Knights & Magic Vol 1 Chapter 7

A physical phenomenon forms out of thin air with a screech, and flies towards the 'Staccato Lizard'. The spell 'Aero Ripper' slices through the Staccato Lizard's neck, killing it before it can scream.

The group follows the clear command of the lady, students lightly equipped with wands and bows retreat to the rear, replaced by students in heavy armor. They form a row and a wall with their s.h.i.+elds to fend off the swarming Demon beasts. The beasts that survived the onslaught of magic and arrows pounce on the student in the front row with a fierce collision. The students used their s.h.i.+elds to repel the claws and fangs of the Demon beast, and counter attack with their swords, taking down a large number of beasts.

The middle school students who split into groups when they entered Cloquet's Forest gathered and formed into a single unit, positioning themselves into a formation that focuses on defense. The surge of Demon beasts charged at them from the depths of the forest. The students took on the waves of Demon beasts courageously.

"If this goes on, the first year at the forest entrance will be attacked...! We have to warn them!"

"Watch out! A Macehead Ogre is coming at us!"

"...! Second file! Aim for the ape's leg! It will be bad if they draw near!"

We need to turn back time a few hours to understand why the situation is so dire.

Morning, the middle school students from the higher grades headed into Cloquet's Forest in teams with high spirits. They kept their guard up, advancing deep into the forest with no resistance and realised that something was wrong. Normally, they would have met with several Demon beast attacks this deep into the forest, but there had been nothing so far. There was no news of the Demon beast disappearing from Cloquet's Forest.

As they were preparing to leave, the Demon beasts started to emerge from left and right. It is a bit of a ha.s.sle, but they still raise their arms to destroy the Demon beasts.

When the Demon beasts numbered in the dozens, everyone’s expression changed. Seeing the state the forest is in, they understood that this is another abnormal event, differing from the one they experienced just now.

This is the tenth Macehead Ogre they have defeated.

It was fortunate that the Student Council President, Stefania Serrati, is present. When they split into team activities, she a.s.signed the task and suitable equipment to each group. It was the same for their combined formations; everyone has their role to play. Although they are a pick-up group, things are going well. The problem is the lack of a commander. It is great just following their given task, but if they don't act when there is an opportunity, they will miss the chance to take advantage of a situation and waste their resources.

... This is bad. The number of Demon beasts is a problem, but why are they so adamant about charging us... How much longer can we hold them?

We didn't intercept all the Demon beasts. I hope the children behind us are safe...!
The situation is deteriorating, but they still fought on.

The first years training at the outer edge of the forest was attacked while the higher grade students were battling.

The results of the instructors' actions made the situation worse, but they are not at fault. It will be fine if it was just a few Demon beasts, but the Demon beasts started to emerge en ma.s.se. The teachers missed the chance to fall back and had to keep on fighting. They are holding up well, but the students behind them fell into a panic with the emergence of more Demon beasts. The instructors who are supposed to maintain order can't draw back and give the students the proper instructions.

"...Aero d.a.m.ned, Canister Shot!"

The air bullets. .h.i.t the ground with the sound of an explosion. The compressed air bullets squeeze the face of the beasts together before blasting the Demon beasts and the ground away.

The merciless magic destroyed a large amount of Demon beast through carpet bombing. Two more students move in from the left and right. One of them charges into the Demon beast mob with a big b.a.s.t.a.r.d sword in hand. He used physical boost to swing his giant sword, slicing the Demon beasts in half. He used the momentum to turn his body, drawing another weapon from his waist and point it at the surviving beast.

"Too naive! Sonic Boom!"

A girl showed up beside him, holding two bayonet staff pointed at different beasts.

Lightning fell, accompanied by the sound of thunder the next second, striking the gathered Demon beasts. She didn't even look at the beasts that spasmed and died, attaching the gun staff onto the sword in her sheath. She held the dual swords in both hands, slas.h.i.+ng at every Demon beast that came within range. Even a thin sword can cut Demon beasts in half if it is strengthened by magic.

"Draw your staff."

"Everyone gather up, form into tight ranks. Teacher!"

