Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 40

Chapter 40
  However, it would take time to loudly declare, “The lord of Zephyrus is suspected of treason.” Even if they managed to secure the agreement of the Imperial Faction nobles who were their relatives and obtain the approval of the young Emperor, problems would still remain.
  
  There was no guarantee that the nobles of the three western territories, who had suddenly become close to the Valer family, would not interfere when the time came. The movements of the neutral faction were also a concern, so it was necessary to swiftly avenge their enemy.
  
  “That fool… dying in battle on his own and leaving the family estate to a troublesome fellow…”
  
  Strictly speaking, after the death of the previous lord, the Marquis had used the allure of giant knight technology to sway even the Imperial Faction and had completed the succession of the title with the Emperor’s pardon… The Marquis himself had kept silent at that time, but now he complained, ignoring the facts.
  
  While watching his master muttering something, Valph sighed inwardly. After leaving with the young officer who had been ordered to submit a written report, he quickly walked down the castle corridor.
  
  “Things are going to get busy from now on, even though I don’t want them to be.”
  “I’m sorry. If only we had taken out the top priority target during the raid…”
  
  “It was a mission with a success rate of less than fifty percent from the start. Don’t worry too much about it.”
  
  After offering kind words to the dejected Leonardo, the Knight Captain of Rigsia returned to his office.
  
  Leonardo bowed to his retreating figure and headed to the officer’s room assigned to him in the barracks to rest his body, weary from the journey.
  
  As some time had already passed, he predicted that his comrades would not be at the Clawsolas workshop. As expected, Elnea, to whom he had given a spare key after she had pestered him for it, was relaxing in the room.
  
  “Welcome back. You don’t look… alright.”
  
  Reacting to the sound of the door opening, she frowned unpleasantly at the ink stains on his military uniform.
  
  “Considering the failure in Zephyrus, this is better than it could be. That being said, if I submit a report on the outcome, I’ll probably be officially suspended.”
  
  “Hmm, want to relax together?”
  “Haha, that’s not a bad idea.”
  
  Leonardo smiled at the mage girl who had rummaged through his Western-style chest of drawers without permission and taken out some clothes. He relaxed his shoulders as he returned to his room for the first time in a while.
  
  “It’s better to stretch out after you’re clean… I’ve prepared the bath.”
  
  No sooner had he said this than Elnea, who had apparently already bathed while the lord Marquis was busy being squeezed, handed him a change of clothes. A pleasant scent of soap with added plant essential oils wafted from her.
  
  Suddenly, he became conscious of the fact that when he was away, he had only washed himself in rivers and lakes. He hurriedly retreated to the bathroom, cleansed himself, and then soaked in the bathtub of the private room, small but allowed to those exclusively assigned to Clawsolas, to relieve his fatigue.
  
  Afterward, while racking his brains over the contents of the report, he spent a relaxing time with his partner. The next morning, when he went to the workshop to receive a report on the status of the Clawsolas, he saw a lady in an incongruous dress.
  
  ‘Even so, she’s a rare Clawsolas developer. You never know.’
  
  He had heard that the Lady White Fox was similar, so he twisted his neck in dissatisfaction, but he couldn’t ignore her as she was talking with the engineers in front of his Clawsolas.
  
  “Lady Fau, is there something wrong with my Nightshade?”
  “No, based on yesterday’s report, I’ve come up with an idea for further enhancements…”
  
  When he checked the design documents she happily handed him, he saw something unfamiliar attached to the illustration of the dark green stealth Clawsolas.
  
  “Is this… multiple arms?”
  
  “Yes, it’s the Nightshade Rasetsu, a modified Clawsolas with two pairs of arms so that you can respond immediately to unexpected situations even when using magic ♪”
  
  Fau asserted the superiority of four arms in close combat in a somewhat self-praising manner. However, the workshop manager, who oversaw the engineers and maintenance crew, mentioned a slight anxiety that Leonardo had as a dedicated Clawsolas pilot.
  
  “Just like normal arms, the pilot will intuitively control them through artificial muscles… I wonder if the second pair of arms, which humans don’t normally have, will work properly?”
  
  “During the refining process, let’s consider increasing the neuromuscular junctions in the relevant areas and including more peripheral nerves.”
  
  Leonardo fell silent as the engineers piled up their assumptions and offered positive opinions toward realizing the idea. The Clawsolas pilot himself let out a sigh.
  
  ‘I don’t mind if the basic performance improves, but I wonder if I can keep up…’
  
  He recalled the black and silver giant knight he had encountered in the central city of Winzard, which was equipped with a telescopic arm that seemed difficult to handle.
  
  Incidentally, even if a Clawsolas wasn’t unique, there were few who could handle it well due to aptitude issues. Therefore, it was urgent to train dedicated pilots who would board the Clawsolas units scheduled for mass production.
  
  “Lord Valph will have his hands full…”
  
  Beside the young officer who was about to receive a vacation in the name of suspension, the engineers continued their discussion, solidifying Fau’s draft.
  
  Other people belonging to Rigsia territory were also acting on Lord Heisel’s orders, setting new schemes in motion. Even if it still required a considerable amount of time, the situation was steadily progressing.
  
  Meanwhile, the Lizel delegation, which had embarked on their return journey, crossed the border without any major problems and set foot on their own soil.
  
  Surrounding the second-generation Clawsolas they had received, the number of Zephyrus instructors had increased among the cavalry escorting the carriages. They were scheduled to participate in the development of new Clawsolas to counter the forces showing signs of unrest.
  
  
  
  
  
  Clawsolas Information: Nightshade Rasetsu
  
  This is a customized Clawsolas that Fau Zaumel, the developer, extensively modified from Leonardo’s Clawsolas after his failed assault mission. It is an irregular giant knight characterized by its four arms. It is designed for close combat, allowing it to respond to enemy Clawsolas that break through a barrage even immediately after a magic attack, but this does not apply if all arms are used for casting magic.
  
  With the addition of two more arms, the number of attacks it can make has increased, and its pure combat ability has improved. However, it is said that controlling it through the peripheral nerves included in the artificial muscles is difficult. The two horns adorning its head have no particular meaning, but they were apparently added due to the engineers’ insistence and are the origin of the name “Rasetsu.”