The Tale of a Noble’s Wandering
The anomaly occurred immediately after the match had been decided.
Had the tip of the high-frequency thermal blade made contact? A single crack ran across the chest of Unit 5, and the entire body erupted in an explosion. Raimund, who had been convinced of his utter defeat, allowed a brief moment of joy to surface on his face.
「Did I get him?」
He quickly re-equipped the charged particle beam cannon remaining in the left arm of the Asmodel and took aim once more.
Kou broadcasted their conversation to the comms and shouted:
「Well done, Raimund. To land a final blow in the end… But even if I fall, the cause will be carried on. By my comrades in Trireme…」
Unit 5 began to fall, engulfed in explosions. It was a strangely gradual descent.
Raimund soon realized his mistake.
「Wait a second! If the chest was cut, why is the whole body exploding? That doesn’t make sense!」
Unable to suppress his frustration, Raimund shouted at the unnatural nature of the fall, but Kou ignored him. Yet, even Kou’s face betrayed his emotions—his expression revealed regret as he understood that his act had been seen throught.
The cameras on the Lanius were firmly tracking the Asmodel. Despite the explosions, a closer look revealed that the Silhouette itself didn’t appear to be taking significant damage. Meanwhile, the muzzle of the D-Rifle was locked onto the Asmodel.
「At least I’ll take you with me… straight to hell…」
Kou muttered a fitting line for the situation.
「Don’t mess with me!」
Raimund, enraged, unleashed another volley on the falling Unit 5. Yet, as before, the particles merely scattered, far from delivering a decisive blow.
On the other hand, Unit 5’s D-Rifle maintained its aim. A succession of fluid-metal rounds struck the Asmodel, each hit edging closer to a critical impact. Finally, the rounds fully penetrated its armor, triggering a chain of internal explosions.
Both units emitted blinding flashes of light, and from a distance, it might have seemed like a mutual kill. Before Unit 5 could hit the water, the Asmodel also began its descent.
Unit 5 crashed into the water, its frame slowly sinking as explosions continued even underwater.
「Confirming the results of the duel. Mutual destruction.」
With not the slightest hint of somberness, Aimer’s announcement echoed across Trireme. The ‘Mozu Drop’ operation had been successfully completed.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Oh, Outis! To achieve a draw with the Asmodel, one of the strongest among the Antique Silhouettes!」
Kelly read aloud in a monotone voice from a script sent by Astraea. The broadcast was live, reaching audiences across the entire globe.
「The pilot was none other than Raimund, commander of the Roche Phalanx, the most powerful Underground Force on this planet. For Outis to achieve a draw with such an ace—he truly was an exceptional man.」
Barry, also reading in a flat tone, continued the broadcast.
「We’ve lost a remarkable man.」
Lastly, the masked man, Marujin, joined the worldwide broadcast while sipping tea and spoke those words in a completely unconvincing voice devoid of tension.
「Hey, you lot, put some effort into acting, will you? The guys from Trireme are terrible actors!」
Watching the farce performed by Trireme, Hermes was brimming with anger and sharply criticized their lackluster delivery. The god Hermes, after whom his personality was modeled, was deeply associated with cultural pursuits. Hermes was particularly strict about theater and performance, making his irritation at the amateurish acting all the more pronounced.
「Outis! There’s no way you could be dead! The only one I should stand by is you…」
Asia played the role of a tragic heroine with dramatic flair.
「His ideals, and Trireme itself, should be carried on by Metal Iris and Ulysses. What do you think, Okeanos?」
「…Approved.」
Was it just their imagination, or did Okeanos sound slightly exasperated? The fact he said ‘approved’ instead of ‘affirmed’ added a subtle air of reluctance to this response.
「The battle between Trireme and the Mercenary Association Headquarters will continue. Our fight is just beginning!」
With those words, Barry concluded the global broadcast.
「Who even wrote this script? It’s way too heavy-handed with the explanations.」
「And what was that ending? Not even canceled manga series wrap up this sloppily.」
Kelly and Barry grumbled in hushed tones. Even if it was a farce, there was surely a better way to handle it. Despite being briefed on the outline of Operation Mozu Drop in advance, the post-battle script they received was atrocious.
