The beginning of 1278 in the West.

_Just after the end of the year, in the middle of winter, snow fell at the foot of Mount Aubigne.

Although it is not yet frozen, it is still covered with a thin layer of snow, which is enough to deter people from going out. The few who went out also put on heavy coats and walked quickly against the bitter strong wind.

Strangely, a large group of knights strode along the windswept central avenue. They are no ordinary knights, but giants taller than three-story buildings, Phantom Knights.

Residents watched curiously from the houses on both sides of the avenue.

Why are they here? in this time of lack of entertainment? The slightest thing can cause an immediate uproar. If it's related to the Giant Group, it must be the focus of the after-dinner for a while. Naturally, the Knights and their entourage did not care about this kind of thing, and only moved forward solemnly and neatly. Their end point is where the city's name comes from, the Dreiser Gymnasium.

In the workshop of the Riding Gymnastics Department, the sound of satin hammers sounded as usual today. It's just that it's not a living human who wields a huge mallet that even the dwarves can't hold, but the phantom armor "Motorit".

The shape of the motorbike has changed dramatically during this time. After all, its prototype "Moto Bit" is a battle gate body, and it is a bit overkill to use it for work.

In addition, people have started to use it in large quantities for convenience, resulting in a large increase in demand in a short period of time. In order to speed up the manufacturing process, the overall structure was boldly simplified.

The torso is particularly conspicuous, with no armor at all, and the operator sits on a waist point, and the body is fixed with a belt on a main bracket equivalent to the spine, and is protected only by a frame called an "iron fence". Although it has almost no defense, it has the advantage that it does not accumulate heat inside, so it is highly regarded for its forging work.

"Uh-that's a problem. 」

At first glance, the silver phoenix knight who is smooth sailing, but there is a hidden worry behind it.

"Yes...... Half of the Emperor Lu Incident was broken at that time, and after repair, it was transformed into Tresthal...... It turned out to be broken again.

"Beside Al, who was groaning on her cheeks, Havi sighed. 」

The introduction of the Phantom Armor was obviously going well, but the Silver Phoenix Knights had not made much progress in the past few months, and the reason was the Phantom Knights they had left behind. To be honest, not enough in quantity.

The Phantom Knights of the Silver Phoenix Knights were originally shared with the Horse Drill Department.

Originally, there were a total of twenty training planes owned by the Academy, some of which were destroyed in the Luhuang Incident, and the remaining ten and repaired Guyer, which is all that is currently owned.

"If we mess around with the rest of this, we won't be able to function next year's Rider Academy. It's a bit of a hard shot. 」

After listening to the boss's complaints, everyone agreed. The Knights of the Silver Phoenix are designed to create new types of Phantasm Knights - however, this also requires enough materials. The succession of major events drastically consumed their existing materials, but to be honest, one of the reasons why they had made a lot of phantom crystal armor before was also one of the reasons.

"Well, I'm still using my class time to think about all kinds of things to do, and it's really anxious that I can't act right away. 」

"No, Captain, it's better to be serious in class. 」

Haiwei reminded the inexplicably proud Al. At this time, Dietrich crossed his arms as if he had thought of something.

"Huh? Didn't you say last time that you would replenish some of your body? I think someone said that?"

"Yes, it was promised that Gadatoa would be given to us to replace the handed over Trestal...... But this is also the proposal of Duke Discod. 」

They who hear clearly will understand when they hear this. After all, the duke's domain was the stage of the Kazad Incident.

「...... In this way, no matter how powerful the Duke is, there is no way to prepare it right away. Okay, for now, let's do armor homework training. 」

"That's right, I'll take advantage of this time to continue my research to flesh out the content, and I'll think about it during class. 」

"Why are you thinking about it in class?"

Just as they were passing the time like this, there was a sudden panicked breath outside the workshop. Everyone looked at each other. The probe looks outside. I saw a group of students running over excitedly, ignoring the thin snow and the cold air between the school buildings. If you listen carefully, it seems that they are saying words like "there is ...... at the school gate" and "...... the Knights" in unison. Noticing something wrong, Al and the Boss immediately ran towards the school gate.

