Chapter 725: Pre-Battle Preparations (2)

Ninth Defense Zone Inner City.

Within a designated area, the Tailin Family was settled by Yingzhou, and castle after castle rose up within this zone.

Inside the training grounds of the Tailin Family Castle, the floor was covered with specialized energy-absorbing material, and the walls were decorated with the crests of the family's past Knights and damaged weapons.

The air was permeated with the scent of sweat, leather conditioner, and a faint, lingering trace of incense.

Jialun was wearing light training gear, his back soaked with sweat, as he struggled to parry the attacks of Instructor Saze with a heavy training sword.

His movements were somewhat stiff, and his breathing was heavy.

Seeing Jialun's state, Instructor Saze did not stop his movements; his training sword struck the spine of Jialun's parrying blade with a dull thud, and then he spoke.

"Footwork! Jialun, you brat! Your feet look like they've been welded to the floor! A Knight's battlefield is dynamic! Your Knight Mech moves, and the enemy moves too! Imagine your Knight jumping to evade artillery fire!"

Jialun gritted his teeth to parry, saying defiantly.

"I... I am trying, Instructor! But the Knight Mech has thrusters, a person does not!"

He attempted to counterattack, but his forearm was precisely struck by the training sword, a wave of soreness nearly making him drop his weapon.

Leiduona leaned against the wall to watch, wiping a precision pocket watch in his hand.

Upon hearing Jialun's argument, Leiduona said in a stern tone.

"The Knight Mech is an extension, kid, not a replacement.

Your will, your reflexes, and your body's memory are the true heart and brain of a Knight.

Your current clumsiness would be a burden to the Machine Spirit on the battlefield."

Instructor Saze stopped his movements, looked at the panting Jialun, and spoke.

"Five-minute break, then we continue!"

"Yes! Instructor!"

Jialun stopped, panting, rubbed his reddened arm, and looked at his uncle with a stubborn expression.

"Uncle Leiduona, you always talk about will and memory... but when facing Alien attacks, can will melt armor? What we need is stronger firepower and faster speed!"

Leiduona put away his pocket watch, walked toward Jialun with a serious expression, his gaze fixed on Jialun.

"Nonsense!"

He barked, and the training ground instantly went quiet.

"The glory of a Tailin Knight lies in facing strong enemies head-on and tearing through their defensive lines with courage and skill!

Relying on speed to run away? That is the act of a coward!

Remember, your 'spear' is meant to pierce the enemy's hardest core, not to dance on the battlefield!

Saze, again! Make him remember the basic stance of an 'Iron Cavalry Charge'! Let him know the value we need to bring to the Emperor!"

Reinardo's words carried unquestionable majesty.

"Yes!"

Although Jialun pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, he took a deep breath and reset his stance.

Instructor Saze's training sword whistled through the air once more; this time, Jialun's eyes were more focused, and he attempted to shift his feet.

Tailin Family mechanical bay small maintenance compartment.

Liriya Tailin wore grease-stained technician robes, the hem embroidered with the Tailin family crest and the gear symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

She wore multi-functional goggles, and the mechanical prosthetic of her right hand was using a precision probe to inspect the interior of an exposed joint.

Her expression was focused to the point of piety, and she silently recited prayers.

Young Take handed over tools nervously, his eyes fixed tightly on Liriya's movements, fearing he might make a mistake.

Liriya did not look up, speaking in a flat tone.

"Take, No. 3 Holy Oil spray, a micro-dose. Target: No. 7 pressure bearing seal ring. Remember, 'micro-dose'! One extra drop is a desecration of the Machine Spirit's tranquility."

Take scrambled to find the spray, aimed it cautiously, and said with a nervous tone.

"Ye... yes, Master Liriya! Micro-dose... No. 7..." He pressed it nervously.

Liriya's mechanical prosthetic shot out, precisely pinching the nozzle of the spray to prevent an excessive discharge.

"Stop! You fool! Do you want the 'Star Spear' to slip during a charge and crush that brat Jialun into a meat patty?"

Her voice carried a trace of annoyance.

"Sacred machine oil is the blood, and Holy Oil is the soothing balm for the soul! It is not meant to drown the bearings! Wipe it clean! Use a lint-free cloth! Your movements should be like caressing an infant!"

Take's face turned bright red, and he hurriedly wiped away the spilled oil with a cloth, his voice trembling.

"A thousand apologies, Master! I... I just wanted so much to maintain the Knight's mount well..."

Liriya sighed, her electronic voice softening slightly. "Reverence is good, Take. But reverence requires precision and composure.

Jialun's life, the family's glory, and even the Emperor's great cause are all tied to every screw and every application we handle.

Remember, we are not repairing a machine; we are serving the Steel Saint and maintaining the bridge of the contract between the Knight and the Emperor."

She pointed to a tiny trace of wear inside the joint.

"Look here, the Machine Spirit is whispering its fatigue. Prepare 0.3-micron Jinjin grinding paste and a consecrated polishing cloth. We must smooth out its scars and let it regain its vitality."

Liriya returned to her precision work, her mechanical prosthetic operating steadily, leaving only the faint sounds of tools and the distinct scent of machine oil in the compartment.

To them, maintaining a Knight Mech was the most sacred daily routine.

Tailin Family Castle dining hall.

At dinner time, Jialun and the others were enjoying their meal at the dining table.

The food on the table was simple but refined: sauced steak, vegetable soup, and toasted bread.

The long dining table was covered with a crisp, starched linen tablecloth.

Silverware was arranged neatly.

The atmosphere was very quiet, with only the sound of cutlery lightly touching plates.

Even the young children were required to sit with proper posture, not daring to make a noise.

Lady Isabella sat at the head of the table; although her hair was gray, her back was straight and her gaze sharp.

Jialun cut into his sauced steak and could not help but speak up.

"Mother, Uncle, Aunt... today in the hangar, the Chapter Master announced it! We are to act as the vanguard to take out those Cyberk 'Giant Mechs'!"

Reinardo glanced at his nephew, placed the cut steak into his mouth, and reminded him.

"Discussing combat details while eating is against etiquette, Jialun."

Liriya used her mechanical prosthetic limb to fork some vegetables and spoke up.

"The Machine Spirit requires calm, Jialun. Excessive emotional fluctuations will affect the precision of neural synchronization. Your 'Star Spear' had some fluctuations in its sensor circuits during joint maintenance today."

Jialun restrained himself slightly, but still could not hide his excitement as he said.

"Yes, Aunt. I just... thinking about being able to personally destroy the Alien's giant beasts for the Emperor, and winning glory for the family..."

Lady Isabella set down the spoon in her hand and said in a calm voice.

"Glory, Jialun Tailin, is never the goal to be pursued."

She looked around the dining table, and everyone stopped what they were doing.

"It is the radiance that naturally falls upon our shoulders when Tailin Knights fulfill their eternal Loyalty to the Emperor.

Our duty is to guard the Human territories with Steel and fire, and to crush all Heretics and Aliens.

Destroying Giant Mechs is a duty, it is a mission!"

She looked at Reinardo and Liriya.

"Your father, your brother, their names are carved on the family's wall of honor not because of how many Giant Mechs they destroyed, but because they upheld that Oath until their deaths."

The dining room was silent, with only the echoes of Lady Isabella's words.

Jialun straightened his back and said firmly.

"For the Emperor, for the eternal Oath of Tailin."