dobelyuwai

Mobuseka Volume 13 Chapter 6

Added 2024-05-09 03:55:22 +0000 UTC

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

Chapter 6 "The Great Fleet"

Part 1

"Did you bring Leon's floating island?"

Ange's somewhat sad voice echoed on the bridge of Licorne.

She looked out the window and felt nostalgic, but the surface of the floating island had flying battleships landing on it.

A runway and a simple dock for the maintenance of flying battleships were provided.

Livia puts her hands on the window and presses her forehead against it.

"It was so beautiful, but now there's not a trace of it."

When it was privately owned by Leon, it had a hot spring.

Robots managed the nature and fields, creating a lush and beautiful environment.

But before the war with the Empire, the greenery has been reduced and runways and drab structures have become rampant.

Most of the places memorable to them were gone, and neither Ange nor Livia could hide their sadness.

Creare, who was near the sacred tree planted on the bridge, turned to the two who were deep in emotion.

[Master's floating island had been modified before, so it was essential for this operation. We had no choice.]

To confront the Empire, the Kingdom had brought three floating islands to the battlefield.

Their roles are wide-ranging, including loading supplies and accommodating damaged flying battleships.

There were also floating islands that were armed like fortresses.

Ange clasps her right hand and places it on her own chest.

"I understand. But I would also be sad if a place full of memories were to disappear."

The memory of the three of them strolling around the floating island in the evening was very fresh for Ange at the time, and she still remembers it.

It seems to be the same for Livia.

"——When the war is over, things will go back to normal, right?"

[Of course!]

Creare cheerfully responds to Livia's question.

Ange and Livia looked at each other and both forced themselves to smile.

They told themselves that they had no choice but to accept it now.

The person watching the two of them was Noel, who had just finished the communication.

She was using a communicator in Licorne and was unable to join the conversation they had just had.

But it seems like she was listening.

"I've heard that Leon owned a floating island, but it really is a shame, isn't it? There were hot springs, right? I wish I could have been there~."

Noel complains, and Creare rushes to help her adjust the sacred tree.

[If we win, I'll prepare as many hot springs as you want, but for now, help me adjust the sacred tree.]

"Ye~s"

Noel crossed her hands behind her head as she approached the sacred tree, emitting a faint light.

Creare says.

[The sacred tree is amazing after all. It's an extraordinary plant that absorbs magic elements from the atmosphere and converts them into energy. I don't know who created it, but now I feel I am grateful to them.]

Noel tilted her head when she heard Creare's words.

"Wasn't the sacred tree a naturally occurring plant? In the Republic, it was considered a sacred plant prepared to protect people."

[It was created in the distant past, improved upon. ——I know we had a conflict, but I have to thank Ideal for this.]

"——Ideal, huh? He saved me in the end, right?"

[Thanks to that, Noel-chan survived and we are now able to use the sacred tree. If we could have cooperated with each other instead of being in conflict, we might have had a different future.]

Ideal, the supply ship's artificial intelligence, was the one who came into conflict with Leon and the others as he considered the sacred tree to be very important.

As a result, he was defeated and destroyed by the duo of Leon and Luxion.

However, at the very end, Ideal offers a high-performance medical capsule to save Noel's life.

However, it is also true that the Republic suffered tremendous damage thanks to Ideal's rampage.

As for Noel, she must have mixed feelings.

Lelia, her twin sister, has lost two of the men she loved at that time.

Noel touched the sacred tree with her right hand.

"If it helps Leon now, that's fine. We'll figure out all the problems after this is over."

Creare agrees with Noel's positive statement.

[Good. We don't have time to think about unnecessary things right now. We can think about it as much as you want after it's over.]

Ange, who had been listening to Noel and Creare's conversation, crossed her arms under her chest.

"Right. Everything will have to wait until after we win. Any unnecessary problems can be figured out after we survive."

Livia puts her hands together in front of her chest.

"Let's win with everybody surviving. I will do my best to fulfill that wish, no matter how arrogant it may be."

