Knights & Magic Volume 1 Chapter 3

How about Batson instead of Bartson? Batson's dad will be Batman.
Awful naming continues.
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One day, Ernesti sat with his arm crossed in the living room at home, thinking with a serious face. The reason is the letter spread on the table before him, with 'Lacilia pilot academy student prospectus'. At the age of 8.5 years, he received an offer letter to enrol into Lacilia pilot academy.

Eru's family resides in Lacilia academy city, named after the best education facility in Fremara-- Lacilia pilot academy. The education system is divided into 3 stages, primary school from age 9, middle school from age 12 and high school from age 15, taking 3 years for each stage. Most students will complete just the first 6 years of primary school and middle school. High school is similar to college on earth, for students who need further specialized education. It is customary to recognize all those above 15 as adults. Most people start their career around the age of 18, but depending on circumstances, some will join the workforce at 15.

Even though Lacilia academy has the term 'pilot’ in its name, not everyone enrolling has the goal of being a knight or pilot. One reason is the sponsorship from the kingdom for primary and middle school education, so children from all social standings study here. Fremara's education system differs from modern compulsory education, a result of the special circumstances of this nation.

Fremara is known as the 'kingdom of knights'. It name sounds great, but it actually means that 'battles' occurs frequently. There is large number of demon beast lurking around the nation while majority of the citizens are farmers working on the vast fields, making them vulnerable to attacks. The threat has always been there. In order to secure a steady supply of tax and food, protection of the farmers became an important policy of the nation. They did not seek to eradicate all demon beasts because there seems to be an infinite amount of them.

The knights exist to protect the citizens, but there are lapses in their defence with so much ground to cover. The knights are usually deployed after the discovery of the demon beast, which is a passive strategy. This means the citizens will be under threat before the knights move in to intercept. Under this historical background, the farmers at some point hopes to possess skills to protect themselves, which was fulfilled by the nation in short order. In order to educate them the minimum level of combat techniques and magical knowledge, they set up a ministry and related facilities. In the end, Fremara is not a peaceful nation; even the farmers need to pick up weapons to defend themselves.

There are opposition among the aristocrats ruling the country on educating the lowly farmers to fight, but the policy remained in place to keep the nation running. From the end results, the policy was a success. By pushing for a minimum standard of education among all people, it unifies the citizens and their concept of pride as a nation. The improvement in domestic security is also a lucky bonus.

With this backstory, a trend of setting up education facilities was started all over the country. Lacilia pilot academy took advantage of its geographic location near to the capital and enrolled students from peasants to merchants and even nobles. The academy is thus divided into agricultural major, business major and pilot major etc. All majors include classes on combat techniques, but most of it was tailored to make the student employable. The school holds many different classes to accommodate the family circumstances of its students. Students need to attend at least 3 years of class and a certain level of skill proficiency to graduate.

Cid and Eru sat beside Eru who was studying the prospectus seriously. They already flipped through the prospectus and are eating the snacks on the table. When the snacks are almost gone, Eru is still deep in thought, which surprises them.

"Hey, what's troubling you? You wanted to be a knight correct? Just take the knighthood major."

"Erm, that was my plan... But there is something bothering me."

"Bothering you? Is it something like 'the knighthood major is too easy'?"

"No, that's not it... My goal from the very beginning was to be a pilot."

Knights who are certified to ride on Silhouette Knights are known as pilots. Eru's family knew about his ambition, Cid and Edel heard about it several times too.

"The number of Silhouette Knights is limited, and only the elites of knighthood major can become pilots. The knighthood major will take 6 years and is followed by the piloting course. When all of that is done and after the deployment process... It will be a long time before I am actually riding a Silhouette Knight."

It is not easy to be a pilot; Silhouette Knight is a 'weapon', something created to protect the nation. That's why it requires years of training before you can ride in one.

Eru thought about it for a while and faced Martis.

"Father, I have a question, does knighthood major allow the skipping of grades?"

Martis frowns, his son asked something difficult. He understands Eru's worries, and also knows how tough it will be.

"From the efforts you put in and your magical capabilities, that is certainly possible... but knighthood major is different. Not only are you tested on your sword and magic powers, you will also go through ethics lesson, you have never learn about this officially correct?"

This is a blind spot. Martis continued with a troubled expression:

"Silhouette knight piloting training is the final class before you enter pilot school. Students usually enrol at age 15... But for you... eh, if you are not tall enough, there won't be a suitable machine for you."

Everyone looks at Eru, the scene falls into hellish silence. Eru is smaller than peers in his age group, which is obvious compared to the Otter siblings beside him. But no one thought this part will be important.

Eru looks down in utter disappointment. He will need to wait 7 more years to pilot the giant robots of his dreams. He doesn’t mind waiting, but no one will blame him for thinking the process is taking too long. But not everything will go your way. Eru wanted to change the mood in the room when he felt a shadow loom over him. He lifts his head and saw Tina standing before him.

"I'm sorry Eru. Because you look like me, so your height..."

Seeing his mother rubbing his head with an apologetic face, Eru open his eyes wide and shake his head.

"That's not it! Mother, it doesn't matter! I am still young, and this is not the only way..."

Eru stops suddenly as he remembered something, surprised by his own words and closed his mouth slowly. This inspiration gives birth to a new possibility.

"...That's right; this is not the only way. I am too focused on piloting and wasted too much time. I should be spending my efforts in the right place..."

Tina tilts her head in confusion as she watches Eru raise his head slowly with resolve.

"I can just make one myself."

"Make what?"

Cid asks in reflex when he hears Eru's fragmented words.

"Silhouette Knight. I will make one myself."

"... Ah?"

"...E...Eru? Are you serious?"

Eru looks more determined than ever. His words are too surprising; everyone in the room is at a loss for words.

"Wait... Wait a minute, what do you mean... by making?"

"I mean literally. All my actions thus far are based on piloting, but now that I think about it, I won't get my personal machine this way."

Everyone was stunned, was Eru thinking of hogging a Silhouette Knight for himself? Aside from a handful of powerful nobles and merchants, no one owns a personal Silhouette Knight. Creating and maintaining one requires enormous funds and manpower, going the pilot route is a short cut compared to this. But this is the common sense of this world, for the robot nerd from an alternate world; Eru didn't care about all that.