"Please take command and keep the initiative. Please retreat, the three of us will support the others."

Ernesti stared at the Demon beasts rus.h.i.+ng out of the forest and slowly raises his Winchester. Chid and Ady stood beside him like his guards. Chid leaned the b.a.s.t.a.r.d sword on his shoulder with one hand, and grabed a Gandiva with the other, while Ady rested the tips of her dual swords in her hands, on the ground. Their eyes are full of determination when they see the swarm of Demon beasts before them.

"Hmmp― I won't hold back!"

"It's fine if the both of you want to fight, but don't forget about the rest of the student body."

Ady wanted to protest, but stopped midway, because Eru was staring at her with a stern expression.

"Uguu, I... I get it! I will help them!"

"Fortunately, this is still the entrance of the forest. We can get back to the campsite if we retreat. If we meet up with the Silhouette Knights there, things will lighten up. Before that..."

"We need to protect them."

While the middle schoolers are in the forest, the high schooler Knight runners were relieved from their duty and started their training. Since they cannot increase the stress on the machines, as the Silhouette Knights have to be conserved for escort duties, their training centred on one on one spars.

"Hey, isn't the forest rather noisy?"

The moment he brought it up, the students around him perk up their ears. Sounds of tremours that weren’t there before came from the direction of the forest, and they knew what it was.

"Something is up... Exercise cease! Pilots prepare to sortie. The situation in the forest seems to be bad, scout out the situation!"

"Hey, look at that..."

"What... What is happening?"

They drew their swords and advance into the forest. They linked up with the first years in no time. The first years has successfully retreated with Eru's quick thinking.

They retreated to the campsite, setting up fences around the area to fortify their defenses.

"Do you know the routes taken by the second and third years?"

The instructors reviewed the action plan of each higher grade student and groaned with a serious expression. They wanted to rescue them, but with the limited number of Silhouette Knights, they don’t know where to start. Cloquet's Forest was vast, running around like a headless chicken will be counter intuitive. But they didn’t have time to hesitate either. At this point, Ernesti stick his head out from the instructor's side.

"Hmm? That... if they want to rendezvous, it should be nearby."

"With the scale of the Demon beast horde, won't the seniors group up to resist? That's why I think we should look for places where large group of people can gather."

"The Silhouette Knights can't move easily in heavily forested areas. Taking our combat a.s.sets into consideration, we should start our search from open s.p.a.ces, right?"

"Also, you can take out the Demon beasts coming this way if you use this route. If anyone is caught in a battle, just holler and you will be fine."

Edgar who was the pilot of the pure white Silhouette Knight – Earlec.u.mber, was the first to volunteer. As he was getting inside Earlec.u.mber, someone called out to him. Edgar turned back and saw Eru standing there.

"Why?"

Edgar felt troubled. Although it is dangerous, it shouldn't be a problem with Eru's combat ability. And with the rational discussion he displayed during the conference, it will be helpful to bring him along. Edgar agreed after thinking about it.
Earlec.u.mber let Eru stand on his hand and stood up. Behind him is Helvi in Trandorches and three other machines. They entered the forest with heavy steps.

"Those who have depleted your mana, help the wounded! Front line switch with standby line! Hold the line, everyone just hold on a little longer!"

It has been several hours since the battle begun, their retreat has been difficult. They are fine with handling the beast one at a time, but when a huge wave swells up and attack, they are forced to deplete their stamina. The Macehead Ogre that shows up from time to time drains their mana. Because they can't cast powerful enough spells as they lack mana, a Macehead Ogre managed to close in on them and cause serious damage. About half of the group is in the state of mana depletion or have been wounded, their forces are dwindling. They conserve their remaining stamina and keep switching the vanguard to hold the up the battle front. But they don't know how much longer they can last; they are close to the campsite, which is the only hope that kept them going.

Two Macehead Ogres appeared dead ahead ― They are so agitated that they are foaming at the mouth, charging straight at the group. Compared to the beginning of the battle, the magic at their disposal are much weaker, so the students couldn’t stop them. The vanguards frown. The sole Macehead Ogre that attacked earlier wiped out over a dozen students, inflicting heavy casualties. If they take on two at the same time, they might be wiped out.

