Book 6: Chapter 50: The Violet Swallow Knights

Near the capital Känkänen, there was a large proving ground used by the Royal Life Guards. It was the same site where Tzendrinble first revealed itself to the world.

On this day, countless young knight runners gathered. They hailed from all across the Kingdom of Fremmevira, each a survivor of the grueling selection exam. All of them stood tall, with unbridled ambition clearly reflected in their eyes. While they appeared somewhat anxious for what was to come, there wasn’t a bit of hesitation for the glory they would eventually receive.

At the top of the stands in front of them, a shadow appeared in the royal balcony. The man, accompanied by the Royal Life Guards, was none other than the current monarch of the Kingdom of Fremmevira, Leotamus.

At the king’s arrival, the knight runners all knelt. After looking over the sizeable gathering, Leotamus gave them permission to return to their feet.

“…You had all endured vigorous training to reach this point. As the vanguard of the future of the kingdom, we are certain you have heard the rumors prior to the assembly today.” Leotamus announced under the covetous gaze of the young knight runners, “As you all must be aware, our recent expedition to the western nations has returned with the Levitate Ship technology. Through effort, we have come to stand on the precipice of history, as we prepare to challenge the unknown and explore the unexplored! To claim the vast sky for our own!”

Leotamus looked up at the azure sky above. It was an untamed realm that stretched endlessly in all directions and, thanks to the advent of a new technology, within reach.

“Yet, the Levitate Ship technology is not exclusive to our kingdom, having had been spread to the numerous western nations. Before long, our control of the skies will be contested by other challengers. As such, we could not simply sit back and rest on our laurels. To that end, we formally announce the completion of a new technology, exclusive to our fair kingdom…” Leotamus declared with a slight pause before the grand dramatic reveal. “…The flying Silhouette Knight! Understand this, knight runners, the future battlefield will no longer only be restricted on the ground, but in the vast skies above as well!”

At that moment, Leotamus heard gasps from the crowd below. Certainly, for the king himself to address the recruits in person reflected the importance of the occasion to the knight runners below. From his words, the knight runners came to understand the responsibility they were about to shoulder.

As the crowd grew sterner at the realization, Leotamus continued.

“You shall be members of a new Knight Order. It is an order with the expressed purpose to accommodate the new flying Silhouette Knights, and your performance in it will serve as a model for all posterity. Never forget that you are all the vanguard of a new realm! Now, let us introduce you to your instructors.”

With his speech finished, Leotamus beckoned with his hand as all the knight runners stood at perfect attention.

At first, nothing seemed to have happened, and the proving ground descended into a period of awkward silence. The knight runners were all perplexed by the inaction. Just as they were about to break their stance to look around, they noticed small shadows off in the distant. The shadows slowly grew on the backdrop of the azure sky. At a glance, the knight runners were quick to realize the silhouettes were significantly smaller than a typical Levitate Ship.

Before long, the shadows zoomed overhead, accompanied by the deafening roar of explosions. Everyone felt an intense pressure at the sight, now clearly displayed before them.

“H-hard to believe… The S-Silhouette Knights are really flying!”

It wasn’t just the knight runners, even the Royal Life Guards could not help but gasp at the incredible sight.

Everyone had expected Silhouette Knights to be largely humanoid in shape, despite the rare eccentric – such as the Tzendrinble. However, the ‘flying Silhouette Knights’ above them were just as outlandish as the Tzendrinble. While the upper torso was humanoid, the bottom half was something completely extraordinary. It had a tail that resembled fish, with weird fin-like protrusions on its flanks. Additionally, almost to feed the sense of growing abnormality, the Silhouette Knight lacked any legs.

Overall, it was a Silhouette Knight even more aberrant than the Tzendrinble. One that defied any common sense.

As the knight runners stood shocked by the sight, the ‘mermaids’ drew an arc around the sky with colorful streaks behind them.

“Are they… landing?”

From the ground, the observers could see that the Silhouette Knights were slowly descending. As the streaks of colorful light slowly faded away, the four Silhouette Knights approached an opening in the proving ground.

At that moment, loud shots followed by intense metallic grinding could be heard as chained stakes flew out from the Silhouette Knights. They stabbed deeply into the ground below, anchoring the Silhouette Knights firmly. Further grinding could be heard as the Silhouette Knights retracted the chains, pulling themselves closer and closer to the ground.

Since the magius thrusters were turned off during the descent, dust was not blown up to obscure the view. Incidentally, it created an eerie calm in the landing, and everyone held their breaths as they watched.

Once they had reached the appropriate height, the pair of massive fins came into contact with the ground. Stabilized by the fins and the anchors, the Silhouette Knights stopped all action as the Ether Reactor wound down.

For everyone present, it was the first time they had seen such an impressive feat of engineering. In silence, everyone watched the Silhouette Knights before them. Only Leotamus did not seem particularly shocked by the sight.

“…Seriously, that Ernesti sure loves to scare new recruits.” Leotamus sighed at the mastermind behind the whole display.

Certainly, this event showed a particular childish aspect of Eru. However, there was a certain hint of irony as the criticism came from the king that approved the plan in the hope that the reveal would create an everlasting impression on the new recruits.

At that moment, the mermaid began to stir once more. From its back, the whistling of air could be heard as the armor slowly bulged up. Everyone instantly recognized that the cockpit of this specific model was placed on the back. Under the gaze of everyone, a few human-sized shadows emerged wearing Silhouette Gear.

Standard convention dictated that the cockpit usually opened to the front, and the knight runners only wore a lightweight suit as pilots. Just as everyone was left flabbergasted by the unusualness, the heavily armored pilots lithely leapt from the back of the Silhouette Knight and made their way to the recruits. There, they opened up the Silhouette Gear and removed the fitted straps before stepping down onto the ground with their own two feet.

At the sight of the pilots, the recruits stirred once again. All four of the knight runners were exceptionally young, at most a few years above the recruits. At the forefront was a relatively well-built male, and they all knelt before the king.

“…As ordered, four Wind Knights of the Silver Phoenix Knights are here to answer Your Majesty’s summons.”

