About a month had passed since the battle in which Aizen’s Cyclops had shot down the one-eyed giant.
In the region bordering the Empire, a small-scale monster incursion occurred, and Count Phoenix personally took to the battlefield.
“Then let us begin.”
The count spoke quietly atop the walls, and the gate opened.
Then two steel giants strode out beyond the castle gate and took formation.
And just like that, they began firing their machine guns at the monsters.
The ammunition was still little more than massive chunks of iron, on the grounds that the production process had yet to stabilize, but with such weight and volume flying at tremendous speed, the destructive power was more than sufficient.
The attacking monsters were crushed without a trace before they could even reach the foot of the walls.
One Cyclops remained standing outside the walls, holding its position, and while a small force briefly went out intending to salvage anything useful from the monster remains, the other returned within the walls. Soon it knelt, and the cockpit hatch opened.
When the person who emerged climbed back up onto the wall, the count nodded and looked at him.
“Splendid, Sir Galled. You learned quickly.”
“Yes.”
The knight who had once caused a violent incident with Aizen no longer looked as he had before.
Gazing at the Cyclops, Galled spoke quietly.
“It was easy to control, and it was equipped to protect the person inside so they would not be injured even if they made a mistake. He is the real thing.”
“To think the man who opposed it the most fiercely is now singing its praises. Will the Empire come bearing a white flag tomorrow?”
Galled merely turned his head, as if embarrassed.
The count did not tease him any further.
“Did you apologize, Sir Galled?”
“I went after receiving advice and preparing myself, but when I brought it up, he only remembered belatedly, saying, ‘Oh, that did happen.’”
“Well, he seems to have grown up more roughly than he looks. Considering his environment, he must have met plenty of people rude enough that someone like you would not even remain in his memory.”
That was the count’s assessment after investigating Aizen more closely since his arrival here.
The count smiled as he looked at the Cyclops.
“From time to time, an absurd treasure is discovered in some barren wasteland. I suppose the same applies to people.”
“If I may speak boldly, you should bring him into the count’s house if possible. His only proper blood relation is a cousin who is practically a stranger, so as a son-in—”
“It’s good that you’re proactive, but you do occasionally forget my position and circumstances when you speak.”
His tone was not particularly reproachful.
Ordinarily, the count considered that both Galled’s weakness and his strength, so he did not scold him much for it.
This time, however, it had been highlighted as a weakness.
“I will correct it.”
Galled spoke seriously.
The count chuckled and said,
“As if. You cannot even fix that attitude of treating everyone but me carelessly. Just work hard. Since that has been the driving force behind your loyal service to House Phoenix, I will say no more.”
“I will definitely correct it.”
It seemed this incident had been bitter medicine even for the territory’s stubborn and rough-edged knight.
The count smiled and spoke again.
“It is terribly quiet without that fellow here.”
While Aizen had been staying here, it had been noisy every day.
Perhaps because he was only satisfied when he conducted experiments himself, the sound of explosions rang out like an everyday occurrence, and people worked through the night.
Now, all of that had vanished.
“By now, they should have reached the academy.”
After completing three Cyclops units and after the count’s craftsmen finished receiving technical instruction from the artisans said to belong to the Saintess’s merchant company, the noisy people from the academy had departed like the wind.
In the place where the noise he had somehow grown used to disappeared, a strange loneliness took root, but the count hid that feeling.
No, he worried about the noise itself.
“Both the kingdom and the Empire will be watching Aizen now.”
That was what the count worried about most.
Sir Galled quietly agreed.
“Those Avatus bastards will certainly play their tricks even more openly. The bioweapon they created failed to prove that level of performance and stability.”
“The artificial chimera, you mean.”
Count Phoenix spoke the name of the weapon that House Avatus had unveiled.
It was not strange to predict that the noble house which had worked so hard to obstruct Aizen from behind the scenes would now actively step onto the stage and begin a large-scale assault.
Just as Galled said, Aizen’s weapon had been proven superior to the weapon they had poured their hearts into creating, and Avatus had yet to prove even the matter of stability.
Luck might have played a part, but as far as stability was concerned, the count and the knights of his house believed it would be difficult for chimeras to overturn golems.
And since stability was one of the most important virtues for a weapon of war, this was a gap that would be difficult to reverse.
“By the time Avatus resolves the issue of stability, it is far more likely that Aizen will have brought out something new. They are in a position where they will keep falling behind.”