Winning the war moreover, they all survived —— Livia strongly wished for this, knowing how luxurious and selfish it was to wish for such a victory.

Part 2

On the flying battleship of the Duke of Redgrave's family were Vince, the head of the family, and Gilbert, his eldest son.

It is not usual for the head of a Duke's family and his heir to be on the same flying battleship.

This is to avoid both men being killed at the same time when they are shot down.

Right now, just before the battle, Gilbert visits Vince's flying battleship.

The two were admiring the magnificent scenery created by humans.

"It's a spectacular view, Father. This battle will be etched in history whether we win or lose."

It will be a battle that will go down in history. Gilbert seemed excited that he would be participating in such a battle.

The people around him said that Gilbert was "brave" and that "Young master is very reliable."

But Vince noticed.

(You're acting tough)

If the commander is frightened, anxiety will spread among the soldiers.

Therefore, Gilbert tried his best to act tough.

Vince puts his hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to move to the back of the line. We'll take the lead here."

"Father!? No. If something were to happen to father, the head of the family——"

"The young man should learn how to fight from the rear. I'll leave the fleet in the rear to you."

"?! Yes, sir."

Vince wanted to move Gilbert backward to improve his chances of survival as much as possible.

(If the Redgrave family moves back, Ange's credibility will be at stake. We have no choice but to force our way forward here. But no need to put Gilbert in front.)

The reason why Vince and Gilbert were on the battlefield together was because of Ange.

However, if he, the head of the family, were to die in battle, it would be a great blow to the Duke of Redgrave's family.

Normally, Vince should have stepped back a bit, but as a father, he didn't want to put his son in front.

"If anything goes wrong, I'll leave the rest to you. Ange has grown up, but I still worry about her narrow-mindedness. You should be there to support her."

"Y-Yes."

Perhaps sensing Vince's feelings, Gilbert didn't protest about the placement.

Part 3

A Royal Army patrol boat was heading for the allied fleet.

Although the ship was increasing its speed to its limit, both the captain and crew were concerned about the rear.

The reason why they jumped into the clouds with poor visibility was to sow enemies.

The patrol boats are surrounded by drones, weapons of the old humans, following them.

They looked like armor without legs and were assigned to escort patrol boats.

Even with these drones, the captain is still in a cold sweat.

"Can't shake it off"

The captain, with a bitter expression on his face, issues orders using a speaking tube.

"Bring out the armors! No matter what, give our allies detailed information about the enemy!"

On the bridge of the patrol boat, an unfamiliar sphere was floating.

Equipped with artificial intelligence, it says to the captain.

[Due to the deterioration of communication conditions caused by the magic element, data cannot be transferred. Please contact the pilots directly for details]

"That's my intention."

The artificial intelligence says to the captain who says back.

[It looks like we've been caught up.]

Shortly after, the drone escorting the patrol boat exploded.

Something black passes by the side of the patrol boat.

The captain gives the order.

"Shoot them down!"

The artificial intelligence was calm in contrast to the captain, who was so fired up that his voice became angry.

[It's useless.]

That black thing —— the magic equipment raised its curved greatsword with one arm as it approached the bridge of the patrol boat.

The voice, still childlike, echoed on the bridge of the patrol boat.

[Fou~nd you!]

When the magic equipment swings down its blade, a slash flies out and cuts the patrol boat in two.

[The army of the kingdom is this level? It's a bit of a letdown.]

Part 4

The kingdom's battlefield was set on the sea, far from the land.

Instead of letting Empire forces invade the continent, they are to intercept them at sea.

Floating islands were brought into the battlefield, replenished and maintained, and preparations for battle were underway.

The floating island that is used is a floating island that was found and owned by Leon.

The floating island was once in the hands of the kingdom, but was brought in for the war with the Empire.

A moving floating island——a number of flying battleships around it.

Among the large fleet that has been assembled is Baron Bartfalt's flying battleship.

Looking out of the bridge window at the assembled large fleet are Barkas and Nix.

The two of them were also participating in this battle that Leon was participating in.

Nix manages to squeeze out a few words at the outrageous sight.

