I was surprised by the comments, so I'll take this opportunity to explain.
"Sevens" and "sevens" are different things.
Sevens has already concluded, and the book version is currently up to seven volumes, with the eighth volume set to be released on the 28th of this month.
For those who will read the web version from now on, I recommend the book version as it is easier to read and the content is richer.
There's also an e-book version!
It was around the middle of autumn, when the first year had passed the halfway mark.
The long break for the young students only lasted for half a year after advancing to the fourth grade.
Therefore, there was no long break for the first year.
However, it was comfortable, so there was no problem.
In fact, I was currently watching a large 3D image as part of a class.
The 3D images of moving giantsāmobile knightsāwere robots that served as humanoid weapons.
I was watching robots equipped with armor like full-body Western armor in battle.
"It's impressive and interesting, but the slow movements make me yawn."
The first-year students in the audience were cheering, but I found it not at all interesting.
The gang leader, Wallace, who had bet on the upperclassmen, was holding his head because they lost.
"All my money is gone!"
This guy is still an idiot.
By the way, I give him his allowance every month.
I guess it can't be helped since I'm his patron.
It's a small amount, so it's fine, but it feels a bit off.
"Wallace is an idiot. He only aims for the underdog."
Kurt was laughing.
The calculating Kurt probably wouldn't aim for the underdog.
"I just want to aim for a one-shot comeback. If I win once, I can make up for the losses."
"But you lost all your money, didn't you?"
"Don't say that! Ah, I lost everything. It's going to be tough for the next two weeks."
The gang members were glancing at me, but there was no reason to prepare more allowance for them.
Ignoring them, Kurt spoke to me while watching the next match.
"Many of the participating mobile knights are custom models."
Mobile knight matches can be entered from the third year.
Most participants rent practice machines from the young school, but the rich bring their own mobile knights.
Wallace was frustrated with those who brought custom models.
"It's unfair to rely on performance differences. I don't even have my own mobile knight."
Even though he was a prince, he could only ride practice machines.
"---I see, you can participate with your own mobile knight."
While watching the boring match, I thought that if I dominated these guys with Avid, it would make my boring life at the young school a bit more interesting.
The match ended.
The winner was a third-year boy named Derrick from a border barony.
Despite the participation of children from a count's family, he won without reading the room, indicating a meritocracy.
However, it's convenient for me too.
It feels good to crush such a strong opponent with overwhelming power.
Still, the winner, Derrick, didn't seem that strong.
Well, this is the level of the young school.
I operated the terminal, projected a monitor in the air, and made a call.
---The person on the other end of the call was Nias.
He was wide-eyed at my request.
"Liam-sama, are you serious?"
"Of course. Isn't Avid under maintenance?"
"The maintenance is complete and it's in storage. However, enhancing Avid is unreasonable. It will upset the balance, and I think it's more difficult than building a new one from scratch."
"Just do it. I'll pay for it."
Nias, who always asks for a battleship every time we meet, was hesitant about my proposal.
"It's not a matter of money. No matter how much you offer, further modifications are impossible. If we could prepare a large amount of rare metals and materials for processing, it might be possible."
"Rare metals? Like Orichalcum?"
It's a standard metal in fantasy worlds.
However, it's highly valuable and difficult to secure.
While it can be collected with money, I've heard it's very inefficient.
"Orichalcum, Adamantium, Mithrilāvarious materials are needed. Also, we need excellent staff. It will take a long time, and the cost will be more than assembling a mediocre fleet."
Just processing rare metals alone requires a huge amount of money.
If we consume that much resources, funds, and manpower, it would be more efficient to prepare a fleet.
However, I'm a man who seeks romance over efficiency.
"I have the money. I'll prepare the resources."
"---I think it's unreasonable. Besides, why not just buy a new model instead of being so fixated on Avid?"
"I don't like that. The current mainstream models feel fragile and I can't feel safe with them."
If I were to describe my request in terms of my previous life, it would be like asking for a classic car to have the performance of a new car.
Install a car navigation system, make it an electric vehicle, add various featuresāsuch unreasonable requests.
In that case, it would be better to buy a new car.
However, this is a matter of personal preference.
I won't compromise at all.
"Then, I'll prepare a list. Please contact me when you have the necessary materials and budget ready. Also, we need a test pilot."
"Test pilot?"
"Yes. Someone with skills equivalent to Liam-sama'sāno, someone who can operate Avid. If everything is in order, I will take full responsibility for Avid's modifications."
Clearly, he was thinking, "It's impossible, so just buy a new model."
Does this guy forget that I'm a count because he's so disappointed?
Butāfine, if you take that attitude, I'll get serious.
"---Did I say that? I don't take back my words."
"Of course. Please contact me when you have everything ready. Well, if you give up and buy a new model or a battleshipā"
I ended the call and immediately contacted my family.
Tenchou appeared on the monitor.
It's reassuring to see him looking energetic today.
"What is it, Master?"
"Tenchouāsecure the materials on this list as soon as possible. Do you have the rare metals made with 'that'? Send them to the Seventh Weapons Factory. It's urgent."
Tenchou checked the list and it seems there were a few missing materials.
However, they can be obtained with money.
"Is that alright?"
"Of course. I can prepare them whenever I return to my territory. Send them generously."
"---The amount of materials for Avid's modifications is abnormal, isn't it?"
"Nias is trying to trick me. But I'll send them so he can't make excuses. I'm looking forward to seeing his face."
"Understood."
"Alsoāsend Marie to the Seventh Weapons Factory."
She's the knight I saved when I was rampaging in the Exner barony.
