131. Mech Knight Pluto (1)
This world is imbued with mana, a force harnessed by mages, knights, and various other beings, which fundamentally changes the nature of strategy and tactics compared to Earth.
In particular, superhuman individuals such as Archmages, High Priests, and Sword Masters are akin to living strategic weapons.
Even a thousand ordinary soldiers without mana would be no match for one of them.
Despite the presence of such powerful knights, mages, and priests, armies composed of ordinary people still exist.
The reason is simple: mana users are rare, and superhumans like Sword Masters are so few they can be counted on one hand across the continent.
As exceptional as knights and mages may be, they are not invincible in the face of overwhelming numbers.
Ordinary soldiers aren’t expected to fight superhumans directly. They can simply avoid them, attacking undefended villages and cities instead.
No Sword Master could possibly defend an entire nation by themselves.
Thus, success in war often hinges on the effective coordination of superhuman and conventional forces.Generals and tacticians renowned in this world’s history all excelled at managing this balance.
And the advancement of magic has further enhanced this balance—most notably with the Colossal Automaton, Pluto.
‘Its armor alone could tip the scales of battle.’
Looking at Mary’s dazed expression as she stared up at Pluto, I felt a deep satisfaction. My efforts to secretly prepare this surprise had been worth it.
“May I… pilot it?”
“Of course. It would be an honor for you to be the first Pluto Knight.”
With my guidance, Mary climbed into the Colossal Automaton.
The automaton’s chest opened, revealing the cockpit.
The cockpit lacked buttons, joysticks, or even a seat.
If anything, it resembled full-body workout equipment from a gym.
“This is…”
Mary’s expectant expression turned serious as soon as she entered the cockpit.
“Even if high-ranking knights were to pilot this, it wouldn’t yield much benefit, would it?”
“Exactly. The Colossal Automaton is a weapon designed to bridge the gap between ordinary soldiers and superhumans.”
The moment she entered the cockpit, Mary immediately grasped the automaton’s purpose.
‘It’s also a weapon designed specifically for her.’
Given her fragile health, I had created the automaton to ensure she wouldn’t have to overexert herself in battle if the need ever arose.
“Try moving it slowly. If anything feels off, get out immediately.”
Mary began to move Pluto.
Thud. Thud. Boom.
Vroom… Chk. Vroom… Chk.
When the pilot walked, the automaton walked. When the pilot swung an arm, the automaton mimicked the motion.
Thanks to its magic engine, the automaton wasn’t slow, and its sheer size and weight promised devastating destructive power.
With an automaton like this, crushing something as tough as an ogre would be child’s play.
Vreeeek. Chk.
As expected of a natural swordsman, Mary swiftly drew the massive sword mounted on Pluto’s back.
Hummm…
A gray aura, reflecting her murky mana, radiated from the sword.
[“This seems to be the operational limit, doesn’t it?”]
Her voice resonated from the automaton’s helmet, its eyes glowing with the magic of embedded Mana Stones.
“That’s as far as the magic engine can handle.”
The pilot’s mana core synchronizes with the automaton’s magic engine, enabling the automaton to channel mana as it does now.
However, there were limits. By Northern standards, the automaton could only handle mana equivalent to that of an ordinary knight.
For superhuman knights, like high-ranking ones, the automaton offered little benefit.
In fact, their higher agility and mana would be wasted in the automaton’s restricted movements.
[“Even so, this will be an immense asset in war.”]
That didn’t make the automaton useless, though.
The ideal pilot for Pluto was a regular knight—a lower-tier knight who had reached their potential and couldn’t rise to higher ranks.
For such knights, the automaton was nothing short of wings.
By piloting the automaton, a regular knight’s combat ability would skyrocket to rival a high-ranking knight’s, particularly in destructive power.
An entire unit of Colossal Automatons could likely stand toe-to-toe with one of the Empire’s elite legions.
