The Next Generation, Along with Smartphone

The character name is not finalized. The character name will be fix once the official light novel is release.

“Now then, I will have everyone use these Frame Units to pilot a Frame Gear. Please do not let your guard down just because it is a virtual space. The impact and shaking the machine receives will be fed back directly to the Frame Unit. If you are careless, you will get hurt.”

In front of the Frame Units, which looked like round eggs lined up on their sides, Professor Sofie issued a warning to us. The inside of the Frame Unit, which allows for simulated piloting of a Frame Gear in virtual space, is shaped exactly like a basic Frame Gear cockpit. Most pilots undergo training using this to become a [Trooper]. This training room where the Frame Units are placed is quite spacious, housing as many as fifty Frame Units, along with one large monitor and several medium-sized monitors. There are ten such classrooms in total, and students can use them freely for [Star Duel] matches or independent training by submitting a request. By the way, usage time outside of class and [Star Duel] is apparently limited to sixty hours a month. Continuous usage time is up to three hours. Well, if they didn’t set time limits, some students would probably occupy them forever.

Since today is the first Frame Gear practice class, almost all first-year students are attending. That number is about one hundred and eighty people. It’s a fairly large training room, but naturally, with this many people gathered, it feels a bit stifling. …It’s not because I’m small and can’t see my surroundings easily, okay? Professor Sofie operates a remote control, and pa, a bleak landscape appears on the large frontal monitor.

“This stage will be ‘Wasteland’. There are almost no undulations, so please move around with peace of mind. Even so, please refrain from actions that would cause trouble for others. First, to have you learn the basic movements, the machine you board will be the same for everyone.”

The image on the monitor switches, and a single Frame Gear is displayed. A machine with the form of a light-armored knight. That is…

“The Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’. It is a mass-produced Frame Gear made about a hundred years ago. It is an easy-to-handle machine suited for beginners, so let us first perform basic Frame Gear maneuvers with this. Once you have finished the basic control process, you may switch to your own machine.”

Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’, huh? If I recall, because the cost is low and it’s easy to handle, they are deployed in towns far from the capital. There weren’t any in my hometown of Alente, though… I built a plastic model of it a long time ago. I remember modifying it, changing the colors, and making a Nero Special.

“For now, the first fifty students by student ID number will stay in this classroom, and the rest will split into the other classrooms, so please follow me.”

Following Professor Sofie’s words, the first fifty students by ID remained here, and we moved to the next classroom. My personal number is 144, so that’s the third classroom. I enter the classroom and arrive at the Frame Unit with the number 144. When I press the switch on the side of the main body, there is a pushu, a sound like air lightly escaping, and the upper half of the egg shape lifts up like the lid of a treasure chest opening. Ooh… So this is a Frame Gear cockpit…! Using the step stool on the side of the unit, I slide my body into the seat inside. …It’s big. Just as I thought that, the chair shuck shrinks, the control stick at my hands pushes out a bit, and the foot pedals at my feet rise up. Amazing! It automatically adjusts to just the right size! It’s just like an Artifact!

“Did everyone board? Please set your terminal smartphone on the central console. The unit will startup immediately, and your machine’s data will be recorded in the academy’s main system.”

Professor Sofie’s voice came from the speaker inside the unit. Um, do I place my smartphone here? I set my smartphone into the rectangular depression in the center of the console. Then, with a kyuin sound, the unit’s lid closed, and lights pa-pa-pa-pat illuminated the instruments on the console. At the same time, the white part corresponding to the unit’s eggshell became transparent, and my surroundings transformed into a wasteland. So this is the scenery of the virtual space. It looks just like the real thing. The viewpoint is high; this must be the height of the Frame Gear’s camera. Woah, I can see below through the gaps in my legs. I happen to look to my right and see a Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’ standing about fifty meters away. There’s one on the left too. Probably the machines of number 143 and 145.

“You learned how to move the machine in the lecture earlier, correct? Now then, I will send the movement check process. To avoid getting in other people’s way, please complete them one by one, and once you have finished everything, you may switch to your own machine. After that, please try moving around freely.”

Simultaneous with Professor Sofie’s voice, a list of tasks flowed onto several sub-monitors displayed small within the eggshell main monitor.

“Umm, let’s see…? Let’s try raising the right arm. Let’s try raising the left arm. Let’s try turning the neck. Let’s try twisting the upper body. Let’s try walking…?”

