It was 1277 in the Western calendar.

Twelve-year-old El Nesti and his childhood friends, twins Achill Orta and Yadelchu Orta, were promoted to the middle of the Knighthood Department, while their other childhood friend, Baftson Temonen of the Dwarves, had been staying in the Forge Faculty but had recently been influenced by El and seemed to have begun to take an interest in the Knight's Forge path. From time to time, he and Al can be seen getting together to discuss the design and knowledge of Phantom Knights.

Speaking of Elnesdi, from the moment he first entered the Dreiser Rider Gymnastic Academy, he "traveled" to the department where the Eight Poles had nothing to do with the Devil Knight in order to learn the relevant knowledge of the Phantom Knight. Now, three years later, Al has also completed the course of the Forge Department, and after he has audited countless times and satisfied his curiosity for knowledge, he has finally blended into the classroom of the Horse Gymnastics Department even further.

Speaking of the Department of Riding Trainers,It is precisely because of the word "Riding Trainer" in the title of the Dreiser Academy,It can be seen that it is the star department of the Academy.。 In order to become a riding trainer, even if you have completed the knight course in the middle department, only students who have been recognized for their ability can enter the riding drill department. However, although it is collectively referred to as the Horse Drill School, not all of them are knights, after all, only the manipulator, the Horse Trainer, alone cannot make the Phantom Knight move. To put it bluntly, the Phantom Knight is still a machine after all, and it needs other personnel to repair the body.

As a result, the riders learn how to maneuver, the smiths learn to repair and manufacture shells and metal bones, the alchemists learn to manufacture and repair crystalline muscles, and the engraving magicians learn how to prepare their armor. These departments, which were originally classified in the middle section, were combined into a single department of riding and trainers in the higher department.

Against this backdrop, the educational policy of the Department of Riding Gymnastics is one of thorough pragmatism. Through the actual operation of all the phantom knights in the school park,Hone their professional skills。 The Riding Trainer Department at the Dreiser Cavalry Academy has twenty Phantom Knights, which is equivalent to the strength of more than two squadrons, and the combat power is more complete than a slightly larger fortress. Having said that, each of them is an old-generation aircraft "Salrodrea" that has been retired, and all of them are second-tier combat capable mechs.

These Phantom Knights have been repaired and repaired over many years, and they continue to be used to this day, and each mech needs to correspond to several riders who take turns to train, so it often takes a lot of wear and tear on the mech. The dilapidated mech needs frequent repairs, and the real hardship in the riding drill department can almost be said to be logistics. Because it was too hard, there was even such a comment in the end: Most of the forgers and alchemists who graduated from the Department of Riding Gymnastics have the ability to work directly on the front line as soon as they graduate.

Today, on the training ground for Phantom Knights in the Dreiser Rider Academy, there is also combat training for Phantom Knights.

In the center of the arena-shaped stone building, red and white mechs are fighting. Each of them wields a blunt sword that simulates combat and stages a fierce duel. The fuselage prepared by the school has a special thickened armor on the torso of the driver's seat, which is designed to emphasize the safety of the rider. Even so, Phantom Knights are still very dangerous to fight with all their might, so simulated battles are usually conducted in a competitive manner, and training equipment that has suppressed power is used, and full-fledged battles can only be used for actual combat training against Warcraft.

There are seats on the walls surrounding the exercise ground, and all kinds of people are watching the Phantom Knights face off from the spectators. Combat training alone cannot be called training, and the analysis of combat content is also indispensable. Someone recorded the battle and studied the combat skills of the riders...... Some people are deploying repair parts according to the damage, and others are testing the effectiveness of magic guide armor in the field.

Of course, most of the people present were students of the Higher Division, but among them was a short figure who was not very coordinated with the occasion. Not only was the man short, but he also had a lovely face that would almost be mistaken for a girl, and that figure was indeed El Nesty. Due to his small stature, he sat in the front row in order not to be blocked, staring intently at the battle between the Phantom Knights.

He skipped the knightly department course he was supposed to attend, and forcibly overcame the obstacle to get exempted from the course. He is usually very chaotic in everything he does, and he is still very disciplined in some strange places.

At first, Al was allowed to enter and exit due to his cute appearance and mascot-like feeling. Originally, he only planned to obediently apprentice on the sidelines, but after that, not only the battle, but also the logistics and maintenance part began to be visited, and the scope of his mouth became wider and wider. Judging from the content of the conversations he can easily follow with the elder sisters, the three years of preparation have not been in vain.

Being able to get out of the classroom and gain first-hand knowledge and experience on the spot made Al dance with joy. In addition to greedily participating in all kinds of operational processes, he was most interested in combat training. The sight of the Phantom Knight, a giant robot actually fighting in front of his eyes, evokes an indescribable emotion in his heart. Huge humanoid objects mimicking armored knights slam each other's steel limbs, slashing each other with giant swords, and occasionally shooting powerful magic. Al often gazed at the simulated battles with impassioned eyes, refusing to miss their every move.