"It's an amazing sight to see flying battleships all around."

In front, behind, above, below, and to the left and right —— The airships were so concentrated that it seemed as if they might hide the sky.

Nix had been in several wars before, but this was the first time he had experienced the sheer number of allies.

It was the same for Barkas, who rolled his eyes.

"It's the first time I've seen this scene, too."

Surrounding the two were sailors who served the Bartfalt family.

They were similarly amazed by the surrounding view in front of them.

The man appointed as the captain speaks to Barkas and the others.

"But then again, Leon-bocchan——Oops, I didn't think Leon-sama would lead so many flying battleships."

Barkas scratched his head wildly at the captain's words.

He looks like he has mixed feelings towards Leon, who is not here.

"Considering our family history, that guy could be a mutation. I never thought my kid would turn out like this."

Mutation——it was a terrible thing to say, but the people around him understood what Barkas wanted to say.

After all, a young man from a baron family in the countryside leads a grand fleet against the Empire.

It is a feat that is equaled only by the heroic tales told by bards and books.

Nix let out a deep sigh and slightly relaxed his tension.

"I feel like if we have all these people, we can even defeat the Empire."

Nix gripped the pendant locket on his chest with his right hand.

"And the number is still increasing."

From Leon's floating island, a refurbished flying battleship was taking off.

The work is being done by work robots, who are installing armor plates and new cannons on the kingdom's flying battleships.

It wasn't just about refurbishment. Maintenance and replenishment were done free of charge and at a rapid pace.

And from the lower part of the floating island, weapons left behind by the old humans emerge.

When the huge figure was seen, the surrounding allies were making some noise through the communication device.

"Is that the rumored Partner?"

"It looks bigger than the rumors."

"No, that one's already been sortied."

Nix smiles bitterly as he listens to the noisy voice over the communication device.

The reason is that the flying battleship that emerged looked nothing like the Partner.

Covered in metal, it was larger and more intimidating than the surrounding flying battleships, although its rust was noticeable.

It is the main body of Facto, an aerial carrier.

Then, one after another, metal-covered flying battleships emerged from the floating islands.

Barkas puts his hand on his sweaty forehead.

"Was it an ancient weapon? It works without people, and the ancestors are amazing."

Hearing the word "ancestors" reminded Nix of one thing.

"Ancestors, huh? Dad, when we were little, didn’t you tell us that we had some amazing ancestors?"

"You idiot. After seeing something like this, listening to stories about our ancestors will only make you miserable."

Even though he was told it would be miserable, Nix, who was curious, didn't give up.

Because he doesn't want to go to war while he's still curious about it.

"Let me hear it on this occasion. I can't concentrate on the war if I'm still curious about it."

Nix wanted to hear about his ancestors, and Barkas let out a deep sigh.

His expression was one of reluctance.

"Just when I thought you'd grown up a little, you go and talk like a little kid."

"We're placed up front. It would be better to be a little less gloomy, right?"

"If we fall back, it's going to be bad for morale."

The Bartfalt family's flying battleships, in fact, were located in the front when viewed by the entire army.

This is because Barkas said, "If we don't take the front because we're relatives of Leon, we will cause trouble for him."

If the Baltfalt family was behind them, it would affect the morale of the entire army, he said.

In other words, the probability of death is higher compared to others.

Because of that, Nix wanted to hear about it.

"If we survive, I'll want my kids to hear about it when they grow up. I want them to hear that our ancestors were great people."

Barkas, defeated, gives up and begins speaking.

"——Our ancestors were not the most successful kind of adventurers. You know this, right?"

"He's a man who rose through the war, right?"

"I'm talking about the first generation of the Bartfalt family. Our first generation was an adventurer who came from the other lands."

"This is my first time hearing it."

In the Kingdom of Horfalt, the profession of adventurer was recognized and respected.

If your ancestors were adventurers, it is normal to be proud of them.

But Barkas tells him why he couldn't be proud.