I've heard she's somewhat capable.
"Marie Sera Marian?"
"She's been discharged, right? Let's put her to work immediately."
---A few months later.
Nias was trembling in front of the mountain of materials delivered to the Seventh Weapons Factory.
"---No way. You really got them all."
Standing in front of the mountain of rare metals delivered from the Banfield family was a woman with light purple, almost silver, straight long hair.
Her outfit was uniformly purple, with black arm guards and heels.
Her sharp, strong eyes were purple.
She had fair, beautiful skin and fresh purple lipstick.
Her slender figure and well-shaped chest.
She had two sword handles on her lower back, the type that can store blades.
She was Liam's knight candidate, Marie Sera Marian.
"I've been appointed as Avid's test pilot. Nice to meet you, Lieutenant."
"Huh? Uhā"
Confused, Nias was in front of Marie, who was blushing and twisting her body, her hands on her cheeks.
"This is my first mission, appointed by Liam-sama. I want to succeed at all costs. Please cooperate with me."
The tall, handsome woman had a girlish face.
(Who is she?)
Nias, who had visited Liam's mansion many times, didn't know a knight named Marie.
Then, a craftsman behind Nias was thinking.
He was quite old and a skilled craftsman.
"Marie? Marie Marian? I've heard that name somewhere."
However, he couldn't remember.
Nias didn't think Liam would actually meet his conditions.
And then there was Marie.
Nias doubted whether she could really operate Avid.
She was too slender and beautiful to be a knight.
She looked more like a model or actress.
"Um, can you really operate a non-assisted mobile knight? Nowadays, there are fewer people who can operate non-assisted mobile knights, right?"
Hearing this, Marie smiled.
"In my time, knights who used assist functions were considered half-trained. I understand that Avid is a difficult machine, but there's no problem. In fact, I was curious about how much of a wild horse it would be."
Her cheeks flushed as she said, "Being entrusted with Liam-sama's machineāthere's nothing more delightful."
(What is this person?)
Nias thought Liam's knights were all strange.
However, in front of the prepared materials, the developer's spirit within him ignited.
(But, there's no other opportunity to use such wonderful materials lavishly. I might as well do everything I've wanted to doāgood data can be obtained.)
He wiped the drool that was coming out.
"---Let's get started immediately."
The desire-driven Nias began Avid's enhancement and modification.
Marie's journey to becoming Liam's knight candidate started with the pirate suppression in the Exner barony.
Marie was involved in a disturbance in the empire two thousand years ago and was petrified.
She spent time like that.
Passed through many owners, sometimes destroyed, and her body shattered, but her consciousness was kept alive.
The emperor said it was a punishment for Marie.
(Please, anyone, end it. I don't want to decay like this!)
Then, Marie fell into the hands of pirates and was displayed as an ornament.
The petrified Marie had her history written on her back.
Marie Sera Marianālegendary imperial knight and fool who drew a bow on the emperor.
From her perspective, she didn't intend to draw a bow.
She didn't even intend to defy.
However, the emperor of the time was suspicious and had a bad taste, so he petrified Marie.
Her consciousness was kept alive with magic, and she was sold as a beautiful statue.
Such a painful life ended when the pirates lost.
Soldiers stormed in.
Marie thought,
(Another owner, huh. I wish they would just destroy me. Crush me to dust, leave not a traceā)
But the soldiers shouted,
"Great, it's not gory!"
"Just statues."
"---Wait, are all these statuesā!"
The pirate who obtained Marie was a man who liked statues of petrified people.
He was a man with a bad taste who enjoyed petrifying beautiful men and women, and there were many statues in the room where Marie was displayed.
The soldiers called for help and carefully carried out the statues.
And then she metāLiam.
"Are all these originally humans?"
He was talking to a doctor in front of her.
"Yes. They were petrified. By drugs, magic, curses, various methods. This one is particularly severe."
That was Marie.
"Healing will require an elixir."
Without an elixir, the universal panacea, she couldn't return to her original state.
In other words, it was the same as having no way to cure her.
Elixirs were too valuable, both now and in the past.
(Please, end it. Pleaseā)
Such was Marie's wish, shattered by Liam.
"I see. Send them to my territory for treatment. Do the same for the rest."
Saying only that, Liam left.
Marie couldn't understand what Liam was saying.
But soon, the petrification was undone, and the regeneration treatment for her shattered limbs began.
After years of rehabilitation, she returned andāMarie's hope was to become Liam's knight candidate.
Capital planet.
Tia, working as a bureaucrat, obtained Marie's data from the palace archives.
It was classified information, but she obtained and confirmed it.
"Marie Sera Marianāa knight from nearly two thousand years ago in the empire."
Marie's records had been erased.
However, there were a few records left in old documents.
Petrified by a bad-tasting emperor, Marie was one of the top knights of the empire at the time.
Her achievements were remarkable, and she was called one of the legendary three knights by the knights of the time, contributing to the empire.
She was very capable.
Tia frowned.
"A relic from the past, cozying up to Liam-samaā"
Marie, who volunteered to be Liam's knight, quickly began working for him due to her original skills.
Her first job was to be the test pilot for Avid, Liam's beloved machine.
To Tia, Marie was an enemy.
And Marie also saw Tia as an enemy.
The reason was that Marie was aiming for the position of head knight.
"---Fine. I'll make you realize who is more suitable to be Liam-sama's head knight, 'Mad Dog Marie.'"
Tia closed Marie's data.
Bryan (Ā“ć»Ļć»ļ½) "It's stressful with all the tension. Bryan wants the knights to get along better."