Arc 5 Forest City Crisis
The Inheritor of the Lion
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Darkdhaos, alkin
She
was deep in slumber. It could be called sleeping, meditation, or deep thinking.
This was the way her race becomes one with the Great Stream.
She
journeyed in her slumber. Her body seemed to be extending endlessly across the
vast lands, spreading her body out wide. Unlike blood circulation, the stream
flowing across the lands whispers to her. She, her kinsmen and ancestors become
one and kept on extending out further.
The
infinitely overlapping consciousness was attracted by something. A foreign object
was disturbing her sleep and a part of her that had been detached from the
Great Stream felt out of place. Her intuition told her that this thing could not
be allowed to exist.
She
awoke the next second. Despite having experienced the longest amount of time
among her kinsmen, she still required a long time to become one with the Great
Stream. Awakening from her slumber was not what she had planned, but there was
no hesitation. She had to dispose of that foreign object disrupting her
slumber.
“What
is the matter, Elder? It isn’t time for you to wake yet.”
She
only moved her eyes and saw her young kinsmen. She had white skin, soft blond
hair and a slender body. The most prominent feature was her knife-like ears.
This was a common feature among her kinsmen.
“...Something
is obstructing the ‘journey’.”
She
locked eyes with the other party but her body didn’t move as she spoke. Her
body couldn’t move, and didn’t need to move. This body of hers would be
summoned by her ancestors one day and didn’t mean anything to her.
“The
squirming evil intentions are descending upon the forest, it has to be
removed.”
“...
I understand. We will meet them in battle with our riders.”
The
kinsmen did not inquire further and went away.
She
did not sleep. If the foreign objects were not disposed of, there was no real
meaning to her slumber. She has no reason to sleep once again.
She
waited, waited for the moment her prophecy became true. No matter how much time
passed, it was just a blink of the eye to her.
This
was the prologue to the crisis that loomed over the forest and the ‘home’.
That
place bore traces similar to the trampling of a battle field.
Tattered
pieces that were humanoid in appearance were dumped everywhere. A wrinkled palm
reached towards the sky, the eyes within the helmet were already devoid of
life. The rusty armour had lost its shine, its brownish red colour blending
with the plains.
This
wreckage were originally Silhouette Knights. Some were old, but many of them
were new. Piles of wreckage faithfully displayed the past, present and future
of this place.
This
was the 1st R&D workshop within the fort Dufare, home to the headquarters
of the National Technology Robotics Laboratory.
“...
Ugh, we have to tidy this place up.”
Workshop
chief Gaizka sighed as he watched the vast amount of space taken up by the
wreckage— these were the results of previous experiments. The major project of
developing the new model and revolution in technology led to a series of
failures, creating mountains of scrapped parts. The accumulated wreckage was
double the norm and an eye sore. Gaizka made up his mind to clear away these
junk when production of the new models begins nationwide.
Gaizka
walked out of the dark workshop as he was pondering about this mess. The moment
he moved outside, the bright sunlight blinded him. As his eyes adjusted to the
light, his smile deepens.
There
were rows of giants kneeling down with their chest armour open, exposing the
cockpit inside.
They
were not Karrdator or Karrdator Dash. These were the crystallisation of the
efforts made by the craftsmen of NTR Lab all this while. It was the newest mass
production model, Karrdetolle.
Using
the latest Karrdator Dash as its base, it was upgraded with the Option Works
proposed by the Silver Phoenix Knights. The biggest difference was the optimisation
of the Capacity Frame— these improved the capacity armour’s mana pool storage
by leaps and bounds. With that, the problem inherent in Tellestarle—
insufficient mana supply had been resolved. Karrdetolle was the perfected cutting
edge technology of the new models.
The
machines only had a simple layer of protective paint, keeping its original
metallic property, with a plain and low profile like the Silhouette Knights
manufactured by the Fremmevira Kingdom. In contrast, the outer skeleton that
focused on defensive capability and ease in manufacturing had a clean
aesthetic.
Karrdetolle
had completed its operation test and was ready to be mass produced. The nobles
inside the kingdom had also received notice and had begun hiring craftsmen and
conducting training courses. Hence forth, the Silhouette Knights within the
nation would be replaced by these new models. NTR Lab’s most pressing task had
ended for now.
Gaizka
stretched his neck and shoulders that were stiff from fatigue, and sighed as he
thought of his old bones that weren’t working as well as he wanted. He and the
1st R&D workshop charges under him had been researching fervently, pushing
himself recklessly for a long period of time. It was about time for a vacation.
Gaizka thought up the schedule to take leave as he walked towards the
director’s office.
The
King Ambrosius and his family, the royalties of the Fremmevira Kingdom, basically
lived inside the Royal Castle Shreiber. From the end of the audience hall,
after passing complicated passage and several rooms, one could reach their
private chambers.
The
inner part of Castle Shreiber was known as the ‘Inner City’. The deeper it was,
the higher the altitude, with the tallest tower situated in the centre of the
castle. This place was modified from Fortress Shreiber and that tower was built
after the renovation. Hence, the first priority during the construction of
Shreiber was toughness, but it was still too shabby as the residence of
royalties.
Due
to its history, this zone had few windows. With the lack of natural light,
there was no choice but to burn expensive animal oil regardless of night or
day. The fine furniture that did not seem too elegant gave off a sturdy
atmosphere under the gentle light.
“I
have sent a messenger to Kuscheperca for Martina, asking Emrys to return.”
There
were two men in the room. One was King Ambrosius; the other was younger than
Ambrosius, slender in build and bearing a striking resemblance to the King.
“Eh,
I have not seen him for a long while too. When did he set off for Kuscheperca?”
“About
three years ago.”
“...
I see, that was before I met with ‘that’. It hasn’t been long since, but it
feels like ages ago.”
Ambrosius
lowered his gaze and focused on the cup of wine in his hand, the liquid shaking
within it.
“...
But Your Majesty, I think it is still too early.”
“Don’t
address me as Your Majesty, Rio, there are no outsiders here.”
“I
understand… Father.”
The
eldest son of Ambrosius; first in the line of succession to the throne
‘Riothamus Haarus Fremmevira’ exhaled, relaxing the corner of his eyes that
were tense.