As an aside, I've heard that someone was almost dragged into another upside-down world because he saw the beautiful boy who almost mistook him for a girl, with crimson cheeks and a foolish look at the Phantom Knight—this is a rumor that seems to be there and doesn't. "Ahh 」

Havi Orberry, a student of the Department of Riding Gymnastics, muttered as she recorded the simulated battle, and a gust of wind blowing across the drill field ruffled her short naturally curly hair.

The battle that was going on before them was divided, and the red knight was on the back foot. Although it took on an attack posture with a second-sword flow equipment, it still couldn't break through the white body's defenses after a series of attacks so far.

"Hey, Al, what do you think of this battle?"

Haiwei, who had been staring at the information in her hand, asked Al who was sitting beside her obediently. The eyes of both sides did not leave the field for a moment.

"Goyer's sword speed seems to be slower than before. I think that's why he missed a couple of chances to score. 」

「...... I see. Listening to you say that, this offensive move is a bit sloppy. I thought it was the rider who was not in good shape. What the hell is going on?"

"The movement of the right arm is not very flexible. I think it's probably because of the change of joints or crystallized muscles. 」

Hewei took out the information in her hand and confirmed the maintenance records of the red mech, known as Goyer. It does say: Due to the defect and fatigue of the crystalline muscle in the right arm, it was all replaced this morning. As for the stiffness of the movement, it is probably because the parts do not run smoothly enough. She also grasped the problem of Guyer's stiff movements, but she didn't see that her right arm was not in good shape, and Hewei couldn't help but moan. Al was sometimes more enthusiastic and careful than the person in question when he watched the training. She always thought it was incredible, and she didn't know where his enthusiasm came from. Earl Camber, the white mech that fought against Gouyer on the training ground, deflected off his opponent's attack, and then stabbed Gouyer in the chest with a sword. At this moment, the horn sounded, announcing the end of the battle. The instructor handed down the verdict, and the mock battle ended with a victory for Earl Campbell. Guyère did not seem to be able to remedy the previously mentioned poor form until the end.

The meselage that had just been fighting entered the maintenance workshop attached to the exercise ground, and the riders dismounted from the fuselage.

The white mech, Earl Camber's rider is Edgar C. Blanche, a tall and imposing man. As you can see, he has a strong personality and is one of the best riders.

The Red Mech, Gouyer's rider, is Dietrich Kuniz. His appearance was the opposite of Edgar's, a tall, lanky man with long blonde hair. His strength should not be underestimated, but unfortunately he is a little neurotic, so he often messes up because of some small things, so his performance is always unstable. Now that he probably just lost the game, his expression was clouded with irritation.

As soon as he got out of the air, he quarreled with the maintenance team, and it seemed that they were arguing about the cause of this failure, but rather that they were discussing the reasons than that they were shirking responsibility from beginning to end, and the people on the side also thought that the problem could not be solved. In the end, Haiwei couldn't stand it anymore and decided to intervene. She explained the part of the arm that had just been identified, trying to settle the dispute, which was not beneficial to anyone. However, Dietrich's expression lit up halfway through hearing this, and he even smiled sarcastically. In contrast, the forgers in charge of maintenance were unhappy.

"Oh, I just think it's stiff today, I see. Really, the guys in the maintenance squad just cut corners. 」

The implication is that "it's not your fault that you lost." Edgar on the side admonished him sternly:

"Dee, that's too much. If you feel that your arm is not in good shape, you should also use other combat methods to deal with it. If you lose because of this, you can't help it, but your actions today also make people feel very careless. It's all on the maintenance team, and it's not good. 」

Being known to his face for righteousness, the sarcastic smile on Dietrich's original face suddenly collapsed.

"You didn't win by luck because of my body's problems, you dare to say it. 」

"The content of the simulation battle is more important than the victory or defeat, and I just said that it is better to reflect on it when necessary. 」

"Really, then I'll let you turn on the malfunctioning mech next time!"

Dietrich let this go with a look of reluctance to accompany him, and then walked away with a rude step. The people who remained in the pit yard seemed to be used to it, and could only shrug their shoulders, and Al, who was watching from the sidelines, showed an indescribable expression. For some reason, Haiwei touched his head. At this time,The bell rings from the clock tower of the school park.,Class time is over.,It's time to start preparing for the next class.。 Knowing that the happy observation time was over, Al seemed a little dissatisfied, but he still saluted Haiwei, and then rushed to the school building of the Knight Academy. "Field exercises?"

Back in the middle classroom, Al heard the questions of his classmates, completely unaware of what they were talking about, and sounded like some kind of activity. Looking at the way the class was discussing, it seemed like he was missing something. It's probably because I've been running to the Riding Gymnastics Department recently.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Could you please tell me what it is?"

