Vol 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4 – Legacy of the Last Hexe
Once, a boy was asked by his master.
The boy then answered that he wanted to become someone like his master.
”Lyle...... well, I don't know what kind of person you think I am, but I don't
disciples to surpa.s.s them?”
”......People can't always be chasing after someone. Someday, they have to
must find the path that you, and only you, can tread. Be it left or right, be it
when the time comes.
The boy thought about it.
question to him.
had surfaced in his mind earlier.
”I see. If that's what you want, Lyle, then you will have to become more
alright. After all, you're my one and only......”
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stroked his hair ever so gently.
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Lyle, who had taken refuge in his laboratory, took out some high-purity
Exciting the amber, he focused magical power into Lunaria, who was lying on
slowly closed up, as she took in the light.
Leaking out a sigh, Lyle s.h.i.+fted the curtains and looked outside.
Coupled with their sleepwalk-like movements, it was like a scene from a
”Master Lyle, do you think it would be difficult to force our way through, with
In a humble tone, Milla suggested a drastic measure.
”We also need to take control of the situation, and not just force our way. I
”Is that what you should be doing, Master Lyle?”
That is an unspoken rule for magi. As the <disciple of=”” the=”” last=”” hexe=””>, I cannot
Lyle declared while spinning the amber about in his hands, and then he took
”......I will head for this place. Milla, I'd like you to watch over the academy.”
”It'd be dangerous for the people being manipulated to leave the academy.
”Well yeah... I did do my fair share of locking up bad kids in the shed at my
Milla looked a bit nostalgic.
”Don't worry about it. Expecting that something will probably happen, that in
Lyle then took something that had been hidden, out from the bottom of the
”Don't you think that that dandy n.o.ble needs a few more opponents to go up
”Well... this gun is just a regular one, though.”
bullets that he had crafted himself. Over his formal suit, he put on the
”......If you insist on doing so, would you at least take some of my equipment
Asked the worried Milla.
”......In that case, please give me a sword.”
”Please give me a sword... as I will be going with him.”
heading off right away is simply too much......”
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Said Lunaria, with a frantic look on her face.
Lyle nodded.
if they went together.
”I do.”
”It has been rather dangerous as of late.”
Lyle.
you please with it.”
Taking the key, Lyle continued his preparations.
standing up.
of the two of them.”
Lunaria remained silent, and suddenly nodded.
Das.h.i.+ng out of the living quarters, the three of them ran through an opening
Page 2
Her rendezvous with Lyle had been disrupted, the dress she had picked out
of all, the rope that tied her to the chair felt horrible.
Maria glared at Vilhelm, who had remarked in a carefree manner.
”If I do that, won't I just get slapped again?”
”Then just stay like that and don't move.”
Maria had been brought to a rather dull place.
looked like those of a pipe organ, lined up on the wall which had been
the ground, on which an input device which looked like a keyboard could be
But the smell of oil and steel that permeated the area was not something a
would be that of machines, cold and robotic, with an emphasis on efficiency
”......Hah.”
thinking, 'this is so pointless', it makes me feel sick.”
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Vilhelm looked surprised.
power, but you gave up on your chance to make the most out of it. Your
of handling him.”
”I was not. I merely spoke the truth.”
emotions concealed beneath.
you have that kind of worth, I will guarantee your safety and well-treatment.
”Oh right... let me ask you something. Why do you bear such goodwill
me.”
hands more than anything else. If she at least had one hand free—
Sticking out her tongue and going, 'beh', she scoffed at Vilhelm.
Saying just that, Vilhelm fell into silence.
(......You couldn't understand it the last time anyway.)
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later, when she would have to go all out.
Part 3
was located a distance away from the multi-purpose plaza. The water
seemed to be the reason the authorities had abandoned the site. So, what
Lyle soon saw the answer to his questions.
entrance. The cave was reinforced with concrete, and there was even a
It was obvious that the water drainage would be bad. This was because there
bas.e.m.e.nt at that. Most likely, that was the reason for the poor water
Giving his thanks to the horses that had pulled their horse carriage here, Lyle
The staircase was lighted at various intervals by lamps, and the steps had
collected a fair amount of dust due to what was likely long years of abandon.
people had most likely been here recently.
before him.
