'Not that much!　Ah-rae hoo-doo, what do you mean by almost half destroyed, despite the fact that I told you not to break it as much as possible!　What do you mean?　What in the world did your father do?
"Well, I didn't do anything... But that's...!
No excuses!

　Kuhn is very angry.
　Well, it's not hard to see why. It's because he almost destroyed the Golem, a rare decisive weapon that was made with the best of ancient civilization.
　His thighs are in pieces and split in half, and his forearms are covered in cracks all over his body from the Cherry Blossom Resonance Weapon, Symphonic Horn. Ende's defeated abdomen and Yae, and Hilda's defeated upper arms are still better, but the lower thighs, which everyone attacked, are wooden with the Overlord's Cannon Knuckle.
　To top it all off, the head golems, where the most important part of Gigantes' total brain, the Q-Crystal, would have been located, and the chest golems, where the G-Cube was used as a huge power source, were both kidnapped by the Apostle of the Evil One.
　The last one is a mistake that even if it wasn't Kuhn, he was right to be angry. It's hard to say that he wasn't careless.
　But was it my fault that Gigantes was torn to pieces in the first half?

You know what I'm talking about?　That Gigantes was a precious, nasty golem left by the ancient Golem civilization!　If you ask me to make that, I'm sure I could make it with the power of Babylon. But that's not what I'm talking about!　It's a one-of-a-kind piece that was created through trial and error by ancient technicians, and that's why it's so valuable!　Do you ... hear that ... do you hear that, father!
'Oh?　Oh, yeah, yeah, I heard you. I heard you. I'm sorry. So, what?
He didn't tell you!

　Kuhn is even more furious.
　He looks like Mom when he's angry.... I couldn't help but feel nostalgic.... I remember being scolded like this all the time.
　I was happy to know that although we are not of the same race, he has my mother's blood in his veins.

Why are you smiling?　I'll be seriously angry!
Yes, I'm sorry...

　I was grinning, and the coon's lightning strikes me. I seem to have made him even angrier.

"Leave it at that," he said, "you didn't expect to get it intact, did you? You didn't think you could get this one in one piece, did you?
'That's...yes, but...'

　Else, who didn't participate in the battle, called for a restraining order. Thank God. I've been pissed off for thirty minutes now since I was made to sit up straight.

''Well ... what. You could get a lot of technology out of all these disparate parts. It's much better than the destruction of the country.
'I'd appreciate it if you could say that...'

　The Steel King comforted me with a pitying look. Perhaps Kuhn had given me a public sermon like that so that the Steel King wouldn't blame me.

'Utterly and utterly!　Oh, what a waste, what a waste...!

　........maybe not.

'For now, is it correct that Gigantes will be dismantled and analyzed in this underground city [Agartha]?　Of course we're going to be there.
'Yes. I'd appreciate it if you would.

　Dr. Steel speaks to the Steel King while patting the abdomen parts I pulled out of 【Storage】. ........No, you've already analyzed it with [Analyze], now.

''And one more thing. And one more thing, what do we do with this underground city [Agartha]?
'Hmm. Although this is no doubt the territory of our country, to be precise, this city existed before our country was founded. If that's the case, as an indigenous people, we have no choice but to recognize their right to autonomy, but it's not easy to have all the inhabitants be golems...

　Perushka and her friends do not have a master contractor. In fact, the contractor is dead. If the inhabitants of this city were contractors, then the submaster system to pass it on to their descendants would be useless. After all, all the inhabitants have been wiped out, every single one of them.
　In that case, it would be normal to reset everything and make a new master contract.......

''Rejected!　It's the Golem of the ancient plane, Legacy, the survivor of the Ancient Golem War!　There's no way in hell I'm going to erase that memory!　Even though they used a dormant device, it's still an amazing thing for an anthropomorphic form to be so well preserved and still have a memory!

