Humans, Elves, start of the war. ①
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Chason Base, Palmian Kingdom. AU 64
HAFF Magic Defense Force, Valfreyja special research team
Pvt. Ames Ennard
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The sky in the Palmian Kingdom is blue. The land where it sits has almost no geographical landmarks. It was a giant plain in the middle of a desert. Thus, making the sky clear most of the year.
In that clear, vast, blue sky, something zipped across. It was small for man-made things, barely visible in the altitude it flew in. The object was human's magic armor, AMK-X0 Vawln.
Then, in what could be felt as an abrupt change in direction, it raised its altitude.
"This is Ennard. Altitude reached, ready to start."
"Copy that. Go ahead and start the test, private."
"Yes sir."
The still prototype Vawln tears through the sky. The user inside the armor, Pvt. Ames Ennard, readied his experimental handheld magic riffle, the MR-41.
The target was balloons painted in highly visible orange color, the same color as a black box of a plane. Inside, there was a chip to make the targets detectable by the magic armor's radar system.
This time the main test subject was the riffle rather than the armor. The chip inside the target emits a small amount of mana. If the riffle and the armor's firing system worked as intended, the magic missile should track the target to some degree.
When Ennard reached the effective distance of the riffle, he shot the target. The shot was not perfectly placed, but that was good. To show the tracking capability of the weapon, some error was actually preferable.
Soon after it left the barrel, the magic beam fired bent following the target's position. With no explosion, the target was destroyed.
"Target down. Continuing to other targets."
"Copy that, let's continue the test like this," The control tower answered Ennard's report.
---
After hitting the first target, Pvt. Ennard continued doing the same thing for several more targets. And after that finished he did some flight tests first, then went back to the Chason base.
"How does it feel? your first gun, that is." Ames's higher-ups and the head of the magic armor project, Capt. Lyto Lee asked Ames.
"Ah, yes! umm, it felt strange. To think that my first weapon would be an experimental gun..." Ames answered. The two then converse while Ames' armors getting taken off.
If the public heard this conversation, it would cause a big issue. Leaving a state-of-the-art, newly developed magic armor to a Private was not a good look. And more so if people found out that just weeks ago, Ames wasn't even a Private.
After graduating high school, uncertain Ames was suggested by his adoptive parents- the Ennards- to join the military. Having no other plan, Ames followed their idea and enlisted in the HAFF ground force.
His career trajectory was changed once again when a test came. The test goal was to find a normal human that could use the magic armor Vawln. From many branches and layers of the HAFF, none qualified.
In desperation, they started to test even the untrained trainees.To the HAFF's surprise, Ames Ennard was the only person to qualify as Vawln's user.
To take further tests and experiments on the Vawln, Ames was given the rank of Private. Furthermore, he was transferred to Chason Base inside the border of the Palmian Kingdom. From that moment, his job was to do flight tests of the Vawln and any auxiliary equipment.
And so, the truth was kept secret. A kid that just graduated high school using a million-dollars magic armor would spark the public's rage.
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After finally done taking off the armor, Ames went to the control room for the project. After finishing Vawln's, the team started trials for the other magic armor, Fulst.
The project to create humanity's own magic armor, Project Ivaldi. Both magic armors were the results of this project.One, named after the fairy king of old legend, Vawln. The other was named after the queen, Fulst.
The elven Valzak empire was the first nation to create the magic armor. In the intel that HAFF (Humanity's Allied Fighting Force) got, a single magic-capable soldier would be able to fight like an elven sage.
If compared to human technologies, a single magic armor could take on a squad of fighter jets. Not only that, magic armor has the capability to destroy humanity's greatest weapon, the Flying Fortresses.
So, the HAFF started project Ivaldi in secret with the help of Altus Heavy Industry. The first one to be made was the AMK-01 Fulsts. Fulst development was simple. Practically the Fulst was just the copy of the Valzak's MSA-22 Adder. An armor made by combining both magic and technology to enhance a soldier's capabilities in war.
On the other hand, AMK-X0 Vawln has some changes. The reason was that Vawln was made to be used by normal humans. This means the biggest change was the magic crystal that was used as fuel. After all, compared to mages, normal humans have significantly smaller mana pools.
Other than that, both armor's parts and functions are the same. To allow them flight, the armor was equipped with magic jet engines on their backpack.
By mimicking a normal jet engine with wind and fire magic, the result was the same thrust without the need for fuel. Wind magic pulls in and compresses the air, then the fire magic ignites the air. The superheated, high-pressured air then exits from the nozzle creating thrust.
Just like the jet, all parts inside the armor were made using magical engineering. By combining simple magic spells with the understanding of physics, simpler construction and higher efficiency can be reached.
---
After the Fulst test flights finished, Ames was called to lunch by Capt. Lee. Joining them were the people from Atlus Heavy Industry, Ivaldi project lead engineer Prof. Linde Williams, and her assistant Nensa Fauzi. By the member of the table, Ames knew there was something to discuss.
"Ames, how do you feel about that test?" Capt. Lyto was the one who started.
"ah, umm, the Vawln felt good, sir"
"Is that so? that's good. But, what I meant was the combined test that I talked about a couple of days ago." the captain rephrased his question.
"Sorry, sir. Umm, I don't know. I would do it, but I don't know about the other..."
"They're still on about Omar's death?" Prof. Linde interjects.
"Ah... That's maybe it." Ames awkwardly answered.
"You know about him Ames?" oblivious to Ames' anguish, the professor asked more.
"Uh... yes, ma'am. People in the crew told me they used to be four Fulst pilots. And that the best one, Capt. Omar was killed in an operation around two months before I joined. I heard they were friends even before this project, so it must be hard..."
