Volume 5, Chapter 42 - Battle Preparations

Volume 5, Chapter 42: Battle Preparations

Some time has passed since the clash between the Silver Phoenix Knights and the Jade Dragon Knights, where both sides retired from the battle with heavy damage.

Since then, the Western Grand Storm slipped into a period of relative calm, partially because the strongest force on each side was taking the time to recuperate.

During this lull, skirmishes continued to happen from time to time. Despite their valiant push to reclaim their lost territory, New Kuscheperca’s attacks have all met in failure at the hands of the defense-oriented black knights. Overall, no lasting gains were made, and the battle soon devolved into a stalemate. Yet, in everyone’s hearts, they knew that both sides were only biding their time to regroup, and the flames of war would soon reignite the land once more.

◆ ◆ ◆

At a base near Delvincourt, which the Jade Dragon Knights designated their headquarters to exploit the nearby lumber, Doroteo, Commander of the Jade Dragon Knights and the Captain of the Flying Dragon Battleship ‘Vouivre’, gazed out at the massive ship docked outside.

“…So, how is the repair coming along?” Doroteo asked the man standing behind him.

“The repair to the ship itself should not give us much trouble, and will be done once the replacement parts get installed. On the other hand, the Anculosas will take a bit longer to repair and replenish. Ah, more important than the repairs, if we do not think of some proper modifications to the battleship, we will end up facing mana insufficiency again the next time we encounter the ‘Demon God’.” The man, Horacio, callously grumbled as he flipped through the reports.

Outside, the Flying Dragon Battleship lay prone – recuperating from the previous battle, beyond which were the boundless blue skies. In this world, there was yet to be a large enough dockyard to accommodate the battleship, unlike its younger brethrens, the Levitate Ships. As such, repairs for the battleship would need to be carried out in the open, in spite of its highly secretive status, and only the surrounding woods provide some cover from the prying eyes of the public.

Nearby, the footsteps of Silhouette Knights rumbled. A sizable contingent of Resvants, requisitioned from the nearby lands, toiled on the repair with parts in tow. Understandably, the sheer effort that was needed to construct and repair the airships made it impossible without the assistance of heavy machinery.

“Haa… Seriously. With 13 Ether Reactors attached, the Dragon already has a mindboggling high mana output, how the heck did it run into an issue with mana insufficiency? If anything, this is turning into a logistical nightmare.”

“I don’t want to hear your complaints. No matter how difficult, I want you to see the problem resolved.”

“Fine, I have an inkling as to how we can tackle the problem. Although that ‘device’ is still just a prototype, it seems we have no other options than to see it used…” Horacio said as he shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh? You have a solution already? Is that the one…?” Doroteo followed Horacio’s eyes to a large container outside.

The size of the container was about half the size of a Silhouette Knight, and seemed to have some weight to it, as it required a cart-pushing Silhouette Knight to transport.

“Yes, that is an Ether Reactor.”

“W-what? That is really a surprise, The Ether Reactors I know are no larger than a man.”

Horacio matter-of-factly declared the transported content, an object that seemed to barely fit into the oversized wooden container. As a Knight Runner who was familiar with the inner workings of the Silhouette Knights, Doroteo could not help but be surprised at the object that was so vastly different from the Ether Reactors he was familiar with.

“It is an experimental high-throughput Ether Reactor… I personally call it the ‘Dragonblood Reactor’.”

Although seemingly listless on the outside, Horacio had a deep and intense glare to his eyes. With his arms swung open, he began his explanation.

“As milord knows, continuous exposure of a normal Ether Reactor to concentrated Ether results in the degradation of the reactor, ultimately resulting in the ‘death’ of the reactor. This is the main drawback to our Ether Suppliers. However, the mass produced Ether Reactors were originally designed for the atmospheric Ether, and as such, was a poor match for our ‘Applied Etherlite Theory’ which used concentrated Ether. If we instead constructed an Ether Reactor from the ground up with concentrated Ether in mind, which could handle the high-throughput energy, we should be able to avoid reactor degradation.”

“Wh-…?! Lord Collazo, if you had such an incredible device on hand, why didn’t you have it installed on construction?”

