Chapter 59: Stepping Outside the Royal City (2)

Royal Capital, military base training grounds.

Raymond stood on the high platform, his black cloak fluttering slightly in the wind.

His expression was serious, his gaze slowly sweeping over the training grounds below.

An aura of authority, even without anger, intimidated the surrounding guards into complete silence.

Below, in the center of the training grounds, Adrian stood clad in the standard palace battle armor, his specialized longsword in hand.

Beside him, Lucoco wore the standard set of a court priestess, her robe swaying gently in the breeze.

The staff in her hand, of no low grade, emitted a faint, shimmering light.

Around the training grounds, aside from Are, Amy, and a crowd of curious nobles and guards,

were rows upon rows of various types of magic-powered mechanisms, neatly arrayed.

These devices, crafted from alchemy and magic technology, bore a striking resemblance to the demonic beasts under the Demon King Army, even mimicking their combat styles convincingly.

They were essential training tools for the kingdom’s military, their primary purpose to allow soldiers to learn how to deal with such monsters and hone their combat skills in a safe environment.

Raymond took a step forward, looking down.

“To render all targets incapacitated is the passing standard.

Prince, you are not fighting alone.

Morning Light will assist you, but the final blow that shatters the target must be yours.”

His voice was low, devoid of any emotion.

Adrian tightened his grip on his sword, took a deep breath, and calmed the excitement and nervousness in his heart.

His eyes swept over the silent mechanisms, finally settling on Lucoco, who was curiously examining them.

“Understood!”

Hearing this, Raymond nodded toward several mechanics in the field.

The mechanics understood and stepped forward, stopping before three bird-shaped mechanisms.

They expertly inserted magic crystal stones into the reaction furnaces.

A low hum followed, and the empty eye sockets of the mechanisms suddenly flickered with a light of intelligence.

Gears clicked into motion.

Metal wings with a span of over two meters slowly unfurled. With an oppressive presence, they stepped into the field at a deliberate pace.

Their heads turned, searching for today’s targets…

✧✦✧✦

Seeing who his opponents were, Adrian couldn’t help but swallow hard, a fine sweat breaking out on his forehead.

[Vestalion]—that was the name of the mechanism before him, modeled after the terrifying giant eagle monsters from siege warfare.

Soldiers found the name too long and simply called it the ‘Mechanical Falcon.’

Its primary attack methods were irregular high-speed movement, using its wings for slashing attacks, or spewing fire and smoke to disrupt vision and judgment.

It was the nightmare of many ground troops and city guards.

A sealed memory suddenly crashed into his mind…

Several years ago, as a young boy, he had witnessed the terror of these monsters firsthand during the sudden defense of the Royal Capital.

Their terrifying speed, combined with wings sharper than blades, severed the heads, bodies, and even weapons of soldiers!

They blotted out the sky, emitting piercing shrieks.

They spewed flames, turning the protective barrier enveloping the capital a fiery red, tearing open cracks.

A rain of fire set the Royal Capital ablaze…

He and his younger sister Amy had huddled under collapsed rubble, listening to the screams of the people, watching living beings perish in the flames.

That massive creature had found them.

Its fierce, enormous eyes peered through the cracks in the rubble, gazing at them with a cruel, mocking glee.

Fear had overwhelmed him.

If the Hero Gabriel hadn’t appeared, he and Amy would have perished that night.

✦✧✦✧

The impact of the memory made Adrian’s heart race. He felt his chest might explode, his body trembling uncontrollably, his gaze darkening.

“Adrian, use it.”

Lucoco’s words, like a gentle breeze, reached his ears, lighting up the young man’s eyes.

Hum!

The longsword in his hand suddenly erupted with a sharp sword aura.

He shook off the sweat, bent his knees slightly, and leaned forward.

“Of course. That’s how you’ve always taught me!”

A blazing fury ignited in the depths of Adrian’s eyes, burning away the fear, leaving only endless fighting spirit.

At the same moment, the rune array activated.

The first Mechanical Falcon took to the air.

Its tail spewed scorching flames, heat waves rippled out, and mana fluctuations scattered, disturbing the elemental energy around them.

Its wings vibrated, tracing a sharp arc as it dove straight for the two.

“That’s good.”

Lucoco smiled brightly, lightly waving her staff.

Enhancement spells landed on Adrian one after another.

“Go, Prince. Defeat it!”

“Alright!”

With a determined reply, Adrian’s feet exploded the dust beneath him.

His figure almost turned into an afterimage as he charged forward, his sword sweeping horizontally.

A silver arc of light sliced toward the Mechanical Falcon’s wing root, tearing through the air with a low, whistling sound.

The Mechanical Falcon nimbly rolled to the side, soaring over him to dive straight at Lucoco!

Flames grazed his shoulder, the searing heat making his right arm tremble, slightly throwing off his sword’s momentum.

Lucoco remained unflustered, softly chanting, “Magic Field.“

Several diamond-shaped fields materialized in front of the charging Mechanical Falcon and ahead of Adrian’s path.

Adrian reacted instantly, twisting his body and forcefully stomping on one of the fields.

He bent his knees, gathering strength, and leaped high into the air!

His blond hair streamed behind him.

The longsword thrust straight down, its tip gleaming with a sharp light.

“Piercing Strike!”

It accurately pierced into the left wing joint of the Mechanical Falcon that Lucoco had intercepted!

“Hah!”

He roared, twisting his waist for leverage.

The sound of shattering metal echoed across the training grounds.

Sparks flew as the Mechanical Falcon was torn open with a massive gash, crashing to the ground.

First one, destroyed.

The second and third Mechanical Falcons ascended simultaneously, flanking him from left and right, their momentum fiercer.

