This design not only accelerates the speed of donning and doffing, but also allows for full armor to be put on in less than half a minute.
Moreover, its structural strength far surpasses traditional interlocking plate armor, resulting in a more uniform distribution of force.
"Are you all dressed?" Karl looked at the knights before him, already fully armored and neatly lined up.
The plate armor gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the evening sun, and the faintly visible runic arrays on its surface glowed with a weak energy light.
Weighing only six kilograms, these knights moved with exceptional agility, completely lacking the clumsiness of traditional heavy armor.
"Yes! Sir!" Everyone answered in unison.
"Very well. Next, let's test the performance of the new equipment," Karl nodded.
He didn't say where he was going to conduct the test, just raised his hand and drew circles before him.
In the air, a portal with golden sparks falling from its edge quickly opened and stabilized.
On the other side of the door was a lush forest, with the faint outlines of distant mountains visible.
"In line, pass through," Karl ordered.
Dalton and Phillip did not hesitate and were the first to step through the portal.
The remaining knights followed, and Karl was the last to step through the portal, which then closed.
Opposite the gate was a forest clearing, nestled in the steep mountains – the home of the dragons, Borch and his family.
Karl and his company had come unexpectedly, not just to chat.
To test the performance of the plate armor, what could be more effective than testing these details in front of dragons?
......…
That night, when Karl returned to the manor, it was already late.
The tests had been very successful, even exceeding expectations. The plate armor demonstrated astonishing protection against Borch's controlled force from claws and bites.
The weight-reduction rune further enhanced Dalton and the others' mobility by several levels.
And the shields created by these composite enchantments made Borch feel a little uneasy.
Borch also repeatedly praised Karl's craftsmanship, and after the test ended,
it pulled Karl into the cave to see his recently adopted daughter, Saqqiya.
At that moment, Karl came to the guest room on the east side of the manor, which was Hen's temporary residence on Terra.
Although Hen spent most of his time at Ban Ard Academy, he had recently stayed here temporarily due to the banquet.
Seeing that the guest room was still lit, Karl knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," Hen's voice came from inside the door.
Karl pushed the door open and entered; Hen sat behind a large desk.
He wore crystal glasses and was reading a scroll by a magical lamp.
"Teacher," Karl nodded in acknowledgment.
Hen looked up, took off his glasses, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Karl, coming to me so late, it seems you didn't just come to say hello."
Karl smiled and said directly: "Teacher, I need your help."
"Oh?" And don't say. Hen leaned back in his chair, folded his hands on the table, and assumed a listening posture.
"Can you use illusions to create an illusion of me, find Foltest, and tell him important information?"
"We need to make him take it seriously, and it would be best if he could start preparing immediately."
Hen was not surprised to hear this; he nodded slightly, as if deep in thought.
After a moment, he spoke quietly, his voice somewhat serious: "Are you ready... to fight against 'that being'?"
Karl was stunned: "Teacher, do you know who the enemy is?"
He remembered that he had only revealed information about the nymph to Hen, and had not mentioned Dagon at all.
Hen raised an eyebrow, half-smiling, and said: "Of course, I don't know. I know divination magic, but this is not foresight."
"However, the sequence of events at the manor yesterday was not hard to observe."
"A large number of people were gathered. They temporarily surrendered their original plate armor, and then closed the forge for work."
"From the forge, dense and intense magical fluctuations emanated, clearly a large-scale, high-intensity enchanting..."
"All these signs together would make any experienced commander conclude that you are preparing for battle."
"And considering what you told me before, about the nymph's request for help..."
"For you to be so serious and ready to prepare for war on the spot, ordinary enemies would hardly qualify."
"Then the rest could be very simple: those you are facing are at least on the same level, perhaps even above you."
Karl was silent for a moment: "Teacher... you are very observant."
Nearly five hundred years – Hen truly hadn't lived in vain.
He hadn't used any magic to investigate; just by daily observation and reasoning, he could almost guess the truth.
"Well, how confident are you?" Hen's body leaned forward slightly.
"Not sure. My understanding of it is quite limited, and I haven't fought it myself," Karl answered honestly.
"It came from beyond, very powerful... but just how powerful remains unknown."
Hen stared at Karl, and a brief silence fell in the study.
Finally, Hen slowly nodded: "I will handle Foltest's side."
"A realistic illusion of you, carrying the message, will be enough to get his attention."
"But, Karl, I have another suggestion... you need to think about it."
Karl straightened up: "Teacher, please speak."
"If I don't hide your identity, I can summon some members of the Magic Society in my name."
"Inform them of the threats we may face, and let them decide for themselves whether to help."
"In the Magic Society, although many are dependent on power and pleasure, there are also those who truly care about the survival of the world."
Hen paused, looking into Karl's eyes: "But it all depends on your willingness to reveal your identity."
"This is a choice, Karl. How you choose is up to you," Hen concluded.
Silence fell again in the study. Karl's expression was calm, his gaze deep, weighing Hen's words.
Finally, he slowly looked up and met Hen's patient gaze.
"Teacher, I choose not to reveal my identity," Karl said.
There was no surprise or disappointment on Hen's face, only a slight nod, signaling him to continue.
Karl leaned forward, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the armrest.
"First of all, the members of the Magic Society are no longer as pure in philosophy as in the early days."
"Power struggles, intertwined interests, national positions, personal ambitions..."
"Except for a few sorcerers like you who still adhere to principles and foresight, most of the others have their own agendas."
"If you publicly ask for help, they may agree, but half-hearted work will become the norm."
"They will weigh profits and losses, hold back their forces, and wait and see at critical moments."
"They might even scheme behind my back, trying to extract maximum benefit from me – knowledge, power, or something else."