Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Assault-Type Magitech Armor: Sirius (4)
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Second floor of the Phantasm Library Celestia.
At an empty desk, Austin Rainer let out a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands.
“Hoo…”
There was only one reason the former holy knight remained in this library of unknown origins.
Austin Rainer had betrayed the Order.
That had been the conclusion of their last conversation.
Amid his tangled emotions, Austin’s hand brushed across his own face.
“…”
Why had he made that decision?
Had he wanted to cling to life that badly?
Countless doubts echoed within him.
“What am I…”
His dazed eyes stared into empty space.
That day, Austin had said with his own mouth that he still had things left to do.
Even now, he couldn’t understand why he’d given that answer.
At that moment, he hadn’t felt like his usual self.
“What am I… why did I make that choice…”
It felt as if he’d been bewitched by something.
That sensation had awakened his instinct for survival deep inside.
The desire to live, the instinct not to die like this.
The wish to see his beloved lover again.
In the end, it had killed the name of the holy knight who had chosen a noble end.
From the moment he chose to survive, he was no longer a martyr of the White Order.
“Aaah! Damn it, I’m going crazy—!”
Austin’s face, steeped in confusion, silently glared into the void.
He had lived his entire life guided solely by the Order’s doctrines.
He had fulfilled the role given to him without a second thought.
And now, the teachings of the White Order could no longer guide his future.
“What should I do from now on…?”
He no longer belonged to the Order.
His own choice—
That was all that remained to him.
Crunch.
Austin’s hand crumpled the empty sheet of paper.
His time alone offered some solace.
“…”
And so, Austin Rainer sank deep into thought for a long while.
Tick, tock, tick—
In the silence, the clock’s second hand moved diligently.
But even quiet moments eventually come to an end.
Swoosh—
After a long time, as he lifted his head from his contemplation.
“Have you finished thinking?”
“Ah…”
Austin spotted Johan looking down at him.
Archmage Johan.
A transcendent mage who surpassed the laws of the world and human taboos.
That mage’s gaze now fixed on Austin with indifferent eyes.
“If you’re ready, let’s move. It’s time.”
Moreover, Johan was telling him that time was up.
At Johan’s words to prepare to move, Austin looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
“…Where did you say we’re going?”
“Outside.”
“Yes?”
Outside—
At the unexpected word, Austin shot up from his seat.
A pure white light began to shimmer at his feet.
Whoooong—
A brilliant glow swiftly enveloped Austin’s body.
“Didn’t I say I’d lend you a doll to use outside?”
“You mean…!”
“It’s an adaptation test, Austin Rainer.”
Johan’s sharp eyes fixed on him.
Eyes of endless depth—
The mage, unbound by the limits of lifespan, declared before Austin.
“Prove your worth from now on.”
Flaaash—!
With a blinding flash, Austin lost consciousness.
* * * * * *
“————! ————?”
Static, crackle—
Noise filled Austin’s ears.
A strange floating sensation spread through his entire body.
It felt like being submerged in deep water.
An unpleasant sensation shook him.
“———.”
Then, a familiar voice echoed.
A cry of urgency?
Or perhaps a greeting directed at someone.
His dulled senses couldn’t distinguish its intent.
In the hazy scenery, everything about Austin sank.
Mind. Body. Senses.
All of it blurred, grew sluggish, and felt detached, as if no longer his own.
‘What’s happening?’
Submerged like in water, Austin raised his hand.
The unpleasant, heavy feeling lingered around him.
He couldn’t breathe properly.
Even climbing out from the deep water seemed impossible.
Alien sensations piled up relentlessly.
And then, the moment they all merged into one.
Pha—
Austin finally faced the outside world.
“Mr. Austin! Is the connection stable?”
—“Haa, ha…!”
With the familiar voice, Austin’s senses returned.
He awkwardly moved his vision to look around.
A workshop filled with countless magic lanterns and scattered metal fragments rolling on the floor.
There, he spotted a familiar mage.
