of enemy planes that had surrounded Nanami¡¯s Vajra, and then I spoke to her. ¡°Nanami, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yuta! What¡¯s with that magicraft?¡± ¡°Jean and the others are heading for the ride carrier in a ride hover, so we need to wipe out the enemies around here to ensure their safety!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Working together with Lorgo and Farma, we destroyed the enemies around the ride carrier then the ride hover arrived at the ride carrier. Liza noticed and opened the hatch to welcome the ride hover. ¡°Yuta, look at that, there¡¯s a lot of magicrafts!¡± When I looked at the direction Nanami was pointing, I could not believe the number of magicrafts that were coming towards us. At this rate, the entire ride carrier is going to be swallowed up. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat. Nanami! Call the ride carrier and tell them to retreat as well!¡± I decided to keep the enemy at bay until the ride carrier retreated. I go towards the countless enemy troops, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to fight that many enemies on my own, so I move across the enemy troops and only draw their attention towards me. Just as I aimed, the enemy forces were coming towards us. Meanwhile, the ride carrier seemed to have started retreating in the other direction. ¡°Yuta, the ride carrier has pulled out.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡± Me and Nanami headed in a different direction from the ride carrier, while destroying the enemy magicrafts that were chasing us. CH 88 ¡°Yuta, you¡¯ve strayed quite far from the ride carrier.¡± ¡°Is everything okay out there?¡± ¡°Yeah, everybody¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, now we just need to meet up and plan what to do next.¡± Nanami and I fled into the deep forest. There were many tall trees in this forest, and even with the magicrafts, we were able to hide well enough to escape our pursuers. We decided to contact the ride carrier to discuss the rendezvous point and other matters. Since there is no Horcrux in Viktor, we communicated from Nanami¡¯s Vajra. ¡°Jean, is everyone okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine. How are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine, the enemy is gone.¡± ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to join you right away.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s safer to stay put today and meet up tomorrow than to make a wrong move and have them figure out where we are.¡± ¡°All right, what¡¯s the rendezvous point?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Duke of Caron¡¯s residence. Linnecarlo says that the Duke of Caron¡­¡­the former Duke of Caron will be able to help us.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head to the Duke of Caron¡¯s residence tomorrow then.¡± We decided on the rendezvous point for tomorrow, and when we were done talking, I cut the communication. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry, too. I didn¡¯t think about food and we can¡¯t go to the city¡­¡­.Okay, let¡¯s find something to eat.¡± ¡°Is there anything to eat?¡± ¡°With all this wilderness, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something.¡± I searched for food while also looking for a place to hide and found a small spring that gushed out between the rocks. ¡°It¡¯s like spring water. It¡¯s drinkable.¡° ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Fearlessly, she scooped the water into her hands and brought it to her mouth¡­¡­. It may have been the thirst, but it was cold and quite tasty. Nanami plunged her face into the spring and gulped it down. ¡°Pfft! I¡¯m alive again!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much at once or you¡¯ll get an upset stomach.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nanami¡¯s stomach is strong.¡± Nanami insisted proudly. ¡°The water is clean, but there don¡¯t seem to be any fish.¡± ¡°Yes, it would be nice if there were fish.¡± Mushrooms grew around the spring, but I was too afraid of the poison to eat them. I don¡¯t have any knowledge of edible wildflowers, and I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­. ¡°Wait a minute, Nanami, do you hear something?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t hear anything¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­that¡¯s the sound of water flowing. Maybe there¡¯s a river nearby.¡± ¡°A river would have fish!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a possibility.¡± We looked around and found a river with clean water flowing in abundance. ¡°Whoa, I think I see fish here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are, Nanami. I can¡¯t wait to eat some fish.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go get them.¡± ¡°But how are we going to catch them?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have traps or fishing rods¡­¡­¡± As I was thinking about how to catch the fish, I casually looked at Viktor and had an idea. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, Nanami.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± As I said this, I got on Viktor, lifted a large stone from the riverside and threw it at a large rock in the middle of the river. A dull thud sounded, and the stone I threw shattered. ¡°What are you doing, Yuta, breaking rocks?¡± After a while, fishes started to float around the rock I hit. ¡°If you don¡¯t catch them quickly, they will drift away.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.Wow!¡± Nanami hurriedly caught the fish that came to the surface. I also scooped up the fish with Viktor¡¯s large hands. ¡°I¡¯m amazed you came up with that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old fishing method in my country. I think it¡¯s called [slingshot fishing].¡± ¡°Yuta knows a lot. Nanami doesn¡¯t know anything¡­¡­.¡± Nanami just didn¡¯t have the opportunity to learn¡­¡­.I still want to give Nanami the chance for a proper education¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Nanami. You¡¯ll learn a lot.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Nanami will be a smart girl.¡± We were having this conversation as I pinned a large number of fish I had caught on a tree branch and roasted them over a bonfire that Nanami and I had struggled to build. ¡°Look, Nanami, I think you can eat this now.¡± ¡°Thanks, Yuta.¡± Nanami took a big bite out of the back of the fish. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll try some too.¡± It was a little salty, but it was definitely fatty and quite tasty. We must have caught quite a few, but Nanami and I ate them up in no time. CH 89 After retreating from the royal palace, we were on our way to the Duke of Caron¡¯s residence. As I was taking a break after communicating with Yuta and the others who had been decoys in order to help us escape, Linnecarlo spoke to me. ¡°Jean, is Yuta all right?¡± ¡°What, Linnecarlo, are you worried about Yuta?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­Yuta is now riding the national treasure of Meltaria, I¡¯m just worried about the national treasure Viktor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, and I¡¯m not worried, because I don¡¯t think that Yuta will be slowed down by Mushym¡¯s soldiers.¡± ¡°You seem to have a very high opinion of Yuta.¡± ¡°It is true, after all, Yuta is the only rider who has¡­¡­drawn with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s got a lot to say about that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Yuta and the others are in trouble, but I wonder if Theseus and Linnecarlo¡¯s sister who voted for Yudin are okay.¡± As Alana said, it¡¯s hard to predict what Mushym will do, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll go as far as killing him¡­¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think Mushym will harm the royal family or senior nobles unnecessarily, although they will probably be restrained.¡± That evening, we arrived at the Duke of Caron¡¯s residence. The former Duke of Karon welcomed Yudin and the others without a hint of displeasure. ¡°Princess Linnecarlo and Crown Prince Yudin, welcome to my home.¡± ¡°Duke Caron, I¡¯m sorry to bother you at this time of night, but the truth is that Mushym has gone out of control¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you this evening, Duke Caron.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not dead, but he¡¯s most likely locked up¡­¡­.I should have taken him with me, but Mushym¡¯s sudden outburst left me too busy protecting Yudin¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Prince Mushym won¡¯t kill Theseus easily¡­¡­.I¡¯ll help in any way I can.¡± In the middle of the conversation with the former Duke of Caron, the door of the room was suddenly violently opened ¨C and a soldier rushed in to report. ¡°A large force of magicrafts has entered the territory!¡± ¡°How many enemy magicrafts are there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing at least 500¡­¡­¡± ¡°Gather the whole army! Fucking Mushym, you¡­¡­good for nothing!¡± ¡°Duke Caron, how many magicrafts do you have?¡± ¡°We have about eighty magicrafts and twenty ride hovers with ballistae.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll help you, Jean, get everyone ready.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that reckless without Yuta and Nanami?¡± ¡°Still, we have no choice but to fight, and Arthur and I will borrow a magic machine from Duke Caron to go out, so get them ready quickly.¡± ¡°You really should get your¡­¡­bonus¡­¡­.Alana, you heard the princess, we¡¯re all going out.¡± Alana went back to her ride carrier. I followed her and headed out. It hurts that Yuta and Nanami aren¡¯t here at a time like this. Alana and Emina are pretty strong on their own, but those two are still the main force behind the Iron Knights. It would have been nice if the reports of Duke Caron¡¯s soldiers had been exaggerated, but there was a large army of exactly 500 magicrafts closing in on us. I watched from the deck of my ride carrier and sent instructions to Alana and the others. ¡°Alana, Emina, cover the Duke of Caron¡¯s army and destroy the enemy!¡¡Farma, support Alana and the others from the rear, Lorgo, defend the Ride Carrier and the ride hover troops!¡± ¡°Can you call Yuta, maybe he¡¯s nearby?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­Okay, I¡¯ll get back to you.¡± As Alana said, Yuta and Nanami might be camping nearby. I opened the communication to contact them and ask for support. But no matter how many times I called, there was no response¡­¡­.What are they doing? I called again and again, but there was no response. I gave up. CH 90 If some terms are changed let me know. I had to install Windows again and lost my dictionary. After a hearty meal of fish, Nanami and I decided to go to bed early to prepare for tomorrow. I slept in the cockpit of Viktor, and Nanami slept in the cockpit of Vajra. ¡°Nanami, we¡¯re leaving early tomorrow, so we¡¯re going to bed.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°Then why are you following me?¡± ¡°We used to sleep together before¡­¡­.Why don¡¯t we sleep together now?¡± ¡°No, the cockpit¡¯s too small for two people.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine if we stick together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get a¡­¡­backache.¡± When I said this, Nanami happily crossed her arms. Who the hell does she think she is? When Nanami entered the cockpit with me, she squeezed closer than she should have. ¡°You don¡¯t have to squeeze so tightly, there¡¯s plenty of room.¡± ¡°Nanami likes this position.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to sleep¡­¡­.¡± I complained, but Nanami didn¡¯t move a muscle, as if she was pretending not to listen. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­do you remember the first day we met?¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember when we met at that slaver¡¯s house.¡± ¡°At that time, Yuta looked so radiant.¡± ¡°Why is that, was I wearing something shiny?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know¡­¡­.I had a gut feeling that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to change Nanami.¡± ¡°Oh, so¡­¡­I lived up to your expectations?¡± ¡°Yes, more than I could have imagined¡­¡­.Because Nanami is very happy now.¡± She said that and hugged me even tighter. It hurt a little bit, but when I saw the innocent expression on her face, I couldn¡¯t refuse, so I let her do what she wanted¡­ After that, it seems that Nanami and I fell asleep ¨C we were awakened by a loud bang. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m going to bed¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nanami, this is no time to sleep. I think they found us.¡± When I looked, I saw that there were three magicrafts approaching, and shooting arrows at us as. I¡¯m sure Viktor will be fine, but if this continues the unmanned Vajra will be destroyed¡­¡­.I hurriedly activated Viktor. ¡°What, Yuta! What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just hold on tight!¡± When the enemy noticed that Viktor was activated, they began to focus their fire on me. I accelerated to close the distance at once, and struck the body of one of the enemy magicrafts with my fist. There was a dull, heavy thud, and the body of the enemy contorted. The other two ditched their arrows, drew their swords from their hips and attacked melee. I dodged them and landed a heavy blow on one of their necks with my elbow, and kicked the other one in the leg with my front kick. When I saw that all three of them had stopped moving, I hurriedly approached Vajra that had been attacked. ¡°How¡¯s it looking, Nanami, everything okay?¡± I asked, concerned as an arrow hit the area around Vajra¡¯s cockpit. ¡°It looks fine, but¡­¡­this might not work¡­¡­.¡± What I saw was a deformed Horcrux that was emitting smoke. ¡°Wow¡­¡­that¡¯s totally broken.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, I can¡¯t reach Jean and the others¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we decided on the rendezvous point yesterday.¡± ¡°Yeah, otherwise we would have failed to join them.¡± Anyway, since we had lost contact with Jean and the others, we decided to head for the Duke of Caron¡¯s residence to meet up with them as soon as possible. It took us half a day to reach the Duke of Caron¡¯s residence from the forest where we were camped. ¡°What the hell¡­¡­?¡± When we arrived at the Duke of Caron¡¯s mansion, we saw that it had been destroyed. ¡°Where did everyone go¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­¡± After checking the area, no one was found, so I didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°I think there was a fight.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡­they¡¯re all gone¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯re going to be beaten that easily with Alana and Emina around, and there¡¯s no remnants of the ride carrier or the magicrafts so they should be fine.¡± I was pretty sure that Alana and the others wouldn¡¯t be killed¡­¡­.Now I¡¯m in trouble. I can¡¯t communicate with them, and I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to join them¡­¡­. CH 91 When Nanami and I saw that the Duke of Caron¡¯s mansion had been smashed up in a spectacular fashion, we searched the area¡­¡­hoping to find some clue as to where everyone went. ¡°It looks like there was a huge battle, but I don¡¯t see any destroyed magicrafts.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder what happened to them.¡± The small parts of the magicrafts are scattered around, so it looks like there were magicrafts destroyed in the battle, but their main bodies were gone¡­¡­Jean once told me that there is a company that collects magicrafts that have been destroyed in wars, but I felt like they were being collected too quickly. ¡°It¡¯s no good. There¡¯ s no clue.¡± ¡°Yuta, what should we do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go to the nearest town and see if we can get some information.¡± ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s safe? I hope it¡¯s not full of the bad prince¡¯s minions.¡± ¡°If we hide the magicrafts somewhere and walk into town, no one will pay any attention to us.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± The town we visited was a small town in the Duke of Caron¡¯s territory, and we went to a tavern there to get some information. Even though it was late in the evening, the tavern was very crowded, and people were drinking noisily. When we entered the restaurant, Nanami and I took a seat at an empty table and ordered our meals. ¡°Just food?¡± ¡°Yeah, just the food.¡± ¡°You know, our ale is really good.¡± ¡°Nanami wants some fruits.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯ll have one more of this fruit platter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It would be dangerous to ask around blindly, so we decided to eat and listen to the conversations around us first. If there had been a major battle, it would be big news around here, and would be a great subject during a drink. Perhaps there would be a table talking about it. And as I listened to the people at the next table, it seemed that there had been a big battle in the Duke of Caron¡¯s territory last night, and as expected, they were talking about it. ¡°In yesterday¡¯s battle, it appears that Prince Mushyim has moved the kingdom¡¯s army.¡± ¡°War with our lord? Prince Mushym¡¯s father-in-law is Duke Caron, how is that possible?¡± ¡°It seems that the kingdom¡¯s army wants to pretend that the battle never happened, and they were sneaking around hiding the traces of the battle early in the morning.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± ¡°My brother is in the Royal Army, and I¡¯ve taken on the job of transporting broken magicrafts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how they could let a private company do a job like that, to cover it up.¡± ¡°Sounds like they were in a hurry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re spouting that shit in here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no Royal Army here.¡± I¡¯m pretty sure there was a battle between Mushym and the Duke of Caron¡­¡­.Maybe they will talk about the results of that battle and where everyone went afterwards¡­¡­With that in mind, the conversation went on and they proceeded to talk about the results of the battle. ¡°So, which side won the battle?¡± ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s army, of course. They outnumbered the duke forces.¡± ¡°Did they kill my lord?¡± ¡°No, he seems to have escaped, and now the Royal Army is in pursuit.¡± ¡°Even if he escaped, there¡¯s nowhere to run against the Royal Army.¡± ¡°Looks like he escaped towards the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only place to run, because everything else is in Prince Mushym¡¯s sphere of influence.¡± All right! I got the information I needed. If they escaped, then they¡¯re all definitely alive. The Duchy of Reydemarte, which direction would that be? Later, after finishing our meal, we quietly asked the tavern owner for the direction of the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s domain and left the tavern. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Nanami muttered worriedly. ¡°Alana and the others won¡¯t be easily defeated. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re strong. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried. We returned to the place where we hid the magicrafts and immediately set off for the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s domain. CH 92 Chapters 92 and 93 were sponsored by rOxSt3r. Thank you for the support. ¡°We¡¯ll be annihilated if we continue! Contact Duke Caron and advise him to withdraw!¡± Unfortunately, the difference in strength was blatantly apparent in the results. The only ones who were destroying the enemy properly were the Iron Knights, Linnecarlo and Arthur, who were riding magicrafts for ordinary riders. ¡°Jean, the Iron Knights and I will act as you help Duke Caron escape to the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not the only one¡­¡­.Alana, you hear that?¡± ¡°Roger that. Lorgo stop the troops on the right from advancing! Farma will concentrate on escorting the ride carriers, while Emina and I will hold off the enemy as we destroy them!¡± ¡°Lorgo, stop the enemy¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo and Arthur, take out the enemy magicrafts we missed in the rear! Don¡¯t let any of them get through.¡± Linnecarlo voiced her dissatisfaction at Alana¡¯s words. ¡°You want me to work as a garbage scavenger?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t help us while riding a general magicraft. Even if you¡¯re a Quadruple Highlander, there are limits!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but even with this magicraft, I¡¯ll be able to take out an enemy Highlander!¡± Linnecarlo¡¯s words were not false, and the fact that she had already shot down nearly ten magicrafts showed it. Arthur is also doing his best, but he could barely destroy two magicrafts. A regular Highlander can¡¯t show that much power in a regular magicraft. ¡°Take it easy, all of you, because there¡¯s no point in getting hit here.¡± The Duke of Caron rides his own ride carrier and begins to flee in the direction of the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory. All of the duke soldiers follow him ¨C as a result, the only ones who can stop the enemy are the Iron Knights, Linnecarlo and Arthur. ¡°Once Duke Caron enters Duke Reydemarte¡¯s territory, we¡¯ll move out.¡± Alana and Emina are as strong as they come, the two of them have probably already destroyed 50 magicrafts, but the enemies are still coming out in droves and their numbers don¡¯t seem to be decreasing. I don¡¯t think they can keep fighting for long if this continues. ¡°We¡¯ve already entered the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory. I¡¯ve requested reinforcements in the name of Crown Prince Yudin at the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s castle, so you¡¯re safe now. Please take it easy and retreat as well.¡± ¡°All right, the Duke of Caron has entered the territory of Duke Reydemarte.¡± ¡°Emina and I will hold off the enemy, while Jean takes care of the others and stays back.¡± ¡°Thanks, Alana, take care.¡± Once Lorgo, Farma, Linnecarlo, and Arthur are inside, the ride carrier advances to the rear ¨C while only two people are stalling the progress of the large army. ¡°Alana, I¡¯ll take care of the rest. You go back to the ride carrier.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up for this, Emina?¡± ¡°My Artemis has a stealth feature, so I can disappear and run away if I have to.¡± It¡¯s true that Emina¡¯s Artemis would manage to escape even when surrounded by a large army. ¡°Alana, let Emina take care of that, and you retreat.¡± ¡°All right, Emina, take it easy.¡± After picking up Alana as well, we headed towards the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory at full speed. After that, Emina, who had been holding off the enemy until we entered the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory, used her stealth function to disappear and successfully escaped from the enemy forces. We then met up with Emina in the depths of the forest in the Reydemarte Duchy. ¡°It seems that the Duke of Caron¡¯s army and the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s army have joined forces.¡± ¡°It looks like they can hold out for a while. We¡¯ll call for reinforcements from the Duke of Barelma¡¯s army and begin our counterattack.¡± ¡°Will it be enough against the Royal Army?¡± ¡°The Duke of Caron¡¯s, the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s, and the Duke of Barelma¡¯s armies all have a combined total of about 300 magicrafts, so they¡¯re no match for them as it is.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, Linnecarlo?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one general in the kingdom¡¯s army who might be on my side.¡± ¡°It is General Orlea, isn¡¯t it, sister?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure Orlea will be on our side. But I¡¯d have to see him in person for that to happen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure General Orlea is stationed in the eastern fortress, not far from here, but it¡¯s within the¡­¡­kingdom army¡¯s sphere of influence, sister.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re going covertly to the eastern fortress.¡± ¡°Covertly?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Emina¡¯s magicraft be enough to get us there?¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you can take me and Arthur in your Artemis.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­I can¡¯t fit three people in my Artemis.¡± ¡°You can if you push it, I¡¯m slim and Arthur packs compactly.¡± ¡°Why does Arthur have to ride with us in the first place? You only need to convince the general, right?¡± ¡°I believe Orlea knows where my Odin and Arthur¡¯s Sentor are kept, and I intend to retrieve them while I¡¯m at it, so he must come with us.¡± ¡°I see, well, it¡¯s true that we¡¯ll need Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin and Arthur¡¯s Sentor to fight back against Mushym from now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch my¡­¡­weird parts.¡± Thus, Emina, Linnecarlo, and Arthur went to the eastern fortress, while we, with Yudin, went to Duke Reydemarte¡¯s castle to meet up with Duke Caron. CH 93 ¡°It¡¯s full of enemies¡­¡­.What should we do, Yuta, force our way through?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine for now, but if more and more reinforcements keep coming, it¡¯s going to be a problem, so I¡¯d like to avoid them as much as possible.¡± ¡°I wonder if we can move forward in that river or something¡­¡­.¡± Nanami said, looking at the relatively large river flowing nearby. ¡°It looks deep enough to hide us from the enemy¡­¡­.Speaking of which, can a magicraft go underwater?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. You¡¯ll find out when you go into the water.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid of water getting into the cockpit¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± The river was deep, with water up to the chest of Viktor, who was about 12 meters tall. This is not a problem if I squat down a little. In addition, it seems that the magicraft was properly waterproofed, and water did not enter the cockpit. It¡¯s important to keep in mind, however, that we shouldn¡¯t stay underwater for too long because we¡¯ll run out of air. We crouched down in the river ¨C the enemy didn¡¯t seem to imagine that we were moving through the river, and we were able to pass through the area where their forces were watching without being detected. Once out of the enemy¡¯s sight, we looked for a place where we could go ashore¡­¡­I found a hollow point that was surrounded by trees and was difficult to see. In the water, it was impossible to talk over the external sound output, so I gestured to Nanami and told her the spot where we would land. The gestures seemed to be getting through to Nanami, and we both made it to land without any problems. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any enemies around, so let¡¯s keep moving towards that forest, Nanami.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± As I walked deeper into the forest, I heard something loud, like the sound of metal clashing. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the sound of magicrafts fighting.¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s fighting¡­¡­.If we keep going, they¡¯ll find us. We¡¯ll have to go around¡­¡­¡± ¡°But Yuta, if someone is fighting, doesn¡¯t that mean that one of them could be an enemy, but the other could be a friend?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­.If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t just abandon them¡­¡­.Nanami, let¡¯s go to the direction of the sound.¡± We headed towards the battle with caution ¨C we soon arrived at a place where two groups were fighting fiercely. One group was a medium-sized unit of about 20 magicrafts and the other was a platoon of five magicrafts. They were outnumbered, but the smaller group was working well together and fighting evenly. ¡°Now, which side are they on?¡± Unfortunately, Nanami and I don¡¯t have a beacon crystal that can clearly identify friend and foe¡­¡­so what do we do? ¡°What are you going to do, Yuta? They¡¯re both similar magicrafts, and I don¡¯t know which side they¡¯re on at all.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­I have no choice but to be honest and ask them.¡± ¡°What? Ask who?¡± ¡°Those guys that are fighting.¡± ¡°Yuta sometimes acts boldly and strangely.¡± ¡°Just leave it to me. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to Nanami, so keep a little distance.¡± ¡°Okay, but be careful.¡± I responded to Nanami¡¯s words by waving the hand of my magicraft. I went over to where the battle was taking place, turned up the external sound output to maximum, and spoke to them. ¡°Princess Linnecarlo¡¯s mercenary troops, the Iron Knights of the Warriors, have come to reinforce you!¡± I spoke to both groups, but the response was the exact opposite. ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace that the mercenary troops under Linnecarlo¡¯s command have come to reinforce us!¡± Someone from the small group of magicraft spoke. ¡°Insolent! Linnecarlo was not satisfied with Prince Yudin¡¯s loss to Prince Mushym in the succession vote, and she tried to kill Prince Mushym.¡± This is a message from the medium-sized group¡¯s magicrafts, thank goodness for a clear response, now it¡¯s clear that the small group is on our side ¨C all I have to do is defeat the medium-sized group and help the small group. CH 94 As long as I knew which one was the enemy, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I started attacking the squadron of about 20 magicrafts. I accelerate and quickly approach the enemy troops who were engaged in a group battle. I slammed my fist into a heavy class magicraft that seemed to have a high level of defense, which was positioned in the vanguard. The punched magicraft easily deformed like a soft clay work and fell backwards. ¡°That¡­¡­guy easily destroyed Dodem¡¯s B-grade armor.¡± A surprised voice came from what looked like the enemy captain¡¯s magicraft. I picked up a large battle axe that was in the hands of that heavy class of magicraft and charged at the group of enemies while swinging it around. They couldn¡¯t keep up with my movements at all, and their bodies were destroyed one after another by the battleaxe I was swinging. As soon as the battle began, Nanami immediately joined the fray and used her sword to destroy two magicrafts that had tried to get behind me. My small group of allies didn¡¯t stand idly by, and one by one they surrounded and destroyed the enemy troops whose formation had been completely destroyed by my attack. The last remaining enemy captain¡¯s magicraft swung a large sword and charged at Viktor, shouting loudly but I easily caught the sword attack with one hand. ¡°You¡­¡­monster!¡± I crushed the sword in my grip and slammed the battle axe down over the captain¡¯s plane¡¯s head to end this battle. After the battle, the leader of the small group came up to me and thanked me. ¡°Thank you very much! As expected of a mercenary group directly under Princess Linnecarlo, your strength is unbelievable.¡± ¡°No, more importantly, you are¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re Royal Guards, Princess Rhydiria bodyguards.¡± ¡°How did you end up here?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, our master, Princess Rhydiria, has been imprisoned by Prince Mushym along with Duke Raydemarte, Duke Barelma, and Lord Theseus. We were on our way to the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory to ask his son to do his best to save Princess Rhydiria, when we were discovered by the enemy forces and a battle ensued.¡± ¡°I see. I guess they all got caught after that. We¡¯re on our way to the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory, so why don¡¯t we go with you? We might run into more enemies on the way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great offer¡­¡­but if you can help us¡­¡­I¡¯d like to ask one favor in anticipation of your overwhelming strength¡­¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We have a comrade with whom we have been working, but he is currently surrounded and being attacked by Mushym¡¯s army in a nearby fort. I thought that if we went to help him with our forces, we would be beaten back, so I wanted to borrow forces from the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s army, but the fort is just barely holding, and I wanted to go to his rescue as soon as possible. And that¡¯s when I met you guys. With your strength, I thought it would be possible for you to defeat the enemy army that was surrounding them. What do you think, can you help me?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯d like to join our friends as soon as possible, but we can¡¯t just leave them in that situation¡­Sure, we¡¯ll help you rescue your friends.¡± I don¡¯t know how many soldiers are in the fort, but I thought it would definitely be a good thing to have a few more allies in the future, so I accepted. ¡° Thank you! Now let¡¯s get to the fort!¡± The fort was located on top of a small hill about an hour¡¯s travel from where I was. When I looked at the fort, I saw that they were fighting, and that an army of magicrafts were swarming the walls of the fort. The fort¡¯s magicrafts responded with arrows and other weapons. ¡°There are about a hundred of them surrounding the fort. How strong is the fort?¡± ¡°We have about thirty magicrafts, but there are also several anti-magicrafts ballistae so the fort is still holding on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the enemy commander¡¯s magicraft over there. Okay, we¡¯re going to charge into the enemy¡¯s main camp and go on a rampage, while you coordinate an attack with your allies in the fort.¡± ¡°Are you two going to charge in there, isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in tougher situations, besides this magicraft is legendary in your country so I think it¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°I thought I recognized the legendary¡­¡­magicraft from somewhere, but I didn¡¯t think it was our national treasure, Viktor¡­¡­How did you manage to ride it¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Princess Linnecarlo gave me permission to use Viktor.¡± ¡°If Princess Linnecarlo, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, trusts you that much, you should be fine, then I leave it to you.¡± Nanami and I decided to charge into the enemy¡¯s main camp. It¡¯s a little dangerous to assume that Viktor would be able to handle it. CH 95 TL Note: Is this font-size better or should I keep using the previous one? ¡°I¡¯ll go in there and draw their attention, and you take care of the confused enemies.¡± ¡°Yeah. Be careful, Yuta.¡± I ran as fast as I could towards the enemy¡¯s main camp. Viktor, with his amazing leg strength, ran like an athlete and rushed into the enemy camp at once. ¡°¡­¡­enemy attack!¡± One of the enemy soldiers noticed us approaching and began to make a racket. The surrounding magic machines also saw Viktor and hurriedly took up their weapons in an attempt to shoot. But in no time at all, I was deep in enemy territory, wielding the battle axe I had acquired earlier in the battle, and destroying enemy magicrafts one by one. ¡°What the hell is that thing? It¡¯s so fast and strong!¡± ¡°Surround it, and attack it all at once!¡± The enemy began to move in formation around Viktor in an attempt to surround me using their numbers. But I wasn¡¯t the only assailant, as Nanami¡¯s Vajra came charging in after me, destroying the magicrafts that were trying to surround me one by one. ¡°New guy! This one¡¯s strong, too!¡± Nanami has also become much better at using her sword and shield¡­¡­.I admire the way she overwhelms even a large number of opponents with her ironclad defense and seamless attacks. I can¡¯t lose, either. Swinging the battle axe as hard as I could, I hurled it at the group of about ten magicrafts that were forming a tight formation. The battle axe buzzes around violently as it attacks a group of enemy magicrafts ¨C if I were to give it a name in a video game, it would be [Axe Tornado]. The battle axe disintegrates the magicrafts it touches and continues to push forward without slowing down, turning the enemies into wrecks. The attack was powerful enough to instill fear in the enemies. I caught one of the surprised enemy magicrafts, ripped off its head, tore off its arms, lifted up its body and threw it at a nearby enemy ¨C the two magicrafts collided violently and both came to a halt while emitting white smoke. Taking the swords that the two bodies were holding in both hands, I started to destroy more of the remaining enemy magicrafts in the style of Alana¡¯s twin swords. Taking a deep step, I swing my sword at the enemy magicraft on the right from the inside to the outside, and in the same way, I cut away the enemy on the left, and then I turn my body and move forward to stab down a large magicraft with both swords. Although I¡¯m not as brilliant as Alana¡¯s, the twin swords are not bad either, I swing the swords around with fast movements and kill the enemy with each swing. Nanami was using her shield to block the enemy¡¯s attacks and her sword to kill them without fail. Her steady fighting style was very stable. ¡°Hmph! You seem to have a bit of skill, I¡¯ll take you on.¡± The enemy¡¯s commander magicraft came forward. But as I was in a hurry to end the battle, I quickly approached the commander and sent him flying. Perhaps they trusted his strength so much that after killing the commander instantly, the enemy soldiers started to retreat. The allied forces that had been holed up in the fort began to move. They left the fort and launched an all-out attack against the enemy army, which had been completely destroyed by mine and Nanami¡¯s attacks. From that point on, it became a one-sided sweeping battle, and we made sure to take out the enemies who had delayed their escape. After all the fighting, the fort¡¯s troops and the royal guards, all gather in front of me ¨C and to my surprise, they all kneel in front of Viktor. ¡°You are indeed the reincarnation of the founding hero Luzak, and the fact that you are riding the national treasure Viktor is proof of that. We, all the knights here, pledge ourselves to be under your command.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a mercenary in the service of Princess Linnecarlo¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Please save the Kingdom of Meltaria!¡± The knights, believe it or not, have appealed to me to save the county¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­. ¡°In any case, you¡¯re fighting for this country because Linnecarlo asked you to, so why don¡¯t you take charge?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯ll take care of you until we meet up with Linnecarlo and the others, but I can only fight on my own, the rest is up to you.¡± ¡°Ha! That is exactly the same as the hero Luzak who led his army by fighting at the front himself, we will follow you and fight!¡± CH 96 ¡°Hey, Linnecarlo, give me a little more space, or I¡¯ll have to take my hands off the control sphere.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move any more. Arthur, you need to be more compact.¡± ¡°Please, Master Linnecarlo, don¡¯t push me. I¡¯m already on the verge of dislocating my joints.¡± ¡°Then remove your joints, so you can be smaller.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡­¡­.¡± With me and Arthur on board, Emina¡¯s Artemis was moving through the enemy¡¯s territory. Artemis is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to covert action, and with its stealth capabilities, it arrived at the eastern fortress without being spotted by the enemy. Artemis breaks into the fortress while supplies are being brought in, and reveals herself by undoing her protective colors. Of course, the soldiers of the fortress began to make a fuss when they saw her. I stopped them with a loud voice as the soldiers of the fortress moved their magicrafts and prepared to fight. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m Princess Linnecarlo, I¡¯ve come to speak to General Orlea, call the General here at once.¡± Hearing this, the soldiers began to buzz and fuss. They didn¡¯t seem to know what to do, so I shouted loudly again. ¡°Hurry up! You¡¯re insane to keep a princess waiting!¡± The soldiers hurriedly ran to call the general. After a while, a familiar face appears. Once I saw him, I prepared to dismount from Emina¡¯s Artemis. ¡°Emina, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine, but you have to be on your guard.¡± ¡°I know, if something happens to you, there¡¯s a chance I might leave you and run away, so be prepared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Linnecarlo, I¡¯ll help you in any way I can.¡± Ignoring Arthur¡¯s words, I opened the hatch and stepped out. When he saw me, he ran over, saying in a loud voice, ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s really Princess Linnecarlo! I thought the soldiers were making a mistake, but I¡¯m so glad to see you!¡± ¡°General Orlea, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you, after all, you¡¯ve been away for a long time, and I¡¯ve been wandering around to see if I could meet you at the royal palace, but for some reason I couldn¡¯t, and I can¡¯t tell you how much I¡¯ve missed you!¡± ¡°General Orlea, I¡¯m going to go straight to the point and ask you to help me and Yudin stop Mushym from running amok.¡± ¡°I see, I was wondering what kind of request you were talking about¡­¡­.You¡¯re asking me to betray Commander Cruz of the Royal Army and side with you¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t do me this favor, I¡¯m going to have to cut you out of my life.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s not good! You know how I feel about you!¡± I know that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you this¡­¡­.I thought about it, but I didn¡¯t say it, and I just stared at Orlea. ¡°I¡¯ve always intended to give my life to you, and I don¡¯t care if they call me a traitor to the army. The third Magicraft Legion will now swear allegiance to Crown Prince Yudin and Princess Linnecarlo!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. Give it your all.¡± ¡°So ¡­¡­Princess Linnecarlo¡­¡­my thoughts on you¡­¡­¡­¡± He started to talk about troublesome things, and of course I, who had no special feelings for Orlea, brushed it off. ¡°In addition, Orlea, can you move your troops immediately? I want to join Duke Caron and his army as soon as possible if possible. Also, my Odin has been taken by Mushym, do you know where it is?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the troops ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice. As for Odin, I understand he has been transported to Mardan base.¡± ¡°It seems that Mushym did not have the courage to destroy Odin after all.¡± ¡°Odin is a national treasure, so even if only his enemy sister could control him, he would not simply destroy him.¡± ¡°My brother¡¯s really a novice¡­¡­.Why don¡¯t you get ready sooner?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯ll have them ready in no time!¡± With that, Orlea immediately began instructing his subordinates. After finishing his instructions, Orlea came to me once more and said ¡°Princess Linnecarlo, I would like to ask you one question: Do you have a loved one? It¡¯s very important to me at this time¡­¡­.¡± When asked about it, I immediately thought of that carefree smile. ¡­¡­ No, no, no, why would Yuta¡¯s face come to mind at a time like this¡­ ¡­It is true that he is the only man who has beaten me ¡­¡­ No, he is the man who has drawn me, but he, a mere commoner, is no match for me, a royal¡­¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I have my hands full with the country right now.¡± Orlea expressed more joy than necessary at that answer¡­¡­but I felt something like guilt for answering that way. CH 97 Until the army was ready, we decided to sit in the strategy room and think of a plan to retake Odin. ¡°What is the strength of the Mardan base?¡± It¡¯s only a small supply base with about a hundred magicrafts, so if we attack it with the strength of this fortress, we should be able to take it down quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than five times its strength, so I suppose so.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡­will my Sentor be there too¡­¡­?¡± Arthur asks modestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only gotten Odin¡¯s information.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± Worst case scenario, I hope my Odin is recovered, but the Highlander¡¯s Arthur is also a force to be reckoned with, and I have a small hope that Sentor will be there. ¡°For that matter, won¡¯t the rider of the magicraft you are with come here?¡± For some reason, Orlea seemed to be very concerned about Emina, who was waiting in the magicraft, and asked me that. ¡°Oh, you mean Emina, I also see if she wants to get off the magicraft and take a break¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Emina-dono seems to have a deep-seated military temperament, so it¡¯s unlikely that she¡¯ll rest her body unless you force her to.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably for the best.¡± Arthur went to call Emina, but she didn¡¯t come back, so I went to the courtyard of the fortress where Artemis was waiting to see what was going on. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so it¡¯s better for me to stay in my magicraft.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already in friendly territory, there¡¯s no need to be alarmed.¡± ¡°How can you so easily trust someone who was your enemy just a moment ago? Just let me stay here!¡± It seems that Emina hasn¡¯t let her guard down yet. It¡¯s true that for people who don¡¯t know the situation between me and Orlea, it might be difficult to convince them that we¡¯ve suddenly become allies¡­¡­. ¡°Arthur, that¡¯s enough, I will let Emina have her way.¡± ¡°But then Emina-dono¡¯s rest will be¡­..¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­ha¡­¡­¡± As soon as Arthur came down from the cockpit of Artemis, where he had been arguing with her, it happened. Suddenly, the soldier behind Arthur hits him in the back of the head. Arthur falls forward slowly as he is¡­¡­. ¡°Arthur!¡± The moment I screamed, a sword was attached to my neck¡­ ¡°Rider! Hurry up and get off the magicraft! If you don¡¯t, the head of the princess is going to fall off!¡± The one who shouted that was Orlea, whom I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡­. ¡°Orlea¡­¡­what are you doing¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Princess Linnecarlo, do you think I¡¯ll always be your only Orlea, unlike you, Commander Cruz accepted me right away.¡± Oh shit¡­¡­.Cruz had read about Orlea¡¯s treason and put up a defense¡­¡­. ¡°Quickly, rider! Linnecarlo¡¯s head is about to fall!¡± It¡¯s definitely faster for the sword attached to my neck to send my head flying than for Artemis to move and save me. Emina, fully aware of this, slowly climbed down from the magicraft. ¡°All right, I¡¯m coming down now, put the sword away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I was actually going to make things happen after the rider got off, but¡­¡­she didn¡¯t get off easily, so I had to play hardball.¡± ¡°Orlea, how is it that you asked me who I love when you don¡¯t already have feelings for me¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a jealous man, and if you had a lover, I would have blown his head off right there and then.¡± I don¡¯t think I understood anything about Orlea¡­¡­.When I thought about it, I had an indescribably empty feeling. Me, Emina, and the unconscious Arthur were restrained and had to be transported somewhere. ¡°Where are you taking us?¡± ¡°Mardan base. Oh, yes, it¡¯s true that Odin is in Mardan base, and your sister and the incompetent dukes are also supposed to be transferred there.¡± ¡°Why¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The reason for this is to turn Mardan Base into a graveyard for your rebels. There are 1,000 magicrafts at Mardan Base ready to intercept any rebels that come to your aid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Odin is there, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, I had planned to lure you out, but it¡¯s quite ironic that you came by yourself.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­Orlea¡­¡­I¡¯ll never forgive you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Suit yourself, I don¡¯t feel anything now that I have Commander Cruz.¡± Cruz¡­¡­I knew that vixen was going to be the biggest obstacle¡­¡­. CH 98 After the battle of the fort, I was taking a short rest before moving on, when a rider came running towards me, looking flustered. ¡°I¡¯ve just heard from an enemy prisoner that the imprisoned Princess Rhydiria and the others have been moved to the Mardan base, which is just around the corner from here, and I believe this is our best chance to rescue them!¡± ¡°Great chance¡­¡­is that right?¡± ¡°Yes! We can¡¯ t do anything about it in the palace, which is highly defended, but the Mardan base is not that big, and there are only about 100 magic machines guarding it. How about we go and rescue them before they are transferred to a troublesome place!¡± The expression on the rider¡¯s face was very passionate, and I could tell that he wanted to help his master, Princess Rhydiria, right away. ¡°All right, 100 magicrafts is the same as the number we just fought, let¡¯s just go and save them.¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡­really! Thank you very much! I¡¯ll let everyone know right away!¡± Then he happily informed them. In fact, it would probably be better to meet up with Jean and the others, but as time goes by, there is certainly a possibility that they will be moved again to another place, and it would be better to rescue them right now, even if we have to push ourselves a little. ¡°But will you be okay?¡± Nanami said, looking worried about something. ¡°Nanami, is there something bothering you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­not really, but there¡¯s something weird about¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°weird¡±?¡± ¡°Princess Rhydiria and the dukes are important hostages, would it be so easy to move them from the¡­¡­easily defended royal palace to a less fortified base?¡± ¡°There must have been some reason. But this is an opportunity, so let¡¯s make the most of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that worried because I¡¯m sure Yuta will be able to handle anything that comes his way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that good at everything. I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wondering how it¡¯s actually going to work out.¡± Now I knew that Nanami¡¯s assessment of me was one of wonder, the rider came to tell me that they were ready to go. Everyone seemed to want to go to the rescue right away and looked at me with a twinkle in their eyes. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s head to the rescue of the princesses!¡± As I said this, the crowd cheered. From a short distance away, I surveyed the Mardan base ¨C at first glance, it didn¡¯t look any different, and it didn¡¯t seem to be on alert. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it looks the same as always.¡± One of the riders who knew the old Mardan base said so. But the word ¡°same as always¡± stuck with me. ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird that everything¡¯s the same.¡± When I said that, he asked me curiously. ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡± ¡°There are some important hostages in that base right now, right? If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s strange to have the usual level of alert, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a trap.¡± The riders look very disappointed. When they looked at me like that, I couldn¡¯t tell them to stop because it seemed like a trap. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to go at it alone first, and you guys stay in the back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­too much¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, if we all go to attack and it turns out to be a trap, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, I can handle it on my own.¡± ¡°Hey, is Nanami on standby too?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one who has to protect everyone in case something goes wrong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡­being reckless again¡­¡­.¡± No, I really think I can handle it alone, after all, with Viktor¡­¡­honestly, I don¡¯t think I gave my all yet¡­¡­. I asked Nanami and the others to stand by in the rear, and I approached the Mardan base alone. When I got about a kilometer from the base, I noticed a sudden change in the appearance of the base. It was a trap after all. Magicrafts appeared from the woods near the base and other hidden places. It wasn¡¯t just a hundred of them, it was the largest army I¡¯ve ever seen in this world¡­¡­ CH 99 When we arrived at the Mardan base, Arthur and Emina were placed in an underground prison, and I was taken to another place. I was taken to a room at the top of a high tower, where I could see far into the distance and have a good view of the city. ¡°What are you going to do, bring me to the top of this tower alone?¡± ¡°Princess Linnecarlo has been given a special seat to watch the rebels come to her aid, only to be cruelly defeated in return, so please enjoy it from here.¡± ¡°You have bad taste, Orlea¡­¡­.Now I understand why I was never attracted to you.¡± When I said this, Orlea¡¯s expression changed drastically, his face became grim and he began to get irritated. ¡°No! That¡¯s not true, Linnecarlo! You just didn¡¯t see it that way! There¡¯s nothing wrong with me!¡° ¡°There¡¯s nothing attractive about you, I¡¯ve just noticed that.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡­unattractive¡­¡­commander Cruz said I was the best man she¡¯d ever seen!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what Cruz says, you¡¯re not attractive enough to be my husband! I assure you of that!¡± I don¡¯t know why I made such a provocative statement, but I don¡¯t care. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡­Linnecarlo! Do you realize the position you¡¯re in? I¡¯ve been given permission by Commander Cruz to do whatever I want with you! I can strip you of your clothes and force you to be mine!¡± ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s funny, you think I¡¯m going to be yours by force, I¡¯m sorry but I won¡¯t be yours no matter what!¡± ¡°Hmm, interesting, let¡¯s see if that¡¯s really true.¡± Then Orlea approached me ¨C despite my expression, my body trembled a little¡­¡­I bit my bottom lip and tried to stop the trembling, I didn¡¯t want to show myself as a weak woman to such a man¡­¡­ ¡°General Orlea! An enemy magicraft is approaching Mardan base!¡± Hearing this, Orlea released my hand from his grasp and walked out onto the small balcony to see the approaching enemy magicraft. ¡°Only one magicraft? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a diversion of the enemy, so why did you send all the ambushers out?¡± ¡°If the enemy comes, we have orders to hit them with all our forces at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when the enemy army shows up! What were you thinking, overreacting like that against a single magicraft?¡± One magicraft¡­¡­those words stuck with me¡­¡­.No way¡­¡­I only know of one person who would venture into an enemy base with just one magicraft¡­¡­.I thought of his face¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know why, but thinking of his face calms me down and takes my mind off my bad feelings¡­¡­.I wanted to go out on the balcony right away to check it out¡­¡­but I felt like if the magic machine that was approaching this base was the national treasure of our country¡­¡­my mind would be trapped by something. After a great mental struggle, I slowly stepped forward¡­¡­and I walked out onto the balcony¡­¡­I didn¡¯t care what happened anymore, I slowly looked up and saw the scene outside. A large army from the Mardan base was rushing to a single magicraft¡­¡­far away but recognizable¡­¡­.That was definitely Viktor. I didn¡¯t realize I was crying until the tears started to fall down my cheeks and onto the back of my hands¡­¡­Why am I crying?¡­¡­I¡¯m not sad at all¡­¡­On the contrary, my chest was heaving in a strange way, and I was even smiling. ¡°What are you crying about, Linnecarlo, are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°Orlea, I told you that I had no lover, but that was a lie. I have one now, the love of my life.¡± ¡°What the fuck! Who the hell is that?¡± ¡°See, that magicraft¡­¡­my beloved is the one riding it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that magicraft¡­¡­.Hahahahaha! Linnecarlo, your loved one is unfortunately going to be gone from this world, look at that scene¡­¡­even you on Odin can¡¯t do anything in that situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that even I, riding Odin, would have difficulty getting through that situation, but you don¡¯t know that the rider of that magicraft is the man who defeated me while riding Odin¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­¡­you¡¯re lying to provoke me, Linnecarlo! You¡¯re one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, and you lost¡­¡­.¡± No, it¡¯s true. He¡¯s stronger than I am¡­..and far more capable¡­¡­than you, Orlea, just the kind of man I deserve to love!¡± ¡°Gggg¡­¡­okay, I¡¯ll test that story myself to see if it¡¯s true! Hey, get my Gadelure ready at once.¡± ¡°Is General Orlea going to be there?¡± ¡°Yes, go quickly.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, watch the end of your lover from here, I will tear him to pieces!¡± Unfortunately, in the back of my mind, I knew that was impossible. CH 100 100 chapters!!! I can¡¯t believe we reached it so fast. A big THANK YOU to everyone who supported me. It would be too hard to deal with them all at once, so I decided to reduce their numbers while moving around. Making use of my high mobility, which surpassed that of ordinary magicrafts, I moved to avoid being surrounded and destroyed the enemies one by one as they approached. I fought like that for a while, but there were so many of them that no matter how quickly I moved, my escape route would gradually disappear. At that time, there was a magicraft that approached me while speaking something in a loud voice amplified by the external output sound. ¡°Hey, you! Stay where you are! I am General Orlea, commander of the Third Magicraft Legion! Put your manhood on the line and fight me!¡± Nope, something is wrong with this one¡­¡­ ¡°How can you say that when you attack me with such a large number of¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡­numbers are also power, this is the difference between you and me! If you get down on your knees and beg me, I¡¯ll even accept a one-on-one match with you!¡± ¡°No, thanks, it looks like a pain in the ass, and I don¡¯t want to get down on my knees, so why don¡¯t you just come take it with the rest of them?¡± ¡°How dare you lump me in with the rest?¡­¡­Fine, I¡¯ll torture you to death with as many people as you want!¡± I noticed that while I was distracted by the conversation with the commander, I was completely surrounded by enemy magicrafts¡­¡­which is a little bit dangerous¡­¡­.I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to be able to handle everything. There was no choice but to fight, and I had to get serious, so I went into Ludia concentration mode¡­¡­I calmed my consciousness and sank my mind deeper and deeper¡­..Deeper and deeper than usual¡­¡­. I saw a light ¡­¡­ far in the depths of my consciousness¡­¡­.I reached out to it ¨C and touched something¡­¡­.At that moment, I heard the voice of a beautiful, transparent woman. ¡°Authorizing the activation of Ludia concentration mode¡­Initiating scan to confirm the situation¡­Detected a large number of hostile magicrafts in all directions on the ground, I suggest we avoid their attacks.¡± ¡°What? Who?¡± ¡°I am Feri Rudia, Viktor¡¯s support AI, and I advise you to leave the encirclement as soon as possible.¡± ¡°We¡¯re completely surrounded. Where are we supposed to run to?¡± ¡°Sir, there are no enemy magicrafts in the sky.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Viktor can fly?¡± ¡°Viktor¡¯s flying ability is SS class. He can fly fast for short periods of time.¡± It¡¯s true that Farma¡¯s Garuda can even fly, so it¡¯s not surprising that this legendary magicraft can fly¡­¡­. I sent the image of soaring into the sky to the control sphere ¨C and then I felt a jolt of gravity and soared into the sky. ¡°Oh, my God! It really flew!¡± ¡°The number of enemy magicrafts is approximately 1,000¡­the range is 2 kilometers¡­we can destroy all enemy magicrafts by activating Viktor Nova from above¡­ what should we do?¡± ¡°Can we destroy all of them with a single attack?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I can¡¯t see any enemy magicrafts that can deploy defensive shields, so we can certainly destroy them.¡± ¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s get them!¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Master authorization granted. Transforming to Nova mode.¡± As she said this, Viktor¡¯s fuselage began to jiggle¡­As I watched, his arms and legs shifted and changed shape like a puzzle¡­Eventually they transformed into a cannon. ¡°Viktor Nova preparation begins ¨C Ludia core, access ¨C spell ¡®Inferno¡¯ chanting begins, spell ¡®Earthquake¡¯ connected chanting begins, spell ¡®Aqua Sphere¡¯ connected chanting begins, spell ¡®Tesla Spark¡¯ connected chanting begins ¨C spell ¡®Magic Boost¡¯ simultaneous chanting begins ¨C range Selection, position correction, and aiming preparation complete©¤©¤Victor Nova ready to fire.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to shoot it, but I put my hand on the control ball anyway and sent an image of shooting the cannon. ¡°Activate four-element cannon, Viktor Nova¡­¡± Gwoon! Viktor shuddered loudly¡­and was enveloped in a violent light¡­As the light fell to the ground, it caused a huge explosion that swallowed all the magicrafts present. CH 101 Thank you KingPen for sponsoring 4 chapters but I can release only 2 today. Tomorrow we¡¯ll have another 3 releases. ¡°We¡¯ve completed the annihilation of enemy magicrafts and confirmed that all enemy magicrafts have ceased their operations.¡± Feri Rudia reports to me emotionlessly ¨C when I look, there are countless magicrafts lying destroyed on the ground. I flew my Viktor and headed for the forest where Nanami and the others were waiting. When I met up with Nanami and the others, the riders of the royal guard who had been watching everything came running up to me with their magicrafts. ¡°You have shown me a miracle! So that¡¯s Viktor¡¯s Light Arrow as they say! You are indeed the second coming of the hero Luzak! I¡¯m proud to fight with you!¡± ¡°Most of the enemies are down, it should be easy to overrun the base now, let¡¯s help our allies who are trapped!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The riders replied cheerfully and began to form up and prepare to head for the base. ¡°Nanami, I¡¯m going to the base first to kill the rest of the enemies.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Stay alert, Yuta.¡± After leaving everyone in Nanami¡¯s hands, I flew back to the base. It¡¯s convenient to be able to fly, after all, and I¡¯ll be there in no time. At the Mardan base, a single-digit number of magicrafts remained on the defensive. However, they were completely freaked out by the battle they had just seen, and when they saw Viktor, they threw down their weapons and started to run away. I was waiting for the others to arrive while I went around the base to see if there were any other enemies ¨C then I heard a loud voice calling out for me. ¡°Yuta! Yuta, I¡¯m here! No, not that way. Look up!¡± I looked up and saw Linnecarlo waving at me from the balcony of a tower-like building. ¡°Linnecarlo, why are you here?¡± ¡°We can talk about that later. Can you use Viktor to get me out of here?¡¡There are soldiers guarding the outside of the room.¡± The tower was too high for Viktor to reach, so I had no choice but to fly slowly near the balcony where Linnecarlo was. ¡°Okay, hold on to my fingers, Linnecarlo.¡± I reached out and said so, but Linnecarlo shook her head, as if she was afraid of heights. ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd. What if I fall from this height?¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°You could put another person in the cockpit.¡° Sure, there¡¯s a little bit of space, but I do not want to open the hatch while flying¡­¡­. ¡°Feri! I need to get her into the cockpit, is it possible to open the hatch while flying?¡± ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve been called¡­¡­Feri ¨C yes, it¡¯s possible, but it can be dangerous if the wind or other factors cause you to lose your balance even slightly, so I recommend that you use the uneven surfaces of the structure to hold the magicraft in place before opening and closing the hatch.¡± ¡°I see. Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± As Feri said, I put my foot on the protruding part of the tower to keep the magicraft in place. Then I opened the hatch and guided Linnecarlo to the cockpit, supporting her with my hand to prevent her from falling. When we reached the cockpit, Linnecarlo walked in briskly and hugged me. ¡°Hey, keep your hands off the control ball. Back off a little.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s no use, we can¡¯t fit two people in this small cockpit otherwise.¡± ¡°No, you can. There¡¯s a little space over there.¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t. Let¡¯s get Emina and the others out of here.¡± ¡°Are they holding Emina?¡± ¡°Yes, and Arthur is being held as well.¡± ¡°Well, then we¡¯d better get them out of here.¡± It was a little hard to maneuver with Linnecarlo so close to me, but I got Viktor moving and descended to the ground. Just as I was getting on the ground, Nanami and the others arrived at the base. For some reason, Nanami had dragged along the magicraft that the general who had confronted me earlier had been riding. ¡°Nanami, why are you doing that?¡± ¡°Oh, I brought it because everyone said it was a general¡¯s magicraft and we should take him prisoner.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Orlea¡¯s Gadelure, isn¡¯t it?¡± Linnecarlo said, seeming to know that magicraft. ¡°What, why is Linnecarlo in Viktor¡¯s cockpit with Yuta?¡± Nanami asked Linnecarlo and forcefully pried open the hatch of the magicraft. The hatch came off easily, as the general¡¯s magicraft had been torn to shreds by Viktor¡¯s attack. ¡°Gosh¡­¡­what happened? Fire¡­¡­rain of light¡­¡­¡± The man inside rolled out of the cockpit, shouting in confusion. ¡°Orlea! How do you like that? Do you see what a little man you are?¡± Linnecarlo told the man who came out. ¡°Linnecarlo¡­¡­What happened to me?¡­¡­Who the hell is your loved one?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been defeated, defeated by a single blow, as you can now clearly see.¡± ¡°I lost¡­¡­.I, a man recognized by Commander Cruz¡­¡­.Ugh¡­¡­.¡± The man collapsed helplessly on the spot, then soldiers came and restrained him. The haggard man seemed to be saying something with his mouth agape, as if he was desperate for something. CH 102 The enemy¡¯s magicrafts have fled, so there are only infantry left. My fellow magicrafts are scattered throughout the base, taking control of it. The enemy soldiers we captured told us the location of our captive allies, and we headed there. The place where my friends were being held was a warehouse building. It was guarded by about fifty soldiers, who seemed to have been ordered to defend the prison no matter what, and they didn¡¯t try to escape even when I and my ally magicrafts appeared. I had no choice but to deal with them in a way that wouldn¡¯t be lethal. ¡°Princess Rhydiria!¡± The cheers of my fellow riders went up when they saw the person who was rescued from the prison. When I looked, I saw not only Princess Rhydiria, but also Duke Reydemarte, Duke Barelma, and Lord Theseus. ¡°Sister Rhydiria, I am glad you are safe.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo? I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re okay.¡± Even in this situation of a happy reunion with her sister, Linnecarlo refuses to get off Viktor, which makes no sense when the base is already under control and safe. Arthur and Emina were also rescued from the prison. ¡°Yuta! Find my Artemis!¡± The first thing Emina said after being rescued was that she was worried about her beloved magicraft, Artemis. To be precise, it doesn¡¯t belong to Emina, it¡¯s just on loan from the Iron Knights, but I won¡¯t say anything about that. ¡°It seems that my Odin is also in this base, Yuta, so let¡¯s continue to search with Viktor.¡± ¡°Ew! Linnecarlo, you¡¯re not going down yet?¡± ¡°Not until we find Odin. Come on, come on, let¡¯s find him.¡± Linnecarlo hugged my arm tightly as she said this. I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s hugging me so tightly when there¡¯s probably plenty of room. Odin, Artemis, and Arthur¡¯s Sentor were found more easily than expected. Well, there were only a limited number of places where magicrafts could be stored, but for some reason Linnecarlo didn¡¯t seem too happy about it. ¡°Open the hatch, Linnecarlo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s okay if we continue to explore the base.¡± ¡°No, what exploring, we saved everyone and found Odin and Artemis, stop making excuses and get off.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no other way¡­¡­.¡± Despite the mumbling, Linnecarlo still got out of Viktor. She then immediately boarded Odin ¨C after that, Emina and Arthur also came to this hangar and were happy to be reunited with their beloved magicrafts. After that, the ride carrier at the base was confiscated and made into a temporary command center, and the leading figures gathered for a strategy meeting. ¡°Mushym did what he wanted, but we¡¯ll fight back from here.¡± They all agreed with Linnecarlo¡¯s words. ¡°Mushym, who has control of the national army, has many magicrafts forces, and our forces are only the private armies of the three dukes, so we have no chance of winning under the current circumstances¡­¡­.¡± Duke Reydemarte said, and Linnecarlo quickly countered. ¡°No, that¡¯s okay, we have the legendary magicraft Viktor and Yuta, there¡¯s no need to be afraid of the enemy no matter how large their numbers are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only on magicraft, even if it¡¯s a legendary one that¡¯s¡­..¡± The power of Viktor has just been proven, you may not have seen it since you were trapped in prison, but the arrow of light that wiped out a thousand enemy magicrafts, the divine strike of Viktor, is very powerful. ¡°I thought it was¡­¡­exaggerated folklore that the arrow of light¡­¡­wiped out ¡­¡­1000 magicrafts in a single blow, but is it true.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, even if this is true, it is not in our best interest to lose any more of the national army, so why don¡¯t we find a way to get rid of Mushym and his faction alone, instead of trying to solve the problem by force?¡± As Princess Rhydiria said, the opponents were originally from the same country, and if we destroy too many of them there will be problems in the future. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I doubt that Mushym will give us a chance¡­¡­.¡± While Linnecarlo was pondering something in silence, a soldier came in energetically. ¡°I have gotten information from the enemy prisoners that a large army led by Prince Mushym is now marching towards the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory!¡± ¡°It looks like the Mushym knows where Yudin is, so we¡¯d better head there right away.¡± CH 103 ¡°Iron Knights, Prince Mushym¡¯s army of over 1,000 magicrafts has invaded the Duke of Reydemarte¡¯s territory from all sides, and we are already surrounded with no way out. We will hold off the enemy forces, so please take Crown Prince Yudin and flee.¡± The transmission from Duke Caron was a warning of the hopeless situation. ¡°Tsk¡­¡­.Alana, you still can¡¯t get in touch with Yuta?¡± ¡°No, nothing yet.¡± ¡°What do you say, Yudin? Duke Caron and the others want you to run away alone.¡± Yudin made a difficult expression as if he was thinking about something, but he quickly looked up and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t abandon my allies who are fighting for me!¡± ¡°That being said, Duke Caron, Yudin want to stay here, so the Iron Knights will inevitably join the fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Can you at least move the ride carrier that Crown Prince Yudin rides to the center of the army, it would be better for morale.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯ll move right now.¡± The enemy army has a force of over 1,000 magicrafts, and we have about 300, so if you think about it normally, there¡¯s no way we can win¡­¡­. ¡°Jean, you have a transmission from Emina.¡± ¡°Emina, how about that general Linnecarlo knows, did he follow her?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t possible.¡± ¡°What the hell, what are we going to do, we¡¯re surrounded by over a thousand enemy magicrafts.¡± ¡°But we got Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin and Arthur¡¯s Sentor back. Later, I met up with Yuta and Nanami, and we¡¯re on our way there now.¡± ¡°Oh, you were able to meet up with Yuta and the others, right, Yuta, Nanami, Linnecarlo, Emina, and Arthur¡­¡­with that much strength, we can manage, okay, we will hold out until you get here.¡± I changed the channel of the spirit box to the common line I had prepared in advance for Duke Caron¡¯s, Duke Reydemarte¡¯s, and Duke Barelma¡¯s armies, and spoke. ¡°Crown Prince Yudin refused to flee on his own and decided to stay here, saying he couldn¡¯t abandon you, his allies. How would you like to have a man who says this for you to be king? We are promised final victory, soon one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters Linnecarlo will come to reinforce us. If we can protect Yudin until then, we will win. How about it, it¡¯s not that difficult. We just need to buy time, let¡¯s defend rather than attack!¡± I¡¯m sure this will boost morale a bit, and all we have to do is stay on the defensive and wait for Yuta and the others to arrive. ¡°Jean, you might be a good commander. Not a bad speech.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a big talker. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± I said, and Alana smiled and got up from the chair she was sitting in. ¡°Lorgo, Farma, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡± ¡°Oh, Yudin, protect¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best too. If Yuta and the others come back, we can definitely win.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, guys. We¡¯re just trying to buy some time until Yuta and the others get back.¡± ¡°Excuse me, everyone¡­¡­.Please take care¡­¡­.¡± Alana reacted to Yudin¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid future king, you can thank me later with something tangible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­Yes!¡± As Alana and the others left, the enemy army came closer and closer until they could be seen. There were so many of them that my back started to sweat when I thought they were going to attack us. Yuta, Linnecarlo, come on, I don¡¯t think we can hold out much longer¡­¡­. CH 104 The communications soldier was working in front of me in frustration, playing with a number of spirit boxes. I called out loudly and repeatedly, but there was no response from them. ¡°I still haven¡¯t been able to reach General Orlea.¡± ¡°We¡¯re using all means of communication¡­¡­.Unconfirmed reports say that General Orlea¡¯s army has already been wiped out¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wiped out¡­¡­General Orlea has a large army of 1,000 magicrafts entrusted to him, what would he have to deal with to be wiped out?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­¡­unconfirmed information and¡­¡­.¡± Pssst¡­ ¡°Who needs a mouth that can¡¯t give a straight answer?¡± Irritated by the words, I cut the soldier¡¯s mouth open with a knife. ¡°Ughhhh!¡± ¡°The soldier held his mouth and rolled around on the floor ¨C the sight of him made me feel a little better.¡± ¡°Cruz, don¡¯t stain my ride carrier with filthy blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince Mushym, but these soldiers have irritated me.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re an eyesore, take that guy rolling around out of here.¡± Thank God he¡¯s a prince who knows what he¡¯s talking about, that¡¯s why we need him to be king¡­¡­.But really, what is Orlea doing, I gave him this beautiful body so he wouldn¡¯t turn on Linnecarlo and he¡¯s useless¡­¡­ ¡°Cruz, you¡¯re not going to lose this battle, are you? We¡¯ve got Duke Hormel¡¯s private army and Prime Minister Brom¡¯s troops. If we lose, there won¡¯t be anything left.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible. There¡¯s a five-fold difference in strength, and while the other side has only private soldiers, the majority of our forces are regular soldiers from the national army, overwhelming in number and quality.¡± ¡°But there is a rider over there that defeated twelve of the SS elite, plus the national treasure, Viktor¡­¡­to move that thing¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm, Viktor is an antique, he must have moved by mistake, and moreover, the twelve elite members of the SS that the rider defeated, I can do the same.¡± ¡°Surely you, a triple Highlander, can do that, then, when that thing comes out, you¡¯ll go out and clean it up?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, I can make that happen.¡± ¡°Then I feel relieved, Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin is in our hands, and we have nothing to fear.¡± In this situation where Orlea may have screwed up, it¡¯s possible that Odin has been recaptured by Linnecarlo. If it¡¯s Linnecarlo or the rider who defeated the 12 SS members, I¡¯m fine on my own, but it¡¯s tough to take on both of them at the same time¡­¡­. ¡°Prince Mushym, may I activate that magicraft that I secretly purchased from the Radol Company?¡± ¡°Do we really need to send out that 12-billion-gold magicraft against an opponent who can¡¯t defeat us? You said it was a secret weapon for emergencies.¡± ¡°I have a few concerns about this fight, and I thought I shouldn¡¯t leave anything to chance.¡± ¡°In that case, you¡¯re allowed to go out and smash the enemy¡¯s army once and for all!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± I turned around and gave this command to my subordinates. ¡°Prepare my Arc Angel! Also, hurry up and prepare Gigantomachia for launch!¡± My men responded loudly to the order and moved quickly to carry it out. I take off my hard-to-move commander¡¯s uniform and change into my rider¡¯s suit ¨C suddenly naked in the main room of the ride carrier, my subordinates pretend not to see me and look away, but they are still glancing at me. That¡¯s fine, they should realize that my very existence is a reward. When I finished changing, I headed for the hangar. I can¡¯t wait to see how the enemy army reacts when they see Gigantomachia¡­ CH 105 ¡°Lorgo, we¡¯ve got an enemy unit coming in. Move in front and stop it.¡± ¡°Alana¡­¡­.Okay¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Farma, aim at stationary enemies, because you can¡¯t hit the ones that are moving.¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡± The defensive capabilities of Ganesha, which Lorgo rides, are quite impressive. Long-range attacks such as the enemy¡¯s arrows were repelled, and melee attacks such as swords and spears didn¡¯t seem to cause any serious damage. Farma shot the enemies that Lorgo had stopped from the sky with her arrows. The accuracy of the shots was high, and Farma¡¯s arrows were aimed precisely at the weak points of the enemy magicrafts. I target and destroy the enemies that Lorgo was unable to stop. Four magicrafts charged towards the ride carrier after passing by Lorgo. I put Bercya in a low position to save my strength, then aimed at the enemies that had broken through and accelerated at once. While spinning, I plunged into the enemies and used the momentum of the rotation to swing my sword and disassemble the four magicrafts at once. Three more enemy magicrafts passed by Lorgo, and headed for Bercya, it seemed like they were trying to get rid of the obstacle first. I pierced the neck of the enemy magicraft in front of me with the sword in my right hand, and swung the left one horizontally, sending the head of another enemy magicraft flying. I kicked up and eliminated the magicraft that had been pierced in the neck and had fallen toward me, and then I crossed both of my twin swords over the last one that was behind me and cut it in half. However, we are in the center position, and considering that so many enemy magicrafts are breaking through our side¡¯s defense line, the situation on the front line is not good, I wish I could be on the front line, but it seems difficult to defend this place with only Lorgo and Farma. ¡°Jean, what¡¯s the status of our allies on the front line?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing the best we can, but there are too many of them. The situation is getting worse and worse.¡± ¡°How long do you think it will take Yuta and the others?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe they¡¯re concentrating on moving, but we¡¯ve lost contact with them.¡± What to do¡­¡­Let Lorgo and Farma take over here and go to the frontline¡­¡­As I was struggling, about ten magicrafts approached us. I tensed up for a moment, but they didn¡¯t seem to be enemies. ¡°Members of the Iron Knights, we are here to defend the Ride Carrier by the order of Duke Caron.¡± Duke Caron must have been on a tight leash, but he still sent us reinforcements. ¡°That¡¯s great. Lorgo, Farma, you protect these guys and the ride carrier, I¡¯ll go forward and push the enemy back.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­ Lorgo¡­¡­I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Alana, be careful.¡± It would be very difficult to defend the ride carrier if the front line collapsed, so I decided to leave this to them and reinforce the front. The situation at the front was worse than I had imagined. There were far more enemy magicrafts than there were allies, and the few allies were supporting each other to defend themselves. I concentrate on Ludia ¨C I synchronize with Bercya with the feeling that I will defeat all my enemies ¨C my eyes glow and Bercya responded to my feelings. Don¡¯t make any unnecessary movements, destroy the enemy with a single blow, move efficiently, and defeat as many enemies as quickly as possible¡­ I muttered this in my head as if I were giving myself a suggestion, and conveyed the image of movement to Bercya¡¯s control sphere. I swing my sword as if I was dancing while moving at high speed ¨C it takes less than a second for me to slaughter one enemy magicraft and move on, saving the magicrafts of my allies. Just when I thought the battle situation was getting better, I felt a strong impact on Bercya. It was as if Bercya and I had hit a large wall, and was flung backwards. ¡°Damn it¡­¡­what the hell?¡± I looked and there was a wall. No, what I thought was a wall was the body of a magicraft¡­¡­It was also the most massive magicraft I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°Tsk¡­¡­what the hell is this monster¡­¡­?¡± The giant magicraft has a large club in each hand, and swung it around, lashing out at my surrounding allies. It¡¯s fast for such a large figure, and its armor looks thick and powerful¡­¡­. Even the allies seem to be startled by the huge enemy¡­¡­. I felt that the presence of this thing was bad, and I immediately moved to eliminate this monster. While dodging the attacks of the clubs, I go behind the huge magicraft and attack its legs with my twin swords¡­ Click¡­ It seemed to have thick armor and defensive capabilities as it looked. My twin swords made of magnetite were easily repelled. ¡°This is tricky¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t immediately think of a way to attack a type of enemy that I had never fought before. CH 106 On the way to Duke Reydemarte¡¯s territory, Jean and Emina talked, and it seems that Jean¡¯s situation is quite bad. I tried to fly, thinking that it would be better for me to go ahead alone. ¡°Master, the activation of Viktor Nova and continuous flight has caused a shortage of stored Aether. In addition, the wear and tear on the Ludia core has resulted in reduced performance, please perform core maintenance.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to fly much longer. You¡¯ll need to replenish the ether.¡± ¡°How do I replenish the ether?¡± ¡°Aether will accumulate naturally, but it will take time, so I recommend using an aether pot or something similar to restore it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as an aether pot.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to wait for the aether to recover naturally.¡± ¡°How long will that take?¡± ¡°At this level of aether, it will take about 10.368.000 seconds to recover.¡± I don¡¯t know how long that period is but I know it won¡¯t be a quick recovery. ¡°What will happen if the Aether stays this way?¡± ¡°Viktor¡¯s functions will be severely restricted.¡± ¡°Can you be more specific?¡± ¡°You will not be able to use Viktor Nova, and with the current level of aether, your flight time will be limited to 300 seconds, you will also not be able to deploy the defensive shield.¡± ¡°I guess I can¡¯t fly over there anymore¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Master, the condition of the Ludia core wear is also serious, please perform core maintenance as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What is core maintenance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the optimization of the Ludia core by a core technician.¡± Can I ask Liza to be my core technician? ¡°I can¡¯t do maintenance right now, what happens if we keep fighting like this?¡± ¡°Performance is still significantly reduced. In the worst case scenario, a malfunction in the Ludia core could cause it to stop functioning.¡± It would be a disaster if it stopped in the middle of a battle¡­¡­.But even if I were to switch to Arleo, my magicraft is still over there. ¡°Feri, I¡¯m currently unable to perform maintenance or replenish the aether, but I still need to fight with Viktor, can you help me avoid shutting down?¡± ¡°I understand, and I will suggest the best course of action.¡± It was a few hours later that we arrived at Duke Reydemarte¡¯s estate. ¡°Good, it looks like they are still fighting. Linnecarlo said, relieved to see the fierce battle going on. ¡°Jean, what¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°Emina, you¡¯re late! The situation is bad, we are just barely holding on, come to the rescue quickly!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there! Yuta, you heard him, let¡¯s head to the rescue quickly.¡± ¡°All right.¡± I wonder if I can fly from here¡­¡­.As I was thinking that, Linnecarlo stopped us for some reason. ¡°Wait a minute! That¡¯s Mushym¡¯s ride carrier over there¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± It appears that our late arrival has put us in the rear of Mushym¡¯s main force¡­¡­.We can target Mushym directly from here. ¡°All right! Let¡¯s get rid of Mushym!¡± ¡°Hey, what about the rescue?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s split up, me and Yuta will take care of Mushym, and Emina and the others will go to the rescue.¡± ¡°Are you sure you two can handle the enemy¡¯s main force?¡± ¡°I¡¯m one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters and Yuta has a legendary magicraft, there¡¯s no problem.¡± It¡¯s true that Linnecarlo and I can do whatever we want. At this point, we split into two groups: Linnecarlo and I will attack the main enemy force to take out Mushym. Emina, Nanami, and Arthur were to lead the royal guards to the rescue of Jean and the others. CH 107 I bit my lip at the situation, wanting to complain about¡­¡­if only Yuta were here. Most of my attacks didn¡¯t work, and I had to do my best to dodge and protect my allies from the attacks of that powerful club. It was a huge magicraft that had been chasing Bercya for a while, but it suddenly stopped moving, then looked in one direction and changed its course. It¡¯s heading for the ride carrier¡­¡­ Worst of all, the giant magic machine began to move towards the ride carrier ¨C we can¡¯t let this thing near the ride carrier, this behemoth could easily destroy it¡­¡­ I continued to attack the giant magicraft as I circled around it. The legs of the giant magic machine have thick armor, however, if that¡¯s all there was to it, Bercya¡¯s twin swords could cut through it, but they couldn¡¯t penetrate the armor, as if some kind of defense mechanism was at work. What to do¡­¡­This thing is made to be extremely strong against attacks from below, probably because of its huge size¡­¡­. There was no way to stop the giant magicraft, and I found myself allowing it to approach very close to the ride carrier. However, from here I can launch a coordinated attack with Lorgo and Farma, who are defending the ride carrier. ¡°Lorgo, stop that thing!¡± Lorgo steps in front of the giant magicraft. The two large shields attached to Ganesha¡¯s hands are held forward, and he hits the giant magic machine in the foot¡­¡­.The sound of something creaking echoed, stopping the giant magicraft from moving forward. ¡°Farma, aim for the head of the giant magicraft!¡± The head is filled with functions that serve as the rider¡¯s eyes, and if we destroy it, they won¡¯t be able to do anything. As I told her, Farma drew her Arrow and aimed it at the head of the giant magicraft. And then, as though releasing the stored power, she released the Arrow at once. A high-pitched clang sounded, shaking the head of the giant magicraft, but that was it, the Arrow bounced back, not even damaging the head. ¡°Guh¡­¡­Alana¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­I can¡¯t hold back anymore¡­¡­¡± The power of the giant magicraft seemed to exceed Ganesha¡¯s, and he began to lose ground. Damn¡­¡­is there a weakness¡­¡­? ¡°Alana¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­¡± With that, Lolgo¡¯s Ganesha was flung away by the giant magicraft. ¡°Lorgo!¡± The moment the giant magicraft was about to move forward, it was hit by a quadrupedal magicraft running at great speed from the side. The huge body of the giant magicraft shook unsteadily after the hit from Arthur¡¯s Sentor. ¡°Arthur!¡± Arthur¡¯s Sentor¡¯s assault threw the giant magicraft off balance and made it dizzy. Vajra jumps high and hits the body of the giant magicraft with the shield in her left hand. The giant magicraft, which had lost its balance, fell to the ground. ¡°Alana! Aim for the gaps in the armor!¡± As Emina shouted this, her Artemis appeared in front of me with a buzzing sound. Artemis had already taken aim with her bow gun. I let Bercya run and stabbed my twin swords into the gap in the armor of the fallen giant magicraft. At that moment, the bow gun fired by Emina pierced the eyeball on the head of the giant machine. The giant magic machine tried to stand up; however, it was still dizzy and unsteady due to the loss of it¡¯s eye. ¡°Now is the time! Iron Knights, attack at once!¡± In response to my voice, everyone began to move at the same time. Lorgo stood up, held the shields of both arms in front of him, and vigorously hit the giant magicraft with his body. Arthur¡¯s Sentor turned and gained momentum, then charged with his lance outstretched. Farma launched an arrow at the gap in the armor on his shoulder, and with excellent aim, she stuck the arrows into the small gap. Nanami ran up using the protruding legs of the giant magicraft as a foothold and swung her sword at the gap in the back. Emina fired her bow gun repeatedly at the base of the arm, aiming at the joint. I jumped high, using Lolgo¡¯s Ganesha as a stepping stone, then spun Bercya around fast enough to gain momentum and slashed at the neck of the giant magicraft. With that blow, the head of the giant magic machine was blown off ¨C and it collapsed helplessly, spewing a white vapor-like substance from its body. CH 108 ¡°There are more enemies than I thought, Yuta, can¡¯t you take them out instantly with that light arrow you used at the base?¡± ¡°Sorry, that one doesn¡¯t work anymore.¡± ¡°Well, then it¡¯s going to be a pain in the ass, but we¡¯ll just have to keep plowing through.¡± Linnecarlo doesn¡¯t seem to be that disappointed that I can¡¯t use Viktor Nova. I guess that¡¯s how much she believes in her own power and the power of Viktor. The enemy seemed to have noticed our presence, and about fifty magicrafts came towards us. ¡°Let¡¯s get them out of the way first.¡± As Linnecarlo lightly waved her staff, a number of lightning balls appeared and shot towards the approaching enemies. The ones that were hit by the lightning balls made a cracking sound and collapsed on the spot. I will fly Viktor and get behind the enemy group, it¡¯s only a 10 second flight so it won¡¯t be a problem. After circling around to the rear and knocking down the enemy magicraft at the far end, I took the large sword it was carrying. I swung the sword out horizontally and destroyed the two enemies that were approaching to intercept me, splitting them in two. When I looked at Linnecarlo, I saw that she had already taken out more than ten of them and was about to unleash another ranged attack. ¡°Tempest!¡± Lightning flashes and lightning bolts scatter all around. Dozens of magicrafts were destroyed by the lightning storm. I can¡¯t afford to lose, so I accelerate into the group of enemies and swing my large sword around myself, slicing four of them in half at once. Suddenly, a sword swung down from behind me. Sensing the presence of an attack, I dodged it and flicked away the attacking enemy magicraft with my left elbow. And as I raised my sword to put an end to it, I realized that the magicraft that was attacking me was that of my classmate Mamoru Mikage, whom I had fought before. I couldn¡¯t help but call out over the external output sound. ¡°Mikage?¡± ¡°Is that Yuta¡¯s voice?¡± ¡°Are you still fighting for Mushym? You should know better, he¡¯s the worst kind of man. If he becomes king, this country will be finished.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m¡­¡­.¡± As Mikage was about to say something, a familiar magicraft appeared again, I believe it was the magicraft of the captain of the Kingdom¡¯s SS. ¡°Guard! What are you doing! Get up and fight!¡± ¡°Captain Bilkea, I¡¯m already at¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There is no time for whining! This is an order from Commander Cruz!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡± When Mikage heard the name ¡°Commander Cruz¡±, he showed signs of fear ¨C who the heck is Cruz¡­¡­my question was soon answered. ¡°Yuta! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Suddenly Linnecarlo¡¯s voice rises, and I feel a sickening sense of urgency to kill him. From above, I saw that the ground where I was had been deeply gouged. ¡°Tsk, I wish you hadn¡¯t said that¡­¡­Linnecarlo, when I had the chance to put Viktor away.¡± The magicraft that said so in the external output sound looked like an angel with wings. ¡°Cruz, it looks like Mushym is finally running out of cards since you show up.¡± ¡°Oh my, we have the advantage in the battle, I came out because I wanted to kill you with my own hands.¡± ¡°Do you really think Ark Angel can defeat Odin?¡± ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t think you¡¯d be better than us forever, this Ark Angel is different from the one you know! Besides, we have a very special secret weapon reserved for you.¡± As if waiting for Cruz to finish his words, two ride carriers approached us ¨C and their hatches opened with a squeaking sound. A huge magic magicraft emerged from inside¡­¡­much bigger than the biggest magicraft I know of, Ganesha of Lorgo. ¡°The magicraft Gigantomachia! It¡¯s a new standard magicraft developed by the Radol Company, it has three Ludia cores and is piloted by three riders, so it has the power of three Ludia values. I bought three of them, and sent one of them out to kill Yudin, but I kept these two for Linnecarlo, and Viktor¡¯s rider.¡± I was a little intimidated by the sheer size of the thing, but I was convinced that we were not going to lose. CH 109 There are two huge magicrafts, plus ten SS and Cruz that Linnecarlo and I need to defeat right now. ¡°Linnecarlo, let¡¯s go all out!¡± ¡°Of course I will, it¡¯s been a long time since I fought for real!¡± I immediately concentrated my Ludia ¨C every time my consciousness dives deeper, a rainbow colored aura appears around Viktor. Linnecarlo also began to focus her Ludia, and Odin was also surrounded by a golden aura. ¡°Ludia aura as visible to the eye¡­ Not just Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin, but Viktor as well¡­. Damn¡­¡­they¡¯re both monsters. I hate you! SS! Gigantomachia, kill these bastards quickly!¡± One of the giant magicrafts slowly approaches and raises a huge axe. Before the axe is swung down, Viktor flies and rises right above it. I swung my large sword in the air, and then descended at once to slam it into the giant magicraft. The sword cut the giant machine in two from the neck to the waist area in one fell swoop. Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin raised his staff high and shouted as he pointed it at the SS magic machines that had begun to move. ¡°Giga Tempest!¡± The space slightly in front of Odin was distorted, and as a fierce light radiated out, countless lightning bolts raging around him appeared and swallowed the SS¡¯s magicrafts ¨C the sound of the lightning striking violently echoed, and one by one, the machines could be seen collapsing. ¡°Linnecarlo! Behind you!¡± The other giant magicrafts circled behind Odin and was about to swing its huge club down on Linnecarlo, who had an opening due to the activation of her big move. ¡°Tesla shield!¡± Linnecarlo shouted, pointing her staff straight up, and a pale, translucent dome appeared to surround Odin. The club that was swung down hit the pale dome and bounced back. I approached the giant machine from the air and swung my sword horizontally, slicing off its massive head. After losing it¡¯s head the giant magicraft collapsed. ¡°Valvolt Lightning!¡± A swirling thunderbolt shot out from the tip of Odin¡¯s staff and struck the body of the giant magicraft. The exterior of the giant machine was peeled off and it¡¯s huge body fell apart as if it was being disassembled. ¡°Uu¡­¡­No way¡­¡­is this the true power of the Twelve Heavenly Masters¡­¡­.? Linnecarlo said coldly to Cruz, who lost her voice in surprise as all her allies were defeated. ¡°Cruz, it seems you didn¡¯t understand anything about my power. Did you think you could defeat me with just a giant magicraft and a dozen or so SS? And my partner is even more powerful, a legendary¡­¡­class. You¡¯re clearly not strong enough to take on the two of us.¡± ¡°Geez¡­¡­shut up! I¡¯m the strongest woman you¡¯ve ever met!¡¡Look at this spear of light! This is a super weapon with a Ludia core and an orichalcone built into the weapon itself, let it be extinguished by the light of my judgment!¡± ¡°Is that what you call being different from the Ark Angel of the past?¡¡Weapons are only as good as the people who use them, it¡¯s naive to think you¡¯ve gained power from them.¡± ¡°Silence! Now, receive the fury of the gods!¡± Cruz shouted as she pointed his spear at us. Some kind of light began to gather at the tip of the spear. ¡°Master, I see signs of a high-powered heat ray attack, unlikely to be fatal but possible to cause damage, so I suggest evasion.¡± Viktor might be damaged¡­¡­That means it¡¯s pretty powerful¡­¡­I thought about it and quickly jumped in front of Odin. The light from Cruz¡¯s spear strikes Viktor. ¡°Yuta!¡± Linnecarlo shouted loudly in concern. However, as Feri advised that the wound was unlikely to be fatal, Viktor was not seriously damaged. ¡°No way! I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a magicraft that doesn¡¯t fall under this attack¡­¡­. What¡¯s with that antique!¡± I approached the surprised Cruz¡¯s Ark Angel and slashed at it with my sword. Cruz took the attack with her left hand as quickly as she could. The Ark Angel¡¯s left hand was cut off and sent flying by the sword. ¡°You monster! I will not die here!¡± Ark Angel said and turned around. ¡°Yuta! Cruz is trying to escape! Ark Angel can fly so we have to stop her immediately¡­¡­.¡± As soon as I heard this, I reached out and grabbed one of the large wings of the Ark Angel. I pulled with all my strength and ripped the wing off. The Ark Angel had lost one of its wings, but it took off into the sky so I tried to fly after it. ¡°Master, it¡¯s no good. The heat ray attack just now has drained the aether. There¡¯s not enough ether left to fly.¡± ¡°What? Damn!¡± The Ark Angel flew away, dizzy and unbalanced from the loss of one of its wings. CH 110 Cruz has escaped, but Mushym¡¯s main force has been wiped out by me and Linnecarlo. All that was left was the ride carrier that he was riding. ¡°Give up, Mushym! Falsifying the results of the succession vote and attempting to eliminate the crown prince, Yudin, will not be tolerated!¡± Linnecarlo, who was standing in front of Mushym¡¯s ride carrier, holding her staff, said this over the external output sound. ¡°I¡¯m the one who won the throne vote! What evidence do you have against me?¡¡You¡¯re the ones who were not satisfied with the result of the throne succession vote and went on a rampage!¡± A liar is a liar no matter what, and no matter what happens to him, he will never be able to change his attitude. ¡°Let¡¯s publish the details of the vote here. Tell me! Who voted for whom? There were nine voters. Name the people who voted for you!¡± Linnecarlo was very swift with her words. ¡°¡­..Bildello and Lindyl¡­¡­Brom and Duke Holomel¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Mushym says this in a slightly weak tone of voice¡­¡­.His mouth stops when he says the 4th name, because only 4 people voted for him. ¡°There are nine voters, there must be at least one more, but who is it?¡± ¡°Ugghhh¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible that the Dukes of Caron, Reydemarte and Barelma, who are on Yudin¡¯s side, voted for you, of course I did not vote for you, then who voted for you? I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­annoying! It¡¯s Rhydiria! Rhydiria voted for me!¡± In anguish, he shouts out the name of the last voter, whose name was not mentioned, but¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Mushym! I did not vote for you.¡± The ride carrier with Princess Rhydiria and the Duke of Caron approached, and she corrected Mushym¡¯s statement. ¡°Geez¡­¡­shut up, shut up! There¡¯s no point in voting for the throne in the first place! I¡¯m the first prince, I¡¯m supposed to be the king! We don¡¯t need a weak king like Yudin in this country!¡± ¡°You admit that you falsified the results of the throne vote?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­! What the hell is wrong with you people? What are you doing? I¡¯m the king! Don¡¯t you dare touch me like that! Oh¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mushym¡¯s external output sound was disturbed, and after a while, another person began to speak. ¡°Princess Linnecarlo, I am General Libra of the national army. I¡¯m sorry, it seems we¡¯ve been deceived as well. We now have the renegade Mushym in custody. We will hand him over to you immediately. I have also ordered a ceasefire for all troops, so the fighting will stop immediately.¡± It seems that the soldiers who learned the truth have turned against the Mushym ¨C this will finally end the mess in this country. ¡°Oh, Yuta, looks like it¡¯s over.¡± The battle was over, and the ride carrier that Jean and the others were riding was approaching, protected by a large number of magicrafts. ¡°Jean, are you all right?¡± ¡°Yeah, the Iron Warriors did a great job protecting Yudin.¡± I was relieved to see that everyone seemed to be safe. Mushym was captured and taken to the royal palace. He will be given a proper trial there. ¡°I wonder where Cruz ran off to.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a vicious woman who misbehaves everywhere she goes, so I¡¯m not going to let her go. I¡¯ll send out a message to the whole country to get her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she realized that and will flee the country soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right, I should have put a stop to that.¡± If Viktor¡¯s ether hadn¡¯t been leaked at that time, I could have definitely captured her¡­¡­. CH 111 This chapter was sponsored by KS and Schadows. Thank you for the donations. Linnecarlo¡¯s father, the current King of Meltaria, had died ¨C just after the battle with Mushym was over. Although Linnecarlo has always been a stout, high-flying girl, the death of her father seemed to have been enough to turn her into a normal, quiet girl. She was listless and depressed for a while. Immediately after the king¡¯s funeral, the formal succession ceremony for Yudin was held in a hurry. When Yudin became king and the current situation in the country was investigated, the misdeeds of the Mushym faction came out one after another. First, the Duke of Holomel, who was stripped of his title, had his property confiscated, and was banished from the country for persecuting his subjects, misappropriating state funds, and participating in Mushym¡¯s rampage. It is doubtful that the duke could survive being thrown out of the country penniless. The second prince, Bildero, and the second princess, Lindyl, were stripped of their royal status and imprisoned in a remote area for the merciless killing of their people and misappropriation of state funds. Prime Minister Brom has atoned for his crimes by losing his own life, and his family was granted a pardon with only a downgrade in rank. Also, a man named General Orlea was stripped of his status and sentenced to thirty years of labor. And the ringleader, Mushym¡­ ¡°Even though he is a member of the royal family, he is the ringleader of this mess, and considering the viciousness of his countless crimes in the past, we have no choice but to execute him, and therefore, we sentence First Prince Mushym to beheading.¡± When the verdict came, I didn¡¯t miss the slight clouding of Linnecarlo¡¯s expression. After all, even she would not feel very good since her brother was about to be beheaded. Now that the turmoil in the Kingdom of Meltaria is over, our role in this country has come to an end. According to Jean, due to the civil war and the misdeeds of Mushym¡¯s faction, the country¡¯s finances are stretched thin, and staying here is not profitable. So, he said, that we should move to a more profitable country. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the Iron Knights have done us a great favor, and I wish I could thank them more, but with the current financial state of our country¡­¡­¡± Yudin, who is now the king, says so apologetically. ¡°I got paid for my services as a mercenary, no problem.¡± We had received the promised fee and wanted nothing more, but Yudin still had two rewards for us. ¡°You want me to have Viktor? No, that¡¯s the national treasure of the country. I can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame to leave it on display as an antique in the royal palace, and having a connection like this will give you a reason to come running in the event of a national emergency.¡± Yudin is also a surprisingly shrewd guy. The bottom line is that he¡¯s going to leave Viktor in my care, and if the country is in danger, I¡¯m going to help him. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Thank you, and one more thing, the other day I received from the Ladle Company a state-of-the-art ride carrier that Mushym had purchased in secret, and I was having trouble returning it because it was already paid for, so I was wondering if you could accept it.¡± ¡°A state-of-the-art ride carrier! What is that?¡± Jean snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it, but I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a battleship-type ride carrier with six auto-loading ballistae, and it can carry up to fifteen magicrafts.¡± ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s awesome! Okay, we¡¯ll take it!¡± ¡°No, Jean, we can¡¯t take something that expensive. Considering the financial situation of this country, I think it¡¯s better to sell it for money.¡± ¡°No, if we sell it after it was used, it will be bought at a discount, and since this ride carrier is quite fast, we consider it an upfront investment to have you rush to us quickly in the event of a national emergency.¡± Yudin emphasizes the need for help when something happens to the country¡­¡­That was something that stuck out to me, but the subsequent conversation with Linnecarlo made it all make sense. CH 112 Before I left the Kingdom of Meltaria, I tried to visit Linnecarlo to say goodbye to her, but she came to me first. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a bonus for the Iron Knights better-than-expected performance.¡± ¡°How dare you offer me a bonus when you have no money?¡± ¡°I admit I¡¯m short of money, but my bonus is not money.¡± ¡°What is it then?¡± ¡°Talent and the best rider.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who¡¯s the best rider?¡± I had a really bad feeling about this, so I asked her. ¡°Of course I¡¯m the best rider.¡± ¡°What?! Are you saying that you¡¯ll join the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll join you. With this, the Iron Knights will become an invincible mercenary group.¡± ¡°The country has lost a lot of strength because of the recent turmoil, don¡¯t you think it would be a problem if you were to disappear?¡± ¡°The only thing we lost were our magicrafts, the human casualties were much less than we expected. Besides, the Kingdom of Meltaria and the Iron Knights have a defense contract, so we¡¯ll be there in case of emergency, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°What defense contract? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, I just told you for the first time.¡± ¡°First time is¡­¡­Jean, don¡¯t be quiet, say something.¡± Unusually, Jean was listening to this in silence, so I talked to him. ¡°I was just thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of having Linnecarlo join. The market value of a Quadruple Highlander is unimaginably high, so if you think about it, the benefits of her joining may be greater than the downsides.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know what disadvantages equal the benefits of that unimaginably high value.¡± ¡°Well, leaving that aside, it¡¯s a defense contract, so we can expect regular payments, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, of course, Yudin has promised to pay us 100 million a year, even if we do nothing.¡± ¡°Hoho, then there is no reason to refuse the defense contract. As for Linnecarlo¡¯s joining, Yuta, you decide.¡± ¡°What? Me? Hmm, yes, it is indeed reassuring if Linnecarlo joins, but¡­.¡± I¡¯m not sure what to say, but I think it¡¯s a good idea to have a strong colleague. ¡°Okay, Linnecarlo, let¡¯s work together in the Iron Knights.¡± When I said that, Linnecarlo¡¯s expression, which had been stout but somehow a little anxious, brightened. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re bothering me, besides, as a bonus, Arthur says he¡¯s coming with me, but it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± ¡°Will Arthur join the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Highlander. He could be a little bit useful.¡± Well, he¡¯s easier to use than Linnecarlo, isn¡¯t he? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of Arthur, too. The hangar of the ride carrier Yudin gave me is huge, so there¡¯s plenty of room.¡± This is how Linnecarlo and Arthur officially joined the Iron Knights. There is no doubt that our strength has increased considerably and we will be able to take on big jobs. However, the increased number of magicrafts of the Iron Knights caused a fierce protest from one of the members. ¡°Enough! I¡¯ve reached my limit! If you don¡¯t get me more mechanics ASAP, I won¡¯t do any maintenance or repairs!¡± The mechanic Liza¡¯s wail of grief was felt by the quicksilver Jean. ¡°All right, Liza. Our next destination is the commercial city of Baranuca, where we¡¯re going to recruit mechanics and ride carrier crew, so don¡¯t worry.¡± The crew of the ride carrier had to be recruited because it was now a large battleship-type vessel, and it was impossible for Jean to move it alone. ¡°Well¡­¡­we need three mechanics.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll recruit three, but I don¡¯t know if we can find any good ones. You¡¯ll have to interview them yourself to find out. I don¡¯t have the ability to tell a good mechanic from a bad one.¡± I¡¯ve been feeling sorry for Liza too, so I like the idea of having more mechanics. CH 113 The survey team of the Great Sage¡¯s shrine was headed for it in a recently built battleship-type ride carrier. It was a large ship capable of storing twenty magicrafts, which seemed like overkill for a mere survey. ¡°Yuki, I can see it, that¡¯s the lost land of Diable.¡± Mary tells me so. The place has a mysterious atmosphere that perfectly fits the term ¡°lost land,¡± and it is clearly an unusual location. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to find some kind of monsters.¡± ¡°Giant beasts, they¡¯re not around now, but I¡¯m kind of hoping for a romantic encounter with a surviving ancient creature.¡± One of the scholars who was reading some kind of book didn¡¯t like Mary¡¯s words and reacted with a cold tone. ¡°It would be a shame if you wished for the appearance of a giant beast for the sake of such romance. You don¡¯t seem to understand what giant beasts were.¡± Perhaps she didn¡¯t like the way he said it, but Mary quickly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know but perhaps you can explain it to me, Doctor Brule.¡± The person Mary called Dr. Brule was the chief scientist for this investigation. Dr. Brule was a woman not much older than us, and at such a young age she was considered one of the best archaeologists in the Empire. ¡°Do you know why the magicrafts were created in the first place?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s to win wars.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to make a machine that big if you¡¯re going to fight humans.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, are you saying that people created the magicrafts to fight giant beasts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my theory, but I think it¡¯s very possible. And if you think about it, why did the giant beasts perish?¡­¡­I believe that they perished because they lost the battle against the magicrafts.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why should we be afraid of the giant beasts at all? We have the magicrafts that defeated the giant beasts.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, do you? You have no idea how strong they were.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t even imagine, so please explain.¡± ¡°The people of the time when magicrafts were created somehow had a much higher average Ludia value than today. According to one of the old documents, there were many magic machines with a startup Ludia value of over 100,000. ¡°A start-up Ludia value of 100,000 must be some kind of mistake¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if that¡¯s true, then the giant beasts are the ones that the riders with over 100,000 Ludia values risked their lives to fight.¡± A rider with more than 100,000¡­¡­the highest Ludia value I know of is Yuto¡¯s 57,000, I can¡¯t imagine a rider with twice that value. ¡°But that¡¯s all hypothetical, isn¡¯t it, Doctor? I don¡¯t believe in a 100,000 Ludia value.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter so much whether you believe it or not, it¡¯s about how you riders who are supposed to protect us will do if the giant beasts are actually that powerful.¡± I guess what the doctor was trying to say was that we should be on our guard and do our duty as guards. Mary didn¡¯t argue with him, as she understood that. The first step in our investigation of the Shrine of the Great Sage was to look around Diable, searching for any place of interest. ¡°What kind of place is the Shrine of the Great Sage? I don¡¯t know what to look for.¡± Enrique said this as he looked out from the bridge. It¡¯s true that when I look at the scenery like this, it¡¯s all the same and I don¡¯t even know what to look for. ¡°Leave that to us scholars. It¡¯s one of the abilities of an archaeologist to recognize the parts where there is a human will.¡± The site was found earlier than expected. When Dr. Brule discovered it, she hurriedly gave the following instructions. ¡°Stop the ride carrier at that rocky area over there, yes, that area!¡± To the untrained eye, I couldn¡¯t see what was different about that spot, but seeing Dr. Brule¡¯s excitement, I was getting a little nervous too, thinking it was an extraordinarily big discovery. CH 114 Chapter 114 and 115 we¡¯re sponsored by PhantomF. Thank you for the donations. When I left the Kingdom of Meltaria, I invited my classmate, Mamoru Mikage, to join the Iron Knights but his reply was, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can keep up with the level of Yuta and his team.¡± I wonder if the previous battle traumatized him. Perhaps it was because his sister Linnecarlo had also joined us, but when we left the Kingdom of Meltaria, Yudin gave us a grand send-off. I thought that it was a waste of money at a time when the country was in financial difficulties, but I was glad that he wanted to send her off. ¡°Liza, what do you think, can we do some core maintenance on Viktor?¡± On the way to the commercial city of Baranuca, I used the travel time to have Liza take a look at Viktor, which was having problems due to the deterioration of its core. ¡°Even I can¡¯t deal with core problems, because it¡¯s impossible for today¡¯s engineers to tamper with cores in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Feri, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I can fix it.¡± When I say this, Feri Rudia, the AI on board Viktor, answers me. ¡°I understand that the core is beyond repair due to the absence of the core engineer. Then, in order to prevent further wear and tear, I will put Viktor into hibernation mode until we find a core engineer.¡± When Liza hears the voice, she is startled and jumps out of Viktor. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Feri, Viktor¡¯s AI.¡± ¡°What AI? Who¡¯s Feri? Why would a magicraft talk?¡± The word ¡°AI¡± may sound familiar to people on Earth today, but apparently it is unfamiliar to people here. ¡°Well, how can I explain it, an artificially created being, I mean¡­¡­.¡± Liza seemed convinced when I said that. ¡°I see. It¡¯s like a homunculus.¡± I don¡¯t know what a homunculus is, but I didn¡¯t ask too deeply. ¡± ¡®Um, Feri, don¡¯t you know anything about cores? If you tell me, I might be able to fix it for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible to maintain the core with only my knowledge.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡­So what do we do now, what happens to you when Viktor goes into hibernation?¡± ¡°I have no direct connection to Viktor¡¯s Ludia core, so I can operate on my own.¡± ¡°Does that mean I can move you to another magicraft?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible to support you on another magicraft.¡± ¡°What do you say, Yuta, it looks like Viktor will be useless, and since it looks like fun, why don¡¯t we try transplanting Feri into Arleo?¡± ¡°You can do that? Yes, Feri is useful in many ways, so if it is possible, will you do it?¡± ¡°Feri, can you tell me where your body is and how to get there?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll explain.¡± Then Feri and Liza proceeded with their work, mumbling something to each other. ¡°It¡¯s done, Yuta. Come on, try out Arleo.¡± I did as Liza asked and boarded Arleo. ¡°Feri, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, Master, I can hear you.¡± ¡°How does Arleo compare to Viktor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that its performance is about 80% inferior to that of Viktor. However, there seems to be a control limiter attached to the core, so if we can remove it, we can expect a slight improvement in performance.¡± ¡°Can you disable it?¡± ¡°Yes, I can.¡± ¡°Then deactivate it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Accessing the Ludia core, turning off the control limiter.¡± A dull roaring sound was heard. ¡°The control limiter has been removed. We¡¯re seeing a 50% improvement in performance over what we had before the limiter was removed.¡± ¡°1.5 times stronger? That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still only 30% as powerful as Viktor.¡± ¡°Well, I heard it¡¯s a legendary aircraft, so it¡¯s different.¡± During this conversation with Feri, Liza, who was talking to someone on the ship¡¯s internal communication, cut the communication and said loudly. ¡°Hey, Yuta, Jean wants us both to go to the bridge.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be right down.¡± I wonder what happened. CH 115 ¡°Jean, what¡¯s going on?¡± When I got to the bridge, I saw that all the members were gathered there. ¡°We have to decide on something important.¡± ¡°Important?¡± ¡°Yeah, this is going to be our new home, and we need a room of our own in the house, right?¡± ¡°Oh, room selection, but there are about 50 rooms in this ride carrier, so why don¡¯t you just pick the one you want?¡± ¡°You idiot! There are a lot of rooms, but not that many good ones!¡± Indeed, there are only three rooms that are clean, have a good view, and are spacious: the room that is supposed to be the captain¡¯s office and two luxurious rooms for VIPs. The current number of Iron Knights is ten ¨C it would be inevitable that they would be fighting for the rooms under normal circumstances. ¡°Let¡¯s play the lottery like before.¡± ¡°Hmm, I hope so, because this time I¡¯m not going to lose.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a lottery?¡± Linnecarlo, who was participating for the first time, asked. ¡°It¡¯s a fair game on Earth. We¡¯ll pick the rooms in the order they appear in the draw.¡± ¡°Hmm, just draw first. Sounds easy enough.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy or difficult but Linnecarlo is determined to win. I drew lines on a piece of paper and drew the squares of the Amida lottery, folded the paper in half to hide the goal part, and each of us took turns choosing a line and adding a line to the square. ¡°Okay, everyone¡¯s picked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of routine, you know, so it¡¯s not hard to guess who¡¯s going to get the first pick.¡± Linnecarlo reacts to Aluna¡¯s casual words. ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m the only one who lives with integrity, firmness, and humility in my heart.¡± And the result¡­ 1 Lorgo 2 Farma 3 Emina 4 Liza 5 Nanami 6 Alana 7 Yuta 8 Arthur 9 Jean 10 Linnecarlo ¡°Oh, my God! Why! Why can¡¯t I be the best?¡± Jean lets out a shrill cry. ¡°There must be some mistake, I¡¯m the last person¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You may have your reasons, but this is the result! Let¡¯s just accept it and pick a room.¡± The members who had bad results started to complain, so I forced the conversation before it became too much trouble. ¡°Lorgo, which room do you want?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t care¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How about this one? It¡¯s got a lot of sunshine.¡± Jean recommended to Lorgo a small, ordinary room with only a little sunlight. ¡°You¡¯re a bad guy, Jean. Lorgo, don¡¯t listen to Jean, because you drew the best and you can choose the best room.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what the best room is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t you just take the captain¡¯s quarters?¡± ¡°If Yuta says so, I¡¯ll go to the¡­¡­room.¡± ¡°Tsk, that was unnecessary¡­¡­¡± Jean is frustrated, but even if Lorgo doesn¡¯t choose that room, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single millimeter of chance for Jean. ¡°Farma, what are you going to pick?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll take the big room on the far right. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s taken too!¡± Of course, Emina, who drew number three, chose the remaining VIP room, and the big prize was gone. Liza chooses a humble room at the bottom, saying she wants a room close to the hangar ¨C she¡¯s a real workaholic, isn¡¯t she? Nanami chooses a room at the top, saying she wants to be high up, and Alana chooses a room at the back, avoiding the area near the bridge and meeting room where everyone gathers, because she wants to sleep peacefully. Now it¡¯s my turn. To be honest, I don¡¯t really care what room it is, the neighbor it¡¯s what bothers me. ¡°Yuta, there¡¯s a spot next to Nanami.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a spot next to me, too. Don¡¯t be shy, Yuta.¡± Nanami and Alana suggested that, but I felt like I¡¯d be in trouble no matter which one I chose, so I took the safe option and chose a room with no one next to me. ¡°Well, it¡¯s my turn, I guess I¡¯ll go here¡­¡­or here¡­¡­there¡­..or here¡­¡­or here¡­¡­.¡± And since I was bothered for an uncomfortably long time, Linnecarlo forced me to decide on Arthur¡¯s room. ¡°My turn, there¡¯s really not a lot of places left to go¡­oh well, I¡¯ll take the one near the bridge.¡± When Jean chose reluctantly, the last Linnecarlo said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one. It¡¯s all the same to me now.¡± She chose the room next to mine. ¡°Linnecarlo, that¡¯s right next to Yuta, if you¡¯re going to be anywhere, wouldn¡¯t it be better to be in a room with no one around?¡± When Nanami pointed this out to Linnecarlo, she replied a bit suspiciously. ¡°Oh, really? Well, I hadn¡¯t noticed. But I¡¯m not going to change my mind once I¡¯ve chosen a place, so I¡¯ll just have to settle for this one.¡± As she said that, she looked at the scenery outside and somehow turned her face away from me. CH 116 ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve arrived at the commercial city of Baranuca. Everyone, gather in the meeting room because I have something for you!¡± When Jean told us to gather, we were somehow made to line up in a row. ¡°What are you doing, Jean?¡± ¡°The commercial city of Baranuca is a city of commerce, a city of all things, a city where every individual has something they want, but! But whatever you want to buy, you¡¯ll need money. I¡¯m going to give you all an allowance now, so you can shop to your heart¡¯s content!¡± Oh, Jean is also very thoughtful. The allowance given to us was 10,000 gold each. I don¡¯t know how much it is, since I¡¯m still not familiar with this world¡¯s sense of money. ¡°Hey, Jean, isn¡¯t this too little to go on a shopping spree?¡± ¡°Yes, with 10,000 we can buy one outfit and that¡¯s it.¡± Alana and Linnecarlo complain about the amount of their allowance. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to hire a ride carrier crew and mechanics, I can¡¯t afford to spend that much money!¡± ¡°This is enough for Nanami, she can¡¯t even spend 10,000.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to buy¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy to get some¡­¡­spending money.¡± Nanami, Farma, and Lorgo seem satisfied. In addition, Emina was moved to tears for some reason. ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­I¡¯m in so much debt, I can¡¯t even believe you¡¯re giving me this¡­¡­.¡± It seems that using the allowance to run back to her country is not an option for her¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, yes, you can spend your allowance at a moment¡¯s notice, but we¡¯re going to stay in Baranuca for about a week to look for mechanics and hire a crew. You¡¯d better think a bit before you spend too much on the first day so you don¡¯t get in trouble later.¡± Alana and the others pressed him to give them a little more, but he brushed them off, saying that he was very serious about money and that he would never do that. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, Yuta. You can go shopping with us.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, Yuta is going shopping with Nanami.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing, Yuta is going on a date with me.¡± Linnecarlo, Nanami and Alana started to squabble. I thought, ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go together?¡± I tried to stop the struggle, and surprisingly, Jean did just that. ¡°All three of you, I¡¯m sorry, but Yuta has business with me today. Since we¡¯re going to be here for a week, why don¡¯t you and Yuta go shopping in a certain order on different days?¡± Jean¡¯s proposal was adopted, and now they began to struggle over the order of events. ¡°Jean, what do you want with me?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯ll go to the Workers Guild to post a job offer. After that, we¡¯ll go to the city¡¯s magicraft repair shops and look for mechanics.¡± ¡°Why do you need me for that?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m taking Liza with me, but you, on the other hand, are just coming to have your Ludia value measured.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t give up yet?¡± ¡°Of course not. If it¡¯s Baranuca, they¡¯d have the latest measuring equipment.¡± On the first day in Baranuca, Jean, Liza and I decided to go out in the town. It¡¯s rare for me to go out with Liza, so it¡¯s going to be a bit awkward. I wish Alana was here, but she went off somewhere with Linnecarlo and Emina. Also, Nanami, Farma, and Lorgo seem to be going shopping with Arthur as their guardian. We immediately headed to a facility called the Workers Guild to post a job offer. ¡°What¡¯s the Workers Guild?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a job agency. People who want jobs come here.¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t we just recruit mechanics here?¡± ¡°Of course we can, but the magicraft mechanic is a special technical position, so it¡¯s hard to get people even in the Workers¡¯ Guild.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Liza¡¯s presence is so valuable.¡± When I say that, Liza says with a bit of pride. ¡°You¡¯re too late to notice! Alana-sama is the reason I¡¯m in the Iron Knights, so you should be very grateful to her.¡± I chuckled at that statement, but like Alana and Liza, the Iron Knights are really blessed with talent. CH 117 Chapters 117, 118 and 119 we¡¯re sponsored by PhantomF. Thank you for the support. The Workers Guild is a large building with a wide variety of people coming and going. We went to the reception desk and asked about the procedure for submitting a job offer. ¡°There is a counter for job applications on the floor above, so please fill out the form and submit it there.¡± Apparently, the entire first floor is a counter for people looking for jobs. We did as we were told and went up to the upper floor. ¡°I¡¯d like to post a job offer, is this the right counter?¡± When Jean asked this, a middle-aged woman who had been bored hurried to respond. Apparently, there are a lot of people looking for jobs, but not so many companies offering them. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, please fill out that form and submit it.¡± Jean did as he was told, picked up the form, took a quick look at the contents, and quickly filled it out with great speed. ¡°Here, let me see if I got this right.¡± ¡°Yes, I can confirm that¡­¡­.The job description is ride carrier crew and pilot, and magicraft mechanic, there are no specific requirements for the crew, pilot must have at least 1500 Ludia, and mechanic must have at least 3 years of work experience¡­¡­.The salary is 700 gold a month for the crew, 20,000 gold for the pilot, and 30,000 gold for the mechanic. The notes say that they get food and shelter, a possible bonus, a survivor¡¯s allowance, and a survivor¡¯s pension of 100,000 gold in the event of death¡­¡­.So it¡¯s a dangerous job if there¡¯s a death expectancy.¡± TL Note: Survivor¡¯s pension is for the deceased family members. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a dangerous job, being in the business of fighting on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll register you as risk level A.¡± ¡°How long do you think it will take to finish recruiting?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for ten crew members, one pilot, and three mechanics. If it¡¯s not mechanics, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get quite a few applicants in three days¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is it difficult to be a mechanic?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a shortage of magicrafts mechanics everywhere, so it¡¯s a very popular industry.¡± ¡°Is 30,000 cheap?¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re looking for a good mechanic, you might want to double that offer.¡± ¡°Then change it to 50,000.¡± ¡°All right, the mechanic¡¯s salary has been changed to 50,000¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you in three days.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Now we¡¯re done hiring, but it still seems to be difficult to recruit mechanics. I pity Liza, who was listening behind me, her face twitching. ¡°Okay, the job offer is over, so let¡¯s get right to measuring Yuta.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t care what you think¡­¡­¡± Ignoring my intentions, Jean looked up a facility that could measure the Ludia value and headed there. ¡°Who¡¯s going to get measured?¡± ¡°That¡¯s him. I need results as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Get on the table, please.¡± I did as I was told and climbed onto the round platform. ¡°Yes, breathe in¡­¡­and exhale slowly¡­¡­yes! Hold your breath there!¡± The measurement technician was upset as he looked at a piece of equipment. ¡°This¡­¡­is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? How old are you?¡± ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t get the numbers¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t your measuring machine old?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? This machine is the latest model, capable of measuring up to 100,000.¡± The latest model that can measure up to 100,000, that¡¯s what they said when I was measured before. ¡°Jean, I¡¯ve been told the same thing before, that they have the latest machines that can measure up to 100,000, and they said my Ludia value was 2.¡± ¡°Yuta¡¯s from Earth, so the first place he was measured was at the Radol summoning station! You¡¯re right, there¡¯s nothing that can surpass the measuring machine over there¡­¡­.¡± Jean finally seemed to be convinced that it was impossible to measure my Ludia value, but the measurement technician said something else. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­it¡¯s true that there¡¯s no measuring device anywhere that can surpass the one at the Radol summoning station, but I can think of one person who has a measuring device that may possibly surpass it.¡± ¡°What?! Who?¡± ¡°He is an eccentric old man who lives on the outskirts of Baranuca. The old man had told our city¡¯s measurement technician to tell anyone who couldn¡¯t measure their Ludia with this machine to go to him, but I never thought such a person would actually show up¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, Yuta, there you go!¡± Jean got the detailed location of the old man from the technician. You¡¯re really going to¡­¡­get a map drawn for you, aren¡¯t you? TL thoughts: As I was translating this chapter I thought that Viktor AI, Feri, might know it¡¯s activation value. This might give them a clue to how high Yuta Ludia¡¯s value is. CH 118 The old man¡¯s house that the measurement technician told us about was a house in the suburbs. There were no other houses around, and it was difficult to get close to the house due to its alien appearance. ¡°Wow¡­¡­that¡¯s a unique, odd-looking place.¡± ¡°They said he was a weirdo, so if he¡¯s a weirdo, it¡¯s not surprising.¡± Jean is right, the look of that house is a bit scary because it seems to represent the personality of the people who live there. When we came to what seemed to be the front door of the house, Jean knocked on the door without hesitation. After a while, there was a noise from inside the house, and the door was quietly opened. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around before. You want me to make you a tool?¡± The old man who came out said that as soon as he saw Jean¡¯s face. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s a bit of a weirdo, but he doesn¡¯t look that strange, although he¡¯s dressed a bit funky. ¡°No, we came here to get his Ludia measured.¡± ¡°¡­¡­you can get that done by a measurement technician in town, we¡¯re a tool shop, not a measurement place.¡± ¡°We came here because we couldn¡¯t get a reading even with the latest measuring machines in town, and you were the one who told them that, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Is it true? I didn¡¯t think¡­¡­really existed¡­¡­.Come on in quickly.¡± The old man then asked us to go inside the house. Without hesitation, we did as we were told. Once inside, it looked like a workshop of some kind, with various machines and tools laid bare. When Liza saw one of them, she approached it with a cry of surprise. ¡°Wait a minute, what an amazing technology¡­¡­to process elemental tubes so thinly¡­¡­I¡¯ve never seen this kind of metal before¡­..¡± ¡°What¡¯s up, monk, are you a technician?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a monk!¡± ¡°Sorry, Liza is like this.¡± I whispered to the old man. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m sorry to hear that. You¡¯re a technician, and you seem to be quite skilled for one so young to know how to use that machine.¡± ¡°How do you do this? And what is this metal?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to tell you, but I don¡¯t know enough about the technology to teach you, because I¡¯ve only used it myself. He¡¯s been teaching me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Who, I only see you and your disciple here¡­¡­¡± The apprentice Liza was referring to was a young girl tinkering with a machine in the back of the workshop. ¡°Disciple? Hahaha, another big misunderstanding. Master, we have a visitor, it¡¯s that person with the unmeasured Ludia value.¡± ¡°Master?!¡± We were so surprised that Liza and I all shouted at the same time. With that being said, the young girl stopped fiddling with the machine and came over to us. ¡°Who¡¯s the one with the unmeasured Ludia value, you?¡± ¡°Not me, this one.¡± Liza says, looking at me. ¡°I see. All right, kiddo, let¡¯s measure your Ludia value.¡± ¡°You know, it¡¯s not polite to call me ¡°you¡± when you don¡¯t know me.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I don¡¯t know your name.¡± ¡°My name is Yuta.¡± ¡°Well, then, Yuta, come over here so I can measure your Ludia.¡± ¡°Can you tell me your name first?¡± ¡°My name is Rafishal, and my dried-up apprentice is Obi-Wan.¡± ¡°Master, it¡¯s awful to be called dried-up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, you¡¯ve been my apprentice for 60 years, how could you have aged so much?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been your disciple for sixty years¡­.¡± ¡°Sixty years! Hey, Rafishal¡­¡­how old are you?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never counted.¡± I don¡¯t know if that was a lie or truth, but it didn¡¯t sound like a joke. ¡°Take off your clothes and get in here.¡± ¡°Take off my clothes? In front of you? I¡¯m a little embarrassed¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same sex. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± ¡± Same sex¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You guys seem to be too preoccupied with appearances. I¡¯m a guy.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you if you want.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡­okay¡­¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t want to, whether it was true or false, so I declined. I asked Liza to wait outside for a moment then I stripped down and entered a large cylindrical capsule, which locked when I entered, and as I expected, the water soaked me. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s some water in here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not water, it¡¯s elk seal, it won¡¯t kill you.¡± That being said, I¡¯m nothing but terrified of the rising water volume¡­¡­. CH 119 Strangely enough, I was able to breathe even when the capsule was completely filled with water. When I looked out from the capsule, I saw Rafishal crunching some kind of machine, a machine with many round clock-like instruments. Suddenly he shouted. ¡°Yes! We¡¯ve got the measurements.¡± Jean hurriedly asked about the results. ¡°So what¡¯s Yuta¡¯s Ludia value?¡± ¡°Wait, first we have to get Yuta out of the capsule.¡± He¡¯s right, even if I could breathe, it wouldn¡¯t feel very good to be trapped in a place like this. As soon as I was taken out of the capsule, I quickly put on my clothes. Liza, who had been kicked out, was also called in, and Obi-Wan made us some tea. As we sat down at a large table and settled down with a cup of tea, Jean suddenly raised his voice. ¡°So what¡¯s Yuta¡¯s Ludia value?¡± That¡¯s right, Obi-Wan¡¯s tea was so good that I forgot to get to the point. Rafishal says to Jean as he looks at a piece of paper with some results on it. ¡°You impatient bastard, the instruments are from an ancient civilization, I¡¯m recalculating them to modern values, wait a minute.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing, just hurry up, I¡¯m curious.¡± Ignoring Jean¡¯s words, Rafishal calculations continued. And the result he gave after waiting for about three minutes was¡­¡­ ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­it¡¯s still 2, no matter how many times I calculate it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°See, it¡¯s still 2. I¡¯ve told you so many times, but you don¡¯t believe me.¡± I said this as I was proud of my victory after hearing Rafishal results, but Jean still didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I don¡¯t think you did the math right. This is a guy who can easily activate a magicraft that is the national treasure of the Kingdom of Meltaria, and a magicraft that even Triple Highlanders can¡¯t move, there¡¯s no way he has a Ludia value of 2!¡± Not really interested in what Jean had to say, Rafishal retorted. ¡°Who said anything about Ludia value 2? Yuta is, you know, dimension class 2.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a dimension class?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a classification of potential values as defined by ancient civilizations, class 2 being second from the top.¡± ¡°What, number two? I thought you were the best because you¡¯re Yuta.¡± ¡°That perception is wrong. It¡¯s just a definition. There is no such thing as class one, even in ancient civilizations.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say, but in the end, what is Yuta¡¯s Ludia value?¡± ¡°The Ludia value doesn¡¯t mean much when it fluctuates, but the Ludia value measuring machine currently in use only measures a portion of the potential value and averages it out, so it doesn¡¯t measure the potential value¡­¡­.Well, it can be used as a guide.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t be able to sleep at this rate!¡± Jean clung to Rafishal and pleaded with him. ¡°Okay, calm down, the Ludia value for Class 2 is around one to two million.¡± TL Note: I didn¡¯t see this coming. I thought he was around 300-500k. ¡°I was surprised too, but Yuta here is a veritable monster. The actual best class in ancient civilizations is 3. I may seem calm, but I¡¯m incredibly excited right now!¡± One million¡­.. It still didn¡¯t feel right to hear that. Perhaps it is because I have an aversion to judging people based on numbers, but I am not happy that my numbers are high. ¡°Jean, are you satisfied now? We¡¯ve got other things to do, so let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Yuta? You should be more excited! Your Ludia value is over a million!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you for a while, I¡¯m not interested in numbers. I can operate magicrafts to protect my friends, and that fact alone is enough.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just like Yuta to say it like that, but more importantly, can we finish our plans for today here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we need to look around the magicrafts maintenance workshop center to find a mechanic?¡± ¡°There are two excellent mechanics here.¡± It¡¯s true that Rafishal and Obi-Wan are the ones that Liza would agree with. ¡°Rafishal and Obi-Wan, how would you like to be mechanics for our magicrafts?¡± Jean cut to the chase. ¡°Mechanic, yes, but on one condition. ¡°What? I¡¯ll consider any salary you want.¡± ¡°I need you to lend me Yuta for a while.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like that.¡± ¡°No way! What do you mean, lend me out?¡± ¡°Class 2 dedicated magicraft¡­¡­I want to build it, and I need you to help me get the data for it and test it.¡± ¡°Whoa, I mean, Rafishal, can you build a magicraft from scratch?¡± ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Jean and Liza are deeply surprised by Rafishal¡¯s simple answer. Liza asks with a surprised look on her face. ¡°What about the¡­¡­Ludia core?¡± ¡°Of course we will create the Ludia core from scratch.¡± ¡°What do you mean by creating a Ludia core¡­..Rafishal, who exactly are you?¡± Obi-Wan heard this and gave us a hint. ¡°Master¡¯s name is Rafishal, haven¡¯t you heard of him?¡± When he said that, Jean huffed and remembered something. ¡°No way¡­¡­.It¡¯s a name from mythology¡­¡­.Rafishal the Great Sage¡­¡­the first person to build a magicraft.¡± Mythology is¡­¡­The first thing I thought when I heard that was, how old is Rafishal anyway? CH 120 ¡°This rocky area clearly shows signs of having been artificially altered.¡± Dr. Brule said, wandering around the area where several rocks were piled up. She gave some instructions to the other two doctors and began to examine the area. ¡°Yuki, I¡¯ll make sure the doctors are safe during their investigation. Let¡¯s use our magicrafts to search the area.¡± With Mary¡¯s words, the riders of the escort immediately began preparations and launched their magicrafts. Leaving the three here, the other magic machines scattered to search the area. While I was going around in Elvira, keeping an eye on the area for a while, I received a transmission from the Horcrux. ¡°Yuki, I think the doctors have found something. We¡¯re going to need your help so come back.¡± Mary told me to go back to the site the doctors were examining. All the magicrafts were back and I wondered what we were going to do¡­¡­. ¡°There¡¯s something under this rock, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to use your magicrafts to get rid of all these rocks.¡± There are countless rocks the size of magicrafts piled up. This is going to be a lot of work. After a couple of hours of work, the thing that had been buried under the rock came into view. ¡°There it is! I¡¯m sure of it! It¡¯s the remains of an ancient civilization.¡± What appeared to be a black stone monument, obviously man-made, with some kind of writing on it. Dr. Brule deciphers it, looking at some kind of note. ¡°The fourth stone monument¡­¡­I see, the connecting point is the Great Sage¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± After babbling and deciphering a few words, she called the other two doctors and started talking about something again. By the time they came to a conclusion, it was already dark. ¡°Dr. Brule, what¡¯s written on that stone monument?¡± Mary asked numbly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that back at the ride carrier.¡± It was getting dark and we couldn¡¯t investigate anymore, so we decided to head back to the ride carrier. In the meeting room of the ride carrier, we were informed of the future course of investigation. ¡°The monument said that there were three other monuments. It also said that the entrance to the shrine of the Great Sage was located at the place indicated by the fourth stone monument.¡± ¡°Still have to look for three more, that¡¯s a lot of work.¡± Enrique said with a hint of annoyance as he drank something. ¡°As for the remaining three monuments, I can guess their approximate locations. We¡¯ll search that area tomorrow.¡± From what was written on the monument, it seemed that we could predict the approximate location of the other monuments, which would save us a lot of time rather than having to search everywhere. ¡°Dr. Brule, do you believe that the Great Sage really rests in the shrine of the Great Sage?¡± Mary asked during the meal. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching the shrine of the Great Sage for ten years, and all the literature says is that there is something in the shrine of the Great Sage. But that¡¯s why I¡¯m so excited, I¡¯m going to find out for myself what¡¯s there and if the Great Sage is really sleeping there.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s the Great Sage who¡¯s asleep, but I wouldn¡¯t be too happy if a bunch of giant beasts and other ridiculous monsters showed up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite possible that giant beasts will come out of the Great Sage¡¯s shrine.¡± A giant beast that riders with 100,000 Ludia values might have fought, can I win against such a being¡­¡­ The next day we searched the predicted points at a good tempo and found the stone monuments one after another. As expected of Dr. Brule, she found the location of the monument with a great deal of accuracy, even though she didn¡¯t know what to expect. ¡°This is the last of the stone monuments¡­¡­.Hmmm¡­is the shrine of the Great Sage still in that area?¡± When she found the last stone monument, Dr. Brule seemed to have come to some conclusion. ¡°Have you identified it, Dr. Brule?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± The place where Dr. Brule led us was a large lake in the middle of the forest. ¡°This is the entrance to the shrine of the Great Sage.¡± ¡°Is there an entrance in the lake?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll have to find out. Let¡¯s just dive in.¡± After saying that, Dr. Brule took off her clothes. I hurriedly covered her with Elvira¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you, Yuki, but there¡¯s no need to hide.¡± She took off her clothes but underneath she was already wearing a swimsuit. ¡°I already changed in the ride carrier because I knew we were going to the lake, but I appreciate the sentiment.¡± Dr. Brule said, and walked into the lake. After a while she came back and gave these instructions. ¡°There¡¯s a large weir in the lake, use the magicrafts to dive down and remove it.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go, wait for me.¡± Enrique said, and entered the lake with his magicraft. As soon as Enrique entered the lake, a sound like a gurgling¡­¡­roar began to echo, and a vortex was created in the center of the lake. Then Enrique emerged from the raging lake. ¡°Holy crap, the lake is starting to break in half!¡± It was soon proven that these words were not an exaggeration. The lake began to split in two, as we could see from the outside. ¡°I found it, the shrine of the Great Sage Rafishal¡­¡­¡± Dr. Brule muttered to herself as she looked at the lake that split in two. CH 121 ¡°I¡¯m wondering now, why this group?¡± Linnecarlo says sadly as she looks at me and Alana. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you just followed us on your own, didn¡¯t you?¡± Alana invited me to go shopping in the city, and somehow Linnecarlo came along with us. ¡°I didn¡¯t follow you, I just happened to be heading in the same direction as you were heading.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll go our separate ways from here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, since we¡¯ve come this far together, it¡¯s nice to have you with us today.¡± You¡¯re not an honest person. Why didn¡¯t you just say you were lonely and wanted to come with us? ¡°Emina, you said you wanted to buy some clothes, that store would be good.¡± That¡¯s what Alana suggested, it certainly looks like a good place with a wide selection of different types of clothes on display. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡± Compared to my favorite store in the Imperial City, there were fewer clothes that I liked, but I found a type of jacket that I don¡¯t usually wear but I liked it a little, so I had a little trouble deciding whether to buy it or not. The price was 3,000 gold, and perhaps my sense of money was numbed by the debt, but it seemed quite expensive. ¡°It¡¯s only 3,000 gold. Why don¡¯t you buy it instead of worrying about it?¡± ¡°3000 gold is a lot of money for me right now! Let me think about it.¡± I wondered if I should spend 3,000 gold here, what if there were better products in the stores I would stop by later? In the first place, it would be foolish to spend the 10,000 gold allowance in a single day, and since we could not predict what events would occur during our week-long stay, it would be best to leave some extra money. I tried to put the jacket back, but Linnecarlo took it to the counter. ¡°Hey Linnecarlo¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, this is an apology for the trouble I caused you with Orlea, I¡¯m the kind of person who pays her debts.¡± She paid for the jacket and held it out to me. She¡¯s really a straightforward person¡­¡­I smiled, thanked Linnecarlo and took the jacket. After that, I went to the next store and looked at a hat that I liked, but this time Alana bought it for me. ¡°Unlike you, I get paid, so I can afford it.¡± It seems that they take quite a bit of pity on me. After that, the three of us went around the city happily, and since we were getting tired, we went to a restaurant with a terrace to have something to drink. In the end, I didn¡¯t spend a single dime while the two of them paid for everything. I was both grateful and apologetic¡­¡­.I had made up my mind that I would pay for this at least. ¡°Emina, are you sure you don¡¯t want to contact your family back home or something? If you don¡¯t have enough money to hire a letter carrier, I can lend you some.¡± Alana suggested that. But¡­¡­ ¡°Thank you, but don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have a family¡­.. My parents died in the war right after I was born, my Ludia value was high so I was put in a state institution and became a rider, but if my Ludia value was low I would have been a slave or something.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine, but can you contact the government or something?¡± If I contacted the country, the Elysian Empire would come for me by any means necessary ¨C I would have hoped for that a while ago, but for some reason I don¡¯t want to do that now. I think I¡¯m more comfortable in the easy, pressure-free life of the Iron Knights than in the cramped life of a soldier. I¡¯d like to let my best friend Yuki know that I¡¯m okay, but that was impossible because the Elysian Empire censors all letters from outside the country in order to prevent their own riders from being taken away by other countries. ¡°I will contact the country in the future, but right now I don¡¯t want to.¡± I answered and sipped my drink. I hadn¡¯t completely lost my loyalty to the Elysian Empire, but I was aware that it was fading little by little. CH 122 Episode 122 To War / Nagisa With the attack in the sphere of influence of the Eastern Alliance, our safety on the way home is no longer guaranteed. Ranelle has been communicating with the countries of the Eastern Alliance to check on the situation. ¡°What do you got, Ranelle?¡± Ranelle finished her communication and the king asked her about the situation. ¡°It still seems that none of the countries are aware of the magicraft unit that attacked us¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for them to not know that more than a dozen magicrafts infiltrated their area of influence.¡± After Delphine expressed his thoughts on this Jihad did so as well. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then one of the countries is lying.¡± ¡°As King Emou said, there are countries that betrayed the Eastern Alliance.¡± ¡°Damn it, which country is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to show their tails that easily.¡± ¡°I think we should return to Amuria as soon as possible, since there is no guarantee that there won¡¯t be more attacks.¡± ¡°Yes, and since the first attack failed, the next one is likely to be on a much larger scale.¡± With the utmost caution, we hurried on our way back to Amuria. However, bad predictions often come true, and we found a large enemy force waiting for us just before the border of the Kingdom of Amuria. ¡°Damn it¡­¡­50 magicrafts¡­¡­¡± ¡°No national identity mark again, disguised exterior to obscure affiliation¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t tell what country¡¯s army they were from just by looking at them, but Ranelle was on to something.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­the enemy made a big mistake¡­..I figured who they are.¡± ¡°What? Who are they?¡± ¡°Temira¡­¡­is betraying the Eastern Alliance, the Holy Nation Temira!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the central country of the Eastern Alliance! How can that be¡­..¡± ¡°What other country in the Eastern Alliance can afford fifty magicrafts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but there¡¯s always the possibility of reinforcements from other countries.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely, the magicrafts are too standardized. Even if they¡¯re disguised, it¡¯s obvious from the outline and the type of weaponry that they¡¯re not a hodgepodge, but rather an organized unit.¡± ¡°Ranelle, my daughter is amazing¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be impressed, get ready for battle, Nagisa. Sorry, you¡¯ll have to fight again¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I hate it, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send a request for reinforcements to Amuria right away, so just hold out until then, and I¡¯ll go out with you this time, so let¡¯s do our best together.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The four of us who are going out are me, Ranelle, Jihad, and Delphine. We were up against fifty magicrafts, that¡¯s why our strategy was not to annihilate the enemy, but to buy time by consolidating our defenses and wait for reinforcements to arrive.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s drop back, protect the ride carrier.¡± The enemy noticed our movement and split their forces in two as they approached us. At short range, the magicrafts are much faster than the ride carrier, and the distance between us is quickly closed. ¡°Jihad! Delphine! Hold off the enemy coming from behind! Nagisa, you and I will intercept the enemy in front!¡± At Ranelle¡¯s command, Jihad and Delphine moved to the rear. There were about 20 magicrafts coming from the front, but Ranelle and I prepared ourselves for the oncoming enemies. My heart was pounding a little at the overwhelming difference in strength. I began to focus my attention to calm my nervousness. I can see the oncoming enemy moving a little more slowly. I visualize my response to the enemy in my mind. I avoid the first one¡¯s attack and use his strength to break his arm. The second enemy steps forward and attacks my head, but I grab him by the shoulder and swing him around, pushing him down to the ground. The third plane draws its sword and slashes down in a horizontal line, I twist my body to evade it but the fourth magicraft also attacks at this moment. It was a countermeasure to the enemy that I had imagined in my mind in the blink of an eye, but I had unconsciously executed it. The next thing I knew, there were four enemy magicrafts lying on the ground. CH 123 Episode 123 Master / Nagisa ¡°Ranelle! There¡¯s too many enemies in the rear! We won¡¯t last for much longer!¡± When I heard the transmission from Jihad, I said. ¡°Ranelle, let me handle this and you go to the rear.¡± ¡°Nagisa, even you can¡¯t take on this many¡­¡­by yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think I can manage to buy some time, so leave it to me.¡± I wasn¡¯t particularly confident, but I said that to reassure Ranelle to go to the rear. ¡°Okay, but be careful.¡± ¡°I know. I don¡¯t want to die, too.¡± Despite my concerns, Ranelle went to reinforce the rear. Seeing that there was one less foe, the enemy army immediately moved to take out the remaining one. The essence of Aikido is to use the power of the opponent. It was easier for me to fight if they attacked aggressively. While concentrating my attention, I subtly change my standing position. With exquisite positioning, I minimize the number of enemies attacking me and make sure to kill them one by one. I clutch the shoulder of the enemy magicraft attacking from the right, and swing it around to hit the enemy coming from the left. When the enemy attacked from the front with a spear, I stepped forward to avoid the attack, grabbed the hand holding the spear, pulled it in the direction of the thrust, took the spear, and threw it at the enemy machine that was coming from behind ¨C the spear pierced its body and it fell backwards. The head of the enemy machine holding the spear was pinned by my arm and I twisted it to destroy it, then I changed the trajectory of the large sword wielded by the enemy magicraft coming from behind with my handwork and sent the head of another enemy machine flying. I pulled the body of the sword wielding enemy, dragged him down to the ground, and used the recoil from hitting the ground to destroy both of his arms. ¡°Raah!¡± With a tremendous shout of enthusiasm, another enemy attacked me with a sword. I avoided it with minimal movement, only changing my standing position slightly, and drew my sword and stabbed him in the neck. The enemy that had been pierced in the neck let out a puff of white smoke and staggered backward, then collapsed. I could feel the unrest spreading in the enemy army, it seems that the one I just defeated was an important figure. I could see that they we¡¯re losing the will to attack. I readied my sword and walked toward the enemy, emitting more deadly energy than necessary. They, who had completely lost the will to fight, stepped back. I further expanded my killing intent ¨C and then let out a loud ¡°Ha!¡± At the same time, I raised my right foot and stomped it vigorously on the ground, this was a threat. It was not a meaningful action, but it seemed to have an effect on them who lost their will to fight. The enemy panicked and ran away at once. After confirming that the enemy had completely retreated, I rushed to Ranelle and the others in the rear. There were probably about thirty enemies attacking there, and five enemy magicrafts were lying at the feet of Ranelle and the others. They seemed to be doing their best to hold on, but the difference in numbers was huge, and it looked like they were going to be overwhelmed at any moment. As I approached from the side of the enemy unit, I swung my sword sideways and sent the head of one of the enemy magicrafts flying. Perhaps out of anger at having their comrades defeated, the enemies in the vicinity all came toward me at once. ¡°Nagisa! What happened to the enemies in front?¡± Ranelle asked me. I responded while handling the attacks of the enemy magicrafts coming towards me. ¡°The enemies in front retreated, so we¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I call half-radar, very reliable.¡± Then the four of us stood together to block the enemies. While we were taking our time and not forcing ourselves to eliminate the enemies, about 20 magicrafts rushed in from the Amuria Kingdom side. ¡°Everybody¡¯s okay? We¡¯re here to help!¡± It was Yukiha, who had been guarding the country in our absence. When the enemy forces saw the reinforcements, they began to retreat, sensing their disadvantage. Seeing this, Jihad tried to pursue them, but Ranelle stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t follow them.¡± Ranelle was right, it would be dangerous if they were cornered and fought back like crazy. For now, we should be happy that everyone is safe. CH 124 Episode 124 Top Secret Rafishal and Obi-Wan would be joining us at a later date. They said it would take them a few days to prepare, as they had to take care of the work they were currently undertaking and sort out the luggage they were taking with them. With an excellent mechanic on board, Liza returned to the ride carrier in a good mood and began humming along as she serviced the magicrafts. Seeing that Liza was so happy after all the hard work she had put in, it could be said that the addition of Rafishal and Obi-Wan was the right decision. Then there was a bit of an uproar when Jean reported my revealed Ludia value to our friends back at the ride carrier. ¡°That¡¯s the man I¡¯m in love with.¡± Alana calmly accepted that. ¡°You¡¯re talking lightly about a million to two million in Ludia value, but if the world finds out about this, it¡¯ll be a major uproar.¡± Emina was concerned about the public¡¯s reaction. Jean listened to Emina¡¯s words and warned her that it went without saying. ¡°This is a top secret of the Iron Knights, so Linnecarlo don¡¯t tell Yudin, or anyone else.¡± ¡°I know. Well, even if I told them, no one would probably believe me.¡± And the reaction of the rest of the group¡­¡­ Nanami, Farma, and Lorgo didn¡¯t seem to care about the one million Ludia value, and were happy to see what I had purchased on today¡¯s shopping trip. Arthur pointed at me, his mouth agape and shaking as if he was about to pass out. Furthermore, when I reported that the Great Sage Rafishal would be joining us as a mechanic, the quiet Farma was unusually excited. ¡°The Great Sage Rafishal¡­¡­is a person I admire. He was the first person to create a magicraft¡­¡­How wonderful that he¡¯s alive! Yuta, will he really join the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°Yeah, he promised me, though I¡¯ll be forced to help him with something in return.¡± ¡°What did he look like? A nice uncle?¡± ¡°No, I think he¡¯s only an uncle on the inside. He¡¯s a beautiful woman on the outside.¡± ¡°I see. So he is a sister.¡± After all, the excitement level was at its maximum, and she didn¡¯t mind the contradiction between the older man on the inside and the younger woman on the outside. ¡°Yup, Yuta!¡± Arthur, who had been dumbfounded earlier, called me with a strange tone and grabbed my hand firmly. ¡°What¡­¡­are you doing, Arthur¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You¡­¡­don¡¯t understand the gravity of the situation! One million, one million! This is a major event that will change the course of history!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t react like that. Like Jean said, whether it¡¯s one million or two million, we¡¯re not going to announce it to the world, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°What a waste! Just being a mercenary group with a rider with a million Ludia value is enough to attract a lot of attention, and that¡¯s enough to keep you in business for the rest of your life! The world will pay attention to the Iron Knights, they will become popular, and even I will be¡­¡­¡± I know what you mean, though. Why do you hold my hand so tightly? ¡°Linnecarlo, do something about it.¡± When I asked her for help, she grabbed a magazine and smacked Arthur on the head as hard as she could. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Arthur! What do you think will happen if the world learns of the existence of the one million Ludia value? It will start a world war for Yuta! Imagine the sacrifices that would be made!¡± Arthur crouches down, holding his head, unable to refute her words, or perhaps his head hurts from the beating. ¡°Linnecarlo is right, if we¡¯re not careful we¡¯ll have to go to war with the world. And for the same reason, don¡¯t tell anyone about the Great Sage Rafishal.¡± Jean reminded everyone of this. ¡°Well, even if I told anyone, no one would believe Yuta¡¯s Ludia value or that the Great Sage Rafishal is alive.¡± CH 125 My first day in Baranuca was over and the next day ¨C for some reason I was supposed to go shopping with Linnecarlo. The following day would be Alana¡¯s turn and then Nanami. ¡°Yuta, the next one is that way.¡± I had been forced to accompany her on a shopping spree, and to carry the large amount of merchandise she had purchased. It seems that this is the reason why she came shopping with me. If it¡¯s only about power, Lorgo is far more powerful than me, so why not invite him¡­¡­? ¡°Linnecarlo¡­..let¡¯s get some rest.¡± My body is screaming from the heavy load, and it¡¯s getting a little hard to keep going. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice¡­¡­.Well, then, let¡¯s take a break over there!¡± Linnecarlo said, pointing to a large hotel, her face red for some reason. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need that big a break, I just want to sit down for a while, the teahouse there is enough.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­yes, let¡¯s have tea.¡± Linnecarlo agreed with a bit of regret. At the teahouse I ordered a cup of charcoal bean tea, which is similar to coffee, and Linnecarlo ordered a cup of fruit juice. ¡°How good is charcoal bean tea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the taste, it¡¯s about the atmosphere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand.¡± ¡°What about you, with that of fruit juice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± To be honest, the charcoal bean tea here was not very good, and I felt an irresistible urge to drink the juice that Linnecarlo was drinking. ¡°Let me have a little taste.¡± I said and took Linnecarlo¡¯s juice. I felt bad about using the straw she was using, so I put my mouth on the glass and took a sip straight from it. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice and cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s definitely well chilled.¡± As she said this, Linnecarlo put her mouth on the glass as I did and started to drink. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you use a straw?¡± ¡°I was just copying the way¡­..Yuta was drinking it because it looked so good!¡± Did I say something wrong¡­¡­? ¡­¡­¡­ The next day, today, I was going out with Alana. ¡°Alana, where are we going today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to a nice place where I can be alone with Yuta.¡± Alana bought some food and other things at a store in town and rented a ride hover. We continued to ride in the ride hover and came to the outskirts of the city. It was a place with rich nature around a lake. ¡°Here, Yuta, take that.¡± ¡°Here?¡± Alana began to set up her tent there. It seemed that we would be camping here. ¡°So, camping is a culture on this side of the world.¡± ¡°They say it was spread by the people of Earth a long time ago.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s right.¡± After setting up the tent, we built a fire and started cooking camping rice. Well, even though it was camping rice, the cooking was simple, not to say bold, like roasting meat over an open fire or roasting vegetables over the fire without cutting them. When the food was ready, we sat down in chairs and ate it while looking at the lake. Alana seems to be relaxing with a well-chilled drink. ¡°Yuta, are you used to this world yet?¡± She asked me abruptly. ¡°Well, I guess you could say I¡¯ve gotten used to it. I don¡¯t find it particularly inconvenient or stressful, so I guess I¡¯m adapting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, but you can always tell me if you have any problems.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯ll talk to you about it.¡± If I were to ask for advice from anyone in the Iron Knights it would be Jean or Alana. ¡­¡­¡­ Nanami was in a good mood this morning. She was really looking forward to going out with me, and she woke me up when the sun was still up. ¡°Yuta! You¡¯ll be with Nanami all day today.¡± ¡°All right, we haven¡¯t had much time to play together lately, so let¡¯s have some fun today!¡± When I said that, Nanami nodded happily. The first place Nanami wanted to go was to the zoo. I was a little happy to see that there was such a facility in this world. The animals in this world were very different from the ones on Earth. ¡°It¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡± I don¡¯t know if my aesthetic sense is wrong, but I didn¡¯t think it was cute at all, but Nanami seemed happy to see it, so that was okay. In the area where you can interact with the animals, Nanami asked me while feeding the small animals. ¡°Do you and your family ever go to places like this?¡± ¡°Yes, we did, though only occasionally.¡± Most of the time I was with Nagisa¡¯s family, but we did go on trips and such on a very regular basis. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­because Nanami didn¡¯t do such things¡­¡­¡± Oh, shoot, Nanami was even sold by her family, so there¡¯s no way that event could have happened. I hurriedly followed up. ¡°The Iron Knights are like a family now, let¡¯s bring everyone along next time.¡± When I said this, the hand that had been feeding the small animals stopped for a moment, but she quickly smiled and said, ¡°Yes, it could be fun with Farma and Lorgo.¡± As much as the past was painful, I wanted to make the future even better. CH 126 Today is the day Rafishal and Obi-Wan are moving out. The members of the Iron Knights were summoned to help carry their belongings. ¡°You¡¯re carrying this!¡± The amount of luggage that Jean was surprised to see was so huge that it could have been an entire house. ¡°I tried to sort through it, but there are still a lot of things I need¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need this battered wardrobe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wardrobe of memories¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, what about this desk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a desk of memories¡­¡­.¡± If I think about it, Rafishal has lived a very long life, so he must have a lot of mementos¡­¡­. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to split up and take the big furniture and tools with the magicrafts.¡± The men and adult women carried the items by hand, while Nanami and Farma were in charge of transporting the big furniture with the magicrafts. It was a lot of luggage, but it didn¡¯t take much time for everyone to carry it. In about half a day all the luggage was into the ride carrier. ¡°Huh, okay, you got it all in, now we¡¯re hungry, let¡¯s have a little welcome party.¡± No one objected to Jean¡¯s proposal, and preparations began for the welcome party for Rafishal and Obi-wan. Jean, Farma, and Nanami cooked the food, Alana and Emina prepared the drinks, and Arthur was put to work by everyone. I had something I wanted Rafishal to see before the welcome party, so I had come to the hangar with him during the preparations, feeling bad about it. ¡°It¡¯s this magic machine¡­¡­¡± I was asking if Rafishal, who can create Ludia cores, would be able to fix Viktor for me. ¡°Wow, Viktor, I never thought I¡¯d see him again.¡± ¡°Do you know it, Rafishal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magicraft created by one of my students.¡± ¡°Oh, so you can fix it?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± I¡¯m relieved to hear those words. We may need the powerful Viktor when the time comes, so it¡¯s a good thing that it can be fixed. ¡°The Ludia core is looking pretty worn out¡­¡­.You might need to regenerate the core¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is it hard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard. It¡¯s very expensive.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a matter of money, I¡¯ll talk to Jean about it, but how much will it cost?¡± ¡°I need a lot of orichalcum and phoenix stone, both of which I need about 10 kilos of¡­¡­.Obi-Wan, do you know what the current price of orichalcum is?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe it¡¯s about a million gold a gram.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how much it costs.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, 10 kilos means 10,000 grams¡­¡­.Oh¡­¡­10 billion gold!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s just for the cheapest orichalcon, the phoenix stone will cost twice that.¡± ¡°Even ten billion is a lot of money, and I need another twenty billion, or thirty billion¡­¡­in total. It¡¯s impossible. If I tell Jean that, he might die of fright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, but you need to generate a Ludia core to create a class 2 magicrafts, so you¡¯ll need to get one anyway.¡± ¡°Master, what about the story you told me earlier about the giant beast¡¯s nest?¡± Obi-Wan suggested something to Rafishal. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s still a nest of giant beasts at¡­¡­.It¡¯s true that we got a lot of orichalcon and phoenix stone in the old civilization.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to need it anyway, so let¡¯s go get it at that giant beast¡¯s nest.¡± When I said that, Rafishal thought for a moment and agreed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go for it.¡± Once I had come to that conclusion, the welcome party seemed to be ready and Nanami came to call me. ¡°Yuta, what are you doing? I¡¯m starving!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After replying to Nanami, I spoke to Rafishal. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Jean and the others about it later, it¡¯s a money matter and I think they¡¯ll agree.¡± More importantly, it¡¯s time for food now, and like Nanami said, I¡¯m about to collapse from hunger. Rafishal, Obi Wan and I were rushed by Nanami to the welcome party. CH 127 ¡°Thirty billion! What the hell are you talking about? There¡¯s no way we can come up with that kind of money.¡± When I told Jean about the materials needed to generate a Ludia core, he reacted as I imagined he would. ¡°No, that¡¯s why I¡¯m talking about preparing the materials on our own.¡± ¡°Even if we prepare them, orichalcon and phoenix stone are very rare materials, they will be hard to find.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Rafishal has an idea about that.¡± Rafishal began to speak without looking up as he read a book of some kind. ¡°Well, there used to be a lot of them, I don¡¯t know about them now, but I think it¡¯s worth a try. If we get a bunch, we¡¯ll make a lot of money.¡± ¡°Hoho, a hidden mine of orichalcon and phoenix stone¡­¡­.I¡¯m interested if that¡¯s true, so where is the place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a nest of giant beasts.¡± Jean froze for a moment as Rafishal answered briefly. ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­¡­.I mean, did giant beasts really exist?¡± ¡°Yes, there were, and I created magicrafts to fight the¡­¡­powerful behemoths that reigned over the continent as enemies of mankind. Magicrafts are not tools for people to fight each other with¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­the word ¡°behemoth¡± is only heard in scary old stories nowadays, so how did behemoths die out?¡± ¡°The behemoths have not been destroyed. They¡¯re just sealed off in certain locations on the continent. So when the seals are broken, they¡¯ll come out again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m telling the truth. If that happens, there might not be anything humanity can do about it¡­¡­.The next ones to disappear from the earth might be humans.¡± ¡°That¡¯s scary¡­¡­.So we¡¯re going to that scary giant beast¡¯s lair?¡± ¡°The seal is very strong. They won¡¯t be able to break it easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Where are we going?¡± ¡°The nearest den of behemoths from here is probably Diable.¡± ¡°Diable? That lost land? That¡¯s a long way north.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a shortcut. There¡¯s actually a way out. The entrance to the underground stream is at Beal Life Canyon, east of here, so it won¡¯t take too long to get there.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s south of a small country called Emou.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Emou¡­¡­.There are countless small countries in that area, so I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind where we¡¯re going next, but what happened to the job offer for the ride carrier crew?¡± I asked about the status of the job offer, which was one of the purposes of our visit here, since the topic about the giant beast¡¯s nest seemed to have come to an end. ¡°We¡¯re interviewing tomorrow, since we¡¯ve got about twenty applicants so we¡¯ll probably hire half of them.¡± ¡°Did you get any applications for mechanics?¡± I thought Rafishal and Obi-Wan were good enough, but it¡¯s a good idea to hire more if they were good people, so I¡¯ll check them in the interview tomorrow. ¡°Oh, yeah, Rafishal, Obi Wan, I¡¯ve asked Liza to be the interviewer, but would you guys be willing to sit in on the interview and see if there are any good candidates?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can handle such a big role¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a wise guy like you saying? Please help me.¡± The next day, the interviews were held as scheduled. Jean had said he would hire half of them, but he ended up hiring fifteen people as crew members. He also decided to hire a ride carrier pilot and two mechanics. ¡°In the meantime, let me introduce you to our newly hired ride carrier pilot and mechanics.¡± Jean said and brought in three people. ¡°First, the ride carrier pilot, Fistina.¡± Fistina was a woman with long light blue hair. Her eyes were a clear, beautiful light blue, and when she stared at me, I felt as if I were being sucked in. ¡°These are the two mechanics. They are brothers Darm and Balm. They¡¯re also scavengers, so you can work with them.¡± The two brothers, Darm and Balm, were twins. They were both big men, about two meters tall, and looked like professional wrestlers with lots of muscle. Rafishal and Liza said they hired them because they thought it would be helpful to have someone to do the heavy lifting. The three of them, as well as the crew, were told that all the newcomers would soon be able to join us, and that we would be leaving Baranuca tomorrow, albeit on short notice. CH 128 After entering the Emou Kingdom, the Iron Warriors decided to make a supply run at the royal capital before entering the underground ocean current in the Beal Life Canyon. Although Rafishal said we¡¯d get there in no time at all, upon closer inspection, we learned that we¡¯ d have to travel for five days through the empty currents beneath the earth, and that our current supplies would be insufficient. ¡°¡®The speed of the new ride carrier is quite fast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely faster, but I didn¡¯t feel it that much on the trip from Meltaria to Baranuca.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the pilot has changed, Fistina has a higher Ludia value than I do.¡± From Baranuca, the newly joined Fistina was piloting the ride carrier. ¡°Fistina, what is your Ludia value?¡± Fistina, who was sitting in the pilot¡¯s seat of the ride carrier, thought for a moment when Alana asked her that, and then answered, ¡°Three thousand.¡± But when Jean heard this, he asked Fistina. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say 2,500 at the interview?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­that¡¯s right, it was 2500.¡± She misspoke her Ludia value and there was a small laugh on the bridge. Fistina is a bit spaced out in general. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the Emou Kingdom¡¯s capital, we¡¯ll leave as soon as we¡¯ve got the supplies.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go play a little.¡± When Nanami said this, Jean quickly replied, ¡°You¡¯ve had a lot of fun in Baranuca.¡± Jean was in a hurry to get to our destination, it looks like he wants to see the orichalcon as soon as possible. When we arrived at the capital, Jean and Alana went to arrange for supplies. I was invited by Nanami and Farma to take a walk around the area. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s dangerous, but just in case, I¡¯ll take Emina with me as a guard. ¡°Look, look, there¡¯s a weird ornament.¡± As I walked around the street, being careful not to say ¡°weird¡± in front of the shopkeeper, I saw a large square at the end of the street that was crowded with people. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± In the square, there were many different, colorful magicrafts lined up. At the feet of the machines, people who seemed to be their riders were gathering around and talking about something. I was curious about what they were doing, so I approached them and listened to what they had to say. ¡°What are you doing gathering here?¡± When I asked, a stern man told me. ¡°There¡¯s a magicraft betting match going on right now, and if you win you get a lot of money.¡± I see, so that¡¯s why there are so many magicrafts gathered here. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s start the magicraft wager! Is there any challenger?¡¡The rules of the game are simple: If you can make the magicraft, Rough Gun, fall to the ground within three minutes, the challenger wins. The prize money is 5 million gold! There¡¯s no entry fee, so keep challenging!¡± The prize money was five million gold, there was no entry fee, and the challenger didn¡¯t have to pay a single gold even though it was a betting match. The riders who had gathered jumped at this unilateral offer. They lined up one after another, forming a long queue for the challenge. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it, Yuta? Maybe Yuta can get the prize.¡± I don¡¯t know, I guess I could certainly at least make him fall¡­¡­but I decided to watch the fights to see what it was like. Rough Gun seemed to be a heavy magicraft, with a stable center of gravity that would be difficult to roll over. It¡¯s rider was already on board waiting for the challenger to come forward. ¡°I¡¯m Flaming Dunlash, leader of the most powerful mercenary group in the East, the Fiery Bomb Squad! I¡¯ll take the prize money!¡± I wondered what kind of riders would gather in a place like this, but apparently there were many of my peers. ¡°Time limit is three minutes! Let¡¯s begin!¡± Since there was a time limit, Flaming Dunlash ran and hit Rough Gun at once. It¡¯s true that just hitting him might be enough to make him fall, if the hit was strong enough but the two magicrafts collided violently. Whether it was the difference in mass or the difference in power, Rough Gun didn¡¯t move an inch but Flaming Dunlash magicraft was flung back. ¡°Rough Gun it¡¯s a heavy type, and if the goal is to make it fall, it¡¯s going to be very difficult.¡± That¡¯s what Emina, who was watching, analyzed. When I hear how difficult it is, I kind of want to give it a try¡­¡­ CH 129 This is Monday ch and I released it by mistake earlier, so no chapter in 9 hours at the regular time. Flaming Dunlush was unable to defeat Rough Gun in three minutes, as expected. Dunlush left the venue with his shoulders slumped. I thought there was no risk, but if I put my name on the line and challenge him to a fight, I¡¯ll end up disgracing my name and the name of my organization if I fail. But on the other hand, if I win, I¡¯ll be making a name for myself¡­¡­. It seemed to be quite difficult to make Rough Gun fall, as Emina had predicted, and the challenges ended in failure one after another. After about a dozen challenges, the mood among the participants was that it would be impossible to defeat the Rough Gun. ¡°I think I¡¯ll give it a shot¡­¡­¡± It was Farma who said that. ¡°Are you serious, Farma?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think my Garuda could take it down¡­¡­.However, we have to make a name for ourselves, and if I fail, I¡¯ll ruin the name of the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, in any case, the Iron Knights are still an unknown mercenary group. We¡¯re not famous enough to be disgraced, so go all out!¡± It was unusual for Farma to be so aggressive, and I supported her challenge. Farma returned to the ride carrier, came back with Garuda, and then got in line for the match. The challenge continued, and the magicraft Rough Gun dismissed the challengers one after another easily. Finally, it was Farma¡¯s turn. ¡°Iron Knights¡­¡­Farma¡­¡­¡± The gallery around her made a lot of noise when she said her name, and Rough Gun, who had fought off some of the most famous mercenaries in the world, began to tease her. ¡°Hey, hey, do you think a woman with such a small magicraft can defeat me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much of a joke, even if it¡¯s free! Don¡¯t do this just to chill out!¡± ¡°Well, maybe not, but good luck, I¡¯m rooting for you!¡± Nanami was annoyed by the gallery. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about Farma! She¡¯s a good girl who works hard!¡± I don¡¯t think it matters if she¡¯s a good girl or not¡­¡­. Garuda had a thin wire. Weapons are not banned, but what would you use something like that for? ¡°Now, the Iron Knights¡­¡­uh, Farma¡¯s challenge. The time limit is three minutes! Let the match begin!¡± When the match started, Farma made a loop of the wire she was holding and threw it at Rough Gun. The loop went through the body and caught his feet. Okay, you¡¯re good, just keep pulling¡­¡­.Farma pulled the wire with all her might. However, the heavy Rough Gun did not falter. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? He¡¯s not moving at all! Put some effort into it!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Farma was in no hurry and didn¡¯t seem to care about the jokes but Garuda doesn¡¯t have much power. Even if she hooked it with the wire I don¡¯t think she could pull it down. But Farma seemed to have seen this coming. Garuda began to rise, pulling the wire. Seeing Garuda floating up into the sky, the gallery began to buzz loudly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s flying! ¡°A flying magicraft!¡± Garuda pulled the wire as it rose. Perhaps not expecting to be pulled upward, Rough Gun was caught off his feet and lost his balance. Without missing the moment, Farma¡¯s Garuda swooped down and charged Rough Gun from above, feet first. Boom! There was a dull sound, and Rough Gun fell to the ground. At that moment, Farma¡¯s victory was confirmed. When the victory was declared, cheers erupted and there was a great deal of excitement from the crowd of warriors. Even though she was inferior in power, she did a great job of using the characteristics of her magicraft to her advantage. CH 130 Farma came down from Garuda after winning the match. I greeted her with a smile. ¡°Nice work, Farma.¡± ¡°Good job, Farma.¡± ¡°It was a good fight. You had a good understanding of Garuda and your opponent¡¯s magicraft characteristics.¡± Farma was embarrassed by everyone¡¯s praise, and her face turned red. Then the person who was in charge of the game came up to us. He was probably here to hand over the prize money. ¡°It was a great battle. My master would like to give you the prize in person, so could you please come to this location at the indicated time?¡± When Emina saw the paper she received, she was surprised. ¡°This is the royal castle of this country, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Please keep it confidential if you can.¡± The Lord says to come to the King¡¯s castle¡­¡­. We had a little while before the designated time, so we decided to go back to the ride carrier and talk to Jean, who had just finished arranging the supply and was returning. ¡°What the hell, you had a match like that?¡± ¡°Farma won, that¡¯s good, but they want us to go to the castle, it might be a bit troublesome, should we go or not?¡± ¡°You idiot! There¡¯s a prize to be paid! What if you don¡¯t go? I¡¯m going too, because they might make some false claims!¡± I knew I could count on Jean for this kind of thing. Later, if we were going to the royal castle, Linnecarlo, who has the title of Princess of Meltaria, would also be present. When we got to the castle, the gatekeeper politely responded to us, probably because he had already been informed. The person in charge soon came out and showed us around. We were led to an audience room in the castle. I could have imagined it, but the person who appeared was the king of Emou Kingdom. ¡°The King of Emou, Brash II. I¡¯m sorry to have summoned you all the way to the castle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as we get paid.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get the bounty to them right away.¡± Then he instructed his subordinate to bring him the bag containing the prize money. He placed it in front of Farma, the winner. When Farma was wondering what to do with it, Jean said, ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Jean seemed to admit that the prize money was Farma¡¯s personal income. I was worried that he would collect all the money earned by the members of the group as income for the Iron Knights but that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the reason you called us all the way to the castle wasn¡¯t to give us the bounty. Can we get down to business, please?¡± Jean¡¯s words startled me. ¡°What? Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not normal to summon someone to the castle just to give them a prize, and then have the king himself deal with them.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­you know that much, as expected from the mercenary group that defeated my Rough Gun.¡± ¡°Is it possible that you¡¯re the rider of Rough Gun¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I was the one riding the Rough Gun.¡± I was a little surprised. I had no idea that the king of this country was riding in that thing¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m actually looking for a trustworthy mercenary group, preferably you guys, the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s about it. But, do you have the time to ride a magicraft and fight to find mercenaries?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t trust mercenaries in the first place, and there are many mercenaries who sell themselves as the strongest or the most invincible mercenary group, but in reality they are not very good. That¡¯s why I decided to see with my own eyes and find out which mercenaries to hire.¡± ¡°I see, that may be true. So, what kind of conditions will you hire us on, if we¡¯re worthy of your attention?¡± When Jean said this, Linnecarlo spoke up. ¡°King Emou, do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Well, do I know you from somewhere¡­..?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Linnecarlo, the third princess of Meltaria. I think we met once at a ball in Faldia.¡± So Linnecarlo was acquainted with King Emou. ¡°!!! Princess Linnecarlo¡­¡­One of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, the Thunder Emperor Linnecarlo¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯d better think about how much the Thunder Emperor is worth and offer us some good terms.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find a mercenary group belonging to the Thunder Emperor¡­¡­.It was a close call¡­¡­.I was about to offer a rude price¡­¡­.¡± King Emou said honestly. ¡°So, how much do we get paid?¡± ¡°The rider who defeated me, and I¡¯m sure the Thunder Emperor¡­¡­and the other members of the group are excellent as well¡­¡­.Very well, how about a reward of one billion gold.¡± ¡°Mr. King, you¡¯re not a cheapskate to offer such a sum for a country of this size.¡± ¡°You must have thought very highly of the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. All right, we have a deal.¡± It must have been a very good deal for Jean to make a quick decision. But¡­¡­what about the planned trip to the giant beast¡¯s nest?¡­¡­Well, the nest it¡¯s not an urgent matter. CH 131 Having repelled the ambush, we returned to the castle. It was decided to fortify the border and consider what to do in the future. ¡°Is it true that Temira is betraying the Eastern Alliance?¡± When I shared Ranelle¡¯s thoughts with Yukiha, she was surprised. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that Temira is suspicious. But we can¡¯t ask them about it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask someone else?¡± When it occurred to me and I made an irresponsible suggestion, Ranelle thought about it for a moment and said. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right. Let¡¯s find out what the other Allies are up to.¡± ¡°But if the country we¡¯re probing has already betrayed the Eastern Alliance, won¡¯t the enemy know what we¡¯re doing?¡± Majni pointed out. ¡°Yes, we have to choose carefully which countries to probe. A country that doesn¡¯t get along well with Temira might have a lot of information¡­¡­.¡± ¡±Under these conditions, the only one I can think of is King Arpa of the Zarfract.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, Lord Beda and King Arpa don¡¯t get along very well, and King Arpa has close ties to the countries of the Eastern Alliance, which makes it easier for him to get information.¡± ¡°And now that I think about it, the four countries that left the Alliance, coincidentally, are all countries that don¡¯t get along very well with the Zarfract.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯re on the verge of a split between Temira and Zarfract.¡± ¡°Which side is Amuria on?¡± I asked, wondering. ¡°Do you think my father would be interested in such factions? We¡¯re completely neutral, which is why it¡¯s hard to get any information from either side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that such a small group of people are so obsessed with their own interests and status, fighting for any advantage they can get. It¡¯s a shame.¡± It¡¯s true that Majni doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in factional conflicts like that. If everyone was a king like Majni, there wouldn¡¯t be any conflicts¡­¡­. ¡°Then let¡¯s open a direct line with King Arpa of the Zarfract.¡± Apparently, the Eastern Alliance has a direct line between the kings in the alliance. It was decided to use it to talk directly with King Arpa. ¡°What can I do for you, Lord Majni?¡± ¡°King Arpa, let me be frank with you. It seems that Temira is betraying the Eastern Alliance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Amuria, with its thin intelligence network, was able to come to that conclusion.¡± ¡°So King Arpa already knew?¡± ¡°The four countries that left the Eastern Alliance, the recent expansion of Temira¡¯s military, and the existence of secret trade with the Ruja Empire¡­¡­What does this imply?¡± ¡°What do you intend to do, King Arpa?¡± ¡°You can rest assured, I foresaw this coming. This is why Zarfract has been secretly gathering magicrafts and riders for several years, preparing a force against Temira, who will one day betray us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring. However, it is not advisable to solve the problem by force. Can¡¯t we solve it through diplomacy?¡± ¡°Do you know what Temira intends to do by betraying the Eastern Alliance? They are trying to create a new huge coalition centered on the Ruja Empire here in the east. Temira and the others who cooperated with them will survive as equal allies, while the other countries of the Eastern Alliance will become tributary states! How can I allow this to happen?¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­..such a plan was going on¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, so we¡¯ll have to fight, and Amuria better be prepared.¡± I guess war is inevitable¡­¡­. After finishing the communication with King Arpa, Majni let out a sigh and said regretfully, ¡°It seems that Temira has betrayed us and war appears to be inevitable.¡± ¡°No, Dad, maybe it¡¯s not Temira who¡¯s betraying us.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Ranelle, have you suddenly changed your mind? You were the one who was the most suspicious just now.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you think what King Arpa said just now was strange?¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°The first thing to know is that Temira was not the only one who was expanding their army, Zarfract was also gathering magicrafts and riders, which means that Zarfract may have also possessed the forces that attacked us. The excuse is that they are expanding their forces against Temira, but I can¡¯t decide if that¡¯s true or not. In addition to that, it¡¯s even more puzzling how much information they have about the future prospects, and how they could have known about the existence of the plans of the Grand Alliance centered on the Ruja Empire¡­¡­.King Arpa is also be suspicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I have such a good daughter.¡± But the trouble is, we have come to the conclusion that both Temira and Zarfract are suspicious. We can¡¯t trust either of them, what should we do about this situation? CH 132 Episode 132 A Proposal We had to officially sign a contract with the Emou Kingdom to see what the job entailed. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really need you to do anything right away.¡± ¡°Oh, so why did you hire a bunch of expensive mercenaries?¡± ¡°It is true that an imminent crisis is looming and there is not enough time to prepare an army, but if it were only our country, there would be no need to hire mercenaries, but now that we have an ally who is slowing us down¡­¡­we need a mobile unit to respond to requests for reinforcements. I¡¯m sure you can understand.¡± He rephrased the word ¡°hindrance¡± to ¡°baggage,¡± but it doesn¡¯t really change the meaning of the word, I guess, because he¡¯s now got such a troublesome ally. ¡°All right. So what¡¯s this imminent danger you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to prepare for the invasion of the neighboring Ruja Empire¡­¡­or the great power behind it, the Valkyria Empire.¡± ¡°The Valkyria Empire! I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but if a power like that attacked, the Emou Kingdom wouldn¡¯t have a chance.¡± ¡°The Valkyria Empire is merely manipulating the Ruja Empire behind the scenes. However, their support for the Ruja Empire has increased, and there is no doubt that the Ruja Empire will soon launch a full-scale invasion.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine, but if Valkyria shows up, we¡¯ll be running for our lives.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you to commit suicide with Emou, you can run away then.¡± The Valkyria Empire that Jean said he was going to run away from, was the same as Emina¡¯s home country, the Elysian Empire. The Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel along with Elysia are said to be the three most powerful countries in the continent, with outstanding military power. I heard that they have tens of thousands of magicrafts¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s settled that the Ruja Empire is the enemy. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we attack them instead of waiting for them to attack us? A preemptive attack would be more advantageous and effective.¡± Jean wants to quickly end the matter and go to the giant beast¡¯s nest, so he advises King Emou. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯ve been informed that with support from Valkyria, Ruja has close to 1,000 magicrafts, and we won¡¯t stand a chance if we go head-to-head.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about a full-scale war, just a way to reduce the enemy¡¯s strength and a little harassment.¡± ¡°I see, we can slow down the enemy¡¯s preparations.¡± ¡°Is there an enemy facility that we can hit first to make more damage?¡± ¡°The front line base in Bern. It would be very unpleasant to be attacked there.¡± ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll attack there. The Iron Knights will be the main force, so get ready.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being so aggressive.¡± ¡±If there¡¯s going to be a war, it¡¯s better to deal the first blow.¡± King Emou also thought that the benefits of the attack were greater, and he eventually approved of the first strike. Attacking the Bern frontline base is the Emou army, led by the Iron Knights, with 100 magicrafts. The Ruja army stationed at the Bern frontline base has 200 magicrafts. Although the enemy forces were larger in number, our objective was not to destroy the enemy forces, but the facilities and reduce their strength, so this force was sufficient for a short surprise battle. ¡°Look, the Emou forces have battleship type ride carriers too.¡± Jean said, looking at the Emou military¡¯s fleet of ride carriers. ¡°I heard it¡¯s called ¡®Echigo¡¯, it¡¯s the flagship of the Emou military, but there are more and more battleship type ride carriers these days.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, our ride carrier doesn¡¯t have a name.¡± I said casually, but apparently everyone was thinking that, and the atmosphere rapidly intensified. ¡°I think ¡®Flowers and Little Birds¡¯ is good!¡± Nanami suggested, but Jean kicked her out of the room. ¡°Rejected, it¡¯s not a name for the flagship of a mercenary group!¡± ¡°What kind of name do you want, Jean?¡± ¡°Well, how about ¡®Purgatory¡¯? That¡¯s cool!¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not pretty!¡± ¡°A mercenary¡¯s flagship name doesn¡¯t have to be pretty!¡± ¡°I want Fantasia.¡± ¡°Oh, Farma¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hundred times better than Nanami¡¯s, but not good enough.¡± It could be anything¡­¡­.With that in mind, I went with the word that popped into my head. ¡°How about `Fugaku¡¯?¡± (Fugaku is more known as Mt. Fuji) ¡°Fugaku¡­¡­what does Fugaku mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name of the highest mountain in my country.¡± I said that at random, but it was surprisingly well received. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to aim high¡­¡­.I vote for Fugaku.¡± ¡°I agree with Yuta¡¯s idea! Purgatory is absolutely not possible!¡± ¡°I agree with Yuta¡¯s idea!¡± ¡°I like it. It has a nice ring to it. I vote for Fugaku.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the name of the ride carrier is, I think we should go with Yuta¡¯s idea.¡± The motion was approved by a majority vote. Apparently, people in this don¡¯t mind the sound of a Japanese name. CH 133 First, we approached the enemy base with our ride carriers and after a wave of attacks by Fugaku and Echigo¡¯s ballistae, we sent in our magicraft troops, mainly the Iron Knights. Instead of attacking deep into the base, we planned to destroy the base¡¯s facilities while eliminating the magicrafts that counterattack. The operation lasted 30 minutes, and was a short-term battle so we wanted to make a quick retreat. The Bern frontline base was in a flurry of alarms as the fleet of Emou troops and Iron Knights ride carriers approached. Accelerating all at once, Fugaku and Echigo gun ports opened fire as the ballistae came into range. Fugaku weapons system consisted of six four-round auto-loading ballistae, each firing one bomb-arrow every two seconds. The bomb arrows are loaded with explosive rocks that explode on impact. Echigo had a dual manual-loading ballista, and although its rate of fire was inferior to that of the Fugaku ballista, it had twenty cannons, so it did not lose in terms of firepower. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s time for the magicraft squadron to go out there and wreak havoc!¡± At Jean¡¯s command, the magicrafts from the allied ride carriers were launched one after another. Most of the ballistae in the enemy base had been destroyed by Fugaku and Echigo weapons so the enemy forces sent out their magicraft units to intercept us. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s see what Arleo can do now that the limiter has been removed!¡° It is a man¡¯s nature to want to try out a new item¡­¡­.I was about to single-handedly assault the enemy army. ¡°You¡¯re trying to do something reckless like that again¡­¡­.Jean, you have to stop Yuta!¡± I¡¯m not sure if she was worried or not, but Nanami appealed to Jean. ¡°Idiots don¡¯t get better until they die, and I¡¯ve been wanting to check the specs on the new Arleo for a while now, so go ahead and try not to die!¡± Jean approved, and I increased the speed of the Arleo as I charged into the enemy unit, alone. As the power of the Arleo increased with the release of the limiter, I equipped it with a huge sword for large magicrafts that was disproportionate to its size. I held the huge sword in one hand, which even a large magic machine would wield with two hands. Wielding a huge sword, I plunge through the midst of the enemy army. Arleo¡¯s sword is bigger than the height of a magicraft, and with one swing of my hand, several of them are blown away. As I swung my sword and swept away the enemies, they began to move away from me, most likely out of fear. I accelerated to approach the fleeing enemy magicrafts and slashed them down. After all, the speed and power of the Arleo were much higher than before. I felt that the controls were lighter and the images were transmitted faster. However, I still felt a little inadequate compared to Viktor. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m going to launch a ranged attack, so back off a bit.¡± Linnecarlo is going to launch a ranged attack into an area crowded with enemies, so I retreated so as not to get caught in the lightning strike. The moment I stepped back, a storm of lightning strikes rolled in, engulfing dozens of enemy magicrafts. After all, Odin¡¯s ranged attacks come in handy when you¡¯re dealing with a large number of people¡­¡­. With the magicrafts of Alana, Nanami, Emina, and Arthur in the vanguard, Emou¡¯s army joined the attack. A strong vanguard would strengthen the entire army, and with overwhelming momentum, they were able to destroy the enemy forces. Now that everyone was warmed up, it was time to get to work. ¡°Thirty minutes are up! All troops withdraw. Return to your ride carriers.¡± Hey, Jean, we¡¯re pushing pretty hard and I think we should keep going.¡± ¡°You idiot! If we continue to push too hard, you guys with your high fighting strength will be fine, but the Emou army will suffer casualties. We¡¯ve already done enough damage to the enemy and achieved our objective, so there¡¯s no need to push it!¡± He¡¯s right, I wasn¡¯t thinking about the Emou forces. I slashed down the last nearby enemy plane and began to retreat towards Fugaku. CH 134 While the concerns about both Temira and Zarfract remained unresolved, there was a major move in the Eastern Alliance. ¡°I have received a request from Zarfract to send an army to take down Temira. Ranelle, what do you think we should do?¡± Majni asked for Ranelle¡¯s advice. It¡¯s a difficult decision to make in this situation when you don¡¯t know which side is the enemy¡­¡­. ¡°We can¡¯t just ignore¡­¡­Even if we reply to their request, I think we should be cautious about participating in an attack on Temira.¡± ¡°Is war inevitable?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up yet, Dad. We¡¯ll do everything we can.¡± Ranelle then sent out a communication to the countries of the Eastern Alliance to gather information about Zarfract request and about Temira. It seemed that the other countries had already agreed to send troops, and it was going to be difficult to avoid a battle with Temira. Then, in a last hope, Majni-san opened a hotline to Lord Veda of Temira. ¡°I see that Amuria has also received a call for troops, so what are you going to do, Lord Majni, start a war with my Temira?¡± ¡°How did we get into this mess?¡­¡­Sir Veda, I want to hear your side of the story.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like Temira can be blamed for any of this. Temira¡¯s betrayal of the Eastern Alliance and collaboration with the Ruja Empire is outlandish.¡± ¡°Is the rumor about the secret trade with the Ruja Empire true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, but even though it was a secret trade, what we were dealing with were raw materials for an epidemic medicine. The only thing that is forbidden with the Ruja Empire according to the rules of the Eastern Alliance is goods for military use. The reason I didn¡¯t make it public was to avoid any strange misunderstandings, but it seems to have backfired.¡± ¡°I understand. Then I will try to persuade the other countries not to make the worst decision. Perhaps Lord Veda can explain the situation to the rest of the alliance as well.¡± ¡°No, Majni, it¡¯s already too late¡­¡­.Earlier, Zarfract and the five nations jointly notified us of Temira¡¯s expulsion from the Eastern Alliance and a declaration of war.¡± ¡°Amuria has never heard of this!¡± ¡°It is true that Amuria¡¯s name was not on the list of names, so Amuria must have been judged as a useless country. I heard that there was a request for an army, perhaps all or almost all of your forces were requested?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that Zarfract has requested about 80% of our forces, but¡­¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s¡­¡­possible.¡± ¡°If we send the army as requested, they will never come back. And after that, the kingdom of Amuria, with its weakened defenses, will disappear from the face of the earth.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that was possible¡­¡­.¡± When Majni finished communicating with Lord Veda, he consulted with Ranelle. ¡°If what Lord Veda says is true, we shouldn¡¯t send any troops.¡± ¡°But if we don¡¯t, Amuria will be expelled from the Eastern Alliance and war will be declared against us.¡± ¡°We should talk to King Emou. Right now, the most reliable person is our ally, Emou.¡± ¡°Talk to King Emou¡­¡­.Ugh¡­¡­.I¡¯d prefer not to do that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time to talk about it. I¡¯ll ask him, and you can watch from the back.¡± Apparently, Majni had not yet gotten rid of his coiled relationship with King Emou. Instead, Ranelle opened a communication with King Emou. ¡°King Emou, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, it would have been depressing if it was Majni, but I would certainly prefer to speak with Princess Ranelle.¡± It seems that King Emou is still torn. I wonder what happened between them in the past¡­.. ¡°I am ashamed to say that, as King Emou pointed out, the Eastern Alliance is in danger of splitting.¡± ¡°I knew it was just a matter of time, but I didn¡¯t expect them to move so quickly¡­¡­So, what¡¯s the situation?¡± Ranelle gave the details to King Emou. After hearing the story, King Emou said strongly. ¡°As Lord Veda of Temira says, you can¡¯t send an army!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s really Zarfract who¡¯s betraying us.¡± ¡°Look, I think that the whole Eastern Alliance is trying to destroy Temira and Amuria. The reason for this is that the kings of both countries are bad listeners.¡± ¡°Is that why they¡¯re destroying the country?¡± ¡°The biggest obstacle to the absorption of the Eastern Alliance into the Ruja Empire is probably Temira, the largest nation in the alliance and one with a strong free will, and Amuria, which will not be able to adapt to Ruja¡¯s militarism. That¡¯s probably why these two countries were left out of the plan to be absorbed into the Ruja Empire from the beginning.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! What do you mean by absorption into the Ruja Empire?¡± ¡°The plan is to absorb the Eastern Alliance into the Ruja Empire, and then go on to conquer and occupy the other countries in the East.¡± ¡°Why would the Ruja Empire have such a grand plan?¡± ¡°No, this is not a plan devised by the Ruja Empire, it is the Valkyria Empire that is behind all of this.¡± ¡°The Valkyria Empire?¡± ¡°The other countries of the Eastern Alliance probably agreed to be absorbed into Ruja when the name of the Valkyria Empire was mentioned. It might be very normal for a country to choose to survive as a part of an empire rather than to be destroyed.¡± ¡°Then the other countries are already on the side of the Ruja Empire¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I suppose so. Only Temira and Amuria remain.¡± ¡°What should we do, King Emou?¡± ¡°There will be a major military action against Temira soon. If we can defend Temira, then there is a chance that the countries that are betraying us out of fear of the Great Powers will change.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should show our strength.¡± ¡°We just need to convince them that we can fight against the big powers if we work together. The truth is, they probably don¡¯t want to be absorbed by the Ruja Empire.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but isn¡¯t it possible that this story is just speculation on King Emou¡¯s part, and that there¡¯s some way we can find out the facts for sure¡­..?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just tell Zarfract that you can¡¯t respond to his request to send an army, and he¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡± After this, half-heartedly, Ranelle refused the request for an army to Zarfract as King Emou had told her to do. Then King Arpa¡¯s attitude suddenly changed. ¡°Damn it, you can¡¯t respond to a request to send troops!¡¡You small, trashy country! Well, the plan is already complete. Amuria is insignificant and will not matter to us. Listen, after we crush Temira, it¡¯s your turn, and I will not allow you to surrender! We¡¯re going to crush you once and for all!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, King Arpa, that it was you who betrayed the Eastern Alliance?¡± ¡°Betrayal! You idiot! This is the majority opinion of the Eastern Alliance! You were simply deemed unnecessary!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear the truth, because now I can side with Temira without hesitation.¡± ¡°Hmph, do you think that Amuria¡¯s siding is enough to defeat the combined forces of the Eastern Alliance and the Ruja Empire?¡± ¡°And the Valkyria Empire, I assume.¡± ¡°Ugh, where did you get that information¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No matter how great the power, Amuria has no intention of giving in! We will only do everything in our power to fight for our own justice!¡± Ranelle said it in a cool way, but what the hell are we going to do about this unwinnable battle? CH 135 ¡°Ranelle, what¡¯s this about?¡± Ranelle summoned me once again. She greeted me with a more mysterious look than usual. ¡°Nagisa¡­¡­Amuria is about to start a big war¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Then she handed me a large bag. ¡°It contains 10 million gold. This is enough to keep you alive for a while¡­¡­.¡± It seems that she didn¡¯t want to involve me in a meaningless war¡­¡­.You really are a kind royal family¡­ ¡°Ranelle, I¡¯ve told you before about a guy I like who is so stupid and naive, I really don¡¯t know why I like him¡­¡­.But he¡¯s such a jerk, but he always shows up when I¡¯m in trouble, and even though he¡¯s weaker than I am, he¡¯ll go for the bullies. He knows he can¡¯t beat the bully, but he¡¯s going for it because he feels like it¡­¡­.I think I will go for it too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So you see, I like people who go at me with their feelings, Ranelle, Yukiha, Majni-san, Himari, Jihad and Delphine, if I just run away here, that man will be angry with me, and most of all, I will definitely regret it.¡± ¡°But, Nagisa, we might die! It¡¯s a reckless fight!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s an unwinnable fight, but he always wins in the end, because bullies always lose their patience and run away.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to do this, Nagisa¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re all going to survive this.¡± Ranelle hugged me tightly. Yuta, I¡¯m sure I made the right decision¡­¡­. The Amurian army mobilized all of its forces and headed for Temira. Sixty magicrafts, five ride carriers, and 1,200 troops were not enough considering the scale of the opponent we were about to fight. When we arrived at Temira, we were greeted by Lord Veda with a deep bow. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t know what to say to express my gratitude to you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Amuria is on the side of the righteous, and we will get through this together.¡± Mr. Majni told him proudly. He and Lord Veda shook hands stiffly, and exchanged pleasantries. The Temira army has 200 magicrafts, 12 ride carriers, and 5,000 troops, which is considerably more than Amuria. Even so, there are many more enemies to be fought, so a careful strategy is needed, and the leading figures gathered immediately to begin a strategy meeting. ¡°What is the enemy¡¯s estimated strength?¡± At the first strategy meeting, Lord Veda checks the information. ¡°Assuming that the Ruja Empire and the four countries that left the Eastern Alliance will also participate, there should be at least 1,500 magicrafts, 50 ride carriers, and more than 20,000 soldiers¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way we can win if we fight them head on¡­¡­¡± ¡°The enemy has three possible invasion routes: the lower reaches of the Emuzi River, the southern Luzhan Mountains, and the Balha Plateau. Any one of these routes will lead straight to the Holy City, and we will be defeated.¡± ¡°You mean we have to divide our forces into three?¡± ¡°It¡¯s painful to split up when you don¡¯t have much strength to fight with¡­¡­¡± Ranelle suggests while looking at the map. ¡°How about the Temira army taking the Balha plateau, where fierce battles are expected, and the Amurian army taking the south of the Luzhan Mountains, which is geographically superior and easy to defend even with a small force?¡± ¡°Then what about the lower reaches of the Emuzi River?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve requested reinforcements from Amuria allies.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean the Emou Kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m thinking of having the Emou army take charge of the defense of the Emuzi River.¡± ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to know that Emou¡¯s army will help us, so let¡¯s prepare our defenses accordingly.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t know anything about geography, Emou¡¯s troops may have trouble defending the complicated terrain around the Emuzi River. If possible, could you send a few people from Temira to guide them?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll send someone who knows the surrounding geography.¡± In addition to Temira¡¯s guide, it was decided to send someone from Amuria, an allied country, to welcome the Emou forces. Because of the position of welcoming an ally, it was necessary for a suitable person to go, and Ranelle took on that role. ¡°But Ranelle, are you sure you can do it alone? Why don¡¯t you get some guards?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll need everyone to defend the Luzhan Mountains. I¡¯ll be fine with Temira¡¯s guiding force.¡± Ranelle boarded the magicraft with a smile and headed towards the Emou River with the guiding force to greet the Emuzi army. Perhaps it was because I don¡¯t get away from Ranelle very often, but I felt a strange sense of unease as I watched her go. CH 136 When I returned from the Ruja Empire¡¯s frontline base in Bern, I received a respectful summons from King Emou. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ve received a request for reinforcements from our allies.¡± ¡°It looks like they¡¯re moving faster than expected.¡± When Jean confirmed this, King Emou explained the details. ¡°So the battlefield will be in this country called Temira?¡± ¡°Yes, our ally is the Kingdom of Amuria, and the Amurian army is going to Temira, which is about to be attacked by the armies of the Ruja Empire and the countries of the Eastern Alliance that have turned against us. It¡¯s a disadvantageous situation with a considerable difference in strength, but it¡¯s an important battle that will have a major impact on the future situation of the entire eastern region.¡± ¡°It may be an important battle that will affect the situation, but you¡¯re a good king for responding to the request for reinforcements.¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Amuria is a small country with a promising future, and I suspect that Amuria will be the one to unite the small countries of the east in the near future.¡± ¡°Oh, so the king is a genius or has a huge ore reserve?¡± ¡°The king of Amuria is just an idiot, his daughters on the other hand are excellent. But that¡¯s not the charm of that country, it¡¯s the attitude of always trying to do the right thing¡­¡­.Fairness, the ability to treat people as equals, regardless of the size of the country. I think those are the most important qualities to bring together countries with different cultures and ways of thinking. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not the only reason for your support, Mr. King.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The way you were talking about Amuria, you looked like an old man bragging about his family.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­you¡¯re an interesting guy, it¡¯s a shame to leave you as a mercenary.¡± ¡°The Iron Knights aren¡¯t just mercenaries, I¡¯ll show you plenty of that, so look forward to it.¡± ¡°If you say so, then you must be right. Take care of Amuria for me.¡± Jean greeted the king in a friendly manner and left the audience room. By the way, Jean is becoming more and more dignified.¡­ Alana, who was with me, was also impressed. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be intimidated by the king at all.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a human being just like us. There¡¯s no need to be nervous about him.¡± ¡°When you were still a merchant, you seemed to be a little more careful.¡± When I said that, Jean smiled and replied, ¡°Merchants have their own way of doing things, mercenaries have their own way of doing things, and my style of mercenary is like that.¡± Jean must be very versatile, I can never imitate his tricks. Whether it was because of the evaluation of the battle in Bern or Jean¡¯s command ability, the command of the reinforcements to Amuria was entrusted to the Iron Knights. With 200 magicrafts and 10 ride carriers under our command, we headed for Temira. ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡± ¡°We¡¯re supposed to meet up with someone from Amuria. We¡¯ll get to the rendezvous point first, and from there it¡¯ll depend on what the guide says.¡± The rendezvous point was a forested area about three days west of the Emou border, and we were making a straight line to it. ¡°So many ride carriers and they¡¯re all allies.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of magicrafts, too. That¡¯s good.¡± Nanami and Farma were beaming with happiness at the current situation, probably because they had never been surrounded by so many allies before. ¡°Captain! There¡¯s some kind of magicraft troop movement in the distant mountains!¡± The message that came over the ship¡¯s internal communications was from a rookie crewman, who had been monitoring Fugaku watchtower. ¡°What? How big is it?¡± Jean asked in an excited tone, happy to be called the captain. ¡°It¡¯s too far away to see for sure, sir, but I¡¯d say about ten.¡± ¡°Well, okay, Yuta, I¡¯m sorry, but can you do a reconnaissance?¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Reconnaissance missions are often assigned to either me, who can manage on my own, or Emina, who rides the stealthy Artemis. ¡°Yuta, two large swords are probably too heavy for reconnaissance, try equipping this one.¡± When I was about to get into the Arleo, I was approached by Rafishal, who was doing maintenance. He recommended a small dagger and a slender sword. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Maingauche and Estoc, both light, perfect for covert action.¡± ¡°All right, I guess I¡¯ll take these two this time.¡± ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve got a secret trick for the Maingauche, so you can use it when the time comes.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve given it to Feri, so you¡¯ll have to take her advice.¡± ¡°Rafishal, when did you become friends with Feri?¡± ¡°No, actually a while ago¡­¡­.Well, I¡¯ll tell you about it next time.¡± Well, I heard that the person who created Viktor was Rafishal disciple, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he knew about Feri. As soon as I changed my equipment, I was ready to go. ¡°Yuta, Arleo! We¡¯re going out!¡± I jumped out of the open front hatch of the Fugaku with great force and headed straight for the mountainous area where the magicraft unit was moving. CH 137 Temira¡¯s guiding force consisted of five magicrafts and two high speed ride hovers that carried magicrafts. The high speed ride hover has a cargo bed in the back and can carry up to three magicrafts. I boarded the magicraft Laird on the back of the vehicle and got in. ¡°Princess Ranelle, do you have any idea of the size of the Emou army that will be joining us?¡± It would take a full day to reach the meeting point with the Emou forces from the holy city, even by high-speed ride hover, and on the way, the captain of the guiding unit would talk to me periodically, as if he was trying to keep me occupied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Emou itself is also in a tense situation with the Ruja Empire, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to send out a very large force for reinforcements, maybe a hundred or so magicrafts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Emou¡¯s magicraft troops are strong, so I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how well they perform.¡± They were indeed reassuring reinforcements, but considering the size of the enemy, it would be difficult to win the war with just the Emou army¡¯s reinforcements. I can only thank King Emou for sending us reinforcements even though he knew that. Just when we thought we were almost to the rendezvous point, which would take another hour or so, the captain, who had been keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings, gave us a loud warning. ¡°There¡¯s movement all around! It could be enemy forces, so please be careful!¡± Sure enough, the trees are shaking, and we can see some movement¡­¡­that seems to be encircling us. ¡°We¡¯ll be surrounded at this rate! Can you get through?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go full speed ahead!¡± If it¡¯s just speed, the high speed ride hover is much faster than a magic machine, and I attempted to get out of the area before being surrounded. But it seems that our movements were read by the other side. The trees in front of me exploded with a loud noise. ¡°Shit! Oh my God, they¡¯ve blocked our escape route!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­¡­.Ride Hover Unit 2¡¯s magicraft squadron will clear the obstacles! The first unit will remain in place and leave as soon as the obstacle is cleared!¡± The first unit is the ride hover of the one I¡¯m on. Maybe, in the worst case scenario, they kept the first plane on standby to let me escape. ¡°They¡¯re here! Hurry up and remove them!¡± As I looked around, I saw enemy magicrafts appearing all around me. I¡¯m not sure what to make of it. ¡°Removal complete! Unit 1, please leave the area! Unit 2 will continue to hold off the enemy!¡± The rider of the second magicraft unit reported. I¡¯m not sure what to do next. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Unit 1, let¡¯s go!¡± There are three magicrafts in the second unit left to hold them back, and considering the number of enemies, there¡¯s no way they can win. The high-speed ride hover Unit 1 accelerates with a roar. Behind me, I can hear the sound of a battle between the Unit 2 team and the enemy starting. There¡¯s still some distance to the rendezvous point, and if we make it there, there¡¯s a good chance that Emou¡¯s army is already waiting for us¡­¡­but it didn¡¯t work out that way. Another enemy unit ambushed us in the direction we were going, and more enemies appeared. It seemed that we were already surrounded, and there seemed to be no way to escape. ¡°Princess Ranelle! I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­we¡¯ll make a breakthrough, you¡¯ll have to run away alone!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t! I¡¯ll fight with you!¡± ¡°No! If anything happens to you, Temira will be greatly embarrassed!¡¡For the sake of Temira¡¯s honor, you must escape!¡± As I said this, Temira¡¯s two magicrafts descended from the high-speed ride hover and attacked the enemy troops blocking the road ahead. The first high speed ride hover takes off rapidly with me on board. The high speed ride hover tried to pass through the enemy troops, but was flanked by one of the enemy¡¯s magicrafts with a spear, causing it to roll over and stop. I was thrown out of the ride hover, along with my magic machine, Laird. ¡°Princess Ranelle! Please run away quickly!¡± The captain of the guiding force shouted from the overturned ride hover. In order not to waste the feelings of the people of Temira, I have to survive¡­¡­.I activate Laird, who had fallen over, and immediately ran into the forest. CH 138 I ran for my life ¨C I ran through the forest without looking back. There was no sign of pursuit from behind, and I thought I had escaped, but it was not so easy. A squadron of about ten enemy planes appeared in front of me. The atmosphere of this unit was clearly different from that of the previous enemies. All magicrafts had the same pitch-black body and symbol of a red rabbit on their chests¡­I¡¯ve heard rumors about the Ruja Empire, the Black Rabbit of Death, and the 7th Magic Machine Corps¡­..the two strongest units in Ruja, and now one of them is right in front of me. I immediately looked for another way to escape. I saw a waterfall on my left, and although it was steep, it looked like I could escape up the mountain from the slope beside it. There was no time to worry, I ran to the left. The Black Rabbit has already recognized my presence. They made a large turn and approached Laird. I accelerate toward the waterfall before I¡¯m surrounded. However, the name of the Black Rabbit was not undeserved. Although I was confident in Laird¡¯s mobility, he was caught up by three black rabbits below the waterfall. Although I would not be able to win, I pulled out my sword to create an opening to escape. With a minimum of movement I thrust my sword at the black rabbit in front of me. However, Laird¡¯s sword was easily repelled. Immediately, the Black Rabbit turns its fangs on me. It attacked relentlessly with its black-painted weapons. I was able to narrowly avoid the first large sword blow by bending over, but the long spear thrust from the side pierced Laird¡¯s shoulder. I let out a small scream at the dull impact. The drive in my left shoulder was pierced, and I could not move my left hand properly. Swinging my sword around, I tried to escape into the shadows of the mountains. However, I felt a dull thump on my back. The heavy blow knocked me forward, and I fell headfirst to the ground. There are more than twenty black magicrafts¡­¡­I am already completely surrounded, and there is not even an escape route in sight. A Black Rabbit was ready with his black glowing weapon, and it looked like he was going to move to bury me soon. I¡¯m screwed¡­¡­. In a desperate pinch, my consciousness is painted black as I fall into the darkness¡­¡­.As I fall into such darkness, I remember a conversation I had with Nagisa not long ago¡­¡­. But you know, he¡¯s such a jerk, but he always shows up when I¡¯m in trouble, and even though he¡¯s weaker than me, he goes up against the bullies¡­ Nagisa was talking happily as she remembered the person she loved. I don¡¯t have such an existence now or in the past ¨C to be honest, I was jealous. If only I had someone like that to show up when I¡¯m in trouble¡­¡­ It¡¯s a futile fantasy, but if there were such a person who, like Nagisa¡¯s favorite person, was my own personal hero¡­¡­who showed up when I was in trouble¡­ The Black Rabbits raise their weapons ¨C it¡¯s over, everyone¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ At that moment, I saw the black rabbit raise his sword and his whole arm blown away. I felt as if a strong hot wind was blowing and in the blink of an eye, a white shadow appeared in front of me. White Magicraft¡­¡­ The white shadow was a white magic machine, he called to me. I¡¯m stunned and slow to think. I pause for a moment and reply sluggishly. ¡°Yes¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You looked like you were in trouble so I helped you anyway, but I thought what if you were an enemy?¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± While we were talking, the black rabbits attacked the white magicraft, and I couldn¡¯t help but call out to it, but it seemed to be none of my business. The white machine lightly avoided the enemy¡¯s surprise attack, and easily pierced the enemy magicraft with its slender sword. ¡°For now, stay where you are and I¡¯ll clear out the enemies.¡± It¡¯s easy to say that, but no matter how I look at it, the white magicraft was alone, and it¡¯s reckless for one person to fight 20 black rabbits. I tried to call out to him for his reckless words, but the white magicraft started moving so fast that he seemed to disappear. Unbelievably, the white magicraft had overwhelmed that black rabbit in speed. In addition, it was far superior in power, and with a single swing of a small dagger, the large black machine was blown to pieces. The Black Rabbits were being destroyed at a tremendous rate, and it seemed that he was going to do what he said he would do, just like the simple tone of his words. It¡¯s a different kind of superhuman movement from that of Nagisa, a powerful, linear male movement that makes my heart flutter¡­ What¡­¡­is this pounding in my chest! I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been listening to Nagisa, but that white magicraft that¡¯s saving me from a pinch has given me a feeling of excitement about the opposite sex that I¡¯ve never felt before¡­¡­.I thought love at first sight was an impossible word, I never thought I¡¯d feel this way about a man I hadn¡¯t even seen yet¡­¡­I was greatly confused. CH 139 A magicraft was in trouble, so I saved it, but to my surprise, it was a person from Amuria who was going to meet up with us. I¡¯m really glad that I didn¡¯t save an enemy. After clearing away the unpleasant enemy force of about 20 black magicrafts that had attacked us, I called out to the Amurian machine. ¡°Are you okay? You look like you have a shoulder injury.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, and my magicraft works just fine.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re all alone. You don¡¯t appear to have any companions.¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry to ask for your help, but I¡¯ve been attacked and my friends are in the middle of a battle, can you go with me to help them?¡± I thought it was strange to be alone in such a place but it seems they were attacked and she escaped alone. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go help them right away!¡± As I said this, Amuria¡¯s magicraft stood up dazedly and guided me to her companions. When I went to the place she led me to, her companions were still barely alive, and so I went to help them right away. There are about ten gray general-purpose machines surrounding them. While approaching the allied magicraft, I ran through and destroyed five of them with my Estoc and Maingauche. There are only four enemy machines surrounding the allied magicrafts. First, I defeat one of them by piercing its head and abdomen with Estoc, and then I fly the heads of two of them with Maingauche. The last one was prey as I pierced its abdomen with Estoc and cut his head win Maingauche to finish it off. I was relieved that everyone was alive and when I heard there are more allies in the back me and Arleo ran to their rescues as fast as I could. I ran in the direction I was told to go and immediately saw three machines fighting desperately. The three planes were huddled together while surrounded by about ten enemy magicrafts. I didn¡¯t know which side I was on because I left Amuria¡¯s magicraft behind and ran, but the machines surrounding them looked like the gray ones I had just defeated, and the inferior ones were probably my allies. The gray magicrafts noticed Arleo and immediately got into a fighting stance. If you¡¯re motivated, you don¡¯t need to be shy; I accelerated Arleo further and began to attack. First of all, I unleashed countless thrusts at super high speed, turning three magicrafts into a hive. Then, lowering my body, I approached the enemy machines as if to tackle them, but as I got up, I sent the heads of two of them flying with my Maingauche. The enemy attacked slowly, but I lightly repelled them with my Estoc and crushed their heads with my sword. The remaining enemies hurriedly tried to surround Arleo but as I spun around and thrust my Estoc, the enemy magicrafts were destroyed one by one. Once I defeated all the enemy magicraft, I asked Feri to make sure we were safe. ¡°Feri, do you detect any enemies in the vicinity?¡± ¡°Other than the friendlies we just saw, there¡¯s no sign of any magicrafts nearby.¡± Then we¡¯ll be fine. I can help the allied magicrafts without worry. ¡°Princess!¡± To my surprise, the rider of the first magicraft I saved was the princess of Amuria and the next ones were Temira¡¯s guide unit. ¡°I¡¯m a princess of a small country, please don¡¯t treat me like one.¡± ¡°All right. Princess Ranelle, I¡¯m going to meet up with the Emou army as soon as possible, but I¡¯m not sure if everyone can move.¡± ¡°Yes, one of the fast ride hovers was wrecked, but the other one is barely moving. All of the magicrafts are in shambles, but they can still walk.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s move.¡± I said this and headed for the rendezvous point where the Emou forces were waiting, but just before we got there, I spotted a large enemy force. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the invading forces of the Ruja Empire, they¡¯re going to find us if we keep going.¡± If it were just me, I¡¯d be able to break through, but I can¡¯t really go forward with a few battered magicrafts and a ride hover that¡¯s barely moving. Now, what to do¡­I had no choice but to consult Jean. ¡°Jan, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Hey, Yuta, how¡¯s the reconnaissance going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met up with Princess Ranelle of Amuria.¡± ¡°What? I thought you weren¡¯t going to the rendezvous point.¡± ¡°So let me tell you what¡¯s going on. I tried to take Princess Ranelle there, but there¡¯s a large enemy force deployed and we can¡¯t proceed.¡± ¡°We know about it. So here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do, you take Princess Ranelle and go around to the mountains to the northwest, we¡¯ll send a support team there to join you and come back.¡± ¡°All right, the mountain to the northwest.¡± I told Princess Ranelle and the others about my conversation with Jean, and headed for the mountains to the northwest, keeping an eye out for enemies. CH 140 It seemed that quite a few of the enemy had already arrived, and even if we bypassed them while avoiding the large troops, we would encounter their scouts. ¡°Quiet, enemy units.¡± It would be troublesome if they contacted the main force. I¡¯ll move quickly and destroy the enemy units before they can call reinforcements. Princess Ranelle and the Temira soldiers admired me as I cleared away the five enemy units in about ten seconds. ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone as skilled as this. I¡¯ve heard that the Emou army is strong, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m technically a mercenary hired by king Emou, we¡¯re called the Iron Knights.¡± I told her that to make our name known. Due to the large detour, we still had a long way to go to the northwest mountains. As it was getting dark, we took a short break. We decided to take a rest in the shade of the mountain where we could hide and have a good view of our surroundings. Just in case, I asked Feri to let me know if anything approached. I hadn¡¯t brought any food with me since I was only doing a light reconnaissance, but Temira¡¯s army had enough to share with me. It was then that I met Princess Ranelle for the first time in person. She was a lovely young lady with shining beautiful blond hair. She approached me fearfully as I ate, then she stared at me. If she wanted to talk to me, she could speak¡­¡­ ¡°Princess Ranelle, aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± I couldn¡¯t resist, so I called out to her. ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better eat when you can, because you never know what¡¯s going to happen later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? Well then, can I eat with you?¡° Looks like she¡¯s the type of person who doesn¡¯t like to eat alone, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse, so I agree. Princess Ranelle asked me while we were eating. ¡°Um¡­¡­may I ask your name?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Yuta.¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­.That¡¯s a nice name.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯ve never heard anyone say that before.¡± Princess Ranelle asked more questions, fidgeting for some reason. ¡°So, Yuta-san¡­¡­are you¡­¡­married or something?¡± ¡°What? Do I look that old? I¡¯m only 17¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re 17, you¡¯re already an adult, and you don¡¯t have a specific partner¡­¡­.¡± Oh, right, in this world, you are already an adult at 16. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any such plans or partners.¡± There is someone I like, though, Yuki Shirayuki. I wonder how she is doing¡­¡­.I want to see her¡­..And while I¡¯m at it, I wonder how Nagisa is doing, too, though I¡¯m unwilling to think of her when I think of someone I like. ¡°So you don¡¯t have a specific partner! Is that so~?¡± For some reason, Princess Ranelle seemed to be very happy. I¡¯m not sure if she had a bet with the people of Temira to see if I was married or not. ¡°Anyway, do you have a specific person in mind Princess Ranelle?¡± ¡°No need for a¡­¡­princess, you can call me Ranelle.¡± ¡°Well, what about you, Ranelle, don¡¯t you have someone in mind?¡± She seemed to want me to ask, so I did. ¡°I don¡¯t have a definite partner, but I do have¡­¡­a¡­..significant other.¡± ¡°Well, I hope it works out for you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ranelle replies cheerfully. She¡¯s a bit of a strange girl¡­¡­.Linnecarlo gets strange sometimes, but I wonder if all the royals in this world are like this. I asked Feri to keep an eye on the surroundings, and I took a nap in Arleo. I closed my eyes and tried to rest, but perhaps it was because I had talked like that with Ranelle earlier and thought about Yuki and Nagisa, but memories of the two of them flooded my mind and I couldn¡¯t sleep. Shirayuki is a firm person and excellent at everything she does, so I only have the image of her doing well in a world like this, but Nagisa seems to have some shortcomings so I¡¯m more worried about her. Yes, when I get a little more settled, I¡¯ll go see them. Maybe they¡¯d be a little happier if I do it¡­..While I was thinking about this, before I knew it, I was fading into a dream¡­ CH 141 I wonder how long it¡¯s been since I became a member of the Dark Wings, a special magicraft unit made up entirely of Highlanders¡­I feel like that strange auction was a long time ago. The Valkyria Empire has been promoting the expansion of its national power in order to gain the upper hand in the long-running conflict with the Kingdom of Lubel. In addition to increasing the number of riders and magicrafts, they were also aiming to expand their allied forces through diplomacy and secret agreements behind the scenes. The political marriage between Muda, the nephew of the Valkyria emperor, and Princess Natov of the Ruja Empire brought the relationship between the two empires much closer. After the death of the Ruja emperor, intense diplomatic pressure from the Valkyria Empire and the sudden death of his powerful successors led to the ascension of Muda to the throne of the Ruja Empire. The Ruja Empire has been transformed into a vassal state that can be manipulated at will by Valkyria. It became possible for the Ruja Empire to take control of the eastern region, which it had been unable to do due to tensions with the rival Kingdom of Lubel, and this was done in secret. With the support of Ruja in terms of supplies, the military power was rapidly increased. With the preparations in place, the plan was finally put into action. It was thought that the two forces that would become obstacles to the control of the east would be the Union of Eastern Nations and the Kingdom of Emou. The Kingdom of Emou was known for its strong military, and the King of Emou was highly regarded as the most brilliant man in the East. Because of these circumstances, they decided to go after the easier-to-control Eastern Alliance first. As planned, most of the Eastern Nations Alliance had been brought under the umbrella of the Ruja Empire by the prestige of Valkyria. Only Temira, the leader of the Eastern Alliance, and Amuria, with its strange sense of justice and refusal to be subjugated, remain. Unfortunately, these two countries will soon disappear from the continent. This is because the Ruja Empire, with support from the Valkyria Empire, has launched an armed invasion. With the eyes of the Kingdom of Lubel, it was difficult for the Valkyria army to participate in the war in earnest, but it was judged that a small number of reinforcements were possible, and at the order of the Emperor, who was very fond of his nephew, it was decided that we, the Wings of Darkness, would participate in the invasion of Temira to support the Ruja Empire. ¡°Is it really necessary for us Dark Wings to go out and conquer a small country like Temira?¡± My colleague Henkel complained when he heard about the mission to capture Temira. ¡°If it¡¯s just Temira, it¡¯s no problem, but I¡¯ve just received word that the Emou Kingdom is on the move. I heard that the Emou army is very strong.¡± Marder, also a colleague, replied. ¡°Still, they¡¯re no match for the Dark Wings, we¡¯re an elite unit of 20 Highlanders, we can take on Temira on our own, to be honest.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡± Both of them had absolute confidence in the Dark Wings to which they belonged. In Valkyria, there are even more powerful units that rank higher than the Dark Wings, but they are all proud to say that they are one of the best units in the continent. The Dark Wings all use the same type of magic machine. Each of them has their own customized weapons and coloring, but the substance is almost the same. ¡°Ren, I¡¯ve always wondered why your Icarus is so flashy in color.¡± Henkel said to me. It¡¯s true that my Icarus is canary yellow, far more flamboyant than the name ¡°Dark Wings¡± suggests. Well, I can¡¯t help it, I love the Brazilian national soccer team. Once we boarded the Darkwing Ride Carrier ¡°Tsukuba¡±, the captain explained the details of the mission in the meeting room. ¡°The invasion of Temira will be conducted solely by the Ruja Empire. Therefore, no specific role has been assigned to us, and we will move freely, focusing only on reducing the strength of the enemy forces.¡± ¡°If we are free, why don¡¯t we attack the enemy¡¯s capital at once, it would be quicker.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. If we make such a showy move, there¡¯s a chance that Lubel will notice us. If Lubel intervenes in this battle, even your empty head should understand that it will be a problem.¡± When the captain said this, Henkel fell silent. ¡°The mission this time is to strike the enemy¡¯s forces in a low-key manner. Specifically, in the fight for the Baruha Plateau, where a large-scale battle is expected.¡± We all felt that this mission would be easy and boring. I was no exception. It felt like one of those practice games we used to have with the soccer team against the weaker schools to get in shape before the big tournaments. CH 142 When we arrived at the northwestern mountain where we planned to rendezvous with the receiving troops, I asked Ranelle and the others to stay where they were, and I climbed to the top of the mountain to check the situation. From here I could see that Jean and the others were fighting a large enemy force. Looking further to the northeast, I saw that the enemy reinforcements were approaching. It¡¯s going to be tricky when those reinforcements start pouring in. But it¡¯s reckless to attack them with Ranelle and Temira¡¯s soldiers¡­¡­ What should I do?¡­¡­Well, when the troops arrive, I¡¯ll leave Ranelle and the others to them, and I¡¯ll take on the reinforcements alone. Yeah, let¡¯s do that. As I was thinking that, a signal was sent from below. It seemed something was wrong, so I hurried down. ¡°Yuta-san, enemy troops are approaching.¡± Ranelle said as soon as I got down. I couldn¡¯t see it from above because of the trees, but there was a medium-sized enemy force coming towards us. There were about fifty enemy magicrafts at a glance, it seemed they have already noticed us and were heading straight for us. If it was just one person, we might be able to escape, but it would be impossible for them to escape since they¡¯re all in bad shape. ¡°Ranelle, those numbers are hard to fight while protecting you, can you fall back and hide?¡± ¡°No matter how much¡­¡­Yuta, it¡¯s reckless for you to fight that many alone! I¡¯ll fight too!¡± ¡°Yes, let us fight too!¡± I¡¯m glad you feel that way, but to be honest, it¡¯s easier for me to fight alone, but it¡¯s not like I can tell you that you¡¯re slowing me down¡­¡­. ¡°All right, then, you¡¯ll take care of the enemies I failed to kill in the rear.¡± Ranelle and the others agreed with that and moved back. All right, then, let¡¯s fight like I¡¯m not going to let any of them get behind me. ¡°Master, there are 52 enemy magicrafts approaching, and it will take about 20 minutes to destroy them using only Arleo. There is a 65% chance that enemy reinforcements will arrive during that time, so I recommend avoiding combat if possible.¡± Feri advises me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t avoid a fight, and I don¡¯t want the enemy to move to the rear, is that possible?¡± ¡°It is currently impossible to prevent a;l of them from going to the rear.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡°currently¡±? Is there any way to make it possible?¡± ¡°You can only activate the flash mode for 10 minutes at a time, it is possible if you eliminate all enemies during that time.¡± ¡°What is flash mode?¡± ¡°What is Flash Mode?¡± ¡°When you swing Maingauche while in Flash Mode, it will emit an intense light that will dazzle a wide range of enemies, making it very effective in combat with a large number of enemies.¡± I see, I can use this to defeat the enemy while stalling them. The flashing mode could be switched by rotating the grip. When rotated, the shape of the Maingauche changes with a cracking sound. The spearhead of the enemy was approaching, so I gave it a try. I quickly waved the Maingauche in flash mode. Then a flash of intense light was emitted around me, and the approaching enemy magicraft stopped moving. Arleo¡¯s screen was equipped with a function that automatically adjusts the intensity of light by Rafishal, so Maingauche dazzle does not affect me. I pierced the enemy machine, which had stopped moving, with Estoc. This is very convenient. With this thing, I¡¯ll be able to take out that many opponents. However, the flash mode only lasted for 10 minutes, so I rushed to destroy the enemy troops. After using it I discovered that the range of the dazzle was much wider than I had imagined. It seemed to have an effect on magicrafts in a radius of about 50 meters, so I destroyed the dazzled enemies one after another while moving at high speed. However, I don¡¯t think this can be used in a melee where allies are nearby since it might even blind my friends. With a single flash, the enemy¡¯s magicrafts will be out of action for about five seconds. Five seconds of inactivity in a magicrafts battle is fatal. The enemy could hardly resist, and before they could even comprehend what was happening, most of the 52 enemy machines fell to the ground. The surviving enemy fighters, fearful of the unknown attack, fled at once. CH 143 When the enemies have been eradicated, Ranelle and her team come out from behind and approach me. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that one person could defeat an army of that size, even now that I¡¯ve seen it in person.¡± ¡°In addition, in such a short time¡­¡­who are you? I have heard that you are a mercenary, but I am surprised that there are any mercenaries so strong other than the Sword Saint.¡± The captain of Temira forces tells me so. It seems that I have succeeded in spreading the name of the Iron Knights. When Ranelle and the others were praising me, I received a message in the Spirit Box. When I answered, it was Emina. ¡°Yuta, we¡¯re about to arrive at the northwest mountain, how¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°Oh, the backup team is Emina?¡± ¡°Not only me, but also Nanami and 20 Emou troops.¡± When Emina said this, Nanami entered the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve come for you, Yuta!¡± ¡°What, are they going to be okay with me sending so much power?¡± ¡°Linnecarlo is doing great and Rafishal new weapon is very powerful, so Farma is having a blast.¡± ¡°Oh, Rafishal gave everyone else new weapons?¡± ¡°Yes, my bow gun became more powerful.¡± ¡°And Nanami¡¯s! This shield is amazing!¡± I see, it looks like Rafishal was preparing weapons for everyone, not just me. Shortly thereafter, I met up with Emina and the others. I explained to them that enemy reinforcements were on the way and told them to take care of the battered Temira soldiers and Ranelle. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to attack those reinforcements by yourself?¡± ¡°Yuta, you¡¯re being reckless again¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It would be troublesome if the reinforcements joined up with the troops fighting Jean and the others, and since there weren¡¯t that many of them, I thought I could handle it alone.¡± ¡°So how big are the reinforcements?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, I just took a quick look, but I¡¯d say it¡¯s about 200 magicrafts.¡± ¡±You know, Yuta, what if there are a lot of Highlanders and Double Highlanders among the 200 magicrafts, you might be in trouble.¡± ¡°No, I can kind of tell if there¡¯s a strong enemy, and there was no sign of that in those reinforcements, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you go take down a squadron of two hundred magicrafts by yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, just take care of Ranelle and the others.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Nanami, I¡¯m sorry, but you have to take Princess Ranelle and the others and join the main army.¡± ¡°No, no, no! Nanami wants to be with Yuta!¡± ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯m in trouble¡­¡­.¡± Ranelle, who was listening to the exchange of ideas, made a suggestion. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that we are damaged and battered, but we can still fight. If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯d like to participate in the battle.¡± The Temira soldiers agreed with Ranelle¡¯s opinion and pleaded with me. I¡¯d rather not, if I can help it, but I¡¯m not in the mood for it anymore. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll talk to Jean about it.¡± I said that because I thought Jean would agree with me¡­¡­ ¡°I see, well, if they want to fight, that¡¯s fine, I¡¯m in a good mood, so do what you want.¡± ¡°What? No, Jean, there¡¯s 200 of them! It¡¯s too dangerous! The princess is with them!¡± ¡°You idiot! You¡¯re too used to acting alone because you¡¯re so strong!¡¡You should learn how to fight while protecting your allies. It¡¯s good to be a knight who fights against many while protecting the princess. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to figure it out.¡± Jean, perhaps trusting in my strength, started to talk recklessly. The difficulty of fighting the enemy¡¯s reinforcements has gone up several notches, and my head hurts¡­ CH 144 The enemy reinforcements were quiet, but they were definitely approaching. Normally, I would be able to just rush in and fight them, but that¡¯s not going to happen this time. I had to think seriously about how to fight while protecting my companions. I was thinking of asking them to stay in the back like in the earlier battle and take out the enemies I missed, but Ranelle and the others seemed to be very motivated and wouldn¡¯t move from next to me. ¡°For now, let¡¯s all stick together and fight in formation so we don¡¯t get separated.¡± We can¡¯t defend ourselves if we¡¯re all moving separately. ¡°Yuta, I think the enemy has noticed.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the center, Nanami, you take the left, and Emina, you take the right. Everyone else, cover me from behind! Don¡¯t go forward at all!¡± After giving instructions, the enemy¡¯s spearhead unit immediately rushed in. Perhaps thinking they could easily overcome us with their numbers, they charged in roughly. I stood in the center of the formation and intercepted them. Fortunately, I was in a conspicuous position, and the majority of the enemy¡¯s spearhead troops rushed towards me. First of all, I turned several of them into beehives with a series of thrusts from Estoc. Then I move in and cut off the heads of the enemy magicrafts around me with Maingauche. After destroying about twenty magicrafts, the enemy felt threatened and began to attack more cautiously. They didn¡¯t charge at me carelessly, but instead gradually closed in around me trying to surround me. It¡¯s a little tricky when they do this¡­¡­. The enemy started targeting everyone but me. The first target was Nanami on the right, they probably thought she would be easy to defeat, but that was a big miscalculation. Nanami used the shield in her left hand to block the attacks of the enemy magicrafts that were rushing towards her, while steadily destroying them with the sword in her right hand. In addition, the ability of the shield that Rafishal had given her earlier was demonstrated. ¡°SHIELD GRAVITY!¡± Nanami shouted, and the ground around Vajra caved in, at the same time, the enemy magicrafts in that area were slammed to the ground. I was told later by Rafishal that the ability Nanami used was based on the Ludia core of the magicraft. I was convinced when I heard that it was the same principle as Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin¡¯s lightning strike. Incidentally, Rafishal¡¯s hobby is to use voice input as the activation key for the special ability. Emina¡¯s enhanced bowgun is an enchanted weapon, a technology that is slightly different from Nanami¡¯s shield. When an enemy magicraft is hit by an arrow from the bowgun fired by Artemis, it freezes quickly. Nanami shield ability is more powerful because it requires more physical and mental energy, but the Enchanted Weapon only strengthens physical ammo, so the Ludia load can be reduced and the effect is less dependent on the Ludia value. The three of us, have been able to repel most of the enemy forces attacking from the front, but the enemy is not stupid and is trying to take advantage of the difference in numbers to move around to the rear. If they continue to surround us, Ranelle and the others behind us will be in danger. I decided to leave the frontal assault to Nanami and Emina and go help them in the rear. There is a limit to the amount of support you can provide to multiple allies while moving around. I wish I had a long range weapon that could cover them from the spot¡­¡­.I immediately thought of the magic bullet, but the magic bullet, which can only fire one shot, would be a decisive attack, but it was not going to be useful in the current situation. I consulted with Feri to see if there was any other way and she told me the best method to do it. ¡°Transform Maingauche and Estoc into assault mode.¡± ¡°Assault mode? What¡¯s that, can they transform into anything other than flash mode?¡± ¡°Yes, Maingauche and Estoc can be used in three special modes.¡± There are three special modes ¨C well, I guess I¡¯ll find out when I try them, so I asked Feri how to transform. First, I rotated the handle of Maingauche in the opposite direction of the flash mode and it transformed into a gun handle. Then I inserted Estoc into the hole made in the blade of the Maingauche. As he pushed the inserted Estoc in while rotating it from its handle, it turned into a tube. Pulling the handle of the pushed-in Estoc again, it transforms into a gun barrel, completing its transition into assault mode. ¡°Hold your assault weapon. Arleo¡¯s screen will be changed to scope mode.¡± When I hold up the transformed Maingauche as Feri said, the screen is magnified and a circular marker appears. Then, I align the circular marker with an enemy magicraft and pull the trigger. Bash! A thin streak of light made a sound and extended to the targeted enemy magicraft ¨C and when the light hit, the part that was hit was blasted away. It is similar to the magic bullet, the lines are thinner and the power is not as strong but it¡¯s enough to damage the enemy machines. ¡°Assault bullets are light-attribute projectiles. Unlike physical bullets, they are light bullets generated using master¡¯s Ludia. If you use them in succession, they will drain your strength and energy, so please be careful.¡± That means I¡¯ll get tired if I use it too much, well, let¡¯s see how fatigued I get after using it for real. I looked around for a friendly magicraft that was struggling, then I set up my assault weapon and fired a light bullet. CH 145 The canyon south of the Luzhan Mountains ¨C the only road in the area that is passable for ride carriers, and a key point for Temira. A small fort had been built in the canyon, and we, the Amurian army, were stationed there. ¡°Dad, I think they¡¯re here.¡± Yukiha, who was looking into the distance with binoculars, reported. ¡°So this is where King Arpa¡¯s Zarfract army will attack.¡± How did Majni know that the attacking army was Zarfract with a single glance? It was because the flagship of the enemy army was a flashy pink color. ¡°It¡¯s a ride carrier with poor taste, as usual.¡± ¡°It may look bad, but it¡¯s offensive capabilities can¡¯t be underestimated. It¡¯s equipped with five powerful long-range ballistae.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, we can¡¯t be careless.¡± Seeing the enemy approaching the fort, Yukiha gives orders to her subordinates. ¡°All troops, prepare for battle! Get into position!¡± The magicrafts of the Amurian army are deployed above the ravine. All of the magic machines in position were equipped with arrows. They were hastily prepared in anticipation of a defensive battle for the fort. I also set up my bow from the top of the fort. I belonged to the archery club in high school, and I was confident in my bow skills. Even though I was riding a magicraft, the feeling of drawing a bow was not that different. Six ride carriers are approaching the fort. The enemy¡¯s magicrafts are approaching from cover, using the ride carriers as shields, indicating that they are wary of our attack. ¡°Shoot the arrows!¡± At Yukiha¡¯s command, arrows were fired from the fort all at once. They hid themselves in the shadows of the ride carriers, but the arrows fired from right above the canyon went over the ride carriers and hit the enemy¡¯s magicraft troops. I could hear the sound of the arrows hitting the ground and the sound of explosions destroying the enemy machines. The enemy wasn¡¯t taking the attack quietly either, and as if on cue the Ride Carrier¡¯s ballista guns were unleashed in unison, while the enemy magicraft troops rushed toward the fort¡¯s walls. Seeing the enemy closing in, the bow attacks of the Amurian army also intensified. The walls of the fort were not that strong, so they would be broken by the attacks of the ballistae and the enemy¡¯s magicrafts. ¡°Nagisa! Let¡¯s move out and hit the enemy vanguard unit!¡± Jihad calls out to me. I put down the bow I was shooting at the enemy forces and replaced it with my sword. The Amurian army¡¯s magicraft troops that went out to battle numbered 20, and the enemy machines attached to the fort¡¯s walls numbered 50. Although we were outnumbered with the support of the bows of our fellow magicrafts from above, we could still manage to fight. Jihad, I, and Delphine attacked the enemy troops. We wielded our swords mercilessly against the enemy troops who were preoccupied with destroying the wall. With one step, I swung my sword three times and took out two enemy machines with three blows, and with a second step, I swung my sword four times and sent the heads of four enemy magicrafts flying. It is often said that there is no first strike in Aikido, but this is not true. In order to destroy the signs of an opponent¡¯s attack, you must attack aggressively, and if you think you have a chance to win, you must be willing to finish him off with a single blow. Although it is only a self-defense technique, the idea of protecting oneself by winning the battle is a prerequisite. I was particularly aggressive, and my father, who was my master, used to get angry with me. However, I believed that the ironclad rule of warfare was that you should never hesitate to protect yourself and your friends. Ten steps in, and with the help of Jihad, Delphine, and the others who had come out to fight, most of the 50 enemy magicrafts had been defeated. ¡°Good, let¡¯s pull out before the enemy surrounds us!¡± It is dangerous to stay outside the fort for too long. We accomplished our objective and quickly retreated back inside the fort. With all the troops close to the city walls wiped out, the enemy forces could no longer approach carelessly. However, the attack of the Ride-Carrier ballistae intensified, and a fierce firefight began with the Amurian forces from the fort. ¡°The armor on the enemy¡¯s ride carriers can¡¯t be penetrated by the arrows or the fort¡¯s ballistae.¡± ¡°But our fort¡¯s walls have accumulated so much damage that it¡¯s not fair.¡± Yukiha lamented this as she looked at the crumbling walls. ¡°At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they break through the walls.¡± Majni muttered sadly. If we don¡¯t do something about it, they will break through the walls. If this happens, the Amurian army, which is outnumbered, will be at an overwhelming disadvantage. ¡°That pink ride carrier is ridden by the king of the enemy army, right?¡± ¡°Yeah? Well, yes, but¡­¡­what about it?¡± ¡°No, I thought that if I could destroy it, the enemy army would retreat¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but how are you going to do it?¡± ¡°If that thing comes crashing down, the pink ride carrier won¡¯t have a chance.¡± What I saw was a large chunk of rock at the top of the canyon. Yukiha and Majni looked at it too and agreed with me. ¡°Sure, if that thing fell, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but how are you going to drop a rock that size?¡± ¡°I have an idea.¡± I said, and they were ready to listen with great interest. CH 146 It would be extremely difficult to break or move a huge rock. However, I was thinking that I could destroy a small rock that was supporting the huge rock. A small imbalance can have big consequences, and that huge rock would roll downward under its own weight with just a little imbalance. The mission to drop the huge rock had to be done by a small number of people because it would be impossible to accomplish if the enemy noticed and moved the ride carrier. ¡°Leave the destruction of the rocks to Yukiha and Nagisa, while Jihad and Delphine to draw the enemy¡¯s attention.¡± Jihad responded confidently to Majni¡¯s words. ¡°Leave it to me, I don¡¯t need to rely on rocks to sweep away the enemy army.¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the way to talk to the king of your country, but Majni didn¡¯t seem to mind. Yukiha and I climbed up to the ridge of the canyon where there was a huge rock from a blind spot so that the enemy would not see us. At the same time, the Amurian army, led by Jihad and Delphine, began a flashy attack to attract the enemy¡¯s attention. When I got close to the huge rock, I suddenly felt a presence. And before I had time to hide, I came face to face with a platoon of enemy magicrafts climbing up from the other side. ¡°Enemy! Oh no, they must have figured out our plan!¡± Yukiha said, but if they were aware of the mission, they would have moved their flagship¡¯s ride carrier. But the flashy pink ride carrier showed no signs of moving. ¡°No, they must not be aware of the mission! Let¡¯s take care of them first.¡± Before we could launch an attack, the enemy magicrafts moved. They held daggers in their hands and approached us at a hurried pace. I pulled out my sword and intercepted the enemy. There were six of them, all lightly armored, thin-wired magicrafts that didn¡¯t seem to have much power, but they moved fast. The first magicraft attacked me with a dagger, gripping the blade underneath and aiming for my head. I avoided it by twisting my body, and slashed it with my sword, cutting off its neck. Without pausing, a second plane came at me from the front with a dagger and aiming for Labella¡¯s abdomen. Before the blade could reach me, I swung my sword horizontally and cut his head. The third and fourth magicrafts saw that the previous two had been killed and became more cautious in their attacks. Seeing this, I stepped in and approached the two, with the bottom of my left palm, I blew away one of them and swung my sword diagonally down on the other, cutting it in half from shoulder to waist, then I thrust my sword into the enemy that was blown away and finished him. The other two were attacking Yukiha¡¯s Ewart. Yukiha¡¯s Ewart was equipped with a flail, an unusual weapon consisting of an iron ball connected to a chain at the end of a club. Yukiha swung the flail with all her might and struck the enemy magicraft in the face with the iron ball. The enemy face caved in, and it fell backwards, emitting a sizzling sound and white steam. The last of the enemy magicrafts tried to escape. I quickly got behind it and destroyed its head with my sword. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got that out of the way, let¡¯s drop the boulder quickly.¡± We certainly needed to hurry. My friends were fighting down there, but they were outnumbered and the situation was not looking good. If we don¡¯t do something, a lot of damage will be done. In Aikido, you can read your opponent¡¯s weight shift and the amount of force being applied, and use that to your advantage when applying techniques. In the same way, I stared at the rocks lined up in a messy manner and identified the right weak points. ¡°Yukiha, I¡¯m going to break that rock.¡± Yukiha nodded and readied her flail, while I readied my sword and prepared to attack. Then, as if on cue, we both struck the rock at the same time with all our might. The first blow didn¡¯t destroy the rock, it only cracked it, so we continued to unleash another blow on the rock ¨C there was a dry cracking sound and the targeted rock collapsed and broke. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get away.¡± We quickly took off, if we stayed there we would also be caught in the fall of the giant boulder. For a while, there was no change, but then the area around the crumbling rock began to shift a bit, and eventually collapsed like an avalanche. The huge rock was also slowly being pulled downward by gravity. At that point, the enemy realized what was happening and rushed to move the ride carrier, but there was no way they could get off the way fast enough to avoid it. The huge rock hit the pink ride carrier, crushing it and bending it in half. CH 147 We crushed the Zarfract flagship Ride Carrier with a huge rock and probably killed the Zarfract King, Arpa, who was aboard that ship. After the general was defeated, the army immediately began to retreat. When Yukiha saw the Zarfract army returning to the path they had come from, she looked relieved and said, ¡°That should keep the Zarfract army at bay for a while.¡± ¡°But with so many enemies still out there, isn¡¯t it possible that they could come back tomorrow and resume their attack?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. It¡¯s not a normal military commander that has been killed. The king¡¯s disappearance is a big deal for the kingdom, and they¡¯ll have to deal with a lot of troublesome domestic issues for a while, so there¡¯s no time for war.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Majni¡¯s thoughts were the same as Yukiha¡¯s, and he expected the Zarfract to be out of action for a while. ¡°The threat of an invasion from the south of the Luzhan Mountains has been drastically reduced with the defeat of the Zarfract forces. However, Temira is still under threat, and I just received a report from Lord Beda that the defense forces on the Balha Plateau are being outnumbered.¡± ¡°Since the threat of an invasion from the Luzhan Mountains has diminished, maybe we should head to the Balha Plateau to reinforce the defense, we¡¯ll be doomed if the Holy City falls.¡± ¡°I was thinking about that too. Yukiha, Nagisa, Jihad, and Delphine, lead the army to the Balha Plateau.¡± Majni-san was to remain at the fort in the Luzhan Mountains with a force of about ten magicrafts, and we were to head for the Balha Plateau as reinforcements for Temira¡¯s army. By the time we arrived at the Balha Plateau, Temira¡¯s forces had been reduced to about half their strength. Still, I think they fought well against more than twice as many enemies. ¡°Lord Beda, with the death of King Arpa of Zarfract, the possibility of an invasion from the south of the Luzhan Mountains has been reduced, and we have come to your aid.¡± Yukiha informs Lord Beda. Lord Beda looks quite worn out, perhaps from the heartache of being outnumbered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­if the Amurian army hadn¡¯t come, this place would have fallen tomorrow.¡± The enemies deployed on the Balha Plateau were the forces of the Ruja Empire and the coalition of Eastern Alliance countries. Their numbers were overwhelming, with over 500 magicrafts. Temira¡¯s forces had already lost half of their strength, and even if they joined forces with our Amurian forces, their strength was still only 150 magicrafts, which was a pretty bad war situation. It was only a matter of time before we would be defeated at this rate. Yukiha checked the situation of the allied Emou forces. In the worst case scenario, even if it was just a little bit, she wanted to see if they could reinforce us. ¡°Ranelle, what¡¯s the status of the Emou army?¡± ¡°Looks like the Emou forces are winning the fight.¡± ¡°Looks like, Ranelle, you¡¯ve joined up with the Emou forces, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Technically, we haven¡¯t joined up with the main Emou army yet, I¡¯m working with a detachment right now, and we¡¯re trying to join up with the main army, but there¡¯s a lot going on.¡± ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re okay¡­¡­.On a different note, the situation on the Balha Plateau is pretty bad, so if the Emou forces can afford it, could you talk to them about sending reinforcements our way?¡± ¡°What about the Luzhan Mountains?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already defeated the Zarfract army on that side, don¡¯t worry, father is staying behind to protect the place.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll talk to Emou about sending reinforcements to the Balha Plateau.¡± We needed to hold on hoping for reinforcements from our allies, the Emou forces. A meeting was held to decide our course of action. ¡°Now that we¡¯re defending the fort on this hill, we can hold the line, but if they take it, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Lord Beda explained, pointing to a spot on the map. Yukiha nodded her head and listened. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s going to be important to defend that hilltop fort¡­¡­.Okay, the Amurian army should head there to reinforce the fort.¡± When Yukiha said this, Lord Beda let out a sigh of relief and thanked her. ¡°I would appreciate it if you would do that. However, the enemy seems to fully understand the importance of the fort, and their attacks are becoming more and more fierce. It¡¯s going to be a tough fight, but I¡¯m counting on you.¡± The fort was defended by 6 ballistae and 30 magicrafts. Together with the Amurian troops it would be a force of 80 magicrafts and four ride carriers. I don¡¯t know how large the enemy¡¯s force will be, but Yukiha and I both thought that we would not be defeated so easily. CH 148 We managed to clear out the enemy reinforcements. It was a complete victory with no damage to Ranelle and the rest of the Emou army. The battle was over, and I checked my current position in order to join the main force. ¡°If we go straight, we¡¯ll be right in the middle of the enemy¡¯s main force. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just us, but it¡¯s hard to have Ranelle and the others fight a lot.¡± ¡°Yes and the main force will probably be larger than the reinforcements, so it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Emina and I agreed and decided to go around and meet up with our main force. As a result of our discussion, we chose a route around the eastern mountains that would be easy for the ride hover and damaged magicrafts to follow. Since we were moving along with Temira¡¯s damaged magicrafts, it took us some time, but we made steady progress without encountering any enemies. However, since it seemed impossible to meet up with the main force today due to time constraints and everyone was tired from the battle with the reinforcements, we decided to hide ourselves in a large cave we found while moving and take a rest. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of meat. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± The ceiling inside the cave was high, there was air flowing deep into the cave, and no smoke leaked out, so they built a fire and cooked a big chunk of meat. ¡°The Emou people caught it in the forest,¡± Emina told us. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°We Emou people are hunters by nature, so this is no problem for us. Please don¡¯t hesitate to eat a lot, Yuta-san.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I thanked him and took a bite of the meat he shared with me. The Emoans also offered me alcohol, but I politely declined. Emoans usually drink alcohol even on the battlefield, and they drink so much that I wondered what they would do if the enemy attacked. On the other hand, the people of Temira were the complete opposite, refusing to drink at all because they were on duty. I was impressed by the cultural differences between these two nearby countries. ¡°Does Ranelle drink alcohol?¡± I was curious about the Amurian people, so I asked Ranelle. ¡°Well, uh¡­¡­I usually drink a little, but not now that I¡¯m on the battlefield¡­¡­when this battle is over¡­¡­well¡­¡­I¡¯m hoping to be able to celebrate with Yuta-san¡­¡­.¡± I wanted to say that I don¡¯t like to drink, but I guess she meant that we should work hard together to win this battle, regardless of whether we drink or not. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s celebrate together.¡± When I said that, Ranelle somehow turned red and looked down. That big chunk of meat was all eaten, thanks to the efforts of Nanami, who loves meat. Now that my stomach is full, I¡¯m going to take a little nap to rest my body¡­ After sleeping for a long time, I felt a strange presence and jumped up. When I looked, Ranelle was standing there looking at me. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay. I have to get up. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I got a call from my sister on the Balha Plateau, and she wanted me to contact the Emou military as soon as possible.¡± I can tell from Ranelle¡¯s impatient expression that she is in a hurry. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll use my Arleo to communicate.¡± After boarding Arleo, I communicated with Fugaku. ¡°This is Yuta, Jean, are you there?¡± ¡°Oh, Yuta, thank you for your help with the reinforcements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but Ranelle wants to talk to you.¡± ¡°This is Ranelle from Amuria. I¡¯m sorry, what is the status of the Emou army¡¯s war situation?¡­..Actually, the battle on the Balha plateau is quite dangerous, and we would like to ask for help if possible¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see, we have the upper hand, and I think we¡¯ll wrap things up by the end of the day. I understand your request for help, but it will take time to send the entire Emou army, so if you are in a hurry, let Yuta go first.¡± Jean makes the decision easily, without my permission. If it¡¯s an emergency, it¡¯s definitely faster for me to go ahead by myself, so I agree. ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯m going to head to the Balha plateau first, since there seems to be no place for me to be active back there.¡± ¡°Yuta-san you can¡¯t go alone, I¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡°No, since we¡¯re in a hurry, it¡¯ll be faster if I go alone. Ranelle, you come with Emina and the Emou army.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. I just need to get there and help Ranelle¡¯s people.¡± I persuaded Ranelle, who for some reason wanted to go with me, that there was a three-fold difference in movement speed between me alone and others, and we quickly prepared to head for the Balha Plateau. CH 149 The enemy attack resumed with increasing fury, probably because they saw that reinforcements had arrived at the fort on the hill. A large enemy force was closing in, led by five ride-carriers. ¡°All ballistae, prepare to fire!¡± The captain of the Temira army guarding the fort shouts out. The inside of the fort was in a flurry of activity to deal with the oncoming enemy forces. We, the Amurian army, are also making preparations to intercept the enemy. ¡°Put that ride carrier on the side of the fort to thicken the walls! The First Magicraft Squadron will defend the fort, and the Second Magicraft Squadron will intercept the enemy in front of the main gate!¡± Following Yukiha¡¯s instructions, everyone took their positions. I, along with Jihad and Delphine, waited for the enemy in front of the main gate of the fort. To be honest, I was a little afraid of the large army marching towards us. ¡°There are roughly three hundred of them¡­¡­and eighty of us, so it¡¯s going to be a tough fight, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Huh, it¡¯s just numbers, we have the better quality and morale of the troops.¡± A ballista arrow was launched from the enemy¡¯s ride carrier, which signaled the start of the battle. The enemy spearhead¡¯s Ride-Carrier and magicrafts were closing in on the fort like a flood. The enemy troops were rushing to destroy the main gate of the fort. In order to intercept them, arrows were fired simultaneously from the ballista and by the magicrafts from the fort. The arrows skewered and felled the enemy machines one after another. However, there were so many enemies that many of them dodged the arrows and came to the front gate. At the front gate, we entered into a fierce melee with the enemy magicrafts. I swung my large axe and cut down the enemy magicraft that attacked me with a sword, then ran and cut off the head of the approaching enemies. As I cut down the enemy magicrafts that were closing in on me, I also killed the ones that were attacking my friends. I was in a more aggressive state of mind than usual, thinking that the faster I killed the enemies, the more my allies would be saved. We took down the avalanche of enemy magicraft, and the battle situation in front of the main gate seemed to be going in our favor. However, such illusory superiority was drowned out with a roar. With a buzzing sound, a round barrel-like object flew out and hit the fort¡¯s wall. Then there was a roar and the walls were blown away, engulfing the ballistae that had been set up. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Yukiha shouted in surprise at the unknown attack. ¡°It came from the enemy¡¯s ride carrier, a new weapon prepared by Ruja¡­¡­.¡± Jihad thought so, but Yukiha denied it. ¡°There¡¯s no way Ruja could have prepared such a weapon¡­¡­.It was probably provided by the Valkyria Empire. I don¡¯t know exactly where the weapon came from, but it didn¡¯t change the reality that this attack was destroying allied ballistae and the walls of the fort one after another, and we were quickly pushed into a corner. ¡°All of the fort¡¯s ballistae and half of the magicraft squadron deployed on the city walls have been destroyed!¡± The enemy¡¯s magic machines were closing in on the fort, which had completely lost its defensive capabilities. In the past, we had the advantage of support from the fort, but once that support was gone, there was nothing we could do to stop them, as we were outnumbered. ¡°All troops in front of the main gate, retreat inside the fort!¡± Without needing to be told by Yukiha, we fled into the fort. ¡°Protect the main gate! If the enemy gets inside, we¡¯ll be defeated.¡± ¡°The ride carrier is on fire¡­¡­.¡± A fire rises from the ride carriers placed on the sides of the fort. An even louder explosion echoed, and the entire ride carrier was seen to be destroyed. ¡°If the walls on the side of¡­¡­are breached, it will be very difficult¡­¡­¡± Yukiha¡¯s fears were realized when, with a loud roar, a sidewall blew up ¨C and a huge hole opened up through which an avalanche of enemy magicrafts came. CH 150 I felt a weird sensation when I saw the number of enemy magicrafts moving into the fort. The fear of harming myself was greater than the fear of my friends being in danger. ¡°All troops fall back to the center fort headquarters!¡± At this time, the Temira commander who was in charge of the fort had already been killed in battle or was no longer in command. Instead, Yukiha gave the orders. The fort¡¯s headquarters was a large, solid stone building where our allies were crammed into as they fled. I was at the entrance of the headquarters, desperately trying to prevent the enemy from entering. At this time, the number of allied magicrafts that could move had already been reduced to about 30, and the enemy machines that had entered the fort were over 100, putting us at an absolute disadvantage in numbers. If I don¡¯t do something, everyone is going to¡­¡­ I focus my consciousness ¨C I dive into the deepest depths of my consciousness as soon as possible. The power to protect everyone, the power to defeat the enemy, I force it out from the depths of my mind. Even when I was concentrating, the enemy would not wait for me and would keep attacking. I was unconsciously moving Labella to counter the attacks. I avoided the attacks and exploited their power to destroy the enemy magicrafts. I was fighting half unconscious. The wreckage of countless enemy machines lay around me. However, I heard a shout that broke my concentration. ¡°Aah!¡± When I looked, I saw that Yukiha¡¯s Ewart had been skewered by an enemy spear ¨C a heart-stopping shock that gripped my chest. ¡°Yukiha!¡± I hurriedly ran over to Ewart and cut down the enemy magicrafts around him with my sword. Then I pulled out the spear that was piercing him. ¡°Yukiha, are you okay?¡± ¡°I am fine¡­¡­but it looks like my elemental line was damaged and I can¡¯t move properly.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll take care of this Yukiha, stand back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.Nagisa¡­¡­¡± I looked around and saw that there were only about ten magicrafts left on our side. Jihad and Delphine were doing their best, but their magicrafts were already in shambles, and Delphine Basim had lost one of his arms. I stood up in front of the fort headquarters to protect everyone and everything. I will defeat all my enemies! With that in mind, I held up my sword. The enemy rushes towards me as I am standing on my knees ¨C swaying and avoiding the attack; I attack the enemy machine¡¯s weak points with minimal movement and disable it¡­¡­.It is not necessary to destroy them completely, just stop them from moving. After defeating about 20 enemy magicrafts, the movement of the enemy army changed to a zigzag pattern. The enemy magicrafts that had been surrounding me slowly moved back. I wonder if they¡¯re pulling out, that would be great¡­¡­. However, such expectations were shattered. Instead of the enemy machines that had pulled back, a group of machines with a special color pattern came forward. They were the same type of magic machines, but all in different colors. As I wondered what kind of people they were, Yukiha told me in a trembling voice. ¡°No! Nagisa, you can¡¯t fight that group! That black wing emblem is the symbol for the Dark Wings of Valkyria! If you fight them, they¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Dark Wings¡­¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re all Highlanders or better, you¡¯re no match for them as a half-radar! Let¡¯s just surrender¡­¡­.There¡¯s no way we can win¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What happens if I surrender?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about that¡­¡­because if you surrender, everyone¡¯s life will be spared.¡± ¡°Yukiha! If everyone is spared, what happens to you if I surrender?¡± Yukiha¡¯s tone was uncomfortable, so I questioned her about it. ¡°Based on what¡­¡­Valkyria and Ruja have done so far, as a commander and a member of the royal family, I¡¯m probably going to be¡­¡­executed, but that¡¯s okay, my life doesn¡¯t matter as long as everyone is saved.¡° Surrender is absolutely not an option if Yukiha is to be killed. I held my sword up to the dark wing that was slowly approaching me. CH 151 There are about twenty Darkwing Magicrafts approaching, trying to surround me. I slowly adjust Labella¡¯s position to avoid being surrounded, and prepare for the enemy¡¯s attack. Two enemy magicrafts attacked simultaneously from both sides. The speed of their attacks was faster than anything I¡¯d ever seen before. I quickly crouched down to avoid the attacks and immediately tried to counterattack by swinging my sword, but another enemy machine stabbed me with a long spear. It was a sharp, quick thrust, and I stopped fighting back and avoided it by rolling forward. Two new enemy magicrafts were waiting for me at the end of my roll. With a large sword and an axe attached to the end of a long stick, they attacked Labella. I quickly twisted my body and managed to avoid the attacks. All the attacks were too fast and I couldn¡¯t counterattack as usual. I thought that there would be no chance of winning if I continued to be attacked like this, so I decided to attack even if I had to force myself a little. When the enemy magicraft slashed at me from the right with a circular moon-shaped sword, I took a step in the opposite direction and approached it, thrusting my sword out and poking it in the chest. As usual, I felt the sword pierce the enemy machine, but the strength of the body caused the sword to slide sideways with an unpleasant squeaking sound. Not wanting to give up, I pulled the sword back once, and with more force this time, slammed the sword into the neck of the enemy magicraft. The sword stabbed deeply into the neck of the enemy machine, but it was stuck there. The enemy collapsed to the ground, leaving the sword in its neck. I finally killed one of the planes in exchange for a sword, but there was no time to rest, and now I was attacked from three directions at once. I fended off the attack of the enemy plane in front of me by shifting my body, then I grabbed its right arm and used its strength to drag it down to the ground. Using the defeated enemy machine as a shield, I blocked the attacks of the other two magicrafts. However, at that moment, I felt a shock around my left shoulder. I was looking for the right way to block the attack of the three machines, and was hit by a spear blow from behind. The parts on my left shoulder popped off and made a nasty sound. I half-turned my body and approached the enemy that was attacking me with a spear, then I lifted its leg and twisted it with all of Labella¡¯s body. A dry crunching sound was heard, and the enemy magicraft legs were crushed to pieces. However, the enemy magicraft caught Labella firmly in both arms while it¡¯s legs were shattered. Labella¡¯s movement was blocked, and she was attacked relentlessly from four directions. I further twisted the legs of the battered enemy machine that was clinging to me, and swapped positions with it. The high-pitched sound of iron rubbing against iron echoed countless times, and the enemy magicraft that had become my shield was turned into a cruel wreck. I managed to prevent the attack, but Labella was not unharmed. Part of its head was gouged out and the armor on its waist was ripped off. The situation was not getting any better as the four machines surrounding me were raising their weapons, ready to unleash another attack. ¡°Nagisa!¡± At the same time as Yukiha¡¯s shout, the four enemy planes that had surrounded us stopped attacking and looked at something else. I also looked towards their gaze ¨C and saw a battered Ewart closing in to help me. Jihad¡¯s Idante and Delphine¡¯s Basim had followed suit and were running towards me. Another enemy magicraft, different from the four around me, approached Yukiha and the others in a carefree manner and lightly swung its sword to send their heads flying. When I saw the shocking sight of the heads of the three magicraft heads being blown off, my vision went black ¨C I guess I lost a bit of consciousness, and the next thing I saw was myself being restrained by the enemy machines on both sides, in addition, in front of me stood a magicraft holding a large sword. With some kind of signal, the large sword was swung down. I could clearly feel Labella¡¯s right arm being cut off. Labella was forced to stand up and was put in front of the enemy machine that had cut off it¡¯s right hand. The enemy machine with its sword at the ready swung it down without mercy. This time, my left hand was cut off ¨C it seems that the enemy is trying to kill me. I guess they were pissed off that their buddies got killed, even if it was only two magicrafts¡­¡­ At this time, when I had lost both my hands and could do nothing to resist¡­¡­I unconsciously remembered my favorite childhood friend¡­ The neighborhood bully, who has been learning Aikido since he was a little boy, was not my enemy, and when I caught him bullying another kid, I would beat him up and scold him. As usual, the bully was taking away other kids¡¯ toys and bullying them, and I didn¡¯t hesitate to help them, but unfortunately, the bully¡¯s older brother was with him that day. Against a boy who was not much older than me, I was taken down and hit in the face with his fist many times. I was strong and feisty, so I didn¡¯t cry, but that only made him angrier. They kept hitting me without cursing me for being a woman or telling me to hurry up and cry. Everyone ignored me except for one person¡­¡­.Yuta screamed my name and threw himself at the bully¡¯s brother. As he was distracted I grabbed him and bit him on the arm. The bully¡¯s brother was older than us, but still a child and the bite must have hurt so much that he finally started crying out loudly. Yuta must have been so scared, because with a crying face, he said, ¡°Nagisa, are you okay?¡± From then on, whenever I was in a pinch, Yuta would always show up, and he would always save me when I needed help. I¡¯m still in that moment right now. However, I had already given up on that thought as it would be impossible this time. I looked over and saw that the enemy was about to swing his sword, perhaps for the last time, at Labella¡­.Sorry, guys¡­¡­.Sorry, Yuta¡­¡­.I think I¡¯m going to die here¡­¡­. [Don¡¯t give up.] From somewhere in my mind, I heard Yuta¡¯s voice. I followed the voice and quickly twisted my body to avoid the final blow. ¡°You won¡¯t dodge the next attack!¡± The magicraft that swung the sword down warned me, and the others held Labella down and made her unable to move. I can¡¯t even avoid it anymore. ¡°I hate you for killing my friends, die!¡± With that, the sword swung down. ¡°Yuta, help me!¡± I knew I couldn¡¯t reach him, but I still shouted. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact of the sword that was about to swing down. However, I did not feel the blow for a long time. I wondered if this was what it would be like to die, and slowly opened my closed eyes. The first thing I saw was the cruel figure of the magicraft that had swung its sword down. It¡¯s head was gone, and the arm that had held the sword was also missing. For a moment, I didn¡¯t know what had happened. However, the enemy machines that were grabbing me were blown up and torn in half. I realized that an unknown magicraft had saved me. The magicraft was white, beautiful, and strong ¨C those strong dark wings were overwhelmed, as if he was dealing with children. The white magicrafts overlaps with Yuta image in my childhood. He wasn¡¯t that strong, but somehow his movements seemed to be very similar to his. I was tempted to think that Yuta had come to save me on his magicraft, but that would be a fleeting fantasy. CH 152 ¡°Feri, I¡¯m in a hurry and would like to avoid fighting on the way, can you tell me a suitable route?¡± ¡°Understood, sir. I¡¯ll make reducing travel time a top priority.¡± I was in a hurry, but the roads I was moving on were so bad that they couldn¡¯t even be called roads, and I was forced to climb over some cliffs. Somehow I managed to overcome Feri¡¯s unreasonable route selection and arrived at the destination, the Balha Plateau, about half a day after my departure. In the Balha Plateau, fierce battles were being fought over a wide area. ¡°Feri, can you identify friendlies?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve analyzed Amurian beacon crystals.¡± ¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s go help our allies.¡± I returned the assault weapon to its original state of Maingauche and Estoc and charged into the battlefield. ¡°30 degrees right, we¡¯re losing friendly magicrafts.¡± I followed Feri¡¯s navigation and helped my allies in distress. Since there are so many enemies, I try not to spend too much time on one machine at a time, and try to destroy them with the Estoc and Maingauche. When we had killed about 50 enemy magicrafts, Feri made a suggestion. ¡°Master, I believe the fort on the hill belongs to our side, but it is about to be overrun by the enemy. It is a key point in this battle, and I recommend that you stop them.¡± I looked up the hill and saw a fort surrounded by a large enemy force. ¡°Oh, that fort, all right. If it¡¯s an important place, I¡¯ll help them right away.¡± As I ran up the hill and approached the fort, the enemy noticed Arleo¡¯s presence and rushed towards me. At a rough count, there were nearly a hundred of them, but I still charged into the group. While spinning around, I unleash a series of thrusting attacks with my Estoc. The surrounding area is full of enemies, so even a random thrust will get a hit. I use the Maingauche in my left hand to fend off the enemy attacks, and approach the fort while destroying them with my Estoc thrusts. When I got close to the castle wall, I felt a strange feeling of dread come over me. What¡¯s this feeling¡­¡­I¡¯ve felt it before¡­¡­where was it¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know what the feeling was, but I knew I had to get inside the fort right away. I couldn¡¯t help feeling that there was something important in there. ¡°Feri, can I jump over those walls with Arleo?¡± ¡°Even with Arleo¡¯s leaping ability, he¡¯s still about five meters short.¡± ¡°Well, five meters short¡­..¡± I used one of the enemy machines as a springboard and jumped high. The body length of the magic machine is about 10 meters, this is enough to reach it! The machine that was used as a stepping stone was crushed to a pulp, but thanks to its sacrifice, it was able to jump over the castle wall. When I looked inside the fort from there, I saw a magicraft surrounded by many enemies, at the moment its arm was cruelly cut off. The moment I saw that, a huge amount of discomfort invaded my mind at once. A strong feeling of anger stirred in me. I had to help him, I thought strongly for some reason¡­ I jumped down from the castle wall, approached it at once, and struck both arms of the enemy magicraft that was about to swing down its sword with my Estoc. At the same time, I sent its head flying with Maingauche. I also lashed out at the two magicrafts that were restraining the one who had lost both arms. I destroyed one of them with a front kick and cut the other one in half with Estoc. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so angry¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know why, but I was furious. The enemies around me, who had been stunned by my sudden appearance, finally reacted, 20 or so of them came at me at once. I was still angry, and I fiercely attacked them. I pierce the head of the first enemy machine that attacked me with a sword with my Estoc, then I avoided a horizontal axe attack from the side and approached the enemy, slicing off its head with Maingauche and kicking the abdomen of the magicraft that came from in front of me. It seems that I had unconsciously entered the Ludia concentration state, and all my movements were quick and powerful. The enemy machine felt as light as if I were fighting a large straw doll. I was just trying to take out the enemies that were coming at me, when I noticed that the enemy near me was a flashy bright yellow magicraft. He wasn¡¯t sure if it wanted to attack or flee but as I slowly approached him, it ran towards the entrance of the fort and fled. CH 153 I look around and check the situation. It seems that the enemies inside the fort have been wiped out. Next, I decided to go outside to clear out the enemies outside the fort. As I was leaving, I called out to my allies using the external output sound. ¡°You there, the magicraft that lost both arms, are you okay?¡± There was no reply from the magicraft, so I was worried that it was injured and could not move, but after a short pause, I heard a voice. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.I¡¯m fine¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go take out the enemies outside, so use the magicrafts that can move to defend the entrance. I¡¯ll hit them hard so they won¡¯t get near the fort, but maybe I¡¯ll miss a few. There were only about a dozen magicrafts that could move, but I thought they could at least protect the entrance. I quickly headed outside to take care of the enemies out there. -Yuta! ©¤©¤ Suddenly, I felt as if someone called my name from behind. I turned around to check, but there was no change from before, it seemed I was imagining things. Come to think of it, the voice of the rider of the magicraft earlier sounded similar to Nagisa¡¯s, maybe that¡¯s why I felt like that person called me. The enemies outside the fort seemed to be confused about what was going on. After noticing Arleo¡¯s appearance, they came towards me in pieces in a rather choppy manner. There were so many of them that it would be troublesome if they acted in a coordinated manner, but it seemed that there was something wrong with them or that their command system was weak. There was no reason to wait for the commander to return, so I decided to annihilate the enemy while they were still easy to defeat. There are several hundred of them, but if it was riding Viktor, it would be easy to finish them off with a single shot of Viktor Nova, but since I don¡¯t have any weapons of mass destruction now, I¡¯ll just have to take them out one by one. ¡°Master, with so many enemy magicrafts and no friendly ones nearby I recommend that you change to Musou Mode.¡± ¡°What is Musou mode?¡± ¡°It is a special mode that can only be used when you are in Ludia concentration mode. It consumes the maximum amount of energy and stamina, but it increases the efficiency of enemy destruction by 700%.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s very tiring, but I can kill enemies faster.¡± ¡°Yes, first insert Maingauche into the socket on Arleo¡¯s right shoulder and then insert Estoc into the area on his back.¡± ¡°A shoulder socket? What the hell Rafishal, when did you put such a device on Arleo?¡± I complained, but did as Feri said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to make of that.¡± ¡°Approval to enter Musou mode is by voice input. Please shout ¡®Heroic Boost¡¯ loudly.¡± I thought to myself, ¡°What the hell is that?¡± but I did as I was told and shouted. ¡°Heroic enhancement authorized, entering Musou mode. Ludia Core, access ¨C spell ¡°Speed Up¡± ¨C spell ¡°Power Up¡± ¨C spell ¡°Aura Boost¡± ¨C spell ¡°Shine Fist¡± ¨C all spells deployed.¡± As Feri said this, there was a crunching sound and something subtle changed in Arleo¡¯s form. Then, a golden aura, more intense than that of the usual Ludia concentration mode, enveloped Arleo.¡± ¡°Okay, it looks really strong. But how do I fight with these weapons locked away?¡± ¡°In Musou mode, both arms are powerful weapons.¡± When Feri said that, I looked at my arms and saw that my fists were glowing with a powerful light. I see, so I should hit them with this thing. Well, let¡¯s fight for now, I thought, and headed towards the enemy magicrafts that were approaching me. I felt a strong gravitational pull, and in an instant I was close to the enemy. As a test, I hit the head of the enemy machine and the head disappeared, but the power of the attack seemed to be transmitted to the entire fuselage of the magicrafts, like a shock wave, the whole machine was blown up. I guess I don¡¯t need to hit them directly, the shockwave alone is quite powerful, so I can just use it as an attack. I attacked the enemy magicrafts with a wave of my hand. There was a heavy boom of wind, and several enemy machines in front of me were stripped of their armor by the blow and blown away by tremendous force. CH 154 The last remaining Darkwing machine is fleeing from the fort¡­ The white magicraft that had saved me spoke to me. ¡°That magicraft over there, the one that lost both its arms, are you okay?¡± My imagination disturbs my senses and the voice of the white magicraft sounded like Yuta¡¯s. I stopped thinking for a moment at the sound of Yuta¡¯s voice created by my delusion, but then I changed my mind and replied. ¡°I am¡­¡­.I am fine¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go take out the enemies outside, so use the magicrafts that can move to defend the entrance, I¡¯ll hit them hard so they won¡¯t get near the fort, but maybe I¡¯ll miss a few.¡± With that, the white magicraft headed out of the fort. Looking at his back, I can¡¯t help but imagine Yuta going to school with me. The subtle quirks of the way he walks also make him look like Yuta¡­¡­.I couldn¡¯t help but scream. ¡°Yuta!¡± The white magicraft turns around ¨C no way, is it really Yuta? But after replying earlier, I immediately turned off the external output sound, so there is no way that my voice can be heard outside, perhaps it is just a coincidence. I got off of Labella, which had lost both of its arms and could no longer fight. Yukiha and the others had also gotten off their magicrafts and were giving instructions to the others that could move to fortify the defense, as the white magicraft said. ¡°Nagisa, let¡¯s go see what¡¯s going on outside.¡± Yukiha said and I was curious about that white magicraft, I wanted to see it fighting outside. As soon as I climbed up to the high ground where I could overlook the area around the fort with Yukiha and the others, I immediately looked for the white magicraft. ¡°What is that¡­¡­that white thing is a monster¡­¡­?¡± Jihad muttered, as he was truly surprised to see the white magicraft fighting. Delphine nodded vigorously in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that white magicraft is¡­¡­but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s an Emou military magicraft that saved us, and with that kind of power we should¡¯ve heart about him.¡± Yukiha also marveled at the uncommon fight of the white magicraft. Yukiha and the others were focused on the amazing combat power of the white magicraft, but that¡¯s not what I was worried about. It was the habit of every single movement, and no matter how you looked at it, it looked like Yuta. ¡°Yukiha, I have a favor to ask you.¡± When I said that, Yukiha looked at me suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Nagisa? You look so mysterious¡­¡­If there¡¯s anything I can do, just let me know.¡± ¡°Slap me as hard as you can!¡± Yukiha was flustered by my unexpected request. ¡°¡®What are you talking about, Nagisa, there¡¯s no way I can do that.¡± ¡°Just slap me, quickly!¡± Yukiha was a little taken aback by the earnestness of the request, and heeded it. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me after¡­¡­okay?¡± As she said this, she held her hand out to the side, took a breath, and slapped me on the cheek as hard as she could. The pain reset my mind ¨C I concentrated on detaching my imagination and seeing only reality, and reviewed the movements of the white magicraft. In Aikido, in a short period of time, you have to read the opponent¡¯s movement habits, think about their thought patterns, and make the next move. For this reason, I have always been sensitive to the movements and actions of others. It is impossible for a person who has been able to read the habits of an opponent in a short period of time during a tachi-ai to not be able to see the habits of the person she is with in everyday life, especially if she loves that person. I was looking at the white magicraft, and my vision was becoming more and more distorted ¨C that¡¯s because another function of the human eye, other than seeing, was automatically triggered. Tears flowed down my face ¨C more than tears, emotions overflowed from the depths of my heart ¨C I felt excited and joy shook my body. He¡¯s alive¡­ That alone made me happy. I had been worried about him since the strange auction. I was heartbreakingly worried that maybe in this world where life is so light as to be unthinkable in modern Japan, my beloved friend would be gone. But he was still alive. And now he¡¯s fighting in front of me¡­ His habit of slightly jerking his shoulders when he raises his right hand has never gone away. He also couldn¡¯t get rid of the habit of lifting his chin a little bit and looking upward when he took a big step. I¡¯ve been with him since I was a child, I¡¯ve spent most of my life with him, I¡¯ve thought about him all the time. There was no way I could mistake him for someone else. The rider of the white magicraft is Yuta¡­ CH 155 The attack power of the Musou Mode was beyond my imagination. With a single swing of my arm, three or four enemy magicrafts would be blown up. However, although I was in great shape and destroyed my enemies, the cost of the attack power of Musou Mode was also much greater than I had imagined. I found myself already gasping for breath even though the battle had only lasted about 10 minutes. ¡°I¡¯m more tired than I thought.¡± ¡°The remaining strength of the enemy army is less than fifty percent. Master¡¯s remaining power should be enough to destroy them.¡± Feri says it¡¯s easy, but 50% left means I¡¯ll be as tired as I¡¯ve been fighting up to this point¡­¡­.That¡¯s a bit harsh. I was beginning to worry about my physical strength, but my opponents reached their limits before that. The enemies, fearful of my power, began to escape in disarray. As soon as one of them ran away, the others followed suit, and soon the entire army began to retreat. I was far too tired to chase, so I let them go. As I took a slow deep breath to catch my breath, I received a message from Jean in the spirit box. ¡°Oh, Yuta, are you alright there?¡± ¡± I just drove the enemy army into retreat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. In that case, maybe we should change the destination of Emou¡¯s army.¡± ¡°What do you mean, they¡¯re not coming this way?¡± ¡°No, I found out the location of the main camp of the Ruja Empire army from the enemy soldiers we captured in the battle earlier. I think this war will come to an end if we destroy it, so we¡¯re heading there now.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°If you want to join us, come to the lake north of the Balha Plateau, the enemy¡¯s main camp is further north.¡± ¡°Feri, what¡¯s the status of the enemy forces in the area?¡± ¡°All of the enemy troops seem to be heading north, so they will probably join up with the main camp.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s no use for us to stay here. Jean, let¡¯s meet up at the northern lake.¡± Heading north in Musou mode was going to be tiring, so I canceled Musou mode. I would really like to take a break at the fort, but I don¡¯t know what Jean will say if I¡¯m late, so I decide to head north immediately. But just as I was about to head north, I felt a piercing gaze from the fort. It seems that they were watching my fight. I waved my hand towards the fort to show my intention to leave for now. But what was that gaze? I wonder if I could have been an ardent fan in the fort. When I arrived at the northern lake, the Emou army was already waiting for me. I was pretty tired, so I quickly headed back to Fugaku. Ranelle was also on board; it seems they successfully met up with Jean and the others. ¡°Yuta, you look tired. We¡¯ll be at the enemy¡¯s main camp in about two hours, so rest until then.¡± Jean looks at my tired face and says so. ¡°Two hours¡­¡­.I¡¯ll get something to eat and go to bed.¡± ¡°Do that, we don¡¯t know how many enemies are waiting for us.¡± While I was having a simple meal in the cafeteria, Ranelle came over and thanked me. ¡°Thank you, Yuta-san, for saving my people. I just received a message from my sister, and she was very grateful.¡± ¡°There was quite a bit of damage when I got there, were they okay?¡± ¡°Yes, the magicrafts and the ride carriers were mostly damaged, but the human casualties were minor¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The conversation was over, but Ranelle was sitting next to me, watching me eat. If she¡¯s hungry, she should eat something, but I guess she¡¯s being reserved. ¡°My sister asked me a lot about Yuta-san, asking me who you were, it seems that you played a big role.¡± Ranelle starts talking to me again. ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. There were no strong opponents.¡± ¡°My sister said the Dark Wings of Valkyria were there¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Which unit are you talking about¡­..?¡± The enemies were a bit unimpressive, so I couldn¡¯t really tell which one was the Darkwing. ¡°The Dark Wings are a unit made up of riders above the rank of Highlander, to defeat them without difficulty, what is Yuta-san¡¯s Ludia value?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s around one million.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ranelle seemed sincerely surprised. However, she still didn¡¯t really believe it, and responded with a laugh and another joke. CH 156 I watch Yuta walk away from the fort. He¡¯s always been extremely dull, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯d notice me. I think I need to meet him in person and at least give him a slap on the cheek. ¡°Nagisa, why are you crying?¡­¡­Did something happen?¡± Yukiha looked at my crying face and asked worriedly. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, but Yukiha, I need you to fix Labella ASAP.¡± If I explained about Yuta now, she would not understand. Instead, I was thinking of chasing after Yuta with my magicraft. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible that the enemy will return, so let¡¯s gather the mechanics and have them repair Labella right away.¡± Amurian mechanics and Temira mechanics that were at the fort were all mobilized to repair Labella. In fact, I think they rushed to fix it in order to protect this place¡­¡­I felt guilty, but I asked Yukiha to do it. ¡°You want to chase the white magicraft in Labella? Can you explain to me what¡¯s going on Nagisa¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I need to check something. It¡¯s very important to me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead. Fortunately, we have confirmed that all the enemies in this area have retreated, and I think we will be safe for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Yukiha!¡± As I hurriedly started to board Labella, Yukiha stopped me. ¡°Wait a minute, Nagisa. You¡¯re chasing after the white magicraft, but do you know where he went?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s going north so that¡¯s where I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just been talking to Ranelle over the comms, and it seems that the Emou army is planning to attack the main camp of the Ruja army, if the white magicraft belongs to the Emou army, it will probably join them. Ask Ranelle directly on the Amurian army channel for the detailed location.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Thank you, Yukiha.¡± ¡°In addition, it would take too much time to chase after him with Labella, there was a ride hover in the fort that can carry your magicraft, give my name and ask to borrow it.¡± Yukiha, sensing something, helped me. I thanked her and started running to chase after Yuta. When I mentioned Yukiha¡¯s name, I was able to borrow the ride hover right away. After loading Labella, I got into the driver¡¯s seat of the ride hover. The operation is not so different from that of a magicraft. There is only one control ball, so the feeling is a little strange, but I soon got used to the controls. The ride hover is much faster than Labella. Thanking Yukiha for her thoughtfulness, I headed north where Yuta was. After a while, the lake came into view. The Emou army should be nearby by now. I opened a communication with Ranelle on the Amurian channel. ¡°Ranelle, can you hear me? I¡¯m Nagisa, and I¡¯m coming up to you, please tell me where you are.¡± ¡°Oh, Nagisa, what¡¯s wrong? I just got a message from Yukiha that you¡¯re coming this way, but I didn¡¯t know you would be alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something important to do, so tell me where you are.¡± ¡°Oh, where are you? ¡°I¡¯m at a lake north of the Balha Plateau.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re close. There¡¯s a small hill to the north of the lake, and the Emou army is at the top of the hill.¡± ¡°Roger that. I¡¯m on my way.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost at the main camp of Ruja¡¯s invasion force, so be careful.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± ¡°Oh, Nagisa¡­¡± ¡°What? Ranelle.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think now is a good time. I have something I want to talk to Nagisa about, but it might be better after this battle is over.¡± Ranelle said this with some happiness. ¡°Something good has happened. I look forward to hearing about it.¡± Even though I can¡¯t see her face through the communication, I can see Ranelle¡¯s smile. I don¡¯t know what happened, but if she¡¯s happy, I¡¯m very happy too. CH 157 After an hour¡¯s nap, I was woken up by Jean. As soon as I woke up, I was sent into battle against the Ruja Empire¡¯s army. Jean is delivering a message to the entire army to prepare for battle. ¡°We¡¯re going to hit the Ruja Empire so hard that they won¡¯t be willing to come back for a long time, all troops, prepare for battle!¡± I knew that an hour of sleep was not enough at all. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and headed for the hangar. ¡°Yuta will cut in from the center and break up the enemy army, Linnecarlo will destroy the enemy army on the left flank, Nanami and I will destroy the enemy army on the right flank, Emina and Arthur will support the Emou army, while Lorgo and Farma will defend the area near Fugaku and follow up with other units.¡± We all nodded at Alana¡¯s instructions for the mission and each got into our own magicraft. I was about to get into my Arleo, but Ranelle stopped me. ¡°I¡¯d like to participate in the central attack with Yuta-san¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not safe for you to be with me, so Ranelle, can you help Lorgo and the others defend Fugaku?¡± The idea of cutting through the enemy army from the center was, if I do say so myself, a reckless strategy that only I could pull off, and I couldn¡¯t take the princess along for such a mission. So I asked her to stay behind. Ranelle was not convinced, but reluctantly agreed to it. The enemy army has about 800 magicrafts, almost four times as many as ours. Perhaps because there was such a large difference in strength, the enemy forces seemed to be ready to fight us head on, deploying their troops to intercept us. If I cut into the center, the enemy¡¯s forces will be divided. This would weaken their organized attack and greatly reduce the danger to my friends. I charged into the enemy army before anyone else. ¡°Yuta, don¡¯t be reckless, if it looks bad, you can retreat.¡± Jean also seemed to understand that my mission was reckless and told me so. Well, for now, I¡¯ll just charge in and see what happens. I decided not to use the Musou mode this time because it consumes too much energy. There were too many of them, so I could imagine that it would be quite dangerous when I ran out of energy. I used Estoc and Maingauche in normal mode to destroy the enemy magicrafts. I caught a glimpse of my friends, but like Nanami and Emina, the Iron Knights magicrafts seemed to have been greatly powered up by Rafishal and were showing a spectacular performance. In particular, the new arrows that Farma¡¯s Garuda is equipped with are showing incredible power. With a single draw of her bow, about ten arrows flew through the air, and each arrow was wrapped in a vortex of wind that crushed the enemy magicraft it hit. Alana¡¯s Bercya twin swords spew out flames, attacking the enemy magicrafts with scorching fire. I could see that the enemy machine was red hot and turning into sludge. I wonder how hot the temperature has become¡­¡­. Lorgo¡¯s Ganesha appeared to be just holding his shield to block the enemy¡¯s attack, but the enemy magicraft that was blocked by Ganesha¡¯s shield was damaged and blown away in the opposite direction. I¡¯m not sure what kind of ability it is, but it was definitely overwhelming the enemy. Arthur¡¯s Sentor seems to hold a large weapon. He held it in a strangely cool manner and charged in a straight line at the enemy troops. It seems to have more ramming power than before, and when the enemy magicraft touched the lance it was sent flying like a bullet. Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin hasn¡¯t changed much from before, he¡¯s still firing a series of amazing lightning range attacks. Rafishal didn¡¯t tamper with Odin in any way, did he? I didn¡¯t see that much change. After that, we succeeded in splitting the enemy forces. The formation collapsed and I could see that the enemy¡¯s organizational strength had been reduced. Perhaps sensing their disadvantage due to the collapse of their formation, a large number of barrel-like objects were thrown out from the enemy¡¯s ride carriers. When the barrels fell to the ground, they caused a huge explosion, destroying both friend and foe alike. ¡°What the hell is that weapon? It¡¯s destroying everything!¡± Jean shouted angrily. The enemy commander, whether outrageous or stupid, launched an attack that involved his allies in the melee. ¡°Yuta! Can you destroy the ride carrier that¡¯s using that weapon? If we don¡¯t, the damage to us will be too great!¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go and silence them.¡± The ride carrier that was launching the barrels was heavily defended, as it was an important ship of the enemy army. A large number of heavyweight large magicrafts were defending it, and it did not look easy to approach. It wasn¡¯t strong, but it was durable and had a hard defense. The progress was more difficult than expected, and it was still going to take some time to reach the ride carrier. If I don¡¯t do something, the damage to my allies will increase¡­¡­.When I was thinking this, an enemy magicraft approached me from the side in a strange way. I immediately looked at it and realized that it was the magicraft that had both arms cut in Balha Plateau fort. CH 158 ¡°Hey, why are you here? Your arms look like they¡¯ve been repaired, but not too long ago, did you rush to fix them?¡± Since there was no communication sharing, I asked using the external output sound, but there was no reply. Instead, the magicraft headed towards the enemy machines as if to convey some kind of intention. Against the large and powerful enemy¡¯s machine, the thin and weak-looking magicraft attacked with its bare hands. It broke the joints of the big magicraft, twisted it¡¯s head to knock it down, and defeated the enemy bigger than him with movements that were so gaping that I wondered where the power came from. But still, it¡¯s a very strange way to fight¡­¡­. At that moment, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia from that magicraft. I tried to lose myself in my thoughts, but the enemy didn¡¯t give me much time to do so. One of them attacked me, swinging a huge axe. I avoided the surprise attack and used Estoc to poke the joints of its neck, chest and arms in succession, destroying it. I switched my mind to concentrate on attacking the enemy and started attacking the enemy troops guarding the ride carrier. Then, in response, that allied magicraft also made its move. I attacked the two enemy planes in front of me by poking them with Estoc. The enemy magicraft that approached from the left was pushed down by the friendly magicraft that pulled the enemy¡¯s arm and swung it around. The head of the enemy machine that was about to attack my ally from behind was quickly sliced with Maingauche. Without pause, two enemy magicrafts raise their swords and attack me. I pierce one of them down with Estoc, and the other is cut down by the friendly magicraft that pulls out a long, thin sword similar to a Japanese sword. The allied magicraft and I looked at each other and nodded, and at the same time glared at the enemy troops. The enemy, perhaps overwhelmed by our spirit, slowly retreated. Without either of us giving a signal, Arleo and my ally magicraft moved simultaneously. We worked together so well that it¡¯s hard to believe that this is the first time we¡¯ve fought together. When I blocked the enemy¡¯s attack with Maingauche, my ally sliced off the enemy¡¯s head with its sword. I held the arm of the enemy magicraft that had slashed at me by my side and knocked it down, then crushed its head with Estoc. I took a big step and kicked the enemy magicraft in front of me, knocking it down. Then I blocked another enemy machine attack from the side with Maingauche and counterattacked with Estoc, pushing it down. An enemy magicraft attacked me at the moment my hands were blocked, but it was blocked by my ally and I cut it down in return. What is this sense of security?¡­¡­It¡¯s as if I¡¯m fighting alongside my fellow Iron Knights¡­¡­.No, it¡¯s more than that. I feel calm and peaceful even though I¡¯m in the middle of a battle. Whether it knew how I felt or not, my ally magicraft moved exactly the way I wanted it to. I even felt a strange sensation as if my body had been split in two. After clearing out the enemy troops guarding the ride carrier, we broke through the hatch and entered the ride carrier. If we could destroy the Ludia core in the power section of the ride carrier, everything would stop functioning. The power unit was located in the lower center of the ship. The large, round core was pierced with Estoc and destroyed. There was a sudden silence as a tremendous sound echoed from the ship¡­¡­It seems that the ride carrier has stopped functioning. When we got outside, the attack from the enemy ship had stopped. It seemed to have worked. Enemies in the vicinity, perhaps angry at having their precious ship destroyed, attacked us. While fighting, there was a moment when I suddenly and naturally looked at the battle of the allied magicraft calmly. Moves I¡¯ve seen somewhere¡­¡­No, I¡¯ve seen that figure many, many times¡­¡­Gradually, the figure of the allied magicraft and the surrounding scenery were replaced by an old memory¡­¡­ There is an old dojo, the family home of a childhood friend¡­¡­. Even if I go to visit on a day off from school, my childhood friend is always forced to practice her daily routine¡­¡­.It¡¯s a great way to make sure you¡¯re getting the most out of your vacation. I always waited in the corner of the dojo until the practice was over. The ally¡¯s magicraft and my childhood friend¡¯s figure at the time match perfectly ¨C I took out the last of the attacking enemy troops and approached the ally¡¯s machine. ¡°Are you Nagisa?¡± When I said that, the allied magicraft stopped moving. CH 159 By the time I arrived, the battle had already begun. Emou¡¯s army was smaller and seemed to be at a disadvantage, but I wondered if they would be okay. I should probably join the fight, but right now my mind is occupied with looking for Yuta, so I naturally looked around the battlefield for a white magicraft. I thought it would be quite difficult to find a single magicraft on the large battlefield. However, I could vaguely see where he was. I sensed him not by sight, but by feeling. ¡°There¡¯s Yuta over there¡­¡­¡± I muttered to myself. Running across the battlefield, I headed for him in a straight line. On the way, my path was blocked by the Ruja army, but I fought off their attacks, jumped over the enemy magicrafts, and moved on selflessly. He was fighting alone in the midst of the enemy army ¨C showing off his overwhelming power against a large magicraft. Strangely enough, Yuta was said to have a Ludia value of 2, but I did not question why he was doing so well. After throwing away the magicraft that tried to attack Yuta, he finally noticed my presence and said. ¡°Hey, why are you here? Your arms look like they¡¯ve been repaired, but not too long ago, did you rush to fix them?¡± I was annoyed at the way he said it. I¡¯m aware that he¡¯s Yuta, but this guy doesn¡¯t even notice who I am, even after spending so much time together, he¡¯s really insensitive. I decided to keep quiet until he will notice and attacked the enemies without answering him. We have always played together, misbehaved together, gotten angry together, and done everything together. I didn¡¯t even have to think about what Yuta was going to do. Maybe that¡¯s why our coordination was so perfect. We were destroying the enemy troops with great speed. It seemed that Yuta¡¯s objective was to destroy the enemy ride carrier. After defeating the enemy troops, he broke into the large ride carrier and shut it down from the inside. After we achieved our objective and got out of the ride carrier, the enemy in the vicinity attacked us. But still, I wonder why he didn¡¯t notice even though we¡¯ve been fighting together for so long. I guess my presence in Yuta¡¯s heart is a small thing. Such nervous thoughts remind me of a bad memory¡­..If the other person was Shirayuki-san, Yuta would have noticed. But he doesn¡¯t notice because we¡¯re just childhood friends who don¡¯t like each other or anything. Maybe so, I love Yuta, but he has someone else he loves. That¡¯s right, how could he possibly notice?¡­¡­Just when I was feeling more and more depressed, a word reached my ears that stopped me from feeling that way. ¡°Are you Nagisa?¡± The moment I heard those words from Yuta, tears welled up in my eyes. I was happy, he had noticed me. Even though we were just childhood friends, I was in Yuta¡¯s heart, and just being able to confirm that made my heart burn. However, perhaps because I didn¡¯t want him to realize how I felt, I acted contrary to my happy feelings. My Labella was tapping on the head of the white magicraft and I shouted loudly over the external output sound. ¡°You¡¯re too slow to notice! How dull you are, stupid Yuta! Your childhood friend is this close to you, and you know how I felt fighting with you! I¡­¡± My words were interrupted there, because the white magicraft hugged Labella. No, it wasn¡¯t¡­¡­.Yuta hugged me and then Yuta said. ¡°Thank God, it¡¯s really Nagisa. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. I was worried about you, Nagisa¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yu¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t take it anymore, I can¡¯t stop crying¡­¡­.Why would this guy hug a girl he doesn¡¯t like?¡­¡­I¡¯ll get the wrong idea¡­¡­ ¡°Nagisa, we can talk later, first let¡¯s finish this battle.¡± This is a battlefield, and we shouldn¡¯t be too happy to see each other again, but then don¡¯t hug me, you really are a man without delicacy. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± It was all I could do to keep my strength up. I pushed the white magicraft away from me and took a fighting stance toward the enemy so that he would not realize I was crying. CH 160 ¡°You¡¯re too slow to notice! How dull you are, stupid Yuta! Your childhood friend is this close to you; do you know how I felt fighting with you?! Wah, I¡­¡± What came back to me was the nostalgic tone of voice of that childhood friend. It was Nagisa, after all. A burning sensation spread through my chest. It seems that she was angry with me, but rather than worrying about that, I wanted to do something about my feelings, so I unconsciously hugged Nagisa, even though we were in magicrafts. ¡°Thank God, it¡¯s really Nagisa. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. I was worried about you, Nagisa¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yu¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­¡± I wanted to get off the magicraft immediately and talk to her directly. But then I remembered that we were in the middle of a war and changed my mind. ¡°Nagisa, we can talk about all this later. But first, let¡¯s finish this battle.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± We were outnumbered but thanks to the Iron Knights efforts the enemy only had about 100 magicrafts left, victory was in sight. ¡°Don¡¯t miss a single magicraft! Hit them when you can, and they¡¯ll lose the will to fight!¡± Jean issued a final notice to the entire army. Certainly, if we think about what will happen later, it is only natural to reduce their forces as much as possible now. When the Ruja Empire¡¯s forces reached about twenty magicrafts, they showed their intention to surrender and laid down their weapons. No matter how much we wanted to reduce their forces, we would not attack an enemy that had surrendered. All of the riders were unloaded from their magicrafts and taken prisoner. One of the prisoners we captured was a general. He was the commander of the invasion force this time. The general informed us that 80% of the Ruja Empire¡¯s forces had participated in this invasion. Since we destroyed most of the invasion force, the Ruja Empire would have no more strength left to wage war. I can finally get some proper rest ¨C or so I thought¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta, where¡¯s your ride carrier, show me.¡± Speaking of which, I still have a very emotional reunion scene with my childhood friend. It¡¯s going to be a while before I can rest. I took Nagisa with me and returned to Fugaku. When I entered the hangar and got off the Arleo, Nagisa, who had gotten off her magicraft, came running up to me. I hadn¡¯t seen Nagisa in a long time, and she hadn¡¯t changed at all. I was kind of happy to think that she was right in front of me. ¡°Yuta, you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°Of course not, it hasn¡¯t been that long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa stared into my eyes as if she wanted something. This is the kind of gesture she makes when she wants me to do something for her. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to do anything, but I was wondering if you could hug me like you did before.¡± ¡°No, you idiot, I can¡¯t do that kind of embarrassing stuff in the flesh.¡± ¡°It was embarrassing enough for both of our magicrafts! You¡¯re a¡­..idiot for doing that on the battlefield!¡± ¡°If you knew it was me, why didn¡¯t you just say it? You could have said it at a better time!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re so dense, I was trying to see how long you could stay oblivious.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even trying!¡± ¡°Hmph, it doesn¡¯t really matter why!¡± Nagisa turned away sullenly¡­ I gently pulled Nagisa close to me and hugged her, just like she wanted. At first, she stiffened and was surprised, but then she put her arms around my back and hugged me back. I knew that touching her in the flesh would make me feel that we had met again. I guess that¡¯s what Nagisa was looking for, too. My friends come back one after another and thank each other for their hard work. However, when they notice Nagisa¡¯s presence¡­¡­ ¡°Yuta, who is this girl? You seem awfully familiar with¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nanami saw you. Yuta and the girl were hugging just now!¡± ¡°Yuta, what are you doing, that¡¯s so inappropriate¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not like that, this is my childhood friend Nagisa, we haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time, we were just having an emotional reunion.¡± ¡°Childhood Friend¡­¡­Oh, so I guess it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Why is it okay to be a childhood friend?¡± Nanami asks curiously. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you know? Love affairs with childhood friends do not end well.¡± I don¡¯t know how she reasoned, but Linnecarlo assured her confidently. Well, it¡¯s true that Nagisa is an important childhood friend, but I can¡¯t think of her becoming my girlfriend. CH 161 ¡°All right, it looks like it¡¯s all taken care of, so let¡¯s head to the Holy City of Temira.¡± The war was coming to an end, but we didn¡¯t know what action the Ruja Empire would take after this. There was a possibility that they would attack again after receiving immediate help from the Valkyria Empire, so we couldn¡¯t go back to the Emou Kingdom just yet. I¡¯d like to rest in my room, but Nagisa won¡¯t let me go. Sure, there¡¯s a lot to talk about, but I think we can do that after I rest¡­¡­. While I was listening to Nagisa¡¯s angry, one-sided story, Ranelle came over to us. Oh, I see. Nagisa has been taking care of me in Ranelle¡¯s country, so we¡¯re acquainted. When Nagisa saw Ranelle, she introduced me to her. ¡°Oh, Ranelle, I should introduce you to Yuta, my childhood friend.¡± When Nagisa said that to Ranelle, she looked a little deflated, there¡¯s nothing to introduce me, Ranelle and I already know each other. ¡°Nagisa, I already know Ranelle, you don¡¯t need to introduce us.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You already know each other.¡± ¡°Nagisa¡­¡­childhood friend is¡­¡­the person you were talking to before, you mean Yuta¡­¡­?¡± Ranelle asked Nagisa with a puzzled expression. ¡°Eh, ah¡­¡­yes¡­¡­that childhood friend I told you about before¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa admitted in an indecisive manner. I¡¯m not sure, but it seems that the two of them have talked about me before. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡­.¡± I could see Ranelle¡¯s expression clouding over at an alarming rate. What did Nagisa tell Ranelle about me? I hope she didn¡¯t tell her about the bad things I did as a child, some things can¡¯t be said out loud. I thought Ranelle despised me a little, but she quickly returned to her usual expression and sat down next to me on the opposite side of the beach. ¡°Yuta, are you hungry? Shall I get you something?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I¡¯d rather sleep¡­¡­but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to make that claim. In the meantime, Nagisa talked to me without pause. ¡°If you want to eat something, I can make those fried potatoes that Yuta liked.¡± No, I said I¡¯m not hungry. Sure, I want to eat the fried potatoes that Nagisa made, but¡­¡­ My friends, who had been careful to leave me alone with my childhood friend for the first time in a long time, did not hesitate to gather around me when they saw that there were now three of us with the addition of Ranelle. ¡°Well, Nagisa, if you¡¯re his childhood friend, you know about Yuta¡¯s childhood, so tell me.¡± ¡°Nanami wants to hear it too! What was Yuta like?¡± Everyone looked at Nagisa, expecting her to say something. Perhaps sensing their expectations she began to speak slowly. ¡°Well¡­¡­Yuta is still the same, in a good way and a bad way, he¡¯s always childish, insensitive, careless, oh yeah, there was this one time when I was little¡­¡± As she said this, Nagisa started talking about my past. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so interesting about my childhood, but everyone starts to concentrate on Nagisa¡¯s story. This might be a good opportunity to get out of here and escape to my room while you still can¡­¡­I thought, and tried to quietly leave my seat. ¡°Oh, Yuta¡¯s trying to go somewhere!¡± Nanami, listen to what people are saying and concentrate! Nanami¡¯s tip-off exposed my escape, and everyone looked at me and silently pressured me to return to my seat. I was about to give up and go back to my seat, when I received an unexpected helping hand. ¡°Hey, you guys, Yuta¡¯s been working like a horse since yesterday and he¡¯s tired, it¡¯s time to give him a break.¡± Nice, Jean. Yes, tell them more. ¡°But right now, Yuta¡¯s childhood friend is telling a funny story about Yuta¡¯s childhood.¡± ¡°What? A funny story about Yuta¡­¡­.We should listen to it in his presence. Yuta, you¡¯ll take a break when the story is over.¡± ¡°Jean! I thought you were on my side!¡± ¡°Come on you¡¯re young, you can do it.¡± Damn it¡­¡­there¡¯s nothing interesting about listening to your own funny stories! I don¡¯t want to hear it. CH 162 In the holy city of Temira, the Emou, Temira, and Amurian armies were repairing their damaged magicrafts and preparing for unforeseen circumstances. The soldiers were also given a temporary rest to regain their wits. Temira was still in a state of being unable to escape from the atmosphere of battle, but a series of communications from the countries of the Eastern Alliance changed the situation. ¡°The nations of the Eastern Alliance are asking me to be their leader again and bring the alliance together.¡± Lord Veda of Temira said in disgust. ¡°They betrayed us and now they¡¯re coming back as if nothing happened.¡± Jean, who was participating in the meeting between Temira and Amuria as a representative of Emou, said so. ¡°However, it is true that many nations will need to join forces to counter the power of the Ruja Empire¡­¡­no, the Valkyria Empire.¡± ¡°Yes, but I think this time we¡¯ve seen that the same coalition organization as before is fragile and collapses when there¡¯s too much pressure on each individual. If we are to rebuild the Eastern Alliance, I think we need to create a new organization that can solve these problems.¡± Ranelle gives her opinion on behalf of Amuria to Lord Veda¡¯s words. I¡¯m not used to seeing her like that, so it¡¯s refreshing. ¡°I agree with Princess Ranelle. I had discussed this with King Emou before this meeting, and he replied that he had a good idea.¡± ¡°What was the good idea?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on his way here to talk to us directly. I also heard that a few other guests that King Emou had approached will be coming, but he didn¡¯t give me any specific information yet.¡± King Emou is on his way here. Ranelle was also surprised that she hadn¡¯t heard about it beforehand. It was three days later that King Emou and his guests arrived. Three guests showed up, and surprisingly, all of them were lords of large countries. ¡°How is it that King Murat V of Cibali, President Bausen of the Lurva Republic, and Queen Menemiah of the Linea Kingdom¡­¡­are all among the greatest nations in the East?¡± Ranelle was truly surprised when she saw the guests. They seemed to be such a splendid group of people. ¡°The nations gathered here share a major problem, and I would like to present a proposal that will solve it all at once.¡± King Emou began to speak to the people gathered here. ¡°The great common problem of the eastern nations must be the Valkyria Empire. How can you solve it, King Emou?¡± ¡°Normally, I would suggest an alliance, but¡­¡­the nations gathered here can¡¯t defeat the Valkyria Empire if they are all united.¡± ¡°King Emou, I¡¯ve come all this way because I¡¯m interested in your proposal, but I¡¯ll be disappointed if the solution is just a grand alliance.¡± The guests spoke their thoughts. King Emou looked around at the participants, and then resumed his speech. ¡°No matter how many nations gather together, they will not be able to compete with a superpower like the Valkyria Empire due to the difficulty of cutting and coordinating, so what should we do? I would like to propose the establishment of a federal state by the eastern countries.¡± ¡°A confederacy?!¡± ¡°A confederacy of small countries in the east?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that in a federal state, it¡¯s possible to build a strong organization while retaining the individual countries¡­¡­.Interesting, as expected of King Emou, it was worth the trouble of coming here.¡± ¡°If Emou, Bausen, Lurva, and Linea, the four countries that dislike the Valkyria Empire, would be interested in joining the Federation then what do you think, Lord Beda of Temira, and Lord Majni of Amuria?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s an excellent proposal, and if it comes to fruition, most of the eastern nations may join.¡± Lord Veda agreed with King Emou¡¯s proposal. Majni of Amuria, on the other hand, pointed out another problem. ¡°But what about the head of state, King Murat V, King Emou, President Bausen or Queen Menemiah, who will take the office?¡± ¡°Of course we are considering that, and in the future we would like to nominate someone to be the first head of state, to be voted on by the representatives of each nation every few years.¡± ¡°King Emou¡¯s recommendation, that¡¯s interesting, who is this gem that can unite the east?¡± ¡°There she is, the Second Princess Ranelle of Amuria.¡± Ranelle froze in surprise when she was suddenly nominated by King Emou. ¡°I can¡¯t play such a big role¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The idea of a federal state had been in the works for a long time, but I thought it would be difficult to realize due to the fact that there was no one who could become the first head of state. But then I met Princess Ranelle, and I saw her skills. I believe she was instrumental in protecting Temira and stopping the invasion of the Ruja Empire.¡± ¡°No, there was nothing I could do. I think it was the power of the Emou army that saved Temira¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Princess Ranelle, of all people, who moved the Emou army?¡± The guests agreed with King Emou¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, we came here not only because we were invited by King Emou, but also because we were interested in the small country of Amuria, which is said to have defeated the Ruja Empire who had the support of the Valkyria Empire. I think it¡¯s a good idea, and I too would like to ask Princess Ranelle to be our first head of state.¡± Whether the Valkyria Empire was hated or considered a threat, the nations gathered here had made the big decision to establish a federal state. Furthermore, Ranelle was highly regarded. I knew she was good, but to think that she was this amazing. CH 163 Beyond the ancient ruins at the far end of the lake was a vast underground space. There were a number of relics scattered around, and it took a long time to investigate all of them. ¡°You¡¯ve already been investigating the underground space for a month, Dr. Brule, have you gotten anything out of it?¡± I guess she was getting tired of the same old scenery and the same old research. Mary asked Dr. Brule, who was eating. ¡°We are very close to finding the remains of the Great Sage Rafishal¡¯s sleep. Once we solve the mystery of the last key, we will be able to figure everything out.¡± ¡°Does the Great Sage Rafishal just sleep? I wonder if he ever wakes up.¡± When I say that out of curiosity, Mary denies it with a little laugh. ¡°Yuki, what are you talking about, it can¡¯t be, he¡¯s been dead for thousands of years. I think this is just his grave.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just a tomb.¡± I agreed, but Dr. Brule said with a straight face, ¡°Not really, it¡¯s quite possible that he¡¯s just asleep.¡± Mary was surprised to hear that. ¡°So it¡¯s possible that he could wake up and talk to us¡­¡­¡± ¡°That is the real purpose of my research, the knowledge of the Great Sage¡­¡­which I believe to be more valuable than any treasure.¡± The first seal was about to be lifted on the circular ruins, the largest of all the ruins in the underground space, and the one that Dr. Brule had been most interested in since its discovery. ¡°I knew there was a clue to unlocking the seal hidden in this stone monument.¡± Dr. Brule said as she touched the strings of letters on the stone monument. The letters on the stone monument glowed faintly when Dr. Brule touched them, drawing a trail of light ¨C and the moment she touched the last letter, the frame of the monument glowed red and the air around it became heavy. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The first seal has now been broken.¡± After Dr. Brule¡¯s words, a great change came over the entire underground space. A loud sound like something starting up resounded and the underground space was lit up. It was as if electricity had been supplied to the underground space. ¡°The second seal is within these circular ruins.¡± The circular ruins were a rather large building, and it¡¯s passageways were passable by magicrafts. Mary and I boarded our magicrafts to escort Dr. Brule and her research team to the second seal. With the first seal broken, the large metal door, which I had been unable to open before, opened easily with a swoosh, allowing me to proceed into the ruins. As we walked through the wide passage, we came to a space the size of a baseball field. ¡°Doctor! Stand back for a moment, please! There¡¯s something here!¡± Mary called out to Dr. Brule, as she had found something. I looked and saw that there was a large object in the center of a large circular room. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was from here, but it looked like a magicraft. ¡°Yuki, let¡¯s see if there¡¯s any danger.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I let Dr. Brule and the others stand back, and Mary and I approached the large object. When we got close, the object reacted. With a high-pitched beeping sound, the object wakes up¡­¡­like a rusty old machine. ¡°What is that, a magicraft?¡± It looked like a magicraft, but its form was not humanoid, and closer to a beast. When the mechanical beast confirmed our appearance, it attacked us with great speed. ¡°It¡¯s probably the Guardian of the Ruins! Be careful, the power of the Ancient Guardians is unknown!¡± Dr. Brule warned me with the Spirit Box. In an instant, he was in my face, and the next thing I knew, the mechanical beast was biting me on the neck. I heard the sound of some wires being bitten off. ¡°Yuki!¡± Mary shouts my name and tries to pierce the mechanical beast with her spear. However, perhaps sensing the attack, the mechanical beast removes its fangs from my neck and avoids Mary¡¯s attack. Once the mechanical beast was away and I was free, I pulled my rapier out of its sheath then pointed it¡¯s tip at the mechanical beast, signaling my intent to fight. CH 164 The mechanical beast slowly circled us in a clockwise direction, keeping its distance. It was probably looking for the right moment to pounce. The first one to move was Mary. The magic machine she was riding is the same model of the Shuriapur that Emina was riding, the Variapur, a machine dedicated to Double Highlanders. I don¡¯t know much about it, but according to the mechanics, it¡¯s called a well-balanced masterpiece. Mary uses a three-pronged spear called a trident as her weapon. She used the trident to deliver a divine speed thrust at the mechanical beast. The mechanical beast quickly avoided the attack and hit Mary head first. She let out a small moan and was blown away by the impact. I approached the mechanical beast with small steps and unleashed a barrage of attacks with my rapier. The mechanical beast avoided all of them with its terrifying maneuvers. ¡°Yuki, this opponent is tough, let¡¯s attack at the same time!¡± I agree with Mary¡¯s suggestion. The Guardian¡¯s power seemed to be at least as strong as a triple Highlander. Mary gets behind the mechanical beast while I keep it in check with my rapier attacks. ¡°Yuki! Now!¡± At the same time, Mary also swung her trident and unleashed a powerful attack. Even the quick mechanical beast seemed to have difficulty reacting to simultaneous attacks from the front and back, and the trident¡¯s blow sliced through it¡¯s torso, while my rapier pierced the head. The mechanical beast crumpled to the spot, making a dull¡­¡­sound. ¡°Looks like we beat him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I could have won if I was alone¡­¡­.¡± There was no doubt that he was quite a formidable opponent. ¡°Well, triple Highlander Yuki would have won. If it had been just me, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d have been beaten.¡± Just to be sure, I checked the safety of the surroundings and told Dr. Brule, who was waiting behind me. ¡°Dr. Brule, I think we¡¯re safe now.¡± ¡°Thank you. I guess an escort is essential when investigating ancient ruins.¡± ¡°Does this happen at other ruins?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon, the Guardians can wipe out a survey team.¡± It is true that I actually felt it when I fought the Guardian, but I think that an ordinary magicraft would be unable to stand up to it. As we moved on from the large space where the Guardian had been, we found a stone slab just like the one at the entrance. Dr. Brule alternately looked at some kind of note and the words on the tablet, and nodded. ¡°As I suspected, Sage Rafishal lies just ahead.¡± ¡°Is that the final seal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that yet, we have to break the seal¡­¡­.¡± As she said this, she added something to his notes and began to talk to the other doctors to find out how to break the seal. After an hour or so, Dr. Brule began to touch the tablet with her finger and manipulate it in some way, like she knew how to lift the next seal. The letters on the tablet that Dr. Brule touched glowed faintly and drew a trail of light. ¡°Okay, that should do it.¡± As Dr. Brule said this, the frame of the stone slab began to glow red. There was a strange beeping sound, and the door, which had been tightly closed in the back, slowly began to open. From there on, the passage was too narrow for magicrafts to pass through so I called the guards from the ride carrier to accompany the survey team. ¡°Yuki, we should go too.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be able to do anything if we don¡¯t have a magicraft.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in the Great Sage? He might be sleeping down there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I am interested, but the Guardians might show up again, so we¡¯d better secure the outside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve called Enrique, he¡¯ll take care of the outside.¡± It was partly because Mary had insisted on asking me, but it was also because I was interested in the Great Sage, so I ended up accompanying Dr. Brule. After a while, there was a long staircase leading down. Without hesitation, we descended the stairs and continued on our way. At the end of the stairs was an even stronger door, but Dr. Brule opened it easily, as if she already knew how to unlock it. Beyond the door was a large room, about the size of a large company conference room. In the center of the room was a coffin-like capsule with a person asleep inside. The person sleeping was a young man in his twenties, with a good-looking face. ¡°I did it¡­¡­.I finally found him¡­¡­.The Great Sage Rafishal.¡± Dr. Brule announced. The Great Sage Rafishal¡­¡­Despite the excitement of the survey team, for some reason I felt a sudden rush of anxiety in the depths of my heart. CH 165 The idea of a federal state led by the influential eastern countries Emou, Cibali, Lurva, and Linea was quickly transmitted to the other eastern nations. It was clear that the intent was to create an anti-Valkyria coalition, and the leaders of the smaller countries, who had been intimidated by Valkyria military power, all announced their intention to join them. In the end, there were 47 countries participating in the Eastern Confederation, and their national power was comparable to that of the Valkyria Empire. ¡°Did Princess Ranelle take over as the first president after all?¡± Jean asked, looking at some kind of information magazine. ¡°It seems that she has accepted the position for two years.¡± Before accepting the position, Ranelle herself consulted me, but I told her that I didn¡¯t know anything about politics or administration, so I thought it would be safe to accept the position for a limited time, but I didn¡¯t think she would actually do it¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, Jean! I need to talk to you for a second!¡± Liza arrived at a great speed. Behind her came Obi-Wan, then Darm and Balm, and the rest of the mechanics team except for Rafishal. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you¡¯re out of screws?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not! What happened to mining the orichalcon and phoenix stone, we can¡¯t generate a Ludia core without the materials!¡± ¡°What the hell, you guys want to generate a Ludia core?¡± ¡°Of course! There isn¡¯t a mechanic in the world who wouldn¡¯t be interested in creating a Ludia core, seeing something that was previously unknown technology being created right before their eyes.¡± ¡°I see, well, you may be right, our contract with the Emou Kingdom is up, so we may as well get going.¡± ¡°Has there been any talk of re-signing?¡± Alana asks about Jean¡¯s decision. ¡°I think they want to sign a new contract when the federal state is officially established.¡± ¡°A federal state would have to be pretty big, so why don¡¯t we make a defense contract like with Meltaria?¡± ¡°Well, if they become a federal state, Valkyria won¡¯t be so hard to deal with, and hopefully we¡¯ll be rewarded handsomely without having to do anything.¡± ¡°Again, such a convenient thing to think about¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yuta, if we¡¯re leaving, what are you going to do about Nagisa, are you going to take her with you?¡± ¡°That depends on what she wants to do. In the meantime, Nagisa belongs to Amuria, so we won¡¯t know until we ask her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind? You¡¯ve known each other since childhood, and now you¡¯ll be separated again.¡± ¡°Now that we have shared communications, we can always contact each other, unlike before, so I won¡¯t feel so lonely.¡± I was worried before because I didn¡¯t even know if she was safe, but now I can keep in touch with her. Afterwards, I told Nagisa that we were about to leave and asked her if she wanted to come with us just in case, but she was thinking the same thing and said. ¡°Thank you for inviting me. But Ranelle¡¯s going to be busy now, and I need to be there for her¡­..¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re still very much a friend.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I can contact Yuta anytime I want and we can see each other if I want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Later, a federal state was formally established. The Federation of Eastern States was officially named the Amurian Federation, after the country of origin of the first head of state. It was the birth of a superpower with 47 member countries and 18,000 magicrafts under its control. Before we left, the Amurian Federation officially offered the Iron Knights a contract. Jean and I were summoned to Ranelle. ¡°The Amurian Federation wishes to enter into a permanent contract with the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°We¡¯re expensive.¡± Jean sneered at Ranelle¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you what you deserve. The problem is the terms of the contract.¡± ¡°Basically, mercenaries should be free, I don¡¯t like being held captive, how about we form a defense contract?¡± ¡°A defense contract¡­¡­.So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll come running if there¡¯s a war?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take it on those terms.¡± ¡°I really wanted you to be there for me¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m not sure why Ranelle is staring at me as she says this. ¡°I understand. Please make a defense contract. How about one billion for the contract and 300 million for the year?¡± It was considerably better than Meltaria¡¯s conditions. Jean seemed to be convinced and agreed with her. CH 166 On the day we left for Bealife Valley, the entrance to the subterranean river in Emou, in search of the giant beast¡¯s nest, Nagisa and Ranelle, who was busy being the first head of state of the federal state, came to see us off. ¡°Yuta, don¡¯t be too reckless. No matter how strong you are, there is always someone better than you.¡± ¡°I know, I won¡¯t push myself.¡± ¡°If you think you can¡¯t win, you can always run away.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Nagisa pestered me, she was really worried about me. ¡°Yuta-san¡­¡­we have a defense contract with the Iron Knights, you can always come back to the Amurian Union as if it were your own country.¡± Ranelle says such kind words to me, perhaps as a form of social courtesy. ¡°Oh, of course I¡¯ll come back. If I don¡¯t come back once in a while, Nagisa will be annoyed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? I¡¯m not going to nag you about it! The truth is, Yuta only wants to come because he wants to see me!¡± After the exchange of goodbyes, the door closed and Fugaku began to move. Nagisa and Ranelle looked over at us until we were out of sight. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this, Yuta?¡­¡­If Nagisa were a little wouldn¡¯t she have followed Yuta?¡± Nanami, who had probably been watching my exchange with Nagisa, said to me in a lonely tone. I smiled and said to her. ¡°I¡¯ve known Nagisa for a long time, and we¡¯ve spent a lot of time together, so I don¡¯t miss her that much because we can talk to each other whenever we want to.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­yes, you can talk anytime now.¡± To be honest, I sometimes wish Nagisa would stay by my side, but the fact that she cares about her friends is one of the things I like about her. When I got to the bridge, Jean and Liza were arguing about something again. ¡°That¡¯s why I said I need a master!¡± ¡°Master¡­¡­Liza, when did you become Rafishal¡¯s apprentice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural to look to someone who is better than you for guidance.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s your choice¡­¡­.¡± When Liza saw me, she tried to involve me in her argument with Jean. ¡°Come on, Yuta, tell me what you need!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± When I said that, Jean answered instead of Liza. ¡°Rafishal wants a substance called a magnetron.¡± ¡°If he wants it, why don¡¯t you buy it for him?¡± ¡°Stupid, it¡¯s ridiculously expensive! A hundred million gold a kilogram is a lot of money to spend.¡± ¡°A hundred million!¡­¡­Liza, tell Rafishal to be patient.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything either, Yuta. A hundred million gold items can be worth a billion or two billion if the master makes some changes!¡¡It¡¯s a shame that it¡¯s a bit expensive!¡± Well, it¡¯s true that Rafishal¡¯s invention may be worth that much¡­¡­. ¡°But why didn¡¯t Rafishal himself come to you?¡± ¡°Master humbly refrained by saying, ¡®I¡¯d like to, but it¡¯s too expensive¡­¡­.I can¡¯t ask for it considering the price,¡¯ so I, his disciple, came instead.¡± I¡¯m starting to think that¡¯s another one of Rafishal¡¯s schemes¡­¡­. ¡°Jean, it¡¯s true that Rafishal¡¯s inventions might be worth that much, so why don¡¯t you buy magnetron for him this time?¡± When I said so, Jean, who was a little troubled, reluctantly agreed. ¡°It¡¯s just this one time! We¡¯ll go bankrupt if we have to buy this level of stuff often! Make sure you tell Rafishal that!¡± When Liza heard this, she happily returned to the hangar. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much money I make, it¡¯s all going to go to material costs.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re going into town to stock up, and I¡¯ve got something I need to buy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unusual. What do you want?¡± ¡°I need a spirit box for my room.¡± ¡°I see, you want to stay in your room and have a nice conversation with your childhood friend.¡± ¡°What are you saying¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s like a child¡¯s toy compared to Rafishal¡¯s request, so I¡¯ll buy you the latest Horcrux (spirit box).¡± I wanted to get a used one so that we could talk slowly in my room, but I was pleasantly surprised that he would buy the latest one. CH 167 A large rock in the Bealife Valley, Rafishal says this is the entrance to the underground ocean current. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like an entrance to me.¡± ¡°The subterranean currents are a convenient but dangerous place, and they are rigged to prevent easy entry.¡± Rafishal said and began to tinker with some kind of machine. ¡°If we send out a specific frequency, a portal will open.¡± As Rafishal said this, the large rock cracked open in half with a thud and the earth rumbled. ¡°Wow¡­¡­this is the technology of the ancient civilization¡­¡­.¡± Jean said admiringly. ¡°Although it looks impressive, it¡¯s very simple.¡± I have a feeling that Rafishal¡¯s idea of simplicity and our idea of simplicity are somewhat different, but I don¡¯t want to point it out because it would lead to a long conversation. The open entrance was wide enough for the ride carrier Fugaku to fit through. As we slowly made our way to the back of the open rock, the path gently descended. ¡°We¡¯ll keep going down for about a kilometer.¡± True to his word, the descent continued for a while. At the end of the descent, I hear something fierce roaring. ¡°That¡¯s the subterranean ocean current, used by ancient civilizations to travel long distances and generate energy.¡± There was a raging sea. In the dark depths of the earth, the scene reflected by the light emitted from Fugaku was terrifying. Fistina tried to make Fugaku move slowly and let the current carry him along. ¡°Fistina! Be careful, if you hit a rock or something you¡¯ll tip it over!¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Can you make the lights a little brighter? It¡¯s hard to see and operate.¡± At the request of the pilot, Fistina, Jean instructed the crew via the ship¡¯s internal communication. Then the lights increased and the view widened. ¡°Keep moving slowly, Fistina.¡± ¡°We¡¯re coming into contact with the wave! Brace for impact!¡± Hearing this, Jean alerted everyone on the ship¡¯s broadcast. ¡°All hands brace for impact! It¡¯s going to be a bumpy ride!¡± I hurriedly caught myself on a nearby pillar and prepared for the impact. The moment Fugaku was hit by the wave, the ship shook violently. Nanami and Farma let out small shouts. ¡°Yikes!¡± Once we were fully in the waves, the violent shaking stopped and stabilized into a slow, loud shaking. ¡°The current will take us to the destination on its own.¡± ¡°What is our speed?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say 50 knots.¡± ¡°Fifty! That¡¯s fast!¡± ¡°The fastest we can go is about 60 knots.¡± ¡°Holy shit¡­¡­.¡± Jean was impressed, but I didn¡¯t know what was so great about it, not even understanding how fast 50 knots was. As soon as Fugaku stabilized, everyone relaxed and began to enjoy the journey of the undersea current. I was sitting on the bridge with Nanami and Farma, looking out at the scenery. ¡°Yuta, look! It¡¯s a big rock!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really big. Even Fugaku might be in danger if it falls.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say scary things like that, Yuta.¡± Nanami was furious with me, and I slunk away from the bridge, where I could see all around me, to the kitchen room. While I was making a drink called charcoal bean tea, which is similar to coffee, Fistina, who had been freed from the controls thanks to the ocean current transfer, came in. ¡°Charcoal bean tea, I¡¯d like some too¡­¡­.¡± She asked me in a modest way. I increased the amount of beans and made charcoal bean tea for the two of us. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t had a chance to talk to Fistina, have I?¡± I casually broke the ice over a cup of charcoal tea. ¡°Yes, because Yuta-san always looks so busy.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that busy. I just do what I have to do and before I know it, time has passed.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you call being busy?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it is.¡± Fistina, who always has a blank expression on her face, smiled a little when I gave her such a foolish answer. ¡°¡®Yuta, we¡¯re having a rider meeting, come to the hangar!¡± Linnecarlo said a little grumpily. ¡°What? Was there a meeting?¡± ¡°Yes, there was. Come on, I¡¯ll walk you to the hangar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fistina.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Linnecarlo grabbed my arm and pulled, probably to keep me from running away. I didn¡¯t disobey her, and she took me straight to the hangar. CH 168 C168: The Big Bathroom Fugaku has two large bathrooms to accommodate the large number of passengers. The women¡¯s baths and the men¡¯s baths are used separately, and as a matter of course, each bath is closed to the opposite sex. Before we hired the crew, it was only me, Jean, Arthur, and Lorgo who used the men¡¯s baths, but now there are many men on board. In the men¡¯s bath, which has become more masculine in both good and bad ways, we often talk about lowly things that the women can¡¯t hear¡­¡­. ¡°After all, Alana¡¯s intimidatingly accentuated body is the best, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, nothing beats Linnecarlo¡¯s refined and graceful body!¡± ¡°Huh, you two don¡¯t understand the appeal of a real woman, do you? Taking into account not only the beauty of her appearance, but also the way she behaves on a daily basis, it¡¯s obvious that Emina is the best in terms of attractiveness as a mature woman.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, you don¡¯t understand. In fact, she¡¯s not a rider, so she doesn¡¯t stand out, but she¡¯s an incredibly beautiful woman, Fistina, who¡¯s in charge of controlling Fugaku.¡± The male crew members concentrated their attention on these four girls. I think Nanami and Farma are cute too, but I guess they can¡¯t beat the sex appeal of an adult woman. ¡°What do you think, Yuta-san?¡± One of the crew members casually asks me. ¡°Eh, what are you talking about?¡± I pretended to not understand the question. ¡°We¡¯re talking about who¡¯s the best girl in the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re all attractive, but I¡¯ve never thought about who¡¯s the best.¡± ¡°Well, yes, Yuta-san is kind, so you can¡¯t say that it¡¯s Alana-san.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just decide that Yuta-san¡¯s number one is Alana-san! It could be Linnecarlo-sama!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hear Yuta¡¯s voice in your heart, it¡¯s Alana-san, I¡¯m telling you!¡± Another heated debate begins. I really do think they¡¯re all fascinating to me¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, you guys! You guys are saying that Alana is the best, Linnecarlo is the best, you¡¯re in love with Emina, and Fistina is beautiful, but you¡¯re forgetting the real number one!¡± Darm, one of the twin brothers who were apprentice mechanics, complained loudly. ¡°What the hell, Darm, is there any other candidate besides those four?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­..I can¡¯t even think of anyone. Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Liza, the star of the Mechanic Squad!¡± When Darm said that, time stopped for a moment. I think Liza is cute too, but when it comes to being a bit more attractive as a woman, I can certainly understand everyone¡¯s reaction. Liza¡¯s work clothes make her look like a boy at first glance¡­¡­ ¡°You idiot! Darm! You¡¯ve been looking at Liza like that? You¡¯re too pathetic to be my brother!¡± The one who shouted out in anger was his twin brother, Balm, who was an apprentice mechanic. ¡°What the hell, Balm! Don¡¯t you find Liza-san attractive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that Liza¡¯s little gestures of a woman in between the work are very nice. But, you know, Liza is also our teacher, and you can¡¯t look at her like that¡­¡­.¡± I did hear that Liza is the one who teaches the twins many things. You can¡¯t look at the teacher with such an evil eye, Balm is as serious as he seems. ¡°Balm, I know what you¡¯re really thinking, and you¡¯re fooling yourself by saying that, but there¡¯s someone you think is nicer than Liza-san.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­..you¡¯re indeed my twin brother¡­¡­how could you see through my feelings¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Tell me exactly who it is!¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­the best woman who has never left my heart is¡­¡­Mr. Rafishal!¡± ¡°No! No, Balm, Rafishal is a man, despite his appearance.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but remind him¡­¡­ ¡°Of course I know he is a man, but¡­¡­doesn¡¯t matter what gender he is! As long as it¡¯s cute, it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Ugh, I wonder if I should tell Rafishal about this¡­¡­. CH 169 C169: Bathroom / Nanami There are two large bathrooms in Fugaku. One is for the guys and the other is for the girls. I really want to take a bath with Yuta, but everyone says I can¡¯t. I wondered why I was not allowed to take a bath with Yuta, since we took our first bath together. ¡°Nanami, can you hand me that soap?¡± I handed the soap to Alana who came next to Nanami and said so. Alana¡¯s body is amazing by the way, her body is toned in general and her breasts are just huge. Nanami sighs as she compares her own flabby breasts to Alana¡¯s intimidating ones. I wonder if Nanami will be like that one day. ¡°Sorry, Nanami, I¡¯m out of shampoo.¡± Emina comes to ask me for shampoo. Emina¡¯s body was lean and lean, and had the ideal female body. It¡¯s not as big as Alana¡¯s, but it¡¯s there where it counts, and her hips are nice and perky. I want to have a butt like Emina¡¯s, but I don¡¯t know how to do it. ¡­.. ¡°Nanami, I need a little back rub.¡± Linnecarlo asks Nanami to do the same as always. Before I knew it, it was either Nanami or Farma¡¯s role to wash Linnecarlo¡¯s back. Linnecarlo¡¯s skin is white and smooth. I don¡¯t know what kind of magic she uses, but her skin is so fine that it really absorbs your palm, and it feels good just to touch it. Her breasts are as large as Aluna¡¯s, and they have a nice shape. ¡°Oh, Linnecarlo, I envy you. Nanami, can I be next, please?¡± Fistina said to me. Fistina is as beautiful as a doll. It¡¯s a little bit scary to see how beautiful she is, and I hesitate to touch her because I think she might break. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s unusual for Liza to come to the bath at this hour.¡± Alana called out when she saw Liza come in with a towel covering her body. ¡°I thought I¡¯d come in with you sometimes, Alana-sama¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you to say, then stop hiding behind that towel and show me everything.¡± As she said this, she pulled Liza¡¯s towel in a flash. ¡°Oh, Alana-sama, no! I¡¯m so embarrassed!¡± Alana took the towel from her and Liza exposed everything. She¡¯s always dressed like a boy in her work clothes, but when she¡¯s naked, you can barely tell she¡¯s a girl. I knew Liza was just like Nanami. It¡¯s a little bit of a relief to look at Liza¡¯s tiny breasts and think that way. ¡°Nanami, come with me to the bathtub over there.¡± Here you come, traitor! Falma¡¯s breasts are nice and full, even though we are not that different in age and height. Whenever I pointed this out, she always replied, ¡°I envy Nanami¡¯s body, even without breasts it¡¯s better than this cursed one.¡± When she says that, I can¡¯t say anything else¡­¡­.I wonder if we can somehow lift Farma¡¯s curse¡­¡­. In the bathroom, we often talk about Yuta. Today was a rare occasion when Fistina asked me to talk about Yuta. ¡°Does Yuta have a specific person in mind?¡± Alana and Linnecarlo responded to her words. ¡°I guess I¡¯m the closest.¡± ¡°Oh, Alana, did you hear that from Yuta himself?¡± ¡°I could tell by the way he usually said and did things, couldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very selfish assumption.¡± ¡°I¡¯m less presumptuous than some princess¡­¡­.¡± Wow, it¡¯s started again¡­¡­Normally, not so much, but when it comes to Yuta, there¡¯s instantly an uneasy atmosphere between Alana and Linnecarlo¡­¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t rub it in when we¡¯re taking a bath.¡± When this happens, Emina is usually the one to intercede. But today, Nanami also wants to insist. ¡°Nanami has known Yuta the longest, so Nanami is the closest!¡± I said¡­¡­I was afraid that they would argue with me, but they didn¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure why, but they all started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, Nanami has known Yuta the longest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no match for Nanami.¡± ¡°But I guess you¡¯ll have to wait until things get a little bigger to say that.¡± Alana said as she looked at Nanami¡¯s body. Hmmm. When I grow up, I¡¯ll have breasts that are better shaped than Linnecarlo¡¯s and bigger than Alana¡¯s! And then even Yuta won¡¯t leave me alone. CH 170 C170: Rafishal¡¯s Awakening / Yuki Dr. Brule is manipulating some kind of glowing string board that was in the room. Then, with a beep, the machines around her begin to respond. ¡°It is time for the Great Sage Rafishal to awaken.¡± As Dr. Brule said this, she blew up a puff of white fuzz and the capsule opened. With a snap, the figure lying in the capsule reacted. He¡¯s alive¡­¡­.He was really just sleeping. The Great Sage Rafishal slowly rose from the capsule. He scampered around, and when he saw us, he spoke to us. ¡°How long have I been asleep¡­¡­?¡± ¡°About ten thousand years.¡± Dr. Brule said. ¡°Who are you? No, you¡¯ve broken my seal, which means you¡¯re a descendant of the Messiah family.¡± ¡°Yes, my name is Brule, Great Sage.¡± ¡°Brule, thank you very much. I must reward the Messiah family handsomely.¡± ¡°No, no need for such a favor. It is enough that our long-cherished wish, Lord Rafishal¡¯s resurrection, has been accomplished.¡± ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your loyalty, even after all these years. By the way, I would like to know more about this world, can you tell me about it?¡± ¡°Of course, sir. I will prepare a room for you on the ride carrier, and we will go there.¡± Dr. Brule¡¯s tone clearly changed in the face of the Great Sage Rafishal. What about the Messiah family? ¡°Dr. Brule, did you know that the Great Sage Rafishal was sleeping here?¡± I wandered so much that I asked the doctor. ¡°Of course, yes, we, the Messiah clan, have been waiting for 10,000 years for the seal to weaken. The procedure for lifting the seal was also handed down to us by Rafishal-sama himself.¡± ¡°Well, then, investigating the ruins is¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a ruse, the real goal is to revive the Great Sage Rafishal.¡± Mary reacts to Dr. Brule¡¯s words. ¡°Is that the will of the emperor, Dr. Brule¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, the emperor doesn¡¯t know, he just wants to investigate the ruins.¡± It was clear that Dr. Brule is loyal to the Great Sage and not the emperor. ¡°Dr. Brule, if it is not the Emperor¡¯s will, we cannot help you any further.¡± ¡°Is the will of the Emperor so important to you, Mary?¡± ¡°Of course it is! We¡¯re soldiers of the Elysian Empire!¡± ¡°The Elysian Empire was created by the will of the Great Sage Rafishal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The Elysian Empire is the Eternal Kingdom, isn¡¯t it, Dr. Brule?¡± Rafishal, who was listening to the conversation, asked Dr. Brule. ¡°Yes, we are in the Eternal Kingdom, created solely for the purpose of resurrecting Lord Rafishal.¡± ¡°Hmm, it seems that the Messiah clan has been following all my procedures.¡± ¡°Yes, we have eradicated the Ludia core-generating technology and sealed away the magical knowledge over the years. In this world, it is no longer possible to create a magicraft from scratch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. So you have found Feri Ludia as well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­we could not locate her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but okay, we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± The Elysian Empire is the Eternal Kingdom¡­..this is going in a direction I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Dr. Brule! I still don¡¯t believe that story. I¡¯m detaining you for treason!¡± Mary draws her sword and says. ¡°Are you arresting me¡­¡­all by yourself?¡± Mary ordered her guards. ¡°Take Dr. Brule into custody!¡± But none of the guards moved. ¡°What are you doing? That¡¯s an order from a senior rider!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your guards will not obey your orders.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°All the soldiers here are under the command of the Messiah family.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡­the regular soldiers of the empire!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to mislead you, it¡¯s true that the emperor does not know this, but it is the will of the true ruler of the Elysian Empire, the current head of the Messiah clan, Amuno-sama.¡± ¡°Amuno¡­¡­no way, Prince Amuno¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You know what that means.¡± ¡°Brule, this is troublesome, that one doesn¡¯t seem to want to obey me, so get it over with.¡± Rafishal¡¯s order was to kill Mary. Dr. Brule obeyed the order without a word. ¡°Soldiers, cut Mary down.¡± Immediately the guards moved, swords drawn, and closed in on Mary. ¡°Wait, please!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs. The soldiers did not stop moving at that shout. However, they obeyed the voice of another person. ¡°Wait a minute, Brule, who are you?¡± ¡°I am Yuki, a triple Highlander, the most senior rider of the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°What is a triple Highlander?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a generic term for riders with a Ludia value between 30,000 and 40,000.¡± ¡°What do you mean, the most senior rider with only thirty thousand Ludia?¡± ¡°In this generation, we don¡¯t have the technology for Nitro Ludia or the Ludia Enhancement Program¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell her natural value is 30,000!¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s natural and it¡¯s 30,000, it could be class 5¡­¡­or even class 4¡­¡­.No way, that one too?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a double Highlander, a rider with a Ludia value in the 20,000 range.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a valuable asset, let¡¯s not kill her. Hey, you, I¡¯ll let you live and you can follow me.¡± Mary looked frustrated, but she didn¡¯t reject it. CH 171 C171: The Corpses of Giant Beasts ¡°We¡¯re almost at the seam of the current, so let¡¯s get on land.¡± Rafishal instructed Jean and Fistina while looking at the scenery outside. ¡°How can you tell when the scenery looks so similar?¡± Jean murmured admiringly, and Rafishal said surprisingly. ¡°The colors and shapes are completely different. You can see the unique shape of that one.¡± ¡°Do¡­¡­geniuses see things differently?¡± I agree with Jean on this one, I had no idea what the difference was. We climbed ashore through the connection of currents that Rafishal had mentioned, and proceeded deeper into the vast limestone cave-like passage. When we came to a huge square rock, Rafishal started to operate some kind of machine again. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to open the door to the giant beast¡¯s lair.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s going to be any big ones coming out of there, is there?¡± ¡°The nest is completely sealed¡­¡­Maybe¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®maybe¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sealed up and the breeding has stopped, but there could still be survivors.¡± ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡­.Really?¡± ¡°Well, even if there are, there aren¡¯t many. Yuta can take care of them.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s have Yuta take care of it.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you two talking about?¡± As if they didn¡¯t hear my protests, Jean and Rafishal watched as a large rock split in half and opened up a new path. ¡°As someone who¡¯s been listening to tales of giant beasts since I was a child, this doesn¡¯t sound good to me.¡± Alana looked unusually nervous as she watched the rocks open up. The other members of the group, all of whom knew the story of the giant beasts, looked on in horror. I watched the open door warily for a little while, but nothing came out of the completely open entrance of the giant beast¡¯s nest. ¡°All right, Fistina, advance with caution.¡± Following Jean¡¯s words, Fistina moved Fugaku forward into the giant beast¡¯s nest. ¡°Look at that!¡± Nanami shouted, pointing in a certain direction, as if she had found something. We all turned our gaze in the direction Nanami was pointing. ¡°What the hell is that¡­..?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.Are giant beasts that big?¡± There was a large white skeleton and looked to be about the size of a soccer field. ¡°It¡¯s the carcass of a mid-sized behemoth. I think Arleo can manage to kill something like that.¡± ¡°No, no, no, wait, Rafishal, by middle, you mean there are bigger beasts than that?¡± ¡°Yes, there are behemoths bigger than Fugaku, and I¡¯ve never seen one, but from what I¡¯ve heard, some are even bigger than that.¡± ¡°How can we defeat such a thing?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to say, because the strength of a giant beast is not only its size, there are also small ones that are strong.¡± ¡°If there are small ones that are strong, then there must be big ones that are strong too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll even need to be afraid of that once I¡¯ve perfected your Class 2 dedicated machine.¡± ¡°What kind of magicraft are you trying to make so that I don¡¯t need to be afraid of such a monster¡­¡­?¡± In the giant beast nest, there were glimpses of giant skeletons, but there were no living giant beasts to be seen. After all, it¡¯s been about 10,000 years since they were sealed up, so Rafishal guessed that they must be completely extinct. ¡°We¡¯re about to reach the orichalcone vein.¡± Rafishal says, looking at the scenery around him. As a layman, I can¡¯t see any change in the scenery, so I wonder what kind of senses he has. ¡°All right, if we can unearth a few things, it¡¯ll be worth the trouble of coming here.¡± ¡°What, Jean, you don¡¯t mine?¡± ¡°Of course mining is a job for riders, I¡¯m a foreman.¡± ¡°No, not really, I built a small piece of heavy equipment for mining, so you don¡¯t need a magicraft to mine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t have to, Rafishal.¡± ¡±We¡¯ll get more if we all dig together.¡± Rafishal was right. Even Jean, who was mumbling, was forced to help with the mining, and we all set to mine the orichalcon. CH 172 C172: The Orichalcone Vein In both of Arleo¡¯s hands is a huge pickaxe, I slammed it down on the hard bedrock. The high-pitched sound of metal clashing against metal echoed as I chipped away at a portion of the rock. ¡°What color is the orichalcone ore?¡± As I scrape away at the rock, I suddenly feel uneasy about what I¡¯m looking for. ¡°It¡¯s a blue color, almost black, with a slight glow, so I think you¡¯ll recognize it.¡± As expected of Jean, he seems to have information about the ore. However, despite his¡­¡­knowledge, he seems to be uncomfortable with physical labor and at a loss when operating the excavator that Rafishal built. ¡°Rafishal! How do you do this? I can¡¯t move it, it¡¯s off the axis!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to hold it steady. Look at Darm and Balm. They¡¯re handling it well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare me with those muscle-bound twins! I¡¯ve been living using my head!¡± Rafishal seems to have made a small heavy machine so that anyone can handle it, regardless of their Ludia value, and that seems to have put a lot of strain on his body. Jean, who was overwhelmingly weak compared to the muscle twins, was being pushed around rather than handling the heavy machinery. It was an unexpected person who made the first achievement in the Iron Knights¡¯ mining campaign. ¡°Jean¡­¡­is this orichalcon?¡± Lorgo said to me as he showed us the pale shiny ore. ¡°Whoa! Lorgo, that¡¯s exactly what orichalcon looks like! Where did you find it? If you found one, we might be able to figure out how the whole vein flows!¡± Thanks to Lorgo¡¯s finding of the orichalcon, it seems that the whole picture of the vein is becoming clearer. Under Jean¡¯s direction, mining was carried out, and orichalcon was dug up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going for 50 kilos! Come on, guys!¡± ¡°How much are you getting now?¡± Alana asked in response to Jean¡¯s suggestion. ¡°We haven¡¯t even gotten a kilo yet.¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve all been working hard for half a day now, and we haven¡¯t even gotten a kilo yet, you¡¯re aiming too high!¡± Linnecarlo complained that she was tired of mining. ¡°We used to be able to get a lot more, but the veins have thinned out.¡± ¡°Still, I reckon we can get 50 kilos! Stop whispering and start digging!¡± Before we knew it, Jean had thrown away the heavy machinery and shifted to foreman¡­¡­.He¡¯s really good at that kind of thing¡­ In the end, we were only able to get about 10 kilos in three days of mining, which was not enough to reach our goal. Then Rafishal made a suggestion. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s change the spot! We need to get the Phoenix Stone, and there¡¯s a better place in the back, so let¡¯s go there.¡± ¡°What? If you have such a good point, why didn¡¯t you say so in the beginning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous than this place. There are ruins nearby and Guardians roaming around, so I didn¡¯t want to go there if I could help it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Guardians can easily destroy Highlanders, is that true?¡± ¡°The Guardian is a magicraft controlled by an artificial rider, but the artificial rider¡¯s Ludia value is 25,000.¡± ¡°Wow, a double Highlander?¡± ¡°But the Iron Knights will be fine, we have Yuta, and I think we can manage even if the Guardians come out.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure Yuta can handle the Guardians. Okay, let¡¯s move to that point!¡± I¡¯m glad you¡¯re relying on me, but I think you need to stop thinking that I can handle everything. We took Fugaku to the other spot. I hear it¡¯s not that far, but I¡¯ll use the time to get some food. I drank some vegetable soup and ate some freshly baked bread. Mealtime is the best time, no matter where you are. I was enjoying my meal when Rafishal¡¯s loud voice interrupted my moment of happiness. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± He was making so much noise that Jean and I rushed over to him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Rafishal! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The site is up and running¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ruins activated? What does that mean?¡± When I asked him that, Rafishal said, ¡°The activation of the ruins is the first step in unsealing the giant beasts.¡± At Rafishal¡¯s words, Jean, me, and the rest of the group¡­¡­tensed up from the core of our bodies. CH 173 C173: Rafishal¡¯s Anxiety ¡°What do you mean, ¡°The first stage of unsealing the giant beasts¡±?¡± When Jean asked this, Rafishal replied with an anxious expression. ¡°In order to break the seal of the giant beasts, you need to first activate the ruins and then use the functions of the ruins to break the three seals¡­¡­.If even one of the seals is still intact, it will be fine, but if the person who activated the ruins wanted to break the seal of the giant beasts, it will be very dangerous.¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s been so many years. Couldn¡¯t the ruins have been activated by accident?¡± ¡°No, it would take a lot of knowledge and skill just to activate them, there¡¯s no way the ruins could have activated by accident.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to¡­¡­us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about the giant beast¡¯s seal, but there¡¯s another thing¡­¡­the most dangerous man in humanity history has also been sealed using the giant beast¡¯s seal¡­¡­.I¡¯m more worried about that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Most Dangerous Man? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a long story, we¡¯ll talk about it another time, right now I want to check the seal. Jean, I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s leave the mining for later, humanity is at stake, can you head over to check the seal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going, but if the behemoths are back, there¡¯s nothing for us to do but work for free.¡± From what Rafishal had told us, this was certainly not the time for casual mining. With his guidance, we started to move to check the three seals. After a few moments of moving, Fugaku was suddenly hit by a huge shock. There was a thud, a sound like the rumbling of the earth, and at the same time, the ship shook violently. ¡°What the hell? We¡¯re under attack!¡± ¡°Look, there¡¯s something crawling towards us!¡± Nanami reported as she looked outside. ¡°This is not good, it seems that the defense system is not only activated, but also in full swing¡­¡­Not only the guardians who protect the entrance, but also all the guardians installed in the ruins are starting to move.¡± ¡°Guardians or not, we¡¯ve got to fight.¡± All the riders nodded at Jean¡¯s words, then headed for the hangar. ¡°Except for Yuta and Linnecarlo, we¡¯ll stick together and fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± Linnecarlo replied spitefully to Alana¡¯s comment about being left out of the group. ¡°Yes, considering the Guardian¡¯s combat power, that would be a good idea.¡± Jean also agreed with Alana¡¯s instructions. When I heard that the Ludia value is as high as a double Highlander, we can¡¯t be too careful. It is certainly safer to fight in a group. The Guardian was not a puppet, but a beast of sorts. Looking at its quadrupedal movement, it seemed to be quite quick. The Guardians¡¯ attack methods were body contact and biting, and some of them spat out balls of flame from their mouths. All of the attacks seemed to have considerable offensive power, but Nanami and Lorgo acted as the vanguard to block the attacks, and the other members of the team defeated them one by one. Linnecarlo, following Alana¡¯s instructions, made full use of lightning strikes by himself to wipe out the Guardians. I was alone, charging towards the mass of Guardians. There was no time to conserve my strength, so I suddenly activated Musou mode. Using my glowing fists, I crushed the Guardians. ¡°If there¡¯s a white Guardian, watch out, it¡¯s the leader with a growth AI, and it¡¯s an Exlander monster with a Ludia value of 100,000, so Yuta should be able to handle it.¡± Rafishal urged us to be careful. But most of the Guardians are black, and there are no white ones to be seen. Well, I don¡¯t want to deal with a monster with a Ludia value of 100,000, so it¡¯s better if it¡¯s not there. ¡°Hey, Rafishal, if there¡¯s a monster out there with a Ludia value of 100,000, tell us earlier!¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s 100,000, it¡¯s only an artificial rider, Yuta, a natural monster, won¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°Well, then you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°No, how can you come to that conclusion? Rafishal, didn¡¯t you just say something about a growing AI? What if it¡¯s growing weirdly and evolving into a real monster!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s definitely a possibility.¡± Rafishal is supposed to be smart, but he¡¯s a little careless in some ways¡­¡­. CH 174 C174: To Release the Seal / Yuki When I returned to the ride carrier with Rafishal, the Great Sage, I was told what to do next. ¡°I¡¯m going to break the other two seals here.¡± Rafishal replied when Dr. Brule asked him what he was going to do. ¡°Master Rafishal, if you break the other two seals, the giant beast will be resurrected¡­¡­¡± Dr. Brule advised Rafishal in an agitated manner. But the Great Sage said without moving an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Originally, giant beasts were the inhabitants of this world. They¡¯ve been sealed away for the convenience of one race, the humans. Don¡¯t you think that the best way to bring back the natural form of this world is to unseal the behemoths?¡± ¡°However, the weakened humans now have no power to restrain the resurrected giant beasts¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If we are such a weak race, we should be destroyed!¡± Rafishal said in a very strong tone. ¡°I understand. Your words are all that matters to us, the Messiah clan. Let¡¯s proceed with breaking the seals.¡± ¡°Hmm, you understand, but rest assured, I will bring back a strong human race, so strong that they will not fear the giant beasts.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to revive technologies like Nitro-Ludia?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to raise the average Ludia value exponentially. I will also revive powerful magicrafts.¡± I¡¯m not sure what the Great Sage Rafishal is trying to do, but Mary¡¯s eyebrows narrowed in thought when she heard him speak. If we don¡¯t revive the giant beasts, we won¡¯t need that kind of power¡­¡­. But the only ones who were questioning this were Mary and I. Rafishal was in complete control of the survey team, and his words left no one in any doubt. ¡°Master Rafishal, could you please apply the first of your Ludia value enhancements to this Enrique!¡± Enrique, who I thought was one of us, was a member of the Messiah clan. When Rafishal woke up safely and came back, he shed tears of joy. In addition, all the riders accompanying us seemed to be under the control of the Messiah clan, and in the end, Mary and I were the only ones who were not under the control of the Messiah clan in this expedition. In the first place, the plan for the research team itself seemed to be just one of the processes of the Messiah clan, and my participation seemed to be irregular. ¡°Yes, of course, the first enhancement must be done on the riders of the Messiah clan. As soon as they are ready, I will strengthen them.¡± ¡°Thank you for your blessings!¡± Enrique looks really happy. Mary¡¯s expression tugged at the sight of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Enrique was a member of the Messiah clan¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The other riders seem to be members of the Messiah family. We can¡¯t do anything on our own¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know, we just have to follow them and do something about it when we get back home.¡± ¡°But Prince Amuno is also a member of the Messiah family, and he¡¯s a powerful military leader with the title of general, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Well, we may have to go directly to the Emperor.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in saying anything to the emperor, the Messiah family has already taken control of the center of the empire.¡± Brule tells us this after hearing me and Mary whispering in private. ¡°I think it¡¯s my duty to report back¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you soldiers may have such an obligation, so that¡¯s fine, you are free to report to the Emperor when you return.¡± He really doesn¡¯t seem to care about us reporting to the Emperor. A short time later, Brule instructed me to go out. ¡°Is that a request or an order?¡± ¡°Neither. It¡¯s inevitable. If we don¡¯t go, this ride carrier will be destroyed and you won¡¯t be able to return to your country.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°When we broke Master Rafishal¡¯s seal, it triggered the defense system of the ruins, and there are many Guardians heading this way.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the power of the Great Sage Rafishal to do something about it?¡± Mary says sarcastically to Dr. Brule. ¡°Master Rafishal¡¯s power is there to change the world, not to be used for trivial things like this.¡± ¡°So¡­..a situation where your life is in danger is trivial.¡± ¡°Huh, so are you going out? Or would you rather die trying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if I¡¯m going to commit suicide, it¡¯s going to be with the man I love. I¡¯m not going to do it with some crazy scholar I don¡¯t understand.¡± With that, Mary headed for the hangar. I agree with Mary, I am not going to self-destruct with some weird Great Sage and his fanatics. I followed Mary to the hangar. CH 175 The Guardians were indeed strong, but the feeling of actually fighting them did not make it feel as threatening as a human double Highlander. As Rafishal said, they are only artificial. In the end, the white guardian that Rafishal had mentioned never appeared, and we returned to the ride carrier after destroying all of the hundred or so guardians that had attacked us. ¡°Good work. Rest up while you can, because more might come.¡± When I returned, Jean immediately gave me a word of encouragement. It¡¯s a good thing that Jean is so considerate, isn¡¯t it? ¡°The Guardians weren¡¯t much of a double Highlander, was it?¡± Alana, also a double Highlander, gives her honest opinion. ¡°Well, it felt like a Highlander¡­¡­at best, and a half-radar at worst.¡± Emina agreed. They all seemed to feel the same way. ¡°No, I thought so because the Iron Knights are becoming more and more effective in combat. What¡¯s more, it might be because the Guardians didn¡¯t have a leader machine to command them.¡± ¡°Does having a leader change things that much?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be different, organized Guardians are terrifying.¡± Rafishal said soothingly. If that was the case, it was probably lucky that the leader machine was not present. Then, with Rafishal¡¯s guidance, we arrived at the ruins where one of the seals was located. When he saw the ruins, Rafishal¡¯s expression became tense. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re a little late.¡± ¡°What, the seal¡¯s been broken?¡± ¡°Probably¡­¡­I¡¯ll just go check the inside.¡± Rafishal said lightly, but Jean thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°Okay¡­¡­but it¡¯s not safe for you to go alone, so let¡¯s get some people to go with you.¡± Rafishal went with me and Alana to check out what was going on inside, as well as Darm and Balm, apprentice mechanics that used to specialize in hand-to-hand combat, as guards. ¡°I heard that the twins were famous fighters.¡± ¡°Yes, we were called the Red Demon and Blue Demon of the Kingdom of Lubel.¡± Balm replied to Alana¡¯s question. ¡°What? You¡¯re kidding me, you¡¯re the two demons of Lubel?¡± ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯m ashamed to admit it.¡± ¡°What, Alana, do you know them?¡± ¡°The twin demons of the Kingdom of Lubel, the strongest monsters on the continent in hand-to-hand combat. In a major battle against the Valkyria Empire a few years ago, it is said that they killed 10,000 enemy soldiers in a battle inside a cave that the magicrafts could not enter. And I heard a rumor that you defeated a magicraft using their bodies, is that true?¡± ¡°That was a complete hoax. In fact, I just used a rope to jump into the cockpit of the magicraft, used a tool to pry open the hatch, and cut the rider inside.¡± No, I think it¡¯s still great enough¡­¡­. ¡°Well, it looks like we have the perfect opponent to show off our prowess.¡± From the middle of the road, the pathway became too narrow for the magicraft to pass through so Alana and I were both walking through the ruins. Slowly approaching from the end of the passageway was a monster made of stone statues with the head of an ox and the body of a strong man, carrying a large axe. ¡°It¡¯s a small Guardian, much stronger than a flesh and blood human, so you¡¯d better be careful.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Grand Master. I¡¯ll pay you back here for all the trouble I¡¯ve caused you as a mechanic.¡± With that, the two of them slowly approached the monster. They were not intimidated at all by the monster, which was even bigger than them. The first to move was the small Guardian. It swung its large axe lightly and attacked Darm and Balm. I was expecting him to avoid the powerful axe attack, but to my surprise, he caught the attack with one hand. Then, with a whoosh, he slammed the monster against the wall with the axe he had stopped. It seems that the strongest on the continent is not a fluke. It was here that the two of them really started to show their strength. The monster that was slammed against the wall tried to stand up ¨C but with a quick movement, Darm approached the monster, grabbed the cow¡¯s head with one hand and lifted it lightly. He then threw it towards Balm as if he were throwing garbage. The thrown monster used the recoil from being thrown and went straight into a full swing to receive a powerful lariat to the neck. The monster was slammed into the wall again, cracked from the neck where he was hit by the lariat, and just crumbled to pieces. CH 176 C176: Lucifer Alana seemed to be impressed by the twins¡¯ amazing fight. ¡°You¡¯re not just a big man, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, not as big as sister or Yuta, who can control magicrafts and fight at will.¡± From what I¡¯ve heard, the twins¡¯ Ludia value is not high at 800, and because of that, they were not treated well wherever they went despite their powerful bodies. Even when they defeated enemies, they were praised only by riders with high Rudia values, and for a time, they hated both magicrafts and riders. However, the curiosity that arose from their dislike gradually led them to become interested in magicrafts, and eventually they came to love them incredibly much. So they wanted to become riders, but there was no such thing as a magicraft that could be ridden with a Ludia value of 800, so they had to give up. Even if they couldn¡¯t become riders, they wanted to be mechanics, so they applied for a job with the Iron Knights. ¡°We¡¯ve grown to love the Knights, and we¡¯re very grateful for accepting us as mechanics.¡± They both said happily. I¡¯m really glad that they are so happy now. After defeating the small guardian and moving on, we arrived at a room that was about the size of a conference room. There was some sort of capsule in the center of the room, but it was opened and there was nothing inside. ¡°It looks like the seal has been broken, after all¡­¡­¡± Rafishal said as he stared at the empty capsule, his expression was tense ¡°But there are still two seals, right? We should be able to stop whoever it is that¡¯s unsealing them, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, yes, we must at least stop the return of the giant beasts¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more terrifying than the giant beasts?¡± When Alana asked, Rafishal began to speak softly. ¡°My real name is Metis, one of the three disciples of the Great Sage Rafishal.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re not Rafishal?¡± ¡°The Great Sage Rafishal is a title, I officially inherited the name Rafishal from my master¡­¡­but there were people who didn¡¯t think well of it.¡± ¡°One of the other disciples?¡± ¡°Yes, my brothers and sisters envied me and almost killed me¡­¡­.No, I think they think they killed me.¡± ¡°What, you talk as if your brother and sister are still alive, wasn¡¯t it a long time ago?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yuta, do you know what a researcher wants the most?¡± ¡°Huh! Hmmm, money for research and¡­..¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s time, infinite time to study, we all want it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure¡­¡­¡± ¡°My master, the great sage Rafishal, told us three disciples to get eternal time. And we got eternal time in our own ways.¡± ¡°Interesting, you mean all three of you have different forms?¡± Rafishal nodded in response to Alana¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, as you can see from my appearance, I have acquired a body that does not age, and I have eternal time. One disciple data mined all of his ego-consciousness and abandoned his body¡­¡­.And the other, the brother who tried to kill me, chose the reincarnation spell.¡± ¡°Reincarnation¡­¡­What does that mean?¡± ¡°When you die, you take over all your consciousness and memories and are reborn as a new life.¡± ¡°Well, that would also mean an eternity.¡± ¡°But the reincarnation spell had a serious flaw that drove that brother insane¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What happened to you when he went crazy? ¡°He wanted to die.¡± ¡°Did he kill himself?¡± ¡°Yeah, he killed himself, and then immediately reincarnated as a new life, with a crazed consciousness.¡± ¡°Wow, what a vicious cycle.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why that brother tried to break the reincarnation spell, but he just couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°So what happened to your brother?¡± ¡°When you reincarnate with the reincarnation spell, you don¡¯t create life out of nothing, you possess the new life, and that¡¯s what my brother did.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He figured if there was no life to be born, there would be no reincarnation.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°The name of my brother is Lucifer, the man known as the Demon King who tried to destroy humanity only to lose his own vessel of rebirth, and now he¡¯s back.¡± When Rafishal said that, he had a very sad expression on his face¡­ CH 177 C177: White Guardian / Yuki There were dozens of Guardians closing in on us, and we were struggling with one of them. This is me and Mary, and Enrique and the other riders are also going out. ¡°Enrique, I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mary? You got a thing for me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­¡­.I¡¯ll help you out with this one, and we¡¯ll get it over with.¡± We are willing to cooperate against the Guardians. If the ride carrier crashes, it will be difficult to return home, so we have no choice. ¡°Yuki, you take care of the group coming from the right. I¡¯ll take care of the enemies in the center.¡± ¡°Copy that. Be careful, Mary.¡± ¡°You too.¡± I don¡¯t know what the Messiah clan and Rafishal are thinking. Mary is probably the only person I can say is completely on my side right now. I really wanted her to be careful. I followed Mary¡¯s instructions and intercepted the group approaching from the right. There were about ten of them, smaller than the Guardians I had fought a while ago, and their color had changed from brown to a darker shade. When I pierced and killed the third Guardian with my rapier, I felt a sudden change. The Guardians became more active, and their movements changed systematically ¨C I felt something sharp looking at me, and I saw two eyes glowing in the darkness behind the ruins. ¡°¡­¡­enemy?¡± Slowly emerging from the darkness was a white Guardian with a distinctly different vibe from the other Guardians. The white Guardian accelerated and in an instant, it was in my face. I quickly thrust out my rapier to attack, but he avoided it easily. ¡°Damn it! That was fast!¡± The white guardian feinted by stepping left and right several times, and then tried to bite me in the throat at once. I twisted my neck and narrowly avoided the attack. However, even though I thought I had completely avoided it, the parts of Elvira¡¯s neck popped off. If I had been even a little bit late in avoiding it, Elvira¡¯s head would probably have been sliced off. Furthermore, as the white Guardian attacked, the surrounding normal Guardians also joined in the attack. The wave of attacks came from all directions in a coordination that was unimaginable from the monotonous attacks of earlier. Even against the onslaught, I desperately continued to avoid the Guardian¡¯s attacks. Then, aiming for the slightest gap, I pierce them one by one with my rapier. I manage to hit the normal guardians with my rapier, but I can¡¯t even scratch the White Guardian. What should I do?¡­¡­This white one is too strong¡­¡­ When I think of a strong white enemy, I think of the white magicraft of the Iron Knights. It was the gold magicraft that directly killed Emina, but the white magicraft left a stronger impression on me. Imagining the battle with the Iron Knight Warriors, I remember the moment when Emina¡¯s Shuriapur was pierced by a sword, and my emotions rise ¨C my anger eventually evokes violent feelings. I swing my rapier in anger at the guardians. I poke and prod, piercing and destroying the attacking guardians¡­ However, even with furious attacks, I could not deliver even a single blow to the White Guardian. It seemed that we would be killed if we continued like this. In order to defeat the White Guardian, I looked around for a way to do it ¨C I found a part of the ruins that was about to collapse. I thought about collapsing that place and trapping the White Guardian underneath the rubble and put it into action. The speed at which I was running didn¡¯t seem to be enough to outrun the White Guardian, so I lured him slowly underneath the collapsing ruins with my rapier in tow. He didn¡¯t seem to have read my thoughts, and responded to my invitation unhesitatingly. When he came under the ruins, I threw the bronze chain, a sub-weapon of Elvira¡¯s, which I kept in my left arm, at the cracked pillar of the ruins. As planned, the pillars crumbled, the ruins collapsed, and a lot of debris fell, but the collapse was more severe than expected, and the debris cascaded down to the floor below where I was. ¡°Yikes!¡± Together with the rubble of the ruins, we fell headlong into the underground space¡­ I must have fallen from a great height, and the impact when I landed was quite severe. Rubbing my aching body, I got up and looked around. ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­where¡¯s the white one!¡± The underground space seemed to be breeding countless amounts of glowing moss, and it was bright enough to see what was going on around me. However, there was no white Guardian in sight. Could it have taken off at the time of the collapse and not fallen, or was it knocked down under the rubble? I thought about that, but the answer was neither of those. The rubble of the ruins in front of me was rising and white Guardian appeared. CH 178 C178: Inhuman / Yuki The white Guardian seemed to have sustained very little damage despite being trapped under so much debris. It seemed that I had already defeated all the normal Guardians except the white one, and now the only one in front of me was that powerful enemy. The white guardian and I stared at each other for a while, and then, out of nowhere, both of us moved. The Guardian¡¯s fangs snatch at my shoulder, and that¡¯s all it takes for the parts of my shoulder to be torn off and blown away. My rapier attack also snatched the Guardian¡¯s leg. But it seems as if I didn¡¯t do any damage. The Guardian leapt again as soon as it landed and pounced on me, aiming for my back. I avoided the attack with a forward roll and threw a chain weight to attack. The chain weight gouged out the ground where the Guardian was but the Guardian had already jumped up into the air. It would be impossible to move quickly in the air, I must seize the opportunity. With all my strength, I unleashed a desperate blow with my rapier. However, the Guardian undulated in the air and changed its stance, catching the rapier attack with its fangs. Really stubborn¡­¡­. The Guardian kicked Elvira in the leg, spun her around in midair and landed on his feet. The recoil from the leg kick sent her tumbling backwards. At the same time, with a quick movement, the Guardian climbed on top of Elvira and then, of course, it came to bite me in the cockpit. ¡°No, no, no!¡± The monitor in front of me, which was showing the outside scenery, cracked with a buzzing sound. I¡¯m screwed¡­¡­.I¡¯m going to die here¡­¡­. There was a loud cracking sound, and the hatch was ripped off. The Guardian spat the bitten off hatch out to the side and stared at me. What, you¡¯re not going to¡­¡­finish me off? It stared at me for a while, but the Guardian refused to take any further action. It could have easily bitten me to death if it wanted to, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t try to do so. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re not going to kill me?¡± He stared at me for a long time and I was so terrified that I couldn¡¯t help but call out to him. After a few moments of silence, to my surprise, the Guardian spoke up. ¡°You are what is called a woman¡­¡­.¡± I was surprised because I didn¡¯t expect him to speak. When I was too startled to reply immediately, he asked me again as if to urge me. ¡°Answer me! Are you a woman?¡± Thinking it would be bad if I offended him, I hurriedly answered. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a human woman.¡± ¡°Do all women have the same appearance as you?¡± ¡°Broadly speaking, they all look alike, but when you look at the details of their faces, their hair, their skin color, their skeletons, they are all different.¡± ¡°So there are no women exactly like you?¡± ¡°Yes, there is no such thing as a woman who looks exactly like me.¡± I felt weird answering that, but the Guardian, satisfied with my answer, got off of Elvira and stepped back a little. ¡°My heart is burning when I look at you¡­¡­.I¡¯ve become ridiculously attached to you. What am I supposed to do with this feeling?¡­¡­Tell me, what am I supposed to do with you?¡± I was so surprised that I couldn¡¯t even speak¡­¡­.It seems that the Guardian has taken a liking to me. I¡¯m not sure how to respond to these unexpected words. I¡¯ve been blessed with good looks, so I¡¯m used to this kind of confession, but I never thought I¡¯d hear such words from a non-human. ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way, but I¡¯m a human woman. I can¡¯t reciprocate those feelings.¡± I made it a point to answer confessions clearly. I¡¯ve always had a crush on someone, and I know that an insinuating attitude would hurt them. ¡°No! No! I can¡¯t handle this! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re human and I¡¯m a Guardian! Be mine, human girl!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say such words! Besides, I already have a man in my life! I will never be yours, Guardian or not!¡± ¡°¡®Gosh¡­¡­you just can¡¯t?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry, absolutely not!¡± The Guardian dropped his head. He seemed to be quite depressed but I didn¡¯t say anything. Then, the guardian looked up vigorously as if he had thought of something. And then he came closer to me. If it¡¯s not mine, then¡­No wonder I thought that, I was ready to die. ¡°Then you can at least make¡­..me yours.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Be my master¡­¡­human woman¡­¡­.¡± It was an outrageous suggestion, but I agreed to it if it would make him feel better. CH 179 C179: Another Seal There were two seals left, and when I returned to the ride carrier, I told everyone about Rafishal¡¯s story I had heard in the ruins. ¡°That¡¯s tricky, that Lucifer guy¡­¡­.¡± Jean said suspiciously. I¡¯m sure Jean is smart enough to understand the danger of Lucifer right away. ¡°He¡¯s a nuisance, but we¡¯ve got to stop the behemoths from coming back.¡± ¡°Of course, I get goosebumps just imagining a world where monsters like that are sprouting out of thin air.¡± ¡°Rafishal! How close are the rest of the seals to here?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both about three hours away by ride-carrier, and it¡¯s been that long since the first seal was broken, so Lucifer may have already broken another one.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll split up into two groups. Yuta, Alana, and Nanami, the three of you will head for one of the seals.¡± ¡°Hey, Jean! If you are going to separate, it¡¯s fine for me and Yuta to go together!¡± ¡°Idiot, if I pair you with Yuta, it will upset the balance of power.¡± ¡°With Alana and Nanami here, common enemies won¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°It¡¯d be bad if it wasn¡¯t a common enemy! Forget it, Linnecarlo, this is our group, bear with it!¡± Linnecarlo was sulking when Jean told her that. It seems that she is always eager to team up with me. I understand that we will be in trouble if the rest of the seals are broken so I immediately took Alana and Nanami and headed there. ¡°I heard the general location earlier, but I think I¡¯m going to get lost¡­¡± When I voiced my concerns, Rafishal came on the line and said. ¡°If you get lost, Feri knows where it is.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s a relief. Thanks, Feri.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± You really know your stuff, don¡¯t you, Feri? You know where all these ruins are¡­ Me, Alana and Nanami were traveling with our magicrafts and our speed was similar to the ride carrier. ¡°Yuta, speaking of which, have you been in touch with Nagisa?¡± Nanami asked suddenly. ¡°Yeah, we talk everyday, I guess she¡¯s bored.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± ¡°I know Nagisa is bored, but I often receive communications from Ranelle, who is supposed to be busy, so maybe the head of state is also bored.¡± ¡°Do you really think so, Yuta? ¡°What, you don¡¯t? ¡°You¡¯re a legendarily dull guy, that¡¯s a good thing, too.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Alana, tell me.¡± ¡°Yuta, even Nanami understands how busy a head of state can be.¡± ¡°I see, Ranelle doesn¡¯t have any free time, but she¡¯s forcing herself to communicate with me even though she¡¯s busy. She¡¯s a very disciplined person, she doesn¡¯t need to be so careful with a mercenary who has a defense contract.¡± When I said that, for some reason both Alana and Nanami were dumbfounded and didn¡¯t say anything. Feri informs me while we are chatting. ¡°Master, we¡¯re almost at the ruins.¡± ¡°Thank you, Feri, and what do you know about the ruins? Anything out of the ordinary?¡± ¡°Hold on a second, I¡¯ll scan the area around the ruins.¡± Then Feri began to make some kind of beeping sound. ¡°I have detected multiple objects moving in the vicinity of the ruins, as well as a large ship.¡± ¡°Looks like we got enemies. Alana, Nanami, we¡¯re going into battle.¡± ¡°Copy that. We need to get rid of this crazy person who¡¯s trying to resurrect the behemoths.¡± ¡°Nanami¡¯s too scared of the giant beasts, she¡¯ll never let them come back!¡± Alana and Nanami both showed hostility towards the seal breakers. I don¡¯t know what the giant beasts are like, but I¡¯m determined to do everything in my power to stop them from appearing again. CH 180 C180: Two Disappear I saw a ride carrier about the same size as Fugaku anchored near the sealed ruins. Perhaps the ride carrier had noticed our approach, but a dozen or so magicrafts that had been deployed around it began to move in a flurry. ¡°Yuta, that ride carrier looks like it belongs to the Elysian Empire.¡± Alana looked at some kind of symbol and told me so. ¡°Elysia is Emina¡¯s country¡­ Oh man, I wonder if we should keep fighting.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s Emina¡¯s home country, we can¡¯t just let them break the seal of the giant beasts, we must stop them even if we have to defeat them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and I¡¯m sure Emina will understand that.¡± We had some hesitation, but we decided to take on the enemy in front of us, giving priority to preventing the giant beast from being unsealed. The enemy riders, who seemed to be very confident in their own power, came charging at me. The first enemy machine that comes in front of me attacked me with its sword, I mercilessly pierce it down with my Estoc. The enemy machine that was pierced in the head and chest collapsed on the spot. The enemy magicraft, approaching from the right, fell prey to Alana¡¯s twin swords. His neck and right arm were cut off at the same time, and he collapsed helplessly like a puppet with broken strings. Nanami held her shield to stop the rush of two more enemy magicrafts that were approaching. Alana and I pushed them down from the side at the same time. Suddenly, four of them were defeated, and the overconfident enemy¡¯s movements changed. They didn¡¯t approach us anymore, but kept their distance to see how we were going to do. ¡°Who are you people? Do you know that we are a survey team from the Elysian Empire?¡± The other party alerts us with the external output sound. How can you say that? You¡¯re the one who attacked us, aren¡¯t you? Well, it¡¯s true that there was hostility on our side. ¡°Elysian Empire or not, those who are trying to unseal the giant beasts will be eliminated.¡± Alana replied to the other party with displeasure on her face. ¡°Huh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­that you know about the giant beast seal, it looks like you¡¯ll have to die.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you can do it if you¡¯re as good as these guys lying here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best from here!¡± Apparently, they hadn¡¯t been at their best earlier. From the group of enemy planes, two magicrafts of the same type are slowly coming forward. Their atmosphere was very different from the other machines. The two magicrafts close the gap between us. The other machines began to move around the three of us as well. One of the two magicrafts, an enemy with a three-pronged spear, makes a sharp thrust at Alana¡¯s Bercya. Alana bounces off the spear as if to thrust it up. She then attacks with another of her twin swords, cleaving sideways. The swords graze the enemy magicraft chest and scrape off part of the body. At the same time, an enemy machine with a two-handed sword swung its sword up and slashed at me. I caught it with Maingauche in my left hand. As it was, I attacked the enemy machine with my Estoc, aiming for a fatal wound in the abdomen, but it avoided me just in time, and the Estoc pierced the enemy machine¡¯s shoulder. The enemy magicrafts that surrounded us were restrained by Nanami. Using her sword and shield, she was able to toss around multiple enemies. The enemy may not be weak, but they didn¡¯t seem to be struggling. ¡°Who are you guys really? You¡¯re more than just a Highlander¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Enrique! I¡¯m sorry, but the enemy is strong! If we don¡¯t retreat, we¡¯ll be annihilated!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡­but the seal should be broken soon, we just have to hold out until then!¡± The enemy continued their conversation with external output sound, perhaps due to momentum. It turns out that they are in the process of unsealing. ¡°Alana, this is bad, it looks like they¡¯re already breaking the seal.¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to have to clean this place up quickly.¡± As Alana said, we need to defeat them quickly and stop the others from unsealing the giant beasts. Nanami destroys one of the enemies, and Alana cuts down two of them. Then I took down one of them, and cut off the arm of the magicraft with the three-pronged spear. I closed in to take out the remaining enemy magicrafts as well, but the man who was the leader of the enemy shouted out in joy. ¡°Hahahahahaha! It looks like the seal on this place has been lifted!¡¡There¡¯s no need for us to deal with you anymore! We¡¯re retreating!¡± As if to prove the man¡¯s words, I felt the atmosphere of the ruins change all at once. Now there was only one seal left¡­¡­ CH 181 C181: Unsealing / Mary We managed to eradicate the Guardians that attacked us. However, there was no sign of Yuki. I became worried and called out to her with my spirit box. ¡°Yuki, where are you? Come in!¡± However, there was no reply from her. In contrast to my impatience, the others were nonchalantly moving on to the next step. ¡°Master Rafishal is on his way to lift the seal, the riders should work to ensure further safety.¡± ¡°Dr. Brule, wait a minute! Yuki¡¯s gone, we have to find her!¡± ¡°Lifting the seal is our first priority. We can search for her afterwards.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­.¡± No one seemed to be worried about Yuki. For the Messiah clan, all problems other than Rafishal were probably insignificant. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to search for Yuki on my own.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± I looked around for Yuki. However, this was an underground world, and although I could see the light moss growing around me, it was not as bright as above ground in the daytime, making it difficult to search. Moreover, some kind of ore was reacting strongly here, and the beacon crystal was useless. I searched for her while calling out with the spirit box, but I couldn¡¯t find Yuki anywhere. ¡°Where the hell is that girl?¡± A short time later, I received a warning signal from the ride carrier that enemy magicrafts were approaching. I couldn¡¯t imagine enemy in a magicrafts place like this, so I assumed that the Guardians were approaching again, but¡­ ¡°Mary, there are unidentified magicrafts approaching, head to intercept.¡± ¡°Unidentified magicrafts? How could they be here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but whatever the reason for their appearance, we need to get rid of anyone who gets in the way of breaking the seals.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that important to unseal the giant beasts, but it¡¯s definitely one of my duties to protect the investigation team. No matter how fishy the existence of the Messiah family was, I had no choice but to fulfill my duties for now. When I rushed over, the battle had already begun. There were three enemies, and several of the skilled Highlanders had been easily defeated. It was obvious that we were no match for them. ¡°Who are you people? Do you know that we are a survey team from the Elysian Empire?¡± Enrique warned his opponent with the external output sound. The mention of Elysia¡¯s name would have frightened most of the forces, but not this opponent. ¡°Elysian Empire or not, the people who are unsealing the giant beasts will be eliminated.¡± It seems that they have realized that the giant beasts are about to be unsealed and have come to stop it. Personally, I¡¯d rather support the other side. ¡°Huh, I¡¯m sorry to¡­¡­learn that you know about the giant beast seal, it looks like you¡¯ll have to die.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you can do it if you¡¯re as good as these guys lying here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best from here!¡± Enrique said something brave, but the plan was simple: Enrique and I would hold off the enemy while the other magicrafts surrounded and defeated them. I wasn¡¯t too keen on the idea, but I couldn¡¯t refuse to cooperate, so I approached the enemies with Enrique. I attacked the enemy magicraft with my trident. However, the attack was slightly repelled. The enemy¡¯s counterattack was swift and sharp, and I quickly pulled my body back to avoid the enemy¡¯s counterattack, but the enemy¡¯s sword snatched and gouged out the chest Valiant. It was bad. If I had avoided it a little later, it might have been a fatal wound. Enrique was also at the mercy of the enemy¡¯s white magicraft, and the machines that were trying to surround them were completely suppressed by the golden magicraft. I really don¡¯t know who he is. If he¡¯s this good, I would think he¡¯s a very famous rider, but from the features of his magicraft, I can¡¯t think of anyone. ¡°Gosh, who are you guys really? You¡¯re more than just Highlanders¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Enrique! I¡¯m sorry, but this enemy is strong! If we don¡¯t retreat, we¡¯ll be annihilated!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡­but the seal should be broken soon, we just have to hold out until then!¡± I said this over the external output, daring to give my opponent the option of avoiding a futile battle by suggesting a retreat, but I didn¡¯t think Enrique would tell them the status of the unsealing. As expected, the enemy, whose goal was to prevent the release of the seal, intensified their attacks. One by one, one by one, they were defeated, and then the white magicraft was rapidly approaching me as well. I immediately tried to prepare my trident, but it was too late. The white machine¡¯s slender sword was raised at an incredible speed, and the arm holding the trident was slashed away. Just when we thought we couldn¡¯t win against this white magicraft, we received word from the ride carrier that the seal had been lifted. Hearing this, Enrique shouted with joy. ¡°Hahahahahaha! It looks like the seal on this place has been lifted!¡¡We don¡¯t have to deal with you anymore! We¡¯re retreating!¡± Enrique, who now had a reason to retreat, said and retreated at once. The other machines also returned to the ride carrier to escape. CH 182 C182: Battle with the Giant Beasts / Yuki I had become the Guardian¡¯s master, albeit by accident. Unsure of what to call him from now on, I asked the white Guardian his name. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a name.¡± ¡°Then what am I supposed to call you?¡± ¡°Call me whatever you like, because I¡¯m yours now.¡± When he said that, I immediately remembered the name of my cat, Valiente. He might be offended that I named her the same as my cat, but once I thought of it, it just felt right. ¡°Valiente, that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to call you from now on.¡± ¡°Mm, okay. I¡¯m Valiente from today.¡± Valiente means ¡®brave¡¯. It was originally the name of my cat, but it might be perfect for him. ¡°What am I supposed to call you?¡± ¡°I am Yuki, please call me Yuki.¡± ¡°Yuki¡­¡­my master, Yuki¡­¡­mmm, that sounds pleasant.¡± Valiente liked my name. The hatch had been destroyed by Valiente, but I was able to control it. However, the Spirit Box seemed to be broken, and I couldn¡¯t communicate with the others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I broke it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough that I¡¯ m alive. I can manage.¡± I secured myself to the cockpit with a strap to keep myself from falling off. Then I slowly moved Elvira. I was worried because I couldn¡¯t communicate with her and I didn¡¯t know what was going on with Mary, so I tried to get back upstairs as quickly as possible ¨C but then I heard a sound that sounded like an eerie beast crying. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°That was the roar of a giant beast¡­¡­.It seems to have awakened now that the seal here has been broken.¡± ¡°What? The giant beast¡¯s seal has been broken?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been completely broken, but the survivors from these ruins must have crawled out.¡± I don¡¯t want to fight those giant beasts so I quickly decided to go up. The hole we had fallen through was so far above our heads that it was impossible to reach it by jumping. ¡°Valiente, is there a way up from here?¡± ¡°Yes, there is, but it¡¯s towards the roar of the giant beast.¡± It¡¯s not good, but if that¡¯s the only way, I guess we have to go. ¡°Let me ask you something. Are giant beasts strong?¡± ¡°It depends on the species, but if you encounter a strong one, you¡¯re unlikely to win.