“Eh,
I feel that the timing is just right. NTR Lab has sent in the report of the new
model they developed with the Silver Phoenix Knights. After Emrys returns, the
news will probably have spread across the nation. Everyone will be able to see
that the moment to embark onto a new era is upon us.”
Riothamus
wanted to refute, but closed his mouth immediately. This was because of
Ambrosius’ expression that seemed to be harbouring some schemes and the way he
was enjoying himself. Experience told him that whenever his father made such a
face, no one would be able to stop him. On top of that, what Ambrosius said had
a point. In the face of revolutionary change, there was a need to settle
things.
“There
is one task left. No, it is more like a promise.”
“Silver
Phoenix Knights… it’s regarding that boy, correct? Will it be fine? Sending him
there, even if there is no problem with the ‘law’, those people are still hard
to please.”
Even
though they bore a resemblance, the air about the two of them were very
different. Ambrosius’ son did not take after Ambrosius’ most prominent strong
willed personality.
“Fufu,
really, you worry too much.”
“It
is an important matter after all. Father, you are taking it too lightly.”
It
wasn’t clear what he thought was interesting; Ambrosius had to stifle his urge
to laugh aloud as Riothamus tried to restrain his sigh.
“Be
more relaxed, Rio. If you keep mulling over things, you will suffer a lot in
the future.”
“Father,
you are acting too recklessly!”
In
the depths of the Royal Castle, father and son who seemed to get along and not
get along at the same time conversed for quite a while in private.
Several
days later, a man with a huge build appeared in the corridor of Castle
Shreiber.
“My
country feels the best! My restrained life until yesterday was just like a
dream!”
That
man was ‘Emrys Geijer Fremmevira’, fourth in line in succession to the throne.
He stretched his body widely, using his body language to express his sense of
liberation before walking forth with cheerful strides.
What
he was wearing right now was tough demon beast leather that was hard to work
on, equipment of the highest grade— ‘Black Beast Armour’. A fine cape rested on
his shoulders and a sword that focused on practicality hung from his waist.
This armour was tailored especially for his huge built. It was expensive, but
as a member of the Royal family, it was still too crude. It suited him because
of the impression he gave others.
Anyway,
he seemed to be in a great mood.
He
was studying abroad not too long ago and was forced to wear fashionable clothes
that restricted his movement. Those top class materials didn’t suit his bulky
body and wasn’t to his liking at all. As a royalty, he preferred styles that
were ‘tough and practical’ or ‘easy to move in’, which was a pity. This armour
specially made for him showed to the greatest degree his preference for ease of
movement, toughness and durability.
Wearing
attire he was familiar with, he walked in the royal castle with high spirits,
opening a door with a bright smile. Inside the room— the audience hall was the
members of the royal family with Ambrosius at the head, and the nobles such as
Duke Dixgard. He opened his mouth in a smile, looking at everyone that was
gathered.
“Yo,
Dad! Grandpa! Long time no see, I am puaahh!”
Before
he could finish, Ambrosius threw his royal seal at his head, which almost knocked
Emrys out.
In
front of Emrys who was nursing his head while yelling, Ambrosius hugged his
head in resignation.
“This
stupid grandson… He still does not know proper manners, what did he learn in
his studies abroad!?”
“My
sincere apologies, Your Majesty, I had been reminding him…”
Riothamus
was really embarrassed. His eldest son Uther was mature and acted in a manner
befitting of a royalty, but that was not so for his second son. It's not clear
who he takes after, rather than easy going, he was closer to being brash in
nature. In a final bid to change his behaviour, Emrys was sent to study abroad.
"Martina
is not one to skimp on education... Even she couldn't rein him in?"
Ambrosius
mumbled, thinking about his daughter that married to the Kuscheperca Kingdom.
Martina was Riothamus's sister, and Emrys' aunt. She married into the
Kuscheperca Kingdom, which bound the two Kingdoms on friendly terms.
Riothamus
was sent to his aunt after becoming an adult at fifteen, but that scene earlier
clearly showed the ineffectiveness of his overseas stint.
"Eh,
I don't know who your personality resembles."
"He
resembles you, Your Majesty."
Ambrosius
wasn't expecting anyone to interrupt, and saw the usual expressionless Knut
before him.
"He
resembles Your Majesty.'"
Ambrosius
averted his eyes, pretending not to hear anything.
Shortly
later, Emrys got up nonchalantly.
"Emrys,
did you behave like this in Kuscheperca too?"
"Ah—
No, not to that extent. I err... I am also aware of watching the time and
place. I was just too excited when I saw everyone after such a long
time..."
Seeing
how badly Emrys was stuttering, the suspicious gazes from everyone focused on
him, but the man himself wasn't fazed and puffed out his chest. It seldom
happens, but Ambrosius waved the white flag this time.
"...
I will ask you the details later. Alright, the reason I gathered everyone
today..."
Ambrosius
cleared his throat, sweeping away the relaxed atmosphere due to the appearance
of a problem child.
"It
has been thirty six years since I ascended the throne. It is about time for me
to step down, the next Regent will be my son here— Riothamus."
Everyone
listened attentively. This wasn't an abrupt speech by Ambrosius, and the people
gathered thought that this might happen.
The
position of the monarch of the Fremmevira Kingdom was hereditary, usually
passed down to the eldest son. The eldest son is the first in line of succession;
the other siblings were next in line of succession regardless of gender.
However, in the event that the reigning king has grandchildren, the children of
the eldest son will be next in the line of succession instead.
The
most common reason of abdication was the wish for a strong leader during the
chaotic formative years of the Kingdom; according to tradition, the King will
abdicate when he reached an advanced age. Ambrosius was sixty years old, a very
elderly man in this world. It was no surprise for him to raise the topic of
abdication.
However,
everyone knew Ambrosius was still in great shape. Even though their mind could
accept it, they still feel anxious about it. It was a testament of how much he
was beloved by his people.
Riothamus
came forth, breaking the silence. He stood straight up, and bowed before the
man who was his father, as well as the King for the last time. After Riothamus
ascends the throne, he can't lower his head, even if it was to his own father.
At this moment, he completed his bow with his utmost respect.
"I
bow before you, Your Majesty.... No, my father."