—Lua Polaris.
The supernova of the mage world, affiliated with the Blue Tower.
She was looking up at him, lifting her witch’s hat.
“Is the connection proper now? Let me know if there’s any discomfort in your vision.”
A question about his condition came from Lua Polaris’s mouth.
Static, crackle—
As Austin listened, blue text appeared in the corner of his vision.
Numbers and letters changing in real time.
Incomprehensible information constantly conveying something.
Staring at the floating text, Austin asked Lua.
—“There are… strange letters in the corner of my vision.”
No sooner had Austin spoken than a dull mechanical sound emanated around him.
It felt like an artificial voice reproduced not from a human throat, but from something else.
Hearing it, Lua smiled in satisfaction and replied.
“Oh, that’s info on the magitech doll’s current status!”
—“Magitech… doll…?”
“Let’s see… The top one is synchronization rate, next is latency… The bottom is remaining mana. You probably won’t get the rest, so just know these for now.”
Magitech doll.
Lua Polaris was telling him he was inside one, while checking his status.
Her words reminded Austin of their library conversation.
The library’s master had indeed said he’d lend Austin a “magitech doll.”
A doll made by magic, not flesh.
Which meant the body Austin now inhabited was completely different from a normal human’s.
“Oh, considering its form… ‘Magitech armor’ might be a better name.”
Lua Polaris corrected the body’s designation.
—Magitech armor.
That was the new body Lua spoke of.
—“Magitech armor…? Different from a magitech doll?”
“The body you’re controlling right now? Dwarf artisan… Mr. Tu worked through the night to make it.”
Hearing Lua’s voice, a small question arose in Austin’s mind.
Why give it such a grandiose name for his current state?
Curious, Austin tried to move his body to see himself.
Creak—
As he did, with the sound of metal friction, trying to move as usual.
“Ah, it’s tricky the first time…!”
Thud—!
With an ominous instinct, a heavy crash echoed as he collapsed to the floor.
Dust exploded, obscuring his vision.
Amid it, Austin’s body twisted and sank.
The body housing Austin’s soul hadn’t moved as intended.
—“Miss Lua… My body, the feeling of moving it… It’s too awkward.”
Austin’s eyes looked at his twisted leg.
Creak—
Black-sheened metal bent at an odd angle.
It looked like armor from afar, but up close, more like a doll than a person.
Right before him, Lua, who’d been watching, spoke with a troubled face.
“That’s… because it’s completely different from normal body movement.”
—“…….”
“Of course, it’s not because I made it wrong… It’s just inherently difficult… I think it took me about two hours to take two steps…….”
Swoosh.
Lua averted her gaze awkwardly, offering excuses.
While listening, Austin noticed a mirror standing in the corner of the workshop.
Just a few steps forward—
That should be enough to see himself.
“You’ll probably need to practice for the next few hours? Even I, who’m decent at this… It still took about four hours despite my talent…….”
—“……Is that so.”
“So, avoid overly forceful movements… Huh……?”
Creak—
Austin’s will moved the unfamiliar body.
Trying to stand from sitting, the unbalanced body began to topple.
Then, Austin’s instinct flashed.
Screech—
Following the hunch in his mind, he moved to steady the falling body.
Creak, thud—
The collapsing body straightened, and Austin’s vision returned to proper height.
“Wha, what…….”
—“…….”
Austin realized his restored vision was much higher than usual.
Apparently, the “magitech armor” Lua mentioned was made far taller than his original height.
With the magitech armor’s waist now straight, Austin turned his gaze to the mirror ahead.
Creak—
The magitech armor’s head faced the mirror.
A few more steps, and he could see his reflection.
“St-Standing is hard enough… Walking forward will be way tougher……?”
Lua looked up at him, emphasizing again how hard walking would be.
Swoosh—
Austin extended his leg following his instinct.
Creak, thud—
As the massive metal foot hit the ground, a heavy shock rippled through the entire workshop.
Austin’s leg took one step straight ahead.