‘With Pluto dominating the ground like tanks and airships providing bombardment from above, even a million Imperial soldiers wouldn’t scare me.’
The Colossal Automaton and the airships were game-changers that could entirely disrupt the balance of warfare.
The Empire might boast both quality and quantity through industrialization, but what if Entir failed and no civil war erupted in the Empire?
No problem. With overwhelming technology and magic, I’d subjugate them directly.
The difference in strength now was so vast that even a Pyrrhic victory for the Empire was out of the question.
Shortly after, the chest of the Colossal Automaton Pluto opened.
Mary emerged from the cockpit, having completed a light test run.
“Whew, but this thing sure uses up a lot of stamina,” she said, gracefully leaping down from Pluto’s chest and landing cleanly on the ground.
“You’ll use less stamina as you grow more accustomed to synchronizing with its mana system.”
I listened carefully to her feedback while fine-tuning Pluto’s settings.
“We’ll need to carefully select knights who are suited for piloting these.”
“Agreed. I’ll make sure to discuss it with the High Tower.”
“Good. So, how do you feel now?”
“About what?”
“The Imperial Army. You’re not scared anymore, are you?”
“…No,” she replied, a bashful smile spreading across her face.
Seeing that smile lifted my spirits.
This is what armored warfare looks like in a fantasy world.
***
Time flew as Mary and I toyed around with the prototype automaton in the secret hangar.
The sun that had hung high in the sky was now dipping toward the west.
“It’s getting late. Care to join me for dinner?”
“Shall I lead the way to the dining hall?”
“Not there. How about my quarters instead?”
“Your quarters?”
“I feel like cooking for a change.”
Having calmed the anxieties of the undercover boss with Pluto, I casually invited her to dinner—a date, in a way.
“…No, thank you. I’ll just eat at the dining hall.”
“?”
Mary’s refusal caught me off guard.
In the past, she would’ve blushed and nodded eagerly, maybe even drooling a little at the thought of my cooking.
But now? The cheerful banter we’d shared about Pluto seemed like a distant dream.
“…I see. Alright, let’s head to the dining hall.”
“Yes.”
I shrugged, but I knew why Mary—or Arina—was acting this way.
‘How do I fix this? It doesn’t seem like she’s just mildly upset.’
Her cold demeanor had persisted ever since we reunited here in Count Jin’s territory.
When it came to company or duchy matters, she was as proactive as ever.
But anything related to me personally? She kept her distance.
Especially when we were alone, her discomfort was palpable.
‘Thanks to that, rumors about us fighting have spread like wildfire.’
To make matters worse, another rumor was circulating throughout Renslet:
“Count Jin and the Grand Duchess have fallen out.”
This one was largely my fault.
Ignoring Arina’s order to return to the High Tower, I’d come to my estate and establish the shipyard instead.
And to this day, I haven’t returned to the High Tower, not even once.
Sure, I’d sent magical communications to apologize and explain the urgency of my work, but those efforts barely scratched the surface of the problem.
‘In other words, Mary’s current attitude is my fault.’
The more I thought about my impulsive actions, the more reckless they seemed.
Considering her fragile health, her mental state must’ve been precarious at the time.
And then I’d gone and done something so abrupt.
No doubt, countless thoughts must’ve raced through her mind.
Even though she’d gone to the trouble of coming here under the pretense of my birthday, the emotional distance between us remained.
‘Today felt like a glimpse of how things used to be.’
Maybe it was thanks to my birthday, but today was an exception.
However, as the “birthday buff” began to wear off, I could see Mary slipping back into her guarded demeanor.
Pluto might have eased her fears about the Empire, but now she seemed ready to resume keeping her distance from me.
I watched her quietly, unsure how to bridge the gap between us.
‘The best solution would be to heal her body, but that’s easier said than done.’
I was already devoting any spare time to finding a way to cure her broken body.
Yet, even with my knowledge from Arad—a world steeped in Arcane-Punk technology—I’d found no definitive solution.
