06-24 The Unveiling
Next day, immediately after breakfast Jin got to improving Lotte. Of course, Earl Kuzuma was present.
The final adjustments and checking of the operations of the other participating golems was beginning.
Jin had the Magi Crystal on which he had yesterday copied the movement pattern of the head of the squad two of the Royal Secret Maids, Rianna, he transcribed the information from the crystal to Lotte’s Control Core.
If you need a mental image, it was close to a updating a computer’s OS, or maybe patching it.
“Is it done now?”
Earl who had come along with Jin asked.
“Yep. Earl, could you start it up, please?”
Accordingly, Earl Kuzuma said the Keyword [Activate]. Then to the Lotte who had risen up,
“Lotte, how’s the state of your body?”
Jin asked, and,
“Yes, Father. There are no problems.”
After hearing that, Jin moved to a wider location along with Lotte. He then turned to the Royal Secret Maid following him,
“Alright, now… Rianna-san, could you attack Lotte, just lightly will be fine, please?”
“Eh?”
Jin explained to the wondering Rianna that it’s because Lotte should be able to use the same martial art as her.
“Okay, then, here I go.”
Rianna took a short sword from under her skirt. Unlike Laila, she didn’t cut up her skirt.
Then she suddenly stabbed at Lotte.
Lotte repelled it with her left hand and took a step forward, aiming her right fist at Rianna’s solar plexus. But Rianna avoided it with a backwards somersault.
“Okay, that’s enough. Lotte too, stop.”
Since it wasn’t for combat training or anything, just to check the movements, Jin had the two people (one person and one golem) stop.
“Hmm, that’s great! Not just Lotte, but Rianna, you were splendid too.”
Earl Kuzuma who saw the brief attacks and defenses gave his praises.
“You flatter me greatly.”
Rianna said and bowed, then retired to the back.
“As expected of the leader.”
“If it was me, that fist would’ve probably hit.”
“Aww, how didn’t she cut her skirt…”
Et cetera, the other watching Royal Secret Maids admired Rianna’s moves. Although one of them had a bit off-point impression.
“Jin, amazing, you are! What a curious method! I want to try to do it like that too!”
Reinhardt said somewhat excitedly. Jin thought that with some training Reinhardt could probably do it.
“However,”
His tone of voice dropped, and Reinhardt continued with a whisper.
“Showing that in public isn’t good. Listen, what do you think would happen if it was known read the mind of a general or a cabinet minister just like that?
When he put it like that, Jin understood.
In practice, by resisting the reading could be prevented, but it’s impossible for people who don’t know that.
“If you don’t want it used on influential people, or used to pin false crimes on people you should be careful.”
Jin thanked Reinhardt for his advice.
＊ ＊ ＊
And in the afternoon, the golem party finally started.
“Take care.”
The Royal Secret Maids saw Jin and the others off the guest house. Knights came to pick them up and they were towards the inner royal palace.
Just like Earl Kuzuma explained, the cabinet ministers entered first. Then the nobles working in the castle, and afterwards Reinhardt and Elsa entered along with the invitees.
Next the outskirts’ nobles, then the nobles from far away entered, and finally among Magi Craftsmen, Jin and Beana.
Jin was looking at the people entering with them, but excluding the Magi Craftsman Bootes who built Earl Guarana’s golem Owl, they were all new faces.
At that moment,
“Oh, teacher!”
Beana said.
“Teacher?”
“Umm, that’s right. Jin, look, the person entering now. That person is Gladia Hampton-sensei, whom I studied under for two years.”
“Hmm.”
The person who had entered just now was reasonably tall and middle-aged, with a conspicuously wide body.
“Ah, I wanted to give my greetings.”
Beana muttered.
“Come on, it’s our turn soon.”
Jin informed her.
Then the person in charge invited Jin and Beana to enter. Looking around, no one could be seen. Jin and Beana were literally the last ones.
“…Ooh.”
All the participants were gathered in a hall larger than a gymnasium. Actually, not all of them.
