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If you ask who the best is at Demia Empire Academy, where even the level of the faculty is top-notch, debates would rage on. But if you were to pick someone who has crossed the most intense battlefields, it would be none other than this man.

Alexander Stigma Hamilton.

With a scar running across the center of his face and a prosthetic left arm crafted from magic engineering, he lost his left arm in a war accident. While piloting a Colossal Mech, he was hit, resulting not just in the loss of his left arm but its complete obliteration. Not even the priests of the church could regenerate his arm.

No matter how much faith a priest has to perform miracles, regenerating a completely lost arm is a miracle that only a saint or holy figure could achieve.

For this reason, Alexander, a fierce warrior who fought for the Empire, had no choice but to retire from the Imperial Army. Even with a magic engineering prosthetic, delicate tasks that required his original arm were difficult, and the Colossal Mech was a culmination of such delicate tasks.

When he realized he could no longer operate the Colossal Mech as before, he decided to retire. Though he was exceptional at strategizing and could have served as a staff officer, he refused.

He believed that his talent was best used on the front lines as a fierce warrior.

With nowhere left to go, it was Marquis Lucas, who had fought alongside him, who extended a hand. That’s how he ended up becoming a professor of Colossal Mech operation at Demia Empire Academy, tasked with nurturing the next generation.

Gilbert also knew him well. Especially since Alexander played a crucial role in the major stories that would unfold at the academy, Gilbert felt a sense of familiarity.

“Some of you cadets may know me, while others may not.”

No cadet nodded at Alexander’s words. After all, it was impossible for a cadet of Demia Empire Academy not to know a war hero who had achieved remarkable feats before retiring.

As the second son of the prestigious Hamilton family, his family’s influence and his own achievements made him a household name among nobles. Even commoners knew his life story, often sung by bards.

“But that’s not what’s important. My goal is to train you cadets to survive the battlefield, and your goal is to return safely from that hellish place by following my teachings.”

His short statement carried a heavy implication: don’t underestimate the battlefield.

The cadets’ eyes naturally drifted to his prosthetic arm. Though it might have been rude, Alexander simply chuckled.

“Yes, I’m living proof. As you can see, I lost my left arm on the battlefield and retired from the military. Carelessness? I never let my guard down. If I had, I wouldn’t be standing here before you.”

Alexander spoke calmly, but the cadets couldn’t shake off a chilling feeling. Some even shivered, as if death’s shadow had brushed past their necks.

Gilbert also deeply engraved in his heart that this was no game. One wrong move, and it wouldn’t just be an arm—it could be his head.

“The subject you cadets will learn from me is officially called Colossal Mech Operation. If you’ve been admitted to Demia Empire Academy, you must have at least the minimum talent to handle a Colossal Mech. If war breaks out and you’re deployed, it’s obvious that you’ll become knights piloting Colossal Mechs. So, I will teach you how to operate them and, more importantly, how to survive the battlefield.”

The teachings of a 2nd-class knight, who had just recently roamed the battlefield, were invaluable experiences that money couldn’t buy. Though he could no longer perform precise operations due to his lost arm, a 2nd-class knight could easily take down any newly admitted cadet.

Gilbert also looked forward to Alexander’s teachings. In the game, it was just a cutscene, but in reality, attending a lecture was anything but boring. Since the scene would transition and the lecture would end, it felt like his first time attending.

“Judging by your expressions, it seems you’ve understood well. Then, let’s begin the lecture.”

Alexander nodded, seeing the cadets’ eyes sparkle with interest. Clearly, being in the top class, their eagerness to learn was palpable.

“Before we start, I’ll ask you cadets a question. What do you think of Colossal Mechs?”

It was a fundamental yet abstract question. The cadets struggled to grasp Alexander’s intent behind asking about their thoughts on Colossal Mechs, the pinnacle of magic engineering.

Even Gilbert found it hard to understand what the war hero professor was getting at. So, he reframed the question: What if the Colossal Mech was the fighter jet he had risked his life piloting?

Then, the answer came.

“Was my question too difficult? There’s no right answer. Just share your honest thoughts with me.”

Gilbert realized that Alexander wasn’t just asking what they thought of Colossal Mechs. It was more like asking a fighter pilot about their views on flying—Alexander was probing their mindset as future Colossal Mech operators.

How they thought about Colossal Mechs would shape how they piloted them. And for Gilbert, who had experienced war, the meaning of fighter jets and Colossal Mechs was singular.

“Would you like to answer first?”

Alexander pointed at Hans. Though startled by the sudden call, Hans responded confidently.

“Your name?”

“Hans!”

“Alright, Hans. What do you think of Colossal Mechs?”

“I think they’re shields that protect the Empire’s people.”

“Interesting. Why do you think of them as shields?”

“Because Colossal Mechs lead the charge in war.”

“That’s not wrong. But you must know that Colossal Mechs have mobility limits. War doesn’t end in an instant. So, Colossal Mechs move cautiously, like chess pieces. It’s rare for them to be at the forefront. What do you think about that?”