The left one dove, spewing thick smoke that obscured a large area.

The right one spiraled upward, the flames it stirred transforming into several sharp lances that whipped toward Adrian.

Gritting his teeth, Adrian slid his feet back, retreating from the smoke while barely dodging the incoming lances.

The sound of rushing wind approached.

He raised his sword, the blade gathering sword aura again, swirling air as he slashed at the abdomen of the left falcon emerging from the smoke.

The falcon that burst from the smoke suddenly accelerated, its wings flapping, nearly crashing into his chest.

At the same time, a shriek came from the other side!

Lucoco lightly tapped her staff, pushing her palms forward: [Wind Blade Tornado]

A whirlwind rose, forcibly driving the two Mechanical Falcons away from Adrian while rapidly dispersing the thick smoke.

The hem of her robe fluttered.

Her dark red eyes locked onto the right Mechanical Falcon.

“Right side, high altitude. I’ll pin it down!”

She lightly waved her staff, gripping it with both hands.

Magic gathered, aimed directly at the right Mechanical Falcon, while a solid [Magic Barrier] enveloped herself.

Boom!

Crash!

The left Mechanical Falcon streaked in at high speed, its wing slamming hard into the barrier with a deafening crash, only to be sent flying back, its speed drastically reduced.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the barrier’s surface, but it had ultimately blocked the attack.

Lucoco narrowed her eyes.

‘Isn’t the attack power of this Mechanical Falcon a bit too high!?’

But there was no time to dwell on it now, as her magic was complete.

“Holy Chains – C“!

Golden chains emerged from the void, accurately entangling the wings of the right Mechanical Falcon, yanking it forcefully.

Seizing the opportunity, Adrian stomped hard, kicking up a cloud of dust as he leaped toward the right Mechanical Falcon.

The enchanted blade descended like thunder, cleaving through metal, aiming straight for the core in the falcon’s neck!

Crack!

A crisp sound echoed.

The second Mechanical Falcon lost power and fell silent.

Meanwhile, one of the wings of the left Mechanical Falcon, damaged from the earlier full-force collision, now hung precariously.

Sparks flew from the joint, as if it could fail to maintain flight at any moment.

A flash of delight crossed Adrian’s eyes.

Without much thought, he charged straight for it.

“Be careful.”

Lucoco’s helpless reminder sounded.

Adrian’s heart skipped a beat, and he stopped, urgently chanting: “Guard“!

A shimmering light instantly enveloped his entire body.

Sure enough, the next second, a violent surge of flames suddenly erupted from the teetering Mechanical Falcon, transforming into a torrent of fire rain that slammed into Adrian.

Thud thud thud!!

Some of the fire rain was intercepted by the light, but the majority smashed directly into Adrian’s battle armor, forcing him back several steps, his face pale.

Lucoco’s confusion deepened.

‘This Mechanical Falcon is only level 21. How can its attack power be so exaggerated?’

Her sleeves fluttering, she chanted again: “Magic Field.“

Instantly, several shield-like barriers materialized in front of Adrian, helping him block most of the fire rain.

After the frenzied attack, the Mechanical Falcon entered an overheated state, its movements becoming abnormally sluggish.

The disheveled Adrian didn’t have time to think. He stomped the ground hard, mustering all his strength for a final blow: “Cross Slash!“

Boom!

Sword energy ran rampant.

Gears flew apart.

Metal fragments scattered like rain.

The third Mechanical Falcon, destroyed.

✧✦✧✦

The trial was over.

Hearty cheers erupted from around the training grounds.

Raymond, who had been observing, gave a slight nod, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Barely passing.”

Adrian slumped to the ground, panting, drenched in sweat.

He raised a hand, forming a fist and extending it toward Lucoco, grinning.

“Thank you! Morning Light.”

Lucoco smiled, extending her small fist to gently bump his.

“You’re welcome.”

Immediately, her gaze shifted back to the three destroyed Mechanical Falcons, examining them carefully.

“Hmm?”

Through the torn metal, she suddenly noticed a peculiar mark on the internal reaction furnace, rapidly fading…

‘That’s a puppeteer’s control spell formula!’

With just one glance, Lucoco recognized it.

For someone who had deeply researched (meaning frantically looking up information during the Blue Star era) magic technology-related imprints, this type of spell formula was all too familiar!

‘But who was it? Daring to pull something like this on such an occasion.’

‘Was it those mechanics?’

Lucoco immediately listed the mechanics as the primary suspects.

‘I need to find an opportunity to inform Raymond about this.’

With the battle over, Amy, who had been watching from the rear, came bouncing over.

Her twin ponytails swayed, her purple eyes sparkling with delight as she cheered, “Brother Adrian was so cool!”

She then turned to Lucoco, her little face suddenly turning serious as she nodded her head.

“Hmm~ Little Sister Morning Light did quite well too! As expected of this princess’s rival.”

“What Sister Amy says is right. If Sister had been the one to go up, she would have knocked these three stupid birds down long ago.”

Lucoco slightly bent her waist, instantly switching to the shy little sister persona.

“Hmph, of course!”

Amy placed her hands on her hips, proudly lifting her chin.

“Hehehe…”

Adrian looked at the two of them with a silly grin.

…

“Adrian, Amy, and Morning Light.”

Raymond’s voice came from the high platform.

“Here!”

The three responded in unison, standing straight.

“Come to the administration hall this afternoon.”

“Yes!”

They chorused.

“Hmm…”

Raymond nodded and turned to leave.

The three looked at each other.

In Amy and Adrian’s eyes, a light called anticipation gradually ignited.

Finally, they could finally leave the Royal Capital, venture beyond the royal city, and travel that vast, wide world!