Leotamus nodded in reply before turning to the recruits.

“Knight runners! Burn this sight into your minds, for these Silhouette Knights are the ‘Wind Knights’ you shall pilot!”

The recruits were left completely speechless as they silently gasped. After the Levitate Ship, they have flying Silhouette Knights now. It was a completely foreign realm for anyone to fathom. Certainly, they had all heard the rumors, but it was something altogether to see them in person.

Considering what is to come, it would be problematic if the knight runners did not treat their positions seriously. Therefore, Leotamus agreed to parade the Syrphrines before the new recruits to give them a slight jolt of intimidation. However, the effects went beyond their expectations, and Leotamus was troubled for a solution. Regardless of his inner turmoil, Leotamus would never wear such thoughts on his face.

“With these new Silhouette Knights at its core, we shall now proclaim the formation of the new Knight Order, to which we shall name the ‘Violet Swallow Knights’. It will be an order destined for the air, with the Wind Knights as your wings. For the time being, we shall leave you under the command of the Silver Phoenix Knights.”

Although it was possible to have the Wind Knights under the direct command of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Leotamus was reluctant when considering Eru’s spontaneous and unrestrained nature. He feared above all else that Eru would lead the new Wind Knights astray. As such, Leotamus had decided from the very beginning to establish the Wind Knights as a separate Knight Order, regardless of its size.

“Where the Levitate Ships take to the sky, Silhouette Knights must follow to keep them safe. As the vanguard of the virgin sky, we look forward to your valiant performance.”

Not just the new recruits, but even the veteran Life Guards turned to give a resounding shout of affirmation. Satisfied, Leotamus gave a slight nod before giving a glance to the knight runners of the four Syrphrines.

“Now, you will be under the guidance of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Knight Commander, approach…” Leotamus said to one standing behind him, “We shall leave the rest to you, Ernesti… Remember to show restraint.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Leotamus remained somewhat unconvinced, but he simply let out a sigh before leaving the royal balcony from the rear. In his place, a short boy came forward.

Just as the recruits expected him to start his speech, the young boy leapt from the balcony to the proving ground below.

“Greetings. I am the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti Echevalier.” Eru declared with a wide smile, as all the recruits looked upon in wonder.

Only select few knew about the identity of the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, given his importance to the national security. Outside of Academy City Laihiala, barely anyone had known his face. Before long, the Knight Commander turned into an enigmatic existence only foretold by rumors.

As a being preceded by rumors, the Knight Commander was known to be an unparalleled genius who began developing Silhouette Knights while himself only a mere student, as well as piloting the new Silhouette Knights with incredible skill. Not long after, even the king recognized his excellence and honored him with a Knight Order. In short, the Knight Commander was a character that almost felt surreal for his fantastic feats – a truly legendary existence.

Yet, the so-called Knight Commander that stood before them was unusually young, with a fairness of complexion that resembled a maiden. He lacked the imposing stature and attitude worthy of the rumors. To the recruits, the Knight Commander was no less surprising than the flying Silhouette Knights straddled on the ground nearby.

However, Eru did not seem to particularly mind.

“From now on, I will expect everyone present to pilot the newly designed Wind Knights. Although the Levitate Ships have already taken to the air, they are still too fragile. As such, it is in our nation’s most urgent interest to train you all into capable knight runners for the Wind Knights, to defend the Levitate Ships from attack.”

Just as the recruits were frozen in shock, the four knight runners of Syrphrine made their way behind Eru. While three of the knight runners looked like veterans of countless battles, one curiously looked about the same age as the recruits. The four were Edgar, Dietrich, Helvi, and Addy.

Seeing their deference, the recruits were finally convinced that Eru was the commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

“One day, when you are able to stand alone, the Violet Swallow Knights will officially be independent. By that time, the Levitate Ships would undoubtedly fly far, perhaps even venture to other continents. Do you not feel that is unfair? If ships could fly, why not Silhouette Knights? In order for Silhouette Knights to reach every corner of the world-…”

“…Wait. Knight Commander, you are veering off topic.” Edgar whispered into Eru’s ear.

After a slight pause, Eru continued.

“Either way, you will be placed under the tutelage of these four. Through training, I expect you to become the world’s first group of knight runners to reach the sky and leave your names in history.”

The recruits were slightly put off by the sudden change in pace, but, intimidated by Eru’s enthusiasm, they all nodded to his words. With that, the Violet Swallow Knights were officially established.

◆ ◆ ◆

Not long since the inauguration of the Violet Swallow Knights, the new recruits found themselves in Fort Olvecius, sharing the fort with the Silver Phoenix Knights.

A small clearing was made by felling the trees near the fort in preparation for the eventual Wind Knight hanger. However, until its construction, the company (ten units) of Wind Knights were temporarily parked in the clearing, set abreast to one another.

These Wind Knights, designated as ‘Touediane’ by the NTR Laboratory, were an improved version of the Syrphrine. It had a simplified but refined design compared to the prototype, with an appearance that was both clean and elegant. However, given the limited field testing done, everyone understood that further improvements were sure to be made in the future.

The Violet Swallow Knights were now in their practical training, during which they will familiarize themselves with the Wind Knight’s basic operation. Furthermore, the training will be done under various conditions to further assess and improve the Wind Knight’s design. Understandably, there was still quite some work to be done before they could shed the prototypes and officially finalize on a production model.

The recruits, now members of the Violet Swallow Knights, constantly shot glances over to the nearby Wind Knights, clearly anxious for their first ever experience in a Wind Knight. Before them, Eru gave the recruits their instructions.

“As everyone is probably aware, a new batch of Silhouette Knights had recently arrived. Although I would like to have you all try a hand at piloting, I would need you all to complete the basic training regimen first before I could allow you in the Touediane.”

The recruits revealed a serious expression as they prepared themselves mentally for training. They were particularly pumped up with the prize dangling right next to them.

Sadly, the enthusiasm quickly waned when they found out the training entailed repeated drops from up high.

◆ ◆ ◆

“…This is different than what I had imagined.”

After a few days of brutal ejection training, the recruits began to grumble.

