"Sorry about making you come all the way out here."
As they were leaving the Slum District, the man serving as Roger's bodyguard bowed his head.
Rei shook his head to brush off the apology before speaking. "If I can't use that cleaning golem without my permission, then it can't be helped. Besides, I'm interested in this new technology using Orc Naga materials."
Truthfully, Rei could have simply sent word granting permission. There was no need to visit the Jalis Workshop in person. But his curiosity about the new technology Roger had developed was what drove him to come along.
...Though the fact that he'd been killing time at the Fusetsu hideout probably had just as much to do with it.
Since being recognized as Rei in the middle of the city would likely cause trouble, he kept the hood of his Dragon Robe pulled up. With that precaution, it was rare for anyone to realize who he was.
Of course, if Seto were with him, that alone would give his identity away. So this time, Seto stayed behind at the hideout, and Rei headed to the Jalis Workshop alone. Seto had looked lonely, but Rei managed to win him over by promising to play with him next time.
"Still, new technology, huh. Did you hear anything about what exactly it entails?"
"No, nothing about that. Honestly, even if someone tried explaining golem technology to me, I wouldn't understand it."
Since he was strictly a bodyguard, golems weren't his area of expertise. Rei accepted the man's answer as reasonable enough. For someone like Rei, who was interested in golems—and Magic Items in general—the mention of new technology naturally piqued his curiosity. Of course, his knowledge was purely from personal hobby. From the standpoint of actual alchemy, it was quite shallow. If someone rattled off a string of technical terms, he'd be just as lost as anyone else.
"Then I'll look forward to seeing it when we arrive. ...So, I heard the Jalis Workshop didn't suffer any damage from the Necro Golem incident. What's it like in the surrounding area?"
"No real issues there, either."
"Good to hear."
He couldn't tell whether the man was just being polite or genuinely believed it, but either way, Rei felt relieved. Besides, he'd be able to judge for himself whether those words were true simply by observing the surroundings on the way to the workshop.
Eventually, they left the Slum District and made their way through the city streets. Since they weren't traveling along the main road, the scene around them was normal to an almost puzzling degree.
The places the Necro Golem passed through were destroyed and turned to rubble, and only the areas hit by its Breath suffered damage. Thinking about it that way, it's only natural that everywhere else remains as it was. ...In that sense, it's mostly the wealthy who were affected.
The residences and shops along the main street naturally belonged to the affluent. When buying or renting land in such a location, the price was naturally higher precisely because it was on the main road. Since the Necro Golem had passed through those areas, it was only natural that those people suffered the greatest losses. Of course, Robel and Dwanda had agreed to compensate for the damage from this incident, so in the long run, the affected households wouldn't lose out too much. If anything, with their homes and shops being rebuilt anew, it might even turn a profit.
Memories and sentimental attachments can't be solved with money, though. In that sense, it's still a loss.
Rei walked along, idly wondering which was better—suffering damage and receiving compensation, or being in a place like the one they were currently walking through, where there was no real damage to speak of.
Suddenly, the adventurer spoke up. "Actually, during this whole disturbance, an order came down from above to deploy golems."
"Yeah, I know about that. Robel and Dwanda reached out to workshops, nobles, and merchants who owned golems, asking them to lend theirs out. Though from what I heard, that was strictly a request, not an order."
"I'm guessing the Jalis Workshop received it as a request, but for the alchemists affiliated with the workshop, it was probably framed as an order. A lot of the alchemists at the Jalis Workshop wouldn't deploy their own golems if it was just a request."
As Roger's bodyguard, the man essentially treated the Jalis Workshop as a second workplace, so he likely understood the personalities of its alchemists thoroughly.
The Jalis Workshop apparently had the highest level of technology in all of Egginis before the Dolan Workshop rose to prominence. Thinking about it that way, it's not surprising that alchemists with huge egos or eccentric personalities would gather there. Roger himself is half an eccentric.
Rei amused himself with thoughts that would have Roger scowling if he ever heard them, then spoke up. "So did a fair number of the Jalis Workshop's golems get absorbed by the Necro Golem?"
"From what I heard, that's the impression I got. Though it seems the damage tapered off once word spread that touching the Necro Golem was dangerous."
"I couldn't tell which golems belonged to the Jalis Workshop, but from what I saw, a considerable number were absorbed."
"I figured as much. ...Anyway, a lot of people at the Jalis Workshop are pretty shaken up over it. There might even be some who try to take it out on you, Rei-san."
The golems they had painstakingly crafted had been absorbed by the Necro Golem. It was only natural that a certain number of people would harbor resentment over that. Of course, there were also those who crafted golems purely as work and felt no emotional attachment to the finished products. But there were just as many alchemists who felt genuine affection for their creations. Among them, it wouldn't be strange for someone to think that their golem was lost because of Rei.
