Five

Three days later, a letter arrived from the princess.

The man who brought it made me and Batis widen our eyes in surprise.

“Huh?”

“No, that’s my line.”

“What’re you doing back here? I figured you’d be heading to reinforce the front lines. And you’re riding that thing, too.”

The one who delivered the letter was Leon—himself, the one we’d been planning to buy drinks for. And he was on Armunale.

Leon pushed his glasses up with a flick of his fingers and smiled.

“Guess luck finally caught up with me. Can’t let you two hog all the glory.”

“But you don’t even have your own unit yet, Leon. Batis got a machine based on his performance this time, but you’re still just a scout, right?”

“Thing is… I got permission from Lady Ines herself to borrow a unit—just for this attack.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Eld and I tilt our heads, confused by Leon’s words.

“Just for this attack”? That’s not how you borrow something—sounds like something out of a dream. And the Queen wouldn’t allow it. Not a chance.

Wait—did he steal it from another squad!?

“Eld, you not thinking something weird, are you?”

“No… but…”

Did it show on my face? Still, I can’t help but wonder.

“The generator I’m using? It’s from the machine you took down.”

“But the machine you took down—didn’t our captain get that one?”

Right. The generator from the one we just brought down was already recovered and shipped back. Even in an emergency, you don’t hand over a pilot’s assigned generator to someone else—especially not to Leon.

"Not that one. The one I got was from the defense line at Locka Base. Three of the four were sent straight back, but one—Ines-sama kept it on hand, it seems."

"Wasn’t that risky? The generator’s technically the Emperor’s property, right?"

"Apparently, mix-ups in battlefield deliveries happen all the time."

"Yeah… I see."

So Ines-sama had pretended it was a delivery error and held onto one unit—then handed it to Leon.

And the reason, I bet, is written in the letter she gave me… again, doing something reckless.

But what the devil is Ines-sama planning?

This whole push of mine, giving the unit to Leon—clearly she’s moving independently of the other units.

I suppose I had no choice back then—but this whole sideways transfer? That’s definitely against military law. Sure, they’re pretending it’s a delivery mistake, but anyone who looks close enough’ll see right through it. If that happens, Ines-sama’s not gonna get off easy. She’s not the kind to miss something like that. Always playing the cat, hiding her real self—she’s the one who usually ends up doing something foolish when she’s not pretending. But she’s sharp when it counts. She’s foolish—but…

She’s not being foolish this time, is she?

“Then that means all this season’s graduates now have their own custom units, right!”

“My’s only temporary, though.”

“Whatever, don’t sweat the small stuff. Hey, what did Ines-sama say, then?”

“Wait a sec.”

Yeah, guess you’re right. Better check Ines-sama’s orders before getting stuck on the little stuff. Might have all sorts of stuff written in there, too.

I tear open the letter’s seal and pull out the contents.

Three sheets, huh? Not the kind to waste ink on fancy talk, so this might actually be worth reading.

“First one is…”

I skim through the text.

It laid out the basic plan going forward.

I’ll keep moving south, as originally planned, clear out the enemy, and support our allies. That part stays the same. But with Avila Bomb showing up, things shifted a bit on either side.

First, if there’s a second Avila Bomb attack before the letter arrives. In that case, we’ll wait a week, then head south. No second wave yet, though, so that’s probably out.

Next, if there’s an attack at Armunale or Abnomule, or if enemy forces are spotted moving in nearby.

That’d mean the retreating troops have reorganized.

In that case, we’ll hit their unit first. Leon and I’ll lead the charge, break the enemy. The rest of the Armunale units are supposed to prepare for Avila bombs.

But—so far, the only enemy we’ve seen is a bunch of bandits, the Hagre. And even they’re being driven out one by one by the repaired Armunale.

So that’s out too.

And third.

If neither of the first two happen—meaning, if peace holds completely until the letter arrives—then Leon and I’ll head south together to deal with the enemy force. Wait—?!

“Leon and I are supposed to go?!”

“What?! Not me?!”

“Batis’s got a proper assignment—can’t just move him around willy-nilly. Leon’s the one who can act on Ines-sama’s orders, solo like that.”

Still, that’s asking a lot.

Leon’s got the machine, sure—but no crew to keep it running.

Makes sense, really. Leon’s machine uses a smuggled generator. Can’t exactly show that off in public.

Leon’s unit’s still with the princesses.

Only Leon came here, on a delivery mission. He picked up the machine en route, from the princess’s private squad.

“So, basically, the biggest force Ines-sama can send out on her own?”