Use Phantom Knight's Dreiser's Riding Drill to go to school during lessons. There is a parking lot next to the school gate.

There aren't many opportunities to be used there, but now there are legions of giants side by side. A group of people who watched the excitement braved the cold and watched not far away.

The giants lined up in a neat line, kneeling on one knee, these were the standard mass production machines of the Kingdom of Virard - the number of "Gadatoya" was exactly twenty, which was equivalent to two squadrons. With this combat power, it is already comparable to a small fortress.

The magic device that supplies the heating and the heat generated by its own movement causes the surface of Gadatoya to emit a thin vapor. The juxtaposed Knights of the Giants, surrounded by mist, created a solemn atmosphere, and the crowd could not help but admire.

The cavalry that climbed down from the airframe was giving certain instructions to the infantry accompanying the group. In the midst of the hurried crowd, Al spotted a familiar face, and the two immediately noticed Al as he walked through the crowd. He swayed his bear-like body, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth hidden by his thick beard—this strong man was the leader of the Red Rabbit Cavalry, Moreton Freyholm.

The two had not seen each other for several months since the Kazadeshu incident. As soon as he came to Al, he straightened his back and saluted him neatly.

"Your Excellency Duke Discord has ordered the two squadrons of Gadatoya to be handed over to the Silver Phoenix Knights, please confirm, Etcher Beria 'Knight Commander'. 」

"Yes, I did. Captain of the Knights of Frehom. You have worked your mission, and I ask you to greet His Excellency the Duke on my behalf. 」

The two greeted each other, but the serious mask only lasted so far. The first to relax was Morton. He looked at the young man in front of him, who was trying to straighten his short back, and finally couldn't help but laugh.

"Poof, you, you, you, 'Ride the Captain' is quite presentable, El Nesty. 」

"Uh—Captain Freyholm...... That's too much. 」

"Haha! Just call me Mortton. Since they are both knights, not to mention their age, the treatment is the same. Rather, compared to me stationed in the fortress, you may have a higher status directly under Your Majesty. 」

Hearing this, Al showed an ambiguous smile on his face, and only tilted his head and said:

"So, about the reception of Gadatoya......

"Ah, I said I was going to deliver it instead of a new one. Although there was a delay in the turmoil during this time—I did bring it as promised. 」

"However, the Knights of the Vermilion Rabbit should have suffered a lot of losses after the Kazad Incident. I'm glad, but is it okay to give it to me first?"

After the baptism of the Kazad Incident, the Vermilion Rabbit Knights suffered damage that was almost destroyed.

What a burden it would be for Duke Discord to give all this to Al, seeing that Al couldn't hide his confusion, Morton gave him a hearty smile.

"Don't worry, we'll send someone from another fortress to fill the void for the time being. And again, it came from your Excellency, and he said that the work of protecting the fortress could be done by others. But your work is only in your hands, and there is no need to say which side takes precedence. 」

Al turned his gaze behind him and looked up at Gadatoya, who was emitting steam from the air intake. The giants formed by silent steel and crystallization could see a lot of emotion in his eyes.

「...... I understand what His Excellency the Duke meant. Please inform you that we will do our best to ensure that your expectations are not violated. 」

"Well, I'm looking forward to your results myself, and maybe I'll ask you to defend me in the near future!"

Morton touched Al's head, and after a brief goodbye, he led the Knights of the Vermilion Rabbit back to Kazadexiu. The twenty Gadatoya that were left behind were operated by the riders. In this year, although the knights of the 10th Regiment of the Silver Phoenix Cavalry have seen many scenes, the operation of the standard adoption machine seems to be a completely different experience. Before they all moved into the workshop, there was a lot of scrambling.

The originally deserted workshop is filled with many Phantom Knights, and it's still a front-line active mech, so there's no better material than this.

"Well, there's no way back in every way, it's really troublesome. 」

"That's right, but you seem to be very happy. 」

Al stood in front of Gadatoya, lined up, with a smile of unmistakable joy on his face. No matter how you look at it, it looks like a bad heart.