"It seems that at the end of a great adventure, he was betrayed by his friends, and washed up in our current territory. So, he said he had enough of being an adventurer and quit. After coming to the floating island, he spent his time farming and living a carefree life."

Nix's first thought was that that first generation resembled his little brother.

"He's kind of like Leon."

"I guess so. So then, Leon is not a mutation, but rather reverting back to our ancestors?"

"But it sure feels like a small story after seeing a scene like this. I mean, he was an adventurer, but he was betrayed and just retired, what can I say——"

Nix made a strange expression.

The reason is that it would be a shame in the kingdom for an adventurer to be betrayed.

The worst ones would be the betrayer, but the kingdom believes that the one who has been betrayed is still responsible for the betrayal.

As an adventurer, you must not include someone who would betray you.

When you are on an adventure where you are risking your life, if you are betrayed, you are a greenhorn.

Barkas also understood this, so he didn't really want to talk about his ancestors to his children.

However, it is also a story that should be passed down as an important lesson, and is one that has been taught to the children from generation to generation.

"That's why I didn't want to tell you at this time. Well, he's our ancestor, so I don't think he was a successful adventurer."

"Indeed, the only successful adventurer in our family is Leon."

Barkas crosses his arms and laughs.

"I never thought that he would be the first one to rise to the top. Even though he resembles the first generation, Leon is still a mutation."

"I agree with that."

While a parent and child are having a chat, a high-pitched sound that hurts the ears can be heard coming from the communication device.

Then they heard people's voices.

"Report from the patrol boat! A large Empire fleet has been discovered! Their numbers are —— over 3,000!"

The bridge is buzzing at once.

Everyone's eyes widened and they were sweating coldly.

After all, the enemy had prepared a force nearly twice.

Moreover, the reports are not accurate numbers.

If they were not careful, the difference in strength could have been as much as three times.

Barkas raises his voice and gives instructions to those around him.

"Don't get upset! If we follow the plan, we will win!"

Nix wiped away a cold sweat as the Empire's great fleet closed in.

"It's finally starting, huh?"

While saying that, he clutched a locket pendant containing a picture of Dorothea.

Part 5

The bridge of the Licorne.

The mechanism was completed in which Licorne absorbed the magic elements in the air and supplied them to the sacred tree.

The sacred tree, which absorbs magic elements, emits a pale green light, from which Licorne derives the energy.

It is Creare who controls Licorne, and Noel who controls the sacred tree.

On the bridge, Ange raised her eyebrows when she heard the news that an allied patrol boat had been shot down.

"I heard that the Empire is approaching, will they attack us like this?"

[I predict that there is a high possibility of that happening.]

"There is no chance of the enemy bypassing us?"

There was also the option of overrunning the rear headquarters —— the continent.

However, Creare and the others thought that the Empire would not choose that.

[Yeah. I hate to say it, but it's a chance for them to wipe us out all at once. Even for Arcadia, it's a good opportunity for us to be gathered in one place. Because once we are defeated, it's as if they have no enemies.]

After destroying the weapons of the old humans, the inhabitants of this world are not worthy enemies.

Hearing that, Ange clenched her hands in frustration.

When Ange fell silent, Noel questioned her.

"This Arcadia is with the Empire Army, isn't it?"

[I'm pretty sure that the rising concentration of magic elements is an effect of Arcadia's approach. The information our allies delivered to us also indicated that they were working with the Empire army.]

By absorbing this magic element and giving it to the sapling, Licorne further accumulates energy.

In addition to Noel, Yumeria was on board to help control the sacred tree.

She asks anxiously.

"What are you going to do with all this energy?"

Creare answers Yumeria's simple question.

[I'll use it for anything. That's why I took the trouble to bring Livia-chan and Noel-chan to the battlefield.]

Creare's gaze went to Livia, who was on the bridge.

Livia, who had been looking out the window, turned to Creare, perhaps sensing her gaze.

"The royal ship —— you're going to use the equipment that was on that ship, right?"

The royal ship was once used in the war against the Principality of Fanose, but what Leon and the others considered dangerous was not the ship but the equipment that was loaded on it.