That said, Rei had no intention of humoring them.
I heard the cost of the golems will be compensated too, but... attachment and sentimental value can't exactly be solved with money.
Being resented by the Jalis Workshop's alchemists wasn't something Rei found particularly amusing. In the first place, it wasn't Rei who had requested the golem deployment—it was Robel and Dwanda. Given that, he couldn't accept being the target of their resentment.
"Just so you know, if it's just complaints, that's one thing. But if anyone tries to cause me harm, I'll respond accordingly. And I won't apologize for it, even if they complain."
"I understand. ...Though that's exactly why I would've preferred it if you'd just given permission without actually coming to the Jalis Workshop, Rei-san. Well, I doubt anyone could recognize you looking the way you do now, though."
With the hood of his Dragon Robe pulled up, his face was hidden. It would be quite difficult for anyone to realize who he was. Of course, someone with sharp intuition, or someone who had met Rei before, or someone who could see through the Dragon Robe's concealment function and recognize it as an extremely valuable Magic Item—they might figure it out. But for the average person, it was unlikely.
"That's mostly because I had too much free time on my hands."
Traveling with Seto was out of the question, but even if Rei participated in the rubble cleanup alone, he would stand out even without using the Misty Ring. After all, his strength was, in the most literal sense, inhuman. To avoid being recognized, he'd have to limit himself to the level of strength that someone of his build could reasonably output. But at that point, his presence would be largely pointless. ...Well, even in such a state, there were probably still places that needed help.
Regardless, for Rei, who had time to spare, the new technology Roger had supposedly developed using Orc Naga materials was something he found genuinely intriguing. That was why he'd decided to come see it in person. It wasn't just that, either. He also wanted to let Roger know the Dolan Workshop matter was settled, and check how far along the defensive golem was. There were a number of other things he wanted to discuss as well.
"Oh, it's coming into view. See, the other workshops haven't suffered any significant damage either, right?"
Spotting the Jalis Workshop in the distance—a place he'd visited before—the adventurer pointed it out. Rei glanced around at his words, and sure enough, there didn't appear to be any significant damage anywhere. Several alchemists were walking about with their golems, doing various tasks and creating a somewhat lively atmosphere. But that was the extent of it.
"Right. Glad there doesn't seem to be any Breath damage around here. ...So, I know it might be a bit forward to ask, but what are those alchemists doing with their golems?"
"Helping with rubble removal. By having the golems work out in the open like this, the residents who see them form a favorable impression of the workshop that made them."
Figuring that made sense, Rei nodded and kept walking. Before long, they arrived at the Jalis Workshop.
Fortunately, Rei was able to enter the research facility without any hassle. This wasn't his first visit, and more importantly, he was the hero who had resolved the Necro Golem incident. Turning away someone like that would be out of the question. Of course, the fact that Egginis hadn't been reduced to ruin thanks in large part to Rei probably didn't hurt either.
Following the adventurer's lead, Rei soon arrived at a room he recognized—Roger's room.
"Excuse me, Roger-san. I've brought Rei-san."
At the adventurer's call from outside the door, a flurry of activity erupted within. Then the door opened, revealing Roger with a look of surprise on his face.
"Rei, why on earth...?"
"I heard you developed a new technology using Orc Naga materials. I didn't have anything pressing to do, so I came to take a look."
"Things you need to do... well, never mind. Come inside. If word gets out that you're here, it could cause all sorts of trouble."
"It's not like I sneaked in. I'm pretty sure word of my visit is already out there."
"Then all the more reason. If you stay in the hallway, people who want to ask you questions will start gathering. Come inside."
Since Rei had no intention of causing trouble for Roger, he didn't argue and stepped into the room.
Inside stood what appeared to be the cleaning golem Roger had developed for him.
"Huh, so this is it. ...It's a bit larger than the ones I've seen around the city?"
"That's right. To fit in the new technology, we needed this size no matter what."
Rei accepted that as reasonable. Since it was new technology, miniaturizing it was probably difficult.
"Fair enough. So what specific new technology did you develop using the Orc Naga materials?"
Roger met Rei's expectant gaze but hesitated slightly before speaking. "Since you seem to be under a misconception, let me clarify. It is a new technology, but it's not something that never existed before. To be specific, it's an extension of existing techniques."
"...Is that so?"
Roger's words were completely unexpected. Rei had been hoping for something truly unforeseen—something like a cleaning golem that could transform, that kind of groundbreaking innovation. To be told that the new technology wasn't anything he needed to get particularly excited about was naturally a letdown.
Still, secretly hoping that his expectations might somehow be subverted, Rei waited for Roger to continue.