House Avatus surely did not fail to realize that.
That was precisely why they would try all the harder to bring down Aizen himself.
Moreover, there was another enemy.
“In the end, the fact that the Empire’s Sword Saint returned alive is also a problem.”
Reina had apologized with a grief-stricken face, but it had not been Reina’s fault.
Because she had pursued him then, the Empire’s Sword Saint had ultimately been forced to flee by using even the confidential magic tool that summoned monsters, and learning of its existence had been a truly great gain.
But that did not change the fact that the Empire had been exposed to the existence of the Cyclops and Aizen.
“It is not as though we only suffered losses, but…”
They could have given the Empire even a little less information, so the fact that it had ultimately crossed over stung deeply.
Since all of this was, in a sense, due to interference from House Avatus, the count sighed.
“House Avatus and the Empire practically worked hand in hand.”
Of course, the count’s house was loyal to the kingdom, and the current queen hailed from that side, so they likely had not deliberately aided the Empire.
But from the perspective of the kingdom as a whole, the two of them had joined hands and cast dark clouds over the future called Aizen.
“It is hard enough even when we are united, yet the inside is no better.”
The count grumbled as if fed up.
Then Galled said quietly,
“There is also the method of Your Excellency openly stepping forward and declaring your support for Aizen…”
“You do know that the moment a margrave with independent military authority directly meddles in politics, we will have to fight bloody battles front and back?”
At the count’s words, Galled quietly nodded.
“That was a careless remark.”
“There are many ears listening. Blood has rushed to your head.”
While Galled looked at a loss for what to do, the count chuckled.
One of the people the count trusted had gained an opportunity to grow a little more as a person.
“Still, it would not be difficult to express support indirectly. Continuing to purchase Cyclops units is one method.”
“According to our investigation, there may be friction with the royal palace due to the contract with the Saintess…”
“That Saintess prepared a little trick. There will be no problem. Even if not for that, they will come to an amicable agreement.”
Though the count personally disliked merchants, it seemed he found Mina’s scheme rather amusing.
In any case, just like this time, no one would end up taking a loss.
“Another method would be to imitate House Nexia.”
“Has House Nexia made any move at all?”
“Do you truly think the duke’s daughter is doing everything entirely on her own?”
There might be some personal fondness involved, but the count remembered how Noel had stepped in when he tried to show favor to Aizen.
“The ducal house has expressed its support secretly through their daughter.”
Even the ducal house was being cautious because House Avatus, which even enjoyed the queen’s protection, was troublesome.
But just as Aizen had many enemies, Avatus had many enemies as well.
And now, House Phoenix intended to join those enemies.
“The fourteen comrades who died will be pleased.”
“Yes. I have not forgotten either.”
The incident in which Galled lost sight of propriety and ran wild this time had been a wound to the count as well.
It had only been smoothed over through mediation from even the royal family; the count had always been prepared to oppose Avatus.
“But with the Empire before us, we still cannot move openly. So I will leave it to my daughter.”
His daughter, who had returned to the academy with them this time, would protect Aizen well.
Galled asked cautiously,
“…If it comes to it, will you truly accept him as a member of the family?”
“I am fine with it.”
Galled drew in a small breath.
Then, very carefully, he asked,
“Among the vassals, perhaps a suitable woman…”
“Those children have futures of their own, so it must be someone to whom I can personally suggest it.”
He had phrased it indirectly out of consideration for the vassals’ dignity, but it was clear.
For Aizen, it was a story no different from an overnight rise in status.
It was no one else, but a margrave, thinking of giving him his daughter.
However…
“But I wonder if that child even understands what romance is. I told her to serve him with all her heart…”
The count spoke half jokingly and half worriedly.
Galled, considering his own position, personality, and oath, quietly answered.
“That will be difficult.”
“It will, won’t it…”
The head of the count’s house and the knight whose loyalty had run wild sighed side by side.
****
Vespia Royal Academy.
A dormitory room bearing the nameplate Aizen Arclight.
“You told me to serve him with all my heart, so I think it’s only right that we share a room! A twenty-four-hour guard, ah. I’ll sleep on the floor!”
“Get out.”
Aizen Arclight and Erica Phoenix were engaged in a battle of offense and defense with a single wooden door between them.
By the time Reina came running from afar, the wooden door had already been smashed to pieces.