"That's right isn't it? The machine issued by the kingdom cannot be modified too drastically! Why didn't I think about something so basic? Customizing is the way to go. I will need related knowledge to modify one completely anyway... I overlooked this."

Cid and Edel put their hand on their forehead when they saw Eru's evil smile, they know that this is bad. The normal Eru always act maturely with a casual air. But he has an unbelievably passionate side to him too, erupting unexpectedly. Cid and Edel felt that they are looking at Eru's true obsessive nature.

"You doing it for real? Eru..."

"Yes! I am sure that I will be wasting my time if I carry on this way. Setting the goal of building one myself will be a good hobby, and is more practical than saving money and buying one right?"

Cid thought either choice is crazy. But he chose silence intelligently. Martis glance at the uninterested Cid and said sternly:

"Eru... I understand how you feel, but it is not as simple as you said."

"I know, father. But if possible, I want a personal Silhouette Knight, so I am going to do all I can."

"I see... alright then. But work hard on your knight lessons too."

"I will. I want to be a pilot, I won't take it lightly."

Eru has no hesitation on his face. Edel starts patting Eru's head for some reason, moving from being stunned to being impressed.

"Well, you are really willing to do whatever it takes for your goal."

"... I am a bit concerned with the way you put it, but there is no reason to give up when there are options for me to take."

"Amazing. Eru looks so cute, but is so passionate."

(Because of how I look, normal methods won't work on me.)

Eru looks out of the window; he can see the facility taking up half the space in this city... Lacilia pilot academy.

"Well... I am looking forward to the day I go to school in Lacilia."

Martis and Tina smiled at each other; they don't want to see their son being depressed. Even though Eru's goal is ridiculous, but if it is Eru, he can definitely strive towards it wholeheartedly.

"... I don't want to lose, Eru is too amazing."

"Cid?"

"Noth... Nothing. Okay, let's work hard to be knights!"

"Yeah!"

Cid and Edel decide to major in knighthood too. The 3 of them decided on their goal within Lacilia pilot Academy and looks forward to their campus life in the future.


== C.E. 1274

The season changes and it is spring, the time for Lacilia pilot academy to welcome new students.

Lacilia pilot academy doesn’t only take in students from Lacilia city, but also from the capital, the neighbouring city and all over the nation. Taking into account the possibility of demon beast attack and traffic conditions, most of the students leave for academy city early, and new faces can be seen around the dormitory these few days.

In the morning of the entrance ceremony, Ernesti, Akkido and Edeltoruto reach the campus along with Bartson. With the dormitory filled with students from foreign counties, local students usually commute to school from home.

Lacilia academy city is surrounded by a giant city wall, but Lacilia pilot academy also has a wall of its own. Although it is to demarcate the campus grounds, but with the vast land of the academy, the continuous line of walls extends to the streets, becoming a well-known landmark.

"Now that I think about it, I have gotten used to the wall but have never gone in..."

"You can go in as much as you like from now on."

"You are right."

The group walked along the wall and reach the tall school gate shortly. This is the main entrance into the academy. Because the piloting students will ride on Silhouette Knights, the gate is adjusted to accommodate their height. The door is wide open for the entrance ceremony today.

The 4 of them was about to enter with feelings of excitement when Eru suddenly stopped. Cid, Edel and Bartson looked back with surprise, but understand when they look at the things beside the gate. On either side of the main gate are Silhouette Knights, welcoming all visitors. The group drag Eru who looks like he is about to prostrate to them and enters the academy.

The most important part of the schedule is the entrance ceremony. The ceremony is mostly listening to speeches by the teachers. After lunch, the various faculties will lead their students away and give them a brief introduction to the content of the course. Although they are divided into various faculties, primary school focuses more on the basics with common modules across the whole school year. The division is very vague, and the contents will only start to be really different from middle school.

The entrance ceremony is held in the grand hall. The group was lost in the gigantic scale of the campus, but Eru who had visited his father's workplace before knows the way and walks confidently there, with the other 3 desperately chasing him to keep the short Eru in sight.

"It's great that we don't need others to lead us, but it is easy to lose track of Eru. He is really small."

"Right, it will be easier to locate him if he is taller, but that's fine. He is cute this way!"

"I didn't grow much either."

Eru can't stand their noise and speak up.

"I'm going to leave Cid and Edel behind."

"Ah, I have an idea! We won't lose Eru if I hug him right?"

"I'm not okay with that."

As the group kid around, the grand hall was already overflowing with people when they arrive. Everyone here is a new student, as expected of the largest education institute in the nation. They thought it will be crowded to even stand in the grand hall, but they somehow found some space. The school have already anticipated this overwhelming crowd.

The ceremony begun in the grand hall filled with tense freshmen.

Grandfather of Ernesti... Dean Lowry Echevalier starts off the address, followed by esteemed members of the academy. The 4 children who listened to the speech with their backs straight starts to feel irritated as the event drone on. Although they displayed patience uncommon for children, they still make a bored face at the end of the ceremony. Fortunately, the torment stops before noon. With the end of the speeches, the entrance ceremony draws to the close and the freshmen files out of the grand hall.

It is lunch time and the group head for the school canteen. Some people brought food there; others took out their lunch boxes. Upper class men who are familiar with the place heads to eateries outside the campus. Everyone settle their lunch in their own way, but the cafeteria remains crowded. In this chaos, a prominent group sat in a corner of the canteen.

One of them is a pretty girl (?) with short silvery hair with a hint of purple.

The other two has unkempt black hair and wavy shoulder length black hair, a boy and girl who share a similar feel.

The last is a young dwarf with reddish brown hair.

From afar, this group has nothing in common. Even though the group drew many curious glances, no one has the courage to approach them.

"The canteen is incredibly crowded."

"But we found a place to sit immediately, which is great."

"They offered their seats to us immediately... I wonder why?"

Eru chatted with Bartson as he ate his biscuit cover in pie crust. It is a mini biscuit in pie crust that is easy to carry, and fits nicely in Eru's small hand. Edel looks very pleased as she watches Eru ate the biscuit in silence.

"Any speeches in the afternoon? It's too long winded."

"Doesn't matter, you don't listen to them anyway Cid. Didn't you fell asleep?"

"Let's eat our lunch first. There are lots of people here, we should finish up and let others sit too."