“Weren’t we all excited when we first laid our eyes on the flying Silhouette Knights…?”

“To think we wouldn’t get the opportunity to pilot one…”

The training they endured lately were either getting catapulted out by the Gear Ejector, or to run laps with the modified Silhouette Gear, the Descendlads. It was a regimen designed to build physical endurance of the knight runners and to gain a familiarity with the new Descendlads. For the recent graduates of the academies, the regimen created an uncanny sense of déjà vu. Although the recruits did not refuse the training, as they were told that it was an important part to become capable pilots, they nevertheless felt slightly disappointed by the mundane regimen.

Opposite them, the officers and veteran knight runners of the Silver Phoenix Knights served as their instructors.

Edgar was tasked with teaching the use of the Gear Ejector and the correct posture for landing after the ejection.

“Understand that this repetitive training is absolutely important! In order to allow you to perform under any circumstances, you will need to be repeatedly drilled until the actions become second nature.”

With that said, Edgar let them perform the ejections again and again, until the sequence of actions became drilled into their very beings. As the recruits became more and more familiar, Edgar would increase the height of the landing, even requiring the recruits to perform simple evasive maneuvers. With Edgar’s stoic and uncompromising attitude, the visage of a demonic instructor soon became ingrained in the minds of the recruits.

In between breaks of Edgar’s training, Dietrich would make the recruits wear Descendlads with him and run laps.

“Faster! In most battles, the stamina and mana will determine the final victor. I expect you to train until you are able to survive even if the Wind Knights run into difficulties! Remember, this is a matter of life and death!”

As the head of the Silver Phoenix Knights’ Assault Company, Dietrich had survived countless bloody battlefields. Not only him, the Silver Phoenix Knights as a whole were veterans of the Great Western Storm, through which each of the knight runners held a wealth of experience despite their young age.

In the difficult and long run, Dietrich remained emotionless even as the recruits became exhausted. To the students, Dietrich was a demonic instructor on a level no less than Edgar, leaving them without a single hope for respite.

Other than the hellish training, the recruits also had to attend lectures to build up a rudimentary understanding of the operation. The lecturer happened to be Addy, the youngest of the officers. Incidentally, Edgar and Dietrich were quite young themselves among the knights of the kingdom, while Addy was about the same age as the recruits. Although the recruits felt odd to have a lecturer so young, they hoped that it would at least provide a refuge from the difficult physical training.

“When you pilot the Wind Knight, you must first Fwoosh the Etheric Levitator to allow it to float. Afterward, you Swish on the air currents when you move forward, and you will be able to move quite fast!”

“M-ma’am… We r-really couldn’t understand…”

Contrary to their expectations, Addy’s lectures were incredibly painful to sit through. Thankfully, the lecture materials were prepared by Eru and Boss, so the overall details were quite complete. However, the lecturer assigned to the recruits was Addy, one who piloted by vague ‘feelings’. As such, the lecture was filled by onomatopoeias and made nearly impossible to understand, through which the recruits sadly resigned themselves to self-study the material.

“…Looks like this won’t work.”

“Should we lend a hand? As it stands, there will certainly be trouble when we put them into practice.”

“Hey, Addy, haven’t we already told you to use fewer sound effects?”

With that said, Helvi became assistant to the lecturer and clarified the vague parts of Addy’s lectures. Helvi’s previous experience of learning Tzendrinble’s operation from Addy helped with her interpretation. As the recruits took in Helvi’s comprehensive explanations, they had finally seen a glimmer of light in their grueling day to day life. Incidentally, Helvi soon gained the nickname of the ‘Healing Goddess of Training’ among the recruits.

◆ ◆ ◆

After months of hellish training, the Violet Swallow Knights were finally allowed aboard the Touediane. Although that was the case, the knight runners could only take turns piloting the Touediane given the lack of units. For the recruits, those without their turns were forced to continue their usual training regimen.

“I’m sure you all have looked forward to this moment! It is time for everyone to take to the skies, so I hope you all remember your training. Now, prepare for boarding!”

“Yes sir!”

After enduring through Edgar’s incessant drills, the recruits were swift in their actions. They smoothly slid into the Descendlad with practiced movements and inserted the silver swords into the appropriate slot. Once the lock had been disengaged, the recruits quickly performed a system check and then stood before Edgar in attention.

There was a visible nervousness on the faces of the recruits. Despite the vigorous training they had endured, they were anxious for their first flight.

“Good! Next up is boarding the units, just like we practiced. If there are any questions, be sure to let me know!”

The recruits gave a strong affirmation before climbing aboard their respective Wind Knights. Firstly, they had to link their Descendlads to the Gear Ejector.

“Ugh! Although they had mentioned it before, there really are too many instruments! To think it would be this complicated…”

Although the recruits had ample experience piloting Silhouette Knights, they were still surprised by the complexity of the Wind Knights. The sheer number of buttons and instruments were simply incomparable to the terrestrial Silhouette Knights.

It was a common drawback of all the new Silhouette Knights developed by the Silver Phoenix Knights. With every new feature they added to the successive models, there needed to be a corresponding control system, resulting in an ever-increasing complexity for knight runners to master – the most extreme case being the Ikaruga itself. However, beyond the additional dials and switches on the Wind Knight, there were other difficulties the knight runners had to overcome.

“Don’t panic! Just follow Adeltrud-… I mean, Helvi’s instructions. Set the Etheric Levitator to a minimal output, just enough to have the unit float, all the while not making any sudden movements.”

The recruits regained their calm with Edgar’s recommendation and followed the instructions to slowly manipulate the controls. The Ether Supplier began to hum as concentrated Ether streamed into the Etheric Levitator. Before long, the unit reached the concentration threshold as it floated into the air, and the tethers were held taut on the ground below.

“Good! Time to retract the tethers. Be ready, the moment the tethers are detached, the Wind Knights will experience a sudden rise. Everyone, remain calm when that happens!”

With the tethers were detached, the entire unit took to the air. The sudden freedom from the confines of the ground gave the recruits a new rush of excitement.