"Seriously though—this is insane, isn’t it? Head south from here, clear out the enemy? That’s three zones—gamma down to epsilon. All three of them getting hit by forces just as big as ours. You’re telling me we’ve got no fuel, no weapons, no nothing?"

"No, there’s a way."

Leon shot down Batis’s objection instantly, his glasses flickering with light.

You’re all fired up, huh? I get it—never had a chance to shine before, so yeah, you’re pumped. But don’t go planning some reckless stunt, now.

"Abnomyle’s just a mob. A bunch of scraps compared to Armunale. You know that, right, Batis?"

"Yeah."

So in the end, Armunale’s still the key to this fight. From the intel we’ve gathered, there are units holding back the enemy’s rear, and in some places even leading the charge. But if we take them down, the enemy loses the ability to hold their base.

“So you’re saying we should hit Armunale first?”

“That’s right.”

Makes sense, really. I’ve been hitting Armunale head-on before—back in Locka, back in Jakarta. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to go toe-to-toe with something strong. But still, the rule’s clear: the commander’s always on the strongest machine.

Still… never thought about the hold-on ability. Yeah, the enemy’s got to keep the ground they’ve taken. Need troops for that. And with that kind of strength, Armunale’s probably essential.

But there’s still a problem.

“What about when Avilabomb shows up?”

“That’s certainly shocking in power—but not much of a threat when it comes to invasion.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s a bomb meant for key targets. Just drops and goes off, doesn’t think past that. If your side isn’t already waiting nearby, ready to take control, it’s just a dead end. And we checked the wreckage that landed here—results say manual control’s likely. What do you think?”

“Yeah, someone jumped out before impact.”

“So we’ll need people to recover them. Without control of the area, they’re just disposable. You really think morale holds up with something like that?”

Right… even if that weapon has an escape function, it’s still just a suicide run.

So after we escape, we’ll be dropping right into the enemy’s heartland—no time to prepare anything at all.

“Still, there’s the idea of attacking key strongholds with suicide in mind… but Armunale’s already guarding Fortran, the capital, and those other Hyimagia Liquid production sites.”

So we’re all set, then.

“We’re supposed to just wipe out the enemy that’s already come here, no worries.”

“Actually, we need to get rid of them fast. If we’re still tied up, the Avila Bombs might get dropped on other blocks.”

If other blocks have already been breached up to the first defensive line, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re already considering using Avila Bombs.

Jakarta never came down unless it was a real emergency. But who knows what the higher-ups over there are deciding now.

If we drop it in a hurry, the damage here’ll be terrible.

“Got it. Then we’ll launch as soon as the craft’s ready. Jakarta’s in your hands, Batis.”

“Tch. Well, if enemies come this way, I’ll eat ‘em all up.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“What about Leon’s machine? Need any more weapons or fuel?”

“Yeah, weapons are fine. Just need to refill the fuel and grab some spares from Eld’s squad.”

“Can do. We’ll run two units on that.”

“Then I’ll take the sword and harmonica-pistol ammo.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll go explain the launch to command.”

“I’ve got a meeting with the unit.”

I left Leon to handle the explanation and headed for the hangar.

Night. The sky’s gone completely black, and only moonlight and starlight pour down.

In the midst of it all, a single light flickered on the pitch-black grassland. That glow flared now and then, spitting sparks like tiny stars.

“How’s it look? Can you fix it?”

“Cut the nonsense. You expect me to attach a limb to something this wrecked?”

“Plus it’s been all night. Hard to see what you’re doing.”

“Sorry. But if we don’t fix it, things’ll get messy later.”

“Yeah, I know. Besides, you’re our captain now, Ferzé.”

From behind Armunale, Ferzé peered out with a quiet smile, then pulled back.

Ferzé had stayed behind, away from the retreating Abnomüle unit, and remained with the mercenaries on the grassland.

The reason? The repairs to the machine.

You could say Eld dodged it by a hair’s breadth—but that shot still slammed straight into his arm. The impact rippled through the whole frame, and to make things worse, the awkward movements during battle and poor control had already strained his joints past their limits.

He’d managed to get the leg joints fixed by midday, but now that the sun had set, he gave up on moving for today. Instead, he’d just have to wait and swap out the arm with a spare part.

But this darkness isn’t helping much.

“Do your best, now. If you’re too slow, we’ll be treating you like you bailed on the front lines.”

“Yeah, I know.”

If he strays too far from the main body, he’ll never catch up before the return journey. In the end, he’ll be labeled a deserter—just like that. All the effort he’s put in, all the rank he’s earned, gone like smoke.