There are empty seats at their table. Eru felt embarrassed that no one else is sitting with them. At this moment, a female student ignores all that and walks towards them.

Her blonde hair sways as she walks in confident strides, causing a small commotion among the students. It is rare for her to show up here after all. She sat in the empty chair as if they were planning to meet up.

She is obviously older than Eru and the others, an upper class man. There are no standard uniform in Lacilia pilot academy, her clothes seems to be low profile but well made, with accessories that doesn't affect her movements. Eru guessed she must be from a well off family, either a daughter of wealthy merchants or aristocrats.

There are 2 types of reaction from them: Eru and Bartson looking at the stranger in confusion, while Cid and Edel held their breathe staring at her. Those are not passionate eyes for a beautiful lady, but bashful eyes. Eru don't understand this, but he is sure the girl has connections with the twins.

The pretty girl who came uninvited smiles as she look at the tense twins, then faced Eru and Bartson. Her smile became gentler as she introduced herself.

"Hello my cute friend. My name is Stefanie Stylus. What about you?"

Eru was lost for a moment, but he put down his half bitten biscuit, sat properly and replied:

"I am Ernesti Echevalier, this is Bartson Tymonin, as for these two..."

"It's fine, I'm acquainted with them. Akkido, Edeltoruto, long time no see, I'm glad you are both healthy."

Stephanie has been smiling gently all this while, Cid tense up his normally sleepy face and says:

"Long time no see, Stephanie onee-sama."

The stiff tone doesn't sound like something Cid will say. Stephanie's face collapsed, but she regains her smile immediately.

"... Both of you are at the age to be schooling in Lacilia. Since we have the opportunity to study in the same school, why didn't you visit me?"

"Stephanie onee-sama is in the 3rd year of primary school isn't it? Oh yah, Bulksaw oni-sama is studying here too?"

"Right, he is majoring in knighthood, 2nd year of primary school, you will have the chance to meet him soon."

Compared to Stephanie's attitude, the demeanour of the twins is weird. Cid is stiff in his tone while Edel is uncharacteristically quiet. Seems like they have family ties, but it felt unnatural. Bartson routinely switch his gaze from one member to the next in this awkward atmosphere. Everyone has stopped eating. Suddenly, Eru finished his biscuit aggressively, contrary to his small stature. He ignored the surprised stares of others, wiped his mouth and smiled.

"Alright, we finished our food. The cafeteria is too cramped, it's not considerate to hog the table, let's go somewhere else. What do you think?"

"... Ri... Right. Both of you are in majoring in knighthood? There will be plenty of chances for us to meet, let's chat slowly next time."

Stephanie gives a regrettable expression, pat Eru's head for some reason before leaving. The 4 baffled children were left behind. Bartson wants to clarify things, but Eru says that lunch break is over and they should head for the classroom. He forcefully left his seat and head for the classroom. Bartson wasn't satisfied, but he still went towards the crafting faculty, while the trio move towards the knighthood department in an awkward atmosphere.


There is nothing worth mentioning for the afternoon freshmen welcome activities. They are simply briefed on the schedule for the future and the contents for the lessons tomorrow. After the orientation, everyone is dismissed and the students prepare to leave.

Even now, Cid and Edel still seemed troubled. They are not joking like usual, not focusing and having an awkward air about them. On the way home, Eru lead the way and told them:

"I don't know the details, but don't be depressed. Class is starting tomorrow, so training is cancelled today, take a break."

Cid and Edel stopped. "Eh, Eru." Cid called out with a calm resolve.

"What is it?"

"Aren't you going to ask? Erm, ask about her?"

"If you feel the need to share, I will listen."

The twins sight and the air about them eased. They looked at each other as if to confirm something. After a while, Cid starts:

"Eru, we have something to tell you later."

"Alright, let's go to my room."

And so, the trio left campus and head for Eru's place and went to his room. As this is the place they hold their magic lessons, the two are familiar with it. They sat on the table and bed as usual, but the difference is that they are keeping quiet. After waiting for a while, Cid begins:

"Ah... Erm, simply put, our father is an impressive noble."

After troubling for so long, these words are too direct. Eru blinked and asked:

"So you are aristocrats? But you two have not done anything noble like? And even joined me for training."

"It's complicated... actually not. Our mother is not a noble wife, but a mistress."

"Eh, because mother is laid back. She says she don't mind being a mistress since she have us."

"Father's wife... well, is very jealous and conscious of others."

"Even if she don't like mother, her pride prevents her from feuding with a simple mistress."

Even Eru isn't sure how to react, so he just nods.

"Mother is too obedient, doing everything to appease others. In the end madam doesn't allow us to live under the same roof as her, making a big scene."

"And we were given a place to live, that's why we moved here. The living expenses are handled by father."

"Eh, that's how it is... Stefanie Onee-sama you met earlier is the daughter of madam."

"Fanie-nee is alright, but the problem is with the other two brothers. The younger brother is very irritating."

"He likes to go on a power trip, bullying us because we are scions of a mistress. Just like Madam."

The two of them complained nonstop and ends with a big sigh. Their expression is all twisted when they mention the brothers, making it easy to imagine all the things that happened between them.

"This brother you mentioned is in Lacilia?"

"Correct. He is one year older than us, so is in the 2nd year of primary school."

"I see, I have a feeling that there will be trouble."

Cid nods strongly. It's not a premonition; Cid knows that it will definitely happen. The life in the main house flashes in his mind. He had to bear with oppression and hardship back then, but he didn't spend too much time reminiscing.

"We are still grateful to father for funding us. But..."

"If they leave us alone, we won't trouble them too. But they like to mess with us, and can't stand us."

They probably recalled unpleasant memories, Cid is gesturing furiously while Edel said moodily:

"Since Fanie-nee knows... That guy will probably come soon. If you are with us, you might get caught up in this too..."

Edel was depressed when she said this. Her usual confidence is gone. Because she gives off a bubbly impression, so the gap appears wider.

"I got the gist of it. So what's next?"

Eru was standing before them they realized.

"... What do you... mean by next?"

"Do you plan to defend, ignore them or attack?"

"Oh, should be attack... Hey!"

Cid unconsciously went along and was shocked. Eru was smiling as usual when he was talking about dangerous things. Even Cid who knew that Eru was not just a pretty face backed off.

