Chapter 3: Having Become a Knight, He Faces His Foe
Within thirty minutes of sitting upon the Throne Mechanicum, I had earned my ancestors’ recognition. For the remaining time, I comfortably allowed it to scan and record my brain data.
This was because, upon learning that I had appeared to enact the Emperor’s will, my ancestors had become endlessly indulgent and ceased applying any real pressure.
But...
“Is there something troubling you?”
“Speak.”
"I am worried about my siblings. No, I am not worried about my brother, but my distant sister... No, there may be hope for her..."
“Did she show signs of receiving an unspoken pull?”
An unspoken pull? Right, she had certainly said that one machine was calling to her.
"Yes. She said that a machine was calling her."
“Then there is nothing to worry about. The rite is merely a means of gaining one’s ancestors’ recognition. To receive the pull is the same as being recognized from the very beginning.”
So that was how it worked. What a relief. She had looked so frail and unsteady from the first time I saw her.
“...It seems he is genuinely worried for her.”
“Is it not wrong for him to be thinking of marriage at this age?”
“Love knows no age.”
All of a sudden, my ancestors began arguing amongst themselves. Their debate continued for quite some time, and since I had been bored while my brain data was being recorded, I thought it was fortunate that I had something to watch.
“Then we should ask him himself.”
“That is a good idea.”
“What do you think of her?”
"I only met her today. That is far too little time for feelings of love to take root."
“I see. Yet the seed of love can sprout in an instant.”
“Indeed. One never knows when or where love may bloom.”
...Were these really the same souls who had been interrogating me under pressure before? Why had the atmosphere changed so drastically?
“Ah, your brain data has been fully recorded. It is time for you to leave.”
"Is that so? Farewell. I shall return another time."
-----
"You are all alive... Are you feeling well...?"
"You do not look like you are in any position to worry about others."
Of the three of us, Tess looked to be in the worst state. Erin at least merely seemed short of breath, whereas Tess was covered in cold sweat and gasping... Good grief.
"You should rest first."
"Groan... I shall. The celebration is tomorrow anyway, so I should get plenty of rest today."
"Get some proper rest. What about you, Erin?"
"I intend to look around the House’s facilities. I had not even been on this Knight World for a full day before taking the trial..."
"...There is something I am curious about."
"What is it?"
"What did you originally do?"
"Ah, I was to be sent to an officer training academy for Guardsmen after the planetary governor cast me out for failing to comport myself with proper noble etiquette."
I looked at her as if to say, With that stamina? She cleared her throat before answering.
"I was originally going to supplement my stamina through bodily augmentation, but then House Barbab’s envoy happened to arrive. I was fortunate."
"All right, that answers my question."
"Then may I ask one of my own?"
"Of course."
"Is there, um... no internal power struggle among the members of this House?"
"There is no such thing as a power struggle. So long as you are neither dishonorable nor treacherous, everyone gets along. That is why I do not."
"What? You do not get along with them?"
"I value duty, not honor. It is not as if they treat me terribly, though. I merely hear unpleasant remarks from time to time."
"I see... Thank you for answering my question."
"More importantly, from today onward, you need to adapt well to the House. You are now a full-fledged knight of House Barbab as well."
"Yes!"
She was spirited. If she ate well and exercised diligently, she would become a fine knight.
-----
"Herman, the party is about to begin, correct?"
"Yes. Also, the head of the House said that, in consideration of you, young master, the congratulations should be brief and that you should simply enjoy the party."
"If he said so, then I should enjoy myself properly today."
The exalted head of the House had commanded me to have a good time. Therefore, I had to eat and drink my fill of meat and wine!
"Theo, at least set an example as a noble. Do not carelessly spill sauce everywhere."
"The meat is simply too delicious. Leaving food like this behind would be a sin."
"Sigh... How childish."
"Tess, you should eat plenty too. If you go to war, it will be difficult to taste our House’s food."
"The battlefield... Yes, that is true."
Perhaps Tess had decided to abandon noble dignity for this day alone, because he began eating meat to his heart’s content. Heh heh... He should have done that from the beginning.
That was how we enjoyed the party. I invited Erin to eat with us as well, but she firmly refused.
She said she would uphold her noble dignity to the very end, or something of the sort...
"The way she talked then, she was completely like some captured lady knight~"
{Theo, focus on the battle. A second wave is approaching.}
A long time had passed, and I was now on the battlefield alongside Erin and Tess.
Our enemies were Chaos—Chaos Knights, at that. It was only natural, considering the battlefield upon which we stood was a Chaos-corrupted Knight World.
[Theo, Erin. The enemy is charging. Three units.]
At Tess’s transmission, I contacted the Guardsman officer beside me and requested concentrated fire on the foremost one.
Boom-boom-boom!
Soon, a barrage from the tanks poured down. The overwhelming majority of shells struck the Chaos Knight’s ion shield, exploding against it and forcing it into overload. Seizing that opening, I fired the rail cannon.
Veeeeeeeng!
Boom!
"Enemy neutralized!"
[Whatever else may be said, Theo, I have no choice but to acknowledge your marksmanship. Erin, now it is our turn. Let us go!]
{Yes, for the Emperor!}
Once they had closed to a distance where we could no longer harass them with artillery fire, Tess and Erin sallied forth.
I chipped away at the enemy’s ion shields with shells from medium range. The instant the strain upon the shields accumulated and they failed, I struck with the battle cannon on my right arm and destroyed them.
Erin simply activated her ion shield and charged directly at the enemy. She rammed shields with it, overloading both barriers, then swiftly swung the chainblade attached to her left arm and cleaved the Knight in two in an instant.
