Steel and Mana

Chapter 152 – Knights of Avalon (End of Volume II)

It was not an accident that the two shoulder-mounted cannons were installed in real-time. They were affixed to the mech this way to test out how it feels to get a new attachment in the middle of deployment. Check if it interferes with the pilot and the control methods we have running within it. If it does, we would have to devise a procedure to alleviate that issue. We can't cripple our soldiers, especially not in a battle.

We had previously tested the cannons mounted on their platforms, and the feeling was very natural when I melded with the mech through the magic formation. It was like having extra limbs, yet my brain never questioned their presence and managed to aim them by moving my eyes. It was the same as when basketball players shoot for the hoop. The difference was that we would shoot fire magic at our enemies.

When the first 3.5-meter-long cannon was lifted up, using anti-gravity magic and a mobile scaffolding, our workers showcased how quickly and efficiently they could work together, attaching it to the left shoulder first. When it 'clicked' in place, the feeling came back to me immediately, and it was as natural as in any other test. I wondered if it would be the same under the heavy stress and duress of an active battlefield, but that would probably rely on the pilots' conditioning. 

The procedure was relatively short, taking fifteen minutes, but that would be an eternity in battle, so this method would not become a standard practice. Still, it can be done, proving the concept sufficiently. After they were done, I stood back up, and as I moved my eyes within the cockpit, finding the prepared targets, so did the cannons. Of course, it didn't mean they were wiggling around, snapping to target, but they did alter the angle they faced, including a change in their elevation, thanks to the rotating base they were affixed to. 

"I'm ready." I warned the people, letting my, or in this case, the machine's booming voice echo around the testing field. "I will shoot them one by one, first, aiming at the target a kilometer away. Then, I will move on to the second and third targets, 5 kilometers out, and do a double-shot at the last one, 10 kilometers out. Get ready."

After my last warning, they all put on the ear mufflers, and 'looking back,' I couldn't help but smile, watching my little babies have their own before I began focusing on my task. Searching for the first target was a group of hay dummies, laid out as a group of soldiers standing in formation. My vision changed when I recognized them, almost like zooming on the group like how a hawk does after finding its prey. It only took a thought to fire the cannon on my left shoulder and release a moderate blast.

Still, even the spell at this level, drawing its power from the monster's core, gave me a feeling like a kickback from a powerful sniper rifle. It hit me in the shoulder the same way, but I stood firmly, without flinching, watching as the red arc flew through the air, hitting my target and ending in a massive explosion.

"Gods help those who face one of these..." Elliot mumbled, squinting because of the initial blast momentarily blinding him.

"Ga!" Arthur and Leyla laughed, clapping happily, making the girls feel they wanted to see another big boom. They loved the fireworks coming out of the big robot in front of them and wanted to see more, transmitting their thoughts to their parents.

They did not have to wait for long. The second and third targets were further apart, testing how well I could simultaneously deal with more than one enemy. I felt splitting my focus as I aimed at the two at once, letting the cannons on my shoulders move and turn a little, aiming more to the left and right. When I felt I locked in on them and thought about firing, the weapons went off with enough pause between their shots to not tip me over, obliterating the dummies just the same.

Looking towards my shoulders, I could see the cannons smoking, getting a bit hot, and turning crimson. This forced me to dial back on their power, letting them cool a little before I switched my focus back on the last 'enemy' furthest away.

"Okay... this seems to be the limit..." I mumbled to myself as the image before me became fuzzy, and for the first time, I had to make guesses about my aim. It was like reaching the zoom limit on a mobile phone, making the image quality pixelated and messy.

When I felt I was mostly right, able to hit them, I fired the cannons simultaneously, making me flinch for real. The giant mech, reacting to my experience, lifted its right leg, stepped back, and regained its balance, which was disrupted for only a moment, completely in sync with my intention of staying standing. At the same time, I kept looking at the target, waiting for the explosion that came a few seconds later, followed by a mushroom cloud rising in the distance.

"I was off." I spoke calmly, informing them loudly. "I missed the target by a few meters, but the explosion's strength still obliterated the area."

