What are you doing, Renee?

　I bumped into our little girl maid in the hallway, and I couldn't help but call out to her.
　Because she was walking with a book on her head. Of course I would call out to her.



　With a thud, a few books fall on the red carpet of the hallway. Of course they will fall off if you greet them with a smile in that state.

''Ahhhh, I failed again........''

　Renee collects her books in frustration.

'So what have you been doing?　Don't give me that book.
I've been training for an exam... for the Maids Guild.
It's just me and Renee here, so I don't mind your usual tone. ...But the test?

　Renee was a pickpocket when she was in Belfast and I hired her as our maid apprentice. Later on, I found out that she was descended from a Regulus nobleman, but instead of returning to her mother's family home, she went straight to work for me as a maid in Brunhild.
　Even though it is a small country, as long as you serve the castle, a certain level of skill, etiquette, judgment of the situation, and appropriate response are required as a maid if it is true. However, the still apprentice Renee's job is basically to take care of our personal affairs and help the other maids.
　However, it seems that she has her own ideas, and at the age of just nine, she has registered with the maids' guild and is working hard every day to become a first-class maid.

"Cecil-san taught me how to do this. If you can walk normally with this, your sense of balance will be strengthened and your posture will improve. The guild's test will include grace as a point of reference, so he said you should do it.
Wow. It's hard work..... But it's okay if you don't have to do it.　I wouldn't kick you out even if you didn't qualify for the Maid's Guild.
'No, I'll qualify properly. I want to be a first-class maid and work for Brunhild. My goal is to be the head maid.

　Oh, a girl has great ambitions. The head maid is the head of our maid, Ms. Lapidus. It's going to be tough to surpass her. It's a good thing that she's a very good fighter, too.

It's not just a matter of time before you get your hands dirty. Morobane Sis.
'No, I'm not sure about that...'

　I've never heard of this before. Hey, hey, you didn't learn some kind of weird swordplay, did you?　Didn't Cecil-san teach you throwing techniques as well, as I recall?　Well, I think Lean taught magic too........ Perhaps the strongest maid was being trained without my knowledge.

''I go to school and do my studies properly too, okay?　A top-notch maid has to be smart, too.

　Rene also goes to the school where Fiana, Sakura's mother, is the headmaster. It's between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and when she comes back from there, she's helping out as a maid again.
　I thought it would be a bad idea to make the child work that much, so I suggested giving her more free time and days off, but Rene refused to accept it.
　I guess she doesn't see it as being forced to work, but as learning for a goal....

'It's okay to take a break once in a while, isn't it?
No, I sleep well every day, I'm fine. Brother Fuyao, you need to rest properly. Everyone is worried about you.

　On the contrary, I was scolded. Hmmm. I wonder if I look like such a workaholic. I think I'm slacking off, throwing everything to Kosaka-san.

Then I'll give you a present for Renee who is working hard. Is there anything you want?
'What?　Well ... are you sure?
'Of course. This is a bonus for a hard-working maid. Don't hesitate to tell me.
"Bonus?

　I don't know, I guess I didn't get through. Sometimes there are words that don't translate into our world's language.

'Well then........I want that magic tool that Sue-sister has........'

　Sue?　Ah, a mass-produced smartphone. Well, I gave it to Lapis-san and Cecil-san, but I didn't give it to Rene.
　Hmm, I thought, what kind of a smartphone for a child.......but I gave it to Suu too, so I guess it's too late now. The memo app on the phone, or the world-ready dictionary app over here, would be useful for exams. It's a reward, so this is about as good as it gets.
　I take out a white mass-produced smartphone from [Storage] and hand it to Rene. Along with that, I also give her the booklet for the manual I recently made. If you read this, you should be able to operate it at least once.

''Ah, thanks, Fuyao-brother!
You can't take it to school with you, by the way. If you lose it or it's stolen, you have to tell me right away. I won't be angry.
Yeah!

　He takes the phone with a smile and pats Rene's head in delight.
　If I take it to school or something, it doesn't necessarily mean that it won't be stolen because it's rare or envious. I don't think Rene is the only one who has been bullied like that, but if you can avoid unnecessary trouble, it's better to avoid it. Well, if my child is bullied, I'll make sure he or she is remorseful, even if he or she is a child.......
　For now, I'll register a number other than the king of another country. You can call me or Sue on the phone.

It's a good idea to have a good exam. But don't overdo it.
'Yes!　Thanks for this!　I'll take care of it!

　Tata, Rene started to run down the hallway, but on the way, he shuffled off again with the book on his head.
　Oops, I'm meeting someone today too. I have to finish the meal as soon as possible. I started walking down the hallway in the opposite direction from Renee.