　Engineer Erca was extremely opposed to this. He said that there are several golems that have been found with their memories preserved in anything. Our white crown, Albus, is the same, and the blue crown at Robert's place, Blau, has retained some memory.
　However, it is almost impossible for anthropomorphs that have taken a close relationship with people to be found with their memories intact.
　The pseudohermorphs are basically delicate in their construction, making them fragile and, more importantly, easy to be transferred from person to person.
　Every time they are transferred to someone who isn't their blood relative, they are reset for a new contract, so there is no such thing as a memory of an ancient civilization left.
　Anthropomorphism is based on life with people. That means that they remember the popular culture, customs, and people's lives during the ancient civilization.
　At least in Perluska, that memory is there. Erasing these memories would be like throwing away something of historical value.
　In other words, she would not be able to obtain a new contractor, the Master. No, I should say I won't let her.
　Although Perruska is a golem, she has an independent personality, so I think it's better for her to continue to rule this underground city and keep it here.
　The Steel King also agreed with this. The underground city 《Agarta》 could be developed as a transit point for the tunnel. As an anthropomorphic person, Perrushka originally wanted to contribute to people, so he didn't object to this proposal.
　Oh, I remember we were in the middle of digging a tunnel.... We'll have to dig a new one.

"What are you talking about, you didn't even do anything!
That being said, Else didn't do anything either...
I can't do earth magic. Dig, dig, dig, dig. I'll put an end to it.
'What?　I had nothing to do with it!

　The brothers and sons are flustered by the unexpected outburst from their sister apprentice.
　Kuhn doesn't look like he's going to help me because he's too busy with Gigantes, and Lean is probably tired. I guess we'll just have to stick with Ende for now.

'What do you mean by this time?　You guys have been treating me a little too well lately!

　Ende argues with a bit of tears in his eyes, but haha, what's the point now? You've settled into that position.

''Let's go! I'll hold it together and you just keep digging.

　Grabbing Ende's collar, I use 【Power Rise】 to forcefully drag him away. Let's get this over with as soon as possible and go home.

''Oh, hey, Winter Night!　Oh, Alice!　Stop this guy!
Hang in there, Dad!
'Oh my God!　I'll do my best!

　Really, Alice has made it easier to handle, you.　


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇


　In Galaria, the imperial capital of the Regulus Empire, there was an uproar in the steel-rich country, as people were discussing the possibility of a new era.

'We don't have enough money...'

　Sitting on a bench near the fountain in Central Park, just beyond the bustling central street of Teito, Kuon muttered with a sigh as he took out the contents of his wallet.

''Money?　'People are still being pushed around by weird things, aren't they?'

　A small voice is released from a single swing of a sword propped up on a bench. There's no one nearby so that voice should only be heard by Kuon.

''I don't understand, but is the cost of a rickshaw ride to the little boy's hometown really that high?
'No, it's not expensive per se, so you can ride with the money you have.
"So what's the problem?
We don't have money to buy souvenirs...

　 You can feel a bit of anguish and resignation on his face. This is not the expression of a six year old boy.

You'll be able to find out more about this.　I don't mind if we don't have it, but....
'No. Your father and mother won't mind, but your sisters will no doubt complain. It's already so persistent.

　He has seven sisters. While Erna, the kindest of them all, might not say anything, the other six sisters would definitely complain. It's a good thing that you're able to find out what you need to buy.
　Hence, there's no choice but to not buy them. But if you subtract the cost of the carriage ride, you won't have enough souvenirs for several people. If I buy a suitable cheap souvenir, I might get a sarcastic remark about it. I didn't want to do that.

''We don't have any more things that could be worth money, and hey...''
'Why are you glancing at me?　You can't sell!

　As expected, Kuon also has no intention of selling the Silver. If it was a Silver that was an ancient aircraft 《Legacy》, it would be worth a lot of money in the Eastern Continent, but if he did that, Kuhn's lightning would definitely strike him.
　His Majesty the Emperor who ruled over the Regulus Empire was Kuon's sister, Aasia's grandfather. To His Majesty the Emperor, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Kuon was his grandson in law, but there was no way he could suddenly go to the castle and say, 'I'm your grandson in law, but please lend me some money.