“Huh… Why’s it moving so well?”
Lua’s bewildered voice rang out.
Ignoring it, Austin stepped toward the mirror in the workshop.
Creak, thud—
One step. A heavy boom echoed.
Creak, thud—
Another step.
Vibrations shook the workshop again.
Thus, when Austin Rainer halted before the massive mirror.
—“…….”
He finally beheld his reflection.
Black metal armor comprising his entire form.
Tiny mechanical devices nestled between.
And at its core, a large mana stone glowing purple.
Austin Rainer’s eyes gazed at the black-armored knight standing before him.
What stood in Austin’s view was a knight made solely of metal, devoid of blood and flesh.
—“Ah…….”
A clear sigh escaped Austin’s mouth.
He stared at his reflected form.
A black knight over two meters tall glared back from the mirror with fierce purple eyes.
Recognizing his past self in that form was nearly impossible.
Crack—
A steel-covered hand caressed the mirror before him.
Cracks spiderwebbed across it instantly, shattering the smooth surface.
‘Mary—’
The longed-for name lingered on Austin’s lips.
His lover, left in the north.
Now with someone who could no longer recognize Austin, the library master’s promised “wish” memory swirled.
—“Once everything is over, I’ll grant your wish.”
The human heart is a complicated thing.
So much so that one might not even understand their own.
Thus, Austin couldn’t be sure of others’ hearts.
Different face. Different name.
Even a different form—
Would she still love him?
The sharp doubt rippled through Austin’s heart.
—“What’s its exact name?”
Staring at the shattered mirror, Austin asked Lua.
The knight encased in black armor.
To Austin inquiring its name, the mage who completed the giant knight replied.
“—Magitech Armor Sirius.”
—“……Is that so.”
“That’s its name from today on.”
Magitech Armor Sirius.
The name of the metal knight cloaked in darkness.
As Austin mulled the unfamiliar name, Lua’s words continued.
“Good thing you’re adapting fast. At this rate, we can start on the next parts right away. You’ll pass the flight test in no time, right?”
—“…….”
“Actually, all of Sirius’s parts are detachable. The goal is to fight in any environment, so it’s designed for various terrains. The ultimate aim is combat in all conditions.”
Beyond the cracked mirror.
Austin’s eyes gazed at the knight reflected in the shards.
—“……Sirius.”
The fallen holy knight had become a deathless knight.
* * * * * *
Five days had passed since Austin’s lover, Mary, heard the news.
In those five days, Mary had barely eaten, lost in grief.
Tears wet her eyes every morning.
She cried during meals, while washing her face, and even while kneading dough.
As a result, all the bread she handled ended up discarded.
“Miss Mary. We plan to hold a farewell ceremony for Sir Austin in a few days.”
Meanwhile, time marched on.
Austin’s coffin, recovered from the Empire’s border, would be sent to the Rogers Margrave under the Order’s auspices.
Permission to hold the funeral in the north, with his family.
Moreover, the priest who brought the news had informed Mary of this.
“Wouldn’t it be best if you attended as well, Miss Mary?”
“…….”
“I hear you were even promised marriage to Sir Austin. For the Order’s hero who met his end, let’s see him off together.”
Austin Rainer’s funeral.
The priest informed her of the details.
Swoosh—
Hearing this, Mary’s hand gripped the hairpin in her grasp.
The broken hairpin was now her only link to memories of that wonderful holy knight.
“…….”
Of course, attending the funeral was entirely her choice.
They had never been married under the Order’s rites.
Knowing this, the priest left even the final farewell as an option.
“Let me know once you’ve decided. We’re preparing to send off a brother of the Order.”
The priest finished speaking and exited.
Creak—
The old wooden door closed with a groan.
Mary’s eyes watched the door the priest left through.
Once more, she was alone in the dim room.
“Sniff, sob…!”
Her tear-filled eyes relived the sorrow.
The girl who never became Mary Rainer clutched the hairpin and wept endlessly.