Chapter 43: Complex
“Yes, right there. Put more emotion into it. Like the joy of meeting Mr. Bear in the forest.”
“No, I don’t think one normally rejoices upon meeting a bear…”
Receiving guidance from Yoshino-sama, I thought this person is also a genius type like Master. Her teaching method is too abstract.
In the first place, I don’t want to become a pianist; I want to learn the independent, efficient movements of both hands. Whether there’s emotion or not, isn’t it fine as long as I can play?
“Nero-chan, you thought ‘Whether there’s emotion or not, isn’t it fine as long as I can play?’, didn’t you?”
“Ugh, how did you know…!”
“Wrong answer~. Putting emotion into it is one of the important techniques in piloting a Frame Gear, you see.”
“Ehh…? I’ve never heard of that…”
Does the pilot’s emotion have anything to do with piloting a Frame Gear?
Are we talking about the pilot’s tension or motivation?
“Magic power, you see, has waves just like sound. The owner’s emotions ride on the magic power and affect the machine. Put frankly, ‘Spirit’ is transmitted.”
“No, no, ‘Spirit’ is…”
“Sounds like a lie, but it’s true, you know? The output actually increases and stuff. If you seriously think ‘I want to win’, the Frame Gear will respond to that. Well, compared to the whole, the change is miniscule, but there are countless stories of snatching a victory because of it.”
Hmm, certainly in a truly borderline, even match, such things might become the deciding factor.
I myself have seen many matches where the difference in feelings clashed, like spirit or tenacity, decided the outcome in the end.
It’s frustrating, but I kind of understand what Yoshino-sama is trying to say.
Come to think of it, even in past [Magical Great War: Ragnarok]s, there were [Troopers] who unnecessarily shouted out technique names passionately… Was that also aiming for the effect of ‘Spirit’?
“That’s why even though it’s training, you mustn’t neglect those feelings. If you understand, okay, Da Capo (from the beginning) one more time.”
“Yeeees…”
I started playing the piano from the beginning again. Thanks to the demon-like practice every day, I’ve improved enough to play without making mistakes. But being told to put emotion into it from here, I can’t switch gears that easily…
However, even though it’s for a short period, I don’t think I’ll have the chance to be taught by a Princess of the Duchy again, so I just have to do as much as I can.
I’m a bit hung up on the fact that what I’m being taught is piano performance, though… Will I really become able to use [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ with this…?
◇ ◇ ◇
“Was this a bad matchup for her…?”
“Hmm, but it’s not like she can’t win.”
In the viewing area of the Frame Unit training room, Carrol and I were watching similar Frame Gears fighting on the screen and sharing our impressions.
One side was Lirisha’s machine ‘Alfheim’, emerald green with gold lines.
The other side was the opponent’s machine in black and grey. Like the opponent I fought before, it had four arms.
Both are Mystic Frames. Using the staffs in their hands, they’ve been exchanging magic blasts doka-doka right from the start of the match.
Having four arms means the other side has a higher rate of fire. However, since Lirisha has higher mobility, they don’t hit easily.
Lirisha’s side has accuracy, landing hits decently, but the opponent’s armor is thick, and it feels like she can’t deal damage to their high defense.
It hasn’t quite become a mud-wrestling match, but it’s certain that both lack a deciding factor.
If it were me, I’d use mobility to close in and deal direct damage, but with Lirisha’s equipment, that might be difficult…
Just when I thought the back-and-forth battle had continued for a while, an anomaly occurred with the opponent’s Frame Gear.
The magic they had been firing so much stopped.
“Out of magic power, huh.”
Frame Gears have stoppers to prevent magic depletion, making it impossible to shoot magic before the pilot’s magic power completely runs out.
Not missing this chance, Lirisha’s Alfheim launched a suicide charge.
The opponent also threw away their staffs, drew knives they had equipped on their back waist for close combat, and equipped them in their four arms.
Even while taking those attacks, the approaching Alfheim forcefully thrust her staff in front of the cockpit and unleashed a fireball just like that.
Taking an attack from point-blank range, the opponent’s cockpit blew apart. Similarly caught in the explosion, Alfheim’s right arm was also pitifully blown away.
There, the match ended.
『Winner, Lirisha Millian!』
“Oh, she won.”
I didn’t think she’d go for a victory like that even at the cost of sacrificing her own machine.
If she had attacked from a distance, I don’t think it would have resulted in destroying the cockpit.
Is this what Master calls ‘Let them cut your flesh so you can sever their bones’?
Lirisha, coming out of the Frame Unit, was swaying a little, making me feel it was quite a death match.
“Congrats.”
“Hmph… Something like this is nothing.”
Lightly brushing off my words of congratulation, Lirisha sat in a chair and gulped down water from her own water bottle she had placed there.