“Well… Let’s just say that not everything went according to plan.” Compared to the clearly displeased Doroteo, Horacio just let out a long sigh, and simply shrugged his shoulder as he replied, “In short, since it was designed as a high-throughput reactor, it would not be able to properly function with insufficient Ether. Let’s see, at the minimum, it would require a continual injection of concentrated Ether for it to start up and function at its baseline capacity.”

Doroteo was speechless at Horacio’s declaration, which made clear to Doroteo a major flaw in the prototype reactor.

“The stockpile of Ethelite is critical to the maneuver and operation of the ship, and the Flying Dragon Battleship wasn’t designed to be very abundant in storage space. If the supply of Ethelite were to run out, then no matter how efficient the reactor is…” Doroteo remarked.

“Impressive. Yes, just as you have posited, this is why the reactor is still a mere prototype. However, as far as the overwhelming power output is concerned, I can vouch for it with my reputation on the line.”

“Ugh…”

The Flying Dragon Battleship was a marvel of engineering unmatched in the skies. However, because it was rushed into service, there were numerous flaws and rough edges to its design. If they were to add in the Dragon Blood Reactor haphazardly, it was certain to adversely impact the handling of the craft. Even Doroteo was barely able to command such a behemoth in its original form, and had to tap into his years of accumulated experience and intuition. Therefore, Doroteo could clearly imagine the sheer leap in difficulty with new parts incorporated.

“Fine. If we even cannot accept this small a risk, we will have no chance against the ‘Demon God’.” However, despite the difficulties, Doroteo agreed without a hint of hesitation.

Doroteo’s sworn enemy, the ‘Demon God’, was a single Silhouette Knight of astonishing capabilities. It was one which even the Flying Dragon Battleship in its prime could not defeat. Therefore, Doroteo recognized that they need to exceed the confines of logic to have the slightest chance at defeating it.

“I understand. I will take the responsibility and allow the Flying Dragon to soar at a greater height than ever before.”

With that said, Horacio took a bow and slowly walked out the room. However, seemingly recalling something on his mind, Horacio suddenly turned to Doroteo after just a few steps.

“Milord, what do you think is the power behind the ‘Demon God’? For a single Silhouette Knight to fight on equal grounds with the thirteen lives of the dragon, it certainly makes you wonder what is required to make such a ferocious unit…” Horacio let out a sigh, and then, with his arms outstretched, he gazed upward, “If I could just get the answer to that mystery, any cost is acceptable.”

“Being too fixated on the unknown is without merits. Our immediate goal should be to improve the Dragon with all the means available to us, and defeat that bastard as soon as possible. With this new reactor, I am certain victory will finally be within reach…!”

With his declaration, the large reactor was to be installed into the belly of the Flying Dragon Battleship. Doroteo watched as a large group of knightsmiths and Silhouette Knight busied themselves with work, and gritted his teeth in anticipation.

◆ ◆ ◆

While the Kingdom of ?aloudek was busy with the repairs of the Flying Dragon Battleship, the Kingdom of New Kuscheperca was also bustling with excitement.

In the new capital of the kingdom, Fontaine, within the centrally located Lacepede Castle, Queen Eleonora received a large amount of reports every day. To avoid overburdening the new Queen, Martina helped to filter through the reports and only forward the most urgent.

“…As expected, everyone is on edge.”

“Regrettably, our national power is comparatively weak. With this recent draw, especially when this draw involved ‘those people’, it is to no one’s surprise that the morale is low among the populace.”

Eleonora let out a deep sigh as she looked up from the report on hand. She was fully aware of her inexperience in governance, and other than the occasional reports on the progress of the war, she tried to be open to advice and suggestions. Recently, one topic seemed to be particularly trending among her subjects.

Her eyes soon swam to the carefree knight standing in the corner of the room.

“Archid-san, do you have a moment? There is a matter I wish to consult you.”

“Ah? Me? Sure. If it is something I can answer.”

As Eleonora’s designated knight, Chid was given charge of the security of the Queen, and was in the room as a bodyguard. As far as Silhouette Knights and Knight Runners were concerned, Chid was relatively well informed and would be able to provide a splendid answer for any question. But when it came to politics, Chid was unsure what Eleonora could possibly ask of a neophyte like him, and was understandably nervous.

“How are the Silver Phoenix Knights… no, Ernesti-san doing as of late? For what transpired a few days ago, is he perhaps… depressed about the outcome?”

