Hein

For the past week, Jack had been on patrol duty. There wasn't much movement from the Dunkelheit forces in the area — only the occasional flyby of a war cruiser some 100 kilometres away. Yet, none seemed particularly interested in the region or in Hasenwald.

All the while, Jack focused on what he did best, scavenging debris. Believe it or not, within a 30-kilometre radius of Hasenwald, quite a few fallen Armatus suits lay scattered about, remnants of the Light of Punishment or its aftereffects. Jack was able to strip them for usable parts, piecing together functional units. Fortunately, the magistrate had recommended an engineer named Hein to assist with the task.

Hein was a rabbit Wildren, around 40 years old, who owned a workshop specialising in the repair and maintenance of the city's elevators and escalators. He was a thin man with long dark hair tied into a single ponytail and large brown eyes. More often than not, he was wittier than he let on.

It reminded Jack that, despite the existence of arcane magic, technology was still deeply integrated into daily life, continuously improving the quality of life for residents.

One evening, when the sun was more forgiving and the weather less harsh than the day before, Jack arrived at Hein's workshop. It was situated on the far left corner of town, its spacious front yard overlooking a pristine lake. A small dock led up to the front gate, used for transporting materials, spare parts, and wear parts. Waist-high metal fences enclosed the scrapyard, securing Hein's property and assets.

The Armatus and two puny bots made a soft landing in the scrapyard's vacant area, their thrusters dimming as they kicked up clouds of dust.

Dressed in his brown jumpsuit, Hein approached, pleased with the haul. He motioned for his team to prepare the equipment before stepping in to inspect a fallen Armatus suit, missing both legs and its thruster.

Standing in front of Jack's first-ever hijacked Armatus suit, now fully equipped with a new functional arm, Hein called out over the noise of the engines, "Wow! Nice loot today, Jack!"

As the engines wound down, Jack stepped out from the cockpit of the puny bot beside him.

Hein turned, scratching his head awkwardly. "Oh… you're in that?"

Jack laughed. "Ahaha! Yeah, an old habit of mine." He approached the rabbit Wildren. "I just feel more comfortable in the puny bot's cockpit than in an Armatus."

"How's that one looking?" Hein asked, pointing at the fallen Armatus.

"Initial scans show a functional system up to the torso, but the main circuit and engine are fried," Jack explained as they walked towards the workshop.

Hein paused, pondering for a moment. "But we scavenged those a couple of days back, didn't we?"

"Luckily, we found the missing piece," Jack said with a grin.

Inside the high-ceilinged workshop, technicians worked on an overhead crane, carefully transporting a massive motor. One controlled the crane via a wired remote, while two others guided it with ropes, preventing it from swaying.

"The more, the merrier, I'd say," Hein remarked, gesturing for Jack to follow. He then proudly stood beside a newly modified Armatus suit, painted silver and white, fully equipped with thrusters, ionised blades, and plasma guns — towering at a staggering ten metres in height.

"Holy moly, you've finished the modifications?" Jack asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement and admiration. He examined the colossal war machine, appreciating its sleek and aesthetically refined design. With Hein's expertise, his workshop, and his crew, they had managed to recreate a sophisticated war machine, an army of their own.

Jack subconsciously ran his fingers along the sleek, glossy finish of its legs, admiring the immaculate paint job. The sensation reminded him of a flashy sports car, but this one could destroy mountains and withstand storms.

"Yes, yes. I knew you'd love it," Hein said, arms crossed, a prideful grin on his face.

By the end of the week, Jack and Hein had managed to produce one more Armatus suit, bringing Hasenwald's defences to a total of three Armatus suits and two puny bots.

Meanwhile, Lupus and Frain had been immersed in local government duties, assigned directly by the magistrate, Ludwig. Unlike Jack's tasks, Lupus's work was monotonous — providing security details and acting as a personal escort. There was little need for a war-mongering spellcaster of her calibre in Hasenwald. After all, the town had been largely neglected amid the brewing war. Her three siblings, who had also pursued the arcane arts, had each earned the title of Stellius. It was no coincidence that the magistrate sought to have his long-separated daughter by his side.

With four Stellius mages, Lupus's title as the Olympian Mage, and Frain accompanying Hasenwald's magistrate, negotiations over trade routes with Porand merchants and discussions on property development with contractors proceeded seamlessly.

In this society, wealth was considered a form of soft power. But if one chose to invest in an army, that soft power could quickly transform into real power. Much like arcane warfare, that was hard power.

By the end of the week, a successful agreement had been reached. A new trade route for spices was secured with Porand, granting Hasenwald advantageous tariffs while maintaining a non-predatory contract. Meanwhile, the contractors finalised preparations for the construction of a large pier to accommodate the expected increase in trade traffic.