'Hey, hey, sorry to keep you waiting.
'No, I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.

　With that, the person who seemed to be the leader of the group that had come to the castle's training grounds bowed his head.
　His language was blunt, and his beard-covered face was stern. The muscles clad in his body were exactly like a craggy rock, and his race's characteristics were exuding.
　They are all generally between one meter and twenty to fifty in height. I'm sure they're all male........but I've heard that the women also have beards, and it seems difficult to discern.
　Dwarves. A sturdy race of dwarves living in the mountains. They are warriors and miners, molders and smiths.
　A group of dwarves came to the castle with a letter of introduction from the king of the Lyle Kingdom.
　The King of the Lyle Kingdom, Balstra Durga Lyle IV, seemed to have dwarven blood, and there were many dwarven settlements in the Lyle Kingdom. These people must be from that settlement as well.

''So what is this thing you want to show me?''
Hmm. The sooner you get it looked at, the better. Hey.

　The object sitting on a large cart behind the dwarves, about four meters high, was probably the "thing" they wanted to show. At the order of the dwarf riders, the other dwarves began to remove the flimsy cloth that was draped over the whole thing, and began to expose 'it' to the sun.

''This is...!

　The thing that appeared from under the cloth. It had a zungly form, large arms, and short legs. It was bare, with no top from the neck, and the pilot's seat where it hit the back.
　The Iron Cavalry. A mechanical soldier created by the secret organization known as the Goldian Society, which had once attempted to capture Euron and invade Felsen. For a moment I thought that was it, but it's much different. It was even more crude than the Iron Cavalry, if you can call it that.
　To put it simply, it looked like a light car that had been cut down the middle, with the front part where the driver's seat is located used as the body, and large arms and legs attached.... It was kind of a rugged machine.
　However, this was unmistakably a "robot". Moreover, it's the type that a person can ride on.

We called it 'Doverg. We're using it on a trial basis for civil engineering and ore transportation. I don't plan on sending it anywhere just yet.

　The Dverg. That's where the name "Dwarf" comes from, right?　It certainly looks like a dwarf in its zungeness and ruggedness.
　However, I don't know how they made such a thing. I'm amazed at the skill of the dwarves.

"But why did you give it to me?
"You have a Titan Soldier, don't you?　I wanted to compare it to this Dverg that we built.

　Huh. I don't know if I can compare... I hope I don't lose my confidence.
　It's a little late for that, but now that it's come to light, Dr. Bowman, who made the Iron Cavalry, may have been a genius in his own right. He was a self-centered idiot, though.
　I open the [Gate] in the air and call a heavy knight 《Chevalier》 from Babylon's "hangar".
　Thud!　And with both feet down on the earth, the heavy knight 《Chevalier》 landed on the ground. All of the dwarves who witnessed this, kaput, their mouths were open. They seemed to be really surprised.

''It's the mass-produced Flame Gear, the Heavy Knight [Chevalier]. This is the easiest plane to handle. This is the newer model, though.

　Whether my words had been heard or not, the dwarves remained silent (or rather, left their mouths open) and looked up at the heavy knight 《Chevalier》.
　Well, it's not unreasonable. The Dverg is about four meters long and the Flame Gear is nearly fifteen meters long. They are even more different than adults and children.

''Is this the thing found in the ancient ruins?''
The first few. The first few, including this one, were brand new planes that we had made. We've also built some newer models that have been developed from those.

　Perhaps the dwarves' words inspired me, but I forgot to use respectful language. Well, it seems to be easier to communicate with them this way, so it doesn't matter.

I have a favor to ask you. I'd like to meet the person who made this new model of this thing. I can't leave without seeing the person who made it, even if it's just one look at this thing.
'What?　Uh... well, I don't mind letting them meet...

　It's fine, though.




Hey, the kid made that thing?
Well, well, well. What do you think of that? Well, that's what dwarves are supposed to do, anyway.

　The dwarf looks at Dr. Babylon in his fat white coat, and the dwarf gives him another look of surprise.
　That's probably true. The creator who came out is a girl of about ten years old.
　Eventually the leader of the dwarves huffs and opens his mouth to the doctor.

''Are you a long-lived species by any chance?''
Well, it's not too far off. But from what I can gather, the one behind it is one of your own creations.

　With his hands in the pockets of his saggy lab coat, the doctor looks up at Dverg as he looks up at him.

'Hmmm. It's pretty rough-hewn, but it shows more craftsmanship than the degraded product (Iron Horseman) that was copied directly from my frame gear, and I like it. The heart of it is........huh, the magical furnace? Not only the magic in the air, but also the catalyst is made from considerably compressed magic stones........I see.
How can you tell just by looking at him...?