“How could that possibly be? Eru is perfectly fine. Sure, he was unable to win, but I can’t possibly see him despair. If anything, he is secretly plotting some plan to take revenge with Boss, and definitely up to no good as always.”

Although unsure of her intentions with the question, Chid gave Eleonora a clear answer.

Both Eleonora and Martina could not completely confirm Chid’s statement, but they did sense from Chid that ‘All is well with Ernesti-san’.

“…Could I possibly set up a meeting to talk with Ernesti-san?” After a moment of pause, Eleonora asked.

◆ ◆ ◆

Eru soon arrived at the office to answer the Queen’s summon.

“Commander of the Silver Phoenix Knights, Ernesti Echevalier, here at the Queen’s behest.”

“Thank you for coming at such a busy time.”

Initially somewhat skeptical of Eru’s condition, Eleonora was relieved to find Eru in relatively good spirits. His smile still shined with his usual kindness, and seemed to be oddly cheerful for some reason. For Eleonora, Eru’s personality remained as nebulous as ever.

“As for the matter at hand, it is related to our battle with the Flying Dragon a few days ago. During that encounter, despite Ernesti-san’s valiant performance, we were still unable to reclaim the fortress. Worse still, our failure has let an air of anxiety spread within the ranks.”

The draw of the Silver Phoenix Knights, and more importantly, the draw of the Demon God ‘Ikaruga’, has been quite the shock for the entire New Kuscheperca Royal Army.

After all, the Demon God has the capability to singlehandedly wipe out an entire battalion of the black knight ‘Tyrantors’, a power that was difficult for anyone to wrap their head around. Therefore, to the rank and file, it was believed that no matter how terrible the rumors about the Flying Dragon may be, as long as they have Ikaruga on their side, victory would be assured. As such, the reality that even with the presence of Ikaruga and the Silver Phoenix Knights on the field, they still failed to achieve total victory, was a difficult pill to swallow.

“I see, that was because we usually have the initiative in battles. In that encounter, it was already difficult for us to fight an unprepared defensive battle, not to mention that the Flying Dragon happened to be an incredibly strong weapons platform, particularly that flamethrower attack which easily tore through the fortress. In my honest opinion, I could not see that Dragon as your run-of-the-mill Levitate Ship, if anything, it is a revolutionary design that is closer to a Silhouette Knight in function.”

“Is it an enemy that could not be defeated even by Ernesti-san and the rumored Demon God, Ikaruga? Not only me, but many soldiers are uneasy with that fact, so with this opportunity, I wish to hear Ernesti-san’s opinion on the Flying Dragon. What manner of enemy was the Flying Dragon? And, if you were to challenge the Flying Dragon again, do you have confidence in victory?”

Despite her apprehensive question, Eru did not at all seem worried about the prospects, and displayed his usual cheerful self as he began his explanation.

“The reason for the draw in the previous battle was purely because I lacked a fundamental understanding of the physical laws in this world, and succumbed to ‘Ether Toxicity’ due to my lack of preparation. As such, I doubt it will ever happen a second time. On the other hand, the Flying Dragon had weakness in itself, for which I undoubtedly believe they will prepare countermeasures. Our next encounter will likely be a clean slate for the both of us, so I do not have absolute confidence to win with just Ikaruga. However, rest assured that I will definitely prepare all that is necessary to slay the Flying Dragon once and for all.”

“By the way, Ernesti-san, what is ‘Ether Toxicity’?” Passing an unfamiliar term, Eleonora could not help but ask.

“In the skies, the higher the altitude, the greater the concentration of atmospheric Ether. For our bodies that were acclimated to the low atmospheric Ether on the surface, prolonged exposure to a high Ether environment would have adverse effects. For the purpose of explanation, I refer to the symptoms collectively as ‘Ether Toxicity’.”

Other than Eleonora, it was also the first time Martina and Chid had heard about ‘Ether Toxicity’. If it weren’t for the fact that they knew Eru had flew to the edge of the sky, they would have a hard time accepting what was just said. Yet, Martina soon realized a discrepancy in the story, if not a terribly annoying truth.

“From the reports, it seemed that the Flying Dragon had no problem with the high altitude. Does this mean that on top of being incredibly strong, it also can function far beyond our own limits? If they take advantage of that, it would be doubly difficult to…”

“I agree with that assessment. As far as technology related to flight is concerned, the enemy is undoubtedly a few steps ahead of us. However, if it is only combat, there are always methods to negate their advantage. To put it simply, we should not have to worry as long as we do not give it the opportunity to reach that high an altitude.”