It felt like starting from scratch, experimenting and designing without a clear roadmap.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence hung between us as we walked.
“By the way, Mary,” I said, breaking the quiet.
“Yes?”
“When do you plan on revealing that you’ve become a Sword Master? I’ve made sure the knights and staff who were there at the time are keeping quiet, but…” ℞𝔞𐌽ОʙËS̈
To break the awkward atmosphere, I steered the conversation in a new direction.
“I don’t intend to reveal it. I’ve already discussed this with the High Tower,” Mary said firmly.
“Can I ask why?”
Of course, I already knew the real reason.
I was well aware of her true identity and, more importantly, her physical condition.
‘If she knew I’d already figured out her secret, especially in her current fragile state… I can’t even imagine how she’d react.’
Publicly, I had to act as if I was unaware of Mary’s health. To me, she was simply a knight who had achieved the rank of Sword Master.
In this narrative, Arina was the one who had overexerted herself fighting the White Serpent, sustaining internal injuries that left her infertile.
And I had to pretend I didn’t know that Mary was, in fact, Arina herself.
‘I have to keep dropping these little signals that I have no clue about her true identity. It’s the only way she’ll feel reassured.’
In essence, this conversation was just another layer of my performance.
‘Ha… what am I even doing? I should’ve never repaired that transformation necklace.’
To be honest, part of me wondered if I really needed to go along with Arina’s undercover boss charade to this extent.
‘But it’s far too late to turn back now.’
The story—and the weight of my past actions—had piled up too high.
“It’s… like a secret weapon,” she said, giving me a small wink.
Her attempt at a playful expression couldn’t fully hide the bitterness lurking underneath.
“Is that so? Well, if the High Tower decided on it and you agreed, then it must be for the best.”
We exited the hangar where Pluto was housed and headed toward the temporary employee cafeteria.
Inside, the tables were laden with dishes prepared from ingredients imported directly from the High Tower and fresh produce harvested from nearby farms.
Naturally, Arad Salt was a key ingredient in every dish.
‘For a mass-cooked meal, this is pretty decent, thanks to the Arad Salt.’
With a satisfied smile, I filled my ceramic plate and savored the food.
The joy of eating briefly pushed aside the unease lingering between us.
‘Arad Salt is like the ultimate all-purpose seasoning in this world.’
If South Korea had ramen powder, this world had Arad Salt.
To be precise, Arad Salt was a few steps ahead in terms of versatility—it worked in soups, salads, meats, and even bread.
Looking back, it was one of the best things I’d ever created upon arriving in this world.
‘Without it, I probably would’ve succumbed to homesickness from the food alone.’
Good ingredients make good food.
Although this wasn’t as satisfying as something I’d cook myself, I couldn’t deny the quality.
As I cleared about half my plate, Mary suddenly broke the silence.
“These days, I’ve been worried about something.”
She had seemed disinclined to talk during meals due to her usual distance-keeping, but apparently not this time.
“What is it?”
Her words caught my interest, and I eagerly responded.
“With the people of Renslet living better lives now, gambling and drinking have become rampant. Related incidents and accidents are on the rise. Some even splurge on luxury items like porcelain, hoarding them as status symbols…”
Her words made my eyes light up.
This wasn’t something Mary was concerned about—it was a reflection of Arina’s worries as the ruler of Renslet.
“It’s because they have money and time but nothing to spend it on.”
Once again, I felt validated in my decision to spread industrialization and steampunk technology to the Empire.
Without cheap, mass-produced Imperial goods to fill the gap? The thought alone was horrifying.
“They’ve grown complacent. It wasn’t that long ago that they were freezing and starving to death.”
By bringing this up, Mary was subtly signaling me.
She was seeking solutions or hints to address Renslet’s current challenges.
“Actually, Director Teo mentioned something similar during a magical communication not long ago.”
I decided to tackle the issue seriously.
If we worked through this problem together, it might be an opportunity to bridge the emotional gap between us.
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