''Even if I said it, you wouldn't believe me...''

　In fact, Fuyao had already told His Majesty the Emperor, so if he went to the castle honestly, the problem was solved, but he had no way of knowing that.

''At worst, if we use the travel expenses as souvenir money and run to Brunhild, we can manage....... Or you could hunt a magical beast and sell the materials.... If this is the case, I should have gone to the Elf Village to earn a little money.......

　Hmmm," said Kudo, crossing his arms and twisting his head with a snarl, when Silver, who was propped up against the wall, whispered in a small voice so that no one could hear.

It's a good idea to have a good time. I'm sure you'll be able to find it. What is that?
Hmm?

　When Kuon looked up, he saw a crowd of people around the fountain. Something about two men shouting at the gathered people.

'Come on, come on, come on!　This mechanical doll here, this is the 'golems' used in the Western Continent, the new slaves that will replace human slaves!
This is the 'Legacy' that was unearthed from the ancient ruins, and it has extraordinary power!　It's not supposed to be sold at such a low price, now's the time to buy!

　Passing through the footsteps of the crowd, Kuon reached a pair of shouting men.
　A large, bald-headed man with a badly patterned appearance and a skinny, eagle-nosed man with sharp eyes were making an impassioned speech to the crowd. Behind them stood a large black iron-colored golem, nearly three meters tall, with a price tag around its neck.
　It was nearly four meters tall. It had a large torso and a small head. Its legs were thick and its arms were thick. At a glance, it looks like a power-type golem.

''Does it really move?　Let me see you move it around.
Of course. Hey, say hi to everyone!

　As the eagle-nosed man commanded towards the golem, the black golem raised its large arms above its head. Ooh, a cry of surprise escaped from the crowd.
　A small, fat, well-dressed, merchant-like man called out to the eagle-nosed man from among them.

''Hmm. How much power can you produce with this one?
"I can lift a carriage with ease. You can use it to haul your things around, or you can use it as a travel escort. And for the price, it's a bargain.

　The fat, merchant-like man pondered for a while, but eventually pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"All right, I'll buy it, then.
I don't think that's a good idea, huh?

　The merchant man was startled by a voice that suddenly came from his feet, and he turned his gaze towards it.
　There stood a boy of about five or six years old, with his silky blonde hair tied back. In his hand, he was holding a small, sheathed small sword, a short sword, in his hand.
　Intuitionally, the merchant man felt that this boy was somehow different from an ordinary boy. The boy says, 'You shouldn't buy it.
　Remembering the words of his respected brother, 'Follow your instincts,' the merchant man called out to the boy.

'Why?　At this price, it doesn't seem like such a bad buy.
Well, if this really is the golem of the ancient plane, the Legacy. This is a fake, you know?
You little brat!　Get out of my business, with your accusations!　Go away kids!

　A large bald-headed man comes forward to get rid of Kuon. He ducked the man's hand that was trying to grab him by the neck, and with a thump, Kuon kicked Golem's arm and jumped up onto his shoulder.
　Then he lightly swung the small sword that was still in its sheath on its head. A dry sound with a bang echoed around the area.

''This sound. This isn't filled, is it?　Where is the Q-Crystal, the control center of the Golem?

　A reproachful voice could be heard from the silver used to beat him, ''Little boy, don't treat me roughly, put me down.......'', but Kuon dared to ignore it.

''Qq........?　Stop being so cryptic and get down from there!　Hey, get it done!

　As the skinny, eagle-nosed man commands the golem, the black iron-colored golem starts to move and tries to grab Kuon on his shoulder.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has done this.
　This caused the Golem's chest armor to come off with a thud, exposing its contents to the outside air. There was a small man with a surprised look on his face, sitting cramped and gripping the control stick.

'So it was Dverg, not Golem, after all.

