Chapter 41

From GC Novels, "That Otome Game is a Harsh World for Us, Volume 4" is now on sale!

And

From GCN Bunko, "Fairy Bullet - The Mechanized Maiden and the Beast Soldier, Volume 1" is scheduled to be released on the 19th of this month!

The hangar of the Merea, which has been reborn as a technical test ship, has become narrower than before the renovation.

Previously, space was wasted, but when the modern renovation was carried out, necessary equipment and facilities for the technical test team were installed.

Most of the hangar is occupied by the Raccoon from the Seventh Weapons Factory.

At the back, a dedicated space for Atalante is prepared, making it seem as if one unit is receiving special treatment.

A new addition to Merea's hangar is the mobile knight from the Third Weapons Factory.

Two models have arrived.

Each is a mobile knight from a different project, and they have been assigned to Merea, including the staff, as the technical test team begins full-scale operations.

In front of Emma, the test pilots are lined up, and the young man with the most flamboyant appearance steps forward to introduce himself.

"I'm Lieutenant Rick Martin! The mobile knight I'm responsible for is the Armored Nevan. Nice to meet you, Senpai!"

Emma is taken aback by Rick's casual introduction.

"Senpai? You mean me?"

"Of course! I'm a knight, after all. I'm Lieutenant Rodman's junior!"

Rick, who claims to be Emma's junior, is a knight.

Indeed, he is tall and well-built.

However, his manner is rather frivolous.

Most notably, Rick has a mohawk dyed pink.

Even in front of the squadron leader Emma, he is wearing sunglasses, and his discipline is quite lax.

Emma felt a headache coming on, but she looked up at the mobile knight Rick would pilot.

"...There are many things I want to say, but let's first confirm the mobile knight you'll be responsible for. The data has been shared with the team in advance, but there are often many secrets and changes during testing, so could you give us a brief overview?"

She specifically asked for a brief overview at the introduction to let the pilots and mechanics of Merea, who were around her, hear it as well.

To explain why they were on board Merea.

When Emma asked for a brief overview, Rick gave a sloppy salute.

"Got it! — The Armored Nevan I'll be piloting is a joint development with the Third Weapons Factory. It's more about testing the optional parts rather than the main body of the mobile knight."

The regular Nevan is a sleek mobile knight, but the Armored Nevan that Rick will pilot has a silhouette that is fundamentally heavily armored.

"Optional parts? They can be removed as well?"

In response to Emma's question, Rick shook his head.

"No, this is a test unit for additional armor. If you remove the additional armor, you're left with just the basic frame of a Nevan without its regular armor. They want data on using weapons and other optional parts in this state."

Emma looked up at the Armored Nevan and had a good grasp of what kind of unit it was.

(As expected from the materials I checked in advance, it's a test unit for converting the Nevan into a heavy-armor type... Well, next is...)

Satisfied with Rick's explanation, Emma next turned her gaze to the team of mobile knights classified as the previous generation to the Nevan.

Unlike Rick, this is a three-unit squad, and the person who seems to be the leader stepped forward.

The man, with his black hair slicked back and oval glasses, had narrow eyes and always looked stern.

In contrast to Rick, he exuded a strict and disciplined atmosphere, and he gave a flawless salute.

"I am Lieutenant Ein Kimura, leading the Varona squad."

Relieved that this was a serious person, Emma immediately asked for an explanation of the mobile knights—the Varona squad.

"Lieutenant Kimura. Could you please explain the purpose of the Varona squad—"

"Our squad is investigating the impact on combat effectiveness when the Banfield family transitions from next-generation to current-generation main units."

"Thank you. Then, I have a personal question. Isn't it about time for the next-generation units to become the current generation? Is there really a need to revert—"

Before Emma could finish her question, Ein answered.

"The Banfield family quickly adopted the next-generation Nevan as a mass-production unit. However, this has led to increased maintenance costs. Our team was established with the idea that adopting the current generation would allow the Banfield family to significantly revise their military budget."

"..."

Interrupted twice before she could finish, Emma realized that the serious-looking Ein was also a problem child.

Molly, who had a question after hearing Ein's explanation, raised her hand.

"But, but! The Nevan, which is treated as a next-generation unit, will soon become the current generation, right? If we adopt it now, it will become outdated, isn't that bad?"

In response to the question about whether it was acceptable to use outdated weapons, Ein's glasses gleamed.

As if he had been waiting for this, he answered Molly's question.

"Your concern is valid. However, the transition between mobile knight generations does not happen in just a few years. In fact, it's not uncommon for other families to assign outdated mobile knights to their knight orders. It could take a hundred years for the next-generation Nevan to become widely adopted, according to our thinking. However, we doubt how many noble families can afford to align their current-generation mobile knights over a hundred years. In fact, the Banfield family used the Mohayev, which was several generations old, as their main unit a hundred years ago. In other words, we predict that the current-generation Varona will continue to demonstrate its value for over a hundred years."

Molly, who had received an explanation from Ein, regretted asking the question so lightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

To Molly's apology, Ein continued.

"Don't worry about it. I think others have similar concerns, so I'll address them in advance. Many are worried that the Varona is inferior to the Nevan. While it is true that it falls short in performance, the Varona is an excellent unit. It can be considered the perfect form of the current generation. Its production and maintenance are superior to the Nevan, and its expandability is excellent. With modifications, it can perform on par with next-generation units."

To stop Ein from continuing, Emma called out.