"Hmm,
be always cautious after taking the throne, and strive for the best. Alright,
we will deal with the official ceremony later, I hope everyone can support this
country together with my son, I beseech to all of you."
Ambrosius
surveyed all those present, and the nobles all kneeled and bow in response.
C.E.
1280, summer.
News
of ‘The Lion King’ Ambrosius abdicating and the ascension of Riothamus to the
throne had spread throughout the Kingdom. The people praised the accomplishment
of the old King, and held high expectations of their next regent. Shortly
after, the newest mass produced Silhouette Knight models were also pushed into
service nationwide.
A
new monarch and knights— the Fremmevira Kingdom was entering a period of major
changes since its founding. Everyone looked forward to the peaceful and
prosperous development of the kingdom.
A
month after the coronation of the new king. At this point of time, the
activities celebrating the coronation had ended, and the kingdom returned to
its normal peaceful days.
By
traveling a short distance to the east from Laihiala Academy City on the
‘Fremmevira Highway’, a fortress was situated in a normal forest. This was
where the Olvecius Fortress was located.
Normally
speaking, this place had no strategic value as a base, but it was a very
important fortress for the Kingdom.
The
reason doesn’t lie with the location, but the Knight Order stationed there— the
Silver Phoenix Knights.
The
frightening thing was that it wasn’t a stretch to say this fortress existed for
the sake of Knight Commander Eru. Such a weird location was chosen because of
its distance from Eru’s hometown after all.
As
for the situation inside Olvecius Fortress, it was filled with several of the
new mass produced Karrdetolle parked casually around the place. Except for the
direct manufacturer— NTR Lab, no other Knight Orders has this many Karrdetolle.
NTR Lab gave priority to the Silver Phoenix Knights not only because they were
involved in the development process, but also as an investment in Eru.
A
dwarf youth was running through the hangar filled with the forest of
Karrdetolle. He was looking around, searching for something. When he discovered
the short youth buried in papers, he yelled:
“Oh,
found you, silver boy. Aldele’s tuning is almost done. Also, Guyalinda. Say
something to that dumbass Di; he has broken it so many times already!”
Eru
who was sketching designs nonstop responded to the voice of the chief
craftsman— Boss, lifted his head and said:
“No,
Di-senpai just can’t handle the Magic thrust jet well yet, I heard him falling
hard just now… But he seems to be getting better, can you forgive him?”
“It’s
all because of your weird ideas. Come on, just one dumbass flying with the
Magic thrust jet is already a handful.”
The
boss scratched his head with a sigh, and turned around. Eru followed his gaze
to the side. Before them were two Silhouette Knights that differed in colour
and shape from the mass produced models.
“I
admit that he is working hard. But it won’t be nice if words of the Company Captain’s
machine falling all over the place got out.”
Company Captain machines— On one side was the white knight Aldelecumber, the personal
machine of 1st Company Captain Edgar C. Blanche. With the newest Karrdetolle as
its base, its appearance had been modified to be similar to Earlecumber. Minor
adjustments had been made to accommodate the pilot, but the contents were
mostly the same. Karrdetolle already had powerful performance and smooth
controls, which fulfilled the needs of Edgar just fine.
On
the other side was the personal machine of 2nd Company Captain Dietrich Cunitz—
the red knight Guyalinda. This machine also used Karrdetolle as its base, and
had been modified with the request of the pilot, so much so that it was
unrecognisable.
Shields
and Flexible coat weren’t even built in, a completely offense orientated load
out. Magic thrust jet was installed despite the fact that it would limit the
machine’s performance. It was considered a fashionable machine, with some flaws
and difficult controls, but that part was just how Dietrich likes it.
The Company Leaders who had contrasting personalities projected their style onto
their company. The result is the 1st Company focused on defence while the 2nd Company specialised on offence. The core of the Silver Phoenix Knights comprises of
these two companies with strong personalities.
“Oh,
one more thing. The guys in ‘the third’ are wailing again.”
“I
thought I already assigned Chid and Ady to them?
After
the Silver Phoenix Knights shifted to Olvecius Fort and achieved independence
as a Knight Order, their biggest change was the addition of the 3rd Company.
The
characteristics of the 3rd Company were totally different from the other two companies. The reason lies in the Silhouette Knights they used. With a body larger
than normal Silhouette Knights, an alien that combines man and horse— what they
piloted was the pride of the Silver Phoenix Knights, the centaur knight
Tzendrinble.
Using
prototype number one Tzendorg as the mold, Tzendrinble changed the control
system to single pilot mode, a mass produced model after all sorts of
adjustments. It was still an expensive machine powered by two Ether Reactors,
and the numbers produced were limited, not as widespread as Karrdetolle. Most
of the machines in service were used by the Silver Phoenix Knights.
“Well,
see for yourself.”
The
Boss pointed to the side of Tzendorg’s large foot. Knights from the 3rd Company were gathered there, discussing about something.
“Like
I said, I know what you mean by using the flexible coat while moving, but can
you be more specific about the method?”
“Eh,
the machine will tilt when you turn right? At that moment, you exert force with
a ‘bang!’ like this, then pull back with a ‘cock!’”
“Ady-chan,
I already said— a thousand times, this is totally— not an explanation! Stop
using sounds like ‘bang’ and ‘cock’ to explain!”
“Woo,
help me Eru—!!”
Aside
from its expensive cost and weird appearance, another reason why Tzendrinble
wasn’t popular was that its shape differed too much from the basic models,
making control difficult. Leaving the Tzendorg with its double pilot system
aside, the improved Tzendrinble was still being worked on right now to simplify
the control system. Special Magius engines were used, and the design was being
adjusted to be more similar to riding a horse. Some of the movements were
automated by using earlier control scripts, implementing an advanced concept
seamlessly in. However, the results were shown clearly. The 3rd Company spent
the most time training, but they still lack proficiency.
“...
Go help her, especially the 3rd Company Captain.”
As
the twins, who were filling as trainer were bad in coaching, it made matters
worse. The problem lies in them explaining by only sharing their experience,
unlike Eru who taught through theory.
“This
is training for the two ‘Commander’s aide’— passing the things I taught
accurately to others.”
“Like
I told you, the one who will suffer are not those two.”
