Prologue: A Mechanical Doll’s Retrospective

When was it, exactly, that I came into this world? According to the oldest record stored inside me, I was born on the tenth day of the fifth month in the year 915 of the Europea Calendar. I was one among countless identical units, the last of a mass-produced series in the military arsenal of the Principality of Wiltia.

At that time, I had consciousness and knowledge, but I lacked will. Having a will of my own wasn’t considered necessary because my actions were determined by the person piloting me. His will became my will. This was how I was created.

My name—every unit’s name—was L-Arms Type Cyclops. Our model number was LS-6R. We were humanoid assault weapons, commonly known as Hunter Units; eight and one-half meters in length, weighing nine tons, with oil circulating throughout our metal bodies and a Rezanium reactor as our main power source.

I was an AI installed in the machine to assist and support its pilot. In order to bring victory to our creator, the Principality of Wiltia, we were built to fight and to be rebuilt when broken. That was the only “life” we knew. Each of us was an individual, yet we were all one. There was no need to question this. There was no need for doubt to cross our minds. Or so I thought...

“So you’re going to be my partner from now on? I’ll be counting on you.”

This was Captain Lud Langart, although, according to the records, he was still a warrant officer. I met him when I was rolled out of the armory and assigned to his unit. Lud had been deployed in the Special Forces, but the unit commander poached him for his division.

Lud got inside of me, sat down in the seat and mulled over something for a while.

“Avei... How does that sound?”

At first I did not understand him, but it seemed he had thought of a personalized designation for me.

“Understood, Warrant Officer Langart. The personal code ‘Avei’ has been registered.”

It was said that a name wou