"What is with you all of a sudden? I am glad you are my friend, you are scary as an enemy."

"You are helping us? As expected of Eru! You are so reliable, but this is our family problem, we can't trouble you."

"That's right. I have no idea how much I can interfere, but I don't plan to see my friends so troubled. Just call me whenever you need, I will be there."

"... Okay, we're counting on you!"

Cid and Edel nods strongly, they are smiling once again. Eru looks at them and thought:

(I didn't expect them to be nobles. Their sister didn't seem to hate them, why is that? No matter what, seems that there will be trouble...)

Eru thought about it from an outsider's view, keeping this matter to heart. Seems like the upcoming school days will be more chaotic than imagined.


After the tumultuous entrance ceremony, they started their school life the next day.

There are no scheduled lessons today too; the briefing took up half the day. This is extremely boring for 9 years old kids who just enrolled. Most people paid no heed to the teacher's presentation, the atmosphere screaming 'won't it end already' was clear for all to see. But one student was excited about some trivial details.

(There.. There is such a course...)

That's right, he is Ernesti Echevalier. And the matter that gave him such a big impact? It is the flimsy piece of paper in his hands. A table was drawn neatly on it; it is the timetable for all classes, probably basic information given out by the school to freshmen. What did he learn from the timetable?

(...There is a... 'Silhouette Knight Design basics' course...!?) But the timetable he is holding with his trembling hands does not belong to knighthood major primary school. You can infer from the name that this course is meant for student craftsman who are aiming to build and maintain Silhouette Knights. It is catered for students in their 2nd year of middle school (around 13 years old). And this course has nothing to do with Eru who is majoring in knighthood of primary school.

But after reading such tempting words, the out of control speeding train... Ernesti will definitely go for it. He confirmed the knight faculty time table, and in the same time slot is one of the important course for knighthood majors... fundamental magic.

(I must attend this course no matter what... this class is in the way...!)

Suddenly, the teacher on the lectern felt a strange sensation, as if a starving beast has made its way into the classroom, sending a prickling sensation down his back. He shivered, stopped his lecture and look around the room. But he can only see a bunch of unmotivated kids, there is no famished beast here. The teacher shook his head and decided to treat it as a false alarm.

He overlooked the fired up petite student hidden in the crowd.

The knighthood faculty they are studying have two types of courses, being fundamental knight courses and generic courses. The generic courses are the same as other faculties, while the knight courses focus on magic knowledge, mana training and swordsmanship.

Normally speaking, human magic are classified into elementary, intermediate and advanced according to its power and ease of control.

As most citizens know elementary magic, they are also known as 'common spells'. Hence, intermediate and advance magic are recognized as real magic. Faculties aside from knighthood majors will strive to be at the intermediate level. Since advanced magic is also dependent on the depth of one's mana pool, only knighthood majors will learn it. Ernesti knew through experience that increasing mana pool requires plenty of effort. Hence, joining combat related careers such as knights require lots of effort in mana training. Allocating more time on mana training than other courses is the unique feature of knighthood faculty.


And so, the day to attend Fundamental Magic class arrives.

This is a memorable first lesson. The lesson was not conducted in the classroom as the students will be tested to determine their magical abilities and divided into different groups.

Eru's trio have learned magic before enrolment so their foundations are strong. Apart from them, there are some who have learned the basics too, so they will be in a different class from those without any magical training. The newbies will be in 'normal stream' while the experienced ones will be 'express stream'. Express stream might sound impressive, but the only difference with normal stream is the experience. Regardless, express stream students are viewed as elites anyway.

This is because the express stream has kids from noble clans and merchants, able to receive education in sword and magic before enrolment. This meant they have a certain standard of wealth. In a way, Ernesti with his family background in the education field and his disciples Akkido and Edelwhat are exceptions.

The chattering express students follow the teacher to the sports arena. The fastest method to test magic capabilities is for the students to use them. And to cast destructive spells, they need to move to a specialized training ground surrounded by walls. The classmates gathered in groups of 2 or 3, surveying the straw man targets wearing old armour, rearing to go.

On the surface, this is just an introductory class. They won't be scrutinized because of their magic abilities at this stage, but it is a chance to show off and garner fame if they perform better than their peers. A lot of the express students have confidence in their abilities. Everyone is in high spirit and did their best because of this.

One of the students cast a fireball, an intermediate level fire spell. An orange magical sphere appears from the staff, hitting the target with blazes trailing behind it. True to its name, the magic explodes in a ball of flames upon impact <TL:Kanji is explode fire ball>. The armour retained its shape, but is scorched black, showing the explosive power of the blast. The students were in an uproar after witnessing this scene, very few freshmen knows intermediate magic before starting school, and have mastery over the powerful fireball. But fireball is an impressive spell and drains lots of mana; the boy was already at his limits after casting it. He was panting hard, almost to the point of mana exhaustion, but he still look very pleased.

The teacher supervising the exercise held high hopes for this batch. With such mastery of magic upon enrolment, he will be an elite magician if he put in the effort in school. The teacher tries to not display this thought on his face, continuing to record the results in silence.

"Everyone seems used to fireball, should we do something like that too?"

"Right... Ah, Eru, what do you want to do?"

Eru fold his arms lazily, standing some distance from the arena that is filled with excitement. Edelwhat hugs Eru as usual as she converse with him. She realized Eru was not being himself. Eru always gives off a gentle air, not he has a stern expression as if he is going to a battlefield. Edel tilt her head in confusion, her past experience tells her that Eru will only make such a serious face when Silhouette Knights are involved. But she has no idea how that is related to the magic test that is going on right now.

The test continues. Next up is finally Eru. His stature is petite when compared to his classmates, but his expression is stern like never before, he has a serious atmosphere about him. Eru spoke when he got into position.

"Teacher, I have a selfish request."

"Hmm? What is it?"

The sudden question surprised the teacher.

"If the result of the test exceeds the contents of the class by a large margin, can I be exempted from this course?"

"... What are you talking about?"

Eru's strange words stunned the teacher. He frowned deeply when he realized what Eru meant.

"...Ernesti Echevalier? What do you mean? Refusing to attend lessons? This joke is not funny..."

"No, I am very serious. I have another class I want to attend, so it will be a big help if I am exempt from this course."