The Macehead Ogre has an endurance that matches its tough appearance. They advanced steadily, making light of the desperate struggles of the students. The chaotic attacks served to agitate them instead, making them more excitable.

Someone mumbled this softly. The Macehead Ogre who was right before them raised their fist, aiming for the head of a vanguard. The vanguard raised their s.h.i.+elds, even though it is in vain.

He didn't see several Piercing Lances flying over his head with incredible accuracy, hitting the arm of the Macehead Ogre dead on.  He also missed seeing the Piercing Lance exploding one by one in accordance to its script, blowing the Ogre's arm away. By the time the vanguard composed himself, the Ogre was running away, yelping.

Eru landed with enough force to dig into the ground, turns his head as he slides and pointed his Winchester at the other Macehead Ogre. Fireball was rapidly cast from its tip, engulfing the Ogre an explosion that shakes the ground. Half of the Ogre's body was charred and falls.

Stefania was stunned by Eru's sudden intrusion into the battlefield, but she didn't let the chance slip away. Her command made the students move, finis.h.i.+ng off the Ogre.

"Sorry for the wait, Student Council President. I brought reliable reinforcements."
Without needing Eru to show her, shecould hear heavy footfalls behind. The rescue team overtakes the higher grade students, spreading out in front and protecting them.

The ten metre tall giant Knights swung its gigantic iron sword, easily wiping out a wave of Demon beasts, this was the overwhelming strength of humanity's strongest weapon. The students erupted in cheers at the sight of the powerful Silhouette Knights. There are no reinforcements more rea.s.suring for the group on the verge of defeat. They are safe.

Edgar who was riding inside Earlec.u.mber mumbles to himself, as he drives the Demon beasts away.

Frustrated with his inability to help, despite having the strength to do so, Edgar grinded his teeth in regret. At this moment, Ernesti who is in the hand of Earlec.u.mber charged ahead. The Ogres fell easily before the rampaging Eru, making Edgar sigh. His performance is shameful when compared to Eru.
With the Silhouette Knights who made it in the nick of time as escorts, the students continue to retreat. There are many injuries, but no one was lost and everybody made it back to the campsite in one piece.

This happened slightly after the Laihiala Pilot Academy student body left Jantunen for Cloquet's Forest.

"Is... this true!?"

"Yes sir! Stronghold Balguerie was decimated under the attack of the battalion level Demon beast ― Land Emperor. It is likely the defending team has been wiped out. Behemoth is moving west into the heart of the Kingdom, and is expected to show up around Jantunen soon. Sir!"

"Issue emergency orders, muster all the Knights near Jantunen! This order overrides any mission they are currently undertaking!"

"A Behemoth... Even Jantunen doesn't have a battalion, only the Capital can match that."

Philip clenched his fist as he moved hurriedly.

Gottfried was quiet after hearing this. He did not wish to risk the destruction of their band of Knights, but Behemoth has already ravaged a stronghold. If Jantunen suffers heavy collateral damage, the trade routes of the Kingdom will be heavily congested. If the supplies to the frontlines are cut off, it will adversely affect the fortresses, leading to more catastrophes. This could determine the fate of the entire nation; they have to kill the Behemoth even if it takes the lives of the entire Knight company. Gottfried had to offer his advice if necessary, that is his duty as the vice-commander.

Seeing Philip’s face twist with worry, Gottfried can only nod in silence.

The Knights outside the city received a call order, so they had to a.s.sess the situation before all the Knights return. A map was prepared, and the possible advancement route of the Behemoth was highlighted. The Knight runner who sent the warning didn't know the current position of the Behemoth either, so they had to factor in things such as terrain and the mobility of the Behemoth to predict its advancement route, and estimate its rough position. They will also need to decide where they will fight the Behemoth.

"That is right beside Jantunen... Its current estimated position?"

"I think it pa.s.sed through Crepel Plains and is about to enter Cloquet's Forest."

A Knight behind him suddenly shouts.

"What? What’s wrong with Cloquet's Forest?"

"... Laihiala Academy is conducting a field trip there right now!"