Eru made it sound easy, but could it really be done? Martina was visibly distressed about their prospects. Certainly, without the defeat of the Flying Dragon, there could be no peace in New Kuscheperca.

“I do not doubt Ernesti-san’s strength. But, against an opponent as strong as the Dragon, is it really possible to triumph?”

Unlike the more politically-minded Martina, Eleonora was clearly worried about Eru’s well-being. For a Queen, some may see this as a weakness, but it was an important part of her character.

“Only the Silver Phoenix Knights could keep up with you and Ikaruga, but I had heard that even the Knights suffered numerous casualties from the previous encounter. If that was the case, how would you go about fighting the Flying Dragon?” Martina asked.

As far as Martina was aware, there existed no other Silhouette Knight in the world that could match against Ikaruga. Even if Eru spoke of assistance in the upcoming battle, Martina has no idea what he could possibly bring to achieve that end.

“The battlefield between the Flying Dragon and me will be in the sky, so I doubt the Silver Phoenix Knights would be of much help under those conditions. Therefore, I will likely rely on the Levitate Ship we captured at Missillier.”

“Eru, the ship we captured was just a normal Levitate Ship. To bring that ship into a fight against the Flying Dragon, don’t you think it would be a poor match-up?” Chid interjected into the conversation.

“That is correct. Therefore, our first order of business is to work with Boss and redesign the Levitate Ship into a warship that could hold its own against the Flying Dragon. Although I am somewhat reluctant to use our valuable specimen, it can’t be helped if it is for the sake of victory.”

“…I wonder if you can still call it a Levitate Ship by the time you are done with it.” Chid let out an involuntary shrug.

Sitting nearby, Eleonora was also amazed by Eru, but for a different reason than Chid. To her, Eru and the Silver Phoenix Knights did not seem to be fazed by any obstacles. They courageously took up the seemingly impossible task to reclaim lost territory from ?aloudek, and where others fled, they stood their ground against the overwhelming Levitate Ships. In time, they overcame one impossible task after another, and forged an almost legendary fame.

“How could you keep on fighting despite all the setbacks? …Does Ernesti-san know no fear?” To satiate her curiosity, Eleonora could not help but ask.

From their age, Eru was not much different from Eleonora. Other than their gender, the biggest difference was Eru’s willingness to challenge an enemy of indescribable strength. Even when the world itself seemed to stand in his way, Eru still continued to advance, almost as if the term ‘pessimism’ did not exist in his dictionary. In a way, Eru was in stark contrast to Eleonora, who have from time to time felt lost and bewildered in her new role, and was what brought Eleonora to the question – to identify what drove Eru, and through it, perhaps find the answer to her own inadequacies.

As if sensing Eleonora’s inner conflict, Eru’s face turned serious, and gave his heartfelt answer.

“Building and piloting Silhouette Knights are my passion, and are my only desires in life. As long as ‘this life’ exists, that fact will never change. Be it powerful dragons or insurmountable obstacles, it only means my Silhouette Knights will need to climb to even greater heights. There will always be improvements to be had. If you think like that, is there not joy even in the greatest difficulty?”

“But, I would still feel the difficulty…”

Receiving Chid’s rebuttal, Eru looked quite displeased. Although his passion could clearly be felt, there was no one who could truly understand him.

In this complicated atmosphere, only Eleonora seemed to be deep in contemplation for what was said.

◆ ◆ ◆

In the somber atmosphere of New Kuscheperca, a group continued to engage their work with passion. Or rather, they were so overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks that they had no time to worry.

“Good! It is time for the shift change. Those who are rested, get moving!”

At a base near Fontaine, a temporary ‘Levitate Ship Workshop’ was established. From the moment the Silver Phoenix Knights’ knightsmiths arrived, they had been working day and night investigating and modifying the Levitate Ship. At the captured ship’s helm sat Boss, who barked one order after another at the other knightsmiths.

“Boss, everyone is ready!”

“Very well, let’s test this baby out. Begin mana transfer!”

“Aye!”