The objective of the session was to establish a stable altitude with the Etheric Levitator. Although some of the recruits did struggle with balance, they were able to quickly regain control with their practiced movements. Granted, a select few did end up ejecting out after losing control.

After completing their initial flight, the recruits slowly build upon that experience with increasing height and, eventually, with propulsion. Soon, the Violet Swallow Knights finally reached the point where they could freely fly in the air.

◆ ◆ ◆

“Switch to wedge formation!”

The tail of Edgar’s Wind Knight flashed in color as the rest of the Wind Knights fell into formation closely behind. With their fins outspread, the Wind Knights freely coursed across the sky in the practiced wedge formation.

“Good, it looks like they are slowly coming together.”

With the sound of strong wind whistling high above, the knight runners could not communicate by sound. As such, light signals were installed as an effective mean of communication.

Although there were few obstacles in the sky, the amount of information they need to process was certainly not lacking. Furthermore, they needed to establish formations if they were to be effective in combat.

“They are still somewhat shaky, not to mention there isn’t much in the ways of preexisting aerial tactics. However, this level of performance should suffice for now.”

As the instructor, Edgar settled into his role as he began to subconsciously score the other Wind Knights. At that moment, a Syrphrine zipped past the formation with incredible speed.

“Haa… Adeltrud is as impressive as always. If only her lectures were better.”

Compared to the Touediane they were piloting, Addy’s Syrphrine was much nimbler in flight. In other words, while the recruits were barely passable as pilots, Addy was flying as one with the Syrphrine across the air currents.

The recruits were all mesmerized by Addy’s incredible performance. Although her instructions were difficult to understand in class, they could not deny her unmatched skill in the air. The recruits could not help but regret her inability to transmit her experience properly in words.

“To think she was able to control that fish this well! Perhaps she was feeling a familiarity with her experience in the Tzendrinble? Either way, we won’t admit defeat!”

Edgar signals for the Wind Knights to increase their speed as they chased after Addy’s Syrphrine.

◆ ◆ ◆

Thus, the training continued to a certain day.

“Edgar-senpai, Di-senpai, Helvi-senpai, and everyone else, please gather around.”

“What is wrong?”

It had been some time since Eru summoned everyone to a meeting. His face was plastered with worry.

“It’s nothing serious… Just that His Majesty had informed me that with the sheer amount of resources we had poured into the Wind Knights, there had been a growing amount of grumbling at court that voiced doubt about their actual usefulness.”

“Has it reached the point where His Majesty must intervene?”

Dietrich knitted his brows at Eru’s words. Considering the efforts already spent to recruit and maintain knight runners for the Violet Swallow Knights, it was odd for them to voice their concerns about the Wind Knights’ utility this late in the process.

Eru revealed a complicated smile, apparently not denying the possibility.

“Perhaps there were some nobles that honestly believed the Wind Knights to be ineffective. However, I think the majority at court only desired for a proper demonstration of the Wind Knights in actual combat.”

Everyone quickly understood Eru’s words.

“Since the grumbling of the nobility had reached unbearable heights, His Majesty is also at a loss. Therefore, His Majesty had ordered us to claim some achievements with the Wind Knights in the coming days.”

“…As in actual combat? Not to disappoint… While the training has been progressing relatively well, I certainly wouldn’t deem any recruits as battle-ready.” Edgar mumbled under his breath.

Although the Violet Swallow Knights had acquired a certain familiarity with the Wind Knights, they still had too little experience in mock battles and were untested as a fighting force. Therefore, Edgar was reluctant to have them stand in combat.

“Of course, His Majesty had given our circumstances some considerations and will provide a proper stage for our performance, with outside help permitted. If my assumptions are correct, His Majesty should be asking us to provide escorts for the beleaguered Life Lines, with the Transport Ship themselves fully armed for combat. If that is the case, I would like to ask Edgar-senpai and the rest of the officers to participate and bring the full force of our arsenal to bear.”

“Uwaa… That is quite the stage.”

The officers looked at each other for a moment. Certainly, the recruits were all mere neophytes when it came to aerial combat, and the lack of actual combat experience was a problem they would eventually have to overcome. Therefore, it might be better to take advantage of the king’s proposition, especially when the king permitted outside help.

“Isn’t it perfect that we are allowed to help with the demonstration? I will definitely do my best in Syr-chan~! So, Eru, will you be participating as well?”

“Not only Addy, the whole of the Silver Phoenix Knights will provide support. As for me… Sadly, the main actors of this field trial are the Wind Knights, so I wouldn’t be able to accompany the group in my Ikaruga.” Eru begrudgingly declared with a clenched fist.

“If you really want to participate, why not simply pilot a Wind Knight yourself?” Dietrich suggested, to which Eru only gazed at him with wide-open eyes.

“I would probably singlehandedly wipe out all demon beasts! Hmm… That certainly is an idea-… No, I want it to be an impartial demonstration, so I cannot participate.”

With Eru as the pilot, any unit would vastly exceed its expected performance. In a way, Eru wasn’t particularly bragging about himself, but merely offered an objective point of view.

Looks like the Knights Commander finally learned some humility.

Edgar kept his thoughts to himself and merely nodded in reply.

“I understand. Since His Majesty personally demanded a demonstration, we will do our best to comply. It isn’t too much of a surprise, since an actual combat is within our eventual plans. As for the knight runners, we shall personally select the skilled ones among the recruits.”

“I shall leave the details to you.”

With the discussion, the Violet Swallow Knights’ long-anticipated debut in actual combat was finally set, with the close support of the Silver Phoenix Knights and the Royal Life Guards.

◆ ◆ ◆

Near the Kingdom of Fremmevira’s capital of Känkänen, a giant shadow slithered across the recently cleared patch of forest at the foothills of Aubigne Mountain Range.

It was a Transport Ship under the command of the Royal Life Guards. The wind from the Blow Engine filled the sails as the ship cruised atop the strong air currents. Its speed not losing even the slightest to the powerful surrounding winds.

Soon, the ship slowed its pace. A single black speck had appeared on the far horizon. It approached the ship at an incredible speed, catching the eyes of the sentries aboard.