All the Knights present are speechless. Not only Jantunen, even citizens who are the a.s.sets of the nation, as well as the children are in danger. There are Knights in the room who has relatives studying at Laihiala Knighthood school right now. Some of the Knights approached Philip frantically.

"We have to save the children!"

"...Send out messengers, but the company will stay put until we have gathered enough forces."

"Nonsense!"

"I want to help them too, but with our current forces, we will need to give everything to take down the Behemoth!... I am not optimistic about the coming battle. Striking now without mustering the whole company will just be wasting our forces, we might even be wiped out by the Behemoth. Don't be mistaken! Our objective is to defeat the Behemoth, defend Jantunen and safeguard the entire Fremmevira Kingdom!"

"... What we can do now is to have faith in their luck and wits..."
They looked into the darkness in the direction of Cloquet's Forest.

The entrance of Cloquet's Forest, Laihiala Knighthood school campsite.

Most Demon beasts emerging from the forest are about one metre in height, the largest being three metres tall. Their combat capabilities are insignificant compared to the ten metre tall Silhouette Knights. They swat away cl.u.s.ters of beasts with a single sword swing. But there are a few that sneak past because of the large difference in size. They swarm towards the fence, and are held off by the students who move in to fill the gap.
From the Demon beast's view point, the Silhouette Knight who seems to be flaunting its existence is intimidating. Unwilling to face them, the beasts flank the Silhouette Knights, attacking the base camp from either side. The middle schoolers in the higher grades suffered many casualties, so this is a favorable situation for the Knighthood students who lack the manpower.

After the sun sets beyond the mountains, the attack came to an end. The students, who are alert even with the absence of enemies instinctively felt that the battle was over and takes a breather.

Stefania Serrati, who felt fatigue from the depth of her heart was relieved. She was leading the able bodied student body to the very end. They met up with the teachers back at the base camp, but they judged that it will be easier for Stefania, who has been commanding from the very beginning to continue. But part of it was because of her sense of responsibility.

When the situation has calmed down, she greeted the students, who were resting and surveyed the campsite. She called out to the familiar faces loudly when she came across them.

Stefania shakes her head.

Stefania looked amazed as she spoke. The students who just retreated back to camp were riddled with wounds and fatigue, so their combat capabilities were minimal. They will struggle to handle the Demon beasts that sneak pa.s.s the Silhouette Knights in their current state. But thanks to Eru buying time for them, they managed to recover and made it through.

"I think the three of you are as effective as a platoon, and that is not going 'a little overboard'... Sigh, never mind. More importantly... Eru!"

"Ah~~ this healing♪~~ I can keep fighting if Eru is here."

Stefania happily played with his hair and poked his cheeks, Eru did not resist, and allowed her to toy with him. Ady seemed angry, but didn't stop her.

"Eh... Student Council President..."

"What is it?"

"I understand. Sorry you three. Let's chat later, it will just take a little while."

Alright, we made it past the dangerous period, but what's next?

Even Eru is not sure what was lurking deep within the forest.

"And so, we are moving out tomorrow?"

"Correct, we have many wounded but no one is in danger of dying, the worst of it are just fractures. There are many who have depleted their mana and are exhausted. The teachers feel that it is dangerous to move with our inadequet fighting power."

"The horses will also be affected by the dark. The instructors decided that being attacked while exhausted and moving on the carriages will be too risky, it is better to wait for day break while taking advantage of the base camp's defenses. I think we won't be attacked by Demon beasts in such numbers any time soon."

"Not really, all the options are like a gamble, this is simply choosing the safest option. If something does come in the middle of the night, it will be easier for the Silhouette Knight to defend if we stay put."

But they missed an important thing― What created the stampede?

They only regret missing this detail during the twilight hours just before dawn.

The red sun rises slowly over the mountain range. The students, who took the last s.h.i.+ft suppressed their drowsiness and yawns. The surrounding is peaceful. After meeting the large scale migration of the Demon beasts, there were almost no Demon beasts left in Cloquet's Forest. The whole forest seems to have died with a silent air.

"Oh s.h.i.+t! A big one! A big one is coming!"