The device was too wicked in combination with Livia's unique abilities to be sealed.

If you use it, you will be under Livia's control regardless of friend or foe.

Depending on how it is used, even world domination would not be a dream.

But this time, things were different.

It's not a situation where you can win just by using it like in the time of the Principality of Fanose.

[It has a vicious ability, but it won't work against Arcadia. So, this time, we'll have it used on our allies.]

Creare flashed her single blue eye and projected a hologram into the room.

The projection shows the extent of the device's influence centered on Licorne in color.

[The device's mental interference, which is unaffected by magic elements, makes it very useful for communication.]

Yumeria tilted her head, as if she didn't understand what was being explained.

"Eh~to, what does that mean?"

It was Kyle who explained to Yumeria.

"It means that even in this situation, we can connect our hearts and use communication."

"C-Connect?"

"——Just think of it as being able to hear your heart."

After being explained by her son Kyle, Yumeria finally understood and nodded repeatedly.

"Ha~, that's amazing. Hah? D-Does that mean you can hear the embarrassing voice in my mind!? W-What should I do? It will convey that I always love Kyle!"

Yumeria blushed, and Kyle was embarrassed and even his ears were red.

"M-Mom! This is an important time, so don't say anything weird!!"

The heartwarming conversation between the mother-child eased the atmosphere a little.

Creare explains the conversation through the mind.

[To be precise, it only delivers the words. It is Licorne's role to organize and transmit them. I help with the information processing, but it is Livia-chan who bears the greatest burden.]

Even under the worst communication conditions, information can be exchanged without problems as long as Livia is there.

This will be a great strength on the battlefield, but it will place a heavy burden on Livia.

But Livia was relieved to hear it.

"I'm fine"

Smiling, Ange held Livia's hand.

"Are you sure?"

Livia squeezed Ange's worried hand back a little tighter.

"I'm happy to be able to help. In fact, I'd rather have the burden."

It is better to have the burden —— that was words that came from feeling sorry for those who are fighting on the battlefield with their lives on the line.

Ange turned her head down, holding Livia's hand in both of hers, as if regretting her incompetence.

"I'm sorry. I can't be of any use. All you can do is be here."

Livia shook her head at Ange, who blamed herself.

"No, Ange worked hard to get us here. So now it's our turn. Finally, it's my turn."

Ange has tears in her eyes and wipes them with her fingertips.

"——All I did was make preparations. I can't help Leon directly like you."

"I could not make that preparation. It is definitely thanks to Ange that we were able to prepare such a large fleet."

Seeing them, it was Noel who let out a sigh.

"I have a part to play, too~. Well, I don't want to be tactless enough to interrupt you two right now."

Creare says to Noel, who doesn't seem amused.

"I'm looking forward to it, Noel-chan."

"Yes, yes."

When Noel gave an unmotivated reply, Creare turned her blue lens on the figure, who wore a thoughtful look.

——It's Marie.

[What's the matter, Marie-chan? Do you have a stomach ache? I told you not to eat too much.]

"——How do you usually think of me?"

[Eh? Am I wrong? Because I prepared ten onigiri and——]

"Nine! I didn't eat that many! I was a little nostalgic, so I ate a little more than usual."

[No, it was ten. I'm sure I counted them correctly. I mean, it wouldn't make much difference even if you lie about numbers.]

"There are so many things for girls!!"

As Marie was talking back to Creare, she began to feel more energetic.

Kara and Kyle, who were watching, looked relieved.

"I'm relieved to see Marie-sama back in spirit."

"But more importantly, those onigiris, right? It was some kind of strange food, but goshujin-sama ate a lot of it, right? Is your stomach okay?"

Kyle's concern was that the unfamiliar food might have given her a stomachache.

Marie muttered while blushing.

"N-Not really, I'm fine. If anything, I feel more energized than usual."

Kyle smiles.

"I'm relieved to hear that. But if something should happen to you, I've brought your medication, so please feel free to call on me."

Kara is also worried about Marie.

"Marie-sama, would you like to go to the bathroom now?"