Helvi
who was appointed as the Captain of the 3rd Company had a hard time interpreting
the explanations of the twins. It would be simpler if she could have sought out
the answer herself, but despite her abundant piloting experience, the Centaur
Knight was not something she could tame in such a short time.
“Hmm—
Alright, I will think of something when I finish the design I am working on…”
Seeing
Eru engrossed in his plans with no intention to leave, the Boss let out a deep
sigh.
After
seeing the Boss going back to his maintenance work, Eru held a bundle of
designs and headed towards the depths of the fortress. Passing through the
cluster of Silhouette Knights, he reached a maintenance platform at the end of
the workshop with a machine sitting on it. Even for the Silver Phoenix Knights
who were used to abnormality, the machine sitting on the chair like maintenance
platform was a very strange existence.
It
had a normal humanoid appearance. As it was being modified, its outer skeleton
had been torn off. People who had a basic understanding of Silhouette Knights
would be able to immediately tell that something was wrong. The weird swell on
its back and the metal pipes hanging from its exposed body made it look larger
than a standard Silhouette Knight. Most of the metal pipes were linked to its
back, accentuating the weirdness of its upper body.
The
machine had almost no external equipment, only the two shoulders and waist were
armoured. Those were not normal armour, but special equipment installed with
block crystal tissue and engraftment— Magi Jet Thrusters.
“This
had gone through a lot of modification… it is almost at its limit.”
No
one would be able to tell that this entity that seemed to be filled with ‘metallic
organs’ was originally a normal Karrdator.
It
all began in the magic thrust jet experiment conducted a few years ago. This
Karrdator which was chosen as the test subject was seriously damaged after the
experiment failed. After repairs, it was put through grueling experiments as
the test subject of the Magi Jet Thrusters. At one point, its operation was
failing and it was overhauled into a Tellestarle. By the way, this machine was
used by Eru during the fight at the Centaur Knight’s presentation.
Everybody
came to a consensus over time and saw this machine as Eru’s personal item. It
took on the role of being installed with the things Eru came up with to test
them out. When the member saw him installing strange parts one after another
onto it, they dubbed the machine ‘Eru’s Toybox’.
Even
though Toybox was no stranger to modification, it still had a limit.
“There
is a clash in the parts that we installed, resulting in additional burden on
the machine, that’s why we underestimated the mana consumption… We did add in
another ether reactor, but we can’t see the improvement.”
The
swell in the back of Toybox was made to accommodate an additional ether
reactor.
Magi
Jet Thrusters consumed a lot of mana. When using such equipment, increasing the
mana supply became one of the issues they will need to face. They already had
the expertise in using multiple ether reactors when they built Tzendorg, and
they thought it would be fine to use this method, but the results were discouraging.
This method worked on Tzendorg because it had large and ample space to work
with. A standard sized machine was too cramped to fit in two ether reactors.
The
toybox could be activated with the external equipment, but the mana supply was
too unstable, and couldn’t produce the level of mana they expected. The design
was unbalanced and hard to control. Leaving the mana consumption issue aside,
it was even worse than a Tellestarle.
“Designing
it from scratch would be better indeed.”
Eru
placed several design plans on the floor, and compared it to the actual thing
before him. It was obvious that using the current designs won’t be sufficient.
With multiple power supplies and activating the magi jet thrusters without
compromising power supply— to achieve this goal, he needed to consolidate all
the technology and knowledge to complete a brand new design.
“Yes,
this… will be my personal machine.”
Eru
opened his eyes wide because of what he murmured. What flashed across his mind
was an existence he lost once. A relic from a far away world he won’t be able
to get no matter how much he craved for it.
“...
If that is the case, making something that ‘couldn’t be assembled’ will be fine
too…”
"Eru,
E— ru!”
The
distracted Eru heard the energetic cry. Pulling himself together, he turned his
head and saw Ady jogging over.
“Ady…
Did you skip out on work and run here?”
“Eh.
No, no I didn’t! I am working properly… Ah! I am here to tell you that there is
a guest.”
Ady’s
eyes were unfocused, but Eru didn’t press her any further and headed towards
the conference room. Most of Fort Olvecius was taken up by Silhouette Knight Facilities,
only a bare minimum of facilities were reserved for other uses. Something
luxurious like an audience room to receive guests didn’t exist from the very
beginning, and the conference room was used instead.
When
Eru entered the conference room, he saw a trooper waiting for him. He had a
message with him, and after exchanging the standard greeting with Eru, he said:
“Knight
Commander Echevarria sir, the royal capital has issued a summoning order for
you.”
The
Royal Capital Känkänen was bustling with people. The loud sound of a bell rang
in the crowded main street. It came from a cavalry with a bell advancing
through the street. When they heard this noise, the crowd scattered to the side
of the roads. This was a messenger troop announcing the imminent arrival of a
Silhouette Knight into the Royal Capital.
To
accommodate the ten metres tall giant weapon, a spacious path was needed— such
as this main street. This road was also open for the citizens to use, so it was
a standard procedure for someone to announce the arrival of Silhouette Knights
into the castle. Using the main street also served the purpose of displaying
the might of the Silhouette Knights to the people.
Shortly
after the horseman messenger went by, the half man half horse Silhouette Knight
Tzendorg appeared. The Royal Capital citizens who were scared witless in the
beginning had gotten used to it completely. The equipment had been taken off
since it was entering the royal capital, but the gigantic body larger than the
standard Silhouette Knight still left a deep impression on the citizens.
Tzendorg
moved through the main street majestically and reached Castle Schriber. It was
ushered to the newly erected hangar to park Centaur Knights shortly after. The
moment the machine went into standby mode, the pilot inside showed up. They
were Eru and Ady.
“We
reached the Castle—!”
“Yes,
thank you Ady. I can operate a Tzendrinble, so you didn’t need to come along.”
“No,
this Tzen-chan is mine, I will only lend it out, even if it is you, Eru!”
“That’s
what you say, but you just want to skip the training of the 3rd Company right?”
“No,
no such thing… Right?”
Eru
smiled wryly at Ady who won’t meet his eyes.
“This
will be the only exception, please work hard tomorrow.”
After
hearing that, Ady pounced over happily. Eru walked into the Castle while
dragging her.
“Knight
Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights is here with haste after receiving the
summon.”