The sound of trees falling can be heard clearly now, along with the thundering footsteps. It is clear that something big is approaching.

It goes without saying that everyone can feel that this is a crisis like never before. In this intense atmosphere, everyone's eyes are drawn towards the forest entrance.

It was a large Demon beast that shouldn't appear in Cloquet's Forest. The swarms of Demon beasts that attacked them out of nowhere.

The trees near the entrance fell like dominoes. Finally, the Demon beast appeared with the light of the breaking dawn. It was covered in uneven armour with protruding edges. It was easily mistaken for a mountain, and humanity's strongest weapon, the Silhouette Knight looked as weak as a child in contrast. Its eyes that are disproportionately small scan the area before it.
Everyone was awestruck, feeling fearful and weak before its majesty. Land Emperor ― the colossal beast that appeared at the border of the nation is now advancing dangerously close to Jantunen.

An abnormal silence enclosed this s.p.a.ce. It spurns from the tension between the Demon beast and the people present.

During the moment when time seemed to freeze, the Behemoth moved first with its calmer mind-set. It looked around, opened its mouth and howled. Instead of sound, it felt closer to a shock wave moving through the air. Its horrifying lung capacity released a roar that made the earth tremble, shattering several trees close to it. The armour of the Silhouette Knights closest to it s.h.i.+vers, and it took a few steps backwards because of the pressure. The sound is so loud that the students had curled up in a ball, cupping their ears; some even fainted from the shock wave.

Escaping is the best option under such circ.u.mstances, but the way they are doing it is bad. The range a human can travel on foot is limited; they need to run to the carriage if they want to escape further. The panic strickened students didn't think about that, and just concentrated on getting away in any direction.

"Get away! Run! It's dangerous! Everyone head for the carriage!"

The middle schoolers are not the only ones awed by the Behemoth, it was the same for the high school Knigt runners. Because they are in possession of the powerful Silhouette Knights, the Behemoth is a bigger threat to them. With the responsibility that comes with this power, they can't run away. Even if they want to fight, the enemy is too strong.

Caught in a dilemma because of an enemy out of their league, the first to snap out of it is Edgar. Be it fight or flight, remaining still before the Behemoth is like suicide.

But one man, Edgar, suppressed his fear when he realised the advancement route of the Behemoth coincides with the carriages the middle schoolers are using to flee, and said with resolve:

"Huh? Edgar! Do you know what you are saying!? That is a Behemoth! It will send all of us flying with a kick!"

Helvi who snapped at Edgar knows, too. There is nowhere to run, even if they escape from here, it will just lead to more collateral damage. She gritted her teeth with enough force to splinter it.

"We are Knights. We learnt swordsmans.h.i.+p and piloting in order to protect our Kingdom, how can we run without a fight!"

"I don't want to die pointlessly either. We need to draw the Behemoth's attention!"

Edgar didn’t want to lose the spirit he managed to squeeze out. Earlec.u.mber led the charge, aiming at the Behemoth's leg.

Edgar shouts as he pulls his control stick all the way back. Earlec.u.mber channels its mana to the magic armament under the control of its pilot, lightning staff Arquebus. The tip of the simple longish weapon glows brightly, a lightning bolt strikes at the Behemoth with a flash.

The other three Silhouette Knights apart from Edgar has also armed themselves with magic armaments, circling around the Behemoth while firing their overed spells. It is hard to tell the effectiveness of the attacks, but they achieved their goal of getting the Behemoth's attention. The Behemoth turns its head when it noticed the disturbance, looking at the Silhouette Knights casting spells at it with annoyed eyes.

"It's fine! Don't stop and run! We just need to buy some time!"
The Knight runners understood the Behemoth is focusing on them, so they lure the Behemoth away from the middle schoolers and retreat at full speed.

As the high school pilots battles the Behemoth, the middle schoolers are rus.h.i.+ng onto the carriage.

There are still a lot of people left... we need more time, we can only depend on our seniors now...