The sheer size of it made the hall in the academy where the ball had been
However, what surprised Lyle the most was the huge structure enshrined in
”This is......”
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meant to bring up the airframe measured over two hundred metres in
tall as a three-storey building. On various places of the airframe, there were
”An immense airs.h.i.+p... no, a 'flying wars.h.i.+p', huh......”
for the remnants of the military s.h.i.+pyard.
since the dawn of the airs.h.i.+p, they were frequently proposed to be put into
The reason was simple. There was a problem in the payload capacity.
protected the wars.h.i.+p, the high output steam engine, the armaments and
The most troublesome of all, were the personnel needed to man the wars.h.i.+p.
humans in the vessel. Outfitting the airs.h.i.+p with complex weapon systems for
”That's the rbe der=”” last=”” hexe=””>......?”
hatch in the rear of the flying wars.h.i.+p was wide open.
The interior was already lit up by lamps. And those lamps indicated the path
It looked like the steam engine was already running, as a light tremor could
There were pipes overhead in the narrow pa.s.sageway; the conditions were
thing purely dedicated for use in war.
drastically different from the pa.s.sageway leading up to it. As for how it
entrance, namely, near the front of the vessel, a gigantic pipe organ-like
”—Welcome.”
the ground.
.”
While glaring at Vilhelm, Lyle observed the device resembling a ma.s.sive pipe
The parts which looked like pipes, were cylinders that lined up wheels, which
attached to the enormous gears and cranks. And at the 'keydesk' of the pipe
Vilhelm was standing before that keyboard, and right next to him, was Maria,
seemingly ill-humoured self, Lyle heaved a sigh of relief.
<ymir> is? It is something that you had once proposed, a mechanism that had
Vilhelm asked, as though he were testing Lyle.
Lyle had understood immediately. Once, he had imagined its entire diagram.
1
used is 'King of Giants'.
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a steam engine. Although it was something that calculated the certainty of
was capable of were comparatively simple in nature, and hence it was faster
However, the calculator was merely the simple first stage. If a semiautomatic
would surely be—
[Ingenious Engine].”
had thought of the theory behind it, but he did not think that the current
That was what laid before his eyes.
of a 'flying wars.h.i.+p'. As it was a complete failure, it had been abandoned.
now.
once collaborated with the military before, and thus, it is likely she was able
device strong enough to power the Ingenious Engine, which needed a
However, can you understand what kind of 'power' can be born from the
”......”
If the flying wars.h.i.+p was outfitted with the Ingenious Engine, then most of
eliminated. If a 'program' was installed into the Ingenious Engine beforehand,
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soldiers manning the cannons, the personnel adjusting the outputs—the
would be resolved in one fell swoop.
form of weaponry. If properly maintained, they would be machines that
the ideal weapon.”
toy.
would easily number in the hundreds, no, thousands—he understood that
”When I first came across this, I had been excited to no end—but this
machine.”
about the size of a person's palm, and was round in shape—it would be just
”The conversion key for the machine to interprete the order that had been
Saying that, Vilhelm took out the pocket watch he had taken from Lyle—the
the watch gla.s.s, he took out the 'interior' of the pocket watch.
watch was protruding out, like a key. The lines that ran around the surface
”It is likely that this would activate <ymir>. And for what comes after, you are
Turning towards Lyle, Vilhelm extended his arm, overflowing with vigour.
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after her—no, you would know the Ingenious Engine even better than the
with the <ymir>, we will let the entire world know of your talent.”
Lyle looked intently at the outstretched hand, and the Ingenious Engine
He had been rather moved by the notion. That the mechanisms he had
way someone who studied science would not be moved.
that Lyle had.
After a short pause of several seconds, Lyle expectedly refused.
expectations.
it was not for this sort of purpose.”
and your own worth?”
a weapon right from its 'birth'.”
you do not use. And the fastest way to increase its worth—is to wield power
Vilhelm shook his head as if he were clearing away a headache, and
”Although I'd have liked to have him cooperate with me out of his own will, I
Vilhelm drew the sword at his waist.