¡± ¡°So much for¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that, because a beast that strong it¡¯s not seen very often. That being the case, we decided to take the route up. Still, I would have preferred not to encounter a giant beast, but that hope was not fulfilled. A huge creature that I had never seen before was slowly approaching us. ¡°That¡¯s a giant beast¡­¡­.¡± It had a hard, rock-like skin and an eerie appearance that looked like a combination of a dinosaur and an insect¡­¡­.It walked on six legs and seemed to move fast. ¡°B level. I think we can take them out somehow.¡± ¡°B level?¡± ¡°Giant beasts are rated from level F to level SSS, those above level S are truly monstrous, and ordinary magicrafts are no match for them.¡± ¡°By the way, this Elvira of mine is a magic machine with an activation Ludia value of 30000, is it classified as average?¡± ¡°If it has an activation Ludia value of 30,000, it¡¯s a class 6, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a little above average.¡± ¡°A little bit means I¡¯m not going to be able to beat a level S giant beast.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If you encounter a level S beast, I suggest you run.¡± While we were having this conversation, the giant beast was approaching us. Valiente and I get into a fighting stance. Valiente moved quickly. He leapt high and flew over the giant beast. The giant beast was distracted by Valiente and looked up. I took the opportunity to attack the giant beast¡¯s legs with my rapier. I felt a hard crunch, and the rapier pierced the giant beast¡¯s leg. The giant beast reacted with a terrible scream and attacked me, jittering its six legs in an attempt to trample me. As the giant beast¡¯s attention shifted to me, Valiente fell from the air, spinning violently. Then, using the recoil from the rotation, it made contact with the neck of the giant beast like a boomerang. There was a sound like a knife cutting a cabbage, the head of the giant beast slowly shifted, completely left the body and fell to the ground. CH 183 C183: The Voice of the Giant Beast One of the seals on the giant beasts has been broken. The enemy had achieved its goal and fled, avoiding a pointless battle. I immediately tried to pursue them, but was stranded by countless exploding arrows from the enemy¡¯s ride carrier. ¡°I¡¯m coming after you! Alana said as the attack from the ride carrier stopped. She immediately started to run after the enemy ride carrier, but was stopped in her tracks by what sounded like an eerie roar in the vicinity. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°Nanami, this is disgusting.¡± ¡°Sounds disgusting¡­¡­.It¡¯s like the breath of the devil¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It seems to be the roar of a giant beast. Part of the seal has been broken and the sleeping giant beasts awakened.¡± ¡°What, is that the voice of a giant beast, Feri?¡± ¡°Yes, there seems to be more than one, and powerful beasts such as S-level individuals can be dangerous, so please be careful.¡± ¡°Alana, Nanami, it looks like there are some giant beasts nearby, so you¡¯d better be careful.¡± I pass on Feri¡¯s advice to the two of them. ¡°There¡¯s a giant beast nearby. That¡¯s nasty.¡± ¡°Nanami, would you like to take a look at¡­¡­?¡± Neither of them seemed to be that scared. They even appeared to be a bit relieved. We were distracted by the presence of the giant beast and lost sight of the enemy¡¯s ride carrier due to the fact that it was a dimly lit underground space. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, I think we lost them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. We have to go after them.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know which way he went.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Yuta, since the opponent¡¯s objective is to unseal the giant beasts, their next destination is already decided.¡± ¡°Oh, right, they¡¯re headed to the last of the giant beasts seals.¡± ¡°Jean and the others are over there, they won¡¯t be able to get things done so easily, let¡¯s go after them and stop them from breaking the seal.¡± ¡°Feri, do you know the location of the last of the giant beasts seals?¡± ¡°Yes, Master, I can show you.¡± ¡°All right, then, take me there by the shortest route.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± However, perhaps it was a bad idea to say the shortest route, because Feri led us on a route through steep caves ¨C over underground waterfalls and channels. The terrain was difficult to navigate, and the obstacles were more troublesome. ¡°Master, there is a dangerous reaction. A powerful behemoth is approaching.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.Which way is it coming from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 500 meters ahead of us. We can almost see it.¡± I could see something approaching, it¡¯s about ten times the size of a magicraft, and it was closing in on us ¡°Oh, my God, it¡¯s huge!¡± ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t think we can outrun it. We¡¯ll have to fight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big¡­¡­.I wonder if I can beat it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop him, you two attack.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± The giant beast that was rushing at us was as stout as an elephant, and it¡¯s heavy-looking body was supported by six large legs. Its head looked strangely like a dinosaur or an insect, and it was absurdly scary. While looking away from the scary face, I caught the giant beast¡¯s rush with my Arleo. The body creaked and squeaked, but I managed to stop the giant beast¡¯s movement. While I¡¯m stopping the giant beast, Alana and Nanami attack it. They are too small to inflict fatal wounds with a single blow, but they slash at its legs and body to inflict damage. The giant beast roars, probably in pain from their attacks. The roar of the giant beast at close range is quite harsh, and I cover my ears from the explosive sound that seems to tear my eardrums. The giant beast was coming at Arleo with even more force, trying to crush him. The entire fuselage of Arleo made a creaking sound as it withstood the pressure. ¡°What power¡­¡­.¡± I was a little nervous about the power I had never felt before. Deciding that I couldn¡¯t hold on much longer at this rate, I decided to change my tactics. I loosen the power that was stopping the giant beast and leap backwards. I quickly readied Maingauche and activated flash mode. An intense light pierced the giant beast¡¯s eyes. It was the first time it had ever been hit by this kind of light, and the behemoth wailed in pain. I then shifted into Musou mode and gathered strength in my hands. ¡°Alana, Nanami, let¡¯s take him down together!¡± While the giant beast was blinded, the three of us launched a simultaneous attack. Nanami¡¯s sword ripped through the belly of the giant beast, and Alana¡¯s twin swords sliced through its neck. The final blow was Arleo¡¯s rush attack, I slammed both of his shining fists into the giant beast over and over again. Each time my fists hit, the giant beast¡¯s body swelled up and fell backward from the impact. With my last blow, I struck the giant beast in the head with all my strength, and the giant body collapsed helplessly on the spot. CH 184 C184: Running / Yuki After defeating the giant beast, Valiente and I continued on our route up and tried to get back to the ride carrier. However, the ride carrier was no longer there. ¡°Are you losing allies?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t feel anxious or worried about the ride carrier being gone, but I was worried about leaving Mary alone with the Messiah clan and Rafishal. ¡°They fought someone other than the guardians.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°There are traces of a battle. Probably ran away from that fight, or moved on to some other purpose.¡± I can see remnants of the Elysian Empire¡¯s magicrafts, and Valiente¡¯s prediction doesn¡¯t seem to be too far off. There are not that many entities in the continent that can overwhelm the elite riders of the Elysian Empire. ¡°What do we do now, Yuki?¡± ¡°Valiente, do you know where the seal of the giant beasts is?¡± ¡°Of course I know where it is.¡± ¡°Perhaps the ride carrier went there. Show me the way.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll take the shortcut.¡± I¡¯m still worried about Mary so I decided to follow the ride carrier. As Valiente led me down a narrow road, he said, ¡°Yuki, your magicraft is too slow, you can ride on my back.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± I did as Valiente asked and climbed onto his back. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± As soon as he said that, Valiente accelerated. The quadrupedal speed of the Valiente is quite fast, surprisingly fast. While we were moving, I was a little curious about Valiente¡¯s thoughts, so I asked him. ¡°Valiente, how do you feel when you see the wreckage of your fellow Guardians? I have defeated many of your people, but you don¡¯t get angry or feel offended?¡± ¡°Fellows¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t recognize the other Guardians as my friends. They don¡¯t have minds or emotions, they¡¯re just tools. Sure, we look like each other, but I consider them to be completely different from me.¡± ¡°I see, but you¡¯re a Guardian too, aren¡¯t you programmed to protect the ruins?¡± ¡°The other Guardians have a compulsory Ruins Defense Program, but all I have is a request to defend the Ruins. I kept my old promise and protected the ruins for 10,000 years, but that request expired recently, so I¡¯m free now.¡± ¡°I wonder why whoever created you set such a deadline, they could have made you guard the ruins forever.¡± ¡°I guess they took pity on me. They knew that I think like a person and have a heart like a person, so maybe they felt sorry for me that I would only be guarding the ruins forever.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.So the one who built Valiente was a kind person.¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know, I think it¡¯s outrageous enough that they let a human mind guard the ruins for 10,000 years.¡± I thought that might be true, but I didn¡¯t dare say it. We came closer to the location of the last seal faster than I had imagined. There, we spotted a ride carrier waiting for us. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re catching up.¡± I quickly made my way back to the ride carrier. In the hangar, Mary¡¯s magicraft was being repaired. The double Highlander Mary had been beaten to this extent¡­¡­.It seems that her opponent was a very tough opponent. In addition, surprisingly, it was Rafishal who was repairing it. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re an interesting woman, taming the Leader Guardian¡­¡­¡± Rafishal said happily as he looked at Valiente. ¡°He¡¯s Valiente. More importantly, is Mary all right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an arm, the rider is unharmed. It seems that the hatch of your magicraft is broken, we¡¯ll repair it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You seem to be in a hurry to repair it.¡± ¡°There is an unidentified enemy in the ruins of the last seal, and I have a feeling they will try to interfere with us.¡± ¡°The ones who broke Mary¡¯s arm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably one of them. You can see that they¡¯re no ordinary opponents. So, I welcome the Leader Guardian to join the fight.¡± ¡°What if I say we won¡¯t cooperate?¡± ¡°Huh, then the Leader Guardian¡¯s presence will only be a hindrance, and I will deactivate it.¡± ¡°Damn it, that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You think I can¡¯t? In exchange for giving the Leader Guardian a powerful body and intelligence, it has a built-in core for emergency destruction in case it goes out of control. I know how to activate it.¡± I thought for a moment that he was bluffing, but to my surprise, Valiente confirmed it. ¡°What he¡¯s saying is true. I have a self-destruct core built into me.¡± Now we have no choice but to cooperate with Rafishal¡­ CH 185 C185: The Agony of Emina / Emina We were waiting at the circular dome-shaped ruins of the last giant beasts seal. Fortunately, the seal hadn¡¯t been broken yet, and were waiting here in case the forces that were breaking the seal of the giant beasts would appear. ¡°It appears that the people who are breaking the seal have shown up.¡± Jean told everyone as he looked outside. I was curious to see what kind of people they were, so I looked outside too. When I saw them, I was amazed. The symbol on the ride carrier was that of the Elysian Empire, my home country. ¡°No way¡­¡­.That¡¯s an Elysian ride carrier¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that the mark of the dragon with the figure eight was from Elysia. It seems that the Elysian Empire unsealed the giant beasts, Emina, you may have your own thoughts, but we will not back down.¡± ¡°I know. I also understand the reason. Even if the opponent is in my home country, we should prevent them from unsealing the giant beasts.¡± ¡°If fighting the Elysian Empire is too much for you, you don¡¯t have to go.¡± ¡°No, I thought I should be the one to stop it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Jean seems to understand my complicated feelings. Even though it¡¯s my motherland, it¡¯s not a country I have much affection for, but I still feel uncomfortable when it comes to fighting. However, no matter how you look at it, the Elysian Empire¡¯s actions are wrong this time, and no matter what the reason is, we must not let the giant beasts come back. ¡°All right, everybody get ready for battle!¡¡The ride carrier on the other side is also a battleship type battle ship, it might be a fierce firefight, so get ready!¡± At Jean¡¯s order, the ship began to hurriedly prepare for battle. Most of the crew hurried to prepare the ride carrier weapons. ¡°Linnecarlo, Farma, Lorgo, Arthur, we are going out too!¡± ¡°You are very enthusiastic, Emina, I know that you are dealing with your home country but I hope you won¡¯t betray me in the middle of battle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let them unseal the giant beasts, no matter who they are, so don¡¯t worry about it. Be careful the opponent is the Elysian Empire, the strongest in the continent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Lightning Emperor Linnecarlo, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. Even if my opponent is the Elysian Empire, I have no intention of falling behind.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Elysia also has three of the Twelve Heavenly Masters.¡± ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t forgotten, if we have to fight the Wind God Yuto, the Flame Emperor Rosetta, and the Earth King Emesis¡­¡­I¡¯ll just remind them which of the twelve is superior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s encouraging.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m heading for the hangar now.¡± It was unlikely that those three would be sent to a place like this. So it¡¯s hard to imagine that there¡¯s anyone on that ride carrier who can actually compete with Linnecarlo. In terms of strength, it looks like they won¡¯t lose, but¡­ As we launched our sortie, the enemy¡¯s ride carrier also launched their magicrafts. The enemy had eight planes, and we had fewer, but Linnecarlo would cover our numerical disadvantage. The enemy was coming straight at us. All of them seem to be more powerful than regular Highlanders. I can imagine a fierce battle, but I can¡¯t see Yuto-san¡¯s or Rosetta¡¯s aircraft, so I guess we have the advantage with Linnecarlo. However, the moment I saw the magicraft approaching late from behind, my heart instantly tensed as if it was being squeezed. It was one of the worst scenarios I had expected¡­¡­.The jet-black aircraft, the favorite of someone I knew well, was called Elvira. There was only one person who would ride that¡­¡­ ¡°No way, Yuki¡­¡­¡± I was ready to fight the Elysian Empire. I was willing to betray my home country in order to protect the seal of the giant beasts. However, I was not yet ready to cross swords with my best friend. CH 186 C186: Silent War / Emina ¡°I¡¯m going to fire ballistas into the enemy¡¯s rear, so watch out for the magicraft squad.¡± After Jean¡¯s warning, a barrage of ballista fire from the Fugaku behind the enemy. It landed in the vicinity of Yuki¡¯s Elvira, causing a large explosion. My heart squeaked and contracted, and my chest began to ache. I feel a little relieved when Elvira pops out of the blast but I wonder if I can really fight Yuki in this state¡­¡­ Lorgo¡¯s Ganesha suppresses the spearhead of the assaulting enemy. Farma, who was already standing by in the air, readying her arrows, fired a Cyclone Arrow at the enemy that Lorgo was holding back. The arrows, strengthened by the magic of the wind, shattered the targeted enemy magicraft into pieces like a house caught in a tornado and tore it apart. Arthur unleashes his signature ramming attack on one of the enemy machines that was approaching. He moves in close at an incredible speed for a Highlander, and launches a highly destructive drill lance. The enemy machine hit by the drill lance is destroyed in an instant. The enemy machine that came around from the right fell prey to a ruthless lightning strike from Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin. The rider of the magicraft that was struck by the lightning was killed before he even knew what happened. There was another enemy magicraft approaching me. It was a familiar Highlander aircraft from my home country, the Bilandi, an excellent machine that is the favorite of many Highlanders of the Elysian Empire, but it was no match for Artemis. Furthermore, Artemis is equipped with an icicle bow gun that has been reinforced by Rafishal. I fired a freeze shot at the approaching Bilandi, freezing him in place and I finished it off with a merciless flash of my dagger. The Iron Knights are dominating the fight but the Elysian Empire still has Yuki, the two double Highlanders¡¯ special magicrafts, and a white, Guardian-like magicraft. I didn¡¯t want to fight only with Yuki, I thought, but her Elvira came at my Artemis. Elvira delivered a sharp rapier blow. It was different from the one I had seen in the mock battle. The power and speed of Yuki¡¯s blow in a real battle was different, I barely avoided the attack. I¡¯m not going to fight with Yuki ¨C if I identify myself as me on the external output sound here, the fight will be avoided, but that will not solve the problem, because the position of the one who unseals the giant beast and the one who stops it remains the same¡­ After all, it might be better for both of us if we fought like this, for Yuki to not know that I¡¯m riding Artemis¡­¡­.I pointed my icicle bow gun at Yuki¡¯s Elvira. Take them down without killing them. It was the only way, I thought to myself. Yuki is a triple Highlander, and I am a double Highlander, so if I think about it properly, I am not a match for her. In addition, I think it would be reckless to fight her so that she won¡¯t die, but Artemis has this icicle bow gun, a weapon that boasts incredible performance, so I should be able to handle it. I fired my bow gun at close range. However, Yuki dodged it with an inhuman reaction. After all, she was no ordinary opponent. Yuki dodged the freeze shot and immediately stepped in to close the distance between us. Then she unleashed a series of rapier attacks. It was impossible to avoid all of Yuki¡¯s rapier thrusts, at which could be called godlike speed. I predicted the attack and leapt backwards, then I fired a second freeze shot in midair. Reading Yuki¡¯s actions, the attack seemed to outpace Yuki¡¯s movements, and the freeze shot hit Elvira¡¯s left shoulder. Elvira¡¯s shoulder, which was hit, gradually froze. Surprised by the freezing, Elvira¡¯s movements stopped. I took the opportunity to move around behind her and change Artemis to stealth mode as I entered Yuki¡¯s blind spot. She lost sight of Artemis, and Elvira scurried around looking for me. In the meantime, I slowly walk around behind Elvira ¨C one of the weak points of the magicraft, the main artery of the elemental line in the neck. If I cut it, I can disable Elvira without endangering Yuki¡­..I was sure of victory. However, the next moment, Artemis flew through the air from a strong impact ¨C after what felt like a long dwell time, I was slammed into the ground and received an even stronger impact. With a buzzing sound, the stealth mode was forcibly canceled. Damn it¡­¡­what the hell just happened! When I looked, I saw the white guardian standing next to Yuki¡¯s Elvira, glaring at me. CH 187 C187 ¨C Death / Emina Damn¡­¡­that blow just now broke my icicle bow gun. At this rate¡­.. Losing the only weapon that could give me an advantage over the triple Highlander, Yuki; I was filled with impatience and anxiety. In addition, the unidentifiable beast-like magicraft, judging from its current attack, is definitely a very strong opponent. ¡°Emina, that¡¯s the leader guardian, he¡¯s a pretty strong opponent, let Linnecarlo handle him.¡± Rafishal, who was watching the battle, tells me. This is a monster with a Ludia value of 100,000¡­¡­ The leader guardian accelerated and closed in on me. My bow gun was broken, so I readied my dagger but this normal dagger was too weak against him. The moment I thought that I was going to be attacked, a thunderbolt fell between me and the leader guardian. And then I heard Linnecarlo¡¯s usual high-pitched voice. ¡°It¡¯s not like you, Emina, to fall behind a beast like that.¡± Rafishal warned Linnecarlo to be careful. ¡°Linnecarlo, you¡¯re dealing with an artificial Exlander with a Ludia value of 100,000, no matter how strong you are, you can never be too careful.¡± ¡°Hmm, I know, I¡¯ll be careful, and I¡¯ll make sure I get him.¡± Even though she is not careless, Linnecarlo¡¯s tone is still full of confidence, her spirit that does not waver even when witnessing the enemy¡¯s Ludia value and its strength is worthy of respect. ¡°Tempest!¡± Linnecarlo immediately unleashed a wide range of lightning attacks. It was an indiscriminate attack that included not only the leader guardian, but also Yuki within its range. I felt a pain in my chest as I imagined Odin¡¯s powerful thunderbolt hitting Yuki¡¯s Elvira. However, Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning strike was all absorbed by the transparent shield that appeared above the enemy. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°The Leader Guardian can deploy a defensive shield. Weak magic attacks won¡¯t work on them.¡± ¡°Well, then¡­¡­Triple Lightning!¡± Three lightning balls close in on the Leader Guardian. He deployed his defensive shield once more. The transparent shield and the lightning balls collide violently. Two of the lightning balls fly apart and scatter. However, one of the lightning balls broke through the shield and hit the Leader Guardian. But then again, an Exlander with a Ludia value of 100,000 doesn¡¯t seem to take much damage, even from Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning ball. While the Leader Guardian and Linnecarlo were engaged in such a battle, Yuki made her move. She approached me in an attempt to defeat me. With my icicle bow gun broken, I have no confidence in my ability to beat the higher-ranked Yuki. Linnecarlo has her hands full with the Leader Guardian, so she won¡¯t have time to help me. I looked at the rest of the team and saw that Lorgo, Arthur, and Farma were engaged in a fierce battle against two double Highlanders. It looks like they can¡¯t help me at all. The initial speed of Yuki¡¯s rapier was phenomenal. I managed to avoid it because I had predicted it. The second blow is repelled by my dagger. However, the third blow was delivered without a moment¡¯s pause. I couldn¡¯t avoid it, and it pierced my collarbone. I kicked Elvira in the stomach and pulled out the rapier that was stuck in me. As I expected, Yuki is very good at dealing with weapons, but she is not very good at dealing with physical techniques, so a surprise kick seems to be effective. The kick caused Yuki to step back a little, but she quickly regrouped and took a big step forward to get closer. There¡¯s no way I can take the rapier¡¯s continuous thrusts from a suitable distance. The rapier stabbed into my shoulder, rendering it useless. I tried to thrust the dagger at Elvira¡¯s neck. But it seems that my movements were read, and the dagger¡¯s attack was caught by her left hand. Then Elvira, who is probably twice as strong as Artemis in terms of simple strength, pushed me back, making a creaking sound. In addition, Elvira threw Artemis away with all her strength. ¡°Ugh!¡± I moaned involuntarily from the impact of being slammed into the ground. As Artemis collapsed, Elvira attacked her with a series of rapier thrusts that showed no mercy. The shoulder area is popped off, and the body is deformed into a wreck as the chest is poked repeatedly. She was also pierced through one of her eyes, causing the screen to malfunction. I tried to protect the cockpit with my hands, but the arms could not withstand the continuous thrusts and were destroyed. Artemis was out of action. There¡¯s nothing more I can do¡­¡­.The disrupted screen shows Elvira poised wide to finish me off. The tip of the sword was aimed at the cockpit. At the very least, I prayed in my heart for one last wish¡­¡­that Yuki would never find out that she killed me. CH 188 The hatch was quickly repaired and we were ready to go. As soon as it was, Rafishal gave the order to attack the enemy. ¡°All magicrafts go out and battle that ride carrier¡¯s forces. You don¡¯t have to win, just go and fight them with flair.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What is the point of going into battle when you don¡¯t have to win?¡± Mary¡¯s question was valid, there was no point in risking our lives in a battle we didn¡¯t have to win. ¡°The battle has its own meaning, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying the battle is a decoy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m going to undo the seal while you guys are distracting them.¡± ¡°How are you going to do that¡­¡­when they¡¯re blocking the entrance to the ruins?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about that. Go fight as ordered.¡± Mary and I boarded our magicrafts while being bewildered. Enrique and the other riders had sworn absolute loyalty to Rafishal and were willing to follow his orders. ¡°Yuki, it¡¯s foolish to put our lives on the line in a fight like this, let¡¯s just pretend we fought properly and get through it.¡± Mary says to me in a private message. I fully agreed with her suggestion. As we charged out, the other side¡¯s ride carrier sent out magicrafts as well. They numbered five, fewer than ours. But it wasn¡¯t the number or quality of the enemies that caught my eye¡­¡­.Among the enemies; I spotted a magicraft floating in the air. It resembled the blue magicraft that was in the Iron Knights. Thinking that it might be the one, I immediately looked for the golden magicraft. There is no¡­¡­golden magicraft that killed Emina, is it not part of the Iron Knights¡­¡­? ¡°It looks like the people we fought at the last ruins haven¡¯t joined them yet, they¡¯re all new, but that might help, those guys were pretty strong, it would have been troublesome if they were here.¡± Mary unexpectedly said this over the comm. This means that there are still friends from the other side who are not here¡­¡­. ¡°Mary, what kind of body color was the one you fought in the ruins?¡± ¡°Well, it was an unusual color. There were three of them: a red one, a white one, and a flashy gold one.¡± When I was convinced that it was the Iron Knights, I was vividly reminded of the moment when Emina was killed by being pierced through the cockpit. I was filled with sadness and anger. Letting my emotions take over, I rapidly approach the isolated green magicraft. Then, in a fit of rage, I launch an attack. Iron Knights¡­Emina¡¯s revenge! I¡¯ll never forgive you! I was fighting with this in mind, but I was caught off guard and was hit by a bow gun attack with perfect timing. The arrow from the bow gun seemed to be special, and my magicraft froze. While I was distracted by the freezing, I lost sight of the enemy. I looked around, but I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, as if he had disappeared. ¡°Yuki, look out!¡± I heard Valiente¡¯s voice and turned around. I couldn¡¯t see the enemy, but I could see some kind of shimmer in the air. The shimmer was blown away and fell to the ground, revealing the enemy magicraft that was hidden. Valiente approaches the fallen enemy to give chase, but lightning strikes right in front of him, interrupting him. More lightning rained down on us. We were prepared to be hit, but the lightning was repelled just in time. It seemed that Valiente had done something. The new enemy did not slow down its attack. Three thunderbolts came at us. Valiente blocked them again, but one of them hit him. ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Valiente!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s all right.¡± My anger was rekindled when Emina¡¯s killers, the Iron Knights, hurt Valiente. I started attacking the green magicraft again. In anger, I unleash my rapier. As expected of the Iron Knights, I admit that they are quite strong, but¡­¡­I will not lose! As I was fighting, I suddenly felt a strange sense of unease. It was the first time I met an enemy, the first time I fought this magicraft, and yet¡­¡­I had felt this sensation somewhere before. I recall a mock battle with Emina when I was still new to piloting magicrafts ¨C she fought me carefully, teaching me how to fight. She taught me how to fight most of the time, and my fighting style and Emina¡¯s are very similar¡­¡­.Well¡­¡­this enemy is similar to Emina¡­¡­I realized the true nature of my discomfort. Memories of Emina came to mind, and even more vividly, her last moments. The anger that poured out of me was reflected in my fighting. In a fit of rage, I attacked selflessly and hunted down my opponent. The next thing I knew, the enemy magicraft could no longer move. As your companion had done to her, so will I¡­¡­ Just as I was about to unleash my rapier with all my strength, the enemy magicraft and Emina¡¯s figure overlapped ¨C was it because the enemy¡¯s fighting style was similar to Emina¡¯s? I don¡¯t know if Emina is trying to stop me or not, but one thing is for sure, I can¡¯t pierce the cockpit of this enemy magicraft with my rapier anymore. I slowly released my stance and lowered my rapier. CH 189 I spoke over the external output sound to the battered green enemy machine. ¡°You have a golden magicraft in your crew, where is it now!¡± After all, it was unlikely that I could forgive the golden magic machine for killing Emina. I asked in a strong tone of voice, perhaps because I wanted to avenge her right now. There was no response from the green magicraft so I questioned it more strongly. ¡°Answer me! Iron Knights!¡± Instead of answering, the hatch of the battered magicraft slowly opens. When I saw the rider who appeared from there, I was rendered speechless. No way¡­¡­Emina!? Tears welled up in my eyes¡­¡­.My body trembles with joy that Emina is alive, and fear for my actions that almost killed her. Forgetting that I was in the middle of a battle, I opened the hatch and rushed to Emina¡¯s side. ¡°Emina!¡± I said and hugged her. She hugged me back. ¡°Why, why didn¡¯t you tell me that it was you right away? I almost killed you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuki¡­¡­but you¡¯re one of those who¡¯re trying to break the seal on the giant beasts, and I¡¯m one of those who¡¯re guarding it¡­¡­and because of the magnitude of our goals, I thought it would be hard on both of us if we had to prioritize this battle over our personal feelings and couldn¡¯t avoid fighting¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Idiot! I wouldn¡¯t choose to fight you for any reason! Besides, I don¡¯t really want to help you break the seal on the giant beasts.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t it the Elysian Empire¡¯s intention to unseal the giant beasts?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a plot by the Messiah family and the Great Sage Rafishal.¡± ¡°Rafishal¡­¡­Yuki, that¡¯s not the real Rafishal.¡± I was surprised by Emina¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± When I asked Emina back, a tremendous roar echoed around me. It was so powerful that the underground space seemed to be collapsing, and it interrupted the battle. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong¡­¡­.Emina, come with me on Elvira and let¡¯s go back to the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuki, but I have no intention of returning to the Elysian Empire. My place now is with the Iron Knights, the reason I opened the hatch and showed myself to you was to clear up a misunderstanding because I knew you had a grudge against the Iron Knights after what happened to me.¡± ¡°Emina, what exactly are the Iron Knights¡­¡­?¡± ¡°They saved my life and are like family to me now. It¡¯s a place with a warm feeling that the Elysian Empire doesn¡¯t have¡­¡­.Yuki, would you like to join the Iron Knights? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll welcome you with open arms.¡± Looking at Emina¡¯s cheerful expression, it might really be such a place. But I¡¯m not sure I want to leave Mary alone with the Messiah clan and Rafishal, and there¡¯s also the matter of Valiente¡¯s self-destruction. Furthermore, I have to go back to the Elysian Empire and tell the emperor about Rafishal and the Messiah clan¡­¡­. ¡°Emina, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I can¡¯t right now, but, but someday, we¡¯ll be together again¡­¡­.¡± As I was telling her this, an even louder roar echoed, and this time the ground began to shake. This was no longer a normal occurrence. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my ride carrier. Yuki, you should get on Elvira as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay. Emina¡­..be careful.¡± ¡°You too¡­Oh yeah, the leader of the Knights is from Earth, just like you, and I can¡¯t wait for you to meet him.¡± Emina said as she returned to her magicraft. It¡¯s not that unusual for a lot of earthlings to be summoned to¡­¡­this world, but it strangely bothered me about it so I asked Emina about him. ¡°Emina! What¡¯s the name of the leader of the Iron Knights?¡± The distance between us was a little too great for me to shout. Somehow Emina seemed to get the message and she answered, but her words were drowned out by an even louder roar. The ground shook even more, and the underground space began to look strange. As soon as I returned to Elvira, I immediately checked the situation through communications. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s too dangerous to fight.¡± Agreeing with Mary¡¯s words, I decided to head for the ride carrier. Valiente, who was in the middle of a battle with an enemy that used lightning strikes, had also interrupted the battle in this situation. Valiente¡¯s opponent also left to help Emina, perhaps having received a message from her. Seeing this, I was relieved from the bottom of my heart. CH 190 ¡°I asked Rafishal about this strange situation.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something strange going on out there¡­¡­.Rafishal, do you know what¡¯s happening?¡± Rafishal stopped moving, looking at the scene outside. He must have realized something, because he said a shocking conclusion in a blank but tense tone. ¡°Unfortunately, it looks like the giant beasts have been unsealed¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? No way¡­¡­.I thought you had to enter these ruins to lift the seal!¡± ¡°There is no doubt that you need to enter the ruins to break the¡­¡­seal. Maybe Lucifer had prepared a hidden passageway for a situation like this before he was sealed off¡­¡­.That cunning Lucifer could have done that. If only I had been a little more careful¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, now that it¡¯s broken, let¡¯s move on to the next thing. Can¡¯t we just re-seal them?¡± ¡°Ten thousand years ago, the sealing of the giant beasts was a huge project that required the entire continent to work together. We don¡¯t have enough time, technology or people to do it now.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a seal that will last 10,000 years, but I can do a simple seal that will last a few years on my own. Now, I need a little time to think about what to do.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that idea! What are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s go to the Gate of the Otherworld, the point where the giant beasts come out. If we don¡¯t get there quickly, the giant beasts will sprout up and we won¡¯t even be able to get close to the gate, so let¡¯s hurry!¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s get everyone into the ride carrier right away.¡± It was obvious that the enemy¡¯s goal was to break the seal on the giant beasts, and they retreated as they had confirmed that this had been accomplished. I told everyone to stop all fighting and return to the ride carrier. ¡°¡®Emina¡¯s Artemis is stuck and it¡¯s going to be hard for Odin to carry her alone, someone should help.¡± Linnecarlo reported as we all retreated. ¡°Artemis is down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No problem. Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes, my fuselage is a wreck, but I¡¯m fine.¡± We have excellent mechanics that can repair the magicrafts, so there is no problem. But we have to be careful about human casualties, because they can¡¯t be recovered. I told this to Yuta, who was going his separate way. ¡°Yuta, I have some unfortunate news.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The giant beasts have been unsealed.¡± ¡°Hey! Wait a minute, that¡¯s a big deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, so we need to move on immediately. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not going to wait for you to arrive, we¡¯re going to the next destination.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the next destination?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Otherworldly Gate. I¡¯m sorry, but can you head there directly?¡± ¡°Okay. But I don¡¯t know where it is.¡± ¡°Rafishal says Feri knows everything.¡± ¡°Feri knows everything¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I think so too. Anyway, it¡¯s going to be busy at the Otherworldly Gate, and I may not have time to communicate with you, so you¡¯re going to have to be flexible.¡± ¡°All right, be careful.¡± ¡°You, too.¡± With that, he cut the communication. ¡°But even if it¡¯s a simple seal, I¡¯m worried that those Elysian Empire people will interfere with it.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s okay, Lucifer doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t think he could imagine that a normal human could seal the giant beasts.¡± ¡°Well, good for you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Lucifer will be moving on soon, so I think he¡¯ll be quickly going to the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°What¡¯s our next move?¡± ¡°I told you that 10,000 years ago, humanity came together to seal away the giant beasts. Lucifer¡¯s greatest fear is that all the people will unite.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Perhaps Lucifer¡¯s next move will be to start a world war that will engulf the entire continent, messing up relations between countries so badly that they can¡¯t be united.¡± ¡°Giant beasts, world war, is he really trying to destroy humanity¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Someone has to stop him. I¡¯m sorry for placing such a huge burden on the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°Hmmm, we¡¯re in the business of dealing with humans. In addition, all of our people are good-natured, starting with Yuta, so they probably don¡¯t think much of the burden.¡± Rafishal smiled a little when I said that. I guess it was a small expression of joy in a situation where there was no time to smile. CH 191 C191: Hangar 7 As soon as I finished the communication with Jean, I immediately asked Feri about the Otherworldly Gate. ¡°Feri, do you know where the Otherworldly Gate is?¡± ¡°Yes, Master, I do.¡± ¡°It looks like Jean and the others are on their way there now that the giant beasts are unsealed, so can you tell me the direct route from here?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll modify the route to the Otherworldly Gate.¡± When I told Alana and Nanami that the giant beasts have been resurrected, they gave me a reliable response. ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t make it in time, did we? Well, if they¡¯re making their next move that means there¡¯s still something they can do. It¡¯s too early to be pessimistic.¡± ¡°The Iron Knights are strong, so they¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Even if they are strong, the giant beasts are very powerful.¡± ¡°But we won¡¯t lose! Nanami and the others have the power of unity!¡± I think Nanami is actually a little scared, but it sounds like she¡¯s being a little tough about it. Then, we were moving smoothly for a while, when suddenly Feri said to me, ¡°Master, may we make a short detour?¡± It was unusual for Feri to say such a thing, so I was surprised and asked her back. ¡±What do you mean, a detour?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous to go to the Otherworldly Gate with our current equipment now that the giant beasts have returned. There is anti-big beast equipment stored nearby, so let¡¯s get it before we go.¡± ¡°Anti-giant equipment, it¡¯s worth a detour if there are such weapons¡­¡­.Okay. Head that way.¡± The place Feri led us to was a large oval rock. It looked like an ordinary rock, but Feri told me to hold my hand out to the protruding part of the rock. I did as I was told and pointed Arleo¡¯s hand there. Then I heard a voice coming from somewhere. ¡°This is Hangar 7, where we keep our anti-beast equipment. To unlock the door, you¡¯ll need the approval of Ra Factor Class A or higher. Please state your name and authorization number.¡± Feri immediately replied to those words. ¡°Feri Rudia, authentication number 127778927¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Class Ra Factor SSS. Professor, we have confirmation of Feri Rudia¡¯s authentication. Opening the door to hangar 7.¡±¡± As the voice said this, a streak of light appeared on the rock, and the light spread out horizontally to reveal an entrance into the rock. As I entered the rock, I saw many pieces of equipment for magicrafts, neatly displayed. There were so many that I couldn¡¯t even tell what was what. ¡°The second weapon from the right is the Prominence Cannon, a Class 4 weapon that uses an independent core, so even a double Highlander Alana could probably fire about ten shots. The fifth one from the right is the Earth Quake unit. This is equipment that strengthens gravity-based magic strikes, and can strengthen Nanami¡¯s shield gravity. This is also equipment for Class 4, but I think she can use it five times.¡± Feri told Alana and Nanami this over the external output sound. The two of them did as they were told and picked up the designated equipment. By the way, Feri really knows her stuff. ¡°Feri, which one should I use?¡± ¡°For Master, you should use the Shining Smasher, the Class 3 weapon in the back. It has a smaller range than Viktor Nova, but it is more powerful. It will be effective against giant beasts of level S and above.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more powerful than Viktor Nova? That¡¯s awesome¡­¡­.¡± ¡°However, this is a Class 3 weapon. It¡¯s not a problem for class 2 master, but for class 5 Arleo, the load is too much and you¡¯ll probably only be able to fire about three shots.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon that even Arleo can¡¯t handle the load¡­¡­What kind of level is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the strongest weapon in existence. By the way, Viktor is a Class 4, so he can¡¯t withstand the use of a Class 3 Shining Smasher.¡± ¡°Viktor too, what kind of magicraft can withstand that?¡± ¡°There are only five Class 3 dedicated magicrafts. In the ancient civilization, there were only five Class 3 riders, so there was no need for more.¡± ¡°Five machines, where are they? Since I¡¯m a class 2 I can ride those can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.I can¡¯t answer that right now.¡± ¡°What? I mean, does Feri know where the Class 3 machines are?¡± ¡°Not all of them, but I do know where two of them are sleeping.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, if you can¡¯t answer that question, I guess I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± This might be the first time Feri didn¡¯t answer my question. I didn¡¯t ask any more questions, thinking that there must be a reason why it was so important. CH 192 C192: To the Otherworldly Gate / Emina ¡°You¡¯ve done some serious damage, haven¡¯t you?¡± Liza said, letting out a sigh when she saw Artemis¡¯ condition. ¡°How long do you think it will take you to fix it?¡± ¡°How long? Rafishal¡¯s busy preparing to seal the giant beasts, and even if I and all the other mechanics were to repair it, it wouldn¡¯t take more than an hour or two.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you won¡¯t be joining the others in the fight against the giant beasts. If you¡¯re free, you can help me with the maintenance.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about maintenance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joke, of course. Why don¡¯t you go upstairs and have a drink and take a rest, since you¡¯re in the way? Maybe you¡¯ll get a chance to go out and fill in for someone else, so you might as well take a break while you can.¡± I didn¡¯t think Liza would make a joke, so I took it seriously, but surely I would only be in the way if I were here. As she said, I decided to take a break to prepare in case I have to replace someone. ¡°So, how long will it take to repair her?¡± When I got to the bridge, Jean asked me about Artemis¡¯ condition. I answered while drinking the charcoal bean tea I had made earlier. ¡°It¡¯s going to take quite a bit of time. It can¡¯t be helped when it¡¯s in such a bad state, but it¡¯s frustrating to not be able to do anything when the behemoths are back.¡± ¡°Maybe we should have a spare magicraft or two for situations like this in the future.¡± It¡¯s true that having a spare machine would be a great help in a situation like this. But apart from that, I think I need to reflect on the fact that my beloved magicraft was destroyed in the first place. ¡°I see it, that¡¯s the Otherworldly Gate, the land of the dead, where giant beasts spawn from.¡± As Rafishal said this, I also looked at the Otherworldly Gate from the bridge window. It was a large circular trench spreading out on the ground, and since I couldn¡¯t see any giant beasts yet, I couldn¡¯t connect it with the image of the Land of the Dead. Around the ditch, we could see some ruins. Rafishal pointed to one of them and instructed us to bring the ride carrier closer. ¡°Jean, I¡¯m going to start using the defense system of the ancient civilization ruins to seal the Otherworldly Gate. It will take about two hours, but there¡¯s a good chance that giant beasts will come out before it¡¯s done. I know this may be a lot of work, but until the sealing is complete, can you protect the ruins I¡¯m in?¡± ¡°All right. Don¡¯t worry about the giant beasts, just concentrate on your work.¡± Rafishal said and was about to head for the ruins. Then the mechanic¡¯s twin brothers approached him and pleaded. ¡°Grand Master! Let us escort you on your sealing mission!¡± ¡°Please!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to repair Artemis. Do your own work first.¡± ¡°Master Liza has given us permission! She said that the rate at which Artemis is being repaired won¡¯t change whether we¡¯re there or not!¡± ¡°No matter how strong you are, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you can do without magicrafts.¡± ¡°I can be a shield or a decoy to protect the Grand Master.¡± ¡°Even against a giant beast, I can manage as long as I stay alive!¡± They would probably risk their lives to protect Rafishal. He understood this and was reluctant, but in the end, the momentum of the two men pushed him to agree to the escort. As the three of them made their way to the ruins, Jean quickly had the magicrafts ready. ¡°Linnecarlo, Lorgo, Farma, Arthur, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t let the giant beasts get too close to the ruins where Rafishal is!¡± ¡°All right, then. This Thunder Emperor will not be slowed down by the giant beasts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little scared, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Arthur, let¡¯s be Linnecarlo¡¯s shield!¡± I watch the four of them go off with an indescribable feeling. I felt frustrated and annoyed at myself for not being able to do anything about it. Perhaps sensing my frustration, Jean gave me some instructions. ¡°It seems that Rafishal has added an enchantment enhancement to the first ballista, so if someone with a high Ludia value controls it, it will be more powerful.¡± Just the thought that I could do something helped me. I agreed with Jean¡¯s instructions. CH 193 I was sold at the lowest price C193: Returning Home / Yuki The surviving riders, including myself, Mary, and Enrique, have returned to the ride carrier. As we returned to the ship, Dr. Brule gave us a token of thanks. ¡°Good work, Rafishal-sama¡¯s goal has been accomplished. Therefore, as soon as Master Rafishal comes back, we will return to the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°Does this mean that the objective has been achieved and the seal on the giant beasts has been broken?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In a few moments, this place will be transformed into a hell filled with giant beasts. If we don¡¯t retreat before that happens, we¡¯ll become food for the behemoths.¡± ¡°Dr. Brule, do you really think that we¡¯ll be safe after the giant beasts return?¡± Dr. Brule responded to Mary¡¯s words without changing her expression. ¡°My words are nothing in front of Master Rafishal¡¯s thoughts. With you here, humanity has no need to fear the threat of giant beasts.¡± No amount of persuasion would be of any use to Dr. Brule, who was so fascinated by Rafishal. Mary also seemed to be thinking about what she would do after she returned to the Elysian Empire, and she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of getting into an argument with Dr. Brule here and now. A little while later, Rafishal came back, protected by his guards. Even though it was right after the important event of releasing a major threat to humanity, there was no change in his expression; he looked as if he had just returned from a walk around the neighborhood. ¡°Everything that needed to be done in this land is done. We must head for the Eternal Kingdom immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, we are already ready to leave.¡± Rafishal and Dr. Brule, who have already established a master-servant relationship, seem to understand each other¡¯s thoughts and can talk to each other without exchanging many words. ¡°The people who¡¯ve been trying to prevent me from unsealing the giant beasts. Their fighting prowess is such that they can shoot down double-digit numbers of Highlanders from the Elysian Empire, and their intelligence is such that they were the first to notice that the giant beast¡¯s seal has been lifted and interfere with it. Who are they?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably someone related to Feri Rudia. She must have understood that the power of the seal would weaken in 10,000 years, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she prepared something.¡± ¡°So there is no danger of the seal being placed again?¡± ¡°Hmph, you have no idea how much power that seal requires. It¡¯s not possible for Feri to construct a seal that easily. Well, if Feri himself were to do it, she could probably do a simple seal for a few years, but she has no body. ¡° ¡°You¡¯re right, Master Rafishal.¡± ¡°I knew who the group that interfered with the unsealing of the giant beasts was but I didn¡¯t have the duty or the desire to tell them. I shuddered to think of the danger Emina would be in if I told them about the Iron Knights.¡± Rafishal and Dr. Brule seem to think that the giant beast¡¯s seal has been lifted and there is no need for them to stay here, but I know the power of the Iron Knights and there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll just sit around and do nothing. I was sure that they would do something about the giant beast¡¯s seal, and I was secretly rooting for them to do so. As the ride carriers headed home, Mary and I were in my room discussing the arrangements to be made after we returned to the Elysian Empire. Dr. Brule and others are probably aware of our movements, but there is no interference and no sign of restraining us. That was eerie, but for now we should think about what we thought was necessary. ¡°If you tell the emperor about the Messiah clan and how they broke the seal on the giant beasts, they¡¯ll be done for.¡± ¡°But what if they interfere with my audience with the Emperor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly my main concern. The Messiah clan seems to be powerful in the imperial family, and the stories about them controlling the heart of the country may not be false.¡± ¡°I think we should talk to Eo, the Minister of War, and also to Yuto, who is also from Earth.¡± ¡°Yes, I think those two are powerful and trustworthy.¡± Thus, Mary and I have come to a consensus. First, we would return to the Elysian Empire and consult with the two people we trusted. We thought that no matter how much the Messiah clan, they would not be able to do anything against the Minister of War of the Elysian Empire and the strongest rider on the continent. CH 194 I was sold at the lowest price C194: The Overflowing Disaster / Jean It¡¯ll take Rafishal two hours to complete the seal, and hopefully no giant beasts will appear until then¡­¡­However, my fleeting hope was not fulfilled. A part of the circular trench began to rise up. A huge shadow appeared from the ground as the earth rose up like a bubble. ¡°Tsk! Too soon. It¡¯s been less than an hour! Hey, the first one¡¯s coming out, get rid of it before the next one sprouts up!¡± ¡°Lorgo, prepare for the behemoth¡¯s attack. Farma, cover fire from the air, and Arthur, charge in and scare the beast. Leave the rest to me!¡± In the absence of Alana, Yuta, and Emina, Linnecarlo, who usually prefers to fight alone, commands the others. Lorgo Ganesha stands in front of the giant beast and attracts its attention. Even though it had just sprung up, the giant beast made an eerie sound and threatened Ganesha. In the meantime, Arthur¡¯s Sentor, who was flanking him, made a gesture of rushing forward, knocking the ground with his back foot. Floating in midair, Farma¡¯s Garuda launched an arrow enchanted with the power of wind. When it struck the giant beast between the eyes, it seemed to have taken some damage and began to flail violently. At the same time Garuda¡¯s Arrow hit the giant beast, Arthur¡¯s Sentor started running. He accelerated to top speed at once, approached the giant beast, and with his momentum, stabbed the giant beast in the side with his drill lance. It was so powerful that the giant beast, which was five times larger than Sentor, floated up a little, and it expressed the extent of the damage with a fierce roar. At that moment, Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin was already preparing a powerful magic strike. Holding her staff upwards, she spoke the activation code for the new magic strike that had been reinforced and implemented by Rafishal. ¡°Thor Hammer!¡± The blue light forms a band and extends in a straight line, hitting the giant beast. The giant beast¡¯s large body was shot out by the blue light, and it scattered, emitting lightning from all over its body. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of power¡­¡­.¡± I had heard that Rafishal had given her a great magic attack, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be as powerful as this, so I was honestly surprised. However, there was no time to be surprised. The next thing I knew, I could see three heaps of earth at the same time. I hurriedly instructed everyone. ¡°Next, we have three guests! Linnecarlo will take out the one in the back, Lorgo, Farma and Arthur will take out the one in the southeast, and Fugaku ballista attack will take out the remaining one in the north!¡± Not being able to fire her Thor¡¯s Hammer in rapid succession, Linnecarlo finished off the giant beast in the back with a series of Triple Lightning¡¯s. As for the giant beasts that sprang up in the southeast, Lorgo stopped it, Farma amassed damage with Arrows from behind, and finally Arthur¡¯s rushing attack stopped it. ¡°Fugaku, all guns, open fire on the giant beast in the north!¡± Attacks are launched simultaneously from the six ballistae of Fugaku quadruple automatic loadout. The kill arrows are special arrows designed and made by Rafishal to penetrate the hard outer skin of giant beasts, and use hard Gogatite for the tip, a very expensive material. As expected, the penetrating power of the kill arrow easily pierced the outer skin of the giant beast. In addition, the power of the kill arrow of the ballista operated by Emina was tremendous and powerful enough to crush the head of that huge beast. I thought, ¡°Okay, this is going to be good¡­¡± but that was a naive thought. The next thing that happened was a flood of dirt; so many that I couldn¡¯t count them all at once. Sweat poured down my forehead at that sight. ¡°Oh no, they¡¯re coming out in huge numbers! We can¡¯t deal with them individually, everyone gather near the ride carrier!¡± It would probably be a few more minutes before Rafishal could complete the seal. It would be nice if we could hold out until then, but the speed at which they are coming out is clearly faster than the speed at which we can destroy them. It would be better to concentrate on buying time as a team. As if to ridicule my thoughts, giant beasts appeared one after another from the Otherworldly Gate. Looking at their huge bodies, even if I didn¡¯t want to, I could feel the fear welling up in me. And at the same time, the faces of my most dependable companion came to mind. Yuta, what are you doing? Come on¡­¡­.I don¡¯t think we can last long enough¡­¡­ CH 195 Exhaustion / Linnecarlo My knees trembled when I saw the swarms of giant beasts that had sprung up all at once. ¡°LORGO! Arthur! Get to the vanguard and control the herd! Farma, we¡¯re going to attack the smaller ones!¡± Lorgo and Arthur alone would not be able to hold back the herd for that long. I can¡¯t help but think¡­¡­how good it would be if Yuta, Nanami and Alana were here. Fugaku would fill in for the three of us. Deploying in front of the ruins, a large amount of arrows were already being released from the ballista. They skewered many of the giant beasts, but not enough to stop their momentum The first group has reached Lorgo and Arthur. At that moment, I unleash a lightning strike. ¡°Triple Lightning!¡± The three lightning balls all hit the first giant beast. The behemoth fell backwards, I then unleashed a series of triple lightning bolts. A single triple lightning strike is not enough to kill a large beast. I have to hit it again and again before it finally collapses. I can¡¯t unleash an inexhaustible supply of magic strikes. It drains my energy and stamina, and eventually I will reach my limit and be unable to use it. If I use it at this rate, I will run out in about ten minutes. I¡¯d like to use it less often, but the giant beasts that are closing in are relentless. Lorgo and Arthur manage to stop them in the front line, but as soon as my attacks weaken, the giant beasts will probably crush us. An even larger group was closing in on Lorgo and Arthur. Odin and Garuda¡¯s attacks couldn¡¯t stop their momentum, and many giant beasts swarmed Ganesha and Sentor. The claws and fangs of the giant beasts destroyed the bodies of the two magicrafts. Damn it¡­¡­I can¡¯t help it. ¡°Thor Hammer!¡± The blue lightning from the Thor Hammer forms a large band and pierces through the crowd of giant beasts. About ten of them, including the large beasts, are pierced by the blue lightning and perished. It would have been much easier if I could have used Thor¡¯s Hammer in succession, but this magic strike is very draining, and one shot uses the energy of dozens of Triple Lightning shots. In this situation, where we need to buy time, I should try to refrain from using it. The blow of the Thor¡¯s Hammer earlier had given Lorgo and Arthur a moment to recover, but the giant beasts were not stopping, they were gaining momentum and doubling in number. Fugaku cannons are constantly hitting the giant beasts, but they are sprouting much faster than they are falling, and the number of giant beasts is only increasing. At this rate, we won¡¯t be able to hold out much longer. Seeing more and more giant beasts swarming around Ganesha and Sentor, I fired my second Thor¡¯s Hammer. I started to breathe hard¡­¡­.I feel sluggish and weak all over my body. My concentration faded and I realized that I am nearing my limit. The next Thor Hammer will be the last attack¡­¡­.I had realized that. The final blow was to be unleashed sooner than expected. Arthur¡¯s Sentor was about to be crushed by one of the giant beasts. I wondered for a moment if I should abandon him, but I released Thor¡¯s Hammer and saved him. ¡°Haha¡­¡­haha¡­..huu~ this is nothing!¡± I guess he could tell that I was trying to act tough, so Arthur said something unnecessary. ¡°Dear Linnecarlo, leave the rest to Arthur here and get some rest!¡± If I could leave it to them, I would, but it was obvious that it was physically impossible so I took a last resort. I struck the giant beast with my staff. Even though I can no longer use Thor Hammer, I can still use my remaining energy to move Odin. I can keep up with a Triple Highlander in white combat alone. However, the attacks of the giant beasts were stronger than I expected. Odin¡¯s body screamed every time he was attacked by a giant beast. Parts of his shoulders popped off and parts of his torso were ripped off. The tip of the staff, which I had roughly handled as a blunt weapon, was bent and in an instant Odin was forced into a state of total exhaustion. Ganesha, who is supposed to be very defensive and durable, has already lost one arm, broken a leg, and can no longer stand. Arthur¡¯s Sentor seems to be completely out of action, as his head has been destroyed and his elemental line has been severed. This is as far as we¡¯ve gotten¡­even though the seal is not complete yet¡­¡­ In the midst of my feelings of resignation, Yuta¡¯s face comes to mind¡­¡­Yes, if Yuta comes, we can make it! I mustered up my last bit of energy and moved the battered Odin. Wielding my broken staff, I fought the giant beasts with all my might, but it seemed that Odin had reached his limit. He could no longer move as I wished ¨C despite my desire to fight, Odin¡¯s movements slowed and eventually came to a complete halt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.I can¡¯t do this anymore¡­¡­.¡± I felt sorry and muttered to myself. But just when I was in desperate need, a ray of hope was released. After a strong flash of light, a huge line of light attacked the giant beasts. Countless giant beasts were disappearing like they were evaporating ¨C and a pleasant voice came over the communication. ¡°Linnecarlo, are you okay?¡± When I heard his voice, I felt a strong sense of relief, my tense feelings relaxed and I lost consciousness. CH 196 As I approached the Otherworldly Gate, I could hear strange voices and earth-shaking sounds. I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I can feel something unpleasant in the air. ¡°It looks like quite a few giant beasts have already sprung up.¡± ¡°Nanami is not afraid!¡± ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to have to use this anti-beast equipment, you two might want to be ready to fire it the moment we arrive.¡± From a distance, I catch a glimpse of something stirring in the air. A chill runs down my spine when I think that it¡¯s all giant beasts. ¡°It looks bad. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡± Agreeing with Alana¡¯s words, we quickened the pace of the magicrafts. The current state of the Otherworldly Gate is horrifying¡­¡­countless giant beasts fill the earth, and among them, I can see Fugaku and Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin, Farma¡¯s Garuda, Lorgo¡¯s Ganesha, and Arthur¡¯s Sentor. All of the magicraft were in shambles, and the only one working properly was Farma¡¯s, who was in midair escaping the attack of the giant beasts. I quickly readied my Shining Smasher and pointed the muzzle at the pack of giant beasts. ¡°Feri! Tell me the best point of attack to help my allies out of that horde of behemoths!¡± ¡°¡®Yes, Master. The target will be displayed on the screen. Place the center pointer on the target and fire.¡± As Feri said this, a round target display appeared on the screen showing the scenery outside. I aligned the triangular display with my aim and pulled the trigger. A powerful light shot out from the Shining Smasher. The light stretched straight out while burning away the giant beasts. I was relieved to see that the giant beast that had been closing in on my friends had been wiped out. However, Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. Worried, I called out to her. ¡°Linnecarlo, are you okay?¡± But there was no reply. This was pretty bad. I wanted to help Linnecarlo, Lorgo, and Arthur, but I was not sure of my decision when I saw the next group of giant beasts coming towards us. ¡°Prominence Cannon, fire!¡± The Prominence Cannon, the anti-beast weapon of Bercya of Alana, emitted high-temperature, heavy-density red lotus flames. The flames burned through the approaching herd of giant beasts. ¡°EarthQuake Gravity!¡± Nanami¡¯s Vajra charged at the group of giant beasts coming towards us and unleashed a magical strike strengthened by the EarthQuake Unit. The impact was so great that it caused the ground to crack, spreading out in a semicircle, and the giant beasts fell as if swallowed by the crumbling ground. Despite the destructive power of these anti-beast weapons, the speed of the giant beasts coming out of the ground seems to be faster, and the absolute number of giant beasts does not seem to be decreasing. At this rate, Linnecarlo and the others who are unable to move will be in danger, and there is even a risk of total destruction. I have to help Linnecarlo and the others¡­¡­. ¡°Alana! Nanami! I¡¯ll draw the attention of the behemoths while you get Linnecarlo and the others to Fugaku.¡± ¡°Okay. But Yuta, don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°Yuta, you¡¯re dealing with the giant beasts, so don¡¯t be reckless like usual.¡± ¡°I know, I know. Jean, can you hear me? I¡¯m going to act as a decoy and lead the behemoths north, while you get Linnecarlo and the others!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being reckless again¡­¡­but this time you¡¯ll have to be. Alright, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± Anyway, I decided to stand out and attract the giant beasts. I changed to flash mode and ran through the crowd of giant beasts, emitting a light that stood out in the dimly lit underground space. I don¡¯t know if the giant beasts have intelligence or not, but they gathered as if they were attracted to the light that Arleo was emitting. When they are all lumped together, I unleash the Shining Smasher. It kills many of the giant beasts with its heat rays of destruction, but they don¡¯t seem to be diminishing. The light from the Shining Smasher attracted giant beasts and more of them gathered around me. There were so many of them that I was terrified, so I quickly fired the Shining Smasher again. But at the same time as the recoil of the shot, an unpleasant sound echoed from Arleo. ¡°Master. Arleo is beginning to be affected. The Shining Smasher will reach its limit with the next blow.¡± Arleo was almost at its limits and I had to get out of this situation with a single shot ¡­¡­.I was desperately thinking of a solution. CH 197 The giant beasts don¡¯t even give me time to think. They come at me in groups, trying to destroy the Arleo with their huge bodies. I can only shoot the Shining Smasher later, since there¡¯s only one shot left. I suppress the urge to shoot the group and get closer, I respond by pulling out Estoc that was attached to my waist. Attacking with Estoc is not enough to defeat even the smaller giant beasts with a single blow, and while I am dealing with one, I am surrounded by the others, which quickly put me in a dangerous situation. I had to get out of there before I was completely surrounded, find a place with less density of giant beasts and run for it. I kept doing this, but now I was running out of places to run. ¡°Master, the speed at which the giant beasts are emerging is abnormal. It may be that what was forcibly suppressed by the seal for 10,000 years is erupting all at once. We can¡¯t predict what will happen next, and it¡¯s extremely dangerous, so I recommend that we leave this place as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Even if we leave, Rafishal is still working on the seal, and if we run towards Fugaku, the others will be in danger.¡± ¡°We can leave the sealing work to Rafishal and withdraw all our forces. The sealing will be completed in a few minutes, there¡¯s a good chance that we¡¯ll be able to seal it in time before the ruins of the sealing point that Rafishal is working on are destroyed.¡± ¡°If the sealing is completed, what will happen to the giant beasts that are here already? Will they just disappear?¡± ¡°No, the beasts that have already emerged will continue to exist here.¡± ¡°Then what will happen to Rafishal after the seal is complete?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll almost certainly be killed by the behemoths.¡± ¡°Then we can¡¯t do that! Isn¡¯t there a way to prevent anyone from dying?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yuta, you¡¯d better do as Feri says. The emergence of the giant beasts is abnormal. It¡¯s truly unexpected¡­¡­.If we stay here, we¡¯ll all die.¡± It was Rafishal¡¯s voice, Feri had made this suggestion to me while communicating with him. ¡°No, Rafishal! This is non-negotiable!¡± ¡°This is my fault for not being able to fully understand the threat of the giant beasts. Let me at least take the blame at the end.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Rafishal! What about your dangerous brothers and sisters who seem to be trying to destroy the human race! You think you can just leave that to those who survived, take responsibility until the end!¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to say it, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Feri! As your master, I command you. Tell me the best way to do this so no one else dies!¡± Hearing my words, Feri asked Rafishal after a short pause, ¡°¡­¡­¡­Metis, tell me the exact time it will take to complete the sealing.¡± ¡°Feri! What the hell are you thinking?¡± ¡°Just do the math!¡± Feri¡¯s tone of voice changed. It seemed to be the words of a person with a complete heart, not the usual mechanical speech of an AI. She also called Rafishal by his real name, Metis. ¡°720 seconds.¡± ¡°Yuta, tell Jean to prepare to retreat, and when the seal is complete, retrieve the Rafishal and get out of here immediately.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± For some reason, I didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable when Feri called me Yuta. ¡°Wait, Feri, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°After 250 seconds, Arleo and the Shining Smasher¡¯s core will fuse and unleash a self-destruct attack. That will destroy 98% of the giant beasts that are sprouting and create a safe time of over 500 seconds.¡± ¡°Nonsense! That¡¯s far too dangerous!¡± ¡°No, if we use Arleo as the detonator, most of the energy in the core will be released outward. The damage to the core cockpit will be minor, and the chances of Yuta and I surviving are as high as 92% or more.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a nearly ten percent chance that we¡¯ll die, that¡¯s not low!¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s the best way for all of us to survive, in my opinion. The rest is up to Yuta¡¯s decision though.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate when she said that. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it, I¡¯ll take my chances that we all survive!¡± ¡°I hate¡­¡­myself for being so helpless¡­¡­.Feri, you must protect Yuta!¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re my precious Master.¡± When I told Jean and my friends about the suicide bombing, they naturally objected. ¡°You idiot! What the hell are you trying to do? We don¡¯t have to do that, we can all work together.¡± ¡°Yuta, I won¡¯t allow you to blow yourself up! I¡¯ll get angry if you do anything dangerous!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­don¡¯t die¡­¡­if Yuta dies, Nanami¡­¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way?¡± Linnecarlo seems to be in a medical capsule and hasn¡¯t heard about this, but I have a feeling she¡¯s going to be pissed later. ¡°It¡¯s okay, because according to Feri and Rafishal, self-destructing doesn¡¯t mean exploding Arleo, it¡¯s a type of attack that uses the out-of-control energy of the core.¡± No one could convince me otherwise, and it was time to go, so I made my way to the center point of the horde. CH 198 The giant beasts had a bad premonition and intensified their attack on Arleo. I waited for the time to pass, dodging and blocking them. ¡°After self-destructing, the core of the Arleo will be destroyed and the magicraft will no longer be able to move. It will be completely defenseless, and you will be asked to retrieve it.¡± As Feri had told me, I told Jean to prepare for the recovery. I also told him to be on the lookout for a large blast that would spread when the bomb exploded. ¡°Yuta, remove the core from the Shining Smasher and place it in Arleo¡¯s abdomen. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± As Feri had instructed, I pulled out the core in the center of the Shining Smasher and placed it in the hole in my abdomen that Feri had opened up. ¡°Initiating core fusion¡­infinite spell chanting¡­runaway countdown¡­thirty seconds to initiate self-destruct.¡± I hear a rumbling sound that is clearly dangerous, and it starts to get kind of hot. The inside of the cockpit was flickering, perhaps a signal of danger. This is the last time I¡¯ll be seeing Arleo¡­¡­.He¡¯s been a great help to me¡­¡­.I first found Arleo at Farma¡¯s house, got in to escape, had my first battle, then became a gladiator to earn money¡­¡­.If it weren¡¯t for this guy, I might not even be alive today¡­¡­. I said my final goodbyes to Arleo and prepared to self-destruct with my eyes closed. ¡°Yuta! Please evade! It¡¯s an attack by an SS-level individual!¡± Feri tells me in a panicked manner. When I looked, I saw a shining golden giant beast, clearly different from the other giant beasts, coming towards Arleo. I quickly evaded, but the golden behemoth¡¯s blow ripped off Arleo¡¯s right arm. If I had not dodged, the blow might have shattered the body. ¡°Ten seconds to self-destruct!¡± Four human-like arms sprouted from the back of the golden behemoth. The golden behemoth grabbed Arleo tightly, making him unable to move. It then spread its large jaws to cover Arleo. Damn! It¡¯s not good¡­¡­.If we don¡¯t do something, we¡¯ll be eaten¡­¡­ ¡°Five seconds to self-destruct! Hold on!¡± If Arleo was destroyed before it could self-destruct, it would be useless. I managed to move, and with my left hand, I pulled out Maingauche and thrust it under the golden beast¡¯s chin. It must have done a little damage, because the behemoth let out a strange sound and was scared for a moment. Then the count of self-destruction dropped to zero¡­A powerful gravitational force was applied to my entire body. I was shocked and felt as if I were suddenly floating. The screen disappeared with a buzzing sound, and I couldn¡¯t see what was going on outside. ¡°Feri! What happened?¡± ¡°The self-destruct was a success. 99% of the behemoths are gone.¡± ¡°Good, the operation was a success, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, the¡­¡­suicide bombing was a success, but the operation as a whole may not have been a success.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The loss of my right arm in the last SS-level individual¡¯s attack caused a misalignment in the release of the core runaway energy. The cockpit barely escaped destruction, but the impact of the explosion blew it apart, and it is currently falling headlong into a crack in the earth.¡± ¡°No way!¡± With a thump, the cockpit began to shake. ¡°We seem to have been caught in one of the smaller branches of the subterranean current. We¡¯re going to be swept away.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have enough information to say where we will end up. In the worst case, we may get caught in a current loop and wander around forever.¡± I was horrified to hear that and immediately tried to request help from Jean over the comms. ¡°Jean! Can you hear me! Jean! Come in, please!¡± There was no answer from Jean, I tried every channel I could find to communicate, but I got no response. ¡°The pulse from the self-destruct appears to have destroyed the equipment. All equipment has been disabled.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­if this had broken Feri too, I would have been heartbroken¡± ¡°It¡¯s terrible to have to report this after what you said, but I¡¯m currently running on the remaining energy in the cockpit. Unfortunately, that will run out in about ten hours.¡± Oh no, I¡¯m going to cry¡­¡­.But I decided to change my mind and think positively. Even if something unexpected happens, I¡¯m still alive, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll arrive somewhere safe and sound. Jean and the others will be looking for me, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find me soon. I tried to think that way, but I still couldn¡¯t lie to myself. I felt my anxiety overwhelming me. CH 199 Right on the time that Yuta had told me, Arleo blew himself up. An intense flash and light enveloped the area, engulfing the crowd of giant beasts in a powerful explosion. The shockwave reached Fugaku, who was some distance away, and shook the hull violently. ¡°Yuta!¡± Alana shouted, perhaps worried by the power of the explosion. I¡¯m not sure what to do. ¡°Is he¡­¡­really going to be okay in that kind of explosion?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­feel pain in my chest¡­..Yuta¡­¡­¡± When the cloud of dust from the explosion cleared, the giant beasts disappeared, leaving only a large underground space. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. The behemoths will emerge again soon!¡¡Alana, Nanami, Farma, find Yuta and retrieve him! He should be at the center point of the explosion, hurry up!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Alana and the others were so worried that they ran out at great speed and looked for Arleo. I had expected to find him soon, but the transmission from Alana and the others was a disappointment. ¡°Jean, he¡¯s nowhere to be found! I can¡¯t even find what¡¯s left of Arleo!¡± ¡°What should I do?¡­¡­Oh no¡­¡­Yuta¡¯s not here!¡± ¡°Yuta!¡± Damn¡­¡­.I knew I shouldn¡¯t have let him blow himself up¡­¡­. ¡°Jean, I saw a large blown-up object at the time of the explosion, maybe it was the cockpit of Arleo.¡± That¡¯s what Fistina tells me. I was impressed that she could see such a thing in such a situation, and asked her for more information. ¡°Really? Which way did it go?¡± ¡°Northwest of the center point. With that kind of momentum, it must have flown a long way.¡± ¡°Okay! Alana, Nanami, Farma! There¡¯s a chance he might¡¯ve been blown northwest of there. Can you look in that direction?¡± ¡°Copy that! I¡¯m on my way!¡± A new giant beast is already sprouting from the Otherworldly Gate. We don¡¯t have much time¡­¡­.We have to find him quickly¡­¡­. ¡°¡®¡­¡­Jean, oh my god, I found a big crack in the ground to the northwest. If he fell in here¡­¡­¡± ¡°No way! How unlucky can he be!?¡± ¡°Nanami is going down to find Yuta!¡± ¡°Nanami, stop it! We don¡¯t even know if he fell in there!¡± It seems that Nanami tried to go down into the crack and was stopped by Alana. Her decision was correct, if she¡¯s not careful, more people will go missing and the situation will only get worse. In the midst of the worst situation, the only good news came from Rafishal. ¡°Jean, the seal is complete.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll move Fugaku to the side of the ruins immediately.¡± So now there¡¯s no more giant beasts sprouting up.¡­.. The plan was to leave as soon as we retrieved Rafishal, but there was no way our people would agree to retreat without Yuta. After all, it would be better to conduct a full-scale search after that giant beasts are taken care of and safety is secured. But 50 giant beasts, can we defeat them without Yuta¡­¡­? As I was struggling, Rafishal came back to the bridge. ¡°Jean, is it true that you can¡¯t find Yuta?¡± Rafishal was also worried and said so immediately. ¡°Yeah, they can¡¯t even find what¡¯s left of Arleo.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­there¡¯s a good chance he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s with Feri, so there¡¯s no way he could have disappeared without leaving some tracks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that. In that case, we¡¯ll have to do a full-scale search, but those surviving behemoths will be in the way.¡± ¡°I think there are about fifty of them¡­¡­.Fortunately, there don¡¯t seem to be any S-level individuals in sight.¡± ¡°Do you think we can destroy them without Yuta?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­Linnecarlo can¡¯t move either, so I think it will be difficult.¡± As if she had heard Rafishal¡¯s decision, Alana said, ¡°Me and Nanami have anti-beast equipment, so I think we can handle it.¡± ¡°Anti-giant equipment! Where did you get that?¡± ¡°We got it at a place Feri showed us before we came here.¡± ¡°I see, Feri had prepared such equipment¡­¡­.If you have the equipment that Feri had prepared, you might be able to make it.¡± I¡¯m sure Rafishal¡¯s decision is correct. ¡°All right, let¡¯s destroy the surviving behemoths! Everyone, prepare for battle!¡± They all reacted with liveliness, as if they knew that the eradication of the giant beasts would lead to the search for Yuta. CH 200 I heard that once the remaining energy in the cockpit is gone, even the lights will be turned off, so I checked my equipment while it was still visible. ¡°I¡¯ve got about 70% water in a bottle, two packs of portable food to eat¡­¡­a small backpack with a knife, rope and¡­¡­ It¡¯s hard without light¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yuta, my storage medium is under the seat. If you give it to Rafishal, my functions will be restored. Can you take it with you if it¡¯s not too much of a burden?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take that with me. Give me a minute, I¡¯ll check it out.¡± I opened the lid under the seat and looked inside. ¡°Is this white round thing the correct storage medium?¡± ¡°Yes. That is my mainframe.¡± ¡°All right. When the power goes out, I¡¯ll take it off and give it to Rafishal, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You can take it off now, sir.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time. I¡¯ll miss having someone to talk to.¡± ¡°Yes, well then, let¡¯s talk as long as time permits.¡± I had plenty of time. I returned to my seat and asked Feri what was bothering her. ¡°To be frank, is Feri one of the three disciples that Rafishal said had abandoned her body?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. I am one of the disciples of the great sage Rafishal.¡± ¡°I knew it. Why did Feri decide to leave her body?¡± ¡°At the time I thought I didn¡¯t need a body. The body ages and needs to eat to maintain its functions. You also need to sleep, and take care of your body at the very least¡­Well, the point is that maintaining the body became a chore.¡± ¡°Were you scared?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t afraid. I was confident in my skills and ideas, but people around me were quite opposed.¡± ¡°Rafishal was also against it?¡± ¡°No, he was one of the few people who agreed with me because he understood me very well.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°He said that if anything happened to me, he would always be there to help.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, could it be that¡­¡­Rafishal and Feri are¡­¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a romantic relationship or anything like that. We both put our research first, and Metis has a very abnormal view of love.¡± ¡°Abnormal? I¡¯m afraid to ask.¡± ¡°He can create love for any gender, any race, or even inorganic matter. He¡¯s an absolute philanthropist. As long as the conditions are met, he will fall in love with any being, so he doesn¡¯t even know if he¡¯s in love with a woman of his own species just because she¡¯s a woman.¡± ¡°You mean he¡¯s in love with everything¡­¡­That¡¯s just a little scary.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that, he¡¯d be a really nice guy. He had a lot of fans among my friends, and he was very popular.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Rafishal, the Great Sage, named him his successor.¡± ¡°Yes. There was no doubt that he was the best personality among the three disciples. I think it¡¯s more of a process of elimination, because my brother Lucifer had a broken heart, and I¡¯m the kind of person who would abandon my own body¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I heard that Lucifer tried to kill Metis, what happened?¡± ¡°He stabbed him to death with his sword and threw him into a river. My assistant, who happened to witness the scene, rescued him from the river and put him in a medical capsule, which was under development at the time, for treatment.¡± ¡°He must have held a grudge against him, stabbing him to death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Rafishal, who was saved, pretended to be dead. Lucifer probably still doesn¡¯t know that he is alive.¡± ¡°What happens if he finds out he¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll come to kill him right away. To Lucifer, Rafishal is the one person he doesn¡¯t want alive even for a second.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tricky¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As a fellow student, I¡¯m responsible for Lucifer. I¡¯ll make sure to seal him up again.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve sealed him before, haven¡¯t you? Is there any reason why he has to be sealed?¡± ¡°Because Lucifer¡¯s existence will not disappear even if you kill him. For Lucifer, who will soon be reincarnated and resurrected, death is only a way out.¡± ¡°Oh, right, he reincarnates. It¡¯s troublesome, isn¡¯t it?¡± It must be tough for Rafishal to be resented so much by such an existence. I was completely oblivious to my current situation and felt sorry for him. CH 201 The remaining energy in the cockpit was about to run out and the few lights that were on began to flicker. ¡°I wish I could have talked to Yuta longer, but it looks like it¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°Feri, I will definitely deliver you to Rafishal.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. We¡¯ll talk more leisurely next time.¡± ¡°Absolutely, I promise.¡± It would be difficult to remove Feri once the lights in the cockpit were completely out, so I removed her core before that. It was about the size of a handball, so it would fit in a small backpack. I wrapped Feri¡¯s core in a towel and stowed it in my backpack. About five minutes later, the lights in the cockpit went out. When the darkness came I started to feel uneasy and scared. I wondered what would happen to me. Wouldn¡¯t I wander around in the current forever, and finally die of hunger? Before that, would I hit a rock so hard that my cockpit would be torn apart and I would be thrown outside to drown? Perhaps it was the fear of the unknown that made me think so many bad things. No, no, no. Let¡¯s think of something happy. I imagined a good memory. I remembered that once I went to the movies with Yuki Shirayuki under the arrangement of my childhood friend Nagisa. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just the two of us, and Nagisa was with us, but we had a great time that day¡­The real purpose of that day was to confess my feelings to Shirayuki, but that ended in failure. The three of us had so much fun together that I forgot to confess. I researched in advance the movies that Yuki Shirayuki might like, and when Nagisa invited Yuki and made an appointment with her, she forced me to go with her, saying that I wanted to see that movie too. Initially, after the movie, Nagisa was going to make an incomprehensible request to see the ocean. Then I would take her to a park with a view of the sea, saying I knew a good place, and Nagisa would go buy some juice, and while she was going somewhere else, I would confess¡­¡­ But for some reason, Nagisa started saying that she wanted to go to karaoke instead. That made me nervous. I conveyed my anger with my eyes, but Shirayuki immediately agreed, so we went straight to karaoke. ¡­¡­ Well, we had a lot of fun and enjoyed it, so it was fine, but even after karaoke, Nagisa said she wanted to go to the game center. The three of us went to the arcade as well. In the end, however, Nagisa didn¡¯t say she wanted to go see the ocean that day, so my confession ended in failure. What was that all about?¡­¡­Now that I remember, Nagisa¡¯s actions make no sense. And when you think about it, it¡¯s not like Nagisa and Shirayuki were that close¡­¡­how could they even make a promise to go see a movie together? It was a lot of fun, but it¡¯s kind of a blurry memory. I wonder how Yuki Shirayuki is doing, I want to see her¡­¡­and confess my feelings to her. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not a good idea, but I want to tell her how I feel. Remembering what happened in Japan, I wondered how the rest of my classmates were doing. I wonder what happened to Haranishi and the others who lost to me at the Coliseum, they seemed to have joined some weird team, but I wonder if they¡¯re okay. Horibe and Iwamura, who were in the Beast King mercenaries, were also hired by the destroyed Kirks, so maybe they¡¯re in a lot of trouble¡­¡­.As of now, the only classmates whose safety has been confirmed are Nagisa and Mamoru Mikage, who is in Meltaria. I didn¡¯t have time to think about it until now, but I¡¯m still concerned about the current situation of my classmates. I hope they¡¯re okay, but considering my current situation, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re all living in peace¡­¡­. While I was thinking about this, I started to feel sleepy, probably because I was in the dark. I closed my eyes and let myself fall asleep. CH 202 In the imperial capital of the Elysian Empire, there was no one to greet us upon our return. It wasn¡¯t that we wanted a grand welcome for our triumphant return as a research team, but we were not welcomed by the public, not even by the ordinary citizens, and the atmosphere felt weird. ¡°Miss Yuki. Lady Mary. The Emperor wants to see you.¡± As soon as he returned, we were summoned by the emperor. I had planned to ask for the cooperation of the Minister of War, Mr. Eo and Mr. Yuto to meet with him, but it seemed that there was no need for that trouble. Mary and I went to the audience chamber to report on the Messiah clan and Rafishal. ¡°Yuki, Mary, thank you for your help. I¡¯ve already heard the report of the survey team from Brule. The resurrection of the Great Sage Rafishal is a great deed.¡± Sitting in the emperor¡¯s chair was not the emperor I knew. Mary muttered when she saw his face. ¡°¡®Prince Amuno¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Mary. Lord Amuno ascended to the throne three days ago. He is now the Emperor of the Elysian Empire. It¡¯s not polite to call him prince!¡± A high-ranking official, whose name I did not know well, pointed this out to us. ¡°What happened to the emperor?¡± ¡°The former emperor passed away due to illness. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± The emperor died¡­¡­the day we were leaving, though he didn¡¯t seem to be feeling too bad¡­¡­. ¡°Brule told me you might have something to tell me.¡± The new emperor, Prince Amuno, asks me. I¡¯ve heard that Prince Amuno is a member of the Messiah family. If I talked about it badly, my life would be in danger. ¡°No, all I wanted to tell you was the report of the survey team. Dr. Brule has already told you that, so we have nothing to say.¡± Mary, too, knew the situation well and immediately responded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, then. You can go back now.¡± We bowed our heads and turned to leave the audience chamber. Then the new emperor spoke as if he remembered. ¡°Yes, I forgot to tell you that starting today, you will be joining the newly established Special Forces. This is the empire¡¯s most powerful magicraft unit. In order to call yourselves the strongest, you must be perfect both physically and mentally. For that reason, I order you to spend a month in the Imperial Medical Research Institute.¡± For some reason, I was horrified to hear that. Mary seemed to feel the same way and her face was pale. I could tell that we didn¡¯t have the right of veto, as the guards began to gather around us in droves. ¡°We will escort you to the Imperial Medical Institute.¡± One of the guards said, but I was tempted to say that this was not an escort, but a detention. If I were to be taken to the Imperial Institute of Medical Research, I had no idea what they would do to me. I looked around to see if there was anything I could do. However, there was no one there that I knew. If the Minister of War, Mr. Eo, had been there, he might have been able to help me¡­¡­. As Mary and I hesitated to go, the guard said as if to hurry us. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Master Rafishal is waiting for us at the Imperial Medical Institute.¡± I knew it was Rafishal¡¯s idea¡­¡­.My bad feeling turned to certainty. But without a magicraft, there was nothing we could do. Valiente was also in the hangar and would not be able to help us. The guards took us straight to the Imperial Medical Institute¡­ At the Imperial Medical Institute, Rafishal was waiting for us, as the guards had said. ¡°The Messiah clan is really good, they¡¯ve been faithfully carrying out my orders from ten thousand years ago and preparing for this. Thanks to them, we can move quickly.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do to us?¡± When I asked, Rafishal smiled and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you the best present that you¡¯ll ever want to thank me for.¡± ¡°A present?¡± ¡°Ludia is not a fixed number, you know. I¡¯m going to examine your latent abilities and dimension classes now, and raise your Ludia value to its maximum level. Depending on the potential ability and dimension class, your Ludia value will be amplified by at least several times, and depending on the class, by several dozen times.¡± ¡°Ludia value amplification¡­¡­Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible. It¡¯s a common technology in ancient civilizations. I¡¯m going to use it on you.¡± I don¡¯t want that, but it seems impossible to refuse. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the cost of amplification will be minimal.¡± Rafishal said when he saw us looking worried. Mary asked a question. ¡°What is the price?¡± ¡°The deterioration of the soul. We call it that, but don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just becoming a little less human.¡± I didn¡¯t know what it meant, but those words scared me like nothing I¡¯d ever felt before. CH 203 I don¡¯t know how much time has passed. I already ate all the food I could carry and had very little water left. It was becoming more and more likely that I would dry up and die at this rate. It had been bothering me for a while, but I could no longer hear the distinctive sound of the ocean current from outside, or feel the tremor of being swept away. Could it be that I had drifted somewhere? I hoped so, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. It would have been nice to have some idea of what was going on outside, but the monitor was dead and there were no lights, so I had to rely on sound to predict what was going on. I strained my ears to hear what was going on outside but there was no sign of movement. I knew I was going to die anyway, so I decided to go outside¡­¡­. I grabbed my backpack and prepared to escape. I groped around and pulled the lever to open the emergency escape hatch. When the hatch was opened, water came into the cockpit with great force. Oh no, I was in the water! It was too late to regret it. The incoming water instantly filled the cockpit. At this rate, the danger of starving to death just turned into a certainty of drowning. I rushed outside. As I stepped out of the cockpit and looked up, I saw a faint light. The light was dim, but I swam as hard as I could, hoping that there was air on the surface. I was just barely able to hold my breath when I reached the place where the light was coming from. As soon as I felt the sensation of jumping out of the water onto the airy ground, I took a big breath of air. ¡°Huh. Thank God¡­¡­.¡± Somehow I managed to avoid drowning. I thought my life was no longer in danger, but I changed my mind when I looked around the place where I surfaced. It was in a cave or something, not on the ground. The pale light was the glow of the light moss that grew in many of the giant beast¡¯s nests, disappointing my expectation that it was moonlight. I have to find a way out¡­¡­.I decided to search for a way out. I look around and locate a place where the passage seems to continue. What is that¡­I looked and saw a strong light, like a dot. Maybe it¡¯s the light of the exit. I started to walk towards it with hope. As I got closer to the light, I heard some strange sounds. It sounded like the wind cutting through the air, but it seemed too sharp to be the sound of the wind. As I get closer, I notice that there is also a thumping sound on the ground. Near the lantern, a man was swinging his sword with single-minded devotion. He was already close enough to be seen from the other side, but whether he didn¡¯t care or was too engrossed to notice, there was no disturbance in his swinging movements. But still, it was an amazing sword move. Even as an amateur swordsman, I could see that his movements were outstanding, powerful yet quick, and each swing was so powerful that it reminded me of a killing blow. Before I knew it, I was admiring his swordsmanship. There are people with excellent swordsmanship in the Iron Knights. Arthur seems to be a licensed swordsman of some school, and is said to be quite skilled, but the sword dance of the person in front of me was on a different level. His sword dance, which seemed to have reached the realm of art, caught my attention. Nagisa also seems to be an expert in martial arts, which is unthinkable for someone of her age, but perhaps it¡¯s youth, or perhaps my eyes are clouded when I look at him, but I feel a power that I cannot feel in Nagisa. I continued to watch him until he stopped swinging his sword, and I wondered how much time had passed. When the man stopped swinging his sword, he looked at me and said, ¡°I thought you were a demon, but you¡¯re a man-child, and if you¡¯re a man-child, you must be hungry. How about it, would you like to have dinner with me?¡± He asked me if I wanted to eat, and remembering that I was in a state of extreme hunger I nodded. The man served me a hot pot dish. It was full of dried meat and vegetables, and quite tasty. I devoured it. Once my hunger was satisfied, I wanted to know more about the man and listen to what he had to say. ¡°Why are you training your swordsmanship in a place like this?¡± The man replies with a little laugh. ¡°When I swing my sword in my daily life, I suddenly lose track of what I¡¯m swinging it for. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m swinging the sword for, whether I need the sword in the first place, or what the sword is¡­At times like that, I try to make time to stay in here and just swing the sword.¡± ¡°If you swing your sword here, what does it tell you?¡± ¡°I realized that the sword is all I have.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what the man was saying, but somehow it made sense. I found out from listening to him further that I would not be able to leave this cave for a while. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to get out of here for another two months?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had the entrance blocked from the outside, so we won¡¯t be able to get out from the inside.¡± ¡°How can that be¡­..?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of being in here if there¡¯s a way out?¡± That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­two months¡­¡­people are going to be worried. ¡°You never told me your name.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yuta.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Veft. How about it, Yuta? I know you have two months of free time, so why don¡¯t you learn how to use a sword from me? From the looks of it, you¡¯re interested.¡± I had been so impressed by Veft¡¯s swordplay that I agreed to his proposal. CH 204 ¡°From this moment on, you and I are master and disciple, just like father and son. I think of you as my son from now on.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to think of Veft?¡± ¡°Whatever you want me to think of you.¡± I thought about it for a moment. If he thinks of me as his son, then I should think of him as my father. ¡°I¡¯m going to think of you as my father then.¡± ¡°Well, then you can¡¯t talk like that to your father. Fathers and sons are not strangers.¡± I guess that means don¡¯t be a stranger. ¡°Well, then, old man, give me a lesson.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good.¡± Veft laughed as he said this. ¡°First, let¡¯s see what you¡¯re capable of now. Take this and hold it up.¡± He handed me a wooden sword. I did as I was told and took the sword and held it up. It¡¯s not something I learned from anyone, but I had some confidence because of my actual experience with the magicrafts. However, my father¡¯s assessment was not what I thought it would be. ¡°You¡¯re even worse at this than I thought. Well, that¡¯s what makes teaching you worthwhile.¡± ¡°Can you tell that just by looking at my stance?¡± ¡°Just by asking me that question, I can tell you don¡¯t know shit.¡± ¡°What do you mean, old man?¡± ¡°Who did you just raise your sword against?¡± ¡°No one. I was told to hold my sword, so I just did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re holding a sword with no one to fight? Whether you¡¯re holding your sword to defeat your opponent, to prepare for his attack, or to intimidate him, the fight has already begun. Was your earlier stance preparing you for battle?¡± I certainly wasn¡¯t thinking about fighting. I just picked up the sword to be cool¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard of it or not but when you hold a sword, you are always preparing for a fight, it is the same when you are training.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try it again and you¡¯ll see.¡± I held up my sword again. This time, I imagined the person I would be holding the sword against. It would be better if it was someone I knew. If I¡¯m going to fight, I want to fight with someone strong. I chose Arthur as my opponent. I¡¯ve seen Arthur practice his sword skills several times in Fugaku¡¯s hangar. The most threatening part of Arthur¡¯s technique is his thrusting attack. It¡¯s fast and has the power to kill with a single blow. My stance naturally became half-hearted in preparation for the thrusting attack. In this state, I waited for Arthur¡¯s thrusting attack. Arthur¡¯s thrusts are fast and powerful, but at the cost of leaving a gap after the attack. In order not to miss the gap, I pulled my sword hand back and readied it so that I could swing it immediately. ¡°This may be parental stupidity, but Yuta you may have a talent. If you can take such a stance with just those words, you have a promising future.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me, old man. I almost defeated him with a brilliant counter attack.¡± ¡°Hmph, I wasn¡¯t interfering, I was helping you. You were unable to avoid the sharp thrust of his first blow, and it pierced your heart.¡± I was surprised to hear that. Did he see what I imagined he would see? ¡°How did you know I was going to be attacked by a thrust?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how good your imagination is.¡± ¡°My imagination is good, but my stance is bad?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a good stance. Good enough for a start.¡± ¡°Then how did I get stabbed through the heart?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an overwhelming lack of skill. I told you that the mind and technique are one. I¡¯m going to teach you everything you need to know, so be prepared.¡± When my father said that, I was more excited about what he was going to teach me than scared at the thought of rigorous training. CH 205 And so began the days of training with my father. He believed that a good night¡¯s sleep was essential for the way of the sword, so I took a long sleep and started my day early. When we woke up, we started with a sword swing session to warm up, and after that, we had breakfast. As I ate my breakfast, I thought that my father was planning to stay here alone, but now that I was here, he needed food for both of us. I asked him if he was worried about running out of food, but his answer was unexpected. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll run out.¡± ¡°Then maybe we should eat less!¡± Breakfast is a very hearty meal when it comes to the energy of the day. Since I¡¯m not going to be able to leave this place for two months, I think I¡¯d better think about what I¡¯m going to eat for a while¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve brought a little more than enough for one person, and maybe by some miracle we¡¯ll have enough.¡± I think it will definitely not be enough if you brought a little more¡­¡­. After breakfast, it was time to practice mental concentration. It¡¯s a kind of Japanese meditation where you sit relaxed and still without thinking about anything, but if you fall asleep, you will be punished. Sitting relaxed and doing nothing makes me unusually sleepy. If I try to hold it in, I can¡¯t relax. The training is much harder than it looks. After that, it was a simple physical training session. I was made to lift rocks, run, jump, and so on. It was quite tiring, but I didn¡¯t mind it because I would rather move my body than meditate. The rock-climbing training was especially interesting, as it seemed a little dangerous. In the afternoon, we had a light meal, followed by a full-blown sword training session. I crossed swords with my father using a wooden sword. He¡¯s really strong, and even when I try really hard to hit him, he easily defeats me. ¡°It¡¯s all well and good to strike frantically, but if you don¡¯t watch your enemy¡¯s every move, you¡¯ll easily leave an opening. Like this.¡± As he said this, he flicked my leg with his wooden sword. I lost my balance and fell down easily. ¡°Damn!¡± ¡°It¡¯s important to be competitive, but don¡¯t let your opponent know it. Always keep your cool. Don¡¯t show your weakness to your opponent.¡± I stood up, hiding my expression. Then I caught my breath and readied my sword. ¡°Okay, good. Stay calm and always think one step ahead of your opponent!¡± We crossed swords at this rate for about five hours. It was a very hard training, but it was a time I had never experienced before and I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy it. After this, we ate dinner, but the old man started drinking while eating. He talked a lot about his life after he got drunk. ¡°What, old man, are you the leader of a mercenary group?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Swordsmen. Have you heard of them?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­I may or may not have heard of them.¡± ¡°I thought I was pretty famous, but I guess I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mercenary, too.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Which mercenary group?¡± ¡°The Iron Knights.¡± ¡°The Iron Knights, I¡¯ve never heard of them, but then again, I¡¯m not a big fan of that stuff to begin with, so it¡¯s not surprising I don¡¯t know.¡± As we were both mercenaries, we had a lot in common, and my dad and I hit it off. I couldn¡¯t drink much with him, but we had endless conversations. ¡°Alright, Yuta, become my son-in-law! Be my real son!¡± He suddenly said that, probably because I was drunk.¡± ¡°Dad, do you have a daughter?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s beautiful! You¡¯re going to love her. You¡¯ll be my son-in-law!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t. I have a girl I like.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not engaged, are you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll introduce you to my daughter when we get out of here. You¡¯ll love her when you see her!¡± That day, he was persistent in offering me his daughter. Normally, not so much, but this old man is nasty when he¡¯s drunk¡­¡­. CH 206 I could not keep up with him at all, but I was able to react to his movements a little better. The number of times I was pushed around decreased, and I could see signs of growth in my offense and defense. ¡°All right, that¡¯s it. When you attack, set your own rhythm. On defense, do the opposite. Don¡¯t let the opponent set the rhythm.¡± I guess my father was trying to teach me something, so he would attack me at regular intervals with a simple pattern. When I was on the receiving end of an attack, I would change the timing of my response. I would further develop my mental image and feint as if I were receiving an attack, avoiding the attack and completely disrupting my opponent¡¯s rhythm. ¡°Yes! Always keep it at your own pace! Don¡¯t let your opponent set the pace!¡± Of course, the old man would have dared me to fall for it, but I could feel the sensation of capturing the flow of the battle. As the fight progresses at my own pace, it becomes easier to build up my attacks. I varied the target areas of my attacks: legs, arms, torso, and head, and the speed and timing of my attacks. Most of my attacks were blocked by him, but at the end, an attack on his leg from an irregular stance slightly touched his thigh. This was the first time my sword had touched my father¡¯s body, and I was really happy. He was just as happy as me. ¡°That was a good attack, especially the final blow. It was unexpected and unpredictable.¡± ¡°I almost managed to score one against you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s ten years too early for that, but you have grown to the point where you can compete with the average swordsman.¡± Damn, I guess I¡¯m still not good enough for my father. I think he was daring me to take that blow. I guess my father recognized my growth, but from that day on, the training became even more severe. I was beaten mercilessly with a wooden sword, and bruises began to appear all over my body. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Think of that pain as the sensation of death! The more pain you feel, the more dead you are! Recognize this wooden sword as a real weapon!¡± I didn¡¯t want to be hurt either, so I tried my best to avoid being hit by the wooden sword. I tried to think of the wooden sword as if it was a real sword, as my father had said, and regained my composure. ¡°What, you had a dispute with the Elysian Empire?¡± At dinner after my training, my father listened to my story over a drink and said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get into trouble, but they had broken the seal on the giant beast, so I had no choice.¡± ¡°Giant beasts seal, that sounds like a fairy tale.¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me, old man? ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me, old man?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You showed up on my doorstep, like in a story and told me that you fought with the Elysian empire to seal the giant beasts got me excited.¡± ¡°The Elysian Empire is a big country, right? Are you okay with having someone who has been in trouble with them as your apprentice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m okay with it, but they¡¯re my enemies, so there¡¯s no problem at all.¡± ¡°What do you mean enemies? Are you really at war with such a large country?¡± ¡°We¡¯re mercenaries, so technically we¡¯re on the side of a country that¡¯s hostile to the Elysian Empire. We, the Swordsmen, have an ironclad rule of siding with the weaker side. So Elysia, who is said to be the strongest on the continent, will always be our enemy.¡± ¡°Why would you take the side of the weak?¡± ¡°The strong are on the side of the weak. The Swordsmen are strong. That¡¯s why it¡¯s natural for them to side with the weak.¡± My dad says they¡¯re strong, so they must be pretty strong. I¡¯m sure the Iron Knights are strong too, but if they were to fight the Swordsmen, I wonder who would be stronger¡­¡­ ¡°Yuta, if your organization decides to seriously fight the Elysian Empire, talk to me. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°On the contrary, old man. If you have a hard time with the Elysia Empire, you should contact me. You can count on the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­I see, then I¡¯ll be counting on you in that case.¡± The smile on his face must be because he is absolutely confident in the strength of his mercenary group. I couldn¡¯t lose, either. I showed my confidence by laughing boldly with my father. CH 207 My father¡¯s movements with the wooden sword are much faster than they were at the beginning. I realized how relaxed he had been at the beginning of my training. Although I was still not an even match for him, I was able to keep up with his movements to some extent. Seeing this, the old man said, ¡°You are growing at a frightening rate. I¡¯ve seen a lot of people learn the sword, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone as good at absorbing things as you are.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know myself, but how much has my skill level actually improved?¡± ¡°In an ordinary country, you would have grown to the level of a swordsman who could represent the country.¡± ¡°By the way, what level are you at, old man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m one of the best swordsmen on the continent.¡± You say it like it¡¯s obvious, but I¡¯m convinced it¡¯s true. ¡°Are there any swordsmen stronger than you?¡± ¡°Yes, there are two swordsmen that I don¡¯t know if I could win against.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both my students. One of them is my first disciple, Scarfi. I¡¯m still the better swordsman, but he¡¯s young and strong, and I don¡¯t know what will happen if the fight goes on too long. The other is my second apprentice, Kiyone. He is a genius swordsman who has already surpassed me in swordsmanship. However, his spirit is still immature, so if we fought normally, I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°What, you can¡¯t lose in a normal fight? Then why don¡¯t I know if you can beat Kiyone?¡± ¡°Well, as a father, how can I really point a sword at my daughter?¡± ¡°Daughter. Oh, so that¡¯s the daughter you were talking about.¡± Did he say something about me becoming his son-in-law with such a monstrously strong daughter, this old man¡­¡­ ¡°And if we¡¯re fighting with a magicraft, we¡¯ll need to add another one.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? Who?¡± ¡°You, Yuta. Either I have good eyes or God is playing a trick on me, but all three of my disciples are extremely talented.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know my Ludia value, and you¡¯ve never seen me on a magicraft. What makes you think that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, I just kind of know. Yuta, I know firsthand that your Ludia value is ridiculously high.¡± ¡°My¡­¡­friends tell me not to talk too much, but I¡¯m still going to tell my dad. Dad, you¡¯ll be surprised to hear that my Ludia value is over a million.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot more than I expected.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re not surprised?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I can feel it firsthand. And no matter how high your Ludia value is, you¡¯re still my third disciple.¡± It was a bit disheartening, but I was kind of happy to see my dad¡¯s reaction, which didn¡¯t change when he heard my Ludia value. The old man scratched his head at the ticking, magic clock and said. ¡°You¡¯ll be out of here tomorrow. I still wanted to give you some training, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯d still like to have you train me, but I¡¯m going to get out of here and eat a full meal.¡± Yes, as we had feared, my dad and I ran out of food halfway through, and for three days now we¡¯ve been filling our stomachs with water. ¡°Hahahaha. You¡¯re right. As soon as we get out of here, I¡¯ll have them prepare some food.¡± ¡°Hey, Dad, do me a favor, I want to meet up with my friends when we get out of here. Can you give me a ride to Amuria or Meltaria?¡± If it¡¯s Ranelle in Amuria or Yudin in Meltaria, they can contact Jean and the others since they share communications with Fugaku. ¡°The Amurian Union and the Kingdom of Meltaria, Amuria is closer from here. Okay, I¡¯ll give you a lift right away.¡± Thank God. Now I can manage to meet up with them. I hope everyone is okay¡­¡­. CH 208 Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound echoed through the cave. I looked in the direction of the sound, wondering what was going on. ¡°My God, they¡¯re trying to open the blocked entrance.¡± It was still a day early according to the magic clock. The expression on my father¡¯s face became grim as he was concerned about something that he didn¡¯t expect. The blocked entrance was opened, and in walked a woman wearing clothing that was unusual in this world, with a kimono-like atmosphere. Her long, pale blue hair was tied up in a bun, and her clear face had the beauty of a supermodel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father, but Tamihar sent me a request for urgent business and I had to open the door earlier than expected.¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s from Tamihar, it must be related to the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems that there has been a large-scale military operation in Elysia, and all three alliances, including the army of Tamil Nadu, are in a state of war.¡± ¡°Then we must go quickly¡­¡­¡± Dad¡¯s expression showed his face as the leader of a mercenary group, which he didn¡¯t show when we were training alone. The woman referred to dad as Father, so I guessed she was Kiyone, the second disciple. ¡°And who is that, father? I¡¯ve never seen him before. When did he come to this place?¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll introduce you to Kiyone. This is Yuta, my third disciple.¡± ¡°Third disciple¡­¡­.Father! You¡¯ve accepted him as your disciple!¡± ¡°Yes. He is your younger disciple. Take good care of him.¡± ¡°A group of one hundred and twenty swordsmen, aspiring disciples from all over the continent who admired your swordsmanship¡­¡­.None of them were accepted as disciples, so how dare you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a windfall, but that¡¯s what taking on an apprentice is all about, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s something that just hits you.¡± ¡°But what would the members of the Sword Clan think if you so easily accepted as a disciple someone whose identity you don¡¯t even know¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The members of the Sword Clan are learning the sword as disciples of you and Scarfi, there is no need for them to become my disciples.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to the members, but Yuta and I haven¡¯t eaten in over three days. Can you prepare something for us?¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll have them ready right away.¡± Kiyone then walked out by herself. From the looks of it, she was not convinced by her father¡¯s story. ¡°Dad, are you sure? I don¡¯t think she was happy about it at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be convinced once she gets to know you. Anyway, Yuta, I¡¯m sorry. I promised to give you a ride to Amuria, but it looks like I can¡¯t do it right away. I¡¯ve known Tamihar for a long time as a client, and it¡¯s always been the Elysian Empire taking a large-scale military action that prompted him to seek the Swordsmen for immediate help. Considering that, it¡¯s safe to assume that there¡¯s more to this request than meets the eye.¡± I wanted to meet up with the others right away, but my father had his own reasons. Besides, I had learned the sword as his apprentice, and he had taken good care of me, so it would be unreasonable to just say goodbye. ¡°Hey, Dad, I was wondering if I could help you with that job.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°No, I know that the people of the Sword Clan don¡¯t like the idea of me becoming your apprentice. If that¡¯s the case, I have to convince them. Besides, you¡¯re going to drive me to Amuria later, so let me help you as a reward.¡± ¡°Hmm, I want to see Yuta fight in a magicraft, if you insist, help me. It¡¯s not a bad idea to use this job to finish your training.¡± He said with a smile, as if he was actually happy with my suggestion. ¡°All right, now that we¡¯ve decided that, let¡¯s get some food. Our food is so good, you can eat as much as you want without worrying.¡± ¡°¡®You can¡¯t imagine how much I¡¯m going to eat now. If you ask me to pay for your food later, it will be too late.¡± Thus, my father and I left the cave where we had spent two months together, laughing. CH 209 A camp had been set up near the cave where we had practiced, probably waiting for father to come out. There was a large amount of food prepared for him, which my father and I devoured with great gusto, as we hadn¡¯t eaten anything for three days. ¡°Kiyone, do you have any alcohol?¡± The old man said, and Kiyone, frowning, retorted. ¡°There will be a military meeting immediately after the meal. Please refrain from drinking today.¡± ¡°Do you really think that my thoughts will be shaken by alcohol? Just bring it.¡± ¡°No, sir. I¡¯ve told you before that drinking on the job is forbidden. That¡¯s enough, Father.¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re an inflexible girl. That¡¯s why you¡¯re still single even though you¡¯re 20 years old.¡± ¡°I have no intention of getting married, so it¡¯s no problem.¡± Despite the arguments between father and daughter, dad and I didn¡¯t stop eating. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a proper meal, but this food is surprisingly delicious. What¡¯s more, I feel nostalgic. Maybe it¡¯s because the seasoning is similar to Japanese food¡­¡­ ¡°Dad, it¡¯s really good, it¡¯s just like my country¡¯s ¡°meat and potatoes¡± dish, but what¡¯s it called?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just ¡®meat and potatoes¡¯. If it¡¯s in my country, does that mean you¡¯re Japanese?¡± Kiyone was a little surprised to hear that. I was just as surprised as Kiyone was, but I answered her question first. ¡°I¡¯m Japanese. I¡¯ve been transported to this world.¡± Kiyone¡¯s expression changes as I say this. She stopped speaking and indulged her thoughts in a strange way. The old man explained her feelings on Kiyone¡¯s behalf. ¡°Her mother is Japanese, but she died in an epidemic five years ago, so she¡¯s probably remembering that.¡± Oh, so that¡¯s why Kiyone has a Japanese name¡­I thought about it, but didn¡¯t say it out loud because I thought it would be rude. ¡°Yes, there is a Japanese member in the Sword Clan. He¡¯s close to Yuta in age, maybe you know him.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± That¡¯s what I thought, but the person who appeared was a classmate I never expected. ¡°No way! It¡¯s Yuta! I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still alive!¡± The one who showed up was Teppei Kiyama, a former member of the baseball team. We weren¡¯t that close, but we were both happy to see each other again unexpectedly. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Teppei is doing well.¡± ¡°In this world, if you have a high Ludia value, you¡¯ll be treated well wherever you go, so it¡¯s easy. But that¡¯s not the point, it¡¯s Yuta. You¡¯re a garbage number with a Ludia value of 2. I heard you became a slave and was worried about you.¡± Teppei speaks so happily that I wonder if he was really worried about me. ¡°No, that Ludia value of two is wrong¡­¡± ¡°It was wrong¡­¡­.So what¡¯s your real Ludia value, 100? 200? No, it was an ironclad laughingstock, so let me get this straight. On the other hand, if it was 1, it would be even more exciting. Please, Yuta, tell me quickly!¡± I was thinking of getting a little angry, but my dad snapped before I could. ¡°Teppei! What are you learning under Scarfi? Don¡¯t be fooled by numbers like Ludia! The Veft Style is based on the unity of mind and technique! You haven¡¯t developed your mind at all!¡± ¡°Shh, but, big sir! This guy is ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! I won¡¯t allow anyone to taunt my beloved disciple!¡± ¡°My¡­¡­disciple! Yuta is the grand master¡¯s disciple¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just go back! You¡¯re making my food taste bad!¡± After being told that, Teppei left the place as fast as he could. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuta. I¡¯m sorry I offended you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just relieved that my dad said what I wanted him to say.¡± Dad and I laughed as we continued to eat, but Kiyone advised dad with a straight face, ¡°Father, there is no doubt that Teppei is also your grand-disciple. There is a lot of frustration among Scarfi¡¯s disciples that father doesn¡¯t give them direct guidance, and I don¡¯t know what they would think if you scolded them like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not my grandson¡¯s disciple¡¯s drummer, what¡¯s wrong with saying wrong is wrong!¡± Thus, the argument between Dad and Kiyone reheated. I was forced to enjoy the taste of my hometown food with it as background music. CH 210 When the meal was over, dad headed for the Swordsmen¡¯s flagship, a ride carrier named ¡°Musashi¡±, to hold a military meeting on urgent business. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯ll send someone to show you around the Sword Clan. Kiyone, get one of your disciples to accompany Yuta.¡± Kiyone let out a deep sigh and arranged for one of her disciples to help me. ¡°I am Brunnhilde. I¡¯ve been asked by my master to show you around.¡± The one who introduced herself as Brunnhilde was a girl about the same age as Nanami, with short blonde hair and wearing a kimono-like outfit similar to Kiyone¡¯s. She looked cute, with an imbalance between her Japanese taste and her Western face. ¡°Nice to meet you, Brunnhilde.¡± I greeted her with a smile, but she just gave me a blank look. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she¡¯s unsociable, shy, or just doesn¡¯t like me, but I feel an invisible wall between her and me. The Sword Clan owned three ride carriers. The largest was the flagship Musashi, a large ship capable of storing 25 magicrafts. The next largest is the Bokuden, which has a 22-machine capacity. This is also a large ship, not as large as the Musashi, but large enough, and looking at the number of ballistae, it looks like it has a lot of firepower. The other ship, is Kagehisa, with 20 guns, more guns than any other ship, the Sword Clan wanted their ride carriers to have a lot of firepower. Even Fugaku might not last long under the concentrated fire of these three ships¡­¡­. First, I was shown Kagehisa hangar. Brunnhilde dutifully described the magicrafts, one by one. The most eye-catching among them was the indigo-colored machine, whose sleek yet powerful form stood out from the rest of the magicrafts. This is the Sword Breaker, the favorite machine of Diablo, the captain of the Kagehisa squad, who is Scarfi-sama¡¯s top disciple. It¡¯s dedicated to the Double Highlander, and is one of the five most powerful machines in the Swordsmen.¡± A double Highlander, like Alana and Emina¡­¡­who would be stronger if they fought Alana and the others? After taking a look around Kagehisa, we moved on to Bokuden. The moment we entered Bokuden¡¯s hangar, we saw a red aircraft with a strong presence. It was even more intimidating than the Sword Breaker I had just seen. ¡°This is Arondite, the magicraft of one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, the Sword King Scarfi. It¡¯s a special machine for Quadruple Highlander, and it boasts one of the strongest machines on the continent.¡± ¡°The Twelve Heavenly Masters are¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What are you surprised about? Didn¡¯t you know that Lord Scarfi was one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Scarfi is father¡¯s disciple, so does that mean father is above the Twelve Heavenly Masters?¡± ¡°Grand Master¡­.is also one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. Furthermore, my master, Lord Kiyone, is also a Heavenly Master.¡± ¡°No way, there are three of the Twelve Heavenly Masters in the Sword Clan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that there are people who don¡¯t know the three heroes of the Sword Clan. Moreover, I can understand why Master¡­¡­is lamenting that you are now a disciple of Grand Master.¡± Brunnhilde muttered. ¡°Hey, Brunnhilde! Why are you wandering around Master¡¯s magicraft?¡± Several of the nearby members of the Sword Clan shouted as they approached us. ¡°Mr. Modred, this is Yuta, who has become Grand Master¡¯s apprentice, I am merely guiding him around the Sword Clan master orders.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re a disciple of the Great Teacher or what, but this is Scarfi¡¯s ship, so if you¡¯re not involved, don¡¯t come in!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a disciple of the¡­¡­Great Teacher.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a great teacher disciple! Brunnhilde, you¡¯re the same! This is the ride carrier of the Scarfi division! The Kiyone clan is forbidden to enter!¡± Brunnhilde tried to say something back, but when the members of the group gathered around us because of the commotion and surrounded us, she felt the atmosphere and chose to leave without saying anything. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Yuta. There¡¯s no point in saying anything to them.¡± I agreed with her, but I was worried that the inner workings of the Sword Clan were not going so well. CH 211 After being kicked out of Bokuden, Brunnhilde and I headed to Musashi, the flagship of the Sword Clan. ¡°Do Scarfi and Kiyone¡¯s apprentice not get along?¡± Unable to stand moving in silence, I asked Brunnhilde about what had just happened. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. But some disciples have a strange rivalry with each other. The second disciple of Mr. Scarfi, Mr. Modred, is the first one.¡± It seems to me that the problem is that there are so many people who need to be trained by the Sword Masters, or that there is definitely an environment that creates strange factions. If the old man was in charge of everything and took care of everyone, there would be no problem, but he¡¯s not that type of man¡­¡­. I heard that the magicraft squadron of Musashi is made up of Kiyone¡¯s disciples. The number of riders is 20, and the maximum number of magicrafts on Musashi is 25, so there is still room for more. Bokuden and Kagehisa are made up of Scarfi¡¯s disciples, and together they have 42 riders. In terms of simple numbers, Scarfi has more than twice as many riders. When I entered Musashi¡¯s hangar, unlike Bokuden and Kagehisa, the staff welcomed me with a smile. ¡°Brunnhilde, are you dating a guy while the masters are away on military business?¡± ¡°This man is a disciple of the Grand Master, and I¡¯ m just showing him around the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°I heard that the Grand Master took a new disciple, I guess it¡¯s true. Grand Master hated taking on disciples, but now that he¡¯s accepted him, he must be a real talent.¡± Musashi¡¯s crew was all good-natured and proudly introduced the magicrafts they were maintaining themselves. ¡°This is the Grand Master¡¯s magicraft, Excalibur. It¡¯s one of only two working Quintuple Highlander machines on the continent. I¡¯m a lucky man just to be able to touch it.¡± It seems that my dad is a Quintuple, a class of rider I¡¯ve never heard of. Well, I knew he was no ordinary person, so I wasn¡¯t surprised. Excalibur was a white magicraft, just like Arleo. Moreover, the appearance was so similar that one might wonder if the designer was the same. ¡°This one is Master Kiyone¡¯s favorite, Kiku Ichimonji. It¡¯s a special machine for Quadruple Highlanders, and it¡¯s famous for its nickname, Gale of Thunder.¡± Kiku Ichimonji¡­¡­is a name I¡¯ve heard somewhere. It was a beautiful black metallic magicraft with a slim body, but with a sense of power. ¡°Yuta-san, I will also show you my magicraft.¡± Brunnhilde said, and took me to the back. There it was, a bright vermilion-colored machine, and from its appearance, it didn¡¯t look like an ordinary magicraft. ¡°This is the magicraft ¡°Onimaru Kunitsuna¡±. Everyone calls it Onimaru. It¡¯s a dedicated Triple Highlander machine, and it¡¯s as powerful as Master Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji.¡± Since I had already heard the names of the Quadruple Highlander and Quintuple Highlander, which are classes I don¡¯t hear very often, I wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear Triple Highlander. Perhaps dissatisfied with this, Brunnhilde added. ¡°Even though I look like this, I¡¯m Master Kiyone¡¯s number one disciple. I¡¯m one of the five strongest in the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re young for a first apprentice, aren¡¯t you?¡± When I expressed my honest impression, Br¨¹nnhilde¡¯s words came out in surprise. ¡°People often look at me like I¡¯m young, but I¡¯m twenty years old.¡± ¡°Really? I thought you were at most twelve to fourteen!¡± Nanami doesn¡¯t look very 14 years old either, but this is more shocking. I was even more curious about something, so I asked her about it. ¡°Dad said Kiyone is twenty years old too, how can you be the same age as your master?¡± ¡°We were friends growing up, but when I saw her learning the sword, I wanted to learn too¡­¡­.At first, I applied to become an apprentice to Grand Master, but he turned me down, and recommended that I become an apprentice to Master Kiyone instead. At that time, Master Kiyone had already become a master that no ordinary swordsman could compete with, so I did as he asked and became her apprentice.¡± What a complicated relationship, from friend to student¡­¡­. CH 212 After the meeting, father came over to me with a few people and introduced one person to me. ¡°Yuta, this is my first disciple, Scarfi. Hey, Scarfi, this is your brother disciple Yuta I was telling you about.¡± The man called Scarfi was smarter and gentler than I had imagined, far from the image of a swordsman. His long silver hair was impressive, and his sharp eyes gave him the air of a master swordsman. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have an apprentice brother. Yuta, I¡¯m Scarfi. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know.¡± He looked like he was glaring at me when he approached me, but that expression fell away before he spoke, and he talked with a smile. I hadn¡¯t expected such a good impression from Scarfi¡¯s disciple¡¯s attitude earlier, so I was relieved by his kind behavior. ¡°So, Yuta¡¯s magicrafts, do you have any good ones?¡± ¡°The surplus magicraft was given to one of Scarfi¡¯s disciples last month, so we don¡¯t have it now.¡± Kiyone immediately informs her father of the current situation. ¡°Kiyone, what are you saying? There¡¯s still one magicraft left on Bokuden, Yuta can use that one.¡± Kiyone¡¯s expression immediately changed as she countered those words. ¡°The magicraft in Bokuden? Scarfi, could it be that you are talking about ¡°Namakra¡±? That is a training machine for inexperienced people, not a magicraft that can be used in actual battle.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Kiyone? Yuta is the man that Sword Saint Veft recognized. Moreover, as a person who was directly trained by a master for two months in the cave, he will be able to fully demonstrate his power in Namakra.¡± The expression on Scarfi¡¯s face when he said that was somewhat scary. The smile on his face made me feel even more scared. The old man listened to Kiyone and Scarfi¡¯s opinions and asked me this. ¡°Namakra is an ordinary machine with the performance of a civil engineering magicraft with a startup Ludia value of 1000. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll buy you a decent plane, what do you say?¡± I feel bad about making him buy a magicraft just to help me with one job. Besides, I felt that there was an implication when father asked me that. ¡°What¡¯s your real intention, dad? Won¡¯t that Namakra hinder me from finishing my training?¡± ¡°Swordsmen don¡¯t always wield the best swords. Sometimes you can fight the enemy with just a piece of stick. As a swordsman¡¯s group, we don¡¯t expect you to be able to fight. If you want to train as an apprentice and help, Namakra will suffice.¡± ¡°Well, then lend me that Namakra. I¡¯ll be more use to you on that magicraft than anyone else, so watch me¡± When I replied that, the old man laughed gaily. Kiyone let out a sigh and Scarfi stared at me with a subtle expression. Namakra was a more battered magicraft than I imagined. Its size was smaller than normal, its arms were thin, and its legs were flimsy. It obviously had no power, and its armor was probably as thin as paper. But strangely enough, I was not worried. Perhaps it was the result of my sword training with father, but before I could worry, I was thinking positively about how to fight with it. The weak armor would only be a problem if I get hit, and the lack of power would be covered by my spirit. The only questions were whether or not it had the strength to hold the sword, and whether or not it would fall apart just by walking. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. Yuta, please tell father to prepare another magicraft.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s really good. I¡¯ll fight on this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not always possible to follow you on the battlefield, you know!¡¡It¡¯s too late to regret it after you¡¯ve been taken down!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to fight to be useful in the first place, so you don¡¯t need to follow me. I won¡¯t slow you down, so just look at me as a normal fighter.¡± Kiyone, who was worried about me until the very end, seems to have given up since I won¡¯t break. Instead, she¡¯s giving some instructions to Brunnhilde. Maybe she¡¯s telling her to keep an eye on me during the battle. CH 213 I immediately decided to check the performance of Namakra. I opened the hatch, which seemed to creak when opened, and climbed into the cockpit. The cockpit was much smaller than the one in the Arleo, and it would be difficult for the large Lorgo and the mechanic twins to fit in. I sat down in the stiff chair and placed my hand on the control ball to activate Namakra. A squeaky, noisy startup sound was heard, and the device was powered up. The image of the outside world was projected on the screen, but the resolution was poor. Well, it¡¯s not a problem to identify friend and foe, and it doesn¡¯t seem to affect the sense of distance, so I guess it¡¯s okay¡­¡­. I tried to walk, but my movements were still awkward. The balance is poor. The wobbly feeling makes it hard to control. I guess the name ¡°Namakra¡± isn¡¯t justified, I¡¯m going to have a hard time fighting with this thing. ¡°Yuta, how do you like the actual ride? It¡¯s not too late for you.¡± Kiyone, who has been watching my every move from start-up to walking, tells me so. ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable than I thought. I think I can manage to fight in it.¡± Of course, I¡¯m being stubborn, but as my dad said, you can¡¯t always fight with the best equipment. I feel that if I can master this inferior magicraft, I will be able to grow even more. After the test ride of the Namakra, Brunnhilde led me to the guest room where I would be sleeping. The guest room was one of the ride carriers, Musashi, and was smaller than my room in Fugaku, with nothing but a bed, but I had no problem sleeping there. ¡°You can always ask the person in charge in the kitchen room to serve you a meal. As for bathing, there is a large bathroom in Musashi, so please use that. Do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s enough. Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going now¡­Oh, right. The Great Master said to tell you to come to the recreation room after I show you the room. The recreation room is just up the stairs in front of you.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Brunnhilde left somewhere with a relieved expression on her face, perhaps from relief at having finished her work. After seeing Brunnhilde off, I went to the recreation room as I was told. In the recreation room, Kiyone and Dad were relaxing with a drink. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Yuta.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, old man?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a problem I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± When I asked her curiously, Kiyone began to speak instead of Dad. ¡°I¡¯ve received a request for a mock battle. Your opponent is Teppei of the Scarfi clan, and he wants to fight you tomorrow with his magicraft in front of everyone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°You see, Teppei¡¯s magicraft, Claymore, is a Highlander-only machine, and an excellent one at that. Do you have any idea what a mock battle between two machines with such a huge difference means?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a good match.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha, you¡¯re still the best, Yuta. Okay, so you can take care of it then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mock battle, right? It¡¯s just a good way to test out Namakra before the actual battle.¡± ¡°Yes, there are some advantages to thinking that way.¡± My dad and I were already thinking about taking part in the mock battle, but Kiyone opposed it with great vigor. ¡°Wait a minute! Modred made this application, knowing that Yuta would be using Namakra, I can only guess what his intentions were in setting up a mock battle with his old friend Teppei!¡± ¡°What are his intentions?¡± ¡°They want to beat you in the mock battle, and make your position in the Sword Clan worse¡­¡­.But if you¡¯re not careful, they might injure you badly and just kick you out.¡± ¡°Why are you thinking like that?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡­Look, you came out of nowhere and easily became a disciple of the Sword Saint Veft, who is revered by the members of the Sword Clan! Imagine how everyone feels about you now that you¡¯ve become the disciple of the Sword Saint, a position they could never achieve even if they wanted to!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what other people think, the master-student relationship is between me and father. If they¡¯re jealous of that and want to do something about it, they can do whatever you want. I won¡¯t be defeated by them.¡± ¡°But physically, the highlander machine and Namakra are not¡­..¡± Kiyone was about to say something when the old man spoke up in a strong tone. ¡°Kiyone! Are you forgetting the basics of the Veft Style? Shinto-technique oneness. The current Yuta has the heart, he also has the techniques I taught him. When did you start predicting the outcome of battles based on nothing but your imagination? How much do you know about Yuta¡¯s power?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I certainly don¡¯t know Yuta¡¯s power. I understand, I¡¯ll agree to the mock battle tomorrow. However, depending on the outcome of that mock battle, Yuta, you will be asked to leave the Sword Clan. The Sword Clan does not need weaklings!¡± Kiyone then walked out of the recreation room, feeling angry. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± When I asked that, dad laughed and said. ¡°Hahahahaha, after all that, you must have realized that the person who¡¯s jealous the most is her.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant for a minute, but my dad seemed a little happy, so I felt like I didn¡¯t have to think too much about it. CH 214 On the way to Tamihar, the source of the Swordsmen¡¯s work, we took a short break in a wide valley. Originally, there was no need to take a break since we were traveling in a ride carrier, but it seemed that they had taken the trouble to make time for the mock battle between me and Teppei. As the third disciple of the Sword Saint Veft, my battle had attracted the attention of the members of the Sword Clan in a rather bad way. Most of the gathered spectators were cheering for Teppei before the fight even started. ¡°Teppei is a member of the Scarfi clan, so I can understand why people from that side would support Teppei, but it seems like the Kiyone clan is also supporting the other side.¡± Kiyone and Brunnhilde had been with me for the preparations before the mock battle and when I said that to the two of them like a complaint, they just told me the truth without changing their expressions. ¡°My disciples don¡¯t think well of you either¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry, but there is no one here who approves of you except for father.¡± ¡°Wow, they hate me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hate. I think they¡¯re just jealous.¡± ¡°Well, anyway, if I¡¯m going to repay dad, I¡¯m going to have to get everyone¡¯s approval¡­¡­I¡¯ll have to win this fight first.¡± ¡°If you get hurt, father will be sad. At the very least, take it easy¡­¡­.¡± I nodded at Kiyone¡¯s words and climbed into Namakra. I put my hand on the control ball and activated the magicraft. It sounded awkward, but I managed to get it working properly. ¡°The mock battle will begin soon. Both sides to the center of the stage.¡± The man in charge of the mock battle was Scarfi¡¯s number one disciple, Modred. In order to control the mock battle between the magic machines, Modred was also on board of a magicraft called Swordbreaker, and he was giving instructions to me and Teppei via the external output sound device. I proceeded with Namakra to the center of the stage as directed by Modred. As I walked, emitting a strange squeaking sound, I could hear laughter all around me but Teppei¡¯s claymore walked to the center of the mock battle stage, the laughter turned into cheers. ¡°This battle is a mock battle, but it¡¯s as close to a real one as it gets. If either side gives up, or if the magicraft is disabled, it¡¯s over. Both sides must give it their all.¡± When Modred finished, Teppei spoke to me. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to beat you to death.¡± ¡°Teppei, are you really capable of that?¡± ¡°Where do you come up with that kind of confidence? This is a Highlander-only machine, and yours is a piece of shit magicraft that can barely stand up.¡± ¡°Teppei, have you ever seen Dad¡­¡­Sword Saint Veft¡¯s swordplay?¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden? I¡¯ve seen it a few times.¡± ¡°So let me ask you, do you think you can defeat the Sword Saint Veft while he uses a wooden sword, and you a real sword?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a Sword Saint or something? You can¡¯t get carried away just because you got a little bit of direct instruction from the Grand Master!¡± I didn¡¯t mean to provoke him, but Teppei seemed to take it that way and shouted in anger. ¡°Let¡¯s stop wasting time talking and start the mock battle. Rather than argue with words, both of you should use your swords to assert your claims!¡± A little angry, Teppei and I shushed each other. After a breath, Modred called for us to begin. ¡°Then let the mock battle begin!¡± At the same time, Teppei swung his wide, two-handed sword at me with all his might. I jumped backwards to avoid it. Namakra leap was awkward, but I managed to avoid Teppei¡¯s sword just in time. Teppei spun his body around and came at Namakra, swinging his two-handed sword. I decided that I couldn¡¯t avoid it with the way Namakra leapt earlier, so I stepped up and blocked it with my sword. Namakra¡¯s weapon was a thin sword with a barrel like a Japanese sword, only half the size of the two-handed sword wielded by Teppei¡¯s Claymore. If I took him head on, I risked breaking the sword, and with Namakra¡¯s strength, he might just force me into a corner. I took the sword at an angle, allowing the two-handed sword of Teppei to travel upwards. This is a technique that I devised to take on my father¡¯s absurdly powerful sword, and I remember him praising me a lot when I succeeded for the first time. When Teppei¡¯s Claymore two-handed sword swung into the air, the people around him shouted in surprise. Most of them seemed to think that the fight had just been decided with that one blow. However, the fight would start here. The way he swung his sword and the way he positioned himself, Teppei seemed to be taking his sword training very seriously and had no gaps. If it becomes a long-term battle, Namakra would have no chance of winning, given it¡¯s durability. CH 215 Thinking that a sideways swing of the sword would not work, Teppei took an upper stance. He took a breath, took a sharp step, and swung his sword down with a force that seemed to crush Namakra. It¡¯s a pretty strong blow, but it doesn¡¯t matter as long as it doesn¡¯t hit. I shifted Namakra¡¯s standing position diagonally and dodged Teppei¡¯s swinging sword with just a little effort. However, as if my movement had been read, Teppei¡¯s sword, which had gouged out the ground, changed its trajectory and came towards Namakra, who had avoided it. Namakra¡¯s movements were not enough to avoid this attack. I turned my blade downward and slid it upward to block Teppei¡¯s swinging sword. The gallery around me sighed and shouted in disappointment as Teppei lost the chance to win twice. The frustration born from the disappointment soon turned into yelling. ¡°Hey, Teppei! What are you doing? What¡¯s taking you so long to deal with that clunker?¡± ¡°Namakra has no power to harm Claymore! You need to be more aggressive!¡± ¡°You idiot! I bet that you would finish him off in seconds! What are you going to do with my allowance this month?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep dodging, Namakra, attack!¡± The noise was deafening, but it didn¡¯t bother me at all. This must have been another result of my intensive training with father. Teppei, however, seemed to be bothered by the jeering, and his movements clearly changed. He did as he was told and launched a forceful attack. He swung his two-handed sword erratically. He seemed to be wielding the swords with reckless abandon, but the trouble was that each blow was a solid attack. Namakra didn¡¯t have the power to repel these blows so I retreated to avoid the attacks. ¡°Yuta! Don¡¯t retreat!¡± When father saw this, he gave me a notice. His words made me realize something. Backing away and temporarily avoiding them would not solve the problem. I stopped retreating and concentrated on the fierce attacks coming towards me. This was the first time I recognized the strength of father¡¯s style. Teppei¡¯s swordsmanship was head and shoulders above most of the opponents I had fought. I avoided most of his attacks, but I was willing to take the risk of taking the ones I couldn¡¯t avoid. Namakra¡¯s fuselage creaked when he took a serious hit. A part of the attack that should have been avoided grazed the fuselage and damaged the armor. It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to last long¡­¡­.What should I do¡­¡­? That¡¯s when I remembered what my old man had said at the end of my training in the cave, ¡°Yuta, what¡¯s Ludia value?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about it.¡± ¡°I think Ludia is the strength of the mind. You could say it¡¯s the strength of your feelings. When I¡¯m riding a magicraft, I sometimes feel it. When you put your mind to it, thinking of more power and more speed, it actually becomes stronger and faster. I don¡¯t know what the true nature of the Ludia value is, but that¡¯s what I¡¯ve come to the conclusion of after riding a magicraft for so long. Listen, Yuta. The Veft Style shows its strength even when riding a magicraft. That¡¯s because the Veft Style places importance on the heart. Improve your technique and put your heart into it, that¡¯s what makes you strong.¡± I now know why my dad wanted me to ride Namakra when I had over a million ©¤©¤©¤©¤ Ludia value. I can be stronger¡­ I remember my training and focus my consciousness on¡­¡­my sword. Combining the sense of rudimentary concentration with the imagination developed through practice I dive into my consciousness but it¡¯s not enough, I have to create¡­¡­Create a new power. ¡°What the hell is that¡­¡­light?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like an aura is emanating from Namakra!¡± ¡°Aura visualization¡­¡­No way¡­¡­ How can he use that in a magicraft with 1000 Ludia activation value?¡± Kiyone¡¯s voice seemed to be close to me as she spoke. Slowly, I held my sword at the upper level. The creation was already in place. Namakra¡¯s sword is a deadly sword that can cut down everything. ¡°Flash!¡± The sword I swung became light and sliced diagonally through Claymore, which had quickly defended itself with its two-handed sword. Claymore¡¯s fuselage slowly shifted from his neck to his right side. Then it collapsed to the ground. CH 216 Claymore was already out of action. The gallery around us was silent at the unimaginable turn of events. With no one able to say anything, the only one who was in a normal state of mind, dad, spoke up. ¡°What are you waiting for? We¡¯ve got a fight on our hands!¡± When he said that, Modred, who was in charge of the mock battle, hurriedly made a decision. ¡°It¡¯s over! The winner, Yuta!¡± When Modred said this, the gallery finally accepted the situation and cheered. The cheers were not to congratulate me, but rather a reaction of being able to see something interesting. ¡°Amazing, Yuta! What kind of technique is that! Did you learn it from the Great Master?¡± As soon as I got off Namakra, Brunnhilde came running up to me and asked me. As I was wondering how I should answer, but Kiyone responded to Brunnhilde¡¯s question before I could. ¡°There is no such technique in the Veft Style.¡± I remembered that my father had said that Kiyone was mentally immature, so I countered with a slightly cold tone. ¡°No, that was only possible because of father¡¯s teachings. Kiyone, what are you learning from father? Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s teaching you more important things than just techniques?¡± When Kiyone hears this, her face turns red and she gets angry. ¡°You have no right to say that!¡± Kiyone said, and went away. Brunnhilde gives me a surprised look and says, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Master angry like that.¡± ¡°A long time?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just like when I was a child, before I became Master¡¯s apprentice, and she got angry when I guessed the boy she liked.¡± I see, she got angry because she was told the truth¡­¡­.Apparently, Kiyone is also aware that she has not fully absorbed the lessons from her father. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit. I have to at least try to deal with the fact that I made her angry.¡± ¡°Master is a calm person, so if you leave her alone, she¡¯ll be back to normal in no time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Anyway, do you know where Kiyone is?¡± ¡°Probably the kendo hall in Musashi. It¡¯s in the hangar.¡± ¡°All right.¡± I thanked Brunnhilde and headed for Musashi¡¯s hangar. I was curious about the wooden building inside the hangar, but I guessed this was the kendo hall. I opened the sliding door and went inside. In the kendo hall, Kiyone was sitting upright with her eyes closed. She was probably concentrating her mind to stay calm. ¡°Yuta, take that wooden sword over there.¡± She must have noticed me coming in, because she said so. ¡°What are we doing?¡± ¡°Come with me to practice. I¡¯d like to see your sword in the flesh.¡± You want to take out your anger on me¡­¡­.Well, I¡¯m certainly responsible for making you angry. I did as I was told and picked up the wooden sword that was hanging on the wall. As I approached Kiyone with my wooden sword, she stood up and sheathed the wooden sword she was holding. ¡°Come on, hit me from anywhere.¡± Kiyone held her sword at medium level. I held my sword at the upper level and slowly approached her. Kiyone quietly waited for me to strike. But as I approached her, I could see that she really had no gaps. I can see that father was not exaggerating when he said that Kiyone surpassed him in swordsmanship. ¡°This is practice. Don¡¯t be afraid to hit me!¡± Kiyone said in a strong tone, as if she could see through my fear. I had only the image of it bouncing back when I struck it, but surely there was no point in being afraid. I swung the wooden sword down as hard as I could. A crunching sound echoed through the dojo, and the wooden sword I was holding was flung to the ceiling. The hand that was still holding the wooden sword was numb from the unbelievable sword strike that came from her thin arm. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your swordsmanship in Namakra, but as I imagined, your sword skills are not yet up to par.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, payback for pointing out the truth?¡± I thought that I had made her even angrier with those words, but Kiyone surprisingly did not seem to be angry. On the contrary, her expression fell and she looked as if she was about to cry. CH 217 Kiyone had a complicated expression on her face and looked like she was about to cry. She was standing there with a sad expression on her face, as if she didn¡¯t know what to do. I didn¡¯t know what to say to her, so I just looked at her as she stood there. ¡°I owe you an apology, Yuta¡­¡­.It is true that I was angry that you guessed my mind. Maybe I was just frustrated. I am well aware of my immaturity. I have known for a long time that I may not understand the true meaning of what you want to tell me. Yuta¡­¡­I sensed from the moment we met that you had something that I had not gotten from your father¡¯s teachings. And when I heard that he had taken you as his disciple, I felt an emotion similar to fear.¡± I don¡¯t know how to talk about it, I can¡¯t find the words. Kiyone seemed to have some kind of feelings that I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°When I saw the technique you used in Namakra, I thought that all the training I had done was a mistake. The more I thought about it, the more I felt jealous of you, to the point where I hated myself¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What are you thinking so hard about? The point is that we¡¯re both half-baked. What are you going to do if you¡¯re depressed because you don¡¯t have what others have? That¡¯s what friends are for. Kiyone has the Swordsmen, and I have the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m being lectured by my junior brother¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, this is what dad taught me. Just by being with him for two months, I¡¯ve learned a lot. I can¡¯t even say it myself, but I feel like I¡¯ve grown up.¡± ¡°Two months¡­¡­I¡¯ve been with him for twenty years and I thought the only thing he taught me was swordsmanship¡­¡­I¡¯ve only seen my father¡¯s sword.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll learn from this, fortunately dad will be near Kiyone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do it¡­¡­.I¡¯m not sure I can learn anything other than swords from my father¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Of course you can. Kiyone and father are really father and daughter. Don¡¯t look at him as a teacher, look at him as a parent. I think you¡¯ll learn a lot from that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yuta, can I ask you to practice with me one more time?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, suddenly you want to take out your anger on me again?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just trying to learn as much as I can from you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll learn anything from me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just take the wooden sword. That¡¯s an order from your elder sister.¡± In the end, I spent about two hours with her, got a bit of a whack, and was covered in bruises from the relentless attacks of the wooden sword. I think father and daughter are very much alike in their relentlessness in the presence of others. When it was over, Kiyone¡¯s sad expression disappeared. With a big smile on her face, she said good job to me. I wondered if she had experienced some kind of breakthrough, otherwise the bruises on my body would have been for nothing. After the mock battle with Teppei, the way the members of the Sword Clan treated me changed. In particular, the Kiyone clan began to talk to me in a friendly manner. ¡°Yuta, this is Tris. He¡¯s one of Kiyone¡¯s clan members. He insisted on being introduced to Yuta-san¡­¡­.¡± Brunnhilde arrived with a young man. The person introduced as Tris had bizarre orange hair and was dressed roughly for the disciplined Kiyone clan. ¡°Excuse me, Yuta. I¡¯m Tris, a Highlander, even though I don¡¯t look like one. My swordsmanship is still in its infancy, but I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Tris. I¡¯m not very good with a sword either, Kiyone beat me up yesterday, you see, I¡¯m covered in bruises.¡± ¡°You practiced with master? Wow, I would have loved to have seen that.¡± ¡°No, it was just a one-sided beating.¡± ¡°When master hits you with a wooden sword, it means she appreciates you that much. Master will stop short of touching a true inexperienced person¡¯s body, even with a wooden sword.¡± Even if that¡¯s the case, I think she was too merciless¡­¡­.Well, I guess both dad and Kiyone approve of my swordsmanship a little bit. CH 218 Chapter 1/6 sponsored by Creris, thank you for your generosity. There will be 2 chapters everyday until I finish all the chapters. The countries bordering the vast territory of the Elysian Empire have always been afraid of the invasion of the mighty empire. Three kingdoms are located in the east of Elysia, Tamihar, Barmihal, and Emihal. The three countries had long been allied against the Elysian Empire and had fought a fierce battle against it for a long time. In recent years, the three countries have been supported behind the scenes by a group called the Swordsmen, who have been preventing the invasion of the Elysian Empire. The Swordsmen arrived at the royal capital of Tamihar and were treated as guests. Dad, Kiyone, and Scarfi went to the military headquarters for a meeting with the army of Tamihar. It seems that the Sword Clan is now seen as one of the allies, and the meeting is important to the Tamihar side. ¡°For a country who summoned us in such a hurry the capital seems too quiet.¡± The cafeteria at Musashi. Apart from the ones who had gone out to military meetings, we were leisurely waiting while we ate. Tris, who has been hovering around me since the mock battle with Teppei, said that he was concerned since the situation was different from what he had imagined. ¡°I heard that they got some kind of information. It¡¯s true that the capital is quiet, but it seems that the military is in a great hurry.¡± Brunnhilde, who has been assigned by Kiyone to take care of me, says to Tris as she eats a strange dish next to me. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s an invasion of the Elysian Empire that has the military in a panic, but this time it¡¯s on a different level than the previous ones.¡± ¡°In the last invasion, there were 5,000 magicrafts attacking, but they were calmer than this time. If you think about it, we can expect more forces than that to attack.¡± ¡°If there will be more than 5000 magicrafts, it¡¯s going to be a pretty big war.¡± I was surprised at the number of forces that I had never heard of before. The Elysian Empire must be exceptional. ¡°What is your highest score, Yuta?¡± Suddenly, Tris asked me. ¡°Highest score?¡± ¡°The highest number of magicrafts shot down in a single battle, mine is 12.¡± The highest number of planes shot down in a single battle¡­¡­.If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s probably the time I used Viktor Nova. I think it was about 1,000 magicrafts. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but I¡¯d say about a thousand.¡± When I said that, both Tris and Brunnhilde were greatly surprised. Brunnhilde even spat out the drink she had been drinking. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Brunnhilde asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s true. Well, I cheated a little.¡± Viktor is a bit out of the ordinary, so I¡¯d say that was already cheating. ¡°I see. There¡¯s something behind it.¡± The two of them somehow managed to agree with a phony expression. Just like that, the swordsmen were having a relaxing time. But that was until the three masters returned from the meeting. ¡°Sword Clan, tell all members to gather at Musashi¡¯s hangar.¡± The three of them returned from the meeting with grim expressions on their faces. I could tell that the situation was quite serious. Brunnhilde was also surprised to see this. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen the masters this nervous. It seems like there¡¯s more to it than we expected¡­..¡± All the members of the Swordsmen were gathered in Musashi¡¯s hangar, and dad explained the situation to everyone. When the members heard what he said, they all froze in tension and surprise. ¡°The size of the Elysian Empire¡¯s invasion force this time is a massive force of 10,000 magicrafts.¡± The number of 10,000 magicrafts did not surprise anyone, but the next words from the old man caused an uproar. ¡°In addition, it has been confirmed that the three greats of Elysia, Yuto, Rosetta, and Emesis, will be participating in this invasion. This means that the Elysian Empire is seriously planning to invade the Tripartite Alliance.¡± The place was buzzing with activity. I had heard the names of those three people before. I¡¯m pretty sure all three of them are among the Twelve Heavenly Masters, aren¡¯t they? ¡°It¡¯s amazing that half of the Twelve Heavenly Masters are participating in this battle¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is going to be a major historical event, a battle between the three greats of Elysia versus the three greats of the Sword Clan, no, I¡¯m getting a little nervous.¡± Oh right, my dad and Kiyone are also among the Twelve Heavenly Masters. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re scared, though they¡¯re surprised. I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to lose because of dad and Kiyone. CH 219 The Sword Clan, mercenaries but the main force, was entrusted with the defense of an important base on the border. The fortress city of Mospilay, it is the most important base of operations where the three countries of Tamihar, the enemy Elysia Empire, and one of the allied countries, Emihal, are located. Geographically, if this city were to be destroyed, the defense lines of both Tamihar and Emihal would collapse, and many forces from the Tripartite Alliance were gathered there. ¡°The Elysian Empire was able to put in 10,000 magicrafts, as well as the three of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, that¡¯s a lot of power for just the Three Kingdoms Alliance!¡± In between arriving at the fortified city of Mospilay and preparing for the invading Elysian army, Brunnhilde asked Kiyone about something she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°This is unconfirmed information, so I¡¯ve been keeping it from everyone. The Obrian Grand Alliance in the west has collapsed.¡± ¡°No way! The Western Grand Coalition, the largest Anti-Elysian Empire in terms of strength, has collapsed?¡± ¡°I told you it was unconfirmed information. I¡¯ve heard that a large army of tens of thousands of magicrafts was deployed against a fleet of about 100 Elysian Empire magicrafts was defeated in less than a month, a bizarre story that I believe is a bit of a false alarm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand, but if the Grand Alliance collapsed, how come the Elysian Empire was able to deploy its forces here?¡± So I asked, and my sister explained it to her ignorant brother for him to learn. ¡°The Elysian Empire, with its vast territory, has borders with many countries. It is always looking for opportunities to expand its territory, so the countries on its borders are faced with two choices: obey or fight. The Elysian Empire is powerful, it is not an opponent that a small country can defeat in a fight. It was only because many countries chose to fight that we were able to prevent its invasion. Among the many nations, there were three major powers that prevented the Elysian Empire from invading. The League of Three Kingdoms in the east, the Obrian Grand Union in the west, and the Kingdom of Rhesia in the south. The Elysian Empire, which had to constantly disperse its forces against these three powers, was unable to unite their mighty power. However, if one of those three forces collapsed¡­¡­¡± Even a fool like me could understand that much and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s related to the resurrected brother of Rafishal. The next day after the Swordsmen arrived at the fortified city of Mospilay, countless armies of magicrafts appeared in the direction of the Elysian Empire. Their number is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen before, and even I¡¯m a little scared to think that they¡¯re all enemies. ¡°Yuta-san, an army of 10,000 magicrafts it¡¯s very impressive.¡± I can¡¯t speak for others either, but this guy has a bit of a nohow attitude. ¡°You must always stay by my side, Yuta-san. No matter how strong the rider is, your magicraft is still Namakra.¡± If Brunnhilde, the triple highlander, is with me, I feel safe. It¡¯s certainly helpful because I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d be able to handle the enemy with Namakra. The forces on the side of the Tripartite Alliance consist of 5,000 magicrafts, 80 ride carriers, and 200 long-range ballistae installed on the walls of the citadel. Although they were inferior to the Elysian army that had attacked, they had the advantage of ground and seemed to have the ability to fight somehow depending on the situation. ¡°The Swordsmen will hold off the enemy in the center. Musashi¡¯s troop in the center, Bokuden¡¯s troop on the right, and Kagehisa¡¯s troop on the left. Don¡¯t forget to support the armies of the Three Kingdoms! If our friends are wiped out, we won¡¯t make it out alive either!¡± On father¡¯s orders, the Swordsmen began to move. They were a small group, but their presence made a difference. When the Swordsmen jumped into the center, the rest of the troops split off to the left and right to make way for them. ¡°Yuta, watch me fight, I¡¯ll show you how to fight with a magicraft.¡± The old man said this as he stepped forward to take the lead against the oncoming enemy army. I knew his dignity was different. Just looking at his back, I felt a sense of security. I wondered if the other members of the group felt the same way, and the morale of the Swordsmen was rising. CH 220 Father¡¯s strength is demonstrated without exception when he rides his magicraft, Excalibur. He was able to destroy most of the enemy riders who were rushing to take credit for the head of one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, with a single blow. The great thing about dad is that he is able to follow up perfectly with the rest of the team. While cutting down the enemies that come at him, he also makes sure that his allies are not isolated. He helps out when he is fighting against multiple people. However, he does not seem to be involved in one-on-one fights, as if there is a line somewhere. The other members of the Swordsmen¡¯s group were just as active as I had imagined. In particular, Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji attacks were a disaster. She moves around with the momentum and speed of a bolt of lightning, and knocks down her enemies with a sword of divine speed. In addition, it has the sword power to cut down even a large magicraft with a single sword. Furthermore, Scarfi¡¯s Arondite was fighting with the air of a sword king. With his lean movements and imposing demeanor, he was slaying his enemies. He didn¡¯t move around as much as Kiyone, but he was slowly and surely destroying his enemies. The one that was playing a surprisingly active role was the magicraft ¡°Toratetsu¡± that Tris is riding. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a Highlander, but the way it handles a sword is clearly different from the Highlanders I¡¯ve seen so far, showing the high quality of the Swordsmen. He must have been taught well by Kiyone. Brunnhilde was not actively attacking because she was protecting me but she was instantly killing any enemy that came near her. I can¡¯t afford to lose as well¡­I thought to myself as I readied my sword and moved forward. Seeing Namakra, who looked like a small fish from the outside, several enemies came at me. They must have thought it would be easier to defeat me compared to the strong-looking magicrafts of the surrounding Swordsmen. There are three enemies that are approaching. They seemed to be general-purpose magicrafts of the Elysian army, and all of them had the same appearance. I don¡¯t know how powerful the riders are, but they seem weak compared to Teppei¡¯s Claymore. First, I slash the enemy magicraft in front of me with my sword. A high-pitched sound echoed, and the sword was flicked away. After all, the basic performance of the Namakra is weak, I can¡¯t slash it just by attacking it normally. I entered Ludia concentration¡­ Perhaps seeing my concentration as an opening, two enemies attacked me from both sides, poking me with their spears. I avoided the attack, and this time I swung my sword with a sharp feeling. With a crisp motion, I slashed at the enemy machine on the right. The enemy on the left, who had attacked me with a spear, was probably caught off guard because he had seen that my first attack had been a weak one, but he started to panic when his comrade was cut down. I swung my sword down from above and cut down both of them. The remaining one was knocked down by Kunitsuna Onimaru of Brunnhilde, who approached from behind and blew his head off. ¡°Strange¡­¡­I can¡¯t see Yuto¡¯s Ajura.¡± Dad blurted this out over the shared communications of the Sword Clan. ¡°I don¡¯t see Rosetta¡¯s Agnia and Nemesis¡¯ Gaiatea either, so maybe the participation of the three greats was gossip?¡± Kiyone replied to her father¡¯s words. ¡°I hope so, because if it¡¯s a deliberate false alarm, we might be in a bit of trouble.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that this 10,000-magicraft battalion is a decoy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any of the elite troops led by Yuto or Rosetta. Kiyone, who do you think is more threatening, 10000 enemy magicrafts or an elite force led by Yuto and Rosetta?¡± ¡°Scarfi, contact the military command in Tamihar immediately. Tell them to be on the lookout for possible movements of other Elysian forces.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get back to you as soon as I can.¡± The old man may have sensed some suspicious signs in the enemy¡¯s movements, and gave the order. It¡¯s true that I hadn¡¯t felt any hint of strength or intimidation from the Elysian army, only a sense of sheer numbers. CH 221 The battle for the fortified city of Mospilay was in the favor of the Tripartite Alliance, thanks in part to the swordsmen. Five hours after the start of the battle, the Elysian Empire withdrew its entire army to its own territory. ¡°It looks like we won the first round.¡± Dad replied to Kiyone¡¯s words. ¡°It was a victory, no doubt, but still too little response. Scarfi, has there been any word from the command center in Tamihar since then?¡± ¡°It seems that the command center is also working to catch the movements of the three greats, but so far they have not learned anything.¡± ¡°It seems that the only thing we can do as mercenaries is to defend this place.¡± The group of swordsmen moved into the fortified city of Mospilay to rest. It is important to rest and prepare for the next battle. ¡°Yuta! I just broke my highest score!¡± Tris says happily in Musashi¡¯s large bathroom. ¡°Well, how many are we talking about?¡± ¡°Fifteen! How did it go, Yuta? I know you couldn¡¯t fight as well as you wanted in Namakra.¡± ¡°Tris, you¡¯re not ready to care about how many you¡¯ve destroyed. Tell me how you defeated those 15 magicrafts.¡± Tris thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grand Master. I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t remember because you¡¯re fighting randomly. No matter who you are fighting, put your soul into every swing of your sword. Don¡¯t let your battles be in vain.¡± ¡°Ha, yes! Thank you for your guidance!¡± Tris seemed to be touched by dad¡¯s words. ¡°What about you, Yuta? Aren¡¯t you getting tired of Namakra?¡± ¡°No, fighting in Namakra is a good workout. I¡¯m realizing how much I¡¯ve been fighting with brute force.¡± ¡°Well, I was going to buy a new magicraft if Yuta wanted me to, but it looks like the current one is fine.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to fight a stronger opponent than Teppei, it¡¯s going to be tough with Namakra.¡± ¡°If the Three Greats or the Triple Highlanders show up, you can leave it to me or Kiyone.¡± ¡°I will. It¡¯s going to be tough against a triple Highlander.¡± Tris was listening enviously to the conversation between Dad and me. I was curious, so I broached the subject. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tris, with such a serious look on your face?¡± ¡°To be honest, I envy you.¡± When I said that, dad said something outrageous. ¡°Hahahaha. Then why don¡¯t you take a bath with Kiyone? It¡¯s good to be naked together.¡± ¡°Yes, with Master Kiyone! No, Grand Master¡­¡­that¡¯s not really¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind showing some skin to her apprentice. I forgive you.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think Kiyone would like it even if dad liked it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, Yuta? Do you want to have naked relations with your sister and brother? If so, I¡¯ll allow that too! Hahahaha¡­¡± He¡¯s a reckless old man¡­¡­.As I was thinking that, he said something even more reckless. ¡°I¡¯ll go and bring her over here.¡± After saying that, he headed straight for the women¡¯s bath. Tris and I were waiting nervously to see if he was really going to bring her in, but all that came back was the old man with blood pouring from his chest. ¡°No~ I thought I was going to die. I¡¯ve never received such a killing blow from Kiyone before.¡± It seems that he had received a hard blow from an angry Kiyone. The old man spoke with a hearty laugh. ¡°My daughter is too cautious to even bring a sword into the bathroom. You¡¯ll be risking your life just to take a peek. Boys, I¡¯ll allow you to peek into the women¡¯s bath, but I can¡¯t guarantee your lives.¡± CH 222 The next day, as soon as the sun rose, the Elysian army began to attack again. The armies of the Tripartite Alliance intercepted them. The battle was fought by luring the Elysian¡¯s army deep into the city to take advantage of the ballista gun ports on the castle walls. Unlike the first day, the Swordsmen did not hold back the enemy in the center, but attacked the Elysian army from the flanks, aiming for the enemy¡¯s main camp. Dad and Kiyone cut in and disrupted the enemy formation. The members of the Swordsmen are sure to finish off the enemy magicrafts that have fallen apart. The Elysian army is said to be strong, but that doesn¡¯t seem to matter to the Swordsmen. They overwhelm the enemy in one-on-one combat. The Elysian army also seemed to be in a panic, as they didn¡¯t expect the Swordsmen to come after their main camp. They were confused and their response was lagging behind. ¡°Good! The defenses to the main camp are thin! We¡¯ll hit the enemy camp at once!¡± If we hit the main camp, the Elysian invasion force will probably retreat. In the current situation where we don¡¯t know the movements of the three greats, it is good to eliminate the visible enemy forces. However, no matter the absence of the three major players, they were indeed the regular army of the Elysian Empire. They were temporarily confused by the Swordsmen¡¯s assault, but they quickly recovered and formed a strong defense line. ¡°Father, it seems that a heavy magicraft group has come up from the rear. In addition, the left flank task force was also deployed to surround us.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­looks like I underestimated them a bit too much, it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s also foolish to overreach and cause damage to the group members. I¡¯ll cover the retreat, get everyone to the rear.¡± ¡°All right, Father. Take care of yourself.¡± The Swordsmen retreated to the front of the city wall while dad and a few of the higher ranking members held off the enemy in the rear. In front of the castle walls, a fierce battle was going on between the defending Tripartite Alliance forces and the Elysian attackers who were trying to destroy the walls. The Swordsmen were waiting for dad to return while assisting the Three Kingdoms Alliance forces. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, he¡¯s not even communicating with me¡­¡­.It¡¯s not like Father is stranded, so what¡¯s he doing?¡± Kiyone said as she slayed the enemy, perhaps worried about her father who had not yet returned. ¡°He¡¯s father, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine. More importantly, the number of enemy magicrafts closing in on the castle walls is increasing. I think we should reestablish our formation and return fire.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right Scarfi. Bokuden¡¯s squad and Kagehisa¡¯s squad should be reassembled.¡± ¡°Kiyone. There¡¯s a problem. I received an urgent message from the command center in Tamihar. The royal city of Barmihal is being attacked by the Elysian army.¡± I knew that Kiyone was surprised by Scarfi¡¯s words, even though I could not see her expression. ¡°No way! Barmihal is the only nation in the Tripartite Alliance that isn¡¯t adjacent to the Elysian Empire! How could they have been invaded?¡± ¡°It looks like they were invaded from the south via Habarro and Gastar.¡± ¡°Both Habarro and Gastar are anti-Elysian states! There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll let the Elysian army through that easily!¡± ¡°¡­¡­That would explain it, considering that both Habarro and Gastar have already fallen.¡± ¡°No matter what, if a neighboring country fell, we¡¯d have information!¡¡How can we not even have information about an invasion¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What if the capital fell within a day or two of the invasion? In that case they could proceed with the invasion before the information gets to us.¡± ¡°No way! Both Habarro and Gastar are not big countries, but they should have the military power to own about 1000 magicrafts. How could they fall in a day or two¡­..?¡± It was not Scarfi who admonished Kiyone, who was not convinced. The serious words of the old man echoed in the common communication. ¡°I¡¯ve always told you, Kiyone. Don¡¯t look at things only within the scope of your own common sense.¡± ¡°Father, I trust you are well¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late. I saw a large magicraft that looked troublesome, so I was cleaning it up.¡± ¡°More importantly, what should we do about Tamihar emergency call?¡± ¡°Scarfi, what does the Commandant want me to do?¡± ¡°The Sword Clan has been requested to head to Barmihal for assistance.¡± ¡°I see, the three greats have appeared in Barmihal.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve been told that the three greats are in command of the Elysian army that is attacking Barmihal.¡± ¡°If Barmihal falls, the entire Tripartite Pact will be in danger¡­Can the Tripartite Pact¡¯s strength manage to defend this place¡­¡­? Alright, the Sword Clan will hurry to Barmihal!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Determining that the citadel would not fall easily even without them, the Swordsmen decided to head for Barmihal. Finally, it looks like it will be a battle between the Twelve Heavenly Masters. CH 223 ¡°How is it possible that the newly established forces of the Nitro Project alone could bring down the O¡¯brian Grand Alliance in less than a month¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. The results are unbelievable. With results like this, I can¡¯t help but approve the Nitro Project.¡± Eo, the Minister of Military Affairs, who is the main opponent of Rafishal¡¯s Nitro project, says so with a pained expression. ¡°We don¡¯t have to give up yet. If I and Rosetta, who are not involved in the Nitro project, can make a significant contribution to the war, we can force it to stop.¡± ¡°It would take a very big battle for everyone to be satisfied with the results¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to understand why I¡¯m so excited about this. The Tripartite Alliance would be easier to control than the Kingdom of Rhesia, which has many friendly countries and would be troublesome to fight¡­¡­.¡± ¡°However, the Three Kingdoms Alliance has close ties with the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°No, if we can defeat not only the Three Kingdoms Alliance, but also the Sword Clan, it will be an accomplishment that no one can complain about.¡± ¡°It is indeed a huge accomplishment, but as you know, the Sword Clan is a formidable opponent. So you will need to be well prepared.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take on the Swordsmen by myself. I¡¯ll have to enlist Rosetta and Emesis to help me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest, Master Yuto, you are the strongest rider on the continent and you will be more than a match for the Swordsmen.¡± ¡°The Sword Saint is strong. I¡¯m sure I have a higher Ludia value than him but I don¡¯t know if I could beat him one on one. And the name of the strongest rider on the continent does not suit me anymore.¡± ¡°Yuki-sama and the rest of the newly-established unit of Exlanders¡­¡­plus dozens of super-class high riders.¡± ¡°What the heck is the Nitro Project? What is the power of the sudden increase in the Ludia value¡­¡­and that strange magicraft¡­¡­that looks like a demon?¡± ¡°The only thing I can say for sure now is that they have lost something in return for their great power. The smile has disappeared from Yuki-sama¡¯s face¡­¡­.We must stop the Nitro Project from targeting all the riders of the Empire.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve heard that some of the people who participated in the Nitro Project can no longer be called people. Even if you gain power, it is meaningless if you are no longer a person. I¡¯ll definitely stop them.¡± The new emperor and many of the empire¡¯s heavyweights were in favor of the mysterious Rafishal. I and Io were in the minority, and we were losing our influence day by day. This is where we need to make a move that will bring us back to life. The invasion of the Triple Alliance was immediately approved. Eo, the Minister of War, prepared the maximum number of troops for us. ¡°You did a great job preparing 10,000 magicrafts.¡± ¡°No, we were actually planning to prepare 20,000, but due to the influence of the Nitro Project¡¯s supporters, this was our limit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for good news.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to win. If we don¡¯t, the empire will cease to be a nation of people.¡± Eo nodded deeply with a serious expression on his face, as if he had something in mind. The Tripartite Alliance is a powerful enemy that has been competing with the Elysian Empire for a long time. It is not an existence to be underestimated. ¡°So, Yuto. What are you planning to do? If we attack directly, we might have to deal with the forces of the Three Kingdoms Alliance and the Sword Clan at the same time.¡± Rosetta asks me this in the conference room of the ride carrier ¡°Kurobe¡± on the way to invade the Tripartite Alliance. ¡°I would really like to fight with the Sword Clan head on but strategically it¡¯s not a good option.¡± At my words, Emesis makes a suggestion. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to get a little creative. I¡¯ve got a plan for you. You want in?¡± ¡°What kind of plan? You¡¯re not going to do anything crazy again, are you?¡± ¡°Using most of this invasion force as bait, we¡¯re going to raid Barmihal in the rear. If the three greats suddenly appeared in an unexpected place, they would panic and call for help from the Sword Clan. Once we¡¯ve defeated the Swordsmen, we can surround them from the front and rear with 10,000 invading troops and clear out the Three Kingdoms alliance, and the rest will be easy.¡± ¡°There is one problem with that idea, how are we going to raid Barmihal, a country that doesn¡¯t share a border with Elysia?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just bypass the south.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more problematic. Habarro and Gastar are not going to let us through that easily.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Habarro and Gastar, they¡¯ll be gone by tomorrow.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re the next target of the newly established Nitro Squad. The whole country¡¯s probably on fire right now.¡± ¡°How do you know about the movements of the secret Nitro Corps, information that even the Minister of War, Eo, could not have known?¡± ¡°I want to live well, you know. I¡¯m getting close to Rafishal¡¯s faction as well.¡± I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more to his participation in this mission than meets the eye, but right now I definitely need his help. I swallowed my words. CH 224 Mary and I received the process of amplifying the Ludia value from Rafishal. The process, titled the Nitro Project, was not only for us, but also for Enrique and the riders of the Messiah clan. I was told that my dimension class was 3. Rafishal was excited because it seemed to be much better than he had imagined. Mary was class 5, which was not bad either. It seemed that the good ones, Mary and I, had been treated carefully, but the ones with dimension class 8 and other results had disappeared before we knew what had been done to them. It is a price that Rafishal called the deterioration of the soul, but it seems to vary greatly from person to person. I was hardly affected at all, but Mary confided in me that her personality had changed, that she was a little more depressed, but even Mary¡¯s deterioration was minor. Enrique, for example, was cruel. He started wandering around with a strange voice, saying ¡°Ahhhhhhh¡± on a regular basis, and I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. At times, he would make strange noises and behave like an animal. For me and Mary, the deterioration of our souls was minor, but another significant change was created in our bodies. A red gem buried below the neck¡­¡­connected to the heart, a restraining chain that can stop the heart at any time at Rafishal¡¯s will. In exchange for the mighty power of the riders who participated in the Nitro Project, a wedge was driven into them that would not allow betrayal. ¡°As long as this red gem is here, I guess I¡¯m at Rafishal¡¯s mercy.¡± Mary said with a sigh. ¡°There must be some way to get rid of it, some scientist better than Rafishal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Rafishal is the legendary Great Sage. There is no one better than him.¡± Mary has completely given up. But I was convinced, though I had no proof, that there was such a being out there somewhere. Riders whose Ludia value had been strengthened through the Nitro Project were gathered into a single unit. This unit, called the Nitro Squad, was using a magicraft that had been excavated under Rafishal¡¯s direction, and a newly developed magicraft, the Terror Mail, was introduced. Terror Mail is a powerful magicraft, but I wanted to ride Elvira, which I was familiar with, so a special machine was prepared for me, with the Ludia core of the Terror Mail transplanted into Elvira¡¯s outline. The name was changed to ¡°Elvira Kai¡±. Rafishal told me that when he prepared the Elvira Kai for me, I still feel sick when I remember the look on his face. The Nitro Corps¡¯ first battle was against a force known as the O¡¯Brian Grand Alliance. They seemed to be a large force that also possessed many Highlanders, but the power of the Nitro Corps was unimaginable. Terror Mail overwhelmed the enemy¡¯s magicrafts. With a single swing of its weapon, it shattered them into pieces. The enemy¡¯s attacks could not penetrate the armor of Terror Mail, and it was a one-sided slaughter. In addition, my Elvira Kai was equipped with a special attack called the ¡°Dark Ash¡±. It was a powerful beam weapon-like attack, with the power to destroy dozens of magicrafts with a single blow. Although there were some limitations, such as not being able to use it continuously, many enemies were buried by Dark Ash. I was always accompanied by Valiente, a powerful Guardian. He would unleash a relentless attack on anyone who had hostile intentions toward me, even if I didn¡¯t command it. A Highlander would be no match for Valiente. Most of them were killed instantly by his fangs. After defeating the O¡¯Brian Grand Alliance, the next step was to take control of the small group of countries to the south. We moved as if we were taking a stroll, destroying the countries as we went. It must have felt like a man-made disaster of the worst kind to them. For the Nitro Corps, the feeling of being at war was already gone. For me and Mary, who have a normal mind, it was difficult to endure the feeling of going into the flower beds and trampling down the flowers¡­¡­.However, many Nitro Corps members took pride in their actions and carried out their duties with vigor. Even though I am bound to the red jewel, I am still involved in the act of crushing the flowers. When I think about it, I feel an intense sense of guilt. I can¡¯t help but think that maybe my soul is deteriorating too¡­¡­. CH 225 The Swordsmen arrived in Barmihal and immediately began to gather information. Fortunately, the army of Barmihal was still present and was engaged in a fierce battle with the Elysian army in the royal capital. ¡°The Elysian army that has invaded Barmihal is made up of around 100 magicrafts, all of which are skilled elite troops, making them a formidable opponent for anyone other than the three greats. On the other hand, the allied Barmihal army has 800 magicrafts and about 18 ride carriers defending it.¡± Dad gives everyone the information provided by the Barmihal army before the battle. ¡°¡®Honestly, if we¡¯re going to take on Yuto and the others, Barmihal¡¯s army is going to be a hindrance. Master Veft. Let¡¯s have the Barmihal army fall back and we¡¯ll deal with them on our own.¡± Modred, his apprentice, agreed with Scarfi¡¯s words. ¡°I agree with you, Master. I don¡¯t need the weak to fight the strong.¡± Kiyone countered. ¡°The Elysian army that has invaded is around 100 magicrafts. If you look at the number of enemies and the state of the war, it is better to think that they have twice the strength of the Sword Clan. If that¡¯s the case, Barmihal¡¯s strength will become important.¡± ¡°I think you should have more confidence in your own school. Too much caution can be seen as cowardice.¡± Modred replied to Kiyone as if he was mocking her. Brunnhilde, Kiyone¡¯s disciple, responded to his words. ¡°These are the elite troops of Yuto¡¯s entourage! They¡¯re nothing like the regular Elysian army!¡± ¡°They may be a part of the Yuto entourage, but we¡¯re the most powerful mercenary group, the Swordsmen! How can we be afraid of an enemy army twice our size!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we¡¯re afraid of our enemies!¡± Kiyone¡¯s idea is probably the right one. Those who have people under their command have a duty to protect them. There is no need to take unnecessary risks. However, I don¡¯t know what the old man was thinking, but he didn¡¯t want to intervene in the argument between Kiyone and Scarfi¡¯s clan. I had no choice but to say something to him. ¡°Kiyone is right this time. No matter how strong the Sword Clan is, there are other strong people out there. And this time, they¡¯re the strongest on the continent, right? Since we have allies, why don¡¯t we just fight with them?¡± ¡°Shut up you outsider!¡± Teppei didn¡¯t like my comment and yelled at me in an intimidating manner. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m not an official member of the Sword Clan, but I am a disciple of the Sword Saint Veft. I can at least speak up.¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about our own pride! You, an outsider, have no right to deny the mindset of the Sword Clan!¡± ¡°What pride! That¡¯s worth nothing compared to the lives of our friends!¡¡What Kiyone is saying is that she doesn¡¯t want to put her friends in danger for nothing. Think about that for a second and you¡¯ll understand!¡± Modred didn¡¯t like what I said, so he came at me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you deny the pride of the Swordsmen.¡± ¡°That awesome technique of Yuta¡¯s is the real deal! And it¡¯s not like Yuta-san is denying the pride of the Sword Clan!¡± I¡¯m sure Tris said that for me, but the timing led to a full-blown argument between the Kiyone and Scarfi clans. Both sides were arguing their own points, and things got out of hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough! The point is that everyone cares about the Sword Clan, right? That¡¯s fine, it¡¯s both important to cherish your pride and to think of your friends. Scarfi, you guys go fight alone to your heart¡¯s content! Kiyone, you guys form a joint front with the Barmihal army! Sometimes it¡¯s good to fight separately and fight each other as hard as you can to prove that you¡¯re right!¡± With a single word from the old man, the bleak atmosphere of the place subsided. He was indeed the head of the Sword Clan. However, there was one man who was not convinced by father¡¯s words. ¡°Master Veft, who will you go with, me or Kiyone¡­¡± Scarfi said this, his expression was so serious that I could feel his determination. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Yuta¡¯s good luck charm. I have nothing to teach you or Kiyone.¡± The old man replied cheerfully, in contrast to Scarfi. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yeah¡­¡­.¡± After saying that, Scarfi took his disciples and went back to Bokuden. I felt a subtle sense of sadness from him. CH 226 As a result, the Swordsmen had to split into two groups to fight. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to divide your forces against a strong opponent, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped in that situation. I would be working with Kiyone¡¯s clan. Then, the old man who had said he would babysit me was here too. ¡°Yuta. When Yuto and Rosetta come out, you stay back.¡± I didn¡¯t know how strong Yuto was, but I thought to myself that I could fight him with Namakra if it came down to it. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to actively fight, but I¡¯m interested in a battle between dad and the strongest man on the continent.¡± ¡°Watching your master fight is also a form of training, but don¡¯t mess with me if I have a hard time.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not that uncivilized.¡± No matter what kind of opponent it was, I didn¡¯t worry about that because I didn¡¯t think for a second that dad would lose. ¡°¡®Just in case you¡¯re wondering, you don¡¯t have to help me fight either.¡± Kiyone says this with a cool expression on her face. She was concerned about the safety of her friends, but she didn¡¯t seem to be concerned about her own fight. ¡°I know, I know. I won¡¯t lend a hand.¡± The Kiyone clan, fighting alongside the Barmihal army, headed for the army base in the north of the royal capital. The base was attacked by about 20 magicrafts of the Elysian army and was on the verge of destruction. ¡°The Swordsmen have come to reinforce us!¡± A cheer went up from the soldiers at the base over the shared communications of the Tripartite Alliance. The Elysian army that had been attacking noticed the approaching Swordsmen and began to move. ¡°Okay, all magicrafts depart!¡± At dad¡¯s command, the riders sailed out of the hangar at once. The magicrafts of the Elysian army deployed to surround the Swordsmen. We set out from the rear exit and split up to form a left-right formation to protect the ride carrier. ¡°That¡¯s Rosetta¡¯s Agnia, isn¡¯t it?¡± What the old man pointed out was a crimson magicraft, a machine that reminded me of a demon god of fire, who looked at us with a sense of intimidation. ¡°Father. I¡¯ll deal with Agnia.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­that would be good. Yuta, I¡¯m going to say this with parental stupidity, but it¡¯s going to be a match worth watching, so watch it.¡± Kiyone vs Rosetta ¨C suddenly we see a battle between the Twelve Heavenly Masters. Rosetta also seemed to have noticed Kiyone¡¯s presence and came straight for her. ¡°You¡¯ve come out, Emperor Kiyone! Let¡¯s see how good you are!¡± It is rare to talk to an enemy with external output sound during battle. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s because people don¡¯t want to give unnecessary information to their opponents, but Rosetta seems to have absolute confidence and doesn¡¯t mind it. ¡°Flame Emperor Rosetta. Your small fire cannot burn my magicraft.¡± ¡°You call it a small fire. I¡¯ll give you a flame hotter than scorching magma!¡± Rosetta said and waved the ring-shaped weapon in her right hand. A gurgle sounded like the earth shaking, and flames blew up from the ground. Kiyone avoided the pillar of flames that blew out and quickly closed the distance between her and Rosetta. She then aimed at Agnia¡¯s neck with her sword but Agnia blocked it with her ring shaped weapon. Agnia catches it with her ring-shaped weapon. It seems that the Twelve Heavenly Masters have extraordinary reaction speeds after all. It¡¯s very difficult for even the most skilled person to take on Kiyone¡¯s swift sword at first sight. Kiyone launched more attacks but Agnia blocked all of them with the ring-shaped weapons she held in both hands. It¡¯s not to be underestimated that she can take those attacks without difficulty. I knew she couldn¡¯t be underestimated since she could block Kiyone attacks so easily. The circle of flame gradually decreases in size and closes in on the two magicrafts. ¡°Agnia has a strong flame resistance, so unfortunately, you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to get burned!¡± As she said this, the flames gathered at once in the center and became a large pillar of flame. Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji was caught in the flames. However, it was only for a moment that it was caught in the flames, and soon the flames were drowned out by a strong wind like a tornado. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you can¡¯t burn me with such a small flame!¡± Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji emerged from the tornado with her sword held in a lower position. The tornado gathered around the blade of Kiyone¡¯s sword, she then uttered a few spirited words and swung her sword upwards. ¡°Whirlwind Sword!¡± A gust of wind hit Agnia¡¯s fuselage at the same time. As expected, Rosetta could not prevent all of them, and cracks appeared on Agnia¡¯s body. CH 227 Rosetta¡¯s Agnia staggered back as she was struck by Kiyone¡¯s Whirlwind Sword. Kiyone chased after Rosetta. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate¡­¡­Emperor Kiyone!¡± When Agnia waved her hands crosswise, swirling flames radiated toward Kiku Ichimonji, who tried to follow up, Kiyone flew to the side to avoid them. Once she had avoided the spot, Kiku Ichimonji kneeled down and held her sword in a low position. When she saw more flames being released from Agnia she assessed their trajectory and avoided them, then accelerated and bombarded Agnia with quick sword attacks. Rosetta, who was slowed down by the released flames, couldn¡¯t avoid Kiyone sword and was struck in the shoulder. Agnia retreated unsteadily from the damage. As expected from you¡­.I¡¯ve been saving my best for use against the Sword Saint, but it looks like I¡¯ll have to use it now¡­ When she said that, Rosetta put her hands up¡­However, as Agnia was about to unleash something, one of the Elysian army¡¯s magicrafts called out for help and came staggering up to cling to her. The machine collapsed in front of Agnia and stopped moving. I didn¡¯t notice it because I was concentrating on Kiyone and Rosetta¡¯s battle, but the war was already in progress. As for the Elysia army, all the magicrafts except for Agnia had already been destroyed by Dad and the others. One of the last machines seemed to have asked Rosetta for help. All the enemies around him fell, and dad Excalibur also appeared in front of Agnia. When Rosetta saw this, she understood her situation. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve lost this battle. Unfortunately, we¡¯ll have to finish our battle another day.¡± She said, and tried to run away. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go!¡± Kiyone shouted as she accelerated and was about to swing her sword, but a wall of flames appeared in front of her and stopped her. The wall of flames engulfed the fallen Elysian army¡¯s magicraft, melting its armor to mush. It seemed to be quite hot, and Kiyone gave up on jumping into the flames. Rosetta was able to escape, but the battle seemed to be a complete victory for the Sword Clan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. The Flame Emperor has escaped.¡± ¡°No, I think that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s not good to be greedy. I think we should be satisfied with that for now.¡± Tris told me later that Dad had taken out most of the 20 enemy magicrafts we had killed. He said that it was an amazing sight to see him kill Elysia¡¯s elite riders in the blink of an eye, and I regretted missing it. Kiyone clan had won their first battle, but the Scarfi clan did not fare as well. It seems that the Elysian army that the Scarfi clan fought against had two of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, Yuto and Emesis. They were outnumbered and beaten to a pulp. ¡°So what does Scarfi have to say about it? Doesn¡¯t he want to join us?¡± The old man said this with concern for the Scarfi clan, but Kiyone, who had spoken to him over the transmission, shook her head. ¡°They don¡¯t have any intention of backing down from this, it seems that the Scarfi clan is determined to clear their name alone.¡± ¡°What an idiot. What is he so stubborn¡­¡­?¡± The old man¡¯s face looked somewhat sad as he muttered this. Kiyone¡¯s group entered Barmihal¡¯s base and received supplies. As it was, they stationed the Musashi at the base and prepared for the next battle. I came on the deck of Musashi for a change of scenery, but there was a guest there before me. ¡°What are you doing sitting around like that, Kiyone?¡± Kiyone was sitting upright on the hard deck, looking at the sky. She remained motionless and replied. ¡°I¡¯m looking at clouds.¡± ¡°Clouds? What¡¯s the fun in that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not looking at them for pleasure.¡± ¡°Then why do you do it?¡± ¡°Clouds make me calm. When I need to calm down and think about something, I look at them like this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s troubling you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been concerned for some time now, but if this continues, the Sword Clan will split up. Scarfi and I think too differently¡­¡­and I¡¯m wondering what to do about it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the only way then I think you should split up. There¡¯s no need to work together forcefully. Dad said he doesn¡¯t have anything to teach Scarfi anymore, so he can just go independent.¡± ¡°I admire your talent in the field of martial arts, but you still have a long way to go to see into people¡¯s hearts. Listen to me. No matter how much your father thinks he has nothing to teach him, Scarfi still wants to learn from father. He will not give up his father¡¯s teachings until he feels that he has truly surpassed him.¡± ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re growing?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­that can be very sad.¡± Kiyone, who had been looking at the sky, turned her eyes to her hand. I didn¡¯t know what she meant by that, as I was not yet capable of seeing the heart. CH 228 The Elysian army that invaded Barmihal had disappeared after the first battle with the Swordsmen. The scouts of the Barmihal army searched frantically for them, but they couldn¡¯t even find a trace of them. ¡°Father, what should we do? Do we stay here at the base or do we look for the Elysian army as well¡­¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in looking for them, we can just stand there and wait. This is where the disappeared enemy is aiming. They¡¯re looking to exhaust us and time their attacks. There¡¯s no need to dance in the enemy¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°¡®But it seems that Scarfi and the others are desperately trying to track down the enemy. They are wasting their time with that nonsense, can we leave them alone?¡± ¡±I¡¯ll talk to Scarfi about it. Get some rest, everyone should just be ready to fight at any time.¡± It seems to me that dad made the right decision. The enemy won the battle against the Scarfi clan, but lost the battle against the Kiyone clan. They are just trying to figure out our overall strength and time their attack. If we wait for them, they will surely attack. There is no need for us to go out of our way to find them. However, dad¡¯s attempts to persuade Scarfi to join us have failed. He didn¡¯t even listen and continued his search for the enemy alone. After failing to persuade him, dad wandered off with a despondent look on his face. When Kiyone and I saw him, we looked at each other. Then we both started to move at the same time and chased after him. Dad was out on the deck of the Musashi. He acted in a similar manner to his daughter, making me realize that they are blood related. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not a good parent.¡± He blurted out, looking at Kiyone and me. ¡°What a pathetic thing to say in front of your daughter and son.¡± ¡°Yes, father, Scarfi is a man with a lot of pride. It¡¯s not your fault that you couldn¡¯t admonish him for his behavior.¡± ¡°Any man is my son from the moment I accept him as my apprentice. I am responsible for his every action. If I don¡¯t stop him now, I¡¯ll never be able to undo what he¡¯s done. But I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± The old man said in a thoughtful manner. ¡°We can¡¯t see the enemy, but they can see our movements. Without a doubt, Scarfi and the others will be targeted and attacked when they are isolated. No matter how strong Scarfi is, he has no chance of winning against the three greats of Elysia at the same time. He involved not only himself but also his disciples in such a reckless battle. It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t even stop my idiot son when I know that.¡± I heard my dad¡¯s line and thought of a few things and said them. ¡°If you know so much, why don¡¯t you go help him?¡± The old man looked up and responded to my words. ¡°The enemy is going to move on Scarfi and the others, right? If that¡¯s the case, we should take advantage of it. Even if we can¡¯t see the enemy, we know where they are, so we can deal with them.¡± ¡°There you go! Yuta, you come up with some really clever stuff once in a while.¡± I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a compliment or not, but I¡¯m glad that my dad seems to have figured something out. ¡°It would never occur to me or father to use Scarfi and the others as bait. Thank you, Yuta.¡± Kiyone also thanked me and I was confused. Well, now we can deal with the disappeared enemy and help Scarfi and the others. Two birds with one stone is the expression to use in this situation. Musashi immediately grasped the position of the Scarfi clan and started to move. There was a possibility that the enemy might be watching our movements as well, so we had to remain vigilant and covert. ¡°Father, should we inform the Scarfi of our movements?¡± ¡°No, it would be troublesome if Scarfi and the others changed their behavior and the enemy found out. They won¡¯t listen to us anyway, so let them be.¡± I can¡¯t predict what they will do if we tell them we are here to help. I guess we¡¯ll just have to keep our mouths shut and come to their aid. I approached until I could see Bokuden and Kagehisa of the Scarfi clan. There was a possibility that the enemy was already moving, so Musashi hid behind a rock and kept a wary eye on his surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s like asking the enemy to attack them.¡± Dad muttered as he looked at Bokuden and Kagehisa. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what Scarfi wants.¡± The old man¡¯s expression became harsher at Kiyone¡¯s words. ¡°That idiot¡­¡­is using himself as bait to lure the enemy out¡­¡­.All of you, prepare to launch, there will be movement soon.¡± The old man¡¯s prediction was right on target. The Elysian army appeared to surround Bokuden and Kagehisa. CH 229 The Scarfi clan immediately launched their magicrafts, as if they had been preparing for an enemy attack. The two sides clashed violently around Bokuden and Kagehisa. The Scarfi clan has about 40 magicrafts, while the Elysian Imperial Army has twice as many. The individual power of the Scarfi clan may be higher, but due to their numerical disadvantage, the Scarfi clan seems to be the one losing. To help the outnumbered Scarfi clan, Musashi¡¯s magicraft squad led by dad joins the fray. I¡¯m struggling to keep up with them in my slow-moving Namakra, but I¡¯m left behind by the members of the Sword Clan. The battle situation changed when dad and the others entered the fray. The Elysian army¡¯s advantage changed, and the Swordsmen began to push. After all, dad and Kiyone were strong. They cut down the elite of the Elysian Empire one after another. Although dad was cutting down the enemy with overwhelming strength, his momentum was halted when he was confronted by a magicraft with a conspicuous black and red coloring. ¡°Yuta! That¡¯s not good! The battle between GrandMaster and the strongest person on the continent, Yuto, is about to begin!¡± So that¡¯s Yuto¡¯s magicraft, Adjura, which is said to be the strongest on the continent¡­¡­. Not only the Sword Clan members, but also the riders of the Elysian Imperial Army were interested in this battle, and the fighting temporarily stopped. The first to move was Yuto¡¯s Adjura. He approached Excalibur while holding a shield in his left hand in front of him. The old man swung his two-handed sword sharply and smashed Adjura¡¯s shield. The air between Ajura and Excalibur shook as the sound of an explosion resounded. If it had been an ordinary magicraft, dad would have been blown off its shield by the blow, but Adjura withstood the blow. Without losing it¡¯s balance, he took another step forward and thrust out his right hand sword to attack Excalibur. The old man avoided the attack with minimal movement, turned his body and swung his two-handed sword to deliver a second blow. Adjura tried to block the attack with his shield. However, unlike before, the trajectory of his sword changed right before the shield. The two-handed sword slashed at Adjura¡¯s feet as if writing the letter ¡°O¡±. Yuto quickly dodged the attack with a small jump, but he was forced into an impossible position and lost his balance. Losing your balance in front of father is fatal. Without pausing, he swung his two-handed sword and chased after Adjura. The battle was decided. That was what I thought, but Yuto was not the strongest on the continent for nothing. A strong wind like a tornado was blowing around Adjura. In the wind, there seemed to be countless small objects that attacked Excalibur¡¯s body. It was not a fatal attack, but it bought him enough time to regain his lost balance. After regaining his stance, Adjura positioned his sword vertically across his chest and launched a powerful sword strike at Excalibur. Yuto¡¯s continuous sword strikes were terribly fast. The old man with the two-handed sword managed to move his sword to prevent the attacks. However, a sharp swing grazed Excalibur¡¯s neck. Dad took advantage of the small opening to counterattack with his sword, but all of his attacks were blocked by the shield. That old man is being pushed¡­..and I am once again astonished by Yuto¡¯s power. At this rate, father would lose. For some reason, the thought gave me an unpleasant sensation as if my heart had been clutched. ¡°Yuta! Take a good look at this. I¡¯ll show you something special.¡± As if sensing my uneasiness, father said over the communication. He seemed to be about to perform some kind of technique. I concentrated so as not to miss it. In the midst of the fierce attack and defense, a strange phenomenon occurred. For a moment, or perhaps a pause so long that even that expression seems long. The two magicrafts, Adjura and Excalibur, froze as if time had stopped and in the next moment, Excalibur¡¯s sword pierced the lower part of Adjura¡¯s neck. I don¡¯t know what happened. Excalibur didn¡¯t even make a swinging motion with his sword¡­¡­. ¡°Immovable sword. It¡¯s my special move.¡± The old man pulled his sword out of Adjura as he said this. CH 230 The battlefield went silent for a moment but after realizing the situation a cheer erupted from the Sword Clan. On the other hand, sad voices could be heard from the Elysian Imperial Army. They started to move at once, perhaps to save the fallen Yuto¡¯s Adjura. A wall of flame appears in front of dad¡¯s Excalibur. It was probably the work of Rosetta, who had fought Kiyone before. In addition, the halted battle resumes. The sounds of battle rang out around me. I joined the fight and cut down the enemy. The enemy¡¯s morale seemed to be in turmoil as their general, Yuto, was defeated but I didn¡¯t feel as good as I thought I would. In the midst of all this, there were enemies who were moving in ways that had nothing to do with morale. Brunnhilde¡¯s magicraft was blown away in front of my eyes. What kind of opponent is she, a triple Highlander, facing to be blown away with such force¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta! Stand back, please! It¡¯s Gaiatea of Emesis!¡± A brown body-colored magicraft that is larger than a regular magicraft was the one that smashed Kunitsuna Onimaru of Brunnhilde. I believe Emesis is a Heavenly Master. Brunnhilde told me to stay back, but no matter how I looked at it, she was outmatched. I can¡¯t afford not to help her here. I moved my Namakra and stepped in front of Brunnhilde. Namakra was a little smaller than the size of an average magicraft. When standing side by side with the large Gaiatea, the difference was as great as that between an adult and a child. ¡°Hahahaha¡­Is this some kind of joke? I can¡¯t believe that such a ragtag magicraft is mixed in with the Swordsmen.¡± It seems that Emesis has too much time on his hands. I¡¯ve used Namakra for a short time, but I don¡¯t feel very good when he makes fun of me. ¡°In the afterlife, you can boast that you were torn to pieces by the Emesis, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters!¡± As he said this, Emesis raised a huge hammer. If that thing hits me, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be pulverized into a million pieces. ¡°Yuta! Avoid it!¡± Brunnhilde advises me, of course I wasn¡¯t going to take such an attack head on. I assessed the trajectory of the hammer and dodged it by a hair¡¯s breadth. However, the real aim of the attack was not a direct hit. As the hammer struck the ground violently, a visible shock wave spread. Oh no! Namakra¡¯s armor would not be able to withstand this attack. Before I could even think about it, I had activated the concentration I had gained from ¡°One Flash ¡± by converting it into defense. A blue aura appeared around Namakra and enveloped him. There was a loud thud as the machine hit the ground. It made an unpleasant creaking sound, but I think I can manage it. ¡°What kind of trick did you use? That¡¯s a shockwave that could blow apart a Highlander!¡± Emesis was surprised to see he couldn¡¯t defeat me with that attack, but the real surprise was yet to come. I increase my concentration and start to attack. ¡°One Flash!¡± Perhaps he didn¡¯t expect me to fight back, but Gaiatea was unable to completely avoid the trails of light from Namakra. The sword of light from Namakra cut through Gaiatea¡¯s armor. But the damage was far from fatal, this was the limit of Namakra¡¯s attack power. ¡°There¡¯s a gap!¡± The sword of Kunitsuna Onimaru of Brunnhilde attacked Gaiatea, who became defenseless after receiving my Flash. I¡¯m not sure what to make of it. I¡¯m not sure what to make of it, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s worth it. As expected of the Triple Highlander¡¯s attack power. The sword blow sliced off Gaiatea¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­..No matter what you look like, you¡¯re still a member of the Sword Clan¡­¡­It looks like they¡¯ve finished retrieving Yuto, so I¡¯ll let you go this time. After saying that, Gaiatea began to retreat. Brunnhilde and I tried to chase after him to make sure he didn¡¯t get away, but at that moment, the ground shook and blocked us. The three greats are also good at escaping¡­¡­ After retrieving Yuto, the entire Elysian Imperial Army withdrew. Dad instructed us not to pursue forcibly. It¡¯s true that we defeated Yuto, but Rosetta and Emesis are still alive and well. If they were to counterattack during the pursuit, we might suffer serious damage. The battle was over and I thought everyone was happy with the victory, but Scarfi seemed to be the only one who was not. He complained loudly to dad. ¡°Master! Why did you come to reinforce us! The battle could have been won by us alone!¡± ¡°No, you would have been defeated on your own. Scarfi, you know the truth, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You mean I couldn¡¯t beat Yuto¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t beat Yuto the way you are now.¡± When the old man assured him of this, Scarfi fell silent. His face looked frustrated and angry. CH 231 The Amurian Union was rapidly expanding its power. Ranelle, the first head of state, has gained a reputation for her ability to focus on diplomacy and domestic politics in a peaceful manner. Neighboring countries that had initially shown hostile intentions began to take a closer look at the country, and it was now recognized as a major power on par with the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. ¡°Nagisa, have you heard from the Iron Knights?¡± The office of the chief executive of the Amurian headquarters in the Kingdom of Emou. During a brief moment of rest, Ranelle asked me with concern. ¡°No, it¡¯s still¡­¡­since we got the call that Yuta is missing.¡± A month ago, I received a call from the Iron Knights that Yuta had gone missing during a battle. I was worried when I lost contact with him after we used to talk every day, but I didn¡¯t realize he was missing¡­¡­. ¡°So they haven¡¯t found him yet¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But it hasn¡¯t been determined that he¡¯s dead, and it seems that none of the Iron Knights have given up.¡± ¡°You really want to fly out there and look for him right away, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am worried, but I believe that Yuta will not die so easily.¡± Ranelle must have sensed something in my words, because she said to me with a serious expression on her face. ¡°Nagisa¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s one thing I want to tell you¡­¡­.I know you like Yuta-san. However, I also love Yuta so much that I can¡¯t give up on him.¡± I was somewhat aware of Ranelle¡¯s feelings. So I wasn¡¯t too surprised when she confessed, but I wondered why she said it at this time. ¡°Ranelle, I knew about your feelings, but Yuta and I are just childhood friends. I have no right to stop you from liking him.¡± ¡°If Nagisa and Yuta were lovers, I think I could have given up, but if you aren¡¯t¡­Maybe you think¡­¡­.I¡¯m a lowly woman¡­¡­.¡± Ranelle¡¯s words pierce my heart¡­I guess that¡¯s because I feel the same way. Yuta and Shirayuki are not lovers yet. I¡¯m thinking that maybe I have a chance. So, I don¡¯t think I have the right to say anything to Ranelle. ¡°Ranelle is not despicable. You confessed your feelings in a fair and honest way¡­¡­.¡± Ranelle just looked at me and smiled. ¡°So¡­¡­I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°A favor? What does that have to do with what we just talked about?¡± ¡°Nagisa¡­I¡¯d like you to go and search for Yuta.¡± ¡°Search for Yuta¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s frustrating, but Nagisa and Yuta-san have a bond that goes back a long way. That¡¯s why I think you can find him. I actually thought so a long time ago, but I was afraid that Nagisa and Yuta would get closer because of it¡­¡­.But my worry still got the better of me.¡± ¡°All right. I want to find Yuta too.¡± ¡°I will contact them as an official request from the Amurian Union. I know it¡¯s a bit of a mix-up between public and private, but I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for this.¡± ¡°Thank you Ranelle.¡± ¡°I really want to come too, but it¡¯s difficult in my current position. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± I can go find Yuta. The thought of that made my heart leap. Ranelle had done her best to prepare for the search. A state of the art ride hover, enough money for the search and a companion¡­¡­ ¡°Yukiha what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Ranelle told me about the search and I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°Will the Kingdom of Amuria be okay without you?¡± ¡°The kingdom is now part of the Amurian Union, and father will be able to govern it on his own.¡± Knowing Majni, I¡¯m a little worried about, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine under the circumstances. ¡°Jihad and Delphine wanted to come too, but they¡¯re officially part of the Amurian federal army, so they couldn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± For a while, I thought that I would be traveling alone with Yukiha¡­but another companion was quietly approaching. ¡°Himari! I thought I told you not to do that!¡± ¡°Why not? I¡¯m an adult!¡± ¡°What do you mean adult? Just stay at home!¡± ¡°No! I want to go on adventures too! It¡¯s not fair that you guys are the only ones going!¡± It seemed that Himari had persisted. Reluctantly, she was allowed to accompany us. However, this means that all three sisters will be leaving Majni¡¯s¡­¡­home, and I was a little worried about what that lonely father would think. CH 232 Ever since I came to this world, no matter what enemy I fought, I was never defeated. Even so, I thought I had made an effort to grow and lose sight of myself. But¡­¡­today, I tasted complete defeat. Thanks to Rosetta and the others, I was able to leave the battlefield alive. However, I feel as if something I¡¯ve built up has collapsed. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m going to go back to the way I was before, to the way I was before I came to this world. Back in those days when I lacked self-confidence and was afraid to talk to people¡­¡­I was never accepted by anyone and always spent my school life in the corner of the classroom, scared. I was always ridiculed and harassed relentlessly by my heartless classmates. My life changed on the day when the express train my class was riding came to this world. Compared to the Ludia values of my classmates, mine were outstanding. Since then, the environment around me has changed drastically, as if my life on Earth was a lie. It was probably when I met and fought with one of my classmates on the battlefield that I became completely confident in myself. He was a pompous ass on Earth, he was violently oppressing me. So he demanded that we have that relationship on the battlefield where we met, and demanded that I get down on my knees and surrender even before we fought. I beat him to a pulp. The fight was like between a child and an adult, in the end he was crying and begging for his life. My personality changed, and people around me began to look at me with respect and admiration. I have made many friends and have subordinates who adore me. Everything is going well but I¡¯m afraid that it will be ruined¡­¡­. ¡°Yuto, what are you going to do now?¡± I was in a daze, but Emesis called out to me. ¡°How much strength do we have left?¡± ¡°About half.¡± When I heard that, all at once my anxiety overwhelmed me. I wondered if I would be able to fight the Sword Clan with that kind of strength¡­¡­.I was even slightly afraid. But I pushed that feeling to the back of my mind. I don¡¯t want to go back to my old self, I need to maintain my current self¡­¡­. ¡°We can still do this. We¡¯ll try again when we¡¯re done repairing Ajura.¡± ¡°Huh. I knew Yuto would say that.¡± Rosetta smiled happily. It seems that she had not fought enough. ¡°Fighting is fine, but the Swordsmen are strong. In the previous battle, I had a fight with a small magicraft, but it was surprisingly strong. If you think there¡¯s a bunch of those things out there, it¡¯s probably going to be tough for us since we only have half of our strength left.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the troops attacking the Citadel of Mospilay send some of their forces our way.¡± ¡°Yes, that would be nice too. But I also have a secret plan for you.¡± ¡°Secret plan¡­¡­What kind of plan?¡± ¡°After the way they¡¯ve been acting, it seems like the Sword Clan isn¡¯t united. Maybe that¡¯s where we can take advantage of them.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the Sword Saint can¡¯t control the Sword Clan?¡± ¡°Yes. Just let me handle this for a bit, maybe I can take down the Sword Clan with ease.¡± Somewhere in the back of my mind I was worried about a rematch with the Sword Saint, so I went along with Emesis¡¯ idea. I suppose I should really fight the Sword Saint head-on again. Next time, if I were to lose¡­¡­thinking about it made me lose my usual courage. The repairs to Ajura were finished, and reinforcements from the troops that had been attacking the fortified city of Mospilay had arrived. Emesis¡¯s plan seemed to be going well, and we were ready for another battle with the Sword Clan. ¡°So, Emesis. When is your plan going to take effect?¡± ¡°Soon. The outcome will be decided before the battle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a cunning plan of yours, but why should it be a secret even from your allies?¡± As Rosetta said, Emesis did not explain the details of the plan to us either. That bothered me a little, but Emesis said that I was better off not knowing, and just smiled wryly. CH 233 The battle with the Elysian Empire had been won, but the distance between the Scarfi clan and the Kiyone clan seemed to have widened even further. Dad didn¡¯t seem too concerned about it, but Kiyone was wary of a complete split in the Sword Clan. ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you communicate with Scarfi a little more?¡± Even though Kiyone called out to him, he didn¡¯t stop his hand from cleaning his sword. ¡°Father!¡± At the second call, the old man answered in a cumbersome tone. ¡°Communication? He¡¯s not a child anymore, and I don¡¯t need to tell him what to do. He can act as he sees fit.¡± ¡°So you think it¡¯s okay for the Scarfi clan to leave the Sword Clan?¡± If that¡¯s what he wants, then there¡¯s no need to force him to stay with us just because we¡¯re master and apprentice.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± When Kiyone was not convinced, the old man said with a sharp look on his face. ¡°Kiyone. I¡¯ll give you a little lesson. Bring me the wooden sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I understand.¡± As well as being father and daughter, Dad and Kiyone had a long relationship as master and disciple. Kiyone accepted the sudden instruction to practice without feeling uncomfortable. ¡°Yuta, you take the wooden sword, too.¡± I was just observing, but father suddenly said to me, ¡°Me too?¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel like I¡¯m in good shape today. I¡¯ll train you both at the same time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t regret it, old man.¡± Father began to talk to Kiyone and me before we started practicing. ¡°As a master, there is only so much I can teach my disciples in words. I have taught Kiyone, Scarfi, and even Yuta almost everything I can. But that doesn¡¯t mean that there is nothing left for you to learn from me. There are more things that can¡¯t be taught. Figuring out how to learn that is also a discipline. The only thing I can do for you now is to show you through my actions. Look at me, think, feel, and learn.¡± It is true that there is only so much that can be taught by words. He¡¯s trying to tell me to grow up by watching his actions. ¡°I will learn then.¡± Kiyone said with a serious expression. I nodded and held up my wooden sword. Father¡¯s words that he was in good shape were not a lie. He easily handled Kiyone¡¯s divine speed attacks as well as my poorly executed sword strikes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is this the level of the Sword Emperor, Kiyone!¡¡Yuta! You¡¯re even dragging Kiyone down!¡± I still have a long way to go with my sword skills, as dad said, I feel like I¡¯m dragging Kiyone down. We¡¯ve been practicing for about half an hour, but I still haven¡¯t been able to hit my dad with a single blow. Kiyone¡¯s attacks were close, but still avoided by a narrow margin. ¡°Kiyone, I¡¯ll stop the old man¡¯s movements and you can take advantage of that!¡± ¡°Do it if you can.¡± Then let¡¯s do it. I threw the wooden sword at my father with all my might. It was easily flicked away, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m after. After I threw the sword, I immediately got into a low stance and tackled him. He hit me with the wooden sword twice, but I managed to hold on to him. If he had used a real sword, I would have ended up getting slashed, but with a wooden sword, I could endure the pain and force him to stay close to me. ¡°Kiyone, come on!¡± As I held on to dad, Kiyone unleashed her divine speed sword, aiming for the gap where he stopped moving. In this situation she had a 100% chance to hit dad but he was one step ahead of us. Dad lifted me up and used my body as a shield as I clung to him. Kiyone¡¯s sword hits me in the back. ¡°Agh!¡± The pain was so unexpected that I couldn¡¯t help but scream. ¡°Hahahahaha! That was a good attack, Yuta!¡± ¡°Even so, we failed.¡± ¡°No, the mistake was not Yuta¡¯s fault. The one who is at fault is Kiyone, who believed Yuta¡¯s words and failed to put her whole heart and soul into the final blow. If it had been Kiyone¡¯s best blow, she would have been able to prevent what just happened.¡± ¡°But, Father. I didn¡¯t think Yuta would take that approach¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it¡¯s your mistake. Yuta said he would create an opening but you didn¡¯t believe him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. You are right.¡± Kiyone admitted that she was wrong. The old man nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough practice for now. Yuta, I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± I was definitely sweaty and sticky and needed to freshen up. I agreed with his suggestion, but father¡¯s words continued. ¡°Kiyone, you¡¯re coming in with us. I¡¯m punishing you for that unintentional blow.¡± ¡°Damn it, Father! No matter what, that punishment is too heavy!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Yuta is in pain because of you. You can at least take a bath with him.¡± Kiyone was unable to say anything back, probably because she felt guilty about what had just happened. Then she imagined something, and her face turned red. CH 234 I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t expect it, but Kiyone came into the men¡¯s bath wearing a swimsuit. She had a towel wrapped around her swimsuit for complete protection. ¡°How dare you come into the bathroom dressed like that? That¡¯s not a punishment, is it?¡± ¡°In the first place, I haven¡¯t done anything to warrant such a heavy punishment! This is the best compromise I can make!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anything so boring in my life.¡± ¡°What do you want from your daughter, father¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Fool, it¡¯s not for me. Don¡¯t you have any desire to serve Yuta?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± It¡¯s a little sad to be denied with all your might, but you certainly don¡¯t need to serve me. ¡°Anyway, father, there must be a reason why you invited me and Yuta to a place like this. The longer you wait, the more you¡¯ll fall asleep. Why don¡¯t you start talking?¡± It seems that Kiyone was aware of her father¡¯s intentions, which I was completely unaware of. So that¡¯s why Kiyone, who has a strong sense of chastity, agreed to take a bath with a man¡­¡­. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re just as intuitive as your mother. We certainly have important things to talk about.¡± ¡°Dad, what are these important things you¡¯re talking about?¡± The old man splashed hot water on his face, took a breath and started talking. ¡°I mean Scarfi. Yesterday he had a look of determination in his eyes. I think his malice towards me has built up to the maximum, maybe he¡¯s up to something.¡± ¡°Father, why did you let your relationship with Scarfi go on for so long¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I wanted to do something about it. But I really didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯ve known Scarfi since he was a little boy, but in my mind he¡¯s still the man he was when he was a child. That¡¯s why, as an adult, I couldn¡¯t deal with the strange twists and turns in his thinking.¡± Even though he is a master swordsman and seems to have a lot of life experience, he is still a human being. There are things he doesn¡¯t understand, and he makes mistakes. The great thing about dad is that he doesn¡¯t try to hide it, he faces it head on. ¡°So what are you going to do about it? We need to take action before Scarfi does something¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I think the only way to do that is to talk to him face to face. We haven¡¯t had a chance to talk alone lately, you know. Maybe that will help us get back to the relationship we had before.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If Scarfi and I ever get a chance to talk alone, you¡¯re not to interfere. He seems to have a strange jealousy towards you guys, especially Yuta. So if you show up, there¡¯s a chance it could get ugly.¡± ¡°Jealous of me? How¡¯s that possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the main reason why he¡¯s so twisted. In the past, he was the only disciple, so maybe he thinks he¡¯s lost his master.¡± He¡¯s a real pain in the ass, like a child throwing a tantrum because he can¡¯t look at anyone but himself anymore. ¡°More importantly, Kiyone. How long are you going to keep wearing such unrefined things?¡± What my father was referring to was probably the towel. ¡°I¡¯ll be wearing it the entire time I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Well, then it looks like I¡¯m going to have to do something about that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± When Kiyone said this, father stood up. Of course, Dad had no intention of hiding it, so Kiyone could see things in front of her that he didn¡¯t want her to see. ¡°Kyaahhhh!¡± Kiyone screamed and hid her face. ¡°There¡¯s an opening!¡± And with that, he stripped off Kiyone¡¯s towel. Kiyone¡¯s swimsuit is revealed. I could see her cleavage, which was much more voluminous than I had imagined, and I could feel the heat rising in my face. ¡°Damn it, father!¡± Kiyone shouted, her face turning red as she pulled out the sword she had placed nearby. She then slashed the old man mercilessly with it. ¡°Yes! All that was missing from that blow earlier was that killing intent!¡± Blood was pouring from the forehead of the man who said that. It seems that he could not avoid it completely. What is he risking his life to teach us¡­..? However, I was suddenly curious. I felt that the old man who was laughing gaily while bleeding seemed to be straining himself somewhat. Perhaps he was trying to break the dampness caused by Scarfi¡¯s story. CH 235 Don¡¯t forget to check out my new project ¡°Teacher Caught up in Class Summoning, Repairs Mechanical Girl With Unorthodox Skills¡± Reports came in from Barmihal¡¯s intelligence unit that the Elysian Imperial Army was on the move. There was a high possibility that they would invade again, and the Swordsmen prepared for battle to defend the city. ¡°According to the reports, the enemy seems to have received reinforcements and their strength has been increased. They¡¯ve probably finished repairing Yuto¡¯s Ajura, so the battle may be tougher than the other day. I urge each of you to coordinate with your comrades and fight with caution.¡± At dad¡¯s words, everyone waiting in the magicrafts agreed. This time, the Scarfi and Kiyone clans have joined forces from the start. The enemy seems to have been strengthened, but I don¡¯t think there are many reasons for us to lose. I was standing by with my magicraft, ready to fight at any time while searching for the enemy¡¯s movements, when suddenly I received an individual communication from my dad. ¡°Yuta, Kiyone, can you hear me?¡± Apparently, it is connected to Kiyone as well and she immediately replies. ¡°What is it, Father? You¡¯re only communicating with me and Yuta¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to leave the battlefield for a while.¡± ¡°At this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a big fight, and I want to deal with Scarfi issue before it starts.¡± ¡°It would certainly be dangerous if there was a major split in the middle of a battle, but no matter what, the enemy is closing in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any enemy troops yet, so we should be good for a while. You¡¯ll be in charge while Scarfi and I are gone, Kiyone.¡± ¡°I understand. But please be quick.¡± ¡°I know. Yuta, I¡¯m counting on you too. Protect Kiyone for me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, old man? Kiyone is much stronger than I am in Namakra. I¡¯m the one who needs to be protected.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­strength is irrelevant. Since ancient times, men have always been supposed to protect women.¡± When I thought about it, it was an absurd theory, but I somehow agreed with it. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°I can take care of myself and father will probably just leave for a while. Just finish your conversation with Scarfi and return quickly.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With that, the old man¡¯s Excalibur slowly made its way toward the forest, to the east. He probably met up with Scarfi there. Kiyone took over the command of the Swordsmen as instructed by dad. Anticipating the enemy¡¯s invasion route, we entered formation and prepared for battle. The Scarfi clan also followed Kiyone¡¯s instructions honestly since their master, Scarfi, was not present. ¡°Master, what happened to the Grand Master?¡± Brunnhilde asked, noticing father¡¯s absence. ¡°He¡¯s away for a while. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Scarfi¡¯s Arondite either.¡± Tris also noticed something strange and pointed it out. ¡°They¡¯ll both be back soon. I don¡¯t see any enemies yet, so we should be fine.¡± However, Kiyone¡¯s words were quickly dismissed. ¡°Report! The troops of the Elysian Empire have invaded from the south!¡¡They number around 200 magicrafts and five ride carriers!¡± The information from Barmihal¡¯s army made the members of the Sword Clan unsettled. ¡°Master Scarfi! It¡¯s the enemy army! Where are you?¡± Scarfi¡¯s first disciple, Modred, asked his master if he was worried about the enemy attack in this situation without Excalibur and Arondite. However, there was no reply from Scarfi. ¡°Father! We¡¯re under attack! Please come back at once!¡± Kiyone also asked father, but there was no reply from him. I wonder what¡¯s wrong, neither of them even answered the communication¡­¡­. ¡°We have no choice! Neither father nor Scarfi are here, but the enemy won¡¯t wait for us! Sword Clan, all members, get into battle stance!¡± As I looked, I could see the Elysian army at the end of the southern plains. The battle was about to begin in the absence of the two large pillars of the Sword Clan. CH 236 ¡°Yuta-san, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can protect you this time.¡± Brunnhilde seemed to be calm about this situation without dad and Scarfi, and decided that her role in this battle would be significant considering the enemy¡¯s strength. Of course, I¡¯m not asking her to ignore such a current situation and protect me. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be fine on my own, so Brunnhilde can fight to her heart¡¯s content.¡± I can handle any opponent other than the three greats, despite using Namakra. I¡¯m going to do my best to be as effective as possible. The battle between Barmihal¡¯s army and Elysia¡¯s army, which had deployed troops in the front line, began. Unfortunately, it was difficult for the Barmihal army to even play the role of a wall. Immediately, the magicrafts of the Elysian army poured into the Swordsmen¡¯s group. ¡°The enemy is not infinite! Let¡¯s make sure we destroy them one by one!¡± The members of the Sword Clan respond to Kiyone¡¯s instructions. Only this time, there were neither the Scarfi nor Kiyone clans. The Sword Clan united as one against the Elysian army. In the melee, a magicraft from Elysia¡¯s army approached my Namakra. The magicraft immediately attacked me with a long spear. I avoided the spear attack and swung my sword down at the spear from above. The spear was shattered in half, and the magicraft that was holding it threw the spear away. The machine was also equipped with a sword at its waist, pulled out its sword and slashed at Namakra. I bounced the enemy¡¯s sword right above it as if to entangle it, and sliced off the head of the unarmed enemy magicraft. Something spurted out from the sliced neck, and the enemy machine fell to its knees quietly. I¡¯ll start with one¡­ Two more enemy machines attacked me. The one from the right raised its large axe and at the same time, the one from the left attacked with a two-handed sword, swinging across like a baseball bat. I saw the quality of trained soldiers in the seamless coordination of the vertical and horizontal attacks. But alas, it won¡¯t work on me now that father has trained me. I avoided the large axe attack with my footsteps and at the same time, I used my sword to repel a two-handed sword attack that came at me from the side. The enemy who swung down the large axe stopped moving, letting the axe sink into the ground. The gap after the attack was too big to compensate for the power of the big axe. I thrust my sword into the chest of the enemy holding the big axe. After pulling the sword, I swing it at the enemy with the two-handed sword. The attack was caught by the enemy, but I immediately drew my sword and delivered a second blow. The enemy was unable to react to the sword strike and Namakra¡¯s sword plunged deep into the enemy¡¯s neck. That¡¯s three¡­ I saw that Tris was struggling since was surrounded by three enemy magicrafts. I couldn¡¯t ignore them, so I decided to help. One enemy is directly attacking him with his sword and two more are coming from behind him. I ran up to the two machines with my Namakra, hit one of them with my body and slashed the other with my sword. The arm holding the sword of the enemy machine was cut off, in addition, the enemy, who had lost his balance due to the body hit, was slashed down by my sword. The enemy magicraft, which had been slashed from face to stomach, fell to the ground, letting out a sizzling sound. Tris pushed back the enemy he was facing with his sword, and then destroyed his head with a thrust. After finishing off the enemy he thanked me. ¡°Thank you for saving my life! You¡¯re amazing after all, Yuta-san!¡¡I think all three of these things were Highlanders. I can¡¯t believe you can overwhelm them with Namakra.¡± Before father taught me, it would have been difficult for me to fight a Highlander with Namakra. I felt I had grown up and thanked father in my mind. The battle seems to be evenly fought. That¡¯s probably because we haven¡¯t seen the three greats of Elysia yet. If the three of them showed up, Kiyone alone would be at an overwhelming disadvantage. ¡°Brunnhilde, Yuta, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to leave this place to you for a bit.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Father is running late, I¡¯ll go check on him now while the three greats of Elysia have yet to come out.¡± The old man is certainly too slow. Moreover, the lack of response in the communication is also worrisome. ¡°Okay, sir. I will somehow defend this place to the death.¡± Brunnhilde replied to Kiyone. Of course I agree with that. To be honest, I think it¡¯s going to be tough to fight without the three leaders of the Sword Clan. Hopefully soon, dad and Kiyone will be back¡­¡­ CH 237 The battle is evenly matched. No, it looks like we have a slight advantage. However, this is probably only temporary, as the three greats of Elysia have yet to appear. Once they appear, the war situation will change drastically. It¡¯s impossible for me to stop them alone. I decided that it would be better to go check on my father and Scarfi, even if I had to force myself to do so. Leaving the battlefield to Yuta and Brunnhilde, I headed towards the forest where my father was. Entering the forest, I looked for Excalibur and Arondite. However, what I found there was¡­¡­Elysia three greats! At the same time I spotted them, they noticed Kiku-Ichimonji. The air became tense in an instant. There was Yuto¡¯s Ajura, Rosetta¡¯s Agnia and Emesis Gaia. Of the three only Emesis had subordinates with him, but it didn¡¯t matter if they were present or not, those three alone were definitely more troublesome than dealing with a hundred enemies. The thought of the upcoming battle made my hands sweat as I gripped the control ball. The first to move was Rosetta¡¯s Agnia. She wielded a ring-shaped weapon in both hands. Then a pillar of flames came at me, the temperature of Agnia¡¯s flames melted the armor of my machine. I didn¡¯t hesitate to avoid it, however, Emesis¡¯s Gaia was waiting for me at the end of the evasion. Gaia attacked me with a large hammer. The attack was so fast that I couldn¡¯t imagine it from the size of the hammer, and my reaction was a little delayed. The hammer touched Kiku-Ichimonji¡¯s shoulder just slightly. But that was all it took for the magicraft to receive an unbelievable impact. As the hammer struck the ground further, a shockwave was transmitted and Kiku-Ichimonji was blown away as a numbing sensation hit me. I quickly adjusted my stance and prepared to counterattack but three of them moved to surround me. I stepped in hard and slashed at Rosetta¡¯s Agnia. I judged it to be the least durable of the three and easy to defeat, but the other two would not allow it. Before the sword could reach Agnia, it was caught by Yuto¡¯s Ajura. As I was pushed backward by Ajura¡¯s sword, Agnia blew out a burst of flame at Kiku Ichimonji. I avoided it, and this time I received a follow-up attack from Emesis¡¯ Gaia. His hammer gouges out the ground near Kiku Ichimonji and the earth is blown backwards. In addition, Yuto¡¯s sword strikes me while I am in a bad position. Although I managed to block the attack with my sword, I could not withstand the power of the sword strike, and Kiku Ichimonji was blown backwards. I got up to take a defensive stance, but I saw Yuto¡¯s Ajura in front of me, he was ready to attack. Oh, no! By the time I thought that, it was already too late. Ajura¡¯s sword swung out sharply and sliced off one of Kiku Ikimonji¡¯s arms. My father would not have screwed up like this¡­¡­Realizing the difference between master and disciple, I tried to find a way to get out of this predicament with one hand. It¡¯s hard to believe that a one-armed Kiku-Ichimonji can win against the three greats of Elysia. There was no other way but to flee, but none of the three machines showed the slightest sign of an opening. In order to create a gap to retreat, and ask for help from Brunnhilde¡­¡­I thought, but I sought help from a different person than the one I was thinking about. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± Yuta responded quickly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Kiyone? What¡¯s going on?¡± I hesitated to ask for help here. My pride was getting in the way. However, even though I didn¡¯t say anything, Yuta sensed something. ¡°Hold on a second! I¡¯ll be right there!¡± I recognize Yuta¡¯s ability. He¡¯s not a bad fighter, but it is also true that there is a limit to what he can do with Namakra. If I had to guess, I would say that Brunnhilde, who rides the triple Highlander¡¯s exclusive Onimaru Kunitsuna, would have been a better choice to ask for help than Yuta, but I relied on Yuta. I don¡¯t know why¡­¡­.Maybe it¡¯s because I feel a power in Yuta that is similar to my father¡¯s. CH 238 The three greats of Elysia would not wait for Yuta to come to my rescue and their relentless attacks continued. Rosetta¡¯s Agnia sprays flames to attack me but I moved out of the way to avoid the flames spreading over a wide area. Yuto¡¯s Ajura saw this and followed Kiku Ichimonji perfectly. In order to restrain Ajura¡¯s movements, I swung my sword while moving. My sword was not strong enough and it was easily flicked back. This did not slow down Ajura¡¯s pursuit, so it was meaningless. Furthermore, a large lump of earth suddenly rose up in front of me. I jumped to the side to avoid it. It seemed that he had read that move, and Emesis¡¯ Gaia was waiting for me. A large hammer is brought down and I dove to the side to avoid the powerful blow. As I avoided it, Agnia¡¯s flames rained down on me and the sound of hail hitting the roof echoed, damaging Kiku Ichimonji¡¯s body. I retreated to avoid the flaming debris, however, Yuto¡¯s Ajura pursued me. As soon as he closed the distance between us, he swung his sword horizontally and attacked. I quickly parried the powerful blow with my sword. However, I could not withstand it with my one-armed Kiku Ichimonji and the sword left my hand and was flung away. Ajura swung his sword further at the unarmed Kiku-Ichimonji and I leapt backwards to avoid the attack. I couldn¡¯t avoid it completely and my body started to feel numb from the impact. The three greats were approaching me slowly and without haste, as if thinking that the battle was already won. I won¡¯t last until Yuta arrives¡­¡­Even if Yuta arrives in time, Kiku-Ichimonji will not have the strength left to escape¡­¡­.Then Yuta, who comes to help, will be in danger. I noticed that and tried to tell him not to come to my aid but then I spotted Excalibur in the corner of the screen¡­ For a moment, I thought that father had come to my rescue, but Excalibur was just standing there. Father was not on it, I knew that right away. It¡¯s abnormal for him to be out of his magicraft in this situation. In addition, I can¡¯t see Scarfi¡¯s Arondite, who is supposed to be with him. My heart palpitated violently and my anxiety was spreading¡­.An unpleasant sensation filled my mind. Something has happened to father, something so serious that he couldn¡¯t even get on his magicraft. I wanted to rush over there right away. However, the three greats would not let me do so. I was about to give up halfway through, but I couldn¡¯t just let them take me down. I decided to get up and make a last ditch effort. Perhaps thinking that I had already lost the will to move, they showed some agitation when they saw Kiku Ichimonji standing up. But it was only for a moment, and they immediately moved to finish me off. I could barely avoid the blow of Emesis¡¯ Gaia hammer, but I couldn¡¯t even react to Yuto¡¯s Ajura sword. Ajura¡¯s sword easily cut off Kiku Ichimonji¡¯s leg. Losing one of his legs, Kiku Ichimonji lost his balance and fell to the ground. Rosetta¡¯s flames sprayed on it and the high temperature gradually melted down Kiku Ichimonji armor. I escaped from the flames by rolling away but Gaia kicked me with no mercy. In addition, the hammer struck the lower half of the Kiku Ichimonji violently. The blow deformed half of his body into a squishy shape, and he was no longer able to stand up. It¡¯s over. Just as I thought this, I heard Yuta¡¯s voice. ¡°Kiyone! Are you okay?¡± At the same time, Namakra leaped in front of the three greats. ¡°Yuta!¡± The little Namakra holds his sword up to Yuto¡¯s Ajura. It was a small machine, but to me it looked big. CH 239 I felt a sense of urgency in Kiyone¡¯s communication. Apparently, she had some kind of strange pride, and although she didn¡¯t say it clearly, she seemed to be in a very bad situation. The battle situation over here has been fierce with a lot of melee fighting going on, but with the three greats of the Elysian Empire not here, the loss of me alone will have no effect on the battle situation. Namakra quickly made his way to the forest where dad and Kiyone had gone. Kiyone¡¯s situation was worse than I had expected. Or perhaps I should say the worst. Kiyone¡¯s Kiku-Ichimonji had lost one arm and one leg. The lower half of the fuselage was torn to shreds. There was damage here and there, and it didn¡¯t look like she could move. It was the three greats of the Elysian Empire who had driven Kiyone to that point and were now about to finish off Kiku Ichimonji. ¡°Kiyone! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yuta!¡± Thank God, there was a reply. Relieved to see that she was alive, I jumped in front of Kiku Ichimonji with my Namakra. With the obvious difference in performance, the three greats were not wary of Namakra. I wondered if I had a chance to win if I exploited the gap in their minds that there was no way they could lose. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuta! My father¡¯s Excalibur is¡­¡­not in sight, nor is my father¡¯s or Scarfi¡­¡­I can¡¯t move Kiku Ichimonji anymore, so I am going to abandon the magicraft and go to my father!¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take care of this, Kiyone can go to dad!¡± I need to at least buy Kiyone time to get out of Kiku Ichimonji. I hold up my sword to intimidate the three greats. ¡°Hahahaha~ This is just too funny!¡¡It looks like he¡¯s really trying to fight the three of us. Oh yeah, I remember now. This is the guy who scratched my Gaia in the last fight. Looks like I gave him the wrong impression.¡± ¡°Emesis, don¡¯t let your guard down. Even though he¡¯s on a magicraft like this, he¡¯s definitely a member of the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let my guard down. I¡¯m only here to repay you for that time.¡± I put my energy and concentration into my sword and released it. ¡°Flash!¡± The blow aimed at Emesis¡¯ Gaia abdomen, he didn¡¯t dodge and a piece of metal flew off, creating a gash in Gaia abdomen. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s it. I almost forgot! You¡¯ve done it not once, but twice!¡± Gaia counterattacked with a large hammer. It would be reckless to take this with a sword. I leaped to the side to avoid it. Agnia¡¯s flames attacked me as I tried to avoid the hammer. I¡¯m not going to allow the flames that could easily melt Namakra¡¯s armor to touch me so I leapt further and rolled to avoid them. But there was Yuto¡¯s Ajura waiting for me. Ajura attacked with an irregular uppercut-like technique but I blocked it with my sword. I also felt a heavy thud, but I managed to take it. Yuto also pushed his sword and tried to overpower Namakra. I could hear the creaking sound of the magicraft. It¡¯s impossible for Namakra to resist with its strength so I drew my sword and stepped back. Then I aimed for the moment when Ajura stepped in and came at me. I saved my energy and released it all at once. I wouldn¡¯t get many chances so I wanted to defeat Ajura with this one blow. ¡°Flash!¡± But the moment I put my mind to it, I heard a buzzing sound, and my body became weak. It was difficult for me to stand, let alone wield a sword. Even though they were in the middle of a battle, something in Namakra¡¯s body seemed to have broken.¡­ With Namakra barely able to stand, there was no way I could compete with the three greats. The head of the Namakra was cut off by a swing of Yuto¡¯s Ajura sword, then blasted by Gaia¡¯s hammer, and finally burned by Agnia¡¯s flames. The heat from Agnia¡¯s flames could be felt inside the cockpit. As I began to fear that I was going to be burned to death, the flames seemed to subside and the temperature dropped. I couldn¡¯t see what was going on around me because my head was destroyed, but it seemed that they didn¡¯t want to further attack Namakra. The heat from the burning flames seemed to have cooled down and I decided to go outside. CH 240 I stepped out of the tattered Namakra and looked around. It seemed that the three greats had disappeared. Perhaps they have moved to the battlefield where the Elysian army and the Swordsmen are fighting. Remembering Kiyone¡¯s words, I was worried about dad. I was also curious about the battlefield where the three greats were headed, but there was nothing I could do about it in my current state without my magicraft. For now, I decided to head in the direction Kiyone went. As I made my way through the forest, I soon caught sight of Excalibur. Thinking that Kiyone was probably headed there as well, I quickened my steps and hurried ahead. The hatch of Excalibur was open. I looked into the cockpit and saw Kiyone there, examining something. Since dad was not there, she checked around Excalibur, but could not find him. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone noticed me and called out my name with a dubious expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t dad around?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no warmth in the seat, so it looks like he¡¯s been out of Excalibur for some time.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it means he didn¡¯t go out for just a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I left the battle against the three greats to one person, Yuta¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, it was still too hard for Namakra to compete with the three greats.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­if I didn¡¯t get beat up¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, even if it was the two of us, there was a limit to what I could do with Namakra. It would have been hard against the three greats.¡± ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be around here anymore, probably headed for the battlefield between the Elysian Empire and the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we need to hurry up and find father¡­¡­.Even the Sword Clan won¡¯t last long against the three greats. Fortunately, Excalibur is still well, and with father, we can manage.¡± Kiyone¡¯s absolute trust in her father can be seen. It is true that even against the three greats dad will be able to handle it. ¡°But I don¡¯t know where dad is¡­¡­.Let¡¯s just look around.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone and I started searching around Excalibur, we then split into two groups and searched the area. Kiyone found traces in an open area some distance from Excalibur. I ran to the spot. ¡°Footprints of a different magicraft than Excalibur¡­¡­I think these are from Scarfi¡¯s Arondite.¡± ¡°I knew father and Scarfi had met. If that¡¯s the case, how come I can¡¯t see Scarfi, or even Arondite?¡± ¡°I think it means Scarfi¡¯s not around here anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­¡­.What the hell is going on?¡± I gave up trying to predict the situation and looked around further. If I could find the old man, I would know why. Kiyone seemed to have the same idea and began to examine the area in silence. ¡°Yuta!¡± Kiyone, who was investigating a place a little further in from Arondite¡¯s trail, called me with a sad tone. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Look at this¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone pointed to a red liquid on a leaf. ¡°Is it blood?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­give me a break¡­..¡± Just because blood was found doesn¡¯t mean it was father¡¯s. But the bad feeling was getting stronger and stronger. My heart started to beat faster, and my imagination started to go wild. ¡°The trail of blood continues¡­¡­¡± Kiyone and I followed the trail. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please. However, that wish did not come true. The further I got along the trail of blood, the more disgusting the smell became. Then, after scrambling through the trees, I arrived at a rocky place where I found father. The area around him was a pool of bright red blood. The moment I saw him, I felt a chill run down my spine. I was so shocked that I could not speak and Kiyone seemed to be in the same state as me. CH 241 ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Father!¡± After a long period of silence, I finally spoke up and ran up to father. Perhaps he heard me and Kiyone, but he reacted a little. He¡¯s alive! I had been despairing from the impact of his appearance, but now that I knew he was still alive, I felt a surge of hope. I slowly picked up my. Kiyone brought her face close to dad¡¯s and spoke to him. ¡°Yo¡­¡­yo¡­¡­Kiyone¡­¡­and Yuta with you, too¡­¡­just wanted to talk to you two.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to report that¡­¡­Scarfi and I had a serious match, and¡­¡­he landed a brilliant blow¡­When did he grow up like that¡­.?¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­father! A serious match¡­¡­a brilliant one¡­¡­what are you talking about!¡± Kiyone said in a hushed tone, as if she had doubts about father¡¯s words. ¡°If it¡¯s¡­¡­then why is father¡¯s scar on his back? In a serious match, no matter how many spectacular techniques you receive, there is no way you would show your back!¡± As Kiyone had said, dad¡¯s sword wound was on his back. It would be impossible for my father to be attacked in the back in a serious match. ¡°Nothing makes me happier than the growth of my apprentice¡­¡­.Scarfi has a difficult heart, but he¡¯s grown up beautifully¡­¡­¡± The old man didn¡¯t answer Kiyone¡¯s question, but talked nonchalantly about Scarfi. He seemed to have lost a lot of blood and was in a daze. The memory of the serious match might be a false one, created by his dazed consciousness. Either way, it¡¯s not safe to go on like this. We need to get him into a medical capsule right away¡­¡­. ¡°Kiyone, let¡¯s carry father to Musashi.¡± As I said this, I put father on his back. Kiyone nodded deeply and supported him from behind. ¡°Then let¡¯s use Excalibur¡¯s communications to have someone come and get us.¡± Kiyone said as she walked over to Excalibur. ¡°No, we¡¯ll never make it. Let¡¯s take Excalibur and go straight to Musashi.¡± ¡°Yuta, Excalibur¡¯s activation Ludia value is 50,000. I¡¯m sorry, but even I can¡¯t move it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take care of Excalibur. Kiyone, hold the wound and stop the bleeding.¡± Kiyone looked surprised when I said that. Then she asked me, ¡°Yuta¡­¡­how high is your Ludia value?¡± ¡°Over a million. There¡¯s no magicraft I can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Damn, did father know about that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told father.¡± When I said that, Kiyone burst into ragged tears and began to cry. When I couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong, she said, ¡°Maybe father asked you to protect me because he really wanted you to protect me, regardless of¡­¡­gender. I think father knew this would happen¡­¡­so he thought about what would come after he was gone¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Kiyone! Dad¡¯s not dead yet!¡± Dad¡¯s still alive. I have no intention of giving up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone apologized with more tears streaming down her face. ¡°Just talk to father. He¡¯s in danger of losing consciousness!¡± Kiyone stopped the bleeding and talked to father, that¡¯s how we managed to get to Excalibur. The two of us carried father into the cockpit of Excalibur. Kiyone held the old man next to the seat so that he wouldn¡¯t move. She was talking to him while continuing to stop the bleeding. I sat down in the pilot seat and placed my hand on the control ball of Excalibur. A high-pitched squeal sounded, and power was supplied to the equipment in the cockpit. ¡°Kiyone, let¡¯s go! Hold on to father!¡± Kiyone nodded silently. Perhaps sensing that his master was in danger, Excalibur stood up vigorously and responded to my feelings. It¡¯s okay¡­¡­.If we can get him to the medical capsule, he¡¯ll definitely survive. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. CH 242 ¡°Elysia¡¯s Yuto¡­¡­is too strong! Sword Saint, Sword King, and Sword Emperor¡­¡­how come none of the three greats of the Sword Clan are here! I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± I can hear the grief-stricken screams from the communication of the Sword Clan. It seems that Elysia¡¯s three greats are running rampant on the battlefield, and many members of the Sword Clan have been defeated. ¡°Master! Master Scarfi! Where are you! We¡¯re completely surrounded!¡­¡­Please help us, Master! Aaaaah!¡± That was the voice of Modred of the Scarfi clan¡­¡­.Doesn¡¯t Scarfi think anything of his own disciples being defeated? ¡°I¡¯ll have to challenge the three greats to a single battle¡­¡­.My name is the Sword King¡¯s first disciple, Diablo! Let¡¯s do this the hard way!¡± That was Diablo¡¯s last communication. He had probably been defeated by one of the three greats. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°Teppei! You can¡¯t run!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve still got things to do!¡± It seems that Teppei has escaped from the battlefield. I don¡¯t like the idea of him abandoning his friends and running away, but I don¡¯t blame him. Everyone has the right to protect their own life. After passing through the forest, I could see the battlefield where the Elysian Empire and the Sword Clan were fighting. At a quick glance, it was obvious that the Elysian Empire had the upper hand, and the Swordsmen were overwhelmed in terms of both quantity and strength. There were about a dozen or so survivors of the Sword Clan, and Bokuden and Kagehisa had already been destroyed. The survivors of the Sword Clan had gathered around Musashi and were making their last stand. ¡°Stick ¡­¡­everyone¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone looks at the situation and is distressed. She was frustrated that she couldn¡¯t do anything to help her friends in their time of need. There are more than a hundred enemies, plus the three greats of Elysia and now¡¯s not the time to fight. My first priority is to get dad to Musashi¡­¡­. The enemy machines seem to have noticed that Excalibur has appeared and swarmed towards me. I was worried about father¡¯s condition and annoyed at being interrupted in my haste. I couldn¡¯t help but scream. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± I swung my sword angrily and with a single strike several magicrafts were shattered. ¡°Get out of the way! I¡¯m in a hurry!¡± A violent horizontal flash of the sword cut in half the enemy who was blocking the way in front. But at that time, a bang resounded in the cockpit. ¡°Yuta!!!¡± A powerful voice called out to me. The owner of the voice was a dad. ¡°Dad¡­¡­¡± ¡°When did I ever teach you to use such a foul sword? Anger amplifies power, but dulls skill. If you want to be strong, stay calm! Ugh! ¡®m not saying don¡¯t get angry, but you have to control it¡­¡­.Cough!¡± When he finishes saying that, dad coughs up a lot of blood. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­Ki¡­¡­Kiyone¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­I¡¯m a dumb parent¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Father! Take care of yourself!¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­please¡­¡­once again protect Kiyone¡­¡­she¡¯s my precious¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Dad, don¡¯t die! You can protect your own daughter!¡± ¡°Father! Father! Yuta! Please hurry!¡± ¡°I know!¡± I headed for Musashi in a straight line. More enemy magicrafts approached, but I cut them down as I ran, never stopping my hurrying feet. ¡°Grand Master! Everyone, the Grand Master is here!¡± At the sight of Excalibur, the members of the Sword Clan shouted with joy. This changed the atmosphere of the battlefield. The riders of the Sword Clan regained their energy and began to move better. There was no way that the three greats would stand idly by as Excalibur made his appearance. Gaia stood in the way, blocking his path. Agnia approached Excalibur from the left and Ajura from the right. My frustration peaked at the intrusion, but the old man¡¯s words from earlier came back to haunt me. Rather than suppressing my anger, I kept a level head, understanding it. CH 243 ¡°Damn it, Sword Saint, how are you still alive!¡± Emesis asked this over the external output sound. What these words meant was that the enemy knew that dad had been defeated by Scarfi. There was a possibility that Scarfi and the enemy had been in cahoots. However, there is no time to pry into the enemy¡¯s intentions here. I¡¯m well aware of how well the three greats work together. I believe that their individual strength cannot be underestimated. But right now, no matter who they are, I don¡¯t want to take the time to fight them. Feeling a sense of urgency and anger towards Scarfi and the enemy, I calmly watched their movements. As I expected, the three greats did not attack carelessly against Excalibur, but Rosetta¡¯s Agnia was the first to move. Agnia launched a flaming strike. The swirling flames attacked Excalibur. It¡¯s not worth the time to avoid it, so I swung my sword and slash the flames. The swirling flames split in half and dissipated as if melting into the air. ¡°Ugh, no way!¡± Ignoring Rosetta¡¯s surprised reaction, I moved on. Seeing Emesis¡¯ hammer swing up, I spin my body around to approach Gaia. I don¡¯t want to wait for him to swing the hammer down. I concentrate my energy and swing my sword at the raised hammer, releasing a shockwave. The sharp mass of air sliced through the solid hammer and blew it away. ¡°Ggh!¡± Emesis seems to be unable to hide his agitation as his hammer is destroyed. Yuto moved to take advantage of the opening of my attack on Gaia. He stepped in sharply to close the gap with Excalibur, and then he attacked, with his sword. I slammed my sword back with all my strength. Yuto¡¯s Ajura, perhaps misjudging the power of the sword strike from Excalibur, was sent flying backwards. I¡¯m sorry, but I have to finish¡­ I took a step forward and flashed my sword at Gaia, who was stunned by the shattering of the hammer. The thick armor of Gaia was easily sliced through, and it blew out something that looked like steam. Gaia stopped and fell back like a toy doll that had run out of batteries. As soon as Gaia was defeated, I closed the gap with Agnia, who was about to unleash a flame strike again. Agnia hurriedly shot flames at Excalibur but I took a step forward without paying attention to the flames and swung my sword at Agnia. Agnia¡¯s head was blown off by the sword strike and the magicraft slowly fell forward. Yuto didn¡¯t seem to be upset that Rosetta and Emesis were defeated. Slowly, he readied his sword to engage Excalibur. It is obvious that there is no gap between the two, and there is no denying that he is the strongest person I have ever fought¡­¡­but¡­¡­ It¡¯s not a bad idea to cross swords with the continent¡¯s strongest at leisure, but for now I¡¯ll refrain. I¡¯ll be concentrating on the greatest¡­..sword that can slaughter Yuto¡¯s Ajura with a single blow¡­¡­.One Flash is not enough¡­¡­.If one is not enough, make it ten. It was a simple idea, but it gave me an idea of the technique. I¡¯m not sure what to do, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a good idea. It was a simple idea, but I was able to visualize the technique and released all the energy that I had accumulated. ¡°Ten Flashes!¡± To Yuto, it might have looked as if Excalibur¡¯s sword had disappeared and Ajura did not move an inch. As soon as Excalibur raised his sword, ten rays of light shot towards Ajura. His arms and head slashed off, his torso was instantly replaced by rags, and his legs disintegrated as he crumbled. Seeing the continent¡¯s strongest being defeated so easily, the Elysian army began to panic. The three greats must be very significant to the enemy. Some of them ran away, others collapsed on the spot. In this short battle, the enemy had completely lost their will to fight. It didn¡¯t matter what the enemy did, I ignored them and headed for Musashi. CH 244 It was only after it had already been carried out that I heard from Emesis that the Sword Saint was going to be deceived and killed. I was even more surprised when I heard that the person who carried out the deception was the Sword Saint¡¯s disciple, Sword King Scarfi, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. ¡°Is that the end of the charade?¡± ¡°Oh, the Sword Saint is no longer with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to be proud of, but I guess it¡¯s war¡­¡­.So what¡¯s Scarfi going to do now that he¡¯s tricked the Sword Saint?¡± ¡°He wishes to serve Elysia under the terms of the Highest Rider. He is one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. The upper echelons of Elysia¡¯s military will not turn him down.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d want to get along with someone who would kill his own teacher and then turn on the enemy, but that¡¯s the way of the warring states¡­¡­.So what are you up to now?¡± ¡°Even such a traitor seems unwilling to fight his own disciples, and has refused to participate in this battle.¡± ¡°I see he still has some humanity left in him.¡± ¡°So, Emesis. I understand about the assassination of the Sword Saint, but can you tell me why the three of us are waiting here?¡± As Rosetta said, me, Emesis and her were waiting in the forest a little far from the battlefield. ¡°The Sword Saint was killed deep in the woods up ahead. If someone from the Sword Clan came to save him, we were going to block their rescue, but it looks like no one came.¡± After Emesis¡¯ explanation, Rosetta noticed something and said, ¡°No¡­¡­I think we caught a big one.¡± When I looked, I saw that one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, Kiyone¡¯s magicraft, Kiku Ichimonji, was coming this way. A big one, indeed¡­¡­The Sword Saint has been killed and the Sword King has disappeared. If we can defeat the Sword Emperor here, there will be no more opponents in the Sword Clan to fear. As expected of the Sword Emperor, even the three of us, myself, Rosetta, and Emesis, were not able to defeat her easily. However, we still managed to disable Kiku Ichimonji in the end. I approached Kiku Ichimonji to finish it off, but a new enemy interfered with that. It was a small magicraft that looked more like a civilian than a fighting machine. The little magicraft held its sword up to the three of us. I can feel a strange energy coming from that simple machine that is not designed for combat. This is a sign that I sense from the strong¡­¡­. ¡°Hahahaha~ This is just too funny! It looks like he¡¯s really trying to fight the three of us. Oh yeah, I remember now. This is the guy who scratched my Gaia in the last fight. Looks like I gave him the wrong idea.¡± ¡°Emesis. Don¡¯t let your guard down. Even though he¡¯s on this plane, he¡¯s definitely a member of the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let my guard down. I¡¯m only here to repay you for that time.¡± The battle began, and at first I was wary because of the presence of a strong man and the fact that Emesis¡¯ Gaia had been damaged, but it seemed I was imagining things. It seemed to have the fighting power of a Highlander, but it was no match for us and we quickly destroyed it. ¡°Rosetta. I¡¯ll leave you to it. We need to get to the battlefield soon, because without the three of us, the battle situation is very delicate.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s no fun burning trash.¡± With that, she turned off the flame. Both sides had fought well on the battlefield. But that was only until the three of us arrived. Without the Sword Saint, the Sword King, and the Sword Emperor, there was no way for even the most powerful group of Swordsmen to resist and we defeated them one after another. I had sunk two of the three enemy ride-carriers and also destroyed most of the enemy magicrafts. Just when I thought victory was assured, the Sword Saint¡¯s Excalibur made its appearance. ¡°Emesis! That¡¯s not what you said! The Sword Saint is alive and well!¡± ¡°That idiot¡­..said he took care of him properly¡­¡­.¡± Without a doubt, the Sword Saint is still alive and well, and the magicrafts on our side are being destroyed one after another. I can¡¯t just ignore that Sword Saint like this. I, Rosetta, and Emesis approached Excalibur to surround it. Not satisfied with the situation, Emesis leapt in front of Excalibur and shouted, ¡°Sword Saint, why are you still alive?¡± Of course, there was no reply to those words. Either way, our greatest enemy was right in front of us. The three of us faced off against the Sword Saint. Perhaps it was because I had been defeated once before, but I felt tremendous pressure from Excalibur. I felt a tightening in my chest, and my breathing became irregular. First, Rosetta made her move. She attacked with her signature flame strike, but to her surprise, Excalibur sliced through Agnia¡¯s flames. He also crushed the hammer that Gaia raised to attack with a strange technique. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± I was surprised too, but I thought now was a good time to attack. I closed the gap between me and Excalibur, and then I swung my sword up from the bottom and tried to slash it down. However, Ajura and I were blown away by a numbing sensation as if we had been struck by a meteor. I knew when I touched it, but I felt unbelievable power. I¡¯ve never experienced power like this before¡­¡­.I feel something from Excalibur that is even more powerful than the Sword Saint that I¡¯ve fought once. In one blow Gaia was destroyed and in another breath or 2 Agnia also fell prey to that powerful strike. I need to calm down¡­¡­calmly¡­¡­no matter how skilled the Sword Saint is, I should be able to win¡­¡­find an opening¡­¡­and focus on Ludia¡­¡­. As I looked, I saw that Excalibur had already drawn his sword. By the time I noticed it, it was too late, and a powerful impact hit me. I could feel that Ajura was being broken into pieces. It was as if he had been caught in a tornado, and there was nothing I could do about the incomprehensible impact. What the hell¡­¡­is this¡­¡­what happened¡­¡­what was I fighting¡­¡­ When the shock subsided, Ajura stopped moving. CH 245 ¡°Somewhere in the back of my mind I didn¡¯t believe that your Ludia value was over a million, but after seeing this fight, I have to believe it.¡± Kiyone gave her impressions of the battle with the three greats. I was curious if the violent movements of the battle had affected father. ¡°Anyway, is my okay?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s¡­¡­unconscious, but he¡¯s still breathing slightly¡­¡­.It¡¯s okay¡­¡­.We¡¯ll make it!¡± Kiyone said to herself. Then, as if she remembered, she began to give instructions to Musashi by communication. ¡°This is Kiyone. Musashi, can you hear me? I¡¯m returning to the ship with Excalibur. We have a wounded man, please prepare the medical capsule immediately.¡± Now we can get dad into the medical capsule as soon as we return to the Musashi. I thank Kiyone for her tactfulness. When I entered the hangar, I saw the medical staff waiting for me, ready to receive dad. I parked Excalibur as close to the staff as possible and hurriedly opened the hatch. When the hatch opened, several medical staff rushed in. ¡°Grand Master! Is the injured man Grand Master?¡± ¡°Yes, he is. Quickly, into the medical capsule!¡± The staff was surprised to see dad so badly injured. Kiyone pushed down her emotions and calmly gave instructions. Dad was immediately carried out and placed in a medical capsule. Treatment was started in the emergency recovery mode, a mode for seriously injured patients. However, the medical staff looked impatient as they watched the instruments and repeated the start procedure over and over again. ¡°How is father doing¡­¡­?¡± Kiyone asked, worried. The medical staff replied, sweat pouring down their foreheads. ¡°His vital signs are shutting down¡­¡­.Recovery mode seems to be having no effect.¡± The moment I heard that, my heart felt like it was going to burst. Kiyone¡¯s face turned pale and she started to shake a little. ¡°Activate recovery mode again! He was breathing a moment ago!¡± The medical staff operated the medical capsule again and again as they were told. However, the reaction seemed to be the same and the staff¡¯s expressions did not change. ¡°Please! He can still be saved! Father won¡¯t die from something like this!¡± ¡°Miss Kiyone. I¡¯m sorry, but Master Veft is deceased. There is no resuscitation function in the medical capsule. So he will not be able to recover¡­¡­¡± ¡°No! Father! Father! I¡¯m still inexperienced, please teach me! Father!¡± As much as I wanted to cheer up the crying Kiyone, the damage to me was also quite severe. My grief had created a sense of weakness and lethargy, and I was in a state of complete abandonment. If only I had hurried a little¡­¡­more, regret was the only thing flooding my mind. Why did you die, old man?¡­¡­Tell me more things about me¡­¡­.Don¡¯t die so easily¡­¡­. Why do people die in the first place? There are some people who live so long without dying, like Rafishal¡­¡­.It¡¯s strange that the slender Rafishal doesn¡¯t die, but the strong old man died quickly!¡­¡­Wait a minute. If he¡¯s so strong that he can make himself immortal, maybe he can revive dad¡­¡­. ¡°Can I ask you something? I know you said the medical capsule doesn¡¯t have a reanimation function, but does it have a function to keep the body intact?¡± I asked the woman from the medical staff. Even if I were to ask Rafishal to revive him, I was concerned about the condition of the corpse. ¡°Yes. In Eternal Sleep mode, the body can be kept in the same state as when it died, semi-permanently. Some partners who are very attached to the dead want to keep them in this mode and have them buried with them after their death.¡± ¡°Then I want you to put father in permanent sleep mode immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Yes, sir.¡± I said to Kiyone, who was still crying. ¡°Kiyone, don¡¯t cry. There¡¯s still a chance we can save dad!¡± Kiyone¡¯s expression changed at my words. ¡°What do you mean, Yuta? Father is already¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a guy in my group who¡¯s really smart. He knows a lot about life, and he might be able to revive him.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± ¡°Yeah, he was capable of making himself immortal, so that¡¯s pretty promising.¡± When Kiyone heard this, she stopped crying for a moment, but then immediately began to shed tears again. CH 246 The entire Elysian army retreated while I was taking dad to Musashi. With the three greats defeated, they won¡¯t have the strength or energy to fight for a while. However, the damage to the Sword Clan was tremendous. Especially Scarfi¡¯s clan, many riders lost their lives. What would Scarfi think when he saw this result? Does he know that his own disciples had been scattered so cruelly? The survivors of the Sword Clan were told of the death of the Sword Saint Veft. Everyone listened to it with a complicated expression. The members of the Sword Clan, whether they were from Kiyone¡¯s clan or Scarfi¡¯s clan, had all joined because of their admiration for the old man. Their disappointment was unbearable to watch. Kiyone and I talked about the possibility of dad¡¯s resuscitation and decided not to tell them. It wasn¡¯t a sure thing, and if I let her get their hopes up too high, they would be even more disappointed if it didn¡¯t work out. Furthermore, Kiyone had a big decision to make. ¡°I¡¯m disbanding the Sword Clan!¡± ¡°Are you serious, Kiyone?¡± ¡°Yes. The Sword Clan was established as a place for those who adored my father. Now that father is gone, it has no meaning or significance.¡± ¡°But he might come back to life, you know.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t involve everyone in that expectation. Besides, I¡¯m going to be acting on my own personal feelings from now on. I can¡¯t ask you to follow that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You mean Scarfi?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll avenge my father¡¯s death, but more than that, I can¡¯t forgive what he did to my own disciples! I will make sure he gets what he deserves!¡± I feel the same way about Scarfi, but I can¡¯t make the same decision as Kiyone. That¡¯s why I felt a strong will from Kiyone. Immediately, the members of the Sword Clan were told of the dissolution. Everyone was confused at first, but they accepted the news without saying a word, as they were still very disappointed by father¡¯s death. However, there were those who refused to leave Kiyone even though the Sword Clan was gone. Br¨¹nnhilde, Tris, and a few of Kiyone¡¯s disciples chose to stay with her. ¡°Master! I¡¯ll follow you, Master!¡± ¡°I have no intention of leaving either.¡± She was a little troubled, but I think she was really happy with their words. In the end, she accepted them. Kiyone cashed in all of the Sword Clan¡¯s assets, with the exception of Musashi and a few magicrafts. The money was then distributed among all the surviving members of the group. The amount was enough to live on for the rest of their lives if they didn¡¯t spend extravagantly. The members of the group must have had mixed feelings about this, but they seemed to be somewhat relieved. Kiyone also wanted to share the money with me, but I politely refused, as I could not take it. ¡°In order to revive dad, I need to join up with the Iron Knights, but the only countries or organizations that share communications are the Amurian Union and the Kingdom of Meltaria.¡± ¡°I understand. From here, the Amurian Union is closer, so let¡¯s head that way.¡± If we can get to the Amurian Union, Nagisa and Ranelle will be there to help us. I don¡¯t know where the Iron Knights are now, but I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before they join up with us.¡± ¡°Grand Master is going to come back to life!¡± On the way to Amuria, I talked to the remaining members about the possibility of reviving dad. As expected, Brunnhilde and the others reacted with surprise and joy. ¡°So Br¨¹nnhilde. It means there¡¯s that possibility¡­¡­¡± ¡°But if he really does come back to life, then we can revive the Sword Clan.¡± Tris continued to talk happily. ¡°Tris don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. It¡¯s like Kiyone said, it¡¯s only a possibility.¡± Even though I warned him, Tris didn¡¯t change his happy expression. I guess he was very happy to have hope. CH 247 Ajura was wrecked and no longer moving. I escaped from the cockpit and went outside. I watched the back of Excalibur as it left, stunned. I was completely defeated. I was reminded of how powerless I was. What is the strongest on the continent¡­¡­? But then again, is that Excalibur rider really the Sword Saint?¡¡It was the second time I fought him, but my impression was completely different. In the first fight, I felt an incomparably strong man. In this fight, I got the impression that I was fighting a monster from a different dimension. ¡°Yuto!¡± The one who approached me was Rosetta, who, like me, had lost her beloved machine. She seemed to have injured her arm and was using her left arm to protect her right arm. ¡°Rosetta. Are you alright?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with Excalibur¡¯s unbelievable strength¡­..?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it came back from the afterlife and powered up.¡± ¡°If he sold his soul to the King of the Underworld, I can understand why he¡¯s so powerful.¡± She said this with a bitter smile. The morale of the Elysian army dropped drastically after we, the three greats, were defeated. The possibility of total annihilation crossed my mind, but for some reason Excalibur did not continue the battle and returned to his ride carrier. Now that Excalibur was out of the way, we could at least recover our morale and retreat. I gave instructions to the nearby allied magicrafts and ordered all troops to retreat. The confused allies became calm with my instructions and followed my orders. As Excalibur returned to the ship immediately, the enemy forces, which were at a numerical disadvantage, did not attack aggressively. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I survived fighting a monster like that.¡± Emesis, who was recovered from the wrecked Gaia, seems to be in better health than I expected. He¡¯s not injured and unlike me, he doesn¡¯t seem to be in shock over his defeat. ¡°So, Yuto. What are you going to do now?¡± Rosetta asked me, but I couldn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, Emesis expressed his opinion. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can stop the Nitro Project. Let¡¯s go join Rafishal faction.¡± Don¡¯t you have any pride? You can¡¯t just wag your tail to that shady Rafishal now.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t live on pride alone. And with today¡¯s defeat, don¡¯t you feel that times are changing? Monsters like the Nitro Corps and today¡¯s Excalibur are beings that defy conventional wisdom¡­¡­.Our time is over. I¡¯m not going to be left behind in the old days. I¡¯m going to use Nitro Ludia to be at the center of the next era.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my body to be altered for the sake of it.¡± ¡°Alter? Nitro Ludia does not alter your body. It only releases your hidden power. There¡¯s nothing wrong with drawing out the power you¡¯re not using.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Emesis. Let me ask you something¡­¡­.You said you were getting close to the Rafishal faction to get information, but you¡¯re really not, are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a man with good instincts. That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve been with the Rafishal faction since the beginning, and I¡¯ve been on board with this plan without telling you so that I could keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been playing me for a fool. Well, I¡¯m not going to say anything about it now that I¡¯ve been defeated like this¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you say, Rosetta? Why don¡¯t you use Nitro Ludia to unleash your hidden power? You won¡¯t have to suffer this kind of defeat anymore.¡± ¡°So, Nitro Ludia isn¡¯t really going to modify my body?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s not an alteration. It¡¯s just an awakening.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I believe that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me. You just need to use me.¡± ¡°Yuto. You keep quiet, but what do you think?¡± Nitro Ludia. It seems certain that there will be a significant power increase, but¡­¡­after the defeat, my feelings are weakened, or perhaps I found the story of Emesis fascinating. Becoming the strongest on the continent again¡­¡­. ¡°Emesis, you¡¯re sure it¡¯s not a modification, just an awakening? If that¡¯s not true, I¡¯ll never forgive you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯d bet my life on it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­would be nice. I¡¯ll join you in the Nitro Project.¡± I feel like I can¡¯t turn back now. But I don¡¯t want to go back to the way I was. It takes strength to maintain a confident self¡­¡­. CH 248 It¡¯s been ten days since we left to search for Yuta, and although we¡¯ve been through a lot along the way, we¡¯ve finally been able to meet up with the Iron Knights. ¡°Nagisa, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you. The right side of the hangar is empty, so take the ride hover there.¡± A red magicraft of the Iron Knights came to pick me up and the rider was someone named Alana, I think. I followed her lead and entered the hangar of Fugaku, the ride carrier of the Iron Knights. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± As soon as I entered the hangar, I went outside and greeted the people from the Iron Knights who welcomed me. There were about ten people who greeted me, and they seemed to be very welcoming. ¡°You¡¯re here. We¡¯ve all been waiting for you.¡± Alana said with a smile. ¡°Nagisa! I heard that Nagisa can find Yuta! Let¡¯s hurry up and go look for him!¡± That¡¯s what a girl of elementary school age said to me with great vigor. I think it was Nanami. She pulled on my arm and said that we should go look for Yuta right away. ¡°Nanami, don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. Just because we¡¯re childhood friends doesn¡¯t mean I can do that.¡± Linnecarlo, she is one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. Since the last time I met her, she seemed to have a strong feeling towards me. I¡¯m not sure what to make of it. ¡°Hey, you guys. Let¡¯s leave the search for Yuta for tomorrow and let her rest today. She¡¯s probably tired from the long trip.¡± The one who said this out of concern for us was a man named Jean. I heard that he was the commander who led the Emou army in the last battle and played a very active role, but he is still a decent man. ¡°Thank you. Mr. Jean.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡± Mr¡±. I¡¯ll call you Nagisa, so you can call me Jean too.¡± ¡°Yes. So, Jean. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but how is the search for Yuta going?¡± Even though I was going to take the day off, I was still curious about what was going on, so I asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Yuta is still alive. We¡¯ve been going over every branch of the current that Yuta could have been swallowed by. And finally, three days ago, we were able to find the cockpit of Arleo. Since Yuta¡¯s body was not found there, he is definitely alive.¡± I was relieved to hear that. I was so relieved that I felt my body relax. ¡°He¡¯s probably hanging around somewhere in good spirits, but with no money or acquaintances, he might have a hard time getting around. There¡¯s no country around here that has diplomatic relations with Amuria or Meltaria, so he¡¯s probably just stuck in the middle of nowhere.¡± I nodded deeply at Jean¡¯s words. ¡°If he¡¯s alive, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well. Yuta can adapt to any environment.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡± Thank God¡­¡­Yuta is absolutely safe. I was deeply relieved. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. ¡°Are you also a magicraft rider?¡± Himari asked, looking at Nanami. She was probably interested to see a girl her age riding a magicraft. ¡°That¡¯s right. Nanami¡¯s machine is the golden magicraft over there.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re almost as old as me. Can you show me the inside of the machine?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll show you. Come with me, Farma.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nanami invited the beastly girl to join her, and the three of them made their way over to the golden magicraft. ¡°Himari! Don¡¯t bother them!¡± Yukiha warned her sister about her selfish behavior. However, Alana stilled it. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s normal for children to get along with each other.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.I hope she won¡¯t break anything.¡± ¡°If they break it, we have excellent mechanics who can fix it right away. How about a drink? I¡¯ve got some good liquor upstairs.¡± Yukiha happily agreed to Alana¡¯s invitation. I think Ranelle told me before that Yukiha doesn¡¯t have a very good drinking habit¡­¡­.I was more worried about Yukiha drinking alcohol than Himari playing with other children. CH 249 I¡¯m very sick so for the next few days releases will be irregular, or might not come at all. After I recover I¡¯ll post all the chapters that I¡¯ll miss these days. I was told it was a small welcome party, and I was invited too. Like Yukiha, I was offered alcohol, but I politely declined. ¡°In this world, you¡¯re an adult at 16. It may not be legal on Earth, but it¡¯s legal here, so you should drink with us.¡± Alana told me this, as if she really wanted me to have a drink. ¡°Oh, Yuta doesn¡¯t seem to like drinking either, but he¡¯ll do his best to keep us company.¡± Linnecarlo said that to me in a sarcastic way. Just imagining that Yuta is drinking alcohol makes me smile a little. For a long time, Yuta has always preferred cider and other sweet carbonated drinks. I can imagine that he absolutely hates alcohol. ¡°I¡¯ll just have one cup then.¡± Alana and Yukiha began to rejoice at my words. I don¡¯t understand why people who drink alcohol want others to drink¡­¡­but I thought that if they were this happy, a little bit of alcohol wouldn¡¯t be so bad. The liquor poured to me was a clear liquid, similar to sake. But the aroma was very fruity, like fruit juice. ¡°It¡¯s fermented liquor made by squeezing the juice of the lago fruit. Even people who don¡¯t like alcohol can drink it. Yuta usually drinks it when he accompanies us.¡± Wasn¡¯t lago¡¯s fruit the payment for Yuta¡¯s purchase at the auction? I wonder how Yuta felt when he drank the alcohol from the fruit that was exchanged for him. Well, it¡¯s that Yuta. I think he¡¯s forgotten that he was sold for 2 lago fruits. Lago¡¯s fruit wine is surprisingly easy to drink. It¡¯s so easy to drink that I could not tell it was alcohol until I was told it was. ¡°How¡¯s it going, Nagisa? Does it taste good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s so easy to drink, like juice.¡± ¡°Come on, drink up.¡± Alana then poured more of Lago¡¯s fruit wine into my unfinished cup. I notice that Alana, Yukiha, and also Linnecarlo are looking at me with creepy smiles. I wonder what¡¯s so fun about¡­¡­.As I was thinking this, Emina, who was drinking alone at her own pace, warned me. ¡°Nagisa, you better watch out. That drink is also known as lady killer. It¡¯s easy to drink, but its alcohol concentration is stronger than ale or gym. You¡¯ll be dizzy before you know it.¡± The moment I heard Emina¡¯s words, I felt my head start to spin. My body became hot all over, and my thoughts were a bit stagnant. I¡¯m not sure how much time has passed since then. Not listening to Emina¡¯s warning, Alana and the others offered me the lady killer. And as they had hoped, I was getting quite drunk. There was a lot of excitement around us, and before we knew it, the number of people had increased to the point of a banquet. ¡°Hey Nagisa! Tell me about Yuta when you were living on Earth!¡± Linnecarlo asks, a little angry, perhaps because of the alcohol. ¡± Linnecarlo. Do you hate me? What did I do to make you so angry?¡± I asked Linnecarlo, who I didn¡¯t know that well, strongly, partly because I was drunk and my thoughts were fuzzy. ¡°I never thought about hating you. I just wanted to hear about Yuta time on Earth.¡± Even with my fuzzy thoughts, I understood Linnecarlo¡¯s feelings. She likes Yuta. Maybe that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t think well of me, his childhood friend. When I realized that, my heart started to ache a little. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll tell you about Yuta.¡± Feeling a bit mean, I said so and started talking. ¡°Yuta and I have known each other since before I can remember, partly because our parents were childhood friends. We were always together and even took baths together when we were little.¡± And when he bragged about Yuta¡¯s body features, Linnecarlo¡¯s expression turned grim and she shivered. I¡¯ve completely won. That¡¯s how I felt¡­¡­. ¡°Nanami knows too ¨C Yuta has a bruise on his back too, right?¡± ¡°Nanami-chan¡­¡­how do you know that?¡± ¡°Because Nanami has taken a bath with Yuta before.¡± What¡¯s more, Nanami-chan said that she used to sleep with Yuta before¡­¡­and started talking about the warmth of their bodies and their habits when sleeping. I didn¡¯t know any of those habits¡­¡­.No matter how small Nanami is, when she talks about a Yuta, which I don¡¯t know, I feel uncomfortable. CH 250 I¡¯m feeling better today so I managed to finish some chapters. Normal releases will resume in 2-3 days. On the way to Amuria, I was resting at the foot of a high mountain range. I couldn¡¯t see Kiyone, so I assumed she was at her usual place and went to visit her. ¡°You¡¯re here again.¡± The doctor¡¯s office where dad was placed to rest. ¡°Yuta too, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to find you. Why don¡¯t you come and join us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe that will make me feel better.¡± When the two of us had decided to leave for the dojo together, Brunnhilde called us over the ship¡¯s announcement. ¡°Master Kiyone. Yuta-san. Please come to the bridge immediately.¡± When I heard the broadcast, Kiyone and I looked at each other. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, I guess. Let¡¯s go.¡± When I got to the bridge, I immediately understood the situation. On the large screen was the image of a ride hover being chased by a dozen or so magicrafts. ¡°Are they under attack?¡± I asked, and Br¨¹nnhilde answered. ¡°Yes. It seems that part of its core has been destroyed and it can¡¯t gain any speed to shake off the followers. At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they get caught.¡± Just because they are being chased doesn¡¯t mean that the ones who are chasing them are the bad guys. I thought there was nothing I could do to help them because there was no reason to help them, but Kiyone had a different view. ¡°According to the light cross on the body, the ride hover belongs to Alice Abbey, right? ¡°Yes, it does. That is why I am in trouble¡­¡­.What should we do? We can¡¯t just abandon them¡­¡­¡± ¡°What is Alice Abbey?¡± The ignorant me asked the unfamiliar words. ¡°Alice Abbey, like the Radle Company, is an organization that has been designated as an absolute neutral target. All nations on the continent are forbidden to use force against Alice Abbey.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That attacking magicraft squadron is committing an illegal act.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get out there and save that ride hover.¡± ¡°All right. Tris and I will be ready.¡± The reason why Br¨¹nnhilde did not mention Kiyone¡¯s name was to take into account that the repair of the Kiku Ichimonji had not yet been finished. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine on my own. Kiyone, let me borrow Excalibur.¡± ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m putting so much pressure on you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand since you¡¯re so clear about right and wrong. I think of it as a training exercise.¡± With that, I ran to the hangar. As soon as I got into Excalibur, I went out and headed towards the ride hover that was chased. The enemy numbered twelve, and they were surrounding the Ride Hover. As Excalibur approached, several enemy magicrafts headed toward me. The enemy magicrafts attacked me without question. The fact that they attack without warning suggests that they are aware that they are doing something wrong. In that case, there was nothing to be afraid of. I cut down the first enemy machine that came at me. Accelerating even faster, I approached the enemy and ripped off the necks of two hostile magicrafts. Perhaps angry or upset by the defeat of their comrades, the enemy machines paused their ride hover attacks and rushed towards Excalibur. However, it was more convenient for me because I didn¡¯t have to approach them. The first thing I did was to swing my sword sideways at the enemy magicraft that came from the front, splitting it from the waist down. I stabbed the left one in the throat with my sword. In addition, three enemy magicrafts attacked at the same time, but they all moved slowly. The quality of the enemy¡¯s riders doesn¡¯t seem to be very good. I dodged all of the attacks with ease and destroyed all three at the same time with a single swing of my sword. The enemy became aware of the difference in strength after this attack. The rest of the enemy magicrafts stopped attacking Excalibur and started running away. There was no reason to pursue and destroy them, so I approached the ride hover that was being attacked to check on its safety. ¡°Ride hover over there. Is everyone okay?¡± I said over the external output sound and the reply came back immediately. ¡°Thank you for your help. This is a ship belonging to Alice Abbey. I pray that you may receive the blessings of Alice.¡± The owner of the voice seemed to be a young woman. Her voice was so clear and beautiful that I imagined what she looked like. CH 251 The ride hover of the Alice Abbey that we rescued came to Musashi, wanting to properly thank us. There was nothing particularly suspicious about it, so I invited them on board and led the ride hover to the hangar. A woman came down from the ride hover. She greeted us politely as we welcomed her. ¡°Thank you for saving me from a dangerous situation. I am Sister Muzie of Alice Abbey. On behalf of Alice Abbey, I would like to thank you.¡± Kiyone responded to the greeting by bowing lightly, and then began to speak. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions, but who are these people that are attempting to use force against an absolutely neutral Alice Abbey ship?¡± ¡°That army is a unit of the Northern Army of the Valkyria Empire.¡± ¡°The Valkyria Empire! No way¡­¡­.¡± The Valkyrie Empire is, I believe, the country that Emou talked about when they were hiring us. It¡¯s one of the three most powerful countries on the continent, and I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s pretty big¡­¡­.Kiyone also seemed surprised to hear the name. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that one of the three most powerful countries on the continent would violate the laws of absolute neutrality¡­¡­.If you don¡¯t mind me asking, can you tell me why?¡± ¡°The Valkyrie Empire¡¯s goal is to seize the forbidden book Rafishal Weapon stored in Alice Abbey.¡± I¡¯m not sure if Rafishal is referring to that Rafishal¡­¡­.It¡¯s true that he was called the Great Sage, so it¡¯s not surprising that there are still books written by Rafishal. ¡°What exactly is the forbidden book Rafishal Weapon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said to be one of the books left behind by the Great Sage Rafishal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why the Valkyrie Empire would want such a thing¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In recent years, the Valkyrie Empire has felt itself lagging behind as one of the three most powerful countries on the continent, with the threat of new magicrafts developed in the Lubel Kingdom, the establishment of the Amurian Union, and the appearance of new, unknown units in the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Lubel¡¯s new magicraft or the Elysian Empire¡¯s newly established unit¡­..where did you get that kind of information from¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Alice Abbey might be an absolute neutral force that has been able to survive so far because of its ability to gather information. But this time, that may not be possible.¡± Sister Muzie said with a sad expression. ¡°Would you like to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, the main temple of Alice Abbey is currently under siege by the northern army of the Valkyrie Empire.¡± ¡°Siege? Is the Valkyrie Empire planning to overrun Alice Abbey by force? ¡°To be precise, the military conquest has already begun. The abbey is under massive attack and is on the verge of falling.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way for Alice Abbey to resist the armed forces? It will fall as soon as the armed forces start to suppress it¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°In fact, Count Dailam of the Valkyria Empire has betrayed his own country to protect Alice Abbey. The main temple, which is located on the top of a small mountain, is so easy to defend that it can be said to be a natural fortress, so even with a small number of soldiers, it has managed to hold its own.¡± ¡°I understand the current situation at Alice Abbey. So how did you come to be attacked outside the main abbey?¡± ¡°Fortunately, the main temple was able to withstand three massive attacks. The damage to the Valkyrie Imperial Army was so severe that the commander changed his strategy. They completely surrounded the main temple and blocked the supplies. Currently, the people in the main temple are suffering from starvation. So I broke through the siege with my ride hover and escaped outside to get some food, but then I was pursued by troops and ended up in the situation you found me¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll have to get some food and go back.¡± ¡°Yes. So, in consideration of the power that I have just seen, I would like to ask you to help me return to the main temple¡­¡­.I know that this is a very dangerous and reckless request! I can¡¯t thank you much, but I will do my best to help you!¡± ¡°What do you think Kiyone?¡± My mind was already made up, but I checked to see how Kiyone felt about it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already made up your mind before you even asked.¡± ¡°Well, yes, I did. I was just checking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same as Yuta. We can¡¯t overlook the fact that Alice Abbey, which is absolutely neutral, is being invaded by the Valkyrie Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Sister Muzie, we will take you to the main temple of Alice Abbey. Hearing those words, she was so relieved that she broke down and cried on the spot. CH 252 The nearby town had been blockaded by the Valkyrie army, so we had picked up a large amount of food in a town a short distance away. All that was left was to deliver it to the main temple of Alice Abbey. The main temple of Alice Abbey was located on the top of a small mountain, just as Sister Muzie had said. The entire mountain was surrounded by Valkyrie troops, and it looked like it would not be easy to get inside. ¡°How did you manage to escape through that siege?¡± I asked sister Muzie. ¡°I was so desperate at the time¡­¡­that even I¡¯m surprised now that I¡¯m watching this scene again.¡± ¡°What should I do, Yuta? I can move the Kiku Ichimonji if I push myself.¡± I¡¯ve heard that Kiku Ichimonji is only about 80% repaired. Even at 80%, Kiyone would be enough of a force to be reckoned with. ¡°Kiyone, Brunnhilde, and Tris, come with me. Let¡¯s have Musashi stay here and escort Sister Muzie ride hover through the siege.¡± It¡¯s hard to break through that siege with the big hulled Musashi. Sister Muzie ride hover is not that big, so I think I can manage. We loaded all the food back into the ride hover and got ready. ¡°I¡¯ll go in with Excalibur and confuse the enemy, while Kiyone and the others escort the Ride Hover to the temple.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty sketchy plan.¡± ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± ¡°No. I think it¡¯s the best plan for us, there¡¯s nothing else we can do.¡± I certainly agree with that. I can¡¯t say it myself, but I can¡¯t let others do such reckless things. As per the plan, I went majestically towards the enemy army to confuse the encircling forces. However, there was no need to deal with the entire encircling army. I aimed at the troops guarding the route leading to the top of the mountain and moved on. The Valkyrie army rushed toward me after confirming Excalibur¡¯s appearance. ¡°You! Who do you work for? Alice Abbey is closed, you can¡¯t get in!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I really need to get to the main temple. If you get in my way, I¡¯ll have to cut you down.¡± Perhaps thinking that I was outnumbered, the rider of the Valkyrie army did not take my words in consideration and laughed it off. ¡°Hahahahaha~ You¡¯re funny. Do you know who¡¯s in front of you? It¡¯s Droidus Mekides, a top-ranking rider in the northern army of the Valkyrie Empire. You can¡¯t talk like that anymore when you hear the name of the Iron-Blooded Droidus.¡± ¡°Iron-Blooded? Never heard of you.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡­then I¡¯ll carve my name into your body.¡± The Iron-Blooded Droidus went into a battle stance with deadly intent and tried to slash at me. However, his companions tried to stop him. ¡°Wait, wait! Droidus! That white aircraft is the Excalibur of the Sword Saint!¡± However, it was too late to remain still. I lightly avoided the attack of the Iron-Blooded Droidus¡¯ magicraft, which slashed at me with a large sword, and the sword I swung easily cut off his head. The name of Excalibur, the Sword Saint, and the sword technique that instantly killed the iron-blooded Droidus, caused unrest among the riders of the Valkyrie army that surrounded Excalibur. However, the battle had already begun. Without hesitation, I slashed down the enemy¡¯s wobbly magicrafts one after another. The attack of the Sword Saint must have been felt throughout the Valkyrie army, because the encircling army made a big move. A large number of magicrafts are closing in on me in order to defeat Excalibur. There were so many of them. It would be difficult to escape if I was completely surrounded so I intercepted the enemies as I moved. Fighting while moving was causing more confusion in the enemy army. They can¡¯t read my aim, or they just move around in a disorderly manner, breaking up the formation. Kiyone, who had been watching, decided it was time to break through. Seeing that the path to the top of the mountain had been thinned out, the Ride Hover, Kiyone and the others jumped out. The enemy forces were so busy chasing Excalibur that they didn¡¯t notice the movement until too late. By the time the enemy noticed, the Ride Hover had started to climb the mountain. CH 253 The enemy forces, noticing the movement of Sister Muzie¡¯s Ride Hover, tried to stop it. However, the Ride Hover is being escorted by one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters and her disciples. The approaching enemy machines are sliced in half by the sword of Kiku Ichimonji. Since most of the enemies were distracted by Excalibur, the Ride Hover was able to break through a portion of the blockade. There were also troops posted on the road to the top of the mountain, but Kiyone and the others would be able to handle them. Even after the ride hover broke through, I stayed behind and fought to prevent a follow-up attack, but I was getting close to my limit. The enemy¡¯s main force seemed to be on the move, and it would be difficult to escape at this rate. Before it was too late, I too started moving towards the top of the mountain. I climbed up the mountain, slashing down the enemies. A large number of magicrafts were chasing Excalibur. Just as I was beginning to worry about whether it would be safe to take this huge army up to the main temple, countless lights appeared at the top of the mountain. The light rained down on the Valkyrie army that was chasing me. The true nature of the light was an Arrow attack. And it wasn¡¯t just any arrow, it was an incredibly powerful one. The magic machines of the Valkyrie army that were chasing me were destroyed by the pillars of light one after another. After receiving the Arrow¡¯s attack, the Valkyrie army gave up the pursuit of Excalibur. They retreated directly to the foot of the mountain. Witnessing this, I slowly made my way to the top of the mountain. The main building of Alice Abbey was like a stone palace. Around it, numerous magicrafts were vigilantly monitoring the foot of the mountain and many of the magic machines were equipped with large guns. The attack earlier must have been launched by them. ¡°Lord Rider of the White Magicraft, that was a splendid battle!¡± A vermillion-colored magicraft approached Excalibur and spoke to me. ¡°This is not a good place to talk, so please come on in.¡± With that, I was ushered into the main temple. Inside the large main sanctuary, I saw Sister Muzie¡¯s ride hover. I also spotted Kiku Ichimonji, Onimaru Kunitsuna, and Toratetsu. It seems that everyone has arrived safely. ¡°Yuta! That was a splendid display of strength!¡± Tris said happily when he saw my face. ¡°You fought as well as the Grand Master.¡± Br¨¹nnhilde said, but Kiyone has harsh words for me. ¡°You are still pushing too hard. If you keep fighting like that, you won¡¯t last long.¡± Aside from Br¨¹nnhilde and the others, Kiyone¡¯s eyes were still impossible to deceive. She reminded me that I had indeed been forceful and crude. ¡°Sister Muzie!¡± At the sound of a loud voice, all of us looked in the same direction. There was a tall, beautiful woman with blue hair standing there. She was wearing the same kind of monk¡¯s uniform as Sister Muzie, but she had a certain rank of nobility about her. She was probably Sister Muzie superior. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mother Maysa¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re okay, but what if something happened to you?¡± It seems that Sister Muzie has run away from the main temple on her own and her boss, who was worried about her, is angry. ¡°Mother Maysa, thanks to the food that Sister Muzie brought back, we can last for another six months. That should give us some hope.¡± The person who called out to me was the rider of the vermillion-colored magicraft, who I believe is called Dalaim, spoke. ¡°Indeed, in six months, we might be able to inform the entire continent of the Valkyrie Empire¡¯s tyranny and ask for their help¡­¡­.Sister Muzie¡­¡­Although it is not good to disobey orders. I have to thank you for the results.¡± ¡°No, no. I couldn¡¯t have gotten back here by myself. If you want to thank someone, you should thank them for bringing me back here.¡± Hearing Sister Muzie¡¯s words, Mother Maysa bowed deeply to us. ¡°Thank you for risking your life to help us, Alice Abbey. We pray for the blessings of the Holy Mother Alice to be upon you.¡± When I was thanked in a formal manner, I felt a sense of relief. It looks like we¡¯re okay here for now. All that¡¯s left is for us to get out of here. CH 254 ¡°Nagisa. This is Rafishal, our mechanic. Rafishal, this is Nagisa, she¡¯s Yuta¡¯s childhood friend.¡± Alana introduced me to Rafishal, who I thought was a young woman, but was surprised to hear that he was a man. ¡°Yuta reacted that way at first, too. Well, gender doesn¡¯t matter to me as a mechanic, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Yuta must have been surprised when he found out Rafishal was a man, considering his appearance. ¡°So, what are you all doing in the hangar in the morning?¡± We were brought to a place full of machines in a corner of the hangar, saying it was part of their morning routine. The riders of the Iron Knights had all gathered there at this hour. ¡°Men, working out¡­¡­.¡± A man with a big body, I think he¡¯s called Lorgo. He informs me. ¡°Do you work out?¡± I was wondering if he was going to do some strength training, but I guess not. ¡°I¡¯m working on my Ludia value. We¡¯re going to have to fight a hell of a lot of opponents in the future. I don¡¯t want to put too much pressure on Yuta. ¡°Ludia value can be trained? I thought it was a fixed ability.¡± ¡°We thought so, too, until a little while ago. Well, what was it, Rafishal?¡± ¡°Dimension class. You should learn that, Alana.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Dimension class means that you can train and increase your Ludia value within the range of your potential.¡± You can develop your Ludia value¡­¡­.If I can do that, maybe I can help Yuta and Ranelle, too¡­¡­. ¡°¡®I want to improve my Ludia value too! Can you tell me how to train it?¡± ¡°I knew you would say that. I knew you¡¯d say that. You just have to go into this machine Rafishal made and concentrate on the Ludia, so there¡¯s nothing to teach.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I just need to check your dimension class before you can use this machine.¡± Rafishal added. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± I said lightly, but Alana smiled wryly and told me a shocking fact. ¡°Nagisa, you have to be naked to have your dimension class measured.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I don¡¯t like the idea of being naked in front of everyone. ¡°Sure, you need to get naked, but you don¡¯t have to do it here. Liza. Liza, can you measure Nagisa¡¯s dimension class for me? Liza is the same gender as you, so I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind.¡± A woman named Liza appeared and took me to another machine in the back. The machine was in a small room that was hidden from view, so I took off my clothes. ¡°You have a nice body. Not so big breasts, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Come on, get in there.¡± What I was directed to was a capsule that was connected to a machine, and I did as I was told and entered the capsule. Once I was inside the capsule, the lid was closed and water started to pour out of it. ¡°Hey! The water¡¯s flooding in!¡± Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not water, it¡¯s a liquid called Elixir, and you can breathe through it.¡± I was a little worried about the breathing¡­¡­but once the capsule was completely submerged in the liquid, I knew she was not lying. After floating dazedly in the liquid for a while, it seemed that the measurement was finished and the liquid began to drain out of the capsule. Liza showed Rafishal the measurement results that came out of the machine. Rafishal looked at it and changed his expression. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡­I had high hopes for you since you are Yuta¡¯s childhood friend, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be class 3¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Class 3! Do you mean she¡¯s better than me?¡± Linnecarlo shouted in surprise at my results. ¡°No, your class 4 is great enough. By the way, Viktor is a class 4 magicraft, and if you work hard to raise your Ludia value, you can even ride that.¡± ¡°You say I should work hard to raise it, but I¡¯ve been training my Ludia value for two months and it¡¯s only gone up by 5,000! There¡¯s no quick way to raise it?¡± ¡°I told you before, there are ways to increase your Ludia value in a short period of time. However, Ludia value is an important element of the human mind. If it were to change too rapidly, it would put too much strain on the body and mind, causing serious damage. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll become a cripple, and I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± Linnecarlo was bewildered by the correctness of Rafishal¡¯s argument, unable to say anything back. Just because it¡¯s easy to strengthen your mind doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t be broken. Slow but safe growth, I agree with Rafishal¡¯s words. CH 255 If Linnecarlo was class 4, I was curious about the others, so I asked. ¡°In addition to Linnecarlo, Nanami is class 4, Alana and Emina are class 5, and Farma, Lorgo and Arthur are class 6. It¡¯s no wonder the Iron Knights are so strong. They¡¯re all pretty good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not convinced! How can Nanami and I be equal? I¡¯m Linnecarlo, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters!¡± ¡°Class 4 is the highest class in the ancient civilizations¡­¡­.The odds of the two of you being in the same organization is like a miracle.¡± ¡°If class 4 is the highest class, then what about my class 3?¡± ¡°The legendary class¡­¡­is what the ancient civilizations called class 3. I knew class 3 riders from that time, and they were all as strong as the heroes in the legends.¡± ¡°Do you think I could be like them?¡± ¡°If you work hard and don¡¯t neglect your Ludia training, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll reach that level.¡± If that happens, I can help everyone. I¡¯m used to working out in aikido. I promised myself that I would become stronger. ¡°Nagisa, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re in class 3 or not. I¡¯ll always outperform you! I¡¯ll prove to you that dimension class doesn¡¯t matter.¡± After the morning workout, we all had breakfast together and then began the search for Yuta. We went to the cave where Arleo¡¯s cockpit was found and examined the vicinity. ¡°There are signs of life in this cave. Maybe he stayed here for a while.¡± Nodding to Jean¡¯s words, Emina also remarked on what she had noticed. ¡°There¡¯s also a large camp nearby, so maybe there¡¯s a chance that some group might have picked him up¡­¡± ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, then it makes sense that the penniless Yuta moved away from this place.¡± ¡°It is possible that there is someone nearby who knows who the people who stayed here are. It is possible that they may have come into contact with each other while shopping for food, etc. Let¡¯s do some canvassing in the nearby villages.¡± Alana¡¯s prediction had been correct. Asking the people in the surrounding villages, she soon found out the name of the group that was staying near that cave. ¡°The Sword Clan! No way, that¡¯s the¡­¡­strongest mercenary group led by the Sword Saint.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, the Sword Saint is very fond of that cave and sometimes goes there to train with his sword.¡± I didn¡¯t know what the Swordsmen were, but I understood that they were famous, since Jean, Alana, as well as Emina and Linnecarlo, seemed to know them well. ¡°So do you know where the Sword Clan went?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re mercenaries. Maybe they went to war in some other country.¡± That seemed to be all the information we could get from the villagers. However, we managed to obtain some important clues. Rather than searching for Yuta in the dark, it would be many times easier to find the location of a famous mercenary group. ¡°So we¡¯ll look for the Sword Clan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of at the moment.¡± ¡°But what if you¡¯re wrong? We don¡¯t know for sure that Yuta will be there, do we?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡­Nagisa, what do you think?¡± I thought about it when Jean asked me that. When Yuta was found by those swordsmen, what would he do? An image of them getting along and working together comes to mind¡­¡­.Yeah. No doubt about it. I have a feeling that Yuta will be with those people. ¡°I have a feeling that Yuta is with the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll track down the Sword Clan.¡± Jean made that decision. Everyone agreed with his decision, as they believed my words. It was a very important prediction, but no matter how many times I imagined it, all I could think of was the image of Yuta being in the Sword Clan. No doubt about it. I¡¯m sure Yuta will be there. CH 256 After successfully accomplishing Sister Muzie¡¯s request and sending her back to the main temple, we were thinking of breaking through the siege again and getting out of here. ¡°I¡¯ve just broken through the siege, so it seems that the other side is also very wary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Br¨¹nnhilde and Tris will be able to keep up.¡± ¡°I still think we should wait until their guard is down.¡± We didn¡¯t intend to stay that long, but for our own safety, we decided to stay here in the main sanctuary of Alice Abbey for a while. Sister Muzie and Mother Maysa welcomed our decision. ¡°If you could stay here for a little while, that would be very reassuring. I would be happy to repay you for what you have just done.¡± ¡°Yes, Sister Muzie. Why don¡¯t we take everyone to the sacred spring?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Mother Maysa. Come on, you must be tired. This way, please.¡± Sister Muzie then led us to a place. She said something about a holy spring, but I don¡¯t know what it is. She led us to a large bath in the basement of the main temple. It was like a large pool filled with hot water in a magnificent underground space made of stone, reminiscent of a Greek temple. From the rising steam, I could predict that the water was just right. ¡°Thanks to Alice¡¯s guidance, there is an abundance of hot spring water. These hot springs are very effective in relieving fatigue, so please come and relax after your journey.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m Japanese, but I love hot springs. I thought about asking permission to enter¡­¡­ ¡°Um, Sister Muzie. Is it possible that this is a mixed bath?¡± Br¨¹nnhilde, who had the same question as me, asked. ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t usually have men here, so we don¡¯t have a concept of gender segregation.¡± If there are usually no men, then there is no need to create separate bathrooms for men and women. ¡°Then let¡¯s take turns going in. Tris and I will wait outside, so Kiyone and Brunnhilde can go in first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Yuta. Brunnhilde, we¡¯ll accept the invitation and go in first.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Apparently, Brunnhilde also liked hot springs, and she replied happily. Tris and I were sitting in a room at the entrance to the underground hot spring, drinking tea with Sister Muzie and waiting for Kiyone and the others to come out of the hot spring. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the tea or the hot spring, but Tris is a little grumpy. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tris? You don¡¯t like hot springs?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­.I just think that if Yuta hadn¡¯t said what he did, we would have been able to go to the hot springs with Master¡­¡­.¡± I was surprised at the more evil reason than I expected. ¡°No, Kiyone didn¡¯t like it when we asked her to come in with us.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that! In this situation, she might have had no choice but to come in!¡± Kiyone would even slash her own father with a sword if he just invited her to take a bath. You shouldn¡¯t think about that if you want to keep your life¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta-san, may I ask you a few questions?¡± Suddenly, Sister Muzie said to me, ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s something I can answer.¡± ¡±Kiyone-sama is one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, Sword Emperor Kiyone-sama, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I knew it¡­¡­.So, Yuta, are you and your friends from the Sword Clan?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But Tris is a former member of the Swordsmen.¡± ¡°Former, that means¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Sword Clan has been disbanded.¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Sister Muzie was so surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look so surprised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of approaching the countries of the continent in order to deal with the arrogant Valkyria Empire, but after all, they are one of the three powerful countries. There are only a limited number of countries that can help us both militarily and diplomatically. That¡¯s why I was thinking of asking for help not only from the state, but also from stateless organizations that do not fear the three powerful countries. Of these, the one I relied on the most was the Swordsmen.¡± It¡¯s true that if it was my dad, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of the Valkyria Empire, and if he received a request for help from Alice Abbey, he might not have turned it down. ¡°Other than the Sword Clan, the only other group that can compete with the three strongest nations that isn¡¯t a nation is the Radol Company, right?¡± Tris, who was listening to the conversation, said so. ¡°The Radol Company is a completely neutral force. They will not work for any other organization unless they are harmed. After all, a mercenary company that is not afraid of the Valkyria Empire and has strong power is ideal.¡± ¡°There is no such mercenary group except for the Swordsmen.¡± Tris denied it completely, but I had one idea of such a mercenary group. ¡°There is one mercenary group I know of that fits the bill and is just as good as the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°Really? What group?¡± Sister Muzzy pounced on me. ¡°The Iron Knights, the mercenary group I belong to.¡± CH 257 ¡°I¡¯ve been told that they are a group with high fighting power, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be as strong as the Swordsmen.¡± It was no wonder that they had survived on their information network alone. They knew about the Iron Knights, who should not be very well known. If they have the ability to gather that much information, maybe they can get in touch with the Iron Knights? If they could do that, I wouldn¡¯t have to go all the way to Amuria to meet up with them. ¡°Sister Muzie. How is the abbey getting so much information?¡± ¡°Our system is designed to collect information from agents operating throughout the continent.¡± ¡°If you have agents all over the continent, could it be possible for you to get in touch with the Iron Knights?¡¡Actually, I¡¯ve been separated from them for some reason, and I¡¯d like to join up with my friends, but I¡¯ve been having trouble getting in touch with them directly.¡± ¡°So you are right. As it turns out, it is possible. However, it will take some time to find out their current whereabouts. In addition, we use our own means of communication. Therefore, it is not possible for us to talk directly to them through the spirit box. I can give them a short message, but what would you like me to do?¡± It helps to be able to give a short message. I asked Sister Muzie to deliver the message, ¡°Come to the main temple of Alice Abbey, from Yuta.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. I¡¯ll make sure the message gets through. So, Yuta-sama. At the same time as this message, I would like to request the Iron Knights to come to the aid of Alice Abbey, is that alright with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Since I¡¯m the one who told them to come here, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take the offer.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Just as I finished requesting a message to the Iron Knights, Kiyone and Brunnhilde came out of the hot spring. ¡°It was very soothing. Yuta and the others are welcome to have a go.¡± I can smell the fragrance of post-bath from Kiyone as she said this. Tris reacts strangely to that scent and is a little scared. That evening, they had a little welcome party for us. It was not a fancy meal, given the circumstances, but they served the best they could. Food was in short supply, but they had plenty of wine stored in the main temple, so they didn¡¯t have any trouble with alcohol. ¡°A banquet while surrounded by a large army is a feast for the soul¡­¡­.¡± Tris says, looking at Count Dalaim¡¯s soldiers, who are drinking and making noise. ¡°That¡¯s not true, Tris. The soldiers are under a lot of stress during the siege. This kind of venting is important.¡± Indeed, the pressure of being surrounded by such a large army must be considerable. You might need to have a drink once in a while to keep yourself going. ¡°I am Count Dalaim, and I would like to know your name, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± A small, fat, middle-aged man with a quirky haircut, who introduced himself as Count Dalaim, asked me. ¡°I¡¯m Yuta.¡± ¡°Yuta-dono. I have that name engraved in my heart!¡± I felt a little awkward because of his exaggerated expressions, but as I talked to him, I realized that he was a good-natured uncle. This man was Count Dalaim, who had betrayed his home country to help Alice Abbey, and he was also a Highlander rider. ¡°Kiyone¡­¡­can¡¯t be that Sword Emperor Kiyone, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters!¡± Count Dalaim was surprised to hear Kiyone¡¯s name. As expected of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, their reputation is very impressive. ¡°If that is the case, then Yuta-dono was a member of the Sword Clan, and if that is the case, then that strength is understandable. If that¡¯s the case, where is the Lord Sword Saint? I¡¯ve always wanted to meet the esteemed leader of the Sword Clan.¡± I¡¯m a little troubled when people ask about dad. I¡¯m not sure if I can say that he¡¯s dead¡­¡­.As I was struggling with this, Kiyone said clearly. ¡°My father is resting at the moment.¡± ¡°I see, even Lord Sword Saint needs to rest. I would like to meet him once he is back.¡± Kiyone didn¡¯t seem to be convinced that her father was dead. When I heard Kiyone¡¯s clear feelings, I felt the same way. CH 258 The only troops guarding the main temple of Alice Abbey were the 100 magicrafts commanded by Count Dalaim. In contrast, the encircling army of Valkyria had a force of over 5,000 machines and 30 battleship-type ride carriers. I sent a message to the Iron Knights, so instead of escaping, I will be staying here at the main temple for a while. It was inevitable that we would be involved in this siege, but our position was unclear. Perhaps sensing our situation, Mother Maysa began to talk to us like this. ¡°Master Yuta. I have a formal request from Alice Abbey for the Iron Knights. Please protect us from the tyrannical Valkyria Empire.¡± That¡¯s fine with me, but Kiyone and the others are not part of the Iron Knights. When I was at a loss as to how to respond, Kiyone said to Mother Maysa with a cool expression, ¡°Mother Maysa, we accept your request. We will make every effort to help you.¡± ¡°This is a request to the Iron Knights! Are you sure?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind a while ago. The Sword Clan has been disbanded and there¡¯s no way I can do anything other than being a mercenary now. Until father comes back to life I¡¯ll be a part of the Iron Knights.¡± It¡¯s not up to you to decide¡­¡­.Well, Kiyone would be a force to be reckoned with, and no one would object. ¡°What about Brunnhilde and Tris?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to follow my master! Yuta-san I¡¯m counting on you!¡± ¡°I have no other choice either. Please take care of me.¡± I had guessed the answer, but both of them followed Kiyone without hesitation. ¡°Mother Maysa. I will also formally accept your request. The Iron Knights will do everything in our power to protect Alice Abbey.¡± When I said that, Mother Maysa bowed deeply. I heard that the encircling Valkyria Imperial Army had stopped launching large-scale attacks after switching to the strategy of starvation. However, the situation changed when we broke through the siege and entered the main temple. ¡°The enemy appears to be resuming its attack.¡± Count Dalaim reported after seeing the enemy¡¯s movements. ¡°Have they changed their tactics now that food has been brought in?¡± ¡°Probably so. If Sister Muzie hadn¡¯t brought us food, we wouldn¡¯t have lasted ten days. It seems that the enemy anticipated this and waited patiently, but they must have grown impatient when the food was brought in.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s hit them so hard that they give up attacking us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible if Yuta-dono and Kiyone-dono can help us. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± We¡¯re mercenaries. It is normal for us to fight on request. But why is Count Dalaim betraying his home country to fight on the side of Alice Abbey? I had a chance to be alone with Count Dalaim before the attack, so I boldly asked him. ¡°Alice Abbey and my estate have had a close relationship for a long time, due to the close distance between us. Even when my territory was having trouble growing crops due to continuous sunshine, Alice Abbey reached out to us. Over the years, they have helped us again and again. However, there has never been an opportunity for us to help Alice Abbey. This time is the perfect opportunity to return the favor. My vassals are all personal followers of Alice Abbey, so there was no one to oppose me when I said I would betray the Valkyrie Empire and side with Alice Abbey.¡± So that¡¯s why. The people of the estate are all indebted to Alice Abbey. ¡°And I wanted to help here on a personal level.¡± ¡°Personal feelings?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to admit it, but I¡¯m in love with Mother Maysa.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I was going to protect this place even if I had to do it alone. Fortunately, they all came with me.¡± I wondered a little if clergymen in this world are okay with romance and such, but I guess that probably doesn¡¯t matter. My impression of Count Dalaim was even better. CH 259 We took on the role of holding back the enemy forces that were coming up the mountain. The strength of Count Dalaim¡¯s troops lies in their long-range attack with specially reinforced arrows. If we could keep them at bay, they would be able to maximize their power. ¡°Here they come! We can¡¯t let them get past us!¡± The Valkyria army was closing in on us in formation. Perhaps because of the painful experience with Count Dalaim¡¯s troops, all of the magicrafts held large shields above them. The troops at the front of the line seemed to have noticed us waiting for them and thrust their shields forward. The large shields lined up looked like a wall. ¡°Release them!¡± Count Dalaim gives the order to unleash the arrows and countless projectiles descend on the enemy forces from the top of the mountain. Even with the enhanced power of the arrows, they cannot penetrate large shields, but they can enter the gaps between shields and cause minor damage. When Kiyone saw the shields bouncing back the reinforced arrows, she said. ¡°It seems those shields are no ordinary shields. Their strength is extraordinary.¡± The effects of the arrows seem to be weak against the enemy forces that are closing in on us with their special shields lined up in formation. However, as a member of the same Valkyria army, Count Dalaim seems to be well versed in the enemy¡¯s tactics. ¡°Flame arrows loaded!¡­¡­get ready!¡­¡­fire!¡± The next arrows were burning. As the burning arrows hit the shields of the enemy army, the flames spread wide, enveloping the entire army in flames. The spreading flames were blue in color. Kiyone looked at it and explained. ¡°It seems that the arrows were filled with a burning liquid. Flames that burn with combustion fluid are very hot. If you are exposed to those flames for a long time, it will melt the armor of the magicraft.¡± The enemy forces were well aware of this, and hurriedly tried to extinguish the flames, this caused the formation to collapse. Count Dalaim¡¯s troops rained down reinforced arrows on the enemy who had broken ranks. Before they had time to put up their shields, the enemy magicrafts were pierced by the reinforced arrows. Count Dailam is quite a leader. It¡¯s no wonder that he was able to defend the main temple against a large army with only a few men. The heavy armored magicraft unit that was ravaged by the arrows retreated. In their place, a squad of lightly armed, light-weighted magicrafts came moving upwards in rapid succession. This time, they seem to be trying to use their mobility to reach the top of the mountain at once. The arrows of Count Dalaim¡¯s troops poured down, and the magicrafts that were hit fell to the ground. However, the enemies came at us without caring about their fallen allies. The enemies approaching were maneuverable magicrafts, but they were lousy opponents and were easily defeated by us. Perhaps they underestimated the fact that only four magicrafts were guarding the path to the top. After double-digit numbers of them were cut down, they must have finally understood the difficulty of passing through here and started to retreat. All the troops withdrew down the mountain. The fact that they didn¡¯t repeat their inefficient attack might be proof that the enemy commander was not incompetent. ¡°This mountain seems to be a strong fortress.¡± Kiyone commented after the battle. ¡°The only path that leads to the top is a precipice, which is difficult for people to climb, let alone magicrafts. The only way to get to it is narrow and steep, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. It is truly an impregnable fortress.¡± Count Dalaim said with a hearty laugh. ¡°It would be nice if he would just give up and go back.¡± ¡°I hope so too, but the chances of that happening are probably zero. The Valkyria Empire desperately wants the forbidden book Rafishal Weapon.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because I know the person who supposedly wrote it, but I can¡¯t quite appreciate it. So, I made this suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give it away?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Yuta-dono! The weapon described in the forbidden book is very dangerous. Rumor has it that it has the power to destroy a castle in a single blow¡­¡­.If the greedy Valkyria Empire were to acquire such a thing, it would cause a great deal of trouble.¡± Since it¡¯s that dangerous I wondered if it would be a good idea to burn it down, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything because it might make them angry. CH 260 We got information that Yuta might be with a group named the Swordsmen. According to the report they went to a country called Tamihar, one of the Three Kingdoms Alliance. ¡°¡®If the Sword Clan is headed for the Three Kingdoms Alliance, then there could be a major war on the horizon.¡± Alana asked in response to Emina¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The Sword Clan is said to be the leading anti-Elysian force. If they¡¯ve been invited to join the Three Kingdoms Alliance against Elysium, then that¡¯s what it means.¡± ¡°The war between the Elysian Empire and the Three Kingdoms Alliance¡­¡­It¡¯s a case that smells like money more than anything else. Well, the first priority this time is to recover that idiot Yuta, so we¡¯ll try to stay out of it.¡± I appreciate Jean¡¯s decision. I want you to concentrate on finding Yuta for now. We then followed the Sword Clan into Tamihar. As soon as we entered the country, we were approached by the army. ¡°This is the Army of Tamihar surveillance vessel. What is the reason for your entry into our country and what is your affiliation?¡± ¡°This is the Iron Knights, a mercenary group. We have no intention of antagonizing your country. We heard that the Sword Clan had entered our country, so we came after them. If possible, I would like to know the whereabouts of the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°I understand that you have no hostile intentions. But I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you any information related to military operations.¡± ¡°All right. Then I would like your permission to operate within your country.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you that permission because it¡¯s wartime. You must leave the country as soon as possible.¡± Jean thought for a moment about the other side¡¯s response and then broke the ice. ¡°Then tell the higher-ups in the military that we¡¯re interested in joining your army.¡± Jean said he¡¯d try to stay out of it¡­¡­ ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll check with the top brass.¡± When Jean heard the reply, he turned off the external output sound. ¡°Jean, I thought you were trying to stay out of it.¡± Alana pointed out to Jean. ¡°We¡¯re going to get kicked out of the country but if they hire us as mercenaries, we can kill two birds with one stone: money and information.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be willing to hire a bunch of mercenaries who just popped in.¡± ¡°The surveillance ship said they¡¯re at war now so they need all the help they can get to fight against the Elysian Empire.¡± Jean¡¯s prediction had been correct. The surveillance boat replied, ¡°The commander will see you now. If we can come to an agreement on the terms, he will hire you.¡± The surveillance ship led us to the base where the commander was. Only Jean and Alana entered the base to negotiate the terms of employment. ¡°How did it go?¡± Linnecarlo asked as soon as Jean and Alana returned. ¡°I¡¯ve signed a short-term contract with them. The reward is 100 million gold and information about the Sword Clan. It¡¯s a small price to pay for dealing with the Elysian Empire, but hey, what the hell.¡± ¡°What do you mean by short-term?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a one-time deal in a hotly contested area. I¡¯m sorry guys, but you¡¯re going to have to work a little harder.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just one battle, it can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s get this over with and get some information on Yuta.¡± It seems that in Linnecarlo¡¯s mind, ¡°Sword Clan=Yuta¡±. We were soon guided by the army of Tamihar to a heavily fortified area. The place is called Behan, and it is a military district that serves as a bulwark to protect the city. ¡°Jean, how much information do we have on the enemy forces?¡± At Linnecarlo¡¯s question, Jean became a little sullen. ¡°The enemy¡¯s strength is about 3,000 magicrafts and more than 70 battleship-type ride carriers. In contrast, our allies are outnumbered with 2,000 magicrafts and 30 ride carriers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a power disparity. You said one battle, but I wonder how much we need to fight?¡± ¡°The deal is we stay here until they¡¯re evenly matched with the enemy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough to destroy a thousand magicrafts.¡± Yukiha and I, who are indebted to the Iron Knights so we will also be participating in this battle, the more people, the better, except for one person, that is. ¡°Nagisa, I¡¯ll show you what class 3 is capable of.¡± I can feel the hostility in Linnecarlo¡¯s words. She doesn¡¯t like the fact that I¡¯m a class above her. I don¡¯t mind that though. CH 261 From Fugaku, the flagship of the Iron knights, the magicraft squadron departs at once. The members are Linnecarlo, Nanami, Alana, Emina, Arthur, Lorgo, Farma, myself, and Yukiha, for a total of nine magicrafts. ¡°I want the Iron Knights, along with two battalions of our army, to hit the enemy left flank troops.¡± Jean responded to the request from the army of Tamihar. ¡°Yes, sir. Linnecarlo, Alana, you heard the man. We¡¯re going to hit the enemy left flank.¡± Hearing the message, we headed for the enemy left flank. ¡°Nanami, you¡¯ve got it all wrong.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s the left.¡± ¡°Idiot, the enemy left is on our right.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Even before the fierce battle, the members of the Iron Knights are relaxed. Perhaps it¡¯s because they have absolute confidence that they are relaxed. These people are strong. I know this from my martial arts experience. As the battle began, the Iron Knights naturally entered a formation. As the vanguard, Nanami, Lorgo, and Alana suppressed the enemy¡¯s attacks. From the rearguard, Linnecarlo and Farma unleashed powerful long-range attacks. Arthur and Emina were the rangers, supporting both the vanguard and the rearguard. Their individual strength was great, but their coordination was also superb, and they overwhelmed a large enemy force with a small number. ¡°Nagisa, what¡¯s with the Iron Knights? Their strength is insane.¡± Yukiha said frankly and I agree with her. But I can¡¯t lose, either. In order not to get in the way of their cooperation, I aim for enemy machines that have strayed out of the enemy¡¯s collapsed formation. Avoiding the long spear attack, I approached the enemy and twisted its neck. With its head gone, the enemy magicraft was shoved down with a blow. I crouched down to avoid the horizontally swinging sword attack of an enemy machine, which attacked me without pause, and twisted the hand holding the sword. I tried to push him down, but his arm was torn off from the base and I had no choice but to kick down the enemy machine that had lost its arm. It seems that the Ludia training is showing its effects, and my power is much higher than before. I¡¯ll have to adjust as I fight¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯ll add to what I said earlier about the Iron Knights¡¯ strength being abnormal. Nagisa, your strength is also abnormal enough.¡± From Yukiha¡¯s point of view, it seems that my movements are also abnormal. The enemy army began to retreat under the tremendous strength of the Iron Knights. The friendly army of Tamihar attacked the flank of the enemy army, determined not to let them escape. The enemy army, whose formation had been broken by the Iron Warriors and whose morale had been greatly weakened, was unable to respond to the attack of the Tamihar Army. Their organized attack overwhelmed the enemy individual counterattacks. ¡°This is our chance. We¡¯re going after the commander of the enemy left flank. Alana, take Nagisa and hit the ride carrier in the center of the enemy army, Linnecarlo, make way for Alana and the others.¡± Jean ordered when he saw the opportunity. ¡°I¡¯ll run after Linnecarlo¡¯s attack is over!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Once Linnecarlo begins to make large motions, the rest of the Iron Knights left her alone. What are they going to do¡­¡­? ¡°It¡¯s a new magic strike made possible by the increased Ludia value and the strengthening of Odin by Rafishal¡­¡­.Savor it! Gungnir Raygun!¡± Countless spears of light appeared around Odin and shot out like laser beams toward the enemy forces. The spears of light pierced the enemy magicrafts one after another. A single light alone is quite destructive, but the horror of countless of them attacking us is unimaginable. The linear and powerful attacks literally made their way to the ride carriers in the center of the enemy forces. ¡°Let¡¯s run, Nagisa!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Together with Alana, I ran towards the enemy¡¯s ride carrier. There was no counterattack from the enemy forces, which were aghast at Linnecarlo¡¯s attack and we reached the ride carrier without difficulty. The ride carriers couldn¡¯t do anything against the approaching magicrafts. For that reason, it is normal to have a defensive magicraft unit in place. This ride carrier also had a defense force, there were five of them. First, Alana¡¯s twin swords killed two of them instantly. I also drew my sword and sent the head of one of the magicrafts flying. The other two ran away, probably scared by the fact that three of their comrades were defeated in an instant. However, there was no need to chase them since our goal was this ride carrier. Alana and I broke into the ride carrier¡¯s core block and destroyed it. CH 262 When we destroyed the ride carrier of the enemy commander, it seems that the enemy¡¯s chain of command was cut off. The enemy¡¯s left wing is quickly losing its effectiveness and collapses. The allied army of Tamihar attacks the weakened enemy army relentlessly. The Iron Knights also begin to sweep the enemy forces. Even though they are overwhelmed on the left flank, it is only a fraction of the enemy¡¯s total army strength. It is in our best interest to reduce their strength as much as possible while we still can. Linnecarlo¡¯s destructive ranged attacks were also fierce in the cleanup battle. Dozens of magicrafts were cruelly destroyed in a single blow. In addition, although it was hidden behind Linnecarlo and didn¡¯t stand out, the arrows used by Farma were also incredibly powerful. The arrows shot from the sky were like a rain of light, splitting into countless pieces and pouring down on the enemy. The power of the arrows is considerable even when they are split, piercing the armor of the magicrafts. The enemy began to retreat, they seemed to be so confused that they forgot to run away, but finally figured out the best solution. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pursue. We don¡¯t know what the enemy¡¯s main force is doing, so don¡¯t rush into it unnecessarily.¡± Following Jean¡¯s instruction, the Iron Knights stopped their pursuit of the fleeing enemy and stayed where they were. However, the allied army, the Army of Tamihar, did not stop. They pursued the fleeing enemy troops and chased them all the way. As the army of Tamihar swarmed around the fleeing enemy army, a new enemy force appeared from the back and attacked. It seems that they have come to save their retreating allies. The new enemies have high morale and leadership and because the army had been caught off guard, they were able to inflict a great deal of damage. ¡°Idiots! What the hell are you doing? Damn it, I have no choice. Alana, Linnecarlo, if you don¡¯t do something, the entire army of Tamihar will be wiped out. I¡¯m sorry, but you have to go and help them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Nanami, Emina, Nagisa, follow me, I¡¯ll help our foolish ally.¡± Yukiha, Lorgo, Arthur, and Farma were left behind to escort Fugaku, and we headed to the rescue of our allies. In the blink of an eye, the tables had turned. The army of Tamihar was surrounded by a large number of Elysian troops and was in a tight spot. ¡°We can¡¯t fire a ranged attack in that melee. Let¡¯s prioritize breaking the siege and rescuing our allies.¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s concentrate our attack on the enemy to the southeast. Army of Tamihar, do you copy? We¡¯re going to break the enemy siege in the southeast, so withdraw your troops from there.¡± When Alana said this via transmission, the commander of the army in Tamihar replied that he understood. Alana and Nanami slashed into the walls of the enemy. The two of them tossed and turned the enemy with light movements as if they were dancing, slashing down enemy magicrafts one after another. Emina was nowhere to be seen. However, when I saw the enemies who hadn¡¯t done anything being knocked down unexpectedly or being shot with bowgun arrows I understood that she was fighting in stealth. Linnecarlo¡¯s single attack was truly a deadly force. The lightning that erupted when she waved her staff could crush a large magicraft with a single blow. She is firing such powerful attacks in rapid succession. I¡¯ve heard that magic strikes consume a lot of physical and mental energy, but from her gestures, she doesn¡¯t seem to be exhausted. I pulled out my sword and cut down the enemy. Stepping forward and spinning, I cut down the enemies around me. I aim for the vital points and disable the enemy with one swing. There are many enemy magicrafts and any wasted movement is fatal. The Iron Knights have cut off part of the enemy¡¯s siege. Now the army of Tamihar can escape. ¡°Now, retreat to the southeast!¡± Under Alana¡¯s direction, the army of Tamihar headed southeast. The pursuing enemy forces were met with a painful blow from Linnecarlo. ¡°Gungnir Tempest!¡± Countless lightning bolts rained down over a wide area. From the lightning that fell, more buzzing discharges spread, and many enemy magicrafts fell. After Linnecarlo¡¯s attack, the enemy army gave up the chase and immediately began to retreat. ¡°It looks like we managed to save them.¡± ¡°Having incompetent allies can be difficult.¡± I was thinking that this would be the end of the battle for today, but then Emina noticed something and called out. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡­there are a few magicrafts from the enemy army coming towards us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I wonder if they¡¯re going to try to fight us off.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then they¡¯re really daring.¡± At that moment, I heard a laugh from the enemy¡¯s magicraft that had fallen nearby. ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯re all finished! That¡¯s a squad of the Nitro Corps. The Reaper Squad¡¯s only gift is [death]. They won¡¯t even let you beg for your life!¡± Perhaps he was frustrated that he had been defeated, but he offered us a lot of information. Even after hearing this, the members of the Iron Knights didn¡¯t seem to be afraid. However, I felt an unpleasant atmosphere that I had never experienced before from the approaching magicrafts. CH 263 What approached us was five magicrafts. The black, eerie colors and bizarre shapes of the machines seemed appropriate for the name Reaper Squad. ¡°You¡¯re strong¡­..we¡¯re strong¡­¡­let¡¯s see who¡¯s better.¡± An emotionless voice could be heard over the external output sound. The cold voice, which didn¡¯t sound like a person, sent chills down my spine. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I¡¯ll accept your challenge!¡± When Linnecarlo replied, the five magicrafts of the Reaper Squad started moving at once. ¡°Fast!¡± Alana shouted in surprise. As she said, the Reaper Squad¡¯s movements were incredibly quick. They were able to close the gap at once, and a specially shaped, distorted sword attacked Alana and Nanami. The two of them barely managed to block the attack. However, it seemed to be quite powerful, as both of them were blown backwards. ¡°Aah!¡± Linnecarlo¡¯s ball of lightning strikes the Reaper Squad as they attempt to pursue the two. However, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes when I saw what the Reaper Squad did. The Reaper¡¯s magicrafts unexpectedly flicked back Linnecarlo¡¯s ball of lightning with its hand. ¡°No way!¡± Alana regained her stance and swung her twin swords. The Reaper¡¯s magicraft was able to block Alana¡¯s quick series of attacks without difficulty. In addition, in a counterattack, the arm of Alana¡¯s magicraft was cut off. The Reaper squad machine, wielding a sword, stopped his attack when an arrow pierced the hand holding the sword. The hand that was hit by the arrow was freezing rapidly. ¡°Alana, get back!¡± Emina shouted as she readied her bow gun. ¡°Be careful everyone, these guys are not normal!¡± Alana warned, holding up her sword with her only hand. Nanami was defending against the attack of the two Reaper machines, but the shield she was holding was deformed into tatters. I was amazed at the incredible power of the Reaper Squad. The enemy¡¯s attacks became even fiercer, pushing Nanami into a corner. I moved to save Nanami and aimed at one of the two Reaper magicrafts and swung my sword. To my dismay, the enemy reacted to my surprise attack and repelled my sword with a powerful strike. I felt a strong impact on the hand holding the sword as the numbing sensation was transmitted to me through the control sphere as an image, igniting something in my mind. Weak¡­¡­Now my attack is weak. That¡¯s why it was blocked. Be faster, more powerful, and better¡­¡­.Watch your enemy¡¯s movements more closely and predict them¡­¡­.Every opponent has a trajectory that they are not good at. Watch their body movements and detect their habits¡­¡­.Use their strength as well. The best of the best is always to use a single sword. Breathing, pausing, concentrating, releasing¡­¡­.©¤ I see it! ¡°A guaranteed hit!¡± The moment I saw something, I swung my sword. At the end of the sword I wielded, the magicraft of the Reaper Unit, whose arms and neck had been cut off, stood dumbfounded. ¡°You should know the power of my Odin! Gungnir Raygun!¡± Linnecarlo¡¯s voice echoed after my single sword. The spear of light released from Odin pierced the magicrafts of two members from the Reaper units. As expected, it seemed that this attack could not be repelled. The magicrafts that were pierced collapsed, spewing out a puff of white smoke. In addition, Alana and Emina are working together to hunt down a Reaper Squad¡¯s magicraft. ¡°Here¡¯s your pay for slicing off my arm, take it!¡± Alana¡¯s sword cut off the head of the Reaper¡¯s magicraft and the headless body collapsed to the ground.. Nanami was about to eliminate the remaining one as well. The Reaper¡¯s magicraft lost its balance after receiving a powerful blow from Nanami and she did not miss that moment. With one swift step of her sword, she sliced through the Reaper Unit¡¯s magicraft. ¡°That was a close one. We might not have been able to win if we hadn¡¯t trained our Ludia.¡± Everyone agreed with Linnecarlo¡¯s words. ¡°They said something about a Nitro Squad. Emina, do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of a Nitro Squad. It¡¯s probably a newly established unit.¡± ¡°Their abilities as riders were extraordinary, but I¡¯m a little curious about the magicrafts¡­¡­.Let¡¯s bring one back and have Rafishal check it out.¡± Alana said, and began to carry a destroyed magicraft from the Reaper unit. CH 264 ¡°I¡¯ll open the hatch now.¡± Alana pried open the hatch of the enemy magicraft she had brought back to Fugaku. Two strong mechanics waited nearby, wary of the enemy rider inside. The hatch opened and the rider came out rolling. The two strong men immediately approached to restrain him. But the man who touched the rider shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Judging by the damage to the mage machine, I¡¯d say it¡¯s highly unlikely the rider will die.¡± ¡°He looks a little strange. There are no external injuries, so he must have died for some other reason.¡± The strange situation confused everyone a little. ¡°Let me have a look.¡± As everyone was puzzled, Rafishal appeared and examined the corpse, his brow furrowed and he shook his head. ¡°Did you find out why he died?¡± Rafishal gave a surprising answer to Jean¡¯s question. ¡°The cause of death was overwork, he died of extreme fatigue.¡± ¡°Death by overwork?! You¡¯re saying he died of exhaustion fighting?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Rafishal then began to examine the captured enemy magicraft. After a bit of research, he seemed to have figured something out. ¡°This must be Lucifer¡¯s work¡­¡­.He¡¯s the only one who can create such an atrocious magicraft. With this magicraft, it makes sense that the rider died.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Explain it to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a demonic magicraft that eats people¡¯s souls. Instead of giving it Ludia, it takes away the life force of its rider.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible with the technology of ancient civilizations, but it¡¯s a devilish technology that none of the engineers of the time who cared about the rider would touch. Lucifer must have been working on it in secret.¡± ¡°This is troublesome. All of the Nitro Squad members that the enemy was talking about might be using these demonic magicrafts.¡± ¡°Nitro Squad? You said Nitro Squad!¡± Rafishal reacted strongly to Alana¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said. Rafishal, do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the Nitro Squad, but the word Nitro rings a bell.¡± Rafishal said, and began to examine the bodies of his enemies again. ¡°The Nitro Ludia ravaged his body and soul, and then he was put on a demonic magicraft¡­¡­Lucifer! What have you done to those people?!¡± Rafishal, who usually looks so quiet, is getting emotional. But who is this Lucifer whose name has been mentioned for a while now? ¡°Who is Lucifer?¡± I ask Emina, who was next to me, and she answers. ¡°He¡¯s Rafishal¡¯s brother and an evil bastard who¡¯s trying to destroy humanity.¡± ¡°Destroying humanity¡­¡­Why would he do that?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we have to be strong¡­¡­¡± ¡°I realized that the Iron Knights had a big mission.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind, I¡¯ll seriously reinforce the Iron Knights. I was not comfortable with the use of lost technology, but if we¡¯re going to fight Lucifer, who uses demon technology, there¡¯s no way I can afford to hold back.¡± Everyone listened to Rafishal¡¯s declaration in silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­about all of this, and I know it may cause you a lot of trouble. But the only people I can trust with the Lost Technology are the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything that doesn¡¯t make money, but it won¡¯t matter if the human race is destroyed. I¡¯ll lend you a hand as long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with our business.¡± Everyone nodded at Jean¡¯s words. ¡°I can¡¯t help what I¡¯ve gotten involved in. The first priority is to join up with Yuta, but Lucifer or not, I¡¯ll deal with you.¡± The members of the Iron Knights show their determination to fight against an enemy that uses demonic technology without hesitation¡­¡­.If Yuta had been here, he would have agreed with them. CH 265 Last chapter from Nagisa POV. Perhaps due to the fact that the Iron Knights had defeated Nitro¡¯s squad, I received information that the opposing Elysian army had begun to retreat. This meant that we had accomplished the mission so we headed to the command center of the army of Tamihar to get our reward. It seems that the success of the Iron Knights has already reached the upper echelons of Tamihar, and they asked us to extend our contract. However, for now, our top priority was to join up with Yuta so we politely declined the offer. ¡°So, what about the information you promised us about the Sword Clan?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­this is one of our country¡¯s biggest secrets, but it can¡¯t be helped. As it turns out, the Sword Clan doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡± ¡°The Sword Clan no longer exists?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Sword Clan was disbanded some time ago.¡± Jean seemed to be troubled by the unexpected answer. ¡°So what are they doing now? Where are the Sword Saint, the Sword King, and the Sword Emperor?¡± ¡°The Sword Saint was killed in battle¡­¡­.As for the Sword King and the Sword Emperor, we don¡¯t know where they are now.¡± ¡°That Sword Saint is dead! Who could do that?¡± ¡°I heard he lost his battle with the greatest rider on the continent, Yuto.¡± ¡°That Yuto? Oh yeah¡­¡­that¡¯s possible¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s all we know about the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°Our first priority right now is to find our friends. I¡¯ll think about the contract when that¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Please consider it. We need a little bit of strength to rely on now that we don¡¯t have the Swordsmen.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll consider it.¡± The information he had relied on did not reveal the whereabouts of the Sword Clan. Yuta¡¯s search was back to square one. ¡°What are we going to do, Jean?¡± ¡°First we need to find the former members of the disbanded Sword Clan. Maybe they can give us some useful information.¡± The Iron Knights went around the countries of the Three Kingdoms Alliance looking for former members of the Sword Clan. However, we could not find a single person. ¡°They¡¯re called the most powerful mercenary group in the world, so maybe they¡¯re already captured by some organization.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. If we¡¯re not careful, there¡¯s a possibility that one of the Three Kingdoms Alliance might have already recruited a large number of them.¡± When we were out of options and wondering what to do, a person came to visit Fugaku. He was dressed like a peddler, and I thought he was here to sell me something, but his real purpose was different. ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to the head of the Iron Knights. I have some special products I¡¯d like him to take a look at.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not buying anything. Would you mind looking elsewhere?¡± Alana said annoyed. No, I really recommend this product. It is a special product that is recommended by Yuta, and can be sold only to the Iron Knights. Hearing Yuta¡¯s name, Alana¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Darm! Balm! Come here! He¡¯s a suspicious guy! Who are you¡­¡­and where did you get that name?¡± The twin mechanics came quickly at Aluna¡¯s call and encircled the young merchant. ¡°Please calm down. I¡¯m not your enemy. I¡¯m just here to give you a message.¡± ¡°Message¡­¡­.I¡¯ll listen to you first. Liza, get Jean in here.¡± Jean came to the hangar as soon as he was called. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a message for you.¡± ¡°All right, then. Can you tell me what the message is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the head of the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°The real leader is not here, so he¡¯s sort of acting.¡± ¡°Yes, I will pass on the message. [Come to the main temple of Alice Abbey, from Yuta] I have passed the message.¡± ¡°It is indeed a great message, but how do I know if the information is genuine?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to trust me on that.¡± There was a possibility that it was a false message, but I felt that the short message was very Yuta-like. ¡°Jean, I think that message probably came from Yuta.¡± ¡°Well, if Nagisa says it, it must be true. Anyway, who are you, messenger?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on a mission for Lady Alice.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a secret agent of Alice¡¯s Abbey¡­¡­I received your message.¡± ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± After saying that, he left Fugaku. But it was a sudden turn of events to suddenly receive a message from Yuta. Alice Abbey, Yuta is there, isn¡¯t he? CH 266 ¡°Thank you for your efforts in keeping watch. It¡¯s our turn now.¡± Several of Count Dalaim¡¯s subordinates came over to me as I was watching the Valkyria Imperial Army deployed at the foot of the mountain from my watchtower. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you then.¡± There was no telling when the next attack of the Valkyria Empire would come. Alice¡¯s abbey was on alert, and since it was a 24-hour watch, they had to take turns keeping an eye on things. We, who had nothing better to do, were helping them. After I finished my watch, I went to the cafeteria because I was hungry. There were many soldiers and sisters eating in the cafeteria. ¡°Yuta-san, over here!¡± Tris, who had found me, called out. Kiyone and Sister Muzie were seated at the same table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Yuta-sama has also been keeping an eye on¡­¡­.¡± Sister Muzie said apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t have anything to do.¡± Everyone was eating a small bowl of soup with a few small vegetables, followed by bread and small pieces of dried meat. The portions were still small, and I could see that they were saving food. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Yuta-san¡¯s!¡± Tris said, running. I was going to say I¡¯d go get it myself, but I was already in line to pick up my meal. ¡°Sister Muzie, can I ask you something?¡± Kiyone began to speak again. ¡°Yes. Please ask anything you want.¡± ¡°You said you were informing the countries of the continent about the situation and asking for their help.¡± ¡°Yes. After all, every country is sympathetic when it comes to the Valkyrie Empire, but there has been no actual offer of help.¡± ¡±No matter how strong Yuta¡¯s Iron Knights are, there is a limit to how much a single mercenary group can handle. I think we really need support on a national scale¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, we think so, too. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been reaching out to some of the leading nations.¡± ¡°Which powerful nations?¡± When I asked, Sister Muzie¡¯s expression brightened and she replied, ¡°The Kingdom of Lubel.¡± It¡¯s true that Lubel is not afraid of the Valkyrie Empire, also Lubel and Valkyrie have always been enemies, so they might be willing to help. ¡°Yes. The response from the Kingdom of Lubel has not been bad, and the details of the support will be communicated today.¡± As Sister Muzie had told us, we received an official response from the Kingdom of Lubel that day. The content of the support received was satisfactory for Alice Abbey. ¡°I was told that 5,000 magicrafts are already on their way here to help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, we might be able to kick out the encircling Valkyria Imperial Army.¡± ¡°They also promised to support our defense in the future. Now the Valkyrie Empire won¡¯t be able to sneak up on us.¡± The news was quite good, and Sister Muzie was all smiles. ¡°You say they are on their way, how long until they will be here?¡± ¡°Five days.¡± ¡°Five days, that¡¯s faster than the arrival of the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°I think the message has already been passed on to the Iron Knights, so they might arrive at the same time.¡± Either way, I think I can get out of this situation in about five days. I thought of my fellow Iron Knights who I would be meeting soon and felt a little happy. CH 267 Five days later, as planned, the Lubel army showed up. It was a large force with magicrafts, ride carriers, and even battle vehicles. The Valkyria Empire troops besieging the Alice Abbey were flustered by their appearance. ¡°Two-headed serpent emblem¡­That¡¯s the 3rd Armored Division of the Kingdom of Lubel, isn¡¯t it? If they were the enemy, I would have run away in fear, but when they appear as allies, they are very reliable.¡± Count Dalaim, who was originally from the Valkyria Empire, seemed to know well the Lubel Kingdom army that had shown up in support. The Valkyria Empire army intercepted the army of the Kingdom of Lubel that appeared. ¡°The size of the army is about the same, but I wonder if the Royal Army of Lubel will be okay.¡± Their armies seem to be evenly matched. It would be no laughing matter if they gallantly showed up to help and were beaten back. ¡°The 3rd Armored Division of the Kingdom of Lubel and the Northern Army of the Valkyria Empire are of different ranks. They¡¯d have to be at least the Central Defense Force to be a match.¡± According to Count Dailam, the 3rd Armored Division of the Kingdom of Lubel was way superior. ¡°Both armies are starting to move.¡± Just as Kiyone had said, the two armies slowly moved closer to attack each other. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡­?¡± Count Dalaim was surprised to see the magicraft corps lined up in the front row of the Lubel Kingdom army. Indeed, the magicrafts in the front row had a special shape. They were quadrupedal, like Arthur¡¯s Sentor, but instead of being halfway between a horse and a man, they were completely in the shape of a beast. Attached to the back part of the beast¡¯s body was a round tube that looked like the large gun portals of a tank. If I were to give it a name with that look, I would name it the Beast Tank. The Beast Tank Corps performed as well as it looked. The artillery guns spewed fire in unison at the approaching magicrafts of the Valkyria Army. The shells that landed exploded loudly, shattering the magicrafts of the Valkyria Empire. The powerful and wide range of the attack is incredibly effective in group battles. The Valkyria Empire¡¯s forces, exposed to the beast tank¡¯s guns, could no longer even approach. They had no choice but to switch to attacking from a distance, but there was too much of a performance difference between the Valkyria Empire¡¯s forces, which had only the Ride Carriers¡¯ ballistae and the Arrow Corps¡¯ arrows as long-range attacks, and the beast tank¡¯s guns. The battle situation quickly tilted in favor of the Lubel Kingdom army. ¡°The Valkyria Empire¡¯s forces are helpless in the face of the beast tanks.¡± The Valkyria Empire army, helpless in the face of the beast tanks, gradually began to retreat. They left the range of the beast tanks as if they escaped the battlefield. ¡°The battle is won. The Valkyria Empire will now retreat.¡± As Count Dalaim had said, the Valkyria Empire was not going to stay here. All the troops started to move towards their own country, they already seemed to have no will to fight. The victorious army of the Kingdom of Lubel slowly deployed their forces at the foot of the mountain. A messenger from the army of the Kingdom of Lubel came to Alice Abbey. Mother Maysa thanked him profusely, but the messenger told her, ¡°We will stay at the foot of the mountain for a while, as there is a possibility that the army of the Valkyria Empire will return soon.¡± ¡°That would be great. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°By the way, I would like to ask you if you would allow me to place some troops on top of the mountain. There is a possibility that the Valkyria Empire will call for reinforcements and show up with a large army.¡± ¡°Of course, I have no reason to refuse.¡± Mother Maysa answered immediately. However, the top of the mountain is not that wide, and it is too small to accommodate the troops of the Kingdom of Lubel. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll head back down the mountain and return to the ride carrier. Please call me if you need anything.¡± With the Royal Army of Lubel, we don¡¯t have to worry about defense. I can¡¯t leave here because I have to meet up with the Iron Knights, but there¡¯s no need to wait in the main temple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuta-sama, I¡¯ll have Sister Muzie sit in as your liaison.¡± Furthermore, in order to receive the troops of the Kingdom of Lubel, 30 magicrafts under Count Dalaim¡¯s command were to follow us. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s better to have a troop of beast tanks to intercept the enemy on top of the mountain, but I felt a little sad because it seemed as if Count Dalaim¡¯s troops that had worked so hard to protect this place were being neglected. CH 268 The rest of my friends in Musashi were hiding in a cave in a small mountain, waiting for us. As soon as we returned, we moved to a hill where we could get a good view of the main temple of Alice Abbey. ¡°It looks like the forces of the Kingdom of Lubel are starting to head up.¡± As Kiyone said, we can see dozens of magic machine troops from the Lubel Kingdom army at the foot of the mountain moving towards the top. Watching their movement, I feel a little uncomfortable¡­¡­. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little strange?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yuta?¡± Unlike the dumb Tris, Kiyone and Brunnhilde seemed to have noticed. ¡°Why is it a regular magicraft squadron? I thought they were going to place the new magicrafts on top of the mountain.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­would be more effective, and with that, there¡¯s no point in transferring Count Dalaim¡¯s troops away to take their place.¡± ¡°Will something happen?¡± Sister Muzie also asked with concern. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡­.¡± Everyone¡¯s bad feeling was coming true. Count Dalaim¡¯s subordinate hurriedly reported to me. ¡°Yuta-dono! The army of the Kingdom of Lubel has suddenly changed and attacked us!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°They¡¯re already in the main temple and we¡¯re resisting them.¡± ¡°Damn it! They were planning to betray us from the start! They thought it would be troublesome to besiege us and pretended to protect us in order to easily reach the temple.¡± ¡°Yuta, let¡¯s go help them right away!¡± I nodded at Kiyone¡¯s words. ¡°Wait! Count Dalaim wants to talk with Yuta-dono.¡± It¡¯s not possible to talk to him directly because Excalibur doesn¡¯t share communication with Count Dalaim¡¯s magicraft so I went to Count Dalaim¡¯s subordinate magicraft and listened to what he had to say. It is possible that the Kingdom of Lubel¡¯s goal is to obtain Rafishal Forbidden Book, but I closed my eyes to that possibility. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to protect Mother Maysa in the future with my power. However, I thought that the Kingdom of Lubel could do that, and I let my judgment be clouded¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Count Dalaim, I will come to your aid at once!¡± ¡°No¡­¡­it¡¯s too late. My troops are all magicrafts that specialize in long range. If they get too close, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡­I have a favor to ask of you, Yuta-dono. I would like to ask you to take care of my subordinates that I have entrusted to you. They are all excellent men who are useful in mercenary work. Please take good care of them. And please don¡¯t come to my rescue. It¡¯s too late¡­¡­.This is also the will of Mother Maysa.¡± ¡°Count Dalaim!¡± ¡°Yuta-dono, it has been an honor to meet a man of your stature.¡± After saying that, the communication was cut off. Count Dalaim¡¯s men, who had been listening to the entire conversation, were sobbing. ¡°No, Count Dailam and Mother Maysa are still alive! We can still make it in time!¡± I had no intention of giving up. I immediately returned to Excalibur and prepared to launch. ¡°Tris and Brunnhilde can stay here.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Yuta? I¡¯m coming with you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay here either.¡± ¡°Take it easy.¡± Of course, but Count Dalaim¡¯s men also insisted on coming with me. I knew that it would be difficult to take them with me when even Tris and Brunnhilde could slow me down. However, I couldn¡¯t ignore their feelings. I only asked them to cover me in order to break through the siege. The army of the Kingdom of Lubel, which had been deployed at the foot of the mountain, took hostile action as it had turned its back on us. When they saw us, they immediately took up a fighting stance. ¡°Dalaim¡¯s troops cover the rear. Tris and Brunnhilde, you protect them. Kiyone will go in with me.¡± ¡°Yuta-san! I¡¯m coming with you.¡± ¡°Just protect them.¡± I made a promise to count Dalaim, I had a duty to protect them. Tris seemed to be a little hesitant, but followed my instructions. CH 269 It is difficult to fight properly against the army of the Kingdom of Lubel, which has 5,000 magicrafts deployed. We have no choice but to concentrate our attack on a single point and try to break through. I instructed Dalaim¡¯s men to use the arrows to intimidate the enemy, and Kiyone and I rushed into the enemy unit defending the entrance to the mountain to break through. However, after killing about a dozen enemy machines, the enemy forces retreated a bit. I had a bad feeling about the unexpected retreat, but sure enough, a large number of artillery shells were flying in from around the mountainside. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding area was a sea of fire. ¡°Yuta! That new magicraft bombardment is dangerous! Let¡¯s move back a bit! ¡°Stick to¡­¡­.¡± I know that Kiyone¡¯s suggestion is correct, but when I think about Count Dalaim and Mother Maysa, I feel like I can¡¯t do anything about it. There was a big explosion around me and I was blown away. Thanks to Excalibur¡¯s high defense, it has been able to avoid damage, but it won¡¯t last long in this state¡­¡­.Reluctantly, I had to retreat. Not only did it become more difficult to get close to the mountain, but the bombardment of the new magicrafts of the Kingdom of Lubel¡¯s army drove us back. In addition, a large army was encircling us, the army of the Kingdom of Lubel, which was closing in on us no matter whether we cut them down or not, was slowly squeezing us. I spin around and cut down enemy magicrafts that have been attacking me from three sides, and then skewered a large magicraft in front of me with my sword. I looked up and saw that an enemy unit was approaching Musashi. Dalaim¡¯s troops desperately attacked with arrows, but there were too many enemies and they couldn¡¯t stop everyone. I think I need to go help¡­¡­but I can¡¯t move because I¡¯m surrounded by enemies too. Br¨¹nnhilde¡¯s Kunitsuna Onimaru steps out in front of the troops approaching Musashi. Her swordsmanship is a defensive swordsmanship called Mamoru Ken, in which she manipulates her sword according to the movements of her opponent. As soon as the enemy magicraft swings its weapon, Kunitsuna Onimaru sword moves to cut down the enemy. As expected of a triple Highlander, Kiyone¡¯s number one disciple, she wiped out the approaching enemy force with overwhelming strength. But the enemy troops keep showing up one after another. Kiyone and Brunnhilde seem to still have some energy left in them, but Tris seems to have already reached his limit. The body of Tora was severely damaged, and cruelly, his left arm was about to be torn off. ¡°Tris! You need to step back!¡± Kiyone instructed, sensing Tris¡¯ limitations. ¡°I can still do it, Master!¡± He said, but he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on much longer. Damn it! At this rate¡­¡­. But then, I saw Fugaku who had emerged from the forest. ¡°It¡¯s Fugaku!¡± Kiyone reacts to my words. ¡°What¡¯s Fugaku?¡± ¡°It means that the Iron Knights have arrived!¡± I couldn¡¯t communicate with Fugaku from Excalibur. I was wondering if there was any way I could let them know that I needed help but when they approached me I called out to Fugaku using the external output sound. ¡°This is Yuta! Jean, can you hear me We¡¯re struggling with many enemies, we need help!¡± Jean answered my shout. ¡°What the hell, Yuta, why are you riding Excalibur the Sword Saint?¡± ¡°We can talk about that later!¡± ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ve already given them the order.¡± Just as Jean had said, the hatch of the Fugaku was opened, and out of it popped the old faces of my friends magicrafts. ¡°Yuta, it¡¯s Nanami!¡± ¡°You asked me to come and now you¡¯re at war. You¡¯re a busy man.¡± ¡°Ode¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­help¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­.Excalibur! I¡¯ve never seen Excalibur in person!¡± ¡°Who cares, the enemy is the Kingdom of Lubel! Why are we fighting them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who the enemy is! Let¡¯s just get this over with and have an emotional reunion.¡± ¡°No, it has something to do with you, Linnecarlo-sama¡­¡­.It¡¯s that Kingdom of Lubel!¡± In addition, a familiar magicraft also appeared. ¡°Yuta is always in trouble, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°What, Nagisa?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t sit around and get beat up.¡± ¡°Why are you in Fugaku?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± It¡¯s true that there is no time for idle talk. I have to save Count Dalaim and Mother Maysa. I changed my mind and readied my sword. CH 270 Sorry for the late release, the bot missed the chapter and I forgot to check when I woke up. Arthur¡¯s Sentor¡¯s charge kicked away many of the magicrafts of the Kingdom of Lubel¡¯s army. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my imagination, but Sentor¡¯s power seems to be higher. Lorgo¡¯s Ganesha¡¯s equipment has changed. He had a large shield in his left hand and a huge axe in his right. Ganesha swung the axe and pushed forward, crushing the enemy magicrafts. Ganesha¡¯s image was that of a defensive fighter, but he originally had a lot of power and showed tremendous offensive capabilities. Farma¡¯s Garuda was firing countless shining arrows from the sky. Perhaps it was the new weapon that Rafishal had made for her, but it was showing incredible power. One arrow split up into many rained down on the enemy army. Each shot is so powerful that it pierces a magicraft that is defending itself with its shield raised. Emina¡¯s Artemis, who had been approaching for some time, released her stealth mode to reveal herself. Artemis¡¯s equipment has also changed. The bow gun that was previously mounted on her left hand was now smaller and mounted on the forearms of both arms. Artemis pointed both arms at the enemy and fired the arrows from her bowgun. The arrows shot out at a tremendous speed and pierced a double-digit number of enemy machines. In addition, the magicrafts pierced by the arrows froze from the arrow parts and became motionless. Alana¡¯s Bercya swung her sword like a dancer and charged into the enemy army. The twin swords that she unleashed with god-like speed are amazing, but the scorching flames that fly around her every time she swings her sword burn up a huge portion of the enemy magicrafs. Now that I¡¯ve learned swordsmanship from my father, I realize that Alana¡¯s swordsmanship is rough, yet refined and beautiful, and has an outstanding strength that is different from the Veft style. The artistic movements produced by her transcendent swordsmanship were mesmerizing. Nanami¡¯s Vajra seemed to be unchanged in terms of equipment, but its performance had been greatly enhanced. With her shield at the ready, she charged into the center of the enemy force, kicking enemy magicrafts away. A black haze spread in a circle around Vajra, and the enemy magicrafts within its range were destroyed as if they had been crushed. I think it¡¯s Vajra¡¯s gravitational strike, but the power and range of the attack seem to be stronger than before. It seems that everyone has been greatly enhanced in a little while, but the one who had evolved beyond recognition was Linnecarlo¡¯s Odin. To my surprise, Odin was able to fly like Farma¡¯s Garuda. While flying, he unleashed powerful ranged magic blasts. In addition to its terrifyingly wide attack range, it seems to be able to limit its attack targets at will and as the lightning strikes fall they avoid the allies. It¡¯s also immensely powerful, crushing even large magicraft in a single blow. ¡°Yuta, don¡¯t just stand there, I have a new trick up my sleeve!¡± As Nagisa said this, she slashed at the two enemy magicrafts with her sword. As I suspected, being a martial arts practitioner, Nagisa had a good sense with swords. In addition, I don¡¯t know how she did it, but her speed and power seem to have increased. The battle situation seemed to be overwhelmingly in our favor. However, the beast tank team made a move. They had moved further up the mountain and extended their range. They pointed their powerful gun gates at us and began to fire. ¡°That¡¯s nasty¡­¡­Should we charge in forcefully and beat them¡­¡­?¡± As I was thinking this, Alana said calmly, ¡°I just got a call from Jean. Don¡¯t worry, Fugaku will take care of those noisy things on the mountain.¡± I listened again to the unexpected words. ¡°Fugaku will?¡± The range of Fugaku¡¯s ballista couldn¡¯t have reached that far up the mountain. I didn¡¯t understand it for a minute, but that little question of mine was answered by a ray of light that came from Fugaku. The light emitted from Fugaku extended to the mountainside and delivered intense destruction there. The beast tank troops were caught up in the explosions created by the light, and exploded in a chain reaction. ¡°What the hell is that¡± ¡°Fugaku¡¯s new main gun, designed by Rafishal, it¡¯s called the Four Elements Cannon.¡± I thought I had heard of a four-element cannon somewhere before, but I can¡¯t remember. Well, if it¡¯s Rafishal¡¯s weapon, I can understand why it¡¯s so powerful. Whatever it was, the threat was now gone. I decided to head to the main temple of Alice Abbey. CH 271 ¡°Yuta¡­..who the hell are the Iron Knights? I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re strong, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be this bullshit strong¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone says as she witnesses the strength of the Iron Knights. Tris and Brunnhilde seem to be unable to hide their surprise as well. ¡°I think I understand why you are so strong, Yuta. It¡¯s not as unexpected as it sounds.¡± ¡°Even the Sword Clan in its prime could not have done something like this¡­¡­.¡± I could see that the army of the Kingdom of Lubel was clearly in turmoil after being hit by Fugaku¡¯s main gun. It would not be difficult to get to the main temple now. ¡°Alana, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m heading up the mountain now, can you tell Jean to cover me?¡± When I asked her to do so over the external output sound, Alana immediately communicated it to Jean. She also said that she would go with me to the top of the mountain. It would certainly be more convenient for me to go with her, since there is a communication problem. ¡°Kiyone and I will head to the main temple, while Br¨¹nnhilde and Tris will take care of Dalaim¡¯s team.¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± ¡°No. Even if the enemy is confused, there are still too many of them, and Tris Tora is in tatters.¡± When I said that, she pulled back regretfully. Jean opened fire on the enemy troops along the route to make it easier for me to get to the top of the mountain. My Excalibur, Kiyone¡¯s Kiku-Ichimonji, and Alana¡¯s Bercya ran along the road that had been burned to the ground by the four elements cannon. ¡°Yuta, Fugaku¡¯s main gun is out of ammo. Jean says to do something about the rest.¡± It seems that they shot us until they ran out of ammunition. There aren¡¯t that many enemies left in the mountains, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. The surviving enemy troops that had escaped Fugaku¡¯s main gun came at us in droves, but Kiku Ichimonji and Bercya¡¯s swords killed them instantly. Alana seemed to have noticed the sharpness of Kiyone¡¯s swordplay and asked me about it. ¡°Yuta, who is the rider of that magicraft?¡± ¡°The rider of that magicraft is Kiyone, formerly of the Sword Clan.¡± ¡°Kiyone! Sword Emperor Kiyone of the Twelve Heavenly Masters¡± It seems that Kiyone is a celebrity after all, and Alana knew her. Looking at the foot of the mountain where everyone was fighting, I could see that the large army of the Kingdom of Lubel was being tossed around by the small number of Iron Knights. Some of the Lubel Kingdom troops were running away, so it was only a matter of time before they retreated. When I arrived at the main temple of Alice¡¯s Abbey, I was struck by the sight of Count Dalaim¡¯s men lying in ruins. The memories of eating together in the dining hall and other places come to mind, and my grief became even greater. The main temple is torn to shreds, but there are still sounds of fighting in the back. If they were fighting, then there were still people alive. I hurried to the back. Count Dalaim alone was desperately guarding the entrance to the main hall, which should be called the last stronghold. His magicraft was already in tatters, and an enemy¡¯s sword was stuck in his back. There were about ten enemy magicrafts fighting Count Dalaim. I leapt to approach the enemy magicrafts and destroyed one of them as I slammed my sword down. At the same time, Kiyone and Alana were also moving. They went to the right and left, and each cut down an enemy machine. The ten enemies were eradicated in a few seconds. Seeing this, Count Dalaim fell to his knees in relief. ¡°Count Dalaim, are you all right?¡± ¡°Yuta-dono¡­¡­I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t expect you to come to my rescue¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it. Are Mother Maysa and the other sisters safe?¡± ¡°Everyone has taken refuge in the main hall.¡± I was deeply relieved to hear that. ¡°Yuta, it looks like the bottom of the mountain has been cleared. The Kingdom of Lubel¡¯s army has started to retreat.¡± It seems that Alice Abbey has been defended. But what would have happened if the arrival of the Iron Knights had been delayed even a little bit?¡­¡­I thanked my friends from the bottom of my heart for showing up at the right time. CH 272 Mr. Eo, the Minister of Military Affairs, resigned. The reason was that he was losing strength due to a worsening chronic illness, but we all knew that was not the real reason. He left the imperial capital, saying he was going to retire in the countryside. With the departure of the last major figure of the old imperial regime from the public stage, the transition to the new regime ruled by Rafishal was in full swing. The three best riders of the Elysian Empire, including Yuto, could not resist this trend. Yuto-san, Rosetta-san, and Emesis-san also decided to take Nitro Ludia. I can¡¯t imagine how much stronger the three strongest riders will become with Nitro Ludia. ¡°What are you doing in a daze, Yuki?¡± ¡°You said there was someone you wanted me to meet, and I was wondering who it was.¡± Earlier, I had received a call from Rafishal. He said there was someone he wanted me to meet, but I couldn¡¯t guess who it was. ¡°Long time no see, Yuki.¡± The one who showed up at Rafishal¡¯s call was my classmate Reina Azuma. In addition to her studies, she is also a model, and to be honest, we do not get along well. For some reason, she seemed to have a strange rivalry with me, and was always trying to compete with me in some way. ¡°Reina, why did you come to Elysia?¡± ¡°Because my country was destroyed by Elysia, I¡¯m going to work as a rider in this country. Nice to meet you, senpai.¡± The sarcastic tone of voice still gave the impression that she didn¡¯t think well of me. ¡°How¡¯s it going, Yuki, seeing an old friend again? Reina is an excellent Class 4 rider. Her results in Nitro Ludia were good, and she will be a representative of Elysia from now on.¡± It seems that Reina has already been subjected to Nitro Ludia. The explosive increase in her Ludia value may have given her such a relaxed atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see my classmates again. Nice to meet you, Reina.¡± I said something that was not in my heart. Of course, Reina probably doesn¡¯t think that I meant what I said. I can tell by the expression on her face as she smiles fearlessly. ¡°Also, there¡¯s another person you may not have met before, also an excellent Class 4 rider. I¡¯d like to introduce him to you, since you may be working together in the future.¡± The person who appeared was a stunningly beautiful woman with long, blond hair. ¡°My name is Cruz. From now on, I will do my best for the Elysian Empire.¡± Perhaps it was a woman¡¯s intuition, but I felt a strange sense of discomfort in her. Behind her casual words, I sensed more malice than from Reina. Not wanting to get too involved, I greeted her appropriately and left Rafishal¡¯s audience room. Plans were underway to use Nitro Ludia on the riders from Japan. However, due to the lack of equipment and technicians, more time was needed before all riders could receive it. After all, it seemed that priority was given to those with high Ludia values, regardless of their contribution to the nation, and even riders who had just been incorporated from other countries would receive Nitro Ludia as soon as their Ludia values were high enough. With the expansion of the Nitro Squad, Elysia was rapidly gaining power. What is he going to do with all this strength? There is no such thing as an enemy nation that can compete with us anymore¡­¡­but the defeat of the Nitro Corps came in succession. The Nitro Corps¡¯ headquarters was in an uproar over the news. ¡°A squad of Nitro Corps was wiped out in the fight against the Three Kingdoms!¡± ¡°You mean the Sword Clan?¡± ¡°No, not exactly. They¡¯re saying it was another mercenary group, but we don¡¯t know the details.¡± ¡°I also heard that a squad of Nitro Corps was beaten to a pulp in the fight against the Kingdom of Rhesia.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.squads of Nitro Corps were destroyed unilaterally?¡± ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t the Nitro Corps an invincible force?¡± The Nitro Squad is quite powerful, even among the bottom riders. Furthermore, the performance of the Terror Mail surpasses that of ordinary magicrafts. When it comes to defeating it one-sidedly, it¡¯s hard to imagine how powerful the enemy is. In response to this situation, the military of the Elysian Empire decided to make major changes. I was called in for that announcement and couldn¡¯t imagine what was going to happen. CH 273 ¡°As you may have heard, we suffered a great defeat in the battle against the Kingdom of Rhesia. If this continues, the dignity of the Elysian Empire will fall to the ground. Therefore, I have decided to implement a large-scale organizational reform of the military.¡± That¡¯s what the new Minister of War, Eo¡¯s successor, declares. Called to this occasion were all the high ranking riders of the Nitro Corps, including Yuto and the others who had recently been given Nitro Ludia. Outside of the Nitro Corps, the new emperor, Grand Vizier Rafishal, and the upper echelons of the Elysian Empire are all here. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m giving a title to a particularly outstanding person from the Nitro Corps. This is also valid as a position in the Elysian army, meaning it is the highest rank in the army.¡± The members of the Nitro Corps were buzzing about. When they heard the words ¡°the highest rank in the military,¡± they seemed to expect that it might be them. ¡°The name of the title is [Elysia¡¯s Ten War Gods], and this name will spread throughout the continent, becoming an object of awe and respect, a symbol of the Elysia Empire.¡± I chuckle at the mundane name. However, people don¡¯t seem to be interested in the name, and they want to hear about who will get the title as soon as possible. It¡¯s called the Ten War Gods, so I guess it¡¯s a title that can be given to ten people¡­.. ¡°We will now confer the titles. I will call out your names one by one, so please step forward. Also, in order to make his strength known throughout the continent, the Elysian War Gods will also announce their Ludia value both inside and outside the country. I will read them out along with your names.¡± It was finally time, and the place fell silent. When they read out the Ludia values, it means that the selection criteria for the Ten War Gods is based on Ludia value. Everyone seems to be confident in their Ludia values, which have been greatly increased by Nitro Ludia, and they don¡¯t seem to have any doubt that they will be called. I can hear throat-clearing sounds coming from somewhere. They are waiting for the words of the Minister of War with glaring eyes, they want the highest rank in the military that badly. ¡°First up, Ludia value, 425,000, Rosetta.¡± One of the three greats was suddenly called. Everyone agreed that this was inevitable. ¡°Second, Ludia value, 427,000, Arjen.¡± This is Arjen, a former Triple Highlander. I¡¯ve known him since we fought together in the Nitro Corps. He is a cheerful young man with blond hair and a body full of muscles. The place buzzed with excitement at the number that surpassed Rosetta. ¡°Third, Ludia value, 434000, Cruz.¡± The fact that Cruz, a newcomer, was called out showed that background had nothing to do with the title. Hearing this, many of them had desperate expressions on their faces. Some of them were probably expecting to be selected based on something other than numerical values. ¡°Fourth, Ludia value, 443000, Emesis.¡± One of the three greats was called out. After all, it seems that those with good original values tend to have higher values even after receiving Nitro Ludia. ¡°The fifth person is Reina, with a Ludia value of 448,000.¡± I was surprised at how high Reina¡¯s Ludia value was. She stepped forward proudly. And with the announcement of the sixth person, there was the biggest reaction so far. It was the name of the person who not long ago had been called the strongest person on the continent. ¡°The sixth person is Yuto, with a Ludia value of 988,000.¡± Everyone shouted in surprise at the Ludia value, which surpassed all previous values. However, the murmur grew louder when they noticed that Yuto¡¯s name was the sixth person to be called. Yes, the announcements up to this point had been made in order of increasing Ludia value. They still couldn¡¯t believe that there were four people above him, but I knew one of them. ¡°Seventh, Ludia value, 1389000, Yuki.¡± There was a moment of silence as my name was called. I glanced over at Reina, and her expression changed to that of a demon. It seems that she didn¡¯t expect my Ludia value to be higher than hers. ¡°The above persons are hereby conferred the title.¡± When the Minister of War says this, the crowd starts to buzz again, even though there are Ten War Gods, only seven have been called. Seeing that the people were confused as to what was going on, the Minister of War added a few more words. ¡°In addition, three people who are not here have already been chosen, they will be announced later.¡± I was curious about the three mysterious people. I could hear people around me guessing who they might be, but no one had any idea. CH 274 Since I became one of the Ten War Gods, my treatment has changed drastically. I¡¯ve always been treated with respect as a top-tier rider, but now it¡¯s even more excessive. One of the generals I passed greeted me by kneeling down in front of me. Even the Minister of War, who appointed the Ten War Gods, treats me with respect after the appointment. I realized that my position in the empire is the third highest after Rafishal and the emperor. I was treated so well, but I was not free. I touch the red jewel embedded below my own neck¡­¡­I would escape from the Elysian Empire if it were not for this¡­¡­. The Council of the Ten War Gods, which is essentially the Supreme Military Council of the Elysian Imperial Army, was inaugurated. It was decided that the council would be held every three months to decide on the future military actions of the Elysian Imperial Army. ¡°This is the first meeting of the Ten War Gods, so where shall we begin?¡± Yuto-san, who was appointed as the chairperson, started the discussion. ¡°We already know what to talk about, which country are we going to destroy?¡± Suddenly, Cruz made a radical statement. ¡°Destroying countries is not so easy. We don¡¯t need to talk about going to war with some other country just because it¡¯s a military conference.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say that. Then Arjen agreed with me. ¡°If it¡¯s a war that doesn¡¯t need to be fought, I don¡¯t think it needs to be fought either.¡± ¡°I feel the same way, but the Emperor and Grand Vizier have set me one major goal. That is to conquer the continent within three years.¡± The Ten War Gods reacted to Yuto¡¯s words in different ways. Rosetta turned away disinterestedly, while Emesis crossed his arms and began to think about something. Cruz began to chuckle wryly, and Reina feigned a blank expression, but a smile appeared on her face. Arjen and I both chuckled, conquering a continent is so ridiculous. ¡°Conquering the continent in three years, what a rush.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable goal. I wonder if anyone can compete with us now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been defeated by the Three Kingdoms Alliance and Rhesia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Nitro Corps, right? I mean, who can defeat the Ten War Gods?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but it¡¯s rumored that only one magicraft defeated the defeated Nitro Regiment in Rhesia.¡± ¡°Bullshit¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, then there are enemies in Rhesia that rival us, the Ten War Gods.¡± ¡°What the hell is the Kingdom of Rhesia¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Rhesia was originally part of the Elysian Empire. It ended up splitting up due to differences in ideology and power struggles, and at that time, a certain organization also split between the Rhesia Kingdom faction and the Elysian Empire faction.¡± Emesis suddenly started talking as if telling an old story. ¡°What organization Emesis?¡± ¡°The Messiah family.¡± The Messiah clan of Rafishal fanatics is split This is getting interesting. ¡°What is the Messiah clan?¡± Few people knew about the Messiah clan, let alone the newcomer, Reina. ¡°Those here are the chosen ones of the Ten War Gods. That is why I must tell you that the true rulers of the Elysian Empire are the Messiah clan and Lord Rafishal. The emperor is just one of the current chiefs of the Messiah clan.¡± ¡°How could Emesis know such a thing?¡± ¡°Because I am also a member of the Messiah family.¡± Everyone was surprised by the shocking confession. ¡°That¡¯s why I know the power of the Messiah clan. Only the Messiah clan can resist the Messiah clan. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t let our guard down against the Kingdom of Rhesia.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the Kingdom of Rhesia also possesses Nitro Ludia¡¯s technology?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how much technology they have, but it¡¯s possible that they have technology from the time of ancient civilizations.¡± ¡°Damn, I thought we could defeat them with the power of Nitro Ludia.¡± Arjen says regretfully. ¡°Well, to be precise, the really scary enemy isn¡¯t the Kingdom of Rhesia, but that branch of the Messiah clan that¡¯s behind it.¡± ¡°The Radol Company.¡± ¡°Cruz, how do you know that?¡± ¡°There are only a few organizations that can control a country from behind the scenes.¡± Everyone seemed to be convinced by the name of the Radol Company, but I had never heard of it before. ¡°What kind of organization is the Radol Company?¡± ¡°Yukari was involved with that organization at one time, too. The Radol Company, a for-profit organization that controls the entire continent in the name of absolute neutrality. It¡¯s the only entity that has a summoning device.¡± Summoning Device That means that the ones that brought us into this world are the Radol Company¡­¡­. CH 275 Once the enemy had retreated from Alice Abbey and settled down, we met up with the Iron Knights once again. After a long time, nothing had changed in Fugaku. ¡°Yuta! Explain to me where you were and what you were doing.¡± ¡°As soon as Nagisa saw my face, she came at me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to talk about it later. I¡¯ve got some things to do, so wait for me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that tone? I¡¯ve been looking for you because people were worried about you!¡± It seems she was worried that I was missing and was helping to look for me. I appreciate the sentiment, but I had my priorities now. Before I could enjoy the emotional reunion with everyone, I looked for the person I needed to see. The others saw me and surrounded me, but I found the person I was looking for. ¡°Rafishal! Can we talk?¡± ¡°Oh, Yuta. I have something to do too. I have a special program for you to enhance your Ludia value¡­¡± ¡°That can wait! Can you come to Musashi for a minute?¡± I took Rafishal, who was still mumbling something, back to Musashi. I brought him to the medical capsule where father was sleeping and asked him, ¡°Can Rafishal bring this person back to life?¡± Kiyone, who was present, waited for Rafishal¡¯s words with a tearful expression. Rafishal took a closer look at the capsule and said, ¡°Yuta, you were right to keep him in hibernation mode in the medical capsule right away. The longer he¡¯s been dead, the harder it is to revive him.¡± ¡°So, can you revive him?¡± ¡°Yuta¡­¡­life is not so light. It¡¯s easy to regain a life once it¡¯s lost.¡± ¡°Which is it? Can you bring him back to life or not?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that revival is possible.¡± When Kiyone heard this, she fell to her knees and broke down crying. I was truly happy too. ¡°But there are a few conditions for revival. You need to meet those conditions.¡± ¡°Just tell me! I¡¯ll do whatever it takes!¡± ¡°First of all, the location. You need an advanced astral medical facility for revival, otherwise it would be impossible. It also requires a huge amount of energy to run the facility. In addition, you¡¯ll need some alchemical materials.¡± It¡¯s going to take a lot of work, but I¡¯m going to bring dad back to life. I promised myself that I would do whatever I could. ¡°I had no idea what you meant when you said advanced astral medical facility.¡± ¡°It would take decades to build one from scratch, so we need existing facilities. If there are any old facilities that we can use, that would be great¡­¡­.Yeah. Feri might know. Yuta, you retrieved Feri, where is it?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. You¡¯ve got it.¡± As I said this, I took Feri out of my backpack and handed it to Rafishal. ¡°You¡¯re using that magicraft now, aren¡¯t you? Can I plug Feri into it?¡± ¡°Oh, but Excalibur is borrowed¡­¡­.¡± I said that, but Kiyone immediately added, ¡°Until father comes back to life, Excalibur belongs to Yuta. You can use it as you please.¡± Well, I can just move it again when dad is revived. So I asked Rafishal to connect Feri to Excalibur. ¡°Feri, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, Yuta. It¡¯s been a while.¡± I can hear Feri¡¯s voice over the external output sound of Excalibur. And I¡¯m a little touched by the feeling since it¡¯s been a long time. ¡°I know it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had this conversation, but can you think of any advanced astral medical facilities that might still work?¡± ¡°An astral medical facility?¡­¡­I know of one prime location.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a research facility of an ancient civilization, located around latitude -5.441022 and longitude -56.601562. The facility is located in a shelter deep underground, so there¡¯s a good chance it still exists.¡± As expected of Feri, she¡¯s very knowledgeable. She immediately gave us useful information. ¡°Latitude -5.441022, longitude -56.601562¡­¡­current position is somewhere in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Lubel.¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Lubel? It¡¯s the country we were fighting just now!¡± The country has become completely hostile to us, but I wonder if it will be okay. Asking them to let you just use their premises seems like a bad idea¡­¡­. CH 276 In order to think about the future, we decided to settle down at Alice Abbey. We let Fugaku and Musashi wait at the foot of the mountain, and we came to the main temple. ¡°Mother Maysa, what will you do now?¡± It turned out that not only the Valkyrie Empire, but also the Kingdom of Lubel was targeting the Forbidden Book of Rafishal. It would be difficult for Alice Abbey to survive against two powerful nations. ¡°We have the blessings of Alice. We will be able to overcome this hardship.¡± If there were such an all-powerful blessing, I don¡¯t think this would have happened in the first place¡­¡­. ¡°But as a practical matter, without protection at the national level, I don¡¯t think you will last long.¡± To Kiyone¡¯s words, Mother Maysa replied with a sad expression. ¡°But if even the Lubel Kingdom is targeting us, there is no country that can help us¡­¡­The only country that can help us is the Elysian Empire, but since the emperor died and the new emperor took over, the Elysian Empire has been acting strangely and is not in a mood to help a neutral organization.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you turn to the Amurian Union?¡± Nagisa, who was listening to the conversation, suggested that. It is true that the Amurian Union is also one of the major powers, Ranelle will listen to us properly, and it will be worth talking to her. ¡°The Amurian Union? It¡¯s a big country, and it¡¯s an ideal partner, but it¡¯s a new country, and it doesn¡¯t have many connections with Alice Abbey. Moreover, will they help us knowing that we will be dealing with two of the three most powerful countries¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If not, we can come up with another plan then. Why don¡¯t you just try to negotiate?¡± It was the first time in a long time that I heard Jean¡¯s way of thinking, and for some reason it made me happy. In order to push him further, I suggested this. ¡°If you want to discuss it, why don¡¯t I do it? She¡¯s not much of a warrior, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll help us if she hears what¡¯s going on with Abbot Alice.¡± ¡°Are you acquainted with any of the high-ranking officials of the Amurian Federation?¡± ¡°No, I have a hotline to the head of state, so I can talk to her.¡± ¡°A hotline with the head of state? Who the hell is Yuta-sama¡­¡­?¡± For now, I¡¯ll just have to talk to Ranelle, and we¡¯ll see what we can do to protect ourselves for the time being. Fortunately, the casualties among Count Dalaim¡¯s men are much less than I expected, considering the number of magicrafts that were destroyed. We have enough riders, so once we repair the magicrafts, we can restore our strength. I talked to Rafishal and asked him to repair the magicrafts of Count Dalaim¡¯s squad. Why is Alice Abbey being targeted so much?¡± I was exhausted after a hard day¡¯s work, so I took a dip in the underground hot spring of the main temple. Jean, who had followed me, blurted out as we soaked in the hot spring. ¡°Both the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel want the forbidden book Rafishal Weapon that they have.¡± ¡°The Forbidden Book ¡®Rafishal Weapon¡¯¡­¡­.Hey, Rafishal. Do you know what it is?¡± Unusually, Rafishal had also come to the hot spring to refresh himself before fixing the magicrafts of Count Dalaim¡¯s team. He answered Jean¡¯s question after some thought. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there was a paper I wrote when I was a student that said something like that, but I wasn¡¯t Rafishal then¡­¡­.I don¡¯t remember.¡± It was not only me, Jean and Rafishal who were now enjoying the hot spring together, but also all the men in the Iron Knights. We casually talked about what we would do in the future. ¡°So, Yuta, what are you going to do now? From what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re thinking of doing something crazy like bringing the Sword Saint back to life.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to bring him back to life if possible.¡± ¡°If you say so, then the Iron Knights have no choice but to act, but there¡¯s just one problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that problem?¡± ¡°We are seriously short of funds.¡± What? No money? Isn¡¯t there money coming in from Meltaria and Amuria?¡± ¡°The deposits aren¡¯t bad, but the withdrawals are much larger than I expected¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What are you spending that much on?¡± ¡°Rafishal is doing whatever he wants to do, like attaching a ridiculous main cannon to Fugaku, or using expensive materials like a fool to strengthen magicrafts without thinking!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s essential to strengthen the Iron Knights in order to compete with Lucifer.¡± Rafishal, who was listening to the conversation, countered. ¡°But you¡¯re spending too much without thinking! We¡¯ve only got about ten million left from the one billion we had!¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to cost a lot more.¡± ¡°How much more?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even achieved one percent of the target.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a god of poverty.¡± Jean seemed to be deeply troubled. It seems that Jean¡¯s business acumen is no match for Rafishal¡¯s spending habits. CH 277 I was relaxing on a bench in the garden where there was a nice breeze to cool my body down after the hot spring. I was thinking that I would call Ranelle after I had rested for a while, when Nagisa came trotting up to me. ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you sit there after your bath.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m immune to colds.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You caught a cold in elementary school and almost got pneumonia.¡± ¡°How do you remember all that?¡± ¡°Of course I do! You have no idea how worried I was about you!¡± ¡°You were worried about me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right, you¡¯re my childhood friend, I¡¯m at least a little worried about you¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa sat down next to me with a slightly angry expression on her face. I unconsciously moved a little to the side to make it easier for Nagisa to sit down. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not comfortable with Nagisa sitting by my side. If I think about it, she has been by my side for most of my life so far. ¡°So, what did you do while you were missing?¡± ¡°I trained in sword fighting. I got a little stronger.¡± ¡°Oh, so Yuta, who had refused all my invitations to practice aikido, is training in swordsmanship¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°No offense. I was just wondering what kind of business you were getting into.¡± ¡°When you talk like that, it¡¯s when you have something to say. Speak up.¡± ¡°Kiyone, right? She¡¯s beautiful¡­¡­.She has a vague resemblance to Yuki Shirayuki, and I think you took up sword fighting to look good for her.¡± ¡°Fool, Kiyone is not like that.¡± ¡°Then what is she like?¡± ¡°Hmmm, well, I guess it¡¯s like having a¡­¡­big sister.¡± ¡°Yuta was an only child and he longed for an older sister. I remember you asking aunt Yuko to make you a sister.¡± ¡°Why do you remember all those things?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± What were you doing? You said you met up with the Iron Knights to look for me. Were you bored?¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude! I¡¯m not bored. Rather, I was guarding Ranelle, so when she was busy hanging around, I just inevitably got busy.¡± ¡°I thought you had no time on your hands.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so annoying!¡± As we were having this conversation, I suddenly remembered everyone in my class. I casually told Nagisa about it. ¡°How are the guys in the class?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden¡­¡­Well, unlike Yuta, everyone had a decent Ludia value, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°I hope so, because this world is more unreasonable than I thought, and I think some people are having a hard time.¡± ¡°The others in the class will never imagine that Yuta is worried about them like this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they think you¡¯re a slave with a Ludia value of 2.¡± You¡¯re right¡­¡­.Nagisa is sometimes right on target. ¡°Minami-sensei in particular might be going crazy with worry. She¡¯s a passionate person so I¡¯m sure she¡¯s worried about Yuta.¡± ¡°Professor Minami¡­¡­.I had forgotten she existed until just now.¡± ¡°Hey! What are you going to do if you forget the teacher who took care of you so well?¡± ¡°I mean, that teacher can be scary sometimes.¡± ¡°What kind of scary?¡± ¡°Well, for example, when she¡¯s so focused on her goal that she can¡¯t see anything else.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­there were times when I got that look.¡± ¡°When she has that look in her eyes, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll do anything to get what she wants.¡± However, she was taking care of me, and she¡¯s usually a very kind teacher, so I¡¯m sure it was just my imagination. ¡°Ah! Nagisa is flirting with Yuta!¡± It was Nanami who said this in a loud voice. Hearing her voice, Alana and Linnecarlo came running over. ¡°Don¡¯t try to run away, Nagisa!¡± ¡°Nagisa, you promised something! I thought you said that we would celebrate our reunion together later!¡± Alana and Linnecarlo were blaming her, and Nagisa was tense. In the end, we were all forcibly taken to an underground hot spring that men and women were taking turns using. CH 278 I wanted to talk to Yuta some more, but Linnecarlo and Alana kidnapped me and brought me to the underground hot spring. A lot of women were using it because it was finally the girls¡¯ turn. ¡°Nagisa has disappointing breasts.¡± You don¡¯t hesitate to point out the painful parts¡­¡­. ¡°As a woman, you need to have this kind of volume to feel comfortable.¡± Alana said, showing off her intimidating breasts to me. ¡°If all you want is big breasts, milk from a cow will do. You need to have beautiful breasts that are both large and beautiful in shape to please your husband.¡± ¡°What, Linnecarlo, are you implying that I have breasts like a milk cow?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s the same. I¡¯m just saying, hey¡­¡­you think so too.¡± Linnecarlo asked Emina, who was undressing beside her, to agree. ¡°Don¡¯t dump it on me. I don¡¯t care if your breasts are big or small.¡± Emina¡¯s breasts are of average size and shape, and she has never had a problem with small breasts before. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very convincing to be told by someone that it doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re big or small. Hmmm¡­..I had a bit of a sulky thought. ¡°Let¡¯s get into the hot spring instead of talking naked forever.¡± My eyes naturally drifted to Nanami¡¯s chest as she said this. I was annoyed at myself for feeling relieved that there was someone below me. Even in the hot spring, the talk about breast size did not end. Linnecarlo turned red and asked me this. ¡°So, Nagisa. I¡¯m going to ask you the most important question of all¡­¡­What kind of breasts does Yuta like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Yuta likes his breasts.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve known him since childhood, can¡¯t you at least guess a little?¡± I was a little annoyed so I mobilized all my memories and predicted what kind of breasts Yuta liked.¡± ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say it doesn¡¯t matter what kind of breasts you have, whether they¡¯re big or small, it¡¯s all about whose breasts they are.¡± When Linnecarlo heard this, she nodded her head several times in agreement and said. ¡°Then it¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Sure, Yuta would say that, but I¡¯m not sure what he really thinks. I think he likes the big ones.¡± Alana is not convinced, as she really wants to think that Yuta¡¯s preference is big breasts. It¡¯s true that she¡¯s the one with the biggest breasts, so I can understand why she would want to think that¡­¡­. Anyway, it¡¯s the end of the world that Yuta is so popular. What¡¯s so good about that insensitive, balloon man? Well, I can¡¯t persuade anyone because I¡¯m in the same boat. ¡°You guys look like you¡¯re having fun. I hope you don¡¯t mind if we join you.¡± Then Kiyone and, uh, Brunnhilde, I think? The two of them joined our circle. ¡°Kiyone, I don¡¯t mind if you join the Iron Knights, but there¡¯s one thing I want to make clear.¡± Linnecarlo says in a challenging tone to Kiyone. ¡°You must be Linnecarlo, the Thunder Emperor. I know your name as one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, but I¡¯ve never met you before. So what is it that you want to clarify? If you want to talk about who is more powerful, I am available anytime.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that, it¡¯s about how you feel about Yuta.¡± ¡°What do I think of Yuta? He¡¯s like a brother to me, he¡¯s my father¡¯s apprentice, and he¡¯s like family.¡± ¡°He¡¯s like a family member¡­¡­Well, then I guess you and I can be friends.¡± Kiyone had such a beautiful naked body that even I, a person of the same sex, fell in love with her. Linnecarlo seemed to think the same, and confirmed so when she felt an intense sense of danger. Linnecarlo is at ease and doesn¡¯t realize it, but I believe that for Yuta, who has a yearning for an older sister, the one he is most likely to fall in love with is actually Kiyone. Even if she thinks of him as her brother now, you never know what will happen in the future. ¡°Oh, yeah, your name is Br¨¹nnhilde. I¡¯m Nanami, nice to meet you. And this is Farma.¡± ¡°Nanami, Farma, nice to meet you.¡± Br¨¹nnhilde, Nanami and Farma seem to be getting along well, probably because they are close in age. The three of them were enjoying the hot spring, not caring about the sparks of adult women. If anything, I really wanted to mix with Nanami and the others. CH 279 ¡°Ranelle, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Yuta-san¡­¡­Thank God, you¡¯re okay.¡± From my room in Fugaku, I sent a message to Ranelle. I wasn¡¯t sure if she would be there or not since she was busy, but she responded right away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m talking to you like this after such a long time, but do you know a place called Alice Abbey?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course I know about it, it¡¯s a famous neutral organization. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°Actually, I have a connection with them and I¡¯m in the main temple of Alice Abbey. I¡¯m in a bit of trouble here¡­¡± I told her that Alice Abbey was being unjustly invaded by the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. She is a responsible head of state, and I don¡¯t think she would act on her personal feelings alone, but I explained to her in a way that appealed to her feelings. ¡°It¡¯s outrageous to invade an organization that¡¯s absolutely neutral in order to force them into submission! It is absolutely unacceptable! I understand. It¡¯s not a decision I can make on my own, but I¡¯ll call a meeting of the Federation Council tomorrow to discuss the matter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ranelle. I¡¯m sorry for making such a request in a private communication¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just glad that Yuta-san relied on me.¡± What a good friend she is, to be happy that I asked her for help. I thought that I would gladly lend my support to her if she asked me for help. As Ranelle had said, she immediately put it on the agenda of the Federation Council, and the Amurian Federation officially came forward to support the Alice Abbey. It was a relief to know that an army would be dispatched to defend Alice Abbey. ¡°What can I do to thank you, Yuta-sama?¡± Mother Maysa thanked me politely, as if she was afraid. ¡°If you want to thank me, help the Amurian Federation, who decided to provide actual support.¡± ¡°Of course, I am grateful to the Amurian Union. But we owe Yuta-sama more than we can ever repay. It¡¯s a shame that Alice Abbey is a non-profit organization whose only claim to fame is that it¡¯s old, so we can¡¯t do much to repay you¡­¡­.That¡¯s right, Sister Muzie, come here.¡± Then she called Sister Muzie. ¡°Please take Sister Muzie with you, it¡¯s the least we can do.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but was she offering me Sister Muzie as a reward? She bowed with a cheerful expression despite the fact that she was being offered to me. ¡°It is my pleasure, Yuta-sama.¡± Alana, who was listening to the exchange, pointed out angrily. ¡°Wait a minute! Yuta is not in need of a woman. You don¡¯t need to thank him like that.¡± ¡°I apologize for the lack of explanation. It is not for the purpose of having Sister Muzie accompany Yuta-sama to perform services for him. It¡¯s for something much more valuable.¡± ¡°Something valuable?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about information. I would like to provide Yuta-sama with information from all over the continent that is gathered at Alice Abbey through Sister Muzie.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a great reward. Yuta, let¡¯s take it.¡± Jean was the first to realize its value. He immediately agreed to accept Mother Maysa¡¯s offer. It would certainly be helpful to get information from all over the continent. There was also an extra room in Fugaku, and there was no reason to refuse. CH 280 ¡°The first thing that needs to be resolved as soon as possible is the lack of money!¡± Jean said out loud in Fugaku meeting room. We were supposed to leave once the Amurian Union support troops arrived at Alice Abbey but at the meeting to decide what to do after that, Jean insisted. ¡°I¡¯d like to go look for some alchemical materials for resurrection¡­¡­.¡± When I said this modestly, Jean said as though I were a demon. ¡°That¡¯s it! Yes, most of the alchemy materials can be solved with money! As long as we have money, we can do anything!¡± Indeed, according to Rafishal, most of the alchemical materials needed for resurrection are common and can be obtained in the market. Well, I heard that the materials are expensive, so the price is high. As Jean said, it might be better to think about obtaining money first. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the orichalcon and phoenix stone needed to generate the Ludia core.¡± Liza¡¯s point reminded everyone. If we can¡¯t create a Ludia core we won¡¯t be able to repair Viktor and my magicraft won¡¯t be finished for a long time. ¡°I think we should take the job first, what do you say?