The teacher was dumbstruck. He had been a teacher for quite some time, but he had never seen a student who is so overconfident before. It might be okay for a middle schooler, but a freshman in primary school? The teacher won't allow this request easily.

"How daring of you, I won't accept it so easily. Ah, right, since you said that, at least show me advanced magic. Then I will think about it."

"So it will be dependent on my results? I heard that very clearly..."

The students around them listen to the conversation and anticipate a good show. Most of them just want to watch the drama, only Cid and Edel knew Eru's strength and the inevitable result, and look at each other.

The teacher is also hinting that punishment will follow if Eru fails, and deliberately made things difficult for Eru. But the teacher is facing a demon who wants to give his whole life for Silhouette Knight designing; Eru will give his all without hesitation.

Eru starts to construct magical script in the virtual region in his brain... the magic circuit. He pushes his amazing calculation abilities, starting his processing sequence. He drew out Winchester from his waist, casting spells along the wake of his staff... piercing lance. That is a type of compressed fire spell, focusing the explosion on impact in one direction, increasing the piercing power of fireball. And he did not activate just one, there are 10 piercing lance appearing one after another in the air.

After completing the deployment of the piercing lances in short order, he took aim at the target, firing them off simultaneously. The long and thin flaming spears were right on target, the armoured target was hit repeatedly. The narrow interior of the armour was heated intensely after being pierced on impact, the straw man were torn apart. There were 10 piercing lances. The armour cannot withstand the devastation and was melting in a red glow before finally exploding.

The teacher and students were speechless, unable to believe their eyes. Piercing lance was an intermediate spell, but was higher level than fireball. But constructing the script in such a short time and activating 10 of them is not very difficult. And amazingly, Eru doesn't seem fatigued after casting such a powerful spell. This means that the mana cost of the piercing lances were not a burden for Eru's mana pool. This is not something freshmen who just enrolled yesterday can achieve.

This is more than enough, but Eru kept his word. He lifted his other Winchester... different from the one he used to cast piercing lance. The next script has been completed in his mind, a complicated and orderly spell, conjuring a magic much stronger than piercing lance.

The air around them starts to shift, forming a tornado in an instant. It went straight for the target from Eru's position with a large howl. The strong wind will definitely blow the straw man away if they weren't nailed to the ground. The furious wind and rumbles of thunder resonates within everyone's ear. The lightning created by magic is much more destructive than the piercing lances, turning the armour into dust in one strike.

Lightning storm... A melded magic using wind and lightning sigils, a real advance magic.

Eru started training from age 5, so casting this series of spells (including the advance magic) was not a burden for him, so he was not even out of breath. When he looked back, he saw a startled expression. The teacher was slack jawed and stiff. Eru smiled happily and said to the teacher:

"How was that teacher? Do you agree to exempt me from this class?"

"...Eh? Ah, yes, do what you want."

No one protest or challenge this decision. And so, Eru earned the freedom to work towards a bright future.

Everyone stares from afar at the pleased Eru who gained victory with his overwhelming abilities. Even Cid and Edel looked at the target that was blown away with blank eyes.

"He made such a big scene, he was totally into it."

"Yeah, he can skip this class and attend the Silhouette design module of his dreams!"

"He was willing to go this far... Anyone who gets in his way will be burnt to ashes..."

Edel said as she backed away. Cid pulled her back with a bitter smile.

"That's wrong. He is not taking it easy because he has a goal, right? I will blow the target away too."

Cid rotates his shoulders gleeful with anticipation. Eru gave him a warning despite of what he did:

"Don't mind me, but is it okay for you to stand out? There is an irritating brother here right? Do you plan to challenge him?"

"What are you saying after causing such a stir? Like I said, we will stand out with you around anyway."

"I think ... you are spot on, I can't deny that."

"Right? I will be right back."

"Take care... Work hard!"

The training ground have not recovered from the disaster caused by Eru, everyone looked at Cid with sympathetic eyes when he steps onto the field without a care in the world. No one wants to be next, right after Eru's unbelievable magic display. Cid knew this, but still enters with his head held high.

(My tutor is amazing; it will be hard to catch up to him. I have to put on a good show too!)

For Cid who studied under Eru, he is used to Eru's shenanigans and knew he can't match Eru yet. That is why he can't hold back anything.

Cid steady himself, close his eyes and starts to construct a script with his magic circuit. To be honest, he is more proficient in power type spells and chooses to use one. He drew up the staff he favoured and held it high, then pointed it at the target. The mana and script streaming into the crystal catalyst made the red orb glow brightly. He chose to cast a single shot spell, an intermediate magic more powerful than piercing lance... Flame strike.

An oval shaped magic sphere flew out with a spectacular trailing blaze, causing a bigger explosion than fireball. The reverberating sound acted like a signal, drawing the attention of everyone present back to the arena.

"... Wahhh!"

Cid fired a 2nd shot, the two overlapping explosion blew the targets away. For him, 2 shots was the limit for his mana pool. He was unsteady on his feet from fatigue. But he still smiled and passes the baton to the next person... Edel.

"You are still the same, only going for brute force... My turn!"

Cid and Edel are twins, but their strengths differ widely. Unlike Cid who is good in power, Edel specialize in intrinsic control. He carefully constructs her script, held her magic staff with both hands and aim at the target. A dazzling lightning appears the next second, piercing the target with the rumble of thunder. She chose the intermediate spell of the lightning architect sigil... Riot Sparrow.

As depicted with its name <TL: Kanji is lightning javelin>, riot sparrow turns lightning into the form of a javelin before firing it at the target. Lightning spells are powerful, but it is hard for the caster to direct it accurately. Increasing the accuracy adds additional burden on the caster, along with its difficult control made people view it as a higher class of magic compared to others. From the aftermath, the trio displayed incredible capability.

They ignores the atmosphere in the arena, high fiving each other in celebration. Edel hugs Eru and twirls around while Cid was so tired he couldn't stand up straight. Compared to the casual trio, the other express students felt uneasy. They were thinking: What are we going to do if we take classes with these incredible three?

As priory mentioned, the express class have many scions of aristocrats and merchants, a bunch of proud children. Their childishness and immature pride angers easily. But the scene before them is too amazing, shattering their young pride and competitiveness. They gave up and sigh deeply. Eru and the twins didn't care about their depressed school mates. Their school mates’ troubles(?) are just beginning.