In the corner of the workshop, there is a small space that is simply separated by partitions, and the Chengzheng of the Silver Phoenix Knights gather in this place commonly known as the "conference room". They each found a chair and sat down at random, and in front of them stood the Knights of the Sure Foot - El Nesti.

"Guys, attack. 」

"Where?"

Kid looked uninterested, not knowing if his complaint had reached Al's ears. Seeing Al's blushing face and uncontrollable excitement, everyone was thinking about the same thing: "It's useless to say anything now. 」

"Just kidding. However, the time has come for the Silver Phoenix Knights to fulfill their mission.

"Yes, after all, they have received deposits from so many people, and they can't hand over the half-baked finished product. 」

Everyone nodded in understanding. They were originally a group for 'that' purpose, and no one present would deny that.

"The order is to create a mech that will scare the National Machining Development and Research Workshop, preferably with unique performance and easy to recognize on the outside. 」

Al opened the suitcase that had been set aside and pulled out a stack of paper from inside. He pasted the information onto the blackboard in the conference room and continued

"Hehehe, I have a lot of good ideas! Speaking of the battle of Kazadeshu a while ago. Although there were a lot of problems, it was a pity that Trestal ran away. Why is that? Because there are people who obstruct it? Because the enemy resists? No, leave it alone. I think part of the reason is that the two sides can only get close to the same speed. Right now, there are no machines in this country that are good at moving, so I'm going to make a new type of machine that can win with speed!"

"Oh, do you mean you're going to do a light mech?"

The Phantom Knight's "speed" usually depends on the weight of the body, and the Phantom Knight, which mimics a human form, moves on two feet. The heavier the burden, the slower it will be. The less the burden, the faster the speed. In addition, the quality of the crystallized muscle or the structure of the body can also affect it to some extent, but these are basically within the margin of error. Therefore, it is generally accepted that fast equals lightness.

"Have you forgotten the example of Tresthal, if you want it, you have to give it a corresponding shape, even if it is 'different from a human form'. 」

However, the "natural burial" only applies to humans who walk on two feet. There are also many creatures in this world that can run faster than humans. Al has seen the most advanced mechanical design in the past world and selected the most relevant and impressive answers from them.

The body depicted on the "blueprint" that Al took out—

The first thing the members of the team in the conference room saw was the whole picture, the shape of the upper body was more ordinary than expected, and the overall balance was a little peculiar, but the Tao was just a small thing, and the abnormal was the lower body. From the waist down, it was as if another body was being embraced. Thick legs that feel strong and powerful, and feet that are strengthened enough to handle their own movements and heavy weight.

The biggest difference is not only this, as can be seen from the drawing next to it - there are clearly "more than two" feet, to be specific to four.

Below the waist is like another animal. It was an animal they were also familiar with and could be described as a knight's friend, the horse.

The design proposed by Al shows that the body on it has both human and horse bodies, and it is an out-and-out monster - "half-man, half-horse".

「...... The Silver Phoenix Knights aren't going to do anything weird, right?"

After ten minutes of silence, the boss's thoughts that he had managed to squeeze out represented the voices of everyone present.

"Should you say something weird...... No...... How do you describe this, and what is the result?"

"It's fast, and it looks like a body that looks like it's clear at a glance. 」

"Huh? That's true, but ...... Huh?"

Dietrich's thinking began to fall into disarray. Al's answer, on the other hand, was succinct and concise.

When attaching the auxiliary wrist to Trestahl, the blacksmiths heard the sound of common sense collapsing. And now, what I heard was the screams of his depressed death after making up for the last stab in common sense. But I don't know if it's because of habit or because they have realized it when they joined the Silver Phoenix Knights - they just felt "nerve-wracking" and accepted this design.

"To this extent, I think I can scare everyone at the National Machinery Research Institute. 」

"Don't say you're scared, you're going to die from anger or a broken heart......, right? 1,000, no, 10,000 steps, it's okay to be a 'horse', but why put on an 'upper body'!?"

If the Phantom Knight is completely made into a "horse type", even if he can't stand such stupid ideas, he may not be so repulsed. There is also no creature in this world that combines the human torso and the lower body of the horse—centaurs, they are creatures of fairy tales and fantasy after all.