Eh, I have to do all of this…? There are over a hundred items though…? W-Well, let’s give it a try. I gripped the left and right control sticks with both hands. While pressing the button on the control stick, I raise the machine’s right arm. …Hm? It is raised, right? Since the actual machine’s arm isn’t reflected on the eggshell main monitor, I can’t really tell. I can see that my neighbor is raising their arm, though. Frame Gear cameras aren’t just in the eyes, they are in various places on the machine. By combining those images, it projects a simulated surround view. …The real thing does, anyway. I guess the Frame Unit is creating a similar image in accordance with that… With a piron sound, a check appeared in the ‘Let’s try raising the right hand’ checkbox. Does that mean clear? Ah, there is an image of the Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’ raising its right arm on another sub-monitor. I just have to check on this one. I continue and raise the left arm too. Piron, a check appeared. Alright, then.

“Umm, next is ‘Let’s try turning the neck’?”

I don’t know if there is any meaning to that with a panoramic surround monitor. Umm, the neck movement synchronizes with the pilot, right? …It’s not moving though? I shake my head back and forth like an idiot, but it doesn’t make a sound or move an inch. Even looking at the sub-monitor, my Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’ is facing straight ahead. Huuuh? Ah, I remember that it doesn’t synchronize unless you flow magic power into it! I flowed magic power through the control stick and tried shaking my head to the side again. Ooh! The entire surrounding monitor spun to the side! Piron, a check appears. Alright, clear! After that, I completed the tasks one by one in order. Let’s try walking. Let’s try sitting. Let’s try standing. Let’s try jumping. Let’s try punching. Let’s try kicking. Etc, etc. The last one, ‘Let’s try dancing to the rhythm’, was quite a difficult problem, though. Professor Sofie’s voice arrives from the speaker.

“Number 144, Nero Silhoueska, all tasks completed. You may switch to your own machine and move freely until closing time, but please be careful not to get in other people’s way.”

“Yes! Understood!”

Alright! Now I can move my own machine to my heart’s content! I operate my smartphone to call up my machine’s data and swap out the Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’. The figure of the Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’ reflected on the sub-monitor begins to change. My Frame Gear, [Lucifer]. A Lightning Frame that emphasizes mobility. Its equipment is only two short swords. By using the thrusters on its back and legs, it can trace irregular trajectories and move quickly. Special technology is used in the joint drive system as well, and its reaction speed is apparently considerably faster compared to other frames. What should I do about the coloring… I think keeping it solid grey is a bit much. But being flashy is also… Nah, I’ll just stick to adding a bit of white and black. Okay, coloring change complete! Then, let’s try moving it lightly!

“Here we go, Lucifer!”

Gun!, I stepped on the foot pedal with force, intending to run, but thrust was added from the thrusters on the back and legs, and rather than running, it felt like I was flying just barely above the ground. I hurriedly spread both legs and came to a sudden stop while scraping the ground.

“Y-You scared me… It picks up more speed than I thought…”

Or rather, the thrusters activated on their own? Ah, is it because I left the magic power flowing…? Is this High Mobility Mode? This time, I try walking using the foot pedals normally. …Try running. Ooh, it runs, it runs. It’s fast even running normally. Faster than the Light Cavalry ‘Cavalry’. I tried making it jump, and I feel like the jump height is also high. Is it because the machine weight is light? Ah, I know. I made Lucifer jump, and the moment its feet left the ground, I opened the thrusters fully. Ooh! The jump height became even higher! Furthermore, from here, I change posture and move laterally in the air. Oh, oh, if I do it consecutively, I can move through the air! I’m falling little by little, though. I got excited and enjoyed moving through the air while blasting the thrusters ba-ba-ba. Zuzazaza, I land while grazing the ground. Interesting! Fun!

“H-Hundred forty-four, Nero Silhoueska! Are you alright!?”

“Eh? Yes, I am alright though?”

Suddenly hearing Professor Sofie’s panicked voice, I stopped piloting and replied.

“…Umm, you aren’t feeling sick or anything?”

“No, not particularly.”

“…Is that so. Please be careful of magic overuse. Every year, several new students ruin their health by using too much magic in the first practice…”

Ah, she was worried about me. I did collapse back with the Achilles, after all. I get the feeling Lucifer doesn’t use that much magic. It certainly decreased quite a bit, but I’m still fine. I can tell the point where doing any more would be bad. With the Achilles, it felt like I didn’t notice it flowing out. Before I knew it, I was drained. Or rather, if it eats more magic than moving a Frame Gear, isn’t that Armed Gear a failure…? …Well, Principal Quun did say it was a prototype. That’s probably just how it is. Alright, next let’s jump straight up, blast off, and see how high I can jump! I once again made Lucifer jump high into the sky.