“Commander
Aide Ady Olter reporting.”
The
two of them came to a place other than the audience hall after entering the
castle. This was because the one who summoned for them was not the reigning
king, but the retired Regent Ambrosius.
“Yes,
well met, Ernesti, Adeltrud, please relax.”
A
shadow loomed over them after they sat down. Looking up, they saw a tall man
standing straight with his arms folded. His well built muscles and burly build
was intimidating, while his messy hair gave the impression of a lion.
Eru
felt that this man had some resemblance to Ambrosius who was seated behind.
“...
So you are the Silver Phoenix Knight Commander, Ernesti Echevarria. I heard
about you, but you are really small!”
“You
are right, Your Highness Emrys.”
The
second Prince of Fremmevira Kingdom, Emrys Geijer Fremmevira smiled cheerfully
with his tanned face when he spoke. For the petite Eru, meeting Emrys in the
eye wasn’t just a simple task of lifting his head, and needed to bend his upper
body backwards. Ambrosius who couldn’t stand for this said with a wry smile:
“Emrys,
you sit over there, it’s hard to talk like this.”
The
retired King had three children, two sons and a daughter. When his eldest son
Riothamus took the throne, his sons, Ambrosius’ grandsons, became the next in
line of succession. This meant that Riothamus’ second son was second in line to
the throne. Despite his high status, he only returned to the kingdom about a
month ago.
“I
heard that Your Highness was still studying abroad at Kuscheperca, welcome
back.”
“My
dad is ascending the throne, so I had to return.”
Eru
also heard the news of Emrys’ return. Because of the various things that
required their attention during the coronation, they didn’t have a chance to
meet. This was their first official meeting.
“To
think a new Silhouette Knight was made during the short period while I was
away! And that new model, Karrdetolle!? Awesome? I tried it out; it is smooth
and powerful, as expected of our nation’s Knight!”
“Yes,
of course! That is the work of my Silver Phoenix Knights!”
“I
thought so, great job!”
Emrys
agreed with the happy Eru, and then suddenly slapped his own knee.
“Speaking
of which, there is that horse thing! Looks interesting. Lend it to me next
time, I want to take it for a spin.”
“Ehhh?
Erm— sigh— Tzen-chan is hard to operate, or rather, it is a bit difficult to
loan it out, well…”
“If
I get on it, there will be a way to make it move, it’s just something like a
horse, just having the spirit will be enough!”
“Hmmm…”
“It
is different from horses and can’t be driven by spirit alone.”
For
some reason, Ambrosius was also participating in the conversation
enthusiastically. His eyes weren’t those of a gentle supporter, it was closer
to observing how Eru handles the intimidating Emrys. The evidence was that
Ambrosius relaxed his expression happily and looked amused. Eru glanced
sideways at Ambrosius as he casually handled Emrys. Meanwhile, Ady was worried
about Tzendorg being taken away. Emrys maintained his energetic attitude and
became excited.
“Let’s
discuss that later, I heard that I was summoned because of something urgent.”
Eru
felt it was about time and ended the conversation. If he allowed Emrys to go
on, it will probably take all day.
“Oh,
right, I asked for you to come here to make a Silhouette Knight for me.”
Ambrosius
cut to the chase, which made Eru asked baffled:
“Your
Excellency, don’t you already have the outstanding machine ‘Raids of Valor’?”
“That’s
different; it’s the King’s machine. I passed it on to Riothamus when I
abdicated, and can’t take it out as I please. I want a new one, and it seems
like a good idea to commission it to you.”
“Retirement
life is boring”— Ambrosius muttered softly. Eru almost asked him how he
planned to make retirement life more exciting, but he managed to restrain
himself.
“I
understand, in that case, allow me to do what I can.”
“Can
you make one for me, too! Just making it for grandpa is unfair.”
"Hmmm,
how about it, Ernesti? Can you prepare two machines?”
“By
your orders, just one or two machines isn’t a problem. Well, what kind of
machine would you like? I will try my best to satisfy both of your needs.”
Ambrosius
wanted to speak when he heard that, but Emrys was faster. He stood strongly and
kicked the chair away.
“Okay,
the most important thing is ‘power’.”
He
announced loudly. Eru took out a small notebook, pen and ink from the pouch on
his waist. This set of stationery was prepared by him for ease of taking notes.
As he wrote, Emrys listed out the requirements.
“The
next important thing is ‘power’.”
Eru
nodded with a serious face and continued making notes.
“The
final important thing, is also power.”
Eru
only wrote the words ‘Muscle Head’ on his paper, and asked after toying with
his notes:
“Okay,
I understand what you mean. Ah, what about the design’s appearance?”
“Erm…
Something very powerful… Well, something like grandpa’s ‘lion’, something
amazing!!”
Eru outlined the words with a doodle design, then circled it again, making it look strong and powerful.
Eru outlined the words with a doodle design, then circled it again, making it look strong and powerful.
“I
will leave the details to you; just don’t go overboard, the rest is up to you.”
“By
your orders, I will prepare machines suitable for Your Excellency and Your Highness.”
The
requirements were too amazing, even Ady who was listening by the side almost
said: “What kind of requests are these?” Despite that, Eru was still smiling
happily.
About
a month after this conversation happened, a Tzendrinble pulling a wagon came to
the Royal Capital. On the wagon were two giant figures covered by cloth, the
personal machines prepared for Ambrosius and Emrys.
When
he heard the news of their arrival, Emrys rushed there at full speed, even
Ambrosius couldn’t help following with curiosity. They were not the only
audience, the guards in Shreiber Castle also came to watch, looking at the
cargo with curious eyes.
When
the cloth on the wagon was taken off before the watchful eyes, two Silhouette
Knights were revealed, reflecting light brilliantly under the sun.
“This
is really… Ernesti, you are being playful again.”
Ambrosius
suppressed his laughter. Just as he said, the designs of the two Silhouette
Knights were very exaggerated.
—
One of them looked like a lion. The chest armour and torso formed the face of a
lion, with the armour styled like its mane with twists and bends. It was golden
in colour and very prominent.
—
The other had the appearance of a tiger. The torso mimics the face of a tiger,
although the other parts were rather plain, but the silver body with black
stripes around it made it just as prominent as the golden machine.