¡± ¡°It would have to be a pretty big war to make that kind of money. Why don¡¯t you talk to the Three Kingdoms Alliance again?¡± The Three Kingdoms Alliance, Tamihar, has an old relationship with the Sword Clan and Kiyone reacted to his words. ¡°Is there a connection with the Three Kingdoms Alliance?¡± ¡°Because it became apparent that Yuta might be in the Sword Clan we had to go to Tamihar to gather information, which led us to take on a job, and then I made a connection.¡± ¡°I was worried about whether the Three Kingdoms Alliance would be able to compete with the Elysian Empire without the¡­..Sword Clan, but it¡¯s true that the Iron Knights might be able to take their place.¡± ¡°Amuria would like to offer you a job.¡± Nagisa cut in. ¡°We have to deal with the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. We might need a bit of a fighting force.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an official offer yet, because the Congress hasn¡¯t decided yet, but they said they want you to help them strengthen their military.¡± ¡°Strengthening the military¡­¡­Well, that could be a big job, depending on the negotiations¡­¡­.¡± Jean smiled inappropriately and began to think about some kind of money-making scheme. Later, a formal offer came from Ranelle. The request was for cooperation in strengthening the military, just as Nagisa had said. Jean negotiated directly with Ranelle, saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± and was more amazed than dismayed when she turned it into a big job worth a whopping 5 billion. ¡°Jean, you didn¡¯t pressure Ranelle into anything, did you?¡± ¡°No, you idiot. Ranelle knew exactly what she was doing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more interested in how you managed to get such a sum out of her.¡± When Alana said this, Emina pointed out, looking at Jean as if he were suspicious. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t tell her about the scam. Stop it, you¡¯re disgusting.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I was talking about strengthening Ludia and providing the technology for the main cannon that is attached to our Fugaku.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to sell the Four Elements Cannon!?¡± ¡°No, that one is too difficult to maintain and impossible to handle elsewhere. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve decided to provide the Salamander used as Fugaku¡¯s secondary cannon and convert it into a main cannon.¡± ¡°Is Rafishal aware of this? He¡¯ll be very angry if you sell his technology without his permission.¡± ¡°I made sure of it. He¡¯s responsible for this lack of money and understands it.¡± How could Jean¡¯s guy come up with such an idea? ¡­¡­Well, anyway, with 5 billion coming in, we won¡¯t have to worry about money for a while. CH 281 Chapter 1/2 sponsored by max, thank you for your support. When Count Dalaim¡¯s men had finished repairing their magicrafts, the Amurian Union¡¯s support troops arrived at Alice Abbey. It was a large force of 1,000 magicrafts, enough strength to defend the easily defendable Alice Abbey. ¡°Yuta-dono, are you leaving?¡± Count Dalaim came to greet me with a regretful look. ¡°Count Dalaim, take care.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, Yuta-dono.¡± In addition, Mother Maysa also greeted me politely. ¡°May Alice bless the Iron Knights and the Amurian Union.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll come running if anything happens.¡± The support troops arrived, and we left Alice Abbey as planned. Our goal was to reach a place called Belau, the largest military base in the Amurian Union. ¡°I wonder if a thousand or so magicrafts can protect them from the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel, regardless of how advantageous their position is.¡± A short time after leaving Alice Abbey, Emina muttered a plausible concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I thought of that and I removed five of Fugaku¡¯s Salamanders and left them behind. With such powerful guns in such a solid place, it should be very difficult for any large army to defeat them.¡± Jean says so. ¡°When did you make such arrangements?¡± ¡°Alice Abbey is going to be an important source of information from now on, and we don¡¯t want it to be destroyed.¡± I appreciate Jean¡¯s concern. The fact that he left 5 Salamanders means that he really values Alice Abbey information network. ¡°Speaking of which, Nagisa, what are you going to do when you get to the Amurian Union? Are you going back to Ranelle¡¯s place?¡± While we were eating, I suddenly became curious and asked. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Ranelle and it¡¯s been decided that I¡¯ll be staying with the Iron Knights for a while.¡± Nagisa didn¡¯t even look at me, she just chewed on a piece of bread and quietly reported that. ¡°Why? Did you get into a fight with Ranelle?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! We decided that it would be better for me to stay here for now because of Ludia training!¡± ¡°Nagisa likes to train¡­¡­.Are the two who came with you going to stay here too?¡± ¡°Yukiha says she¡¯s interested in Ludia training, and Himari seems happy to have friends, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re both planning on going back now.¡± Jean heard the conversation between me and Nagisa, and he poked his head in. ¡°I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯re here but you¡¯ve got to do your job, because there¡¯s no food for those who don¡¯t work.¡± It was a reasonable condition. Nagisa and the others seem to be aware of this, and they seem to be doing the work they are given without complaint. ¡°Speaking of which, Rafishal, have you confirmed the identity of the forbidden book Rafishal Weapon in Alice Abbey?¡± Alana asked Rafishal, who was unusually eating with the others since he usually just eats sandwiches in the garage. ¡°You know¡­¡­that¡¯s definitely something I wrote, but it¡¯s not a blueprint or anything. It¡¯s just a letter.¡± ¡°Why does everyone think the letter¡­¡­is a blueprint for a weapon?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have any paper at the time, so I just wrote a quick note on the back of an old paper and handed it to someone. The paper did contain the contents of the weapon I had in mind, so I guess he saw it and thought it was a blueprint.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no reason for the Valkyrie Empire or the Kingdom of Lubel to target Alice Abbey! If we just make that known, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the Abbey has any intention of doing that. In the first place, it does not seem to matter to them what kind of forbidden book Rafishal Weapon is. They say it is the most treasured book¡­¡­of the Holy Mother Alice and that alone is the greatest treasure.¡± ¡°Are you saying that Holy Mother Alice treasured Rafishal¡¯s letter?¡¡And who is Holy Mother Alice anyway?¡± When I said that, the explanation started unexpectedly. ¡°Holy Mother Alice has been deified and is now like a god, but she was originally an ordinary human being.¡± It was Feri. A special internal communication device was installed in the cafeteria, where meetings were often held, to connect directly with Feri. ¡°Alice and Rafishal¡¯s relationship at the time¡­¡­¡± ¡°Feri, don¡¯t say unnecessary things.¡± I don¡¯t know what to say, but Alana and the others seem to have figured it all out with what Feri just said. CH 282 Bilaluk, located in the northern part of the Amurian Federation, a frontline district adjacent to the Ruja Empire ¨C a place where there are few civilians and most of those who live there are either soldiers or military personnel, because it could become a battlefield at any moment. As soon as we arrived in Bilaluk, we were greeted by the military brass. Apparently, the Iron Knights were held in high esteem within the Amurian Federation, and the overall attitude was courteous. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen of the Iron Knights, thank you for coming to Bilaluk. I am Marshal Violate of the Amurian Union Army. I¡¯ve heard that you were very active in the fight against the Ruja Empire. Please share your power with my army.¡± It seems that the news of military reinforcement has already been communicated to the military. We had to explain the specific reinforcement plan from the beginning, but it seemed that the Federal Assembly had informed them to follow the instructions of the Iron Knights, so the discussion went smoothly. ¡°Strengthening the Ludia value!¡± Marshal Violate was quite surprised about the training of the Ludia value. He seemed to have a common sense notion that Ludia value was a fixed number that you were born with, and he was confused. ¡°I want you to prepare the necessary materials to build five training devices that will enhance Ludia¡¯s value.¡± Jean¡¯s request was met with a nod of approval from Marshal Violate. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll have them ready immediately.¡± Five units is the limit of Rafishal¡¯s capacity. Obi-Wan and the others can do the rough assembly of the equipment, but the central part can only be made by Rafishal, so mass production is not an option. There were many other things to be taught, such as how to manufacture and operate the Salamanders that would be the main guns. ¡°Feri, you¡¯ve got to help me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a body, so I can¡¯t help you.¡± Rafishal started whining because he was very busy. Come to think of it, Feri has the same level of knowledge and skills as Rafishal.It certainly seems that if Feri had a body, Rafishal¡¯s work would be cut in half, making it much easier. The main part of the military reinforcement is the implementation of the main gun and the enhancement of the Ludia value, so the main responsibility lies with the mechanics team led by Rafishal. We riders were not busy, but we were soon assigned the job. ¡°Are we going to mentor the riders of the Federation?¡± I asked back at Jean¡¯s words in a cumbersome tone. ¡°Yes. We should also improve their fighting skills. You seemed to be bored, so I suggested it to you.¡± It is true that I was bored, but I really thought that I should be allowed to take a break once in a while since I had been so busy¡­.but I was going to be paid a lot of money, so I decided to be patient. There were 300 Federation riders to be instructed by us. All of them were Federation ace-class riders, and many of them were even better than Highlanders. I, Kiyone, Alana, and Nagisa would be in charge of teaching them. ¡°Instructor, may I have a word?¡± ¡°Instructor¡± was another unfamiliar name. The one who called me was a young man with gray hair. ¡°Um¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Colonel.¡± ¡°Colonel, do you have a question for me?¡± Yes, sir. Excuse me, but I heard that our instructor is a mercenary who was active in the fight against the Ruja Empire, but the Federation riders here are all veteran warriors. I wonder how it is possible that a mere mercenary would be able to instruct us with high Ludia values and a wealth of combat experience.¡± He¡¯s not the type of guy I dislike, even though he says rude things in a casual manner. Well, I guess he¡¯s not happy that his superiors forced him to participate in this training. ¡°What is Colonel Ludia¡¯s value?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a double Highlander with 27,000 Ludia.¡± He was quite confident in his abilities and said so proudly. ¡°You can have a mock battle with me. Then you can decide if you¡¯re fit to be mentored.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an offer I can¡¯t refuse. I would be delighted.¡± However, winning with Excalibur might not be very convincing. I asked him to prepare the frailest magicraft here. CH 283 The magicraft that was prepared for me was a general-purpose machine with the name of Pawn, and it was a low-powered ordinary machine with an activation Ludia value of 1500. But even so, it was a military machine, so it was much better than the Namakra used by the Swordsmen. Colonel Reginant climbed into his yellow magicraft. According to the military officer, it was named Orthros, a special machine for the Double Highlanders, and it was an excellent machine with excellent offensive performance. Indeed, its sharp and acute form gives an aggressive impression. Colonel Reginant chose a big sword with a lot of offensive power as his weapon. I chose a light dagger to make up for Pawn¡¯s ineffectiveness. It was going to be tough to take a big sword attack with a dagger, but it would be fun. ¡°Instructor, please.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a mock battle. Let¡¯s have some fun.¡± Colonel Reginant doesn¡¯t seem to be enjoying himself, he seems to be only thinking about defeating me. The desire to win is important, but if you only think about that, you¡¯ll neglect learning. There are some things that can be gained by having fun, and I think it¡¯s better to go into a mock battle with enough time to calmly analyze the battle. Well, I¡¯m thinking big, but it¡¯s all my father¡¯s teachings. ¡°Begin!¡± Kiyone, the referee, voice echoed. The trainees, who had been silent until then, began to voice their feelings as the battle began. Of course, there was no cheering for me, an outsider, but only for Colonel Reginant. Colonel Reginant swung his greatsword wide and attacked me. I avoided the attack by simply changing the position of my magicraft slightly. The sword was so powerful that it could pierce the ground, and if I took it head on, I would not be able to survive. At the same time that I avoided the attack, I quickly slashed Orthros¡¯ right shoulder with my dagger. A dry clacking sound is heard and the hit is made, but the power is not enough to damage the magicraft. Colonel Reginant swung his greatsword and launched his next attack. I jumped backwards to avoid the attack. However, as if he had anticipated that I would jump backwards to avoid the attack, he stepped forward and attacked me. I use my dagger to parry the attack, the big sword, whose trajectory has been altered, hits the ground hard. I quickly cut back in the gap and slash at Orthros¡¯ right shoulder with my dagger again. It was a good thing that I swung better than the first attack, or perhaps the sound was louder than before. Colonel Reginant, perhaps a little irritated, struck his greatsword at me in a frenzied manner. It¡¯s my pace now. I dodged the powerful but not slow or sharp attacks. Every time I dodge, I counter with a blow to Orthros¡¯ right shoulder. As I repeated this, a crack appeared in his right shoulder, which hadn¡¯t even faltered. ¡°Aah!¡± He stopped moving, startled by the bursting sound of the crack and I unleashed a blow with all my strength. There was a dull thud, and Orthros¡¯ right shoulder shattered. His shoulder is destroyed and his right arm hangs slack and immobile. It is difficult to wield a large sword with one arm. The speed of the sword becomes noticeably slower, making it even easier to avoid. ¡°I can still fight with just one arm!¡± Colonel Reginant didn¡¯t give up and attacked with determination. The next time, I countered and aimed at his left shoulder. Every time I avoided Colonel Reginant¡¯s attack, I gave him a blow to his left shoulder. The left shoulder was shattered faster than the right shoulder. The greatsword fell from his left hand without power. Orthros looked up at the sky, unable to fight. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± ¡°Since Orthros was unable to continue, Kiyone stopped the match. Hearing this, Colonel Reginant sank to his knees.¡± If it was just a matter of defeating him, I could have finished him off quickly with a single Flash, but I wanted to show him that he could defeat an opponent with a higher Ludia value if he trained his technique. I hope that the trainees who saw this fight will think that they too can become stronger if they improve their skills¡­¡­. CH 284 Colonel Reginant seemed to be one of the top riders among the trainees in terms of ability and performance. After I defeated him, the way the trainees looked at me clearly changed. ¡°Instructor! Please, teach me too!¡± ¡°Teach me, too!¡± When they found out that Kiyone was the Sword Emperor of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, she became even more popular than I was. The riders seemed to respect and admire her, and they flocked to her to learn. As we proceeded to teach them, they seemed to understand the abilities of Alana and Nagisa, and began to listen intently to the words of the four of us. It seems that I, who is not used to teaching, am the worst at it. Kiyone, who has her own students, as well as Alana, who has experience teaching younger gladiators, and Nagisa, who used to teach younger students at her family¡¯s dojo, are good at teaching. The more the training progressed, the more popular the three of them became, as if they were becoming aware of the instructors that are easy to learn from. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re thinking that it¡¯s better to be mentored by a beautiful woman than a man. A part of the training is done using magicrafts, but most of it is done in the flesh. This is why I began to notice that when I looked at the expressions of the trainees, some of them were clearly smitten. I could understand if it was Kiyone or Alana, who were beautiful by all accounts, but Nagisa was also very popular, so it must be my imagination. With that thought in mind, I turned to the trainees who had gathered to ask for my guidance. It wasn¡¯t much, but I had five trainees who wanted to learn from me. Two of them are sisters, Marumum and Mirumum, and they are very good at what they do. They were absorbing what I taught them and growing quickly. ¡°Instructor! One more please!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have another one, please!¡± Furthermore, the sisters are motivated and work harder than anyone else. They were both Highlanders, and I predicted that they would become powerful riders in the Federation army. ¡°Instructor! Please instruct me as well!¡± In addition, Colonel Reginant also wanted to learn from me. He seemed to recognize my strength after losing to me, and he obediently followed my instruction. His desire to grow was stronger than anyone else¡¯s, and he was willing to work hard at anything. However, he didn¡¯t have the same ability as the sisters, and seemed a little clumsy. The other two people under my tutelage were a big guy named Pehu and a young man named Satoru Matori. I recognized him immediately after his name, but Satoru was Japanese like me. He had been transferred from Japan two years ago, and in the order of transition, he was my senior. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Yuta. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve grown so much even though you came here later than me.¡± Satoru seemed to have a serious and reserved personality, and his speech was polite. He¡¯s a Highlander, so I can imagine he¡¯s been pampered in more ways than one, but his personality never seems to have changed. Pehu, the big man, is apparently not very good with women. When I heard that, I understood why he wanted me to teach him. Kiyone and the others are teaching dozens of people, and it seems like a lot of work. I¡¯m not used to teaching, so maybe five is just right for me. ¡°How can you be so skilled when you are so young?¡± Mirumum asked during a break in the training. ¡°I was probably just lucky enough to have a mentor who taught me.¡± ¡°Who is your master?¡± ¡°He¡¯s called the Sword Saint.¡± ¡°Sword Saint! Is your instructor Sword Saint Veft!?¡± ¡°Mmmm. One of the instructors, Kiyone, is also his disciple and also his daughter.¡± Marumum seemed to know Kiyone well and explained so to his sister. ¡°I am ashamed of my rude comment on the first day, I never expected the instructor to be a disciple of the Sword Saint.¡± Colonel Reginant said this with a hint of fear. He seemed to have already completely acknowledged me, and he meant it. CH 285 After suffering a major defeat in the battle against the Eastern Alliance, the special magicraft unit [Dark Wings] was made to take responsibility for the defeat and was disbanded. I had been assigned to a new unit. The new assignment was to the Valkyrie Empire Crown Prince¡¯s bodyguard, one of the elite units. ¡°I heard that today¡¯s work is a top-secret escort mission. Who exactly is the Crown Prince meeting with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a top secret mission, so there¡¯s no way I could possibly know.¡± The two senior members of the convoy were having a conversation. It seems that secret meetings are rare for the crown prince, who has mostly official duties, and cases like this one are rare. ¡°All hands in formation! Salute His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince!¡± Crown Prince Macrobane of the Valkyria Empire boards the imperial family¡¯s private ride carrier. He is accompanied by a strong entourage of five men and a warrior who talks friendly with the Crown Prince. I¡¯ve never seen the crown prince before, but I know that warrior. He is High King Curelles, one of the two wings of the Valkyria Empire and one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. ¡°Curelles, are you sure you don¡¯t want me to take your magicraft, Chernobog?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s words were met with a smile from Curelles. ¡°What would they think if I showed up at the meeting with Chernobog?¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters and you¡¯re riding your own magicraft, the other party will be afraid of you.¡± ¡°This meeting is an important one that will determine the future of the empire, and we must make it a success. In order to do so, we should prioritize winning the other party¡¯s trust, even if it means taking some risks.¡± ¡°Hmm. You are the best rider in the Empire, and the sharpest.¡± ¡°No, the best rider in the Empire is Lord Dahles.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s not argue about who is the best for now. I just think you¡¯re the best.¡± The debate over whether the strongest rider in the empire was the Cureless or the other wing Dahles was an agenda that was talked about as much in the country as the bad words of the rival Kingdom of Lubel. The Crown Prince seemed to know this and used it ironically. But who is the person that the crown prince of the Valkyria Empire wants so badly to have a successful meeting with?¡­¡­There was a lot of talk among the members of the escort squad about predicting this secretly. ¡°My guess is one of the executives at the Radle Company.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. It is said that they have developed a powerful Ride-carrier cannon, and the Valkyria Empire will need some powerful weapons to counter Lubel¡¯s beast magicrafts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, I heard that the northern army was recently beaten to a pulp by beast magicrafts.¡± ¡°How about the Elysian Empire? The emperor has changed recently, and there¡¯s a lot of activity there too.¡± ¡°Elysia and Valkyria are not enemies, but they have always had a mutual awareness of not interfering with each other, so it¡¯s unlikely that the Crown Prince would bother to meet with them.¡± ¡°What do you think, Ren?¡± He asked me out of the blue, but I¡¯m a transferee and I haven¡¯t been in this world for a long time. There was no way I had a complete grasp of the situation or common sense, so I just answered randomly. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be meeting someone from the Kingdom of Lubel?¡± Hearing this, my companions began to laugh more than ever. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, it¡¯s not possible. Lubel is an enemy nation with whom we have a long history. There have been talks of prisoner exchanges and temporary truce agreements, but no such thing as secret talks.¡± No, I was just imagining someone who would be surprised¡­¡­.I was a little miffed that they laughed so much. The ride carrier dedicated to the Imperial Family is a large ride carrier that can carry 30 magicrafts. Curelles¡¯ magicraft was not brought, but the Crown Prince¡¯s guards were not overlooked, and they were fully equipped with more than Highlander magicrafts. When we arrived at the meeting place, all of the magicrafts were launched to guard the surroundings. After a while, a large ride carrier approached, probably the other party to the meeting. ¡°Bullshit¡­¡­that ride carrier is¡­¡­.¡± One of my companions muttered over the convoy¡¯s private comms. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got one over on me, Ren. I¡¯ll buy you an expensive drink when the job¡¯s done.¡± It was the captain of the convoy who said that. I don¡¯t know whose ride carrier it was, but I remember learning about that coat of arms in the military. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Lubel. CH 286 Many magicrafts from the other side¡¯s ride carriers are also coming out. Even though this is a meeting, the other party is the royal family of the enemy country. Tension runs through the convoy. If someone attacked the other party¡¯s magicrafts, this place would turn into a battlefield. The friends who had been talking in vain earlier were now silent and paying attention to the other party¡¯s movements. A meeting place was set up in the center of the area surrounded by the magicrafts of both countries. There, Crown Prince Macrobane and Curelles will be present. In addition, two figures from the Ride Carrier of the Kingdom of Lubel walked up. They sat down facing Prince Macrobane and the others. I was curious about the content of the meeting so I turned up the external sound to the maximum and listened to what they we¡¯re saying. ¡°I never dreamed I¡¯d have the chance to talk to you like this.¡± ¡°I never imagined it, either. Even though I¡¯m talking to you in person, I feel like it¡¯s not real.¡± ¡°Hahahaha. But this is reality. Let¡¯s talk about what we can do for each other¡¯s country in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, I hope today will be a historic day.¡± I was stationed near the meeting table, so I could see the faces of the people on the other side. One of them was obviously a young man of high rank, and the other looked to be a strong military man. I didn¡¯t know who they were, but a friend who knew them told me. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for us to be meeting with the Crown Prince Reion and the Demon God Keimaios of Lubel¡­Who would have thought that the High King and the Demon God would be facing each other without a magicraft.¡± ¡°So it is the Crown Prince of Reion!¡± Only the members of the convoy could hear the transmission, so it would be safe, but if the Crown Prince¡¯s entourage heard it, they would be furious at us for talking about unnecessary matters. ¡°So, Crown Prince Reion, let¡¯s get right down to business. Have you heard about the Elysian Empire?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about the existence of the [Ten War Gods]. They are people with a Ludia value of over 100,000. Is this true?¡± ¡°Our investigation has led us to the conclusion that it is most likely true.¡± ¡°But if there were such a group of people with Ludia values so high, wouldn¡¯t they have been famous long ago?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also been informed that Ludia value can be enhanced.¡± ¡°No way! Ludia value is a fixed value that people are born with!¡¡There¡¯s no way it can be enhanced¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, this is true. We¡¯ve already confirmed the existence of a technology called Nitro Ludia.¡± ¡°Nitro Ludia? What the hell is that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That remains to be seen. However, we do have someone who is willing to offer Nitro Ludia technology.¡± ¡°Who is that, some kind of defector from the Elysian Empire?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Radol Company. That¡¯s what Radol Vega told me in person.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met Radol Vega?¡± ¡°No, I just talked to him. No one will ever get to meet that mysterious man.¡± ¡°Crown Prince Macrobane. There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Why would you even have such an unofficial meeting with your enemy, the Kingdom of Lubel, to give us such important information?¡± ¡°Because this is one of the conditions for obtaining the Nitro Ludia technology.¡± ¡°What is the condition?¡± ¡°An alliance between the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. It is the hope of the Radol Company that the two nations will join forces against the Elysian Empire.¡± Crown Prince Reion was so surprised that he was speechless. He couldn¡¯t seem to put into words what to say. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that two of the three¡­..most powerful countries are going to join forces, do you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. The Elysian Empire has become so powerful that it is necessary to do so. If this continues, this continent will become the property of the Elysian Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­This is bigger than I ever imagined! That¡¯s why life is so interesting!¡¡All right! Let¡¯s try to convince the king! If the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel join hands, there will be no one we can¡¯t handle!¡± ¡°I¡¯m impressed that Crown Prince Reion would make such a decision. That is why I chose you for our first meeting.¡± ¡°It was the right decision. If you had suddenly told the king about this, it probably wouldn¡¯t have gone well.¡± Prince Macrobane smiled, convinced that he had made the right decision. Seeing this, Crown Prince Reion asked. ¡°If the alliance really comes to fruition, we will be fighting against the Elysian Empire?¡± ¡°Yes. However, there are some annoying countries that need to be dealt with before the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°There are certainly some¡­¡­ridiculous people who think they¡¯re big just because they have a lot of little¡­¡­things.¡± ¡°Yes, we will have to bury the Amurian Union before the Elysian Empire.¡± CH 287 ¡°Yuta, is your teaching going well?¡± Linnecarlo came up to me while I was taking a break in Fugaku cafeteria after the lesson. I¡¯ve been so busy the past few days that I haven¡¯t had a chance to talk to her, but I¡¯m glad she seems happy about it. I think they¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger. The trainees are also doing Ludia training at the same time, so I think their combat power has improved considerably.¡± ¡°Speaking of Ludia training, I heard that Yuta has also started training.¡± Linnecarlo changed the subject as if she remembered something. ¡°Yes, Jean and Rafishal are so annoying that I have no choice but to do it.¡± ¡°So, how much has your Ludia value gone up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what my current value is, because it seems to be a value that can¡¯t be measured with the Ludia measuring device we have.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you measure it with the instrument Rafishal recently made?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to work.¡± ¡°I heard that that machine can measure up to 2 million Ludia value, you know? Doesn¡¯t that mean that Yuta¡¯s Rudia value is now over 2 million?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking lightly! That¡¯s two million! I¡¯ve never heard of such a figure! I¡¯ve barely gotten up to 200,000 myself, and now the gap is only getting bigger!¡± ¡°It seems that Linnecarlo is also training steadily, but I hope she doesn¡¯t have any strange rivalry with me.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, Kiyone seems to have started training in Ludia too. Rafishal says that she¡¯s the one with the highest growth rate. It seems that she¡¯s in class 4, the same as Linnecarlo, so isn¡¯t that more of a concern to you?¡± ¡°Is that true? I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± I told her that I thought it would be helpful if she directed her strange rivalry towards Kiyone, who was also one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. Just as I had hoped, Linnecarlo seemed to have begun to be concerned about Kiyone¡¯s training, and said that he was going to increase her Ludia training. Kiyone¡¯s growth rate is great, but it seems that Nagisa¡¯s Ludia value is also growing tremendously. Given the similarities between the two of them in terms of their martial arts training, maybe the growth rate of Ludia training has something to do with that¡­¡­.When I think about it, I wonder how much growth I would see if my dad did Ludia training¡­¡­.I¡¯m curious. ¡°Yuta, did you hear?¡± While we were slowly drinking tea after dinner, Nagisa came over this time. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ranelle¡¯s coming here next week.¡± ¡°Oh. She got some free time?¡± ¡°No, of course not, she¡¯s just inspecting the military.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough being a head of state. Does she have to confirm such things?¡± ¡°She¡¯s paying a lot of money, so it¡¯s only natural. If the results aren¡¯t good, she might lower the budget.¡± ¡°The deployment of the Salamanders is going well, and the training of the troops is going well, so I think we¡¯ll be okay with that.¡± I thought things would be fine as they were, but when Jean and Rafishal found out that Ranelle was coming, they were not happy with the status quo. ¡°If Ranelle is coming, let¡¯s negotiate for more money and more remuneration.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­.Aren¡¯t you being a little greedy?¡± ¡°No, the Union riders¡¯ Ludia value is rising, and we have plans to build mass-produced magicrafts to match.¡± ¡°When did you come up with that plan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always trying to figure out how to get more money out of the Amurian Union.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also going to negotiate with the Amurian Union to see if I can purchase orichalcon and phoenix stone at a discount. If possible, I¡¯d like to buy some alchemy materials as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re planning to get paid and have the materials sold at a discount?¡± ¡°Yes. We have to take advantage of everything we can.¡± As usual, Jean¡¯s business spirit is impressive. Rafishal also seems to want to start generating cores, and is cooperating with Jean. It is true that Excalibur is a borrowed item, and I plan to return it when my dad is resurrected, so I won¡¯t have a magicraft. I¡¯ll be glad if he can make one for me¡­¡­. CH 288 Ranelle came to Bilaluk with a group of important people from the government. I hadn¡¯t seen her in a long time, but she looked more dignified and elegant as a head of state. ¡°Yuta-san¡­¡­.¡± Ranelle said shyly when she found me. ¡°Hey, Ranelle. You look good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well too, Yuta-san.¡± Jean whispered to me, telling me to tell her about the negotiations. He could have told her himself¡­¡­I had no choice but to briefly explain the proposal for a mass-produced magicraft and other topics, and tell her that Jean wanted to negotiate. ¡°A mass-produced magicraft, that¡¯s certainly an interesting topic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea because Jean isn¡¯t just saying that to make money, he¡¯s providing the technology well.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make some time while I¡¯m in Bilaluk, and I¡¯ll be happy to talk to you.¡± Ranelle told me with a smile. ¡°Chancellor Ranelle, it¡¯s time to go.¡± She nodded regretfully when her attendant told her so. ¡°Well then, Yuta-san. I¡¯ll see you when I have more time.¡± ¡°Okay, take it easy then.¡± She smiled happily when I said that. The next day I was to meet with Ranelle again. However, it was a public meeting and there was no time for personal talks. Ranelle, along with other dignitaries, would check the results of the military training. Ten ride carriers equipped with Salamanders were prepared. They were to be deployed in the wilderness of Bilaluk. The target of the attack was a large Ride-Carrier that had become old and was to be abandoned. ¡°All ride carriers, prepare to fire your main guns¡­¡± At Jean¡¯s call, a flurry of activity began around each ride carrier¡¯s Salamander. Several artillerymen set the magic artillery shells, which Rafishal had developed for easy handling, in the gun ports. One of the artillerymen raised a red flag, perhaps as a signal that he had finished setting the shells. Once he was sure that the flags were up from all the artillery, Jean gave a loud command. ¡°The target is the forward ride carrier! Aim at all guns! Fire!¡± There was a roar, and flames burst out of all the Salamander gun ports. Then the flame-wrapped shells shot toward the target ride carrier with great force. The shells that hit the ship spewed out explosive flames and blew out the hull of the ride carrier. Ten ships, a total of twenty magic artillery shells, all hit and turned the targeted ride carrier into a wreck. The Federation¡¯s dignitaries who were watching cheered. Their faces trembled with joy, as they had felt the immense power of a force they had never seen before. Furthermore, satisfaction seemed to have reached its peak after hearing the reports of the riders¡¯ increased Ludia values, and no one objected to the presentation meeting of the mass-produced magicrafts proposed by Ranelle afterwards. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a mass-produced magicraft, its performance is on par with the triple Highlander machines currently in use.¡± As Jean explained, one of the dignitaries asked a question. ¡°What a surprise! But if it¡¯s such a high performance magicraft, wouldn¡¯t it have a higher activation Ludia value?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve kept the Ludia activation to ten thousand. That¡¯s how we¡¯re able to extract so much power.¡± ¡°A Highlander machine¡­¡­.Wouldn¡¯t that make it a mass production machine?¡± Jean nodded broadly at the question. ¡°Take a look over here.¡± Jean then showed everyone a graph on a large screen. ¡°This is a graph showing the average increase in Ludia value when 20,000 Federation riders are trained using 500 Ludia training devices. As you can see, 80% of the riders will exceed 10,000 in about half a year.¡± The graphs made it easy to understand, and the dignitaries immediately realized the effect. ¡°What a¡­¡­so it¡¯s all good, right?¡± ¡°You can leave everything to us, the Iron Knights.¡± I was starting to feel a little like a businessman, but no one objected to Jean¡¯s proposal. With this presentation, the budget for military reinforcement was raised to 100 billion and the reward for us doubled. CH 289 I was approached by a woman I didn¡¯t know in the Fugaku hangar. She was a beautiful woman with long light blue hair and a striking face, as if she were from Scandinavia. Once you see her, you¡¯ll never forget her, but she doesn¡¯t look familiar. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m a little busy, can you hand me that wrench?¡± ¡°¡­¡­this?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I can¡¯t remember if I saw her before but it would be rude to ask who she was¡­¡­.She was wearing work clothes and a hat like the one Liza was wearing, so maybe she was a new mechanic. That¡¯s what I thought, so I asked Liza, who was nearby. ¡°Hey, Liza.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up, Yuta? I¡¯m busy, so don¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that girl working over there? Is she a new mechanic?¡± ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s new?¡± ¡°Look, there she is.¡± Liza stopped her work and looked in the direction I was pointing. ¡°Who¡¯s that girl?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t know who she is?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, does that mean you¡¯re suspicious?¡± When I said that, Liza began to get a little antsy. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Darm and Balm in a bit.¡± Surely the macho twins would be able to handle that girl even if she was a great assassin. But when I thought about it, it was a little strange. She¡¯s imposing for a mechanic, and she knew my name¡­¡­.Let¡¯s go out on a limb here and ask her who she is. I mustered up a little courage and approached the girl and spoke to her. ¡°Um¡­¡­who are you again?¡± I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t talk to you right now my hands are tied. Can you go get Rafishal for me?¡± If Rafishal knows about her, it¡¯s going to be hard for me to understand what¡¯s going on. But I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask again, so I did as I was told and went to call Rafishal. ¡°Rafishal. There¡¯s a girl I don¡¯t know calling for you.¡± When I said that, Rafishal just said okay and went to the girl. No, if you know that girl, explain it to me. ¡°Rafishal, if you¡¯re going to mass produce this elemental line connection, you might want to change the shape to a semicircle. I think that would speed up the production process.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I see. I¡¯ll redraw the blueprints.¡± I was surprised that the girl could give input to Rafishal. No mechanic should be able to talk to Rafishal as an equal in knowledge and skill, but¡­¡­the mystery was deepening. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Liza, Darm, Balm? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Rafishal pointed out to Liza and the twins. The twins were ready to engage in a battle with the unknown person, and they were holding a large wrench in their hands. ¡°There was a suspicious person¡­¡­Master, are you okay?¡± ¡°Suspicious person? Where is it?¡± ¡°There¡­¡­¡± Then he pointed at a girl he didn¡¯t know. When Rafishal saw this, he started laughing loudly. The girl was also giggling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to explain. She¡¯s Feri.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Feri? That Feri! Oh, really! Where did you get that body?!¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°This is a pseudo-body created using homunculus technology. It¡¯s not a real body, and it doesn¡¯t have a soul in it, so it¡¯s not really Feri.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a soul?¡± ¡°Feri¡¯s soul is still in the Thought Sphere, but I¡¯ve made it possible for her to control this body remotely. There¡¯s just too much to do, and I¡¯m way over my capacity, so I made this as a last ditch effort.¡± It seems that Rafishal had created a remote-controlled body for Feri to help him with his work. ¡°I thought Rafishal would at least talk to you.¡± Feri said in dismay. I¡¯m impressed that she can express herself remotely. ¡°No, I thought I explained it to him, but I remember that I didn¡¯t.¡± Rafishal seemed a little too busy and confused. I¡¯m starting to worry that he needs to rest a bit. CH 290 The manufacturing of the mass-produced magicraft was officially approved, and it was ready to begin moving. However, there was one problem, and that problem needed to be cleared. ¡°There is an overwhelming shortage of Ludia.¡± A large amount of orichalcone and phoenix stone is needed to manufacture Ludia cores. In the past, there was a large amount of orichalcone and phoenix stone, but now they are depleted, expensive, and difficult to secure. For this reason, the mass-produced machines were to use the Ludia cores of ancient magicrafts that had been excavated. However, it turned out to be more difficult than expected to secure cores that met the standards, and Jean was in a dilemma. I asked Jean, who was mumbling over some documents. ¡°How much are we missing?¡± ¡°Even if we increase the efficiency of mining magicrafts in the Federation, we¡¯re only going to be able to secure about thirty percent.¡± ¡°Seventy percent short of what we planned?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it because Rafishal said that the standard of the Ludia core used for mass production machines is the most produced one, so we can get a lot of it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly the most commonly used standard, but that¡¯s for the entire continent. In this area, multiple standards were used universally, so the percentage is probably low.¡± Feri explained Jean¡¯s complaint accurately. It seems that she has more knowledge about this kind of thing than Rafishal. ¡°They¡¯re plentiful in other countries, aren¡¯t they? Can¡¯t we import them?¡± Jean quickly countered my words. ¡°You idiot, that would cost too much money and the enemy would think we¡¯re crazy.¡± It is true that the cost of mass production magicrafts is too high. ¡°Wait¡­¡­there are the remains of the Iba defense line near this place, aren¡¯t there?¡± Feri said, looking at the map ¡°Iba Defense Line?¡± ¡°Yes. This was the battleground of the battle between ancient civilizations and giant beasts. There must be more than 500,000 magicrafts sleeping there.¡± ¡°Half a million! If there are that many, we¡¯ll be able to unearth a lot of cores that meet the standards! Where is the exact location?¡± Jean asked, peering at the map Feri was looking at. ¡°It¡¯s just barely within Federation territory. But the fortress of the Raja Empire right under our noses¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let us excavate so close to their fortress. We will be disturbed at all costs. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility of war. We¡¯ll have to talk to Ranelle.¡± I knew it would be difficult to get Ranelle to take time out of her busy schedule, but I told her I needed to talk to her for a minute¡­¡­and she came over immediately. ¡°Securing a new mining site for the new magicrafts?¡± When I explained the current situation to Ranelle, she seemed disappointed for some reason. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem since it¡¯s within the territory of the Federation, but there¡¯s a military fortress of the Raja Empire nearby. Well, it would be easy for the Iron Knights to destroy it, but it would turn into a war. That¡¯s why I¡¯m consulting you.¡± ¡°The military philosophy of the Amurian Union is based on the principle of exclusive defense. Therefore, we cannot allow you to attack the fortress.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I thought. But, if they attack us, we can fight back, right? It wouldn¡¯t be a problem to destroy the fortress in a counterattack so that it can¡¯t be used for a while, right?¡± Hearing those words from Jean, Ranelle let out a deep sigh. ¡°Sure, no problem, but¡­¡­ah¡­¡­that would be a full blown war¡­¡­.¡± Ranelle wants to oppose the war because she hates it, but she¡¯s decided that it¡¯s in the best interest of the country. ¡°Yuta-san, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we have some tea?¡± After we finished talking about work, Ranelle asked me to join her. Well, I didn¡¯t have any plans, so I said yes. That¡¯s right, I should invite Nagisa, too, so I called out to her who was in the room. CH 291 It was supposed to be just me, Ranelle, and Nagisa having tea, but somehow we found ourselves in a noisy party with Alana, Linnecarlo, and others joining us. ¡°Alana, what are you doing drinking in the middle of the day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good. It¡¯s better than bitter tea.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a real prude, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯d be happy to share my special drink with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink that disgusting stuff.¡± Linnecarlo¡¯s special drink has an unearthly color and smell, as Alana said, and I¡¯d rather not have it if I can help it. ¡°Linnecarlo, Nanami wants a drink!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little early for Nanami. This is a drink for adults.¡± I don¡¯t think adults would want to drink it either¡­¡­. ¡°So, what is this meeting about?¡± Nagisa said numbly to the uncertain situation. ¡°It¡¯s Ranelle¡¯s welcome party, right?¡± ¡°I see. Nanami thought it was someone¡¯s birthday party.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an afternoon tea party.¡± Don¡¯t all make random statements. Well, I thought Linnecarlo was the closest, but affirming it would be another hassle, so I passed. ¡°Yuta-san¡­¡­¡± Ranelle stares at me with a sad look on her face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ranelle? Aren¡¯t you having fun?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­I know. That¡¯s what happens when it comes to tea on Fugaku in the first place. It¡¯s my fault for getting the timing wrong.¡± Ranelle said as if she was convinced of something. I guess she didn¡¯t like the fact that there were so many of us after all? ¡°Oh, so you mean¡­¡­it¡¯s all Yuta¡¯s fault, huh?¡± Nagisa seemed to have noticed something and said so to me. ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°All of it! You dullard!¡± I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s accusing me of, but Nagisa doesn¡¯t get mad at me for no reason. Maybe I¡¯ve offended Ranelle, I don¡¯t know. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ranelle¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. But, Yuta-san¡­¡­will you have tea with me next time?¡± It seems that she didn¡¯t like the noise after all. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re doing it. Just in time for us to have a strategy meeting.¡± Jean said and sat down at an empty seat and started handing out papers. ¡°Jean, I thought we were done with business. It¡¯s a private tea party now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on me. I¡¯ve got too much to do and not enough time.¡± Jean seems to be busy these days. He is working on something at a great pace, as if his merchant¡¯s intuition is telling him it¡¯s time to make money. ¡°Nanami. Go get Emina and the others, too.¡± It looks like we¡¯re going to have to call in some members who aren¡¯t here and decide something in earnest. ¡°We¡¯re going to use the battle for the fortress of the Raja Empire as a practical exercise for the trainees!¡± Jean¡¯s explanation was met with surprise from the instructors who were actually teaching the trainees. ¡°Yes. It would be easy for us to destroy the fortress ourselves, but it¡¯s better to use it to strengthen the trainees. There¡¯s a lot to be gained from actual combat, and it would be a waste not to do it.¡± ¡°The trainees have become quite strong, so I think they¡¯ll be fine¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll support them. If something unforeseen happens, we¡¯ll be there to solve it.¡± ¡°Alana and the others, as well as Kiyone, agreed.¡± ¡°What about you, Ranelle? Are you sure you don¡¯t want your own riders to do something like that?¡± I asked, to which Ranelle replied, sipping her tea slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it, as long as the Iron Knights support them.¡± I wonder how much she trusts us¡­¡­. Besides capturing the fortress, we also need to prepare for mining. We¡¯ll need to secure personnel and procure equipment, and the federal government will have to make preparations for that, but I wonder if they¡¯ll be okay. ¡°We¡¯ve already made arrangements in that area. It should be ready in about three days.¡± That¡¯s Ranelle. It seems that she is already making preparations. Then we talked about specific support plans and responsibilities. Everyone forgot that it was already a tea party and started discussing this and that. CH 292 Ten kilometers from the fortress of the Raja Empire¡­ In order to secure a new mining station for magicrafts, the Iron Knights, the trainee troops, the personnel and equipment of the mining station gathered here. ¡°First, we¡¯ll send in a dummy mining party and an escort unit. If we are attacked by the enemy, the trainee troops and the Iron Knights will sortie from here to counterattack and capture the fortress.¡± ¡°What if the enemy doesn¡¯t attack us?¡± ¡°If that happens, we¡¯ll build a fort between the mining station and the fortress. If we start building forts, they¡¯ll probably get in the way, so then we¡¯ll attack the fortress as we originally planned.¡± ¡°I guess that means we¡¯re good to go once the fort is complete.¡± ¡°Whatever the enemy does, we¡¯ll deal with it.¡± I¡¯m sure Jean will be able to handle it. The dummy mining party was an unmanned transport ride hover with a few moving puppets on it. The puppets couldn¡¯t do any work, but from the enemy¡¯s fortress, they looked like people working on something. Since the convoy was going to be attacked and it was dangerous, it was decided that three of us, me, Lorgo, and Nanami, would do it. Some of the trainees volunteered to do the job, but we couldn¡¯t let them do it. As soon as the dummy mining team arrived at the planned location and started their work, there was movement in the fortress of the Ruja Empire as planned. But they didn¡¯t launch an attack, perhaps waiting to see what would happen first. ¡°I knew they wouldn¡¯t make a move.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been beaten up in previous battles and it¡¯s obvious that attacking us would lead to war. If they¡¯re going to attack, they¡¯ll have to get confirmation from the top.¡± That¡¯s true. It seems that the commander in the field will not act on his own judgment. Several hours had passed since the dummy mining team started moving, but there was no movement from the fortress. There was no point in just continuing to move the dummies, so it was time to move on to the next step. ¡°Okay, plan B. Deploy an engineering unit to the north of the planned mining site and start building a fort. Since they¡¯re not dummies, all the Iron Knights will be sent out to guard them.¡± As the action became more extensive, there was movement in the enemy fortress. Alarms were sounding, and it seemed that the magicrafts were being prepared. ¡°If the escorting Iron Knights are attacked, we¡¯ll send out a trainee squad.¡± It seemed that they had noticed the construction of the fort, and the magicraft troops finally sailed out from the fortress. There were about fifty of them, and they stopped at the river that bordered the border. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to attack us yet.¡± ¡°The upper echelons of the Raja Empire may be asking questions further up the chain.¡± ¡°Higher?¡± ¡°You mean the Valkyria Empire. The current Amurian Union and the Raja Empire have a gap in national power that makes it impossible to fight. If that¡¯s the case, then the only people they can rely on are their overprotective parents.¡± I was horrified to hear Alana¡¯s words. The Valkyrie Empire is a pretty big country¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know if we can handle going to war with them! ¡°Wait a minute! If that happens, doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s a possibility of an all-out war between the Valkyria Empire and the Amurian Union?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t come to that. Well, even if they ask for help, the parent Valkyria Empire is in a constant standoff with the powerful Lubel Kingdom, so they can¡¯t afford to get involved with a power as big as the Amurian Union. Well, I guess the result will be that they will send some aid to Ruja and that will be the end of it.¡± However, it¡¯s also important to note that there are a lot of people who are familiar with the history of the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. But something doesn¡¯t feel right¡­¡­ Someone once told me that the common sense of yesterday should not be taken for granted tomorrow. When I think about it, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Valkyria Empire is ready to go to war with the Amurian Federation for real. CH 293 As they had received permission from the top, Raja¡¯s magicraft troops crossed the border, about fifty enemy machines walking slowly along the river that divides the border, waist-deep in water. ¡°Don¡¯t attack yet. Wait for them to attack us.¡± The Iron Knights will become a wall and we¡¯ll protect the engineering troops who are building the fort. ¡°This is the Amurian Union Army. Unauthorized military intrusion will be considered an act of aggression. If you do not wish to be turned into a wreck, please leave immediately.¡± Jean¡¯s words were both a warning and a provocation to the Raja Army. They raised their weapons and attacked. The first of the assaulting machines attacked Vajra. Nanami took the big axe attack with her shield. ¡°I¡¯ve been attacked! I can fight back!¡± ¡°All right! You may return fire. Let¡¯s send out the trainee squad! Don¡¯t wipe them out in Federation territory. We¡¯ll follow it up and capture the fortress!¡± Well, it¡¯s true that appearances are important. It would be hard to maintain a convincing story if we annihilated the enemy in Federation territory and then attacked the fortress, but attacking the fortress with the momentum of a follow-up attack would be a possible storyline. If we were to seriously counterattack, they would be annihilated immediately, so the members of the Iron Knights concentrated on defending the engineering unit and left the fighting to the trainee unit. I was still concerned about the students I had taught so I kept my eyes on their battle as I protected the engineering unit Colonel Reginant, because of his high rank, was in command of the trainee unit. He wielded a sword and gave instructions to his allies while killing the enemy. His use of the sword had become much better than before. In practice, his movements are even sharper and he has the air of a strong man. The sisters Marumum and Mirumum toy with their enemies with coordinated attacks. Their growth rate is high among the trainees. Their Ludia value has already exceeded 50,000. There is no way that any enemy can withstand their incredible power and perfectly coordinated attacks, and the wreckage of the enemy piled up around the sisters. Satoru, who is from Japan like me, was using a special magicraft. Like Farma¡¯s Garuda, it uses arrows, but it holds two arrows in each arm and draws a bow with the two arms protruding from its back. In addition to being able to shoot twice as many arrows as normal, it also has an unusually high firing speed, so it can fight as well as a squadron of arrows by itself. The taciturn Pehu was piloting a super-sized magicraft like the ones I had fought during the civil war in the Kingdom of Meltaria. There was no way any enemy could break through the thick armor, so he walked slowly, wielding a large club-like weapon. Regardless of whether what I taught them is being utilized or not, they are all demonstrating considerable fighting ability. The other trainees were just as successful, and in no time at all, the fortress was on the verge of falling. ¡°Jean, I think the enemies in the fortress have started to flee.¡± ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t need to pursue them. But destroy the fortress so that it can¡¯t be used for a while.¡± Pehu¡¯s super large magicraft, Gigantes, was very active in destroying the fortress. With its large club, it destroyed the walls of the fortress. ¡°That¡¯s very convenient. I think we should get one of those super size magicrafts for the Iron Knights.¡± Jean said, looking at Gigantes. ¡°There¡¯s no room in Fugaku¡¯s hangar for one of those.¡± I pointed this out, but Jean seemed to be more serious than I thought, and countered. ¡°There¡¯s no need for the Iron Knights to have only one ride carrier, you know. Even now, Musashi is like the second ship, and it¡¯s okay to have a third and fourth ship.¡± ¡°Are you sure we can handle that many ships?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine as long as we do a big job.¡± I don¡¯t know how serious he is, but maybe he¡¯s calculating that with the current Iron Knights, he can expect to make that much money. CH 294 ¡°Commander, what happened to the matter of increasing production of Beast Strikes?¡± I checked with my immediate superior about the production status of the magicraft I had planned. It¡¯s a groundbreaking weapon, and I¡¯m confident in it. I knew that if I could mass-produce more of them, the military of the Kingdom of Lubel would become even stronger. ¡°In the battle of Alice Abbey, the 3rd Armored Division experimentally used Beast Strike troops, but the results were not good, as the troops were wiped out¡­¡­.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯ve heard that they had dramatic results in the battle against the northern forces of the Valkyrie Empire! I think it proved its strength!¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. Well, I¡¯ll be sure to talk to the military brass about it.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I was an inconspicuous person in my class, but in this world, I can be a hero. Thanks to my double Highlander Ludia value, I was treated as a high-ranking knight in the Kingdom of Lubel. I was allowed to live a life of luxury that could not be compared to that of ordinary citizens, and most things were going as I wished. Since I was always good at physics, I think it was inevitable that I would understand the technology of this world and develop new weapons. I had doubts about the fact that they were using robot-like super weapons called magicrafts, but their long-range weapons were as primitive as bows, arrows and stone throwers, so I designed a cannon, however, a serious problem was discovered. The material to make gunpowder does not exist in this world. It seems that this is why weapons using gunpowder have not evolved in this world. So I turned my attention to an explosive alternative to gunpowder. Explosives are nitroglycerin-like substances that explode on impact. I studied it and tried to make something similar to gunpowder, but failed. The explosion of the shells only spread flames and had little power. ¡­¡­Then I had an idea. It¡¯s not a good idea to think only in terms of modern science, so I thought, why not use the world¡¯s own energy, Ludia, to create explosive power? Then I learned that there is a technology called magic shooting. No one seems to know the principle, but I heard that some Ludia cores produce strange powers, such as creating wind or emitting flames. An attack that uses this is called a magic strike, and magicrafts that have a Ludia core that can do this have a high activation Ludia value without exception. It was said that it could not be used in general, but I took notice of it. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that I only needed to use the core to detonate it. So, I came up with the idea of installing a core that would be used only for the gun ports, separate from the Ludia core that runs the magicraft. This would reduce the increase in the activation Ludia value, and it would also eliminate the need to put explosives in the shells. After repeated trial and error, a gun that could safely fire powerful shells was completed, however, there was one problem. The current shape of the magicrafts was not well balanced with the cannon, making them difficult to move. So I devised a new magicraft to attach the cannon. Thinking that it didn¡¯t have to be humanoid at all, I boldly tried to make the magicraft look like a quadrupedal beast. This turned out to be a great idea, and the Beast Strike of today was completed. We would be fighting with powerful cannons against an opponent who was using bows and arrows. I had absolute confidence in myself. The military was also interested in this Beast Strike and established a new unit. However, that unit was completely beaten down by some army. I need to make a more powerful and longer range cannon¡­¡­I was thinking about improving the Beast Strike. CH 295 The Kingdom of Lubel is a tyrannical state that has been ruled for thousands of years by a royal family with absolute power. Throughout its long history, the kingdom has been threatened with extinction on numerous occasions, but it has been able to overcome this by the unity of the royal family and the five great noble families that have served it since ancient times. The Kingdom of Lubel has long been at odds with the Valkyria Empire, and the two countries have been fighting over territory. The relationship between the two countries has been changing. Dignitaries began to visit each other¡¯s countries, and there were frequent discussions between them. The border skirmishes that had been going on all year round were now banned, and even provocation was subject to severe punishment. ¡°How is it that the scouts of the Valkyrie Empire have not crossed the border for so many days?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve been given the same instructions as our army.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ve talked to the old guard and they¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Rumor has it that a long term truce will be signed, but how can there be a truce with that Valkyria? What do you think, Haruma?¡± A fellow soldier from the same corps asked me. It hasn¡¯t been long since I¡¯ve been a part of this country, but I understand the relationship with the Valkyria Empire. It¡¯s definitely a strange situation, but I didn¡¯t think it would be strange to have a truce if our interests were aligned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the reason is, but if it¡¯s mutually beneficial, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange that we¡¯re talking about a truce.¡± ¡°Oh, a mutually beneficial arrangement. I doubt that there is such a thing, but Haruma is right.¡± It wasn¡¯t long after that I learned of the mutually beneficial talks. On the recommendation of my legion commander, I was assigned to attend an engineer¡¯s conference with the Valkyria Empire as the designer of the Beast Strike. The purpose of the meeting was to show off each other¡¯s technology for the sake of exchange, but I knew that a truce would not be enough to explain what had happened. ¡°So you¡¯re the designer of that beast magicraft, huh? I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re much younger than I imagined.¡± The person who called out to me was Prince Lifso, the third prince of the Valkyria Empire and director of the Imperial Engineering Bureau. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you right away, what is the logic behind that powerful turret attached to the beast magic machine?¡± ¡°You see¡­¡± Prince Lifso listened to me attentively and was greatly impressed. ¡°Excellent!¡¡It seems that the people of Earth have a way of thinking that we do not. If they had mass-produced a turret with that much power, the Valkyria Empire would have been destroyed by the Kingdom of Lubel in the near future. I¡¯m really glad we became allies.¡± ¡°What, an alliance?¡± I listen back to the surprising statement. The other participants started to make a lot of noise. ¡°That¡¯s right, the information hasn¡¯t been released to the public yet. However, it will be made public soon, and since you are important people in the Kingdom of Lubel, you can know in advance. The Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel have officially formed an alliance. From now on, they will fight together against a much more powerful enemy.¡± ¡°Which enemy is more powerful? Is there anyone that the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel need to ally against?¡± ¡°The Elysian Empire, which has gained great power and the Amurian Union.¡± I¡¯ve heard that the Elysian Empire is the most powerful nation on the continent, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be that powerful. Furthermore, the Amurian Union was a newly formed country, but I wondered if it was the kind of opponent that Valkyria and Lubel feared. Another person in the room asked the same question, perhaps wondering the same thing. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Ten Gods of War, and I understand the Elysian Empire, but can the Amurian Union be an equally formidable foe?¡± ¡°The organization that eradicated the beast magicraft unit designed by Haruma-dono is under the umbrella of the Amurian Union.¡± I was surprised. It was the Amurian Union that annihilated my Beast Strike Force. So, it must be a powerful enemy then. ¡°What is the organization under their umbrella¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Iron Knights.¡± Iron Knights¡­¡­I¡¯ve never heard that name before, but I¡¯ve taken it to heart as the name of my Beast Strike¡¯s killer. CH 296 The securing of the magicraft mining site and the capture of the fortress of the Raja Empire have been completed. We were able to confirm the growth of the trainees, and the military reinforcement of the Amurian Union army proved to be going well. In the midst of all this, Jean was unusually considerate and said. ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll have a day off. I¡¯ll give you all some extra spending money so you can go play.¡± It was nice not to have to think about work for a day, but Jean¡¯s use of candy and whips is so blatant. It¡¯s abrupt, and I wish he¡¯d think of a better balance. All of us riders and crew members are on vacation, but Rafishal and the other mechanics don¡¯t have any time off. Jean told them to take a day off once in a while, but all the mechanics said no, they don¡¯t have time for that. I wondered how hardworking they were, but according to Jean, they were having so much fun at their current jobs that they felt it was a waste of time to take a break. ¡°By the way, is it okay that I got some pocket money too¡­¡­?¡± Jean was so generous that he even gave some pocket money to Nagisa and Yukiha, who were not officially members of the group. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ve been working a lot. You deserve it.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll take it with open arms.¡± Nagisa seemed to be somewhat pleased, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s that much in need of money. I wonder if she¡¯s not getting paid by the government. ¡°Yuta, let¡¯s go out somewhere after this. It¡¯s our vacation, let¡¯s just hang out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans, so that¡¯s fine.¡± The moment I answered that, a voice of protest came from behind me. ¡°I want to go out with you too!¡± Nanami said sulkily, as she heard our conversation. ¡°The more people, the more fun.¡± Nanami took my words to heart and invited Farma and Himari to come along with her. ¡°I feel like a big sister taking my sisters out.¡± Linnecarlo complained as she watched Nanami, Farma and Himari wandering the streets and giggling. ¡°If you¡¯re going to complain, why didn¡¯t you just stay in Fugaku?¡± Alana pointed out to Linnecarlo. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We only have one day of vacation.¡± For some reason, Alana and Linnecarlo came along as well. Like Linnecarlo said, we only have one day off, so it¡¯s not a bad idea to have fun with everyone, but Nagisa is in a bad mood. ¡°What, you¡¯re hungry?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I was just thinking that it would be nice to go out alone with Yuta for the first time in a while.¡± Nagisa wanted to go out alone with me for the first time in a while. Well, it¡¯s true that Nagisa and I have been going out together since we were kids, so I guess she wanted to get back into that mood. ¡°I can understand Nagisa¡¯s feelings, but everyone is an important friend, so please bear with me here.¡± ¡°Do you know how I feel?¡± ¡°Of course I do. You wanted to enjoy the company of your childhood friend for the first time in a long time, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­.You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± ¡°What is it then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Nothing. Look, Alana and Linnecarlo are getting into an argument. Shouldn¡¯t you stop them?¡± Before I knew it, Alana and Linnecarlo were arguing with each other. I hurriedly went to stop them. CH 297 We were on vacation and wandered around the city, but there were few stores that Linnecarlo and Alana liked, so we really spent a lot of time just hanging out. As far as I¡¯m concerned, there¡¯s nothing to buy. Linnecarlo said with disappointment, as she was secretly looking forward to shopping. ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. This is a city built for the military, so there¡¯s probably no demand for female customers.¡± ¡°Well, there are a lot of women in the military.¡± ¡°But there are only a few in total, after all and I¡¯m sure those stores have more sales.¡± Alana said as she looked at the stores with a mature atmosphere that lined the slightly suspicious streets of the back alleys. ¡°Hey¡­What¡¯s that place for?¡± ¡°Nanami asked Alana out of pure curiosity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a place for men to relieve their stress. It depends on what you want to do there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If it can relieve men¡¯s stress, why don¡¯t you go there too, Yuta?¡± Alana and Linnecarlo reacted to Nanami¡¯s words, as did Nagisa. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± They yelled at her in a fierce manner, and Nanami, who didn¡¯t understand what they meant, was seriously startled and half sobbed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­because Yuta is always busy¡­¡­and Nanami is worried¡­¡­about him and wants him to heal.¡± I knew she was saying this for my sake, and it still made me feel a little sad. I put my hand on Nanami¡¯s head and said, ¡°Thank you, Nanami. But I don¡¯t hate my life now, and I¡¯m not that stressed out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I¡¯m tired, but I don¡¯t really feel that stressed because I¡¯m blessed with good friends. ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± When I told her that, Nanami returned to her good smile. ¡°Anyway, Nagisa. My instincts warned me not to, so I refused on the spur of the moment, but what exactly does that store do?¡± Linnecarlo asked Nagisa in a whisper. The reason she didn¡¯t ask Alana was probably because of some weird rivalry. ¡°If you want to be specific¡­¡­I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? You¡¯re very strongly against it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only vaguely familiar with it, so why don¡¯t you ask¡­¡­Alana?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. She¡¯ll think I¡¯m an idiot for not knowing.¡± Both of them seemed to think they were whispering to each other, but I could hear them, so of course Alana could hear them, too. ¡°What, Linnecarlo, you don¡¯t know anything about that?¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry about¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let me tell you something then.¡± As she said this, Alana put her face close to Linnecarlo¡¯s ear and began to explain something in a whisper. ¡°Damn you! How dare you!¡± I was curious as to what it was all about, but Alana¡¯s voice was too quiet to hear. ¡°Alana, Linnecarlo is not fair, you should tell Nanami and the others.¡± Nanami, Farma, and Himari ask Alana with curious faces. ¡°No, you¡¯re not ready for this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why not!¡± Alana is fumbling around with muddled words as if she can¡¯t explain properly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have some tea? I¡¯m tired of walking.¡± When Alana was persistently pressed by the three, Nagisa offered a helping hand. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do that.¡± I guess it doesn¡¯t matter where we go anymore. CH 298 C298: Core Creation / Liza ¡°All mechanics, gather around!¡± At my command, ten newly hired mechanic assistants gather around Obi Wan, Darm, and Balm. ¡°Today will be a memorable day for the Iron Knights and the Mechanic Team!¡± When I announced this, there was a buzz of excitement. ¡°Everyone but us mechanics has the day off to celebrate, right? Does that have something to do with it?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not irrelevant that those idiots are away, but¡­¡­they are idiots, except for Lady Alana.¡± ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡± ¡°After consulting with Master Rafishal, we have decided to conduct the first Ludia core generation today, on this day, when there are no people in the way!¡± Everyone seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and a big commotion ensued. ¡°I heard that the Ludia core generation is a delicate process, so we are allowed to observe, but we have to watch in silence. Don¡¯t make a fuss like you just did.¡± Everyone was interested in the creation of a Ludia core, and they seemed to have taken my instructions to watch quietly. The Ludia core is generated in a simple sterile room inside the Fugaku hangar. The sterile room was covered with a transparent sheet, and everyone but Master Rafishal and Feri were able to observe from the outside. ¡°Feri, I¡¯m going to transmute the orichalcum, so keep an eye on the heat.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the instruments, the heat is up to 20 GJ. Rafishal, slow down the conversion.¡± ¡°I know, but this is a Class 2 core, and I want to increase the compression ratio, even if it means pushing it a little.¡± ¡°Then increase the amount of neutralizer. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have a thermal meltdown.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve prepared a newly developed neutralizer for this occasion.¡± Rafishal said as he put the liquid in the container into the machine that was being converted. ¡°Amazingly¡­¡­the heat content is increasing, but the temperature has stopped rising.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to increase the orichalcon conversion rate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already over the mass of a class 3 core.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the limit. I want it to be worthy of being the core of Yuta¡¯s magicraft.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay. Then let¡¯s go all the way. I¡¯ll take care of the other work, and you can concentrate on the conversion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, Feri. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for you. I¡¯m cooperating because it¡¯s the core of Yuta¡¯s magicraft.¡± ¡°I know. Let¡¯s make the best Ludia core we can.¡± As I watched the work, I realized that the technology used to create the Ludia core was similar to alchemy. My teacher once told me that a magicraft is a crystal that brings together all the technologies of mechanical engineering, magic science, spiritual art, and alchemy, and now I might be able to understand what he meant. I don¡¯t understand what they¡¯re doing most of the time, but it¡¯s obvious to anyone that they¡¯re top-notch technicians. ¡°All right, here we go.¡± ¡°Excellent work. You could carve out some powerful runes with that.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this fulfilled since I created my first Class 3 core for Sietra.¡± ¡°The first class 3 dedicated magic machine, Ralfen. That one was a masterpiece, but Yuta¡¯s core this time surpasses that one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for Class 2, so the specs are way different. I can¡¯t wait to see how many runes I can carve into it.¡± Master Rafishal was happy to hear that. According to him, the core is not yet complete, and there is still more work to be done. Everyone in the mechanic team was excited about more work and their eyes lit up with anticipation. CH 299 The fortress of the Raja Empire fell in one day due to an attack by the Amurian Union. It should not be a very tolerable situation for the Valkyria Empire, but it seems that they see this as an opportunity. Although still unofficial, an alliance between the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel has been formed. In response, the Radol Company offered several technologies to both countries. One of them is called Nitro Ludia, which is said to explosively increase the Ludia value. Soon, Nitro Ludia was to be implemented in the military. Since the equipment was not ready for such a large number of riders, it was decided that it would be administered to the elites. Of course, as one of the elite riders, I was also ordered to receive the Nitro Ludia. ¡°I hope this¡­¡­won¡¯t do any harm.¡± ¡°What are you worried about, Ren? Your Ludia value is going to explode. It¡¯s okay to take a little risk, right?¡± One of my friends who was taking Nitro Ludia with me said comfortably. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter if your Ludia level is high if it makes you unhealthy, does it?¡± To which my colleague replied in a dumbfounded manner. ¡°That¡¯s a very earthly way of thinking. The inhabitants of this world want to increase their Ludia value even if it costs them their lives.¡± Indeed, it is not surprising that the inhabitants of this world think so. In a world where status and honor depend on Ludia value, there are many people who think that life is all about that. The Nitro Ludia took about a week to complete. There was no pain or distress, but I felt strangely tired and had no energy to do anything. According to the technicians at Nitro Ludia, the fatigue was only temporary and I would recover soon. I was worried that my body might have gone crazy, but hearing that put my mind at ease. As I was leaving the Nitro Ludia facility, I was reunited with the fellow I had gone in there with. I called out to him, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice me, looking off into the distance with his empty eyes. From time to time, he would let out an ugh¡­¡­roar, but I could not see his sense of self, as if he were a cripple. I knew that Nitro Ludia was a dangerous thing and shuddered at the thought that I might have become like him. But the result was that I was a winner. My Ludia value rose to 120,000, putting me in the top class of the army. With the increase in Ludia value, a new magicraft was prepared. A machine that had been excavated but could not be operated due to its high activation value was upgraded and deployed as a new machine dedicated to Exlanders. Of the 500 people who participated in the first round of Nitro Ludia, only about 400 returned safely to the army. I was surprised to hear later that the damage was still less than expected. To think that the military knew that some of the riders would be destroyed by the Nitro Ludia made me realize how scary the organization is. Perhaps wanting to test the military power that had been strengthened with Nitro Ludia, the decision was soon made to launch a retaliatory war against the Amurian Union. It was the largest military operation ever undertaken, and for the first time, as an ally, the forces of the Kingdom of Lubel would also participate in this operation. The two armies, with a combined force of over 20,000 magic machines, have gathered in the Raja Empire. However, the Raja Empire, which was a vassal state, is in trouble. It is rumored that half of the national budget has disappeared, as the Raja Empire bears the burden of all supplies for both the Valkyria Empire and Lubel Kingdom armies. ¡°Ren. It¡¯s an amazing sight.¡± A new comrade who had been assigned to work with us on this mission said to me when he saw the large army that had gathered. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I couldn¡¯t have imagined that so many magicraft would gather here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but not too long ago, I wouldn¡¯t have thought that the Valkyrie Empire¡¯s magicrafts and the Lubel Kingdom¡¯s magicrafts would be standing side by side without a fight.¡± It is true that I have fought against the Kingdom of Lubel many times. But while I was aware that they were my enemy, I didn¡¯t hate them. I had changed my mind and thought that they were my friends that I could rely on since we were fighting together like this. CH 300 ¡°Do we have to go so far away?¡± I was surprised to hear that the core of my dedicated magicraft had been made while I was on break, and furthermore, Rafishal said that he wanted to move to a place with high ether concentration to adjust the dedicated magicraft. ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t do it here, but it¡¯s more convenient to do it in a place with high ether concentration.¡± ¡°What is ether density anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the energies used by the magicrafts, and it¡¯s one of the substances that make up the dimension. Because we adjust the magicraft while testing its higher functions, we inevitably need a huge amount of ether. It takes too much time to replenish the ether here, so it¡¯s not efficient.¡± So it¡¯s better to try out the appliances at home using a power outlet than to try them out while charging them with a small solar panel? I understand the logic. ¡°But is it safe for us to leave now? We¡¯ve just crushed the fortress of the Raja Empire, and I think there could be retaliation.¡± Jean answered that question. ¡°We¡¯ve got 3,000 magicrafts on the border with the Raja Empire, so they won¡¯t be able to attack us that easily. And there¡¯s no need for the entire Iron Knights to move. Fugaku is the only one who needs to leave while Musashi can stay here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but isn¡¯t it okay for everyone to stay here but me?¡± ¡°No, Nagisa and Linnecarlo are going too.¡± ¡°I can understand Linnecarlo, but does Nagisa need to go too?¡± ¡°Where do you think the orichalcon and phoenix stone needed to create the Ludia Core came from?¡± ¡°You bought that from the Amurian Union at a discount, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°They were provided by the Amurian Union, but they were given to me free of charge.¡± ¡°Free?¡± ¡°Ranelle seemed to have learned somewhere that Nagisa was a rare Class 3 rider, and she said that she wanted us to build a magicraft that could maximize Nagisa¡¯s power. In exchange for making a new magicraft for Nagisa, she also prepared the orichalcon and phoenix stone for the core of Yuta¡¯s dedicated magicraft.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how you were able to suddenly create the Ludia Core? As for Ranelle, she must have decided that it was in the national interest for Nagisa to become stronger. I understand that, but if that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t understand why Linnecarlo would be included in that.¡± ¡°In addition to making Nagisa¡¯s and Yuta¡¯s Ludia cores, I also generated Viktor¡¯s core. You won¡¯t need it anymore because you¡¯ll have your own magicraft, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to adjust Viktor for Linnecarlo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame to keep Viktor asleep, and if Linnecarlo is going to use it, that seems like a good thing. But when did you start talking about that?¡± The ones who would be traveling to the place with high ether concentration would be me, Nagisa, Linnecarlo, and the rest of the mechanic team would accompany us. The other members were to remain in Bilaluk with Musashi. In addition, in a place with a high concentration of ether, the Amurian Union was going to build a factory for the production of high-level magicrafts, where special machines would be made. ¡°Colonel Reginant was also selected for the first team.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s a great honor. I didn¡¯t expect to have my own magicraft.¡± ¡°I guess they figured you had a lot of potential.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, sir.¡± It¡¯s embarrassing to be thanked face to face. In addition to Colonel Reginant, Marumum and Mirumum were also selected for the first group. Unfortunately, Satoru and Pehu were not selected. ¡°Instructor! I need your guidance on the road!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± The twins asked me to guide them. It seems that we won¡¯t have any free time during the trip. CH 301 The place with the highest concentration of ether in the territory of the Amurian Union was a region called Sharka in the northern part of the Linea Kingdom. According to Rafishal and Feri, it was a place famous for its high ether concentration even in the age of ancient civilization. ¡°What kind of place is Sharka?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s in a country called Linea, but I don¡¯t know what kind of place it is.¡± Nagisa replied to my question that I had asked while we were eating. Well, I thought there was no way Nagisa would know, but I was asking if any of the other people present knew. ¡°Sharka is a place of abundant water and greenery, and it is also close to my hometown. The clean spring water is some of the best on the continent, and I hope you will enjoy it.¡± The one who said that was Colonel Reginant. ¡°It¡¯s a bit tactless to have a magicraft factory in such a nature-rich place.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s a factory, a high-level magicraft factory is like a workshop. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to destroy nature.¡± I heard that the people of the Linea Kingdom are people who cherish nature and since they are in charge of the construction of the factory, they won¡¯t do anything reckless. ¡°Yuta, you can explain about Viktor later.¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s nothing to explain.¡± ¡°I need to know a little bit about Viktor before we make any adjustments.¡± Linnecarlo said, but I really didn¡¯t know anything about it. I moved it around as I saw fit, and in the latter stages I was just following Feri¡¯s lead. ¡°Maybe Linnecarlo¡¯s purpose is something else. You¡¯ve never said anything about a study session before.¡± ¡°What is it, Nagisa? Are you doubting my ambition?¡± For some reason, Linnecarlo was getting impatient with Nagisa. ¡°Well then, the three of us should have a study session. I don¡¯t have much to teach you, but Nagisa might get a chance to ride Viktor.¡± Linnecarlo looked reluctant at my suggestion for some reason, but Nagisa agreed. Sharka was, as Colonel Reginant had said, a place surrounded by magnificent nature. It was dotted with countless lakes, large and small, and the factory for the high-level magicrafts was being built on an island in the center of a large lake. Fugaku anchored near the factory under construction. ¡°All the materials for the magicrafts have already arrived, but the construction of the factory seems to be delayed.¡± The materials, factory staff and technicians seemed to have arrived, and many of them were living in tents on the lake island. We don¡¯t have to sleep in tents because we have Fugaku, but everyone seems to be having a hard time. ¡°Yuta and the others¡¯ special magicrafts will be developed in Fugaku, so that¡¯s not a problem, but the trainees¡¯ magicrafts will be developed in the factory, so it looks like they¡¯ll be on standby for the time being.¡± Liza told me. ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯ve already started working on my magicraft, right? Let me have a look.¡± I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re hiding it, but there¡¯s a partition in Fugaku¡¯s hangar, and I can¡¯t see my own magicraft in development. ¡°Not yet! When it¡¯s finished, I¡¯ll unveil it to you in a flash, so look forward to it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the surprise?¡± As I was having this exchange with Liza, I saw a person come out of the partition of my exclusive magicraft. I looked and saw that it was Fugaku¡¯s pilot, Fistina. ¡°Fistina, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, Yuta, I was just curious to see what Yuta¡¯s new magicraft would be like¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unusual, that you would be interested in such a thing. So what was it like?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see much because of the curtain. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have cheated.¡± She smiled and walked toward the bridge. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I put the curtain up.¡± ¡°Why are you hiding it so well?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been a surprise if everyone knew about it before the unveiling.¡± ¡°No, of course not¡­¡­.¡± I don¡¯t know why they want to surprise me, but the mechanics team never leaked any information about my dedicated magicraft. It looks like I¡¯ll have to wait until it¡¯s ready. CH 302 Sharka¡¯s high-level magicraft manufactory is being built at a rapid pace. After all, perhaps there were complaints from the employees living in tents, so priority was given to the construction of a residential building where they could live. In about two days it was built from nothing, so I¡¯m worried about its durability. ¡°It looks like Linnecarlo¡¯s adjustments to Viktor started today.¡± I asked Nagisa since Linnecarlo, who was always hanging around me, wasn¡¯t here, and she told me that. ¡°Is my magicraft ready yet?¡± ¡°They¡¯re working on it at the same time, but it¡¯s going to take a while.¡± ¡°I just want it to be finished quickly and return to the others.¡± ¡°Did you get lonely?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this¡­¡­It¡¯s hard to say, but there¡¯s a bad vibe coming from up north.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yuta¡¯s weird intuition has always been right. Maybe there really is something coming.¡± I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine with the rest of the Iron Knights, but I¡¯m still very worried. Perhaps my wish had been answered, but the next day, Nagisa and I began the adjustment to our magicrafts. Finally, I was going to see my magicraft. ¡°What the hell? You said it would be a quick unveiling, but you¡¯ve only just put the framework together.¡± I was looking forward to seeing what kind of magicraft it would be, but what was unveiled was a skeleton and not even the exterior was ready. ¡°Of course it is. It¡¯s not worth the hassle of installing the exterior before it¡¯s adjusted.¡± Well, that¡¯s true. I agreed with what Liza had said. ¡°What do I have to do to adjust it?¡± ¡°All you have to do is sit in the cockpit and hold the control ball.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yes, and then I¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡± I did as I was told, sat down in the exposed cockpit, and grasped the control ball. I was wondering what the adjustments would be, but I didn¡¯t really do anything, just held the control ball. Rafishal, Feri, and the mechanics around me were busy looking at instruments, making notes, and tinkering with parts. ¡°How was it, Nagisa?¡± Nagisa, who had been making adjustments after me, came back and I asked her how she was doing. ¡°What do you mean, I was just holding the control ball.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what kind of magicraft this will be at this point.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll save that for later.¡± Unlike us, who had no idea what kind of magicraft we¡¯ll have, Linnecarlo was a little more relaxed because she knew exactly what kind of magicraft Viktor was. ¡°My Viktor is already very well adjusted.¡± It seems that she is already developing an awareness of her own magicraft, but what will happen with Odin? ¡°Is Viktor different from before?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to have some really cool features!¡± ¡°Flying, four-element canon, what else is there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for later.¡± In the end, Linnecarlo was too nice to tell me, but when I talked to Rafishal later, he said, ¡°The concept of the three of you is that Linnecarlo is a long-range attack type, Nagisa is a close-combat type, and Yuta is a versatile warrior type. Well, we¡¯ll figure out the details as we go along, but I think that¡¯s the direction we¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the ¡°versatile warrior type¡±.¡± ¡°It would have to be that kind of concept to make use of the potential of Class 2, you know. I¡¯ll make the best versatile magicraft that can do anything.¡± Since it was Rafishal, I was sure he would make something amazing, but I couldn¡¯t get a concrete image. CH 303 The Magicraft Factory, where the Amurian Union high-level magicrafts will be made, has been completed. The factory is divided into ten workshops, and can manufacture ten magicrafts at a time. With the construction of the manufacturing plant, Colonel Reginant and the trainees, who had been sitting idle, seem to have become busy making adjustments. I had finished adjusting the basic functions of my personal magicraft and was now moving on to the next stage. ¡°I¡¯m going to add the four-element cannon in Yuta¡¯s magicraft, but I¡¯m also going to employ a special weapon with a little more power.¡± ¡°Is the four-element cannon a sub weapon, Master Rafishal?¡± Before I could react, Liza, who had been listening intently to Rafishal¡¯s explanation, shouted in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s possible with the potential of Class 2, and the four-element cannon is ineffective against high-level magicrafts that can deploy shields. Yota need a special weapon that can crush powerful enemy magicrafts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always better to have a strong weapon, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great weapon that took a long time to develop.¡± Rafishal says it¡¯s great, so it must be great. However, it took a lot of adjustment to implement that greatness so I spent a lot more time sitting in the cockpit and holding the control ball. I wasn¡¯t physically tired, but I was getting bored of it. Just when I was beginning to think that I had reached my limit, the adjustment was finally completed. Once the adjustments were complete, the exterior began to be attached to the magicraft. The metal for the exterior was also custom-made by Rafishal, and it was said to be a super alloy that was resistant to all kinds of attacks. ¡°We¡¯re using Rehuldite, which we abandoned for mass production because it was too costly. It¡¯s strong enough to repel a Salamander main cannon without the need to deploy shields.¡± ¡°The Salamander¡¯s main cannon has the power to crush a Highlander in one hit if it hits directly, right? Are you sure it can resist this level of attack?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. As you can imagine, if you¡¯re hit by a four-element cannon class attack, you¡¯d better deploy your shields, but I¡¯m sure the damage would still be minor.¡± How much damage is minor after being hit by a four-element cannon? As the exterior was installed, my personal magicraft began to appear. At a glance, it looks similar to Arleo and the coloring seems to have been made white as well. ¡°I¡¯m sure Arleo suits Yuta. Would you have preferred a different design?¡± ¡°No, this is fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind of happy that Arleo has been revived. I didn¡¯t feel it when I was using it, but I guess I got attached to it.¡± Nagisa¡¯s adjustments were also completed smoothly, and the exterior began to be attached. Nagisa¡¯s personal machine uses the same Rehuldite as my magicraft, and it seems to be quite strong. ¡°Wow¡­¡­that¡¯s cool.¡± Nagisa¡¯s personal machine was finished so well that I wanted to say that it was cheeky, even for Nagisa. The color was crimson with gold lines, giving it a luxurious look and the shape looks a little like my own machine because they were designed together. ¡°It¡¯s not just about looks. I think it¡¯s the best Class 3-only machine I¡¯ve ever built.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Good for you, Nagisa.¡± When I heard Rafishal¡¯s words, I said to Nagisa as if to make fun of her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m supposed to do now that they¡¯ve¡­¡­provided me with this amazing personal magicraft.¡± ¡°You want me to work like a horse, right?¡± Regardless of Nagisa¡¯s feelings, from now on she and her magicraft would be the guardian gods of the Amurian Union. CH 304 ¡°Mister Jean, may I have a word with you?¡± Sister Muzie spoke to me with a serious face. From her mood, I immediately sensed that this was not something good. ¡°I hear there¡¯s a major military action going on between the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± According to Sister Muzie, the agents of Alice Abbey, who had infiltrated the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel, had sent information about a large-scale military operation at the same time. ¡°Does this mean that two of the three powerful nations are about to enter into a large-scale war?¡± ¡°I wish that were the case, but it seems it is not. It seems that the armies of both countries are heading towards the Raja Empire.¡± ¡°Both armies? No way¡­¡­.Then it¡¯s possible that the target is the Amurian Union¡­¡­.¡± I thought there was no chance that the two countries would temporarily fight together and attack the Amurian Union, but in the end they did it¡­¡­. ¡°We don¡¯t know what they¡¯re up to yet, but I think we should be vigilant.¡± ¡°Yes, we should inform the Amurian Union and have them take precautions.¡± On the same day, I informed the upper echelons of the Amurian Union of the information that had come from Alice Abbey. The Amurian side was skeptical, but when they heard that the source of the information was Alice Abbey, they started to panic. ¡°It hurts that we don¡¯t have mass production magicrafts ready yet¡­¡­.¡± Marshal Violate said, imagining the severity of fighting against the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel with their current strength. ¡°How many mass-produced magicrafts do you have prepared?¡± ¡°About 2000, however, the number of riders who can actually ride the mass-produced magicrafts is about 800, because not all the riders have strengthening their Ludia yet.¡± ¡°I see. However, they are still a valuable asset. It would be better to gather them in Bilaluk right away.¡± ¡°I understand. I will arrange that.¡± It would take time to gather forces from all over the wide Amurian Union. If we¡¯re not careful, there¡¯s a possibility that we¡¯ll start the war with our current strength. The forces currently deployed in the vicinity of Bilaluk consisted of 5,000 old general magicrafts, too few to take on both the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call Yuta and Linnecarlo back right away?¡± ¡°I think so too. If those two are there, a slight difference in strength will be no problem.¡± I agree with Alana and Emina¡¯s opinion, however it¡¯s not that simple. ¡°Even if we call them back now, there¡¯s a good chance they won¡¯t make it. Even if they return at full speed with Fugaku, the journey would take a week. If the two armies have already entered the Raja Empire, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they attacked in about three days.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, maybe we should think about fighting with our current strength.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I hope Yuta and the others can make it in time, but I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡± I would have installed a four-element cannon on Musashi if I knew this was going to happen. One by one, forces are converging on Bilaluk from the surrounding areas, but it¡¯s still not enough. At least there are about a hundred ride carriers with Salamander main guns attached to them. The majority of the mechanic team is also aboard Fugaku¡¯s side. The only mechanics in Musashi are from the old Sword Clan, and there are only three of them. Once the war starts, they won¡¯t have time to repair all the magicrafts. It¡¯s hard to fight for a long time¡­¡­.I think we can only fight at full strength for a few days. In the absence of Yuta and Linnecarlo, the main force is still the Iron Knights, and a defensive strategy centered on us was planned. ¡°With this formation, if the Iron Knights collapse, the whole army will collapse.¡± I look at the plan and speak up. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but on the other hand, if the Iron Knights don¡¯t collapse, the army won¡¯t collapse either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you trust us that much, but with two of our main men out, it might be a bit much to handle.¡± ¡°I heard about it, so I¡¯m going to place the remaining trainee troops under the command of the Iron Knights. They won¡¯t be able to replace the two that are missing, but I¡¯m sure we can make it work.¡± I know how strong the trainees are but I¡¯m not sure if this force will hold¡­¡­. ¡°All right. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± The strategy for the defensive battle had been decided, but I hoped it would not be used. If you don¡¯t have to go to war with two powerful countries, it¡¯s better not to. CH 305 As soon as the defense operation was decided, I informed Fugaku of the current situation. They said that Yuta and his team¡¯s magicrafts would be completed in a little while and that they would come back to us as soon as possible. I really want them to come back right now, but it would be more convenient to have them rush to us with the completed magicrafts. ¡°How¡¯s it going, any movement on the border?¡± We are on high alert and paying attention to the border. Riders are on standby and are ready to go at any time. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any movement yet. It would be nice if they could stay put until Yuta and the others come back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll move at our convenience.¡± ¡°What do you think, is there a possibility that Valkyrie and Lubel will attack together?¡± ¡°I still wouldn¡¯t believe such a thing if it weren¡¯t for the information from Alice Abbey. First of all, there is no reason for either of the two countries to abandon their old feud and join forces to attack the Amurian Union.¡± ¡°Are you saying there is another reason for the two countries to team up?¡± ¡°Yes, there is. The two countries have no reason to attack the Amurian Union together¡­¡­.Or perhaps they are talking about an alliance¡­¡­There would have to be a greater reason for such a relationship¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°To gain greater power, or to oppose greater power¡­¡­either way, it¡¯s definitely something more serious than dealing with us.¡± ¡°What reason could they have?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what could make them form an alliance.¡± Emina said, and Kiyone, who had been listening, argued her theory. ¡°It is the royalty and a few other people at the top who make the decisions for the country. The families who lose their family members in wars, etc., and most of the people who are actually disadvantaged are the people below. Even though they have a long history, maybe the higher-ups don¡¯t hold as much of a grudge as the common people.¡± ¡°Kiyone might be right. Maybe it¡¯s because the royals don¡¯t hold it against each other as much as people think.¡± ¡°Jean. How long do Nanami and the others have to be on guard?¡± ¡°Until Yuta and the others come back or the enemy invades.¡± ¡°If the enemy attacks, we won¡¯t have time to play¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re praying for Yuta to come back first.¡± ¡°I always think that, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that Nanami will always be thinking that she wants Yuta to come back.¡± ¡°Jean, you talked to Yuta, right? How¡¯s it going over there?¡± Unusually, Farma asked me that. She¡¯s got an anxious look on her face, but I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s¡­¡­going on. ¡°You look fine, and the adjustment of your personal magicraft seemed to be going well. Did something happen to you?¡± ¡°I wanted to talk to Yuta about something, but it¡¯s nothing urgent.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll talk to Yuta when he comes back.¡± I¡¯m still no match for Yuta. I guess I can¡¯t take his place. ¡°Jean! There¡¯s movement at the border!¡± Alana said suddenly. ¡°What? It¡¯s still early.¡± When I looked, I saw that several magicrafts were approaching the border. They seem to be checking our formation and so on. ¡°Reconnaissance¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Probably. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they attack us.¡± ¡°All right, tell the trainee units outside to brace themselves. War is coming.¡± One hundred and fifty magicrafts of the trainee squad, ten magicrafts of the Iron Knights, and five ride carriers of the trainee squad are the force under my command. With this force, we have to block the enemy attacks and follow up on our allies. A short time after the reconnaissance unit appeared, a sound like an earth tremor came from the direction of the Raja Empire. It was the sound of the magicrafts and ride carriers approaching. A massive¡­¡­army of magicrafts like I¡¯ve never seen before, more than I can count, is coming towards us, radiating intense pressure. CH 306 It has been reported that the reason for the invasion was in retaliation for the unilateral attack on the Raja Imperial Fortress. It is said that the Raja Empire never attacked in the first place. ¡°It¡¯s a long shot. They were the ones who attacked us.¡± Nanami said with a puffy face. ¡°I¡¯m sure the history books of the Raja Empire and the Valkyria Empire will proudly mention a first strike from the Amurian Union.¡± Now was not the time to be worrying about the reason. The allied forces of the Raja Empire, the Valkyria Empire, and the Kingdom of Lubel are attempting to invade the territory of the Amurian Union. ¡°Everyone prepare for battle! Magicraft troops launch! Open the gates of the ride carriers and be ready to fire at any time!¡± ¡°Yuta didn¡¯t make it after all.¡± Alana said regretfully as she headed for the hangar. ¡°I¡¯m a little worried.¡± Perhaps feeling uneasy at the sight of the large number of enemies, Nanami also put it into words. The members of the Iron Knights have all grown considerably through Ludia training. They have become so strong that ordinary enemies are no match for them, but Yuta is still the key to their strength. The first battle took place on a hill even closer to the border from where we were positioned, and there was a fort of the Amurian Union. Seeing the invasion of the enemy, countless arrows were fired from the ballistae installed in the fort. Arrows rain down on the enemy forces. The enemy¡¯s magicrafts raised their shields to block the arrows and kept marching as if nothing happened. A second wave was also released from the fort but it was blocked by the shield as well. I thought that the third wave of attack would be released soon, but before it could, an explosion occurred in the fort. After the first one the fort was engulfed in explosions, and the ballistae that had been installed were being destroyed one by one. When we looked closely at what was happening, we saw that we were being bombarded by the enemy¡¯s ride carriers. ¡°It¡¯s got the range and power of the Salamander¡¯s main gun!¡± The range of the ballista is about 500 meters, while the Salamander¡¯s main cannon has twice the range at 1000 meters. The power was several times greater, and the range of the attack was an order of magnitude greater. There was no way they could compete if they tried to hit each other. The fort was quickly neutralized by the one-sided artillery fire. ¡°The enemy also has a cannon like the Salamander! Don¡¯t let the magicraft units get too close!¡± It¡¯s a tremendous bombardment, but we also have a hundred ride carriers with Salamander main guns. Before we could get into a hand-to-hand battle with the magicrafts, the artillery began to fire simultaneously at the approaching enemy forces. Just as we were surprised by the enemy¡¯s main gun, they seemed to be upset by the unexpected gunfire. They used the shields but it¡¯s impossible for them to protect themselves from the Salamanders with them. Large explosions occur at the hit points, and the surrounding magicrafts are blown to pieces. ¡°Don¡¯t stop the bombardment! Reduce the numbers as much as possible before it becomes a melee!¡± If the hand-to-hand combat between the magicrafts begin, the places where we can fire are limited. The number of enemies is overwhelmingly large, and it is obvious that we will be at a disadvantage if we engage in hand-to-hand combat. I wanted to reduce the number of enemies even a little before that. A considerable number of enemy magicrafts were eliminated by the bombardment, but there were so many of them that the size of the enemy force did not seem to be shrinking. The swarm-like mass of magicrafts was slowly making contact with Amuria¡¯s defense line. The hand-to-hand combat began. A fierce battle unfolded between the magicrafts, with friend and foe alike. The Ride Carriers started firing at the enemy Ride Carriers for support and the enemy ride carriers responded with their own artillery fire. ¡°Who could have predicted this kind of fight¡­¡­.¡± From behind the battle between the magicrafts, the ride carriers engaged in a fierce artillery battle with each other. I learned that this is what happens when there is powerful artillery on both sides. CH 307 As the melee began, the enemy¡¯s magicraft squadrons attacked our position, the key to the defense line. There were about 500 of them, four times as many as ours. I immediately gave the order to intercept them. Don¡¯t let the enemy get to the other side! If we don¡¯t get rid of them quickly, they¡¯ll keep coming from behind! Iron Knights follow the trainees and spread out!¡± Our overall fighting strength will be greater if we spread out rather than staying together. The enemy army is a large one, and we should try to deal with it as a whole rather than fighting it out with an elite few. Even if the trainees have become stronger, they are still not as strong as the members of the Iron Knights. Alana, who already has a Ludia value of over 100,000, moves like a demon god, slicing her enemies in half one after another. Her speed of destruction seems to be faster than that of ten trainees. Lorgo was taking care of dozens of enemy magicrafts attacks. It¡¯s typical of Lorgo¡¯s personality that he doesn¡¯t like to attack even his enemies, and he¡¯s putting all his energy into helping his allies. Lorgo¡¯s Ludia value has grown to nearly 100,000, and he can easily repel the attacks of ordinary magicrafts. The incredible growth rate of Nanami is also proving to be a force to be reckoned with. It seems that it¡¯s no mistake that she¡¯s Class 4, the same as Linnecarlo. I¡¯ve heard that she¡¯s already in line with Linnecarlo in terms of Ludia value, and that was reflected in her combat power as well. The growth in Ludia value was not as great as the other members, but Farma¡¯s growth was in a place that cannot be explained by numbers. Her every arrow is precisely aimed at the weak points of the enemy machines. Perhaps that pinpoint shooting would be effective even against a superior opponent. After all, being one of the Twelve Heavenly Heroes is no mean feat. Kiyone¡¯s power was still one step ahead of the rest. She moves leanly, slashing down her enemies with a speed that can be called divine. Although Kiyone¡¯s strength is impressive, Brunnhilde and Tris, who were also from the Sword Clan, are also moving wonderfully. After all, those who had studied martial arts seriously had a different air about them. Their stable movements gave a sense of security to the allies around them. Lately, Arthur has also been eager to practice swordsmanship, influenced by Kiyone and Brunnhilde. Well, Arthur¡¯s weapon is a lance, but there is something in common between them, and I can see growth in his fighting style. He used to be all about rushing, but now he¡¯s able to use his mobility and fight resourcefully. Yukiha, Ranelle¡¯s older sister, is also growing rapidly, partly because she has been working intensively on her Ludia training lately. She had always had a good sense of combat, and it seems that her training with Kiyone has transformed her. She no longer seems to be lagging behind even when surrounded by ordinary riders. Emina has probably grown up as well, but due to the stealth mode of Artemis, which was enhanced by Rafishal, we can¡¯t even check on her activities anymore. I think she¡¯s hiding in the shadows, following her allies and destroying enemy magicrafts. ¡°Alana, flank them with about a dozen trainees! Fill the hole left by Alana with Pehu¡¯s Gigantes.¡± I found a gap in the enemy forces and gave orders. Alana understood my intentions and moved immediately. ¡°Aye. Trainee platoon over there, follow me.¡± Pehu¡¯s Gigantes, a trainee who had been instructed to fill in for Alana, also stepped forward as ordered. Gigantes is a very large magicraft, and it stands out on the battlefield. Enemy magicrafts in a hurry to take credit rushed towards him but were repelled as if they were insects. The enemy troops, who were too preoccupied with the front, were attacked on the flank by Alana and the trainee squad. They didn¡¯t expect to be attacked from the side and were greatly confused. Confused troops are fragile and with Kiyone at the center, we quickly eradicated the enemy troops. ¡°Okay, looks like the first group is finished.¡± Even so, it was only a small portion of the enemy that we had destroyed. Looking around the entire battlefield, countless enemy magicrafts were still alive and well. CH 308 The enemy army seems to have realized that the location where the Iron Knights are positioned is a strategic point in the defense line and a large amount of their forces are now concentrating on us. ¡°We¡¯re right on schedule! The more the enemy concentrates on us, the easier it will be for our allies! On the other hand, if we collapse, the whole army will collapse! Keep your spirits up and hold your ground!¡± I think they were inspired by my words but the Iron Warriors, and the trainee troops became more active. Our momentum increased to the point where we were able to push back the enemy troops. Perhaps the Iron Knights and the Amurian Union had become too strong, but I thought that the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel were no big deal. However, unlike my view of them, the frontline seems to have a strange fear of the enemy. ¡°Jean! Something¡¯s a little strange! There are some strangely strong ones mixed in with the enemy army!¡± Alana points this out. I¡¯ve been watching the battle since a while ago, and it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯re struggling¡­¡­. ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re struggling.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just barely managing to keep up. It doesn¡¯t look like the main force of the enemy is moving yet, but there are still riders here and there that are triple Highlanders.¡± ¡°Triple Highlanders¡­¡­what do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible there¡¯s someone stronger back there, so we¡¯d better be careful.¡± No matter how powerful the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel are, there are not enough triple Highlanders to be incorporated into the general forces here and there. What the hell is going on? ¡°Jean. There¡¯s something wrong, just like Alana said! I was the first one to kill it because it was dangerous, but the magicraft I just defeated was the Stinger, a Quadruple Highlander exclusive machine. The Stinger is a magicraft that is often excavated, but it¡¯s derided as a supreme waste because there are no riders who can ride it due to its high startup Ludia value. It¡¯s a little strange that it¡¯s being used in actual combat.¡± Farma is a magicraft fanatic, so there¡¯s no mistake, besides, I¡¯ve heard of Stinger, too. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became, and then it began to take shape. Kiyone, who has killed every enemy so far, is having a hard time with one of the magicrafts. The other party seemed to be a magic machine that even Farma didn¡¯t know about, and it was showing tremendous speed and power. However, as expected of Kiyone. He was such a strong opponent, but in the end she defeated him by piercing its chest. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to win if it was me before I did the Ludia training¡­¡­.¡± This was Kiyone¡¯s impression after defeating the strong opponent. When it comes to opponents that cannot be defeated by a Heavenly Master, only the Twelve Heavenly Masters can be considered, but the fact that it was a magicraft that Farma, who knows the characteristics of all of the Twelve Heavenly Masters¡¯ magicrafts, did not know about deepens the mystery. An even more critical situation was visibly looming over us. ¡®Wait a minute¡­¡­Stinger¡¯s like that!¡± At the sound of Farma¡¯s voice, I looked towards the border. I saw a conspicuous yellow group. The rugged design of the magicraft looks like a golden knight from the sagas¡­¡­it was the Quadruple Highlander¡¯s special machine, the Stinger¡­¡­a group of them were quietly closing in on us. ¡°Jean! It¡¯s not good to have that many Quadruple Highlanders coming at us!¡± ¡°I know. Hold on, I¡¯ll think of a response.¡± Now, what are we going to do about them? There are a hundred magicrafts¡­¡­plus a lot of other troops coming¡­¡­Damn! If Yuta and Linnecarlo were here¡­¡­they might be able to force their way through, but there¡¯s no point in thinking about the two who aren¡¯t here now. What should we do¡­¡­to get through this crisis with our current strength? I turned my head and thought of a way out. CH 309 I thought about what would be the best firepower with the forces we have now. Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji is probably the strongest magicraft, but in terms of firepower, Salamander, the main gun of the ride carriers, is probably the best. Musashi has five Salamander main guns, and each of the five ride carriers under his command is equipped with three. If we can concentrate a total of twenty Salamander main guns¡­¡­I thought about it, but there was no way I could fire the guns while our magicrafts were engaged in battle with the enemy. However, if I let the allied magicrafts fall back, the enemy machines will approach us at once, and we won¡¯t be able to use artillery. I knew I couldn¡¯t carry out this operation unless I asked them to stay in one place and not to move because I would be concentrating fire on the enemy forces, but then I remembered Rafishal¡¯s words and an idea popped into my head. ¡°Lorgo! It¡¯s a little dangerous, but I need your help. It¡¯s a bit of a crazy favor to ask, but will you do it?¡± ¡°Ode¡­¡­? I¡¯ll do anything for you¡­¡­¡± I know Lorgo wouldn¡¯t say no even to something so reckless¡­. Rafishal¡¯s words were said during his modifications to Ganesha, ¡°With Lorgo¡¯s improved Ludia value and Ganesha¡¯s enhanced armor, I¡¯m sure it can withstand a heavy bombardment.¡± ¡°Ganesha¡¯s always been hard, and now he¡¯s getting stronger. But, exactly how strong of a bombardment can it withstand?¡¡For example, can it withstand the concentrated fire of all of Fugaku¡¯s guns?¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s possible if the shields are fully activated.¡± I¡¯ll take your word for it©¤©¤©¤©¤ Rafishal¡­¡­. ¡°Five minutes after the operation is communicated, the trainees will temporarily retreat. The Iron Knights will lead the enemy troops and gather them in the center. Once the enemy is gathered, the Iron Knights will retreat as well, leaving Lorgo behind.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Jean! You¡¯re using him as bait! You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Jean, you idiot! That¡¯s not fair to Lorgo!¡± The members of the Iron Knights complain to me, but I believe Rafishal¡¯s words and Lorgo. ¡°Shut up! This is an operation that¡¯s been decided! Trust in the hardness of Lorgo and Ganesha!¡± When I shouted that, they all fell silent, though I¡¯m sure they weren¡¯t convinced. That¡¯s because Lorgo, the man himself, immediately said, ¡°Thank you all for your concern about¡­¡­Ode¡­¡­.Ode will be fine¡­¡­.The only thing he¡¯s good for is being hard¡­¡­this is where I show my worth.¡± ¡°Well said, Lorgo! Listen, as soon as the Iron Knights evacuate, start firing all Salamander main guns at once. When they do, open your shields all the way and hold them up towards Musashi and don¡¯t be late! No matter how strong Ganesha is, you¡¯re not safe without the shields!¡± ¡°Ode¡­¡­work hard!¡± Once the Iron Knights retreat, Lorgo will be under concentrated attack from the enemy. If the bombardment is delayed, Lorgo will be in danger from the attacks of the enemy magicrafts. We can¡¯t delay the timing of the bombardment for that reason. The plan was immediately put into action. The trainees began to slowly retreat, and the Iron Knights began to disperse and guide the enemy troops in order to gather them in the center. It was the first time for them to carry out such a mission, and they must not be used to it, but the guidance was accomplished beautifully. The enemy forces began to gather in the center. Lorgo makes a flashy move to stand out in the enemy army. Meanwhile, the others began to slowly retreat. ¡°Prepare to fire all Salamander main guns!¡± Lorgo¡¯s Ganesha was surrounded by enemy magicrafts and was under heavy fire. If we don¡¯t fire soon, he¡¯ll be in danger. ¡°Commence bombardment of the center! LORGO! Shields up!¡± At the same time I gave the order, Musashi and the ride carriers under my command began firing at once. The twenty Salamander main guns fired one shot every five seconds. With Ganesha at the center, the area turned into a hell of blasts and flames. The firepower was so great that I was worried about Lorgo, but I couldn¡¯t stop firing. I stared at the hellscape and prayed. CH 310 The concentrated fire continued until the Salamander main guns began to screech. The power was so great that it changed the terrain, and the Stinger unit of Quadruple Highlanders didn¡¯t seem to be able to keep up. Most of their magicrafts were destroyed and laid on the ground in tatters. Amidst the wreckage of enemy magicrafts, I looked for Ganesha and found him crouched down and hiding behind his shield. It was damaged by the explosions but it had no serious damage. However, Ganesha remained motionless in that position, as if time had stopped. ¡°Lorgo! Are you okay?!¡± If something happens to Lorgo, I would be responsible¡­..but I was deeply relieved to hear that dumb, calm voice. ¡°Ode ¡­..Okay¡­¡­ode¡­¡­was helpful!¡± ¡°That was helpful, Lorgo! You did a great job!¡± ¡°You did a great job, Lorgo, and you should be proud of yourself for destroying the enemy unit.¡± ¡°Good job, Lorgo.¡± As his friends praised him, Lorgo seemed to be choking on his words and was unable to speak. I don¡¯t have to explain the results of the fight. We wiped out the enemy forces and destroyed many enemy magicrafts. The overall situation was not too bad. Thanks to the fact that the enemy was concentrating a lot of their forces on the Iron Knights¡¯ position, the rest of the Amurian Union was able to fight with superiority. As the sun began to set, the enemy forces began to retreat temporarily. For religious and cultural reasons, the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel do not like to fight at night. The first day of the battle would probably end like this. Even if they don¡¯t like night battles, we can¡¯t say that there will never be a night attack. We needed to be vigilant and get enough rest to be ready for tomorrow. In particular, Lorgo, who had been subjected to the concentrated fire of the Salamanders. ¡°Riders, except for Lorgo, will rotate and take turns resting. The resting members are to stand guard and watch the enemy.¡± When I said this to Alana and the others who had returned, Lorgo objected in an unusually strong tone. ¡°Ode¡­¡­Ode Rotate! I¡¯ll stand by for battle!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­you took so much damage. I think you should take it easy for tonight.¡± ¡°I want to be with you guys then!¡± It is rare for Lorgo to speak so passionately and Alana defended Lorgo, probably in response to his feelings. ¡°Jean. He says he wants to do it. The more people we have on the rotation, the easier it will be for everyone, so why don¡¯t we let him do it?¡± ¡°Hmm, yes. Well then, Lorgo, it might be hard for you, but can you help me?¡± When I asked him, Lorgo nodded several times in delight. In the evening, a meeting was held with the commanders of the Amurian army to confirm the damage from the first battle and to discuss tomorrow¡¯s strategy. Since the meeting was held only by voice communication using the Spirit Box, we couldn¡¯t see their facial expressions, but judging from their tone of voice, all the commanders who participated seemed to be in a good mood after finishing the first day of the battle with an advantage. ¡°I wondered what would happen when the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel attacked Amuria together, but it seems that the power of our army has already grown to be one of the best on the continent.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t let our guard down. We¡¯re fighting a war against two of the three most powerful countries in the world.¡± ¡°However, the Iron Knights are doing even better than rumored.¡± ¡°Yes, as long as the Iron Knights are around, I don¡¯t think we can lose.¡± I¡¯m glad you appreciate us, but I think you should think a little more seriously about tomorrow¡¯s strategy instead of wasting time praising each other¡­¡­.No one else is going to start the conversation, so I¡¯m going to say it. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan for tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow will be the same as today. The formation seems to be working well, so I don¡¯t see the need to make any changes.¡± ¡°However, after today¡¯s battle, the enemy may try something¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let the Iron Knights do something about it then. Hahaha.¡± No, there¡¯s a limit to what we can handle. Besides, there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s bothering me. The enemy forces are not too upset, even though the Quadruple Highlander¡¯s Stinger unit was destroyed. Normally, it would be the main force among the main forces, but there was no spread of unrest when it was destroyed. If the first day is just a test, tomorrow is going to be tough¡­¡­. CH 311 ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! What a disappointing result on the first day!¡± One of the generals of the Valkyrie Empire¡¯s army said angrily to his troops. The first day of the war against the Amurian Union and the first joint operation since the alliance between the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel, had ended, and the military council had begun. I had been assigned to a unit commanded by Curelles, the greatest treasure of the Valkyria Empire and one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, and at this military council I was Curelles¡¯ valet. ¡°The Amurian Union is doing better than I thought.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Amurian Union to have cannons as powerful as the ones provided by the Radol Company.¡± ¡°That was certainly not what I calculated. Perhaps, the Radol Company supplied the Amurian Union with their main weapon as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. Because Radol Vega is the most unpredictable man on the continent.¡± The results of the first day of the war were not encouraging, but none of the generals of the Valkyria Empire here had a pessimistic look on their faces. This was probably because they had saved their main forces and according to the information¡¯s the Kingdom of Lubel did the same ¡°The Valkyrie Imperial Army will be humiliated if we continue like this. Tomorrow my troops will be on the front lines.¡± When Curelles said this, one of the generals hurriedly made this statement. ¡°If High Lord Curelles¡¯ troops go out, the other troops will have no place to play. Can¡¯t you let me try out the new troops under my command first?¡± Partly because of the politeness of the way he said it, Curelles accepted the general¡¯s suggestion. I was hoping to have my first fight as an Exlander, but it looks like I¡¯m still going to have to wait until later. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ren, are you unhappy that you can¡¯t go to war?¡± Curelles said to me on the way back to the quarters after the military conference. Before I was assigned to his unit, I had never imagined that I would be talking to someone like him, but once I got to know him, I found him to be surprisingly friendly. ¡°Yes, I do want to test myself as an Exlander as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­That¡¯s right. I also want to try out this newly acquired power immediately. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for the rest of the troops. As the General said, if we go out there, the battle will be over, so let another unit take the lead.¡± The troops led by Curelles were an elite force made up entirely of Exlanders. Although the number of machines was small at fifty, they probably boasted the best fighting strength of any unit in the Valkyria Empire at the moment. If we were to attack, the Amurian Union would have no chance. Since this battle was meant to be a practical test of Nitro Ludia, the other Nitro units should be given the opportunity to do the same. ¡°Mr. Curelles. As one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, what do you think of the strength of the Amurian Union?¡± I was previously defeated in a battle against the Union of Eastern Nations, the mother body of the Amurian Union and I was curious to see how Curelles, one of the best riders on the continent, would view this. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid of the Amurian Union¡¯s magicraft troops, but I think we should be careful with that main gun. Even a dedicated Exlander won¡¯t be able to stay safe under the concentrated fire of that thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly more astounding than a magicraft. I heard that it easily eradicated the 2nd Division¡¯s Stinger unit.¡± ¡°I¡¯d really like to test my skills against some of the more formidable magicrafts, but I don¡¯t think there are any riders in the Amurian Union who can fight us who have become so strong through Nitro Ludia. I guess we¡¯ll have to leave that until the battle with the Elysian Empire.¡± As one of the best riders in the Valkyrie Empire, Curelles¡¯ Ludia value has exceeded 400,000 thanks to Nitro Ludia. It would seem that the term ¡°enemyless¡± is even reserved for him. CH 312 ¡°This is what the first day was like. We were certainly surprised by those guns, but we haven¡¯t even exerted ourselves yet. Let¡¯s take our time and test our new strength as a prelude to the battle against the Elysian Empire.¡± When Keimaios, one of the best riders the Kingdom of Lubel has to offer, said so, no one can deny it. The great nobleman who was supposed to be the commander-in-chief simply nodded in agreement. This was the first joint operation between the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel. Both countries struggled against the Amurian Union, which had unexpectedly powerful guns, due to the fact that both countries were reserving their strength. The Amurian Union¡¯s subordinate organization had enough firepower to annihilate my Beast Strike Force. It was predictable that they possessed that level of weaponry. The military of the Kingdom of Lubel also has the Fire Dragon Gun provided by the Radol Company. The power of this gun seems to be on par with the enemy¡¯s guns, but the number of guns implemented seems to be smaller than ours. ¡°Has the Valkyrie Empire made any proposals?¡± One of the general staff asked the commander-in-chief. ¡°No, I think they¡¯re still in the wait-and-see stage. They seem to be prioritizing the evaluation of their new forces and have no intention of winning yet.¡± This phrase implies that we can win whenever we want to. Having been rivals for a long time, the army of the Kingdom of Lubel has a high opinion of the army of the Valkyria Empire. They say that just because they are on par with them, there is no room for doubt about their power. ¡°Then, as Keimaios-dono says, we too shall try out our new strength. Haruma, what do you think? I heard that you developed a cannon that uses the technology of the Fire Dragon, and built a magicraft that is equipped with it.¡± I was waiting for him to say that, and I replied while hiding my joy. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a large Beast Strike with four small guns of the Fire Dragon type mounted on it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s encouraging, but what¡¯s the difference between that and a fire dragon cannon mounted on a ride carrier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s purpose is completely different. The Ride-Carrier¡¯s gun is only a long-range gun that attacks targets at long distance. However, the Beast Strike¡¯s cannon is an anti-magicraft weapon for mid-range and close-range battles. No magicraft can withstand a single blow from a Fire Dragon cannon at close range.¡± ¡°I see! If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯d better try it out right away. So, have you decided on the rider of this magicraft?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to hold the control ball myself, if I may be so bold.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send a battalion to escort you, so you can go to the front tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Thank you very much!¡± The conversation went as planned. Now I can try out the new Beast Strike. I also received Nitro Ludia, which greatly increased my Ludia value. I set the activation Ludia value of the new Beast Strike as high as 100,000, but it was no problem. The battalion of escorts is a unit of a hundred magicrafts, and although it¡¯s hard to believe that it¡¯s a general unit, my new Beast Strike will be enough. ¡°Master Haruma, is this the new Beast Strike?¡± One of the subordinates of the escort battalion asked, seemingly interested. ¡°Yes, its mobility is inferior to that of other Exlander-only magicrafts, but it¡¯s armor and firepower are far superior.¡± ¡°I see, it certainly has a powerful and solid appearance.¡± If this is mass-produced, there is no doubt that the Kingdom of Lubel will become the supreme ruler of the continent. ¡°Do you have a name for this magicraft yet?¡± When he asked me that, I realized that I hadn¡¯t given it a name yet. A name¡­¡­.hmmm¡­.it resembles an elephant so I¡¯ll name it Giri Mekara. ¡°I named it Giri Mekara.¡± ¡°Giri Mekara, that sounds like a good name for a strong magicraft.¡± I could tell by his reaction that he didn¡¯t really think it was a good name, but I didn¡¯t care because I thought it was the best name. CH 313 C313: Support / Jean On the second day of the battle against the allied forces of the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel, the enemy seemed to be very motivated this morning and attacked us with a large army deployed over a wide area. It would have been more convenient if they had concentrated on the position defended by the Iron Knights like they did yesterday, but I¡¯m thinking of a proper way to handle this development. ¡°Today, only the trainee troops will be defending this camp. Iron Knights, please go support the other friendly troops.¡± If the attacks aren¡¯t concentrated, it won¡¯t be hard to defend with just the trainee troops. I¡¯m more worried about the other battlefields, so I¡¯ve decided to send the members of the Iron Knights to support them. I informed the commanders of the Amurian Union Army of my intentions and arranged to send the Iron Knights into critical battlefields. I immediately received a message that our friends in the north-northwest were struggling. It was true that the Amurian forces in the north-northwest were stretched thin in terms of strength, and I was worried about them, but they seemed to be struggling right away. The commander of the north-northwest troops is quick to judge, well, it¡¯s better than requesting for support when they¡¯re about to be annihilated. ¡°Alana, Emina, Yukiha, Arthur, you four, head north-northwest for support.¡± I decided to send four men with high mobility since the battlefield is far from here. I¡¯ll leave the command over there to Alana. ¡°I¡¯ll turn the tide of the war.¡± Alana has not only grown in Ludia value, but has also improved her tactical eye and combat skills. If Alana says so, she¡¯ll really turn things around. As soon as Alana and the others headed for the battlefield in the north-northwest, we also received a request for support from the southeast. ¡°We¡¯re currently under attack by a powerful magicraft unit! Our machines are no match for them! I¡¯m sorry, but we need immediate assistance!¡± Since it was a powerful magic machine unit, I decided to send a powerful unit as well for the southeast side. ¡°Kiyone, Brunnhilde, and Tris, you three head to the southeast to support our allies.¡± The three of them from the old Sword Clan would not be able to fall behind any enemy. ¡°All right, sir. We¡¯ll head for support.¡± Kiyone replied in the calmest tone she could muster. It¡¯s not necessary to ask her to take command, I can leave it to Kiyone and there will be no problem. We sent support to the other battlefields, and with the success of the Salamander main guns, the overall battle situation was not bad. The trainees are also defending this position without any problems. Just as we were beginning to think that the second day would end with our superiority, we received an urgent message. It was from the commander of the unit in the east, and he looked quite upset. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a large magicraft! It¡¯s closing in on us like a legendary behemoth! What the hell is that artillery fire? It¡¯s no good! Help me, Iron Knights! It¡¯s destroying more and more of the magicrafts under our command!¡± It would not be a simple matter for the forces of the east, which are one of the largest forces in the Amurian Union, to be attacked unilaterally. I immediately decided to send Nanami and the others towards it. ¡°Nanami, Farma, Lorgo the troops to the east are struggling. You three, head there.¡± There were only the three of them left, so I had no choice, but I was not sure who should lead them. After some hesitation, I asked Farma to take the lead. ¡°Jean! Nanami can lead!¡± ¡°You concentrate on the battle! Farma can see the battlefield from the air, so she¡¯s the right person for the job.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.Oh, well, I guess I don¡¯t have a choice then.¡± Apparently, Nanami thought she was the most reliable of the three. It would have been troublesome if she had sulked, so I was glad that she agreed to a good reason. CH 314 I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­.Jean asked me to take command, but I don¡¯t know if I can do that¡­¡­. Nanami and Lorgo don¡¯t seem to be worried about going to support their friends, but I¡¯m feeling strangely uncomfortable, probably from nerves. Normally, Yuta and Alana fight with easy instructions, but I¡¯m realizing that it¡¯s pretty amazing. ¡°Farma, isn¡¯t that the battlefield over there?¡± Nanami said, looking at the basin where the fierce battle was taking place. ¡°Yes, there it is.¡± I immediately agree with Nanami¡¯s words, but her mind is already focused on the battle, and she says excitedly, drowning out my reply. ¡°Wow, what a big magicraft! It¡¯s got a weird shape and it¡¯s moving on four legs. How am I supposed to fight that thing?¡± A huge magicraft was slowly walking in the middle of the battlefield, unleashing a powerful bombardment from the four gun ports on its back. The Amurian Union¡¯s magicraft troops seem to be helpless to do anything about it, just scurrying around and running away. If we don¡¯t do something about that thing soon, they¡¯ll all be killed. ¡°Lorgo, can you stop that magicraft?¡± When I asked, Lorgo thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to stop it¡­¡­¡± He didn¡¯t seem to have any idea how to stop it, but he was willing to try. I gave him some specific instructions. I¡¯m sure Ganesha of Lorgo will be able to withstand a salamander main gun salvo. ¡°Lorgo, stand in front of that quadruped with your shield at the ready and distract it as much as possible. While you¡¯re doing that, Nanami, approach it from behind and try to hit it in the stomach area.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to do my best for¡­¡­Farma.¡± It¡¯s not for me, it¡¯s for everyone, but I didn¡¯t dare correct that because it might confuse Lorgo. Before executing the operation, I called out to the commander of the allied forces to reduce the damage to our side. ¡°This is the Iron Knights. We¡¯re going to start eliminating that quadrupedal magicraft now, so the Amurian Union¡¯s magicraft troops please take care of the escorts around it. The quadruped tried to chase the fleeing machines, but Ganesha of Lorgo stood in its way and stopped it. It noticed Ganesha, slowly adjusted his aim to him, and all four turrets opened fire at once. Lorgo held up his shield to block it and a tremendous explosion enveloped Ganesha. Even though I knew that Ganesha would be able to withstand it, my heart continued to race. ¡°Lorgo!¡± Ganesha who could withstand the simultaneous firing of twenty Salamander main guns could easily withstand a barrage of the four magicraft guns. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine¡­¡­¡± The quadruped must have been very surprised to see Ganesha unharmed and unleashed another volley on him. ¡°Nanami, now!¡± Nanami¡¯s Vajra swiftly approached from behind the quadruped and entered at its feet. She then swung her sword up, aiming for the quadruped¡¯s stomach. The sword seemed to pierce the stomach, but it did not penetrate the thick armor. ¡°Farma, this magicraft is too big!¡± After being attacked in the stomach and noticing Nanami¡¯s approach, the quadruped moved around wildly and tried to stomp Vajra but Nanami hurriedly escaped. The strength of this quadrupedal magicraft wasn¡¯t just the cannons on its back. A large body and thick armor¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know what to do in front of it¡¯s ironclad defense. CH 315 For the sake of our friends, we can¡¯t afford to back down here. But with the failure of Vajra¡¯s attack earlier, it seems that they have read our plan and are increasing their vigilance in the surrounding area. This makes it difficult to get close to them. ¡°What do we do now, Farma?¡± What should I do?¡­¡­What would Jean, Alana or Yuta do in such a situation?¡­¡­Yuta would probably just manage it by force. Upon reflection, I thought about what Jean or Alana would do. Come to think of it, there was a time when I fought with everyone against a giant magic machine before¡­¡­What did I do then?¡­¡­Yes, that time Alana gave precise instructions to everyone. She understood everyone¡¯s strengths and found the enemy¡¯s weaknesses¡­¡­. Everyone¡¯s strengths¡­¡­Ganesha of Lorgo is, after all, proud of his durability and defense. He is still able to take the powerful bombardment of the quadrupedal all by himself. Nanami¡¯s Vajra is a well-balanced offensive and defensive magicraft with the versatility to handle any situation¡­¡­. No¡­¡­.I can¡¯t think of anything like Alana. I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­.I thought I had it all figured out, but there was one big omission in my thinking. It was that I had placed myself outside the mosquito net of my thoughts. I used to think that my Garuda¡¯s only advantage was its ability to fly, but I¡¯ve been riding it for a while now, and I¡¯ve recently noticed something. It was the accuracy of the Garuda¡¯s consciousness transmission. The image transmission of the operating sphere differs only slightly between magicrafts. Even if there is no problem in the rough movement, there is a gap in the movement in millimeters. However, Garuda¡¯s image was directly linked to the movement of the magicraft without any deviation. This advantage produced the greatest effect in handling the Arrow. When aiming at a target 100 meters away with an Arrow, a millimeter error in the hand can result in a several meter error when the target is reached. But with my Garuda, there is not even a millimeter of error. That is its greatest advantage¡­¡­. I looked for weak points on the quadruped. And I found one spot where the armor was clearly weak. It was the muzzle of the turret on its back, where only I could aim. ¡°Nanami! LORGO! Hold its legs and stop the quadruped movement!¡± It would be impossible to aim at the muzzle of the cannon while it was moving around so I asked Nanami and the others to stop it. ¡°I got it! Lorgo, you take the right side!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡­.¡± As he said this, Lorgo rushed forward, using his shield to block the gunfire. Nanami also attacked his hind legs, trying to stop him from moving. The quadruped¡¯s legs were thick and armored. It would be difficult to destroy them, but it would be possible to stop them from moving. Perhaps sensing that the enemy was trying to stop the quadruped, the enemy magicrafts around them began to attack Nanami and the others. Nanami dealt with the attacking enemy machines herself by cutting them down, but Lorgo, who was clinging to its legs, was being attacked from behind with spears and swords. Even Ganesha would be in danger if things continued like this so I set up my Arrow and shot at the enemy magicrafts attacking Lorgo. I aimed at the neck, where the armor is thin and where the elemental lines are concentrated, and accurately hit that spot. The other enemy was heavily armed and well protected, so I aimed at the joints of its legs. The accurately fired arrow hits the gap in the armor and destroyed the leg. The enemy magicraft, whose leg joints were destroyed, lost its balance and collapsed on the spot. The friendly magicrafts around saw the situation and began to block the approaching enemy magicrafts. Now I can concentrate on the quadruped. I approached the quadruped while flying and when it saw me, it pointed one of the cannons on its back at me. I slowly set up my arrow, narrowed my aim, and activated my magic strike to add power to the arrow. Then, before the muzzle of the gun could fire, I released it. The Arrow disappeared as if sucked into the muzzle of the cannon and after a moment of silence, the back part of the quadruped swelled up and exploded. With its back ablaze, the quadruped slowly collapsed. CH 316 ¡°Okay, now the final adjustments are complete. Yuta¡¯s special machine is complete.¡± Rafishal said happily. I was looking up at the completed magicraft and imagining this thing running rampant, my heart leapt. ¡°I¡¯m almost finished adjusting Nagisa¡¯s machine, then the adjustments of the three magicrafts will be complete.¡± Shortly before the final adjustment of my machine was completed, the final adjustment of Linnecarlo¡¯s Viktor was finished. Now we can head to the others. ¡°There¡¯s a war going on in Bilaluk right now. What¡¯s the situation like?¡± Fistina answered me. ¡°I heard from Jean a little while ago that they managed to get the upper hand on the first day.¡± I thought it would be okay since Jean, Alana and Kiyone were there, I guess I didn¡¯t need to worry. Well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so we should get back soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wait for Nagisa to make final adjustments, Yuta and I can go back first.¡± For some reason, Linnecarlo suggested this while looking at Nagisa. ¡°How will you go back? Fugaku won¡¯t be able to move until Nagisa¡¯s final adjustments are complete.¡± Rafishal pointed this out to Linnecarlo. ¡°Viktor has the ability to fly. I¡¯ve heard that Yuta¡¯s magicraft is capable of flight as well, so we¡¯re both going to fly back. ¡°Flying from here to Bilaluk is reckless. You¡¯ll run out of ether on the way.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, the final adjustment of Nagisa¡¯s magicraft won¡¯t take long, so you¡¯ll just have to wait.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Come on, Nagisa, hurry up and finish it.¡± ¡°Even if you ask me¡­¡­¡± After that, the final adjustments to Nagisa¡¯s magicraft were completed, and we left the trainees who still had to finish their adjustments here and returned to the others. Even after hearing that the first day had ended with an advantage, my fears were still not gone. In order to get there as quickly as possible, I had to make Fugaku proceed without sleep. In that case, it would be reckless to let Fistina pilot it alone, so Nagisa, I, and Linnecarlo decided to take turns at the controls. ¡°Hey¡­¡­Yuta! You¡¯re flying too fast!¡± ¡°How do you adjust the speed?¡± As I took the controls, Fugaku started to go faster than I had ever seen before. We were going through the mountains, so this speed was quite scary. ¡°I forgot to mention that I modified Fugaku¡¯s propulsion to depend on the Ludia value, so Yuta shouldn¡¯t be allowed to take the controls.¡± After all this time, Rafishal has warned me. Say that sooner¡­¡­ So, Fugaku¡¯s piloting took turns between Fistina, Nagisa, and Linnecarlo. Even with Nagisa, who is class 3 and currently has a Ludia value of over 1 million, and Linnecarlo, who is class 4 and has a Ludia value of over 500,000, can go quite fast. ¡°Rafishal, why did you modify Fugaku propulsion to depend on Ludia values?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just propulsion. The defensive shield and the output of the four-element cannon have also been modified to depend on the pilot¡¯s Ludia.¡± ¡°So why did you do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known for a while that it was a waste of time. I¡¯ve been trying to adjust it while we¡¯re in the Aether Highlands.¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s a waste?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret since he doesn¡¯t seem to want to tell you.¡± I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Well, at any rate, I might be able to get back to Bilaluk sooner than I thought. Not only Nagisa and Linnecarlo, but also Fistina has maintained the same speed, which has saved us a lot of time. CH 317 For a moment, I couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. As soon as I aimed the cannon at the flying magicraft, there was a huge explosion and my Giri Mekara was badly damaged. The protective system in the cockpit kept me safe, but my Giri Mekara didn¡¯t even twitch anymore. I can¡¯t believe¡­¡­that Giri Mekara, with its invincible defense and powerful firepower, could be defeated so easily¡­¡­. It was frustrating to have my proudly designed magicraft destroyed, but I was more confused by the unexpected event. When I was unable to move from the cockpit of the badly damaged Giri Mekara, a friendly magicraft approached. ¡°Haruma-sama, are you alright?¡± When I saw that Giri Mekara was badly damaged, my subordinates came to my rescue. Not having the energy to thank them, I silently got into my subordinate¡¯s magicraft and left the battlefield. With the defeat of Giri Mekara, the main force of this battlefield, the situation had turned around. Momentum is a scary thing, and even without Giri Mekara, we would have had the advantage, but we were overwhelmed by the onslaught of the enemy forces. The general in charge seemed to have decided that it would be difficult to change this momentum, and gave the order to temporarily retreat. The results of today¡¯s battles in both the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel were not good in all the battlefields. No matter how much the main objective was to test the new war potential, the military top brass took the two days in a row of poor performance very seriously. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Amurian Union to do so well.¡± ¡°What do you think is going on? We have more troops than them!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t sent our main force to the front yet. The real battle is yet to come.¡± ¡°Then tomorrow will be an all-out assault by all forces, is that correct?¡± The chief of staff summarized the opinions of the general staff and the general staff. ¡°No objections!¡± Every single person here wanted an all-out assault. Seeing this, the Commander-in-Chief stood up and repeated his decision. ¡°Tomorrow we will attack with all of our forces, no stone unturned!¡¡We will inform the Valkyrie Empire of this decision, and show them the power of the alliance!¡± At last, it seems that the strengthened forces of the Kingdom of Lubel are getting serious. If this happens, the Amurian Union won¡¯t stand a chance. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to take part in this battle. In fact, I had brought along a second Giri Mekara as a backup. But after today¡¯s defeat, I won¡¯t be given the chance to use it anymore. ¡°Haruma, speaking of which, I heard the results of today¡¯s battle.¡± The Commander-in-Chief spoke to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. We didn¡¯t get the results we wanted¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not a bad result for a test magicraft. I¡¯ve heard that it destroyed 78 enemy machines, was intimidating, and contributed to the morale of our allies. I heard that they have a spare for that magicraft. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you again in tomorrow¡¯s attack.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do my best to get results!¡± The results we¡¯re better than I thought and now I can participate in tomorrow¡¯s battle. Okay, I¡¯ll adjust my Giri Mekara now! I won¡¯t be defeated like today again. In the end, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning adjusting the magicraft. I hadn¡¯t slept well, but I wasn¡¯t that sleepy, probably because I was so excited. I heard before the departure that the Valkyria Empire has decided to join the general attack of the Lubel Kingdom. With this, a total attack by all the forces of the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel will be carried out today. With this, the defeat of the Amurian Union will be decided by the end of today. CH 318 It seems that all the support provided to our allies went well. In particular, Farma and her team had destroyed the unknown giant magicraft. A rather long message of thanks was sent from the commander of the Amurian Union. The second day went off without a hitch, and there was a glimmer of hope for this defensive battle. However, the fact remained that the combined forces of the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel were superior in strength. Once Yuta and the others returned, we would no longer have to worry about that, but it would still take three or four days at the earliest. It would be nice if they could conserve their strength for a little while longer to see how things go¡­¡­.I had hoped so, but the movements of the enemy army on the third day were different than before. ¡°Oh man¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t help but mutter to myself when I see the enemy¡¯s movements. ¡°Jean, it looks like the enemy is getting serious. What should we do? We may not have time to support other battlefields today.¡± I wasn¡¯t too worried if we were just defending our own position, but as Alana said, it¡¯s pretty tough when you consider that we have to support the others. ¡°Tsk¡­¡­but we can¡¯t just abandon them, can we? Alana, Emina, Yukiha, and Arthur, take a company of trainees and head to the left flank for support. Kiyone, Brunnhilde, and Tris will also take a squadron to support the right flank. The rest of the trainee troops, Nanami, Lorgo, and Farma will be defending this position. It¡¯s going to be a tough fight, but Yuta and the others will be back in three days. Until then, everyone hang in there.¡± The reason why I chose the same combination as yesterday was to make it easier for them to work together. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay to be away from here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay, but we¡¯ll figure it out. I¡¯m more worried about the rest of the battlefield.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. We¡¯ll take care of the left flank.¡± With that, Alana and the others headed toward the left flank. ¡°Then we will head towards the right flank.¡± Kiyone and the others said, and started to move. As the two groups of troops move, it becomes obvious that the strength here is scant. We have to hold on somehow with this. Pehu, I¡¯m sorry, but I need you and Lorgo to be the center of the vanguard. We¡¯ll stop the enemy with our heavily armed magicraft troops. Farma, you and Satoru will lead the Arrow squad to provide long range support, while Nanami will provide overall support as a ranger.¡± With a Ludia value of over 500,000, Nanami¡¯s combat power was already outstanding. So rather than fighting in one place, it would be better to have her move flexibly according to the battle situation. However, unfortunately, the potential of Nanami, who has already outgrown Vajra, can no longer be demonstrated at 100%. We have a plan to remodel the Vajra and make a special machine for Nanami once there is time, but it¡¯s too late for that now. The enemy army that had crossed the border came rushing into this camp. The enemy¡¯s vanguard troops assaulted the heavily armed magicraft troops, led by Ganesha of Lorgo and Gigantes of Pehu. The sound of metal contacting metal is intense, and the enemy¡¯s magicrafts bounce backwards. Quite a few of the trainee squad¡¯s heavily armed magicrafts were well trained and formed a solid defense wall. However, the enemy¡¯s machines were pouring in one after another. In order to stop their momentum, Farma and Satoru¡¯s squads unleashed their arrows in unison, and the 30 or so arrows that were unleashed pierced the enemy units one after another. In addition to Farma and Satoru, all of the members of their units can use magic-strike enhanced arrows. The power of the arrows is such that they can kill even heavily armored magicrafts with a single blow, and the enemy machines that receive the arrows collapse to the ground. ¡°Musashi, other ride carriers, initiate a salamander main gun assault on the enemy ship and the magicraft group behind it.¡± With the large number of enemies, we have no shortage of targets to aim at. Avoiding our allies in the melee, we direct our fire at the enemy troops just out of range. When we started firing, the enemy ships fired back. It was a fierce exchange of fire, but I guess we had more firepower, because we destroyed three enemy ships and forced the rest of them to back off. We had the better of the gunfire, but our magicrafts we¡¯re starting to get pushed. One of the allied heavy magicrafts unit had collapsed. ¡°Lorgo, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Jean¡­¡­scary enemy¡­¡­¡± Lorgo told me this in a tone of voice that was even less intense than usual. When I looked at it, I saw a plane with an aura that was clearly different from the rest of the enemies, easily cutting down the heavily armored magicrafts of our allies. ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± I felt no small amount of fear, just as Lorgo did. My instincts told me that it was dangerous. CH 319 I immediately sent instructions to Nanami. ¡°Nanami! There¡¯s something in the front line that looks bad! You¡¯re the only one who can fight it here and now. I¡¯m sorry, but you have to deal with it!¡± ¡°Yeah, okay. Where is it?¡± ¡°Northeast from your current position, near Gigantes of Pehu.¡± ¡°All right, leave it to me.¡± While Nanami was on her way, the strong enemy¡¯s magicraft was overrunning the heavily armored magicrafts on our side. If this continues, the vanguard will collapse. Lorgo sensed this and left his position to his friends and headed towards the strong enemy magicraft. It is true that the Ganesha of Lorgo may not be able to defeat it, but it may be able to stop it. Lolgo¡¯s Ganesha stepped in front of the strong enemy magicraft, protecting the allied machine that was about to have its head bounced off. The strong enemy looked at Ganesha for a moment as if observing him, then slowly raised its sword and took up an attack position. The moment Lorgo held up his shield in preparation for the attack, a high-speed slash was unleashed. The slash was blocked by the shield, but its power was so great that the large Ganesha was sent flying backwards. ¡°Lorgo!¡± Lorgo slowly stood up and headed towards the strong enemy machine with his shield at the ready again. It was the first time that I had ever seen such a thing. Lorgo crossed the two shields in his hands to prepare for the impact but Ganesha was sent flying back even further than before. The damage was so severe that Lorgo was unable to get up. Then the strong enemy magicraft approached and raised its sword. ¡®Oh no, Lorgo¡¯s going to get hit. ¡® Just as I thought this, a golden magicraft flew into view. It bounced off the sword swung down by the strong enemy. Okay! Nanami was just in time. Vajra unleashes another series of sword blows on the strong enemy machine. The strong enemy uses its sword to block them, but Nanami¡¯s momentum is so great that it is forced to retreat further and further. It looked as if Nanami was going to push her way through, but the strong enemy magicraft timed it¡¯s sword well and launched a counterattack. The sharp thrust of the sword was aimed at Vajra¡¯s throat but Nanami quickly twisted her head to avoid it. In no time at all, the powerful enemy machine twisted its body and used its rotational force to slam the sword down. Nanami blocked the attack with the shield she held in her left hand. A heavy sound of impact echoed, and Vajra was pushed backward with a thud. Nanami skillfully uses her shield to block the force of the strong enemy machine and counterattacks with the sword in her right hand. In response to the attack, the strong enemy machine was unable to evade in time and was pierced in the shoulder. Nanami pulls out the sword stuck in her shoulder and tries to attack again, but the strong enemy machine hits her with force. Vajra and the strongest of the enemy magicraft tumbled to the ground in a tangle. Perhaps thinking that they would be killed if they continued to stay down, the two machines hurriedly stood up and readied their swords. The battle seemed to be evenly matched, or perhaps Nanami was somewhat ahead. It seemed more likely that she would win if she fought like this, but it was not a favorable situation considering the war situation on this battlefield. Lolgo¡¯s Ganesha, the cornerstone of our defense, was injured in the battle with the enemy, and our trump card, Nanami, is being held back by the strong enemy magicraft. The vanguard is holding its own thanks to Pehu¡¯s Gigantes, but if it continues like this, it will only be a matter of time before it collapses. That was uncalculated¡­¡­.I was looking at the strong enemy magicraft with a grudge and thinking of a plan to get out of this situation. CH 320 While Nanami and the strong enemy magicraft were fighting, the enemy forces were constantly making fierce attacks. At this rate, Pehu¡¯s Gigantes would not be able to hold out much longer. We can leave the strongest enemies to Nanami, but we have to deal with the other enemies on our own¡­¡­.Even so, our forces are limited. I¡¯m not sure what to do. Ganesha of Lorgo, who had fallen due to the attack of the strong enemy plane, stood up. He was about to join Nanami, but I stopped him. ¡°Lorgo! Leave that to Nanami, and you go back to the vanguard. Pehu won¡¯t last alone.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­Nanami is¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know, but Pehu is in trouble too. Nanami can take him out in a heartbeat.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡­.Nanami is strong. She¡¯ll be fine¡­¡­.¡± The fight between Nanami and the strong enemy magicraft continued on an even footing. But who the heck are you to go toe to toe with Nanami, who has a Ludia value of 500,000? Farma cleared that question up for me. It¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s a magicraft fanatic. ¡°Jean. The magicraft fighting Nanami might be the Demon God of Lubel.¡± ¡°What the hell, Farma, is that true?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡­the magicraft is different, but the crest on its chest is the same as the Demon God¡¯s.¡± If he¡¯s the Demon God of Lubel, then even children know things are troublesome. Keimaios, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters and one of the two wings of the Kingdom of Lubel, no wonder he¡¯s that strong. But how is it that he¡¯s able to go toe-to-toe with Nanami, who¡¯s grown up beyond recognition? Lorgo also returned to defend the vanguard, but the situation only worsened. One by one, the heavily armored magicrafts in the vanguard were defeated, and the defensive walls were slowly being removed. It would be impossible to endure like this. I was about to make a decision. ¡°Alana, what¡¯s the situation over there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. There are too many of them and we can¡¯t handle them. At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the formation collapses.¡± ¡°Kiyone. How¡¯s it going over there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough here too. There are so many strong magicrafts that we can¡¯t handle them all. Our allies are fighting well, but there¡¯s no way to make up the difference in numbers.¡± As expected, the situation in the other battlefields did not look good either. I guess that¡¯s the only way to go here. ¡°This is the Iron Knights. I have an urgent proposal to the commanders. We can¡¯t hold off the enemy at this rate. How about all the troops retreat to the rear base and defend it?¡± The rear base would be very close to the city. There was a possibility of damage to civilians, and there was also the danger of enemy forces pouring into other areas of the Amurian Union. Even at the risk of expanding the battlefield and endangering the civilians, I thought it was necessary to buy some time here. ¡°If we retreat to the rear base, we won¡¯t have much left. The base will probably be completely surrounded, and if the reinforcements arrive too late, we¡¯ll be wiped out.¡± ¡°I agree with your suggestion, we will only be annihilated on this battlefield if we continue like this. We should fall back to the base and wait for reinforcements.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the status of the reinforcements in the first place? It¡¯s already been three days and no reinforcements have arrived from anywhere!¡± The delay in the arrival of reinforcements probably had something to do with the deployment of mass-produced magicraft and the modification of the military with the implementation of the Salamander main gun. Simply put, the timing of the invasion was too bad. It takes a long time just to move an army in the large Amurian Union. Including the preparations, it was impossible to predict how long it would take for the reinforcements to arrive. There were many commanders who expressed concern about withdrawing to the base, but it was still decided that there would be no other choice. However, retreating in this situation is not easy. I thought it would be necessary for the Iron Knights and the trainee troops to cover the retreating troops. CH 321 With this I caught up with IWSLP releases. In order to make the allies retreat to the base, the Iron Knights and the trainee troops were to hold the enemy. However, the battle between Nanami and Keimaios has yet to be settled. ¡°Nanami, I¡¯m setting up a formation to defend the retreating troops. I¡¯ll have the vanguard retreat, and you take the opportunity to break away from him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that so easily, Jean! He¡¯s a man of many talents!¡± ¡°The other party is Keimaios, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. I know it¡¯s difficult to escape, but you can do it!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy for you to say, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Farma, help Nanami.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± As the vanguard retreats, Musashi and the other Ride-Carriers will open fire on the enemy to keep them in check. We will also use the arrows to keep the enemy at bay and slowly bring the whole army back. Nanami¡¯s Vajra also tried to forcefully escape from Keimaios. She hit him hard with her shield, frightening him, and then started running backwards. Keimaios chased after her, determined not to let his favorite opponent escape. Falma¡¯s arrows interfered with his pursuit and her magic-strengthening arrows struck the fuselage of Keimaios. As expected, even Keimaios was taken aback by the blow, stopped chasing after Nanami and stepped back in alarm. The entire Amurian army has begun to retreat. It was a planned action, but they marched as if to fend off the enemy forces that were chasing their retreat. That¡¯s why every time our allies retreated, the surrounding area became filled with enemy troops. ¡°Vanguard, fall back in a tight group! If they surround you, it¡¯s over. Don¡¯t let them get around you!¡± Alana, Kiyone, and the others who had gone to support the other troops also joined. After all, having all the members of the Iron Knights together gave me a sense of security. I began to think that we could manage the desperate pursuit of the enemy army. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push back! Just fend off the enemy¡¯s attacks and back off a little at a time!¡± The Salamander¡¯s main gun fired at the enemy ship behind it in order to suppress gunfire from the enemy ship. ¡°Mister Jean, most of the retreating troops have arrived at the base. Please take it easy on the Iron Knights and retreat.¡± One of the commanders in charge informs me of this. I¡¯d like to, of course, but it¡¯s hard to fall back in a hurry while holding off the enemy. The base has a Salamander main gun for defense and a barrier. If we get close enough to the base, we¡¯ll have cover and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to manage it¡­¡­. ¡°Jean, they¡¯re coming around from the right!¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not good ¡­¡­Alana, Emina, can you stop them?¡± If the enemy troops get behind us and surround us, we will be isolated from our allies and it will be the end for us. I immediately instructed the two of them to intercept. ¡°The slow and heavy armored magicrafts, retreat towards the base first. The more maneuverable machines distract the enemy and block their pursuit!¡± At their current retreat speed, it would be difficult to escape. I was thinking of letting the slow-footed heavy-armored magicrafts escape first. ¡°Pehu, what are you doing? You go to the base first!¡± Pehu was in the back of the line, blocking the enemy¡¯s pursuit. He¡¯s a great help, but the slow Gigantes will be left behind if this continues. ¡°I can still do it! I¡¯ll hold off the enemy a little longer!¡± ¡°No! Fall back quickly! Kiyone, I¡¯m sorry, but I need you to take Pehu¡¯s place in the rear.¡± Kiyone moved immediately to my instructions and began slashing down enemy magicrafts. ¡°Pehu, you fall back.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just do as he says! You can¡¯t speed up the retreat at this rate!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Pehu finally began to retreat after Kiyone¡¯s anger. I know you¡¯re serious and have a strong sense of responsibility, but I don¡¯t like the way you sacrifice yourself. I think you need to think about your own safety as much as you do anything for your allies. CH 322 After all, being one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters is no mean feat. Kiyone was at the tail end of the line, attracting the attacks of countless enemies. She moved like a shura, overwhelming the enemies that were chasing her. She had only just started training her Ludia, so her value was slightly inferior to Nanami¡¯s, but her sword skills were incredible and her fighting ability was probably at the same level as Nanami¡¯s. Alana and Emina attacked the enemy troops that were coming around from the right, and succeeded in stopping them. We were able to get the slow-footed heavy magicraft troops to fall back first, so we increased the speed of our retreat. As we approached the base, they began to fire at the enemy in support. The enemy troops were stopped in their tracks, and it looked like we would be able to retreat. Thanks to the support from the base, the Iron Knights and the trainee troops, we were able to retreat without suffering any serious damage. However, this did not mean that we could rest easy. The enemy forces were forming a formation around the base. There was no way to escape now, and we had no choice but to defend this place to the death until reinforcements arrived. An emergency meeting was held at the base to confirm the current situation and discuss future measures. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to have 4,000 or so magicrafts and 150 ride carriers that can move.¡± ¡°The enemy forces surrounding us are at least six times as strong as ours, with 25,000 magicrafts and 500 ride carriers. If we don¡¯t get reinforcements, we don¡¯t stand a chance. What¡¯s the status of the reinforcements?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to take two more days, even for the army that¡¯s going to arrive first.¡± ¡°Two more days¡­¡­.Let¡¯s hope we can last that long¡­¡­.¡± The defenses of the base were not very strong, to say the least. All of us here knew that we would not be able to last long if we were attacked by five times as many enemies. The reinforcements will arrive in two days or about the same time as¡­¡­Yuta and the others return. If that¡¯s the case, what to do now is simple. ¡°The ace of the Iron Knights will be back in a couple of days. Two days from now, when the reinforcements arrive, we¡¯ll have a chance to win.¡± ¡°You mean if we can hold out for two days, we can win?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s hope for us¡­¡­.Let¡¯s keep our morale up by telling all our soldiers that we¡¯re going to hold out for two days.¡± Seeing the goal and not being able to see the goal will change people¡¯s motivation a lot. I agreed with the idea. From the top of the defensive wall, I saw the enemy forces surrounding the base, and was more impressed than terrified by the sheer size of the army. ¡°We were fighting that huge army just now?¡± Emina, who had come with me to check on the enemy, responded to my words. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with two of the most powerful countries on the continent. It¡¯s a wonder I¡¯m still alive.¡± ¡°Still, with Yuta and Linnecarlo, we wouldn¡¯t need to retire.¡± ¡°Because those two are special. Yuta¡¯s presence in particular is extraordinary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Keimaios, who fought Nanami today, was lucky that Yuta wasn¡¯t around.¡± ¡°The demon god of Lubel would never have imagined that his enemies would be talking like this.¡± From Keimaios point of view, he would have been sincerely surprised by Nanami¡¯s mere presence. He wouldn¡¯t even dream of having a greater being as an enemy. ¡°So, Jean. Did you come up with any way to block the enemy¡¯s attack for the next two days until Yuta and the others return?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t think of anything. To be honest, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°No plan, no way¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle two days with guts.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that in public. If the commander starts talking about guts, everyone will get worried.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll make it up as I go along.¡± I really believe that in the end, I will have to get through this with guts, but I will have to think of some way to make it a little easier. CH 323 ¡°I¡¯m surprised there are riders of that caliber in the Amurian Union.¡± That¡¯s what Mr. Keimaios said as he returned to the mother ship after the third day of fighting. It was unexpected that a rider of his caliber would recognize someone in the newly emerging Amurian Union. ¡°Mr. Keimaios. What kind of opponent was it?¡± ¡°It was a rider on a golden magicraft, a strong enemy with an excellent balance of offense and defense. If it hadn¡¯t been for Rigandi that I had just switched to, I would have been killed.¡± Rigandi is Keimaios new magicraft, a monstrously powerful machine with an activation Ludia value of 300,000. The other party who fights evenly with it must have also been of monstrous strength. ¡°But now my objective in this battle is clear. I will definitely defeat the strongest of the Amurian Union, that golden magicraft rider!¡± That¡¯s what he strongly declared. I can only feel sorry that the demon god Keimaios is targeting it. ¡°However, Keimaios-san, the black enemy magicraft at the tail end of the enemy¡¯s retreat was also terribly strong. Was the golden magicraft better than that one?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it too, and it was incredibly strong. I¡¯ve heard that even the top-notch riders who were strengthened by Nitro Ludia were beaten up quite a bit.¡± That¡¯s what my fellow riders were saying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that I¡¯m not interested in fleeing enemies, so I didn¡¯t participate in the chase. If I knew there were such enemies, I would have taken a look.¡± On the third day of the battle the enemy forces were retreating quickly, and my Giri Mekara, who is slow, had no place to play. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t see those two strong enemies. However, I now know that there are two strong opponents on the enemy side. Everyone was determined not to let the High King of the Valkyria Empire take the credit, and we wanted to defeat two of the strongest riders of the Amurian Union in Lubel. Even if they became allies, it seemed that Valkyria and Lubel were still rivals. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Keimaios, but I¡¯m going to defeat that powerful enemy!¡± ¡°No, I will defeat him! I¡¯ll show you my power, enhanced by Nitro Ludia!¡± Everyone, strengthened by Nitro Ludia feeling confident in their abilities, declared so in their own way. If I think about it calmly, there¡¯s no way they could easily defeat an opponent that even the Demon God Keimaios would have a hard time with, but they seem to be so passionate that they forgot about that. While I was working on the Giri Mekara to make sure I would be active tomorrow, an unusual visitor arrived. ¡°Master Haruma, you have a visitor from the Valkyria Empire.¡± When he said that, I stopped my maintenance work. I wondered who the guest from the Valkyrie Empire was and while thinking about this, I went to see who had come to visit me. ¡°Long time no see, Haruma. How have you been?¡± The person there was my classmate, Ren Iwanami. He was a member of the soccer team and a popular guy in our class. ¡°Iwanami-kun¡­¡­what¡¯s with you all of a sudden¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I heard about you from Prince Lifso. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you.¡± I¡¯ve been a close friend of Prince Lifso since the Engineer¡¯s Conference. The first thing that came to my mind when I thought of a guest from the Valkyrie Empire was the prince. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m glad to see you too.¡± I wasn¡¯t really that happy, but I said it as a social courtesy. ¡°I heard you¡¯re making an amazing magicraft. That¡¯s what Prince Lifso told me.¡± ¡°You seem to have risen quite a bit, being able to talk like that with Prince Lifso.¡± ¡°Well, the Nitro Ludia caused an explosion in my Ludia value. I¡¯ve heard that Haruma has a lot of influence in the kingdom of Lubel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same as you. It¡¯s just that the increase in the Ludia value with Nitro Ludia has put you in the spotlight.¡± I realize once again that this world is all about the Ludia value. ¡°In addition, Haruma, do you know what¡¯s going on with the rest of your classmates?¡± To be honest, I was not interested in my classmates. It was the same in this world as it was in the previous world. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even remember who went where, but it looks like one of my classmates has become a household name in this world.¡± ¡°What? Who?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t heard about the ten gods of war of the Elysian Empire?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about my own magicraft lately, so I hadn¡¯t heard about that kind of thing.¡± ¡°So, who¡¯s this celebrity?¡± ¡°Yuki Shirayuki. One of the ten gods of war in the Elysian Empire, she¡¯s getting a lot of attention.¡± ¡°Shirayuki-san! That¡¯s¡­¡­right¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up, Haruma? You like Yuki Shirayuki too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t fool yourself. I¡¯ve always liked Yuki Shirayuki, after all. I remembered that she had gone to the Elysian Empire, and I recognized her name as soon as it was mentioned in the Ten Gods of War.¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡­.¡± Of course I admired Yuki Shirayuki. There¡¯s no other woman as beautiful as her¡­¡­.When I remembered her, I irresistibly wanted to meet her. In the previous world, I was inexplicably plain, but in this world, I can be¡­¡­. CH 324 The base is completely surrounded. Considering the difference in strength, if one of the gates is breached and they break into the base, there¡¯s no way we can win. There is one entrance to the base on the east, west, south, and north sides, and all of them need to be protected. In addition, the walls of the base are not that strong, so not only the entrances but also the entire area around the base must be defended, making for a very difficult defense battle. The fourth day of the battle. The enemy forces that had surrounded us were slowly approaching our base. Many of the soldiers must have been unable to sleep as they were completely surrounded. In conditions that were far from perfect, we had to fight against a force that far outnumbered us. The Iron Knights were spread out and deployed at each gate except the east gate. The east gate was deliberately weakened because of a certain trick. ¡°As expected. A lot of forces are rushing to the east gate, which has a wide frontage and weak defense.¡± The east gate was designed to be on the side of the road leading to the mainland, so it was designed more for the ease of bringing in materials and supplies than for defense. The enemy forces seemed to understand this right away and sent in quite a large army. Anticipating this behavior, I had made preparations in advance¡­¡­preparations to abandon the east gate. ¡°East gate guards retreat after three rounds of arrows!¡± The fact that there was no resistance at all looked suspicious so I ordered the guards to attack three times and forced them to fall back. The enemy forces attacking the east gate concentrated their attack to break the tightly closed gate. It seemed that they had prepared siege weapons in advance, and dozens of magicrafts repeatedly assaulted the gate with large metal cui-like weapons. After three assaults, the gate was destroyed, and the enemy forces broke through. ¡°The east gate has been breached!¡± ¡°Ignite the Efreet explosive rocks!¡± A large number of enemy magicrafts rushed in through the breached east gate. Seeing this, the Efreet explosive stones that had been placed on the ground and walls of the east gate were detonated all at once. The huge explosion blows up not only the charging enemy forces, but also part of the protective wall around the east gate. The enemy didn¡¯t expect us to blow up the entire defensive wall and gate, and we wrecked several hundred enemy magicrafts with a single blow. However, this blast created a large hole on the east side. The enemy¡¯s troops would rush toward that hole but that was part of my plan. The enemy troops who had charged through the hole in the defensive wall stopped in their tracks. Beyond the hole, the next barrier stood in the way. It was a dense array of ride carriers. In addition, the Salamander main guns mounted on those ride carriers were already facing the hole in the barrier. ¡°All Salamanders, fire!¡± One after another, the Salamanders fired at the charging enemy magicrafts. Because they were crowded together to pass through the hole, the effective bombardment from close range caused tremendous damage to the enemy forces. The only plan I had prepared for this battle worked but so much for tricks. The game begins here. ¡°Jean, the west gate is under heavy attack! We might not last an hour at this rate.¡± Alana¡¯s comment made me realize something. It seems that the enemy army is not stupid. It seems that behind the concentration of the attack on the east gate, they were also making an effort to attack in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯ll send the eastern garrison west to hold them off.¡± ¡°Is the east going to be okay with that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, we¡¯ve got the ride carrier guns and I¡¯ll leave the minimum amount of magicrafts behind. They¡¯ve been through a lot and they¡¯ll be on their guard, so the enemy won¡¯t be able to get too close for a while.¡± These words were half sincere and the other half wishful thinking. If they continued to attack the east gate at this rate, it would be the end of the line when the Salamanders reached their limit. There was nothing a ride carrier could do if the magicrafts got too close. Not only the west gate, but also the north and south were under the onslaught of the enemy. We have too little strength to deal with the enemy in all directions. It¡¯s becoming doubtful that we¡¯ll last the whole day, let alone two days¡­¡­. CH 325 Enemies were also rushing to the north gate that Nanami was guarding. Guarding the north together were Farma, Lorgo, and about 50 people from the trainee squad, plus about 1,000 magicrafts from the Amurian army. It looks like there are a lot of allies, but there are many more enemies attacking us. Flaming shells are fired from the Salamander cannons located at the top of the defensive wall at the rushing enemy forces. Flames spread from the spot where the shell landed, and several enemy magicrafts were blown up. Without a break, the Salamander guns continued to attack and kill enemy magicraft, but there were too few of them to stop the momentum of the enemy forces. Arriving at the north gate, the enemy¡¯s magicraft troops began to destroy the gate. Arrow troops attacked from the top of the defensive wall, but they were blocked by shields and were ineffective. ¡°The gate won¡¯t hold! Nanami, the enemy is coming in!¡± Farma warns as she fires arrows from above. Lorgo and I, as well as the trainee squad, will fortify the entrance in case the enemy invades. If we don¡¯t defend against the enemy here, we¡¯ll lose! The gate was blown off with explosive force. Then, the enemy magicrafts came charging into the base. Nanami and the others formed a semicircle formation and intercepted them. After destroying about ten enemy magicrafts, the enemy I had hoped to never see again showed up. It was the one I had fought so hard against yesterday, a magicraft belonging to someone called Keimaios, and it was approaching Nanami at great speed. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, golden magicraft!¡± Whether out of persistence or assertiveness, he shouted this over the external output sound and slashed at me with his sword. Nanami blocked the attack with her shield and pushed back. ¡°You¡¯re good!¡± The way he said it made me sick. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reply, nor could I afford to. Keimaios repeatedly attacks Nanami while swinging his sword around. While using the shield and sword to defend against it, I attacked him when there was an opening. It may look like a rough move, but this guy is strong. All of Nanami¡¯s attacks were blocked. But I can¡¯t afford to have a long fight like yesterday. I¡¯m going to decide the battle at once! I ducked under Keimaios sword and launched a special technique. I only have one chance, and it¡¯s a surprise attack that probably won¡¯t work twice for someone of this level of ability. If I fail, I might be in danger but I can¡¯t worry about that right now. ¡°GIGA GRAVITY!¡± The gravity around the Vajra temporarily increases several hundred times. Unable to cope with the unexpected change, Keimaios¡¯ body lost its balance. I took advantage of the gap and swung my sword down. In the high gravity, even Keimaios could not prevent the attack and the sword sliced deep into his neck. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a hidden method¡­¡­.¡± I pulled out my sword, and Keimaios¡¯ magicraft collapsed. ¡°I did it! I¡¯ve defeated the demon god Keimaios!¡± I said that because I wanted someone to praise me, but what I got back was Farma¡¯s strong tone of voice warning me of danger. ¡°Nanami! Watch out!¡± Reacting to the words, I quickly raised my shield. A strong impact was felt on the shield, and Vajra was blown away. ¡°Ta-ta-ta¡­¡­¡± When I looked, I saw that the quadrupedal magicraft I had knocked over a while ago was approaching nearby. If I had reacted a little later, I might have been in danger. While it was running amok, the Keimaios¡¯ fallen magicraft was carried away. More enemy reinforcements came pouring in and enemy magicrafts filled the area around us. ¡°Nanami, Lorgo! Your left side is in trouble!¡± When I looked, I saw that the heavily armored magicrafts guarding the left side had been hit by the quadruped, and part of the semicircle formation had collapsed. The enemy began to spread out from the collapsed area into the base. Although I defeated Keimaios, the war was taking a turn for the worst. CH 326 The north gate guarded by Nanami and her team has been breached. After all, it was impossible to defend it with that kind of force¡­¡­. But the good news is that Nanami has defeated Keimaios. We should be happy to have one less strong enemy. What are we going to do?¡­¡­There are no more reinforcements to send to the north¡­¡­. There is no way we can send reinforcements. I have no idea what to do about the breached north gate. If we don¡¯t do something, the base will be overrun by enemies from the north. ¡°Kiyone! I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to leave the situation to Brunnhilde and Tris, and you can go to the north gate. Alana, you too, leave the situation to Emina and the others and go to the north gate.¡± ¡°Jean, there¡¯s no room at the west gate. If I leave, this gate might not hold either.¡± ¡°Same here, the south gate is also on the edge.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you guys to provide support in all directions. I need you to move to the critical areas and provide support there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.Looks like it¡¯s going to be a busy day.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m being reckless, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯ll buy you a drink after this fight is over, so just hang in there.¡± ¡°You said it. Be prepared to lose all your savings.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll do everything in my power.¡± The idea of using Alana and Kiyone, with their mobility and fighting strength, as support for the critical zones had been considered before the battle began. However, it was one of the most difficult measures to take, and I wanted to avoid it if possible, because it would put a heavy burden on the two of them, and there was a risk that the defense in all directions would be inadequate. The defenses of the collapsed north gate were picking up as Alana and Kiyone came to their aid. They wiped out the enemy troops that had invaded the base, and the quadruped magicraft that had been running rampant until then seemed to have been defeated by the coordinated attack of Alana, Kiyone, Nanami, Lorgo, and Farma. However, as I feared, the other directions began to be pushed. The west gate, in particular, was unable to fill the hole left by Alana, allowing the enemy to enter the base. ¡°Jean, the west gate won¡¯t hold! There¡¯s a very strong force coming in and there¡¯s nothing we can do!¡± Alana has left, and Emina, who was leading the defense of the west gate, tells me so. Well, I had expected this to happen. ¡°Alana, Kiyone, I¡¯m sorry, but I need you to head to the west gate next.¡± The two of them immediately headed for the west gate after a light reply. But at the same time, a request for help came in from the south gate as well. ¡°The south gate is also at its limit! The gate has already been destroyed and more and more people are entering the base!¡± Br¨¹nnhilde gave me a report that made my head spin. ¡°Br¨¹nnhilde, I understand. I will send the remaining forces at the east gate to the south.¡± With this, the Ride Carriers would be the only ones defending the east gate, but thanks to my initial plan, the attacks on the east gate were relatively weak, so they should be able to manage. However, it was a naive idea. At the same time that the magicraft unit at the east gate left, the enemy¡¯s attacks became more intense. And to make matters worse, some of the Salamander¡¯s main cannons reached their limits and became unusable. ¡°Shit! Don¡¯t let the enemy magicrafts get close! Don¡¯t worry about the Salamanders limit, just fire at them!¡± One after another, the Salamanders reached their limit and stopped. The firepower was getting weaker, and the enemy magicrafts were cutting through the barrage and approaching the ride carriers. There was nothing the ride carriers could do if the magicrafts approached. They broke into the ship and destroyed the core. ¡°We¡¯ve reached our limit¡­¡­.We have no choice! All ride-carriers, retreat to the center of the base! We¡¯re abandoning the east gate!¡± We decided that we could no longer defend it and abandoned the east gate. We have already allowed a large number of enemy magicrafts to enter the base, and we are beginning to feel the limitations of defending the gates. ¡°Countless enemies have invaded the base. Since defending the gates is already pointless, I¡¯m concentrating the forces in the center of the base! All troops retreat to the central area!¡± Abandoning the gates in all directions was considered the last option, but it was unlikely that it would come today¡­¡­.There was still time before the sun went down, and it was unlikely that the enemy would make a temporary retreat this far out. There was nothing to be done about the war situation, which was likely to be settled by the end of the day. CH 327 I ordered all troops to retreat to the center of the base, but it was difficult. A large number of magicraft were destroyed during the retreat. ¡°Iron Knights! Cover our retreating allies! We need to save as many as we can!¡± Despite saying this, I knew that the members of the Iron Knights were quite exhausted. Even so, I bit my lip at the situation where I had to give such an order. ¡°Jean! Tris magicraft is badly damaged! We¡¯re going to retrieve it and retreat!¡± Br¨¹nnhilde reports that to me. I can¡¯t tell her to leave it alone and hold on, so I accept it. More bad reports follow. ¡°Yukiha¡¯s and Arthur¡¯s magicrafts are damaged! We¡¯re going to have to retreat.¡± ¡°What the hell, Emina? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°An elite force of the enemy came in. We returned fire and killed dozens of them, but we also took a lot of damage.¡± ¡­¡­is already getting out of hand. ¡°Alana, Kiyone, where are you?¡± ¡°Engaging Valkyrie Empire troops at the west gate! They¡¯re pretty strong, so we don¡¯t have time to talk!¡± ¡°Nanami, Lorgo, what¡¯s going on over there?¡± ¡°We¡¯re falling back, covering our allies! I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re getting flooded with more and more enemies¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m not sure what to do. In my impatience, even though I knew it was impossible, I urged Yuta and the others to come to my rescue. ¡°Yuta! Where are you? We can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± Perhaps because I was feeling impatient, I had sent a direct communication to Yuta¡¯s spirit box instead of Fugaku¡¯s. I thought he was not on his magicraft, but Yuta replied. However, there was a gurgling noise and I couldn¡¯t hear the contents clearly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Jean¡­¡­now¡­¡­¡­¡­here¡­¡­a little¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­¡­and I¡¯m bewildered by the situation. I was about to check with Fugaku, but here the war situation changed further, and I received an urgent call. ¡°Jean! Our allies in the west have been destroyed! Alana¡¯s magicraft is wrecked! It looks like the one who did this to Alana is the High King Curelles of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. Curelles is leading an elite force towards you! I¡¯m retreating with the injured Alana!¡± ¡°What? Is Alana okay?¡± ¡°She¡¯s unconscious, but her life is not threatened.¡± I am deeply relieved to hear that. However, the current situation is the worst. Our friends in the west have been destroyed. Alana was hurt, and Kiyone was retreating, so there was no one to stop the enemy in the west. If the High King Curelles has made it this far, it¡¯s over¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know how many elite troops Curelles is leading, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite a few, since Kiyone doesn¡¯t hesitate to call them elite. We no longer had the strength to compete with them. Just when I was beginning to feel a little resigned, Nanami said to me in an excited tone, ¡°Jean! Look up in the sky!¡± ¡°Up in the sky?¡± I did as I was told and looked up at the sky through the small window on the side of Musashi¡¯s bridge. Then I saw an object flying towards me at a great speed. If I look closely at the object, it seems to be a magicraft. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± There were three magicrafts that flew in, one of which I recognized. ¡°Viktor! So the other to must be Yuta and Nagisa new magicrafts!¡± To my surprise, I received a transmission from Yuta. The noise is gone and I can hear it clearly. ¡°Jean, we¡¯re back early!¡± ¡°Are you alone? What happened to Fugaku?¡± ¡°We heard about the bad war situation, so we flew in alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good decision! We¡¯re in desperate straits with Alana down.¡± ¡°What? Is Alana okay?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine! I need you to do something!¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯m on it!¡± Yuta says so simply. But his words reassured me more than any powerful reinforcements. I knew from the bottom of my heart that everything would be okay. CH 328 Because our friends were in a bad situation, Linnecarlo, I, and Nagisa took off from Fugaku on the way and flew to the battlefield. When we arrived, we immediately checked the situation around us. The base was under attack, the surrounding area was full of enemies, and the situation looked much worse than expected. There was a transmission from Jean earlier, but it was too noisy to communicate properly because I was flying at high speed. I thought it would be okay now that we were stopped, so I opened the communication. ¡°Jean, we¡¯re back early!¡± ¡°Are you alone? Where¡¯s Fugaku?¡± ¡°We heard about the bad war situation, so we flew in on our own.¡± That¡¯s a good decision! We¡¯re in desperate straits with Alana down.¡± ¡°What? Is Alana okay?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine! I need you to do something!¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯m on it!¡± As soon as I told him that, I started to destroy the enemies. ¡°Nagisa, I¡¯ll drop you over there, so do something about that unit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to drop me from this height, are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I heard that Nagisa¡¯s magicraft is quite strong.¡± ¡°That may be so, but this is pretty scary! Why didn¡¯t Rafishal gave my magicraft flying abilities?¡± Since Nagisa¡¯s magicraft didn¡¯t have the ability to fly, I brought it here. ¡°Stop complaining and get to it! I¡¯m dropping you, so stay focused!¡± ¡°All right¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa fell silent, as if she had prepared herself. Without hesitation, I dropped Nagisa¡¯s magicraft down it. I immediately heard a violent crash, but the magicraft seemed to be undamaged. ¡°Are you okay, Nagisa?¡± ¡°This magicraft is amazing. The shock of the fall seems to have been absorbed.¡± Reassured by her words, I prepared to attack. ¡°Linnecarlo, let¡¯s cut down the enemy numbers first. Prepare to fire the four-element cannon.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get rid of the insects swarming around.¡± Viktor transformed to fire the four-element cannon. My magicraft lifted the muzzle-like part attached to my waist and connected it to the part on my back, ready to fire. ¡°Feri, analyze the enemy forces and determine the most effective point of attack for the four-element cannon.¡± Of course, Feri was implanted it in my dedicated machine. The four-element cannon, which consumes a large amount of ether, can¡¯t be fired continuously so I searched for an effective point. ¡°I¡¯m scanning the perimeter¡­¡­.I can see a concentration of enemies around the eastern perimeter of the base and the western perimeter. There are no surviving friendly forces in the vicinity, so we can conclude that this is the best point.¡± ¡°Okay, Linnecarlo, you take the east side. I¡¯ll take the west side.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Feri, get ready to fire the four-element cannon!¡± Copy that. Preparations for firing the four-elemental cannon begin ¨C Ludia core, access ¨C Spell ¡°Agni Gladia¡± chanting begins, Spell ¡°Earth Titan¡± connected chanting begins, Spell ¡°Sheer Tritone¡± connected chanting begins, Spell ¡°Zeus Weapon¡± connected chanting begins ¨C Spell ¡°Heroic Boost¡± simultaneous chanting begins ¨C Range. Selection, position correction, and aiming preparations are complete©¤©¤The four-element cannon is ready to fire.¡± ¡°All right, four-element cannon, fire!¡± At the same time as a slight recoil, a glowing wave spreads out from around the muzzle of the gun like a ripple that extends in a straight line from the muzzle to the target point. When the bullet landed, there was an illusory silence as if time had stopped for a moment, and then a blast of light spread out in a circle at once. The sound of the blast reaches my ears belatedly. There was a gaping hole in the enemy army, which had been swarming in. ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡­.¡± The attack was so powerful that even I, the person who fired it, was speechless. A little later, Viktor also fired his four-element cannon. The power of the gun was not as powerful as my own, but it wiped out a wide range of enemies. The firing of the two four-element cannons changed the battle situation and the atmosphere of the battlefield. Even from the air, we could see the unrest of the enemy forces. In contrast, the morale of the allied forces rose. CH 329 It seems that the battle has begun for Nagisa, who was dropped in front of the enemy unit earlier. Without hesitation, she charged at the enemy troops. The moment Nagisa¡¯s magicraft comes into contact with an enemy machine, the enemy is blown apart like a poorly glued plastic model. Every time Nagisa made a move, an enemy magicraft was easily defeated. I thought they were a strong unit from the atmosphere, but by the looks of it, they don¡¯t look like much. Nagisa¡¯s magicraft fights without any weapons. Her fists glow like flames, and the enemy machines she attacks with them take more damage than they appear to, and are blown away. In addition, the flaming fist seems to be able to transform into a sword, which it sometimes uses to cut down enemies. I heard that Nagisa¡¯s special machine is also equipped with a powerful magic strike, but she hasn¡¯t used it yet. ¡°Nagisa, you¡¯re not going to use the magic strike?¡± I wanted to see the magic strike that I had only heard about, so I asked her. Nagisa replied matter-of-factly, even though she was in the middle of a battle. ¡°That kind of special move is supposed to be used in a pinch, right?¡¡We¡¯re not in a tight spot right now, so there¡¯s no need to use it.¡± Even though Nagisa is surrounded by enemies from all sides she doesn¡¯t seem worried at all. Nagisa¡¯s special machine did not have the ability to fly, but could float slightly off the ground and move at high speed, like a ride hover. This allowed it to move at a much faster speed than walking and deal with a wide range of enemies. The attack of the two four-element cannons and Nagisa¡¯s excitement had an effect on our allies throughout the battlefield. Counterattacks began in various places, and they began to push back the enemy forces that had invaded the base. Jean immediately reacted to this trend. ¡°We¡¯ll launch an all-out offensive once we¡¯ve recovered the injured Alana and the others to Musashi! The Iron Knights and the trainee troops will assemble in the center and use their current momentum to destroy the enemy army!¡± After collecting Alana, Tris, Yukiha, and Arthur to Musashi, the Iron Knights and the trainee troops that had gathered there began an all-out offensive, as Jean had instructed. Nagisa, me and Linnecarlo, joined them. Linnecarlo¡¯s Viktor continues to bombard the enemy forces with powerful magic blasts from above. Viktor had been remodeled to Linnecarlo¡¯s specifications. Several lightning magic strikes worthy of the Thunder Emperor¡¯s name have been implemented, making it far more powerful than before. The Tempest, which attacks a wide range of enemies, has reached a new dimension in both appearance and power. Countless lightning pillars rampaged in all directions, smashing enemy magicrafts into pieces. ¡°Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning strike is a disaster¡­¡­.Don¡¯t hit the wrong side.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve got Feri to check and make sure I hit the right targets.¡± To support Viktor¡¯s complex system, Feri had put an AI that copied her consciousness into him. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. It¡¯s a replica of Feri, so it must be like Feri! We¡¯re going to kill more enemies than that! Hurry up and analyze the enemy forces!¡± ¡°At this rate, Feri II will have a hard time¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t afford to lose to Nagisa and Linnecarlo. It¡¯s time to show the power of a class 2 exclusive magicraft. Four-element cannon and flying consumed a lot of ether. There are still many enemies, so I decided to descend to the ground to save energy and fight. I landed next to Nagisa¡¯s magicraft just as it crushed an enemy machine with its fist. As soon as I landed on the ground, I pulled out my sword and readied it. Nagisa saw this and came alongside me. Naturally, the other members of the Iron Knights joined the line. ¡°Well, let¡¯s finish this fight.¡± I said, and everyone responded by stepping forward. CH 330 We began to invade the base from various directions. The enemy¡¯s resistance was weak, and the war situation had become overwhelmingly in our favor. The battle was probably already won. All the generals of the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel were convinced of victory in this battle. However, they would not let up their attack. It was necessary to destroy as much of their forces as possible now for the invasion war that was to follow. I was advancing toward the center of the enemy base from the west with the strongest elite troops of the Valkyria Empire led by the High King Curelles. We were inside the enemy base, but there were already many allies around us, so there were few obstacles in our way. However, in the midst of such an overwhelming advantage, a small number of admirably strong enemies appeared. A dozen of the Exlanders comrades were killed, but there were more of them, in the end, Curelles defeated the enemy¡¯s ace magicraft but it escaped. ¡°It was a decent opponent, but not good enough for me right now.¡± ¡°As expected of you, Curelles, even an opponent who can defeat an Exlander is a piece of cake.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll admit that my opponent was quite strong. But it seems I¡¯ve gotten too strong. I think I¡¯ll enjoy the fight a little more from now on.¡± This was probably lip service from Curelles. ¡°Well, Mr. Curelles there was another strong one, was it safe to let it go?¡± ¡°It would be a shame to have all the fun at once. They can¡¯t escape from this base anyway. We¡¯ll just have to hunt slowly.¡± Indeed, as my friends pointed out, there was another magicraft that was very strong. In my opinion, the one that escaped might have been stronger than the ace magicraft that Curelles defeated. True to his word, Curelles slowly made his way through the base, looking for the enemy magicraft that had fled. The enemy forces no longer had the strength to resist, or perhaps the enemy was just fleeing towards the center of the base and not resisting. ¡°What is that thing¡­¡­?¡± One of my friends seems to have noticed something. He looked up and said so. We looked at the sky and there was something floating in the air. If we look closely, we can see that it looks like a magicraft¡­¡­. Flying magicrafts are rare, but since the Valkyria Empire even has its own troops, it¡¯s not surprising that they exist in the enemy army. Most flying magicraft are armed with arrows. It might work against normal machines, but it won¡¯t work against this elite force. As I was thinking this, one of the enemy magicraft in the sky fell down. I wasn¡¯t expecting that, so I was honestly surprised. The magicraft fell to the ground with a tremendous impact. I thought it was a complete accident caused by a malfunction in the flight function, but it got up with no problem. All of us were paying attention to the magicraft that had fallen, but we heard a tremendous sound from above and hurriedly looked up again. The two machines in the sky were emitting light like a laser beam. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± At that moment, a tremendous explosion echoed around me. I couldn¡¯t understand what happened, but I knew from my ally¡¯s communication that something unusual had occurred. ¡°Tee¡­¡­unknown enemy attack destroyed the 4th and 5th divisions that were deployed in the east! In addition, it seems that the army of the Kingdom of Lubel on the west side has also suffered tremendous damage!¡± ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! But it seems that nearly 3,000 magicrafts were killed by that one blow!¡± ¡°Three thousand magicrafts down in one blow! Damn¡­¡­.Let¡¯s take out the enemy in front of us first and slowly assess the situation.¡± Curelles said and turned to the enemy magicraft that had fallen from the sky. Everyone thought that the one enemy magicraft that fell would be crushed to pieces in an instant, though it was a pity. Moreover, it was the High King Curelles who first went towards that enemy. However, in the next moment, a sight that no one had expected came into view. Curelles magicraft ,Chernobog II, that had charged at it was blown apart like a poorly glued plastic model hitting a wall. After a moment of silence, a sense of turmoil and confusion spread among my friends. The enemy magicraft charged at us without regard for the situation. We tried to return fire, but one by one we were destroyed. I was easily hit by the enemy magicraft and fell to the ground. I thought I was getting stronger¡­¡­.I thought that no matter how strong the opponent, I would not be easily defeated¡­¡­.However, I realized that there is a higher power in the world. CH 331 With just a light swing, I can cut down an enemy magicraft along with its shield. With just a kick, the enemy magicraft was blown away and silenced. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen such a thing. This is a class 2 exclusive machine¡­¡­. I fight while checking the movements of my special machine. The speed and power all have an extra-dimensional feel to them, and they overwhelm the enemy forces even though I haven¡¯t even exerted 10% of my power yet. Nagisa¡¯s machine also has considerable potential and she seems to be holding back her power too. Perhaps inspired by my, Nagisa¡¯s, and Linnecarlo¡¯s battle, the Iron Knights members began to move more and more. With overwhelming momentum, we annihilated the enemy army. The enemy army, which had initially resisted, eventually became defensive and finally began to retreat. The momentum of the Iron Knights was transmitted to the entire Amurian Union army, and they attacked the enemy army in a huge wave. Even though they already had the advantage in numbers, they were unable to overturn it, and were being cornered. ¡°This is our chance! The enemy¡¯s forces don¡¯t have the energy to counterattack anymore! All troops, attack with all your might!¡± Jean¡¯s words were echoed by the commanders of the Amurian Union. They rallied their troops, who were battered by fatigue and damage, and moved in for a final offensive. Then something else happened. ¡°We have troops approaching from the east! Military flags indicate friendly forces!¡± The crew of the Musashi, who had been keeping an eye on the surroundings, reported this as they looked through their telescopes. Immediately, a transmission came in from a friendly force that had appeared on the Amurian army channel. ¡°This is the Central Sixth Army, we have come to you in accordance with your request for reinforcements. We will now participate in the battle.¡± When I heard the transmission, Jean seemed to have some information and responded. ¡°The Sixth Army, I see. They¡¯ve just established a new mass produced magicraft unit. I guess that settles the battle.¡± The arrival of reinforcements seemed to have convinced Jean of victory. The enemy forces, unable to mount a systematic counterattack, retreated toward the border. Then the Sixth Army, which had come as reinforcements, attacked from the flank. The enemy troops, who were demoralized even at this point, were unable to do anything in the face of the unexpected attack and were defeated. I was able to see the newly established mass production magicraft unit during this battle, but it seems to be an excellent machine, as it was designed by Rafishal. It has the ability to overwhelm multiple enemies, and since it is a mass-produced machine, it will show its true potential in organized operations. ¡°Yuta, Linnecarlo, Nagisa. The battle is already decided, but I want to reduce the enemy¡¯s strength as much as possible for the future. I¡¯m sorry, but can you please go around to the rear of the retreating enemy and hit their main force?¡± Indeed, as Jean said, it might be better to hit them so thoroughly that they would never want to mess with the Amurian Union again. I signaled to Linnecarlo that I was ready to go, caught Nagisa and soared into the sky. ¡°Yuta! You¡¯re going to drop me from the sky again!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, Nagisa can¡¯t fly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to¡­¡­complain to Rafishal later, I swear!¡± I went around to the rear of the retreating enemy forces and dropped Nagisa like a bomb. Well, from the enemy¡¯s point of view, the existence of Nagisa¡¯s magicraft would be like a bomb, so I think this treatment is correct. ¡°I¡¯ll hit the enemy in the northwest, and Linnecarlo, you hit the enemy fleeing to the northeast.¡± The enemy was retreating in two major armies. They were probably divided into two groups, the Valkyria Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel, but I didn¡¯t know which was which, so I indicated so. ¡°All right, this is going to be the last attack of the battle, so I¡¯ll spare no expense and deliver another shot with the four-element cannon.¡± I thought about going along with that idea, but I wanted to get a better grasp of the capabilities of the Class 2 machine, so I decided to charge the enemy¡¯s main camp single-handedly. CH 332 The enemy¡¯s ride carriers were firing at me but it seems that their accuracy was not that high. They can¡¯t seem to aim at flying magicrafts, and none of the shots hit. Well, even if they did, I probably wouldn¡¯t take any damage. I landed like a dropkick on the cannon of a ride carrier that was bombarding me, destroying it, and then looked around for the main force of the enemy. ¡°Feri, do you have the location of the enemy¡¯s main force?¡± ¡°I believe the chain of command is the unit in the north-northwest position. Their flag is also of a higher rank, so it¡¯s highly likely.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s hit that unit to the north-northwest.¡± I took off again and headed for the enemy unit to the north-northwest. The unit caught sight of me and opened fire on me like a demon. From the feel of the counterattack, I was sure it was the enemy¡¯s main force. I didn¡¯t even try to avoid the gunfire, but charged straight ahead and landed in the center of the enemy force. The enemy was unable to move immediately, as if they couldn¡¯t understand the situation where a magicraft that flew in the sky landed in the middle of the main force without a care in the world. Both the magicrafts and the ride carriers looked at me, but no one could take a step forward. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s somewhat incomprehensible to see a single magicraft charging into the midst of the enemy and looking unconcerned. However, I didn¡¯t come here for a walk either. If they don¡¯t move, I will! I pointed my left hand at the enemy and fired the enhanced magic bullet equipped on the back of my hand. It extended straight out like a beam weapon from a robot animation, penetrating and destroying the enemy machine. I then aimed and fired a series of enhanced magic bullets and the rays of light shot out one after another skewered and destroyed every enemy they hit. This is indeed a magic bullet made by Rafishal, and it doesn¡¯t overheat even when fired repeatedly. The commercially available ones that were mounted on the Arleo stopped after one shot. Perhaps awakened by the attack of the magic bullet, the enemy magicrafts finally began to move. They held their weapons and closed in on me. I draw my sword and hold it ready, then stop and wait for the enemy magicrafts to approach. The moment the enemy is in my range, I twist my body and swing my sword in a circle to sweep them away. In addition, I use the floating function to move in a zigzag pattern and cut down the enemies. They are knocked down without being able to defend themselves, let alone fight back. Floating allows my magicraft to move in a way that the walking magicrafts can¡¯t keep up with me. During the battle¡­¡­no, in the middle of the one-sided annihilation, a large explosion occurred. It was probably Linnecarlo¡¯s four-element cannon. Fear seemed to have gotten the better of them, and they had completely lost their will to fight. They all fled towards their own country. As all the enemy troops showed signs of retreating, I checked the situation with Linnecarlo and Nagisa. ¡°Linnecarlo, Nagisa, how are things going over there?¡± ¡°I did a lot of damage with my four-element cannon. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because of that, but most of the enemies started running away at once.¡± ¡°Over here, too, the enemy doesn¡¯t seem to want to fight anymore. They don¡¯t even look at me, they¡¯re moving towards the border. What should we do, go after them?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve done enough damage and I don¡¯t feel good about taking down someone who¡¯s running away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I have no taste for torturing people who have no will to fight.¡± ¡°Well then, unlike Yuta and Linnecarlo, I can¡¯t fly back, so I¡¯ll go home first.¡± After Nagisa¡¯s words, Linnecarlo noticed something and began to fuss. ¡°What? Oh my God!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong Linnecarlo?¡± ¡°The four-element cannon just now depleted the ether!¡± ¡°You scared me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use. I¡¯ll go back on foot.¡± I¡¯ve always taken it for granted that I could get around on foot, but when she says it like that, it seems inconvenient to not be able to fly. CH 333 The enemy forces have completely withdrawn. The Amurian Union is busily retrieving wounded soldiers and securing prisoners from the enemy forces. Since it was a fairly large-scale battle, the damage to both the enemy and our allies was enormous. The number of wounded soldiers was in the tens of thousands, and the number of captured enemy soldiers was as many as ten thousand. ¡°The damage is too great to call it a complete victory.¡± Jean lamented as he checked the damage. ¡°If Yuta and the others came back a little later, we would¡¯ve been in trouble.¡± ¡°Really, I thought we were doomed when they broke into the base.¡± Nanami and Emina must have had a hard time. She said this as if she was deeply relieved. ¡°Is Alana okay?¡± I was concerned about the injured Alana, so I asked. ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s already out of the medical capsule and resting in her room. That¡¯s right, Yuta. Why don¡¯t you go and visit her?¡± That¡¯s right. Even if she¡¯s fine, I¡¯m still worried, so I¡¯ll just go check on her¡­¡­. I visited the room where Alana was. ¡°It¡¯s Yuta. Are you there, Alana?¡± When I called out to her in front of the room, I was greeted by the cheerful voice of Alana. ¡°Yuta? The door is open.¡± Does that mean I should come in? I opened the door and peeked inside the room. Alana was lying on the bed, hiding under the covers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, are you still sick?¡± I asked as I approached her. Then, slowly, the covers were pulled down to reveal her. For some reason, Alana was not wearing any clothes. ¡°Alana! Why are you naked?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always naked when I sleep. Don¡¯t look away, look at me.¡± ¡°Alana! Please don¡¯t show your indecent body to Yuta!¡± ¡°Oh, Linnecarlo was with you?¡± I wasn¡¯t the only one who came to visit Alana. Linnecarlo and Nagisa were also with me. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not going to let Yuta go to your room alone! As expected, I had a strange feeling.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°strange feeling¡±? I just wanted to show Yuta my healed body.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to show him your naked body!¡± ¡°I was injured in a place I couldn¡¯t show him unless I was naked!¡± ¡°Oh, where is that? We don¡¯t even know where you got hurt in the first place, so why would you need to show Yuta the part that¡¯s healed?¡± Alana and Linnecarlo continued to argue. Both of them were so swift that there was no chance to stop them. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t stare at Alana¡¯s naked body!¡± ¡°Mmm, I¡¯m not looking!¡± I hurriedly denied it when Nagisa pointed it out, but I¡¯m a boy too, so I can¡¯t help but glance at her. Nagisa sensed this, and in the end sent me out of the room. As the battlefield was being cleaned up, the defense system was being strengthened at the same time. A defense force was organized with the survivors of this battle and the Sixth Army, which came later as reinforcements. In addition, the second batch of trainee troops was to be initiated, and the manufacturing of mass-produced magicrafts was to be hastened. Three days after the battle, Ranelle came to visit us in Bilaluk. It was for the purpose of dealing with the future and inspecting the current situation, but for some reason, she came to see the Iron Knights as soon as she arrived in Bilaluk. ¡°I¡¯m glad Yuta-san and Nagisa are safe.¡± ¡°What is it, Ranelle? Are you sure you¡¯re okay to come here when you¡¯re so busy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay, but there was something I really wanted to ask you in person.¡± ¡°Something you wanted to ask me?¡± ¡°In fact, we¡¯ve captured some big names from the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel in this battle.¡± ¡°Big names? Have we captured any of the generals?¡± Jean, who had been listening to Ranelle¡¯s story, asked bluntly. ¡°No, it¡¯s bigger than that. Curelles, the High King of the Valkyrie Empire. Keimaios, the demon god of the Kingdom of Lubel and a few other members of the royal and imperial families¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. You can get all the ransom you want.¡± ¡°Yes. I believe that we can demand a considerable amount of conditions from the Valkyrie Empire and the Kingdom of Lubel for the return of the prisoners. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come here to consult with you. As the Amurian Union, we would like to reward the Iron Knights, who are the greatest contributors to this battle.¡± ¡°Oh. Can you give us a portion of the ransom?¡± ¡°It may be more valuable than money. Nagisa told me once that the Iron Knights have some business to attend to in the Kingdom of Lubel.¡± The Kingdom of Lubel¡­¡­that¡¯s right. There is a research facility in the Kingdom of Lubel that can bring dad back to life! ¡°Ranelle! You¡¯re going to allow us to explore the Kingdom of Lubel!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m thinking of adding that as one of the conditions for the return of the prisoners.¡± Okay! It looks like one of the problems I had been struggling with will be solved. Now Dad¡¯s resurrection is getting closer to reality. CH 334 As promised, Ranelle included the freedom of the Iron Knights to act within the Kingdom of Lubel as a condition for the return of the prisoners. The Kingdom of Lubel was reluctant to accept the terms, but in the end they agreed to them. However, there were some precautions that had to be taken. We were told that we were to be accompanied by a surveillance unit and that we were not to approach the royal capital. I thought the surveillance was natural, and the research facility of the ancient civilization where we had to go was far from the capital, so this was no problem. We accepted it. Ranelle had prepared the alchemy materials needed for revival, so we could leave for the Kingdom of Lubel right away. The question was, who should go? ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go?¡± Jean suggested that we select the members who would go to the Kingdom of Lubel, and I agreed. ¡°Our mission is to investigate the ruins, so if we enter the country on a too large scale, it will only increase the distrust. It¡¯s better to go here with a small group.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still better to go with everyone. We¡¯re going into an enemy country, aren¡¯t we? I think it¡¯s better to have a lot of friends, in case they attack us.¡± Perhaps Nanami had been frightened in the previous battle, but she didn¡¯t want her friends to split up. ¡°The prisoners of war will be handed over once the Iron Knights return safely. In effect, it¡¯s like taking hostages. So as long as we don¡¯t take any overtly hostile action, they won¡¯t attack us.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a possibility that they will still try to force us?¡± ¡°Think about it from their perspective. Members of the Twelve Heavenly Masters and the royal family are being held hostage. What¡¯s the advantage of ignoring that and attacking the few troops that came to investigate?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly true¡­¡­.Then who does Jean think should go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan for that. First, Kiyone. We¡¯re going to revive her father, so she¡¯ll definitely want to go. Then there¡¯s Yuta, Linnecarlo and Nagisa, just in case. The rest are the people who do the revival work¡­¡­.Rafishal, can revival be done by Feri?¡± ¡°Feri is far superior to me in life science.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll ask Feri to do the resurrection.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to go?¡± ¡°You have to strengthen the other members magicrafts. As we learned well from the previous battle, it is essential to have a magicrafts that matches the increase in Ludia value. Both Alana and Nanami would¡¯ve had an easier time fighting if they had a magicraft that matched their Ludia value.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Then let¡¯s go to the high ether concentration zone again. We¡¯ll rebuild everyone¡¯s magicrafts there.¡± No one opposed Jean¡¯s proposal. Some of them might have actually wanted to go to the Kingdom of Lubel, but they were convinced that it was better to strengthen their magicrafts. They must have been so frustrated by the previous battle. ¡°That¡¯s surprising. I thought you guys would definitely want to go too.¡± Alana replied calmly to Linnecarlo¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ve been very frustrated indeed. I need my strength now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good too. It¡¯s no laughing matter if this Thunder Emperor Linnecarlo¡¯s minions are small fries.¡± ¡°Who are your minions? Tell me while you still can.¡± Jean also said that he would strengthen Fugaku and Musashi. Since they were the only two ride carriers of the Iron Knights, we will have no means to go to the Kingdom of Lubel. ¡°Wait a minute! If that¡¯s the case, how are we supposed to get to the Kingdom of Lubel?¡± ¡°The Amurian Union has provided us with the latest large ride hover, so we¡¯ll be heading out with that. It doesn¡¯t have any combat power, but it can carry four magicrafts and has perfect maneuverability, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°What are we going to do in the event of a battle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Yuta, Kiyone, and Linnecarlo and Nagisa can deal with anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to stay at home, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Stay at home? What are you talking about? I¡¯m going to Lubel too.¡± I thought Jean was going to be in the rest of the team, but apparently he¡¯s going to be piloting the ride hover. ¡°If Jean is in the Lubel group, who¡¯s going to lead the others?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to Alana.¡± It¡¯s true that Alana has great commanding ability, so it won¡¯t be a problem. As soon as we were ready we would head to the Kingdom of Lubel. CH 335 The Elysian Empire was moving according to Rafishal¡¯s wishes. Whether it¡¯s ambition or greed, Rafishal seems to be thinking about taking over the entire continent and has had the entire Elysian Empire prepare for battle. In order to conquer the continent within three years¡­¡­the ten Gods of War were scattered throughout the land and began preparing for war. ¡°Master Yuki, Master Rafishal wants to see you. Please return to the Imperial City immediately.¡± I was also the head of the newly established attack force and was making preparations, but Rafishal called me. I don¡¯t want to see that face again, but right now I have no way to refuse it. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum. I have a little favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean a favor, not an order?¡± ¡°Yes, a favor. I treat the Ten Gods of War with respect.¡± It¡¯s fine to respect the ten gods of war in your own way, Rafishal, but if that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t have implanted such a bomb. I thought this as I touched the red jewel under my neck. ¡°So, what is this favor you¡¯re asking?¡± ¡°I need you to go to the Northern Glacier Ruins for reinforcements.¡± ¡°Northern Glacial Ruins? I¡¯ve never heard of this place¡­¡­What do you mean by reinforcements there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been having a man check it out in secret, but he seems to be having a hard time. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something in there that the Elysian Empire will need in the future, so help the man out and get it for us.¡± Even if it was not an order, I would not have the right to refuse. I wanted to leave this man¡¯s presence immediately, and granted his wish. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go. So, who is this man?¡± ¡°He is a former mercenary named Scarfi. He is not officially a member of the Elysian Imperial Army at the moment, but he is scheduled to become one of the Ten Gods of War later on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving such an important mission to a man who is not officially a member of the Elysian Empire?¡± ¡°There are times when it is more convenient. Besides, the man is trustworthy.¡± ¡°What makes you trust him so much?¡± I was curious and asked him about it, because I had always assumed that Rafishal didn¡¯t trust anyone. ¡°He is terribly greedy for power. Those who are greedy for power will do as they are told if you dangle a mighty power in front of them.¡± I don¡¯t seem to be on the same page with this Scarfi guy. Reluctantly, I headed north to a place called Glacial Ruins. I¡¯m allowed to take my men, so I¡¯ll be bringing my newly established unit with me. ¡°Yuki, so what are we doing at this place called the Northern Glacier Ruins?¡± Mary, the second-in-command of my unit, asks me that question after hearing about the Northern Glacier Ruins. ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I¡¯m supposed to ask a guy named Scarfi who¡¯s been there before me for details.¡± ¡°Scarfi? Scarfi, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters?¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s famous?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a member of the Sword Clan, the most powerful mercenary group in the world, and even children know the name of the Sword King Scarfi.¡± The Twelve Heavenly Masters are the same as Yuto and the others¡­¡­ ¡°But it¡¯s no longer the time of the Twelve Heavenly Masters. From now on, it will be the era of Yuki and Elysia Ten War Gods.¡± ¡°Stop talking like that. I don¡¯t want to be one of them.¡± ¡°Give it up. Even if you think so, the public opinion will raise the appearance of the new heroes in a funny way. If you fight in earnest from now on your name will naturally spread.¡± I really hated it, but I think what Mary said was right. My name is going to be spread all over the world¡­¡­.I don¡¯t like it, but maybe it will make Yuta notice me¡­¡­.That¡¯s the only thing I can do now. CH 336 My newly established unit, the 001st Nitro Battalion, also known as the Rose Needle Squadron, was on its way to the Northern Glacier Ruins. The name Rose Needle was given to us by Mary. It has a force of five ride carriers and 100 magic machines, but all of the riders are elite troops of Exlander who have received Nitro Ludia. In addition, Valiente, strengthened by Rafishal, also belongs to the unit. Despite the size of the battalion, it had the strength of the former Elysian army. ¡°It¡¯s getting pretty cold out here.¡± The ride carrier was not equipped with any conveniences like air conditioning. The temperature of the outside air was transmitted directly into the ship. There was a magical fireplace in the center of the bridge, but it wasn¡¯t enough to heat the whole large bridge. ¡°Do you think one magical fireplace will be enough?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the Northern Glacier Ruins are like the North Pole of the Earth, so that¡¯ll be difficult.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the cold.¡± I had heard that it was a cold place, so I had brought warm clothes, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be as cold as the North Pole. I¡¯m not sure I could stand that kind of cold¡­¡­. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you don¡¯t like the cold, so I¡¯ve prepared another magical fireplace. It¡¯s large and attached to the air conditioning system, so it will warm the entire ship.¡± ¡°Oh, really! Thank you Mary!¡± I¡¯m really grateful to have a lieutenant who understands me. The further north we went, the more the landscape turned into snowfields. I heard that there are no people living here anymore, only creatures that can withstand the cold. Just looking at the icy world from the bridge made me feel cold to the core. I shuddered thinking what I would have done without the magical fireplace that Mary had prepared for me. ¡°Yuki-sama, we¡¯re almost at the meeting point.¡± The pilot of the ride carrier reports that we are near our destination, but there are no structures anywhere. ¡°All I see is a wall of ice. Are you sure this is the right place?¡± ¡°The coordinates provided by Master Rafishal are at this point, so I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± ¡°What do you think Mary?¡± ¡°From what Rafishal is saying, the Northern Glacier Ruins have some kind of big secret. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be natural for the entrance to be hidden?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.Let¡¯s check this area carefully.¡± As Mary had said, the entrance to the glacial ruins was hidden behind a disguise that was not immediately obvious. The cul-de-sac surrounded by a wall of ice appeared to be a dead end, but the ice wall at the back was a fake three-dimensional image that allowed us to pass through. ¡°The technology of ancient civilizations is amazing.¡± Mary said admiringly as she looked at the three-dimensional image, which was indistinguishable from an ordinary wall of ice even up close. ¡°How did they perish with all this technology?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that they suffered a lot of damage in the battle with the giant beasts and went into decline, but I doubt it.¡± I¡¯ve heard the old stories about giant beasts from many people since I came to this world, but I feel a sense of dread when I think of the fierce battles that ravaged even the most advanced civilizations. The disguised wall led to a large underground cave. The atmosphere is very similar to that of the ruins where Rafishal was. Both were created by the same civilization, so it¡¯s no wonder they look alike¡­¡­. As we made our way through the large underground cavern, we saw a conspicuous man-made structure. There were three ride-carriers docked nearby, so that must be our destination. ¡°This is the 001st Nitro Battalion of the Elysian Imperial Army. We have come to reinforce you by order of the Grand Vizier. I would like to hear the details immediately, so please contact Lord Scarfi.¡± The ride carrier anchored at the ruins responded immediately. It means that Scarfi will be coming out to us, so we have to prepare. We need to get the details first and then see what we¡¯re¡­¡­going to do here. CH 337 After waiting for a while, a ride hover came out of a ride carrier anchored near the ruins. It was probably the one that Scarfi was riding in. I was more than a little nervous to meet someone who had information about our activities here. ¡°What kind of person is Scarfi?¡± ¡°The only thing I know about him is that he¡¯s a disciple of the Sword Saint Veft and a major force in the Sword Clan.¡± I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait and see what he¡¯s like¡­ The man who showed up looked much younger than I had imagined. I had an image of him as a stern warrior in his forties because he was known as the Sword King, but he was actually an intellectual businessman in his late twenties. ¡°I said I wanted reinforcements, but I didn¡¯t expect a young woman like you to show up.¡± I was a little annoyed at his sudden rude remark. ¡°What does gender have to do with reinforcements?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, it doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s how good you are that matters.¡± ¡°Then it won¡¯t be a problem. Yuki is one of the best riders in the Elysian Empire, selected as one of the Ten Gods of War.¡± Mary tells Scarfi. When he heard that she was one of the Ten Gods of War, his expression changed from fearless to a bit more serious. ¡°So it¡¯s one of the Ten Gods of War¡­.I¡¯ve heard that I¡¯m going to be one of them, but only after this job is over. I¡¯d like to get this over with and get back on the stage.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re behind the scenes now?¡± When I asked, Scarfi¡¯s expression changed to one of fear. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a covert operation, so I¡¯d say it¡¯s behind the scenes. I¡¯m not ashamed of my actions! There¡¯s a reason for every action I¡¯ve ever taken and ever will take! Even if it¡¯s disgraceful to others, I¡¯m in the right!¡± I felt a little scared as he suddenly spoke in a very agitated tone. I couldn¡¯t understand a bit of the meaning of his words, and I felt like he was going through a lot of emotional ups and downs. By the way, I heard that Scarfi had also received Nitro Ludia before the mission. Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s making his mind unstable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for saying something I shouldn¡¯t have. If I offended you, I apologize.¡± I made a token apology so as not to make the problem bigger. Scarfi regained his composure after hearing that. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry I got a little excited too. I thought you were accusing me of something¡­¡­.¡± Nitro Ludia may have made him more sensitive to emotions after all. His expression changed from furious to depressed this time. ¡°Now, before we go any further, can I ask you about this operation?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­I¡¯ll explain. There are two people sealed in these ruins. The purpose of our mission is to free them.¡± ¡°Who are the two people who are sealed¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The scholar accompanying me seems to know, so if you¡¯re curious, you can ask him.¡± I had a bad feeling when I heard about the scholar who was accompanying him. Fearfully, I asked about the scholar. ¡°It¡¯s a female scholar named Brule. She is examining the ruins at the moment, so you can meet her later.¡± What a coincidence that I¡¯m with that Dr. Brule again¡­¡­.I¡¯ve been betrayed once before by her, and both Mary and I feel bad about it. However, there was one thing that bothered me after listening to Scarfi. What was the reason why they had to ask for reinforcements with one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters strengthened by Nitro Ludia and Dr. Brule? There seems to be no problem in terms of knowledge or power. ¡°Mr. Scarfi, may I ask you a question? With a rider as good as you are, why did you ask for reinforcements?¡± I asked more politely than I should have, for fear that he would get angry again. ¡°There are problems I can¡¯t handle alone. We¡¯ve already lost half of the riders who came with us. We would have been annihilated if we continued like this.¡± There are enemies here that even a candidate for the Ten Gods of War can¡¯t handle. I can finally test myself after being strengthened by Nitro Ludia ¡­¡­It was inappropriate, but I thought so. CH 338 We crossed the border into the Kingdom of Lubel in a ride hover piloted by Jean. The Kingdom of Lubel had already been informed of our arrival, so there were already troops there to monitor us. ¡°I see you are a ship belonging to the Amurian Union. This is Souve, a ship belonging to the Central Command of the Kingdom of Lubel, and I will now accompany you to ensure your safety within the Kingdom of Lubel.¡± ¡°Our safety within the Kingdom of Lubel makes me laugh. They¡¯re just a surveillance unit.¡± Linnecarlo made a comment about the other¡¯s words, but Jean had a different view. ¡°What do you mean, Jean?¡± I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of Jean¡¯s words because I too thought the same thing as Linnecarlo. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that aristocrats who lost close relatives in this battle, for example, have a strong grudge against the Amurian Union, right?¡¡There is a possibility that such people will try to attack us regardless of the will of the country.¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, would they really fight against their allies to protect the enemy?¡± ¡°The hostages this time include the riders representing the Kingdom of Lubel and members of the royal family. They definitely do not want anything to happen to us and hurt the hostages. I¡¯m sure they think it would be a disgrace to the country if something like that happened because of a local nobleman running amok, and the damage would be huge.¡± ¡°I see. So there¡¯s a possibility of fighting within the Kingdom of Lubel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You guys should be a little bit alert, don¡¯t just sit around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sitting around, that¡¯s rude!¡± Jean didn¡¯t seem to care about Linnecarlo¡¯s anger and told Souve, the surveillance ship of the Kingdom of Lubel, that he agreed to accompany him. ¡°This is Mirai, a research vessel belonging to the Amurian Union, we thank you for accompanying us.¡± Mirai is the name of the ride hover that Nagisa gave on her own. She said that it was not a battleship and that a peaceful name would be better. Well, it seemed that everyone didn¡¯t care about the name of the ride hover, and no one objected. The large ride hover Mirai was much smaller than the ride carriers Fugaku and Musashi, but it still had a hangar that could hold four magicrafts, six private rooms, a cafeteria, and a shower room. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve been wondering for a while now what¡¯s the difference between a ride hover and a ride carrier¡­¡­.Mirai is about a size smaller than the ride carrier that the Iron Knights were riding in the early days. I thought the distinction was based on size, so when it comes to Mirai being a ride hover, I¡¯m not sure. ¡°Jean, can I ask you something? What¡¯s the difference between a ride hover and a ride carrier?¡± I¡¯ll ask him, because I¡¯m sure Jean, who¡¯s knowledgeable, will know. ¡°It¡¯s a difference in concept. The ride hover is for moving people, the ride carrier is for moving magicrafts.¡± As expected of Jean, the answer came back to me immediately. ¡°Mirai can store magicrafts, but it¡¯s a ride hover, right? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s designed to transport people, but it can carry magicrafts as an added bonus. The living space is bigger than the hangar, right?¡± That¡¯s certainly what I¡¯d say. Fugaku and other ride carriers take up more space in the hangar of the magicrafts. As always, I¡¯m impressed by Jean¡¯s knowledge. I think I should learn a little more about this world too¡­¡­ CH 339 Chapter 7/7 for last week. It takes time to move around the vast Kingdom of Lubel. We were heading towards our destination, a research facility of an ancient civilization, with a break in between. ¡°It must be hard for those ride carriers to stay close and keep an eye on us.¡± Kiyone said sympathetically as she sipped the stewed potatoes Jean had made. ¡°It must be hard to just sit there and watch us.¡± Nagisa agreed with Kiyone¡¯s opinion as she sipped her vegetable-filled soup, but Jean had an idea of his own. ¡°It depends on the person, doesn¡¯t it? As for me, I envy them because it¡¯s so easy to just sit around and look at things.¡± Linnecarlo immediately responded to his words. ¡°I thought you thought it would be better to have a good paying job, even if it¡¯s busy, rather than a cheap and easy job.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s basically what I think, but I do have a certain appreciation for easy, simple work. It¡¯s not for me, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with having a moderately easy job and enjoying your personal life.¡± I know it¡¯s a life that doesn¡¯t suit Jean, but I understand what he means. I¡¯m also thinking that I¡¯d rather have a good personal life than a good professional one. As we were eating our meal, having a casual conversation like that, there was a commotion outside. The Lubel army, which was monitoring us, started to move in a panic. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nagisa said, looking at the noisy Lubel ship outside. ¡°Looks like something¡¯s getting closer. There are probably several other units on the lookout besides the ride carrier named Souve. Maybe someone got caught in the net.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! Does that mean that something like what Jean just said is happening? Isn¡¯t that a big problem? Shouldn¡¯t we prepare for battle?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just leave it to the Lubel army, they¡¯re probably bored.¡± ¡°Can we take our time? There might be more enemy troops attacking us.¡± I point out that Jean is too relaxed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll just move then. And it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t even show any signs of fighting. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re in the middle of an enemy country.¡± I understand what Jean is saying, but it¡¯s kind of uncomfortable to do nothing when the enemy is approaching. After a while, we could see the enemy coming towards us. An army of ten ride carriers and about a hundred magicrafts was approaching. Perhaps to stop them, Souve and the rest of the surveillance team stood between us and the approaching enemy force. ¡°I warn you, Count Suidel. Your actions are against the will of the state and will not be tolerated. If you retreat, you will not be charged with a crime, but if you come any closer, you will be punished for treason.¡± ¡°Shut up! You little punk from the Central Army! They killed my brother! My precious brother was murdered by those Amurian trash!¡¡I¡¯m not just going to sit back and let them pass through my territory!¡¡Shut up and hand over the trash of Amuria to us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. If you insist, we, the Central Army, will deal with you. Please understand the absurdity of crossing blades against us.¡± ¡°Interesting! I¡¯m going to bleed you and the Central Army dry before the Amurian trash!¡± It seemed that the negotiations had broken down. Tensions were rising between the two armies, and a battle was about to begin. CH 340 Perhaps they have decided that a battle is inevitable, the surveillance troops are now in a fighting stance. Their numbers are about the same, but the central troops monitoring us are more skilled. ¡°Jean. I¡¯ll be standing by with my Arleo-2, just in case.¡± I had a lot of trouble deciding on a name for my special machine, and in the end I thought that Arleo would be fine. The reason I gave it ¡°2¡± is because it means ¡°second magicraft¡± and also because it is a class 2 magicraft. ¡°The surveillance team seems to be more powerful than them, so I¡¯m sure everything will be fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to be worried now than surprised when the surveillance unit is breached.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°If Yuta is going to wait in his magicraft, then I¡¯ll be in Diatena too.¡± Nagisa¡¯s personal magicraft has also been given a name. I¡¯m not sure where it came from, but Nagisa named it. When Nagisa and I went to the storage space where the magicrafts were, Linnecarlo followed us, saying, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, can it?¡± They seemed to think that it was enough for us to stand by, and Kiyone remained on the bridge of Mirai. In the meantime, the battle between Count Suidel army and the surveillance unit seems to have started. It became even noisier outside. As I climbed into the Arleo-2, I placed my hand on the control ball to activate it. At the same time, I asked Feri to project the battle on the screen. ¡°I¡¯m projecting the battle at a distance of one kilometer in the north-northwest direction.¡± When Feri said that, the image of the magicrafts fighting fiercely appeared on the screen. It¡¯s a technology called telephoto projection, and if you¡¯re far enough away, you can see what¡¯s going on as if you were looking at it up close. The battle between the armies of the Kingdom of Lubel was fierce. They are attacking each other with swords and spears in a desperate attempt to destroy each other¡¯s magicrafts. At first, the battle seemed to be evenly matched, but gradually, the surveillance forces began to push the Count Suidel army. I don¡¯t know what kind of organizational structure the Royal Army of Lubel has, but it seems that the Central Army, to which the Surveillance Unit belongs, is of a higher rank. The quality of the riders seemed to be slightly higher. However, even though Count Suidel army was inferior in terms of strength, they did not let the surveillance force gain a one-sided advantage through their desperate struggle. ¡°We¡¯re not going to lose, but it looks like they¡¯re going to do a bit of damage¡­¡­.¡± Jean muttered as he analyzed the battle situation. ¡°Jean. What should we do? Maybe I should get out there and lend a hand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute, it¡¯s not a good idea to go out and join the war on your own. Let¡¯s let the surveillance unit decide.¡± The surveillance team had given me a Sharestone in advance. With it, we can connect with them through the spirit box. Jean asked them directly if we could help. ¡°This is Mirai, a ride hover from the Amurian Union. I am prepared to assist you in any way I can. If you wish, we can launch right away.¡± ¡°Thank you for your offer, but this is an internal matter of the Kingdom of Lubel. We will solve it ourselves, so please stay out of it.¡± Apparently, the help was refused. Jean seemed to have expected this. ¡°So it¡¯s no good. Soldiers are so inflexible, aren¡¯t they? It is true that soldiers seem to have a tendency to prioritize honor and position over facts. The battle between the armies of the Kingdom of Lubel continued. The battle, which neither side could back down from, ended with the annihilation of Count Suidel army. However, it seems that the surveillance unit also suffered considerable damage, with ride carriers other than Souve sunk and 80% of the magicrafts heavily damaged. The surveillance unit was in shambles, and it looked as if it would be difficult to accompany us. However, the commander of Souve surveillance unit told us in a matter-of-fact manner, ¡°Thank you for your patience. We¡¯ve secured the area, please proceed.¡± I wondered if it was a sign of professionalism, a proud act for a soldier, but for me, it was more about fear than respect. I was starting to wonder what kind of person the commander of the surveillance unit was. CH 341 The surveillance team is reorganizing the unit with the survivors and Jean is impressed to see that the work is proceeding without hesitation. I asked Jean, as to me it looked like they were just sorting out the working and destroyed magicrafts. ¡±Is it really that difficult to reorganize?¡± ¡°It would be quite difficult in that situation. I¡¯m sure the commander would like to keep as many as possible, but it¡¯s difficult to determine if they can actually be used as a fighting force. However, the commander had no such hesitation. If you don¡¯t have a clear picture of whether or not you can use it as a fighting force, it won¡¯t work like that.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is.¡± I watched the battle, and I think his command skills are very good. There¡¯s nothing unexpected about him, but he used pretty solid tactics to deal with the enemy.¡± Kiyone, who had been listening to Jean and me, also expressed her opinion about the commander of the surveillance unit. I was able to meet him in person very soon. He had come to Mirai because he wanted to consult with us about our future plans. ¡°I¡¯m Emitz Steiner from the Central Army of the Kingdom of Lubel. I apologize for the disturbance caused by this private matter.¡± I was surprised to hear from Kiyone and Nagisa that he was probably a woman. The way he behaved and acted, he looked like a man, so I thought he was a man. Her voice is quite husky and can be interpreted as either male or female¡­¡­. As I was whispering about it being a man or a woman, Emitz noticed. She was used to this kind of situation and told me in a pleasantly clear manner. ¡°I am biologically a woman, but I have already decided to leave women behind and live as a man. So I would appreciate it if you would treat me as a man.¡± Well, I guess everyone has their own way of life. If a woman wants to live as a man, she should do so. ¡°So, what is it that you want to discuss?¡± The conversation had gone off track, so Jean asked Emitz to bring it back. ¡°In fact, I absentmindedly missed the ringleader of the earlier battle. The group that attacked us is led by a local lord named Count Suidel, but he is an old nobleman with deep ties to the lords of this area, so there is a possibility that he may get help from them and attack us again.¡± ¡°I see. So what do you want us to do?¡± ¡°Yes. If possible, I would like to ask you to stop by the nearby Lubel military base¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You say you¡¯re running low on strength and can¡¯t withstand another attack, so you want to stop by the base to ask for reinforcements.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry if this is not what you want to do, but I would really appreciate it if you would consider it.¡± ¡°Jean. He said it¡¯s close by, maybe we can stop by the base.¡± I took pity on Emitz, who was really apologetic, and helped him out. ¡°I understand that we¡¯ll be stopping by the base. But we¡¯re not going anywhere near the base. We¡¯ll stay close by and call for reinforcements or whatever you need.¡± The cautious Jean did not want to approach the base. There is certainly no advantage for us to get close to the military base of the Kingdom of Lubel. Emitz saluted like a military man and went back to Souve. As Emitz left, there was a bit of excitement on Mirai¡¯s bridge about him. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get mad if I say this to her, but it¡¯s a shame that she¡¯s living as a man when she¡¯s so beautiful.¡± Kiyone also reacted to Nagisa¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s true. She¡¯s got such a good capacity that if she lives as a woman, she¡¯s guaranteed a certain level of happiness.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not even close.¡± Everyone went through Linnecarlo¡¯s words as normal. Linnecarlo looked at me as if he wanted me to agree with her. I was at a loss for words as to what to say, so I looked away and pretended not to hear. ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter to her whether she¡¯s beautiful or not. Live the way you want to live. It would be nice to have such a choice.¡± I agree with Jean¡¯s words. I thought, ¡°You only live once, and as long as you don¡¯t bother others, you can live your life the way you want.¡± CH 342 As Emitz had said, the base of the Royal Army of Lubel was close by. It took us about two hours to reach the base from where the battle took place. However, as Jean had declared, we would not go near the base, but wait by a nearby lake. Emitz seemed to be heading for the base to request reinforcements. A ride hover was launched from Souve. ¡°It¡¯s weird to watch the enemy get reinforcements like this in silence.¡± Linnecarlo mutters as she watches from Mirai¡¯s bridge as the ride hover runs toward the base. ¡°That¡¯s true. If you think about it, they¡¯re enemy forces.¡± Their conversation reminded me of Emitz¡¯s face when he came to Mirai. His apologetic expression came to mind, so I defended him lightly. ¡°It¡¯s true that they may be the enemy, but right now they¡¯re just a unit that¡¯s watching us, right? They fought to protect us earlier, so don¡¯t be so hostile.¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy that they could seriously fight with their allies for the sake of the enemy.¡± Jean gave his own take on Linnecarlo¡¯s impressions. ¡°If you think about it, soldiers are a peculiar group of people. A good soldier is one who follows the orders of his superiors to the letter. Commander Emitz is a good soldier, no doubt about it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be a good soldier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, we¡¯re not soldiers. We¡¯re the best mercenaries.¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand the difference between mercenaries and soldiers, but I generally agree with Jean. We don¡¯t need to be soldiers. A few moments later, Emitz returned. He was not going towards Souve, but towards Mirai. ¡°Huh¡­¡­.Looks like they refused to provide reinforcements.¡± ¡°What? How do you know that?¡± ¡°There is no movement at the base. Moreover, the fact that the Emitz is coming to Mirai means that things didn¡¯t go as expected.¡± As Jean had predicted, Emitz ¡®request for reinforcements has been turned down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems that Count Suidel had beaten us to it. I knew that the commander of this base was an old acquaintance of Count Suidel¡¯s, but I didn¡¯t expect that they would be so connected that he would go against the wishes of the country.¡± ¡°I understood the situation. So, what do you plan to do now?¡± ¡°There is no central military base in this area. Requesting reinforcements from the central army base would take too much time. It¡¯s going to be a little tough, but we¡¯ll just have to get by with our current strength.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same Royal Army of Lubel, are they really that inflexible?¡± My question was answered by Kiyone. ¡°The bigger the organization, the more difficult it is to have a united front, and a country as large as the Kingdom of Lubel will have one or two factions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say that I agree. There is a huge barrier in the chain of command between the local and central forces. With a position like mine, there¡¯s no compulsion for the district army.¡± I can honestly say that I understand how hard it is. So I couldn¡¯t help but suggest this. ¡°Well, if it comes to it, we¡¯ll fight for you, so just tell us.¡± ¡°No, no, thank you for your concern, but this is a matter within the Kingdom of Lubel. We can¡¯t ask for help from you.¡± Seriously¡­¡­ thought so, but Jean supported Emitz. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not our place to get involved. I¡¯m looking forward to your efforts, Emitz.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± After saying that and saluting, Emitz went back to Souve. ¡°Are you sure, Jean? If we don¡¯t help, Emitz¡¯s troops will be wiped out.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s called military pride¡­¡­.I¡¯m sure they have their own agenda that they have to follow even if it kills them, so we have no business telling them what to do.¡± Is that what it is? I never understood that notion. CH 343 The stop at the base was a complete waste of time, but we didn¡¯t care and set off for our destination. The research facility of the ancient civilization was still some distance away, and it was going to be a long journey. Linnecarlo said with concern as she watched Souve, the surveillance unit¡¯s ride carrier, follow Mirai. ¡°I think part of the elemental line directly connected to the core is damaged. It could stop at any time.¡± Feri¡¯s pseudo body analyzed Souve condition. She looks like a normal human being, but this Feri is a fake made with homunculus technology. Feri¡¯s main body is inside Arleo-2, and this pseudo-body is remotely controlled. ¡°If it stops, we¡¯ll have to leave them behind. That way there will be no one to monitor us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cold, Jean, after saying earlier that you expect Emitz-dono to work hard.¡± ¡°If they slow us down we¡¯ll leave them behind.¡± ¡°If I think about it, there¡¯s no reason to be concerned about an enemy that¡¯s watching us without our permission.¡± Linnecarlo agrees with Jean¡¯s words. ¡°Well, that may be true, but won¡¯t it become a problem between the Amurian Union and the Kingdom of Lubel?¡± ¡°If anyone is to be blamed, it will be the commander in the field, Emitz.¡± I know his face, and I feel a little sorry for him. ¡­¡­ As I looked at Souve, who looked like he was about to stop, I gave him a shout in my mind, ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡± Whether my support was working or not, Souve never stopped, and managed to keep up with Mirai. However, there was another problem that threatened to undermine their efforts. ¡°There¡¯s a storm coming¡­¡­.¡± Jean muttered as he looked at the clouds in the distant sky. ¡°Is it going to rain?¡± ¡°Fool, it¡¯s not that simple! It¡¯s the kind of storm that won¡¯t let a magicraft go unscathed. It¡¯s not a problem for a large ride carrier like Fugaku, but Mirai might not last¡­¡­.We¡¯ll have to hide somewhere.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no base or city here, so we¡¯ll just have to find a big cave or something¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use getting lost. Why don¡¯t you ask the local surveillance unit?¡± Kiyone¡¯s opinion was immediately adopted and Jean asked Emitz. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not from this area myself, so I¡¯m not familiar with the geography. However, I do have a subordinate who is from this area, so I will check.¡± Emitz checked with his men and was informed that there was a large limestone cave a few kilometers to the east. Okay, it¡¯s a bit of a detour, but we¡¯re moving east. It was not the direction of our destination, but to avoid danger we headed for the limestone caves. Souve was aware of the danger of the storm and didn¡¯t object to it. The limestone cave was indeed large since Mirai as well as the Souve, a medium-sized ride carrier, managed to fit in. A short time after the two ships had taken refuge in the cave, a storm started raging outside. I thought it would be more like a typhoon, but it was nothing like that. It was a hellish scene with countless lightning bolts flying around that seemed to be as powerful as Linnecarlo¡¯s magic strike. CH 344 ¡°I wonder how long it will take for the storm to subside.¡± Nagisa muttered to herself as she looked at the scene outside the cave, the weather raging wildly. ¡°Sometimes it stops in a day, sometimes it lasts for a week. The weather is too much for humans.¡± ¡°A week! I hope it won¡¯t last so long!¡± Linnecarlo said in a tone of voice that clearly showed she was disgusted from the bottom of her heart. If we were to stay in this place for a week, the free-spirited and dynamic Linnecarlo might go crazy. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a rare occurrence. Most of them should be over in a few days.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be stranded here for a week either, so I hoped the weather would improve soon. Even though it was a large limestone cave, it was an enclosed space, Souve and Mirai were closer than ever. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to attack us, but we¡¯ve got to stay alert. We took turns waiting on the bridge, keeping an eye on Souve. In the midst of this tense atmosphere, Feri spoke up. ¡°Yuta, I have a suggestion, why don¡¯t I repair that ride carrier called Souve while I¡¯m at it?¡± I certainly don¡¯t have anything in particular I want Feri to do, since we¡¯re just waiting for the weather to improve. Souve will probably break down and won¡¯t be able to keep up with us, so we might as well fix it while we can. That¡¯s what I thought, but Linnecarlo reacted when she heard Feri¡¯s words. ¡°Wait a minute, why should we go to such lengths to repair the enemy¡¯s ride carrier?¡± It was a fair point. ¡°Although they belong to an enemy nation, we are not currently in direct conflict with them, so I don¡¯t see a problem.¡± Kiyone agreed with Feri¡¯s opinion. It¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s a kind person, she might have thought that Emitz would be in trouble if Souve broke down and we couldn¡¯t be monitored. ¡°For me, it doesn¡¯t matter either way.¡± Jean says. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to repair it, but what does Yuta think?¡± Nagisa also seemed to be in favor of repairing it. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Feri to repair Souve. If it doesn¡¯t affect us too much, they might as well owe us a favor.¡± Linnecarlo was still mumbling, but it was decided by a majority vote that we would offer to repair Souve. At first Emitz was puzzled by the unexpected proposal, but in the end he accepted it, as he didn¡¯t want to lose the ability to monitor us. ¡°Thank you very much. It was too damaged to be repaired by Souve¡¯s mechanics. The mechanics there seem to be excellent, by the way. I can¡¯t believe that a place like this, which is not even a workshop, can repair a delicate part that is directly connected to the core¡­¡­.¡± Emitz was amazed at Feri¡¯s handiwork. He¡¯d be even more surprised if he knew we had the technology to generate a core. With the repair of Souve, the distance between us and the surveillance team seemed to have shortened a little. The eyes of the soldiers of the surveillance unit looking at us have clearly changed. At first, their expressions were stern, as if they were looking at a dangerous object, but now their expressions have softened considerably. The atmosphere improved to the point where some of them even greeted us when their eyes met ours while watching from the bridge of Mirai. ¡°It seems that Feri¡¯s repairs were not in vain, and the awkward atmosphere has eased considerably.¡± When I told her about the change in atmosphere, she replied while looking through a magazine. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that they have a great mechanic over there. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll turn out all right.¡± ¡°It would be hilarious if we had to fight a fully equipped surveillance unit.¡± Linnecarlo complained, still concerned that her opinion had not been accepted. It¡¯s true that it might not be a laughing matter if we end up fighting, but strangely enough, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d regret it even if we did. CH 345 ¡°Hey, Yuta! Why is your laundry in my laundry basket?¡± Nagisa said she was going to do the laundry, so I quietly put my dirty clothes in her laundry basket, but it seems she noticed. ¡°A little more won¡¯t matter because the effort is the same.¡± In this world, there are tools like washing machines. It is called a magic washing box that cleans clothes without using water, and its usage is not much different from that of a washing machine. So I think it¡¯s okay to have a few more clothes to wash, but Nagisa doesn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°That¡¯s not the point! You¡¯re being careless about mixing your clothes with a girl¡¯s!¡± ¡°What? When my mom was in the hospital a long time ago, your mom did my laundry and our clothes were washed together.¡± ¡°When are you talking about? Don¡¯t mix the senses of an ignorant little girl with that of a mature girl! You even put your underwear! What the hell are you thinking?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hold up my underwear in that way!¡± What are you talking about? Give me a reason why!¡± I was trying to wash it because it was dirty, and there was no way I could explain that. I had never beaten Nagisa in an argument before, so there was no way I could win. I tried to fight back in a nonchalant way, but she said every word back with double the force. After that, Nagisa put my laundry in the magic washing box, even though she complained about it. After all, if she was going to wash my clothes, she shouldn¡¯t have complained, I thought, but I was grateful. Anyway, I had nothing to do until the storm stopped. Nagisa would probably tell me that I should at least do the laundry myself, so I didn¡¯t say anything about it, but I was bored. ¡°Yuta, will you accompany me for a little sword training?¡± Seemingly sensing that I was bored, Kiyone invited me to train. Yeah, I never know what the resurrected old man will say if my sword skills are dull. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go outside, since Mirai¡¯s hangar is too small.¡± Unlike Fugaku and Musashi, there is no extra space in Mirai¡¯s hangar. Kiyone and I took our swords and left Mirai. ¡°Yuta, where are you going?¡± Just as we were walking out, Nagisa passed by and called out to us. ¡± Sword training.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so carefree when you make me do your laundry.¡± ¡°What do you mean carefree? Sword training is a noble pursuit.¡± ¡°Well, maybe it is, but¡­¡­I want to get some exercise too, can I join you?¡± Well, Nagisa was really good with the sword, wasn¡¯t she? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to handle it. ¡°Oh, where is everyone going?¡± Linnecarlo spotted us trooping out and called out to us in a panic. ¡°We¡¯re going outside to practice sword fighting.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m coming too!¡± But Jean, who was nearby, stopped her. ¡°No Linnecarlo. You¡¯re on sentry duty! Make sure you¡¯re on standby and ready to go at any time!¡± It seemed unlikely that the surveillance unit would attack, but one of us would always be on duty, waiting close to the magicrafts at any time. Now it was time for Linnecarlo to be on duty. She looked at me in frustration when Jean pointed it out. I can¡¯t be bothered with a face like that¡­¡­. First, Kiyone and I stand together. We faced and greeted each other, then approached each other at once and swung our wooden swords. The first strike was repelled with a dry crunching sound. ¡°It seems that your skill has not dulled. I¡¯m sure father will be pleased to see it when he comes back.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t improve he¡¯ll be mad at me.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. Well then, I¡¯ll give you a good workout as your older sister.¡± When Kiyone said that, she launched an onslaught that I could not imagine from her slim body. I managed to block about five moves, but on the sixth move, I was struck hard in the shoulder. The pain created a momentary gap, and she struck me again and again with the wooden sword. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Kiyone¡¯s sword so effective!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get any funny ideas and fight back!¡± I stepped back and regained my stance, holding my wooden sword at the top and moving into an attacking stance. CH 346 I took an upper stance and kneaded my ki. A half-hearted attack would not work against Kiyone. I need to be able to kill her with a single blow. I raised my spirits even higher and prepared to attack. Kiyone didn¡¯t make any moves, as if she wanted to take the full force of my blow. However, she slowly approaches me and puts pressure on me. I can¡¯t expect Kiyone to have even a brief opening. If I wanted an opening, I would have to create it myself. I decided to create an opening by striking hard from above. With a long stride, I quickly closed the gap and approached Kiyone. Kiyone emitted a strong killing intent, and for a moment I was stopped in my tracks. However, I knew that if I hesitated here, I would be killed, so I swung my sword down as if to shake off the killing energy. A quick, powerful sword was swung at Kiyone. Kiyone caught the blow without avoiding it. It was more powerful than Kiyone expected, and she seemed to lose her balance for a moment. I was going to put all my strength into it and push it in, but as if to take advantage of the opportunity, I drew my sword to launch my next attack. ¡°Sweet!¡± The moment I drew my sword, Kiyone, who had quickly switched her system, unleashed a thrusting attack like a flash of light. ¡°It was a trap¡­¡­.It looked like you lost your balance¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t see through that, you¡¯re not ready.¡± I¡¯m still a step behind Kiyone. Okay! I¡¯ll get her next time! That¡¯s what I thought as I stood up¡­¡­. ¡°Kiyone, will you practice with me next?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Nagisa, I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If that was the real thing, you¡¯d end up dead.¡± ¡°No, but.¡± Nagisa forced me to step back and faced Kiyone. Perhaps because she was a hardcore martial artist trained since childhood, she seemed to be stimulated by Kiyone¡¯s identity as a swordsman. ¡°It¡¯s a different style than I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡­.It¡¯s certainly more interesting than watching Yuta fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also elated for the first time in a long time. Kiyone, let¡¯s go all out.¡± The two exchanged light words and held their wooden swords. The atmosphere of a serious match makes me nervous. Kiyone was the first to move. She aimed at the tip of Nagisa¡¯s nose with a light thrust, as if to see what would happen. Nagisa, a master of aikido, was a good judge of character. She didn¡¯t move an eyebrow, as if she had seen that the sword would not reach her. Kiyone¡¯s eyes changed as she realized Nagisa¡¯s skill in this exchange. She overflowed with a spirit that she didn¡¯t show in her training with me, and I can tell that she became serious. Kiyone swung her sword with gusto. Nagisa was moved by her swordsmanship, which seemed to cut down even a huge tree with a single blow. She raises her sword and catches Kiyone¡¯s sword. However, Nagisa¡¯s sword was soon overpowered by Kiyone¡¯s sword and turned downward. However, she knew that this was a sword technique called ¡°Ryuhen¡± in Kouri-ryu aikijutsu. It is a technique that changes the direction of an attack by receiving it, and Kiyone¡¯s sword was swept away in a different direction than she aimed. Even Kiyone was surprised by this. She hurriedly stepped back and changed her stance. Kiyone¡¯s next stance was something I don¡¯t see very often, with the hilt of the sword next to her face and the tip of the sword pointing at her opponent. Kiyone¡¯s attack from that stance was fast. It was a series of thrusts that seemed to leave an afterimage, a series of divine speed moves that I would never have been able to handle. Perhaps she saw Nagisa¡¯s technique earlier and switched to the sword of agility, thinking that the sword of power would not work. I was curious what Nagisa would do against this sword. C346: Nagisa vs Kiyone I took an upper stance and kneaded my ki. A half-hearted attack would not work against Kiyone. I need to be able to kill her with a single blow. I raised my spirits even higher and prepared to attack. Kiyone didn¡¯t make any moves, as if she wanted to take the full force of my blow. However, she slowly approaches me and puts pressure on me. I can¡¯t expect Kiyone to have even a brief opening. If I wanted an opening, I would have to create it myself. I decided to create an opening by striking hard from above. With a long stride, I quickly closed the gap and approached Kiyone. Kiyone emitted a strong killing intent, and for a moment I was stopped in my tracks. However, I knew that if I hesitated here, I would be killed, so I swung my sword down as if to shake off the killing energy. A quick, powerful sword was swung at Kiyone. Kiyone caught the blow without avoiding it. It was more powerful than Kiyone expected, and she seemed to lose her balance for a moment. I was going to put all my strength into it and push it in, but as if to take advantage of the opportunity, I drew my sword to launch my next attack. ¡°Sweet!¡± The moment I drew my sword, Kiyone, who had quickly switched her system, unleashed a thrusting attack like a flash of light. ¡°It was a trap¡­¡­.It looked like you lost your balance¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t see through that, you¡¯re not ready.¡± I¡¯m still a step behind Kiyone. Okay! I¡¯ll get her next time! That¡¯s what I thought as I stood up¡­¡­. ¡°Kiyone, will you practice with me next?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Nagisa, I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If that was the real thing, you¡¯d end up dead.¡± ¡°No, but.¡± Nagisa forced me to step back and faced Kiyone. Perhaps because she was a hardcore martial artist trained since childhood, she seemed to be stimulated by Kiyone¡¯s identity as a swordsman. ¡°It¡¯s a different style than I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡­.It¡¯s certainly more interesting than watching Yuta fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also elated for the first time in a long time. Kiyone, let¡¯s go all out.¡± The two exchanged light words and held their wooden swords. The atmosphere of a serious match makes me nervous. Kiyone was the first to move. She aimed at the tip of Nagisa¡¯s nose with a light thrust, as if to see what would happen. Nagisa, a master of aikido, was a good judge of character. She didn¡¯t move an eyebrow, as if she had seen that the sword would not reach her. Kiyone¡¯s eyes changed as she realized Nagisa¡¯s skill in this exchange. She overflowed with a spirit that she didn¡¯t show in her training with me, and I can tell that she became serious. Kiyone swung her sword with gusto. Nagisa was moved by her swordsmanship, which seemed to cut down even a huge tree with a single blow. She raises her sword and catches Kiyone¡¯s sword. However, Nagisa¡¯s sword was soon overpowered by Kiyone¡¯s sword and turned downward. However, she knew that this was a sword technique called ¡°Ryuhen¡± in Kouri-ryu aikijutsu. It is a technique that changes the direction of an attack by receiving it, and Kiyone¡¯s sword was swept away in a different direction than she aimed. Even Kiyone was surprised by this. She hurriedly stepped back and changed her stance. Kiyone¡¯s next stance was something I don¡¯t see very often, with the hilt of the sword next to her face and the tip of the sword pointing at her opponent. Kiyone¡¯s attack from that stance was fast. It was a series of thrusts that seemed to leave an afterimage, a series of divine speed moves that I would never have been able to handle. Perhaps she saw Nagisa¡¯s technique earlier and switched to the sword of agility, thinking that the sword of power would not work. I was curious what Nagisa would do against this sword. CH 347 Nagisa did nothing in the face of Kiyone¡¯s continuous thrusts at divine speed. No, it only looked like she did nothing. All of Kiyone¡¯s thrusts failed to reach Nagisa, who was not moving. It was impossible for Kiyone to overestimate the distance between them. After she looked closely at Nagisa¡¯s feet, she noticed that she was slowly changing her stance with her footwork. When Kiyone realized the situation she took a large step forward and swung her sword. I¡¯m not sure if Nagisa¡¯s change in timing alone was enough to deal with the sharp blow aimed at her leg, but she avoided it. Kiyone had predicted her dodging motion and immediately launched a follow-up sword attack. The follow-up blow aimed at her chest seemed to have been fired in anticipation of Nagisa¡¯s evasive maneuver, and her stance made it difficult for her to avoid it. Nagisa immediately met it with her sword. As expected, she didn¡¯t have the time to use Ryuhen, and it seemed blocking was the only thing she could do. Kiyone seems to be more powerful than her and Nagisa is slowly forced to retreat. Instantly, Nagisa let go of the wooden sword and took off from the spot. This startled not only me in the gallery, but also Kiyone. Taking advantage of Kiyone¡¯s surprise, Nagisa quickly closes the gap between them. And then, with her hand, she swatted away Kiyone¡¯s hand holding the wooden sword. Taken by surprise, Kiyone¡¯s wooden sword was knocked away. In addition, Nagisa went for hand-to-hand combat. However, there are body techniques in the Veft style as well. Before her arm could be completely locked, Kiyone escaped Nagisa¡¯s restraint by disengaging her shoulder joint. She then rolled forward to break free, and picked up the wooden sword that Nagisa had let go of. Seeing this, Nagisa picked up the wooden sword Kiyone had dropped and readied it. After the attack and defense, a cheer went up. I looked to see what was going on, and before I knew it, the gallery had grown. The guys from the surveillance unit were observing the stand-off between Nagisa and Kiyone. The two faced each other with serious expressions on their faces, as if they didn¡¯t notice or care that the gallery had increased. As they slowly approached each other, they began to clash their swords at once. The fierce clash of power against power, speed against speed, was so intense that it even looked like a serious battle. Kiyone seemed to have the upper hand in terms of strength and speed, but Nagisa¡¯s skill seemed to make up the difference. The match was evenly poised, and either side could have won. What decided the match was a small gap. When Kiyone took a step back after Nagisa¡¯s blow, unfortunately there was a gap and Kiyone¡¯s foot was caught in it. It was a small gap, but it was enough for Nagisa. ¡°There¡¯s a gap!¡± Nagisa¡¯s wooden sword struck Kiyone in the chest. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Nagisa has this much talent in the martial arts.¡± ¡°That last one was completely luck, and I don¡¯t know what would have happened if we had continued fighting like that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a sign of inexperience to get your foot stuck in a ditch like that. If it were father, it wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Surely, dad would be able to avoid the situation. When the fight was over, there was a spontaneous round of applause. Perhaps impressed by their match, the soldiers of the surveillance unit praised the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see such a high level of swordsmanship here. Is that level of skill normal in the Amurian Union?¡± Emitz also seemed to be watching the fight and spoke to me with admiration. ¡°No, those two are special. Kiyone is a former member of the Sword Clan, so she¡¯s a bit different.¡± ¡°Kiyone! Sword clan! No way, Kiyone, one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters!?¡± I knew about Kiyone¡¯s fame. Emitz was as excited as a fan who has met a celebrity. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d meet that Kiyone,¡± he said. ¡°If the Amurian Union has Kiyone on its side, then our defeat in the last battle makes a little more sense.¡± He accepts his country¡¯s defeat and looks at the enemy riders with admiration. My first impression of Emitz was that he was a stubborn elite soldier, but I realized that he might be a surprising person. CH 348 Emitz made this request to me in a slightly reserved manner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you on duty, but I¡¯d like to shake Kiyone-sama¡¯s hand, if that¡¯s all right?¡± ¡°I think a handshake would be fine. Wait a minute, I¡¯ll ask Kiyone.¡± Kiyone looked a little dubious, but agreed to shake his hand. However, when Emitz put out his right hand, Kiyone stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. May I use your left hand?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The right hand and the left hand would be the same¡­¡­.That¡¯s what I thought, but Nagisa, perhaps noticing my wondering, explained Kiyone¡¯s intentions. ¡°A martial artist does not simply leave his dominant arm in the hands of his opponent. If you¡¯re as good as Kiyone, that kind of consideration is normal.¡± Oh, so that¡¯s how it is. As Emitz and Kiyone shook hands, the soldiers of the surveillance unit rustled around. When Emitz thanked Kiyone and left the scene, the soldiers gathered under Emitz, saying something. Listening to the soldiers, words like ¡°I¡¯m jealous¡± were flying around. It was strange to think that the soldiers of an enemy country, who had been fighting not so long ago, would feel that way, but I didn¡¯t find it offensive. All right, I¡¯ll do my part here. So I called out to the soldiers. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to shake Kiyone¡¯s hand? I¡¯ll ask her for you now.¡± Hearing this, the soldiers came towards me at a great speed. Almost all of the soldiers there were there, about fifty of them. I had the soldiers line up in order and asked Kiyone to shake hands with them. Perhaps thinking that she could not respond to just one and refuse the others, Kiyone reluctantly complied. A few more soldiers came up to me and whispered to me, asking to do the same. ¡°Um¡­¡­is there any way we can ask that person over there to shake our hands, too?¡± It seems that the person over there is Nagisa. He¡¯s a maniac, asking Nagisa to shake his hand. Well, I couldn¡¯t let Kiyone shake their hands and stop Nagisa, so I said yes to that as well. ¡°What¡¯s the fun in shaking hands with me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think, too, but he wants to, so do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why I get so angry when Yuta says that.¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa also reluctantly agreed to shake hands. I¡¯m smiling at the scene, which has become a bit like a handshake session, when Emitz approaches me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, even my subordinates. The soldiers of the Royal Army of Lubel have an admiration for the strong, so they genuinely respected those two.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re from an enemy¡¯s country?¡± ¡°We soldiers don¡¯t decide who we are going to fight. Very few of us think badly of someone just because they are from a hostile country.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­.I don¡¯t fight because I hate the other side.¡± ¡±I hate the act of war itself and wish for a peaceful era without conflict.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very un-soldierly thing to say. How did such a man become a soldier?¡± ¡°My family has been in the military of the Kingdom of Lubel for generations. I had no male siblings, so I received a military education from an early age.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that¡­¡­you were set on a course of action without your consent.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­I was robbed of my dignity as a woman by my family.¡± Emitz said, somewhat sadly. It was a heavy thing to say that your family had taken your dignity as a woman away from you. I realized that she didn¡¯t really intend to abandon her womanhood. ¡°You are a strange person. I don¡¯t usually talk about this kind of thing, but¡­¡­Oh, I didn¡¯t get your name. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to know your name.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m Yuta.¡± ¡°Yuta, right?¡± ¡°You can call me Yuta. I¡¯m probably younger than you.¡± When she said that, Emitz smiled and nodded. That smile was that of a wonderful woman she should have abandoned. It made me kind of happy to see Emitz as a woman and not as a soldier. CH 349 The storm had come to an end and now we could finally head for our destination. We stepped out of the cave for the first time in three days. ¡°It feels better under the sun than in a damp limestone cave, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Jean looked comfortable as he stretched out in the sun. ¡°I agree with you. If we had stayed in that cave for two more days, there would have been mold.¡± Probably not mold, but I agree that it¡¯s better in the sun. Feeling grateful for the daylight, we moved from the limestone caves through the mountainous area to the plains where we had a good view. Just when we thought we were moving in peace and relaxation, we were interrupted by obstacles waiting for us. Jean stopped Mirai, as if he had noticed something and picked up the binoculars that were hanging next to the desk in the cockpit. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s an ambush.¡± Jean mutters to himself as he looks through his binoculars. Thinning them out and looking into the distance, he could indeed see multiple ride carriers and magicrafts. ¡°What do we do, take the long way around?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too late, we¡¯re already surrounded.¡± Jean said as he checked his binoculars in all directions. The same kind of troops were approaching from all sides. The surveillance team seemed to have noticed this situation and sent us a message. ¡°It seems that Count Suidel has regrouped his forces and is waiting for us. We¡¯ll take care of it, so Mirai, please evacuate to the northwest where the siege is weaker.¡± ¡°Even at a quick glance, the Count of Suidel¡¯s army was far more numerous than the surveillance force. It didn¡¯t look like they could win. However, Jean responded to the offer.¡± ¡°Copy that. Mirai will evacuate to the northwest and stand by.¡± ¡°Wait, Jean! Emitz and the others won¡¯t stand a chance! We¡¯ll have to¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we can¡¯t do that. If we fight here, we¡¯ll put the Emitz in a bad position. It will also break the promise between the nations and cause trouble for Ranelle and the Amurian Union.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing!¡± ¡°If Mirai is attacked, we will counterattack, so you stay at Arleo-2.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it! If we¡¯re going to counterattack anyway, it doesn¡¯t make any difference if we go out now!¡± ¡°The process is important. The only time we can fight is when we¡¯re defending ourselves.¡± I was not convinced. However, there was no way I could move if I was told that Emitz¡¯s position would be compromised or that I would cause trouble for Ranelle. I decided to keep my mouth shut and wait in Arleo-2. Nagisa and Kiyone also headed for their own magicrafts, without being told whether they felt the same way I did or not. Seeing this, Linnecarlo also synchronized with the flow. The magicrafts are sent out from Souve, the ride carrier of the surveillance unit. There are about twenty of them, only a fifth of the magicrafts of Count Suidel¡¯s army. Count Suidel¡¯s army seems to understand the situation and is clearing out the surveillance forces first. They deploy their forces to attack Souve and slowly encircle the surveillance unit. The small number of surveillance troops were not dispersing their forces poorly, but were densely packed and ready to intercept the enemy. All I could do was pray, and I was getting a little frustrated. I clenched my fists and suppressed my feelings whenever I thought of the faces of Emitz and the soldiers of the surveillance unit. The encirclement of Count Suidel¡¯s army closed in on the surveillance force and they clashed. The magicrafts clashed fiercely with each other, hitting each other with their weapons. The surveillance team is outnumbered, but their riders are a little more skilled, and they are evenly matched. All right, I¡¯m hoping that this might¡­¡­be the case. But as time went on, the difference in strength began to show. CH 350 Another magicraft of the surveillance unit has been killed. With this, only about half of the 10 machines remain. Count Suidel¡¯s magicrafts are still about eighty percent intact. If this continues, the surveillance unit will be annihilated. ¡°Jean! Just me! If I don¡¯t go, the surveillance unit will be wiped out!¡± Jean heard what I said and thought about it. ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute, I¡¯ll talk to Emitz.¡± Jean said, and opened a line with Souve. ¡°This is the Iron Knights. I¡¯d like to make a proposal to the surveillance unit of the Central Army of the Kingdom of Lubel. Would you be interested in hiring us as mercenaries?¡± Well, there¡¯s his move! If I was to be hired as a mercenary to fight for the surveillance unit, then I would have to keep up appearances. However, I received an unexpected response from Emitz. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but in the Kingdom of Lubel, hiring mercenaries requires the permission of a general. I don¡¯t have the authority to do that, so I¡¯m refusing.¡± It¡¯s a blind spot that there is such a rule. Damn it, what am I supposed to do? One more of the surveillance unit¡¯s magicrafts is destroyed. Souve is also surrounded by enemy magicrafts and beaten to a pulp. They¡¯ve managed to prevent them from entering the ship, but it¡¯s only a matter of time. At this rate, the surveillance team would surely be wiped out. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of leaving them to die because of the strange interaction we had in the limestone cave. Even if Jean, Emitz, and the others involved were convinced of this, I was not. I managed to find a reason to fight. ¡°Jean, why don¡¯t you call Ranelle and ask her permission? Tell her what¡¯s going on and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll bet on that.¡± Jean also seemed to really want to help, and agreed to my proposal. But unfortunately, Ranelle was in the middle of a meeting and was not in a position to talk to me right away. In the meantime, two more magicrafts of the surveillance unit were destroyed. The magicraft that was guarding Souve was also killed, and enemy machines began to enter the ship. They can¡¯t hold out much longer at this rate. A message was sent to us from Emitz of the surveillance unit. It was a word of apology. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you due to my lack of ability. Please leave this place and head for your destination while we draw Count Suidel¡¯s army away from you. We have just informed the Central Command of our readiness to break up the army. In the future, Count Suidel will be punished by the forces from the center. Until then, I pray that you will all stay safe.¡± Hearing that reminds me of that smile on Emitz¡¯s face. The words that I wished would come in a time of peace go through my mind. I want to help. That¡¯s what I was thinking from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a problem later, I¡¯m going out there! If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡°take responsibility¡± so lightly! There¡¯s only so much personal responsibility you can take¡­.I don¡¯t have a choice. Linnecarlo, Kiyone, Nagisa, and Feri, can you hear me? We will decide to act as the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings about the surveillance unit, so it doesn¡¯t matter to me, but if Yuta wants to do that, he can help.¡± Linnecarlo agreed with me. ¡°I remember the warmth in the palms of each hand I shook, and I can¡¯t leave them to die. I¡¯m at the end of my patience, just like Yuta.¡± Kiyone, who was as kind as anyone could be, also seemed to be compassionate towards the surveillance unit and wanted to help. ¡°That¡¯s right, there is no choice but to help in this situation¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa, a caring person, naturally chose to help. ¡°I will follow Yuta¡¯s decision.¡± Feri also expresses her stance. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s the consensus, then there¡¯s no other way¡­¡­.All of you, go out and help!¡± I was waiting for those words. But if it¡¯s the consensus, it means that Jean has also agreed to help, right? I didn¡¯t want to waste time getting into it, so I let Arleo-2 go out without saying a word. Kiyone, Linnecarlo, and Nagisa followed suit and hurried to help the enemy troops who were watching them. CH 351 By the time we came to the rescue, there were only two magicrafts left standing in the surveillance unit. These two machines were also in shambles and were barely working. It seems that Souve core or power components have already been destroyed, and it can¡¯t move, so it continues to put up a weak resistance with the one remaining cannon. ¡°Nagisa and Kiyone, go save Souve! Linnecarlo and I will help the monitoring unit¡¯s magicrafts to destroy the enemy!¡± When I instructed them to do so, the three of them briefly agreed and moved quickly. The number of enemies is not large, less than 100. There would be no need to use the four-element gun. Linnecarlo may have made that decision, but she unleashed a magic strike as her first attack. A few dozen pillars of lightning strikes rampaged through the enemy army in all directions. The magicrafts that touched the pillar of lightning were shattered into pieces while being electrocuted. I landed near the two surveillance units¡¯ magicrafts that were barely standing, then I swung my sword down on the enemy magicrafts that were attacking. I slice one in half, and then swing my sword around in a spinning motion, slicing off the heads of four more magicrafts. I shoot a series of magic light bullets at the magicrafts of Count Suidel¡¯s army, which are in a hurry to counterattack. The white light pierced the enemy machines one after another. Perhaps surprised by the unknown attack, the surviving enemy magicrafts began to flee from the scene. Count Suidel¡¯s army was reduced to less than half of what it had been by my and Linnecarlo¡¯s attacks. Whether it was impatience or calm judgment, the remaining Count Suidel¡¯s troops gathered around a large yellow ride carrier and tried to regroup their formation. ¡°It seems that Count Suidel is probably in that yellow ride carrier. If we let him escape again, it¡¯ll be troublesome, so let¡¯s make sure we get him.¡± Just as Linnecarlo said this, a large explosion came from the direction of Souve. I hurriedly checked the situation via communication. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Nagisa?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what caused it, but Souve gun ports exploded! The bridge is half blown up and on fire!¡± I¡¯m horrified to hear that. Is Emitz going to be okay? I looked at Souve and saw a cloud of black smoke coming from it. The enemy magicrafts that were attacking Souve have been taken care of, so Nagisa and I will help the wounded on board. Says Kiyone, who remains calm even in such a situation. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Kiyone, Nagisa!¡± I¡¯ll leave the rescue of Souve to you two while Linnecarlo and I will deal with Count Suidel. As Linnecarlo said, we have no intention of letting Count Suidel escape. I instructed her to make sure that we get him. ¡°I¡¯ll go in head-on, and you fly around to the rear.¡± ¡°Understood. I won¡¯t miss a single magicrafts!¡± I charged at Count Suidel¡¯s army while hovering so that Linnecarlo, who was flying behind me, would not be noticed. Count Suidel may have been caught off guard by the fact that it was only one machine, but he was ready to intercept it without fear. It would be more convenient if he would not escape. I headed straight for the yellow ride carrier where Count Suidel was supposed to be but the enemy¡¯s magicrafts surrounded me. ¡°Amurian Union worm! I¡¯ll avenge my brother! You will suffer and die!¡± I planned to annihilate them to keep Count Suidel from escaping, but now there was no need since I confirmed that he was in the yellow ride carrier. I said to Linnecarlo as I cut down the enemy magicrafts surrounding me. ¡°Linnecarlo! There¡¯s no doubt that Count Suidel is in the yellow ride carrier! Aim and fire at the yellow ride carrier!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll finish them with one blow!¡± Viktor began to transform in the sky and the four elemental cannon appeared. A heavy bass sound resounded, and a pillar of light pierced the yellow ride carrier in an instant. The high-density four-element cannon, which had converged in range, shattered the large ride carrier with a single blow. Parts were blown apart, and a pile of rubble was cruelly built up. Count Suidel was defeated and with the general defeated, the remaining troops began to flee. CH 352 Count Suidel was defeated and the surviving enemy forces scattered and fled. With the general gone, the army was no longer a threat. Rather than chase the fleeing enemy, we prioritized rescuing the surveillance force. Due to the relentless attack by Count Suidel¡¯s army, there was only one survivor in the wrecked magicrafts. Furthermore, that survivor was also very badly injured. There were only two medical pods available in Mirai so I was worried about how many lives I could save. ¡°Nagisa, Kiyone. How¡¯s the crew of the Souve looking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t help them much.¡± It seemed that we should be more worried about how many survivors there were than about the medical pods. Linnecarlo and I put the badly injured rider into the medical pod, and joined the search for survivors in Souve. Carefully clearing away the debris with our magicrafts, we search for survivors. As I moved the large piece of metal away, a familiar figure appeared from below. ¡°Emitz! Are you okay?¡± There was no reply from the battered Emitz. I got off the Arleo-2 and rushed over. Kiyone, who had been watching, also rushed over. There was no response from Emitz, but I could see that he was breathing slightly. He was still alive. ¡°Kiyone! Emitz is still alive!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and get him to Mirai.¡± The two of us put him in the Arleo-2 and hurried to Mirai. I hope I can make it in time¡­¡­I prayed as I flew Arleo-2. When I arrived at Mirai, I was greeted by Feri external unit. Jean joined in, and the three of us placed Emitz into the medical pod. ¡°Does everything look okay, Feri?¡± I asked Feri, who was looking at the instruments of the medical pod and making some adjustments. ¡°Yes. It looks like we made it in time. He should be fine now.¡± Hearing this, I felt deeply relieved. I then searched for more survivors of the surveillance unit, but could not find any. I regretted that I hadn¡¯t made the decision sooner. ¡°I could only save two people¡­¡­.¡± In response to my words, Jean calls out to me. ¡°It¡¯s possible that we could have helped more. Besides, you¡¯ve been trying to help them all along, haven¡¯t you? If anyone is to blame for this, it¡¯s me for stopping you.¡± Jean didn¡¯t do anything wrong. However, I think he was concerned about me when he said that he was responsible for everything. I felt so helpless that I kept my mouth shut. Emitz was trying to complete his mission. Jean was making a decision that took into account the situation and our position. I know my thoughts were childish and ego-driven, but I still can¡¯t change my mind. ¡°Jean, I¡¯m sorry. Next time something like that happens, I won¡¯t hesitate to go out there.¡± When Jean heard this, he smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my job to figure out all the nasty stuff.¡± I felt the warmth of a well-behaved older brother putting in a word for his free-spirited younger brother. I was really glad that Jean was with me. The medical pods in Mirai were state of the art and he would be fully recovered in five days. We decided to discuss what to do in the meantime. ¡°He¡¯s not getting out of the med-pod until he¡¯s fully recovered. We can¡¯t even hand him over to the Kingdom of Lubel for five days.¡± Jean explained the current situation. ¡°How much further to the research facility of the ancient civilization?¡± I asked, and Feri answered immediately. ¡°It will take about three days to get there.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re arriving in three days, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we handed them over after we¡¯re done with our business?¡± Nagisa had a point. We should arrive in three days, finish our business in two days, and then send the recovered Emitz to the facilities of the Kingdom of Lubel. Nagisa¡¯s opinion was adopted, and for the time being, we headed for the research facility of the ancient civilization. CH 353 The journey to the research facility of the ancient civilization was smooth. We were not attacked, the weather was not rough, and we were able to arrive on schedule. ¡°This is a research facility of the ancient civilization?¡± Nagisa reacted like it was impossible. It certainly didn¡¯t look like a research facility. The only thing we could see was a large pit with no visible bottom. ¡°Feri, are you sure it¡¯s down here?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. The coordinates are right here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯re in the right place, but how are we supposed to get down?¡± ¡°Viktor and Arleo-2 can fly down.¡± When Linnecarlo said this, Jean lightly brushed it off. ¡°There¡¯s no point in you getting off by yourselves. We have to think of a way to get down with Mirai.¡± ¡°Feri, what do you suggest we do?¡± ¡°Considering the fact that people used to come and go, I think there is probably another way to the research facility besides this pit. Let¡¯s look for it first.¡± I guess we¡¯ll have to, so we searched the area around the pit. ¡°I think we can get there from that cave.¡± After a full day of searching, we were exhausted when Jean found a cave. The place was a stream about a kilometer away from the pit, and it was a rather large cave. It was so high and wide that even Mirai could easily make its way through it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else worth seeing, so let¡¯s go in.¡± Nagisa said irresponsibly, probably because she was tired from the search. Well, we certainly didn¡¯t have any other options, so we decided to check out that cave for now. Since there might be danger, Linnecarlo and I took our magicrafts ahead to make sure it¡¯s safe. Of course, the cave is completely dark, as there are no lights. We proceeded cautiously, illuminating our surroundings with the lights for nighttime activities. ¡°That¡¯s pretty deep¡­¡­it might actually lead to the research facility.¡± ¡°I hope so. I don¡¯t want to search all over again for the entrance.¡± After an hour of listening to Linnecarlo¡¯s endless complaints, we came to a large underground space. It was too dark to see what was ahead, so I couldn¡¯t tell exactly how big it was, but it seemed to be quite a vast space. ¡°Damn¡­¡­that¡¯s too much to search. I¡¯ll leave it at that for today and do some serious research tomorrow. Jean decided that we would rest in the cave today. We were certainly tired, so it seemed like a good idea. Once the Mirai docked, Jean began to cook the meal. Without saying a word, Kiyone and Nagisa helped him, but Linnecarlo and I, who understood our skills, just stood idly in the name of keeping watch. ¡°This underground cave looks like a giant beast¡¯s nest.¡± ¡°Yes, it does. It¡¯s not that big, but it sure looks like one.¡± Talking about this reminded me of the fight with the giant beasts, when I had to blow up Arleo. It wasn¡¯t a good feeling, probably because I could have died if I hadn¡¯t done that. It¡¯s no wonder they look alike. This is probably one of the pathways of the giant beasts. Moreover, there are ruins of an ancient civilization nearby, so the situation is very similar. Feri, who was listening to us, explains. ¡°Wait, wait. Is it possible that there are giant beasts here too? ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible, but even if there are, they¡¯re probably only a few survivors and not something that would be a threat to Arleo-2.¡± Arleo-2 won¡¯t be killed by a small number, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because the image of giant beasts attacking in packs is stuck in my mind. ¡°Hey, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Jean calls out to me. I want to eat, but the thought that there might be giant beasts makes me a little nervous. Perhaps sensing my feelings, Feri¡¯s pseudo-body smiles and says, ¡°It¡¯s all right, sir. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the surroundings and let you know if anything happens. Please eat in peace.¡± It makes me feel better to hear that. Feri wouldn¡¯t miss the approach of a giant beast. I made my way to the table where the meal was being prepared. CH 354 We started to search the underground space to find the research facility of the ancient civilization. It¡¯s hard to search for something without a clue, but fortunately, Feri knows the coordinates and we searched for the path that leads to the place. There were countless holes of various sizes stretching out in all directions, making the search difficult. ¡°It¡¯s like a maze. I¡¯m not very good at this kind of thing¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nagisa is better at using her body than her brain.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t speak for others either, Yuta! You¡¯ve gotten red marks on a test once or twice, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fool, it just so happens that the mountain is off¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you study properly on a regular basis, you wouldn¡¯t be in that situation! In the first place, Yuta is¡­¡­¡­¡± Nagisa¡¯s small talk began. Damn¡­..it, I dug a grave. This is going to take a long time¡­¡­. What ended Nagisa¡¯s petulance were Feri¡¯s calculation results. ¡°It¡¯s funny¡­¡­no matter how we go, we¡¯ll never reach the coordinates we¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Is that so, Feri?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve analyzed all the routes we¡¯ve taken on the map, but none of them match.¡± ¡°So we can¡¯t go through this cave.¡± ¡°No, the cave extends around the coordinates, so it is unlikely that there is another entrance. The path to the laboratory may have been blocked by tectonic movement, or there may be a hidden passage.¡± ¡°That would be tricky¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go over the route again and see if I can find anything suspicious.¡± When Feri said that, she started to calculate something. It¡¯s up to Feri now, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. I hoped that she would somehow find a way out of this. ¡°Maybe the research facility has been moved.¡± ¡°Moved? How is that possible?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, so you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t know where the research facility is?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s predictable. There are signs that the research facility was heavily attacked from the ground. They may have moved deeper into the earth to escape it.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for a path to the coordinates, but I think there may be a route down there that leads to the facility.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.Can you deduce that, Feri?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve narrowed it down to a few candidates.¡± She is indeed a brilliant scholar. Among the routes that Feri had predicted, there was a path that led to the very bottom. We decided that it was the most suspicious, so we just kept going down that path. I reached a place so deep underground that I was sure it was the right route. It was a large wall of man-made structure, and I could clearly imagine that there was something there. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t see any entrance, just a wall.¡± As Kiyone had said, there was only a large wall standing in the way, and nothing that looked like an entrance. ¡°It looks like a seal has been applied. I¡¯ll see if I can break it.¡± With that, Feri walked out of Mirai in her pseudo-body. She then moved to the protruding part of the cylinder that was buried in the wall. ¡°It¡¯s okay, the seal is a simple one. It should be easy enough to remove.¡± After about five minutes of fiddling, Feri had unsealed the research facility. A streak of light appeared in the center of the large wall. As the light spread to the left and right, the wall cracked open, revealing a path leading ahead. ¡°I think the research facility is just up ahead but be careful. There may be a Guardian installed there.¡± There were Guardians in the ruins of the giant beast¡¯s nest. That thing is more powerful than a simple magicraft, and we should certainly be wary of it. CH 355 ¡°Oh, Yuki and Mary, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± The familiar face of the female scientist said in an unconcerned tone. ¡°Good to see you, too, Dr. Brule.¡± Mary returned the greeting, glaring at Dr. Brule with hatred in her eyes. You don¡¯t have to look so frightening. Your Ludia value has been enhanced by Rafishal¡¯s technology, right? I deserve to be thanked not hated.¡± ¡°How can you say that? Look at this! Look what they¡¯re doing to me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to put chains on ferocious livestock. If you want them off, you¡¯ll have to earn Master Rafishal¡¯s trust.¡± The moment I heard the word ¡°livestock,¡± a strange anger arose in me. I followed my emotions and slapped Dr. Brule on the cheek with my right hand as hard as I could. A dry clack sounded on the bridge. Dr. Brule glared at me while holding her cheek. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°I am Yuki, one of the Ten War Gods of the Elysian Empire. Do you understand what it means to insult the Ten War Gods who have become the symbol of Elysia, Dr. Brule? I don¡¯t think Rafishal will activate this red gem for you.¡± It was a well-known fact that the ten War Gods were second in rank only to Rafishal and the Emperor. Dr. Brule also understood this. No matter how meritorious she was for reviving Rafishal, and no matter that she was a member of the Messiah family, she could not bend that fact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Yuki.¡± Dr. Brule¡¯s attitude suddenly changed as if she understood the situation. ¡°And apologize to my precious second-in-command.¡± ¡°My apologies, Lady Mary¡­¡­.¡± She couldn¡¯t seem to say anything back to the system decided by Rafishal, whom she worshiped. Suppressing her feelings, she apologized. ¡°Well, good. Now, can you tell me more about the mission?¡± ¡°The mission is to resurrect two people.¡± ¡°Who are these people?¡± ¡°Legendary riders, two of the strongest in history.¡± I half-heard the story and checked the situation further. ¡°What is the purpose of reviving these legendary riders? Even now, the Elysian Empire has enough power.¡± ¡°Rafishal-sama is planning to fight against the world. No matter how much strength we have, it will never be enough.¡± It seems that there is no upper limit to how much power one can desire. I was already disgusted with the mission, but I went on. ¡°So, what is the reason we were called in as reinforcements?¡± ¡°There is an area in the ruins where countless runaway Guardians are running rampant, and we were unable to break through with our current forces.¡± ¡°So we just need to get rid of the Guardians?¡± I answered lightly, since I had some experience fighting Guardians. ¡°There are countless powerful Guardians, but with the power of the Ten War Gods, that should be easy.¡± Perhaps sarcastic, Dr. Brule says flatteringly. I nodded my head in agreement, not feeling particularly offended by her words. I wanted to get this over with right away and go home. I instructed my men to prepare for a sortie. No matter how powerful the Guardians were, I didn¡¯t have the slightest idea that Rose Needle, which was composed of Exlanders, would struggle. At the same time that the Rose Needle was going out with all its forces, the remaining forces of Scarfi were also going out. I didn¡¯t expect them to be much of a force, but I didn¡¯t reject the joint front because I knew they would have their own position. CH 356 With Dr. Brule¡¯s guidance, we marched into the area that was overrun by runaway Guardians. It was in a vast domed building that was part of the ruins, and we were told that we would have to pass through here to get to the two legendary riders. ¡°Yuki, there are more of them than I imagined. Let¡¯s draw them towards us and destroy them one by one.¡± As Mary said, there were indeed quite a few Guardians. At a cursory glance, there were probably 500 of them. And all of them were of a higher level and had the fighting power of an Exlander. Seeing this situation, I was convinced why even the Sword King was unable to handle them. For safety¡¯s sake, Mary¡¯s suggestion seemed like a good one, but it would take too much time. I gave Mary an alternative plan. ¡°I¡¯ll charge into the center single-handedly and destroy the Guardians. Mary, you will lead the men to draw them away and destroy them one by one.¡± ¡°Have you changed your personality a little, Yuki? Are you really that brave?¡± I felt a little nervous when she said that. I wonder if I¡¯ve changed my personality! ¡°It¡¯s a matter of efficiency. I don¡¯t really want to charge into the enemy, either.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the current Yuki won¡¯t lose to a few Guardians, but don¡¯t be too reckless.¡± I¡¯m thankful for my friend who genuinely cares for me even though I¡¯m stronger. I felt no fear as I faced the myriad of Guardians. This was because I was aware of the difference in power. The power of an Exlander would not be enough against me now. The color of the Guardians¡¯ eyes changed from blue to red when they saw Elvira Kai figure. Then they all attacked me at once. I pierce the first Guardian that jumps at me with my rapier. The pierced guardian is consumed by the black mist that spreads from the damaged area and disperses. The power of the Black Mist, the dark magic strike of Elvira Kai, is immense. With just a small scratch, it will rapidly corrode and destroy the opponent. Three more Guardians attacked me but I evaded their attacks with a high-speed step and attacked all three at the same time with a series of thrusts, piercing them down. The runaway Guardians are emotionless and fearless. Even after their comrades were defeated, they pounced on me one after another, trying to destroy the Elvira Kai with their claws and razor-sharp fangs. I don¡¯t like to imagine it, but before I was strengthened by Nitro Ludia, I would have been easily killed by the first attack. The Guardians are powerful but in front of the current Elvira Kai their movements seem to be in slow motion and I can easily avoid them. The Guardians posed no threat to me and I could easily destroy them with a strike of my rapier. Mary and her men must have gained tremendous enhancements, but it still doesn¡¯t seem to be easy to deal with the higher level Guardians. They are using their coordination to destroy them little by little. One-on-one seems to be a disadvantage, and the subordinates who let their guard down received painful wounds from the Guardians. Scarfi¡¯s troops seemed to have received Nitro Ludia, but they didn¡¯t seem to be elite and weren¡¯t doing well against the Guardians at all. There was only Scarfi struggling and the rest were a complete liability. Looking at the battles other than mine, I suddenly thought¡­¡­How much stronger have I become?¡­¡­They say that Scarfi is one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters, but the current me can kill him instantly. No, I feel like I can fight all the forces here, including the Guardians, and still win. Thinking about it made me feel scared for no reason. It was not fear of my own strength, but of the thought that made me think that way. I¡¯m intoxicated by my own strength¡­¡­. CH 357 The research facility was bigger than we had expected. According to the information Feri had obtained from the database of ancient civilizations, the research facility was divided into several levels, and it seemed that the advanced astral medical facility we were looking for was on the lowest level. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to get to the bottom in one day.¡± Jean said with a disgusted look on his face as he looked at the map that had been created based on the information Feri had obtained. ¡°It¡¯s going to take some time for sure, but now that we¡¯re here, it¡¯ll be easier to just keep going.¡± The map clearly shows the route to the lowest level, and I thought it would be easy to just follow this route. ¡°This is the remains of an ancient civilization, so it¡¯s not going to be easy. What if the guardians and giant beasts come out again in droves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Yuta. What will you do if you have to blow yourself up again?¡± Jean and Linnecarlo, who had experienced battles in the ruins, knew how scary Guardians and giant beasts could be, so they didn¡¯t let their guard down. Nagisa and Kiyone, on the other hand, were experiencing it for the first time, so they were only curious. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about them for a while now, but are there really giant beasts? I thought they were just a myth made up by people in the past¡­¡­.¡± To Kiyone, giant beasts seemed to be nothing more than monsters from fairy tales. ¡°How big are they?¡± ¡°They vary in size. The biggest one was the size of a building¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No way! It¡¯s that big! Wow, I want to see it!¡± ¡°Idiot, they¡¯re bigger than a magicraft. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll be swallowed whole!¡± ¡°What! Giant beasts eat magicrafts?¡± ¡°They eat everything. They¡¯re hard and powerful, and they¡¯re more trouble than enemy magicrafts, so it¡¯s best not to encounter them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised Yuta would say something so cautious¡­¡­.¡± Jean gave his own explanation to Nagisa¡¯s surprise. ¡°Both Yuta and Linnecarlo went through a lot of pain back then. Even if you¡¯re a single celled person, you¡¯ll learn when you gain experience with a certain amount of pain.¡± It¡¯s a horrible thing to say, but it¡¯s right on the money and I can¡¯t argue with it. We followed Feri map. It was supposed to be an incredibly old facility, but it didn¡¯t look too decayed and even looked like it had been used by people a while ago. I asked Feri about the building, as it was so unnaturally well maintained. ¡°The buildings are beautiful for ruins. Is there a reason for this?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because the automatic repair magic is still in effect, scanning the building periodically and repairing the damaged parts.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a thing.¡± ¡°Activating the¡­¡­automatic repair magic also requires energy. If you think about it normally, the ether should have been depleted by now¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not a place with that much ether concentration, and I think it would be difficult to maintain a facility of this size.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s not the case that the ancients survived and are still here.¡± Jean, who had been listening to Feri and me, interrupted us. ¡°I¡¯m not saying there¡¯s no possibility, because there are people around us who have been living without a care in the world since the time of ancient civilizations.¡± ¡°Rafishal is special, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s special, but that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t others who are special.¡± Is it possible that ancient civilizations live here? I wouldn¡¯t want them to show up as enemies, but if they¡¯re friendly, it could be interesting to see them. CH 358 The research facility was so huge that it was no problem to move around in Mirai. We made our way down a large corridor to the bottom level. ¡°Wait a minute, what¡¯s that?¡± Jean noticed something and brought Mirai to a halt. He saw that a large white cocoon was attached to a pillar in the center of the large floor. ¡°It resembles an insect cocoon, but there is no such thing as an insect of that size. I¡¯ve scanned it, but it¡¯s an unknown substance that doesn¡¯t match any data I have in my database.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what kind of things Feri doesn¡¯t know¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t even imagine what Feri, who knows ten thousand times more than I do, doesn¡¯t know. Thinking about it, I started to get scared. ¡°The thought of an insect of that size breaking through its cocoon and coming out gives me the creeps.¡± ¡°Stop imagining things, Nagisa!¡± Nagisa and Linnecarlo usually show their courage, but conversations like this remind me that they are just ordinary girls. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t you think it would be better if we left here as soon as possible?¡± As Kiyone had said, there was no advantage to staying here. We hurriedly tried to get out of this creepy area. But just as we were about to pass by the cocoons, we felt a heavy thud. ¡°Geez! What the hell! What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s tangling with the Mirai¡¯s hull. It¡¯s quite powerful and will be dangerous if it continues.¡± ¡°What the hell? We¡¯ve got to get Mirai out of here before it gets twisted to pieces!¡± Me, Nagisa, Kiyone, and Linnecarlo hurriedly got into our magicrafts and immediately set off. From the outside, I could see the situation. Something like a white thread extending from a cocoon was entangled in the hull of the Mirai. It couldn¡¯t have been an accident since it looked like an attack with hostile intent. ¡°Is the cocoon alive?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.We¡¯re fighting that thing?¡± ¡°Give me a break¡­¡­.¡± The white thread that moves like a squishy tentacle gives me a strange sense of discomfort. ¡°Let¡¯s just deal with the white thread for now!¡± If we don¡¯t hurry, Mirai will be crushed. First, I tried to slash at the white thread extending from the cocoon with my sword. However, it was tougher than I expected and could not be cut with a single blow. After many slashes, I finally succeeded in cutting it. Soon, however, new threads grew out of the cocoon. Their numbers increased and they became more troublesome. All four of us fought off the increasing number of white threads, but they kept coming back in greater numbers. ¡°No! There¡¯ll be no end to this if we don¡¯t do something about the cocoon!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll slaughter it with my four-element cannon!¡± Linnecarlo says, and floats up but Jean stops her. ¡°No! Linnecarlo! If you use the four-element cannon in a place like this, the ruins might collapse and bury us alive!¡± There was definitely a danger of that. Even though the research facility was large, it was not large enough to unleash the four-element cannon. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the cocoon. Linnecarlo and the others, protect Mirai from the white threads.¡± I didn¡¯t have any specific countermeasures in mind, but I intuitively knew that Arleo-2¡¯s firepower could handle it. As I approached the cocoon, a number of white threads attacked me, as if they sensed danger. I knew it would be troublesome if I got tangled up in them, so I avoided them by using my sword. Arleo-2¡¯s mobility exceeded the attack speed of the white threads so I was able to avoid them all and approach the cocoon. As soon as I was in range, I launched a magic light bomb. Countless balls of light were shot out at high speed and hit the cocoon. Even though all of the light bullets, which were powerful enough to penetrate the armor of a magicrafts, hit the cocoon, it did not seem to be destroyed. I hadn¡¯t expected to end it with the magic bullet attack, but I was a little impatient when it was so ineffective. CH 359 As I approached the cocoon, the attack of the white threads intensified. They attacked from every direction, trying to catch Arleo-2. I avoided them in a zigzag pattern so that they would not be able to predict my movements, and approached the cocoon further. This is an opponent against whom magic bullets will not work so I entered Ludia concentration mode. As my concentration increases, the shape of my sword changes, it becomes larger and sharper, and a blue light envelops the blade. I slash at the cocoon with my sword, which has been strengthened by Ludia concentration. The mass of white threads covering the cocoon was cut and even the white threads, which are strong enough to repel magic bullets, were unable to stop the slash of Arleo-2¡¯s sword. ¡°Yuta! Watch out! Something¡¯s moving!¡± Nagisa warns loudly when she sees the inside of the torn cocoon. I peeked inside, wary. It was pitch black and I couldn¡¯t see very well, but I noticed that something was lurking in the form of a number of small red lights. After I cut through the cocoon, the white thread stopped attacking me instead, the cocoon began to act strangely. The cocoon began to expand, making a creaking sound, as if the expansion had reached its limit. The thing that had been lurking inside the¡­¡­cocoon finally came into view. The hole in the cocoon grew to more than half of the total size, and a black entity crawled out to break through the cocoon. ¡°Aah!¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s uglier than I imagined¡­¡­.¡± When Nagisa and Linnecarlo saw the thing that appeared, they showed a strong reaction of rejection while Kiyone calmly stared at it. Lurking in the cocoon was a spider-like monster, moving its countless legs uncomfortably, and its head, which was small in relation to its body, had countless red eyes that shone eerily. In addition to such an uncanny appearance it had a body that was bigger than a magicraft. It was no wonder that Nagisa and Linnecarlo freaked out. ¡°What the hell is that? Is it a giant beast?¡± I thought it was a new kind of giant beast, as Jean had said but Feri denied it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t match the data on the giant beasts. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s completely different¡­¡­.No way¡­¡­.it¡¯s a giant beast weapon! If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t be careless. Yuta, I recommend that you do everything in your power to destroy it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a giant beast weapon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster created by a scientist from the ancient civilizations in an attempt to convert giant beasts into weapons. I know this place was originally a research facility for giant beast weapons, but I heard that all giant beast weapons have been destroyed¡­¡­.I didn¡¯t expect there to be any survivors.¡± ¡°Weaponizing giant beasts! Sounds like a bad idea.¡± The giant beast weapon approached Kiyone¡¯s Kiku-Ichimonji at an incredibly fast pace. Kiyone reacted to the incredible speed of the weapon and raised her sword. There was a high-pitched click, and Kiyone¡¯s sword was flicked back. It was surprising that Kiyone¡¯s sword, which could cut through even an Exlander machine, was repelled. The giant beast weapon hit Kiku Ichimonji with its body and knocked him down. It then covered him up and tried to bite his neck with the two nipper-like fangs on his head. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Nagisa, who was close to Kiyone, immediately moved. Even though she was intimidated by its appearance, she was a martial artist. She overcame her fear and slammed her fist into the giant beast weapon. The punch was so powerful that I could see the circular wave motion, and it was powerful enough to pull the giant beast weapon off Kiku Ichimonji. Diatena fist blew the giant beast weapon away and at the same time a thunderous magical strike was shot from Viktor towards the rolling giant beast weapon. ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± Given the strength of the attack I didn¡¯t think it would end there so I closed the gap between me and the huge beast weapon that had been struck by the lightning in order to attack it further. ¡°This is the end!¡± Arleo-2¡¯s sword sliced through the beast¡¯s weapon and the giant beast weapon, which had been split in half, undulated for a while, then stopped its activities. CH 360 With the main body defeated, the cocoon dried up as if it had lost its power. We should be able to pass through here safely now. ¡°A nasty piece of beast weaponry.¡± Jean said from Mirai¡¯s bridge, looking at the dried up cocoon. ¡°I wonder why they decided to weaponize the giant beasts. Didn¡¯t they cause so much pain?¡± I asked, and Feri¡¯s pseudo-body paused heavily before saying, ¡°Humans are truly foolish creatures. Once the giant beasts were sealed away, the machines that were made to fight them were used to fight the same humans. Whenever a conflict broke out, they would even use the giant beasts they had sealed themselves to gain more power than their opponents. It¡¯s a ridiculous world.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the enemies are giant beasts or people. As long as you can become stronger than those who disagree with you or who you think are in your way, that¡¯s all that matters, right?¡± Jean, perhaps well aware of the foolish side of people, said this in a throwback manner in sympathy with Feri¡¯s words. ¡°If we fight each other like that, in the end there will be no one left, friend or foe.¡± ¡°A sharp opinion for Yuta but that¡¯s how ancient civilizations declined. The collision of great powers will only result in annihilation.¡± I guess the reason for the decline of ancient civilizations that had great technology is because of that great technology. We¡¯ve defeated the giant beast weapon and we¡¯re moving on, but if I think about it, it doesn¡¯t mean that the safety of this research facility has been secured. No, on the contrary, now that we know that this facility was originally researching something as dangerous as a giant beast weapon, the possibility of something more dangerous happening in the future has increased. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea as I did, and became more alert. In order to be able to react quickly to danger, we decided to take turns waiting in our magicrafts, and we also decided on a watch duty. We didn¡¯t know what was waiting for us in the future so we decided to take a rest when we could, and after checking the safety of our surroundings, we decided to take a short break. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a good night¡¯s rest when you realize that there might be other giant beast weapons out there.¡± Linnecarlo said, but she was relaxing, drinking fruit water and reading a magazine. ¡°Lately, there¡¯s nothing but war everywhere. Hasn¡¯t the war between the Valkyria-Lubel Alliance and the Amurian Union been reported yet?¡± Jean was reading a magazine and muttering to himself. ¡°What¡¯s in that thing you¡¯re reading so much?¡± Jean had bought a lot of books before he left the Kingdom of Lubel. He¡¯s a studious guy, so in his spare time he reads some books, especially the magazine with the flaming bird on the cover that he¡¯s reading now. ¡°This is a magazine that summarizes what¡¯s going on on this continent. There are other magazines, but this one published by Radle Publishing is the fastest.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I guess it¡¯s like a weekly magazine on Earth. So, what kinds of articles are in it?¡± ¡°Well, the front page article features the Ten War Gods of the Elysian Empire. Apparently, a bunch of monsters with hundreds of thousands Ludia value have been appointed.¡± ¡°Hundreds of thousands! That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Well, now it¡¯s clear, Yuta, that even among the Ludia values inflated by the Nitro Ludia technology, you¡¯ve turned out to be extraordinarily awesome.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The riders of the Elysian Empire are among the best on the continent but compared to you they¡¯re still way weaker.¡± Well, I don¡¯t really feel it, but if Jean says so, I guess it¡¯s true. Jean started to introduce the Ten War Gods, but I wasn¡¯t really interested, so I didn¡¯t listen and went to the cafeteria to get a drink. CH 361 After a short rest, we set off for the lowest level. From the level where the cocoon was located, we proceeded further down through a passage that led to the bottom. The pathway, made of an indeterminate material such as metal or stone, spiraled downward gently. After a while, the spiral passage ended and we came to a large floor. Jean, who was looking ahead while piloting Mirai, spotted something again and complained. ¡°There¡¯s another weird one.¡± What Jean found were countless large cylinders, arranged in an orderly fashion on a large floor. It was obviously an unnatural object, but it didn¡¯t look like a giant beast weapon, but rather an object of art. However, the identity of the cylinders seemed to be in Feri¡¯s database, and the answer came quickly. ¡°It¡¯s a defense mechanism for the research facility. It¡¯s a type of Guardian with high offensive capabilities.¡± ¡°A Guardian with high offensive capabilities¡­¡­.Another nasty one.¡± ¡°What should we do, should we all go out and destroy it?¡± Kiyone¡¯s suggestion was very simple and straightforward, but Jean didn¡¯t seem to think it was the best choice. ¡°No, wait. It hasn¡¯t shown any signs of attacking us yet. Maybe it¡¯s broken? If we attack, it might start moving.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that it¡¯s broken, since the facility¡¯s automatic repair function is still active. The fact that it hasn¡¯t moved yet could simply mean that we haven¡¯t entered its defensive line yet, or that it¡¯s still identifying us.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not safe for us to stay here. Let¡¯s move back a bit and figure out what to do.¡± Jean said and tried to make Mirai retreat, but the gate, which had been open until a moment ago, had closed before we knew it. ¡°What the hell! When did it close?¡± Jean hurriedly brought Mirai, who had been retreating, to a halt. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the pillar!¡± Nagisa¡¯s words caused everyone to look at the Guardian. The Guardian¡¯s pattern on the column was glowing red. ¡°It seems that the Guardian has been activated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ¡­¡­ trap! He wanted to lock us in here.¡± ¡°No, the Guardian¡¯s thoughts are only executed with defense as the top priority. They will not choose to make sure that the other party will not escape like this.¡± ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°This research facility may be under the control of someone else.¡± ¡°You mean there are survivors of the ancient civilization?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not very friendly to us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to be smooth, is it? Well, it¡¯s no use thinking about an invisible enemy right now. First we have to deal with that thing in front of us. Okay, everyone, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s annihilate the Guardian!¡± This is what happens in the end, right? We boarded our magicrafts and immediately set off. The number of Guardians was close to 100. I can¡¯t imagine what kind of attack they would do with their pillar-like appearance. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s safe to rush in¡­¡­. ¡°The Pillar Guardian¡¯s main weapon is the lightning magic strike. It has a range of about 30 meters and is powerful enough to deal a fatal blow to an Exlander-class magicraft.¡± Feri, who completely saw through my thoughts, gave me the information I needed. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s dangerous to approach carelessly. Especially with the Quadruple Highlander¡¯s Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji, it wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even a single blow. ¡°Kiyone, the Pillar Guardian¡¯s attack is going to be dangerous, so just stay back and let us handle this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem. No matter how powerful the attack is, I just have to avoid hitting it.¡± It¡¯s true that Kiyone would avoid all of this, but it would be a bit frustrating to watch¡­¡­. CH 362 The pillar guardians are placed about 10 meters apart. Their movement is slow and we have an overwhelming advantage in maneuverability, but they have a range of about 30 meters, which means that we can¡¯t attack them unless we¡¯re in the range of multiple Guardians at the same time. My Arleo-2 and Linnecarlo¡¯s Viktor have long range attacks, but Nagisa¡¯s Diatena and Kiyone¡¯s Kiku-Ichimonji, which are close combat types, don¡¯t have that means, so they really need to get close. The two of them should have understood that they would be in range of several Guardians at the same time, but without hesitation, they headed towards the pillar Guardians. When I approached roughly 30 meters away, as Feri had said, the pillar guardian reacted. It flashed, and the entire pillar lit up, emitting a blinding lightning bolt. Nagisa¡¯s Diatena bounced back the chattering, painful thunderbolt with a glowing fist and approached the pillar guardians. After entering the range of the guardians they started firing concentrating lightning bolts at her. Diatena, unconcerned about this, struck the thunderbolts away with her fist as if she was swatting insects. As she approached the pillar guardian, Diatena slammed her fist into the pillar. The powerful thrust of her fist shattered the pillar guardian as easily as if she had struck a ceramic pot. Kiyone followed Nagisa and approached the pillar guardian. Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji was indeed not strong enough to imitate Nagisa¡¯s Diatena. I was worried about what she would do, but there was no need to worry about that. When Kiyone sensed the Pillar Guardian¡¯s attack, she read the trajectory of the attack and quickly evaded it. Kiyone¡¯s evasive maneuvers were perfect, as if she knew every move ahead of time. It was as if she had eyes in the back of her head, and the way she reacted to attacks from blind spots was almost divine. I¡¯m not sure if even a barrage of Arleo-2¡¯s magic light bullets would hit her. Kiyone used her speed and managed to cut a Pillar Guardian. It was as if she had slashed it with a lump of straw, cutting it in two diagonally. Later, Feri told me that the strength of the Pillar Guardian far exceeds that of the Kiku Ichimonji sword, and that it was usually difficult for it to even scratch it. It is the power of the technique that made it so easy to do so. Linnecarlo doesn¡¯t seem to think about avoiding or blocking the attacks. She countered lightning strike with lightning strike and hit the Pillar Guardians with her own lighting strike. The Guardians were charred black by the intense discharge. Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning strike was not half bad. She created more lightning balls and shot them all at the Pillar Guardians at once. They tried to shoot them down with thunderbolts, but Linnecarlo¡¯s thunderbolts seemed to be much more massive and none of them could be blocked so all the thunderbolts hit the guardians. Many of the pillar Guardians ceased to function, emitting a loud cracking sound I had planned to use long-range attacks, but when I saw Nagisa and Kiyone¡¯s movements, I changed my mind. I rushed at the guardians like them and tried to avoid the attacks like Kiku Ichimonji but I couldn¡¯t do the same, and I was hit by at least one out of every two shots. However thanks to Arleo-2 armor I felt like I took no damage. Relying on my strong armor, I approached forcibly and slashed at the Pillar Guardian. It¡¯s not as clean as Kiyone¡¯s, but I shattered the guardian with my sword. All the pillars were cleared in a few minutes and Feri was surprised by this. ¡°I knew we wouldn¡¯t lose, but I¡¯m surprised we got rid of them so quickly.¡± It seems that we¡¯ve surpassed Feri¡¯s analysis of our strength. I guess the fact that we were able to move beyond the capabilities of the magicrafts is proof that we are growing as riders. CH 363 The research facility was much more spacious than we had imagined, and it looked like we would be able to complete the treatment of Emitz and the others before we reached the lowest level. ¡°It¡¯s time for Emitz to wake up. The treatment was supposed to be completed after everything was over, so it¡¯s a bit tricky to handle.¡± Jean looked at his watch and said with a slightly troubled expression. ¡°What difference does it make if Emitz is asleep or awake?¡± ¡°You idiot, you¡¯re forgetting that Emitz is from an enemy country, and now we¡¯re going to reanimate dead people. If the Kingdom of Lubel were to find out that such technology existed, it might even start a new conflict.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just tell him to shut up and he¡¯ll keep it to himself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that Emitz is an elite soldier. How can a soldier fail to report to the military?¡± ¡°Military or not, he¡¯s a good guy. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll keep his word.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a real softy, aren¡¯t you? Well, if you¡¯re going that far, I¡¯m not going to say anything else, but be prepared for a certain amount of trouble.¡± Jean is a worrier but I think it¡¯ll be okay. A panel on the medical capsule signals the end of the treatment. Feri¡¯s pseudo body approached the capsule and operated it. I tried to get closer too, but Nagisa and Linnecarlo stopped me. ¡°You can¡¯t get any closer, Yuta! In fact, get out of the room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Emitz is not wearing anything, so the boys must leave the room.¡± Even though he abandoned his woman side, it doesn¡¯t mean that his body changed. It would be better to leave the room here as they had said. I walked out of the room and after a few moments of silence, I was allowed to enter. I walked in and found Emitz sitting in a chair, dressed in what looked like a nightgown. ¡°I¡¯ve caused the death of so many of my men by my leadership, and yet I¡¯ve survived with impunity.¡± He said with a sad expression on his face. It was typical of Emitz, but it would be hard for him to continue living with such feelings so I said, ¡°It¡¯s not that Emitz¡¯s leadership was bad. It¡¯s just that a lot of things went in the wrong direction.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Emitz doesn¡¯t have to take all the blame.¡± Nagisa also continued with my words and Linnecarlo also patted Emitz on the shoulder and told him something. Emitz must have felt something, because her expression became distorted and she began to cry profusely. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were tears of apology for her dead subordinates or tears for our concern, but after she stopped crying, she returned to the dignified appearance of an elite soldier. In addition, the treatment of another survivor was completed. That person was also a woman, and I was once again removed from the room. The female survivor, a rider named Mirti Kazaf, was a mid-level rider and a troop leader. ¡°Captain Emitz! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad Lieutenant Mirti is okay too.¡± Emitz and Mirti salute each other and rejoice for each other¡¯s safety. Emitz seemed to be really happy that Mirti was still alive, as he thought everyone else was dead. ¡°I¡¯d like to send you to a Lubel military base right away, but our business isn¡¯t finished yet. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to stay with us a little longer.¡± Jean told Emitz and the others about the situation in a straightforward manner. ¡°I have no objection.¡± They also offered to help and this would make the watch rotation much easier. CH 364 With the addition of Emitz and Mirti, the meals became a little livelier. We were worried that we might run out of food because of them, but Mirai was loaded with enough food, so there was no problem with two more people. ¡°We¡¯ll just have what you can spare.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I told you we have enough food. Don¡¯t be afraid to eat.¡± Surprised that his meal was on the same menu as ours, Emitz said so with reserve, but we really weren¡¯t in trouble, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about it. Nagisa and Kiyone called out to them not to be shy, and the two of them put their hands on their food with trepidation. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had something this good.¡± Emitz must have meant what he said, because he didn¡¯t seem to be able to act very well. Well, it¡¯s true that this stewed soup that Jean makes, full of spices similar to curry, is quite delicious. It¡¯s one of my favorite dishes, too. ¡°There will be plenty of refills, so keep eating.¡± Jean seemed to be in a good mood. After finishing the meal, I listened to Emitz and Miltie¡¯s story over a cup of tea. I had heard some of Emitz¡¯s personal story, so I knew about him, but I was surprised to hear that he was from a famous warlord noble family in the Kingdom of Lubel. Mirti said she was from a regular family but because she was a half-raider, the military took her away and she was able to enter a military school. Normally, ordinary citizens aren¡¯t even given the opportunity to learn, but it seems that those with a high Ludia value are given preferential treatment in these areas. ¡°So Yuta is from Earth? That¡¯s why he¡¯s so strong, isn¡¯t it?¡± When I told him that I had been transferred from Earth, Emitz showed interest in me. ¡°The way you say it, it sounds like you know some Earthlings. Are there any Earthlings in the Kingdom of Lubel?¡± ¡°We have dozens of them in the military alone. They are all powerful riders and are very dependable.¡± ¡°Some of my acquaintances were sold at an auction at the same time as me so I wonder if they ended up in the Kingdom of Lubel.¡± I was ashamed to admit that I didn¡¯t remember much about the auction at that time. I was quite upset because I was made fun of for having a Ludia value of 2, and I didn¡¯t have any detailed information in my head. So I didn¡¯t keep track of who was being bought and by whom. ¡°When you say you know them, do you mean they¡¯re close in age?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re all the same age.¡± After I said that, I remembered Professor Minami, but I didn¡¯t dare correct him. Emitz thought about it for a while and then answered. ¡°There is one person. Haruma Sakaki. Do you know him?¡± ¡°Whoa! Haruma is in the Kingdom of Lubel? Yes, he¡¯s a classmate of mine. Is Haruma doing well?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him directly, but he was appointed as a high-ranking official in the Science and Technology Department at such a young age, and he¡¯s also an accomplished rider, so I guess you could say he¡¯s sailing smoothly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. The Science and Technology Department¡­¡­seems like a difficult place to be. Well, that guy was smart, so I guess he¡¯s doing well.¡± We have been at war with the Kingdom of Lubel. Does that mean that maybe we fought Haruma as well¡­¡­The thought of that made me feel a little uneasy. I was horrified to think of¡­¡­my classmates in this way. CH 365 We proceeded through a narrow passage that Mirai could just barely fit through, aiming for the lowest level of the research facility. Up to this point, things had gone smoothly without any interference from the Guardians or the giant beast weapons, but a major obstacle appeared on the next level. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not going to make it through here.¡± Jean decided this because the route was blocked by a thick-looking door. ¡°Feri, can¡¯t you open it?¡± In times like these, it is up to Feri who is familiar with the technology of ancient civilizations. ¡°This looks like a door, but it¡¯s actually just a wall that can¡¯t be opened or closed.¡± ¡°Whoever made this must have a pretty bad personality.¡± Linnecarlo said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something to get through here, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°The map shows that we can go through here, so there is a good chance that the route continues beyond the wall.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s break down the wall and move on.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I¡¯ve done the calculations, and there¡¯s a very high probability that this floor will collapse if the attack is enough to destroy that wall. It seems to have been made for that purpose.¡± ¡°It seems they¡¯re as smart as they are crooked. Feri, is there any detour route?¡± ¡°I think the closest route won¡¯t be too much of a detour.¡± ¡°Then take the most roundabout route you can find. Let¡¯s go that way.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what Jean was saying, so I asked him to explain. ¡°Jean. It¡¯s not that far of a detour if it¡¯s the closest route, so why are we taking the furthest route?¡± ¡°Think about it. Why do you think they walled this off? It¡¯s because they want us to take a different route, right? If you think about it, it¡¯s inevitable that there are traps on that other route. The other party will probably assume that you will bypass the closer route from here, so don¡¯t you think that the farther route is safer?¡± ¡°Where did you get that idea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that there are traps on the longest route, but it¡¯s better to choose the safest route possible.¡± Not only me, but even Feri was impressed with Jean¡¯s thinking. ¡°It seems that Jean has a natural talent for reading people¡¯s thoughts. Rafishal and I were never good at psychology, so I¡¯m honestly impressed.¡± Even though Feri praised him, Jean didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood. Maybe he doesn¡¯t care about his natural talent. As Jean had suggested, we took the longest route to the lowest level. After careful consideration, Feri chose a route that was quite complicated, climbing up and down. I don¡¯t think the other side would have expected that we would go through such a complicated route. There were no obstructions or traps, and we were making good progress. However, such smoothness did not last long. An unexpected situation soon appeared. ¡°I thought we¡¯d be lucky if we made it all the way to the bottom, but I guess we¡¯re not so lucky.¡± Jean said, but he didn¡¯t seem too discouraged, as if he had decided that nothing would go wrong. ¡°The route is submerged. Mirai can¡¯t go underwater, what should we do?¡± Kiyone asked Jean. One part of the large floor was a puddle of water, like a pond, blocking the way to the lower levels. Unlike Fugaku and Musashi, the ride-hover Mirai doesn¡¯t seem to have the ability to move through water, so we can¡¯t go on. CH 366 We had a brief discussion about what to do about the situation where we were unable to proceed due to puddles. ¡°We¡¯ll have to go through another route, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Surely that¡¯s the only way¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s a trap, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to destroy any trap we come across.¡± ¡°Looking at the clever tactics such as the wall that looked like a door and Guardians ambush I think the people who live here are tricky opponents. If it¡¯s a head-to-head fight, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll lose, but if there are unexpected traps, we might get hurt.¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯d lose in a fight, as Kiyone said, but it would be tricky if there was a hell of a trap set up. But if we can¡¯t get through, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve been reviewing the map of the area around here, and I think I may be able to remove some of the water from this puddle.¡± Feri unexpectedly gave me some new information. ¡°How do we do that?¡± ¡°I think we can break down the wall at the end of the puddle and let the water flow into the lower levels.¡± ¡°What kind of wall is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relatively thin wall, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that idea! I want Yuta and Nagisa to go into the puddle and destroy that wall. Linnecarlo and Kiyone go out and keep an eye on the area in case something happens.¡± It was Jean¡¯s decision to remove the water from the puddle. We boarded our magicrafts and set off. Kiyone and Linnecarlo took care of the surrounding area, while Nagisa and I went into the puddle. ¡°The water is so clear. Where does this water come from?¡± As Nagisa said, the quality of the water was surprisingly good, and we could see well into the distance. It¡¯s certainly strange that such clean water should be stored in a man-made facility. ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that a water pipe has burst?¡± ¡°How can a burst pipe cause such a large pool of water?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s all I can think of.¡± As I was guessing, Feri gave me the answer. ¡°There are signs that water was deliberately poured from the underground veins. It may have been done to reduce the routes to the lowest level.¡± ¡°I see. So this is also the work of the inhabitants of this place.¡± Even in the midst of the puddle, the magic light was shining brightly in the area. The light was so bright that we didn¡¯t get lost and reached the wall we were looking for. However, at that moment, Feri shouted a warning. ¡°Yuta, there¡¯s an irregular change in the water flow! Please be careful!¡¡Something is approaching!¡± Immediately after that warning, I felt a strong shock. It seemed that something had hit Arleo-2. ¡°Ggh! What the hell! Where¡¯s the enemy?¡± I quickly checked, but I couldn¡¯t catch sight of the enemy, who was probably moving at an astonishing speed. ¡°Yuta! Up here!¡± Nagisa told me as I looked anxiously for the enemy. When I turned to look, I saw that something huge, with the appearance of a tuna, was swimming at great speed. ¡°A fish?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a beast weapon probably created from a giant beast that specializes in underwater activities.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope there aren¡¯t others like it.¡± ¡°Be careful, Yuta. He moves a lot faster in the water than Arleo-2 and Diatena.¡± Indeed, no matter how versatile the Arleo-2 is, its movements are limited underwater. In comparison, a fish beast weapon that looks like it exists only to operate in the water has a great advantage over us. CH 367 Feri told me that I should not use powerful magic shots such as the four elements cannon underwater. The reason for this was due to attribute repulsion, but I didn¡¯t understand it. At any rate, she reminded me not to use them because it would become dangerous. ¡°Nagisa, I¡¯ll serve as bait, you attack from the blind spot!¡± We¡¯re losing in maneuverability underwater, but fortunately there are two of us here. We decided to make up for our mobility by working together. I held up my sword to provoke the fish beast weapon. It may not be very intelligent, but it was easily taken in by my challenge and came at me with great speed. The strong Arleo-2 would not be fatally injured even if it was to take a serious charge, but I guarded with both arms just in case. The fish-giant weapon hit Arleo-2, and I feel a considerable impact. However, as expected of the sturdy Arleo-2, the damage does not seem to be too great. The fact that it rushed and collided with Arleo-2 caused the fish-giant weapon to temporarily stop moving. Nagisa took aim at it and attacked with her sword and pierced the gills of the fish beast weapon. I¡¯m not sure if it has a sense of pain, but the fish-giant weapon tried to pull out the sword. I firmly grabbed the head of the fish-giant weapon and stopped it from moving. Nagisa then pulled out her sword and sliced the fish beast weapon in half. ¡°That took care of it.¡± ¡°It was quick, but not very strong.¡± Nagisa evaluated the fish beast weapon but Feri¡¯s words drowned out our enthusiasm. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet! Multiple readings are approaching!¡± ¡°What? How many?¡± ¡°Hundreds of responses!¡± Give me a break¡­¡­.It¡¯s tough to deal with that many. ¡°Yuta, let¡¯s break down the wall! If the water is drained, there¡¯s nothing those fishes can do!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Okay, I¡¯ll attract the fish beast weapons, while you destroy the wall!¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try.¡± Just as Feri had said, a swarm of fish beast weapons swam towards us from the back. One of them wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but if that many attacked us, it might be a bit dangerous. ¡°Feri, how long would it take Nagisa to destroy the wall?¡± ¡°Even without the use of powerful magic strikes, with Diatena¡¯s attack power, she should be able to destroy it in about two minutes.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s buy some time until then!¡± I think I can handle two minutes. I focused my attention so that the fish beast weapons would not go toward Nagisa. Seeing the group of fish beast weapons, I naturally entered Ludia concentration mode. I shut off all information from my senses and tried to feel the enemy¡¯s attack with my body. I¡¯ve already seen and understood the movements of the fish beast weapons earlier so I readied my sword and prepared to attack. I could feel the water around Arleo-2 moving violently and see that the swarm of fish beast weapons was coming at me at once. From the shaking of the water, I predicted the trajectory of the fish beast weapons assault and avoided them. I didn¡¯t receive any impact, so it seemed that I had successfully avoided them. I avoided another series of attacks with minimal movement but I was unable to respond to the next one that came without pause. I was hit in the back, and received a strong impact. ¡°Damn it, I missed.¡± They continued to charge at me with no time to rest. I was able to avoid about 80% of them, but the remaining 20% were direct hits. I was getting more and more annoyed with the impact of each hit. Frustrated, I swung my sword at one of the fish beast weapons just as it was about to charge, and sliced it in half. However, the situation would not change even if I cut one of them. On the contrary, it seemed they were angry that their comrade had been killed, and their attacks became more intense. CH 368 No matter how strong Arleo-2 is, receiving such powerful blows over and over again is likely to damage it so I avoided the attacks as much as possible and bought some time by fighting back with my sword. ¡°Nagisa, are you done?¡± ¡°This wall is harder than I thought! It¡¯s going to take a little longer!¡± It seems that Diatena can¡¯t move as well as she would like in the water and has a hard time breaking down the wall. Furthermore, I don¡¯t know if it was because of this exchange, but the fish beast weapons noticed Nagisa and about half of them headed towards her. ¡°They¡¯re coming your way, Nagisa!¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not good!¡± ¡°I¡¯m in trouble and there¡¯s nothing I can do! You have to deal with them!¡± At this rate, I¡¯ll be beaten to a pulp by this pack of fish beast weapons before Nagisa breaks the wall. I had no choice but to call for help from Jean and the others who were waiting above. ¡°Jean, I¡¯m having a bit of a hard time! I¡¯m sorry, but I need someone to help me!¡± ¡°What could possibly make Yuta and Nagisa struggle?¡± ¡°A huge pack of giant beast weapons.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, did you hear what I said? Sorry, but you have to go help Yuta.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. If I had gone instead of Nagisa from the beginning, none of this would have happened.¡± Hearing the name Linnecarlo made me think of a strategy. Water conducts electricity well¡­¡­ ¡°Linnecarlo! I need you to fire lightning bolts at that puddle from the outside!¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ll electrocute both Arleo-2 and Diatena if I do that!¡± ¡°A little bit won¡¯t hurt! Our first priority is to stop the enemy¡¯s movement.¡± ¡°I understand. Then be prepared for a hard one.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it doesn¡¯t have to be that hard¡­¡­.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting an all-out lightning strike from Linnecarlo so I tried to stop her, but it was too late. I felt a strong impact and even Arleo-2 which is resistant to all attributes, was unable to completely prevent the lightning strike but the attack was very effective against the fishes and caused many of them to faint or stop moving. ¡°Linnecarlo! You should go a little easier on us!¡± Diatena didn¡¯t have the same level of tolerance as Arleo-2 and Nagisa was upset because she felt a lot of pain. ¡°If you¡¯re alive, you¡¯re fine. Better break down the wall while you can.¡± Linnecarlo is right. The fish beast weapons are no longer moving, but they seem to be only stunned and not dead. Nagisa seemed to understand this, gave up complaining to Linnecarlo and returned to the task of breaking down the wall. I was going to help her too, but there was no need. Nagisa informed me that the work was coming to an end. ¡°One more hit and the wall¡¯s going to break.¡± The moment I heard Nagisa¡¯s words, I felt as if I were floating. Then I was swept away as if pulled by some force. I saw Diatena on the shore, holding on to the protruding part of the pillar, desperately trying not to be swept away. That¡¯s right. If we break the wall, of course we in the water will be swept away. I had completely forgotten this in the battle with the fish beast weapons. If we continue like this, Arleo-2 will be drained out of the puddle as well. ¡°Yuta! Hold on!¡± Then Diatena on the shore reached out to me. I desperately reached out and grabbed her hand, too. The swarm of fish beast weapons was being sucked into the hole in the wall by the draining stream. Some of them woke up and started to twitch, but there was nothing they could do. Unable to fight the current, all the fish beast weapons disappeared into the hole in the wall. CH 369 After fending off the runaway Guardians, we entered the area where the two legendary class riders were sleeping. It was a stone building shaped like a pyramid, and I could sense the atmosphere of something sleeping there. ¡°Here lies a legendary rider¡­¡­¡± I muttered to myself but Dr. Brule responded to my muttering. ¡°That¡¯s right. The two blades that Rafishal-sama needs in order to spread his wings are here. Once Rafishal-sama gets them, no one will be able to stop him.¡± An even more powerful force will be added to the already immensely powerful Rafishal. When I thought about it, I wondered if it would be better not to revive the legendary riders. But if I did, the jewel in my chest would never forgive me. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s just me, but I don¡¯t think Mary and her men will be safe. ¡°Brule, why don¡¯t you just finish the resurrection?¡± Dr. Brule walked towards the pyramid as Scarfi urged her to do so with the external output sound of his magicraft. ¡°The magic stone of resurrection, given to me by Master Rafishal¡­¡­.If I insert it here, the legendary riders will be revived.¡± Dr. Brule said, and clicked the circular stone into the belly of the dragon-shaped stone statue in front of the pyramid. The eyes of the stone statue of the dragon glowed then the earth shook with a gurgling sound and the pyramid split in two. What emerged from the pyramid that had been split were two magicrafts wrapped in a blue shield that started to disappear slowly. ¡°Astaroth and Beelzebub, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to see the legendary magicrafts that were the strongest in the age of ancient civilizations¡­¡­.¡± Brule stared at the magicrafts that appeared, somewhat impressed. After the blue shields were gone for a while, I heard the sound of activation from the two magicrafts. It seems that the seal has been completely broken and the legendary riders have been resurrected. However, the situation changed dramatically here. One of the magicrafts that started moving slowly disappeared. No, it just looked like it disappeared because we couldn¡¯t catch it moving too fast, but it was approaching us at a great speed. The next thing I knew, it was standing in front of Scarfi¡¯s magicraft and sent its head flying in an instant. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Gyahahahaha~! What¡¯s with this fragile magicraft! It¡¯s weak! It¡¯s weak! Weak! If you want to catch this Pernecissa, you¡¯d better bring the three pillars with you!¡± A voice was heard from the legendary magicraft. The tone of voice was incoherent and I couldn¡¯t make sense of it but I understood that it was terribly strong. ¡°How dare you!¡± Scarfi was hit and Mary started to counterattack. However, the legendary magicraft lightly caught the attack with its hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t they teach you not to point a knife at other people?¡± It appeared to be just a light sweep of the hand. However, the result was powerful enough to blow off part of the exterior of Mary¡¯s magicraft and her arm. Mary was struck, and my anger was ignited. I close the gap between me and the legendary magicraft, and use my rapier to aim a thrust at its neck. However, the attack was lightly avoided. ¡°I was disappointed with all the small fry, but I might be willing to play with you.¡± When I heard those words, I felt a chill run down my spine. I hadn¡¯t felt it in a while, so I had forgotten about it, but perhaps this feeling is called fear¡­¡­. CH 370 The legendary magicraft moved. It was too fast for me to react fully, grabbed me by the head and pulled me towards it. The power was unbelievable. Elvira Kai is not a power-type magicraft, but it still has the power to surpass most of its opponents but he was so overwhelming that it was almost impossible to resist. ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± Since I am not in the thrusting range, I aim at the opponent¡¯s legs and attack with my rapier. The slender sword is a thrusting weapon and has no blade, but if I bend it and strike quickly, it can attack like a whip. It is powerful enough to destroy an ordinary magicraft, but it did not work on this legendary machine. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is that the extent of your ability? If that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll end this battle now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± I started to concentrate and felt a sense of release as something blew out of my body. The area between my eyebrows becomes hot, and I focus even more on the hot spot, telling Elvira Kai that I intend to fight. I entered my maximum fighting stance. ¡°That¡¯s good Ludia concentration. Then maybe we can play some more.¡± I ignored his words, grabbed the hand of the legendary class that was holding the head of the Elvira Kai and forcibly pulled it off. ¡°Ha-ha-ha! All right!¡± ¡°Thrust!¡± I delivered a thrust with my rapier. In my mind¡¯s eye, I envisioned my rapier piercing the throat of the legendary rider, but that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°What?¡± The legendary rider easily grabbed the super-speed rapier thrust with his right hand and blocked it. ¡°The power and speed are perfect, but the trajectory of the attack is too straightforward, so it can be read, you see. It¡¯s easy to get blocked like this. You have to be careful not to let your opponent read your attacks.¡± I pulled my rapier, retrieved it from the legendary class¡¯s hand, and unleashed my second thrust. The thrust, using the rapier¡¯s elasticity, undulated like a snake and struck the legendary rider with an irregular movement. However, the attack was easily blocked. ¡°You¡¯re moving better, but you¡¯re not as powerful or fast. You can¡¯t even kill a small animal with this.¡± I can¡¯t believe that Elvira Kai¡¯s attacks are completely ineffective¡­¡­. ¡°You¡¯ve let me down. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve lost my motivation. I¡¯m going to destroy you now.¡± As he said this, the legendary class slowly approached me. Perhaps it was the spirit coming from the opponent, but I felt an indescribable presence that made me unable to move. ¡°Come on, spurt some blood and die. You can at least entertain me while you die.¡± The hand of the legendary class reaches out to the cockpit where I am. If I don¡¯t do something, I¡¯m dead¡­¡­ Just as I thought that, a voice called out from behind the legendary class. ¡°Stop it, Pernecissa. Looks like those guys are not the enemy.¡± The other legendary rider spoke. ¡°Why, Astaroth? What do you mean, they¡¯re not our enemy? There are no allies for us anymore, are there? Then they¡¯re our enemies, aren¡¯t they? I kill my enemies.¡± The magicraft of the one called Pernecissa said and shook his fist at me. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop! Don¡¯t you believe a word I say, Pernecissa?¡± With those words, Pernecissa movements came to a halt. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t shout so loud, Astaroth. I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was one thing I learned from this exchange. The person riding Astaroth is in a much higher position than Pernecissa, who has shown overwhelming power. The frightened tone of Pernecissa suggests that he is clearly intimidated and overwhelmed by power rather than a simple hierarchy. If that rider can overwhelm Pernecissa then how strong must he be? CH 371 Having succeeded in draining the water from the puddle, we were able to secure a route for Mirai. We moved slowly through the passage that had been flooded earlier. ¡°How much further to the bottom level?¡± ¡°Nagisa asked Feri, perhaps bored with moving through the underground facilities.¡± ¡°We¡¯re more than halfway there, if you¡¯re just looking at the distance we¡¯ve traveled. But there is a possibility that we will be forced to take another detour, so it¡¯s hard to say.¡± When I heard that, I got a little angry. ¡°I wish the people here would just come out fair and square and not interfere in such a tit-for-tat way.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that something¡¯s in store for us from here on out.¡± Jean¡¯s predictions are right¡­¡­.We can expect the interference to continue for a while. When we were on the move, with no overt disturbances, we tried to rest, except for the sentry duty and the waiting duty. However, the two outsiders, Emitz and Mirti, seemed to feel somewhat uncomfortable and frequently offered to help. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do, besides you helped us with the watch duty and that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t relax unless I¡¯m doing something¡­¡­.Any chore will do.¡± In the army of the Kingdom of Lubel, there seemed to be no concept of leisure time. I wish I could give him something to do, but there really wasn¡¯t anything to do¡­¡­.Well, I¡¯ll check with Feri to see if there¡¯s anything for him. ¡°Feri, is there any work we can help you with?¡± Feri thought about my question for a moment and then answered. ¡°Well ¨C I¡¯m thinking of renovating the shower room and making it a larger bathroom. Showering alone doesn¡¯t relieve fatigue, and according to my calculations, it is expected to improve the recovery effect by more than 60%.¡± Jean and Kiyone agreed with the proposal. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I don¡¯t like to take a shower.¡± ¡°A bath? That¡¯s good. If you want to renovate it, I¡¯ll help you.¡± We all decided to renovate the shower room. Renovation is a professional job, but there are many things that amateurs can help with. Emitz and Mirti did a great job following Feri¡¯s instructions. The shower room was partitioned off and the adjacent unused storage room wall was knocked out to create a larger room. After converting the parts used in the shower to make a wash area, we began to build a bathtub out of wood that I didn¡¯t know where it came from. ¡°You¡¯re pretty handy.¡± Feri was dexterously assembling the planks of wood. I¡¯m sure it would be a disaster if there were any gaps since it¡¯s going to be used as a bathtub, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be worried about that. When the enlarged bathroom was finished, it was time for the shift change. Linnecarlo, who had been waiting until then, came to call me. ¡°I was wondering what you were doing, but you made such a nice thing.¡± Linnecarlo said happily as he looked at the finished bathroom. I remember that the first time I met Linnecarlo was at a health spa. Maybe she likes this kind of spacious bath. Nagisa, who was on watch duty, also came over, her eyes sparkling. Nagisa also likes to take a bath, come to think of it. She seemed to be in a better mood, and started chatting with Linnecarlo, with whom she usually doesn¡¯t get along so well. As a matter of course, the first bath was taken by the ladies. Well, it was time for standby duty, so I had no choice. Jean piloted Mirai, and Emitz took over the watch. I told him that it was okay for me to stand watch, but he didn¡¯t seem to like the idea of taking a bath with a woman, probably because he¡¯s always been a man. CH 372 In order to enjoy the newly renovated bathroom, the ladies immediately started their bath time. As if they were wary of prying eyes, they placed a large sign at the entrance that said ¡°Bathing¡± to show that they were not to be disturbed. I was too scared to peep into the bath where Kiyone was bathing with a sword. Moreover, Nagisa is with them today. If Nagisa were to join the punishment there would be no guarantee that I would survive. While I was waiting quietly in Arleo-2, I received a message from somewhere. When I answered it, it was from Linnecarlo, who was supposed to be bathing. ¡°The new bath is great!¡± It seems that she had brought her spirit box into the bathroom to communicate with me. ¡°What the hell? Are you harassing me while I¡¯m waiting?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I just wanted to share the first bath with you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take my time later.¡± ¡°Everyone looks happy.¡± As soon as she said that, Linnecarlo stopped talking and tried to let me listen to the sounds around her. ¡°Wow~ Kiyone¡¯s ass is so beautiful~! I want to look like this too!¡± That was Nagisa, wasn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve been in a bath with Kiyone for some time, but I never had the time to take a good look at her ass, so I didn¡¯t know this information. Kiyone has a beautiful ass¡­¡­.When I imagined Kiyone with her ass fully exposed, I shook my head and forced myself back to reality. ¡°Your breasts are also really beautiful ¨C you have the toned body of a warrior, but you don¡¯t lose your feminine beauty.¡± ¡°Nagisa, please don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. We¡¯re the same sex.¡± I can¡¯t help but think of strange things when I hear their voices. ¡°Wow! I saw a little bit of her when I was in the medical capsule, but Mirti¡¯s breasts are huge! I wonder if you¡¯re the type to lose weight.¡± ¡°Haha, yes! They are usually too big and get in the way, so I wrap a piece of silk around them to hold them in place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste. If you have so much, why don¡¯t you show it more?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a hindrance to the mission, I¡¯d rather be small.¡± ¡°Hey! Why are you looking at my breasts when you talk like that?¡± Nagisa shouted in grief. Apparently, her small breasts drew everyone¡¯s attention. It is true that Nagisa¡¯s breasts are poor enough to attract sympathy. ¡°Well, that¡¯s, you know¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Check the before and after!¡± ¡°Go ahead, say what you want.¡± I wondered what I was hearing. I spoke to Linnecarlo to end the communication, which had become meaningless. ¡°Linnecarlo, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s cut the communication!¡± ¡°Was that Yuta? Hey! You were communicating with Yuta?¡± Perhaps embarrassed that she had been overheard Nagisa raised her voice in protest. In response, Linnecarlo also retorted. ¡°Yuta just wanted to take part in the first bath, even if it was just with his voice.¡± ¡°Then you should have told me about it first. I don¡¯t want him to hear what the girls are saying to each other!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not bothered.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in trouble!¡± While the argument was still going on, the communication was cut off. It was probably either Linnecarlo or Nagisa who cut it off. What a troublesome bunch of people, just when I thought they were getting along, they started arguing. CH 373 Even after getting out of the bath, Nagisa and Linnecarlo seemed to be continuing their argument. Kiyone was already tired of mediating and left it at that. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m going to change the standby so you can go to the bathroom.¡± Kiyone came to the hangar and said so with care. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go in with Jean later. It¡¯s a big bath, and it¡¯s not very nice to be in it alone.¡± ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s have Emitz go first.¡± ¡°You do that.¡± Emitz was reluctant to go into the bath before me and Jean, but the ladies managed to persuade him to go in first. He told me later that he would have preferred to go in with me and Jean rather than go in alone first, but I¡¯m sure I would have had trouble keeping my eyes off him if that happened. It was getting late and that was the end of the day¡¯s activities. We brought Mirai to a stop in the middle of a relatively safe floor with a good view, and took a rest. Jean also took a break from piloting. ¡°Jean, let¡¯s go take a bath.¡± ¡°No choice, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± He said he didn¡¯t have a choice, but Jean seemed to be happy. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a big bath, so I¡¯m a little excited too. I had seen it during the renovation, but the atmosphere of the bathroom was completely different with hot water and steam rising from it. Just receiving the hot air that tangled around my skin was enough to raise my spirits. ¡°What is it, Yuta? Do you always wash your feet first?¡± ¡°Yes, is that weird?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not strange, but the dirt you wash goes down. It¡¯s more efficient to wash from the top down, isn¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s for sure. I¡¯ve always washed it off my feet without thinking about it, but now that I think about it, it¡¯s probably not very efficient. ¡°That¡¯s an eye-opener. I¡¯ll wash my head first next time.¡± ¡°You really do react just like that guy, don¡¯t you?¡± Jean pointed out with a happy laugh. ¡°Who do I react like?¡± I replied casually, but was a little surprised by what Jean said in reply. ¡°My dead brother.¡± When I heard that, I was immediately speechless. Come to think of it, we¡¯ve known each other for a long time, but I don¡¯t know anything about Jean¡¯s past. I thought it might be a good opportunity to ask him about his brother. ¡°Do you remember the first time we met?¡± ¡°I think it was when I was wandering around trying to sell Farma¡¯s jewels.¡± ¡°When I saw you, I was amazed. I thought my dead brother had come back to life¡­¡­.So I was curious to see what was going on, and I saw you trying to make a stupid deal. I couldn¡¯t watch you, you were too careless.¡± It¡¯s true that if Jean hadn¡¯t been there at that time, I would have sold off Farma¡¯s precious jewels at a low price. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t leave you guys alone because you were just like him in that you acted so stupidly¡­¡­.¡± I see. That¡¯s why he lent us a hand when we first met him. ¡°The more we talked, the more we were alike. I still have a lot of regrets about my brother, and I still think that if I had cared about him a little more, I could have saved him.¡± ¡°Jean¡­¡­I don¡¯t know if this is the right question to ask, but¡­¡­how did your brother die?¡± ¡°He tried to stand alone against a tremendous power. That¡¯s a good way to put it, but a bad way to put it is that he was just a fool. It¡¯s no laughing matter when you overestimate your own strength and get killed fighting an opponent you can¡¯t even beat.¡± Jean said sadly. I could see his feelings and regret for his brother in his expression. CH 374 When I woke up, Jean had prepared breakfast for me. It was a simple, but tasty and well-balanced menu: grain soup, similar to corn soup, sandwiches with vegetables and dried meat on bread, and fried potatoes. ¡°If all goes well, we may reach the lowest level by the end of the day.¡± Jean reported, sipping a cup of charcoal bean tea while looking at the map. ¡°Let¡¯s not overdo it. Safety is more important than time.¡± Kiyone didn¡¯t like dried meat and she dexterously moved the dried meat to my plate. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I eat some more of this.¡± Linnecarlo liked the sandwich so much that she gobbled it up and asked for more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re out of bread. There¡¯s still plenty of soup, so you¡¯ll have to make do with that.¡± Linnecarlo looks around the dining table when Jean tells her that. When she saw that Nagisa had left a sandwich, she said, ¡°Nagisa, if you don¡¯t want to eat it, I can take it.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ll eat it. You¡¯ve already eaten yours, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that if you don¡¯t eat it, it¡¯s a waste of money and I¡¯ll eat it for you!¡± As if to prevent Nagisa from saying something back, Emitz interrupted her. ¡°Linnecarlo-san, if you don¡¯t mind, I would like you to have mine. I¡¯m already full.¡± Perhaps sensing that the battle between Nagisa and Linnecarlo was about to begin, Emitz suggested that. ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t blame you if you¡¯re full. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Linnecarlo is obsessed with food, for a royal¡­¡­I wonder if something happened to her a long time ago. After breakfast, we set off for the lowest level. For a while, we made good progress without any particular disturbance. However, when we came to a large, dimly lit wilderness area after descending two levels, we were all rendered speechless by the bizarre sight. ¡°I wonder if these are all graves¡­¡­.¡± As Nagisa said there were countless tombstone-like stone monuments lined up. I don¡¯t know much about the culture of people from ancient civilizations, but to my Japanese senses, they looked like tombs. ¡°It certainly looks like a graveyard. If there are so many of them, then the graves of all the people in this facility might be gathered here.¡± It¡¯s a ridiculously large research facility, so I can imagine that a lot of people lived here, but I was surprised to see the number of graves. As Kiyone said, it¡¯s not surprising to think that the graves of all the people in the facility are gathered here. ¡°It¡¯s like a communal cemetery. I¡¯m surprised that so many people lived here.¡± Jean¡¯s words were followed by Feri¡¯s commentary. ¡°At its peak, this facility housed over a million people. It was one of the largest urban research facilities on the continent, and there were many people who were born here and never left until they died.¡± An urban research facility is another unfamiliar term. It was more like a big city than a research facility. ¡°Let¡¯s pass this place quickly.¡± Nagisa suggested, as she didn¡¯t like the creepy scene. It¡¯s true that she has always been bad with scary things but I remember how she used to invite me to watch horror movies with her, even though she was scared. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to pass by quickly, this is the highest speed we can go. Well, it¡¯s a sight you don¡¯t get to see very often, so go ahead and take it in.¡± Jean said it without hesitation, as if he was totally fine with this kind of thing. But then he said something strange, as if something strange had happened. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s strange. We¡¯re slowing down.¡± ¡°Jean! Don¡¯t start acting weird.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s really weird. It¡¯s not moving the way I want it to.¡± At first, I thought it was an act to scare Nagisa, but apparently it was not. In fact, the speed of Mirai¡¯s progress visibly slowed down. CH 375 Mirai¡¯s speed slowed down and eventually stopped. And to my horror, the entire floor, which had been looking like an evening scene, lost its light and became completely dark. ¡°Kya!¡± Nagisa gave a small cry at the strange situation. Emitz and Mirti also looked pale, so they seemed to be holding back their fear. In the midst of these women, Kiyone seemed to be the only one who remained calm, and she put her hand on the shoulder of the scared Nagisa to reassure her. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Feri is warning me that Viktor¡¯s power is dropping.¡± Linnecarlo, who is waiting in her magicraft, sends me a message. It seems that the malfunction is also happening to the magicrafts. ¡°Feri, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Feri was looking at the numbers on a special terminal and thinking. When he came to a conclusion, she said, ¡°It seems that a special magnetic field is being generated throughout this floor.¡± ¡®If someone is doing this deliberately, it¡¯s a very dangerous situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s about to happen, but for now, let¡¯s all board our magicrafts and get ready to fight.¡± While Kiyone and I nodded, Nagisa was the only one who didn¡¯t like the idea. ¡°I¡¯m going to be all alone¡­..when I board my magicraft!¡± You can go up against a strong man like a professional wrestler with no problem, but you¡¯re really weak when it comes to this kind of thing. While I was waiting in my magicraft to be ready to go out at any time, I heard a strange voice. I think it was a woman¡¯s voice, but it sounded lonely and impatient. I wasn¡¯t the only one, who heard it, but everyone seemed to hear it, and it caused a bit of a commotion. ¡°Didn¡¯t someone just speak? Who said that?¡± Nagisa forcefully confirms that she wants to believe it was one of her friends. ¡°It¡¯s not me. Isn¡¯t that Kiyone¡¯s voice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me either. I don¡¯t think it matches the voice of anyone else on board of Mirai.¡± Kiyone was the closest in terms of voice quality, but she was definitely a different person. And I agree that it doesn¡¯t match anyone else on Mirai. ¡°Whose voice was it, then? I definitely heard it!¡± I could tell that Nagisa was scared and impatient. She seems to be hoping that someone will somehow give her a satisfactory answer, but no one seems to know what that voice is. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the voice is or what it means. Isn¡¯t it a little strange?¡± Jean suddenly asked. ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± ¡°That voice didn¡¯t come from a spirit box, did it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It sounded more like a whisper in my ear.¡± ¡°Right? If it was a real voice, all the people on board each magicraft and us in Mirai could hear it, how loud could it be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly a strange thing, as Jean said. There is no way we can all hear each other the same thing, unless we are all using comms.¡± ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re starting to scare me!¡± Nagisa¡¯s fear level rises. ¡°By the way, did anyone find out what that voice was saying earlier? I could tell it was a woman¡¯s voice, but I couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I couldn¡¯t hear what she said either.¡± ¡°It sounded like ¡°save me¡± or ¡°I¡¯ll curse you¡± to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say random things like that, Linnecarlo!¡± Linnecarlo understood that Nagisa was scared and said it in a mean way. If that¡¯s the case, it seems that she didn¡¯t hear the real content either. It was a voice that could be heard clearly, but with so many people listening, is it possible that all of them can¡¯t hear it?¡­¡­I¡¯m getting a little scared too. CH 376 Speaking of which, I wondered how Feri felt about the voice. When I thought about it, she expressed her view. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into that audio, and it seems to be coming from a special directional loudspeaker. There are signs that the voice was sent from a certain direction with pinpoint accuracy.¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of directional loudspeaker Feri is referring to, but there seems to be such a technology. ¡°Can you tell which direction was sent from?¡± Jean¡¯s question was answered immediately by Feri. ¡°Yes. It seems to have been sent from about 500 meters to the southeast.¡± ¡°Okay, Mirai can¡¯t move, so Yuta, Kiyone, you two go out and check it out.¡± In response to this instruction, Linnecarlo, whose name was not mentioned, raised her voice in protest. ¡°Jean, it would be better for me to go with them.¡± ¡°It is possible that the voice itself is a trap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡± Linnecarlo didn¡¯t seem convinced, but she fell silent as if she had no reason to say anything back. Jean left Linnecarlo alone and reminded us. ¡°Yuta, Kiyone, let me know immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Kiyone and I set out from Mirai to investigate the direction of the voice. However, as Linnecarlo had mentioned earlier, the reduced power output of the magicrafts seemed to be affecting Arleo-2 as well, and it was in bad shape. ¡°Kiyone, something¡¯s wrong with Arleo-2. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not alright. It feels as if I¡¯m moving in water.¡± I knew it was some kind of force that was stopping Mirai. I¡¯ll ask Feri if he can tell me what it is. ¡°Feri, do you have any idea what¡¯s causing the malfunction in the magicrafts?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve detected a special field being deployed, but I¡¯m still trying to figure out what it is. I think it¡¯s probably some kind of power that affects the Ludia core, but I don¡¯t have any examples of it in my database.¡± The fact that there are unknown forces at work that even Feri doesn¡¯t understand could be dangerous. But whatever it is, it seems to be certain that it¡¯s not a ghost or a wraith or anything of the sort. Nagisa will be relieved when she hears this. I arrived at the place where the voice was sent from. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s partly because this whole floor has an uncanny atmosphere, but seeing what I found there sent a chill down my spine. ¡°It¡¯s a creepy place¡­¡­¡± Even the calm Kiyone felt uncomfortable and said so in a quiet tone. There were countless remnants of magicrafts there. In addition, it was not like the magicrafts that had been destroyed on the battlefield, but a bizarre sight, as if massacred people had been haphazardly piled up. If Farma and Liza, who love magic machines, were to see it, they would feel more anger than fear. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like these old magicrafts we¡¯re simply destroyed.¡± ¡°Yes, if anything, it looks like something or someone released their anger on them.¡± Rather than a graveyard for magicrafts, it would be more appropriate to call it an execution site. The one who sent the voice might be lurking in here. Kiyone and I, eerily aware of this, began to examine the piles of magicrafts that had been left lying around. ¡°Yuta! Didn¡¯t you see any movement in that area just now?¡± Kiyone, who was investigating, tells me so in a loud voice. I¡¯m not sure what to make of this. ¡°Are you sure it wasn¡¯t your imagination?¡± ¡°No, it definitely looked like it moved.¡± I¡¯ll check with Feri, just to be sure. ¡°Feri, are there any other active magicrafts in the vicinity besides ours?¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t confirm the activation frequency of the Ludia core.¡± I knew it was Kiyone¡¯s imagination. When I thought that, I could clearly see a corner of the pile of magicrafts moving. There was no reaction from the Ludia core, so I assumed it was some kind of animal or something, but then I noticed that the fallen magicrafts were slowly getting up. And it wasn¡¯t just one, there were countless magicrafts trying to get up one after another. CH 377 One by one, the magicrafts rise up and approach us, wavering like zombies. Kiyone seemed confused by the odd movement. ¡°Jean, we¡¯re going to fight.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you under attack?¡± The enemy is too creepy to be described in one word, however, no matter how creepy or unpleasant they are, we have no choice but to fight them. Moreover, it didn¡¯t look like we could communicate with them. Kiyone seemed to have made the same decision, and she readied her sword for the enemy¡¯s attack. I did the same and drew my sword. The zombie-like magicrafts were coming at us from all around. As I stood in Kiyone¡¯s blind spot and prepared to attack, I naturally found myself back to back with Kiku Ichimonji. ¡°They don¡¯t look very strong individually, but there are so many of them, you can¡¯t let your guard down.¡± ¡°I know.¡± After that exchange, we moved quickly. I took a large step forward and swung my sword in a horizontal line. With a single blow, I crushed three of the zombie magicrafts that had been approaching us unsteadily. Kiyone swung her sword from below and cut down one of them, then destroyed three of them with a thrust of divine speed. In addition, she spun her body and stepped forward, swinging her sword twice diagonally to clear away the two zombie magicrafts that were approaching. I charged into the enemy while firing a series of magic bullets, and then swung my sword around to destroy the approaching enemy machines. Kiyone and I destroyed them at a very fast rate, but their numbers were endless. ¡°Damn! Are these things all going to start working?¡± There are countless magic machines piled up and I shudder at the thought of them all rising up. ¡°Are you alright, Yuta, Kiyone! What¡¯s going on?¡± Jean asked me, as he was curious about the situation. ¡°I¡¯m fighting zombies! I¡¯m okay, but I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Zombies? What the hell is that?¡± This world didn¡¯t seem to have the concept of zombies, so Jean couldn¡¯t understand what I was saying but there was no time to explain in detail. I turned to Nagisa and told her to explain about zombies. ¡°Sorry, Nagisa. Please explain zombies to Jean.¡± ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t know that much about zombies.¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± Nagisa mumbled and complained, but had no choice but to start explaining zombies with her little knowledge. When she said that the corpses eat people, Linnecarlo screamed. ¡°Yuta these magicrafts have no awareness it¡¯s like they¡¯re not running independently.¡± ¡°Kiyone, what does this mean?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain it because I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before, but I feel as if they¡¯re being controlled by some kind of consciousness.¡± It¡¯s true that they have few patterns of movement and are easy to read. ¡°What Kiyone is saying seems to be correct. These magicrafts seem to be powered by an external force. I¡¯ve caught a special telekinetic wave. The magicrafts that are moving are nothing more than puppets that are being manipulated. There is another person operating them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about¡­¡­.Feri! Do you know where that telekinetic wave is coming from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not far. It seems to be coming from the pile of magicrafts in front of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll blow up that hill! Feri, fire the four-element cannon!¡± ¡°I understand. However, considering the damage to the surrounding area, I will limit the output to about 60%.¡± ¡°Okay then get ready. Kiyone, stay back, it will be dangerous.¡± I made sure Kiyone was behind me and fired my four-element cannon at the pile of magicrafts. CH 378 Intense flashes of light and destructive heat rays were shot towards the pile of magicrafts. The entire pile of magicrafts swelled up like a large organism and dispersed. Many of them were destroyed, but the absolute number was too large, and there were still many discarded magicrafts left. ¡°Yuta! There¡¯s something here!¡± Kiyone was the first to notice its existence. It was a jet-black, four-arm magicrafts that was clearly different from the other abandoned machines. It was left in the middle of the pile of magicrafts, but it seemed to be alive. ¡°He¡¯s the master?¡± ¡°Perhaps he is. I sense a powerful energy.¡± I felt something strange coming from the four-armed magicraft. I heard a sound like a heartbeat and the machine moved as if it was trembling. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed the activation of the Ludia core! Yuta, that magicrafts is starting to move!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take it down before it makes its move!¡± I pointed my left arm at the four arms machine and fired a series of magic light bullets. I was convinced that all the bullets would hit it but it¡¯s arms moved and the zombie magicrafts formed a wall in front of it. ¡°What?¡± I moved to avoid the wall formed by zombie machines and fired magic bullets again. However, as I move, the surrounding magicrafts move as well and block them. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get close and beat it with my sword! Kiyone, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kiyone and I ducked through a wall of magicrafts and approached a four-armed machine. When we caught it in range of our swords, the nearby magicrafts interfered with us. ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re annoying!¡± In one fell swoop, I concentrated my Ludia and unleashed my full power. I forcibly dispatched the magicrafts that were clinging to me. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯ll take care of this! You take that one down.¡± ¡°Okay! I got it!¡± Leaving Kiyone to deal with the zombie-like magicrafts, I approached the four arms machine. I raised my sword and tried to cut it in two however, I received a strong impact and was repelled back. ¡°Whoa!¡± When I looked, I saw that the four-armed magicraft was fully activated. It had a red aura around it and was pointing a staff-like weapon at me. The weapon glowed eerily and in the next moment, I felt a shock run through my body. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­what kind of attack is that?¡± I asked, struggling to make sense of the situation. ¡°It¡¯s a telekinetic magic strike. The output is greater than Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning strike.¡± ¡°Stronger than Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning strike?¡± That¡¯s not good. Even Arleo-2 can¡¯t withstand that many times. However, what was worse than the power was the fact that I couldn¡¯t see the attack at all. If I can¡¯t see it, there¡¯s no way to avoid it. As I was lost in thought, the second attack was unleashed. I still couldn¡¯t see anything. Seeing that I was struggling, Kiyone called out to me. ¡°Don¡¯t try to see it! Think carefully. Did you see father¡¯s swordsmanship?¡± That¡¯s true. I couldn¡¯t even see the sword strike when father really tried to hit me. However, in the latter half of my training, I was still able to react to some extent. So, that feeling¡­¡­is not to see, but to perceive. The four-armed machine repositioned his staff toward me. I focused my attention then I felt the timing of the enemy¡¯s attack. ¡°Now!¡± I rolled forward diagonally to avoid it. I seemed to have successfully evaded it and continued to approach the four-armed machine. Luckily for me it seems that it can¡¯t fire powerful blasts continuously. I slammed my sword down diagonally across the chest of the four-armed machine. There was a high-pitched cracking sound, and the armor on the chest came off. ¡®I¡¯ll finish him off with a second blow!¡¯ With that in mind, I tried to thrust my sword into the flaking armor. But then, something startling caught my eye. I hurriedly stopped my sword. ¡°What the hell is¡­¡­?¡± On the chest of the four-armed magicraft, there was a transparent, round capsule-like object embedded. Inside the capsule was a nude woman with countless tubes attached to her. The woman appeared to be unconscious. As I hesitated, I heard that voice again. ¡°Kill me¡­¡­kill me¡­¡­kill me¡­¡­kill me.¡± This time, I heard the words clearly. It was a plea that I could not understand. CH 379 As I was hesitating to attack the sleeping woman, the four arms machine me with its staff. It seemed to have a lot of power as well as magical blows, and I received a rather heavy blow. ¡°Feri! What the hell was that! What¡¯s going on here?¡± I couldn¡¯t get the sound of the woman¡¯s death wish out of my head and couldn¡¯t decide what to do. ¡°It¡¯s probably the direct connection between a person and the Ludia Core, also known as the Direct Connection¡­¡­Epsilon Core, which is an evil method. It is an inhumane technology that treats people as parts of a magicraft, and was banned even in ancient civilizations. I had no idea that they had developed it to a practical level¡­¡­.¡± Epsilon core doesn¡¯t sound right, but I agree that it¡¯s an evil method. It doesn¡¯t sound good in any way. ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The capsule part that lost its armor is the weak point. If you destroy the Epsilon core, you can stop that magicraft.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! Can¡¯t we save that girl?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it will be difficult. The Epsilon core also acts as a life support system, and if she is ripped out of the core, she will die immediately. Even if we can successfully remove it and maintain life, it is unknown if she can recover from the astral damage. I think the best thing to do is to shut down its vital functions, as that core wants us to do.¡± When I heard that, my mind was made up. ¡°Okay! If there¡¯s a possibility, I¡¯ll help! Is there any way to defeat that magicraft without damaging the core?¡± Feri¡¯s reaction to those words stopped for a moment. Just as I began to worry that I had said something that offended her, the answer came back. ¡°Sometimes I think that I am no longer a person¡­¡­.Even my emotions have been converted into data, and my thoughts, which can only think rationally at all times, are more AI than human¡­¡­.Thank you, Yuta. I am glad that you remind me of my emotions this way. Yes, it¡¯s true that there is a possibility but please be prepared. It is extremely difficult to stop that magicraft without destroying the core.¡± ¡°I know. But I don¡¯t want to make that choice.¡± ¡°All right. Then destroy the large elemental line on his back and the telekinetic amplification device on his head. Whether it will stop depends on the structure, but I think it¡¯s the most promising option.¡± ¡°Back and head.¡± At that moment, I heard the woman¡¯s sorrowful voice again. ¡°I¡¯m in pain¡­¡­kill me¡­¡­kill me and let me go¡­¡­¡± However, despite her words, the attacks of the four arms machine became even more intense. I couldn¡¯t attack it carelessly, but it unleashed a merciless magic strike at me. Perhaps I was too upset, but I couldn¡¯t avoid the attack and received a heavy impact on my body. ¡°¡­¡­Kiyone! Did you hear what I said?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re going to save the woman.¡± She seemed to be listening to the conversation between me and Feri while she was taking down the zombie magicrafts that were moving around her. ¡°I can¡¯t do this by myself. I need your help!¡± ¡°All right. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking all the fire, so I need you to go around the back and cut off the head.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Kiyone then moved quickly and disappeared. I decided to attack softly to attract the attention of the four arms machine, so as not to damage the core. CH 380 After all, it is difficult to attack the bare core in the middle without damaging it. I could only shoot magic bullets at the feet of the four arms machine, or swing my sword at it¡¯s legs and arms but the four arms machine attacked me without mercy. Not only the four arms machine, but also the zombie magicrafts rose up one after another and attacked me. There were many of them, and they attacked without fear, making this battle even more troublesome. ¡°Why are these things moving?¡± I felt angry at the magicrafts that were moving even though there were no people on them. Feri didn¡¯t seem to have a proper answer as to how they worked. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s telekinetic puppet technology, but it must take a lot of energy to generate this much power. However, it¡¯s odd that I can¡¯t see any interference other than from that magicraft.¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡­it¡¯s painful¡­¡­help me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.That¡¯s not¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, what have you found out?¡± ¡°If my guess is correct, the person who developed that magicraft is an outcast.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Yuta, what is the most powerful power that a person can create?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, I¡¯ve heard that the power of the legs is many times greater than that of the arms, so I guess legs.¡± ¡°Physical power is tiny compared to mental power. The strongest power we generate is our emotions. Among them, negative emotions, pain, suffering, anger, etc., easily generate huge amounts of power.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! What does that mean?¡± I had a bad feeling when I heard that. No way, could that be true? ¡°Not only is it incorporated into the Epsilon Core, but it seems to extract incredible energy by constantly inflicting pain and suffering. In addition, if they suffer a mental breakdown, the energy they produce will be reduced, so it is thought that they are simultaneously taking measures to keep the person in the core awake and alive.¡± I feel like throwing up when I imagine her situation. How long she¡¯s been suffering and in pain¡­¡­. ¡°Yuta, you must promise me one thing. If you decide that there is no chance of saving her, don¡¯t hesitate to give her eternal sleep¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t reply. She was made a part of the magicraft and suffered just to get some produce energy. Such a life is too sad. That¡¯s why I will definitely help her. That¡¯s what I thought once again. However, if there is really no chance that I can help her¡­¡­then I have to be prepared to¡­.. Kiyone made good use of my distraction and got behind the back of the four arms machine. All that was left was for me to create a chance for an attack. I approached the four arms machine so that his attention would be drawn to me. However, as if they were aiming for that moment, more than ten zombie magicrafts quickly stood up and tackled Arleo-2 to hold him back. I cut down two of them with my sword, but I couldn¡¯t deal with the surprise attack. They swarmed Arleo-2 and blocked its movement. The four arms machine slowly approached the immobilized Arleo-2, pointed his staff at him and he unleashed a magic strike. The right chest area receives a large impact from the close range blow. If it had been an ordinary magicraft, it would have been destroyed. Damn, I could wipe out the swarm of zombie magicrafts if I went into serious mode, but I was too close to the four arms machine. He lost his armor and hesitated to do so when I saw the bare capsule.\ CH 381 Trusting in the sturdiness of Arleo-2, I decided to take the attack here. With that, the attention of the four arms machine turned completely toward me. Kiyone seemed to think that now was her chance, and she quickly approached without a sound, and with a sharp sword blow, she sent the head of the four arms machine flying. ¡°Yes! We did it!¡± ¡°No, not yet! It¡¯s not shutting down!¡± As Feri had said, the four arms machine was moving without a care in the world even though it¡¯s head had been blown off. He turned around and unleashed a magic strike at Kiku Ichimonji. ¡°Kya!¡± Kiyone didn¡¯t expect the headless attack, so she took the attack head on. Unlike Arleo-2, Kiku Ichimonji was not that strong. He was damaged to the point that his armor came off from his chest to his shoulders. ¡°Kiyone!¡± Kiyone will be in danger if this continues. I shook off the clinging zombie magicrafts and grabbed onto the four arms machine. Then the four-armed machine made the most of the advantage of having four arms, holding me down with two and attacking me with the other two. It has a lot of power, but this level of attack doesn¡¯t faze Arleo-2. I¡¯m more worried about the damaged Kiku Ichimonji. It¡¯s dangerous, so I told him to stay back. ¡°No, this level of damage is not a problem. I won¡¯t be blindsided again, so don¡¯t worry.¡± In spite of my concerns, Kiyone refused to step back. It seems that she was very frustrated with the blow that she just received. However, I don¡¯t care about Kiyone¡¯s strange pride. In its current state if Kiku Ichimonji is hit again it will be fatal. In order to prevent that, it is necessary to stop the movement of this thing as soon as possible. ¡°Feri! That thing on his back, can you hit it from the front?¡± ¡°The Great Elemental Line, yes. It is possible. But most of it is behind the capsule, making it very difficult to aim.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult, but if we destroy it, it will stop.¡± ¡°The Great Elemental Line is the second most important part after the Ludia Core, where the nerves of the magicraft are concentrated. There¡¯s a pretty good chance we¡¯ll be able to shut it down.¡± ¡°All right! Give me the exact location!¡± ¡°Yes. If you¡¯re going to hit it from the front, you need to aim as close as you can for the bottom of the capsule.¡± ¡°Just under the capsule.¡± The four arms machine also reacted to my movements. However, perhaps it was during the cool time of the magic strike, it attacked me while waving its staff around. I didn¡¯t fight back and kept my aim steady since there was no room for error. ¡°Yuta! Watch out!¡± Kiyone shouted a warning when she saw the enemy¡¯s movement. Perhaps the cool time was over, the four-armed machine stopped hitting with his staff and made a gesture of unleashing a magic strike. But I had been waiting for this moment. ¡°Now!¡± The moment he unleashed the magic shot, he stopped moving so I thrust my sword towards the lower part of the capsule. After the feeling of piercing the armor, the sword penetrates the body of the four arms machine and reaches its back. Okay! The capsule is safe. The question is whether or not the four arms machine will stop. However the four arms machine did not stop. He threw down his staff and made a gesture to pull out the sword that stabbed him. ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s not stopping!¡± I thought, but the movement of the four arms machine became slower and slower. Finally, it came to a complete stop. ¡°Yuta please remove the capsule and return to Mirai immediately. The magicraft is shutting down and so is her life support system. If you don¡¯t get her into a medical pod immediately, she will die.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I took out the capsule from the four arms machine and hurried to Mirai. CH 382 ¡°Jean! Get the medical pod ready!¡± On the way back to Mirai, I ask Jean to do so, following Feri¡¯s advice that I should prepare the reception first. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Someone¡¯s hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later!¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be ready.¡± Once inside Mirai¡¯s hangar, Feri¡¯s pseudo-body begins to move. There is an effective distance for remote control of Feri¡¯s pseudo body. It¡¯s about 50 meters away from Arleo-2, where the main body is located. That¡¯s why the pseudo body inevitably goes into rest mode when I go out, but this time, the moment Feri entered the effective range, she activated the pseudo body and rushed over to Jean, who was preparing the medical pod. ¡°Yuta! Destroy the capsule so it doesn¡¯t hurt her.¡± Feri makes a difficult request sound so easy. As I was hesitating how to destroy it, Kiyone, who came back with me, called out, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Yuta is a rough worker like father, so he¡¯s not good at delicate work.¡± We haven¡¯t known each other that long, but I know her well. It¡¯s true that Kiyone is more qualified for this kind of work. Kiyone received the capsule with Kiku Ichimonji and stared at it to assess its structure. She then destroyed the capsule with a little bit of force so as not to break the cords or any part that was even slightly connected to the human body. By the looks of it, it seems to have worked. Kiyone places the broken capsule on the floor of the hangar. Feri¡¯s pseudo-body enters the broken capsule and removes the woman from the device. ¡°Jean! Help me carry her.¡± ¡°Oh, my!¡± Jean, not knowing the details, was puzzled, but followed Feri¡¯s words and helped carry the woman to the medical pod. Nagisa and Linnecarlo who remained to escort Mirai also came back after realizing that the situation was not normal. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Right now, our first priority is to help her.¡± Nagisa, who could read the air, didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Linnecarlo also seemed to have seen the exchange and said nothing. Jean and Feri politely place her in the med-pod. As they closed the pod, Feri looked at the med-pod¡¯s instruments to check the situation. She shook her head, as if the readings were not good. ¡°Is she going to make it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s on life support but saving her will be a different matter.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Her mind and body have sustained damage beyond what is considered normal. The astral damage is particularly severe and it may be difficult for her to return to her normal state of mind.¡± ¡°How is that possible when she¡¯s finally free from the painful situation¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We will do our best. Fortunately, we are going to a place with advanced medical facilities. Maybe we can find a way to help her.¡± Maybe she was trying to make me feel hopeful. Although I couldn¡¯t see the expression on her pseudo body, I could sense the nuance of sad reality in her tone. But even if hope is slim, there is still a chance if she stays alive. I looked at her lying in the capsule, she looked so innocent that I guessed she wasn¡¯t that much older than me. I don¡¯t know why she was in such a horrible situation, but I think she has the right to be happy for what she has been through. CH 383 It seems that the people who invaded the facility have defeated my masterpiece magic machine, Zhaoge. How is it possible that a force developed for use against Class 3 can be defeated?¡­¡­No way! The Three Pillars of Feri-Rudia! No, it can¡¯t be¡­.Zeus, one of the three pillars, must be dead, while Cluny and Dafstal must have been sealed away. The only one who can break the seal is Feri Rudia, but she must have disappeared in the quantified world. No being would be able to revive the three pillars anymore. Then there is the possibility of Rafishal¡¯s twin gods, Astaroth and Pernecissa, but I don¡¯t think those two would switch from Astaroth and Beelzebub. Furthermore, I heard that the twin gods were also sealed by Rafishal. This is unlikely considering that Rafishal, who applied the seal, is also imprisoned in the giant beast¡¯s lair by Feri Rudia. I don¡¯t believe that a new Class 3 has been born¡­¡­.Even if that is the case, it would be impossible to make it grow enough to rival the Class 3 of the old civilization in this day and age when most boosting technology has been lost. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn¡¯t understand it. Who the hell are those people? I have to say that both the magicrafts and the riders are out of this world. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can just ignore them¡­..It seems that the only way to get rid of them is to use the ones that lie at the deepest level, but that could be a double-edged sword. If I¡¯m not careful, not only this facility but the entire continent might be destroyed. It¡¯s that dangerous¡­¡­.No, maybe with my newly developed technology, I can take complete control of it. If that happens, I will have the most powerful strength. That¡¯s right. I am a genius. Geniuses are allowed to do whatever they want. God will allow me to use that technology. I just replenished it five years ago, so I still have a stock of human lives to fuel it. I must make preparations as soon as possible¡­¡­. Rafishal¡­..Feri Rudia¡­¡­all those who have disrespected me watch me, and I will remind you that you are not the real geniuses. No, it¡¯s not enough to remind you. I¡¯m going to carve it into every inch of your soul and show you who I am. A true genius and supreme being. It is inevitable that this Demiurgus will rise to the top of the human race! For now, I¡¯m holed up in this basement, but I¡¯ll surely take it all. I should rule the world. Only when I, a genius, rule will all mankind be happy. No amount of sacrifice is unavoidable to achieve this. After all, there are plenty of people out there so there will be no shortage of fuel. Let¡¯s get started¡­¡­.It¡¯s time to wake up the deadliest monster of all. CH 384 After the battle in the graveyard, we were moving on. Since then, nothing in particular had interfered and we were making good progress, but that tends to make us relax. Jean, who was piloting Mirai with a big yawn, said something like this. ¡°Huh¡­¡­.I guess they¡¯re out of stuff, no sign of interference.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let your guard down. Something big is bound to happen after a quiet period like this.¡± Kiyone calmly commented on Jean¡¯s distracted words. ¡°I¡¯m no longer surprised by anything that comes my way. I want to bring my father back to life as soon as possible, save the girl, and then get the hell out of here.¡± The girl inside the four-armed magicraft is lying dormant in a med-pod. I want to save her somehow, too. Feri was checking on dad and that girl¡¯s condition on the remote terminal of the medical pod while also glancing at the map. Such a busy genius scientist informed me this while we were descending into the big bottom hole. ¡°We¡¯ve finally reached the lowest level. There should be an advanced medical facility ahead of us.¡± The lowest level was a rather large space. In the center of it, there was a large dome-shaped structure. Perhaps that was where the facility they were aiming for was located. However, there was something familiar in that space on the lowest level. Nagisa shouted in surprise. ¡°Wait a minute! Isn¡¯t that the same thing we saw on the upper levels?¡± There was something that resembled an insect cocoon and to my surprise, it was more than one. ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± Jean¡¯s face changed as he said this. There were dozens of them even at a cursory glance. Even one of them was a nuisance, but this many would be a disaster. ¡°Are they all giant beast weapons?¡± ¡°Looks like it. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to make it to the medical facility until we get rid of them.¡± The cocoons of the giant beast weapons were surrounding the structure in the center. It would be impossible to ignore them. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to fight, won¡¯t we¡­¡­?¡± I said resignedly, and Linnecarlo agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll just go and get it over with.¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, don¡¯t be so casual about it. That monster was pretty strong.¡± As Nagisa said, it was not an easy opponent to beat. ¡°Even though they were strong, we already defeated them once. There¡¯s no need to be afraid of them now that they¡¯re more numerous.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We already know the strength of the enemy, and if we are not careless, we can manage.¡± When Linnecarlo said it, it was a bit of a stretch, but when Kiyone said it, it was very convincing. It¡¯s true that with this group, we might be able to make it work. Everyone immediately boarded their magicrafts and set off. ¡°We¡¯ll take them out one by one. Work together and kill them quickly.¡± Jean instructed simply. I want to, but I don¡¯t know if it will work that well. As we approached one of the cocoons, we immediately began to attack it. The cocoons must have noticed us, because they extended their threads like tentacles and counterattacked. All of us had some experience fighting this thing, so we seemed to have some idea of its movements. We all avoided the attack without any trouble. Kiyone approaches the cocoon while avoiding the attack of the white thread. As soon as she was in range, she quickly slashed at it and the sharp sword blow sliced through the solid cocoon and made a hole. Then, as expected, a giant spider weapon jumped out from inside. This was the second time, so I was not surprised. Nagisa hit the giant beast weapon that jumped out with all her might. It seems to be quite powerful, and the head that took the direct hit bent in a strange direction. Linnecarlo¡¯s lightning strike followed up and the dense lightning penetrated the giant beast weapon like a laser beam. It looks like it¡¯s already on its last breath, but I¡¯m going to finish it off so I cut the giant beast¡¯s weapon in half. CH 385 I defeated the first giant beast weapon. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m getting used to it, but I think I won more easily than when I fought the previous one. ¡°Hey, guys! Look around!¡± Nagisa suddenly raised her voice. ¡°How long has this been going on¡­¡­?¡± While we were fighting one of them, cocoons of giant beast weapons had gathered around us and their number of them had multiplied to an uncountable extent. I had assumed that they would not move in their cocooned state, but I had never imagined that this would happen. ¡°Watch out! It looks like they¡¯re using the white threads to move!¡± Jean seemed to have witnessed the movement and told us. It seems that they use the white threads for attacks and to move. A white thread was released simultaneously from the dozens of cocoons surrounding us. The amount of white threads that was released was too much to count and could not be avoided. The threads entwined around all of us. ¡°Damn it! There¡¯s so many of them.¡± ¡°Ugh, squishy and disgusting!¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d¡­¡­be strapped into one of these things.¡± ¡°No! Let me go!¡± The tangled white threads tighten up the magicrafts mercilessly with tremendous force. I have to do something about this white thread, or I¡¯m going to be killed. ¡°I checked the material of the thread. The weak point of this cocoon is the flame! A hot flame can burn the thread!¡± At a time like this, it would be nice to have Alana, who uses flame magic strikes¡­¡­. ¡°Feri! There¡¯s nothing to burn! ¡°The material to be burned is the white threads of the cocoons.¡± ¡°How do I ignite them?¡± ¡°One of the elements of the four-element cannon is fire. Arleo-2 and Viktor, who can use the four-element cannon, can make fire.¡± Oh my god, I didn¡¯t know the four-element gun had such a use¡­¡­. ¡°Yes! Linnecarlo, you heard Feri!¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sent the single element release instructions to Feri II of Viktor. Please follow the instructions.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Everyone gather around, whether you roll or crawl!¡± There is a possibility that the flames will not reach the target if they are far apart. The success rate will be higher if we are as close together as possible. Despite the restraints and tightening, we all managed to crowd close together. There, I execute a single elemental release. Flames billowed out from Arleo-2 and Viktor. It was not very powerful as a means of attack, but it was enough to ignite the white threads. In the blink of an eye, the flames spread to the surrounding area. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s working!¡± That¡¯s what it seemed like to me, but Feri told me the reality. ¡°No! It¡¯s not hot enough! At this rate, the fire will be extinguished before it burns out.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do? ¡°Increase the oxygen level and the flame temperature will increase.¡± ¡°Oxygen?¡± Kiyone, who was listening, immediately reacted. ¡°Leave it to me. Kiku Ichimonji has a wind magic strike!¡± A tornado-like movement of air is created around Kiku Ichimonji. It is not strong enough to extinguish the burning flames, but it gently pumps oxygen into them. Then the flames gain more and more momentum. The flames that had been engulfed by the tornado flared wide as they rose, turning the threads of the giant beast weapon¡¯s cocoon into charcoal. It worked, the white threads that held us in place were burned away and we were free. CH 386 The white threads that had been restraining me burned away and I was free. Now, here comes the real battle. Most of the encircling cocoons were engulfed by the flames and were set on fire. Spider-like giant beast weapons hurriedly jumped out from inside the cocoons. ¡°Disgusting! You should burn up quietly!¡± Linnecarlo unleashes a magical strike of lightning with high penetrating power. It pierces and defeats one of the giant beast weapons that jumped out of the cocoons. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen through you. You are no longer my enemy!¡± Kiyone read the giant beast weapon¡¯s movements and approached it while avoiding its attacks. She then attacked it with quick strikes to the head, chest and stomach. The behemoth collapsed while screaming. It seemed that she had spotted its weakness and attacked it with pinpoint accuracy. ¡°Oh, no!¡± Nagisa didn¡¯t like the creepy look of the giant beast weapon. I could tell that she was aggravated. This was evident in her movements as well. She punched one of the giant beast weapons that had jumped out of its cocoon a little too roughly, destroying its head. She then grabbed another one and dragged it down to the ground, stomping on its head and destroying it. Even so, all three of them seemed to have gotten a little more accustomed to the giant beast weapon, or rather, their combat power was clearly improving. I remembered that Rafishal had told me once that those who started Ludia training would be able to produce the same effect as training in normal combat. Perhaps all three of them had an increase in their Ludia value due to their combat experience. Even though the three of them had grown up and become stronger, it would be shameful for the only boy to be left alone so I headed for the remaining giant beast weapon. The cocoon reacted to my approach and released a white thread. I dodged the strings and closed the gap between us. Then I released one element, spitting out flames and showering the cocoon with them. The cocoon burst into flames. The fire was too weak to burn out, but the flames spread throughout the cocoon. Unlike Kiyone, I cannot control the wind, but I can create it. I swing my sword quickly and use sword pressure to create a gust of wind. When the oxygen increases due to the wind, the flames grow larger for a moment. The giant beast weapon inside the cocoon sensed the danger of this situation and jumped out. I swung my sword down on the giant beast weapon that had jumped out. It was sliced in half and fell to the ground. Whether it was fear of being burned or confusion, the remaining giant beast weapon that had its cocoon intact jumped out by itself and I fired a series of magic light bullets at it. I approached the giant beast weapon, which cowered after being hit by a magic bullet, and cut off its head. Even though the head was gone, it still moved and attacked, so I avoided it. I then swung my sword sideways to cut it down. There were quite a few of them, but I was able to eradicate them in a few minutes of fighting. Now we can enter the medical facility with peace of mind. ¡°All right, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re weaker than when we first fought.¡± ¡°They certainly didn¡¯t seem that threatening.¡± At first, I was in a hurry when I was restrained, but after that, I was able to eradicate them with ease. It was partly because we found out that fire was their weakness, and partly because we got used to fighting this type of giant beast weapon, but I think it was also because we all grew up before we knew it. Just as I was about to return to Mirai, relieved that the threat was gone, someone spoke to me in a loud voice that echoed throughout the¡­¡­large floor. ¡°Hahahaha, interesting. It¡¯s really interesting that you can defeat my giant beast weapons so easily.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± As I was responding to the mysterious voice, the other side introduced itself. ¡°I am Demiurgus and I am in charge of this facility. I forgive you for intruding without invitation but you will pay for it.¡± The owner of the voice said his name was Demiurgus and Feri reacted to it. ¡°No way¡­¡­Demiurgus is still alive!¡± ¡°Do you know him, Feri?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the name of the scientist with the most atrocious ideas I know.¡± Feri said this with a lot of disgust. If she dislikes him so much, I can imagine how bad his character is, even without actually meeting him. CH 387 ¡°I apologize for entering without permission, but we didn¡¯t expect anyone to be there either¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, you should have told us if you had a problem with it. There is no need to scare us with strange spiders and magicrafts!¡± Feri reacted with disgust, but the fact that we had intruded without permission made me apologize through the external sound output. ¡°I don¡¯t need excuses, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯ve decided to discard this facility.¡± ¡°What do you mean, discard?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll blow it up and erase everything.¡± Demiurgus said something outrageous. If he did that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to revive father or heal the girl. ¡°Wait a minute! You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind, and I don¡¯t care what you do. But we still have some time before the bomb goes off. It would be a small price to pay for breaking into this facility to let you off with a mere explosion. I¡¯ll let you die while tasting despair.¡± Good, it looks like there¡¯s still time. We have to stop the explosion somehow. But I¡¯m curious about the word ¡°despair¡±. Is something else going to come up? ¡°Jean! What¡¯s going on? It looks like he¡¯s going to blow up this facility!¡± ¡°Feri, do you know where the explosives are?¡± I asked Feri. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact location, but I don¡¯t think there are enough explosives set to destroy this vast facility. He¡¯s probably trying to destroy the pillars that support the facility. After analyzing the map, the explosives are probably located at a point on the bottom of that medical facility.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s hurry up and disarm them!¡± Just as everyone was about to rush to the medical facility after hearing Feri¡¯s words, a sound like an earth tremor echoed. ¡°Yuta! I can feel a huge energy! I don¡¯t think Demiurgus was bluffing when he said that earlier.¡± ¡°How huge is huge?¡± ¡°Rank SSS giant beast corresponds to that of the highest class of giant beasts ever. Be careful, an SSS-ranked giant beast far surpasses the combat power of a class 3 magicraft!¡± She said it was stronger than Class 3! That¡¯s a big deal¡­¡­ The unidentified giant energy opponent blew the ground away like a volcanic eruption. ¡°It seems to be a giant beast after all. It¡¯s also a mythical SSS-rank¡­¡­I never thought I¡¯d see something like that here¡­¡­.¡± The SSS class giant beast was bigger than Mirai and had the appearance of a dragon from a CG movie I saw some time ago. It was intimidating, aggressive, reptilian looking and strong. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­.Look at that! On the head of the giant beast.¡± Nagisa said this with a sorrowful cry. It is true that there seemed to be something foreign buried in the forehead of the giant beast. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡­.That¡¯s the same¡­¡­as that magicraft.¡± ¡°Epsilon core! And that core has¡­¡­.