That fundamental magic class was seen as a catastrophe. A few days later, Batson leads his petite childhood friend and repeated for the hundred and one time.

"Ah... it's that way, that's the classroom you want... But, are you really going to study there?"

Lacilia pilot academy has many grades and faculty, and needs plenty of classrooms and facilities. Because the campus is divided by grades and faculties, a lot of students will only meet others in the canteen during breaks.

"Of course, how can I miss such an interesting class? Ah, here will be far enough, Batson."

"Yeah..."

Batson see off the youth entering the classroom and remained baffled.

"But this is the crafting faculty, and that is a middle school classroom..."

The atmosphere before class begins was casual, some was preparing for the next lesson, some are working on their assignments, and others are just chatting lazily.

"Quiet please, class is begin... It seems very quiet today."

The teacher said the usual when he enters the room, but he noticed that something is wrong and stopped. The students are usually noisy and rowdy before class starts. To be craftsmen requires a practical attitude. In other words, it is better to try it out practical instead of thinking about it. There is nothing wrong with this line of thought, but that means a lot of them just can't sit still.

For these students, this lecture based class is unpopular. It is rare for his charges to be quiet before the teacher enters. He might felt moved, but he felt that something is out of place. The 40 odd years old teacher surveys the students in the room and noticed they are staring at the same spot. He followed their sights and saw the culprit for this abnormal situation.

"... What are you doing here?"

The teacher asks the student sitting in the middle of the front row who did not belong here.

This is a young and small sized boy, nothing like a middle schooler. Because the middle school desk is too large for him, he has to kneel on his chair. His position is upright and proper, with the text book 'Fundamentals of Silhouette Knights design' on his lap, waiting excitedly for the class to begin.

This scene is warming, but contrast with the situation in reality. This is a classroom in middle school, not a place for primary school students.

"I'm here for the lesson."

"I see, because the class is about to begin. But that's not what I meant. You don't look like a middle schooler."

"I am a primary school student from the knighthood faculty. I came because I want to attend this course."

Their conversation is going in circles, but the teacher is steady in behaviour, warning Eru calmly.

"Well, it is good to be passionate about your studies, but there are classes for knighthood majors right? You should come after finishing that class."

"It's okay. I knew all the contents of that class; the teachers are fine with exempting me. You can confirm this with them."

"... Is that so? Then it's fine. Alright, let's continue with the topic from the previous lesson, regarding the structure of Silhouette Knights..."

All the students retorts in their heart: “How is that fine!", but the teacher decides that he will lose if he feels bothered by Eru, and carried on teaching adamantly.

The outsider who hog the first row... Ernesti Echevalier glance at the teacher and opened the textbook happily, preparing to take notes. Being so pleased because of a lesson, the middle schoolers felt too lazy to retort. And so, the crafting faculty accepts this outsider and the course somehow carries on smoothly.

Before dabbling on the design of Silhouette Knights, you have to familiarize yourself with the structure, this is a simple rationale. But what needs to be done specifically? That is hard to answer. One of the reasons is the difficulty in constructing of the Silhouette Knights. It requires crafting, magic and alchemy, there are a lot to learn, meaning it is a problem of the amount of studying materials. That is why only people who are going to make Silhouette Knights... Knight engineers will learn how to design them. Pilots won't have the time to learn all this knowledge.

This might be true, but we can't view the boy intruding into the crafting faculty... Ernesti. He is a robot nerd whose obsession wasn't cured even after reincarnation. He read volumes of robot designs and specification, even memorizing the name and models of robots. If you teach the methods of crafting a giant robot to this guy, what will happen? He will treat the textbook as a bible and study it religiously; preparing for lessons and revising the topic until perfection, going beyond the scope of the lesson and researching tons of information. His attitude is great, but his burning passion makes the middle schoolers older than him back away.

"... Comparing the current military model Jettoy and the previous generation Sarotria..."

As Eru listens to the teacher's explanation, he flips his textbook. He always sat in the middle of the first row, and after a few lessons, that became his permanent seat.

The elderly teacher scribbles on the black board with the clear sound of chalk, listing the basic structure of the Silhouette Knights. This includes the 5 main crucial elements... The 'magic engine' acting as the brain, the 'ether reactor' that serves as the heart, the 'crystal tissue' simulating muscles, 'inner skeleton' reinforcing the structure and 'outer skin' as the armour.

"As everyone knows, these 2 models have similar ether reactors; the difference in power output lies in the crystal tissues..."

The Silhouette Knights are powered by the mana produced from the ether reactor. The ether reactor converts the ether in the world into mana, simulating the organic functions of living things in the form of machinery. As long as there is ether around it, this device can keep on running. Normally, the mana produced by the reactor will turn back to ether and spreads into the atmosphere. Hence, there is a need to circulate within the crystal tissues to maintain its form as mana.

Crystal tissues are crystal catalyst that has been modified through alchemy, able to change its shape under the influence of specific scripts and mana. Apart of using it as muscles of Silhouette Knights, this property allows it be used as mana batteries.

"The script in the magic engine has been refined, but the improvement is not significant. Because of its ruggedness, it has been used for over 300 years without major changes..."

The magic engine is responsible for controlling the heart and muscle. It contains gigantic and complicated magic scripts, allowing the pilot to control the Silhouette Knights.

The inner skeleton and outer skin are simply metallic frame and armour. But current technology cannot create the skeleton of the gigantic humanoid robot as a single part. They have to be made from the combination of smaller parts, wielded together with physical boast magic and scripts to support the body weight. This allows the Silhouette to look tougher in its defence, but creates a flaw of the body being unable to support its own weight without the constant flow of magic.

Silhouette simulates the functions of living beings, an existence created by crafting, magic and alchemy.

"Please turn to the next page. This covers the magic arsenal of the Silhouette Knights. Although it is not directly related to design, this is still important, so please study this carefully."

Magic arsenal refers to the range attack equipment used by Silhouette Knights. Surprisingly, the Silhouette Knights which is a combination of magical parts is not able to use range magic on its own. The magic engine can only be used to move the Silhouette Knight itself, and does not include range attack function. The pilot is required to construct a magic script when spells are needed.

