"—Sensitivity good. Standing upright."
Following Zerof’s words, Diguardia slowly raised its massive frame.
Dian had also been eager to pilot the machine, but a golem required the pilot to channel mana to operate; a human who lacked it could never hope to move the machine.
When a practitioner channels mana, the energy is transmitted to the Artificial Sage's Stone in the central core, triggering the startup sequence. The drive system within the nucleus rotates at high speeds, distributing the generated energy to every corner of the body and allowing the golem to move at the pilot's command—to put it simply, that was the gist of it.
While magic possessed techniques to convert small amounts of energy into much larger outputs, a golem did not rely on spell formulas to increase its power. Instead, it operated through mechanical engineering, which allowed even those with relatively little mana to move it.
"I am walking."
Diguardia strode forward, each step accompanied by a heavy, powerful clank-clank.
The soldiers watching from the sidelines let out a collective "Ooh!"
"Hey, Zero-nii, the weapons! Use the weapons, anything'll do!"
"Very well. Let us see if there is a suitable target..."
Zerof looked around the area from within the cockpit.
"Brother Zerof, please wait a moment! ...There!"
I called out to Zerof and launched a Fireball at a giant wooden box situated in the plaza. The box was instantly engulfed in flames, and then it began to wobble.
Breaking through the wood as it shattered, a horned giant emerged. Despite the shackles on its wrists and ankles, it brushed off the fire with an annoyed expression.
"Wh-What is that?! It’s a monster! Why is it here?!"
"It’s an Ogre. I asked the Adventurers' Guild to go through the trouble of capturing it alive, just in case. Since it’s a monster that has been ravaging the nearby villages, I figured it would be the perfect subject for a trial run."
In truth, I was the one who had captured it. I had snuck out of the castle the other night, put it to sleep with magic, and brought it back myself. After all, a moving target made for a much better experiment than a stationary rock or a tree.
"Hey now, an Ogre is a ridiculously strong monster. To capture one just for a trial run... that’s a demonic deed even a Majin wouldn't think of...!"
"I see, so this is to make an example of it for the destruction of the villages. You show no mercy even to monsters if they threaten the people. While many rulers turn a blind eye to the suffering of their subjects, you go to such lengths to deliver punishment. As expected of Master Lloyd, you are the very mirror of royalty."
The two of them were muttering something or other, but I was too preoccupied with the upcoming battle between the Ogre and Diguardia to pay them any mind. I was starting to feel a real sense of excitement.
"Grrrrr...!"
The Ogre stepped toward Diguardia, its chains rattling at its wrists and ankles. It seemed full of fighting spirit, breathing heavily as it watched for the right moment to pounce.
"...Hmph. I was a bit taken aback, Lloyd, but you have provided an excellent target. With this, I can measure Diguardia's power to my heart's content."
"Zero-nii! The enemy's coming! The weapons—get the weapons out!"
"You need not tell me."
Nodding at Dian's shout, Diguardia tilted the wings on its back forward. The tips of the wings, now leveled at the Ogre, began to glow brilliantly.
Then, with a tremendous whoosh!, a beam of light was unleashed. The light left a trail as it struck the Ogre, triggering a massive explosion.
"Guoh...?!"
The Ogre groaned and staggered. White smoke rose from the tips of the wings that had just fired the blast.
"Hmph. It seems the Magic Cannon is functioning properly."
Seeing that, Albert nodded with satisfaction. Mounted on Diguardia's back was the Magic Cannon, a large-scale weapon that fired projectiles imbued with high-level magic. It was the latest technology developed by Albert's Magic Research Institute, and its primary selling point was that it allowed anyone to discharge high-level magic. Miniaturization was still a challenge, so they had installed it on the golem to test its practical application for the time being.
Every time the Magic Cannon fired, a roar echoed through the air and clouds of dust kicked up from the ground.
"Gaaaaaaaah!!"
Even so, the Ogre did not flinch. It snatched up a large piece of wood that had fallen at its feet and charged.
"I see—a close-quarters engagement, then. Very well, I accept your challenge."
A short cylinder extended from a compartment in Diguardia's wrist, and the machine grasped it. When a switch was pressed, there was a sharp shink as a blade extended. It was a sword. The golem held it in a reverse grip and took a combat stance.
"Grraaaaaah!"
The Ogre let out a roar and swung the heavy timber. Diguardia swung its blade in response. With a dull clink!, the blade sliced the wood clean in two.
"Yeah! That’s some incredible sharpness, Great Magic Sword!"
This was the armament forged by Dian—as the name implied, a massive Magic Sword. Because the blade was so large, an incredible number of Strengthening Spell Formulas could be enchanted upon it, giving it attack power that was vastly superior to normal weapons. Naturally, such a sword was too heavy and cumbersome for any human to swing, but for a golem, it was a different story.
Under the strikes of the Great Magic Sword, the Ogre's makeshift weapon was carved into scraps in seconds.
"Gu...aaaaaaaah!"
The Ogre threw away the useless bit of wood and lunged. Diguardia's mono-eye flashed. With a single, sweeping horizontal strike, the golem sliced the Ogre clean in half.
"Ga...a...?!"
Without even looking back at the Ogre as it dissolved into smoke, Diguardia sheathed the Great Magic Sword.
A roar of cheers broke out among the soldiers, followed by a burst of applause.
"Hell yeah! That Great Magic Sword has some terrifying sharpness!"
"An Ogre is one of the strongest species in this region. To make light work of it like that... it seems my Magic Cannon is quite a masterpiece as well."
"Hmph. Magnificent movement. The maneuverability and reaction speed are both impeccable. This is truly the ultimate golem."
The three brothers nodded with satisfaction as they reviewed Diguardia's combat performance.
"Phew. Back in my day, golems were pathetic things—just piles of stones you'd move around to do simple manual labor. Modern golems are something else entirely."
"This was only possible because of Master Lloyd's power. I have looked down upon the earth from the Celestial Realm, but I have never seen anyone possess such a golem. ...What is the matter, Master Lloyd? You look quite dissatisfied."
I crossed my arms and groaned at Jiriel's question. Certainly, it wasn't a bad result for a golem. However, its performance was far lower than I had anticipated.
Even accounting for the fact that Zerof was the one piloting it, if it took this much effort just to handle an Ogre, it would never be able to fulfill its original purpose as a sparring partner for me. It was a disappointment.
"Hey, look at Lloyd. He doesn't look convinced at all."
"Good grief, that kid. He makes something this amazing and he’s still not satisfied? What a greedy fellow!"
"...Good heavens. It seems I cannot afford to be satisfied with this either. The path of alchemy is long and arduous indeed."
Albert and the others were muttering among themselves, but I was so dejected I barely heard them. I had spent so much time on this, and it felt like it had been for nothing.
No, no—it was too early to be depressed. Diguardia had many Magic Devices installed, and there were plenty of other ways to use it. I would just have to find some time to modify it to my liking later. Without getting caught, of course.