Eru
ignored the crowd that was stunned by the striking appearance of the Silhouette
Knights, opening his hands in an exaggerated manner happily as he explained:
“What
do you think, Your Excellency and Your Highness Emrys. They are the ‘Gordesleo’
and ‘Silver Tiger’. As requested by Your Highness, both of them possess immense
power, excellent performance and great defensive capability.”
Emrys
had been standing as still as a statue with his mouth open all this while.
Ambrosius stroked his beard slowly and asked:
“Oh,
power is what my dumb grandson wanted, but what about defence? Why did you
focus on that?”
“That
was my idea… Your safety is the most important thing above all.”
“I
see, that’s true. The Royal knights have enhanced defence capabilities too,
something that a general will worry about.”
Ambrosius
nodded with satisfaction. After some time, Emrys finally came to his senses. He
raised his muscular arms and roared at the two beast machines:
“Woah,
totally awesome!! Hahaha, well done, Silver Commander! I like this!”
Emrys
who was as ecstatic as a child pointed at one of the machines with a smile. At
the same time, Ambrosius who was comparing the two knights pointed to one of
them too.
“Grandpa,
I want the Gordesleo.”
“Well
then Emrys, I will take this Gordesleo…”
Both
of them stopped at the same time and looked at each other. A tense silence was
cycling around them.
“Grandpa…
Think about your age, such an elegant machine doesn’t suit you.”
“What
nonsense is this, Emrys? You lack experience boy, it’s too early to ride the
lion and roar for you. I am the one known as the ‘Lion King’, this machine is
like it’s tailor made for me.”
Invisible
sparks broke out between the two as neither side gave in, their aura shaking
the air. The guards around them didn’t know what to expect if they really got
it on, and didn’t think anyone could calm them down.
“Right,
Grandpa, how about a training exercise? I will let you see the results of my
studies.”
“Oh?
You want to take it by force? You've got guts! To the arena, men, get me my
sword!”
Before
the people around could stop them, the two dashed for the training arena. Only
the shocked Eru and guards were left behind.
“I
heard His Highness resembles His Excellency Ambrosius… But that is too uncanny.”
That
thought was obviously shared by everyone present.
Moments
later, the scene shifted to the training arena used by the guards, situated
near the Royal Castle.
Hot
air blew across the brownish ground as two Karrdator faced off against each
other with different weapons in hand.
“You
asked for a sword, so why is there a Silhouette Knight…?”
The
ones piloting the machines were naturally Ambrosius and Emrys. News of the
retired King and Prince having a training spar spread in the castle in no time,
and something went wrong somewhere, so the soldiers prepared the Silhouette
Knights. Their efficient actions surprised even Eru.
“Grandpa…
Sorry, but I won’t hold back.”
“Stop
the bullshit. I keep asking you to work hard, but you just won’t change your
ways and live as you please… Let me correct that myself! Grit your teeth!”
“Your
Excellency— I think your objective is totally wrong—”
Eru’s
retort didn’t reach the two men filled with fighting spirit. Silhouette Knights
might be machines, but they expressed the will of the pilot quite clearly. Even
without seeing them inside the cockpit, It was easy to imagine their gleeful
faces and eagerness to fight from the churn of the engines. When the churning
reached its peak, a loud horn sounded through the arena. The two machines
charged towards each other at this signal to begin.
In
one corner was a young lion that was still growing, the other corner was an old
skillful lion which was slightly past its prime. The way they fought was on two
extreme ends.
Emrys
used his speed and power as a weapon and went in head on; Ambrosius dodged with
his skill and counters, not taking a single step back. The steps of the giants
shook the earth, making deafening sounds whenever their giant weapons clashed.
Neither side sought to conserve energy, giving all they have got.
Both
might be lions, but they were not the same. The fight started out even, but
gradually turned in favour of Ambrosius. Ambrosius wielded a spear taller than
the Silhouette Knight, with a blunt tip used for training. It was said that in
a man to man fight, you need to have three times the skill to win against a
spear with a sword. This theory was projected onto the Silhouette Knights. From
the footwork, arm movement and quick adjustment of the spear holding position,
Ambrosius nimbly controlled the distance between them, toying with Emrys who
was using a sword.
Emrys
wanted to close the gap and charged, but was fended off with a swing of the
spear. While Emrys was unbalanced, the spear stabbed at him without hesitation.
Emrys twisted the machine, deflecting the strike with the thicker armour, but
Ambrosius used the reactionary force to pull away, sealing Emrys’ chance of
counterattack. After twirling the spear around, Ambrosius attacked with a
barrage of spear thrust once again. In the face of the barrage, Emrys had no
choice but to take the defensive.
“As expected of grandpa! You’ve still got it
in you!”
“This
is the quality a King should have.”
“Eh,
I don’t think so.”
They
might not be able to hear what Eru said in the distance, but Eru still couldn’t
help retorting.
“However,
the retired King really has a way with the spear, is he really sixty years
old?”
“When
the retired king held the post of general, how should I put this… He liked to
lead from the front. I heard he mixed with the troopers and fought with a
spear… Since he is still fighting fit at this age, it is hard to imagine how he
was like back then.”
“Wasn’t
he a general peerless in battle?”
Aside
from Eru, there were many guards among the audience. They cheered the intense
fight that was ongoing right now. Even though military might was valued in this
‘nation of knights’, there wasn’t a need for the royalties to display their
prowess. But the two of them were better than most knights, especially
Ambrosius who was the renowned general ‘Lion King’. It was incredible for him
to be this good despite his age.
And
his grandson who inherited his bloodline turned his endless power into speed as
he challenged the living legend. When the troops saw their masters fighting so
mightily, their respect for them grew even more.
The
guards might be impressed, but the fight was still intense. Emrys lost the
initiative and couldn’t attack as he pleased. He wasn’t weak, just that his
weapon matches poorly and the difference in experience was too vast.
“Your
movements aren’t bad, but you are too naive. You can’t even touch me.”
“Aren’t
you getting out of breath, grandpa! Are you losing to your age?”
“Enough
with your nonsense! Watch! An opening at your feet!!”
Ambrosius
shot with his back weapon calmly. The training bullets weren’t powerful, but
the strike to Emrys feet still pushed him back. Taking this chance, Ambrosius
pursued and thrust with his spear.