He has a serious face. The situation of the high school pilots is overwhelmingly bad... No, it is hopeless, their attacks does no damage at all. Their tactics revolves around retreating, disrupting it with deft movements. The Silhouette Knights will fall with just a single hit because of the differences in ma.s.s. If the pilot continue to acc.u.mulate fatigue and stress ― it is hard to think of a good outcome.
I will evacuate everyone, so don't die senpai...!

No matter how fast a Silhouette Knight is, there is no guarantee it can get out of the way of an angry, charging Behemoth. Hence, the other Knights will concentrate their attacks on the Behemoth to divert its attention, if it locks on to their comrades. Their attacks did not hurt the Behemoth, but it was frustrated with the annoyance.

Dietrich shouted. In order to overcome the intimidating aura stemming from the gigantic body of the beast, he has to convince himself that he has the upper hand. It was meant to motivate himself, but because the tactics of stalling for time was working too well, they were taking things lightly. Could it be, this is a slow and dumb beast that is all bark with no bite? In actual fact, it will take just one hit to shatter a Silhouette Knight, but toying with the Behemoth this way has dulled their sense of judgment.

The next second, a fierce breath of tornado shot out from its mouth. This is a ranged magic attack. The pilots who a.s.sumed the Behemoth can only charge and attack physically, were caught off guard by the sudden projectile spell. A tornado charged in a straight line. The turbulence from the current engulfed a machine that didn't get away in time. The Silhouette Knight couldn’t resist the raging air currents which twisted its armour and squashed its crystal tissue.

"Hya! Ugu... Wah!"

The next moment, another machine disappeared before Dietrich's eyes with a loud bang. He didn't understand what happened, but he gets it when he s.h.i.+fts his gaze.

Two Silhouette Knights were easily shattered like some pottery in the blink of an eye. The pilots realised how wrong they were to think they can hold the Behemoth off somehow. The Behemoth turns its head towards the surviving Silhouette Knights as if it was flaunting how easily it can destroy them. The perpetrator of the entire incident was targeting them next.

"Oooorrrraaaaa!"

d.a.m.n! How can I be so careless! The Behemoth is a battalion level Demon beast... I knew it was a monster that cannot be handled by the handful of us!

"Everyone, avoid facing it head on! No matter what, evasion takes priority! Just a bit more, everyone, please hang on!"

Under the rampage of the Behemoth's magic, the high school pilots are forced into a dire situation.

Eru and the others had safely evacuated the middle schoolers, and he hopped onto the last carriage himself. He watched the battle from the carriage, speeding away from the Behemoth. The high schoolers are at a severe disadvantage with the magic attack of the Behemoth, killing off any chance for them to run away, even if Eru and the rest had left. The conversation he had with Edgar flashed across his mind. Even if his message didn’t reach them, the only thing he can do now is to give his support.

Could it be... As he was thinking, he turned his head ahead and saw the battle still raging on between the Behemoth and the other Silhouette Knights. This means Guyale is abandoning the other students and escaping by himself. Eru jumped off the carriage when he understood this. Everyone was stunned by his action and couldn't stop him. He ran after Guyale with the speed of a bullet.

A red Silhouette Knight was running in the bright forest under the sunny sky.

Knight runners have absolute trust in their machines. There are Demon beasts which have power beyond the Silhouette Knights, but Dietrich didn’t think they were invincible. He was not prepared to face an enemy that shrugged off attacks and can destroy Silhouette Knights in one hit. In the end, he panicked, and made the shameful choice of saving himself by sacrificing his cla.s.smates.

Guyale's speed suddenly dropped drastically. Although Dietrich was panicking, he immediately thought of a reason for this. He went through the battle earlier and sprinted at full speed. He didn't display the calmness he showed during his training, running hard in an inefficient manner. What awaits him is a dead battery.

After stopping, he gathered some of his wits and felt a strong pang of regret. He shakes his head to clear away this thoughts. But being unable to move, all sorts of thoughts emerged, pus.h.i.+ng Dietrich into a corner.

―Leaving your brother in arms behind, a shameful behaviour for Knights―

Dietrich denies the accusations of his own conscience. His calm breathing becomes rough again; he didn't even notice his hand holding the control stick is becoming stiff because he was gripping too hard. His eyes were wide open as he sweated profusely, and he continued to affirm and deny his own thoughts.