"Lieutenant Kimura, that's—"

"We are striving for the official adoption of the Varona. We would appreciate your cooperation."

Despite Emma's attempt to stop him, Ein finished his speech on his own.

Beside Emma, who was frozen with her hand outstretched, Rick, with his hands in his pockets, was leaning back with a troubled look.

"There's a troublesome guy here, Senpai."

Emma thought to herself.

(These new subordinates have such strong personalities!)

◇

In the break room used by the mobile knight pilots, the members of the Third Squad, who had just finished simulator training, entered.

Emma loosened the collar of her pilot suit and exhaled deeply.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Emma was followed by Doug and the others.

Larry, drenched in sweat, was unsteady on his feet, and Doug sighed at the sight.

"Are you okay, Larry?"

Doug, who was also exhausted from the long simulator session, seemed concerned.

Larry sat down on a sofa in the break room and leaned back.

"Do I look okay? After being restrained in the cockpit for hours, I can hardly move my fingers."

Doug also sat down on the sofa and sipped a drink through a straw.

The drink in the bottle not only replenished fluids but also provided a day's worth of nutrients.

Seeing the bottle, Emma thought to herself.

(Doug is drinking strawberry-flavored...)

It was an unexpected choice for the tough-looking Doug, but he seemed too exhausted to even remember what he had bought.

After finishing the drink, Doug frowned at the bottle.

Thinking he had made a mistake, he crushed the bottle in his hand.

Seeing the two of them resting silently, Emma was about to speak when someone else entered the break room.

"Senpai, good work! I really appreciate you accompanying me in the simulator training. The development manager said he'll thank you next time."

The simulator training this time was requested by the development team of the Armored Nevan that Rick would pilot.

Since a knight would be piloting the mobile knight, it was fitting for Emma, also a knight, to be involved, and the Third Squad was asked to participate.

"This is part of our duty. Still, Lieutenant Martin seems very energetic."

Like Emma, Rick, who is also a knight, did not look particularly tired.

In fact, his cheerful demeanor made him seem to have excess energy.

"Call me Rick, Senpai."

"If that's the case, I'll call you Lieutenant Rick from now on. By the way, can you be a bit more careful with your words and actions?"

When Emma gave a standard reminder, Rick scratched his head in a troubled manner.

"I'm not good at that kind of thing. Well, thanks to that, I've been a lieutenant for years with no chance of promotion, but I don't mind my current life, so I don't plan to change."

Impressed by Rick's refusal to change his behavior, Emma sighed softly.

"It's a waste of your talent to be a test pilot."

When Emma said it was a waste, Doug raised his head in agreement.

Recalling the simulator training just now, he added,

"Indeed, his skills were amazing. With skills like Lieutenant's, he could go much further."

Encouraged by Doug's comment, Larry also spoke up.

"To be so energetic after being restrained in the simulator for so long, knights must be amazing. We ordinary pilots are exhausted, and I envy you. You must be a top-tier knight."

Larry, who had seen Rick's skills in the simulator, assumed he was a top-tier knight.

Emma, though exasperated, partly agreed.

"Whether he's top-tier or not, he did give Atalante a hard time. I think Lieutenant Rick's skills are very high. ...But, his knight rank is surprisingly low."

"Huh?"

Hearing that his knight rank was low, Larry's eyes widened.

He probably hadn't expected a knight skilled in piloting mobile knights to have a low rank.

Rick laughed nonchalantly.

"Of course, that's the case. In my case, I'm specialized in piloting mobile knights, but my other grades are all barely passing. Hmm... As a pilot, I think I can match you, Lieutenant, but in a regular fight, I'd be killed instantly! ...Oh, I mean, I'd be the one to lose."

Rick, a knight specialized in piloting mobile knights, was a unique individual.

Facing the cheerful Rick, Emma had a mixed expression.

She was reminded of herself when she was a rookie.

(Come to think of it, I failed the mobile knight piloting test... My other grades were average, though.)

Seeing the current Rick reminded her of her past self, who had many shortcomings.

Rick, however, didn't seem to feel guilty about his shortcomings.

"Still, it's great that Merea has plenty of training partners! Since Senpai has experience in special equipment development, I think it's a great environment to consult with you."

The Third Squad members, seeing Rick's cheerful smile, were speechless.

Emma, thinking of changing into her regular clothes, received an urgent notification on her terminal.

Checking it, a video started playing on Emma's terminal.

The four of them focused their attention on the hologram that appeared in the air.

"Is this a broadcast?"

As Emma muttered, the person in the video began to speak.

It was Christiana Sera Rosebrier.

"I am informing the entire Banfield military. The Argland Empire is entering a large-scale war with the Oxis United Kingdom."

With her straight, shining blonde hair and gem-like green eyes, the beautiful woman delivered the news of the start of a large-scale war with a melancholic expression.

Doug stood up and muttered.

"An external war, huh."

A large-scale war between interstellar nations involves millions of ships and can last for decades or even centuries.

Its impact often spreads throughout the empire.

However, the story didn't end there.

"Our family will participate in this war. From now on, the entire Banfield military will be reorganized by the central command. Follow the central command's instructions promptly. ...That's all."

After the video ended, no one spoke for several seconds.

Finally, Emma broke the silence.

"The war has started suddenly."

A new work, "Fairy Bullet," is being serialized on Shosetsu-ka ni Narou.

The serialized version is a prototype, so it differs from the book version, but it is being published to help you understand the story.

I hope you will also support the new work.