“Then wouldn’t the enemy also deploy Colossal Mechs? If we wait for their mobility limits, the damage would accumulate. Considering that, leading the charge isn’t unreasonable.”

“That’s also a valid point. Good. Now, what do you think?”

After Hans’ answer, Alexander called on a few more cadets to share their thoughts. Some called them sharp swords, others the pinnacle of magic engineering. For some, they were dreams and the future.

“Then, lastly, you answer.”

Alexander pointed at Gilbert.

His sharp gaze analyzed Gilbert.

Whether it was because he had seen Gilbert’s piloting during the Entrance Mock Battle or because of the rumors surrounding him, the reason was unclear. But Gilbert didn’t mind. He was used to such situations and had a firm belief about Colossal Mechs.

“They’re murder weapons.”

A cold silence fell over the lecture hall. Demia Empire Academy had many noble-born cadets who didn’t hesitate to embellish their descriptions of Colossal Mechs.

Shields that protect the Empire.

Spears and swords aimed at the Empire’s enemies.

The pinnacle of magic engineering.

And so on.

Nobles always emphasized elegance in their speech, and with many such cadets, even commoner cadets, with their limited vocabulary, adorned their descriptions of Colossal Mechs.

They weren’t unaware of the true meaning of Colossal Mechs.

After all, if you thought about why Colossal Mechs were used as war machines, their purpose was clear.

A simple example: if you considered why they weren’t used in industries like construction, you’d understand why they were exclusively war machines.

The reason was simple: the cost of maintaining a Colossal Mech was astronomical.

Maintaining a standard Colossal Mech at Demia Empire Academy for a month cost as much as running a small territory for a year. If you asked whether using them in industries like construction would yield a return on investment, the answer was a resounding no. Including the cost of the pilot’s salary, it just didn’t add up.

But war was different.

The benefits gained from victory versus the losses from defeat.

When you weighed the two, no matter how astronomical the cost, you had to deploy Colossal Mechs. Their emergence became the catalyst for wars between nations and shaped the current continental landscape.

War always pays, and money equals national power.

In that sense, Colossal Mechs, used exclusively as war machines, were murder weapons. After all, the purpose of a war machine in war is to kill the enemy.

But no one here dared to say that outright, as nobles or those influenced by nobles preferred to speak elegantly.

As if it were a virtue.

Gilbert—no, Kang Do-jun, a former Air Force pilot who had experienced World War III in his previous life—saw Colossal Mechs as nothing more or less than murder weapons. As a soldier who fought for his country’s interests, he had earned the title of the world’s best pilot, but that also meant he had killed many people.

Thus, he couldn’t bring himself to embellish war machines with flowery language. Like all soldiers who had been to war, he felt the same.

“Are you Gilbert?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“How is the Count doing?”

“He’ll be nodding for the next 30 years.”

Alexander’s eyes grew misty. Memories of his early days under Marquis Lucas, struggling alongside Count William, resurfaced. It was Count William, now the Iron-Blooded Frontier Count of Lithuania, who had guided him during those times.

He felt the weight of time, realizing he was now posing the same question Count William had once asked him to the Count’s son.

“That’s good. Please send him my regards.”

“I will.”

“I’ve rambled enough. So, you called them murder weapons?”

Alexander shook off the lingering nostalgia and refocused on the present.

Come to think of it, he recalled hearing that the Iron-Blooded Frontier Count’s eldest son was no better than a delinquent. Considering the source, he believed it to be true.

“But should I judge him solely based on that?”

Alexander’s eyes grew heavy.

He had spent ten years on the battlefield. In that time, he had faced death countless times, and comrades who laughed with him one day would return as cold corpses the next.

Not to mention the traitors who stabbed him in the back during dire battles.

After ten years of such experiences, he had developed a keen eye for people. And when he assessed Gilbert with that eye, he couldn’t help but doubt the rumors.

“Can someone with those eyes really be called a delinquent?”

They say you can tell a person by their eyes. Alexander agreed with that sentiment, and it was usually accurate. When he looked into Gilbert’s eyes, he saw a comrade who had survived the horrors of war—a mix of regret, hatred, and desolation.

But Gilbert was the son of a Count’s family who had never set foot on a battlefield. Why did he feel that way? Alexander couldn’t understand.

“That’s correct. Colossal Mechs are war machines, and their purpose is clear. To put it simply, they’re nothing more or less than murder weapons.”

“That’s also a valid point.”

Alexander shared a similar view. No matter how you dressed it up, a Colossal Mech used in war was a war machine. And the purpose of a war machine is to kill the enemy.

Not intending to dwell on opinions about Colossal Mechs, Alexander tapped the lectern to shift the mood.

“There’s no right answer to what I asked you cadets. Everything you thought could be considered correct. I asked this question simply to gauge your thoughts on Colossal Mechs. And based on that, I hope you’ll take my words to heart.”

He took a deep breath to begin the actual lesson. Since becoming a professor, there was one thing he always taught his students first.

He stood before the chalkboard and wrote his lesson with bold strokes.

“First Rule of Engagement: Colossal Mechs are not omnipotent.”

Ten years of experience.

He shared the lessons learned from those years with the future of the Empire.

 

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