Batson and the other knightsmiths excitedly responded, and began to operate the various controls on the bridge. Originally, there were only voicepipes to transmit orders to every corner of the ship, but now the bridge had seen plenty new additions.

“Etheric Levitator, all status normal. Begin ether injection.”

All hands stared intently at the operation procedures, carefully pulling each lever and pressing each button. When the indicator reached the baseline, they felt a unique feeling wash over them.

“Ether concentration rising, reaching levitation threshold!”

“Very well, pull up the anchor! Contact all hands, tell them to lay off the Blow Engine for now!”

With his orders transmitted through the voicepipes, the knightsmiths began to retract the anchors. Only until the ship had safely floated up did Boss let out his nervous breath and wipe away his sweat.

“…Good, all systems normal. Still, that Etheric Levitator sure is a finicky device. It would begin to act up if we even slightly deviate from the accepted procedure…”

The words Boss spoke came from his personal experience. In an earlier experiment to test the limits of the Levitate Ship, they almost sank the ship itself. Although the Etheric Levitator was a simple construct, the operation of the levitation field and the Ether was surprisingly complex. As such, the reactor room previously could not do without the gentle touch of human operators, but that was all in the past now.

“With how smooth everything is operating, the connection between the Etheric Levitator and the Magius Engine seems to be working splendidly.”

The main modification they made to this Levitate Ship was to have the Etheric Levitator fully automated.

Previously, Levitate Ships had little to no automation. From controlling the concentration of Etheric Levitator, to operating the Blow Engine, everything had to be done by hand. The Silver Phoenix Knights decided to trim down on the number of hands needed by incorporating automation, with all control centralized to the bridge, and would no longer require the extensive network of voicepipes to deliver orders. The large amount of machinery on the bridge, with their assortment of levers and buttons, was to this end.

“Although there are still some rough edges, at the very least, we were able to get the ship running with Silver Phoenix Knights’ limited hands.”

“…This is all because of how complex the procedures were.”

The main motivation behind their remodeling efforts was largely due to the difficulty that the Silver Phoenix Knights encountered in the ship’s operation. Beside their obvious lack of familiarity and experience with the ship, the bigger issue was that they were woefully understaffed. For even the rudimentary maneuvers, they needed a minimum number of crew at each station. The sheer manpower that the ship demanded simply exceeded the Silver Phoenix Knights’ limitations.

The solution that the knightsmiths came up with was to incorporate a Magius Engine onto the ship, using newly written formulas to remove the need for human operators, and connecting the device to each component with silver nerves. Obviously, Eru was responsible for all the technical components.

When Eru first laid his eyes on the Levitate Ship, he could barely contain his excitement, and had researched every nook and cranny aboard. In his passion to discover the mechanisms behind the Etheric Levitator, Eru almost ended up breaking it. The aerial acrobatics that the ship made during Eru’s adventures was a memory few on-board knightsmiths wished to recall, but that was a story for another day.

As far as the Magius Engine was concerned, much of its formulas were based on Eru’s experience from that time. Although the ship was still far from being considered ‘fully automated’, at the minimum, they were able to expedite many of the convoluted procedures.

“So we basically reduced the system from one which is completely uncooperative to one that acts mischievously from time to time.”

Such was the heartfelt evaluation given by the Boss at the time. Even without full automation, they had managed to make leap and bounds, with the operation now somewhat tenable.

Soon after the trial, Eru was able to obtain the results, and worked with the Boss to summarize their findings.

“With the new Magius Engine in place, we were able to not only strengthen the coordination of different stations, but also cut down on the number of crew. All that’s left is redesigning the propulsion system. If we are talking about a suitable replacement for the Blow Engine, I guess the most likely candidate is to install some sort of magius thruster?”

“Haa… I think this is as good as we will get. Shy of relying on Ikaruga’s engines, I doubt the magic output would match the demand for a thruster-based propulsion system.”

“That is certainly a problem, I don’t want to sit with my Ikaruga on the ship all day…”

The original plan was to have the ship support Ikaruga in combat against the Flying Dragon. If their modified ship instead ended up restricting Ikaruga’s movements, it would essentially be getting their priorities mixed up.

“Other than the propulsion system, there is also the weapons system. We need a weapon strong enough to bring down that heavily armored dragon. I have an inkling as to which one we should use, but it will increase Boss’s workload by quite a bit. However, I am certain it will be the best weapon to slay the Flying Dragon.”