This is hitting her pretty hard. Maybe Lirisha was also on the verge of running out of magic power.
That’s why she closed in and unleashed a strike that would surely win. She couldn’t afford to attack from a distance, I guess.
“It was unlucky to be matched with the same type. This happens in random matches, you know.”
“This can’t be helped.”
Lirisha replied to Carrol’s words after taking another drink of water.
“But didn’t you say before that you wanted to make your machine for bombardment battles with heavy firearms?”
When I asked Lirisha, she let out an exasperated sigh haa. This girl…!
“Bombardment units are expensive. Firstly, it’s not an amount an F-Rank first-year can buy. She might be able to buy it if she pushed herself, but I think it would be a bit tough to climb the rankings with just that one.”
Carrol explained instead of Lirisha. Oh, so that’s it.
I wouldn’t have been able to buy the thruster unit either if it weren’t for that part-time job… The fact that money comes first is the same wherever you go.
If she wants to earn G [Gears], she could just do a short-term part-time job, but Lirisha this girl has high pride, so…
“That’s why Mystic Frame pilots basically focus mainly on magic combat at first. After that, whether they change to more powerful magic weapons or switch to bombardment units depends on the pilot.”
I see… Is it similar to how rookie adventurers are told to fight with knives first?
I understand the feeling of wanting to act cool and hold a sword, but if an amateur holds one, they’ll just be swung around by its weight.
“Or rather, didn’t Professor Sophie say that in the classroom lecture? Why don’t you remember?”
“…Did she?”
“That is why I stayed silent, thinking it foolish to explain.”
Gununu… I might have heard it, but I might have let it pass through my ears thinking ‘It has nothing to do with me~’.
“Well, I intend to buy a bombardment unit with the prize money from this, so from next time, I’ll go as a dual-wielder of magic and bombardment.”
It seems it will still take quite a while to completely transition to a bombardment type. How long will it take to modify it like Duchess Leen’s Frame Gear, Grimgerde?
“Lirisha has Fire and Wind attributes, so the power of her bombardment should be great.”
“…Even if you have the attributes, if your magic capacity is low, you cannot output sufficient power.”
“Are you low on magic capacity? Even though you’re an Elf?”
When I said that, Lirisha glared sharply at me.
“Even though I’m an Elf? Elves born in the forest and Elves born in the town have different innate characteristics. Magic capacity is lower, attributes are different too. So? Are you saying I am not an Elf?”
“No, nobody said…”
“But that is not my fault! I suppose a certain magic idiot blessed with innate magic capacity wouldn’t understand!”
As Carrol and I stood blankly at Lirisha who suddenly raised her voice, she grabbed her water bottle with an awkward expression and stood up vigorously.
“…I have broken a sweat, so I will go take a shower. Excuse me.”
Turning her face away pui, Lirisha hurriedly left the unit room.
“…Was I in the wrong just now?”
“Hmm… Not exactly in the wrong, but maybe you lacked delicacy…”
…Is that so. Did I say something unnecessary?
“She probably cares quite a bit about having low magic capacity despite being an Elf. It’s true as Lirisha said, that’s not her fault, but Nero having high magic capacity isn’t Nero’s fault either. I think she realized herself that taking it out on you was wrong.”
Carrol patted my head pon-pon as if telling me not to worry about it. Stop it.
Hmm, true, I had assumed Elves had large magic capacities. Of course there are Elves with low magic capacities too.
As Carrol said, I have a large magic capacity, but more than that, I envy things like being tall like Lirisha, or having beautiful hair.
Even breasts… well, even if there’s still room for growth like with height, I can’t help but feel an inferiority complex.
In the end, it’s asking for the impossible. It’s what Master says, you just have to play with the cards you’re dealt. Envying others won’t help.
“If magic capacity is low, there are ways to do things even so, though.”
“Heh. Like what, for example?”
“From what I heard from a mage adventurer acquaintance, if you can use Fire attribute, you use oil; if Water attribute, you stick it to the opponent’s face to suffocate them. If Earth attribute, you set up pitfalls.”
“I see. True, you don’t need large magic power for that.”
The point is how you use it. Of course, it would be easy if you just used brute force with a large magic capacity.
“I think Lirisha is outstandingly good at magic control. I think she’ll be able to use the bombardment unit without wasting magic power.”
I think Lirisha is more suited for that than shooting magic ban-ban with large magic power. Choosing the bombardment type wasn’t a mistake.
If you pour in thirty magic power every time to shoot something that only requires ten, no matter how large your magic capacity is, it’s a waste of treasure. I know well because I’m that type.
Blessed with innate magic capacity, huh. One’s own good points are hard to see for oneself…