Al said in distress. The classmates looked at each other for a moment, and then immediately explained to him in unison. I don't know if it's just because it's a pleasure to talk to Al, or if there's something to tell Al to make them excited. It takes a lot of patience to put together the ramblings, but there are a few important points to sum up:

•In order to gain practical experience with Warcraft, the middle division of the Knight Department will participate in the expedition together for three academic years.

• The destination is a wooded area near Yantunin, where many smaller monsters are inhabited.

• First-year students focus on learning basic wilderness survival skills such as camping.

• Just in case, the Rider Academy will send several Phantom Knights as guards.

"I see, it's going to be held in two weeks, right? 」

"I mean, you don't know now, do you?"

"I think so. After all, you've been soaking in the higher department lately~~, root~~ haven't been back. 」

Al tilted his head in confusion. Not to mention that Chid couldn't stand him, even Artie looked very unhappy. Not only is Al in class time, but he also reports to the Riding Gymnastics Department whenever he has free time after school, resulting in a decrease in the time he spends training with Chid and Artie recently.

"Artie, uh, you don't seem to be in a good mood?"

"Which~~ Yes? Are you mistaken?"

However, her posture of holding her arms and her tough tone seemed to be a public declaration of "I'm upset".

"I really don't think I'm mistaken. Am I doing something wrong?"

"yes—you didn't do anything. Anyway, you're not here at all~~."

The so-called helplessness refers to precisely this situation. Even Al didn't know what to do, and cast a distressed look at Kid. Kidd seemed to be saying that he really didn't want to take care of you, but he tried to change the subject anyway.

"Field exercises should be conducted in groups. Al, who are you going to be with?"

"Ah, this ......"

Al glanced at Artie, who couldn't hide his curiosity, and said:

"If we don't specify it in a group, it's better for us to work in groups. It sounds like the first year is based on the basics, so I thought it would be okay to decide. 」

"Oh—then we can be together then......

Artie's mood improved significantly. She walked around Al and wrapped her arms around his neck as she normally would.

(Maybe no matter how old I am, I still don't understand women's hearts...... ）

Including the memories of his previous life, he should have accumulated a lot of life experience, and he looked at Artie and felt a terrible shudder. About two weeks later, under the cloudless clear sky, Ernest and the others were preparing to set off for field exercises.

Large public carriages were parked in rows in front of the Dreiser's Academy, and the students of the middle school got into the carriage one after another under the guidance of the teacher.

"Be careful on the road—"

Baftson, a blacksmith, did not participate in the exercise, and with his unmotivated send-off, the trio of knights walked to the carriage.

"Al El, over here!"

"Don't be in such a hurry, the carriage won't run away. 」

The destination of the field exercise is a place called "Crocker's Forest", which is full of forests and slightly higher mountains, and is inhabited by many relatively weak monsters. The reason why horse-drawn carriages are used as a means of transportation for long-distance travel is that after considering the strength of the monster and the conditions such as securing a base area, it is believed that the Crocker Forest is not only suitable for the needs, but also a very suitable place. According to the planned route, they will first go to the nearest town to the Crok Forest, Yantunin, where they will temporarily resupply supplies, and then go to the Crok Forest.

Soon the students were all seated, and the carriages set off one by one. A steady stream of large horse-drawn carriages marched through the leisurely and steady streets.

There were Phantom Knight guards at intervals next to the convoy, ten in all. It was the body piloted by the High Ministry Riders. Crimson and pure white bodies - the figures of Gouyer and Earcumber are among them.

The Phantom Knight used in the school park,It's a model transferred from the military.,Under the students' self-maintenance over the years,It's gradually transformed into a strange and interesting appearance.。 Some carved intricate shapes into their armor that didn't make sense, some added eerily large decorations to their heads, and some connected armor in inexplicably intricate ways. It's all about self-styled bodies that make people think "it's too exaggerated", and the shell colors are also varied. It's not so much majestic and mighty as it is gorgeous.

Many students from the Department of Knight participated in this exercise. Speaking of the middle part, although they are still underage children, they are also people who target knights, so if they are attacked by ordinary magical beasts, they probably won't have a problem. Even if it's for the purpose of a drill, you can't panic just because of a small demonic beast. In the country of Fremevilla, there are still many medium-sized magical beasts ranging from a few meters to a dozen meters in the forests and mountains, and maybe one of them will accidentally bump into the street, and the Phantom Knight is used for emergencies.

"Oops, I thought I would have a chance to fight directly with Warcraft outside, but I didn't expect it to be really boring along the way. 」

Dietrich Kuniz, who was in the driver's seat of Gouyère, grumbled loudly. They were here to be prepared, but as he said, they had been on this road for several years without any major problems. Although the riders were also given the task of "long-distance movement training", on the whole, it was a journey that was not related to tension and motivation.