“Enemy attack from the front! Everyone ready? Squad Kiverahati, enter battle formation!” Edgar loudly shouted through the voice pipes on the bridge.

His orders soon were amplified through the loudspeakers and were received by the three Silhouette Knights docked next to the skip.

“Understood! Undocking and entering formation!”

With a humanoid upper torso and a fish-like tail, the group of mermaid-shaped Silhouette Knights accompanied the Transport Ship in the sky. They were the Violet Swallow Knights – a Knight Order formed around the world’s first flight-capable Silhouette Knight, Touediane.

The Wind Knights were towed by the Transport Ship on tethers. Since they had already matched their Etheric Levitator’s output to that of the ship, they would be able to fly on their own the moment they uncoupled the tether from the hook on the exterior surface of the ship.

The Wind Knights wiggled the fins accordingly, taking advantage of the surrounding air currents to pull some distance from the Transport Ship. Once they were at a safe distance, the Wind Knights activated the propulsion system as they zoomed forth with a burst of flame. There was simply no comparison between the flame propulsion and the Blow Engine. Even the metal-clad Silhouette Knights could easily achieve incredible acceleration at just a moment’s notice.

The company of Wind Knights entered formation at the front of the Transport Ship. It was a formation designed to intercept an approaching attacker.

“…Enemy to the front. Squad Kiverahati, engaging!”

At the front of the formation, the designated command unit flashed its light signal to the rest.

In the time the Violet Swallow Knights entered combat formation, the speck of dot continued to close the distance. On closer inspection, the approaching object was also a Wind Knight. However, unlike the Touedianes of the Violet Swallow Knights, it was the prototype Syrphrine piloted by Addy. It was a mock battle with Addy serving as the enemy.

“Do not go easy on Instructor Olter! Let’s show her the fruit of our training! Surround her!”

The command unit began to accelerate with its lance at the ready. All the while, the light signal flashed its intention to the rest of company.

“Wedge formation, pincer attack!”

At the command, the Touedianes broke off into squads of three as they began to encircle Addy from both sides. With only a single Syrphrine as their opponent, the recruits sought to take advantage of their superior numbers in a pincer attack.

As both sides entered firing distance, an intense barrage of magic shots was unleashed upon the Syrphrine in an attempt to disrupt its movement. At the same time, the other Touediane approached from the sides with lances at the ready.

The recruits carried out their orders with practiced motions as their impeccable teamwork isolated the lone Syrphrine. However, the Syrphrine simply disregarded their barrage and charged headlong into the encirclement.

Although they were using practice rounds, getting hit by them will still cause ample backlash, sufficient to seal any movements. As such, Syrphrine would not stay still to receive the shots.

Syrphrine turned the thrusters toward the ground with a slight twist of its tail. Like a fish leaping out of water, Syrphrine rapidly gained altitude, before dropping back down by the force of gravity. While the Etheric Levitator allowed the unit to maintain a certain height, there was no reason why they should limit themselves. Syrphrine took full advantage of its fins as it glided effortlessly through the barrage of shots.

“Do you have any thoughts regarding the Violet Swallow Knights?” Edgar asked the one seated in the captain’s seat.

“Hmm… It is certainly quite the show. I certainly didn’t hold many expectations when I first heard about flight-capable Silhouette Knights. However, now that I have witnessed them in action, I have to say they could certainly hold their own. By the way, are they all the new recruits of the Violet Swallow Knights?”

The man seated in the captain’s chair was the captain of the Transport Ship. At the same time, he was the commander of the Royal Life Guards’ Levitate Ship Corps.

“The ones currently piloting the Wind Knights are the most skilled recruits within the Violet Swallow Knights. Do you not think they are performing quite well?” Edgar replied with an affirmative nod.

“I see. So there are some differences in aerial combat when compared to terrestrial combat, and their encirclement was pulled off quite admirably. Still, the one who managed to evade their attack is in a league on its own.” The captain muttered as his gaze was focused on the single Syrphrine, “…The movements are almost mesmerizing. I doubt there would be any concern if the whole of the Violet Swallow Knights reached that level.”

“…She is one of the few aces within the Silver Phoenix Knights, and she serves as an instructor with the rest of our officers.”

“Ah… I guess it’s as expected for the Silver Phoenix Knights,” The captain mumbled while he gazed around the bridge, “On other note, to host this cooperative mock battle with the Transport Ship as support, I am quite surprised by the ingenuity of the Knight Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights.”

“It’s nothing. The Knight Commander mentioned that, given the inability for Wind Knights to land frequently, there needed to be a support platform to provide rest and maintenance during operation. As such, it didn’t hurt to entertain a cooperative training as early as possible.”

Edgar simply regurgitated Eru’s earlier explanation. The new Wind Knights were vastly different from the original terrestrial models. Even the slightest adjustment would require incredible effort. Furthermore, the intricate design made the internal quarters relatively cramped, precluding the possibility of extended operations.

As such, when the demonstration was decided upon, Eru gave an interesting suggestion. Since the Wing Knights were originally designed as an escort, they should at least carry out a cooperative training with the Transport Ships.

“As expected of the Knight Commander. To think he didn’t only invent a new Silhouette Knight, but also thought of a proper tactic for its use.”

Of course, Eru did have inspiration from his previous world, with the symbiotic relationship between aircraft carriers and airplanes. That being the case, no one else could fathom the source of such an inspiration beyond Eru himself.

“Either way, the focus should be on the Wind Knights. Just knowing that they are not as useless as the rumors made them out to be will suffice. Since anything could happen on an actual battlefield, I will entrust you to keep up the wonderful preparation.”

“Certainly, we will do our best.”

“Good, I will leave everything to you.”

Just as the two reached a tacit understanding, a sudden burst of wind zoomed past the Transport Ship. Thankfully, the wind wasn’t too strong, and the Transport Ship only experienced a light wobble. On board, the crew entered into high alert.

They soon realized the cause of the wind was Syrphrine, who skidded past the Transport Ship after breaking through the Touedianes’ barrage. In other words, the interception was a complete failure.

“Looks like they are still quite green.”