In front of them, Marie's voice grew louder.

Perhaps it was shyness, but she was happy that the two of them were worried about her——She must be embarrassed.

"That's enough!"

Creare, perhaps thinking that the three of them had reached an end, continues the conversation from earlier.

[Marie-chan, I'll lend Licorne's energy to Marie-chan, so please use the power of the Saint to defend.]

Marie, with her face still red, puffed out her chest.

"Leave it to me. I'm a girl who can do it if I try."

[I wish you could do it on a regular basis, but the declaration is very typical of Marie-chan.]

"You AIs really do say unnecessary things, don't you? Can't you be more honest in your praise?"

As Marie complained, the room received an urgent communication from Facto.

[High heat source reaction detection]

When Creare hears it, she immediately issues an instruction.

[They're coming —— maximum shield output.]

Immediately after, several layers of flat, pale light unfolded in front of Licorne.

It was like a translucent curtain.

Ange's eyes widened.

"Coming"

The next moment after she thought she saw something glowing in the distance, Licorne was enveloped in light and hit by a violent tremor.

Part 6

As an airborne carrier, Facto sensed an enemy that could not be seen with the naked eye.

[Will they attack at this distance? ——Revise Arcadia's performance upward.]

Artificial intelligences, who are on the side to support Facto, report back about the damage.

[One shield ship, badly damaged]

[No damage to the Kingdom's fleet.]

[Bring forward the next shield ship]

From the fleet on the Kingdom side, a space battle cruiser comes forward.

It is a shield ship prepared to prevent Arcadia's main guns —— a flying combat ship that deploys defensive shields to protect its allies.

It is the shield of a fleet that abandons attack and concentrates on defense in order to protect its allies from Arcadia's powerful main cannon.

However, with just one attack, the shield ship reaches its limit and falls, engulfed in flames.

[Enemy, time to fire next round —— estimated at 1,800 seconds]

[Empire fleet deploys in front of Arcadia]

[Monsters under enemy control, approaching rapidly]

Facto examines that information and issues orders.

[Intercept. Deploy mobile weapons units]

One after another, drones sortied from the aircraft carrier.

Then the old human spaceships turned their weapons on the monsters.

[Fire]

At Facto's command, optical weapons and live ammunition weapons are fired from cannons all at once, followed by missiles one after another.

When an optical weapon pierced through a horde of monsters, it closed in on an Empire's flying battleship trying to protect Arcadia——only to be protected by a magic barrier.

[Enemy shields confirmed]

[Identified, Arcadia's magic barrier]

[Confirmed disablement of our live ammunition and optical weapons]

Facto was analyzing the information collected.

Monsters are appearing one after another from around Arcadia.

They released magic elements, remade them as monsters, and kept them under their control.

[Did they succeed in turning the monster into a fighting force? ——This further requires revising the threat level of Arcadia upward.]

They are in a position to produce an almost inexhaustible supply of monsters and use them as weapons.

Just as they had prepared to fight Arcadia, Arcadia must have adapted to this era and worked hard to strengthen its forces.

Facto and the others have also received emergency repairs and are preparing to fight against Arcadia.

But the performance is far from perfect.

[Our performance is not as good as desired. Getting closer to Arcadia. Advance the Kingdom's fleet.]

When the Facto gives an instruction, Licorne receives it and acts as a relay to communicate the order to each ship.

The fleet of the Kingdom's army started to move, but its movements were disorganized because it was being moved by human beings.

There were also variations in the level of skill, and to make matters worse, they had not experienced such a large fleet battle, so they were not moving well.

[Revised downward the assessment of the Kingdom's army. Two ships moved to the rear to take command.]

The kingdom's army was unable to move as expected due to a fleet operation on a scale never experienced before.

Fact judged that this would be a big blow against the Empire Army.

The Empire Army, which had declared war, had more flying battleships than the Kingdom's army.

They probably have training in advance, he thought.

However, Fact has revised its assumptions.

[Revise the evaluation of the Empire's army downwards.]