I want to give a fictional creature form...... Could it be that Al is a literary designer? This sent chills down the spine of the forgers with fear.

"Ask me why......? Because it's handsome!"

"Is that really the reason why!?"

Everyone present shouted along. Al thought that this reason was quite sufficient, but he was complained about by everyone, and probably felt that it was a loss. I saw him looking at the distance and added:

"Well, what else about that, I'd like to think about it...... It's not good to make a normal horse-shaped mech, so it's pointless to catch up. It's also redundant to move with another body, so in order to fight alone at high speeds, you will wear the same upper body as a human. In short, what I'm looking for is to recreate the same functions as the cavalry with a Phantom Knight. 」

Seeing that El had a legitimate reason to bury, the forgers breathed a sigh of relief. He just didn't think about Chang. The purpose is actually very specific and not too unrealistic.

"Ahh Your idea should be said to be crooked, but let's ignore it for now, do ordinary people put on the body of a horse for this reason......

The boss and the forgers looked at the rest of the blueprints, and their hearts were penetrated to a certain realm that could not be said to be enlightenment or death.

"And look at the blueprints. I was even given serious consideration for the structure...... I said, I've never seen this construct before, right, where the hell did you dig it up?"

"I've been bothered by the connection for a while, but the lower half of the body is almost entirely based on the horse's bones. 」

Al's knowledge and experience in design had been learned in the classroom of the Forge Master's Department, and his unusually serious attitude towards learning made him better than the average person, but it made people wonder where he came up with such an idea. In fact, the practical experience of designing Trestal is the key to improving his ability.

That experience had connected El's mind directly to his knowledge and ideas. Weight distribution that affects balance, metal frame for support. In addition to using real horses as references, the muscles that are redistributed in consideration of the power output of rope-type muscle crystals are even detailed in the design drawings that are designed according to the application.

"Ugh...... I'm starting to think that Trestal is so much cuter. Come on, I didn't have time to put down a hammer for such an interesting and messy idea. 」

The boss gave up complaining, and his face showed the look of a technician, even if he couldn't help but smile wryly, and did not object, at this time, Dietrich politely raised his hand.

"I'll leave the construction to the forges. There's one more thing I'm a little worried about...... Trestal was also taught a hard lesson. If this 'horse' is stolen, the normal body won't be able to catch up with it this time, right?

As a "client", his expression is complicated. Although it is not intended that people will snatch the mech again, it is naïve to try to block the enemy by just being careful, and it is naïve to assume that there will be a second attack in the worst-case scenario. If the plane is robbed, it's like a human being chasing an escaped horse with his feet.

"Don't worry - Senior Di, I also have a few anti-theft countermeasures. Anyway, let's try it out first, and then start working on other bodies if it goes well. 」

Al himself didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past. Listening to Al's confident assertion, Dietrich shrugged his shoulders slightly

The forgers hadn't recovered from the onslaught of the new belt Song - they were back to work.

They used all their knowledge and experience to interpret the El's design, add to it or change it, and make it into a predetermined shape. Seeing the way everyone began to talk and you came and went, Al seemed very satisfied.

"Since we want to make a new type that is completely different from the previous ones, we must have to work hard.

「...... You seem to have something to say. 」

Al didn't answer Edgar, only deepened his smile, and Edgar always found it scary to ask any more questions. I can't help but look away.

"I don't want to mention that for now, I'm pretty confident in this horse. But just because you have one doesn't mean you're at ease, right? Well, I know what you mean, it's just hard enough now. If you want to do it again, no matter how powerful the boss is, it's impossible, right?"

Just thinking of last year's hell, Haiwei couldn't help but show a tired look. Even though the maker difficulty of the "Horse" is the same as that of Trestal. It is still conceivable that there will be a period of harsh days waiting for them in the future, and the Silver Phoenix Knights are also limited.

"So, the new mech that will take a bit of work is just one of the others, and I want to do the 'Choice Equipment',"

Hearing the unfamiliar term, many question marks popped up on Edgar and Hevi's heads. Al didn't explain, but took out more blueprints and handed them the equipment, which depicted the equipment that was wrapped around the Phantasmage Knight's shoulders by combining multiple armor plates. Similar to the jacket type of additional armor, but different from it, some complex structures can be seen on the inside of his armor plate.