Three traitors had been eliminated in the blink of an eye. A young knight hungry for honor might have pressed the advantage and advanced, but we carefully watched for further enemy movements.
"A new enemy has appeared ahead. Wait, that is...!"
Seeing a figure of Chaos charging from far away, I spoke.
"All forces, from this moment on, keep firing. Do not spare a single shell."
[...]
Seemingly realizing what that thing at the front was, Tess immediately prepared for battle.
"...For the Emperor."
Against the blood-maddened horde charging toward us, the Guardsmen’s tanks began spewing an endless storm of gunpowder and shells. I too began holding the enemy back with a barrage of missiles.
"Erin, Tess. I will handle that thing. You two hold this position."
Leaving the main force to them, I charged out to confront that thing.
Crash!!!
The Crusader itself was not suited for close combat, but I possessed psychic abilities I could not reveal to others, allowing me to drive that thing back.
"We meet again, daemon. Have you come to repay the humiliation from before?"
"Theo Barbab. Theo Barbab. Theo Barbabbbbb!!!! Today, I shall offer a tower built from your skull to the Blood God. In doing so, I shall repay His favor!!"
A golden aura symbolizing the Emperor enveloped my Knight.
At the sight of it, the daemon grew even more enraged and rushed at me. I swung my right arm faster than it could reach me and batted it away.
Vwoooong! Boom!!!
I fired the battle cannon where it had been sent flying, then immediately crouched my machine and slammed down my right arm.
Crash!!
The daemon was pinned beneath my right arm and struggled desperately to escape.
"Here, you will experience death once again. Until your god no longer expects anything of you, you will experience death again and again."
With those words, I focused my psychic power upon the daemon’s head and released it.
Pop!
"Heh heh heh... Why? Are you surprised that I have not been annihilated?! This is the favor bestowed upon me by the Blood God!"
"The fact that you have not been annihilated changes nothing about your current position."
I concentrated my psychic power again.
"Kuhahahaha!!! Today, I shall fulfill the task bestowed upon me by the Blood God... and your skull is that very task!"
Crackle!
KABOOM!!!
"...?!"
That thing was closing in!
The explosion had happened in an instant. Its shockwave tore away the right arm that had been pinning down the daemon, allowing it to close the distance.
"Damn it, ancestors. I am going to overload the ion shield and cause a momentary explosion."
Fwoosh!!
I deliberately overloaded the shield generator and detonated the barrier.
"What pitiful resistance!"
The daemon was blasted far away by the explosion, but it immediately regained its posture and flew toward me once more.
"Rail cannon, raise output... 90%, 100%. Switching to extreme output. 110%... 120%..."
"Kuhahahaha!!! If you can hit me, then try!"
Extreme output at 130% ready.
"Activating aim assist. Firing preparations complete. Commence firing."
Veeeeeeeng!!!!
"...Enemy annihilation confirmed."
Boom!!!
I had dealt with the daemon, but I was once again forced into danger. My shield had gone down during the fight, leaving me unable to deploy it, and a knight without a shield was always only a step away from death.
[This is Tess Barbab. Theo, as expected, you did it. Return now. From here on, we will take over.]
But I had comrades. I had family.
Tess and Erin brought their respective Knights forward before me, taking the attacks in my place. The Guardsmen supported them from behind.
Thanks to them, I was able to retreat swiftly and receive repairs from the Mechanicus.
"Theo, the Mechanicus priest says that using the barrier as a weapon is harsh treatment that causes the Machine Spirit pain. He asks that you refrain from doing so where possible."
"Then they should develop the technology themselves... Fine, I understand for now."
I submitted the technique I had used this time—[Assault Shield]—as a suggestion, then had no choice but to spend my time aboard the ship until the Mechanicus completed its repairs.
While doing so, I saw the soldiers before me salute someone.
"Hm?"
"?"
The person receiving their salutes was a Space Marine. Judging by his green armor and dragon insignia, he was a Marine of the Salamanders Chapter.
"Soldier, are you not going to salute?"
"? Why would I?"
"H-Hey! He is one of the Emperor’s Angels of Death! Show some respect...!"
...Ah, so they had taken me for some ordinary soldier. Well, what kind of noble would wear nothing but a T-shirt like me?
"...Sigh, I suppose I should introduce myself. A pleasure to meet you. I am Theo Barbab, currently walking around on foot due to damage to my machine."
I adjusted my manner of speaking to suit a formal setting.
"Theo Barbab... Barbab? Could you be the pilot of the Knight who defeated the Daemon Prince at the Tethes Front?"
"There were no Space Marines on our front. How do you know about it?"
"I was observing the Daemon Prince’s movements from the command ship. The moment it appeared, I saw it heading for the Tethes Front and intended to send a warning. But before I could even deliver that message, someone had defeated the Daemon Prince. How could I possibly forget such a person!"
"Uh..."
After hearing that, the soldier beside me trembled in fear. From his perspective, he had just rebuked a national hero in a militaristic state.
And if I had been an ordinary person, I would likely have had him executed on the spot.
"Rest easy. You simply did not know. One cannot hold someone guilty for what they did not know, can one?"
By the standards of the Imperium of Man, I was an extremely, exceedingly merciful person, so I could overlook a mistake of this magnitude.
With cries of "Thank you!" the Guardsmen quickly left the area. The Salamanders Marine likewise paid me his respects before continuing on his way.
I too returned to my quarters to rest.
"Good morning. Good afternoon. And good knight... Snicker."
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