5

A bit light on numbers

After wrapping up the fight and returning to base, we were greeted by a thunderous cheer.

Every single one of them was aimed mostly at me. I did rush in to help, sure—but I don’t think I did anything that important...

All I really did was cover Batis. If it had been my own machine, I could’ve gone undefeated, no problem.

"Why’s the cheering so loud?"

"Come on, it’s the one-armed mech-hero Eld himself showing up to rescue us. If the battle ended right then and there, people who didn’t even see the fight would figure you just ended it all by yourself."

"Hero!?"

I blurted out, startled by the words coming from Batis.

Since when did I become a hero?

“What? You didn’t know? The rumors started spreading proper right after Eld took back the base, you know?”

“Taking back the base—that was Leon too, wasn’t it?”

“True, I was there, but my part before that was different. A nobody pilot? No way. The guy who held the line block by block, the flagbearer Eld—of course he’d be the one everyone talked about.”

“Seriously?”

I’ve been locked up in the capital ever since I was banned from riding Armunale. Never heard a single soldier’s rumor, no one ever told me, and I had no clue at all.

Ritz and Brother Noah—those two always chattering with the mechanics—they’d have known for sure. Deliberately keeping quiet? Then I’ll grill them both the moment they meet up.

“Exactly. Wave at him, why don’t you?”

“Fan service matters, you know.”

“Got it.”

I wave back at the soldiers, grumbling under my breath. Their cheers explode all at once—louder than before.

“Gotta go say hello to the commander, I guess. Where the hell do I park this thing?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just leave it in front of the command post, if you want.”

Like a proper roadside parking job… well, that’s about all we’ve got, really.

“We’ll stow the unit in the hangar. Meet up later, if we’ve got time.”

“See you then.”

“Yeah, later.”

I’m still listening to the princess go on about the next phase of the plan—so I know we’ll be meeting again soon. But I’ll keep that to myself.

Her plans are always insane. The two of them’ll probably pass out if they hear it. Just a little peace after the fight—enjoy it while you can.

I push the机体 forward until it stops in front of the base command center. Through the window, I catch sight of a figure who looks like the commander.

“Eld, commander of the First Guard Armunale Battalion. Are you the commander?”

“That’s right. I’m Tindar Katts, commander of this base. Thank you for the reinforcements.”

“I’m only following Lady Ines’s orders.”

“Where is Lady Ines now? I heard she was coming this way.”

Katts peers out the window, scanning the area. No sign of her anywhere.

Well, she’s probably just now reaching the seaside coast. Arrival’s scheduled for tonight, after all.

“Lady Ines is expected here sometime tonight. I came ahead of her to provide cover.”

“Ah, I see. Honestly, I’m relieved.”

“We’ll go over the details later. For now, I’d like to stash this machine somewhere.”

Right, that’s it. Then uh… southwest from here, the sixth storage bay. It’s the Armunale storage, but there should’ve been space open.

Understood.

I ask where I can park this thing, and head that way.

Following the directions, I head southwest—white lines on the ground mark the bay numbers and the path.

I keep moving, using them as a guide, and take a look around the base.

Inside, it’s mostly untouched. The Avilabombs managed to block nearly everything, apparently. Good thing they prioritized anti-air guns here over the capital. And the number of Abnomulees probably helped, too.

Abnomulees returning from battle are parked out in the open—there’s quite a few of them, really.

The sight of mass-produced units lined up in a row—there was something undeniably thrilling about it. And with all of them fresh from battle, they were all a little dirty, a little scarred, here and there.

I’d seen a diorama once, back when I was a kid, at a model shop—a battlefield scene, all set up with plastic figures. This was almost the same. No, actually, real ones had more weight to them, more life.

Some were sprawled out on the ground, dead on their feet, lying on their backs. Others were being carried off on stretchers, one arm dangling like a broken puppet. That’s what the sight of them made me think of.

Maybe it’s insensitive, but—robots only come alive when people are around, don’t they?

Lost in thought like that, I reached the hangar.

“Commander Katz said to park the units here.”

“Got it. Please take them to an open hangar.”

“Understood.”

The mechanic’s already back, pouring all his effort into Armunale’s maintenance—just gives a quick order and bolts down toward Armunale.

Well, that’s just how it is with Armunale. I’m no different, really. No big deal.

I park Abnomule in the hangar, just like told, and climb down from the unit.

At the same moment, a voice comes from Armunale’s direction.

“Hey, hey—this is Armunale’s storage bay. Who the hell brought an Abnomule in here?”

I glance over. A man’s striding down the catwalk, eager step by step. His blond hair and sharp features remind me of Batis—though he’s not quite as good-looking. Too thin, somehow. All delicate lines. Looks like the kind of guy who’d be called “gentlemanly” in a pinch.

The dandy stepped out from the machine, lifted his eyes at me like he was about to glare, and came closer.

“You’re the one who stopped that thing here?”

“That’s right. Got a problem with it?”

“Problem? You think there’s not? This is Armunale’s private storage. Don’t leave junk like that outside.”

“Can’t help it. That’s borrowed. And I’ve got permission from Commander Katz.”

It’s a loaner from the capital, you see. Once my own machine arrives, I’ve gotta return this one proper—otherwise the numbers’ll be off during deployment. Sure, the clerks’ll probably sort it out, but better safe than sorry. If something goes wrong, I’ll be the one to blame. So I’ll return it. Properly.