“You
won’t get me so easily!”
Emrys
instinctively knew he couldn’t avoid this and made a shocking move. He used his
unbalanced posture to charge with his shoulders, going forward. The tip of the
spear brushed against the armour, producing sparks. Emrys stepped into the
spears attack range while grabbing the spear he just dodged with his arm pit.
Since the spear play was powerful, Emrys just needed to make it stop.
“How’s
that!?”
“You
got guts…!”
Emrys
who entered sword attack range had the advantage— he wasn’t the only one to
think that. However, as if he was overturning the judgement of everyone,
Ambrosius released the spear immediately. The liberated retired king took
another step forward, shortening the distance beyond sword range. Emrys who was
countered was shocked and didn’t know how to react.
Ambrosius
lowered his stance and swept Emrys legs. As he was grabbing the spear, Emrys’
movement was limited and he lost his balance.
“...
I told you, your feet have an opening.”
Ambrosius
grabbed his spear back as Emrys fell, and attacked with another hail of spear
thrusts. Emrys rolled to evade, shooting his back weapon recklessly. Ambrosius
calmly deflected the attacks. Emrys pulled away and got up slowly. The battle
returned to the situation when it started.
“...
This is bad, you are good grandpa, that was exhilarating.”
Emrys
was covered with scratches on his armour, and some parts were even dented after
he rolled. His back weapon was still useable, but the zeroing was off after his
fall. His crystal tissue wasn’t damaged, which was really lucky. Even though he
looked a bit beat up, Emrys’ machine was still functional. After Emrys
confirmed the power coming from his joystick, he laughed out loud and said:
“Great,
this is a good machine; I can still have some fun with it…”
He
had detracted from his original objective, but he didn’t lose his spirit, and
was even more fired up. Ambrosius could feel the fighting intent spilling forth
from the machine, and smiled viciously in his pilot seat.
“Hmm,
his will power is commendable, but it will be meaningless if there are no
results.”
When
he heard these words coming from the loudspeaker, Emrys did all he could to
suppress his wildly beating heart. He shouldn’t be reacting to his
grandfather’s taunt. If he didn’t find a way to deal with Ambrosius’ spear, he
won’t be able to win. The opponent wasn’t just strong in ranged attack; he
could also defend any attack within spear range. Wasn’t there any opening? Any
good way to go about it? Emrys kept thinking during the fight, and finally made
up his mind.
“...
Ah— forget it, stop thinking! The answer can’t be found just by thinking, it is
within the sword!”
He
decided to find the answer through action; that was Emrys’ way of doing things.
He charged ahead without regard for anything, not aware of Ambrosius’ wry smile
for acting just as expected. In the eyes of the bystanders, he was just making
the same mistake, everyone was certain that Ambrosius’ amazing spear work will
fend off Emrys.
But
reality overturned everyone’s expectation.
Ambrosius
thrust with his spear, engaging the advancing Emrys. They were out of sword
range, so only the spear could reach. However, Emrys didn’t plan to take a
beating obediently.
Lifting
his sword with both hands, he swung, filling the arena with the loud sound of
impact along with sparks. He was still out of sword range, but Emrys was aiming
for the ‘spear’— Ambrosius’ weapon.
The
sword knocked the spear aside, and Emrys slid into its range of attack.
Ambrosius reacted splendidly, spinning the polearm with unbelievable speed and
attacking with the tail end of the spear. Emrys kept advancing as he parried
the spear again, single minded in his will to move forth.
If
the strong point of spears was range, then it was dexterity for swords.
Swordsman could make small and minute movements to deal quick and heavy
attacks. Emrys charged with his unbelievable stubbornness, not thinking about
anything else. In the face of this relentless attack, even Ambrosius was being
suppressed.
“Waaarrggghhh!”
“Huh!?”
At
this point, Emrys’ weapon wasn’t the sword, but the machine itself. His heavy
blow was blocked head on by Ambrosius— Emrys who was slashing down with both
hands clashed with Ambrosius who blocked with the body of the spear.
The
ether reactor from both machines revved into higher gears, the sound of air
intake was blasted out. Crystal tissues flexed as it converted the mana into
power, striving to push the opponent down.
When
both pilots were operating the same type of Silhouette Knights, the deciding
factor would be the ‘spirit of the pilots’. If one were to lose in terms of
spirit, he would be pushed back and lose the match. In the end, this was the
dumb but simple way they decided the match. Both parties focused their power on
one spot, trying to overpower the other as the ground became depressed by the
feet of the giants.
“Wooaarrgghh!”
Emrys
roared as he took a step forward with all his might. An enormous amount of
power was pushed onto the point their weapons met, and that explosive moment
when the energy was released—
The
spear flew into the air.
The
result of their contest was Ambrosius losing in terms of strength. Emrys placed
his sword on the throat of the unarmed Ambrosius, ending the fight.
“Hmmm,
great fight, you have trained well.”
“...
Grandpa, did you hold back just now?”
Emrys
wasn’t questioning it, and was sure about it. Because he fought with Ambrosius
directly, so he knew that he wasn’t an opponent he could defeat so easily. It
was natural for Emrys to think that Ambrosius held back.
“Dumbass,
why would I need to hold back against you… To think that my old bones can’t
beat you down anymore. Forget it, you win, take that machine with you.”
After
saying his piece, Ambrosius turned and left. His majestic figured showed no
sign of unhappiness, not like a defeated person at all. Emrys silently bowed
deeply to that back while the guards in the arena stood at attention and
saluted.
Ambrosius
stretched his stiff body after leaving the arena, and alighted from the
Karrdator.
“Ara,
it had been so long since I last competed, my shoulders are stiff. My skills
had rusted; I need to train a little. That dumb grandchild didn’t even hold
back against an old man, where did he get that inflexible nature from?”
“Definitely
from you, Your Excellency.”
“Even
you are saying that… Ernesti, I gave up on the Gordesleo, but the Silver Tiger
is good too right?”
“Don’t
need to worry. To be honest, both are the same except their appearance.”
“Then
I’m fine with it.” Ambrosius laughed after saying that, and it was a rare sight
seeing Eru sigh behind him.