¡± It was a situation that made me want to cover my eyes. In the epsilon core on the forehead of the giant beast, there were more than ten people squeezed in. ¡°Is he trying to use the Epsilon Core to control the Giant Beast? That¡¯s impossible! There¡¯s no way he can control an SSS-class giant beast!¡± If Feri says it¡¯s impossible, then it¡¯s probably impossible. And with that many people trapped in the core, what kind of guy is he? ¡°Even a class 3 is no match for him. I¡¯ll deal with the giant beast, and you guys go stop the bombs!¡± I had a feeling that the giant beast was dangerous and if we all fought together, someone would die. That¡¯s why I chose to fight alone, even if I was nervous and Feri agreed with me. She seemed to understand that the only ones who could fight that monster were me and Arleo-2, a class 2 magicraft. CH 388 ¡°I¡¯ll stay and fight too!¡± Linnecarlo started to get self-centered again. ¡°No, Linnecarlo! If we don¡¯t stop the bombs, we¡¯ll all die anyway!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just go!¡± She still seemed to want to say something, but Nagisa intervened. ¡°Linnecarlo, let¡¯s leave this to Yuta. The way he said it means that he knows what he¡¯s doing. When that happens, he¡¯s often making the right choice.¡± As expected of my childhood friend, Nagisa. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time, and she seems to have understood my feelings. At Nagisa¡¯s words, Linnecarlo reluctantly agreed. Leaving me behind, the three of them, along with Mirai, headed for the medical facility where the explosives were believed to be planted. After seeing everyone off, I slowly confronted the giant beast that was coming towards me. ¡°Feri, does that beast have any weaknesses?¡± I asked hopelessly. ¡°It has no fatal weaknesses. However, I believe that an attack to the head would be most effective.¡± ¡°The head¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The head has an epsilon core. I¡¯d rather not attack it if I can help it¡­¡­.¡± The giant beast unexpectedly looked up. Just as I was wondering what it was going to do, there was a burst of sound so strong that it resonated directly in my brain. The volume was so loud that I panicked and covered my ears. However, even though I covered my ears, I could still feel the shock that shook my brain. I felt like I was going crazy with the unpleasant sensation of severe seasickness. ¡°Lethal roar! A less resistant rider would have died of shock from that.¡± Feri said a scary thing without hesitation. I¡¯m not sure if it recognized me as its prey or not, but the giant beast came towards me. ¡°A powerful energy is being generated within the beast¡¯s body! It¡¯s probably going to unleash a breath!¡± ¡°What the hell is a breath?¡± There was no need for Feri to explain. The moment I saw that the giant beast¡¯s mouth was glowing faintly, a strong flash of light flashed and then a light like a beam cannon was shot towards me. ¡°Please avoid it!¡± My consciousness tells the operating sphere to evade immediately. I leap to the side and roll to avoid it but the moment I felt the heat, the ground where I was gouged out and disappeared. In addition, the heat rays from the giant beast are moving in pursuit of Arleo-2, who has evaded the attack. Thinking it would be dangerous to run sideways I took flight. The heat ray pursued Arleo-2, who fled into the air for a while, but as I zigzagged to avoid it, the giant beast¡¯s breath finally stopped. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of power¡­¡­Feri, would Arleo-2 have been able to withstand a direct hit from that?¡± ¡°You can barely survive one hit without a shield. Even at full throttle, the most you can withstand is two or three blows.¡± This is an attack that I must take seriously. I¡¯m not going to win if I keep getting attacked and fired a barrage of magic bullets. But I was still worried about the epsilon core and hesitated to aim at the head, so I just aimed at the body. The magic bullets that landed on the thick skin were flicked off and didn¡¯t seem to do any damage. ¡°An attack like that won¡¯t be able to damage an SSS-class giant beast.¡± ¡°I have to approach it and attack with my sword!¡± ¡°Please be careful. Even Arleo-2 won¡¯t be able to survive a physical attack from that huge body.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try not to get hit.¡± With that, I flew and approached the giant beast. The giant beast turned to face the approaching Arleo-2 and prepared itself. CH 389 Episode 389: Monster The giant beast roars at the approaching Arleo-2. The violence of the strong sound strikes me however, the pressure is not as heavy as it was when I was hit earlier. ¡°The external sound of Arleo-2 has been cut off. Since you can no longer hear any external sounds, please use your vision to judge your opponent¡¯s movements.¡± It¡¯s certainly quieter than usual. It might be a little difficult to fight since I can¡¯t detect the enemy¡¯s movements using sounds, but it might be the only way to counter that roar. The giant beast moves towards Arleo-2. It swung its tail in a big swing and slammed down. I couldn¡¯t avoid it fast enough and the moment I made contact with it, I felt a heavy impact. ¡°Damn! It¡¯s so fast!¡± I almost lost my balance, but managed to get back up. However, the onslaught of the giant beast did not end. It attacked me with its tail again. ¡°Yuta! Please escape upwards!¡± There is no way to escape against a horizontal swinging attack. As Feri said, I¡¯ll avoid it by going up. The giant beast pursued Arleo-2, who had escaped by climbing up. It opened its mouth wide and released a breath. A destructive heat ray attacked. As I turn to avoid it, I come into contact with the high-temperature radiation emitted by the heat ray. This caused some of the parts of Arleo-2¡¯s legs to melt slightly. If I don¡¯t avoid the direct hits, I¡¯ll be in trouble¡­¡­. I circled around, looking for an opportunity to approach but the giant beast turned its head to match Arleo-2¡¯s movements and threatened me. If I approached it unexpectedly, I would fall prey to its breath attack. I wish I could somehow distract it, but I can¡¯t think of a way. ¡°Feri, is there any way you can make a distraction?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been analyzing it, and it seems that the giant beast doesn¡¯t have good eyesight. It seems to be reacting to sound and heat. We¡¯ll use that to our advantage.¡± ¡°How do we do that?¡± ¡°First, get right on top of the giant beast.¡± As Feri said, I flew right above the giant beast. The giant beast followed me and looked up. ¡°Now! Drop the Quake Bomb.¡± The Quake Bomb is a mine-like weapon, two of which are attached to Arleo-2¡¯s waist. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever have a chance to use them, but now seemed to be the time. I did as I was told and dropped the Quake Bomb. ¡°Shoot the Quake Bomb with the magic light bullets. As soon as the bomb is destroyed, turn and approach the enemy.¡± I finally understood Feri¡¯s intentions so I fired a series of magic light bullets to destroy the falling Quake Bomb. A large explosion occurred with a roaring sound and flames. Of course, this kind of attack couldn¡¯t damage the giant beast, but the beast, which reacts to sound and heat, focused its attention on the explosion. While it was paying attention to the explosion, I went around and jumped into the bosom of the giant beast. Okay, it worked. The giant beast didn¡¯t seem to notice my approach. With the momentum gained from the turn, I aimed my sword at the beast¡¯s stomach and stabbed it. The sword bites into the belly. However, the sword did not budge from there. It was neither pulled out nor stabbed. With this attack, the giant beast seemed to have noticed Arleo-2¡¯s approach. I was swung around by its movements, but I held on tightly to the sword to keep it in my hand. As I felt that I was about to lose the sword, I decided to pull it out and leave. Holding the sword firmly in both hands, I put my feet on the giant beast¡¯s body and pulled it out with all my might. However the giant beast opened its large mouth toward Arleo-2 and tried to bite him with its sharp fangs. I managed to escape the fangs, but the giant beast used its tail to launch a series of attacks. There was no way to avoid this, given the timing. ¡°Shields deployed! Shock resistance system activated!¡± Just when I thought I was in trouble, Feri¡¯s voice was heard. The next moment, I felt a strong impact and Arleo-2 was blown away. CH 390 It was quite an impact, but thanks to the shield and shock resistance, the damage to Arleo-2 was minimal. I was grateful for Feri¡¯s quick response and thought about my next move. From the feeling of the sword in its stomach, I don¡¯t think it took much damage. Even if I continue to attack it with my sword, it would be difficult to defeat it. However, even so, a powerful attack with firepower such as the four-element cannon could destroy the epsilon core in its head, or if I¡¯m not careful, the facility could collapse before it explodes. ¡°Feri, what should I do?¡­¡­How can I beat that monster?¡± No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t come up with a good idea. In a moment of weakness, I asked for advice from the erudite Feri. ¡°Yuta, you¡¯re not even using 20% of the Arleo-2¡¯s capability right now. Could it be that you are afraid of that giant beast?¡± I huffed when she said that. It was true that I had never seen such a huge monster before, only in the movies. The giant beasts and the giant beast weapons I had fought before had been powerful but they had never given me such a sense of despair. No matter how strong I am, I still have little to fear from those within my imagination. However, when it comes to an unknown opponent that I have never imagined before, I feel more fear than I should¡­¡­.I remember Nagisa¡¯s father telling me such a story a long time ago. It is true that I never imagined that such a huge beast existed in real life. I wasn¡¯t aware of it, but it seemed that I was terrified of this giant beast. Maybe it was because of its size and the fact that its appearance resembled that of a fearsome monster from an old movie I had seen. I¡¯ve been shrinking in fear more than I should but there¡¯s no need to be afraid. With the power of the Class 2 magicraft Arleo-2, I should be able to defeat that monster. The giant beast that had been chasing and repeatedly attacking Arleo-2 suddenly looked up. I thought it was going to roar again, but it didn¡¯t. The giant beast bent forward and made a squirming motion. Then, pale blue lightning appeared around the beast. It began to buzz and discharge, spreading wide. The range of the electric discharge spread out quickly and hit Arleo-2 directly. But Arleo-2 repelled the attack, which I believe was quite powerful. ¡°Yuta, you¡¯re doing great, your Ludia concentration rose since a moment ago, and the power of the shield has increased.¡± I need to focus more. Arleo-2 power is way higher than this. As the giant beast thought I couldn¡¯t be defeated with electrical discharge, it switched to physical attack again. It approached me, swaying its huge body, and attacked me with its large tail. Maybe it was because I had cooled down a bit, but I could see its movements better. I avoided the attack of the tail by a paper-thin margin and approached the giant beast to attack it again with my sword. Quickly and sharply! Harder! I put all my strength into my grip on the sword as if I were injecting energy into it. Then, as if my feelings were transmitted to the sword, a pale aura appeared to envelop it. ¡°Automatic enchantment activated! Self-boost manifested! It appears to be a hidden gimmick set up by Rafishal.¡± I remember Rafishal¡¯s face when he smiled and said, ¡°There are a lot of tricks in Arleo-2.¡± I don¡¯t know what the function is, but it seems to have increased my attack power somehow. All right, this is a great opportunity¡­¡­. I swung my sword which was enveloped by a pale aura and seemed to have doubled in size at the giant beast. CH 391 Chapter 7/7 for the week. Leaving the giant beast to Yuta, we went to deal with the explosives. The dome-shaped building in the center was large and had multiple entrances. We wanted to go in through the nearest entrance, but since we were so close to the giant beast, we took the long way around and headed for the gate at the far end. ¡°Jean. I was just wondering, are you capable of handling explosives?¡± Linnecarlo asked with concern. ¡°I can do simple things.¡± ¡°What if the explosives are complicated?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll think of something else then.¡± It would certainly be very troubling if it was a difficult explosive, but I don¡¯t have time to think about that right now. I just hope it has a simple structure. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be buried alive. We¡¯ll have to take care of it any way we can.¡± I don¡¯t want to die that way either so I¡¯ll take care of them somehow. ¡°Jean! There¡¯s an enemy presence at the gate!¡± Nagisa, who was ahead of me, announced. ¡°Damn, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be so easy but there¡¯s no time! Mirai is going to go right into it! I¡¯m sorry, but please follow me!¡± As she said this, Nagisa¡¯s Diatena and Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji stepped in front of Mirai to prepare for the enemy¡¯s attack. Linnecarlo followed Mirai for defense. The enemy is more than two dozen magicrafts. If all of them are the same type as the magicraft that Yuta and Kiyone struggled with, it¡¯s pretty bad. I hope that they are somehow lower level enemies. Even as we approached the enemy, Mirai did not slow down. Diatena and Kiku Ichimonji stood against the approaching enemies. At first contact, Kiyone¡¯s Kiku Ichimonji repelled the sword from the enemy¡¯s machine. I was a little relieved to see that, it seems that they are not too strong. Nagisa handles the enemy approaching from the right. Diatena, who had been holding a relaxed stance against the enemy with a huge axe, suddenly accelerated. She quickly closes the distance between them, knocks down the axe, and then hits him in the face with a palm strike. It seems that Diatena¡¯s close combat ability far exceeded that of her opponent. The enemy¡¯s machine that received the palm strike had its head blown off. ¡°Kiyone! Nagisa! I¡¯m leaving this place to you!¡± I called out as I passed between the two of them. They responded by raising their hands lightly. ¡°Linnecarlo, I¡¯m counting on you from here. If anything comes up, you¡¯re on it!¡± ¡°You can count on me and Viktor to eliminate any enemy.¡± Linnecarlo was confident. There were several more structures inside the dome-shaped building. In the center of the dome, a large pillar stretched out as if to pierce the sky. That was probably the important pillar of this facility. The explosives are probably planted there. ¡°Linnecarlo check with Feri II! Are you sure the location of the explosives is under that central building?¡± When I ask this, I hear a voice on the comms whispering to Feri II to confirm. ¡°She says there¡¯s a pretty good chance they¡¯re there. Let¡¯s stop them as soon as we can!¡± When I reached the central building, I brought Mirai to a stop. I then grabbed some tools and tried to leave Mirai. ¡°Mister Jean, we¡¯ll accompany you!¡± The ones who said that were Emitz and Mirti. They are armed with swords and ready to go. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not much of a fighter, so that helps.¡± I gratefully accept the proposal. There was a possibility that we would have to fight hand-to-hand. I knew that I could rely on the strength of the two soldiers. CH 392 As a precaution, I tore off the spirit box that was installed on Mirai and carried it on my back. If the need arose, I would ask Feri for her wisdom in disarming the explosives. ¡°Linnecarlo, I need you to break down the door to the building!¡± There was no time to pry open the lock and break in so Linnecarlo destroyed the door without hesitation. We quickly entered the building through the broken door. The building seems to be unoccupied, there is no sign of anyone inside. ¡°The explosives must be at the bottom of this building. Is there a staircase or something that leads down?¡± I opened the door and searched for a staircase, but couldn¡¯t find one. Linnecarlo, who had come in through the narrow entrance of the destroyed door, heard my words and made a suggestion. ¡°Jean, how about I destroy the floor with Viktor?¡± It was an absurd suggestion, but it might be the fastest way. However, the equipment in this facility is planned to be used later, so destroying too much of it would be a problem later on. ¡°We¡¯re going to use the equipment in this facility. There¡¯s definitely a route down there somewhere, so let¡¯s find it.¡± After searching around for a while, I finally found a sturdy looking shutter. There seemed to be a good chance that I could get to the bottom from here. However, I don¡¯t know how to open the shutter. I guess I¡¯ll have to ask Linnecarlo for help. ¡°Linnecarlo, please pry open this shutter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Viktor put his fingers under the shutter and lifted it as hard as he could, the shutter opened with a cracking sound. ¡°Okay, the passage leads down as expected.¡± ¡°I think I can get Viktor through here.¡± It certainly looks like a corridor for transporting materials with a magicraft, and it¡¯s about that big. We proceeded down the passage with Viktor in the lead. At the end of the passageway was a large space with a large pillar stretching out in the middle. That was probably the support pillar for this facility. Around the pillar, there was a lumpy object about the size of a magicraft attached to it. ¡°That¡¯s the bomb.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something approaching!¡± After all, they were not going to let me disarm the explosives easily. Three quadrupedal machines that appeared to be Guardians appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them! Jean should concentrate on the explosives.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you Linnecarlo!¡± All three Guardians turned their attention towards Viktor, as if they recognized him as an enemy rather than a flesh and blood human. I, Emitz, and Mirti approached the explosives in the meantime. However, it also seemed to be prepared for human opposition. A strange thing with wheels was coming towards us, making a shuffling sound. ¡°Damn, small guardians¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mirti and I will hold that one off, you deal with the bomb.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± With that, they nodded, took their swords, and confronted the small guardian. In the meantime, I approached the explosive. I had to check the structure first¡­¡­.I tried to use the tool to remove the surface of the explosive, but it didn¡¯t go very well because the tool I brought seemed to be of a different model. Damn, if I forcefully remove it, it might explode¡­¡­. Frustrated, I managed to remove some of the parts of the explosive device. Then I looked inside and was stunned. I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on. I¡¯m not even sure what the logic behind the bomb is, let alone the details. A large bead of sweat ran down my forehead¡­¡­. CH 393 The sword, enlarged by the pale aura, effortlessly sliced through the solid skin of the giant beast. Moreover, the sword¡¯s wide blade seemed to have caused too much damage for the giant beast to ignore. The giant beast¡¯s shoulders were sliced open and it began to flail violently, whether in pain or to avoid danger. I rose up and temporarily left the giant beast that was rampaging wildly. I thought he might have lost his mind due to anger, but he remained calm and fired a breath at the rising Arleo-2. I felt that I could cut it. I didn¡¯t avoid the breath and slashed down with my aura sword. When the blue aura and the breath collided, sparks scattered and just as I expected the sensation to be, the aura sword twisted and scattered the breath. ¡°I knew that Rafishal had been researching the high compression of aura¡­¡­for a long time, but I am surprised that he had managed to perfect it to such a level.¡± As a fellow researcher, Feri was both surprised and mildly jealous. The giant beast unleashed more breaths. Looking at it calmly, the giant beast was full of gaps when it was releasing its breath. I accelerated towards the giant beast at once. It consumes a lot of ether to fly at super high speed, but I decided that this was the time to attack. I zigzagged to avoid the breath it released, closed the gap between us, and slashed its torso. His chest was slit wide open and an indescribable colored liquid sprayed out. The liquid seemed to be it¡¯s blood. The giant beast howled into the sky, splashing blood. Then something went wrong. It seemed to be excited, looking up and roaring again and again. ¡°It appears that the giant beast is getting serious. Please be careful. The SSS-class giant beast that once slaughtered tens of thousands of riders is about to show its true colors.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t serious before!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his survival instinct.¡± He started to breathe strangely and the way it looked at me changed. Its muscles began to expand and its body seemed to have grown a size larger. Then, with a single glare, it flew towards Arleo-2 in the sky. He jumped rather than flew, but his leaping power was tremendous. He got close to me at once. ¡°Too fast!¡± As the giant beast approached, it waved its swollen arms and slashed at me with its sharp claws. I immediately used my aura sword to repel the claws. However, it was so powerful that even Arleo-2 was forced back by the recoil. It was quite a powerful attack, but Arleo-2 was not defeated. The claws that bounced back with the Aura Sword were cruelly destroyed. ¡°Breath!¡± The giant beast seemed to be even angrier now that its claws had been broken, and unleashed a breath attack. I felt that it would be dangerous to assume that the close-range breath attack of the giant beast would have the same power as the previous ones. ¡°Shields fully deployed! Defensive field is rapidly expanding!¡± It was an incomparable breath attack from earlier. The swirling heat rays came at me in such a large mass that there was no way to escape. But even so, the current Arleo-2¡¯s defensive performance was better. The white light of the breath dispersed in front of Arleo-2 and scattered in the air. Since it was not flying, the giant beast released its breath and then fell so I accelerated to follow it. After the breath, the giant beast was full of gaps. If I attacked its head now, which was its weak point, I could kill it. However, when I saw the people inside the epsilon core in its head, I decided to abandon that option. CH 394 Sorry for not posting for so long but I was sick. I catch up with the falling giant beast with my super high-speed flight. Then, using the speed of flight, I slash its torso with my aura sword. The flesh ripped open and blood sprayed. However, the durability of the body, which was not its weak point, was still high, and the giant beast was still in good health. ¡°SSS-class giant beasts also have the ability to regenerate. If we take too long, we will be at a disadvantage, so think about defeating it quickly.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s going to regenerate!¡± ¡°Yes. Moreover, it has a mechanism to generate energy inside its body, so the giant beast has unlimited stamina.¡± ¡°That¡¯s tricky¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve analyzed the battle data so far, and Arleo-2 has the better fighting power. The key will be how to inflict fatal wounds in a short time, but we have a good chance of winning.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting an attack on the head?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Rationally speaking, that would be the best option. But I understand that Yuta will not do so.¡± ¡°Yes. I still think that attacking that epsilon core is impossible for me.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s aim for the base of the tail. It may not be as effective as the head, but it will damage it more effectively than other parts.¡± I¡¯m glad Feri understands me. If she were a hard-headed support, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d have me aiming for the head. And then I witnessed its regenerative ability. I saw that the wound on his torso, which I had slashed several times, was wriggling and trying to close up. If the damage is healed like that, we are at a disadvantage because of the energy consumption. In order to get to the base of the tail, as Feri said, I need to go around the back. However, it is not going to be easy, as the giant beast is always looking at me. Before I knew it, the claws I had destroyed had recovered. The giant beast landed on the ground and attacked me, swinging the claws on both arms. It was a very quick and powerful attack, but since I had already beaten it earlier, I had plenty of time to receive it with my Aura Sword. However, the claw attack seemed to be a feint. Immediately after a series of claw attacks, the giant beast unleashed a breath attack with all the power it could muster. The unexpected breath hit me directly, but the shield and defense field dispersed it. ¡°Yuta! Neither the shield nor the defense field is infinite! They consume aether, so you can¡¯t defend over and over again!¡± Feri reminds me of this. It¡¯s true that the amount of ether remaining was decreasing rapidly. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible, but does the giant beast know this and is aiming to consume it with its breath attack? Maybe the giant beast is smarter than it looks. At this rate, I¡¯ll be forced into a battle of attrition and be killed. I can¡¯t fight sluggishly. Concentrate your attack ¨C I¡¯m going to concentrate deeper and harder. I¡¯ll save my strength and prepare for a powerful strike. The giant beast fired a series of breaths at me, probably because it doesn¡¯t need to worry about exhaustion but I evaded them, conserving my concentration and strength. I will probably only attack it once with all my might, considering how much ether I have left¡­¡­.I will defeat the giant beast with that one blow! I decide to use super fast flight to get behind the giant beast. This also consumes a lot of ether, but it can¡¯t be helped. Seeing the timing of the giant beast¡¯s breath attack, I accelerate all at once to get behind it. Then, I unleashed all the power I had stored up¡­ CH 395 I saw the contents of the explosives and immediately reached for the Spirit Box. It would be impossible to disarm this guy with my power alone. I immediately tried to ask for Feri¡¯s help but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t open a line to Arleo-2¡­¡­.No matter how many times I tried, there was no response. ¡°Damn, what the hell is going on at a time like this?¡± Then I tried several times but still no luck, and it seems impossible to ask Feri. What to do¡­¡­There is no one else who can disarm such an explosive device. I thought so, but then I remembered that there was one other smart guy in my group who could do such a thing besides Feri but now, Fugaku is deep in the Amurian Federation. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could communicate with him successfully since he is quite a distance from here. Well, there was no use thinking about it. Let¡¯s try to open a line just for the sake of it. With that in mind, I adjusted the settings of the Spirit Box to Fugaku. ¡°This is Jean. Fugaku, do you copy?¡± ¡°Gah¡­gah¡­gah¡­©¤©¤©¤©¤ boo-boo¡­gah¡­gah¡­gah¡­¡± I knew it was no good¡­¡­.Just when I thought so, a small voice replied. ¡°Jean, this is Fugaku, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Alana! I¡¯m sorry, but I need you to put Rafishal on the line right away!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? From the looks of it, it seems that the Sword Saint hasn¡¯t been revived yet.¡± ¡°Just hurry up! I¡¯ll explain what¡¯s going on later!¡± ¡°Hold on a minute, I¡¯ll get him.¡± The wait seemed endless. I was not sure how long it would take for the explosives to detonate, and I was not sure how long I would have to wait. ¡°Jean, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh~ Rafishal! I need a little help disarming some explosives!¡± ¡°Explosives? I understand. From the looks of it, it sounds like you¡¯re in a hurry. Explain the construction of that explosive device to me as best you can.¡± You are indeed the great sage. He seemed to have grasped the general situation just from the word ¡°explosives¡± and my behavior. ¡°Let me explain. First, I see a container of liquid in the center. Around that container, there are a lot of reddish-black stones. They are covered with a fluffy cotton-like material. There is some kind of machine attached to the edge, and the meter is moving to the right a little bit at a time.¡± ¡°Is there white steam?¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming from the bottom.¡± ¡°If so, it¡¯s definitely an explosive device based on fusion liquid.¡± ¡°Is it bad?¡± ¡°Depending on the amount of fusion liquid, a cupful could easily blow up to a one-kilometer radius.¡± ¡°The fusion liquid¡­¡­it isn¡¯t this liquid in the center, is it? There¡¯s about a thousand cups of it.¡± ¡°What are they trying to destroy?¡± ¡°A research facility.¡± ¡°I see. That makes sense.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just accept the situation, tell me how to disarm it! If we don¡¯t do something fast, it¡¯ll blow up!¡± ¡°How far has the meter traveled?¡± ¡°About 70 percent.¡± ¡°All right, there¡¯s still time. Okay, let¡¯s start with the temperature rise. Are there any box-shaped devices placed down there?¡± ¡°Oh, there is one.¡± ¡°Remove it carefully. Don¡¯t give it too much of a shock. If you¡¯re not careful, it could explode on its own.¡± ¡°Seriously¡­¡­.¡± I used a tool to carefully remove the box. I thought my heart would stop when my hand hit the uneven surface of the box while I was removing the screw-like object, but somehow it did not explode. CH 396 Struggling with the unfamiliar work and the unfamiliar parts, I managed to remove the box-shaped equipment. ¡°I got it! What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Next, you need to remove the detonator. Remove the box that contains the meter, but you must be more careful because there is a measure in there that can trigger the explosion. Look at the structure first, and then we¡¯ll figure out the steps to remove it. Try to open the meter box without too much vibration.¡± Shivering a little, I remove the cover of the box where the meter is located. There are countless wires inside, and I have no idea what they do. How am I supposed to convey these things over the comms? ¡°Rafishal, I opened the box, but it¡¯s so complicated I can¡¯t even explain it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it looks complicated, but most of it is dummy wiring. There¡¯s only one wire that matters, and that¡¯s the one that leads to the explosives, that¡¯s all you need to find.¡± ¡°You speak lightly, but how am I supposed to find it?¡± ¡°There are several structural patterns that we can follow, but¡­¡­it¡¯s hard to explain them over the comms, is Feri around?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the middle of a battle with a powerful giant beast in Arleo-2.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem, but let¡¯s go after them one at a time, check them out one by one.¡± Rafishal does not seem the least bit perturbed to hear that Arleo-2 is fighting a powerful giant beast. It must mean that he trusts Arleo-2, Yuta, and Feri that much. As Rafishal said, it was difficult to get a description of the explosives over the comms. I gave detailed information on the status of the wiring, to which Rafishal would tell me to check some items, and further instructions would be given based on the results. We repeated this several times to analyze the structure of the detonator. ¡°Okay, now all we need to do is cut the red line above to disconnect the detonator from the explosive device.¡± As instructed, the red line is snapped off and the work is completed. When I told him this, Rafishal also expressed his relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s disarmed.¡± ¡°I was relieved to hear that, too, but then I heard that man¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°I had miscalculated that there was a technician who could disarm that thing.¡± It was the voice of Demiurgus, the master of this place. The voice sounded like an external output sound, and I could not tell where it was coming from. I looked around for the source of the voice then I spotted a figure in the glassed-in terrace room. ¡°However, it seems you are at the limit of your ability just by disarming the detonator,¡± he said. ¡°Rest assured, that explosive can be detonated without such a thing.¡± ¡°What the hell? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Pfft, well, it would be useless to explain it to someone who is going to the other side, but I¡¯ll tell you. All I have to do is apply a strong external force and the liquid in the center will explode. It¡¯s that simple.¡± When he finished saying this, the ceiling section collapsed and a vicious head emerged. ¡°A giant beast!¡± It was the Giant Beast that was supposed to be fighting Arleo-2. What the hell is going on!? ¡°I called it here to blow up the explosives. It would be the quickest way to get rid of it, since it would be obliterated when the fusion liquid exploded.¡± Hearing those words, I feel a little relieved. It seems that Yuta was not defeated. CH 397 Aimed at the base of the tail, the full force of the blow blew off the lower half of the Giant Beast¡¯s body. The beast was cut in half, and its upper body rolled off the ground. ¡°Not yet! The Giant Beast is alive!¡± Feri shouts at me as I let my guard down. I looked and sure enough, the upper body was still moving. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go!¡± I tried to chase it but I stalled in the middle of the flight and then fell down. ¡°The ether has been depleted, use the ether pod to rapidly recover.¡± ¡°No way, I almost took him down!¡± I can no longer fly due to depletion of ether. During the rapid recovery, my actions are limited and I cannot chase after the giant beast. In the meantime, the giant beast flees toward the domed building in the center. What was even more frightening was that even while it was fleeing, its missing lower body was beginning to regenerate. ¡°Feri! How soon can I recover?¡± ¡°In about five minutes, you will recover to 50% of your minimum to be able to act at full strength.¡± ¡°Five minutes?!¡± Even so, natural recovery takes several months, depending on the ether concentration. I can¡¯t complain about ether pods that can do it in a few minutes. During rapid recovery, flight is not possible so I chase after the giant beast on foot, but I can¡¯t seem to catch up with it at all. Somehow, the giant beast manages to get inside, destroying the building in the center. I think there are more ways to escape, but it seems to have chosen a closed area. ¡°We¡¯re back up to 50%, let¡¯s go after the giant beast as soon as possible! It would be a nuisance if we let it completely regenerate!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I fly toward the central building, chasing the giant beast. It was not difficult to chase it because its escape route had been blocked. The giant beast was aiming for the basement of the building, destroying the floor. Half of its lower body had already been regenerated. ¡°Yuta, that is the area with explosives. There is a high probability that Jean and the others are there, so you better check the situation before attacking.¡± ¡°Seriously? He ran off to another nasty place¡­¡­¡± I could no longer attack carelessly and had no choice but to give up attacking the giant beast once and turn around and head for the basement. The first thing I noticed in the basement was Linnecarlo¡¯s Viktor fighting with three Guardians. Although it was three against one, Linnecarlo seemed to have the upper hand, and two of the three Guardians were already so beaten up that they could barely move. ¡°Linnecarlo!¡± I thought it was only a matter of time before Linnecarlo would defeat them without my help, but considering that the battle with the giant beast was about to begin, I decided it would be better to eliminate them as soon as possible. I closed the gap with the Guardian, the most energetic of the three, and sliced it in half with the Aura Sword that I had already manifested. The appearance of a new enemy confused the Guardians but Linnecarlo did not miss the opportunity. ¡°Lightning Bolt!¡± Countless lightning bolts produced by Viktor strike the two Guardians. Although the Guardians looked like they were capable of evading the lightning, it was impossible for them to avoid it when they were caught in the gap. The Guardians who were directly hit collapsed with a cloud of white smoke. ¡°Yuta! Did you defeat the Giant Beast?¡± Linnecarlo, who has calmed down after defeating the Guardians, asks me about the situation. ¡°I haven¡¯t beaten him yet. He ran this way, so I chased after him.¡± Just as he said this, the ceiling in the back collapsed and a huge beast appeared. Upon closer inspection, the worst part was that I could see Jean and the others below the place. CH 398 The giant beast broke through the ceiling and entered the underground space. Jean and the others are in danger if this continues, so they immediately went to help them. The beast descends to the basement, destroying the ceiling. It then slithers toward Jean and the others. Jean, Emitz, and Mirti are trying to get away from the Giant Beast while fighting with the small Guardian. ¡°Jean! Move behind me!¡± I leap in front of the giant beast to protect Jean and the others. The approaching beast stopped moving when it saw Arleo-2¡¯s figure. It seems that the blow I had given it earlier had an effect on it, and it recognized me as a strong enemy. ¡°Yuta! Demiurgus on that terrace! Don¡¯t let him get away!¡± I looked at the place Jean mentioned and sure enough, I saw a person standing there. ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Destroy them with the fusion liquid!¡¡And prove that I am a genius!¡± Demiurgus also said something I didn¡¯t understand but Feri reacted. ¡°Demiurgus, as usual, you seem to see nothing but yourself.¡± Hearing these words, Demiurgus stops for a moment. However, after taking a breath, he said, as if surprised. ¡°Feri, you¡¯re Feri Rudia! No way¡­¡­.weren¡¯t you supposed to have disappeared!¡± ¡°I knew you sent that magnetic attack. Unfortunately, I was already gone at that time. My colleagues who sensed I was in danger moved me from that storage medium.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­well¡­¡­I¡¯ll just bury you right here with my own hands!¡± ¡°Your hands? You¡¯re just inciting that giant beast, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Shut up! I am in complete control of that giant beast! Then it is my power!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t possibly control a¡­¡­SSS class beast like that.¡± ¡°Hmph! You are a fool not to see reality! And yet, here it is, listening to my commands! Giant beast! Kill them quickly!¡± However, the giant beast did not come toward us, but glared at Demiurgus then it slowly approached the glass-walled terrace room. ¡°What are you doing? I say kill them! You! Do as you¡¯re told!¡± ¡°Demiurgus, you have so much talent, but you don¡¯t get results because you don¡¯t try to understand the true nature of things. The giant beast did not come here to follow instructions. He came here to cut off the source of the radio waves that commanded him.¡± ¡°What the hell? That¡¯s absurd! Now, wait! Stop it! I am your master!¡± ¡°Ignoring its voice, the giant beast moves even closer to the glass-walled terrace. Then, as if to unleash its fury, it slammed a powerful breath into it. Not even a scream was heard. In an instant, the place where Demiurgus had disappeared.¡± ¡°Poor scientist¡­¡­.¡± Feri showed some pity at the death of someone she had known for a long time. However, the death of Demiurgus did not mean that the threat of the giant beast disappeared. Most of its lost lower body has regenerated. ¡°Linnecarlo take Jean and the others and get away from here.¡± She was about to say something like, ¡°I¡¯ll fight with you,¡± but she reluctantly agreed to do so, understanding that the protection of Jean and the others was also important. ¡°Yuta, be careful with the explosives.¡± ¡°I know. I won¡¯t let the giant beast do anything. This time, I¡¯ll take it down with a single blow!¡± The attack earlier had barely cut off half his body. That wasn¡¯t enough, I had to concentrate more and deliver an even more powerful blow¡­¡­sharpening my awareness and squeezing the power out of the depths of my being. As I was concentrating my energy, the blue-white aura of the aura sword became even bigger, and the color changed even more. The aura changed from blue-white to gold¡­ CH 399 Feri exclaims in admiration when she sees the aura sword that has changed to a golden color. ¡°The golden fighting spirit materialized into a highly compressed energy reaction¡­¡­No way, the divine transformation phenomenon! I even thought it was a pipe dream, but I never thought it would come true¡­¡­.¡± Furthermore, Feri warns me. ¡°Yuta, be careful. The current attack power of Arleo-2 is far more powerful than the explosives used to destroy this facility. It has the power to destroy the Epsilon core of the giant beast along with the facility.¡± The serious tone of her voice tells me that this is not an exaggerated warning. I must avoid destroying the facility by mistake. ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll attack the base of the tail carefully.¡± ¡°No need for that. With the current Arleo-2, it is possible to defeat the Giant Beast even by attacking it head-on.¡± ¡°Good! Then I¡¯ll aim for the center of the giant beast!¡± ¡°Yes. That will be enough to defeat it!¡± I¡¯m feeling the energy of the golden aura sword and I am a little afraid of what will happen if I swing the sword in such a state but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to do it. While I was wondering what to do with the surplus power, the giant beast was about to release its breath toward me. Jean and the others were behind me so I decided to block it because it would be dangerous for Jean and the others if I avoided it. ¡°Feri, deploy the shield I¡¯ll block the breath.¡± ¡°Shield deployed! Yuta, please point your sword at the giant beast.¡± I pointed my sword toward the giant beast as Feri instructed. At that moment, an intense heat ray shot out from the mouth of the behemoth. However, when the heat ray touched the golden aura sword, it disappeared as if evaporating. ¡°Now! Let¡¯s end this fight!¡± Nodding at her words, I headed toward the giant beast at high speed flight. Bringing my aura sword forward, I charge straight into the belly area of the Giant Beast. The impact spreads in a circular motion around the spot where the sword touches, like a whirlpool. The shockwave engulfs the beast like a black hole. Pieces of flesh and other debris disappear without a moment¡¯s time to dissipate. The giant beast screams its last cry and its huge body disappears without any way to regenerate but the shockwave does not stop spreading, and Feri gets agitated. ¡°Oh no! It was more powerful than I imagined©¤©¤the body of the Giant Beast was obliterated without a trace, but the head barely remained. I¡¯m relieved. If the core had been destroyed by this, it would have been nothing to laugh about.¡± I quickly approached the rolled head and removed the epsilon core. Then I destroyed the last remaining part of the giant beast. The tension finally dissipated as I the Giant Beast finally died. Feri¡¯s tone of voice also changed to a slightly calmer one. ¡°It was very powerful. It makes me wonder how much of the equipment in this facility is safe.¡± ¡°Ah! Oh yeah! If the equipment is out of commission, we¡¯re screwed¡­¡­.I hope it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, don¡¯t worry. Looking at the equipment, this area is considered to be the experimental building, so the impact on the medical building that we need, will be minimal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± It¡¯s rare that Feri makes a joke. She seems much more human than when I first met her in Viktor. ¡°Yuta! What happened?¡± ¡°Is everyone all right?¡± Nagisa and Kiyone, who were not present, rushed over and asked me. I was a little worried about where they had gone, but I was glad they were safe. ¡°Demiurgus is dead, the explosion has been stopped, and the giant beast has been defeated. I feel like we¡¯ve solved some problems.¡± I explained the situation to them in a simple way. At any rate, I was relieved to hear that everyone seemed to be safe. All that remained was to revive my father and heal the girl, and then we would be able to accomplish our goal. CH 400 We freed people who had been used in the Epsilon core of the Giant Beast. Unlike the girl we rescued from that graveyard, they all seemed to have been embedded in the core for only a short time and they were all in less serious condition. In turn, they were allowed to rest while being treated in the medical pods in Mirai. Then we were finally going to revive my dad. We head to the medical wing, which has advanced astral medical equipment that we need. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down yet. Demiurgus may have left a trap, and there may be something else.¡± As Jean said, there is a possibility that traps remain. We headed for the medical building with caution. The medical building was located northeast of the laboratory where the explosives had been found. Since Feri had located it based on the map she had memorized, we did not get lost. Fortunately, there was no damage from the battle, and the facilities appeared to be safe. ¡°Let¡¯s carry Mr. Swordsman and the girl¡¯s medical pods.¡± Me, Jean, Feri¡¯s pseudo body, Emitz and Mirti will carry the medical pods. Nagisa and Kiyone will guard us, keeping an eye out in case something comes up. Linnecarlo was asked to wait outside in her magicraft in case of emergency. ¡°I¡¯m not used to this kind of role.¡± Linnecarlo complained since she was the only one on standby in her magicraft. Well, since she is the least powerful and the least capable in hand-to-hand combat among the members of this group, it was inevitable that she was assigned to such a role. It was unnaturally quiet inside the medical building. Not only was there no noise, but the air was so quiet that there was not even a trickle of breeze. According to Feri, the entire building is sterile, temperature and humidity are controlled. The entire building is constantly scanned to prevent foreign substances from entering and to prevent even the slightest change from occurring. However, the quietness of the building changed drastically, and the sound of sirens began to echo loudly. It seemed that the AI managing the medical building had decided that we were trespassing. Feri¡¯s pseudo-body acted calmly in this situation. It approached a nearby electronic terminal and began operating something. The sirens immediately stopped. ¡°I hacked into the management program and registered us as guest users. We can now move freely in the medical building.¡± ¡°You¡¯re good at this. Why don¡¯t you check out where we have to go while you¡¯re at it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already checked. The medical room is on the seventh floor. There is an elevator at the end of the hall.¡± Feri is so good at her job that even Jean is impressed to the point of being dumbfounded. Perhaps it was because we were registered as guest users, but nothing interfered with our activities. We smoothly arrived at the seventh floor in a large elevator that could accommodate two medical pods with room to spare. ¡°Please place both medical pods in the center of the room.¡± Feri began to examine the equipment in the room, nodded and said, ¡°The equipment seems to be working fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. If the equipment was unusable, all the hard work we¡¯ve done up to this point would be meaningless.¡± All that was left was to perform the reanimation and Feri is working diligently on the preparations. The work was too advanced for us to help, so all we could do was wait and see. ¡°Please put the materials you brought for reanimation in there by type.¡± We did as we were told and put the materials we brought into several circular boxes. When we were done, everything seemed to be ready, and Feri said emphatically, ¡°Then we will begin the revival.¡± Finally, the revival of my father begins. I had heard that it is not always a success, so I watched anxiously. CH 401 When Feri touched the transparent sphere, everything in the room began to glow. Then, a faint mist filled the room, and the equipment around it began to move slightly. ¡°Father¡­¡­¡± Kiyone murmurs as she folds her hands in prayer. Her expression is that of a serious fighter, full of spirit and the emotion of wanting her father back. Nagisa, Jean, Emmitt, and Mirti are watching over her with concern. The sphere around the medical pod containing my father glows more intensely. The light becomes a streak and gathers around the medical pod. The gathered light becomes a large, strong mass of light that begins to blink gently. ¡°Begin repair of the physical body- Begin scan of the astral body- Soul signals received, analysis and design of reconstruction begun¡­¡± I don¡¯t even know if things are going well because I don¡¯t understand the mechanism but Feri is operating the equipment nonchalantly with a serious expression on her face. I don¡¯t think there are any unforeseen circumstances because she didn¡¯t react. ¡°Analysis of bio-patterns complete¡­Resuscitation program construction complete¡­Preparing to chant spells¡­Begin chanting spell [High Healing]¡­Begin chanting spell [High Recovery]¡­Begin chanting spell [Resurrection]¡­¡± The light from father¡¯s medical pod became even stronger and its color changed from white to blue-white. ¡°Spell normal chanting completed, catalyst lost due to magical binding confirmed, bio-reactions graphed.¡± As Feri said this, a sort of three-dimensional hologram appeared above dad¡¯s medical pod. On it was displayed a single thick line. ¡°The resuscitation process is complete. All that remains is to pray for the return of bio-signs.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°If the bio-signs come back, it¡¯s a success. When that line on the graph moves, it means the patient has come back to life.¡± When I heard that, I couldn¡¯t help but wish the line would move. Kiyone also began to strongly pray, however, the line did not twitch. I wonder how long it would take for it to move if the process was successful. I look at Feri, the only one who knows about it and I can see that her expression is getting cloudier and cloudier. My emotions are being eroded by anxiety as I realize that the time for a normal reaction has already passed. My heart starts pounding rapidly and the worst possible outcome looms over me. I shouted loudly at father to get up. ¡°Move your ass, dad! You call yourself the Sword Saint, but you can¡¯t even stand up! I¡¯ve worked so hard to get here, and if you don¡¯t come back to life, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± After me Kiyone shouted at him as well. ¡°Father, you left two ungrateful disciples behind! You still have so much to teach me! Mother will be furious with you in the afterlife if you give up now!¡± The line seemed to move, even if only slightly. I knew dad could hear us. Kiyone seemed to sense it too and we shouted almost simultaneously. ¡°Dad! What are we going to do if you give up at this point? ¡°What happened to your usual high spirits? You even said that even if you were seriously injured in dangerous training, you would heal yourself with your power. Please use that power and come back to life!¡± Beep ¨C beep ¨C beep ¨C beep ¨C beep ¨C it¡¯s not my imagination. The line clearly responded. I looked at Feri and her expression changed to one of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s safe now. The resuscitation was successful.¡± The moment I heard those words, the strength drained from my body. I felt relief from the bottom of my heart as I fell to my knees. I¡¯m glad¡­¡­I can see my dad again¡­¡­. CH 402 Dad was revived, but it was deemed too dangerous to awaken him immediately, so he was left to rest in the medical pod for a while longer. I was a little disappointed because I thought we would be able to talk soon. ¡°Let¡¯s think about treating that girl next.¡± ¡°Can you fix her?¡± ¡°Rest assured, with all this equipment, we should be able to handle it.¡± Feri looks at the equipment in the facility and considers a treatment plan for the Epsilon Core girl. After a few moments, she came up with some kind of plan and said, ¡°Yuta, could you help me a little?¡± ¡°Sure, if there¡¯s anything I can do, just let me know.¡± The treatment Feri came up with was to access her spirit directly and heal her damaged astral soul. And it seems that my mission was to deliver the healing program. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with me?¡± I reconfirm this to Feri, who is wiring something to the capsule and her medical pod. ¡°Yes, Yuta would be the best choice. You had a brief emotional connection with her in your previous battle, so I don¡¯t think it will be too much of a burden to access her psyche.¡± I¡¯m not sure, but if Feri says so, she must be correct. If I¡¯m the right person for the job, then I have to do it. ¡°Yuta, you are going to connect with a girl¡¯s heart, so don¡¯t do anything sloppy.¡± Nagisa, who had heard about the treatment procedure from Feri, reminded me. ¡°The connection is only to mediate the healing program. I¡¯m not going to be doing anything, so I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still worried you¡¯re going to do something.¡± She seems to trust me in a bad way because she knows how I have been acting since I was a little kid. I¡¯m not really aware that I¡¯ve done anything that strange¡­¡­. The equipment has been connected and Feri gives the final confirmation. ¡°The program will take care of her. Yuta doesn¡¯t have to do anything in particular, so whatever happens, please remain still.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?¡± ¡°It is difficult to have complete control over the spiritual world so unforeseen events can happen.¡± ¡°If something unforeseen happens, just going to sit back and do nothing!¡± ¡°Yes, I will take care of it if something happens. If Yuta moves in a strange way, it may become difficult to control and the situation may deteriorate further. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you would remain still.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll try my best not to do anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll connect you then. Within seconds of hearing those words, my vision darkens. I feel like I¡¯m rapidly falling asleep, but strangely enough, my consciousness is clear. Then I felt a floating sensation as if I were flying off into the pitch black sky. It was dark and I couldn¡¯t see, but I was heading somewhere. Soon a white dot came into view. I immediately understood that it was the destination. As I got closer to the white dot, I noticed that it was a large mass of light. It seemed that I was going to enter it. As soon as I touched the mass of light, I felt a shock. My vision went blank and I lost consciousness at the same time. CH 403 I found myself in a house somewhere. It looked like a small, cozy house with a table in the center of the room. There was a girl at the table, and she was drawing something with all her heart. I was curious about what she was drawing, so I approached her. Even though I was quite close, the girl did not notice me. It seems that she does not see me. What the girl was drawing was a picture. The subject seemed to be a family, with a young girl, her father, and what appeared to be her mother. The girl¡¯s face was full of smiles, and she was probably drawing the picture while remembering happy memories. Bang! The door is opened with a loud sound. Then, a number of people who appeared to be soldiers entered the room. The girl¡¯s expression changed to one of fear and she tried to escape to the back of the room. ¡°That¡¯s the person! Seize her!¡± A person who seems to be the commanding officer shouts. The adults seemed to have no difficulty in capturing the young girl. She was quickly detained as her arms and head were restrained. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I tried to shake off the soldier who was holding the girl. However, my outstretched hand was empty, unable to touch the soldier. I can¡¯t do anything because I can¡¯t touch them. The girl is being taken outside while I am trembling with anger. Even though I knew I couldn¡¯t do anything, I couldn¡¯t help but chase after her. I hurried through the entrance of the house where the soldier with the girl had passed. At that moment, the scenery around me changed completely. It was a completely different place, it looked like some kind of research facility. Looking around, I notice that the girl is chained up in what looks like a prison cell. A container of food is placed in front of the girl. I felt pity for the girl whose arms were bound by chains and wondered how she would eat the food. From somewhere, a man walks up to the cell where the girl is. Then, with a stern look on his face, he said, Another failure!¡¡How could this genius fail so many times! Well, it¡¯s you¡­¡­you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m failing! Why are you dragging me down with you! Give me results according to my theory! Work the way it¡¯s supposed to work! Try to do what I tell you to do!¡± What an unreasonable thing to say. I could tell from his voice that this man was Demiurgus, but as I suspected, he was not a man of good character. Not satisfied with just yelling at the girl, Demiurgus ordered his soldiers to let her out of the prison. He then began to beat her with the whip he was holding. ¡°More! You have to keep trying! More! More!¡± While hurling such words at her, he cracks the whip with all his might. The girl screams and is in pain. It was impossible not to get angry at being shown such a scene. I grabbed Demiurgus¡¯ arm and tried to stop him, however, just as before, my hand only cut through the air, unable to touch, let alone grab, the Demiurgus¡¯ arm. ¡°Damn! What the hell is this?¡± The moment I shouted that, the scene changed again. Next was a room that looked like a laboratory, with the girl from the epsilon core strapped to a heavy chair in the center, like the one in a dentist¡¯s office. It was there that I realized that the girl I had seen earlier was the childhood form of this Epsilon Core girl. CH 404 Demiurgus approaches the girl and with each step, the girl¡¯s face becomes distorted with fear. In Demiurgus¡¯ hand was a red anemone-like object. ¡°Rejoice, I finally know what you are missing.¡± Demiurgus said this with a big smile on his face, as if he was very happy that he had found out. Then he began to speak more forcefully. ¡°You know what that missing piece was? It is negative energy. Pain, suffering, anger, and despair¡­¡­generate enormous amounts of energy, and you are completely lacking in all of them. That¡¯s why I made this.¡± He showed her the red anemone-like object in his hand. ¡°This is a monster made to eat human nerves but don¡¯t worry. The nerves it eats regenerate at the same speed as it eats them. So the nerves will not be devoured.¡± Wait a minute. What are you talking about! A nerve-eating monster? ¡°Even more amazingly, when the nerves are eaten, they secrete a component that makes them more painful and sensitive. This allows us to feel more intense pain.¡± Demiurgus¡¯ expressions become more and more distorted as he speaks in a maniacal manner. Perhaps becoming excited by his own statements, his tone becomes rougher and he begins to speak even crazier. ¡°It produces a force so mighty that you feel despair at the pain you will feel forever. Wonderful! All you have to do is generate negative emotions and my research will go one step further! How¡¯s that? Aren¡¯t you glad? Aren¡¯t you glad to be a part of my great work? I will give you an immortal body so that you can experience joy forever. With this, you will serve me forever!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡­!¡± The girl who was too scared to say anything uttered words of rejection. Of course, anyone would reject something like this. I was getting more and more angry with Demiurgus. Demiurgus approached the girl and put something like a sea anemone on her face. She shook her face and rejected it, but the anemone-like monster moved to the girl¡¯s ear and tried to enter her body from there. ¡°No¡­!!!!¡± I was horrified when I saw it trying to get into her ear. The thought of that thing eating the girl¡¯s nerves made me want to vomit. My discomfort and anger reach a crescendo, and I reach for that anemone. I was so determined to save her that my hand that didn¡¯t even cut through the air got a grip on the anemone. I then angrily crushed the anemone in my hand. I felt a nasty sensation and immediately threw it on the floor. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± Demiurgus, which had not shown any sign of concern until a moment ago, exclaimed. It seems that he suddenly became able to see me. I quickly snatched the sword from the waist of a nearby soldier. I kicked down the soldier who was holding the sword, and seeing the situation, I pulled out my sword and smashed the head of another soldier who attacked me with the hilt. I pointed my sword at Demiurgus who was trying to approach and destroyed the restraints on the girl. ¡°Can you move?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­yes.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll run for it.¡± I looked and saw soldiers coming one after another from the back. I knew it was not safe for me to be here, so I suggested. She looked surprised for a moment, but quickly nodded deeply in agreement. CH 405 ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away! Kill the man if you want, but bring me the woman alive!¡± Demiurgus shouted we fled. I was so annoyed by his words that I thought about going back and cutting him down, but then I saw the girl running frantically with a look of fear on her face and decided against it. There are two soldiers standing guard in the direction we are going. Countless soldiers are chasing us from behind, so we have no choice but to force our way through here. The soldiers noticed us and drew their swords but we were faster. We approached them at full speed and quickly took them both down before they could counterattack. Having fought against father and Kiyone, I could easily win against two ordinary opponents. In fact, I think it would be tougher to fight one dad than to fight ten soldiers. I looked over and saw her staring blankly at me as I overpowered the soldiers. She looks surprised, as if she thinks I¡¯m stronger than I look but we were on the run, and there was no time to dawdle. I pulled her hand and headed further in. Then we ran around frantically, going into ducts, through underpasses, and so on. I was so absorbed in the situation that I don¡¯t know exactly where we went or how we got there, but before I knew it, we had managed to get rid of the soldiers. ¡°I¡¯m Yuta, what¡¯s your name?¡± I asked that when I realized I didn¡¯t even know her name. She made a slightly shy gesture, moped and fumbled, and then answered in a small voice, ¡°¡­..I am¡­¡­Mayu¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see, Mayu. You look like you¡¯ve had a pretty bad time, are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­it hurt a while ago, but I¡¯m fine now ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­where did Yuta Onii-chan come from?¡± ¡°What, Onii-chan¡­¡­I¡¯m not that much older than Mayu.¡± I don¡¯t know Mayu¡¯s actual age, but based on her looks alone, she looks a little older than me. I asked back, not understanding the intent of her words. However, she continued to say something that surprised me a little. ¡°I¡¯m five years old.¡± ¡°Five years old! No, you don¡¯t look five years old.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you say that¡­¡­I¡¯m five years old¡­¡­my mom said so on my birthday the other day. She said that since Mayu is already five years old, she should be able to do everything by herself¡­¡­.Huh?¡¡Where is mother¡­¡­where is she? Oh no! Where am I? I want to go home!¡± The girl¡¯s spirit seems to have become unstable, perhaps because she felt uneasy about her current situation. Her expression hardened and she began to scurry restlessly. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take you home, so calm down¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mother said it¡¯s dangerous to stay at home¡­¡­no¡­¡­home is dangerous¡­¡­she said a lot of bad adults are coming¡­¡­¡­that¡¯s¡­¡­ different¡­¡­here¡­¡­I was too late to run away and the¡­¡­adults caught me and¡­¡­I hate it! Let go of my mother!!!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mayu?¡± She starts talking incoherently and I get worried and call out to her. She stares at one point and seems to be looking at something. ¡°Oh no!!!! Mommy!!!!¡± The moment Mayu exclaimed that, a flashback-like image appeared to me for a moment. It was of a soldier stabbing a woman in the stomach with a sword. Tears were welling up in her eyes. It seemed that the person being stabbed with the sword was Mayu¡¯s mother. It would have been shocking to see her mother like that. I can only do this for now¡­¡­but I gently hugged her as she sobbed. CH 406 For a while, Mayu cried on my chest. All I could do was to let her cry. Mayu, who had been crying for a long time, raised her head and looked at me, her eyes still full of tears. With tears still on her face, she said, ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡­of that man¡­¡­who dresses like a doctor¡­¡­and does terrible things to me¡­¡­He did a lot of painful things to me¡­¡­and even my mom¡­¡­ Why is he doing such horrible things? Stop it! It hurts! I¡¯m in pain! Yuta, help me!¡± That¡¯s right¡­¡­I was now connected to Muyu¡¯s spirit. I finally remember that situation. Even though she was freed from the epsilon core, she is still being tormented by the Demiurgus, right¡­¡­? When I finally understood my current situation, I heard Feri¡¯s voice in my head. ¡°Yuta, did you do something over there? The treatment program got stuck on something and shut down.¡± Oh, I can have a conversation with Feri. Strangely impressed, I reply in a way that naturally sends an image in my mind. ¡°I talked to her, was it bad?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I said¡­¡­¡­¡­don¡¯t do anything, didn¡¯t I¡­¡­maybe you made contact with her and left a strong impression?¡± ¡°Well, I saved him from something terrible, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I predicted that it was a possibility, but¡­¡­I had no choice. Since that happened, let¡¯s move on to plan B.¡± I ask, uneasy at Feri¡¯s words. ¡°Was it a bad idea after all?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s just that Yuta now has to do work that he shouldn¡¯t have to do.¡± I think that if all I have to do is to fix it, then there¡¯s no problem. ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Remove her trauma cause in that spiritual world. It is something only Yuta can do, having already made a strong impression on her.¡± It¡¯s an easy mission to say, but it sounds quite difficult¡­¡­.I wonder what the source of Mayu¡¯s traumatic experience is. Is he the one after all?¡­¡­But how can I get rid of him? This is not reality, this is Mayu¡¯s mental world. I have a feeling that simply slaying Demiurgus is not going to solve the problem. Well, what should I do then? There is no doubt that Demiurgus is the source of the trauma. But it probably won¡¯t make sense if I slay the Demiurgus. It¡¯s important to see how Mayu perceives it¡­¡­.After all, I may need Mayu to work a little harder. CH 407 ¡°I¡¯m not a psychiatrist or a specialist, so I can¡¯t do anything with my knowledge so I will start to heal Mayu with my feelings. ¡°Mayu, does it still hurt?¡± Mayu had cried out in pain, but now seemed to have calmed down a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuta. I¡¯m always bothering you.¡± Always? Not much time has passed since we met, so I feel uncomfortable with the phrasing but it didn¡¯t seem like Mayu was joking. For a moment, I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, so I decided to go along with her. ¡°I never thought of it as a nuisance. I¡¯m just worried about Mayu.¡± When I said this, Mayu¡¯s expression brightened and she hugged me. ¡°I knew you were on my side, Onii-chan! That¡¯s why I love you!¡± She is like a younger sister spoiling her older brother. It was uncomfortable because she was very unlike a sister to look at, but I wanted to let her do what she wanted to do now. ¡°There she is! This way!¡± Oh no, the soldiers have found us. Mayu, who had been smiling earlier, turned pale when she saw the soldiers and remembered the situation she was in. I immediately wanted to run away again, but thought better of the current situation and decided against it. There is no point in running away here. This is the world in Mayu¡¯s mind and there are no soldiers chasing her in reality. They are probably just an entity created by her memories and trauma. ¡°Mayu¡­¡­we will not get anything done if we run away here. Will you trust me and fight with me?¡± I know that it takes a lot of courage to fight someone who has instilled fear in you. I thought it more likely that she would refuse this request, but this was the only choice I could think of. ¡°Fight¡­¡­those people scare me¡­¡­I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with you now Mayu, you¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll definitely protect you.¡± Mayu thought for a moment with a serious expression on her face, and then, as if she had made up her mind, she said to me, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid if you¡¯re with me! I¡­¡­will try to fight!¡± She said that, but her body was trembling slightly. I hugged her tightly to stop the trembling. She closed her eyes and leaned into me, was relieved and stopped shaking. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away.¡± ¡°If the man resists we can kill him.¡± ¡°All right, let me do it.¡± Three soldiers approached and surrounded me and Mayu to prevent us from escaping. ¡°Die!¡± One of the soldiers shouted and slashed at me. This soldier is not real, it is just a fragment of Mayu¡¯s memory. I knew that, so I had no hesitation. I moved to protect Mayu, turned around, swung my sword horizontally, and slashed down at the soldier. ¡°Gyah!¡± The soldier who was cut down falls over with a cry. I felt a little uneasy because the sensation was a little realistic, but I was relieved when I saw the fallen soldier disappear. ¡°You¡¯ve done it!¡± ¡°Damn, don¡¯t let your guard down, looks like he can fight.¡± Although they were made from Mayu¡¯s memories, they still have a small fry feel to them¡­¡­. After sheltering Mayu behind me, I confront the two remaining soldiers. They do not look like strong enemies at all, perhaps because they are not real soldiers. I decided that Mayu was far enough so I stepped toward the two soldiers and swung my sword at them. With two swings I cut down the two soldiers. One of the soldiers was about to say something, but he disappeared before I could even hear a fragment of it. CH 408 ¡°Amazing! Onii-chan is so strong! I knew my onii-chan is the best¡­¡± Mayu is happy to see the disappearance of the soldier, the object of her fear, as she regains her energy. It would have been easier if the trauma was gone, but it was probably only a temporary feeling. ¡°All right, Mayu, let¡¯s keep going and take down Demiurgus.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Demiurgus?¡± ¡°That doctor in a white coat that was just here.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­that uncle scares me¡­¡­I hate¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know, but if we don¡¯t do anything, Mayu won¡¯t be saved. Like I said before, I will definitely protect you.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter if I defeat Demiurgus by myself. I have to take Mayu with me, even if it¡¯s a little reckless. ¡°¡­¡­Would you be happy if I did my best?¡± ¡°Oh, of course it would make me happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go¡­¡­and see what I can find out. I¡¯ll do my best!¡± After having this conversation, I forgot about her appearance and really feel like she is a five year old girl. I tried to get to Demiurgus, but I was troubled because I couldn¡¯t even remember how I got here. When I thought about it, I realized that this world was made by Mayu¡¯s mind and memory, not reality. There was no map, and the structure was so vague that it seemed impossible that we would arrive at the destination even if we went a random way. I wondered what to do, but then I had an idea. It might be worth a try. ¡°Mayu, open the door there and let¡¯s go into the room. Demiurgus is in this room, knows we¡¯re coming in and he¡¯s waiting for us. It¡¯s like jumping into a trap, but we¡¯re going to surprise him by going behind his back.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­.got it.¡± This way, I made Mayu aware that Demiurgus is in this room. I tried to make it more realistic by creating an unfavorable setting where he is waiting for us, but¡­¡­. The door slowly opens. In the room stood Demiurgus accompanied by his soldiers, with a scowl on his face. I was skeptical, but it seemed to work. Mayu saw Demiurgus¡¯ face and hid behind me. I stepped forward to protect her from them. ¡°Demiurgus, Mayu will be free from all suffering today! This is the end for you!¡± This is not a declaration for Demiurgus in front of me. It was, in fact, addressed to Mayu to help her visualize her liberation. I came up with the idea from a hint I received from Feri that her perception was important, but I wondered how effective it would be. I don¡¯t know if these words got through, but Mayu, who is hiding behind me, is reacting by tightening her grip on my body. ¡°Pain, suffering, fear¡­¡­.It¡¯s an awesome force! It never ends! It¡¯s unlimited energy! That woman will give me eternal power!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play with people for your own convenience!¡± Demiurgus didn¡¯t seem to care about my anger. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re just a nuisance anyway. Disappear.¡± At the same time as he said these words, the soldiers around him began to move and slowly approached us. CH 409 Sorry for not posting until now but I had crazy week. I¡¯ll release 3 chapter today and the rest next week. Gripping my sword, I confront the approaching soldiers. I let Mayu back away so as not to get caught up in the battle, and then I took a big step forward to close the gap with the soldiers at once. There are at least ten soldiers, but I don¡¯t sense the slightest sign of danger. They all attacked me at once, swinging their swords but each attack was slow and easy to avoid. Each time I dodge, I swing my sword and cut down a soldier. Against ten soldiers, I evaded ten times and swung my sword ten times. With these actions, I subdued the soldiers. Even though there were no more soldiers to protect him, Demiurgus¡¯ expression did not change. He was still looking at us with a smirk on his face. Is there something he is up to? It¡¯s so obvious that even I, a slow person, can see it. ¡°Your swordsmanship is quite impressive, but you are no match for my brains.¡± When he said this, he revealed a switch in his hand. I had a bad feeling about this, so I hurried to get closer to Demiurgus. ¡°Too late! Taste the agony of death!¡± He pressed the switch with an exaggerated action then a lightning bolt from the round balls on the pillars at the four corners of the room struck me all at once. ¡°Gwah!¡± My body goes numb and I feel intense pain. Oh, no. I let my guard down, thinking it was just a fake Demiurgus made from Mayu¡¯s memories. ¡°No! Onii-chan!¡± ¡°Mayu¡­¡­strike¡­¡­Demiurgus with that sword¡­¡­.¡± It may be reckless, but I instruct Mayu to do so. Mayu immediately understands my intention and nods, but she is unable to move, perhaps crippled by fear. ¡°Ugh! Gghh!¡± I winced as the pain intensified. Seeing this, Mayu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, onii-chan will end up like my father¡­¡­me¡­¡­me¡­¡­.¡¯¡± It seems that Mayu lost her father to this mechanism because it¡¯s impossible for something like this to appear unless she remembers it. ¡°Mayu!!! Get Demiurgus to¡­¡­erase your¡­¡­bad memories!¡± In the midst of the pain, I call out to Mayu as best I can to encourage her. Mayu picks up the fallen sword and glares at Demiurgus. ¡°A young girl like you shouldn¡¯t be playing with such a dangerous thing. Here, give it to me.¡± ¡°I hate¡­¡­you for doing such horrible things to my father and mother¡­¡­and even my brother¡­¡­and I¡­¡­hate you!!!!!!!¡± Mayu shouted and swung her sword. It was a careless attack, but the sword hit Demiurgus beautifully. ¡°Gwahhhh!¡¡¡° ¡°Get lost!¡± Mayu swung the sword once more and the blow cut Demiurgus in two. A white light-like substance spread out from the sword¡¯s double cut, and the Demiurgus was swallowed up. Finally, it became a particle of bubbles and disappeared. As Demiurgus disappeared, the lightning bolt that had been attacking me also vanished. ¡°Onii-chan!¡± CH 410 ¡°Onii-chan!¡± Mayu called out in a cheerful voice and hugged me. Perhaps she thinks she is a five-year-old girl, but I was quite shocked by the unreserved tackle. ¡°Good job, Mayu.¡± I say this and she smiles happily. I don¡¯t think the trauma is completely gone after that, but she seems to have blown through it a lot. ¡°I confirmed the subject¡¯s mental stability. Yuta, you did well. The treatment is successfully completed. We will now begin disconnection.¡± As Feri tells me this, my vision gets darker and darker. It seems that I am temporarily parting with Mayu. ¡°Onii-chan is fading¡­¡­Nooo¡­¡­don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t disappear!¡± Mayu, who does not understand the situation, desperately pleads. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll only be gone for a little while.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re not going away!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± As I said this, Mayu¡¯s expression, which looked as if she was about to start crying, became a little calmer, as if she was relieved. After seeing Mayu¡¯s relieved face, my vision completely fades out. The next thing I knew, I was in that medical facility room. ¡°Feri, I think Yuta is awake.¡± At the sound of Kiyone¡¯s voice, I realized that I had awakened. I sat up and looked around to see Nagisa looking at me with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Nagisa, you look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You were moaning in pain, and I thought something happened.¡± ¡°Oh, when Demiurgus electrocuted me? Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about it, because I¡¯m not feeling anything right now. When I told Nagisa this, she suddenly changed her attitude and said curtly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t really that worried.¡± ¡°Anyway, Mayu¡­¡­no, is that girl awake?¡± I was curious about Mayu, who had completed her treatment, and asked her about the situation. ¡°She is still sleeping. Feri said she is going to wake her up slowly for safety reasons.¡± Kiyone explains so on Nagisa¡¯s behalf. It is true that she had been asleep for a very long time, so it seems dangerous to wake her up suddenly. Anyway, my father came back to life and Mayu¡¯s treatment was finished. With all the tasks completed, all that remained was to return home. We returned to Mirai with father and Mayu, who were still asleep, and began preparing to leave. ¡°I almost died of boredom. I knew I should have gone with you.¡± Linnecarlo, who was waiting alone, says regretfully. ¡°If something had come up that couldn¡¯t be dealt with without a magicraft, what would we have done?¡± When I say this, Linnecarlo replies, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that there was no need for a guard, I¡¯m just tired of wasting my time.¡± It¡¯s a complete quibble, but it¡¯s certainly true when she puts it that way¡­¡­. ¡°Hahahahaha ¨C that¡¯s certainly one way to think about it but most of the time, sentry work ends up being a waste of time. It¡¯s probably a good thing that it ended with no events.¡± Jean, who was listening to the exchange between me and Linnecarlo, chuckled. I think Linnecarlo probably knows that, too but she didn¡¯t argue with him. CH 411 At the glacier ruins in the north, I unsealed and freed two individuals. I understand that Rafishal had made the release of the two individuals an important mission, as they were too much for even me to handle now. When I returned to the imperial capital with the two men Rafishal was pleased. ¡°Astaroth, Pernecissa, I am glad to see you back in one piece.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡­you¡¯re happy to see your friend again? Or do you mean something else?¡± ¡°Hahahaha, do you think I would be pleased to be reunited with a friend? No, I am glad to have a powerful piece back in my hand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you haven¡¯t changed, Rafishal. That¡¯s a relief.¡± What was surprising about this conversation was that Rafishal and Astaroth spoke as equals. As expected, Pernecissa seemed to be in a slightly lower position and was listening to their exchange maturely. ¡°Yuki did a good job, I will let you take the reward. If there is anything you want, just tell me.¡± I didn¡¯t really want a reward, but it would have been unnatural for me to refuse, so I nodded and expressed my willingness to accept. ¡°I thought you could do a little better than that, Scarfi, I¡¯m sorry to see the result.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡­too¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he said.¡± Thanks to Yuki, the two of them have been unsealed. As planned, we will include them in the Ten Gods of War. In exchange, you will be a test subject for a new enhancement program.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­what¡¯s that all about?¡± ¡°It goes far beyond Nitro Ludia. It will increase your Ludia value explosively.¡± ¡°I respectfully accept¡­¡­.¡± It is a strange experiment, but he seems happy to hear that his Ludia value will increase. ¡°Call the emperor. I¡¯ll tell him what we¡¯re going to do.¡± I was about to leave when I saw him tell the squire to do so, but he asked me to stay. I don¡¯t think there is any point for me to stay here since I am only here to report on the ruins¡­¡­. After a while, the emperor came in a hurry. Although he is said to be the emperor by virtue of his position, no one seemed to recognize him as a ruler, and no one showed him sincere respect at that moment. ¡°What is your intention, Mr. Rafishal? ¡°First of all, let it be known at home and abroad that the Ten Gods of War are all here. Then, declare war on all the nations of the continent.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit reckless to declare war on all the nations¡­¡­.At the moment, we are fighting an uphill battle in the Kingdom of Lacia alone. If we are at war with all the countries¡­¡­¡± ¡°Today, the Elysian Empire has quintupled its strength, there will be no problem.¡± ¡°Five times¡­¡­?¡± The emperor looked puzzled, however, he was silent, perhaps feeling that his position would be in jeopardy if he gave any further advice. It was clear that the fivefold increase was due to the addition of Astaroth and Pernecissa. It is true that I understand that he expects a considerable amount of strength from these two, but I think that five times as much is an exaggeration. CH 412 The announcement of the Elysian Ten Gods of War was greeted with an enthusiastic mood of welcome in the country. In accordance with the policy of the current emperor, Rafishal in fact, there was a strong atmosphere of militarization in the Elysian Empire, which was intoxicated with the idea of overpowering the other nations. In fact, although the Elysian Empire was sometimes beaten by the Kingdom of Lacia, it was never defeated on other battlefields, and the news of its victories became a topic of conversation among the people of the Empire. Since most of the battles against the Kingdom of Lacia went unreported due to information restrictions, the people had no doubt that their army was racking up great victories. ¡°Yuki, what¡¯s the new mission for us?¡± Mary, the second-in-command, asks about the Rose Needle Corps¡¯ new mission. Tomorrow, war will be declared by the Elysian Empire to all the nations of the continent. In conjunction with that, a mission was handed down to us. ¡°We are to go to reinforce the Elysian Empire in its war against the Kingdom of Lacia.¡± ¡°Another nasty battleground to be sent into.¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem. You¡¯re forgetting that this is Rose Needle¡¯s mission.¡± ¡°Yuki is the only one who is expected to be a force to be reckoned with, and we¡¯re just a bonus. It would be good to feel at ease, as if we were someone else¡¯s problem.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think of you as an add-on. I¡¯m really counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s start preparing for the mission right away, shall we? Lacia is a formidable opponent, so we need to prepare properly.¡± It¡¯s true that I rely on them, but they listen to me half-heartedly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Rafishal said he¡¯d give me a reward, so I asked him to reinforce the arsenal of the Rose Needle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so like Yuki to use her precious reward for the sake of her friends. If it were me, I would fulfill my personal desires.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t really want anything in particular.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with the armaments upgrade?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but they say we should get it tomorrow.¡± ¡°If they give you reinforcements that quickly, it¡¯s no big deal. At best, it would be additional personnel and more equipment for magicrafts.¡± ¡°I too think that¡¯s about the extent of it but there is never a problem with having a lot of manpower. I¡¯ll take it gratefully.¡± In the end the reward for Rose Needle was a new nitro rider, a new battleship-type ride carrier, and 50 state-of-the-art magicrafts, plus an enhancement to my Elvira. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money. Is there something going on behind the scenes?¡± Mary is completely suspicious of their intentions. It was such an unnatural reward. I too could not understand Rafishal¡¯s true intentions. I¡¯m sure he understands that I don¡¯t like him. I wonder what he intends to do by giving so much power to someone who would betray him in a heartbeat if it weren¡¯t for the jewel in my chest¡­¡­. With the addition of new forces, the structure of the unit was reviewed. In order to demonstrate the power of the most advanced magicrafts, those with high Ludia values were assigned to board the most advanced machines, regardless of whether they were new or old. The squadron was organized with the newly built battleship-type ride carrier as the new flagship. Furthermore, the armament was reviewed and the attack power of the entire unit was greatly improved. We are not particularly looking for strength, but the stronger we are, the more our people will be able to survive. That¡¯s all I was thinking about right now. CH 413 The declaration of war against all the states predictably threw the entire continent into chaos. The smaller nations, powerless to resist Elysia, were flabbergasted and frightened, and the major powers responded with statements of condemnation. The same confusion existed within the Elysian Empire. No one could understand why they had so suddenly issued a declaration of war without merit. But the word of the emperor was absolute, and there was also no one to voice their condemnation. Preparations to fight all nations proceeded rapidly. The imperial army was divided into four major armies. The southeastern army, which invaded from the eastern part of the imperial territory, consisted of Yuto¡¯s Legion of the Ten Gods of War and the Legion of Emesis. The combined strength of the two corps was a massive force of 30,000 magicrafts, which should be sufficient for the invasion of the southeast, where there are many powerful forces. The southwestern army, which invaded from the west, consisted of newcomer Cruz and my classmate Reyna, who was somewhat competitive toward me. The west side has many small countries, and perhaps because the invasion was judged to be easy, it consisted of two corps that had little strength among the Ten Gods of War. The total strength of the army was 15,000 magicrafts, half the size of the southeastern army, but it is said to be sufficient since there seems to be no country that will be a difficult enemy. The Central Area Army, which was to move south to fight the Kingdom of Lacia, was currently led by the Arjain Corps. With my addition to the reinforcements, the command of the area army was to be transferred to me. The combined strength of my Rose Needle Corps and the corps commanded by Rosetta, one of the Ten Gods of War who was going with me to reinforce the army, was expected to be the largest force in the Elysian Imperial Army with 50,000 magicrafts. In addition, Pernecissa and Scarfi were assigned as second-in-command to the fourth army commanded by Astaroth, which will report directly to Rafishal. Although smallest in number at 10,000, the presence of Pernecissa, with his astonishing combat power, and Astaroth, with a power that exceeds that of Pernecissa, makes them, in effect, the strongest in the empire. The Fourth Army will wait in the imperial capital for the time being, so that it can head to any direction as reinforcements, depending on the situation. I calmly consider that the command of the Central Army will be transferred to me. The number of magicrafts alone will be 50,000 along with 1,000 ride carriers that will be under my command, and the number of soldiers will be as many as 300,000. To gain command means to take charge of that many lives. The more I think about it, the more anxious I become¡­¡­. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can command an army of this magnitude.¡± Mary replies to my weakness with a look of no concern. ¡°Even though you are the 10 Gods of War, you are a higher rank than Arjain, the current commander of the group. Besides, I think Yuki has more of those qualities than she thinks. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re better, just that you have a higher Ludia value, and your command experience is much better than Arjain.¡± Well, not only Arjain, but also Rosetta, will be your second-in-command, so you should be able to count on them. You can handle the general position as long as you are prepared. ¡°Rosetta¡¯s going to be working for me, you know? I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to look to my boss, who has been so helpful to me and tell her what to do.¡± Being the same gender, I recall that Rosetta was something of a help to me when I was still getting used to this world. I don¡¯t think she is a particularly jealous woman, but I can¡¯t imagine how she must feel when her former subordinate of the same gender became her boss. CH 414 With Demiurgus gone, the return trip from the underground facility was smooth. It was as if it was a dream that we had returned smoothly to the surface after all that hard work. For the first time in a long time, I felt the brightness of the sun on my skin, and although I was not particularly uncomfortable in the underground facility, I still preferred to be in the sun. ¡°Yuta, can I have a word?¡± I was looking out at the scenery on the balcony next to the bridge when Jean called out to me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± This expedition is almost over. That means we¡¯ll be saying goodbye to Emitz and Mirti in a few days. ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ll have to have a farewell party.¡± ¡°You idiot, we have more important things to do than that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important than that?¡± ¡°You know, those two have seen some crazy shit, like people being revived. If we let them go, they¡¯ll report to the authorities and we¡¯ll have another problem on our hands.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about that? Don¡¯t worry, they are good guys, and as long as they keep quiet about it, I don¡¯t think it will be a problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re good guys, but Emitz is a genuine, serious soldier, and there¡¯s no way he would fail to report to his country.¡± I admit that he is a serious military man¡­¡­but I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to doubt Emitz. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I still believe in him.¡± Just as I was about to continue, a voice came not from Jean, but from an unexpected person. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I came to consult with you two¡­..if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I looked and saw Emitz and Mirti standing at the entrance to the balcony. I think they heard our conversation just now because of the timing. ¡°Emitz¡­¡­did you hear our conversation just now?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. I¡¯m sorry if it sounds like I¡¯m eavesdropping, but I did hear you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t report what happened at the facility to the government, would you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid Jean is right. When I return to my country, I will report what I have seen and experienced. I believe it is my duty as a soldier.¡± I was surprised by his response. In a case like this, I would have said I would never tell even if it was a lie, but he made it clear that he would report it. ¡°No, you have to tell me you won¡¯t tell them even if it¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lie to Yuta and the others, to whom I owe so much.¡± No, if he says he will tell everything, I can¡¯t just let him go back to his country. Why won¡¯t he lie to me¡­¡­? ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find a way to get a hold of us. Otherwise Yuta¡¯s head will explode.¡± ¡°What? No, he¡¯s in too much trouble, but his head won¡¯t explode!¡± Emitz smiled a little when he heard the exchange. I was a little relieved to see that. It seems that it is not a serious matter. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything that would betray Yuta and the others. However, we cannot neglect our obligation to report to the government. So, after consulting with Mirti and thinking about it, we have decided to die.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to die? Wait a minute! Just because you¡¯re in trouble doesn¡¯t mean you need to die!¡± ¡°Oh, no, we¡¯re not actually going to die, but we¡¯re going to pretend we did. Fortunately, our troops were wiped out by Count Suidel¡¯s attack, and since we haven¡¯t reported in yet, the country will assume we were killed in action.¡± ¡°I see¡­but you might not be able to return to your country for the rest of your life. You may never see your friends and family again¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have many good memories from the Kingdom of Lubel, so¡­¡­¡± Those words seemed to say it all. ¡°Is everything okay with Mirti too?¡± Unlike Emitz, I reaffirm my feelings since I haven¡¯t talked to Mirti much but she replies without hesitation. ¡°Of course, it hurts a little that I won¡¯t be able to see my friends and family again, but if it weren¡¯t for Yuta and the others, my life would have ended. I have no regrets.¡± ¡°I understand. If you say that much, there¡¯s no reason for me to stop you but what are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°Me and Mirti are now unemployed, so I was wondering if you could let us work for the Iron Knights¡­¡± I know very well that they are both very talented and I would be grateful if they would work for the Iron Knights. I looked at Jean to see what he thought and when our eyes met, he smiled and nodded. I understood everything from that smile. It seems that Jean had intended from the beginning to bring the two of them into the Iron Knights. What the hell, if that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t he just say so earlier¡­¡­? ¡°Emitz, Mirti, welcome into the Iron Knights.¡± Hearing these words, they smiled with relief. CH 415 As soon as we left the underground facility, we received a contact from the Kingdom of Lubel. It was to apologize for the matter of Count Suidel and to confirm the situation. We apologized for not being able to contact them due to the urgency of the situation and thanked them for the excellent work of the surveillance team. Of course, I kept the details of the underground facility and Emitz completely under wraps and told them only what I could talk about. ¡°I hope that response convinced him¡­¡­.¡± Nagisa said, expressing with all her might the feeling that she wished there would be no more trouble. ¡°We¡¯re not giving any details at all and not lying about Emitz, so they might be suspicious.¡± I didn¡¯t think the Kingdom of Lubel was convinced either but Jean didn¡¯t seem worried at all. ¡°We don¡¯t have to convince them. Even if we told them the truth, they wouldn¡¯t believe us and it would be meaningless. In the end, all they want is a story they can report to the higher-ups, and the higher-ups won¡¯t make judgments based on the content of the report, but only consider it as a bargaining chip to find out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but does that mean whatever we say is the same?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. No country relies on the information that the enemy side gives them. What you just said was just a preliminary exchange because we are in a delicate diplomatic situation, and the content is meaningless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very troublesome thing to have to do something that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how the adult world works.¡± If I can¡¯t understand these things, it might mean I¡¯m still a child. Whether they were convinced or not, the army of the Kingdom of Lubel, which had come to check the situation, was to accompany us to the border to send us on our way. Well, that seems to have been the main purpose in the first place. Emitz¡¯s surveillance team had been wiped out, and they were probably sent to monitor the situation anew. ¡°We¡¯ve got to make sure Emitz and Mirti won¡¯t get discovered.¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯d better not be seen.¡± The two of them are still wearing the military uniforms of the Royal Lubel Army, as they have no change of clothes and it would be bad for them to be seen. We¡¯ve established friendly relations with Emitz and others, but we won¡¯t have that kind of time with the new surveillance unit. The other side is simply watching us to make sure we don¡¯t make any strange moves, which makes me feel uncomfortable. In the midst of such a bit of tension, Feri came to me with a happy announcement. ¡°It¡¯s about time to awaken the two who are asleep.¡± I had been waiting for these words. Finally, I would be able to see father again and talk with Mayu in reality. Kiyone, like me, began to get nervous at the thought of the two of them being awakened. She was probably the one who was looking forward to father¡¯s awakening the most, as she is his daughter. Normally calm and collected, she was staring at the medical pod in which father was sleeping with a subtle expression of worry, as if she was wondering if he would actually wake up. Feri operated the medical pod and after a few moments, the pod¡¯s door slowly opened. ¡°Father!¡± As soon as the door was opened, Mayu and father woke up. I had expected him to awaken more slowly, so I was a little surprised. It was just like him to be so bold. ¡°I¡¯m really hungry, so please get me something to eat. What? Why are you crying?¡± Dad woke up like he always does in the morning. Kiyone hugged him while sobbing but since he didn¡¯t understand the situation at all, was just bewildered by his daughter¡¯s embrace. CH 416 When he woke up, he found me and called out to me. ¡°Yuta, you want me to train you this early in the morning?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s one thing, but for now, why don¡¯t you put on something, old man?¡± Finally realizing that he was naked, he began to change into the clothes that Kiyone had prepared for him, without showing any signs of caring about the situation with all the women around him, including Feri, Linnecarlo, and Nagisa. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my clothes. By the way, there are a lot of beautiful women here. Where are these ladies from?¡± His love of women seems to be as strong as ever, and the way he looks at Feri and Linnecarlo is a little inappropriate. ¡°Introductions will come later. There¡¯s one more person who¡¯s going to wake up, so wait a minute.¡± Feri had already begun to operate Mayu¡¯s medical pod. Dad looked at her and nodded. ¡°In that case tell me about the situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re so attentive. I have a lot of things to talk about, but right now it¡¯s important that Mayu wakes up.¡± Just as in the case of dad, gas is ejected from Mayu¡¯s medical pod. It seems that the time has come for her to wake up. Slowly, the medical pod opened. I immediately tried to approach it, but Nagisa stopped me. ¡°Yuta, she¡¯s not wearing anything yet, so don¡¯t go near her!¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot.¡± I turned my back and tried not to look. ¡°Father, too! What are you doing in the middle of all this?¡± It seemed that my father was trying to get close to the medical pod but Kiyone mumbled angrily at him and made him stand next to me. Standing next to me, the old man smiled with the innocence of a mischievous child. I was glad to see that he had not changed at all from before he died. ¡°How are you, is everything alright?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± It¡¯s Mayu¡¯s voice. It seems she has woken up. ¡°I¡¯m Nagisa. I may be a little small, but I brought you my clothes.¡± Just as Nagisa said that, Mayu¡¯s loud voice echoed. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Hey, hey! Clothes first¡­¡­¡± What just happened? Just as I thought that, I received a thud on my back. After the impact, I felt something soft on my back. Then I heard Mayu¡¯s sweet voice in my ear. ¡°Yuta! It¡¯s really Yuta!¡± It seemed that Mayu saw me and hugged me before she could get dressed. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± I hear Linnecarlo¡¯s angry voice. However, Mayu did not want to move away from me without a fight. It seems that she is still naked, so I can¡¯t just turn around like this but I spoke with her. ¡°Mayu, you need to get dressed. I can¡¯t look at you like this.¡± ¡°Why not? You can look at me.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t work like that¡­¡­.¡± After that, Muyu, who refused to leave no matter how many times I told her to, was forcibly pulled away by Linnecarlo and Nagisa. She was resisting, but Nagisa is strong enough to subdue even the strongest of men, so resistance was futile. After a while, they seemed to have managed to get her to put her clothes on, and I finally got permission to turn around. Mayu looks even more mature than when I met her in the spirit world. She has long, pale cobalt blue hair and a dignified face that doesn¡¯t quite fit the image of the girl who calls me big brother. She is taller than Nagisa, and the clothes she wears seem to be quite tight, probably because of where she sticks out. She was a little pouty, but when she saw my face, she smiled. CH 417 ¡°Big brother!¡± Mayu said and tried to hug me again, but Linnecarlo grabbed her by the neck and stopped her. ¡°What is it about Yuta that makes him a big brother to you? You look older than him!¡± I agree, but Mayu doesn¡¯t seem to understand what is being said. In response to Linnecarlo¡¯s angry words, she replies. ¡°I hate you! Yuta is my big brother! I¡¯m absolutely sure of it!¡± Even the strong-minded Linnecarlo was momentarily perplexed when she fired back like that. In that moment, Mayu jumped into my chest. ¡°Hey!¡± Linnecarlo came back to herself and was about to say something again, but Feri stopped her. ¡°It seems that during the mental modification and reconstruction, her memories were tampered with when she connected with Yuta¡¯s spirit. To her, Yuta is her favorite brother and her emotional support, so it is not a good idea to deny it too strongly.¡± Although she was proudly explaining in front of her, Mayu either didn¡¯t hear or didn¡¯t care, or she didn¡¯t respond to Feri¡¯s words at all. Seeing this, Linnecarlo and Nagisa are making exquisitely disgusted faces, but after hearing Feri¡¯s explanation, they can¡¯t do anything about it and just stare at me. I don¡¯t care if they look at me like that¡­¡­. Regardless, dad and Mayu woke up safely and all of our goals had been accomplished safely, so we could take a breather from the bottom of our hearts. I thought so, but it seems that there were still a lot of things I needed to think about. What to do with the people who had been made into epsilon cores, what to do with the Sword Clan that had been disbanded and other difficult problems kept coming up. ¡°Hahahahaha©¤©¤So I was dead, that¡¯s interesting.¡± I explained to the old man what had happened so far, but he seemed to take the fact that I had died as a funny story and listened with a hearty laugh from beginning to end. ¡°It¡¯s no laughing matter. Do you have any idea how hard I and Kiyone have worked?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Father. The Sword Clan has been disbanded, so this is no time to be amused.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it looks like I put you guys through a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about the Sword Clan, father? They¡¯re already all scattered all over the place.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t reject those who come back, but I have no intention of forcibly bringing them back and reviving the Sword Clan. I don¡¯t have any attachment to the organization, although my apprentices and grand apprentices are important to me.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you for a while. I¡¯m going to work hard to make ends meet, so don¡¯t worry.¡± I had expected this development to be possible given dad¡¯s personality but Jean, who had never met him, was frankly surprised. ¡°The ¡°Sword Saint¡± is now a member of the Iron Knights? That¡¯s something I would never have hoped for, but I wonder if I can prepare a reward worthy of the Sword Saint¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hahahaha, don¡¯t worry about that.¡± I think he means it, as he is not a money-obsessed person to begin with. Jean, however, does not seem to be convinced by that¡­¡­. ¡°Oh, dad, if you¡¯re coming over to my place, I need you to do something for me, okay?¡± I had been thinking a bit about it in anticipation of my dad joining the Iron Knights so I decided to ask him since it was a good opportunity. ¡°Anything I can do for you, just ask.¡± ¡°I want you to be the swordsmanship instructor for the Iron Knights.¡± Some people might be reluctant to be taught swordsmanship by a Kiyone of the same age, but I thought that if it was the Sword Saint, they would honestly follow his teachings. Dad thought for a moment before replying. ¡°Will it be okay if I¡¯m a strict instructor?¡± ¡°Of course. If you don¡¯t teach strictly, it will be meaningless.¡± Jean, Kiyone, and Nagisa were happy to hear this answer, but Linnecarlo¡¯s complexion turned sour. CH 418 After discussions with the individuals, it was decided to take the people from the Epsilon Core to the Amurian Union. When we spoke to Ranelle, the head of state of the Amurian Federation, so that she would accept them as immigrants, she was willing to accept them. ¡°What did Ranelle say?¡± Nagisa calls out to me as I finish the communication. She just said that we would proceed with the return of the hostages after we go back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, did you have something to talk about? Why didn¡¯t you just come in on the call with me?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t have anything to talk about, but I was just curious about the Amurian Union situation.¡± She¡¯s with us, but Nagisa belongs to the Amurian Union, and she was curious about the state of the country. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to going shopping in town once we cross the border of the Kingdom of Lubel. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been shopping.¡± ¡°I see, there are more of us now, and we¡¯re running low on food.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s also because Sword Saint wants alcohol.¡± ¡°I see. It is true that we did not bring much alcohol, so the amount we have now will not be enough for father¡¯s supper.¡± ¡°There he is! I found my brother!¡± Mayu comes running up to me and interrupts my conversation with Nagisa. She had been near me the whole time, but I had asked Kiyone to take her away because she was getting in the way of my communication with Ranelle, but it seems that she has found me. I¡¯m glad that she loves me as an older brother, but I¡¯m not sure I want her to be all over me at 24/7. ¡°Mayu, it¡¯s not nice to interfere in others¡¯ conversations like this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because. You see, Nagisa¡¯s face is very scary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She looks really scary.¡± Nagisa has been disgusted with me since Mayu started sticking to me, but her expression changed even more at my words. It seems that she has found out that she is being used to educate Mayu. However, knowing that Mayu¡¯s mental state is unstable and that she is trying to stabilize herself by looking up to me as her older brother, I can¡¯t blatantly reject her, so I cooperate with her with a tight smile on my face. ¡°Mayu there has to be a sense of distance between people, and even if you are brother and sister. No matter how much you love your brother, you can¡¯t be attached to him all the time.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± The words were very appropriate, but they seemed to have an effect on the honest Mayu, who reluctantly left me. I hope this will make her stop being a little sticky¡­¡­. When we reached the border of the Kingdom of Lubel, the surveillance unit ceremoniously sent us a final message. It was uneventful and I think the captain of that unit was relieved. As soon as we crossed the border, we stopped at a nearby town. Even though we had left the Kingdom of Lubel, it was still a long way to the Amurian Federation, where Alana and the others were staying. Food was scarce, and above all, there was no alcohol for dad. ¡°Okay, Yuta, Kiyone, I¡¯m going to buy some sake and you¡¯re going to go with me.¡± Father invited me to go with him. Mayu and Linnecarlo wanted to come along, too, but Jean was angry with them, saying that we didn¡¯t need that many people to buy sake and that there were other things to buy, so we would split up. In addition to alcohol and food, we planned to buy clothes and household items for the people from the Epsilon Core, and we also needed to buy clothes and personal items for Mayu. In the end we split into three groups and headed out to do the shopping. CH 419 Me, dad, and Kiyone were to go shopping for alcohol, while Jean, Linnecarlo, and some of the Epsilon core members were to go shopping for clothes and household items. Nagisa and Mayu, plus Emitz and Mirti will be in charge of Mayu¡¯s personal items and other things we may need. Feri would stay behind to look after Mirai. The town we stopped at was a small town with an unfamiliar name, but it had a certain amount of activity and a market, albeit a small one. It is a small market, so I wandered around for a bit and quickly found a store that sold liquor. It seemed to be a proper liquor store, and according to the old man, the selection was not bad. ¡°I¡¯ll take that shelf from end to end.¡± The old man boldly buys about ten bottles at once. Kiyone, seeing this, as usual, hurls a few words of criticism at him. ¡°Since you drink expensive liquor like water anyway, why don¡¯t you buy the cheap stuff?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so rude. It looks like I¡¯m drinking it like water, but I¡¯m tasting it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. When we ran out of your favorite local sake, I served you a different one without father¡¯s knowledge, but you didn¡¯t even notice it.¡± ¡°What? You were doing that?¡± ¡°I was doing that. So, please, put that bottle back on the shelf and have this one.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­you really are starting to look more and more like your mother aren¡¯t you?¡± Even the mighty Sword Saint seemed no match for his daughter, Kiyone, and reluctantly put the sake back on the shelf. ¡°Don¡¯t put that sake back. It¡¯s my special treat today. It¡¯s been a long time since you had a drink, right? You can choose whatever you want to drink.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this, Yuta?¡± Hearing this, the old man¡¯s face lit up. I don¡¯t have anything in particular that I want, and most of my living expenses come from the Iron Knights, so I actually have a good amount of money saved up since I don¡¯t have to spend most of my paycheck. ¡°You spoil him like that again¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kiyone, if you want some alcohol I can buy you some.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Although it is not so obvious compared to father¡¯s love of alcohol, I know that Kiyone also likes to drink. ¡°It¡¯s a present from my brother.¡± Kiyone seemed to have been just restraining herself from giving her father a hard time when she said this, and had already made up her mind about the sake she wanted to drink. She quickly selected a few bottles of sake without even thinking about it. ¡°Yuta¡­¡­can I pick just one more bottle?¡± Kiyone unusually sweetly asks me that. I was completely satisfied just by seeing her expression, which I usually don¡¯t get to see. It makes me happy just to see the two of them choosing drinks in such a friendly manner. When I realize that I am being filial to my family, I think of my newly born younger sister. I also think of my childhood friend who has been like family to me since I was a child. Yes, I should buy something for those two¡­¡­. As I was casually pondering what to buy, the two hardened drinkers were coming back to me with a little more booze than I expected. CH 420 Jean, Kiyone, and the women from the Epsilon Core began to prepare the food for the banquet. The dishes were placed on a table at the end of the hangar where the banquet was to be held. Mirai¡¯s dining hall was too small for this number of people, so they decided to use it as a banquet hall, but the hangar was lined with magicrafts, so it still felt small. A banquet was to be held under the name of a welcome party for my father and a get-together with Mayu and the people from the Epsilon Core. Well, I think he just wanted to drink since he got some alcohol, but Jean said it was important to have a party like this, so we decided to make it a big one. I decided to give them the presents I had bought in town while I still could, because I felt that I would probably not be able to move freely once the party started. ¡°Mayu, here, take this.¡± ¡°What? For me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After much deliberation, the gift I bought for Mayu was a stuffed animal. I wondered if it would be a good idea since she looks like an adult, but I decided to give priority to her mental age. This decision seemed to be the right one, and Mayu was so delighted that she hugged me as if she had forgotten all about the distance between us. She was about to sulk, but I bought a gift for Linnecarlo as well. I have never thought much about gifts for girls, so after much deliberation, I decided to play it safe and buy something she normally uses. ¡°What is this?¡± It was a hair clip with yellow jewels that I bought as a gift, and when I handed it to her, Linnecarlo looked at me strangely. ¡°I know it¡¯s a trifle, but it¡¯s a thank-you gift.¡± ¡°You gave me a¡­¡­present? I¡¯m not happy about it! But if you say you¡¯ll give it to me, I¡¯ll take it.¡± After saying that, Linnecarlo walked away with the hair clip I handed her. I wondered if she would be okay, even though her movements were quite awkward. It would be strange to give gifts to everyone and not to the newcomers, Emitz and Mirti, so I had prepared gifts for them as well. When I gave them their gifts, they were truly surprised. They had never received anything from anyone before, and at first they were puzzled, but as they gradually realized what they were getting, they were very happy. It was not a particularly expensive gift but I was grateful to them. I gave Jean a magic pocket watch since I had seen that the one he always used was falling apart. ¡°If you¡¯re going to give me something like this, buy something for Nagisa and Linnecarlo, you idiot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ve already prepared something for them too. I¡¯ve also bought gifts for Nanami and the others who are not with us.¡± Jean was a little surprised to hear that. He was stunned for a while, but when he lost his expression of surprise he smiled shyly. ¡°You have to be able to use that kind of care¡­¡­Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll take it gratefully.¡± Saying this, he carefully put the pocket watch in his pocket. I looked for Nagisa to give her the last present, but I couldn¡¯t find her. When I asked Kiyone about her, she told me that Nagisa seemed to have gone to the upper deck. I wondered what she was doing there, but I still made my way up. Compared to Fugaku and Musashi, Mirai is small, but the view from the upper deck feels as tall as the roof of a small building. Nagisa was alone on the upper deck, looking into the distance. ¡°Yo, what are you doing here?¡± Nagisa, recognizing me from my voice, answers without turning her head. ¡°I was just thinking about some things.¡± ¡°What things?¡± ¡°About this world, about the Amurian Federation, about everyone in my class¡­¡­and also about my family¡­¡­¡± I haven¡¯t seen Nagisa worried for a long time. ¡°It won¡¯t take the place of family, but here, I¡¯ll give you this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± What I handed Nagisa was a carved wooden sculpture with a dog-like animal motif. Since this alone doesn¡¯t make any sense, I¡¯ll explain. ¡°It is said to be a traditional charm in this area. It is a universal blessing that can be used to pray for family safety, health, and anything else, so it will grant any difficult wish.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden, did you eat something weird?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been missing the calendar since I moved here, so I haven¡¯t been giving you the birthday presents I used to give you every year, you know? I¡¯ve been giving you a lot of trouble, and I wanted to thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me.¡± When Nagisa heard this, she stared at the sculpture in her hand then began to chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it every year, but you really have no taste in gifts, do you?¡± ¡°What the hell, it took me quite a while to even choose that one.¡± ¡°I know. Thanks¡­¡­I¡¯m really glad.¡± She seems to have noticed the quality of the wood carving design and looks at the amulet happily. At first she complains about my lack of taste, but she always seems to be happy in the end¡­¡­.Nagisa apparently has a dull sensibility to notice the goodness of the design. CH 421 The impromptu tables are crammed with food, the menu is diverse and everything looks delicious. Jean briefly explains the purpose of this party. ¡°We have prepared a small banquet today to celebrate your safe return and the addition of new members to our group. Although the food and drinks have been prepared just in time, I hope you will enjoy them to the fullest.¡± The way he said it was a little bit formal and it was funny to those of us who know Jean normally, but the people from the epsilon cores are taking it seriously. Some of them even tearfully thanked him for organizing a party like this for them. When Jean finishes his words, everyone reaches for their food at once. I was hungry, so I started with a hearty meat dish. ¡°You need to eat less meat and¡­¡­vegetables too.¡± Nagisa is always complaining to me as she eats her salad. I don¡¯t mind it and eat a piece of meat as big as my fist. An unbelievable amount of juices overflow from the meat, and the delicious taste of the meat spreads in my mouth at once. ¡°This is delicious! You should try some too.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s so¡­¡­sticky, and the glow shows the amount of calories it contains.¡± ¡°Are you worried about gaining weight?¡± ¡°How can there be a girl who doesn¡¯t care?¡± Nagisa is always training in her spare time so I don¡¯t think she will gain weight even if she eats a little more. ¡°If I gain any weight, you¡¯ll have to take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯ll have to take responsibility?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s me and¡­¡­.¡± Just as I was about to say something, Mayu hugged me with such force that I almost fell to the ground. ¡°Guha!¡± ¡°Onii-chan!¡± Nagisa is blatantly disgusted by Mayu¡¯s appearance. I don¡¯t think she dislikes her but they are not getting along well. ¡°Mayu, are you eating well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m eating a lot!¡± However, a tip-off came from the side, denying Mayu¡¯s words. ¡°She was eating a lot of sweets. You should tell her to have a proper meal as well.¡± Linnecarlo appears, holding a plate of food that appears to be nutritionally balanced. She looks at me and says, as if she has just thought of something. ¡°Yuta, look, this is very delicious. Take a bite.¡± Linnecarlo pointed a fork at a good-sized fish filet from her plate and brought it close to my mouth. I ate the fish filet without a second thought, partly because I wanted to, and partly because it was suddenly recommended to me. It was indeed a delicious dish, with a rich, fatty flavor, just the right amount of salt, and a unique spice that also added a nice flavor. ¡°Linnecarlo, make him eat that greasy-looking food!¡± Nagisa, seeing this, protested impatiently for some reason. ¡°Why? He ate it like it was delicious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the taste! He just had a rich meat dish, so I thought I¡¯d give him a lighter vegetable dish next!¡± ¡°He¡¯s young, so it¡¯s not a problem.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Nagisa and Linnecarlo started to argue. Not wanting to get involved, I slowly left the scene. CH 422 ¡°Yuta, the sake you bought for me is very tasty. Here, how about a sip?¡± Kiyone offered me a sip with a warm smile. ¡°No, I don¡¯t drink alcohol.¡± Adulthood in this world generally starts at 16, so ethically it¡¯s okay to drink, but I don¡¯t really like it¡­¡­. ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± Her face that changed from a dusty smile to a sad expression makes my heart ache with a prick. I can¡¯t refuse her if she makes a face like this. ¡°Ummm¡­¡­..I think I¡¯ll just take a sip¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone¡¯s expression brightened when I said that. She then smiles sexily, pours a small glass of sake and hands it to me. When she handed it to me, she gave me a bewitching smile, something she usually doesn¡¯t do. After taking a sip, Kiyone immediately asks, ¡°Does it taste good?¡± Upon closer inspection, Kiyone¡¯s kimono, which is always tight, is a little disheveled. Strangely, I feel sex appeal in her gestures, and I¡¯m starting to get nervous. She is in close contact with me in a different way than usual, and my body is hot, probably due to the fact that I have been drinking. ¡°Kiyone, I think you¡¯ve had a little too much to drink!¡± I become embarrassed and warn her. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink that much. You see, I drank only two bottles.¡± The bottles of alcohol she showed me were quite large. Two bottles of that amount of alcohol would be enough to get her drunk. ¡°No, you¡¯ve had quite a bit to drink¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But, look, did you enjoy your drink?¡± To tell the truth, I was so focused on Kiyone¡¯s strange sexuality that I didn¡¯t have time to savor the taste of alcohol. I don¡¯t know why she wanted to know what I thought so badly in the first place, and it was already too much trouble, so I answered in an appropriate manner. ¡°It was delicious.¡± Kiyone smiled at that and said, ¡°Then have another sip.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It was delicious, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Oh shit. I dug my grave¡­¡­ ¡°Yuta, a man never lies. You said it was delicious, so it makes sense to take another sip.¡± Kiyone, who was wearing the same high spirits that she had during practice, approached me with the sake, emitting a strange, even murderous, spirit. Just when I thought I was going to be beaten, someone came to my rescue. ¡°Kiyone, leave it at that. What if he gets scared of alcohol if you make him drink like that?¡± The old man appears with a bottle of what looks like sake in one hand. He smells strongly, as if he has already consumed a considerable amount of alcohol but he looks the same as usual. ¡°But, Father! I want Yuta to know the taste of alcohol as well¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you force him to drink, it will have the opposite effect. You can take your time and teach him slowly.¡± When Kiyone is teaching swordsmanship, she is slow and careful, while the old man is very forceful, but when it comes to alcohol, the situation seems to be the opposite. But either way, it seems that I¡¯m set to be trained in drinking¡­¡­. CH 423 In order to escape Kiyone¡¯s invitation to drink, I could no longer stay away from the old man. So the three of us continued to talk about swordsmanship, but dad found Emitz and Mirti in a corner, refraining from eating and drinking. ¡°Why are they so quiet in the corner like that? They aren¡¯t eating well and drinking.¡± He was worried about them. I think Emitz and Mirti were uncomfortable with the situation since they were soldiers. ¡°Hey, you guys, don¡¯t stay in that corner, come over here.¡± The old man calls out to Emitz and Mirti. The two looked at each other and were a little puzzled. ¡°Look, you can drink, can¡¯t you? First, have a drink.¡± With that, he poured the sake into the bowl he handed them. After some hesitation, they drank it down in one gulp. It seemed to be a very strong drink, and their expressions turned grim. However, the taste seemed to be delicious, and their expressions changed from grim to surprised. ¡°Delicious¡­¡­This is distilled from grains, isn¡¯t it? It has a mellow aroma and a rich flavor. I tried the local drinks, but it¡¯s rare to taste something this refined.¡± Emitz said after drinking it and Mirti agreed with him. ¡°Yes, I too have never had such an aromatic drink before. It has a strong flavor, but the aftertaste is not persistent, only the good aroma lingers on.¡± ¡°You both have a good palate. Here, you can drink as much as you like. Yuta bought plenty of sake for us.¡± I did think it was strange for two people to drink that much, but they seemed to have been expecting to drink with everyone else. The two who had been offered drinks by dad had grown accustomed to the occasion, and with that, they sipped their second round of drinks. After finishing the second drink, they couldn¡¯t stop drinking the third and fourth drinks. The normally calm and sober Emitz gradually became drunk and began to show a different side to their usual behavior. ¡°Yuta, I sometimes get scared.¡± He says so out of the blue. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s comfortable with us like this, even if it was with the help of alcohol. I asked him in detail what his story was. ¡°I left being a woman and lived my life as a man. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s why¡­¡­.¡± I was at a loss for words. Not only me, but also my father, Kiyone, and Mirti were interested in the story, and before I knew it, they were ready to listen to what he had to say. He was wondering if he should talk or not, but I guess the power of alcohol encouraged him to start talking. ¡°Actually, there are times when I strangely find that¡­¡­women are more attractive¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What! Mr. Emitz, did you look at your¡­¡­subordinate that way!¡± Hearing this, Mirti reacts. Although she says it in words of disdain, her expression is somewhat happy. However, Emitz denies it. ¡°No, I think Mirti is beautiful, too¡­¡­but right now I¡¯m finding myself surprisingly attracted to Kiyone-dono¡­¡­and, thank you, that¡­¡­I think I¡¯ve taken a liking to her¡­¡­.¡± Kiyone was puzzled, as if she didn¡¯t understand the meaning of his words. The old man seemed a little surprised at Emitz coming out, but he took it calmly and started laughing vigorously. ¡°Hahahahaha©¤©¤Oh, well, you¡¯re a man with a good eye to notice Kiyone¡¯s charms. How about it, Kiyone, you¡¯ve never been told something like this before.¡± Kiyone was still stunned, not understanding what was said. However, she quickly gathered her thoughts and responded, although she was still upset. ¡°I can only think of the sword right now¡­¡­but I¡¯m glad Emitz feels that way¡­¡­.¡± Emitz hurriedly reacts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I offended you.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel bad. There¡¯s nothing to apologize for.¡± Normally, this would have been a strange turn of events, but since both of them were adults, albeit drunk, the situation was settled amicably. CH 424 I will post 2 daily chapters until I make up for the missed chapters. Returning from the glacier ruins, we arrived at the front lines against the Kingdom of Lacia the following month. With no time to relax, we were immediately forced to prepare for battle. As we entered the hastily constructed frontline base, which had been manned by the border towns we had occupied, Arjain, Rosetta and other senior members of the Central Area Army gathered in my ride carrier. The purpose was to confirm the current situation and discuss future strategies, but it also seemed to be aimed at appealing to all the troops that the command had been transferred to me. For this reason, my ride carrier became the meeting place. ¡°So why are we struggling so much?¡± Rosetta, a member of the former Three Greats, was far superior to Arjain before the Ten Gods of War system was introduced. As it has been reported, it appears that Lacia has also acquired Nitro Ludia technology, and its magicraft forces are more powerful than we had imagined. Moreover, they seem to be receiving support from the Radle Company, with state-of-the-art battleship-type ride carriers with powerful guns and a myriad of large magicrafts deployed, their strength is no less than that of the new Elysian army. ¡°Even so, you are one of the Ten Gods of War, aren¡¯t you? How can you fall behind riders who have been enhanced with Nitro Ludia?¡± At Rosetta¡¯s words, Arjain¡¯s complexion changed. Then he began to speak in a less than enthusiastic manner. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t like to talk about this, but there is a rider stronger than me on the Lacian¡¯s side.¡± Both Rosetta and I were surprised at his words. Arjain¡¯s Ludia value exceeds 420,000 and he is riding a powerful magicraft. What kind of rider could make Arjain say that he is stronger than him? ¡°When you say he is stronger than you, does that mean he is marginally stronger than you?¡± I asked without thinking. ¡°If you can call the difference in power between me and the five Exlanders in my entourage, who can¡¯t even put a scratch on me, then yes, it is small.¡± The Exlanders are an elite force with a Ludia value of more than 100,000. ¡°Unless we defeat him, it will be impossible to conquer Lacia so this battle will be up to you, Yuki.¡± So that¡¯s how it is. ¡­¡­ I now understand why I was sent to fight against the Kingdom of Lacia on such short notice. As far as Arjain is concerned, there is only a limited number of people who can fight that Lacia rider, even among the current strengthened Elysian army. It¡¯s either me, Mr. Yuto, or those two legends¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that rider. Will that solve your problem?¡± I genuinely think that if there are people who are interfering with the operation, we will just eliminate them. It is true that the overall strength of our forces is superior to theirs. The opponent we are fighting is someone who has so far repelled the Elysian army¡¯s attacks but defeating that rider, the center of the enemy forces, is not a guarantee of victory. Yuki can deal with such a monster. Let¡¯s think about a specific strategic plan. Please let me know how Lacia troops are positioned, the location of their bases, and so on.¡± At Rosetta¡¯s instruction, the intelligence officer wrote down the information on the table about the enemy that was currently known. Looking at this information, they began discussing how to attack the enemy. CH 425 The full extent of the unidentifiable Lacia forces had not been ascertained. However, we do know that the enemy force estimated from previous battles is at least as large as 12,000 magicrafts, 300 battleship-class ride carriers, and 300,000 soldiers. Although this is an astonishingly large force, ours is still superior in terms of strength. Even if we have an advantage in terms of strength, it does not necessarily mean that we have an absolute advantage in the war. The Lacian army is taking advantage of its geographical position, and it is overwhelmingly more difficult for us to attack them. Looking at the enemy lineup as laid out by the intelligence officers, an old man named Horostoi, who was newly appointed as the chief of staff of the Central Area Army, who is also a chaperone assigned by the military, perhaps out of concern that I, as the general of the Central Area Army, would be unfamiliar with strategy, was troubled. ¡°All the bases are perfectly defended. Moreover, the bases are linked to each other, so it will be a hard task to attack them down. No wonder Lord Arjain was having a hard time.¡± ¡°It seems that the enemy has some very good military strategists.¡± Rosetta also seems to agree with Horostoi and praises the enemy¡¯s lineup. That place will be my battlefield. ¡°The Manoni Fortress is the most important base on the Lacian side. It is in a position where they could easily support the other bases and if we don¡¯t take it down, there is nothing we can do. We attacked it several times, but all of our attacks were rebuffed and we suffered heavy damage.¡± Looking at the location of the Manoni Fortress, it is in the center of a group of enemy strongholds, and even the untrained eye can see the importance of the fortress. ¡°You tried to attack Fort Manoni alone? No wonder you lost so many battles. The enemy¡¯s positions are strongly linked to each other, reinforcing each other¡¯s defenses. Therefore, if you try to attack a stronghold alone, you will be caught in the enemy¡¯s trap and you will only suffer more damage. If you don¡¯t consider the entire group of defensive bases as a large fortress and attack it, you will not be successful.¡± Rosetta not only has practical command experience, but she has also studied proper military tactics, and she rationally points out Arjain¡¯s poor strategy. Before his awakening with Nitro Ludia, Arjain was just an elite rider. He had command experience at the platoon and company level, but suddenly he was forced to command a corps unit. He seems to understand that his strategy was flawed, and he does not argue, but simply nods and listens. In the first place, it is strange for a country to suddenly put a person in command of a large army because of his high Ludia value. This kind of policy makes me wonder if the emperor or even Rafishal are really trying to win the war. ¡°Anyway, it is certain that the opponent cannot be defeated by force just because they are overwhelmingly superior in terms of strength. First, let¡¯s think of a tactical strategy and implement it, shall we, Master Yuki?¡± I think it would be more efficient to proceed without me but I guess he is just showing respect for my position as commander. To be frank I think it is a waste of time so I simply nodded. CH 426 ¡°Yuta£¡£¡£¡£¡ How are you~¡­¡­you are like that~~you have to be more proper like this!¡± Nagisa suddenly teased me with a strange expression on her face. I could tell by her red face and dazed appearance that she was completely intoxicated. We are childhood friends and we were always together, so I¡¯m familiar with her various facial expressions and gestures, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen her like this. ¡°Who let Nagisa drink this much alcohol?¡± The drunken father-daughter and Linnecarlo looked away in disgust. It seems that they got together and gave Nagisa her first drink just for the fun of it. Nagisa¡¯s father doesn¡¯t drink much, whether it¡¯s because of his profession or his personality, but her mother is a bottomless drunk, just like my mother and grandmother. ¡°I drank it myself! Come on, Yuta, let¡¯s drink together! Come on, I¡¯ll pour you a drink!¡± I stared at the culprits as I dismissed the annoying drunken childhood friend, saying, ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The old men did not seem to think that the party would be so wild, and although they made apologetic gestures, it was hard not to feel that they had been left to take care of the rest. However, at the height of the excitement of the party, a situation came up where I could no longer deal with my drunken childhood friend. Jean, whose face changed color, calls me over. It was his work face, and it was a not-so-good look, so I quickly got out of the banquet mode and answered him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Jean, you look so scared.¡± ¡°I just got an urgent call from Alana. Can you come over here for a minute?¡± It seemed that Jean had received the call secretly so as not to disturb the banquet, but from the content, he thought it would be better to tell me immediately. I and Jean immediately went to the bridge where the Spirit Box was located and listened to what Alana had to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that you had to go through this in my presence Yuta¡­¡­.¡± Aluna¡¯s story began with an apology. Listening to her, I became more and more worried about the content. ¡°Farma ran off by herself! Wait a minute! Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± When I came to my senses, she was already in her magicraft. Garuda is now capable of high-speed flight thanks to Rafishal¡¯s modifications and because of Farma¡¯s growth none of our men could keep up with her. I called her with the Spirit Box and she just said don¡¯t worry, but didn¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Crap¡­¡­I get it. I¡¯m going to hurry back¡­¡­no, I¡¯m going directly to Ludawan in Arleo-2.¡± Ludawan is a place where I have fond memories of living with Nanami and Farma, and sad memories of the death of my benefactor, Mr. Belfast. According to Alana, news has broken that the Elysian Empire has suddenly launched a full-scale invasion of other countries. There is no country in the vicinity of Ludawan that can stop the Elysian army that has become serious and the article said that it is only a matter of time before Ludawan and other neighboring countries will be destroyed. When Farma saw the article, she knew the country she was going to take revenge on was going to be destroyed. Alana and the others tried to convince her to wait for us to return, but she saw an opening and got into Garuda and left alone. Emina and Nanami are chasing after Farma, but there is no way they can catch up with Garuda with their foot speed, so they will probably both have to chase her all the way to Ludawan. CH 427 The fact that Farma had flown out alone was only one of the news. Alana had another important report to make. ¡°Besides the matter of Farma, there was another development just now. This is also an urgent matter, so please listen to me.¡± ¡°Is there something more?¡± Jean is also worried about Farma and reacts in a disturbing way to another problem that is happening at the same time. ¡°We¡¯ve got a call for help from Meltaria. We have a contract with them, so we have to move quickly.¡± ¡°What, Meltaria is being invaded by Elysia too?¡± I immediately thought so and asked again because I had heard about Elysia¡¯s large-scale invasion. No, this is a different matter. Well, it seems that the conflicts in the surrounding areas have heated up in response to the movements of the Elysian Empire. ¡°There are wars everywhere, well, that¡¯s how we mercenaries make our money. All right, we certainly need to go to Meltaria soon.¡± Meltaria seems to be in a great hurry, too, so we will have to move at the same time. ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m going to follow Farma to Ludawan. Jean and Alana, can you head for Meltaria?¡± Considering the situation, if we are not careful, we could be dealing with two countries at the same time, Elysia and Ludawan. The truth is, I¡¯d like to head over with the entire Iron Knights, but since I can¡¯t leave Meltaria alone either, I thought it was the only way to do it. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s the only way¡­¡­I might make Yuta do something reckless again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. To be honest, my feelings are similar to those of Farma. I wouldn¡¯t want to be avenged by the Elysian Empire.¡± That is the reason why Farma and I became mercenaries in the first place. Until Ludawan takes responsibility for Belfast¡¯s death, we can¡¯t let it be destroyed. When I told my friends about the news from Alana, Linnecarlo reacted strongly, as if to say, ¡°I¡¯m going with Yuta.¡± ¡°I will follow Yuta!¡± It is true that Viktor might be able to follow Arleo-2 but the problem was not there. ¡°That¡¯s a no-no. The matter of Meltaria may require a complicated political decision. Rationally speaking, it would be better for Linnecarlo, a member of the Iron Knights and a part of the royal family, to go to Meltaria.¡± ¡°Yes, that may be true, but the worst that could happen is that Farma and Yuta might end up fighting against the Elysian Empire and Ludawan. That¡¯s absurd, no matter what you say!¡± ¡°No, Emina and Nanami are also on their way to Ludawan in pursuit of Farma, so it won¡¯t be just the two of us. It would certainly be more reassuring if Linnecarlo came with us, but Meltaria is Linnecarlo¡¯s home country so you have to go there.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± Linnecarlo couldn¡¯t argue any further. There¡¯s no doubt she¡¯s worried about her home country. Alana says it looks like it¡¯s going to be a pretty big fight in Meltaria as well. But since dad, Linnecarlo and Kiyone will be there I don¡¯t have to worry too much. CH 428 Leaving the matter of Meltaria to Jean and Alana, I headed for Ludawan in Arleo-2. On the way there, I tried to contact Farma with the spirit box, but she seemed to be fed up with the persistent communication with Alana and the others and has completely blocked the communication, making it impossible to talk to her. ¡°Feri, how soon can we get to Ludawan?¡± The most up-to-date maps are registered in Feri¡¯s database so she will calculate the time required based on Arleo-2¡¯s flight capabilities and distance. ¡°We¡¯ll be replenishing the ether as we go, so it will take at least 32 hours.¡± ¡°Is it impossible to go all at once? Can¡¯t we just use the ether pods to replenish?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the distance is beyond the limit of continuous flight. Besides, it would be better to have the ether pods ready for replenishment in the event of local combat.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± We can¡¯t predict what Farma will do so I would like to arrive before it becomes irreversible, but it seems difficult. During the first ether refill break, I received a transmission from Emina. Apparently, she had heard from Alana that I was on my way to Ludawan. ¡°Yuta, where are you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­Feri, where is this area?¡± ¡°In the northern part of the Raddle Neutral Zone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m chasing it with a high-speed ride hover, but I still can¡¯t catch up with Farma¡¯s Garuda 2 at all. If it were only for its flying ability, it might be faster than Arleo 2.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it had that much power!¡± ¡°According to Rafishal, Farma has a high aptitude for flying, so he has enhanced her flying ability to the maximum extent.¡± If he hadn¡¯t strengthened it so much, they might have managed to catch up but there is no point in thinking about that now. For now, I just prayed that Farma wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless. ¡°Yuta! I think Farma wants to avenge Mr. Belfast with her own hands. The Elysian Empire¡¯s army has already surrounded Ludawan, so it¡¯s only a matter of time¡­¡­before her target is killed, so she¡¯s headed there alone.¡± I was surprised when Nanami told me information that even Alana did not know. ¡°Wait a minute, Nanami, what do you mean?¡± ¡°There was someone behind the death of Mr. Belfast.¡± ¡°How do you know about that?¡± ¡°The truth is that the Iron Knights have become quite strong and I was talking with Farma about returning to Ludawan once the Amurian Federation thing, the resurrection and other issues were taken care of. But we didn¡¯t know the actual power and situation in Ludawan, so we asked Alice Abbey to do some research. When I asked, I told Sister Muzie about the Belfast case, so she was very considerate and looked into that as well.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about such an important matter?¡± ¡°Yuta seemed busy, so I was talking to Farma about talking to you after I got the information¡­¡­¡± Apparently, the two of them were concerned about my busy schedule and wanted to talk to me after the information was in order so as not to add to my worries. It¡¯s true that I was busy with various things, but I wanted them to talk about Mr. Belfast¡¯s case because it was important to me as well. However, I was not angry with the two of them because they had no bad intentions and I reflected that I should have taken the initiative in this matter. CH 429 Home I was sold at the lowest price C429 Uncategorized GalaxyTL 26 May 2022 Leave a comment Ms. Belfast¡¯s case was not a simple one in which the military learned of Nanami¡¯s Ludia value and decided to take advantage of it. In fact, the great man in the military who made that decision was someone who had a personal grudge against Ms. Belfast, and he used the reason of securing a Triple Highlander to deal with him. The executing unit was told to kill everyone in the Belfast mansion except the Triple Highlander, and it seems that the forceful visit was for that purpose. Mr. Belfast, an aristocrat, was not without political influence in the country, but his advocacy in the military was drowned out by the reason of securing the Triple Highlander. It all seems to have been at the behest of someone with a grudge against Ms. Belfast, and for that person, securing Nanami may not have been the primary objective, but Ms. Belfast¡¯s death. The name of Belfast¡¯s killer is Marquis de Grafful, Ludawan¡¯s Minister of War, who seems to have harbored a strong hatred for Belfast because he had been repeatedly lost in his private business dealings thanks to him. Furthermore, Marquis de Grafful had a history of courting Farma¡¯s mother, which may have been one of the reasons for his resentment. Then it occurred to me. Maybe he has something to do with Farma curse¡­¡­I remember Jean telling me that a strong curse requires a certain amount of financial power and enough connections to obtain dark technology. Marquis de Grafful fits all the criteria and from the information I have, he had quite a grudge against Mr. Belfast, and it may be quite possible. Perhaps Farma has noticed that as well. If she thought that avenging her father¡¯s might be related to her curse¡­¡­it¡¯s hard to read how even the mature Farma would act. I really need to hurry¡­¡­. ¡°Feri, I still think we should hurry to Ludawan even if we use the ether pods.¡± ¡°The long flight may cause a temporary loss of ability and the four-element cannon may not work, which may affect our ability to fight with many people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid something will happen to Farma if we don¡¯t make it in time.¡± ¡°I understand. I will modify the movement program.¡± According to the revised schedule, we would reach Ludawan in eight hours. This way, we might be able to catch up with Farma. I inform Emina and the others of the change in travel schedule. The girls are going to take about 20 hours no matter how fast they hurry, so it looks like I¡¯ll get to Ludawan first. ¡°I think Farma is heading for the residence of the Marquis de Grafful. When you reach Ludawan, head there.¡± ¡°Where is his mansion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact location, but he said it¡¯s not far from Belfast¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll check when I get there.¡± It would be preferable if the four of us, me, Farma, Emina, and Nanami, joined up before anything happened. The problem is the movement of the Elysian Empire and the time it takes to get there. I hope there will be no movement until I arrive. CH 430 News came in that the Elysian Empire was targeting Ludawan. The content of the report stated that Ludawan had no chance of winning and that it was obvious that it would be destroyed when the full-scale invasion began. My heart ached as I remembered the moment of my father¡¯s death. Along with the sadness, the anger that I had been pushing deep down in my heart overflowed. I hope Ludawan would be destroyed by the Elysian Empire¡­¡­.Such bad feelings come to mind. I had planned to consult with Yuta when he returned and decide what to do, but time did not permit me to do so. We received further news that the Elysian Empire had launched a full-scale invasion, and also received a report on the investigation of Ludawan, which we had asked Sister Muzie to do for us. It also contained the truth about my father¡¯s surprising death. I remember that the Marquis de Grafful¡­¡­was a nasty person. He did all kinds of nasty things to my house¡­¡­.I was so shocked to find out that such a Marquis de Grafful had intentionally caused my father¡¯s death that my mind went blank. I thought my father had died in an accident when the military wanted to take Nanami so I could not forgive him, but I could suppress my fury. When I found out that my father was killed by malice I could no longer suppress the anger that had been smoldering inside me. The Elysian Empire was moving quickly, and Ludawan was expected to fall in a few short days but I still did not know when Yuta would return. Since the Marquis de Grafful holds the position of Minister of War, he would probably be captured and executed if Ludawan fell. No. I couldn¡¯t stand the fact that the person who killed my¡­¡­father would be judged by others. The next thing I knew I was on board Garuda 2. Everyone tried to stop me from going out of control. I know they were worried about me, but all I could think about right now was heading to Ludawan. I cut off all communications and selfishly flew Garuda 2. I flew through the air faster than a high speed ride hover and headed for Ludawan in a straight line. During the flight, I thought about the Marquis de Grafful. I recall that I had met him once in person, before I became like this. He came to my house with my father and greeted me with a smile. However, behind his eyes, he was not smiling. If anything, I felt hatred in his eyes. Even as a child, I knew that he did not like me. He looked at me in such a strange and unpleasant way that I felt that way. When I recalled the look in the eyes of the Marquis de Grafful a thought occurred to me. This curse of mine is something that the Marquis de Grafful could¡¯ve done. He caused my father¡¯s death and put a curse on me. I think about that and imagine something more horrible. If he was also involved in my mother¡¯s death¡­¡­©¤©¤I would never be able to forgive him if that were the case¡­¡­.Unknowingly, my hand gripping the control ball tightens. I was about to go crazy with anger. CH 431 C431: The Westward Plot / Cruz Sorry for the long hiatus but IWSLP is back and the schedule is 5ch/week(Monday-Friday). ¡°A man from Ludawan has come to see you, Master Cruz, and he insists on seeing you.¡± The garrison commander said in a quiet tone. ¡°Are you looking forward to a nice vacation with your family this summer? Or are you about to buy the home of your dreams?¡± The unit commander looks deeply troubled, as if he doesn¡¯t understand the intent of my question. I tell him, annoyed at the bluntness of his response. ¡°I am asking about the amount of the bribe you received from that person.¡± Oh, ha! I am sorry, sir! He handed me about 10 million gold¡­¡­..¡± It is impossible for a person from a country with which we are at war to come to visit us and report on what is going on. It is only to be expected that money is involved. The bribe was not important. What mattered was what kind of person he was. I decided that if he was capable of bribing a unit commander with 10 million gold, I would meet with him. ¡°Let him pass.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to meet him? Regardless of what the reply was, I guess I was promised 10 million just for talking to him. I was surprised that the head of the unit didn¡¯t expect me to meet with him. ¡°I won¡¯t say it again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I will bring him immediately!¡± He must have sensed my anger, because he immediately replied. Although I have become accustomed to this situation because of all the incompetent subordinates, I am still angry with them. ¡°I am the Minister of War of Ludawan. My name is Deer Grafful.¡± The man whom he brought was a small, fat, elderly man, befitting the position of Minister of War. ¡°So, what does Ludawan Minister of War want with me?¡± ¡°Before we begin, I would like to offer you this, which is a gift befitting a beautiful woman like yourself.¡± He presented a box full of jewelry. Some of them had a nice shine and seemed to be worth quite a lot of money. ¡°Oh, what do you want me to do with such a nice gift?¡± ¡°No, this is just a greeting, a gift.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it without reservation.¡± There is no such thing as a woman who doesn¡¯t like jewelry. There is no reason not to take it if you offer it to me for free. However, it would be wise not to think that this would add even a little color to the main topic of conversation, but he seems to fully understand that as well. ¡°May I ask you one question then, on the subject at hand?¡± ¡°It depends on what you want to talk about. Tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The invasion of Ludawan¡­¡­is there any possibility that you will stop it?¡± ¡°No, there is no possibility. We will destroy it as planned.¡± He was a little upset, as if he did not expect me to answer him so casually. ¡°So, what would my life be¡­¡­then?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re the Minister of War in Ludawan, you¡¯ll be hanged. If you are going to beg for your life, you will have to pay a lot of money for it. It would probably take more than even you, a rich man, could afford.¡± ¡°I understand. I don¡¯t want to die yet so I¡¯m willing to offer whatever it takes to keep me alive.¡± ¡°I told you, it has to be something that even a rich man cannot afford.¡± That meant that bribes would not be accepted, but Deer Grafful did not hesitate, ¡°No, what I am offering is not money, but something more useful to the Elysian Empire.¡± Hearing this, I became a little curious so I urged him to continue. CH 432 C432: Westward Plot / Cruz What Deer Grafful proposed was certainly interesting but I was not interested in information alone. He believed that I was and continued to speak. ¡°I will inform Master Cruz of all the movements of the military joint struggle. If I do so, I believe you will be able to capture the west with ease.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean you would betray your own country?¡± ¡°I would pay a small price to save my life. I have no interest in a community that exists only in the land of my birth.¡± ¡°You are very good and made it easy to understand. Yes, that information would make my life a lot easier.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter how many weak nations in the West gather together, but if it is easier, of course it is better. I have no interest in this man¡¯s life, so it is not a bad idea to spare his life for the sake of meaningful information. However, I decided to add an additional condition. ¡°But information alone is not enough. We will give you instructions, so please move Ludawan and the other countries that are fighting with us to our convenience.¡± He was capable enough to hold the position of Minister of War and was pretty capable so he nodded his head at my instructions, understanding that his life was saved. As soon as Deer Grafful was allowed to leave, a report on another matter was brought to me. It was a report on the progress of one of the schemes that had been hatched in my former homeland of Meltaria. ¡°So, are the states surrounding Meltaria about to make a move?¡± ¡°Yes, they have reason to suspect that the people of Meltaria are connected to our Elysian Empire, and that they are trying to sell out the surrounding states. They are moving their armies to invade Meltaria at any moment.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s what happens since we made it public that I am the commander of the invasion force in the west.¡± ¡°I think the fact that Cruz-sama is the former commander-in-chief of the army of Meltaria is quite persuasive.¡± The Western nations, however weak they may be, are not happy to be united, so they have been working on several schemes behind the scenes. One of them is to make Meltaria and their neighboring countries fight, and it seems to be working. Meltaria has Linnecarlo and the white magicraft. If they fought together with the neighboring countries and rebelled, they would certainly be the biggest obstacle so we made the first move. ¡°We will hold a military meeting right away. Tell Reyna to come over here.¡± When she gave that order, the second-in-command showed some concern. ¡°But¡­¡­in the hierarchy of the Ten Gods of War, Reina-sama is higher than Cruz-sama, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to call her here. How about we prepare a separate military meeting place somewhere else?¡± The suggestion was plausible, but it irked me. I pulled out the dagger attached to my waist and slashed at the deputy¡¯s leg. The deputy crouched down, holding the cut. I told the incompetent man, ¡°I don¡¯t care about rank! I am the commander of the Western Army!¡± Normally, the person higher in the pecking order would be the commander, but there was a big difference in command experience between Reyna and me. Of course, I made a move to make it so, but the empire recognized this and appointed me as the commander. I don¡¯t even want to think about being under the command of a little girl who only has a high Ludia value. CH 433 C433: Long Time No Longer Home Country / Farma Upon arriving in Ludawan, I immediately headed to the residence of the Marquis of Deer Grafful. Since I was on the border of Ludawan, I was prepared for some fighting, but somehow I didn¡¯t see any military forces. I expected to see a garrison at the marquis¡¯s mansion, but I didn¡¯t see a single soldier there either. I had a bad feeling. If the Marquis Deer Grafful were here, this state of security would not be possible. I tried to check the house but I didn¡¯t see anyone coming in or out, not even a servant and just when I was about to assume that the house might be unoccupied, I saw a figure coming and going from the back door. The figure got into a horse-drawn carriage parked in the back of the house and was going somewhere. It was a bit impulsive, but since there was no way to move without knowing what was going on, I decided to take the plunge and talk to the person in the carriage. I took my Garuda and went around in the direction the carriage was going and stood in front of it. Since a magicraft suddenly appeared in front of him the person riding in the carriage was startled and with a look of fear tried to escape by jumping down from the carriage but I stopped him. ¡°Please wait. I just want to ask you a few questions.¡± I tried to speak to him as politely as possible, but the person in the carriage seemed to feel only fear and I wasn¡¯t even sure he was listening to me. I didn¡¯t give up and slowly talked to him so he calmed down a little and I asked him a brief question. ¡°The owner of the house, the Marquis Deer Grafful, doesn¡¯t seem to be here.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no one in the house anymore¡­¡­.They¡¯ve all fled, scared by the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°Did the Marquis Deer Grafful escape too?¡± ¡°The Marquis and his family were the first to leave. The servants and guards remained until a little while ago, but when they heard that the Elysian Empire was approaching, they couldn¡¯t wait to get away. I didn¡¯t know what they would do to me if I stayed in the Minister of War¡¯s mansion.¡± It seems that the leadership of the country is already crumbling. This may have something to do with the fact that there were no troops on the border. Apparently, this person did not have any information on the whereabouts of the Marquis Deer Grafful. Since there was nothing more I could find from him, I decided to let him go and move on. This is my home country, after all. I have an acquaintance or two. I remembered that an aunt that lived nearby and headed over to get some information. The lady, who lives in a small compound deep in the mountains, welcomed my visit. I asked her if I had been harmed by the country in any way as a result of my escape, but she only smiled and said it was all right. Based on this response, she may have been harassed in some way. I feel sorry for my aunt. ¡°I¡¯m glad Farma is safe. Now I¡¯m going to prepare a hot meal for you.¡± She was my mother¡¯s sister and one of the few people who treated me kindly even though I looked like this so I explained to her why I was here. ¡°No way, Marquis Deer Grafful had Mr. Belfast¡­¡­.¡± But then she started talking as if she had some idea what was going on. ¡°I never told you this because Mr. Belfast stopped me, but I suspect that your mother, my sister Ibelma, was murdered by Marquis Deer Grafful¡­¡­.¡± My heart almost stopped when I heard that. I could see my mother¡¯s smile in my mind. My heart ached so much that it felt as if it was about to burst, and I felt an indescribable emotion. CH 434 C434: My Enemy / Farma I¡¯ll post on more chapter tomorrow since I couldn¡¯t post yesterday. My aunt told me about my mother¡¯s alleged death, which my father had kept from me. It was a story that made me want to cover my ears. Mom had been invited to a ladies-only party, so my father was not there. She didn¡¯t think the relationship between aristocrats was very good, so she wasn¡¯t too keen on it, but it seemed that she had no choice but to attend because the aristocrats¡¯ association with each other would affect her husband¡¯s work. But an incident happened at that party. In the middle of the excitement of the party, my mother collapsed. Despite all attempts to rescue her, she did not return home. According to the doctor, it was a sudden seizure, but it was unthinkable that she would suddenly collapse, even though she had no preexisting medical conditions and was in good health. My father thought so, too, and gathered a lot of information behind the scenes. The doctor who took care of my mother came from a family with long-standing ties to Marquis Deer and some of the servants and cooks at the aristocratic family¡¯s house where the party was held that had been involved in the death of my mother were later found to have died in a suspicious manner. Her father, aunt and even many of the nobles who were opposed to Marquis Deer Grafful were convinced that mother had been poisoned by him. So all along they were investigating to get proof of that. ¡°A few days before Mr. Belfast died, he informed me that he was very close to getting to the bottom of Sister Ibelma¡¯s death, and then that happened¡­¡­.¡± My aunt¡¯s words make me imagine even scarier things. Could it be that father was about to get the evidence and that¡¯s why he was killed, if so, it would be very frightening. ¡°Auntie had connections to some of the higher-ups in the county, don¡¯t you know where Marquis Deer Grafful is right now?¡± ¡°Farma, I don¡¯t think you¡­¡­¡± My aunt looks worried, as if she has realized my intentions. ¡°I still can¡¯t forgive Marquis Deer Grafful! I can¡¯t believe he killed my father and maybe even my mother ¡­¡­Auntie, please! Find out where he is!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t forgive him either but what if something happens to you, my niece¡­..?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m strong now. I won¡¯t lose!¡± ¡°The magicraft out there? No matter how many magicrafts you can control, you¡¯re the only one. How are you going to defeat Marquis Deer Grafful, who has an army?¡± Yes, I am alone now. Not only the Iron Knights, but also Yuta and Nanami are gone. Even so I still want to avenge my father and mother. ¡°Auntie, please! I can fight alone!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you go alone. What aunt wouldn¡¯t be worried about her niece?¡± Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a question of numbers, but in an attempt to make an argument, I retorted, ¡°I have friends too! I may be alone right now, but I have a lot of strong, trustworthy friends!¡± ¡°Then rely on your friends. I will do my best to help you once I know you are not alone.¡± With that being said, I made the decision to contact my companions. However, even if I could contact them, the invasion of the Elysian Empire is about to begin at any moment. I am worried about whether they will be able to reach me in time. It is quite a distance from the Amurian Union, where the Iron Knights are located, to here. There is no way they can fly here like Garuda II, so it will take a lot of time. When I thought of friends who could fly over, Yuta¡¯s face was the first that came to mind. However, Yuta is in the Kingdom of Lubel, which is even farther away than the Amurian Union. It was not a distance that even Arleo-2¡¯s flying ability could cover in a flash. But I had an unfounded thought that¡­¡­Yuta would be able to do something about it so I called Yuta instead of Fugaku. ¡°Yu¡­¡­Yuta¡­¡­help me.¡± I spoke so without hesitation even though he might not be on Arleo-2. ¡°Farma?!Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Ludawan¡­¡­.¡± Yuta then responded in a way I had never imagined. ¡°Me too, I¡¯m in Ludawan. I thought Farma was near the residence of Marquis Deer Grafful!¡± Yuta¡¯s words surprised me, and relieved me from the bottom of my heart. And I don¡¯t know why, but I bursted into tears. CH 435 C435: Where to Go Sorry for the delay but here is chapter 5/5 for the week. I didn¡¯t expect to receive a communication from Farma but I asked her to send me her coordinates, which Feri analyzed and found out where Farma was and headed there immediately. We saw Garuda on the grounds of a mansion deep in the mountains so I knew she was there, but it was a relief to actually see her. ¡°Yuta!¡± Farma saw me coming down from Arleo-2 and called my name loudly. I responded with a smile, and for some reason she covered her face with her hands and began to cry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Farma?¡± I was so worried that I ran up to her. While crying, Farma began to talk about Ms. Belfast and her mother¡¯s death. Sometimes she would get emotional and stumble over her words, but she took her time and explained what she was thinking and what she wanted to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­for worrying everyone, and Yuta rushed over to help me¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing and caused so much trouble for everyone.¡± When she had finished, Farma apologized, as if she felt that she had caused trouble for everyone by running out on her own. ¡°I¡¯m not bothered and I¡¯m sure the others are worried too. You¡¯d better check with your aunt about Marquis Deer Grafful whereabouts. If we don¡¯t hurry, the Elysian Empire will take everything.¡± ¡°Yuta, will you help me?¡± ¡°I owe Mr. Belfast a debt of gratitude. For me, too, Mr. Belfast is a benefactor, and I cannot forgive what Marquis Deer Grafful did.¡± Perhaps reassured by these words, Farma gave a little smile despite her sad expression. Farma¡¯s aunt looked at me and nodded, and without so much as a hello, she started to contact someone. Apparently, she would use her connections to find out where Marquis Deer Grafful was. ¡°What is your relationship with Farma?¡± The lady who has finished her communication asks me this as she places a warm drink on the table. ¡°A companion and a friend.¡± When I answered that, she looked a little disappointed for some reason. ¡°Yes, I would have been happy if you were her lover, but I shouldn¡¯t wish for that much. But if you have any feelings for her at all, you should think about it.¡± ¡°Hey, Auntie!¡± I was so embarrassed that I laughed. ¡°More importantly, have you found out where Marquis Deer Grafful is?¡± Farma brings the conversation back to the point. ¡°My friend has been trying to find out where Marquis Deer Grafful is, and I am sure she will tell me soon. But are you really planning to take on Deer Grafful by yourselves? Isn¡¯t that too reckless?¡± Aunt, Yuta is so strong that the army of the marquis it¡¯s not even worth mentioning.¡± ¡°Even though he is very strong, there are a lot of magicrafts in the army. I think the situation will be tougher than you think.¡± I promised the worried woman, ¡°No matter how hard the battle gets, I will protect Farma.¡± Her aunt finally seemed relieved to hear that and looked at me with a smile. Sometime later, she received a call from her friend. She told her that she had found out the location of Marquis Deer Grafful but his location surprised not only me and Farma, but even her aunt. CH 436 C436: The Enemy Within ¡°Marquis Deer Grafful is being protected by the Elysian Imperial Army¡­¡­.¡± The information from my aunt¡¯s friend was outrageous. Marquis Deer Grafful had betrayed not only Ludawan, but also the neighboring nations that had been cooperating with him militarily and joined the Elysian Empire. If that was true Farma wouldn¡¯t be able to take revenge so easily since the Elysian Empire would interfere. ¡°It seems that Marquis Deer Grafful has set a big trap for the Western Allied Forces, in which the Ludawan army also participated, and dealt them a heavy blow. Now the allied forces are retreating, and the traitorous Marquis Deer Grafful has joined the Elysian Imperial Army along with his own private army, is that correct?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why there were no troops on the border¡­¡­.Everyone was called up to join that battle.¡± As Farma said, we had not seen the Ludawan army since we came to this country. That¡¯s probably why we¡¯ve been able to move around freely without having to fight. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to fight not only Marquis Deer Grafful, but also the Elysian Empire¡­¡­.After all, you should leave this country without doing anything. They are not the right people to be fighting with.¡± ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry, Yuta and I have fought the Elysian Empire several times.¡± Farma¡¯s words surprised her to the core. That news was so out of the blue that she could not believe it even though it was the words of her niece whom she trusted. ¡°Auntie, do you know where the retreating coalition forces are?¡± I asked, as a thought occurred to me. ¡°What are you going to do when you find out?¡± ¡®We are mercenaries. If we are hired by the Allied Forces, we will have a reason to fight, and we won¡¯t be fighting on our own. If that happens, it will alleviate some of your aunt¡¯s concerns.¡± After thinking about it for a moment, she replied, ¡°I agree with you. It seems useless to stop them, and she might feel safer if we at least work together with the Allied Forces. I¡¯ll check on it right away.¡± It was soon clear where the retreating coalition forces were. They were retreating in the mountainous area of a country called Mebarol in the northern part of Ludawan, while hiding. Farma seemed to know the country, and she told me it was the area where we had had a mock battle on the way to Kirks before, but I couldn¡¯t quite remember. After thanking her aunt, Farma and I decided to head for the place. She watched Garuda and Arleo-2 as they took off. While on the move, we informed Nanami and Emina, who were on their way here, of the situation. They were pleased that Farma was safe, but were stunned by what followed. ¡°Are you trying to get into trouble with the Elysian Empire again?¡± Emina says this in dismay, and I immediately contradict her. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean to rub it in, but I just mean that we¡¯re going to have to fight as a result.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference¡­¡­Well, from what I¡¯ve heard, it sounds like it can¡¯t be helped, but even if Nanami and I join you over there, there are only four of us. The most important thing to remember is that the Elysian army in the west is quite large, so you might want to contact Alana or Jean and ask them to send reinforcements.¡± I¡¯d love to, but there¡¯s a lot going on over there in Meltaria, and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to get reinforcements in time if they send them now. When they arrive there is a possibility that the Elysian Empire will have overrun this area.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­¡­that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Well, in the meantime, let me let you know what we¡¯re doing.¡± When I told Jean that we might engage in a battle with the Elysian Empire, he was, as I expected, quite angry. However, when I told him about the situation, he showed some understanding. He reminded me not to take any chances and agreed to this action. CH 437 C437: Selling The Allied Forces seemed to have retreated from the Elysian Empire while hiding, but when we searched for them from the air, Feri quickly found them. The Allied Forces¡¯ magicrafts had disparate national identification markings, and there was no denying that they were a hodgepodge. According to Farma aunt, the army started out with several thousand magicrafts, but after a quick glance, it had dwindled to a few hundred or so. If they lost nearly 90% of their entire force in one battle, it must have been a pretty one-sided defeat. That¡¯s how fatal the betrayal of Marquis Deer Grafful was. When the allied forces saw us, they were at first startled and went into a fighting stance, but we talked them through and managed to negotiate with their commander. The negotiations were about how much they would pay us, not about whether or not the Allied Forces would refuse our help. ¡°I don¡¯t know how powerful this mercenary group is, but with only four reinforcements, this is the most we can offer.¡± The amount offered was 3 million gold, which is not bad for the general market price. It was nothing compared to the conditions of the Amurian Federation or Meltaria, but for the Allied Forces, it was probably about what they could pay for a group of mercenaries that were unknown to them. The purpose of this job was not to make money in the first place, so I was willing to accept any amount, but in order to be trusted, I responded in the manner of a mercenary, ¡°That¡¯s enough money for a contract, but can you set a performance fee? We are fighting against the Elysian Empire and if the price of life is that high, my friends will not be satisfied.¡± Somehow I imagined the line Jean would say and said it, and it seems I was right. After thinking about it for a bit, the allied commander nodded and promised me a reward for our performance. Moreover, he seemed to think I was a greedy mercenary, and he seemed to have gained a little trust in me as a mercenary. He told us about his plans for the future. ¡°We will join up with the reinforcements and launch a counterattack. We lost our first battle due to the despicable treachery of Marquis Deer Grafful of Ludawan, but now the governments of the various countries are urgently gathering troops. We should still be able to fight.¡± He said so, but would not talk about specific numbers. I felt that this commander might not even know how many forces would come as reinforcements. Maybe he is just really anxious and hoping that an unimaginable amount of reinforcements will be sent. The rendezvous point with the reinforcements is the border between Ludawan and Mebarol, and we move slowly, wary of the Elysian Empire¡¯s pursuit. I observed the allied forces along the way, but they must have been beaten to a pulp, and the soldiers were all quite exhausted. At this rate, the next battle would end in a one-sided slaughter without even a fight. ¡°Yuta, they are all very desperate. If things continue as they are, we¡¯re going to have to fight on our own.¡± Farma also looked at the army enveloped in an aura of despair and said anxiously. It will be extremely difficult to revive the army from such a state so it is true that we will have to fight on our own. ¡°We need to meet up with Emina and Nanami as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be far. We know where the reinforcements are now, so let¡¯s call them and ask them to hurry up.¡± They were already close by. I told them the rendezvous point and told them to hurry up. They complained that they were already in a hurry, but replied that they understood. CH 438 C438: Joining Hands At first, I doubted that this was really the rendezvous point with the reinforcements. There was no one present but as we waited, magicrafts and ride carriers gradually began to appear. ¡°Are these all the Reinforcements?¡± What finally gathered as reinforcements were about 100 magicrafts and about 10 ride carriers. The commander also did not expect such a small number, and impatiently asked each country for reinforcements again. ¡°If this army is defeated, the surrounding western states will be destroyed! Don¡¯t leave any forces behind to guard dignitaries and send them all over to us!¡± Indeed, as the commander said, I think it is no exaggeration to say that this army is the last stronghold for the surrounding nations. They will have to gather their forces without leaving anything behind, but it seems that the great people of the state are still thinking of their own safety. ¡°Speaking of forces, come to think of it, Arpeka, where the coliseum was located, is one of the states around here, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± I suddenly remembered the coliseum where I had fought as a gladiator. Like Alana, gladiators are sometimes stronger than regular soldiers, and I think they can be an asset to the war effort¡­¡­.There are quite a few of them, and I think we can rely on them if they can reinforce us. With this in mind, I advise the commander. However, he replied that the gladiators in Arpeka are free men and have no employment or contractual ties with the Arpeka government, so he cannot even request their participation. If we were to ask, he said, we would have to negotiate with each gladiator individually, which is impossible in the current time crunch. I was convinced that there was no way they would listen to the government¡¯s order, since all gladiators are free men. But what if it was a request from someone they respected?¡­¡­I remembered that I had a legendary former gladiator king in my group. I spoke to Alana via communication, and she immediately put me in touch with the gladiator organization. The name of the King of Gladiators was still alive and well. The organization immediately took action, and all the gladiators in the organization were informed of the situation. After informing them that they were up against the Elysian Empire, they were offered a reasonable reward, and an improvised gladiatorial army was formed with only those who wanted to join it. Apparently, many feared that if the Elysian Empire took control of the Colosseum, it would surely be dismantled and they would have no place to go, and that was the result. The commander of the Allied Forces was delighted at the unexpected news. The assembled gladiatorial forces numbered as many as 2,000 magicrafts, making it the largest force in the current Allied Forces. Although it would cost a considerable amount of money, the funds were raised from various countries, which was better than the destruction of the country. Around the time the gladiatorial army was organized, Emina and Nanami arrived. Farma was properly scolded by Emina and Nanami and showed remorse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You know you can talk to me about everything, Farma so don¡¯t go off on your own again.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Now we were ready to fight the Elysian Imperial Army. With another request for reinforcements, several hundred more magicrafts joined us and the Allied Forces recovered in number to a scale of about 3,000 magicrafts. However, according to information, the Elysian Imperial Army was said to have more than 10,000 magicrafts, so even at this level, we were still considerably outnumbered. CH 439 C439: Strategy Meeting Sorry for the slow releases but here are chapters 4 and 5 for last week. Information was received that Elysian forces had begun to move south and there was no escape route for the allied forces. We had other choice but to intercept them at some point and a strategy meeting was held to discuss this. The commander asked us to participate in the strategy meeting because his trust in us, the Iron Knights, had increased dramatically after the incident with the gladiatorial forces. I wondered if it was a good idea to have a mere mercenary participate in such an important meeting, but we have our own way of fighting, and I thought it might be good to convey it at the strategy meeting, so I decided to participate. I was worried about being alone, so I asked Emina, who knows the Elysian Army well and is familiar with basic tactics, to attend the meeting with me. She agreed, as if it were a given. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be there. Yuta is the kind of person who shines in actual combat. I can¡¯t imagine him playing an active role in a strategy meeting.¡± I agreed, so I couldn¡¯t argue with her. The first item on the agenda at the strategy meeting was a place to intercept the Elysian Imperial Army on the battlefield. Since we were outnumbered, it was desirable to find a location where it would be easy for us to defend and hard for them to attack, and where we would have a geographical advantage. A general from one of the national armies suggested the best location. ¡°It is better to establish a stronghold on the Dynamos Pass. To approach the pass, they will have to pass through a narrow and complicated canyon, which will leave the enemy with no choice but to spread out their forces. Furthermore, the difference in elevation will make it difficult for the enemy to see us, while we will have a full view of them.¡± Everyone at the meeting agreed on this location. It seems to be a very geographically advantageous location. However, one concern was raised. ¡°But would the Elysian army be willing to invade a place such as this, where we have the advantage?¡± I certainly think so. It was an advantageous position for all to see. It is a place of superiority by all accounts, something the Elysian army would have noticed immediately. However, an elite rider from the former Elysian Army answered that question. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that. There are two reasons. One is that there is too much difference in strength. With such a large difference in strength, the enemy will not be so concerned about geographical superiority. The other is the traditional policy of the Elysian Imperial Army. The imperial army tries to show its power by using force, including political means. Every commander will try to overrun us with overwhelming force in accordance with tradition and policy, although there are individual differences among commanders.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.but I heard that the current Western Area Commander is a recent newcomer to the Elysian Empire, is that correct?¡± ¡°A newcomer is now the commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s regional forces?¡± It seems unthinkable in the Elysian Empire that Emina knows, and she is truly surprised. ¡°The current commander of the Elysian Empire¡¯s Western Area Army is one of the Ten Gods of War, the former commander-in-chief of the Magicraft Army of the Kingdom of Meltaria, a woman named Cruz.¡± ¡°Cruz of Meltaria!?¡± My voice and Emina¡¯s voice harmonize. I did know a Cruz from Meltaria, but I didn¡¯t expect to hear her name mentioned here. CH 440 C440: Preparing for Battle As per the plan, the allied forces will take up position at the Dynamos Pass. The terrain is easy to defend even to the untrained eye, and this may indeed bring a possibility to win even with a small force. According to information, the Elysian Imperial Army is already on its way here and is expected to arrive in a few hours. At the moment, there is no strange movement, and they seem to be ready to meet us head-on. ¡°First, let¡¯s reduce the number of enemies by using Arleo II¡¯s Four Elements Cannon and Garuda II¡¯s Arrow Rain. Then, while maintaining the defense line, let¡¯s exterminate the attacking enemies and try to win the battle with persistence.¡± Although this ability was limited by my long-range flight, I can fire at least one shot from the four-element cannon so I agree with Emina¡¯s suggestion. ¡°What should Nanami do?¡± She asked, since her name was not mentioned in Emina¡¯s plan of action. Nanami, you are to stand south of the pass where the enemy attack is expected, and protect it so that no magicraft can pass through. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take them all down.¡± Nanami took on the difficult task with ease, but I was sure that she was capable of really doing it. ¡°What is Emina going to do? Fight the right battles?¡± Emina¡¯s Artemis is a versatile magicraft. It is a dexterous machine that can perform all kinds of missions, so it will be useful no matter what. ¡°I¡¯m going to break into enemy territory and look for targets for Farma and her team. It is the most important objective in this battle and it will be meaningless if we don¡¯t accomplish it. I¡¯ll let you know when I find them, and we¡¯ll see what we do after that and think about it then.¡± Emina was given details of information about Marquis Deer Grafful. She would be searching for him based on the characteristics of the ride carriers that would have his family crest. As Emina said, our main objective is to defeat Marquis Deer Grafful. As long as we are hired, we will fight for our employer, but we must not forget our main objective. But it¡¯s wonderful that Emina is taking care not only of battle-winning tactics but also of our personal objectives. Exactly one hour later, the large army of the Elysian Empire showed up. Even at a quick glance, they were several times our size and the air around our allies became stiff with fear and tension. Even the fiercest members of the gladiatorial forces, who make up the majority of our forces, are not accustomed to the atmosphere of a battlefield, and can be heard whispering their concerns. Probably the only ones who are calm in the allied forces are us, the Iron Knights. It might be a good idea to unleash a flashy attack to boost the morale of our allies. ¡°Commander, I would like to make a preemptive strike, can you give me permission to do so?¡± As a mercenary, I could not attack without permission. I applied to the commander for permission, if only for the time being. ¡°How are you going to do a preemptive strike? We¡¯re still a long way off, and even the Arrow range is not that long?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to attack from the air. We can hit them pretty hard now, so please make a decision quickly.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I authorize the attack.¡± The commander did not understand what I was going to do, but he agreed since he could not think of any disadvantages. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got the go-ahead. We¡¯re going to make the first move. Everybody get ready.¡± I¡¯ve only heard about it but apparently, while I was struggling to resurrect father, Farma and the other stay-at-home members have made considerable power improvements to their magicrafts as well as their personal power. New weapons with powerful ranged attacks were added and I couldn¡¯t wait to see them in action. CH 441 C441: Rain of Arrows Arleo-2 and Garuda-2 soared high into the sky. They aimed at the densely-packed Elysian Imperial Army, and delivered a powerful ranged attack. ¡°Feri, calculate the damage to the enemy when the four-element cannon is fired at the indicated attack point.¡± ¡°Yes, there are about 3,000 magicrafts within the attack range, but it is estimated that less than 1,000 will be seriously damaged. The impact on the ride carriers will be minor, and the number of ships to be destroyed is expected to be limited to about 20.¡± Considering the power of the four-element cannon so far, I felt the effect was weaker than I expected. I honestly asked Feri about it. ¡°The effect is a little weak, is it perhaps due to the long-distance flight?¡± ¡°The Elysian Imperial Army¡¯s magicrafts are equipped with shields, which considerably suppress the power of the four-element cannon. ¡°I see. If there are that many shield-equipped magicrafts, we can¡¯t be too careless with them, can we?¡± ¡°The number of aircraft in the Exlander class has also increased, so their strength is quite large. It will be hard to fight them with the actual Arleo-2 so please refrain from pushing with foolish force as much as possible.¡± She said in a slightly sarcastic way, but I can¡¯t refute it because I have a lot on my mind. ¡°What shall we do then, perhaps we should not use the four-element cannon?¡± ¡°I suggest a wave attack with Garuda II¡¯s Arrow Rain. First, the Arrow Rain attack will cause a wide range of enemies to deploy their shields, and if you release the four elemental cannons while the shields are on cooldown, you can more effectively destroy the enemies.¡± ¡°I see. You heard that Farma?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll get the Arrow Rain ready to launch.¡± I haven¡¯t seen the performance of the enhanced Garuda II yet, so I don¡¯t know the details, but I heard that Arrow Rain is not as powerful as the four-element cannon, but has a wider attack range and is quite an impactful attack. If it and the four elemental cannon attack in waves, it should be enough to boost the morale of the allies. And if we could inflict maximum damage, there was no reason not to do it. ¡°Ludia, concentrate¡­ ether filling¡­ laser arrow embodied¡­ Arrow Rain ready to fire.¡± ¡°Arrow Rain!!!!¡± A dozen arrows of light were released from the bow that Farma shot. Immediately after being released, the arrows of light split into a dozen or more. Each arrow further split into a dozen or more arrows. The arrows repeated this process four or five more times, and the number of light arrows multiplied to the point that they could not be counted. The arrows of light that filled the sky rained down on the Elysian Imperial Army. However, the Elysian Imperial Army reacted in a way that I have never seen before. With a strange ¡°cuing-cuing¡± sound, rings of light were emitted from several magicrafts. The arrows of light raining down on the rings of light are stopped. However, the number of arrows is too large for all of them to be stopped. About 30% of the light arrows hit the enemy¡¯s magicrafts and pierce their armor. ¡°The enemy magicrafts shields are on cooldown. Arleo-2 will now move to fire the four-element cannon.¡± Saying this, Feri began to prepare to fire the four-element cannon. The shields deployed by the enemy¡¯s magicrafts began to flash. The thinning shields disappear one after another. At the time when most of the shields disappeared, the firing preparations were ready. ¡°Ludia Core, access©¤©¤Start chanting the spell ¡°Agni Gladia,¡± start chanting the spell ¡°Earth Titan,¡± start chanting the spell ¡°Sheer Tritone,¡± start chanting the spell ¡°Zeus Weapon,¡± start chanting the spell ¡°Heroic Boost¡± simultaneously©¤©¤select range, correct position, prepare sight. Ready to fire the four-element cannon.¡± ¡°Four Elements Cannon, fire!¡± Due to the cooldown, the enemy can no longer deploy their shields and a merciless blow was fired at the defenseless enemy. CH 442 C442: Preemptive Strike The fired four-element cannon strikes Elysia¡¯s magicrafts group, whose shields have been rendered defenseless by Farma¡¯s Arrow Rain. Armor peels off, limbs are ripped off, and the machines are cruelly destroyed. The range of the four-element cannon¡¯s attack is about 20-30% of the Elysian Imperial Army¡¯s, but the whole army is clearly unnerved by the spectacular surprise attack. Furthermore, the morale of the allied forces exploded at once after they saw the spectacle of a successful first strike. Although outnumbered, they were sure they could win in this atmosphere. The Elysian Empire was in a state of confusion, but it quickly regrouped and moved into an attack position, as it had a solid chain of command. Ignoring the magicrafts of their fallen comrades, they resumed their advance toward the allied forces positioned in the mountain pass. Something even more unexpected happened. ¡°Yuta! Look at that!¡± Farma¡¯s voice made me look ahead. It was an amazing sight. Nearly a hundred enemy magicrafts were flying in the sky, heading toward us. Flying magicrafts are rare and have not been seen in many battles, so we were under the illusion that we were the only ones who could fly, but there was no guarantee that flying was our specialty. Oh no, we are trying to fight with the advantage of the high ground, but when the enemy has a unit like that, it weakens our advantage. ¡°We¡¯re going to hit that flying squadron, Farma! If we let them make it to the pass, it¡¯s going to be a problem.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The plan was to join our allies and help them in the defense, but we could not ignore that flying squadron. We decided to leave the ground work to Nanami and Emina, and to give priority to the extermination of the flying squadron. The enemy air force, perhaps feeling threatened by our powerful attack from the sky, was moving toward us in an effort to eliminate us as quickly as possible. From the movement of the enemy¡¯s flying magicrafts, it seemed that we had overwhelming flying ability. They were not very fast, and it did not seem to be very maneuverable. However, we cannot let our guard down. Above all, there were a lot of them, and the weapons they were carrying were eerie. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯ve never seen weapons like the enemy magicrafts have, they look like the ones Emina has, but¡­¡­¡± The weapons the enemy flying units were equipped with were not swords or spears, but rather shaped like large, two-handed bow guns. However, I could not see any mechanism for loading arrows or other kinds of ammo, and could not imagine how they would attack. But this mystery was soon revealed by the enemy¡¯s behavior. As they approached us, they stopped a few dozen meters in front of us. Then, all at once, they raised their weapons toward us. I had a bad premonition that the enemy magicrafts weapons looked like shotguns, like the ones you see in movie gun-action scenes. ¡±Farma! Emergency ascent!!!!¡± Farma responds to my voice and flies Garuda II further up into the sky. At the same time, red light was emitted from the enemy¡¯s weapons. The light extended in a straight line like a laser beam and came at us. ¡°It seems to be an optical weapon. It is a powerful weapon that can damage even the armor of Arleo-2 if it has a high output. I recommend avoiding it.¡± Feri warned me but I was avoiding it before she said so because it looked dangerous. Garuda II avoided the laser beam with its menacing upward acceleration and escaped far into the sky. Since the attack was designed to damage the super-hard armor of Arleo II, I shuddered just imagining what would have happened if it had hit Garuda II, whose armor was relatively weak. CH 443 C443: Unexpected / Cruz ¡°Commander Cruz, it appears that the remnants of the enemy have joined up with reinforcements and taken up position at the Dynamos Pass.¡± I received such a report when I checked the enemy¡¯s movements. ¡°Dynamos Pass, what is that?¡± ¡°It is a pass south of here. It is located at the end of a steep canyon, which is easy to defend, so it would be a little troublesome if they were to take up positions there.¡± ¡°Well, then, march the whole army toward that pass.¡± ¡°Is that all right?¡± ¡°The enemy is there, isn¡¯t it? If we don¡¯t go there, we won¡¯t be able to destroy them.¡± ¡°But the geographical advantage is theirs¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No problem. A little bit of cowering in a hard shell won¡¯t turn them into a pack of ravenous beasts.¡± ¡°I understand, sir. I will order all troops to advance.¡± Since they were outnumbered and outgunned in quality, we decided to ignore the slight geographical disadvantage. Furthermore, we also had a trump card that would shake off the geographical disadvantage. There was not the slightest possibility that we would lose. ¡°Master Cruz, Marquis Deer Grafful has asked for freedom of action.¡± ¡°Oh, does he think this battle has nothing to do with him? What is the strength of Deer Grafful private army?¡± ¡°Three ride carriers and 57 magicrafts.¡± ¡°Yes, he has enough strength to fight. Please formally request him to join the battle. Well, I¡¯d really appreciate it if he could be in the front line to help us dodge bullets, but since he seems to think he¡¯ll get in the way, I¡¯ll put him on the right flank and ask them to act as decoy.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll let him know right away!¡± He is no longer of any use to us, but it is no fun to let him go free like this. It would be funny if he died in a spectacular manner, but I doubt I can expect him to do so since the enemy does not have that kind of ability. When we arrived at the Dynamos Pass, I had all the troops take up battle positions. They were in formation, and all I had to do was to give the order to attack. ¡°Commander Cruz! Two flying magicrafts are approaching us!¡± Flying magicrafts? I haven¡¯t heard that that coalition of incompetent nations has flying magicrafts that can be used on a practical level.¡± ¡°It seems that they are not regular military magicrafts. What should we do?¡± ¡°Have the 3rd Battalion take up anti-air magicraft combat positions. Also, tell the Flying Dragon Division to prepare to launch a sortie just in case.¡± The Flying Dragon Division is a trump division, an elite unit made up of only Exlanders. Well, I don¡¯t think they would have sent out just two flying magicrafts, but since I had experienced being hurt by just two magicrafts before, I decided to at least be prepared. ¡°Commander Cruz! There¡¯s a high concentration of magic fire coming from the enemy above us!¡± ¡°What the hell!¡± I hurriedly moved to a position where I could see the enemy and confirmed it with my own eyes through a large window on the bridge. It was the moment when a large winged magicrafts released an arrow. The Arrow split up and in no time and became a rain of countless lights that was about to attack us. ¡°All troops deploy shields! Take up anti-magic strike defensive positions!¡± I ordered, taking the equipment from the communications officer. A bluish-white light spread through the entire army at once, as the order was immediately transmitted to all the riders in the army. I never expected to use the shield armament that I had prepared for the battle against Lubel, Valkyria and the Kingdom of Rhesia against a coalition of weak nations¡­¡­That made me remember my previous experience of being defeated by an unexpected force. Damn it¡­¡­I hope I never have to suffer that kind of defeat again. But there is no need to worry. The other party is neither Linnecarlo nor the rider who operated that legendary magicraft. CH 444 C444: A Big Blow / Cruz Thanks to the shield, we were able to minimize the damage from the powerful magic attack. I was a little nervous because I had not expected such an attack from the enemy, but I was relieved that we were able to survive it. ¡°Commander Cruz! Another powerful magic strike reaction! One more attack is coming!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Our troops are now defenseless due to the cooldown from the shield deployment. It is easy to imagine that a powerful magical strike in this state would cause tremendous damage. Is that what this wave of attacks is aimed at? If so, we may need to rethink our perception of the enemy. ¡°All troops, take defensive positions! Prepare for attack!¡± I knew it was futile. If we were to receive an attack of that level without shields, there wouldn¡¯t be a single magicraft below the Exlander that could survive. But if I did not give instructions here, we would lose morale as well. In order to minimize the damage as much as possible, they tried to prepare for the attack by curling their bodies or lying on their stomachs to reduce the impact. However, there was no correct posture to prevent the attack. No matter what defensive posture they took, they were powerless in the face of powerful magical attacks, and as you can imagine, devastation came upon our army. ¡°How much damage?¡± I immediately checked with the intelligence officer. After he confirmed the damage from the allied beacon, he replied with a sad expression on his face. ¡°It seems that 20% of the entire army, or at least 3,000 magicrafts, have been destroyed.¡± ¡°Three thousand¡­¡­in such a short time¡­¡­ I won¡¯t allow it! Order the Flying Dragon Division to go out and clear the enemy magicrafts in the sky! Any surviving units should immediately regroup and march toward the enemy forces!¡± The flying dragon division, already prepared to go out, will fly out from the three carrier-class ride carriers in the rear, a unit of 100 Exlanders with a high level of flying ability and magic strikes. No matter how powerful the enemy is, it will be no problem to exterminate them. The question is how many magicrafts of that level there are among the enemy¡­¡­but if there are double-digit numbers, we can¡¯t be too careful. Depending on the situation, it may be necessary to request Reyna to go out, even though I¡¯m unwilling to do so. ¡°I was wondering if you are okay with the fact that so many of your troops have been killed. I thought you had some kind of plan since you let such a large number of enemies approach so carelessly, but I don¡¯t think that causing this much damage was just as you planned, do you?¡± Damn, the little girl seems to have a high level of¡­¡­sarcasm. ¡°I just ordered the enemy in the sky to be eliminated. I did not expect them to be equipped with that much magical firepower. It was completely my mistake.¡± With this kind of person, it would be better to speak honestly to some extent so I answered honestly without making excuses. ¡°Oh, I see~ It¡¯s true that it¡¯s an army that didn¡¯t even show any such signs in the previous battle, so it can¡¯t be helped, can it? I understand. I am also ready to go out at any time, so you can count on me if you are in trouble~.¡± ¡°Thank you, I will do so¡­¡­.¡± I can see that this disgusting female raccoon is trying to trick me at¡­¡­every chance she gets. CH 445 C445: Aerial Battle Having avoided the attack of the magic optical weapon, the enemy flying squadron decided to surround us in order to make sure that we would be killed in the next attack. It is indeed difficult to avoid attacks from all directions. ¡°Farma, I¡¯ll draw their attention from you, so just keep shooting at them from above.¡± ¡°Take it easy, Yuta.¡± It would certainly be dangerous to overreach too much with the controlled Arleo-2. The most important thing to do is to concentrate and think about moving efficiently. I super-accelerated instantaneously, closing the gap with the target in an instant. The enemy rider was surprised to see the super acceleration of Arleo-2, which seemed to be the first time he had experienced such speed. He tried to fire his magic optical weapon in a panic, but my sword cut the target in two with a single horizontal flash before he could do so. Perhaps because the counterattack was so sudden and unexpected, the entire enemy squadron was shaken up and their unrest created a huge opening. There was no way that the skilled sniper above would have missed such an opportunity so Farma quickly took a stance, aimed and fired an arrow. Unlike the Arrow Rain, this powerful, single-pointed, concentrated blow pierced the enemy¡¯s magicraft like a ray of light. Without a moment¡¯s pause, Farma then takes aim at the next enemy magicraft and releases another arrow. It would be difficult to aim while flying, but it penetrated the next target as well with such stability that it was impossible to imagine it missing. Two magicrafts were hit by the attack from above, and the enemy also turned their attention upward. Aiming for that opening, I approached the nearest enemy and slashed down. In addition, I fired a series of magic light bombs to stop the ones that tried to aim their magic optical weapons at Garuda II. The enemy may have thought Arleo-2 was a threat, so they returned their aim from the Farma to me. However, since I repeatedly approached the enemy using super acceleration, the enemy was unable to fire their magic optical weapons for fear of hitting their allies. In the meantime, I was destroying the approaching enemy magicrafts one after another. While the enemy was being tossed around by the mobility of the Arleo II, Garuda II¡¯s arrow attacks continued from above. A few enemy magicrafts rose toward Garuda II in an attempt to do something about it but Farma fires a barrage of arrows as it rises further away from the approaching enemy magicrafts. The enemy magicrafts also tried to counterattack with their magic optical weapons, but it seems that the disadvantage of the magic optical weapon is its slow firing speed, and they are shot down without being given a chance to counterattack by the arrows quickly fired from Garuda II. It is hard to say after killing them instantly with a single blow, but the enemy¡¯s flying squad¡¯s individual abilities are not low by any means. The result was that they were unable to prevent the attack and fell, but they were reacting properly to the attack, and if they had been equipped with melee weapons, the situation might have been different. Even against such a strong squad, Farma is responding properly. I was a little surprised to see how much more powerful she had become in the little time I had not seen her. CH 446 C446: Vajra Kai / Nanami Garuda II¡¯s Arrow Rain is great, but the four-element cannon is just awesome. Yuta and Farma¡¯s flashy attack boosted the morale of their allies. Perhaps expressing the heightened tension, the riders of the magicrafts around them are shouting out unfamiliar words in loud voices over the external output sound. So many people were shouting in the same way that the volume was so loud that it caused the earth to shake. ¡°Nanami ears hurt¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You have to be patient. The improvement of morale is directly related to combat power. You have to be so dependable in order for them to be able to rely on you.¡± Being dependable won¡¯t cure the earache. However, the situation is no longer such that she could be selfish. The enemy forces that had been hurt by Yuta and Farma had regrouped and were advancing. Moreover, Yuta and Farma, who were supposed to join us after firing the four-element cannon, did not return. When I checked the situation in the sky above, I found that Arleo II and Garuda II were being approached by a lot of airborne enemies. ¡°Emina! Some of our enemies can fly!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen them. It¡¯s not good that they have enough of them for a tactical deployment.¡± ¡°I wonder if Yuta and the others will be okay¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yuta will be fine and Farma¡¯s power has also improved so the two of them will be able to get through this. I¡¯m more worried about the ground. If Yuta and Farma don¡¯t join us, our calculations will be a little off.¡± ¡°I know, Nanami and the others will have to do their best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go behind enemy lines and assassinate any enemies that look troublesome, but I¡¯m sorry, I still think Nanami¡¯s workload will be very heavy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nanami has become more powerful.¡± Nanami¡¯s magicraft, Vajra, had been enhanced to the point that it was no longer a separate entity. Nanami Ludia value had exceeded 500,000 through training, and Rafishal had modified it to take advantage of her high Rudia value. Not only was it armed with powerful weapons, but its defense and durability had also been greatly enhanced and it was impervious to even the slightest attack. So even though a great number of enemies were coming toward them, Nanami felt no fear. Enemy vanguard units rushed to the entrance of the pass where they were positioned. Then, artillery fire was opened from several enemy ride carriers. The sound of that artillery fire signaled the start of the battle. The enemy¡¯s artillery fire was strong, but the protective barrier we had prepared to fortify our defense was useful. The walls were just parts of ride carriers that had been wrecked and were no longer usable, but they were doing a good job despite their appearance. Emina used her stealth function in the confusion of the beginning of the battle and began to penetrate into the enemy lines. Nanami was on the front line to intercept the enemy magicrafts trying to climb the pass. In formation, several enemy magicrafts attacked with long spears toward my Vajra Kai, which was standing in the way but I blocked them with a large shield in my left hand and all the enemy spears were bounced off with a dull metallic sound. Since the attack was so vigorous, the rebound was so strong that they fell backwards and I stepped forward to take advantage of the situation while wielding my new weapon, Gaia Rubulus, in my right hand. The double-bladed axe, which had a follow-up effect of a magic strike, released a shockwave that further shook the earth while smashing all enemy magicrafts. The shockwave traveled well behind the enemy forces, inflicting heavy damage on many enemy magicrafts. CH 447 C447: Conquering the Skies The enemy was completely at the mercy of the coordinated attacks of Arleo II, which was flying at high speed due to super acceleration, and Garuda II, which was unleashing powerful arrow attacks from far above. Since the other side had more numbers than us, they should have divided our forces to deal with us, but they didn¡¯t seem to know what to do, as if they had not envisioned this situation at all. Around the time I had cut down about 20 magicrafts, the enemy finally regained their composure. To prevent us from approaching them, they took a distance from each other and spread out. By getting close to the enemy, I was preventing them from firing their magic optical weapons, but that would no longer be possible. Just as I was about to cut through two enemies and determine my next target, I felt a thump and a shove from behind. It seems that the magic optical weapon has hit the target and Feri immediately reported the damage. ¡°The rear armor was hit, but the damage is minor and does not affect its function.¡± As expected, the armor of the Arleo-2, Rafishal¡¯s pride and joy, is strong. Even with powerful weapons, one or two blows will not cause any damage. But if I¡¯m careless and keep getting attacked, the armor will eventually be destroyed. I have to be careful to avoid them as much as possible¡­¡­. Enemy flying units scattered over a wide area began to target Farma¡¯s Garuda II as well. They aimed and fired at the Garuda II, which was flying at a high position. However, Farma¡¯s flight combat capability was beyond imagination. While skillfully avoiding their attacks, she accurately hit enemy magicrafts with her arrows. I can¡¯t let Farma beat me so I destroyed the enemy magicrafts with magic bullets and repeatedly approached them and cut them down with my sword. Unlike Farma, it is difficult for me to avoid all attacks since I was being targeted from all directions, and I was hit several times, but thanks to the armor of the Arleo-2, it was not serious. Before I knew it, the enemy air force had been reduced to single digits. The surviving enemy magicrafts, perhaps realizing that they had no chance of winning, began to flee toward their main camp. It would be troublesome to let the squadron survive, so Farma and I pursued the fleeing squadron with magic bullets and arrows. We were able to shoot down three of the seven escaping enemy magicrafts, but the rest had fled. It was dangerous to continue the chase, and we were concerned about the ground Nanami was protecting, so we decided to give up. ¡°Farma, you stay in the air and attack with arrows. I¡¯ll help on the ground.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it. Be careful.¡± ¡°When Emina finds the Marquis Deer Grafful, we will go together to defeat him. Until then, let¡¯s hold our ground, because you mustn¡¯t go in alone.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve already calmed down thanks to Yuta, so I won¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± I thought it would be okay since she wasn¡¯t emotional anymore, but I said it just in case. The Elysian Empire¡¯s magicrafts are not to be underestimated, and I didn¡¯t want her to do anything reckless like going into enemy territory alone, no matter how much Farma power has increased. CH 448 C448: A Gladiator¡¯s Struggle Having destroyed the enemy air force, I descend to enter the battle on the ground. At a quick glance, the battle seems to be evenly matched, with a few allies doing well. In particular, Nanami¡¯s Vajra Kai is doing a great job. She seems to be defending the most heavily attacked defensive position almost single-handedly. Around the Vajra Kai, destroyed enemy magicrafts are scattered. And it is the gladiators who are doing surprisingly well. Although they may be experts in battle, they are a group of amateurs when it comes to warfare, but they are fighting an even battle with the Elysian army, even with their unaccustomed coordination. In terms of ability, the Elysian Empire¡¯s magicrafts are a notch or two better, but the Elysian Empire¡¯s side is densely packed in a narrow canyon and unable to move as they would like so they are not showing as much combat power as their numbers. They were unable to deploy their formation and were attacking the waiting Allied forces in a disjointed state, but it was as if they were fighting with shackles on their feet, and they were probably unable to display even half of their capabilities. Although the Elysian Empire is overwhelming in terms of overall numbers, I think more of the Allied forces are actually taking part in the battle due to the terrain. As for the Elysian Empire, I guess they were planning to break out of this situation with their flying units, but what are they going to do now that they don¡¯t have such a thing anymore? The defense battle should be left to Nanami, and since the gladiatorial forces are fighting evenly, if not dominantly, I was not in a hurry to help them. Well, there was nothing to do but think. For the time being, I decided to fire magic bombs while flying low over the enemy lines in an attempt to greatly reduce the enemy¡¯s strength. The Elysian Imperial Army, which was concentrated in the canyon, was attacked by a low-altitude bombardment. Under the unexpected attack, the Elysian Imperial Army fled through the narrow canyon. The confusion caused by the dense concentration of the Elysian Imperial Army, with nowhere to flee, increased the damage. In the confusion, some enemy magicrafts counterattacked with arrows and other weapons, but it was extremely difficult to hit a moving target in their situation. I once again understood how excellent a sniper Farma is, who can easily shoot flying enemy magicrafts. Furthermore, in the midst of the Elysian Imperial Army, there were many accidents, including suspicious explosions and the sudden collapse of magicrafts. It is likely that Emina is searching for the Marquis Deer Grafful while simultaneously carrying out sabotage. Thanks to Emina¡¯s sabotage, Nanami¡¯s unparalleled skill, the gladiators¡¯ efforts, and Arleo-2¡¯s low-altitude bombing, the war situation gradually tilted toward the Allied Forces¡¯ side. The Elysian Imperial Army was impatient, but there was no sign of any major tactical change at the moment, as if they thought they could manage by force. If we keep this up, we¡¯re going to win¡­¡­. I thought so, but as I expected, the Elysian Empire was not so straightforward. The attack was temporarily halted, as if some order had been communicated to all the troops. Then, the entire army began to retreat. Seeing this, the allied forces, perhaps thinking that they were retreating, rose to their feet in excitement. They are shouting triumphantly, saying things like, ¡°We won,¡± or ¡°The Elysian Empire is no big deal,¡± etc. But I think they are just being optimistic because I don¡¯t believe that the Elysian Empire will retreat. Sure enough, it seems that the retreat was to get into formation and make the next move, since after a certain distance, the retreat stopped. I wonder what kind of move they will come up with next¡­¡­I thought as I watched the Elysian Imperial Army from the sky. CH 449 C449: Unexpected / Cruz I had expected a certain amount of contingency, but I did not think it would deviate so much from my intentions. I had intended to punish the division commander of the Flying Dragon Division severely if even one magicrafts was destroyed but I did not expect them to be eradicated in such a short time¡­¡­ I am confused about this unusual situation. How could a unit made from Exlanders be annihilated by just two magicrafts? What tricks did the enemy use¡­¡­or am I missing something¡­¡­? Moreover, the battle on the ground is not going well. I know that the terrain is difficult for us to attack, but there are a number of Exlanders on the ground as well. I had expected to be able to force our way through the enemy¡¯s triple highlanders, but all of them were bounced back at the entrance to the pass. It seems that they are waiting for us in a very strong defensive formation. Even if we won¡¯t lose, the damage would only get worse so I decided to regroup the troops and I ordered them to halt their attack and retreat. They showed no signs of pursuing us as we retreated. It appears that they are still too occupied with defending themselves to do anything if we stay at a distance. But what to do¡­¡­If we continue to attack in the same way, the situation will not change. I may still need to use a different card. As I was thinking that, the card talked to me. Just hearing its voice makes me uncomfortable, but there is no doubt that it is a useful card. ¡°Commander Cruz, you seem to be fighting a very hard battle, since you ordered the entire army to retreat. My Aphrodite is already ready. You may ask for it at any time.¡± ¡°I would like to say so¡­¡­but yes, I think it¡¯s time to see your power as one of the Ten Gods of War.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a request from the commander, I can¡¯t not respond to it. So, where should I hit?