Good thing my machine took no real damage this time. Sure, it’s got a few scratches from sliding and some flashy landings, but inside it’s practically brand-new.

Then again—

“Don’t go calling it junk. Try riding an Abnomyle, and you’ll see it’s not so bad. You should give it a go once. Teaches you a thing or two. Well, I’ve got to report in now.”

The handling’s a lot worse than Armunale’s. Which is why, to make it move like Armunale, you’ve gotta rely on your piloting skill, your reflexes, and—most of all—your foresight.

With Armunale, you could wait till you saw the enemy move, then match it perfectly—thanks to that top-tier drive system. But with Abnomyle, there’s no such luxury. So you’ve gotta start moving before they even do.

That’s not easy. Sure, a robot’s movements are limited to some extent—but spotting those tiny tells, predicting the motion before it happens? Nearly impossible.

But if you can pull it off… then riding Armunale won’t just feel smoother. It’ll feel like stepping into another dimension.

I gave a quiet piece of advice to some captain I didn’t even know the name of, and left the hangar.

Back at command, they led me straight to the commander’s office.

“Forgive the formality, but I’m First Guard Armunale Battalion Commander Eld. I’ve come at Lady Ines’s request, to provide reinforcements.”

—Thank you for the reinforcements. But how did you get here at this speed? I’d guess the message only reached us last night, at the earliest.

No matter how hard you push it, a magic carriage can’t make that kind of time. The intel came in last night, and even with all the preparations, getting Armunale here this fast? Impossible.

—We used a prototype developed by our own research division, double-duty as a test run for that new enemy transport they were using. Linked together a few Avila Bombs—just enough output to lift the chassis, but it was rough, to say the least.

…Right. I guess I pushed you too hard, didn’t I.

—No, that’s just how it usually is.

No denial. To be honest, it was a gamble from start to finish.

—So, anything from Lady Ines about what happens next? All I’ve heard is that she’ll be in charge.

That’s about right. No big shifts planned, so Captain Katto’ll stay put guarding Enahat. Still, Lady Ines’s got her mind set on counterattack. Keep that in mind—there’s a chance a pushback’ll happen real soon.

Don’t know if it’ll be a full-scale move or just a little spark in some bigger game. But knowing her, she’ll be asking for something reckless. Probably something that’ll make the sky fall.

Still—if it works, the whole thing’ll start tipping our way. She’s been setting things up little by little, just for this.

“Ah. Got it. I’ll make sure we’re ready for whatever she throws at us.”

“Please. If all goes as planned, she’ll arrive tonight. Whether we hold council right away or take a short rest will be up to Lady Ines—but I expect council will be called soon, so please have dinner ready a little earlier.”

“Ah. Things’ll get busy, then.”

“Indeed. A welcome kind of busy, though. For now, I’d like to rest until Lady Innes arrives—could I borrow a room somewhere?”

Only managed a nap last night, then endured a brutal G all morning, and straight into battle after.

Honestly, my body’s already creaking. It’s practically begging me to rest.

“Ah. Normally I’d have a proper room prepared for you, but we’re short on staff right now. Sorry—can you make do with the nap room? I’ll have a proper chamber ready for you next to Lady Ines by nightfall.”

“Understood.”

The nap room’s on the third floor. Should be easy to find once you get there.

Thank you. I’ll take my leave then.”

I give a salute, and step out of the room.

Down the stairs, following the signs—straightforward enough—and I spot the nap room right away.

Pushing the door open, I see a row of beds, some already puffed up with shapes like people, and a steady snore drifting in from somewhere.

Feels just like a summer camp, somehow.

Familiar, nostalgic—same as always—I slide into an empty bed. And right away, drowsiness hits me hard.

“Phew… hope my machine gets here sooner rather than later.”

The parts won’t arrive in time to travel with the princess. Even if they did, there’s no one here who can pilot it, so we can’t just send it over and forget it.

So we’re shipping each part separately. Which only drags things out more.

Orell said I’d have to keep an eye on it for three days.

That means I’m stuck fighting alongside that damned Abnomyle for the next few days. At least I’ve got a decent handle on its movements now—should be able to do a better job next time. Still, nothing close to what a dedicated unit could manage. Less than half the efficiency, probably.

While I wait for the special unit to arrive, I’ll just pray the princess stays out of trouble. Then I’ll close my eyes and try to sleep.

Night. The princess arrives at the Enahat base and makes her way to the command room.

Following her in are Dennis and Jan—the former Guard Knights. Behind them, my squad members and the staff assigned to attend to the princess stand lined up like a row of stiff soldiers.

Once everyone’s inside, there’s barely room to move. So the rest of us—everyone except the princess and the former squad leaders—have to wait in the hallway.

In the middle of it all, the princess speaks up, sharp and loud.

“Now’s the time for my knight to show their full strength. I’ll leave the formation to you—once your personal机 arrives, take back that base with about three of them. Make it the signal to launch our counterattack.”

“…Seriously?”

She says she’ll wait until my personal機 gets here, but after that? A lightning strike with a small, elite team straight into the base where the enemy’s gathered the most.

Hmm… too slow. I want it all to come fast and hard—bang, bang, bang. Just like that.