“So what are you thinking about, boy?”

Eru completely glossed over Boss’s uneasiness, and was seemingly deep in thought. Despite Eru’s apparent lackadaisical attitude, his mind was in overdrive.

“I heard the Flying Dragon was quite incredible. No matter how strong you are, it seemed to be quite a stretch for you to take on the dragon with Ikaruga alone. As such, is it really such a big deal to draw against such a behemoth?” Seeing Eru’s boundless passion, Boss inquisitively asked.

“Winning is very important, but more than anything, I could not bear with the Dragon’s existence. If I have to point to a reason, it would be the sheer size of its body. Such a large structure would surely take an obscene amount of magic to maintain, and from my knowledge, there are only so many options when it comes to replenishing magic power.”

If not for one supersized reactor, then the ship would require numerous parallel reactors, as such, the problem lay less with technology and more with resources. It was hard for Eru to imagine a nation like ?aloudek to be in possession of a large Ether Reactor like the ‘Emperor’s Heart’. As such, the most reasonable conclusion was that the Flying Dragon relied on a massive amount of parallel reactors.

Although such innovative thoughts were nothing new to the Silver Phoenix Knights, Eru was surprised that there existed another forward thinker in the world to come up with such outlandish ideas. However, given how often the Silver Phoenix Knights broke the sensibilities of the world, it is not hard to imagine others like them would eventually pop up.

“By concentrating large amount of Ether Reactors, powerful weapons like the Flying Dragon could easily be made. But therein lays the problem… If the multi-reactor weapons platform were demonstrated to be clearly superior to single-reactor Silhouette Knights, then sooner or later, other multi-reactor weapons platform would begin to appear in the world. Conversely speaking, the numbers of Silhouette Knights in the world would decrease to fuel the multi-reactor weapons platform’s construction.”

For the people of this world, both Silhouette Knight and the Flying Dragon Battleship were mere weapons, and as weapons, would demand associated costs for transportation and maintenance. Although the Flying Dragon Battleship was incredibly strong, its technological demands far exceeded the skill of an average knightsmith, as such, both the repair and maintenance were costly endeavors. At most, the battleship could only be effectively used on decisive battles.

On the other hand, Silhouette Knights were a technology that was considered staple to the world. Even if there was a growing interest in multi-reactor weapons platform, Silhouette Knights would not immediately turn obsolete. Yet, for the robot otaku Ernesti, such a development was something he could not accept.

“I will use this opportunity to thoroughly erase the existence of that ‘piece of trash’, so that Silhouette Knights will continue to serve a central role in this world. ‘My world’ does not need trash like that in it!”

“…O-oh.”

Even Boss was taken aback by Eru’s passion. The high morale certainly was welcome given the approaching battle, so Boss simply chose to ignore the more problematic details.

With this, the stage was set for the fated battle between the Death God and the Flying Dragon. Neither could tolerate the continued existence of the other, and both would stop at nothing until the other was utterly demolished.

Under the strangely selfish reason of the Knight Commander, the Silver Phoenix Knights noisily took to the reconstruction of the Levitate Ship.

◆ ◆ ◆

Soon, the peace and quiet that had reigned the land was abruptly broken.

The two kingdoms were once again broiled in war, spearheaded by the return of the Flying Dragon. New Kuscheperca’s border forts were once more open to the terrifying attacks of the Dragon.

As another fortress fell to the sea of flames, the news quickly made its way to Fontaine. All the local nobles gathered in Lacepede Castle to discuss possible countermeasures to the new wave of attacks.

Reflective of the noble’s unease, the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy in the meeting room.

“Ugh… It has returned! That bastard dragon has laid waste to our land, fortresses, and men.”

“Won’t it be fine as long as we increase the amount of Revantiers and magic javelins?”

“Like that will be enough! It was an opponent even the Silver Phoenix Knights could not defeat, who knows what we could possibly do to counter it…”

From the start of the meeting, an air of pessimism washed over the room. Each and every noble grumbled about the difficulties, with not a constructive idea in sight, and the meeting room soon devolved into chaos.

To steer away from the worsening atmosphere, Eru took to the floor.