The reason was that the Empire's forces were not as well trained as he expected.

Although they must have had time to prepare, their movements appeared to be on par with the Kingdom's army.

The supporting artificial intelligences begin to make noise.

[A horde of monsters breaks through the interception of allies]

[The speed of the kingdom's army has decreased rapidly]

[The Kingdom's army, ignoring our orders, deploys mobile weapons. Their speed is further dropped.]

The kingdom's army was attacked by monsters, and the armors was sent out.

Hearing the report, Facto's single eye glowed strongly.

There seemed to be a slight anger in his electronic voice.

[Order them to give priority to advance again. Add that if we can't get close to Arcadia at this point, we will be attacked unilaterally and destroyed.]

The Kingdom's army has no choice but to push forward amidst Arcadia's main guns and monsters charging at them to get closer to the Empire.

If they stop here, they will just be targets.

Part 7

In the command center prepared inside Arcadia, Moritz had a bitter look on his face.

"Is this all you got?"

The power of Arcadia's main gun was less than expected.

He was expecting to see how many enemy fleets would be sunk, but the result was only one ship.

Beams were released that could have swallowed up flying battleships by the hundred, but the results were not as good as they appeared.

Arcadia explains the situation to Moritz.

[Those oily craps just sacrificed a space combat ship to prevent it. Yes, it was stopped, but if we keep shooting, we'll win. After all, their defenses are limited.]

"Your main gun is useless if they get too close."

"——Indeed."

Moritz's judgment was that if a melee were to break out with the Kingdom's army, Arcadia's main gun would be too powerful to be used.

If they did not strike before they got too close, the Empire's forces would suffer tremendous damage —— he predicted.

However, Arcadia doesn't seem panicked at all.

[Looks like they just woke up and didn't get the proper maintenance. So the best they could do was to sacrifice their own bodies and use them as shields.]

The attitude is that although the old human weapons have woken up, it is not afraid of them unless they are in perfect condition.

Moritz crosses his arms.

"How long until the next firing?"

[Fifteen minutes.]

"That's too slow! You should have been able to shoot faster. The schedule should have been enough."

[I consumed energy in shielding against optical weapons and in producing the monsters. There is less energy to put into the main gun.]

"The Kingdom's army is heading this way."

Arcadia replies to Moritz, who is pressuring it, in a slightly bemused voice.

[By the time we make contact, their numbers will be reduced. Or do you think that with all these numbers we're going to lose to the Kingdom? ——It will probably go as originally planned.]

Even with Arcadia's main guns blocked, the Empire's forces had the advantage in numbers.

Despite the advantageous situation, Moritz could not shake off his uneasiness.

Although not showing it to his face, the magic creatures have not been able to get information about Leon —— Luxion.

The fact that the kingdom's trump card wasn't showing up was nothing but eerie to Moritz.

"Where is the enemy's main force? Where is that guy?"

Arcadia seemed to have guessed it when he said that guy.

[We haven't been able to confirm Luxion's presence. He may be hiding somewhere, watching all our movements.]

"Find him now! If what you say is true, his one blow would inflict heavy damage on the Empire's fleet!"

Arcadia reassures Moritz, who is wary of how Leon will act.

[Luxion is certainly a threat, but as long as we can block his strike, we'll have no problem. Besides, we can hit the Kingdom's army with our conventional forces when they're exhausted like this without using my main guns.]

Arcadia was smiling with both corners of its mouth turned up.

[No matter what they do, we're going to win.]

Moritz looks up at the ceiling.

"I hope so."

Then Moritz remembered what Finn had told him.

(From what I've heard from Finn, I don't think that guy will just let it end like this. I'm sure he'll come up with something.)

Arcadia begins to consider Luxion.

[Luxion's original role was as an immigrant ship. It's possible, perhaps, that they've already escaped into space with some of them on board.]

Moritz turned away from Arcadia.

(If that's the case, I'll be saved to some extent. These monsters won't chase after those who escaped into space.)

As for Moritz, he had no desire to destroy the people of the kingdom.

But his position would not allow it.