“Sorry about it. Looks like we will need to increase their training,” Edgar replied with a sigh, before muttering under his breath, “Still, Adeltrud, this is only training. Why couldn’t you hold back a little.”

The Syrphrine soon came back to the side of the Transport Ship, waving happily at the bridge.

Although the mock battle was a failure, the Violet Swallow Knights did not give up and continued with further rounds of cooperative training.

◆ ◆ ◆

With the mock battles behind them, the Transport Ship returned to Känkänen. The Violet Swallow Knights and their Wind Knights also returned to base, relieved at the liberation from the evaluative gazes of the Royal Life Guards.

“Argh! To think we couldn’t land a single hit on Instructor Olter again!”

“Haa~ I guess we must look miserable in front of the Royal Life Guards. I wish the instructors would go easy on us.”

“How could she maneuver so freely in the sky? Magic shots aside, I do not think we were even able to close in on her.”

The recruits each expressed their own opinions of the mock battle results. Curiously, one common topic was their view of Addy’s exceptional piloting. It was simply difficult for the recruits to imagine how she could move that freely despite piloting the exact same Wind Knight as themselves, or rather, compared to the prototype Syrphrine, their Touediane should be superior in every aspect.

“Since she was able to act as our instructor, I don’t doubt her potential. Yet, it does feel somewhat disheartening to not be able to close that gap with our immense effort.”

All the instructors sent from the Silver Phoenix Knights were relatively young in age. In particular, Adeltrud Olter was about the same age as the Violet Swallow Knights’ recruits. Yet, the skill between the recruits and Addy were like heavens and earth, one that allowed her to easily evade the concentrated barrage of an entire company. As such, the recruits were curious about the experience necessary for Addy to achieve such an overwhelming skill.

At that moment, one of the recruits opened his mouth.

“Say, do you think our loss against Instructor Olter would bar us from participating in the demonstration?”

The barracks turned silent at the thought. While they were given the title of Violet Swallow Knights, they were still mere recruits. Therefore, they would always run the risk of being disbanded from a lack of confidence by the higher-ups.

“…No. I do not personally think that would be the case. We are, after all, selected through a rigorous process, and thus allowed to partake in this training. At least… I do not think we will be dismissed before a proper demonstration.” The youth that served as the commander reasoned, breaking the stifling silence.

Despite it being mere conjecture, the recruits gave a sigh of relief.

“Y-yeah! We shouldn’t stay depressed forever. As long as we do our best…”

“Yup, we will definitely improve. No matter what, I want to fight demon beasts in the Wind Knights.”

“It is definitely an opportunity! Speaking of which, wasn’t His Majesty looking forward to our performance?”

Everyone tried their best to encourage themselves.

“In that case, as long as we do not give up, we will definitely… become the next generation of heroes!” The young commander capped off the conversation.

Heroes. It was a title monopolized by the Silver Phoenix Knights for many years. They had vanquished demon beasts large and small, keeping towns safe from harm, and provided aid to allies in their greatest time of need. Beyond a few remaining obsolete models within the kingdom, most of the advanced Silhouette Knights were the result of their handiwork.

Even if the Wind Knights proved to be a success, the Violet Swallow Knights could not hope to immediately match the achievements of the Silver Phoenix Knights. Yet, the Violet Swallow Knights would at least gain fame as the first pilots of Wind Knights in history, or so they believed.

“Let’s not stay depressed. Why not review today’s mock battle? Was it because our encirclement was too lax?”

“No, I feel as if it was because her movements had misled our focus.”

The recruits once again regained their vigor. After a moment of banter, they returned to review their most recent mock battle. The young commander, Lafal Kiverahati, looked upon his company with a satisfied smile.

Lafal was not wrong. The joint training with the Transport Ships was meant to provide them experience for the eventual demonstration. In other words, they were seen as the representative knight runners in the whole of the Violet Swallow Knights.

The top officials had already decided on a company (ten units) of Touediane to participate in a live combat demonstration. As such, ten knight runners were chosen among the recruits to partake as pilots for the operation. To lead them, Lafal was selected for his calm demeanor, skill, and mastery of tactics.

Lafal was born as the third son of House Kiverahati, a lesser noble within the Kingdom of Fremmevira. As a mere third son, Lafal could not count on the allodial inheritance to live out his life, especially with the extent of primogeniture practiced within the kingdom. While the second son might be kept as an heir-in-waiting, younger sons must seek their fortunes elsewhere. Therefore, Lafal settled on the same career common to many cadets of lesser nobles, to polish his martial skills and serve as a knight runner for the kingdom. At least up to this point, his story was not much different from any other, but he alone had the benefit of timing.

Just as he was about to graduate from his studies, a rare opportunity presented before him. It was the reveal of the world’s first flight-capable Silhouette Knight, and, with it, the demand for young knight runners to train as their pilots. It was a strange opportunity, as such openings were usually given to veteran knight runners with years of experience.

As the top of his class, Lafal jumped on the opportunity and made it through the final selection. With hard work and natural talent, Lafal was eventually selected as the commander of the company.

He was still young, and the Violet Swallow Knights were still in their infancy. As such, there were many difficulties before him. Yet, depending on his future performance, reaching the stars was no longer a mere dream. This ambition was not limited to him along, all the recruits contained an unquenchable will to succeed. In the constantly evolving Kingdom of Fremmevira, the vast skies remained an unknown realm. If they were able to tame the sky, glory was certain to follow.

“We will definitely succeed.”

Hearing Lafal’s quiet mumbling, the rest of the recruits nodded in agreement. With hearts as one and heightened morale, the recruits looked forward to the upcoming challenge.

Their own drive aside, the recruits did feel that, since the mock battle, Edgar had become stricter with their training. As such, despite their own personal conviction, they could only lament their misfortune.

◆ ◆ ◆

Time passed quickly, and soon, the day of reckoning had finally arrived. At a certain airship dock near Känkänen, the Royal Life Guards’ Levitate Ship Corps carefully performed the final checks on their Transport Ships. Nearby, a company of the Violet Swallow Knights’ Touedianes stood attention, and across from them were Syrphrines and Touedianes of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

“It’s almost time for battle. After the countless trials you had all endured, it is finally time for you all to demonstrate the fruits of your training!” Edgar announced while facing the nervous Squad Kiverahati.