Of course, casting magic at the level of Silhouette Knights... known as overt spells... is impossible for humans. There are rare cases where an individual is able to process the magic, but constructing the script need time, and cannot be used in actual battle. For Silhouette Knights to use overt spells in the heat of a fight, they have to prepare the magic script in advance.

"For people aiming to be knight engineers such as yourself, there is no need to study 'emblem graft' but you have to master the script at the level of flaming lance."

Emblem graft doesn't construct magic through the use of scripts like the magic circuit of living beings. Emblems are drawn on the exterior of objects, which is used to cast spells... It uses the theory that scripts can be visualized in the form of a pattern. When using emblem graft to cast magic, the mana can be channelled directly to the object the emblem is grafted on to activate it. It appears to be a convenient technique so far, but because drawing the script needs a large physical area, it will run into the problem of the equipment being too unwieldy. If you take into the account the difficulty and effort in making them, the emblems are not really marketable for the citizens.

But the advantage of using emblem graft is the ability to prepare any spells as long as there is enough space. You just need to provide the power and the spells can be used without much control. Simply put, this technique is suitable for the gigantic Silhouette Knight which is made from the combination of magical parts; the only disadvantage is that each emblem can only use one spell. That is why the army created a variety of magic arsenal to deal with different situations. It is common to see Silhouette Knights going into battle with several arsenals on its back.

The bell from the distance rang when the class reach this point, announcing the end of the lesson.

"Ara, time is up so I will stop here. Remember to revise today's content... Ernesti, please 'have mercy' on us."

Ernesti watch the teacher leaving after uttering these words, he is not sure what he did wrong. He took notes plenty of notes today as well. By the way, his progress has already exceeds normal students by months.

After finishing classes for the day, Ernesti return home and took out his books to revise the content of the day's lesson. Although he meets up with Cid and Edel for training occasionally, he will head home and revise (?) whenever there are Silhouette Knights design classes.

Eru learnt a lot from the class. Thanks to that, he gradually grasps the basics of Silhouette Knight designing. But the more he understands, the more questions he has for the parts beyond the basics. In the construction of Silhouette Knights, the crucial elements such as crystal tissues, inner skeleton and outer skin are subjected to lots of wear and tear. Because of this, the country invested heavily in the education of engineers and alchemist. This ensures that forts in the front lines and towns with appropriate facilities can supply the Silhouette Knights with the necessary parts. A lot of crafting faculty students apart from Eru has actual experience in crafting. But the details about magic engine and ether reactor... the heart and soul of Silhouette Knights are classified. The lesson covers their functions, but their interior structure remains a mystery.

Silhouette Knights is a major military force for the nation, and a problematic property for normal citizens to possess. Its distribution is controlled by the government and the construction methods of the core parts are national secrets. Even the kingdom of knights Fremara is strict about this. But withholding the crafting methods led to a drip in production efficiency, so it cannot be mass produced, making the value of each Silhouette Knight sky rocket. Silhouette Knight is treated as expensive tactical weapons because of this.

"...That might be the case, but I am not worried about the magic engine."

It is already known that the magic engine is used to control the movement of the whole robot. That means similar scripts can emulate this. Simply put, Eru intends to hack into the magic engine. It is an idea Eru came up with because of his incredible processing ability and a background in software engineering. But he can't do anything when it involves something that is not dependent on theory, emulating the fundamentals of magic in this world, the heart of magic technology... the ether reactor.

"But... without more clues, I will come to a bottleneck... After all, 'that world' doesn't have the concept of ether."

Uguu, Eru frowns and rolls around in bed.

He understood one thing from class; the ether reactor was made from a special mineral called 'fairy stones'. But the mining and usage methods are unknown, all information regarding fairy stones are kept secret. Although Eru's goal was to build his own Silhouette Knight, but the worst case scenario was to buy an ether reactor. But even so, the price of ether reactors made that plan impractical.

"Eh, no use worrying over it. Let's start researching from what I already know."

Eru mumbles and return to his desk. The notes he took did not have any blank space, so he took out another self-study notepad. He dipped his pen in ink and immerses himself in preparation, revision, a time to research his hobby. Eru lives an incredibly busy life, but it was a blissful life according to him.


Eru's student life traversing between the knighthoods and crafting faculty continued for some time.

In the beginning, others were irritated by Eru's unprecedented actions, but they got used to it with the passage of time. Everyone starts to notice his cute features Eru inherited from his mother. The short Eru who happily listened to the fundamentals of Silhouette Knight Design was treated like a mascot, and Eru have gotten used to being patted on the head as a greeting. And one day...

"Ara, you are..."

Eru finished his crafting classes and was on the way back to knighthood faculty. He heard a familiar voice. He looked back and saw a lady with wavy blond hair, nice pair of eye brows and slightly drooping blue eyes that is squinting because of a smile.

"You are Ernesti... right?"

Akkido and Edeltoruto's sister... Stefanie Stylus said as she walks to his side, bending down with a smile to accommodate Eru's height. Eru replied politely making her even happier.

"Ara, I remember you are the same grade as Akkido right? Why are you here?"

Even though she looks joyful, she still asked. This is the secondary school campus, not a place a primary school student like Eru should be visiting. When she heard Eru's honest reply that he is attending middle school crafting course, her eyes open wide from shock.

"Eh, you are really smart, but why are you rushing to learn this?"

In a way, this is an obvious question. A student will be hard pressed handling the work at their grade level. In the long history of Lacilia pilot academy, there are very few such independent students. Eru's answer was very simple and to the point.

"Because I'm interested."

"Interest...? Even though its school work? Hmm... I see, you are a bit special."

Because there is another class, the two chat as they walk. Eru's action is unpredictable. Stefanie was surprised sometimes, patted his head sometimes and was always smiling in a great mood.

As class just ended, there are lots of commuting students in the corridor, but they are shocked by the sight of the blonde girl and silver haired boy, giving way to them. Thanks to this, their journey proceeded smoothly, reaching the freshmen campus of primary school in no time. Stefanie is in the 3rd year of primary school and needs to go to another campus. As she was leaving Eru reluctantly...

"Ah, Eru... found!"