The faint crimson magic sword was pointed towards Maria.
”—What a foul man you are.”
”......If that's how you want it, then I'll be taking a hostage as well.”
Vilhelm was at a loss for words.
From the breast pocket of his overcoat, Lyle had taken out a cylinder-shaped
attached to the wooden handle, was a...
The stick grenade, was one of the most cutting-edge weapons, along with the
fuse, the increased amount of safety was one of its selling points.
”Getting to know the compounding method of explosives and how to
Lyle placed his finger on the cord at the end of the handle.
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away.”
His composure up till this point in time utterly disrupted, Vilhelm's expression
”It is just the most rational one with the highest probability of success.”
”Put too high of a value on me, didn't you, Lord Zest? Now, what will you
”...At this range, I will take but a second and a half to close the distance. It
”In that case—would you care to give it a go?”
”Lyle!”
Before Maria shouted out, Vilhelm had broken into a run.
and knocked the hand grenade from his hands.
Although the hand grenade exploded, what a.s.sailed them was no shock
”Wait, this is a— !”
Lyle who had covered his face beforehand, ran past Vilhelm, who had his
”That was just an example of chemiluminescence!”
Although Maria was blinded by the intense light as well, sensing Lyle's
”Lylee~”
Lyle started to untie the ropes that were restraining Maria.
Turning about abruptly, Lyle found that Vilhelm was heading right back for
extended his hands out towards Lyle.
A flash of silver that came from above.
”It's you...”
her hands.
Seeing that his fighting prowess had not gone down at all despite his
vision, she grabbed both Lyle and Maria, and 'fogslided' away, putting some
”......You sure pulled a fast one on me, Lyle.”
”—What on earth was that earlier?”
some aluminium and combustion agents.”
Lyle turned around and faced Vilhelm.
”I fell for your trap, didn't I. Good grief...... you're full of surprises.”
smiled, looking excited.
Spinning around, Vilhelm ran towards the base of the Ingenious Engine.
The core of the pocket watch from the «Witch» was inserted into the
With a small click, the countless numbers of wheels started to turn all at
”—Ascend.”
In that moment, the sound of running steam engines grew louder, and with a
Part 4
outskirts of the royal capital had ended, and the performers were drinking
a generous amount of beer and spirits. Those who knew that said n.o.ble was
site numbered none.
little things.
And then, those who were less drunk had pointed it out.
Practically all of them had ignored it and continued their merry-making.
One part of the wall of the central deck in the flying wars.h.i.+p <ymir> retracted
projected the scenery outside. It conferred on them a feeling of being distant
By simply operating the keyboard, the ma.s.sive flying wars.h.i.+p was controlled.
something that would change the way wars would be waged. Although it
downsized version were to be available, its worth would be unmeasurable.
”......”
He had invented it, but it was being used in the worst conceivable way. He
”......What should we do, Lyle?”
released from her bindings.
any openings.”
the Ingenious Engine.”
complex machine had many weaknesses that could be exploited. For
heart—
intentions, and tapped the keyboard with his fingers.
central deck, and it was shut with a steel door.
”......”
Maria clapped the now silent Lyle on the shoulders.
Turning around, Lyle saw that Maria was wearing a rather dangerous smile.
”...I know that.”
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It was somewhat deplorable for him, but before he made an all-in gamble, it
”......Lunaria, pa.s.s me the pack.”
the weapons inside one after another.
Taking her favourite rifle and a belt filled with bullets that was pa.s.sed to her,
equipped with a bayonet.
”Alright... what about you, Lunaria?”
The girl who was staring at Vilhelm replied softly to Lyle.
need you to buy some time for us.”
Lunaria tightened her grip on the sword in her hands.
”Roger that.”
Vilhelm who had turned and faced them, was approaching, magic sword in
Taking the initiative, Lunaria dashed out at him.
the «Nosferatu» who was clad in [Fog], her Eyes of Amber glowing with the
He deflected the outstretched [Fog] with the magic blade, which shared the
”—Ugh!”