The rest of the crew borrowed from the Silver Phoenix Knights were busy with their own checks. Rather than sheer drive for perfection, the other members of the Silver Phoenix Knights simply wanted to avoid the task of babysitting the Violet Swallow Knights and thrust it onto Edgar.

“You and the Wind Knights are the stars of this show! Stay vigilant and you will all perform well! In any case, we will always be close by to assist!”

“Y-yes sir…”

Despite knowing the Silver Phoenix Knights were around to assist if anything were to go wrong, the recruits still could not resolve their anxiety. After all, real battles were completely different from the mock battles they had experienced.

“Do not worry. The actual demon beasts are nowhere near as terrifying as Adeltrud.” Edgar declared with a hint of sarcasm.

With their current state of mind, the recruits took longer than usual to catch Edgar’s icebreaker joke. In their nervousness, they could only reveal a complicated smile in return.

“Demon beasts are weak individually, but are a powerful threat as a group. The same could be said for you. No matter the situation, never let go of the advantage you have in numbers. Remain steady and make the most of your excellent teamwork!” Edgar continued, brushing aside the recruits’ lukewarm response to his joke.

“Y-yes sir…”

After a few words of encouragement, Edgar received the order to depart.

“Now. Violet Swallow Knights, to battle!”

“Understood!”

With Wind Knights on the flanks of the Transport Ships and hearts full of expectation, the fledgling knights spread their wings and took to the azure skies.

◆ ◆ ◆

The Transport Ship smoothly cruised across the sky, parting the powerful winds with its sturdy bow.

“…We should be arriving at demon beast territory soon. The last time we were here, it took everything we had just to escape. However, this time will be different.” The captain muttered with a serious expression.

It was a route he had attempted to chart on a previous mission, where his ship had suffered the crippling attack of the Glaive Wings. During the previous encounter, the Wizards performed splendidly, but in the end, they were still forced to withdraw.

However, the captain felt this mission would be different. Instead of provisions, the hold of the Transport Ship was filled with the newest models of flying Silhouette Knights.

“Now, let us witness the strength of those fledglings! Inform the Violet Swallow Knights to prepare for combat!”

With the order delivered through the voice pipe, the cargo hold began to clamor below. Knight runners scurried aboard their Wind Knights and initiated the start-up procedures.

“We will begin the airdrop. All deckhands, clear the area!”

As the deckhands evacuated from the chamber, the floor of the Transport Ship swung open and the tethers that held the Touedianes detached. At that moment, the Touedianes were evicted from the bowels of the Transport Ship by the force of gravity. However, the Touedianes didn’t collide with the ground below. Rather, they slowed to a stable altitude with the concentrated Ether already prepared within the Etheric Levitator. After only a slight dip in altitude, the Touedianes began their aerial maneuvers.

Other than the units kept within the cargo hold of the Transport Ships, the Wind Knights tethered on the outside also disconnected their links. They were a detachment kept externally for the sake of sudden emergencies.

As the mermaid Silhouette Knights freely swam in the strong air currents, they carefully pulled away from the immediate vicinity of the Transport Ship. With a burst of air, the streamlined Wind Knights accelerated from the cumbersome ship.

“Let’s see what you are capable of…” The captain muttered with narrowed eyes as he gazed upon the exhaust trail stretching out from his ship.

“Demon beasts sighted ahead in loose formation!”

Squad Kiverahati soon detected movements far ahead and reorganized themselves into formation.

The loudly squawking demon beasts were known as ‘Glaive Wings’, a relatively common duel-class flyer in the Kingdom of Fremmevira.

It didn’t take long for the Glaive Wings to notice the intruders encroaching on their territory, and they were soon awash with enmity. Be it terrestrial or aerial intruders, the territorial Glaive Wings were not willing to relinquish their hunting grounds without a fight. Following a high-pitched screech, the Glaive Wings focused on their intended target and, with bodies bathed in the gentle glow of magic, quickly accelerated through the air. Thus, the first historical air battle between Silhouette Knights and demon beasts commenced.

“Just as the instructors foretold, there are quite a number of demon beasts…”

Lafal used the light signals to transmit his intentions to the rest of the company, and Squad Kiverahati nimbly changed their formation. Opposite them, the Glaive Wings did not form up into any discernable formation as they clumped closer to one another.

In the battle against demon beasts, the tactical maneuvering of a Silhouette Knight was as important as, if not more so than, the performance of each individual unit. With the correct practiced formation, the Silhouette Knights’ potential could be greatly amplified.

“Do not get encircled and slowly whittle down their numbers from the outside! Screen them away with ranged attacks and do not let them approach!”

With Lafal’s unit in the lead, the company changed their course. Rather than charging headlong into the demon beasts, the company turned to the side of the approaching demon beasts and trailed their staff weapons upon them.

With a faint glow, the staff weapons unloaded their shots upon the unsuspecting Glaive Wings. A curtain of orange shots curved toward the demon beasts and blanketed them with spectacular explosions.

Enduring waves after waves of shots, the Glaive Wings fell one after another. However, the Glaive Wings did not simply resign themselves to the slaughter. With their natural agility, the Glaive Wings nimbly dodged the shots and steadily closed the distance.

“F-fast. Looks like we won’t get through this with shots alone… I think it is about time. Company, switch to lance and form up into a wedge!”

The Wind Knights quickly altered their formation to wedge and charged straight at the center of the Glaive Wings. As the magius thrusters roared, the Wind Knights accelerated into combat.

As far as melee weapons were concerned, there was a slight difference in its use for aerial combat. Without the benefit of a stable footing, aerial melee combat relied heavily on their inertia. For the heavy Silhouette Knights, their charge became incredibly lethal once they reached the desired speed.

Like a loose arrow, the Wind Knights tore a gaping hole in the center of the Glaive Wing formation. Although the large size of the Glaive Wings gave them an imposing appearance, they were built relatively light and were easily split asunder by the powerful thrust of the Wind Knights.