“Ohhh…”
After
finishing the match, Emrys came to the symbol of victory— the Gordesleo. It had
the appearance of a beast, combining elegance, power and might in its design,
showing great taste and uniqueness. The heavy armour focusing on defence gave
it a heavy weight regality to it.
“Great,
this is awesome…”
Also,
the Gordesleo wasn’t just a Silhouette Knight to Emrys; it was a prize proving
his powers which he won from his grandfather. When he thought about that,
Emrys’ fatigue was gone and he was filled with energy.
“I
won this from grandfather, so I can’t let him lose face; I have to work
harder…”
Did
the retired King think this far? Win or lose, he planned to let His Highness
learn something.
Eru
thought as he watched Emrys who was trembling with emotions. Their interactions
might be short, but Eru felt that Emrys was too straightforward. He was crass
in his speech, but Emrys’ respect for Ambrosius could be felt from his actions.
If someone like that was to win a machine from Ambrosius--
The
pride of His Highness will make him perform even better… That’s how it is. I
don’t know if he planned it that way, but I am happy since they like it.
Eru
nodded and left quietly. There was some unexpected incident, but he
accomplished his goal of delivering the personal machines. After that, Emrys
will visit Olvecius Fort from time to time with his Gordesleo, but that was
another story.
Its back ^^
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sky.
it's back! yey :)
ReplyDeleteOMG! Praise be!
ReplyDeleteKnight's & Magic o// \\o
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter~
it's back! yahooooo
ReplyDeleteHaha. Seriously the hot blooded genes must've skipped a generation.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot---!
ReplyDeleteThat grandfather and grandson duo are totally hilarious! Really amazing the 'stubborn, violent' genes skipped the father and the older grandson person! Ahaha!
It is worth to see a rare sight of baffled Eru!
DeleteIndeed.
DeleteHuge praise for the K&M release!!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the chapter :D!
ReplyDeleteyay finaly back Thx for The chapter
ReplyDeletemaybe something like transformers will come out next xD
ReplyDeleteIIIIT'S BAAAACCK!
ReplyDeleteyep, the mischievous king does it again
ReplyDeleteO praise be upon thee for thy work hath shon the light upon the veiled path in the darkest of days.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, thanks for the chapter~ you effort is much appreciated
It's heeeeeeere!
ReplyDeleteBut nothing about the elves after the beginning.
The suspence! So curiousss...
And ofcourse I wrote suspense wrong.. Tsk..
DeleteI guess that other traslator was doing a bad job? Glad to see this is back!
ReplyDelete?
DeleteWhat other translator?
Someone ask sky to stop translating it some months ago since they want to take it over but after few months they didnt release any K&M chapters
DeleteBAKA DOGEZA
Deletehe was real butthurt about all the flack he was getting. after all that time he only released a few chaps if I'm not mistaken and the quality cant be compared to Sky's
DeleteThat much is obvious, Sky is a god among men
DeleteJust want to make it clear bakadogeza WAS NOT who was taking over sky even said so in a comment somewhere. He just happens to be doing it. Also baka dodge was translating albirt slowly
DeleteAnd final the shit that people posted as comments on bakadogezas blog was pretty disrespectful considering it says on the front page that they are rough translations
The translation team that was suppose to release K&M, I don't know what happened to them. As for Baka-Dogeza, he pointed out that he is not doing an entirely complete translation. The content isn't as clean as Sky's and he only did it just because he felt like it. Everyone loves to complain and say this and that, but are they the ones translating, are they spending time to put out light novels on blogs such as these, are they even contributing? Most definitely not, majority of people who went on Baka-dogeza's blog and ranted about that it was not their cup of tea. Out of all of them, I saw few who volunteered to help out. I am sick of how pampered people can be, if you want something done, do it yourself. I did my best to on his blog to make a cleaner and more readable edit.
DeleteOhhhhhhh gooooooodd thaaaaaaankkk youuuuuj!!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the TL... i can't see the lion head... do i have to squint my eyes or something?
ReplyDelete1 month to develop those 2?! Must have been planning those in advance. Thanks for the chapter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteYahoooooo !! Thank you so much for continuing the translation, I love this novel.
ReplyDeleteIIIIT'S BAAAACCK!
ReplyDeleteYay, it's back my favorite after Regarding slime tensei. :D
ReplyDeleteIts also comes back with lot names.... XD
Yus!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter!
thank you so much for picking this up again <3
ReplyDeletethanks thanks thanks <3 <3 <3
ReplyDeleteWooooo it's back
ReplyDeleteGuess who's back !?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteyeahh,Thanks sky
ReplyDeletePraise Sky-sama!!!!!
ReplyDeletethanks so much for bringing K&M back to live!!!
HAIL SKY!!!
All hail the sky. Thanks for picking this back up man. You da best.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Very Thanks. You have brought K&M back to live
ReplyDeleteTime to add this back to my reading list
ReplyDeleteYAY MISSED K&M SO MUCH
ReplyDeleteThank you... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it's back. One of my favorite LN series.
ReplyDeleteAlso, does Nora ever get any significant roles? Or at least any further appearances? She hasn't showed up since she was introduced in Chapter 21.
took me awhile to figure out who you were talking about~
DeleteThank you for the chapter :)
ReplyDeleteWha-what... how can this be.. to think that meat bun will lose..
DeleteSo arche got a tail. Peperonccino!!
ReplyDeleteLord Skye has blessed the commoners once again with K&M *kowtow*
ReplyDeleteThe winds has started blowing once more, rise again, Silver Phoenix! Thank you for the chapter.
ReplyDeleteGreat chapter! :) Hope to see some more.
ReplyDeleteYay!! K&M's back!!
ReplyDeleteItadakimasu!!
No longer having a Baka-tic trans sure is a good thing :D
ReplyDeletewe're so happy that you're back!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my translator God!!!!! Praise be unto you!!! I've waited for so long I'd begun to lose hope, but just like a hero you came to the rescue at the last minute to save my soul,
ReplyDeletethank for the update
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, for continuing to translate this.
ReplyDeleteI was considerably worried that you wouldn't translate this with all that seemed to be going on.
Thank you...Thank you....Thank you..... I've been waiting for this for so looooong.... Finally.....
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot sky
ReplyDelete