"That's good enough!" My Father laughed, clapping, "The type of monsters coming through the Pass nowadays won't be as small as these toys anyway! Hitting them will be easy."

"I hope you don't want another such monstrosity to attack us." My mom argued, her voice stern and accusatory, "I will show you what a monster can do if you want! Hmph!"

"I... I did not mean it that way... Ugh... But we need their cores..."

"Boooom! Bom-bom! Bum-bom-bum-bom-bum!" Laughed Arthur, clapping, making his sister quickly copy him as they began 'singing' their new favorite song.

"You are a bad influence on our grandkids." My mom added before Sasha came to my Father's aid.

"They are always like this! If anyone here is a bad influence... That would be Leon."

"Hey!" I laughed, which came out very weirdly and eerily, as it echoed through the distorted voice of the giant mech. "I can hear everything, you know. Don't throw your husband under the bus!"

"Neither your Father!" My dad argued, waving his fist at me before turning towards my wives, "What is a bus?"

"Don't look at me!" Yuri answered, raising her hands in protest before she pushed Luna before her, who took off the mufflers and scratched her ears.

"What? I can't hear you! I forgot to wear my protective gear for the first shot, and my ears still ringing! Huh... It isn't permanent, is it?" She moaned, her mismatched eyes watery, making Mikan pat her head, gently releasing a golden light from her palm.

"You will be fine~!" she whispered, smiling tenderly, soothing her panicked expression. My mother looked at her covertly before she beamed at Sasha, who smiled back at her, making my mother nod knowingly.

...

....

.....

"I think this will do!" I moaned, stretching and yawning, closing the book before me and handing it to Merlin, who was already standing and coming before my throne to take it. 

We were within the palace, having the most protracted meeting so far, establishing a new type of army and integrating it under Oleg's command. The naming part was easy, and not just because I was their ruler and what I said would happen. I mean, it was easy because I just had to keep stealing the ideas from old legends. Easy.

 "I will get it into print as fast as possible, My Sovereign." Merlin bowed, smiling from ear to ear, holding the new book of law, aptly named 'Roundtable Rules.' Turning towards the ministers, he continued with an excited shout. "Let us mark this day as the birthday of the Knights of Avalon!" His proud announcement was followed by everyone else standing up and clapping while I sat there, smiling and holding back another yaw because of how tired I felt. 

Knights. Giving that title to my new mechanized army was easy, and they understood the implications from the moment I mentioned it. Naming someone knight meant that they were granted the rank of nobility, so it easily conveyed the feeling that piloting these machines was not something anyone would be capable of.

I have spent the past four hours conducting this meeting and laying out the foundation and requirements that a Knight must have, and I wasn't cutting any corners. Physical fitness was only one part of the equation, and it was a small one at that. The biggest hurdle was finding someone with the proper mental faculties. They had to be intelligent and quick on their feet to adapt to any possible scenarios, and they had to have an iron will to back it up.

For that, I came up with some tests that others from my time would most certainly deem tortuous or label as pure psychological warfare. Then, after going through the first selection, they would be subjected to another round of evaluation, powered by spells that would stretch their physical and mental capabilities to the limit in another torturous way. If they battle through it and come out at the top, they will be candidates to pilot a mech. Or... from now on, to become Knights.

Within the army, they would be their own unit. For now, of course, they were only present on paper, with their ranks still in development. Still, they were allowed to name their mechs after becoming pilots of one. I made sure to put it into the book that once a pilot gets their mech, they are not allowed to change it, and they will be bonded to it for life or until their service ends. Of course, I was also doing it as a kind of motivation to find the best of the best. Only the most decorated Knights would be able to get a newly built mech to paint and name it, while others would inherit someone else's. 

Well, I don't need to worry much about how it will pay out years or decades later, as the prototype is still being fitted with its armor plating and will undergo another test to see how it feels when it is finished. Then, it will be my Father's turn to sit in it and get used to piloting the knight, giving him a chance to name it whatever he desires after transferring it to the Pass.

"I wonder... what kind of monster will visit us this winter? Well... it will have a surprise waiting for it, that is for sure..."