　The Dverg is an earth-moving machine marketed by the Strand Trading Company. Unlike the Golem, it is an aircraft that needs to be controlled by a person to move.
　In general, they are not yet widely available to the public, and at the moment they are mostly used for national infrastructure equipment.
　Although the Dverg is also quite expensive, it is far cheaper than the Golem of the ancient aircraft 《Legacy》.
　In other words, these two, or rather, three people, including the man who rode the Dverg, were trying to commit a fraud.
　But after selling it, how was the little man inside going to get away with it? Kuon tilted his head at the hole-filled scam, but maybe he was planning to sneak away with the whole Dverg in the middle of the night.

''Tch...!　You little shit!　You're in my way!

　The big bald-headed man throws a merciless kick, but Kuon avoids it and strikes the big man's waist with a pop.

''Paralyze.''
What?

　The big man crumbled on the spot with a voice that sounded like a crushed frog.
　As it flows, Kuon severed the hands and feet of the black iron-colored golem, or rather Dverg, with the Silver.

''Buk!

　He is trapped in the Dverg, which has fallen forward and the little man inside is unable to leave.

d*mn it...!
You're missing out!
What?

　The eagle-nosed man who was trying to escape was seized by one of the spectators and knocked to the ground. Kuon, who was trying to use the 【Fixed Magic Eye】 in order to not let him escape, stopped activating the magic eye just in time.

''Hey, someone go get the Knights!
Give me something to tie it to!　And get the one underneath the scrap metal there, too!

　For some reason, the onlookers were rushing around and catching the three men in a huff. It was because it seemed impossible for a child to capture them in any amount of time, but Kuon didn't care and was dusting off his clothes. It didn't matter what happened to the con man.

''You!　No, it was a big help. Thanks. You almost fooled me.

　The merchant man comes over to thank Kuon. If Kuon hadn't intervened, he would have been forced to buy that Dverg for several times the price.
　Since it was a rare item, the merchant man regretted that he had gone ahead with it. He was ashamed in his heart that his brother would say, 'You're still naive.

''In this era, dvergs and golems are still not in general circulation in the Eastern Continent. I don't blame you for being fooled.''
This time?
Oh, no, no, don't worry about it.

　In fact, even in the Eastern Continent, golems and dvergs have begun to circulate in their own way, but since there is still a lot of trade that gives priority to the state, it is only known to the public through rumors.
　Already some cunning merchants have traveled to the western continent on their own to purchase goods on their own, so it is likely that it will not be long before the word spreads.
　However, it is not something that ordinary people can buy so easily.

''I'd like to do something in return for your help, but... you, your parents?''
'Oh, well, I'm traveling alone and my parents aren't here right now.
Oh my...!　That's a lot of work....

　The merchant man looked again at the boy in front of him. By the looks of it, he must be only five or six years old. It's a good thing that you have a sword, but that's not enough for a child traveling alone. It seems that he has some skill from the earlier battle, but I felt that he was too defenseless at any cost.

'Do you have somewhere to go?　I'm going to the Rhodomere Federation now, if you'd like to take a ride?
Well, I appreciate the offer, but we're going to the opposite direction. I'm going to Brunhild.

　It's a shame. If the destination was the opposite, I would have loved to get a ride. Then we could have managed to buy some souvenirs and we wouldn't have had to earn any money, Kuon was disappointed in his mind.

'Ho, Brunhild!　Then you'll be just fine. My brother has a shop in Brunhild. He's in the Imperial City now, but he'll be leaving in a few days. I'm meeting him here for the first time in a long time and I'll ask my brother for a ride with you, would you mind?
'Really?　Thank you!

　Kuon gratefully decided to accept this offer. Now I can buy some souvenirs. I'm not going to have my sisters nagging me about it. It's wishful thinking.
　When KUEN was happy, the merchant man noticed someone behind him and waved his hand wide, as if he had noticed someone behind him.

''Brother!　Over here!
Good to see you, Barrack. Hmm?　Is the girl...?
Oh, I'm... what?

　When he turned around, Hisato was surprised to see a familiar face there. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.