Now on the far side of the Glaive Wings, Squad Kiverahati did not slow their flight. After reaching a certain distance away, Squad Kiverahati circled around for a second charge.

“Good… This could work! Looks like our initial charge shaved off quite a few of Glaive Wings!”

With his eyes on the large gap torn by the earlier charge, Lafal became convinced of the effectiveness as he savored the success. Even with body strengthening, the Glaive Wings could not resist the Wind Knight’s devastating charge. Incidentally, the Glaive Wings, while blessed with superior agility, lacked the tough skin and ferocious attacks of their terrestrial cousins.

With the crippling blow, the gathered Glaive Wings quickly scattered in all directions, before turning back with the intent to surround Squad Kiverahati. Despite their low intelligence, the Glaive Wings seemingly recognized that clumping together was a recipe for disaster.

“It seems we won’t be able to immediately wrap this battle up. In that case, we will proceed to our next formation. Squad Kiverahati, break off into flights and run them down!”

From their individual performance, the Wind Knights held an absolute advantage. Thus, they were not in the slightest disadvantage when split into flights. With a burst of acceleration, each of the flights separated themselves from the company and raced to intercept the approaching Glaive Wings.

As one group of Glaive Wings tied the Wind Knights down in combat, a separate group of Glaive Wings began to ascend. Unlike the Wind Knights, Glaive Wings relied on their powerful wings rather than concentrated Ether to stay afloat in the air. Therefore, unlike the Wind Knights, which was relatively limited in vertical maneuvers due to the nature of the Etheric Levitator, the Glaive Wings could adjust their altitude with ease.

Once the Glaive Wings reached a point directly above the Wind Knights, they collapsed their wings as they spun into a dive. Reinforced by powerful strengthening magic, the Glaive Wings made their body into a living lance as they performed their classical attack maneuver.

Beyond the difficulty of receiving an attack from directly overhead, the Wind Knights also struggled from the inability to quickly adjust the altitude, thereby precluding them from engaging the foe.

The Wind Knights had also noticed the Glaive Wings’ movements. Curiously, they remained surprisingly calm despite the impending attack.

“While having enemies overhead is a considerable disadvantage, it doesn’t mean we are not prepared for the possibility!”

Lafal pressed a few buttons next to the movement controls and activated one of the prepared weapons. At Lafal’s command, Touediane’s lower torso opened up and revealed a Multiple Javelin Launcher System beneath.

“Now, have a taste of Magic Javelins!”

With a loud explosion, Javelins burst forth from the launcher. The launcher installed on the Touediane was a truncated version of the standard Multiple Javelin Launch System, but with all the necessary parts included, such as the use of Silver Nerves.

Despite it being smaller than its predecessor, the shortened light-weight Javelins were not the least weak. Essentially, it was a weapon designed with aerial combat in mind.

The short Javelins flew with incredible precision toward the approaching Glaive Wings and pierced through them with ease. Despite their superior agility, the Glaive Wings were unable to respond to the fast-approaching Javelin and was easily decapitated by the strike. Without its head, the Glaive Wing slowly fell toward the ground.

“Success! To take out the Glaive Wing with a single strike, this weapon is devastatingly powerful! However, I cannot believe how hard it is to control the course. If anything, I doubt I would be able to fire these Javelins on the move.”

For the fledgling knight runners, the guidance system for the Javelins was extremely difficult. As such, it was very easy for the knight runners’ focus to be drawn away by the Javelins and neglect the control of the Wind Knight. However the case, the sheer destructive power of the Javelin was undeniable.

Just as Lafal let out a sigh of relief from felling the Glaive Wing, a second Glaive Wing that was obscured by the first took advantage of his temporary negligence.

By the time he had noticed, the second Glaive Wing was already on top of him.

“Wh-… Darn it!”

As there was no longer any time left to dodge, Lafal spontaneously raised his shield, hoping to minimize the damage to follow.

At that moment, a single Silhouette Knight tore through the air and moved between the Glaive Wing and him, with the tip of its lance wonderfully catching the approaching Glaive Wing and knocking it away. The Wind Knight continued for a short distance before turning to Lafal.

“While it is not wrong to be proud of your achievements, you should not let the success go to your head. There are quite a number of enemies left, and, as the company commander, you should keep a good grasp of your surroundings. Your company is currently way too dispersed! Hurry up and gather them back in formation!”

“…Instructor Blanche! U-understood, my sincerest apologies!”

After Edgar confirmed his safety, he gave a few words of admonition before flying away. Taking the criticism to heart, Lafal also returned to the fray.

With a few flashes of the light signal, the dispersed company soon formed up behind him and Squad Kiverahati once again launched an offensive.

From that point on, the Squad Kiverahati held an absolute advantage over the Glaive Wings. Although there were a few sticky situations, Edgar was able to bail them out from disaster. Before long, the Violet Swallow Knights stood victorious.

In comparison, the Wind Knights held the advantage of options over the Wizards, able to fight in both melee and ranged as the situation dictated. With its superior performance, it could even hold its own against a dozen of duel-class demon beasts in the sky.

The captain watched the triumphant Violet Swallow Knights attentively from his Transport Ship in the rear.

“It’s truly hard to believe. Looks like a new era is upon us, where mankind will seize the skies. I am certain the Violet Swallow Knights will play a critical role in what is to come. We should consider ourselves fortunate to be at the vanguard of technological development.”

In his critical gaze, the captain seemed to have arrived at his own conclusion.

◆ ◆ ◆

As the victorious Violet Swallow Knights and Transport Ship returned to Känkänen and reported to the king, the Wind Knights had finally proven its strength and established themselves within the kingdom.

While they were unable to immediately spare the industrial capacity for Touediane’s production, the Wind Knights did find themselves with a steady increase in production alongside the Transport Ships. The successful cooperation between the Transport Ship and Wind Knights soon spread across the kingdom.

With that, the Violet Swallow Knights slowly developed a fame that was reminiscent of their parent Knight Order, the Silver Phoenix Knights.