「The writer was Blue. I’m sorry you got involved into this.」
「I had to improvise! I did the best I could in such a short time!」
Aimer apologized and Blue tried to defend herself, offering a hurried excuse.
「You should’ve done the live commentary yourself.」
「I wouldn’t have been able to confidently narrate the awkwardness of that mutual kill.」
「…Yeah, fair point. My bad.」
The Mercenary Association Headquarters had lost both its flagship and its leader. It was unlikely that Trireme would face defeat now. The end of the war was in sight; the only remaining question was how the aftermath would be managed.
「Who gave Kou the idea, anyway? He even pointed out how the Stones conquest advanced and the points that were the fault of the Mercenary Association Headquarters. Did he come up with all that himself?」
「And this whole charade, too! It’s true, with Outis declared missing, our enemies will always live in fear of when he might reappear. I doubt it will work on the Stones, but there’s no advantage in making it widely known that Kou is Outis.」
It was undeniable that keeping Kou’s identity as Outis known only to a select few created a deterrent within the Stones. The rank-and-file soldiers didn’t need to know. Withholding unnecessary information was a fundamental principle in military strategy—it would only serve to unsettle the frontlines.
「All we can do is be grateful that the mastermind isn’t on the enemy’s side.」
「I feel the same way. Kou has shown the world what it means to be a true Development Engineer.」
Although they found it too embarrassing to say such things to his face, the two deeply acknowledged Kou’s extraordinary accomplishments.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Unit 5, descending underwater, had ceased its explosions and was quietly retrieved by the Deep One submarine unit.
「With this, I can finally escape the heavy burden of being Outis.」
「As if! You’ll have to keep working hard as the shadow ruler.」
Asia immediately rejected Kou’s murmured wish.
「I-I’ll do a little, but at least for now, Outis is officially ‘missing,’ right? If anything happens, I can just step back into the role.」
「I don’t know if you realize it, but that’ll turn into the stuff of a savior’s legend.」
「What?」
「Never mind that. Just hurry up and get back. Everyone’s waiting for you.」
「Got it.」
A communication from another Deep One came through. It was from a seal-type Familiar.
「The Asmodel and its pilot fell right in front of us, so we picked them up. Can we eject them back into the ocean? The pilot doesn’t seem to be conscious.」
「Don’t eject them like trash. Take them to the Cimon instead. And keep the fact that I’m alive a secret.」
「Understood!」
The familiar replied cheerfully and signed off.
Having little interest in Raimund, Kou decided to leave the matter to Barry.
Unit 5 was sent back to the Astraea. Meanwhile, Kou reunited with Voy and headed to meet Arges.
「Thank you, Arges. And to all the production Machines as well. It all went according to plan!」
The plan that Arges had proposed was like this: disguise Unit 5, stage Outis’ disappearance on the battlefield, and thereby unburden Kou from the weight of leading Trireme. Trireme could always call upon Outis when truly needed, and Kou would no longer have to shoulder that responsibility constantly.
「As expected of Arges. Kou always charges ahead recklessly, so I was on edge. Probably everyone else felt the same.」
Voy said with relief.
Concerned about the strain on Kou, Voy had quickly supported this plan. The only challenge was determining the right moment for Outis to disappear from the battlefield.
The plan hadn’t gone entirely smoothly. They hadn’t anticipated the Gorgias being sunk in a single strike, which disrupted the timing for Kou’s appearance in the battlefiled. As a backup, they initiated Operation Mozu Drop to summon the ace pilot of the Roche Phalanx. As predicted, the enemy took the bait.
「I’m glad to hear that. I’m happy to have been of service to you.」
The gentle one-eyed giant was someone Kou deeply admired, even regarding him as a father figure. Among the Artifact Consciousness—or even humans—Arges and Voy were the ones who spent the most time alongside Kou, supporting him through everything.
「If you’re listed as missing, the enemy will be plagued with paranoia, always wondering when Outis might reappear. Should you resurface, you’ll become a legend. From there, you can act as you see fit.」
「This really helps me, Arges. How much have you foreseen?」
「It’s not my doing. There are many Artifact Consciousness always by your side, offering their support. This might be their wisdom—or perhaps the wisdom of a particular one among them.」
「I heard the original idea came from a string of numbers. Who could it have been?」
「The intent was clear to me. Likely, it was someone—or something—akin to a relative of mine.」
「That’s a fascinating idea in itself.」
Arges had existed since the pioneering days. If Arges referred to this entity as a ‘relative’, it was undoubtedly an ancient entity, steeped in history.