“His Majesty the King of Egelia, Harold Ruan Autocracy=Egelia-sama! His Royal Highness the third Prince Ernest Relm Andrew-sama!”
Finally His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the third Prince entered.
Far away figures that looked like the King and the Prince sat down upright.
On both sides of them was a row of nobles each wearing extravagant garments, some decorated with gold and silver threads, others with sparkling gems. On each one’s side stood a figure covered with a cloth, likely golems.
“And now, for His Majesty the King of Egelia, Harold Ruan Autocracy=Egelia-sama’s third Prince’s, his Royal Highness Ernest Relm Andrew-sama’s, birthday celebrations! I present to you, the golem party!”
A woman with a clear voice like an event director’s announced the opening of the party, and the nobles sitting in the row started applauding in unison. Jin and Beana also joined with the applause.
When the sound of the applause ceased, the king brought up his left hand. This time everyone present suddenly fell quiet.
“Everyone, We welcome you. We thank you for gathering here on this day for the sake of Our son.”
The king expressed his thanks without bowing his head.
It seemed that superiors’ speeches were long no matter where. Jin was for some reason reminded of his school principal’s talks held during the school’s opening and closing ceremonies.
“…We have nothing further to say.”
It should be over now, Jin thought. But contrary to his expectations, subsequently the main character of today, the third Prince began to talk.
“Everyone, thanks for today. You’ve gathered many golems just because I like golems, and I’m very grateful.”
The third prince was smaller than Jin. He looked like he was about junior high school age. Jin listened to the talk while thinking that if he remembers right, the prince was 13 years old.
“…I am of the impression that my father, the King has a reward for whoever’s brought the most interesting golem. Please look forward to it. Now, everyone, please present your golems!”
Finally the long greeting was over, and the unveiling of the golems was about to begin.
“In that case, it seems the attending ladies and gentlemen should start introducing and unveiling their golems.”
Again the event director’s voice echoed,
“Prime Minister, Galueri-sama.”
A white-haired aged man stepped forward, put his hand on the left side of his chest and made a deep bow. Then,
“Golem, ‘Ceres’. The Magi Craftsman is Celuroa Kingdom’s Magi Craftsman, Stearina-dono.”
Then, Prime Minister Galueri removed the cloth covering the golem next to him.
“Ooh!”
“Beautiful!”
“Wonderful!”
The hall was stirred.
The whole body of the golem that came into sight was made out of transparent crystal.
It had the figure and body shape of a woman in her late teens or early 20s. It wasn’t wearing anything. No, if it was to wear something it would surely only harm its beauty.
In the central part was a purple Magi Device. The pupils were like burning deep crimson. It was extremely beautiful.
“Nice to meet you, Ernest-sama. My name is Ceres.”
It had a clear and beautiful voice. Its gestures were like they flowed.
And the demonstration was a dance performance.
With soft movements nearly like a human’s, everyone watching was mesmerized, and the eyes of the nobles who were sitting in a row were glued on Ceres. Actually, the King’s and the Prince’s were the same.
“Hmm, since there’s no joints to be seen, that must mean it uses [Forming] to move.”
Though, just one person, Jin, was looking with interest at the structure rather than the beauty.
“The Magic Energy efficiency must be bad. But, it’s a beautiful golem. You could already cal it a work of art.”
Nevertheless, that form couldn’t be spared the praise. Jin, who was poor at designing, felt jealous of that sense of art.
And then looking at the Magi Craftsman who built Ceres, he saw a woman in her early 30s, or maybe in her late 20s.
Her bronze-colored hair reached to her back; she was an intellectual-seeming woman with reddish brown eyes. Those eyes were looking at her own work, Ceres.
When the demonstration ended, the whole audience burst into applause.
“This, this will surely overshadow the golems afterwards.”
“Oh, truly.”
“Surely the King’s prize will go to the Prime Minister.”
The nobles whispered some such to each other with a low voice.