¡± ¡°Well, it would be helpful if you could destroy the enemy at the entrance to the pass and open the way for the others.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, Reina, one of the Ten Gods of War, and her direct troops will go out immediately to conquer the entrance to the pass. Please enjoy the power of this Reina to the fullest~.¡± It was unpleasant to owe this woman a favor, but I could still put up with it if I thought I was using her. If she succeeds, it will be good for the army, and if she fails, it will make me personally feel better. Either way, it would not be bad. Reina¡¯s exclusive magicrafts, Aphrodite, is a lightweight, slim-looking machine with a large sickle as its weapon. Her personality seems to show in her choice of weapons, which is in poor taste. The unit under Reyna¡¯s direct command is a small unit of about 10 members, but it is literally an elite unit composed entirely of Double Exlanders. Rumor has it that some of them were candidates for the Ten Gods of War, and they are said to have considerable combat power. Well, since this is the first time I have actually seen them, I am looking forward to seeing how good they are. CH 450 C450: A Powerful Enemy Makes Its Appearance From the Elysian Imperial Army position, which had retreated and tried to regroup, about ten magicrafts were coming toward us ahead of the Elysian Imperial Army. I could see them from the sky, but I doubt that they could be seen on the ground due to the terrain so I informed the Allied commander of this. The commander concluded that the small force was an enemy diversionary force. At first I thought so, too, but I changed my mind when I saw the atmosphere of the troops. In particular, I sensed an unusual presence in the slim pink magicraft that was leading the way. That unit seemed to be moving with the sole purpose of fighting. The entire enemy force began to move in accordance with the movements of the small number of troops ahead of them. I saw that many of them were equipped with strangely shaped arrows. It seemed that they thought it would be difficult to break through in a hand-to-hand battle, so they changed their equipment and their battle strategy. However, I am more concerned about that small group. Looking at their movements, they seem to be heading for the entrance to the pass where Vajra Kai is. I don¡¯t think Nanami will lose, but they are likely to be dangerous opponents. What should I do¡­¡­help Nanami or deal with the enemy forces who have changed their tactics? I was torn, but decided to trust Nanami. For the time being, I decided to move and deal a blow to the enemy forces while paying attention to the movements of the small troop. ¡°Nanami, there is a strong unit heading your way, so be careful. If things get out of hand, just let me know.¡± ¡°Leave it to Nanami, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Farma, it¡¯s eerie how the enemy forces have changed their tactics. Let¡¯s hit them before they get too close to our positions.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Farma immediately carried out my instructions and fired a barrage of arrows from far above at an incredible speed. Arrows of light rain down on the advancing enemy forces, destroying one enemy magicraft after another. I resume my attack, too. Arleo-2¡¯s magic light bullets are powerful, but their effective range is short. Unlike Farma¡¯s arrows, which have a longer range, I had to get closer to the enemy magicrafts in order to attack from the air, and I had to attack while flying low. While the enemy was helpless against Garuda 2, Arleo 2 who was flying at low altitude was counterattacked with large, eerily shaped arrows. The arrows were long-range attack weapons that were fast, powerful, and could fire in rapid succession. The arrows fired from countless enemy magicrafts were so numerous that they could not be counted, and they filled the sky. As expected, there was no room to avoid them, and quite a few hit me. However, no matter how powerful they may seem, they were not as powerful as a magic optical weapon, and they were repelled by the armor of the Arleo-2 with a dry crackling sound. ¡°The enemy hit us with 36 Gun Arrows, but the damage to the armor of the Arleo 2 was minimal. Feri reports exactly what I was under the impression she would. CH 451 C451: Requiem of the Earth / Nanami The enemy unit that Yuta had informed me about came into view. They were heading this way, led by a flashy, pink-colored magicraft. It was certainly different from the enemy that had just attacked us and looked very strong. ¡°Vajra Kai will suppress that enemy, so please cover me with arrows.¡± I asked my allies to step back a little and concentrate on covering me. Everyone seemed to be obediently following my instructions, as if they recognized Nanami from the battles up to this point. As they got closer, I realized that the pink magicraft was moving much faster than I had imagined. Just when I thought it was getting close, it was already in front of me, raising a large scythe-like weapon. Immediately, I took a defensive posture with my shield up. A violent sound echoed and impacted my left arm, which was holding the shield. It was a heavy blow that was hard to believe that it was an attack from a light looking scythe. If it were to be hit seriously, even the Vajra Kai, which has a great defense, might not be able to withstand it. In addition, enemy machines other than the pink magicraft also attacked Vajra Kai as if they were swarming around it. They were not as fast as the pink one, but they were so fast that I could not let my guard down. It was difficult to avoid them, and I repelled all the attacks with my shield. The attacks were stronger than those of normal enemies, but I felt no need to fear them. It is still the pink magicraft that I have to watch out for. I move to counterattack while blocking the enemy¡¯s attack with my shield. After repelling a frontal sword slash from an enemy and knocking it off balance, I struck its unprotected belly with Gaia Rubulus. The enemy magicraft, hit directly by the Gaia Rubulus attack, which has the power to destroy magicrafts with its shockwave alone, was cruelly blown to pieces. The atmosphere changed drastically after that blow. The enemy units, which had been on the offensive in a high-spirited manner, suddenly became cautious. They surrounded the Vajra Kai at a short distance from it, aiming for an opening to attack. As the distance between the enemy and the Vajra Kai was created, cover began to be provided by allies. Arrows were fired simultaneously toward the enemy. Although the arrows were easily repelled, they were a great help to Nanami. Taking advantage of the small opening created by the cover, I prepared for a big move. I don¡¯t really understand it, but I activated what is called an automatic chanting program. It takes about five seconds to complete, so it is difficult to use in a melee fight, but once it is completed, I will be able to use surprisingly powerful techniques. ¡°Begin auto chanting¡­ Accessing Ludia Core¡­ Begin chanting the spell ¡®Power Lift¡¯¡­ Beginning combined chanting of the spell ¡®Demolition¡¯¡­ Beginning simultaneous chanting of the spell ¡®Quake¡¯¡­ Beginning simultaneous chanting of the spell ¡®Gravity¡¯¡­ All auto chanting has been completed. SS class magic attack preparations complete.¡± A voice announcement similar to Feri¡¯s announces the completion of preparations. Hearing this, I immediately launched the magic strike. ¡°Earth Requiem!¡± I shouted and slammed Gaia Rubulus into the earth. A shockwave spreads out from the Gaia Rubulus that pierces the earth, causing it to collapse in a fan shape. The enemy magicrafts caught in it were crushed and cruelly destroyed. The pink magic magicraft, perhaps sensing the danger, jumped high and evaded, but the rest of the enemy machines were unable to escape or avoid it, and at best were wrecked and their magicrafts almost annihilated. CH 452 C452: Sickle and Axe / Nanami The pink magicraft, which evaded the Earth Requiem by leaping high, came down directly toward the Vajra Kai. Then, using the force of the fall, it swung down and attacked with the large sickle in its hand. After the big move, there was quite a gap, but I managed to block it with my shield. The shield prevented a direct hit, but a considerable impact was transmitted to the left arm holding the shield. When I lost my balance, a kick from the pink magicraft flew at me. I tried to hold my ground, but I was hit by the sickle again and I staggered back. The pink magicraft was as fast. If it were only about speed, it might be faster than the Vajra Kai but I had no intention of losing. The pink magicraft moves left and right as it approaches and attacks with its sickle. The attack is blocked by my shield, but when I try to counterattack, it runs away, so I can only defend. If I don¡¯t do anything, it will eventually get through my shield and I may take a direct hit. On the next approach¡­¡­Nanami timed it. If she fought back, she wouldn¡¯t make it in time, so she decided to stop that quick movement first. At the right moment I use Gravity magic strike and a high-density gravity wave spreads around Vajra Kai. I closed the gap with the pink magicraft and swung my Gaia Rubulus at it. The lightweight pink magicraft was stubborn and avoided the blow, which I thought was going to be a direct hit, by twisting its body in an impossible position and Gaia Rubulus pierced the ground right next to it. The pink magicraft rumbles and rolls, trying to get away from Vajra Kai. I chased after it and attacked again but the pink magicraft blocked the blow with its sickle. However, it seems to have been defeated by the force, and the sickle was bounced off and Gaia Rubulus hit the pink magicraft shoulder. The damaged pink machine moved away from Vajra Kai as if to escape. Then, as if in a panic, it readied its scythe. In a series of attacks and defenses, the rider of the pink magicraft seems to have changed its mind. It even feels as if he is upset somehow. The nimble movements of the pink magicraft rider disappeared and he became more cautious. The rider¡¯s speed, which it thought to be his greatest advantage, could not be utilized, and his fighting power seemed to have dropped dramatically. The rider of the pink magicraft also seemed to realize its inferiority and began to retreat slowly and gradually. CH 453 C453: Lord Angel / Cruz Reina¡¯s communication from Aphrodite both disheartened and amazed me. ¡°Commander Cruz, there is a ridiculously strong magicraft on the enemy front line. My troops have been wiped out. If we don¡¯t defeat it, it will be difficult to enter the pass.¡± ¡°Even you, one of the Ten War Gods, couldn¡¯t win?¡± ¡°It was not impossible to win, but to do so I would have to use Demon Awakening. The reason why I didn¡¯t want to do that now can be understood by the commander since you¡¯re also a War God.¡± Certainly, the Demon Awakening is like the last trump card given to us Ten War Gods¡­¡­.It is not something that can be used so easily, and it involves risks. It would be tricky to deal with that powerful enemy magicraft¡­¡­.It would be possible to kill it using numbers but the damage to us would be ridiculous. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your car is to make sure that it is a good one. Damn, I¡¯m unwilling, but it looks like I¡¯m going to have to fight alongside Reina. ¡°Prepare to launch Dominion immediately.¡± The second-in-command asked me with a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°Is the commander going to act?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it a second time, get ready as soon as possible!¡± Dominion is a powerful magicraft made based on the Ark Angel¡­¡­of course it is also my exclusive machine, and no one else can move it. Therefore, the departure of this magicraft means my departure. ¡°Reina, I¡¯ll be on my way as soon as I can. I know it¡¯s not easy, but let¡¯s deal with that magicraft together. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring, then I¡¯ll fall back and wait until then.¡± While Dominion was being prepared I received another piece of bad news. It was about the enemy magicraft that destroyed the flying dragon division. ¡°Commander, our troops have suffered heavy losses due to aerial attacks. If we don¡¯t respond as soon as possible, it will affect the war situation.¡± ¡°We have our riders equipped with assault bows and they will shoot them down.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°If they can¡¯t handle a weapon as powerful as an assault bow, then there must be a problem with the rider¡¯s skill or their commanders. If that is the case, the unit commanders must be severely punished. Well, if they still can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll handle it after I clear up the enemy at the entrance to the pass.¡± It must be some kind of mistake that the enemy¡¯s flying magicrafts destroyed the flying dragon division. Furthermore, I, the king of the skies and the one who controls Dominion, also have the power to annihilate the flying dragon division with my own ability. Even if the result was not a mistake, and even if they had the ability to do so, it is inconceivable that I would lose. When the Dominion was ready to launch, I left the command of all troops to the Chief of Staff and headed for the hangar. Once aboard Dominion, I had the hatch opened and launched. ¡°The SS guarding the flagship also followed Dominion.¡± There is no need to escort the flagship when the commander is away. This place where I am is the most important base of the Elysian Empire¡¯s Western Area Army. The seven elite riders of the SS seemed to understand this well and they followed Dominion¡¯s lead. CH 454 C454: Change of movements The number of enemies was still quite large and showed no sign of decreasing even after bombing them down from the sky. The anti-air fire was getting more and more intense, and even though the damage was minimal, I was getting hit so hard that I was worried about my armor. ¡°Nanami, are you all right over there?¡± Nanami answered in a cheerful voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they were definitely strong, but I managed to get rid of them.¡± ¡°You seem to have improved a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the only one. While you¡¯ve been away, all the Iron Knights have gotten much stronger.¡± It was good that everyone improved. While I was talking with Nanami, the enemy attacks continued. The number of enemies was too large to make any progress with low-altitude bombardment attacks so I thought about launching another wave of Arrow Rain and Four Elements Cannon attacks but Feri stopped me. ¡°Due to the wear and tear from long-distance flights and continuous battle the use of the four-element cannon in the current situation is risky. There is a strong possibility that the battle will continue, so I recommend that you conserve your strength.¡± Indeed, the enemy is still out there. I can¡¯t be reckless because I don¡¯t know what will happen next. It seems that I have no choice but to be patient and defeat the enemies slower. When I decided to do so and reviewed the enemy forces, I noticed another movement. A magicraft with a strange atmosphere, similar to the pink magicraft from before¡­¡­flew out of the sky. The figure spreading its large wings and taking flight looked like something I had seen before. The first thing that comes to mind is the flying magicraft that I fought in Meltaria while I was piloting Viktor. It¡¯s similar, but not quite the same¡­¡­maybe they were made by the same person so it¡¯s not surprising that they look alike. The flying magicraft, which has the atmosphere of a strong enemy, joined the pink magicraft from earlier and headed towards the entrance of the pass Nanami was defending. Apparently, it couldn¡¯t win the battle alone, so requested help to defeat Vajra Kai. Two powerful enemies may indeed be trouble for Nanami. ¡°Nanami, the pink magicraft that attacked you just now is headed your way along with another strong-looking magicraft.¡± ¡°What? Oh no¡­¡­the pink magicraft alone was strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Farma, but I¡¯m going to leave you in charge of the air attacks for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine over here, so Yuta, take care of Nanami.¡± I was about to head for Nanami¡¯s location, when I was interrupted unexpectedly. The survivors of the flying squad attacked Arleo-2 at this time while the attack from the ground also became more intense, and I was a little bit stranded. Perhaps they received some order from the top or perhaps the desperation of the enemy forces was different from before. It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s get this over with¡­¡­.I readied my sword and prepared to fight. CH 455 C455: From the sky and the ground / Nanami As per Yuta¡¯s information, the pink magicraft from earlier came back with a flying one. In addition, about ten magic magicrafts were also following behind them. Unlike earlier, the allies were moving quickly. Arrows were fired simultaneously at the approaching pink and winged magicrafts. Nearly a hundred arrows rained down on the enemy, and although it did not look like they could escape unscathed in the end not a single wound was inflicted on the enemy magicrafts. The winged magicraft spread its symbolic large wings like a flapping cloak and repelled all the arrows. Furthermore, the winged magicraft flew through the air and approached the allied magicrafts who were shooting arrows. By the time I thought it was dangerous, it was too late, and as it flapped its wings wide and bounced the arrows back, many of my fellow magicrafts were blown to pieces by the tornado-like wind. I tried to help my allies, but the pink magicraft and the other enemy machines wouldn¡¯t let me do so. One after another, they came running up and attacked Vajra Kai. When I attacked, they immediately moved back and did not even give me a chance to counterattack. ¡°Don¡¯t bother Nanami anymore!¡± Frustrated, I unintentionally said so. However, my words cannot be heard by the enemy, and they repeat their provocative attacks. Let¡¯s calm down¡­¡­otherwise I can¡¯t do anything. Nanami timed the enemy¡¯s attack and counterattacked. The dark blue magicraft that attacked with a two-handed sword was smashed to pieces by Gaia Rubulus. Witnessing the power of the Gaia Rubulus, the enemy magicrafts calmed down a bit. They are now wary and unable to attack carelessly. However, unlike the other enemy machines, the pink magicraft that I just fought knows the power of Vajra Kai and the power of the Gaia Rubulus. Without paying attention to its fearful companions, it launched a provocative attack on Vajra Kai all by itself. I thought it would be the same as before¡­¡­but it didn¡¯t happen. There was one more enemy who was not afraid of Vajra Kai and while I was distracted by the pink magicraft, the winged magicraft came barreling in from the sky. The winged magicraft caught me off guard while I was thinking that it was in combat with my allies. There was no way to prevent an attack from the sky at this time and the spear strike from the winged magicraft exerted immense power. Receiving a strong impact on its right shoulder, Vajra Kai was blown away and rolled on the ground. The pink magicraft and other enemy machines swarm toward Vajra Kai, which has fallen to the ground. Vajra Kai tries to block the attack with a shield while falling down, but it can¡¯t block everything and the merciless attacks hit the armor of Vajra Kai. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re being so cruel!¡± I tried to roll away, but I couldn¡¯t escape the quick attacks of the pink magicraft. Its scythe comes at Vajra Kai again and again. Still, I managed to stand up while preventing the attacks with my shield and Gaia Rubulus but then, the winged mage attacked again from the sky. A spear strike from the back sends me to the ground again. I was starting to get a little nervous because I was in a tight spot that I had never been in before. While I couldn¡¯t think of a way out, a relentless attack came at the fallen Vajra Kai. CH 456 C456: Insult / Cruz At the entrance to the pass, I caught sight of my target. It was a flashy, gold-colored magicraft that didn¡¯t look very strong. ¡°Reina, is that golden magicraft the one you talked about?¡± ¡°Yes, it may not look like it, but it is an excellent offensive and defensive magicraft, and I think its rider is at least as powerful as a Double Exlander.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­it doesn¡¯t look that way to me¡­¡­Whatever the opponent is, we are going to defeat it. I will attack from the air, so Reina, please start your attack from the ground.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Reina is now hailed as one of the Ten Gods of War, but she was originally a lowly person of unknown origin who probably only overestimated her opponent¡¯s skill and strength. It will be interesting to see how it fares after I join her and easily defeat it. I tried to attack the golden magic machine from above, but annoying arrows attacks flew in from the enemy¡¯s camp. I had no problem leaving the weak arrows alone, but I couldn¡¯t ignore them. I will make them pay the price for messing with this Dominion by smashing them like the insects they are. Satisfied with smashing the weak magicrafts to pieces to some extent, I returned my attention to the golden magicraft. I saw that Reina and her subordinates had already begun their attack and that the golden magicraft seemed to be paying no attention to the sky and it seemed to be defenseless. I did not miss the target and soared high into an attack position, then swooped down on the golden magicraft at once. The golden magicraft was concentrating on the attack of Reina and her team, and was unprotected against the strike of the Dominion¡¯s spear. Yes, the attack was indeed a critical hit. However, the result was not the complete destruction of the target, but merely a blowout. ¡°No way! I couldn¡¯t even destroy the armor just now!¡± I¡¯m a little upset at the unbelievable results. I didn¡¯t think there was a magicraft with such a high defensive performance¡­¡­. The golden magicraft is now down and Reina and her team attacked it at once. The golden magicraft is on the defensive, but it is using shields and weapons to block the attacks. Even though it was attacked unilaterally by Exlander class magicrafts, including Aphrodite, a machine specially made for the Ten War Gods, the golden magicraft was able to withstand the attacks. It would be impossible not to acknowledge its astonishing defensive capabilities in this situation but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s at a level where we can¡¯t beat it. This time, I wanted to deliver the fatal blow so I carefully focused my Ludia and soared into the sky, accelerating and gaining even more momentum than I did for the previous blow. As I swooped down, I activated the Attack Boost to further increase my attack power. In my mind, it was a blow that would crush the golden magicraft, but surprisingly, the golden machine withstood even this attack. I was gradually becoming impatient with this result that exceeded my expectations. CH 457 C457: Emina¡¯s Report I don¡¯t know what kind of orders they received, but they were far more troublesome than when we fought earlier. They were not as desperate, or rather, they attacked me with a deadly fury. I wanted to go help Nanami as soon as possible, but their persistence was getting in my way. Just as I was getting frustrated, I received a report from Emina, who was looking for the Marquis Deer Grafful in the enemy camp. It is good news, but I am a little annoyed at the timing. ¡°I have found the ride carrier of the Marquis Deer Grafful, the location is on the right flank of the enemy position. I will give you the detailed coordinates now.¡± Emina conveyed some sort of numerical sequence, and Feri displayed it on a map. Emina¡¯s information was conveyed to Farma at the same time. She was ready to move as soon as she heard the location of her father¡¯s killer. ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m heading off to take revenge on Marquis Deer Grafful!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Farma! It¡¯s dangerous to rush into the middle of enemy lines like that! I¡¯ll go with you after I¡¯ve dealt with the enemy who¡¯s fighting with Nanami.¡± ¡°What if he escapes in the meantime¡­¡­¡± It would definitely be troublesome if he escaped and went into hiding, but I can¡¯t let Farma do anything reckless. ¡°Unless the Elysian Imperial Army is completely overwhelmed, they won¡¯t run away, so there¡¯s no need to force them to do so now!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± Farma was still not convinced, so she made a preemptive move to prevent me from arguing with her and instructed Emina. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emina, but I need you to keep an eye on the Marquis Deer Grafful, and let me know if he makes any moves.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hide out in this area and stand by.¡± Farma had no choice but to be satisfied with this response, and she gave up on the idea of going to take revenge on Marquis Deer Grafful now. Even during the conversation, the fierce attacks from frantic enemy flying magicrafts and other machines continued. As we were doing this, Nanami was fighting two powerful enemies and I was getting even more worried because she didn¡¯t respond to Emina¡¯s reports, as if she didn¡¯t have time to talk in the midst of battle. I made Arleo 2 soar high into the sky to avoid the ground attacks but three flying enemy magicrafts followed me just like I hoped. I fired a volley of magic light bullets from above at the enemy magicrafts that were chasing me while avoiding the optical weapons they shoot me with. I predicted that the elite riders who had survived this far could not be defeated by a barrage of magic bullets and anticipating the movement of the evading enemies, I swung my sword while plummeting down from above and using my falling speed. The enemies, perhaps anticipating a firefight with ranged weapons, could not follow my attack and with that dive attack, I destroyed two enemy magicrafts. The last magicraft fired its magic optical weapon at close range, but it avoided it and hit its head. The enemy magicraft, which had stopped functioning, fell powerlessly from the sky. ¡®Okay, now I can go save Nanami. ¡® Just as I was thinking that, I received an unpleasant report from Emina. ¡°Marquis Deer Grafful ride-carrier has begun to move, and there is movement in the magicraft squadron under his command as well.¡± Damn it, wait a little longer¡­¡­.I cursed the bad timing and tried to figure out what to do. CH 458 C458: Trump Card / Nanami In the midst of a defensive battle with no way out, I remembered what Rafishal had said when he explained Vajra Kai abilities to me. After the explanation of the weapons and armor, he told me about one of the hidden abilities that could be used in an emergency¡­ ¡°Heroic enhancement?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a new ability of Vajra that can be called trump card. I intend to make it a standard feature of the Iron Knights, so I have implemented it in Vajra Kai as well.¡± ¡°What kind of trump card is it?¡± ¡°The new function is a generalized version of the Musou Mode that was previously implemented in Arleo and it is a boost function that temporarily boosts all abilities. It¡¯s a simple boost to combat power, so it should be useful in any situation.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m going to use it a lot if it¡¯s that useful.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t do that. Heroic boost is powerful, but it puts a heavy burden on the magicraft and the rider. I recommend that you use it as a trump card only when the situation calls for it.¡± ¡°Really? I thought it would make things easier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy and even if you don¡¯t use your trump card, you are strong enough to win most of your battles.¡± ¡°But in the mock battles with Alana and Br¨¹nnhilde, I lost all the time. Nanami has a higher Ludia value than them, but I can¡¯t beat them at all.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the difference in your fighting skills. Nanami is good at controlling a magicraft, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re good enough to compete with those two.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°I think you just have to be diligent. In my opinion, Nanami has the most potential in the Iron Knights.¡± ¡°More than Yuta?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s special, so you can¡¯t compare with him.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­Nanami wants to be able to protect Yuta¡­¡­no, I want to be able to protect everyone. I want to have the power to fight against any number of powerful enemies.¡± ¡°Power can only come from daily devotion but before you gain strength through daily devotion, I want you to use the Heroic Boost when a strong enemy appears. It is a trump card that allows you to borrow power from your future self.¡± ©¤©¤I think Rafishal, like Nanami, wants to protect all of his friends. That¡¯s why he gave me the strength I needed to get through any pinch. Even this situation, which Nanami of today cannot handle, the power of Nanami of the future will be able to help¡­¡­©¤©¤ ¡°Emergency Approval! Heroic Boost Activated!¡± Rafishal¡¯s trump card, Heroic Boost, was activated by voice input, his specialty. The devices in the cockpit reacted violently to the voice. Heroic Boost not only improves the performance of the magicraft, but also the rider¡¯s reaction speed by activating the devices in the cockpit. A blurred sensation comes and the enemy¡¯s movement becomes slower and slower. The enemy attacks became slow and it was easy to avoid them. As I did so I lightly shook Gaia Rubulus to smash them. The other side cannot follow the movement of Vajra Kai at all and they¡¯re beated one-sidedly. I could completely see through the movements of the pink magicraft and the flying magicraft. It was as if it was a lie that I had no way to respond to the situation until a moment ago. While avoiding the scythe of the pink magicraft, I catch the spear of the flying magicraft that unexpectedly attacks from the sky. I kicked the pink magicraft with my right foot and hit the flying magicraft with my shield. CH 459 C459: Demon Awakening / Cruz It¡¯s flashy only in appearance, and not much else, after all. No matter how strong its armor is, if I continue to attack, it will eventually be destroyed. Once this golden magicraft is defeated, the only remaining threat will be the flying magicraft. Victory was already in sight. Just when I was convinced of this, Dominion seemed to have detected some kind of reaction, and a warning sounded. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± The same thing seems to have happened in Reina¡¯s Aphrodite, and she informs me via communication. ¡°Cruz, it seems that Aphrodite has detected an abnormal reaction and the management program is alerting me¡­¡­.I believe this was one of the approval processes for Demon Awakening, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I had heard that the Ten War Gods magicrafts have a function to detect danger in order to detect opponents of overwhelming strength and to warn us of unwinnable battles. I didn¡¯t know what it was reacting to but that question was quickly answered by the changes that have occurred in the golden magicraft. The SS magicraft that was attacking the golden magicraft was obliterated. In fact, it was destroyed into pieces and blown away, but it appeared to have vanished. Furthermore, the golden magicraft moved at a speed that I had never seen before. While we were surprised and stunned by its speed, the SS machines were destroyed one after another. Finally, Reyna moved and attacked with her large scythe that did not resemble Aphrodite¡¯s slim fuselage but the golden magicraft easily avoided the attack. Furthermore, it unconsciously caught my attack, which I unleashed at the same time as Aphrodite moved. Oh no! I thought so, but it was too late. Aphrodite was kicked and blown backward, and Dominion was struck by the shield and rolled to the ground. ¡°No way! What¡¯s happening?¡± Reina replies to my surprise. ¡°Damn¡­¡­there is only one possibility in this situation¡­¡­this golden magicraft can also use magic awakening. It was hard to believe, but it seemed like Reina was right. The change of the golden magicraft is very similar to the contents of demon awakening that Rafishal had told me about. What are you going to do, Commander Cruz¡­¡­if we don¡¯t do something about it, we¡¯ll both be defeated.¡± It¡¯s true that we have a chance against a magicraft that used awakening but the price of using demon awakening made the decision difficult. [The magical awakening is triggered by eating the rider¡¯s lifespan.] Rafishal¡¯s face was slightly smiling as he said this. Eating a rider¡¯s lifespan means cutting off his precious life. It is not something to be explained with a laugh, even if it is someone else¡¯s problem. I was angry and protested against the lifespan-eating system but Rafishal laughed even harder and said. [Isn¡¯t it far better to win and live, even if it costs you your lifespan, than to be killed on the spot by an opponent stronger than you?] That¡¯s a fair point and I easily agreed that if I had the right to choose whether or not to use it, I would be fine with it. CH 460 C460: Red Aura / Cruz If I don¡¯t do something, the golden magicraft will get me¡­ It was only a moment in time, but after much hesitation, I made my decision. ¡°Reina! It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s activate the magical awakening. If we don¡¯t do anything we will be defeated.¡± Although we had only known each other for a short time, I understood that Reina was a woman of even greater pride than I was. She hated defeat. ¡°Victory is more important than life, I understand. Let¡¯s not play games, Cruz. Please activate the demon awakening with me.¡± She was wary of me so she said to activate it at the same time. Of course, I had considered that idea, but it would have been troublesome later on, so I gave up on it and agreed to the simultaneous activation. ¡°Give me power with my life as sustenance! Activate the demon awakening!¡± My voice and Reina¡¯s overlap ¨C and intense pain shoots through my body. I was terrified by the sensation that my lifespan was being devoured but the feeling was short-lived. Soon, I felt a surge of power that replaced the fear with a sense of elation and pleasure. ¡°Hmph¨Cthat¡¯s an addictive sensation¡­¡­.Not bad.¡± The two machines, Dominion and Aphrodite, were enveloped in a bright red aura. The golden magicraft seems to be a little wary of the change in our magicrafts but it¡¯s too late now, it should bow down before our overwhelming power. Aphrodite, who was originally a speed type, approached the golden magicraft with surprising swiftness; however, the golden magicraft reacted to even that movement. The scythe strike, intended to go for the neck, was blocked by its shield and the golden magicraft immediately counterattacked with the axe in its right hand that Reyna barely avoided. The golden magic machine unleashes a follow-up blow as it chases after Aphrodite, who dodges to the side. The golden magicraft axe and Aphrodite¡¯s scythe clash violently. The attack and defense become a clash of auras, and a violent flash of light is scattered in the surroundings. The two were surprised to see such an evenly matched attack and defense. After all, the golden magicraft is also using magic awakening¡­¡­. While the golden magicraft kept its eyes on Aphrodite, Dominion circled above and got behind it. At the right moment, it released a spear strike as it swooped down. Dominion¡¯s power and speed jumped up due to the magical awakening, but unbelievably, the golden magicraft reacted to the blow. Pushing Aphrodite back with an axe strike, it turned around and held up its shield. I could no longer change its trajectory and the spear hit the shield. The clash of auras caused a large explosion and the flying Dominion was unable to stand its ground and was blown away by the blast. CH 461 C461: Dangerous Reaction / Cruz Dominion is blown up and knocked to the ground. Although the impact was strong the magicraft was not damaged. Is this the power that I gained in exchange for great risks that Rafishal talked about? Does this mean that the golden magicraft is that powerful¡­..? Seeing an opening after the attack of Dominion, Aphrodite moves behind the golden magicraft and attacks it with her scythe, aiming at its ankle. The golden magicraft leapt and dodged the attack but Reina anticipated it and the moment it leapt she released the magic shot she had prepared. The black round mass that appeared in front of Aphrodite¡¯s eyes hits the golden magicraft. The attack seemed to be quite powerful, but it still did not wreck the golden magicraft. I was unwilling to go on the offensive with Reina¡¯s attack, but it would have been a waste to stand still so I moved towards the golden magicraft. The true value of Dominion is demonstrated only in the sky so I took off into the sky again, and while making a sharp turn, I aimed and fired a high-intensity magic shot. From the tip of the spear, which was poised at the ready, several spears of light were released and rained down on the golden magicraft. Since Aphrodite¡¯s attack stopped its movement, it had no way to avoid them so all the spears of light hit the golden magicraft. I was sure it couldn¡¯t withstand our attacks but to my dismay, the golden magicraft was still alive and well. I think it was weakened a bit, but I don¡¯t see any damage. ¡°It¡¯s really tenacious! Reina! Let¡¯s finish it off with a simultaneous all-out attack!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Reina and I concentrated our Ludia to the utmost limit. Even the golden magicraft should be destroyed if it gets hit by our two ultimate attacks simultaneously. But then the warning beep sounded again. I was startled by the sudden sound, and then, thinking calmly, I was astonished. Now, Dominion and I have increased our combat power many times over with the demon awakening¡­¡­even though in terms of Ludia value it has risen to over a million¡­¡­but Dominion still sensed the danger¡­.. This danger means that an existence far beyond the current Dominion¡¯s power is approaching. I was astonished to realize it, but thinking calmly, there is no such existence. Perhaps the sensors had miscalculated due to the fierce battle. When I came to that conclusion and decided to ignore the alarm, I received a powerful shock. I was confused by the suddenness of the event because there was no enemy approaching, the¡­¡­gold-colored magic machine was on the defensive and showed no signs of attacking. In reality, however, Dominion was being attacked by someone. Dominion was held down by a powerful force and jostled around. Unable to move and to resist, it was finally left in a defenseless state and crashed. When Dominion hit the ground I felt a powerful shock and saw who knocked me down. It was a flying white magicraft and possibly the one that destroyed the Flying Dragon Division. The white magicraft held Dominion down with unbelievable power, and, not surprisingly, ripped off one of the beautiful angel¡¯s wings. CH 462 C462: Intercepting I was unsure of my decision ¨C I had to go save Nanami but I couldn¡¯t let Marquis Deer Grafful run away. Emina was very concerned about my hesitation. ¡°I want you to leave the Marquis Deer Grafful and me to Farma, while you go to Nanami¡¯s aid.¡± The calm Emina would not do anything rash and even if Marquis Deer Grafful tried to run I believed that Farma would control her emotional outburst. After reminding Farma to not do anything rash I left to help Nanami. As I arrived at the entrance to the pass guarded by Nanami I saw that Vajra Kai was attacked by a pink magicraft and a winged magicraft. ¡°Nanami! I¡¯ll help you now!¡± First, I went towards the flying magicraft. The opponent didn¡¯t seem to notice me until I hit it. Furthermore, I grabbed the winged magicraft, which had been thrown off balance by my kick and swung it around to suppress its movement. Eventually, it lost its ability to fly, and it plummeted down. Once on the ground, it would be troublesome if it flew again, so I first forcefully ripped off one of its wings. The enemy magicraft, which had its wing ripped off, tried to move away from Arleo-2, flailing wildly but I chased after it with my sword drawn. In order to save the winged magicraft, the pink magicraft attacked me with her scythe. It was quite fast, but the trajectory was straight and easy to read, so I lightly avoided it. Not giving up, it struck a second blow, but I repelled it with my sword. The pink magicraft was thrown off balance by the attack so I tried to follow up and slash it down, but the opponent avoided it desperately. However, it could not avoid it completely and the arm holding the scythe was cut off. While holding back the part where the cut was made with its remaining arm, the pink magicraft, perhaps sensing its inferiority, tried to flee. It was a wise decision since it had lost its weapon, but it was not so naive as to let it escape so easily. I tried to chase after it and end the game, but there was no need to do so because Vajra Kai blocked the way of the pink magicraft. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away!¡± Nanami swung her axe down at the pink magic machine, a little angrily. The opponent tried to avoid the attack by rolling on the ground, but the axe swung down and touched its shoulder and blew it away. Vajra Kai tries to pursue the fleeing pink magicraft, but it is intercepted by countless enemies approaching from behind in droves. Furthermore, as if to protect the winged magicraft as well, a wall was built with magicrafts between it and Arleo-2. It seems that they realized their inferiority and ordered their allies to advance. If possible, I would like to defeat those two powerful enemies here so I decided to eliminate the enemy magicrafts in my way and chase after the fleeing winged magicraft. I fire a series of magic light bullets while destroying nearby enemy magicrafts with my sword. Nanami seems to have the same idea and begins to take out the enemy magicrafts that got in her way. However, although we overwhelm the group of enemies, there are too many of them to catch the two escaping magicrafts. While cutting down the attacking enemy magicrafts one after the other, I waited for the right moment and flew up into the sky to search for the two fleeing magicraft. In the end I could not find the pink magicraft and the winged magicraft, which had already fled into the crowd of enemy troops. CH 463 C463: Defeat / Cruz Reina and I were fleeing for our lives as we retreated from the front lines. [This is an extraordinary situation, let¡¯s report it to the headquarters at once.] Reina also seemed to be truly terrified by the monstrous magic machine and spoke up while trembling. I didn¡¯t expect that there was an opponent who could fight on equal terms with our trump card, the demon awakening¡­¡­and that was an even more monstrous magicraft that surpassed even that. If we continue to fight, there is no telling what kind of monsters will appear in the future. Although it is a humiliating choice right now, I decide that we have no choice but to retreat. Reyna did not oppose this either. It seems that she was very much afraid of that magicraft. ¡°The troops under the direct command of the ten war gods and the main body of the army should prepare to retreat. All other units and forces should block the enemy¡¯s pursuit.¡± I returned to the flagship and immediately gave that order. The reason I ordered them to block the enemy was because I was terrified of the white magicraft but they didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Does that mean we are abandoning those units?¡± One of the staff members said so, perhaps thinking of his subordinates. ¡°If they return alive, they will be rewarded with a suitable military medal, and it would be an honorable mission, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± He was silent, as if he could not find the words to say anything back. It seems that those who have not realized the strength of that magic machine cannot understand this retreat. I hear protests from the unit commanders as well. Certainly, if I were in the same position, I might have reacted in the same way. I understand them but it is a different matter to allow a foolish act to go against me, and the unit commander who protested was punished accordingly. My defeat as commander of the Western Area Army¡­¡­will be unacceptable, but the unexpected forces on the enemy side were too powerful. This was not my fault alone, as it was also the fault of the Elysian Imperial Intelligence Department, which failed to obtain information in advance. Moreover, the demon awakening, which was said to be our absolute trump card, did not work. Needless to say, this was Rafishal¡¯s gross negligence. I had enough evidence to claim that I was not at fault. Therefore, I was not worried about withdrawing. The retreat began with the main force in the lead. The enemy forces did not show any signs of pursuit, but it is thought that they have caught us off guard. During the retreat, the army of the nobleman who is a traitor to the Allied Powers began to move suspiciously. I thought I had given him the order to block the enemies during the retreat, but there was no sign that he was going to carry out his mission. Well, I did not trust him in the slightest to begin with, but I did not feel good about him turning his back on me as soon as he learned that we were at a disadvantage so I ordered my subordinates as follows. ¡°Fire in the direction of the Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s army.¡± The order was immediately carried out and shells exploded from the guns of the ride carriers, causing loud explosions. ¡°This is an ultimatum Marquis Deer Grafful. If you refuse to follow orders, the Elysian Empire will sentence you to death.¡± If he is abandoned by the Elysian Empire after abandoning his country there will be no place for him to live on this continent. Marquis Deer Grafful seems to fully understand this and reluctantly begins to move to the rear. CH 464 C464: Opportunity / Farma The thought that my father¡¯s killer is close by makes my heart flutter but I can¡¯t cause any more trouble for Yuta and the others so I suppressed my feelings and refrained from acting. But there was a big move from Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s army and it was clearly moving in a direction unrelated to the battlefield. ¡®It seems that Yuta and Nanami did something on the front line and the entire Elysian Imperial Army is on tenterhooks. But it¡¯s strange¡­¡­Deer Grafful¡¯s movements don¡¯t seem to be linked to the movements of the Elysian Imperial Army as a whole. Could it be that he is acting alone?¡¯ As Emina says, the entire Elysian Imperial Army is on the move, and Marquis of Deer Grafful does not appear to be acting with them. ¡°Emina! Could it be that Marquis Deer Grafful is trying to escape?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. . I¡¯ve only heard rumors, but he seems to be a man far from righteousness and humanity, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he betrayed even the Elysian Empire that he had turned to. ¡°What should we do¡­¡­shouldn¡¯t we go after him?¡± Yuta, who went to rescue Nanami, has not returned yet. If this continues, Marquis Deer Grafful will escape. While I was lost, Marquis de Grafful was moving further and further away from the battlefield. I was about to make my move when Emina decided, We have no choice but to attack him in order to stall him. Farma should go around in the direction they were going and stop them while I sneak into the ride carrier and destroy its power source. Hearing Emina¡¯s instructions, I moved quickly. From the air above, I turn around in the direction in which Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s army is heading. However, Emina immediately shouted to correct her instructions. ¡°Wait a minute, Farma! Don¡¯t go that way, something is happening!¡± I didn¡¯t notice it because I was only paying attention to the movements of the Marquis of Deer Grafful, but there was something flying from the Elysian Empire¡¯s army and it fell right in front of Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s army, creating a huge explosion. If Emina had been a little slower to stop me, I might have been caught in the explosion. Marquis Deer Grafful army stopped moving, perhaps startled by the huge explosion. Then, after standing still for a while like frightened kittens, they slowly turned ship and began to return to the battlefield. ¡°It seems that the commander of the Elysian Empire has hammered a nail into the coffin of Marquis Deer Grafful. Now there¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to run away from the battlefield.¡± I was relieved to hear that because now I can wait for Yuta to return. Even better, Marquis Deer Grafful will be moving away from the main Elysian Army and toward the front lines. This made it easier to target him, since we didn¡¯t have to worry about other forces. All that remained was to execute the plan when Yuta returned. It felt like a very long time had passed but I finally saw Yuta¡¯s Arleo-2 coming toward me. The Elysian Imperial Army is also retreating, so there is no longer a need to protect the pass, that¡¯s why Vajra Kai was next to Arleo II. The time has come for me, Yuta, and Nanami¡­¡­to fulfill our promise and avenge my father¡¯s death. CH 465 C465: Revenge As the Elysian Imperial Army began to retreat, I was worried that Marquis Deer Grafful might flee, but somehow only the marquis army was coming toward us. Well, it¡¯s not a problem since it¡¯s convenient for us. ¡°Nanami, let¡¯s hurry up, Farma¡¯s patience is probably running out.¡± ¡°I know.¡± After beating that powerful enemy, the movement of the Elysian Imperial Army changed drastically and they gave up on continuing the battle and began to retreat. Nanami accompanied me to Farma, thinking that there would be no problem even if she stopped defending the mountain pass. Vajra Kai was not able to fly, so we headed for it by moving on the ground. Arleo-2 can fly with Vajra Kai in its arms, but I chose not to push it because the remaining ether level was getting low and current Arleo-2 might not be able to show even one-tenth of its original ability. As we approached Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s army, Farma noticed us. ¡°Yuta! Nanami!¡± ¡°Farma, thanks for waiting.¡± ¡°Farma, let¡¯s destroy Marquis Deer Grafful together!¡± When Nanami and I called out to her, Farma replied emphatically, ¡°I¡¯ll never let him get away again!¡± Now, even if we were to defeat Marquis Deer Grafful, we need to think about how we would do it. If we destroy the entire ride carrier, we may not know if we really eliminated Marquis Deer Grafful so it would be best to stop the ride carrier. ¡°All right, then, let¡¯s get started. Nanami and I will deal with the enemy¡¯s magicraft, and Emina, you will make sure that Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s ride carrier is stuck so that he can¡¯t escape. Farma, you will cover us from the air, aiming at the artillery and the enemy magicrafts.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We moved quickly. I think it¡¯s safe to say they¡¯re retreating, but I¡¯ll be on the lookout for other Elysian troops that might attack. However, although we launched a spirited attack, the fighting spirit of Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s army was much lower than I had imagined. Even though Nanami and I had only defeated a few magicraft, they seemed to be completely spooked and began to flee in all directions. In the blink of an eye, there were no soldiers left to protect the ride carrier of Marquis Deer Grafful, and he was completely isolated. Marquis Deer Grafful also tried to escape, but stopped in place, unable to move due to the fact that Emina¡¯s destroyed the power source of his ride carrier. ¡°Farma, I want you to aim at the bridge but don¡¯t shoot.¡± Farma levitates in front of Marquis Deer Grafful¡¯s ride carrier and aims her Arrow at the bridge. The bridge was targeted by the huge Arrow, and the inside of the bridge was in panic. I spoke to them through the external output sound. ¡°We¡¯re here for Marquis Deer Grafful. Give him to use and no one else will be hurt.¡± The words ¡°no one else will be hurt¡± seemed to have an effect, and a few moments later, a fat, elderly man dressed in wealthy clothes appeared, being led away by several men. CH 466 C466: Choice Sorry for the delay. ¡°This man is Marquis Deer Grafful! Do as you please.¡± ¡°You betrayed me! Do you have any idea how well I¡¯ve treated you? Get off me! You outcasts!¡± It seems that Marquis Deer Grafful has been given up on by his subordinates. It is understandable that they value their own selves more than the master-servant relationship of the money. ¡°Farma, are you sure this man is Marquis Deer Grafful?¡± It is possible that they offered us a fake so I checked with Farma since she knows her face. ¡°Yes¡­¡­I¡¯m sure¡­¡­it¡¯s my father¡¯s enemy¡­¡­..Marquis Deer Grafful.¡± Garuda II pointed the tip of its Arrow at Marquis Deer Grafful. Garuda II¡¯s Arrow could penetrate even the armor of a magicraft and will obliterate a living person without a trace. If she fires Marquis Deer Grafful will surely die and Farma¡¯s revenge will be fulfilled. ¡°Stop¡­¡­! Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll do anything. I have money! How much?¡¡How much do you want?¡± Farma said in a calm tone to the Marquis Deer Grafful, who was begging for his life. ¡°Marquis Deer Grafful, do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Huh? Who are you? Do you know me? Please, help me! Help me!¡¡Please don¡¯t kill me, because if you knew me, you would know that I am not the kind of person who would die here!¡± ¡°My father was also not someone who would die at a time like that!¡¡How did my father, Viscount Belfast die?¡± ¡°Wait a minute! Perhaps you are the daughter of Viscount Belfast¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me your name. I don¡¯t want to hear my name out of your mouth!¡± ¡°No, no, you misunderstand! I did not order the murder of your father!¡± ¡°Ordered the kill? I didn¡¯t tell you that¡­¡­.Why did you think I thought you thought you ordered the murder of my father?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± It appears that he dug his own grave. ¡°I will never forgive you, Marquis Deer Grafful.¡± The Arrow held by Garuda II trembled and seemed ready to fire at any moment. I had no objection to ending the fight with a single shot, but I was not willing to let Farma do such a cruel thing as firing an arrow at a live person. It¡¯s my job to get dirty¡­¡­. ¡°Farma, wait, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Yuta, I¡¯m sorry! I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± The Arrow held by Garuda II began to glow due to her heightened feelings. Seeing this, the subordinates who had betrayed Marquis Deer Grafful, perhaps fearing that they would become collateral damage, took an unexpected action. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! If you shoot that thing, we¡¯ll die too! I don¡¯t want to be a part of this!¡± After these words, the ten or so people around Marquis Deer Grafful drew their swords. Then, signaling to each other with their eyes, they all slashed him, who was being restrained. Without time to scream, the tyrant who wielded power in a small country was turned into a bloody corpse. Neither I nor Farma could react to what had happened before us and we felt our desire for revenge fading rapidly. It seemed to be the same for Farma, who quietly lowered the arrow she had set up. ? CH 467 C467: Reunion and Report / Jean An urgent request was made and we were to go to the Kingdom of Meltaria for military support. Yuta, Nanami, and Emina followed Farma to Ludawan, and although I¡¯m a bit uneasy about our strength, we have a contract, so we went ahead with only the remaining members of the team. On the way, they stopped at the northern district of the Amurian Federation to meet up with Fugaku. While there were urgent matters to attend to, the former members of the Sword Clan were reunited with the Sword Saint there. ¡°Grand Master, you¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you in good health again, Grand Master¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that both Br¨¹nnhilde and Tris are doing well. Your behavior is much more refined than before.¡± I have heard that the two who have been undergoing Rafishal¡¯s training program have not only increased their Ludia values, but also their overall power. ¡°Since I can¡¯t be outdone by my grand disciples and disciples, I¡¯m going to work on my Ludia training, too.¡± ¡°Then, I will teach you, though it is beyond my reach.¡± Kiyone, a senior in Ludia training, says this a little triumphantly to her father and master. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day when my daughter would teach me something¡­¡­.I don¡¯t like being old.¡± He is casually talking about Ludia training, but everyone is interested in how strong that sword saint will become if he is strengthened by Ludia training. I was also excited by my meek imagination. After the meeting, Alana and I had a chance to exchange information. I introduced my new friends, Emitz, Mirti, and Mauille and told them about what had happened at the research facility. From Alana, I heard about the growth of the members and the strengthening of the magicrafts. ¡°I heard it was tough, but I didn¡¯t realize it was that tough.¡± Alana says this with heartfelt sympathy. ¡°It seems everyone¡¯s progress has far exceeded my expectations. I guess we can take on bigger jobs now without any worries.¡± ¡°I wonder, do you only look at us with a commercial interest?¡± ¡°For mercenary companies, the strength of individual mercenaries is directly related to money.¡± When he said this, Alana and Linnecarlo, who was listening to the conversation, seemed to be truly disappointed and switched the topic of the conversation. ¡°Instead of talking about work, I¡¯m more worried about Yuta and the others.¡± ¡°Yuta is single-minded, Nanami is childish, and Farma is losing her cool. Well, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine unless something really bad happens since Emina will be with them.¡± I knew that whatever was going on over there, that single-minded guy would take care of it in the end. Instead I was more concerned about the situation in Meltaria. Even if there were no problems in terms of military strength, there would be situations where political decisions would be required. In my mind, I had already envisioned a number of possible scenarios so that I could respond to any situation. CH 468 C468: The Growth of the Sword Saint / Jean I am reminded again that a master is still a formidable thing. The Sword Saint, who had begun training in Ludia, had grown so rapidly that even Rafishal, who had lived a long time and seen many different riders, was surprised. In the short time he had been in the capital of the Kingdom of Meltaria, his Ludia value had already increased dozens of times, to the point of approaching Yuta¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s an incredible rate of increase although this is supposed to be a program designed for gradual enhancement¡­¡­.¡± I got the hang of it the first time. It¡¯s all about the image of squeezing the power from the depths of your body and anyone can do it if they have the control to meditate and concentrate. Rafishal¡¯s impression of the Sword Saint was explained to me in a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°It takes ordinary people a long time to get the hang of it. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears when he started saying, ¡®I got it¡¯ after the first few minutes.¡± The daughter of the Sword Saint, who had been boasting the fastest growth rate in Ludia training, was also stunned by his unusual development. In addition to the Ludia value, his high adaptability is also demonstrated in his operation of the magicraft. Many unfamiliar new functions were implemented in Excalibur, the Sword Saint¡¯s beloved machine that Rafishal had enhanced and maintained, but he quickly understood the intent of the functions and mastered their use. Perhaps inspired by this, Kiyone and Linnecarlo offered to engage in a mock battle at rest. They wanted to have a one-on-one mock battle, but since we were in a hurry to get to their destination, I gave them permission if they wanted to fight at the same time. It was a mock battle against our aces Kiyone and Linnecarlo but it turned out to be an amazing situation. Kiyone and Linnecarlo, two former Heavenly Masters, who have grown tremendously, were completely outclassed. The way he lightly deflected Kiyone¡¯s sword blows and Linnecarlo¡¯s magic attacks shows that he is truly a master of his art. ¡°How can you be more skilled than before when you¡¯ve been asleep in a medical capsule for so long¡­¡­?¡± Kiyone protested, perhaps not satisfied with the ease with which her full power sword blows were being parried. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet! Let¡¯s go for another round!¡± ¡°Mm, good spirit Linnecarlo. On the other hand, Kiyone, instead of messing around, you should try to devote yourself to higher goals. You have a flaw in that you are too logical sometimes.¡± Kiyone, unable to respond, swung her sword instead of talking back. However, the sword was also lightly bounced by the Sword Saint. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, no one can beat the Sword Saint now,¡± I muttered to myself and Alana, who was listening, agreed with me. ¡°I think they are a kind of monster.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Yuta can handle it, though.¡± ¡°The two of them are not the same type, but Yuta is the same kind of monster, so it should be a good match.¡± Either way, Sword Saint is now a member of our Iron Knights. With these two trump cards, Yuta and Sword Saint, I didn¡¯t feel like we would lose no matter who we would fight against. CH 469 C469: A Long Time Ago / Jean We, the Iron Knight, who entered the Kingdom of Meltaria, were greeted with an enthusiastic welcome, aided by the return of the princess of their own country. Seeing this scene, Sword Saint, Kiyone, and other first-time visitors to the Meltaria Kingdom were surprised. ¡°You are very popular.¡± ¡°When the Iron Knights Corps joined the Triple Alliance, we were welcomed with open arms, but not as much as this. That¡¯s how much the Iron Knights are adored by this country.¡± Arthur, perhaps flattered by their words, boasted. ¡°The popularity of Arthur, the genius swordsman and the most beautiful man of all time, as well as that of Linnecarlo, the princess and one of the Twelve Heavenly Masters is enormous. They also heard that the national treasure, Viktor, has returned, so I think the whole country is in a state of panic over the welcome.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there will be a lot of people who will have a stroke when they find out that the number of the Twelve Heavenly Masters is increasing.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s possible. The people of Meltaria have a ¡°me-too¡± nature, and a weakness for famous people¡¯s names, so there could be even more panic.¡± I said this half in jest, but Arthur agreed without hesitation. As soon as we entered the palace, we were greeted by the king himself. Yudin looked more fearless and kingly than before. ¡°I am glad to see you are well, sister,¡± he said. ¡°I am glad to see that Yudin is also in good health. You seem to have acquired the appearance of a king.¡± ¡°No, no, I still have a long way to go. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t see Yuta-san, what¡¯s going on?¡± He was concerned, so he asked before anything else. ¡°Yuta is on a separate mission, so he will be late. Don¡¯t worry, the current Iron Knights will be dependable even without Yuta.¡± ¡°I am not worried about that.¡± ¡°Then, what is your concern?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I mean¡­¡­sister¡¯s future.¡± Yudin replied tartly, as if he was still unable to stand up to his older sister, even though he has gained the stature of a king. It was clear that the young king was aware of the seriousness of the issue of his sister¡¯s future husband. ¡°Now, King Yudin, it¡¯s time to talk business.¡± I couldn¡¯t listen to their brother-sister talk forever so I intervened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, well, let me explain the current situation in Meltaria.¡± Although roughly expected, the situation was a little worse than I thought. According to Yudin¡¯s story, the nations surrounding the Kingdom of Meltaria had apparently formed an alliance against the Elysian Empire. If that were all, there would not be much of a problem for the Kingdom of Meltaria, but for some unknown reason, Meltaria was declared as a pawn of the Elysian Empire, and the alliance declared war on the kingdom. ¡°How big is the alliance?¡± ¡°Fifteen nations, with a force of over 12,000 magicrafts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s most of the southwestern states, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, the Kingdom of Meltaria is currently in a state of isolation. No real fighting has yet taken place, but it is only a matter of time.¡± ¡°In fact, since the Kingdom of Meltaria has nothing to do with the Elysian Empire, why don¡¯t you explain this to that alliance?¡± ¡°I have already sent envoys to explain it to them. But for some reason, the misunderstanding has not been cleared up.¡± I see, I feel something is going on behind the scenes¡­¡­This is going to be more troublesome than I expected. CH 470 C470: The Power of Persuasion / Jean The measures to be taken against the Southwest National Alliance were to be discussed with the Iron Knights. It is highly unusual for a mercenary group to take part in a discussion on national policy, but the heads of state don¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°So what do you think, Mister Jean?¡± The current commander of the Royal Army of Meltaria, asked me, as if he really wanted my advice. ¡°There is no doubt that we should avoid fighting the Alliance as much as possible since the Elysian Empire is making strange moves toward the entire continent. Forming an alliance to counter them is inevitable. The problem is that the Kingdom of Meltaria is not part of that framework. Why is the Kingdom of Meltaria, who is not pro-Elysian, being left out of the framework of the alliance? I suppose the first thing we need to do is find out.¡± Hearing this, Yudin thinks about it, but he can¡¯t seem to even come up with anything. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about when you say you¡¯re going to find out what¡¯s going on behind the scenes,¡± he said. ¡°We had our intelligence services investigating, but we have no conclusive information, and if there is no such thing, we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a country or an individual¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let me see some of your research.¡± I had an idea of what might be going on so I picked up the documents to check them out. ¡°I knew it¡­¡­.¡± One of the countries leading this alliance had a familiar name. Furthermore, I found traces of subterfuge in the information that seemed to have spread from that country. After all, that guy¡­¡­could easily handle this level of subterfuge, there is no doubt about it. ¡°What have you found out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any proof, and I¡¯ll have to look into it, but I¡¯ve come up with a hypothesis.¡± ¡°What is the hypothesis, Mister Jean? Explain it so we can understand it.¡± ¡°The isolation of the Kingdom of Meltaria is probably due to the manipulations of the Elysian Empire. It is likely that President Bouddarga of the Republic of Dalaran, one of the major countries in the Southwest Alliance of Nations, is carrying out the subterfuge under the direction of the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°President Bouddarga¡­¡­that can¡¯t be true. President Bouddarga of Dhahran is the spearhead of the anti-Elysian Alliance. It is hard to believe that such a person would work for the Elysian Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s misinformation. He always had a longing for the strong and big Elysian Empire. He was absorbed in their culture and history, and if the Elysian Empire contacted him in secret, he would definitely be interested.¡± ¡°Jean, you know about this president?¡± Alana asked. ¡°Yes, I knew him a long time ago.¡± I didn¡¯t want to go into too many details, so I answered casually. Everyone was a little surprised to hear that the president of a country and I were old friends, but the discussion continued, as that was not the point of the meeting. ¡°If so, does that mean that Dhahran is behind this and has planned to isolate the Kingdom of Meltaria?¡± ¡°The information and the responses of the countries make this a strong possibility but we¡¯ll have to find out to be sure.¡± I don¡¯t like the idea, but I may still need to return to Dhahran¡­¡­and the thought of it makes me feel depressed due to the memories of the past. CH 471 C471: Investigation / Jean ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± The Iron Knights will be going to the Republic of Dalaran to conduct an investigation, and we were having a meeting to confirm the roles of each of us. First, Alana asked me what I thought. ¡°We can¡¯t leave with all our forces because the Alliance could attack at any time,¡± she said. ¡°That means we have to divide our forces between Fugaku and Musashi.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± ¡°Which one do you want to stay, Musashi or Fugaku?¡± ¡°Fugaku was originally given to us by the Meltaria Kingdom so I think it¡¯s best to leave it here, both emotionally and symbolically.¡± ¡°Hoho, that means I might have a turn, after all, practice is the best way to get rid of my soreness.¡± The Sword Saint says with a lively expression. The current riders on each ship were Fugaku with Alana, Linnecarlo, Arthur, Largo, and Mirti while Sword Saint, Kiyone, Brunnhilde, and Tris stationed at Musashi. Well, there is also Nagisa in Fugaku as a guest, but she is a rider of the Amurian Federation, so she does not count as an official force. ¡°I am sorry to say this, but I would like to avoid fighting as much as possible. One battle could completely destroy the relationship with the Alliance. Then there would be no point in even going to investigate.¡± ¡°That would be boring. So there is a possibility that the trip will end up being nothing more?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there is a good chance that we will have to deal with the Elysian Empire in the future, and there will be plenty of battles to come.¡± Sword Saint seemed to understand this development and simply nodded deeply. So, leaving the defense of the Kingdom of Meltaria to Alana and Linnecarlo, I headed for the Republic of Dalaran with Musashi. My belief is to act as soon as the matter is decided so after a brief supply run, we set out immediately. I don¡¯t know what kind of country Dalaran is, so I can¡¯t comment on it, but the Kingdom of Meltaria and the Republic of Dalaran are in a very tense situation, aren¡¯t they? Is it safe for me to go there?¡± Emitz Schneider, who has been entrusted with the command of the Musashi because of his experience in the Royal Army of Lubel, asks me this question since she knew how dangerous it is to have troops of a hostile force visiting a country under tension. ¡°We¡¯re not at war yet and we¡¯re just a band of wandering mercenaries, so they won¡¯t harm us for no reason.¡± ¡°Would they believe we are a band of wandering mercenaries?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re not stupid. They know we¡¯re an organization affiliated with the Kingdom of Meltaria.¡± ¡°So why would we¡­.?¡± ¡°It may be hard for Emitz who comes from a monarchy to understand but even if they know, they can¡¯t easily get their hands on us. Things work differently in a republic.¡± But what if he finds out that I¡¯m here¡­¡­then maybe he¡¯ll ignore everything and attack me. I still think it¡¯s best to refrain from hanging around carelessly. CH 472 C472: Entering Dalaran / Jean We moved across the border as covertly as possible to avoid irritating the neighboring allied countries. Fortunately, we were able to arrive at the capital of the Republic of Dalaran safely without any minor obstructions from the allied countries. However, as one might expect, after entering Dhahran, we were marked by the Republican government and were constantly under surveillance. They seem to be willing to let us know that they¡¯re watching us since a few ride-hovers equipped with magicrafts could be seen from Musashi¡¯s bridge and Kiyone, seeing them, expresses her feelings. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good to be in a situation where you are constantly being watched,¡± she said. ¡°You have to allow them that much. The other side must not be too happy about the fact that the forces they consider hostile have entered their capital.¡± ¡°Well, that may be true¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve made a list of people who might have some useful information. You can look at this and gather information.¡± ¡°Evidence of President Bouddarga subterfuge¡­¡± ¡°Yes, and with it, we can discuss with our allies and avoid unnecessary military conflicts.¡± I gave the list I created to Kiyone, Brunnhilde, and Tris. Sword Saint, who did not get a list, asked the obvious question. ¡°What about mine?¡± ¡°Sword Saint will stay in Musashi with me. It will be bad if all the riders are missing.¡± ¡°I understand that one rider will stay behind to guard Musashi, but what does it mean that Jean will also be staying? I think that information gathering and negotiation are domains where you can really show your talent.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t show my face in the capital but I have a detailed list of ways to gather information, so Kiyone and the others should be fine on their own.¡± Kiyone nodded as she reviewed the list. ¡°It¡¯s true that there are some detailed instructions¡­¡­but Jean, how did you get all this information? It¡¯s unusual that you even wrote down the personalities and quirks of the dignitaries on the list.¡± ¡°Well, this country is my hometown. The people on the list are people I¡¯ve known for a long time.¡± ¡°The people you know are even at the very top of the¡­¡­government. How do you know all those people?¡± ¡°I know them but they don¡¯t know anything about me.¡± I don¡¯t know¡­¡­or is it more accurate to say that I don¡¯t remember¡­¡­anyone who thinks is a great man doesn¡¯t care about those below him. CH 473 C473: Visitors / Jean Kiyone, Tris, and Brunnhilde headed out to gather information. The officials who were watching them and those who were in the hands of Bouddarga might mess with them a bit, but as former members of the Sword Clan, they would have no problem with that. All we had to do was wait for them to bring back some incriminating information, but it didn¡¯t work out that way. ¡°Someone wants to see you.¡± Soon after the three of them went out to gather information, Musashi received a visitor. If that was all, there would be no problem, but the fact that a visitor came to visit me by name was a big problem. The information that I am here has been leaked. If that were the case, it would be a bit of a problem. If he finds out about it, he might even try to take serious measures¡­¡­. I guess I¡¯ll just have to meet the visitor for the time being. However, it would be no fun to greet him normally, and I wanted to check something, so I asked Sword Saint for his cooperation. The guest was a young woman. She had long indigo-colored hair, a pleasant-looking face, and was dressed maturely, but her actual age seemed younger than she looked. Of course, I did not know her, and I had never met her before. ¡°What is it you want to talk to me about?¡± Sword Saint asked the young woman. I asked him to meet the guest as me and I was there as a third party to check on the guest. ¡°Yes, actually, I¡¯d like to say¡­¡­something¡­¡­.¡± The woman seems to have no doubt at all that Sword Saint is me. It¡¯s strange that she knows I¡¯m here but doesn¡¯t know my face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, didn¡¯t you want to talk to me?¡± The woman was hesitant to talk but Sword Saint asked again. ¡°Actually, there is someone I want you to meet.¡± ¡°What kind of person do you want me to meet?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it here.¡± ¡°It is absurd to ask me to meet someone when you can¡¯t even tell me what kind of person it is. I have not even heard your name yet. How can I have the least bit of confidence in you?¡± ¡°Oh, excuse me. My name is Luca.¡± ¡°Who do you want me to meet?¡± He turned his sharp eyes on her and asked not giving her the chance to think of a lie. ¡°He is a student living in the capital¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t say more. Excuse me.¡± With that, she tried to leave. There are still a lot of things I don¡¯t understand, but one thing I do know is that she has no ill intentions. ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m not done talking yet. An amateur like you has dared to come all the way here so you must have a good reason, right? Can you leave like this?¡± When I said that, she stopped moving and looked at me with an expression of ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Luca. I am Jean.¡± When I say my name, Luca starts to panic, perhaps because she is confused. I don¡¯t think it was an act, so perhaps she is a pure and honest person. ¡°What? Then this person is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a humble swordsmanship instructor.¡± ¡°You are a swordsmanship instructor?¡± ¡°For now, sit down again, because I need to hear what you have to say.¡± She sat down on the sofa again anxiously, still not grasping the situation. CH 474 C474: Assassin / Kiyone The meeting with the person on Jean¡¯s list went more smoothly than I had imagined. Simply by telling the person the words on the list, the conversation proceeded easily and all kinds of information was gathered. ¡°Jean is amazing. After hearing the words he wrote everyone¡¯s attitude suddenly changed. After getting the information from the third person on the list, Br¨¹nnhilde says she is impressed. It must be a marvelous ability to be able to easily sway an opponent¡¯s mind with a few words. The information from the three people on the list alone was already enough to provide evidence of the subterfuge carried out by President Bouddarga but the amazing thing about Jean¡¯s list is that each piece of information is just a trivial piece of data that is meaningless. It is amazing that multiple pieces of information can be used as evidence and since the data is so trivial, the people on the list can easily provide us with information by simply saying a few words. Jean¡¯s list was really well thought out. ¡°Master Kiyone¡­¡­¡± As I enter the alleyway and make my way to the next person on my list, Br¨¹nnhilde informs me of the unusual situation with a mysterious expression on her face. Of course I had also noticed the deadly presences that appeared around me. There were about ten of them, and from the way they appeared, I expected them to be suitably skilled. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the wind breaking and spotted the approaching signs of death but I avoided them. Two arrows made of steel and with high killing power pierced the wall of the alleyway. ¡°Br¨¹nnhilde, Tris, they¡¯re coming.¡± They nodded and drew their swords, ready to attack. I put my hand on the hilt and searched for signs. It seemed that we were surrounded and it would be difficult to avoid the battle. Slowly, one by one, the assassins appeared and all of them were wearing black hoods that hid their faces. From the way they stood, there was no doubt that they were not your average gangsters. They are probably either government intelligence or military special forces¡­¡­. Either way, they are not easy opponents. As if on cue, the assassins attacked all at once. Three assassins armed with daggers approached from the front. They seemed to be trying to give me no chance to draw my sword, but I can draw my sword even at zero distance so I drew my sword at a distance of almost close contact and slit the neck of one of the assassins. The assassins did not seem to be perturbed when they saw their comrade nearby with blood spraying from the neck. I can¡¯t see their expressions through their masks, but I can imagine that they are probably expressionless. The remaining two assassins attacked me with their daggers. They are quite fast, but not fast enough to make me take them seriously and I repel all their attacks with a simple hand movement. By repelling the assassin¡¯s attack so strongly, I have thrown my opponent off balance. It is a minor imbalance that a layman would not notice, but it is enough for me. With a single flash, I slashed down the two assassins at the same time. By the time I had cut down three assassins, Br¨¹nnhilde and Tris had cut down one assassin each. The remaining five assassins seemed to realize that their target was no ordinary opponent, and they fled without achieving their goal. CH 475 C475: Judgment / Jean ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me the details of the person you want me to meet with?¡± I asked directly what was bothering me the most. Luca thought for a moment with a troubled look on her face and replied. ¡°If I tell you that, perhaps Mr. Jean will not meet with that person.¡± With those words, I had a rough idea of what to expect. There are not many people in this country whom I would not want to meet. ¡°Then let¡¯s change the subject. Why are you trying to make me meet this person?¡± ¡°Because to me, that person is a benefactor. That¡¯s why¡­¡­.¡± After that, she just moped around like she was having difficulty talking about something and stopped talking. However, I knew that she was not acting out of malice or some strange scheme, but out of genuine desire. ¡°All right I will meet that person and you¡¯ll guide me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee that we¡¯ll have a good conversation afterwards. If I don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I was not sure about this, but I chose to meet him. The person I would meet¡­¡­who I didn¡¯t want to meet and who also understood the way I was feeling was definitely that guy. Normally, Luca would have expected me to refuse her request but there was one thing that bothered me. The man I know is not the kind of person who gives favors to others. He is a pragmatist who only thinks of himself¡­¡­a man who was ruthless and even left his own son to die¡­¡­ ¡°Jean, going to see that person means going out, doesn¡¯t it? Are you sure? You said it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for you to go outside.¡± As Sword Saint said it would definitely not be convenient but I answered by formulating a countermeasure based on the situation and other factors in my head. ¡°If we keep our activities to a minimum and move around in disguise, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any problems.¡± ¡°Mm, well, then I¡¯d better get ready to go.¡± ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± ¡°Of course. If anything happened to you, I would not be able to face Yuta.¡± There was no doubt that it would be dangerous to act in this almost hostile country and the fact that Sword Saint is coming with me is reassuring but it¡¯s not convenient for Musashi to be left without a rider. ¡°I appreciate you saying so, but it is dangerous for Musashi to be without a rider. If it¡¯s attacked by magicrafts¡­¡­¡± ¡°I heard that Musashi¡¯s defensive capabilities have been greatly enhanced by Rafishal. Emitz will take care of it in my absence.¡± It is true that, as Sword Saint said, the current Musashi might be able to withstand the attack of a battalion or so of magicrafts and considering the offensive capability of this country, this may indeed not be a problem. ¡°I understand. Then, please come with me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll escort you.¡± In addition to Emitz, Musashi has about 30 crew members and after giving them all instructions in case of emergency, Sword Saint and I decided to go to the person whom Luca said wanted to see me. CH 476 C476: Disgust / Jean Merry Christmas!!! Luca took me to a facility on the outskirts of the city. There was a building in the middle of a quiet forest, where several hundred people seemed to be living. Many of the people there were elderly, and it seemed to be a medical facility of some kind. ¡°What kind of facility is this?¡± ¡°Yes, it is a place for people with chronic illnesses or physical disabilities who have difficulty living on their own but have no relatives to help them.¡± ¡°Is it run by the Republic of Dhahran?¡± ¡°No, it is run by donations and fundraising under the leadership of Alice Abbey. The state does not support us with even 1 gold.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t. It¡¯s impossible with the current president. He doesn¡¯t have the slightest mercy for the weak.¡± ¡°Mr. Jean, if the secret police hear you talking like that, they¡¯ll¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s the truth. President Bouddarga is a scoundrel of the highest order. He¡¯s a bastard and he¡¯s irredeemable!¡± He had become loud without realizing it, and his expression had become quite stern, as if admonishing him and Sword Saint pointed that out. ¡°Control of emotions is one of the most important elements of a commander. I don¡¯t know what happened, but don¡¯t startle a woman unnecessarily.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luca, I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you.¡± ¡°No, you just startled me a little. I¡¯m fine now.¡± I¡¯m not quite there yet either¡­¡­. When I entered the forest facility, Luca and a staff member had a conversation about something and after a while, she showed me around, saying, ¡°This way. We¡¯ll move around the facility and go out again through another doorway. From there, we¡¯ll follow a well-maintained pathway through the forest and arrive at a circular pavilion in an open garden-like area.¡± On a bench under a roof covered with ivy and other greenery, a person I had known for many years was sitting there. I am not surprised to see him, but somehow my heart begins to beat strangely. The staff member who guided us bows his head and leaves while I walk in front of the man. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± When I spoke to him, the man stopped reading his book and glanced at me, but immediately returned his attention to his book, seemingly uninterested. Irritated by this reaction, which I had not imagined, I reiterated my greeting. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, have you forgotten what your son looks like?¡± This man was my father. I use the word ¡°used to be¡± because I had disowned him and cut off our father and son relationship. ¡°My two sons are away on vacation and they are only five and eight years old, not old like you.¡± What are you saying¡­¡­are you serious? I was upset, and Luca came over and quietly began to explain. ¡°It¡¯s a brain disease. Not long ago, he still recognized himself, but now, due to memory loss and the deterioration of his brain function, he is unable to maintain new memories. Now Mr. Gior¡¯s memory has regressed to twenty years ago and time has stopped there for him.¡± Pfft, don¡¯t be ridiculous! You mean to tell me that this man has forgotten how he betrayed his family and how he left my brother to die! I thought he was at least living to regret the mistakes he made, but the fact that he didn¡¯t made me boil with anger. CH 477 C477: Past/Jean When I actually saw my father¡¯s face, it reminded me of the old days¡­ I knew my father worked for the government. As a child, I thought he was just a low-level government official, but the job he had was not what is commonly referred to as a front job. He worked in a department called the Intelligence Division, which was responsible for the less publicized work of the government. Aside from the nature of his work, because my father was a government official, I was able to go to a prestigious government school, even though my Ludia values were not up to the general acceptance level. It was at that time that I met the current President of the Republic of Dhahran, Bouddarga. He and I were rivals for the top spot in our class, but we had a strange affinity for each other and became close friends. That relationship began to fall apart when my younger brother, Little Shan, began his radical political activities¡­¡­.Little Shan¡¯s targets were corrupt politicians and the corporations that were connected to such politicians and gorging on their interests. Bouddarga¡¯s father was a politician, one of the five most prominent men in the Republic of Dhahran, and one of the people Little Shan hated the most. My brother¡¯s activities were radical but supported by many citizens. As a young charismatic figure of only 20 years old, he was admired and attracted many collaborators and his influence had grown to the point of threatening the country¡¯s authorities but this may have been unfortunate for Little Shan. I¡¯ve advised Little Shan a few times to be careful since I was afraid of what the powers that be might do to him if he continued to live like that but my brother would not listen to me. I asked my father for advice, but he showed no interest in my brother¡¯s activities, and simply said irresponsibly that it was Little Shan¡¯s choice and that I should leave him alone. Then the time came¡­¡­Little Shan was stabbed to death in broad daylight in a crowded city street. Unbelievably, the security department that investigated the case announced that there were no witnesses and no physical evidence was found. I was not convinced by the unnaturalness of the situation, so I decided to investigate on my own and I even found out that Bouddarga¡¯s father was involved. It appeared to be a carefully prepared assassination plot that had been in motion for quite some time. As I investigated, I found out that my father¡¯s organization was involved in this plan. This alone was quite shocking, but when I became convinced that my father knew about the assassination plot, anger, sadness, and hatred welled up in me. Not only that, when I learned that Bouddarga was also involved in this matter at his father¡¯s direction, I hated everything in my life so far. My brother was killed by the power of money. Then I would use the power of money to avenge my brother¡¯s death. In order to earn money, I gave up everything in my career and became a merchant. Then I cut ties with my father and left the country. After that, I traveled around the world as a merchant, gaining knowledge and ability. I was planning to return to my country when my funds and connections had matured to a certain degree, but then I met that guy who had the same eyes as my brother. Yuta, who was stupid and single-minded, was in danger, and I couldn¡¯t leave him alone, so I decided to go with him¡­¡­¡­ I would like to avoid involving the Iron Knights when I investigate Bouddarga and my father makes an appearance, whether I like it or not. In some cases, I was prepared to take full responsibility. CH 478 C478: The Story of Luca / Jean The memories of my father whom I¡¯ve not seen in a long time regressed and he didn¡¯t even know I existed now but despite the circumstances, Luca wished for this reunion so I went to her and spoke harshly because of my emotions. ¡°Hey, what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing letting me meet with my father here? What¡¯s the point of meeting him in this state?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°An explanation would be better than an apology.¡± Luca, who is at a loss at my words, glanced at my father and signaled me to walk with her. Apparently, she was hesitant to explain in front of him, no matter how crazy she said he was due to a brain disease. I understood that, so I honestly followed Luca. As we moved to a bench a short distance away from where my father was, Luca began to speak in a slow tone. Luca said that she met my father three years ago when she was in a desperate situation and her life was in danger. Her father was an accountant for an organization, and when he was accused of wrongdoing, the organization tried to kill him. For a while, there were only a series of suspicious accidents around him as a warning, but when Luca¡¯s father did not drop the accusation, the organization decided to take the final step. One night during a happy family birthday celebration¡­¡­Luca¡¯s family was attacked by masked men. Her mother and father were quickly killed, and the blade of death was about to be swung down on Luca as well. But either the attackers made a mistake or accidentally spread combustible materials that they intended to use to destroy evidence but the house was engulfed in flames before they could lay their hands on Luca. Luca barely escaped from the house, but the masked men would not let her go, and they chased her as she fled. Cornered in a cul-de-sac, Luca was prepared to die, but a stranger came to her rescue. The masked men were blinded and surprised by the rescuer so she managed to escape. She told me that the person who helped her was my father. When I heard this story, I could not believe it. I couldn¡¯t believe that my father, who had left even his own son to die, would help people¡­¡­. Since then, he has been helping her in any way he can. He helped her find a place to hide from the organization and arranged for her living arrangements. Even after the organization collapsed due to my father¡¯s accusations of wrongdoing, and she was able to live in peace, he continued to take care of her. I wondered why my father had gone to such lengths, and Luca seemed to feel the same way, so one day she asked him. Then my father told her the story of a past mistake he had made. It was a truth that even I didn¡¯t know. CH 479 C479 ¨C The Truth / Jean My father, Virgil, got information about an assassination plot against his son. Moreover, the assassination was to be carried out by a government organization that was affiliated with his workplace. Of course, there was no way that a government organization would be foolish enough to leak information to the father of the target of the assassination plot, so it was an intentional tip-off. It was a choice that had to be made in advance, rather than being interrupted by unforeseen circumstances. He could act to save his son and turn the organization against him, or he could let him die and protect the rest of his family and himself¡­¡­.I, for one, thought my father made the latter choice but according to Luca¡¯s story, he made the third choice, which was neither of those. Father acted to help Little Shan and further protect his family and himself. In order to thwart Little Shan¡¯s assassination attempt and further protect his family, he tried to obtain the weakness of the upper echelons of the organization and use it as a leverage to secure our safety. However, in the end, Little Shan¡¯s assassination was carried out. After losing Little Shan, my father made a deal with the organization to at least ensure the safety of his remaining family members. I don¡¯t know why my father risked his life to save Luca, but perhaps he saw an overlap with his own family when he learned that her life was threatened by the organization. Also, my father said that he had always wanted a daughter. Perhaps the overlap in their circumstances made him think of Luca as his daughter. But from what I had heard so far, I still didn¡¯t understand why Luca wanted me to meet my father. When I pointed this out to her, she continued her story. ¡°Mr. Virgil spoke a lot about Mr. Jean. He said he was proud of you¡­¡­and regretted Little Shan¡¯s death. He was always sad when he told me that I had lost two sons but after some time, he happily told me that he had found out that Mr. Jean was in a mercenary group called the Iron Knights. Since then, Mr. Virgil has been gathering information on the Iron Knights and keeping an eye on their activities.¡± I was surprised. Surely my father, who had done intelligence work, would have been able to gather that much information but I would never have dreamed he would do so. ¡°He was happily talking about Mr. Jean¡¯s until he became ill with a brain disease and suffered from memory loss. He seemed to be watching over you all the time, telling me that that battle was actually won by the Iron Knights, or that the Iron Knights played a big role again.¡± This is unthinkable for the father I knew. Maybe the brain disease had progressed before Luca thought it had. It is common to hear that brain diseases can change one¡¯s personality. ¡°I was surprised when I heard that a group of mercenaries called the Iron Knights had come to this country and I thought that if I missed this chance Mr. Virgil would never have the chance to see Mr. Jean again so I couldn¡¯t stand still¡­¡­Mr. Virgil is in such a state, but I thought that perhaps a miracle would happen if I met Mr. Jang. I also thought that a miracle would happen¡­¡­¡± The result was no miracle. Luca seemed to recall the shock of the outcome and looked sad. ¡°¡­¡­I understand your story. Thank you for telling me.¡± In the first place, I don¡¯t know if this story is true or if it is a fantasy created by my father but as a result, there seems to be no doubt about the fact that he saved the girl. I don¡¯t think he fulfilled his responsibility for my brother¡¯s death, but I did feel a little better about it. CH 480 C480: I¡¯ll deal with it / Jean After hearing Luca¡¯s story, I saw my father one more time. This would probably be the last time I would see my father. Although it may be meaningless to meet with my father, who does not recognize me now, I thought it was necessary in order to put my feelings into perspective. My father seemed to have already forgotten that we had met earlier, and I did not dare to tell him I was his son. I pretended that he was my teacher when I was eight years old, and we had a casual talk about the old days. That was all, but I felt more refreshed than I had expected. In direct contradiction to my refreshed feelings, my anger toward Bouddarga¡¯s family for killing my brother and ruining our family is amplified. It seems that I still need to settle things with my former best friend. After a conversation, which may be the last conversation I ever have with my father, I bid farewell to Luca and decided to return to Musashi but as I expected on our way back, we were ambushed on an empty street. The masked group that appeared had at least twenty members. They quickly formed a formation around us with sophisticated movements that even I, an amateur, can confirm that they are skilled. As expected, even the master of swordsmanship, Sword Saint, would have difficulty dealing with this number of people while protecting me. However, he said to me with a cool expression on his face, ¡°Jean, stay behind me.¡± As I was told, I moved to a close enough distance behind Sword Saint. Seeing this, he nodded broadly and held his hand on the hilt of his sword in a ready stance. From there, a strange scene unfolded. The moment the masked men approached us, they fell one after another. The distance between the masked men and us was not right, even if they were fighting the Sword Saint since they were falling down at a distance that his sword could not reach. ¡°Wait!¡± The masked leader of the group shouted. Normally, assassins do not speak, but communicate their intentions by signaling each other, but the manner in which they were beaten was so bizarre that they could not help but speak out. The leader of the group let out a startled groan. The masked people stopped, but the chain of collapses did not stop. Clearly, the area where they were falling was expanding. Seeing their allies falling more and more, the surviving masked men began to flee but this time they failed and not a single person managed to escape. ¡°The leader of the group is alive. Let¡¯s hear what he has to say.¡± After all the masked men fell, the Sword Saint said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask him a few questions. As we approached the leader, he grunted and moved slightly. He certainly seems to be alive. I don¡¯t think he will talk easily, but I will try to get some information out of him. CH 481 C481: Hardball / Jean Happy New Year!!! The leader of the masked group that attacked us was reluctant to talk, but when Sword Saint asked him nicely, he gradually gave us more information. From the information provided by the leader, it was clear that the government was involved in this attack. Furthermore, I learned that if this raid failed, the government would resort to a more aggressive strategy. ¡°I see. That¡¯s how much they understand that they are trapped.¡± ¡°What are we going to do? We could go back to Musashi and prepare for their attack.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to avoid a showy battle, but we might have to show¡­..Bouddarga where we stand now.¡± Even if we were to engage in battle with the Republic of Dhahran here, it would be possible to use the information Kiyone and her team is gathering to persuade the other allied nations to proceed. Then we may be able to show them our power and advance the negotiations in our favor. ¡°Then we¡¯d better get back to Musashi as soon as possible. Someone was watching us from distance and they probably knew that the attack failed.¡± Mastery is a terrible thing. It seems that even during that battle, the Sword Saint was exploring the surroundings. They were prepared for this attack to fail so it¡¯s not surprising if they attack us again immediately so I and Sword Saint rushed to Musashi. The other side moved faster than expected. Musashi was already surrounded by countless magicrafts and was about to be attacked. ¡°What a nuisance. It¡¯s going to be hard to get back to Musashi.¡± I said, but the Sword Saint lightly denied it. ¡°The encirclement is not enough, and it is easy to get through there.¡± The encirclement was so tightly packed that it was hard to believe that it was that way, but it seemed that Sword Saint was serious. When I was stunned, he made this suggestion. ¡°Jean, you stay here and I¡¯ll go back to Musashi first and make it easier for you to get home with Excalibur.¡± ¡°Please, I don¡¯t think I can keep up with you¡­¡­.¡± The Sword Saint headed for Musashi with light steps. However, while the Sword Saint was on his way to Musashi, the encircling Dhahran forces began to move and launched an attack on Musashi while Emitz and the others immediately counterattacked to defend themselves. The approaching magicrafts are attacked by an iron shell anti-magicraft gun, a new piece of equipment newly added to Musashi for close-range defense. The iron shell anti-magicraft gun is a weapon that creates a magical explosion in a sealed space and ejects a solid mass of madine iron, capable of firing as many as 30 rounds in one second. The force of the hard iron bullets striking at high speed is considerable, and even S-class armored magicrafts cannot survive. Countless bullets were fired from the iron shell anti-magicraft gun mercilessly turning enemy magicrafts into beehives. With considerable force, the enemy was already unable to get close to Musashi. However, I was conversely concerned about the safety of the Sword Saint who was trying to return to Musashi, but to my surprise, he read the movements of the enemy¡¯s magicrafts and took the best route to reach Musashi without any difficulty. CH 482 C482: The Holy Sword / Jean A short time after the Sword Saint instructor arrived at Musashi, the hatch was opened and Excalibur was launched. The Dhahran forces, perhaps alarmed by the appearance of an enemy magicraft, retreat a little to keep their distance from Musashi. To make it easier for me to return, the Sword Saint is coming toward the enemies that are in front of me. Perhaps thinking that they are outnumbering him, the enemy is not intimidated and attacks Excalibur. I had just seen the Sword Saint fight in the flesh, and I was curious to see how he would fight in a magicraft. However, his fighting style was not significantly different from that in the flesh and was the same as the battle I had just seen¡­¡­I was shocked and speechless at the threatening combat power. Dhahran magicrafts approaching Excalibur were shattered into pieces by a single swing of the sword from a distance. Obviously, the distance between the sword and them is not within reach, but how he does it is a mystery. Such movement is possible with a magicraft? Yuta¡¯s and Nagisa¡¯s movement is quite similar to human movement, but Sword Saint is on a different level. The very movements were those of a flesh and blood human being, and not just an ordinary human being, but a human being with superhuman physical abilities who was destroying the enemy without wasting any movement. Perhaps realizing that they could not win individually, five enemy magicrafts all slashed at Excalibur at once. The Sword Saint raised his sword without any sign of haste as the five enemy magicrafts raised their weapon arms to the sky in unison. In theory, it is understandable that Excalibur repelled the enemy¡¯s weapons. However, what the naked eye caught was a figure raising its hands as if manipulated by an invisible force, and for a moment I was confused, not understanding what had just happened. The defenseless enemy magicrafts were cut down by Sword Saint before they could react. Although it looked as if he was swinging his sword lightly, the tremendous speed and power of his sword cut down five enemy magicrafts in an instant. I felt a change in the atmosphere of the enemy forces when they saw this scene. They were completely terrified of Excalibur and as if in response, the Sword Saint performed a great move. As he held the sword in the center of his body as if raising it to the heavens, an aura rose up that could be recognized even with the naked eye. I couldn¡¯t hear what he said but the way he swung his sword sideways with a spirited movement conveyed a heavy, spirited voice, and a crescent-shaped shockwave spread out in front of him like a ripple. A moment later, there was a silence on the battlefield and the enemy riders realized that they were fighting someone they should never fight. One of them staggered out of the scene with awkward movements and this triggered the others to run, trying to get as far away from the object of their fear as possible. CH 483 C483: Disclosure of Information / Jean Thanks to the Sword Saint the enemy army fled and I returned to Musashi with ease. After returning to Musashi, I had a talk with Emitz about the future. ¡°Jean, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°We should move on to discussions with the allied countries as soon as possible, but we haven¡¯t received any information that can be used as evidence yet¡­¡­so for now, we just want to be ready to move as soon as Kiyone and the others return.¡± The Republic of Dhahran, which has taken a hard approach to the issue, has openly confronted us, so we need to hurry things along, but we can¡¯t move without confirming the information. ¡°But still, Kiyone and the others are late; it should be time for them to return by now.¡± It is true that it is taking longer than planned. It is possible that they were attacked as we were, but since Kiyone is a master there is no need to worry about her safety. However, there is a possibility that this is why she is late. As we were talking about them, Kiyone and the others came back and as expected, it seems that they were attacked and their schedule was disrupted, so it took them longer than I thought. I was further surprised to hear that there had been three attacks and yet, Kiyone and the other former members of the Sword Clan seemed unconcerned. ¡°You were attacked three times? We were attacked only once.¡± Sword Saint seemed to be disappointed that the battle with the attackers was somehow unsatisfactory. ¡°How was the new Excalibur?¡±Kiyone asked. The new Excalibur has a much stronger power and speed than the old one and it has the passive strength feature that the Great Sage mentioned. That will not be a letdown against any opponent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how good it is.¡± I heard Rafishal saying that the Sword Saint did not need to do any tricks, so he strengthened Excalibur by simply improving its performance and increasing its limit value. With the background music of the conversation that began as they started talking about swordsmanship techniques, I confirmed the information Kiyone had brought back. Hmmm, this would be enough to accuse President Bouddarga of manipulating information. After confirming the contents of the report, I immediately contacted Fugaku, in the Kingdom of Meltaria, and obtained permission to release the information and its contents to the various countries. I then asked Sister Muzie to release the information and evidence to the allied countries using the information network of the Alice Abbey. The evidence was conclusive, and the unrest spread quickly, forcing the nations to rethink their direction toward the Kingdom of Meltaria and to turn their anger toward the Republic of Dhahran and President Bouddarga, who had tried to bring down the southwestern nations by spreading false information. Bouddarga, now isolated and helpless, will be done for. At best, he would be removed from office, arrested, and forced to live behind bars for a while. At worst, he would lose his life. When I imagined this, I remembered Bouddarga when he was still my best friend¡­¡­and felt a little sympathy for him, while Emitz informed me about the approach of a large army. CH 484 C484: The Last Struggle / Jean The approaching army was the regular army of the Republic of Dhahran. Immediately, the Sword Saint, Kiyone and the others prepared for battle. When the Dhahran forces surrounded Musashi, they did not immediately launch an attack, and only one ride-hover approached. The action was too defenseless to be a trap, so we decided to wait and see what would happen. ¡°Jean! Jean, can you hear me! You know who I am!¡± It was a familiar voice coming from the ride-hover. Apparently, he knew I was here. Well, it seems that¡¯s not the only reason he was here with his army in tow. I could tell from the angry and impatient tone of his voice that he was being very hard pressed. ¡°I hear you. What does the great President want with such a commoner?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me! Your manipulations have ruined everything! With the help of the Elysian Empire, this country would have grown bigger and richer, but¡­¡­my plans¡­¡­my ambitions¡­¡­Jean! You are the only one I will not forgive!¡± ¡°You really are an idiot. I don¡¯t know what you were promised by the Elysian Empire, but do you really think they will keep their word?¡¡They¡¯ll just use you and leave you to die when you¡¯re no longer useful.¡± ¡°Ugh, shut up! I will not let that happen, I am the one who is using the Elysian Empire! I am the one who will win in the end!¡± Where did it go wrong and how did he become such a distorted human being? When we first met, he may have had an elitist attitude, but he would not have been this arrogant. There must have been something that changed him, but I don¡¯t have time to think about it now. ¡°What kind of victory are you looking at? Are you really happy with that victory? Are you acting with the people in mind? You are the head of this country, and your first consideration should be the happiness of your people, not your own ambitions!¡± ¡°Gghh¡­¡­don¡¯t lecture me! Enough! You are going to disappear now!¡¡There¡¯s no use talking to you! I won¡¯t even accept your surrender, so be prepared!¡± After spitting this out, Bouddarga returned to his own army. It seemed that he was going to launch an attack. From the look of him, I guess he knows there is no point in winning this battle. I guess he was frustrated that I had interfered and in a way he was just taking out his frustration on me. ¡°The enemy is attacking. Excalibur, Kiku Ichimonji, Onimaru Kunitsuna, Toratetsu, go out! Give them a thorough beating! Musashi, cover the magicraft squadron and bombard the enemy ride carriers!¡± Although we were outnumbered and only had 4 magicrafts while the enemy had over 300, we were stronger. After seeing Sword Saint fight earlier I think he alone can deal with all the enemies here. CH 485 C485: One-Sided / Jean The battle unfolded as imagined. Musashi¡¯s magicraft squadron, which had set out, scattered to the four winds and headed toward the enemy. Then, undaunted by the overwhelming numbers of enemies, they charged into the enemy forces. Tris, the most humble of the four, made the most spectacular start. Leaping and diving into a group of enemies, he moved with quick steps and swung his sword as if drawing the character eight, slashing three enemies at a time and blowing them away with his sword pressure. The enemies try to finish off Tris with spears and swords, but he reacts as if he can see attacks from all directions and easily repels them then slashes them down with his sword in return. Br¨¹nnhilde¡¯s personality was shown in her movements. Steady and honest, she approaches her enemies slowly and cuts them down one by one without fail. Even if enemies attack at the same time, she responds by subtly changing her body position, never confronting more than one magicraft. However, strangely enough, she does not lose to Tris in the speed at which she destroys them. That is how lean her movements were. The way she efficiently and without overreacting, and surely defeating the enemy, should truly be called a combat master. Kiyone¡¯s movements were like adding the movements of Tris and Brunnhilde and doubling them. Her quick, efficient, yet dynamic movements transcended those of a magicraft. She avoided the enemy¡¯s attack with a single movement and cut them down with a momentary counterattack. Furthermore, with gliding movements, she approached the enemy magicraft and destroyed them one after another. The enemies who went toward the Sword Saint were the most terrified. Most enemy riders did not even know how they were hit. In addition to being so fast that his movements could no longer even be seen, his attacks were so weird that people could not even tell which enemy had been cut by which attack. However, the fact that the enemies around Excalibur were being destroyed one after another was real, and an incomprehensible threat was more than effective in spreading confusion and fear among the enemy forces. Soon there were no more enemy magicrafts heading toward Excalibur. As in the battle between magicrafts, the bombardment between ride carriers was one-sided. The shells from the enemy ship, called bomb ballistas, which are reinforced ballistas with improved explosive power, bounced off the Salamander cannon and the armor of the Musashi, which was reinforced with four-element cannon in mind, without even a scratch. In contrast, the Efreet cannon, the new main gun of Musashi, crushed the enemy¡¯s ride carriers with a single blow. The battle did not last long in such a one-sided development. By the time about half of the enemy ride carriers had been destroyed, the enemy soldiers had completely lost their will to fight. One ship raised the white flag to indicate defeat, and the rest began to run away. Even though most of the enemy soldiers admitted defeat, the president did not seem to give up, cursing his fleeing allies. The soldiers, however, were too fearful and confused to follow any words. CH 486 C486: Thoughts / Jean Sorry for the late releases. Bouddarga loudly complains about his fleeing allies and instructs his ride-hover to move forward. I admire his guts for not running away in this situation, but I am dismayed at his poor judgment of the situation to continue fighting a battle that he no longer has a chance to win. But then I remember the old Bouddarga and change my mind. No, no, this fight is too shallow for Bouddarga, who is a¡­¡­schemer and has knowledge of tactics. It¡¯s as if he never thought about winning or losing from the beginning, then he must have another objective. When Bouddarga ride-hover paused, several people jumped out of it. Apparently unable to keep up with the President¡¯s actions, they ran away. Naturally, Bouddarga was not among them. After the people had fled for a while, the ride-hover came toward us again. Bouddarga is firing its meager ship¡¯s guns at me, cursing me loudly. ¡°Jean! What¡¯s the matter with you!? Try to shoot me down! If you have enough firepower to sink a battle cruiser with a single shot, it would be a piece of cake to sink such a small ride-hover! Why don¡¯t you just get it over with?¡± It appears that Bouddarga really wants to end this. Maybe he wants me to kill him in a reckless suicide attack. That guy¡­¡­. ¡°Sword Saint, can you capture the ride hover without killing that guy?¡± When I asked him that, he immediately replied. ¡°Mm, okay. Can we destroy the ride-hover?¡± ¡°As long as the contents are intact, no problem.¡± Sword Saint responded lightly and gave support to Kiyone and the others, who moved quickly. Br¨¹nnhilde¡¯s Onimaru Kunitsuna approached from the front to draw attention, and Kiku Ichimonji got behind Bouddarga¡¯s ride-hover. However Bouddarga seemed to notice the approach from behind and tried to flee to the side, but Tris was waiting for him in that direction. Cornered, Bouddarga screams as he fires his cannon. ¡°Don¡¯t leave it to the magicrafts, try to kill me yourself! You won¡¯t even dare to kill the president of a country!¡± He was still about to shout something, but was interrupted by Excalibur¡¯s sword, which struck the ride hover¡¯s power unit with a single thrust. Sword Saint completely destroyed the ride hover and restrained Bouddarga then returned to Musashi along with the others since the battle was over. My old friend whom I had not seen in a long time seemed to have lost a lot of weight. I was a little surprised because I remembered that he had a rather stout build. ¡°Oh, well, surely destroying the whole ride-hover means you won¡¯t feel it. Avenge your brother, feel free to kill me and be done with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Talk?¡­. I have nothing to say to you! If you don¡¯t kill me quickly, Dhahran army will come to my rescue!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how many armies this country has, we won¡¯t be defeated. You already know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How can a bunch of mercenaries have that kind of power? Jean! Why do you always go beyond my imagination! I¡¯m¡­¡­I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± Bouddarga, who had been so vigorous, dropped the tone of his voice. CH 487 C487: Mastermind / Jean I tell Tris to remove Bouddarga¡¯s restraints. Then, glaring at the freed president of this country, I tell him. ¡®Bouddarga, can you tell me a little of the old story that you couldn¡¯t say back then?¡± I thought I had done enough research on my brother¡¯s case, but maybe there are some facts I don¡¯t know. There was a possibility that I would hear things I didn¡¯t want to remember, but I was prepared. ¡°¡­¡­Fine. But listening won¡¯t change anything. Your real enemy is that powerful. And it is true that I am part of it.¡± ¡°Whatever the story, I will never forgive you or your family. I promise you that.¡± ¡®Pfft¡­¡­maybe you think your brother¡¯s case was planned and carried out by someone in my family? If so, you can rest assured, we weren¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°The mastermind is the upper echelons of the Liberal Party and you and your father are a part of them, I know that much.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha! Don¡¯t make me laugh! My father, me, and even the leader of the party, are lackeys! You only saw the toes of the mastermind! Listen, your brother touched someone he shouldn¡¯t have!¡± ¡°Who is the mastermind behind this? Tell me. I don¡¯t care who it is, I¡¯m not afraid of them.¡± ¡°Kukukku¡­¡­is a good one. I¡¯ll tell you something you don¡¯t know. It was Rafishal who ordered your brother¡¯s assassination!¡± ¡°Rafishal?¡± The name of Rafishal the Great Sage is something that even a child knows. ¡°You¡¯ve probably never even heard of it. Rafishal is a shadowy organization with influence throughout the continent. Its official members include many royalty and royal families of major countries. To make an enemy of the association is like making an enemy of the entire continent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. You can¡¯t be so sure of that.¡± ¡°You are right. The Rafishal association is not completely hidden. It exists in the open as a name you know. Jean, I think you can guess what it is.¡± There is only one such entity. An organization that has influence throughout the continent, but whose true nature is shrouded in mystery¡­¡­. ¡°The Raddle Company¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Raddle Company is the front of Rafishal¡¯s association and Raddle Vega is rumored to be the head of Rafishal.¡± ¡°Since you use the word ¡®rumored,¡¯ I guess you don¡¯t know the facts either.¡± ¡°How can a member like me know all the facts? I only know some of the facts. Even if I am the head of a country, I am at the end of the line!¡¡Do you know what that means? The Rafishal association is that powerful!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if they are powerful or not. If that Rafishal association is really the killer of my brother they will pay the price.¡± ¡°I am amazed that you are not the least bit cowed by this fact¡­¡­.Where do you get your confidence¡­¡­from, Jean? After all, you are¡­¡­¡± Bouddarga tried to speak about me but I wasn¡¯t going to let him continue so I changed the subject. ¡°I know that the Rafishal association is the mastermind behind it. Now tell me how my brother was killed. That will determine what I do with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, and then you¡¯ll realize the real horror.¡± Bouddarga seemed to have made up his mind and began to speak in a slow tone. CH 488 Bouddarga¡¯s expression hardened a bit. I could sense his nervousness. He said he would talk, but he still seemed a little hesitant. However, after taking a breath to compose himself, he began to speak slowly, as if he had made up his mind. Your brother was trying to get evidence of corruption in the upper echelons of the Liberal Party. He was a brilliant man, as you know but he made a small mistake and obtained some pretty damning information. But the content of that information was bad.¡± ¡°I know that much. You assassinated my brother because you feared the disclosure of that information, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, it would have been very inconvenient if he had been made public, but I was ready to cover it up, and I didn¡¯t make the decision to assassinate him.¡± ¡°Then why! My brother is dead!¡± ¡°Your brother, realizing that this information was not enough to expose the corruption, went further and looked into it. There were secrets there that were never to be touched.¡± ¡°What secrets?¡± ¡°The biggest taboo of Rafishal¡­¡­is the true identity of Raddle Vega.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­brother has found out the true identity of Raddle Vega?¡± Raddle Vega is a key figure known to all, but his true identity was considered a mystery. One theory is that he is royalty from some country, but the truth is unknown. Many people have tried to find out who he really is, but most of them have disappeared or died in accidents. ¡°I heard that it was an accident of miraculous proportions that your brother found out the identity of Raddle Vega, but an ordinary man would never have reached that point. An unfortunate consequence of being so brilliant.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! What misfortune! I don¡¯t care what he knew, they can¡¯t just kill people for their own convenience!¡± In response to my anger, Bouddarga became silent and then he said something unexpected. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s not a good reason to kill someone. I thought so, too but I couldn¡¯t do anything. I defied the association and tried to stop the assassination plan, but my opinion was squashed as easily as crushing a louse. In the end, my family¡¯s life was in jeopardy. So¡­¡­I had no choice but to let your brother die¡­¡­.¡± Bouddarga admitted that was trying to save my brother. Normally, this might sound like an excuse to beg for his life but I know him and he would never beg for his life. ¡°I have one question, Bouddarga. Why did you try to connect with the Elysian Empire? If you are a member of such a powerful organization, why do you need to rely on other forces now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this so I tried to break free from the shackles of the association and take on new powers but that is no longer the case. The Elysian Empire will give up on me. Abandoned by two great powers, I can no longer live on this continent.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t mind taking that life.¡± ¡°I was ready to die when I found out that my plan had failed. You can kill me any way you like.¡± ¡°Who said you could die! Your life is in my hands. You are to be a pawn in the fight against the association under my direction. I will not allow you to die until I avenge my brother!¡± ¡°Jean, are you really going to fight against the association! Don¡¯t do it or you will lose your life!¡± ¡°Bouddarga, do you see the crucial difference between me, you and my brother?¡± ¡°You mean the difference in our abilities? I admit that you are better than me, but you are still not strong enough to fight against the association.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, there is no difference between you and me. The difference is that I have friends I can trust to help me even if I have the whole continent against me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve decided to fight a huge organization by trusting your friends!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose no matter who I¡¯m up against right now.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­that¡¯s fine. I might as well be your pawn rather than live as a dog of the association. It¡¯s a life with no future anyway.¡± The expression on Bouddarga¡¯s face was not so gloomy. CH 489 C489: Postwar Management The Elysian Empire has retreated, and Marquis Deer Grafful is dead. Although the threat was not completely eliminated, the allied forces were disbanded and returned to their respective countries due to exhaustion and fatigue. We were about to head for the Kingdom of Meltaria, where our friends were¡­¡­. ¡°The representative of the Gladiator Army wants to meet Yuta-dono of the Iron Knights.¡± Is it because of Alana? I don¡¯t know the reason but since they helped us I have no choice but to meet with her. I told her I would meet with her and asked her to let me through to the simple lodging house. ¡°My name is Geneige, representative of the Gladiator Army. I am honored to meet the esteemed Yuta-sama.¡± To my surprise, Geneige was a soft-spoken woman. She was dressed neatly, so I was surprised to see someone who was the complete opposite of a gladiator. ¡°Respect is¡­¡­not such a big deal for me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? ¡°I still get excited when I think back to that legendary match with the Gladiator King. That match is now a standard topic of conversation among gladiators at the drinking table.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I was embarrassed because I was not used to being praised in such a way. ¡°I hear you have some business with me.¡± I was embarrassed and quickly changed the subject to the main topic. ¡°As a representative of the gladiators, I have been asked by many gladiators and I wanted to ask you to confirm whether or not this is a realistic possibility.¡± ¡°Realistic? Is it something I can judge?¡± I thought it was only because you are the leader of the Iron Knight, Yuta-sama, that you could make such a judgment.¡± It¡¯s a fact that I often forget but I am indeed the leader of the Iron Knights. ¡°So what is it you want me to judge?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a group job.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you straight to the point. Many gladiators wish to join the Iron Knights.¡± I was surprised since I had never thought she would ask that. Certainly, it is not surprising that there are people who want to join a mercenary group but I never thought they would want to join the Iron Knights. I was aware that we were an unknown group, but I guess that means that we have become a little famous. ¡°How many people want to join?¡± ¡°About a hundred.¡± ¡°A hundred?¡± ¡°Of course, you can have them go through a test and so on. Can you think positively about it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t pay that much, do we? It¡¯s also quite dangerous and I don¡¯t recommend it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I am not that concerned about how I will be treated since I made this decision because I admire Yuta-sama and Alana-sama, the two riders who fought with me in this battle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to our manager so give me a minute.¡± I can¡¯t make a decision without Jean¡¯s opinion since he is the one who manages the money so I decided to contact Jean. CH 490 C490: The Great Mercenaries When I contacted Fugaku, I got a reply that Jean was in another country with Musashi. ¡°Why are they going there?¡± ¡°To look for evidence of enemy subterfuge. Dhahran is Jean¡¯s hometown, so he is the right person for the job. What¡¯s so urgent? I explained the situation to Alana in a few words, as it was also relevant to her and she was not so surprised when she heard what I had to say. The quality of gladiators has changed. I can¡¯t believe that these windbags, who believe in freedom, would go out of their way to become employees of a crippled organization. ¡°I agree. What do you think, Alana?¡± ¡°I think you should answer that we don¡¯t have money to hire that many gladiators but we can hire a few after they go through rigorous testing.¡± I had similar expectations as Alana. However, the reality was very different. ¡°What? You can hire everyone who wants to join!¡± ¡°Gladiators are more promising than regular soldiers of a small country. With our rider enhancement program, they will be a force to be reckoned with in no time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true, but is the money going to be enough?¡± ¡°The Elysian Empire¡¯s invasion has caused major conflicts all over the continent. It¡¯s easy to get big jobs, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to it if the money wasn¡¯t a problem¡­¡­.¡± Jean makes an immediate decision to purchase magicrafts, ride carriers and increase the number of riders, as well as to supplement the maintenance staff and ship¡¯s crew. I wonder where such money will come from, but he talks as if he has something to count on apart from the group¡¯s funds. I was impressed to see his skills as a former merchant being put to use in such a situation. Jean, who is in the Republic of Dhahran, is also heading to the Kingdom of Meltaria, so the Iron Knights will be gathering there. In the meantime, we are going to recruit new members and purchase magicrafts and ride carriers at the same time. A new Iron Knights mercenary group might be born in Meltaria. ¡°Geneige, were you also an applicant?¡± It seems that Geneige, who came to visit me as a representative of the gladiators, was actually a prospective member of the Iron Knights. She was the first to line up at the reception desk for those wishing to join the group and when I found her I called out to her. ¡°Of course, I am one of the gladiators who admire Alana-sama and Yuta-sama, so I do not intend to miss this opportunity to be able to fight alongside the two people I admire.¡± If she is a representative of gladiators, her ability must be considerable. While I feel reassured, I also feel a little fear as I look into her glazed eyes when she talks about such things. I had heard that there were about 100 people who wanted to join the group, but when I opened the door, I found that the number had increased significantly to 250. We had told them that we would accept all who wanted to join, so we couldn¡¯t just reject them because there were a few too many. We would have to purchase more magicrafts and inevitably we would have to hire more maintenance staff so I was beginning to worry if the funds would really be enough CH 491 C491: Returning to Fugaku I¡¯ll try to release 15 chapters this week to make up for the ones I missed. While the Iron Knights were gathering in Meltaria, we conducted a recruitment drive for personnel, and there seemed to be a response that we had not anticipated. Alana, who was waiting for our arrival in Meltaria, informed me that many people had already been recruited. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the information network of the Alice Abbey to advertise the position in the first place? There are already close to 500 people here, and we won¡¯t be able to respond in time.¡± ¡°That many people?¡± The number of people is more than I expected and I am surprised too. ¡°What is Jean doing? What¡¯s taking him so long just to get back to Meltaria from Dhahran? If he won¡¯t get over here and help me with the paperwork, we¡¯re going to have a flat tire.¡± I understand that it takes time because we are taking the recruited gladiators with us to Meltaria, but surely Jean and the others could have already arrived in Meltaria. Maybe something went wrong¡­¡­. The cause of Jean¡¯s delay, however, was simpler. When we confirmed our concern, this was the answer we received. ¡°I was just making preparations for the upcoming need to raise sufficient funds.¡± ¡°Oh, so you think you¡¯ll be able to manage the funds?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine for the time being,¡± he said. ¡°I think we can pull money from several Southwestern countries.¡± I can¡¯t even imagine what it would take to get funding from those nations, but the great thing about Jean is that he does it so easily. By the time we arrived in Meltaria, the Iron Knights had become a large group. It was already impossible to accommodate them in Fugaku and countless temporary tents had been erected around it. ¡°This is a big deal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nanami hopes that her room is safe and that no one took it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine¡­¡­.¡± Nanami looks at the many people coming in and out of Fugaku and says with concern and Farma was worried too but she didn¡¯t show it, With this concern in mind, we entered Fugaku and were reunited with our friends, who were busy moving around. I expected them to welcome us back after a long absence, but only one of them welcomed us. ¡°Emina! Good, I need a little help with the paperwork! Yuta, Nanami, and Farma, I¡¯m sorry, but could you please deal with Lorgo and the others as you see fit?¡± It¡¯s true that there¡¯s no place for me or Nanami in this situation so we went to the rider¡¯s waiting room where Lorgo and the others were waiting so as not to get in the way. ¡°It¡¯s my brother! Welcome back, big brother!¡± Mayu hugs me happily when she finds me. Although she is a young girl at heart, she is a fully grown woman so the thick embrace was too stimulating for me, a male underage. ¡°Hey Mayu, don¡¯t get too sticky with Yuta!¡± Before I can stop Mayu, Nanami warns her with a grim look on her face. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Why do you mean¡­¡­why!¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any particular reason, and Nanami was at a loss for a reply, but Mayu, perhaps also bothered by Nanami¡¯s warning, slowly backed away from me. CH 492 Chapter 492: Plans With the arrival of the gladiators who had joined our group, the paperwork increased, causing further confusion, but with Jean¡¯s return, the situation quickly improved. The piles of paperwork were quickly reduced, and at the same time, personnel matters were handled and the organization was solidified. He also purchased 10 large ride carriers, and even decided on room assignments, which was more than impressive; it was actually quite astonishing. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a while now that maybe Jean isn¡¯t even human.¡± Emina said with a straight face as we all took a break from the hell of paperwork to enjoy a cup of hot pea charcoal tea. ¡°Yes, he isn¡¯t. He did the paperwork for ten veterans by himself.¡± Alana assured them, and they all nodded in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about people like they¡¯re monsters or something. I¡¯m just good at paperwork.¡± Jean came into the cafeteria with this remark. ¡°I wonder why the smartest people are so sharp-eared.¡± ¡°I can hear you when you talk so loud. We don¡¯t have time to take a break since we have to decide on the future direction at the meeting. Yuta, Alana, Sword Saint, Kiyone, and Emina come to the conference room later.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan for the future?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve become such a large organization that we can¡¯t feed everyone with the same work style.¡± ¡°You mean we¡¯re going to focus on bigger jobs than before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. We could also split up into units and do more of the same work.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Nanami, perhaps not amused by such adult conversation, makes a proposal that is true to her own desires. ¡°Nanami thinks that we should hold a welcome party for the newcomers. Nanami wants to eat lots of delicious food!¡± ¡°I agree with the welcome party!¡± Farma agreed and the conversation drifted in that direction. ¡°It would be difficult to organize a welcome party for 1,000 people, don¡¯t you think?¡± No matter how I imagine it, I can¡¯t picture a welcome party for 1,000 people. I felt bad for Nanami and Farma, but I expressed my negative opinion. ¡°I agree that it¡¯s a good reason to drink, but it¡¯s also a lot of work to set up the venue.¡± ¡°Preparing the food alone is a lot of work, and as Yuta said, it¡¯s probably a bit difficult.¡± Father and Alana also expressed their calm and mature opinions. The atmosphere was close to becoming that of a welcome party was not going to be possible, but my childhood friend pulled me back. ¡°I can handle a thousand people. My grandfather used to organize a festival of that size every year.¡± ¡°Why not? What¡¯s the difference between drinking, eating food, and having a good time with everyone? Well, if you put it that way, there may not be much difference¡­¡­.I guess you can have a festival-like welcome party. CH 493 C493: Preparations for the Festival There are festivals in this world as well, perhaps due to the influence of earthlings who have migrated here, but they seem to have a strong religious element and are often more like rituals than festivals. As Nagisa mentioned, few people seemed to understand the idea of holding a welcome party in a festival-like atmosphere. ¡°Is it okay if the place is outdoors? How are you going to cook the food?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll set up food stalls and serve the food. People can choose what they want to eat and eat as much as they want.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, oh, can I eat as much as I want?¡± ¡°Good. Enjoy it as much as you want.¡± ¡°Yay! Nanami and Farma will eat.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°But, Nanami, you can¡¯t eat as much as Lorgo.¡± ¡°Ode will eat what Nanami didn¡¯t eat.¡± ¡°I see. Then we¡¯ll be fine.¡± I don¡¯t know if it makes sense but I¡¯m glad Nanami and the others seem to be having fun. ¡°So, are you going to get us some booze?¡± Father doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in the festival, but he is happy to have an excuse to drink sake. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll have several kegs of all-you-can-drink sake, and we¡¯ll have stalls set up where you can pick and choose what you want to drink.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be fun.¡± Jean answered father¡¯s question. The fact is that the actual festival is going to be a lot more than just a party, it¡¯s going to be a celebration of the people who have joined the Iron Knights. Although me and Nagisa came up with the idea based on our experience with festivals, in the end, it was Jean who was in charge. ¡°It¡¯s alright to drink, but only in moderation, please.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a picky girl, isn¡¯t she? Her mother, who was usually so strict, used to let me drink freely on such occasions.¡± ¡°I am different from mother. I will not be lenient at any time!¡± Kiyone said so clearly that father could not say anything back to her. Still, I expect that he will make me drink at the festival. ¡°Linnecarlo, can you do me a favor?¡± Jean said, while looking at his notes. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I would like to ask for the cooperation of the restaurants in the royal capital, since it is impossible to run all the stalls with only the members of the old troupe. Can you use the authority of the royal family?¡± ¡°I understand, I will talk to Yudin.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to use the royal family¡¯s authority for something like this, but the royal family accepts it without any sense of uneasiness. Yudin would also probably accept it willingly. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got the food and drinks, we¡¯re left with the entertainment. What¡¯s the standard thing to do at this festival you guys are talking about?¡± Jean asked Nagisa and me. ¡°Well, it varies from region to region, but in the simpler ones, there¡¯s dancing, singing, and even shooting games and goldfish scooping at food stalls.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to understand about target shooting and goldfish scooping, but he nodded, so I guess he got the idea. After that, we called vendors, ordered a few things, and started making preparations. CH 494 C494: Collaboration That¡¯s all for today. The welcoming festival was supposed to be an Iron Knights-only event, but it took a funny turn when we asked Yudin for his help. ¡°It became widely known to the public that the Iron Knights were going to hold an interesting event¡­¡­.¡± A high-ranking official of the king¡¯s government came to Fugaku with an important proposal from Yudin. I had no idea what he was talking about, but Jean immediately guessed what the proposal was. ¡°I see, you are asking if the people can participate in this festival.¡± ¡°Yes, nowadays, the talk of the town is all about the festival held by the Iron Knights, and many people are appealing to the government to participate¡­¡­.As far as the enthusiasm of the people is concerned, there is even a concern that it could turn into a riot if things go badly. The government would like to keep things quiet and is wondering if it would be possible to hold this festival as a joint event between the kingdom and the Iron Knights¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The kingdom and the Iron Knights are not in a position to benefit from jointly hosting the festival. What kind of conditions did Yudin prepare?¡± ¡°Yes, we will bear all the expenses related to the event, and we will also provide local ingredients from all over the kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad deal. What do you say, Yuta?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to cover the expenses, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m also interested in local ingredients.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. However, we will take the initiative, and you will provide the funds and personnel.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. We will put together a project team immediately. You are free to use them as you wish.¡± The welcoming festival is going to involve the Meltaria Kingdom and will be bigger than we can imagine. However, we must not forget the original purpose of the festival. We must also make sure that the event welcoming the new members will be a success¡­¡­. Even as we were preparing for the welcome party festival, additional applicants were arriving in droves. Many of them were former riders of the Sword Clan and it seemed that they had come because they knew that Kiyone and Br¨¹nnhilde were in the Iron Knights. They were all very surprised to learn that Sword Saint was still alive, and greeted him with tears in their eyes. ¡°Grand Master! You are alive!¡± ¡°The greatest joy of my life!¡¡I never thought I¡¯d see you again, O-sensei¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We can fight together again, O-sensei!¡± Among the former members of the Sword Clan was my classmate Teppei, but he never showed up. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to be around me. With the materials and stalls set up, the festival site is finally being prepared. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the festival, including the people of Meltaria. The sight of hundreds of food stalls lined up was a sight to behold, perhaps comparable to a large festival in Japan. A large circular stage was set up in the center of the festival site. I was told that some kind of event would be held here, but I was not told the details yet. I think it will probably be a karaoke contest or something, but I am looking forward to it. CH 495 C495: Welcome Party Festival After careful preparation, the festivities began¡­ The welcome party festival was to last three days and three nights, as the scale of the event had increased and the event was to be led by the people of Meltaria. I had expected to be busy behind the scenes, but Jean and the staff of the Kingdom of Meltaria did most of the work, and I was told to just enjoy myself on the day of the festival. ¡°Yuta, let¡¯s go around together.¡± The festival was based on the motif of a Japanese summer festival, and the atmosphere at the festival site was just right. Nagisa, who was in a good mood, invited me to go with her. ¡°I think it would be nice to experience the atmosphere of the old days.¡± I was deeply moved as I remembered how I always enjoyed summer festivals with Nagisa. But soon the childhood friend of my memories brought me back to reality. ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to Nanami, Alana and the others?¡¡They seem to hook up with Yuta at times like this. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alana is getting ready with Emina, Kiyone, and Linnecarlo, as if she has to help with some event. Nanami took off with Lorgo and Farma, saying she was going to eat a lot of good food.¡± ¡°Yuta wasn¡¯t invited to go with them?¡± ¡°She invited me, but I turned her down because I had plans to talk to Jean at that time. Well, instead, she asked me to spend the day with her tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true¡­¡­but what about Mayu, who calls herself Yuta¡¯s sister, and who seems to be the first one to come after you?¡± ¡°Mayu just had her regular checkup and is in the doctor¡¯s office with Feri.¡± ¡°Well, then¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re asking me like it¡¯s my fault for being alone?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but it¡¯s just that there¡¯s always someone around Yuta, so it¡¯s a little weird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that when I¡¯m in Fugaku, someone is always nearby and I¡¯m rarely alone. I guess I¡¯m blessed to be in such a good environment, if you think about it.¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get something to eat soon, I hear there are tons of food stalls selling local cuisine from all over Meltaria, so I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Nagisa, who agrees, looks happy for some reason. I see, so this guy is also nostalgic for the old days¡­¡­ Being hungry, we decided to put something in our bellies first. I insisted on a large piece of grilled meat on a skewer, but Nagisa said, ¡°You can always have just grilled meat on a skewer.¡± She had a point, and we ended up eating a dish that consisted of a blue liquid simmering in a slug-like substance the size of the back of my hand. To be honest, it didn¡¯t look very tasty, thanks to the fact that I chose it in favor of rarity. ¡°Nagisa, just take a sip.¡± ¡°What? Yuta should eat first!¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I don¡¯t have the courage to take a bite.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± The blue slug-like dish has a peculiar smell, like vinegar mixed with black ink, and it exquisitely reduces one¡¯s appetite. Nagisa seems to feel the same way, frowning at the smell. ¡°All right! Let¡¯s play rock-paper-scissors!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances!¡± The result was a straight loss for me after three rounds of play. The point system introduced in the middle of the game was no excuse for my 5-0 defeat, and the first bite of the game was mine. I fearfully put the blue slug in my mouth. The warm temperature makes me even more terrified, but the taste that comes through is¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s not bad!¡± I can¡¯t say it was delicious because it tasted like nothing I had ever tasted. ¡°Here, try some Nagisa.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ll get angry if you cheat me¡­¡­.¡± Despite her doubts, Nagisa also took a bite. Her face was full of apprehension but her expression changed when he put it in her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s true, it tastes good.¡± We shared a new discovery and out of the corner of our eye, we looked at each other and laughed. CH 496 C496: At the Food Stall The festival had a well-developed Japanese summer festival atmosphere. I think the fact that many of the participants were wearing yukata (light cotton kimono) was a major factor. ¡°By the way, where do all these people get the yukatas they are wearing?¡± ¡°I heard they rent them at the entrance to the venue. It¡¯s free, and yukatas are rare, so most people seem to be renting them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very generous of them to give them away for free.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because all the expenses are paid by the Kingdom of Meltaria.¡± ¡°Then it must be Yudin who is really generous.¡± The kingdom of Meltaria is said to be relatively wealthy due to its resources and easy trading terrain, but since Yudin became king, the economic situation has become even more stable and they have ample funds. ¡°Let¡¯s try something else.¡± Nagisa pointed to one of the stalls, which looked like one of those target practice games you see at fairs. But it was different from the shooting game I know. ¡°Yeah? Is that a ¡­¡­ projectile?¡± ¡°Looks like it, but¡­¡­.¡± There is no firearm like a rifle in this world so I had a little trouble explaining the projectile to Jean, but apparently that didn¡¯t go over well. The rifles that shot out corks and aimed at the prizes had been replaced by bazooka-like cylindrical objects that were carried on the shoulder and fired. Furthermore, on the shelves lined with prizes, a target-like object was placed between the prizes, and it was not clear whether the correct answer was to aim at the prize or at the target. ¡°Welcome! How about a shot at one of our gorgeous prizes?¡± The man who was on duty at the store called out to us as Nagisa and I approached. ¡°What are the rules?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a game where you use this rifle to aim and shoot at a target. But be careful, if you hit the prize and break it, you will have to pay for it.¡± ¡°Seriously¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a thrilling and fun experience for sure! Go ahead, it¡¯s free of charge!¡± Even if there¡¯s no charge, it could be expensive if you have to pay for a broken prize¡­¡­.Well, since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s give it a try. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Here you go. Pull the trigger here and it will fire a bullet. Don¡¯t point it at anyone.¡± I had a bad feeling about this, but I thought there was no way I was shooting at a target with such a dangerous object, so I took it easy and aimed at the target. ¡°A little more to the right, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I know.¡± I took good aim and pulled the trigger. At that moment, with a loud bang, something flew out of the end of the tube on my shoulder with great force. The object that flew out did not just blow one of the prizes away, but also punched a large hole in the wall behind us. We were all dizzy from the force that far exceeded our expectations, and the storekeeper calmly said to us, ¡°Oh my goodness, you destroyed the prize.¡± As we were dazzled by the power that far exceeded our expectations, the store keeper calmly said to us, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ll have to pay 30,000 gold for destroying the prize.¡± ¡°That funny vase costs 30,000 gold!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a work of art made by Molly. The market price is 100,000 gold, but Mr. Molly kindly gave it to me at a low price.¡± I was tempted to ask, ¡°Who¡¯s Molly?¡± but it was true that I had broken the prize. I had no choice but to pay the store keeper 30,000 gold. ¡°All right, Nagisa, avenge me!¡± ¡°Leave it to me, you know I¡¯m good at target practice.¡± I know she was good at target shooting, but I don¡¯t think this is target shooting anymore¡­¡­. Nagisa smiles at me with a relaxed smile and holds the tube on her shoulder. She took aim and pulled the trigger without hesitation. With a sound that surprised me no matter how many times I heard it, the bullet shot out and destroyed three of the prizes. CH 497 C497: The Best Part of the Festival The total amount of the prizes Nagisa destroyed came to 120,000 gold. I ended up having to pay for it on behalf of Nagisa, who didn¡¯t have any money on hand, which made my wallet very lonely. ¡°You¡¯d better pay me back later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you forgot about the loan I gave you in junior high school when you asked me for 10,000 to buy a video game console you really wanted, but you still haven¡¯t returned it. I think we¡¯re even now.¡± ¡°Ah! Oh, that reminds me, didn¡¯t I pay you back¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, no, I borrowed 10,000 in the first place. I¡¯m not sure if 120,000 is a fair deal!¡± ¡°I lent it to you when we were in junior high school. It¡¯s obvious that¡¯s interest.¡± Damn¡­¡­I can¡¯t say anything back if she puts it that way. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a goldfish scooping game¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s¡­¡­supposed to be goldfish scooping, is it?¡± ¡°Well, if it was, wouldn¡¯t it be fun?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not funny.¡± The reason I am not sure if it is goldfish scooping or not is because the goldfish I am scooping is abnormally huge. It looks like the goldfish I know, but it¡¯s a little bigger than a great koi carp, and I can¡¯t think of how it would be scooped. ¡°How is this something to play with?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a game where you use this net to catch the big fish. You can take home the fish you catch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Well, this one looks like it¡¯s free too, so I don¡¯t have to think too much about it.¡± When I decided so and told the store keeper that I would play, the gallery, which had gathered before I knew it, cheered loudly for some reason. Then, out of the corner of their mouths, they began to say things like, ¡°As expected of an Iron Knights rider, you are very brave.¡± It bothered me a little, so I decided not to worry about it. I received a net that was short but large enough to hold a giant goldfish, and immediately set my sights on a goldfish that swam nearby. As soon as I put the net in to scoop the goldfish, Nagisa, who was standing behind me, shouted, ¡°Yuta!¡± ¡°Yuta! Look out!¡± Hearing her voice, I quickly put down the net and moved away from the pool. The moment I left the pool, a goldfish bit into the net I had put down. The goldfish, which had seemed so docile until then, changed completely and turned into a fang-baring, terrifying creature. The net was shattered and turned into a mess. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had bitten my arm. ¡°Be careful! They are ferocious predators, and if you approach them from the front, they will bite your arms off!¡± ¡°Say it first!¡± My heart is still racing. I had never experienced such fear even in magicraft combat. In any case, we could not allow such a dangerous business. Using the authority of the Iron Knights, the organizer of the event, I closed the stand. CH 498 C498: Main Event Just as we were enjoying the festival, a loud announcement was made in the hall. The main event of the day would be held later in the day. ¡°What¡¯s the main event?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I heard that Alana and Emina are helping out.¡± While Nagisa and I were talking about the main event, I heard a loud voice calling me. I looked and saw Nanami and her friends coming toward me with their hands full of food. ¡°You guys hear the announcement and come here?¡± ¡°I thought you were only interested in the food, but it seems that you were also interested in enjoying the event.¡± The main event is the ¡°Eating¡± part, but it seems that the participants are also willing to enjoy the event. ¡°Well, Nanami, did Alana tell you what they¡¯re going to do?¡± ¡°Nanami doesn¡¯t know. I asked her, but she said it¡¯s too early for Nanami.¡± ¡°And you haven¡¯t heard from Farma or Lorgo?¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Ode doesn¡¯t know either.¡± If so many people don¡¯t know, maybe they are intentionally hiding it. Are they trying to surprise us with something? Many people had gathered around the stage where the main event was to take place. As I was waiting for the event to begin, a man who seemed to be the emcee appeared. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. Thank you for coming to today¡¯s main event. With your permission, I, Leronde, will be the emcee for today¡¯s main event.¡± I was wondering in my mind who Leronde was, but from the reaction of the gallery around me, she seemed to be a well-known personality, and some of the ladies were making a lot of noise. ¡°Now let me tell you what the main event of the day will be.¡± ¡°Whoa, I¡¯ll finally know what they¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°I wonder what they¡¯re going to do. I think it¡¯s going to be karaoke.¡± ¡°Nanami thinks it¡¯s a gluttonous feast. It¡¯s fun to eat a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking maybe the unveiling of the new magicraft.¡± ¡°Ode, ode, whatever.¡± The curtain hanging over the archway set up behind her was removed as the emcee, Leronde, waved her hand in an exaggerated gesture. What emerged was the title of the Iron Knights Miss Beauty Pageant. Nagisa and I were stunned and speechless, wondering how they could have concealed such a thing from us and proceeded with it. Nanami and Farma were pouting, not seeming to understand the meaning. ¡°Hey, hey, what¡¯s a Miss Beauty Pageant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to decide who the most beautiful girl is.¡± ¡°The most beautiful girl? What are you going to do with that?¡± It was a fair question, I thought. As I was wondering what to say, a familiar voice behind me answered for me. ¡°Because everyone believes, without a doubt, that their favorite is the best. That¡¯s why they want to see this farce, to make things black and white.¡± ¡°Hey, Dad, weren¡¯t you having a drinking party with the old sword gang?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all drunk now and I¡¯ve got some free time, so I came here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not just attracted to the phrase ¡°beauty pageant¡± while saying that,¡± Nagisa pointed out. Nagisa¡¯s nasty remark seemed to have hit the nail on the head, and the old man coughs in embarrassment to cover it up. CH 499 C499: Women¡¯s Battle: First Half ¡°It looks like it¡¯s starting.¡± Father said happily, as if he was looking forward to it. Leronde, the host, began to explain the event. ¡°The Miss Beauty Pageant contestants will now appear one by one and promote themselves. After watching them, 10 members of the judging panel will score them on a 10-point scale, and the woman with the highest score will receive the honor of being the first Miss Iron Knights!¡± Sounds orthodox to me. I don¡¯t know what promoting themselves means, but I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it anyway. ¡°Let¡¯s have the first one appear! A beautiful butterfly flying around the battlefield, even the magic machine she manipulates oozes beauty, the miraculous gladiator queen, Alana! As soon as Alana is introduced light and hop music starts playing. Then, from the gate behind the host Alana appears, dressed in a swimsuit with little material. Alana raised her right hand in greeting to the crowd and the jury, then walked slowly on stage so that her body could be seen clearly. She stopped from time to time to strike a pose that emphasized her ample breasts, and the crowd went ¡°ooh¡± and ¡°ahh¡± as she showed off her body. ¡°This is so much fun, it¡¯s quite a feast for the eyes.¡± ¡°I agree¡­¡­.¡± While father and I were gawking at Aluna¡¯s swimsuit, Nagisa gave us a strong elbow strike. ¡°Ggh!¡± ¡°Where are you looking, you disgusting!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just looking at the event seriously. I¡¯m not looking at anything weird!¡± ¡°What are you talking about when you look at her like that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You had the same eyes as the old man!¡± I was shocked that she pointed out that my eyes were the same as my dad¡¯s, the same eyes of a dirty adult, and I couldn¡¯t say anything. In the meantime, Alana¡¯s appeal time was over. I don¡¯t know what the judging criteria were, but I think she left a good enough impression. Aluna¡¯s score was 92 points, which was a high score right off the bat. Next up was Emina. Unlike Alana, who was in high spirits, her expression was gloomy. Perhaps someone had forced her to participate. However, I thought she was attractive and beautiful enough with her well-trained and refined body, which was due to her military background. However, although Emina¡¯s appearance was second to none, her dark expression may have been a negative factor, and her score was a sluggish 82. But perhaps relieved that it was over, she finally smiled afterwards. The third one was Liza, who was not supposed to be there. This one was probably forced to participate by Alana. It was hard to believe that she had chosen a revealing swimsuit. In all probability, it was Aluna¡¯s choice. Liza has a boyish body, and to be honest, she is not as feminine as Alana and Emina. However, her shy gestures were cute and appealing. The judges may have appreciated this, as she received a score of 91, an unexpectedly high score. The fourth runner-up was Kiyone. She may or may not know the meaning of the Miss Beauty Pageant, but for some reason she appeared dressed in a hakama-like outfit. Although it was less appealing to the audience than a bathing suit, she looked beautiful enough in her formal attire, which was crisp and brave. Kiyone danced on the stage with her feet on the floor, and then she suddenly pulled out the sword at her waist. She then performed what could be described as a sword dance, swinging the sword in a spectacular manner. The dance was quite beautiful, but the lack of exposure may have affected the judges, who gave her a low score of 90 points. ¡°Where are you looking? What part of this impeccable, refined, beautiful dance did she score 90 points for? Take another good look at it!!!!¡± Father loudly protested to the jury that he was not satisfied with the score, but he was not listened to. CH 500 C500: Women¡¯s Battle: Second Half There will be 10 chapters next week since I couldn¡¯t release 15 chapters this week. The event was interrupted by a dispute between the judges and father, but Kiyone came out and managed to get the situation under control by getting angry and telling him not to do anything embarrassing. When the event resumed, the first person to appear was, no way, Linnecarlo. Her appearance brought even more excitement to the venue. ¡°She is indeed the princess of this country, and in terms of simple popularity, she is without a doubt the most popular.¡± ¡°I think Linnecarlo is the favorite because of the location advantage.¡± Nagisa and I predicted that Linnecarlo would have the advantage, but father had a different point of view. ¡°She¡¯s definitely favored, but she also has a weakness in that she¡¯s not fresh enough. Maybe a surprising dark horse will win.¡± The words of an old man with life experience were heavy, but I let them go lightly, remembering that it was just a prediction for a beauty pageant. Linnecarlo, who had been walking around the stage for a bit to make her appeal, suddenly took off her jacket and threw it right over her head. The audience was even more excited to see her well-balanced body in a revealing swimsuit. I wondered what the prize was, since Linnecarlo was so aggressive. I don¡¯t think she would do this kind of service with normal products¡­¡­ Perhaps due to the atmosphere at the event, Linnecarlo scored 97 points, the highest score to date. Linnecarlo was delighted with his score, perhaps even satisfied with the result. She was so happy that even though it was time for her to leave the stage, she stayed on stage to answer the gallery¡¯s calls. In the end, she was forced to leave the stage by the staff. Next up was the emcee. I was surprised that she, who denies her gender, was competing in such an event, but she appeared in a different way from the purpose of the event. A beauty dressed as a man, she was dressed like a stage actor with a woman playing a man, and she did not give any flirtatious performance at all. Her imposing appearance was not only beautiful but good looking, and she won the hearts of the women in the audience at once. Perhaps this kind of contest is possible in the sense that it is a contest for beautiful women. In fact, the audience was as excited as for the other contestants. However, the fact that most of the judges were male may have had an effect on the score, which was only 81 points. However, she was not disappointed and responded to the cheering female audience with a smile and a wave of her hand. I wondered who would be next and thought it would be Emitz or Mirti, but then someone unexpected showed up. ¡°Whoa, Fistina!¡± The appearance of Fistina, the beautiful pilot of Fugaku, caused an explosive buzz in the hall. Female riders like Linnecarlo and Alana are usually the center of attention, and apparently there is even a fan club in this country, but it seems that even the most dedicated enthusiasts had not marked the pilot of the ride carrier. The crowd could not contain their surprise and excitement at the unexpected appearance of this beautiful woman. Fistina¡¯s style is perfect and her dress, which is wide open at the bust, arouses men¡¯s curiosity. The way her thighs are glimpsed in a gesture that could start a riot is a little frightening. Her clear, well-defined face, a rarity in this part of the country, seemed to be more acceptable than I had imagined. Stimulated by their male instincts, the jury members offered a high score of 98 points. CH 501 C501: Women¡¯s Battle: End So far, Fistina has the highest score with 98 points. I thought Fistina would be the winner if things continue as they were, but I was told that in order to ensure fairness in the order of entry, if the difference is as close as one point, there will be a runoff vote, and there is still a chance for Linnecarlo, who has 97 points. Next to make an energetic appearance was Mirti. She is uninhibited and generously shows off her body, which is full of healthy beauty. In terms of exposure, she is probably the most revealing so far, no longer in a swimsuit that is about the size of a string, but only minimally concealed. I was looking at her with a hot face, but for some reason Nagisa shook my head and removed my gaze. Mirti received a high score of 92 from the male audience. Nagisa analyzed that the reason it was a little sluggish was that there was not much support from women. I don¡¯t know what it means, but I was taught that blatant flirtation is disliked by the same sex. After Mirti sweet exuberance, it was newly joined former gladiator Geneige who appeared with the exact opposite dignity of hers. Normally innocent and mature, she had long, lustrous black hair that was set on top, giving her the air of a dominatrix. She was also dressed in a sexy bondage outfit that I imagined would look good with a whip in her hands. She was a newcomer, and her freshness increased her score to 95 points. She exited with a cool expression on her face, not caring about the score. At this point, it was impossible to predict who would appear next. On the contrary, I was looking forward to it and eagerly awaited their appearance. And it was Br¨¹nnhilde who came out. Her young appearance seemed to be used to her advantage, pushing her childlike cuteness rather than feminine beauty to win the competition, and she went for a less revealing character with cat ears. Since there were many children in the audience, the families were smiling and excited by this adorable outfit. However, the score of 82 points was not as high as the excitement, as it was clearly out of line with the purpose of the event. The MC announced that the next contestant would be the last. I think most of the women I knew had participated, but was there anyone left? I wondered who it was, and as I was talking with Nanami, Farma, and the others as well, pop and light music started playing. I wondered when they had prepared more, but when the flashy lighting lit up the stage, the last contestant showed up. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me¡­¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± It was Rafishal, dressed in a frilly idol costume. Leaving me and Nagisa in a state of shock and disbelief, the audience was in its own way excited. Rafishal began to sing along with the music. He sang a song that sounded like something some idol group would sing, and he did it very well. Surprisingly, he even choreographed the song and performed it as if it were a live idol show. Come to think of it, I have never seen this kind of entertainment since I came to this world. Aside from me and Nagisa, who are from Earth, it seemed to be a new experience for the people here, and the venue seemed to explode with unbelievable excitement. The judges seemed to be impressed by Rafishal stage performance, and the score was an astonishing 100 points, making him the undisputed winner. No, in the first place, was it right for a man, Rafishal, to win the Miss Iron Knights competition? There was such a question, but the people around did not seem to care at all. CH 502 C502: Operation / Yuki The Central Area Army commanded by myself, Rosetta, and Arjain was advancing on Fort Manoni, a strategic point, to attack the Kingdom of Lacia, a large country adjacent to the south of the Elysian Empire. Compared to the Elysian Empire¡¯s Central Area Army, which had 50,000 magicrafts, the Lacian Army defending the Manoni Fortress was outnumbered by 12,000 magicrafts, 300 battleship-class ride carriers, and 300,000 soldiers, but they were showing fierce resistance, taking advantage of the fortress¡¯ defensive capabilities and the advantage of its terrain. ¡°The first thing we should do is to hit the group of guns to the northeast,¡± he said. ¡±That would make it easier to attack the fortress headquarters in the center.¡± A large number of enemy artillery pieces had been installed in the northeast of the fortress. As we were suffering from that bombardment, Arjain made such a proposal. However, Rosetta looked at the current situation and pointed out the difficulty of the operation. ¡°It¡¯s true, but the countless artillery pieces are all set up on top of the mountain, so destroying them will be a challenge. Moreover, the canyon below the group of guns is like a fissure, and the army cannot move as it wishes, so it will be difficult to capture it all at once with a large army.¡± ¡°Yes, and it is reported that there is a powerful magicraft unit positioned in the northeast, so it won¡¯t be easy.¡± The Central Area Army¡¯s chief of staff, Horostoi, also agrees with Rosetta¡¯s point of view and although I had no intention of voicing my opinion, I couldn¡¯t help but say this. ¡°How about taking a small group of elite troops to the top of the mountain and destroying the weapons? If we carefully select magicrafts that are capable of climbing the cliff, we can take a route to avoid the powerful enemy forces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. If we do it in the dark, the success rate will be even higher.¡± ¡°However, there are only a limited number of magicrafts that can climb the cliff. Can¡¯t we use a flying squadron?¡± Rosetta offers an alternative to Arjain, who immediately agrees. ¡°The flying squadron, which makes a loud noise when flying, will be noticed immediately and will be targeted by enemy anti-magicraft artillery.¡± The unfamiliar term ¡°anti-magicraft artillery¡± is explained to me by Horostoi. ¡°It is a weapon used against flying magicrafts. At present, only our country, the Kingdom of Lacia, and Raddle Company possess flying units and anti-magicraft artillery.¡± Apparently, it is a cutting-edge weapon. It is true that I have seen flying magicrafts a few times, but the overall number seems to be small. After that, talk of attacking the Manoni Fortress continued, and as a result, the operation to destroy the artillery with my small, elite force was officially adopted. However, it was difficult to select magicrafts that could climb the cliff lightly, and in the end, I, Rosetta, and Arjain joined that unit. There were some concerns about the three commanders acting in a separate unit, but it was agreed that there would be no full-scale attack from the Lacian army, which was on the defensive at the fortress. CH 503 Chapter 503: The Destruction of the Artillery / Yuki While we were away on a separate mission, Horostoi was to take command of the entire force. It was not necessary to make large-scale movements, but it was necessary to attack intermittently to avoid the detection of the separate unit and to be prepared for unexpected attacks from the enemy. The unit went to destroy the artillery guns, instructing Horostoi to attack on a small scale in order to divert the enemy¡¯s attention. The unit consisted of ten men, three of the Ten-War Gods and seven Exlanders (including Mary), and although small in number, we were capable of defeating even a division of mediocre opponents. Unfortunately, however, Lacia is no ordinary opponent. There were also some very powerful riders, so we could not let our guard down. ¡°Let¡¯s take the east route. The projecting rocks will give us a blind spot from the watchtower, so we¡¯ll have less chance of being seen.¡± ¡°Another hard route to climb.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re trying to outwit the enemy.¡± As expected, the enemy¡¯s surveillance was thin, as they did not seem to expect a magicraft to climb the sheer cliff. Slowly but steadily, we began to climb the cliff. Climbing steep cliffs is more important for mobility and dexterity than for power, and it is difficult even for a very high-ranki magicraft. However, it did not seem to be a difficult move for this unit and we were all following along without difficulty. ¡°Don¡¯t drop a single rock, or they¡¯ll notice you.¡± Hearing Arjain¡¯s words, I brace myself. It would indeed be dangerous if we were noticed while climbing the cliff and attacked so we carefully climbed up the cliff, making as little noise as possible. Once we had a small rock fall, but it looked like we would be able to make it up the cliff. Rosetta, who was the first to climb, silenced the nearby guards by destroying their cockpits without giving them time to send warnings. ¡°We¡¯ve all made the climb, and from here I don¡¯t care if the enemy notices us, but we¡¯ll get to our objective quickly.¡± We decided to further split up our unit and work in pairs to destroy the enemy artillery and I would be in charge of the eastern flank with Mary. After the first one was destroyed by the duo in charge of the west side, the enemy finally noticed something was wrong. An alarm rang out loudly, and the defending magicraft units moved about. A squadron of magicrafts appeared in front of Mary and me. I accelerated and closed the gap between us and skewered them with my rapier. At the same time, Mary used her sword to reap and destroy an enemy magicraft approaching from the side. Moving quickly and without rest, we silenced enemy magicrafts one after another. In addition, in between, we targeted and destroyed the cores of nearby weapons. However, as one would expect in the midst of enemy lines, the number of enemies increased with each weapon destroyed. ¡°It¡¯s getting a little tough.¡± She complained, partly because she was tired from the increasing number of enemies she had to defeat. ¡°But I¡¯m surprised that we haven¡¯t faced any formidable opponents. I think we can get rid of this level of enemies no matter how many come.¡± Certainly, there seemed to be no enemies that could be called strong, as the information indicated. Therefore, we were able to proceed with the destruction of the weapons without much difficulty. CH 504 Chapter 504: Surprise / Yuki Sorry it took so long but we¡¯re back to regular releases. The schedule will be 5 chapters/week Monday-Friday. It took a little time, but we succeeded in destroying about 80% of the cannon gates. This was one step closer to capturing the Manoni fortress. However, our relief was short-lived, as we received an urgent message from Horostoi, who had been entrusted with the task of taking care of the fortress. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The main squadron has been attacked by the enemy! The vanguard magicraft battalion has been destroyed, and the main division has sustained heavy damage!¡± No way¡­¡­.I went out to a good vantage point and looked down and sure enough, a large scale battle was taking place. Even from here, the intermittent explosions and chaos were evident. ¡°We need to go back now. If we don¡¯t, things will get worse¡­¡­.¡± Everyone in the detachment agrees to return as soon as possible. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Horostoi to stay, but he seems to be in over his head. However, although we want to hurry back, there is no way that the enemy troops around the cannons will leave us alone. Besides, it is more difficult to climb down a cliff than to climb up it, and it seems quite dangerous to do so while under attack. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind to defend against the enemy. Yuki and Rosetta, you go back and regroup with the main group.¡± Arjain and one of Exlanders were to stay behind to defend against the enemy while the others hurried down the cliff and headed for the main army. They had been caught completely off guard, partly because they had not expected such a large-scale surprise attack. Without being able to mount an organized counterattack, our allies were being taken down one after another. Ride carriers were also allowed to approach and several vessels seemed to have been destroyed. ¡°What does this mean? No matter how much we were caught by surprise, to have been beaten so one-sidedly.¡± Rosetta muttered unconvinced as she looked at the battlefield. It is true that we are outnumbered and outgunned but the fact that Horostoi was competent made him able to understand the current situation. He said, ¡°Perhaps it is the strong enemy that Mister Arjain was talking about, the terribly strong magicrafts that are going around destroying our important forces. Even the Exlander class magicrafts are toothless and unable to stop him!¡± Horostoi, who had heard Rosetta¡¯s mutterings, explained so. ¡°I will stop him! Where is this formidable foe now?¡± It appears that it¡¯s time to step up to the plate. I don¡¯t know if I can win against the powerful enemy¡­¡­that Arjain couldn¡¯t even touch, but if anyone can stop him, it would be me. ¡°We are currently engaged with heavy armored corps on the left flank. Please be careful. In addition to the strong enemy, there is also an enemy of the Exlander class accompanying them.¡± ¡°I understand. In the meantime, Horostoi, please concentrate all your efforts on reorganizing the army.¡± ¡°Yes, once the powerful enemy is stopped, I will be able to handle the rest.¡± I knew immediately which one was the powerful enemy¡¯s magicraft. Despite its red coloring and slim appearance, it had the power to easily blow away the large magicrafts of the Heavy Armored Corps, and there was something there with a presence that could be called alien. It had the appearance of a noble warrior in warrior¡¯s armor, a red aura that shimmered as if enveloping the magicraft, and his movements were lean and steady, so much so that an ordinary rider would shrink back and be unable to move due to its intimidation alone. Perhaps noticing my approach, the warrior-armored magicraft turned toward me, twisting and cutting the neck of my ally, a heavily armed magicraft. I was convinced that this magicraft¡­¡­was quite strong¡­¡­and would not be easily defeated. CH 505 Chapter 505: A Threatening Enemy / Yuki The warrior magicraft slowly approached and I braced myself for battle. For a moment, the warrior magicraft accelerated so fast that I thought it had moved instantaneously, then raised the sword in its right hand and slashed at Elvira Kai. I half-twisted my body to avoid the sharp sword strike. However, a second attack came at me immediately without a pause but I caught it with my rapier as a dry, heavy metallic sound echoes, and a wreckage of light like sparks scatters, while the sword and rapier push against each other. Damn¡­¡­this is more powerful than expected¡­¡­. The warrior magicraft was not only intimidating. Elvira Kai is pushed down by force so I took a step back and parried the push of the warrior magicraft. Then, while moving sideways, I unleashed a high-speed series of thrusts with my rapier. As all my rapier attacks were repelled I realize that this warrior magicraft is not only powerful and fast, but also has excellent swordsmanship. It easily repelled my rapier¡¯s thrust attacks, which were difficult to parry, and then unleashed a counterattack with a sword strike which I narrowly avoid t and then I retreated to get out of the enemy¡¯s range. ¡°Yuki!¡± Perhaps sensing my struggle, Mary comes to my aid but unfortunately, there was a big difference in their abilities. Terror Mail, the magicraft controlled by Mary, was blown away like a rubber ball. ¡°Mary, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­what power¡­¡­it¡¯s like I can¡¯t even stand up to it.¡± I was a little relieved to see that she seemed to be okay, despite the damage. Mary¡¯s hand was taken out, and the enemy machines that had been deployed around the warrior magicraft also entered the fray. Rosetta¡¯s Agnia roasted one of them whole so the enemy magicrafts all stopped moving in unison as flames erupted from Agnia. ¡°Yuki, leave the small fry around you to us, you concentrate on that strong enemy!¡± Rosetta seemed to have decided that she could not win against the warrior-magicraft. I don¡¯t mean to be overconfident, but I think I¡¯m the only one here who has a chance of beating that thing. I took a big deep breath and concentrated on my Ludia. Then, after glaring at the warrior magicraft, I closed the gap between us at once. The warrior magicraft is undaunted, waiting for the approach of the Elvira Kai so I unleashed my prepared magic shot at the enemy. The Dark Masher was unleashed as black dust spreads out at once as if enveloping the warrior-magicraft. If it were the armor of an ordinary magicraft, it would be destroyed by corrosion in a few seconds, but after all, this magicraft is not ordinary. A gust of wind suddenly appeared around the warrior magicraft, which scattered the black dust from the Dark Masher. The sharp, invisible wind also strikes Elvira Kai and the impact is deafening however the strong armor of Elvira Kai was able to withstand it, but other magicrafts would have been cut into pieces and dismembered. I look around to check the battle situation and I was astonished. There is no doubt that Rosetta, Mary, and the other members of the detachment working with me are among the elite of the empire. However, the enemy was fighting on equal terms with the elite of the Elysian Empire. The Exlander class is still understandable, but Rosetta is one of the Ten Gods of War, and she is a superior force to be reckoned with so I was genuinely surprised that the enemies had a rider who could hold her off. CH 506 Chapter 506: Unexpected Reunion / Yuki The relentless attack of the warrior magicraft continues as multiple blades of wind draw semicircular trails, chipping away at the armor of Elvira Kai. Although I was being attacked unilaterally, I was finally getting used to the enemy¡¯s attacks and I can now see the wind attacks, so I begin to avoid them. In addition to the wind magic attack, they also attacked me with a series of sword blows, but now that I am in a state of Ludia concentration, I can deal with them so I concentrated even harder and began to counterattack. I intensify the black aura and cloak the two rapiers in my hands with it. I cross my rapiers in front of me, which have become fangs of death that inflict heavy damage just by touching them, and then I turn on the attack at once, unleashing countless thrusts. The warrior magicraft was so rattled by the barrage of blows that created countless afterimages and looked flustered. However the warrior magicraft responded by evading and defending with his sword, but he was unable to prevent all of them, and was eventually hit in the shoulder. The rapier blow blew off the rugged armor-like component, knocking the warrior magicraft off balance. I think it was angry that its shoulder was destroyed and the aura of the warrior-magicraft expanded and the pressure increased. When the rapier¡¯s continuous attack was forcefully repelled and stopped by raising the sword forcefully, he swung the raised sword at the head of Elvira Kai. I managed to cross my rapier and catch the sword as it was swung down but my magicraft creaked from the impact as if a huge rock had fallen on it. However, even under the pressure of the tremendous force, I further increased my Ludia concentration and saved my strength to hold back the pressure. Then I took a breath, measured the timing, and released the stored power all at once. The released power transformed into a large black aura and pushed the warrior magicraft away with a thunderous roar but as it staggered back it turned its head to look at me as if it was startled. As I was about to make a further pursuit, the warrior magicraft called out to me. ¡°I ask the rider of the jet-black magicraft, what is your name?¡± The voice of the rider of the warrior magicraft sounded like a woman. What made it even more disconcerting was that I felt like I knew that voice. I heard the voice somewhere¡­¡­ ¡°If you are going to ask someone¡¯s name, shouldn¡¯t you be the one to introduce yourself first?¡± My words were met with a startling answer after a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°I had heard that you and Reina are the Elysian Empire¡¯s Ten Gods of War. I was hoping to see you two in this battle¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No way, no way, could you possibly be¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m your class teacher, Ruriko Minami.¡± Unexpectedly, the rider of the warrior magicraft was Minami sensei. However, rather than the joy of reunion, several questions came to mind. Minami-sensei¡¯s Ludia value must have been a mediocre number so this strength now could not be explained, and she should not be in a powerful country like the Kingdom of Lacia but Minami sensei went on to tell me facts that shook off such doubts. ¡°I am not the only one, there are many of your classmates here. Everyone, let¡¯s rejoice in your reunion with Yuki-san.¡± ¡°Many classmates?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but I was surprised to hear one voice after another from the enemy magicrafts around me. ¡°Ms. Shirayuki, it¡¯s me, Shinsuke Yamakura.¡± ¡°Yuki, it¡¯s me, Sakura.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Naoshi Horibe!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Haranishi! Shirayuki-san!¡± Incredibly, most of the enemy magicraft around us seemed to be my former classmates. However, the reunion was so sudden that there was no time to feel joy. CH 507 Chapter 507: Confusion and Fear / Yuki ¡°Yuki-san, stop fighting like this and come with us. Everyone is waiting for you.¡± Minami-sensei spoke to me in a tone of voice that was so relaxed that I couldn¡¯t believe we were on a battlefield. The other classmates around me also called out to me in the same manner. ¡°Ms. Shirayuki! Let¡¯s go together! There¡¯s no need for classmates to fight each other!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Shirayuki, come with us! The Raddle Company will guarantee your treatment. They¡¯ll give you a safe and even more luxurious life!¡± ¡°Yes, Yuki, we can go home! All we have to do is help them a little bit and they promised to send us back to the world we came from!¡± The Raddle Company¡­¡­! We can go back to our world? If that¡¯s true, there¡¯s no reason to say no¡­¡­.I grab the red gem embedded in my chest in my hand and remember the reality. Betraying the Elysian Empire, or even Rafishal, means death. ¡°Is everyone¡­¡­with Professor Minami except me and Reina?¡± I asked that because I was curious about someone. If¡­¡­Yuta-kun was there, I thought that I would drop everything and follow him even if my life was in danger. ¡°No, unfortunately, besides Yuki and Reina, four more people have not been able to join us.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Iwanami-kun, Sakaki-kun, Nagisa-san and Yuta-kun. But don¡¯t worry, Iwanami-kun and Sakaki-kun have already arranged to join us. We don¡¯t know where Nagisa and Yuta are yet, but we will find them.¡± After all, Yuta-kun is not here¡­¡­I felt disappointed and somewhat relieved. ¡°I see, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I can¡¯t be with everyone right now.¡± That was all I could say. The most important thing to remember is that I can¡¯t just go back to my old world with everyone else, but I have to find a way to deal with this red gem before I do that. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find a way to get back to your original world with your entire class. Why don¡¯t you understand that?¡± ¡°I do understand. I know, but now is not the time. Please give me a little more time.¡± I told her, ¡°Not now,¡± but for some reason, Professor Minami did not accept it. ¡°My God¡­¡­you were an honor student, Yuki, but you have been poisoned by this world. Have you learned luxury and can¡¯t get rid of it?¡¡No, or have you found someone you love in the Elysian Empire? If that is the reason, I understand, because we are both women but the most important thing is your classmates! We are the only ones you can trust!¡¡Think again! Yuki Shirayuki! Give up that man and come over here!¡± Minami-sensei¡¯s tone suddenly became scary. The sudden change made me feel fearful. Something is wrong¡­¡­Minami-sensei was supposed to be a kind and sincere person, not someone who would order her students around in such a rough manner, even if they were wrong. And strangely enough, the surrounding classmates, instead of questioning such words of Minami-sensei, began to blame me. ¡°Ms. Shirayuki! You got a man? I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t think you were such a slut.¡± ¡°Yuki, that man is deceiving you! Wake up and come with us!¡± ¡°Even an honor student like you can make mistakes, or has lust changed you?¡± There was something wrong with everyone¡¯s tone of voice and the words they uttered¡­¡­.I was going crazy because people I knew blamed me unjustly. CH 508 Chapter 508: Judgment / Yuki Minami-sensei and my classmates did not stop cursing. The fear I felt reached its limit and I wanted to run away from the place. ¡°Yuki, what are these people! Do you know them?¡± Mary also seemed to feel uncomfortable with the unusual situation of my classmates and even interrupted the battle to ask me. I didn¡¯t have the energy to explain, so I told her. ¡°Mary¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­we can¡¯t fight here anymore. I am ordering all troops to withdraw.¡± Mary was surprised at my sudden decision, but she agreed to it, perhaps sensing the resolve in my tone. I was not comfortable fighting Minami-sensei and my classmates as it was, no matter how much I said I could not betray them because of the red gem, and one of the reasons was that I felt a strange fear from their words and actions. Furthermore, if I am unable to fight, there is no way for us to stop Minami-sensei, and if we continue to fight, we can expect considerable damage, so I think the best option here is to withdraw all troops. ¡°Can¡¯t you listen to what Sensei says?¡± However, Minami Sensei did not care about my decision to retreat and exploded with anger at my refusal to come with her, shouting and slashing at me. I dodged the attack and jumped backward as hard as I could to keep as much distance between us as possible. The biggest obstacle to the retreat of the entire army would be Minami-sensei and the others. If we don¡¯t hold them off, we won¡¯t be able to escape. ¡°I understand.¡± Rosetta, who was quick to understand the situation, did not even ask back, as if she instantly understood my psychological situation and its impact on the war situation. When I told Horostoi about the withdrawal of the entire army, he said many things about the emperor¡¯s intentions and the prestige of the Elysian Empire, but when I told him that I would take full responsibility for the situation, he reluctantly agreed. When Arjain heard of the withdrawal, he agreed without refuting it, perhaps because he was tired of being stopped in his tracks. I said it was easy to attract Minami-sensei and the others, but it was not that easy. They surrounded me many times and tried to restrain me. Furthermore, their strong words to me escalated and could now be described as cursing. ¡°Yuki, it¡¯s wonderful that you can move so much¡­¡­but it seems that the only thing you¡¯ve grown is your strength. Now you are just a man-crazed sow, take my lessons quickly and reform yourself! Go back to being an honor student like before!¡± Minami-sensei swung her sword as she spoke strongly. What she says is absurd, but the power of the sword strike is real, and a direct hit will result in great damage. I managed to avoid all of them while being nervous, but it would be difficult to keep avoiding them forever. I was checking the situation while running around, but it seems that the retreat has somehow started. All that remained was for me to shake off Minami-sensei and the others and I would be able to escape so I took advantage of the opportunity and jumped into the thickly wooded area. Minami-sensei and the others followed me without giving up and tried to surround me, but as I moved quickly through the trees, only Minami-sensei was able to follow me to the end. When I confirmed that Minami-sensei was the only one left, I took her by surprise and launched the magic shot I had prepared as dark spots oozed from the jet-black fuselage of Elvira Kai and mixed with the darkness of the deep forest, it blocked Minami-sensei vision. ¡°Yuki-san! Where are you? Do you think that hiding and running away like that will solve things? Come out quickly and take my lesson!¡± Minami-sensei shouted, having lost sight of Elvira Kai but I quickly left the place and her hysterical voice behind me. CH 509 Chapter 509: A Man¡¯s Purpose / ??? The first man was in a large, dimly lit room. He was seated in a large chair like a king would sit in, listening to a young man who looked to be about twenty years old. ¡°So how are things going in the kingdom of Lacia, is Ruriko Minami doing well?¡± ¡°Yes, they seem to be doing quite well in the war. The Elysian Empire will not be able to break through the Kingdom of Lacia.¡± ¡°Hmm, is it the strength of that woman¡¯s heart, or is it the effect of the new burst nitro technology, or is it that she is as talented as the others, but she fights well against the Elysian Ten Gods?¡± ¡°I guess she wants to get the reward you offered her so badly but was it really a good idea for you to promise her that you can send her back to Earth when you can¡¯t do that?¡± ¡°The side effects of the burst nitro will keep her sane for two years at the most. By the time she achieves her goal, her ego will have collapsed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bad man.¡± ¡°I am not interested in right and wrong. All that matters to me is that the pieces on the board do what I want them to do.¡± ¡°So far, nothing unexpected?¡± ¡°No. Unfortunately, I am not all-powerful and Astaroth¡¯s resurrection was faster than expected. I did not expect Lucifer to play his trump card so quickly.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Ruriko Minami defeat Astaroth after all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s out of the question. Even with more heinous modifications her chances of winning are not even 0.1%.¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to rely on our trump card.¡± ¡°And what is the growth rate of this trump card?¡± ¡°According to Fistina¡¯s report, it¡¯s still at about 20%.¡± ¡°The reason for this is that the number of people who have been using the product for a long time is still very small. Even if it is class 2, that level of skill is no match for Astaroth, who has already broken through the limits.¡± ¡°After all, we need to revive those two heroes of the old civilization, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°But it could be a double-edged sword, not only for Lucifer, but for Feri and Metis as well. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your business is to be a good businessman. Tell the Abbot of Alice Abbey to ensure that all information regarding the Iron Knights throughout the continent is blocked.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Rafishal.¡± ¡°Hey, I always told you not to use that name, it belongs to M¨¦tis now.¡± ¡°For me, you¡¯re the only Rafishal now and forever.¡± ¡°Forget about the name I¡¯ve given up.¡± ¡°I understand. I will forget the name you have given up.¡± The young man nodded and left the dimly lit room. The man called Raddle Vega watched the young man leave and looked up at the ceiling. Then he murmured in a small voice to whomever he was addressing. ¡°Progress is only made in strife¡­¡­.Metis, Feri, Lucifer¡­¡­.If you cannot reach the next height, then I will have to climb it.¡± The lonely-sounding words echoed in the dimly lit room as if he had made up his mind to do something. Raddle Vega nodded his head and pressed a button on his desk, and after a while, the young man who had just left the room returned. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. Tell all the members of the association that we are moving into a new era. Destroy everything in the old world.¡± The young man was not surprised, but simply nodded. CH 510 Chapter 510: Winning Prizes The welcome party festival came to an end with great success. It seemed that both the citizens and the members of the Iron Knights had a great time, and even after the festival was over, there was still a lot of excitement at the banquet, using the events of the festival as the topic of conversation. ¡°Well, Rafishal, what was the prize for winning the beauty contest?¡± I asked Rafishal, who was enjoying his evening drink with a local dish of raw fish that had been pounded and mashed. ¡°I begged for a large amount of rare metals that I think this will make everyone¡¯s magicrafts more powerful.¡± ¡°Rare materials? Could it be, but the prizes for the winners were different for each individual?¡± There was no way that Alana and Kiyone would want rare metals, so I questioned him but Jean, who entered the cafeteria at that moment, answered on behalf of Rafishal. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Rafishal answered. ¡°Everyone wants different things, so it¡¯s best to let the winner decide which prize is the most useful and appreciated.¡± ¡°By the way, what did the other participants want?¡± I was curious to hear what everyone else wanted. ¡°Alana wanted a week-long date night with you, Emina wanted full forgiveness of her debts and a pay raise, Kiyone wanted a rare karma sword, and the rest of them wanted¡­¡­.¡± I was again reminded that what people want is so unique. But what¡¯s with Aluna¡¯s week-long date trip with me? We¡¯re always traveling together, so it¡¯s like we¡¯re on the road all year round¡­¡­. couldn¡¯t understand why they went to the trouble of making it the winner¡¯s prize. ¡°The judges were too blind to see that a male ruffian of all people would be the winner.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s insane that they don¡¯t appreciate my healthy beauty here.¡± ¡°Alana was just too revealing and vulgar.¡± ¡°And you, princess, in your dangerous swimsuit, you¡¯re not exactly a woman of decency, are you?¡± ¡°That swimsuit is the work of a renowned designer from the royal city of Meltaria! I was only competing on the basis of artistry!¡± ¡°What art? It just shows off your breasts and buttocks.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s vulgar to say ¡°buttocks¡±!¡± ¡°A butt is a butt, isn¡¯t it? What else would you call it?¡± ¡°Buttocks!¡± ¡°You think you can say anything?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Alana and Linnecarlo started a very unpleasant argument, so I left the dining room for a while without getting involved. The first thing to do is to make sure that I have a good time. ¡°Oh, Yuta-san, where are you going?¡± ¡°Oh, Fistina, I was thinking of going out on deck to catch some rays.¡± ¡°I was wondering if I could join you.¡± I had no reason to refuse, so I agreed and followed her, maintaining a one-step back distance. While walking, I suddenly remembered Fistina from the beauty pageant. The thought of walking alone with such a beautiful woman made me feel embarrassed and my face got hot. I was probably blushing, so I had to quicken my steps a little so that she wouldn¡¯t see me. CH 511 Chapter 511: Her Story Once on deck, I sat down on a bench set up for resting while Fistina sat down next to me, keeping a perfect distance. ¡°It feels good.¡± The deck of Fugaku, a large ship, is at quite a high altitude, so a good breeze blows even when we are stopped. It depends on the climate and the season, but it is often a bit sweltering and hot inside the ship, so the natural breeze feels cool and pleasant. ¡°Speaking of which, that was a close call, the results of the beauty pageant.¡± Fistina responds to my topic with a slightly stiff smile. ¡°No, I originally thought it was impossible for me to win the contest.¡± ¡°Rafishal is too irregular to begin with, in my opinion.¡± Fistina laughed elegantly and after a short pause, her expression turned serious. Then she began her story. ¡°Yuta-san, where will the Iron Knights go from here¡­¡­?¡± I was a little puzzled by the abrupt question. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess it depends on the work.¡± ¡°The Iron Knights have grown a lot but great power attracts great enemies. Depending on where we go, I have a feeling that we may face powerful enemies that we have never met before.¡± ¡°Is that a prophecy or something?¡± ¡°No, just a woman¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡°By the way, which way do you think is the best place to find this foe?¡± ¡°I sense something ominous in the north.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a big country, and I know it¡¯s a powerful enemy, but we¡¯ve fought it many times before¡­¡­.Well, either way, it depends on the job. If I have to, I¡¯ll head north, and if I have to fight a powerful enemy, I¡¯ll fight.¡± ¡°Yuta still doesn¡¯t get it! Even Yuta-san doesn¡¯t know if he can win!¡± For a mere hunch, she seems to have a concrete image of the opponent so Fistina spoke passionately as if she knew the opponent. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of opponent it is. If we have to fight, we fight, if we don¡¯t have to fight, we don¡¯t fight. If I can¡¯t win the fight, I¡¯ll run away.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t run away. If you can¡¯t win, no one can win¡­¡­.Yuta, please become stronger. Grow stronger and¡­¡­stronger, so strong that you can beat any enemy.¡± I don¡¯t know what her intentions were in telling me this, but it didn¡¯t sound like she was joking. I have no objection to becoming strong enough to protect my friends. I promised her this. ¡°I understand. I will be stronger than anyone else.¡± Hearing this, Fistina seemed relieved and smiled. I wondered why she was so concerned about my growth, and I felt a little uncomfortable with her unusual words and actions. CH 512 Chapter 512: A Small Anomaly For some reason, I have suddenly become very busy. We received a number of work requests from the Kingdom of Meltaria and its neighboring countries but I had planned to slowly consolidate my growing organization, so it seemed like a bad time to get busy. ¡°I¡¯ll accept the requests from the Kingdom of Meltaria, with which we have a contract, but what about the requests from the other neighboring countries?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s turn them down. It¡¯s too much work if we take on that many jobs.¡± ¡°We have a big family now so we have to take on more jobs to make ends meet, even if we don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I think it would be better for the future if we divided our forces and handled as many requests as we could.¡± Alana and Emina insist on taking on all requests. They are both serious at heart and positive about their work. ¡°What do you think, Yuta?¡± ¡°Well, I guess we can take them since Rafishal prize is draining our funds and we¡¯re in trouble, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you care so much. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s in our best interest to take the job, but it¡¯s also important to solidify the organization.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to turn it down?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m more inclined to take it.¡± I was tempted to ask him which one he meant, but his explanation was logical. ¡°The other members of the team will be left out of the action. Practice is also the best training, so it is better to do more work, even if it means spreading out the workforce, in order to help the new members grow.¡± It was hard to argue with such a statement and the other members were convinced, so the discussion turned not to whether or not to accept the offer, but to what kind of organization to divide the troops into. ¡°Let¡¯s see, the requests we¡¯re getting now are from seven countries and one organization, right?¡± ¡°So we need to split into at least seven units. What is the nature of each request?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­wait a minute¡­¡­¡­¡­what the heck is this ¡­¡­?¡± Jean, who was checking the documents, noticed something and muttered, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°All seven countries are suppressing rebellions, which is strange¡­¡­because it means that at the same time, civil wars are taking place in all seven countries.¡± ¡°How is that a coincidence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible. All of these countries have stable internal governments so it¡¯s unlikely that a rebellion would occur, and it¡¯s not like there¡¯s been a global catastrophe, so how could domestic conditions suddenly become unstable at the same time?¡± ¡°Linnecarlo, is the request from Meltaria also to stop a rebellion?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. Yudin told me that several local lords have colluded to march on the capital.¡± ¡°Is it so large that they need us?¡± ¡°The number of rebels is so great that they¡¯re having a hard time dealing with them.¡± ¡°Even within Meltaria, there are multiple rebellions going on at the same time.¡± While everyone was pondering the strange situation, there was a knock at the conference room door and the communications officer rushed inside with an urgent message. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency! We have received a call from the Amurian Federation with an urgent request for help! Apparently, a large-scale civil war has broken out and President Ranelle is in dire straits!¡± Nagisa dropped the teacup she was holding when she heard his words. CH 513 Chapter 513: Into a Predicament / Ranelle ¡°It seems that economic growth is going well in all countries.¡± As he said this while reviewing the data for each federal country, the director of the Economic Affairs Agency began to explain. ¡°It seems that the effects of the federal economic zone are finally starting to take effect. Tariffs on exports and imports have been eliminated, and open economic activity is resulting in wealth for the entire Federation.¡± ¡°Well, then, perhaps it¡¯s time to start thinking about tax breaks for ordinary citizens.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time yet.¡± ¡°Why is that? I think it¡¯s possible, looking at the public budget.¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s not as much money left in the federal government as the numbers indicate.¡± ¡°Then where is the abundance of money in these numbers going?¡± ¡°In the pockets of royalty, former royal families, and high-ranking government officials¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see. I knew there was some corruption, but when so much money is being siphoned off, it is unacceptable, and something must be done about it.¡± It was difficult to uproot the bad systems in each country since their roots were so deeply rooted in the system. I thought I had eliminated the corruption on the surface, but I had no idea that there was still so much influence that the wealth could not be returned to the citizens. I then tried to gather trusted government officials to discuss how to deal with the situation but before I could do so, anomalies began to occur that shook the Amurian Federation. ¡°A rebellion within the Chinook Kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes, we have already dispatched the federal army, and I am sure it will be put down soon, but what should we do with the people involved?¡± ¡°The ringleaders and key figures should be arrested and put on formal trial. No charges will be brought against anyone other than those involved.¡± As a large nation, there can be internal disputes. I had thought of it lightly, but the bad news did not end there. ¡°It¡¯s a disaster! A rebellion has broken out in the Republic of Valeant and the State of Revenant. The scale of the rebellion is growing rapidly, and it seems likely that it will spread to neighboring countries as well!¡± More reports followed, and the next one shocked me to the point that my heart almost stopped. ¡°Urgent report! Queen Menemiah of the Linea Kingdom has been assassinated! It seems that all hell has broken loose in the Kingdom of Linea!¡± I wondered if I had been lucky and things had been going well, but my chest tightened at the bad news that came one after the other. Before the paperwork could be processed, more bad news arrived one after another from various parts of the Federation. ¡°Large-scale riots broke out in various countries, including Iwom, Lodum, and Melorika! Government facilities have been attacked, and many people have been killed or injured!¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Razam has declared its secession from the Amuria Federation and has deployed its army to neighboring countries, which are now at war.¡± ¡°The 108th division of the federal army has staged a coup d¡¯etat and has taken control of several cities in the east!¡± The final report came from a well-known person. ¡°President Ranelle, King Emou has an urgent message for you.¡± I immediately picked up the phone because I wanted to discuss the current situation with him. King Emou¡¯s voice was heavy and somber, as I had not heard it for a long time. ¡°I have no time to waste, so I¡¯ll just tell you what I need you to do. Get a trustworthy escort and leave the place at once.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°A plot to assassinate you is underway and it seems that things are already moving so fast that there is nothing we can do to stop them.¡± ¡°Who the hell¡­¡­is¡­¡­doing that?¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t trust anyone in the government or military, it¡¯s hard to tell who the enemy is in the Federation now. I wish I could help you, but my house is already surrounded by an unknown army, and it will be¡­¡­impossible for me to escape. ¡°I will send an army to help you immediately!¡± ¡°If you have time for such a thing, run away. Yes, rely on the Iron Knights. You can trust them.¡± Saying this, King Emou cut off the communication but before the audio was completely cut off, I heard a rustling noise, so it might have been the encircling army rushing into the mansion. I was very worried and my chest was tightening, because I did not know what the situation was like. CH 514 Chapter 514: Trust / Ranelle As advised by King Emou, I should rely on the Iron Knights here. I tried to contact them immediately, but an unexpected person prevented me from doing so. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The word box for long-distance communication was destroyed by one of the guards. Unable to comprehend what had happened, I could only scream angrily. ¡°Madam President, I am sorry to inform you that your dream story has come to an end here.¡± I had no idea that an assassin was mixed up with the presidential guard¡­¡­. The assassin approached me with a gnarled sword in his hand so I look around for help from the other guards, but for some reason I don¡¯t see any of them. I run and run out of the communications room because I thought that the assassin would soon come after me, but for some reason there was no sign of him. However, I soon found out why. When I left the communication room, I found guards waiting for me with swords at the ready. Apparently, the assassin was not alone. Just as I was about to give up¡­¡­I heard a voice calling me. ¡°President, you are safe!¡± About ten soldiers broke into the room shouting and moved into position to protect me and confronted the assassins. ¡°Who are you people?¡± ¡°We are former members of the Emou Kingdom¡¯s Kingsguard, and we have come here with urgent orders from King Emou!¡± It seems that King Emou had been working on my behalf. I was thrilled that he had prioritized my safety over his own. Soon the assassins and the Emou soldiers are engaged in battle. Meanwhile, I left the scene, protected by a few soldiers. ¡°We are gathering the old Emou army¡¯s magicrafts unit at the west gate. Let¡¯s hurry there.¡± First of all, it would be important to ensure me personal safety. After that, I will contact people I can trust, regain my position and work to get this mess under control. The presidential office was in a bigger mess than I had imagined. I don¡¯t know who is my enemy and who is my friend, and those who were my allies not long ago are fighting each other. The captain of the former Emou guards explains to me that things like what is happening here are happening all over the Federation. I wonder if the Kingdom of Amuria is safe, if my father, Yukiha, and Himari are¡­¡­safe, and I am suddenly worried. There was about one battalion of troops waiting for me in front of the big gate in the west. The magicraft unit rushed to the scene as soon as they spotted me and the old Emou soldiers fleeing and seeing this, our pursuers fled, as they realized that they could not win. When I met up with the unit, I was immediately ushered into a large ride carrier. This ship looked familiar. I was sure it was a ship named Echigo, owned by the Emou royal family. ¡°From now on, by order of King Emou, the Emou Royal Army will act directly under the command of Her Excellency President Ranelle. Please give us your orders.¡± The captain of the Echigo bowed deeply as he made this declaration. ¡°Thank you. Then, I would like to contact the Kingdom of Amuria and the Iron Knights as soon as possible. Ha!¡¡I will make arrangements immediately. However, we have received information that the military forces of the coup d¡¯etat are approaching us so I would like to leave this place as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I understand. Then please leave for the Kingdom of Amuria immediately.¡± In a situation where I don¡¯t know who is my friend and who is my enemy, my family is definitely the one I can count on. CH 515 Chapter 515: Communication Failure / Ranelle After leaving the Presidential Palace, I was on my way to the Kingdom of Amuria to escape from the rebel forces. While doing so, I was gathering information about what was going on in the Federation. ¡°I can¡¯t communicate with the Kingdom of Amuria.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe they already have¡­¡­.¡± Even the Kingdom of Amuria, a small country, has several communication lines. It was not normal for them not to be able to connect. ¡°Did you have any contact with the Iron Knights?¡± ¡°No, for some reason we are not able to communicate with them either. Perhaps there is a problem with our environment.¡± ¡°What is the problem?¡± ¡°I heard about a magic technique that could nullify the effects of the Word Box a long time ago. I thought it was just a legend, but maybe such technology really exists.¡± If it is true, it would explain why the Federation was in turmoil without me getting any information. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a legend. What is this magical technology you speak of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a jamming stone, and the story is that it weakens the effect of the Word Box within a certain range from a certain location.¡± ¡°How large an area?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but legend has it that it affected an entire country, so I¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty broad.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.If we can¡¯t communicate, I guess we¡¯ll have to head out there on our own. I¡¯m sorry, but would you be willing to send one of your high-speed ride-hovers toward the Kingdom of Meltaria?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. I will have it ready.¡± I entrusted the ride-hover with a message to the Iron Knights. In the meantime, I am heading to the Kingdom of Amuria. On the way, I try to communicate with each direction. However, I still cannot make contact with any of them, as if there is a legendary jamming stone. As president, I feel a little frustrated at my inability to do anything in this crisis. ¡°President, it seems that the rebel forces have found us. A large number of magicrafts are approaching our location.¡± ¡°Are you going to be able to shake them off?¡± They may be rebel forces, but they were originally allied federal forces, and I would like to avoid combat if at all possible. However, the captain shook his head. ¡°No, sir, they are approaching from three directions, and there is no way out!¡± ¡°I see, there is nothing I can do but to call out to them as president first. If that doesn¡¯t work, let¡¯s break through one corner of the encirclement.¡± I called out to the approaching coup forces using the external sound system. ¡°This is Ranelle, President of the Amurian Federation. I don¡¯t know to which military unit you belong, but immediately stop and break the encirclement.¡± Some of the riders of the rebel army¡¯s magicrafts moved in agitation at the call. After all, it seems that many of them are just moving under orders. This might be manageable. ¡°If anyone takes part in the attack operation knowing that I am here, it would be treason against the federal government but if you back down, you will not be charged with a crime. I hope you will act according to your own judgment.¡± The title of president still seems to be in effect as unrest spread among the rebel army¡¯s magicraft units, and after a while more than half of them retreated, perhaps having lost the will to fight.