The chest plate armour of the Silhouette Knights was connected by compressed air for ease of entry into the c.o.c.kpit. But it was opened suddenly, although he didn't activate the control for the hatch, and has no reason to do so. To open the hatch from the outside, you had to manipulate a complicated set of levers and had to be careful not to dismantle the armour by accident. Based on this situation, someone is opening the hatch from the outside using the lever.

"I finally caught up with you, Senpai."

"I will go straight to the point Senpai, are you running away?"

"...! Ah, d... d.a.m.n... right! Running... What's wrong with that! Just missing one man won't change the tide of battle! Why do I have to die in vain? The chivalry code doesn't tell us to abandon our lives!"

"That's great."

Dietrich didn’t expect such a reaction and lifted his head up, tongue tied. Great? What did he say to make Eru so happy?

When Dietrich realised what he meant, Eru has drawn his Winchester. This is the last thing he remembered while he was still conscious.

Eru perked himself up and scanned the c.o.c.kpit. Silhouette Knights are ten metre tall giants, but the c.o.c.kpit was tight and messy with all sorts of gears. The most prominent feature is the seat in the centre, the control stick to the side and the pedals under the seat. The Knight runner controls the Silhouette Knight by holding the control sticks and stepping on the pedals. Eru recalls the functions of the pilot seat and the activation procedure.

"If I leave him here unconscious, won't he die if wild beasts attack him?"

"Eh, it's a bit of a waste, but I can make s.p.a.ce here."

After 'settling' Dietrich, Eru turned towards the seat. Unfortunately, the size is designed for high schoolers. Eru won't be able to reach the control sticks and pedals with his stature. The seat does not have the convenient function of being adjustable like the cars back on Earth.

"... I will have to do this live with no backup plan, failure is not an option."

But that is only in theory. It is difficult for pilots to conceptualise and control Silhouette Knights through scripts alone, so the control sticks and pedals are necessary to reduce the burden on the pilots and make control simplier. By having physical control sticks and pedals that matches the four limbs of the pilots, the movement of these controls can be used as input data for the movements of the robot, a semi automatic mode of control. The current way of riding a Silhouette Knights is a combination of physical control and script transmission, a balance between simplicity of control and complexity of actions that can be taken.

Eru took a light breath, calmed down, closed his eyes and concentrated.

Eru a.n.a.lysed the script with his eyes closed. He construct a magic program from nothing, growing it outwards in all directions. Arms stretched out from Eru's mind to draw the magic program ― reading its contents. Even though the code and symbols were different, but being in the flow of data is nostalgic, and he smiled gently.

He began a.n.a.lysing the core of the magic scripts at a fast pace, starting with comparing what he had learned so far with the scripts within the magius engine.

Most of the scripts in the magius engine were similar to the scripts he knew. Eru identified them one by one, using the script to understand its purpose. The more similarities there were, the faster he could grasp the internal workings.

Using Architect sigils, he dissected each script. Each part formed complicated patterns and are interconnected, the magic program is expanding to the limit of his conscious.

Guyale, which was kneeling on one knee in standby mode trembles slightly. Its fingers move, its eyes begins to focus and see its surroundings clearly.

The mana produced by the ether reactor executes the script issued by the pilot, broadcasted out to the entire Silhouette Knight through the Silver Nerves. The Silhouette Knight loyally obeys the command, using the mana stored in the crystal tissue to contract and expand. The machine vibrates, standing up slowly like a new-born deer.

Guyale's gigantic body balanced itself awkwardly, taking one heavy step after another, taking large but unsteady strides. The movement is like a zombie, staggering and slow.

Eru used the feedback details from practical movements to scan for excessive movement in the crystal tissue and debugs the script. These scripts still has traces of being a magic script, but errors were detected by synchronising the movement and user input, optimising it in a short time. Guyale's movement changed from unsightly shuffling to a graceful walk in the span of a few steps.
It had been half an hour since Eru started accessing the magius engine. The Silhouette Knight, the weapon which is the crystallisation of humanity's wisdom was now compl