Armand Nation.

Armand Estate.

In the new building within the Armand Estate.

Garius and Alf stood at the center of the open courtyard, the round building’s glass ceiling allowing sunlight to pour down around them. Both of them were wearing the motion controllers, Garius with the golden knight’s set and Alf with the silver knight’s set. The golden and silver knights stood motionless before them, awaiting activation.

Around them, Armand maids and special elite forces stood guard, watching in respectful silence.

Garius moved his arm experimentally, and the golden knight mirrored his motion perfectly. His eyes lit up with childlike excitement, a stark contrast to his usual stern and serious demeanor.

"Uwooo!!! Alf, look, look! This thing feels like I’m actually inside the knight! I can see through its eyes, feel its movements, it’s like I’m really there!"

Alf let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as he adjusted his own controllers. "Your Majesty, please don’t get too overexcited. We still have a mission to prepare for."

"Who wouldn’t be excited when it comes to this? See, I can fly with this!" Garius made a sweeping motion, and the golden knight’s wings extended, lifting it slightly off the ground before settling back down. "This is just my style. With this, we can visit places we rarely go, Alf. Imagine the possibilities."

Alf smiled, watching Garius with a mixture of amusement and admiration.

Seeing Garius like this, so full of life and enthusiasm, was a rare sight.

This reminded me of the days when Garius was younger, before the weight of leadership settled on his shoulders.

It was refreshing to see him so genuinely happy, even if it was over a mechanical knight.

"Hmm..." Garius rubbed his chin, his eyes scanning the heads-up display projected through his mana glasses. The head gear, mic, and motion controllers on his hands and legs were all linked wirelessly, glowing runes pulsing softly with each movement.

"Oho~ This is nice. It’s also linked to the Sky Eyes, the mana satellite, and all the Sky Eyes weaponry systems."

He moved one finger, and a golden mana gun materialized on each side of the golden knight’s hips.

"Wooo~ This is good. Dual golden mana guns." Garius took both guns in the knight’s hands, aiming them in different poses, one hand shooting forward while the other aimed sideways.

"This knight also has a mana cannon when activated, huh? And the mana missile system with auto-lock targeting." He paused, noticing the communication interface. "And a mana talkie, so we can contact each other or the command center directly."

Garius grinned, a rare, boyish excitement lighting up his face. "No wonder my youngest son was having so much fun with all his inventions. Looks like we can use this for our next plan, Alf."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Alf adjusted his posture, trying to get used to the motion controllers. The silver knight mirrored his movements, though slightly clumsier than Garius’s fluid motions.

"Learn faster, Alf. We have an important mission to do. Those bastards are looking for the silver armor guy~" Garius’s grin turned sly. "And we’re going to give them exactly what they want."

Garius placed both dual golden guns back onto the knight’s hips before adjusting his posture. The golden knight mirrored his movements in perfect sync.

"And we can also set it to idle, huh? Hmm?" Garius tilted his head, his right eye glowing faintly as he scanned the interface. A sly smirk spread across his lips.

"Oh~ This is nice. This one can be automated too, Alf. Just like my youngest son’s knights. Too bad we can’t channel our own skills through them. The knight is limited to its built-in functions, so we can’t use our personal combat abilities while piloting it."

Alf smiled, adjusting his stance as the silver knight mirrored him.

"But Your Majesty, this knight is already equipped with the best weapons available, including mana bombs, the dual swords on its back, and the option to use a shield and assault mana rifle. And the data shows it has a barrier strong enough to withstand a thousand shots from an assault mana rifle or hundreds of mana cannon blasts. This knight can easily shrug off regular cannon fire and flintlock musket bullets without any damage."

"Yeah." Garius nodded in agreement, crossing his arms as the golden knight mirrored the gesture.

"If the user could channel their own magic and combat skills through the knight, like a real mage or warrior on the battlefield, it would be perfect. But I understand there are limitations. Everything has its limits. Still... this is more than enough for what we need."

"Your Majesty, what’s the next step?" Alf crossed his arms, the silver knight mirroring his posture as he glanced at Garius.

Garius smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "We proceed with the training. By now, I’m sure those bastards have already arrived at Amazarak. We’re going to master the movement, control, and combat functions of these knights as quickly as possible. So when we start the operation to lure those bastards in, we’ll be ready."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

Garius nodded, a competitive glint in his eyes. "For now, we should fly these things toward the top of the hill behind this estate." He smirked and glanced at Alf. "Let’s see who arrives there first, Alf~"

"Challenge accepted, Your Majesty."

Both knights activated their mana jetpacks, the thrusters unfolding from their backs with a mechanical hum. With a sudden burst of speed, they shot upward, crashing through the glass ceiling of the round building. Shards of crystal rained down as the two knights soared into the open sky.

"See you soon, Alf!" Garius’s voice rang out through the mana talkie, filled with exhilaration as the golden knight streaked ahead.

Meanwhile. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Inside the observation room on the first floor, behind the glass windows.

Francesca let out a weary exhale, accompanied by all her co-wives. Garcinia sat gracefully on a cushioned chair, Phenelopie stood by the window with a cup of tea in hand, Eridith was seated at a table piled high with roasted meat, and Mylezra sat near the glass, her eyes fixed on the courtyard below.

"Look at our husband." Francesca sighed, shaking her head slightly. "He’s so excited with those ’toys’ Javier made. If all his sons saw how childish he can get when he’s excited, they’d be shocked. None of them have ever seen him like this."

Eridith, who was too focused on her huge plate of meat, glanced at Francesca while still munching.

"Hmm? Isn’t he always like that? From his younger self till now."

Francesca gave Eridith a sharp glare. "Don’t talk while you still have food in your mouth, dragon girl! And you already have a daughter with him, so act like a proper adult!"

"Mou!!" Eridith puffed her cheeks and pursed her lips, averting Francesca’s scary eyes before letting out a low mumble. "Always nagging..."

While Mylezra’s eyes remained fixed on Garius in the courtyard with Alf, her expression was soft, her face glowing with a gentle, loving smile.

( End Of Chapter )