Someone ran over at a high speed, it is Edeltoruto who saw Eru by coincidence. The petite Eru is easily hidden when in a crowd, but with everyone avoiding him, he is readily discovered. Edeltoruto looks gleeful when she was coming over, but stopped when she saw her sister besides Eru.

"Ah, Onee... Onee sama"

"Ara, Edeltoruto."

Edel alternate her eyes between the two of them, and seems to be quizzing Eru what is going on with her eyes. Eru didn't give a direct answer and smile awkwardly. Stefanie smiled gently as she approach Edel. From their previous encounter, Edel seems to be bad at dealing with her sister of a different mother, but Stefanie doesn't seem to be bothered.

"Don't be so guarded, I won't bully you."

"Yes..."

Seeing Edel act so hesitant despite answering obediently, the two of them smiled bitterly.

"But why is Eru together with Onee sama?"

"Ara, it's simple... because I like smart and cute kids!"

Stefanie places her hands on her hips and declares confidently. What a forceful way of putting it. Edel looks like she is frozen on the spot, convinced by Stefanie. As expected of sisters, Eru thought.

"I have my eyes on him the last time we met, and he is the centre of some 'topics'. We chatted just now, and I discovered that this child is smart and cute!"

Stefanie gets more excited as she speaks, finally giving in and hugs Eru.

"Nah, Eru wants to be a knight right? How about this? Want to protect onee chan as my knight? I can welcome you with 3 meals a day and sleeping together."

"Wait... wait, no! Eru is my soft toy!"

(What is with this family, scary. And Miss Edel, what do you mean by soft toy?)

The stiff Edel who was rooted because of the impact of the confession is yelling now, snatching Eru back. She might be too tense, even her tone has reverted back to normal. Stefanie is smiling coldly. Because she is beautiful, this makes her even scarier. Eru saw her close her hands as she said quietly: "Ara, so that's how it is~". Eru decides to pretend he didn't see anything.

"Edel, your tone is back to normal."

Edel covers her mouth; her face seems to be saying 'this is bad'. Stefanie shakes her head immediately. "It's okay. You don't need to try so hard in school. I am not like Bulksaw and be petty about such things."

"Since Onee sama... says that..."

"Before that, Edel? Can you let go?"

"Eh? Ah, sorry. You are just the right size so I hugged you without thinking..."

Eru breaks free from Edel while Stefanie looks at her longingly.

"Yeah... Eru's height is just nice for a hug..."

"That's right Onee sama, and his hair so soft and smooth..."

"Edeltoruto... as expected of my sister!"

"Onee sama..."

Eru put some distance between the perverted sisters who are holding hands. There are many places he wants to retort, but Stefanie seems so happy. Maybe she is just joking with Eru as an excuse to be closer to her sister. He decides to think of it that way and hope it is true.

The sisters ignore Eru who is averting his gaze, and talks about how much they love cute things. Their discussion is so passionate that you can see a pink aura around them. Eru feels like escaping reality, thinking 'just do what you girls want'. He suddenly remembers an important thing.

"Ah, the next lesson is starting."

The bell signalling the start of the class rings as if on cue. The three of them rush to their classroom in a panic, but unfortunately, they arrived late and were lectured by the teacher.


"Oh, isn't that Akkido? It's been a while." Just as Eru and the others are talking noisily, Cid and someone else met by coincidence in another place. This is the number one person Cid doesn’t want to meet... The brother of Cid and Edel from another mother... Bulksaw Stylus, someone who always picks on them.

Bulksaw has normal features on a decent face, but his scowling smile is a minus point. Cid frowns on reflex when he saw the irritating face of his brother, but managed to keep his composure thanks to his training since young.

"Long time no see... Bulksaw Oni sama."

"I heard the rumours, although the contents are idiotic... I heard there is an amazing freshman this year eh?"

Bulksaw said suddenly. He is probably trying to find fault since he usually ignores what Cid says. Even though Cid hates that attitude, he doesn't complain. Bulksaw is taller than Cid, and seems to be happy about something as he looks down on Cid and continues:

"After asking, didn't that freshmen have some familiar companions."

"Really? I have never heard about that..."

It's finally here, Cid brace himself. Bulksaw was more imposing than usual, there is no way the conversation will become cheerful.

"Hey, is that the attitude you show your brother? Are you a brat that didn't learn manners?"

"...Sorry."

"Forget it. I am generous, and will forgive a brat without manners like you."

Bulksaw squints his eyes and deepens his smile. A creepy smile like a predator hunting its prey. Cid works hard in hiding his wariness.

(The actual topic is coming, how should I get away from this...?)

"I heard you guys weaselled into the express class. That trash has grown so much, I will praise you honestly. Eh, although you are a bastard child, we are still family. It will be shameful to not do only this much... That's right, I said 'only this much'. Freshmen brats won't know much anything right? But I heard a rumour that made me concerned. How boring, if that was true..."

Bulksaw squint his eyes further, Cid felt a sense of uneasiness went down his spine.

"I heard you guys made quite a scene? Hey, that's not true, is it?"

Bulksaw's smile vanished without warning as he draws near menacingly; speaking in a low voice so no one can else can hear them:

"Don't you think you are acting out of line for a mere child of a mistress? Huh? A bastard child? The rumours are probably lies, I don't know what trickery you used, but wouldn't it mislead everyone."

"No, they did not misunderstand. Oni sama, we..."

"Enough, shut up."

The smile on Bulksaw's mouth has turned into a frown. Seeing Bulksaw getting emotional, Cid was tense and ready for anything. But unexpectedly, Bulksaw says without emotions:

"Akkido, what are you scheming?"

"What... scheming?"

"Casting intermediate magic easily after enrolment, planning a route to be a noble knight? Is that the extent of your ambition? Are you planning to bring that title to 'my house' as a visiting gift?"

Bulksaw asked with his poker face.

"Nope, I told you before; we don't want to pester the main family. My ambition to be a knight is for my mother and our future livelihood."

"...Alright, as a gentle elder, I will believe my foolish brother."

"I am very... grateful."

Bulksaw resumes his cold smile, pat Cid on the shoulder and left. Cid who was left alone sighs deeply.

(He didn't plan to do anything to me here, but he won't let us off so easily. If he is just picking on me, I can endure it. I hope he don't cause any stupid commotion.)

But the looming sense of trouble lingers within Cid, contrary to what he thought.


End