“The enemy and their tactics are the same as before. With the Flying Dragon as vanguard supported by a small group of ground forces on Levitate Ships, they rely heavily on guerrilla tactics and mobility of the ships to avoid the risk of encirclement. It is a type of formation that takes full advantage of the Flying Dragon’s overwhelming firepower and the Levitate Ships’ incredible mobility.”

Despite the simplicity of the tactics employed, the crux of the matter lay with the Flying Dragon, for which the current New Kuscheperca had no legitimate counter.

“But why would they satisfy themselves with just attacking our fortresses? If they had such overwhelming power at their disposal, should they not just come after Fontaine directly?” One of the noble inquired.

Faced with the difficult question, the nobles all just looked at each other without a single sound.

Soon, a single voice broke the uncomfortable silence. Surprisingly, the one who took up the question was Queen Eleonora. She had never had a martial education, and should not have much knowledge on the discussed matter. As such, in all the previous economic and military discussions, she had always opted to remain silent.

“The Flying Dragon fears the Silver Phoenix Knights… no, Ernesti-san. Ernesti-san was able to singlehandedly hold his own against the Flying Dragon, and if we add our own war potential to the mix…”

Her words cleared the stagnant air surrounding the discussion. Although Ikaruga did not sink the Flying Dragon in the earlier encounter, it did hold its own against the beast. Despite the army abandoning the fortress in the end, it was still far from a complete rout.

With the renewed hope, the nobles once again energized themselves in discussion.

“Then, before we suffer even greater damage, we should gather our troops and take out the Flying Dragon! With the Silver Phoenix Knights in the vanguard, and our own troops in support, victory should be simple.”

“If we do, then the black knights that line our border will be free to advance and run rampage in our lands. Likely, the Flying Dragon will also avoid our challenge.”

The nobles shirked back after hearing Eru’s criticism. They were so caught up with the Flying Dragon that they almost forgot about the masses of black knights that line their borders. Both were powerful adversaries that New Kuscheperca could not ignore, and would need to be simultaneously overcome.

“First and foremost, we need to contain the black knights from taking advantage of the chaos. A method that allow us to take out the Flying Dragon without compromising our defenses… The best choice for the task undoubtedly falls on the Silver Phoenix Knights.”

“Since we already fought with the enemy once, we are familiar with their capabilities. If anything, we won’t make the same mistake as last time. Granted, this will be a tough battle, as even Ikaruga will have a hard time break through its defensive lightning. If anything, our chance of victory will be greatly improved once the Levitate Ship in our possession is fully remodeled.”

Despite the knightsmiths working day and night on the Levitate Ship, the remodeling would still take some time to complete.

“Then, what do you suggest we do in the meantime? The damage inflicted by the Flying Dragon has been crippling. If we do nothing, then our war potential will slowly waste away and will no longer be able to maintain adequate defenses along the front. Before the Silver Phoenix Knights are ready, who knows how much losses we will incur…”

Before the Silver Phoenix Knights were fully prepared, the nobles lacked an effective method to deter the Dragon’s attacks. It was an imposing foe that the powerful Ikaruga couldn’t handle, so much so that even if the nobles gathered up all their Revantiers, they would still not be an adequate match against it.

“On the contrary, if we simply do nothing, the casualties will just continue to mount up. We should take the opportunity to strike at their weakness.”

“…The seat of viceroyalty. You plan to retake the old capital, Delvincourt… is that right?”

With shock and bewilderment, everyone’s gaze quickly focused on Eru, who made the comment. Eleonora was once again the one who broke the silence, and spoke with a face full of resolve.

“…We do not have many options. Either we allow the Flying Dragon to walk all over us, and lose everything, or we take back our capital, and cleanse ?aloudek from our lands once and for all.”

With Eleonora’s declaration, chatter broke out among the nobles. It was certainly a plan that could break the current stalemate, but there were considerable risks involved.

“We agree with her majesty in principle, but to undertake such a plan is sheer folly. We will be cutting deep into enemy territory, and we don’t know how many black knights we will encounter at Delvincourt! Additionally, to commit to such an offensive means to gather all our available forces, if so, who will stay to defend Fontaine…?!”

“Knowing the risks, I believe her majesty has decided to go all out?”

“…Yes.”

The short exchange between Eru and Eleonora took all the nobility by surprise, especially when they had just explained how the plan would be a costly mistake.