"Can you guys stop the heavy talk!?" the assistant Nensa interrupted the conversation.
"Ah, sorry."
"Not you! Professor, we didn't go here to talk about that."
"Ah! that's right. I was about to ask you about the Vawln's performance, Ames." the professor changed the topic.
"Yes, it's fine. But, how about Capt. Lyto?" felt that the captain would be left out, Ames asked.
"Well, it's fine. That was the only thing I wanted to ask. Also, I am curious about the armor too."
After the confirmation from the captain, the discussion topics changed to the Vawln's performance. Ames elaborated on every single thing he felt while using the magic armor.
Ames' explanation about the armor was very detailed. Not only everything that he physically felt and did inside the armor, but he also described every magic spells the armor casted while he was using it.
"That was very detailed. Especially for someone that's not a mage," Prof. Linde probed.
"Oh, you know my parents right? maybe it's their influence, but I find studying magic to be fun."
"I see."
Ames' adoptive parents Rick Ennard and Marlene Ennard are both big names in the magic engineering scene. Rick Ennart, Ames' father was the first one to bring magic to daily use. His magic application process was so revolutionary, that even the magic armors engineering applied that process as well.
"Ennard, huh? It explains your understanding of magic, but that's not the entirety of your ability." as if she was interrogating Ames, the professor tried to probe further.
"Umm..." Ames, not knowing what to say can't answer her suspicion.
"Well, it's fine. Hopefully, we'll learn about it later. That's all I wanna ask." the professor finally relented.
Prof. Linde's suspicion was justified. After testing every HAFF's Personnel, none was compatible with the Vawln except Ames. This result surprised Linde, but not in the way everyone else was.
At the start of the project, Altus Heavy Industry only had Valzak Empire's MSA-22 Adder as a reference. With the smallest amount of intel, the AMK-01 Fulst was somehow made. And naively thought that the normal human version, AMK-X0 Vawln could easily be made by making small adjustments.
Prof. Linde WIlliams was the first to realize that mistake. At first, they thought the only difference between normal humans and mages was their mana capacity. In reality, that should be the least of the problems.
Non-mages weren't able to use more complex magic not only because of their mana but also their sense. Although magic armor uses only simple spells, the sheer amount of spells casted overwhelmed anyone without that magic sense. Finally, that sense was not something that could be gained. Only geniuses called mages have that.
That was why to Prof. Linde, the fact that no normal human can use magic armor was not a surprise. What surprised her was the fact that someone, a non-mage, could actually use the magic armor.
And for that, Prof. Linde's curiosity was piqued by Ames's ability.
---
"Alright, that's all for today. You can go back, Pvt. Ames," after their meals, Capt. Lyto dismissed Ames.
"Wait, Capt. Lyto. There's something I'd like to discuss." Prof. Linde stoped Lyto. "Nensa, you can go back too for today." she continues.
"That's how it is, Ames escort her okay?"
"Yes, sir!"
The two left Ames and Nensa in the dining hall. Although both were living inside the base, their room was in different areas. Everyone on the special research team were living inside the flying fortress Valfreyja. The only exception was Ames who just joined and lived in a typical soldiers' room.
As Ames was to escort Nensa, they both went to the hangar where Valfreyja parked. The walk wouldn't be long, but long enough that a silent walk would be awkward.
"How's it going? feel comfortable here yet?" Nensa struck some casual talks.
"Not really, the base was somewhat okay, but anywhere beyond is..."
"Ahh! I get you. I also don't want to go outside. Well, I will go if I'm going in a group, but there's no way I'm going alone!"
"Haha, well I don't think I'll go even with other people," Ames stated. "In my case, I'll get more awkward in groups after all."
"Hmm, that's true. Then you should go with me! then it won't be awkward right?" Nensa has noticed that lately, Ames opened himself to her. The reason may be because they came from the same country. Nensa was also the first person to pronounce Ames' name correctly.
"No, even if I got company, I'm still nervous about the people in the city."
"Guess that's understandable. No humans really lived in this country after all, excluding this HAFF base."
"Yeah, some of them look fine. but..."
"The elves huh?" reading Ames' intention, Nensa spoke up.
"Uh-huh. It felt like they're staring daggers at me."
"They lived long after all..."
Elves lived a long life. Because of that, the defeat from the war 64 years ago felt recent to them. While there were barely any humans from that era still alive, elves from that era could still be called 'young'. Hence their reaction to humans.
The country itself wasn't an elven one. It will give citizenship to people regardless of their race. But, given that the Palmian King was the elven great sage, most citizens there was an elf.
"Oh, we're here."
"Right, then I'm going back."
"Ah... wait. The joint tests with the Fulst, when was it again?" Nensa asked.
"I don't know, captain said the sooner the better. But, it seems like they keep rejecting it."
"What's with them? ugh! I'll try to force them next time!"
"Ahaha I leave them to you then, thanks!'
"Right, I'll let you know how it goes later. Bye"
"See you tomorrow," Ames replied. Then he went back to his own room.
---
A couple of days later, the joint test of AMK-01 Fulst and AMK-X0 Vawln was finally scheduled. In a week's time, the four magic armor will take flight together for the first time.
On the day of the scheduled test, Ames and other users gathered early in the morning. The four of them were briefed by Nensa on what the content of the test will be. After that, they change their clothes to the special inner suits for the magic armor.
While changing, 2nd Lt. Pommeline was in a different room from the other three. However, in the hangar where the crew will put on the magic armor on the four's bodies, all four once again together.
In the entire time, Ames can't help but feel anxious. Flying with others was a challenge in itself. Add to that, the three Fulsts' users clearly disliked his presence. With that, Ames can't do anything but pray for an uneventful day.
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