　The dwarves are buzzing, but don't be fooled. That guy just used his "analysis" to sneak in.

But the magic medium we just extracted from it doesn't have the same level of detail. It's leaking into the atmosphere from every joint. It's probably not very fuel efficient.
''Kutaku........But in order to make magic power circulate to your fingertips, you need a good amount of output. Even if it leaks a little, it can't be helped. Or is there another way?
It's easy. The basic frame itself is engraved with a magical path (aether line) using engraving magic, and the frame is made of adamantite. And for the frame, I use adamantite.
'Oh, right!　So that's how it works........

　I started to talk about something technical and I was left behind.
　I get an idea, pull out my phone from my pocket, and call the person in Babylon (above).

'Uh, Rosetta?　You can hear some interesting things on earth right now. Yeah, yeah, the doctor is here too.

　We'll have to get our maintenance chief on board, too.
　Another little tuna-clad kid who came along a while later joined in, and the dwarves began to bicker and argue about the improvements to the Dverg.
　To top it all off, they took over a corner of the training grounds and started messing with the Dverg. He told me to do it when I got back to the Lyle Kingdom.
　I was watching the dwarves and Rosetta removing parts and arguing with each other when the doctor came over to me.

I have to say, it was quite interesting to see. Even if the concept is the same, if the maker changes, you can make something completely different.
Is that still different from the Iron Cavalry?
'When I say different, I mean different, and when I say the same, I mean the same. There are definitely some technologies used that go along with Frame Gear, but more of the dwarves' own technology is used. Well, it's not a straight copy, and I guess we can look at it as something else.

　I see. So you made it up on your own, just based on information from the Iron Cavalry and Frame Gear? I didn't know that dwarves were also excellent at magic engineering, but come to think of it, dwarves aren't as good as elves, but they are a long-lived species. Isn't it strange that they have inherited some of the know-how of ancient civilizations?
　Well, I heard that there were some dwarves among the engineers of the magic train that was being developed in Felsen, or something like that.

''........Is there no danger?''
'I kind of know what you mean by 'danger', but if you say that, there's no way you're going to advance civilization, no way you're going to advance magic. Or would you rather take that thing they created and eradicate the dwarves?

　With a nasty smile on his face, the doctor peers at me. 'Of course I can't do that, and I have no intention of doing that.

'Besides, it was probably something that would have been made eventually. The same kind of thing was made five thousand years ago, so it's a bit of a stretch. And there's the precedent of the Iron Cavalry.
'So that's it...'
It's a revival of technology, I guess. It's still not in the realm of vehicles right now, and it's a machine that could be destroyed by a single magic shot.

　Indeed. It seems to be perfect as a labor force, but as a weapon it is somewhat unreliable.
　Well, maybe this will eventually become like a frame gear.
　Even compared to the Golems in the underworld, it's still not on the same level. If that's the case, Sancho-san and this canibus are much more technically advanced.
　That's that, isn't it? If the engineers of the surface world and the underworld teamed up, they would be able to create something quite useful, though. I'm sure it's not that simple, though.
　I've been thinking about the possibility of two worlds becoming one.

I'd like to see him move. Can I move it too?
It's easy enough for an amateur to make him walk. Do you want to try?

　The pilot sits in the cockpit that juts out from the back and is taught how to walk easily. It doesn't read the pilot's intentions like the frame gear does, so it's completely up to us.

''Good. Then channel the magic power into the magic stone next to the control stick and activate the Dverg's magic glimmering furnace. Then let him walk slowly.
Yes, sir. Let the magic flow through you.
Oh, wait, sir!　The amount of magic the master has...!

　Rosetta was saying something, but without noticing, I let the magic power flow through me 'normally'.
　In the next moment, the Dverg began to emit a strange spinning sound, and the armor in its abdomen was blown off with an explosion.

''Oooaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!''
What?

　Rah-rah!　and the blown-out armor fell to the ground, and black smoke was already billowing from its abdomen.
　When I hurriedly climbed down from the Dwerg, I saw the dwarves crunching their mouths with indescribable expressions.
　Eh, is this my fault?

''Ah........With the master's magic power output, this demonic glimmering furnace can't withstand it unless it's squeezed very hard. It's like lighting a candle with a fireball.
'So you easily crossed the breaking point, became saturated with magic, and exploded with nowhere to go?
Tell me first...

　I'm at a loss as to what to say to the dwarves who have turned completely blue and are stunned. I didn't mean any harm. That's the only thing I want you to believe.
　I felt an indescribable sense of guilt as I looked at the backs of the dwarves who never took their eyes off the black smoke-filled Dwerg.
　How many barrels of liquor will you forgive me for........