「There are still many like that around today. And one more thing—the traditions I studied while crafting your sword proved useful.」
「The traditions of my country?」
「Precisely. Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Akechi Mitsuhide, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyori. Your country’s history is filled with figures who were believed to have died only to be thought alive by the people afterward.」
「So that’s where the inspiration came from… But now that I think about it, maybe that’s exactly the kind of narrative I needed.」
The names Arges listed were all individuals Kou recognized.
「When this plan was proposed, Aimer and Master anticipated a variety of possible scenarios.」
A hero who appears and then vanishes again—it was a situation with many potential uses, as Aimer and Master had astutely realized.
「Master was unusually excited about all this… Something about turning me into a legendary noble exile.」
It was likely out of concern for Kou’s safety. The one most enthusiastic about the elaborate plan to fake his death was none other than Aimer. Master found the idea of emulating historical legends of great figures amusing—transforming Outis into a noble hero, accompanied by Asia and Prometheus, who would vanish only to potentially reappear someday. Shee had praised whoever came up with the concept as a brilliant strategist.
The desired effect was to make the existence of Outis uncertain, which would undoubtedly serve as a deterrent to all forces on Planet Asia.
「The Familias will be fine. They all know Outis it’s you.」
「They’ll pass the message along to Trireme. That’s what we’re counting on.」
Arges narrowed his camera lens, a movement resembling the squint of an old man—a very human-like gesture.
「Kou, Unit 5 is currently soaked in seawater. Voy and I will handle the maintenance. You should head to the command center and report in. Everyone must be worried about you.」
「Got it. See you later!」
Kou quickly walked off, his footsteps echoing as he disappeared down the corridor. The two watched his retreating figure in silence.
「Still, who came up with the original concept, really?」
「Who indeed…」
Voy suspected that Arges might have an idea of who was behind the original concept, but it was impossible to tell from his singular mechanical eye whether he was feigning ignorance or genuinely unaware.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「I’m back, everyone.」
「Welcome home.」
They all replied, one after another, expressing their joy at Kou’s safe return.
「At least for now, I can finally go back to being just Kou.」
「The complaints I’ve been getting are overwhelming! Couldn’t you have done something about it? Especially your acting.」
Blue said, puffing her cheeks in frustration. The script had drawn an unusual amount of criticism.
「It was Raimund’s fault. Who stops to point things out like that in the middle of a duel?」
「Well, I mean, the whole-body explosion from a chest strike was pretty unnatural, nya.」
Nyanta chimed in, unable to defend that particular detail.
「Still, I think the final exchange of the D-Rifle and the charged particle cannon was impressive. It made for some great footage.」
Aki chuckled softly. On the battlefield, anything can happen. If anyone asks for an explanation, just could always say the reactive armor misfired or metallic hydrogen detonated, and that should suffice.
「Hey, the ending wasn’t that bad, right?」
Kou asked cautiously, glancing nervously at everyone’s faces to gauge their reactions. Seeing his unease, Aimer murmured under her breath.
「I’m starting to think it would have been better you kept playing the role of Outis.」
「What? Why would you say that?」
The sudden comment left Kou visibly shaken.
「I can’t deny it, nya.」
「He can always recover Outis persona, but I concur with Aimer.」
「Yes, please do. In fact, become Outis right now.」
Nyanta, Aki, and Blue, one after another, voiced their opinions, leaving Kou speechless, unable to make sense of their reactions.
Author’s Note:
The full scope of Operation Mozu Drop has now been revealed. Its goal was to render Kou’s existence as Outis uncertain, freeing him from the burden of the role. After all, it’s a heavy load for just one pilot to carry.
Hermes dismissed it as a farce, but it was more of a poorly staged play—a cheap melodrama, the kind that makes you want your money and time back. Even so, Hermes himself seems to be living a life far removed from the grim reality of the Stones. More on that in the near future…
Both sides have begun maneuvering with the end of the war in mind. Unlike the Asia War, events are moving swiftly. While both sides maintain a certain level of fighting strength, the key decision-makers are, quite literally, sunk beneath a sea of magma.
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