"It's called 'Movable Additional Armor.'" To put it simply, if the back arm is to use the auxiliary wrist to raise the weapon, this is the structure of the shield. 」

"Hmm...... El Nesty, that's a good idea, but there's no point in holding the shield unsteadily. If you want to get enough defense, it is too weak to rely on the auxiliary wrist alone. 」

"Well, that's the only thing that's true, but what do you think about it to do in order to make up for the strength of the Phantom Knight?"

"With Enhanced Magic...... That's what happened. 」

Edgar seemed to figure it out, and looked at the design again: "The strength of the auxiliary wrist is smaller than the original wrist, and the principle of this equipment is to support the insufficient mana wheel by adding enhanced magic."

"Calculations can improve defense performance to a certain extent, but it doesn't have the disadvantage of increasing mana consumption when operating. 」

"It's an interesting idea, and it depends on the time of day, but it should come in handy. 」

"yes. I'd like to try out a few sets of this equipment and put them on separately, so I'll ask you to confirm how you feel about using them. 」

Edgar and the others smiled wryly, which showed understanding. It seems that these riders will not be idle in the future.

The Silver Phoenix Knights acted in accordance with the purpose for which it was founded, and in order to make El's idea take shape, it was necessary to use all the manpower of the Knights to create and operate the "Centaur Form" and "select equipment". After deducting these manpower, all that remains is Al and Kid, Artie, and Batson's happy companions who have put everything in mind into place.

"Uh-huh, let's keep doing it. So, while you're working hard, let's do what we can!"

"Huh!?El.Is there anything else?"

Artie's eyes widened in disbelief. Al just threw out a lot of proposals for mechs, equipment, and the like, and even said that he would continue to add them. She understood that El Nesty was such a mess, but jumping so alive that it was beyond admiration and dumbfounded.

"Hmm. Actually, I think I figured it out, but there were some small problems. 」

"Again, I'm going to start living every day in the dark with my tryout—"

Batson remembered last year's days of wallowing in moto bits, large ballistas and steel cables, which were painful and joyful at the same time.

"Hehehe, leave it to me!Kid, Artie, what do we do when we use the magic of 'Atmospheric Compression Propulsion'?"

"How...... Why don't you just let it explode in the back?"

"Yes, that's magic that uses the reaction force of an explosion. So the question is, what happens if you use Atmospheric Compression Propulsion continuously?

"Alas, I think I'll be pushed straight out, and the speed will become very fast...... Is it?"

Artie tilted her head, imagining herself using Atmospheric Compression Propulsion.

"In principle, the reaction force can be applied continuously, that is, it can be accelerated all the time. This is true not only for humans, but also for Phantom Knights. 」

"Do you want to drive the Phantom Knight while continuing to use Atmospheric Compression Propulsion?"

They knew that El had the ability to construct tactical-scale magic. Thinking about it from the conversation just now, it will make the illusion of the Phantom Knight continue to accelerate. However, Al shook his head slowly and said:

"That's really a fantasy. It's tiring to keep casting magic that can affect the Phantom Knight. 」

"Alas, it's usually easy to take it with a very tiring sentence. 」

"So, just like the magic guide suit, prepare the heraldic device in advance, and then attach that to the phantom knight. This completes the "thruster" that can move as long as there is a supply of mana. 」

「...... Oh – maybe that's the case in theory."

After listening to the theory and imagining the steps and effects of the production, Batson's face froze, and even the twins felt as if they had heard some terrifying story.

"Let's not talk about Bart, what are we going to do?"

"You two are very trustworthy when it comes to magic, so let's get up and do heraldic spells. I'll borrow a Gadatoya in a few days to experiment with it, and then I'll ask Batson to help. 」

The three of them looked at each other. Remembering Al's past of doing what he said. In the end, I agreed.

And just like that, a new type of airframe, several new equipment, and never-before-seen thrusters are about to be quietly born in this world."