“Would be nice if we had some Abnomüle parts lying around here.”

“Yeah?”

“Power’s weak, but the compatibility’s top-notch. We could just slap it right on, no problem.”

“Huh. Then I’ll go grab one.”

“Got a spot in mind?”

“Don’t need one. Just watch—there it comes, walking right over.”

“Huh?”

The mercenary followed Feltz’s pointing finger and let out a startled yelp.

One Abnomüle was striding straight toward them from across the field.

“Wait, wait, wait—what the hell’s the lookout been doing?!”

Panicked at how close it had gotten—visible even in the dark—he barked at the watchman. No answer came.

“Useless, probably. Shot down with magic.”

“What?! You mean—killed?!”

“Yeah. Human-targeted spell. Hard to notice, really. Anyway, since they’re clearly hostile, I’m powering up the unit.”

“Y-yes! Still not perfect, so please avoid fighting if you can! If you push it too far this time, it’ll just freeze up for good!”

“Guess it’s up to them.”

Felts confirmed the mechanic had jumped clear, then hefted the unit upright.

The Abnomyle stopped moving.

“Maybe it’s because we’ve got the Armunale? Anyway, let’s find out. Hey, Abnomyle over there—what unit are you with?!”

“Unit… well, I suppose mercenaries, wouldn’t you say? And you—what’s your name?”

“I’m Felts. The strongest man in the Overd mercenary squad.”

“The Overd mercs. Yes, that’s perfect. Let me see what you’re made of.”

Before she even finished speaking, the Abnomyle lunged forward, sword in hand.

Felts let out a quiet click of his tongue, then fumbled with his clumsy hands to grip his sword. He dodged the descending blade, then lunged his own straight at the pilot’s seat.

But it dodged—smooth as silk. Like the movement of an Armunale.

“Huh. So you can move like an Armunale, huh?”

“Mm, not bad. But I’d like to see more.”

The Abnomule pilot doesn’t seem in the mood to talk, just lunges again. I parry, watching for an opening—then I notice it.

This enemy’s holding back.

“Why’s that, I wonder?”

“Just matching your machine. If I went all out, it’d be over in a blink.”

“Gee, thanks for the honesty.”

“But it’s true.”

“Yeah, maybe!”

I knew it too. Just a few clashes of steel, and I could tell. The Abnomule pilot was way better than your average knight.

With that tech, the Abnomule was pushing just past the edge of what Feltz could handle—right up against her limit, but still a step beyond.

That’s why the machine was straining. The thing screamed sparks and agony from every joint, pushing past its edge.

And then, the Abnomule took a few steps back.

“Reaching your limit, are we?”

“Yeah. I think I could still manage a few tricks, if I had to.”

“No need for that.”

“What the hell were you even after… can’t you just spit it out already?”

“Can I join your squad?”

“Seriously? Selling yourself like this… after killing one of your own squadmates?”

If she was really pitching herself, she could’ve just walked up like anyone else. Instead, she’d taken a life, then showed up in an Abnomule—so the tone was all disbelief, mixed in with a laugh I couldn’t help but let out.

"See, one person’s gone, so we need a replacement, right? I’d be more than enough, don’t you think?"

"Still, I can’t say much without seeing your face first."

"True enough."

Under the watchful eyes of the mercenaries, the Abnomule’s hatch creaked open—and out stepped the pilot.

"A woman…?"

"Seriously? A kid, even?"

"Looks like she’s about the same age as Feltze, doesn’t she?"

"Wait—her uniform…"

"Hey, you a student from the Academy? A Fatal, too?"

Feltze shifted from the cockpit seat to peer over the edge, confirming the girl’s presence.

"Used to be. Anyway, so you’re Feltze, huh?"

"Know me?"

"Yeah. Eld’s always going on about you. Said you were a battle-mad fool."

"Wait—you know Eld? Then it’s settled! We’re in this together!"

Feltze couldn’t just ignore someone who knew Eld.

"Hey, Feltze! Don’t go making decisions like that!"

"Without even consulting the captain?!"

"And he’s got one dead body on his hands already!"

"This is settled! Don’t worry— I’ll look after her."

"Rayla. That’s why we’re counting on you from now on."

The mercenaries felt cold sweat trickle down their spines as Rayla smiled warmly toward Abnomyle.

Leon finally got his own machine, stepping onto the battlefield beside Eld. And Rayla, bearing a gift from Abnomyle, joined them in Du Libepr.

Will Leon rise to the challenge? And what, exactly, is Rayla’s aim?