“We only need to defend Fontaine because of my presence here. Instead, if I campaign with the troops, we will no longer require a significant force to defend, and can devote all our resources to the offensive.”

To her statements, the nobles momentarily were at a loss for words. They had always believed the Queen was unfamiliar with matters of war, and had simply spewed nonsense. However, after a moment of contemplation, they realized her ideas were not completely outrageous. If they could only devote their resources to either attack or defense, then to break the stalemate, they had to attack. Certainly, New Kuscheperca was at the point where they had little left to lose in the gamble.

The biggest concern they had was with the ‘Queen’ herself. From the perspective of a vassal, it was difficult to ask the Queen to risk herself on the battlefield.

“I am certain of this decision. Before, I was too hesitant when it came to the important decisions, and would shy away from any gambles. My inexperience had brought about many deaths, which I do not wish to repeat. Therefore, before more of our subjects die, we shall reclaim ?aloudek’s seat of viceroyalty… no, the old capital, Delvincourt.” Despite the nobles’ reservations, Eleonora herself seemed to have steeled herself with a smile.

The nobles had all been overwhelmed by the young Queen’s display of will. Even though they were only lesser nobility, they were nevertheless warriors who have survived many wars. They might act respectful for the young Queen in public, but in their hearts, they had always slighted the one they thought was no more than a mere figurehead. However, their prejudice was completely overturned with her valiant display at the meeting, where not only did she point out the best way forward, but also fully demonstrated her will to reclaim the old capital.

“With that said, I have a personal request for Ernesti-san. At the time when we advance on ?aloudek…”

“The Flying Dragon will surely show itself.”

Hearing Eru’s assessment, Eleonora, despite being somewhat apprehensive, nodded in acknowledgment.

“Even if we were to reclaim our lost capital and defeat the viceroyalty, the Flying Dragon will still exist as a prominent threat to our rule. Therefore, like we did at Missillier, let me serve as the ‘bait’ once more.”

However, the current situation was quite different from their time at Missillier. Back then, the ?aloudek Army was overconfident, and easily crumbled when the tides had turned. In contrast, the campaign would penetrate deep into enemy’s defenses, and attack their headquarters. They would undoubtedly defend to the death with a sober mind. Despite the mounting difficulties, Eru still did not show a single a hint of hesitation.

“I understand. If that is the case, then just leave the dragon to us. Going up against the Flying Dragon with a large army is unwise, therefore, we shall have Ikaruga and a few other elites to hunt the dragon down.”

“Would Ernesti-san’s remodeled Levitate Ship be ready in time?”

“In the name of the Silver Phoenix Knights, we are certain to see it finished, even if we have to make final adjustments on way to the battlefield.”

With Eru’s seemingly innocent promise, the knightsmiths of the Silver Phoenix Knights would come to see hell.

“As the Queen of Kuscheperca, I am ashamed to have to leave the fate of our kingdom in other hands.” Eleonora nodded with a hint of worry.

“Do not mind it, Your Majesty.”

Undoubtedly, the one with the greatest burden in the upcoming campaign would be Eru, but he still replied with his usual cheerful smile.

“I must prove that ‘my robot, Ikaruga, is superior to Levitate Ships’. For this reason, I am willing to gamble everything I have to see the destruction of the Flying Dragon.”

Behind his innocent smile, there permeated a certain madness, so much so that even Eleonora was taken aback. She was just glad that the target of his madness matched the goal of the kingdom.

With this, New Kuscheperca came to decide on the ludicrous plan to ‘abandon all defenses’ for the single decisive battle against ?aloudek.

◆ ◆ ◆

With the meeting over, Eru soon found himself standing before the full force of the Silver Phoenix Knights.

“The decisive battle has been set! All that’s left is to wrap up our preparations! Things will likely get busy for the knightsmiths, so keep up the good work! Chid, Addy, I have an important mission for you two and Tzendrinble.”

“Got it! Just leave it to us!”

“…Yes.”

When his name was mentioned, Chid was not looking at Eru, but to the far back where Eleonora stood. Seeing his uncertain nod, Eleonora clasped both her hands, as if making a gesture to pray for his safety. With that exchange, Chid then turned his sight on Eru, and gave a strong nod.

“Understood. It is about time we cut down their arrogance and boot them from this land once and for all!”

With the decision made, the Silver Phoenix Knights now steeled themselves for the upcoming battle.