"So this is a Golem..."
"Why would something like this be out here?"
Jin was busy examining the Golems he had disabled. The village men, their tension having evaporated once the threat passed, were slumped on the ground for a much-needed rest. Beside him, Lishia joined in the inspection.
"I can only assume someone sent them," Lishia offered.
"To what end?"
"Well... that is..."
Golems possessed enough autonomy to carry out simple commands. Since they didn't require the caster to be nearby, tracking down the person responsible was a difficult task.
"Well, if we can't find the culprit..."
"What will you do?"
"If I can't find the person, I'll at least make use of the materials."
Jin shifted his focus to the Golems' internal structure. "Man, these are shoddy."
He dismissed them with a flat, unimpressed tone. Lishia blinked in surprise.
"W-Wait, really?! Golems are supposed to be fairly advanced magi-dolls, you know."
"Maybe so, but the bodies are just stone and the armor is plain iron. The core is a tiny magi-crystal, and it doesn't even have an ether converter—it's just using a mana tank. I can't see these as anything more than disposable units."
"Wh-What?!"
Lishia had attended a reputable school after becoming a quasi-noble and considered herself quite knowledgeable for this world, but Jin’s expertise was clearly on another level entirely.
"If I tinker with them a bit, I can probably make something useful. I'll just combine the two into one," Jin muttered.
He tried to drag the two Golems together, but they were far too heavy, so he gave up and began pacing back and forth to gather the necessary parts instead. By now, the village men had recovered enough to watch Jin’s work with curiosity.
"This magi-crystal is a bit larger, so I'll use it as the core. I'll use this one as a mana driver..."
"You're doin' some real complicated stuff there, Jin. How much longer is it gonna take? We’d like to get movin' soon," Rock called out. If left to his own devices, it looked like Jin would happily tinker away forever.
"Oh, just a little longer," Jin replied, his hands never stopping.
"I'll connect the arms like this, and... Fusion."
The Golem's form knit together into a single, cohesive unit.
"And now, Master-Slave. Wake up, Golem."
In response to his voice, the Golem lurched to its feet.
"W-Whoa!"
Rock and the others scrambled backward. Lishia reflexively gripped her bent sword. Seeing their reaction, Jin laughed.
"It's all right. This thing only listens to me now."
Golems were fundamentally bound to the master of the magical power imbued within their core.
"Even so, Jin..." Rock started, still looking uneasy.
"It's fine, really. Look." Jin slapped the Golem’s back several times to prove his point.
"If you say so..."
"You're such a worrywart. Golem, I name you 'Gon'."
It was a name utterly devoid of any creative flair. Jin, however, didn't seem to care in the slightest.
"Gon, pull this handcart."
At his command, the Golem gave a stiff nod and began walking, pulling the heavy cart behind it.
"All right, let's go."
Jin took the lead. The men, still looking a bit dazed, hurried to follow. Lishia mounted her horse and quickly caught up to them.
Two hours later, the group arrived at Toka Village, successfully reaching their destination before nightfall.
"W-Whoa!"
"What the heck is that thing?!"
Naturally, the villagers were terrified at the sight of Gon. In the dimming twilight, the Golem looked even more ominous.
"Halt! Do you intend to attack the village?!"
A soldier stationed at Toka Village stepped forward, drawing his sword. Lishia moved to intervene.
"Stand down. This Golem is an ally."
Though only an apprentice ritter, her rank was superior to that of a common soldier. The soldier stopped, looking surprised.
"O-Oh, is that so?...Very well, I understand."
He obeyed immediately. Since Gon didn't show any signs of aggression, the village folk eventually grew used to its presence.
"Please bring the wheat here."
The wheat was brought to the Toka Village warehouse, and Gon proved his worth.
"Whoa, incredible."
The Golem possessed more than three times the strength of a human, and it single-handedly carried all the wheat Jin and the others had brought into the storehouse.
"Good work, Gon. Rest and recover your mana. If anyone tries to steal the wheat, drive them away."
Following Jin's instructions, Gon stood upright in front of the warehouse and went still.
"With that, we won't even need a watchman," Jin said with a smile.
The people of Toka Village stared at him with unreadable expressions.
"Who's that guy?"
"Was there someone like that in Kaina Village?"
They whispered amongst themselves, while the men from Kaina Village were full of praise.
"Man, Jin, you're really something!"
"That Golem really does whatever you tell it?"
"It’d be real handy to have back at the village!"
Meanwhile, the soldiers approached Lishia.
"U-Um, tax collector, what on earth is that Golem...?"
"And who is that young man?"
That night, Lishia stayed at the kingdom's military barracks, while Jin and the men stayed at the Toka Village inn.
After dinner, Jin was walking through the village when he spotted Lishia and called out to her.
"Lishia-san."
"Oh, Jin-san."
"Are you still in your gear?"
Lishia was still wearing her breastplate and carrying her sword.
"Yes, I'm still technically on duty."
"I see, that sounds rough. What are you doing out here?"
Jin noticed her staring at the sword in her hand.
"My sword got bent, so I went to the blacksmith. But they told me it couldn't be repaired."
"May I? Let me have a look."
Lishia handed the bent sword to Jin. He looked it over for a moment.
"Analyze... Ah, I see. This is a real piece of junk. It’s made of iron, not steel."
"Eh? But the weapon shop told me it was a fairly good sword..."
"I think they cheated you. Maybe they figured a woman wouldn't know the difference, or they thought the sword was just for show."
"No way..." Lishia slumped, looking dejected.
Seeing her like that, Jin kept hold of the sword. "I guess I have no choice. Forming. Carburizing. Heat Treat. Hardening."
He straightened the blade, infused it with carbon to turn it into steel, and then quenched it.
"There, how's that?"
"W-Wait, what?"
Lishia couldn't seem to process what had just happened.
"I fixed it. It won't break as easily this time, so take care of it."
"Th-Thank you so much... I didn't know a magi craftman could do such things..."
Lishia accepted the sword with a look of joy. "Jin-san, how can I repay you?"
"I don't need any payment."
"I can't do that. Work requires compensation. I know! Why don't you become an official magi craftman for the kingdom? I’ll give you a recommendation."
Jin replied instantly. "I'll have to pass."
"Why?" Lishia asked, her face full of confusion.
"I don't really like the idea of serving anyone. I want to live freely, and I want to go back home."
In this case, "home" meant his laboratory.
"I see... but it seems like such a waste."
"It’s fine. Besides, could you do me a favor and not report anything about me for a while?"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"You're going to report the Golem attack, right?"
"Yes, that's part of my job."
"When you do, I want you to leave me out of it. Just say that you managed to repel them yourself, Lishia-san."
"But that would be..."
Jin bowed his head. "Please. For now, I just want to live a quiet life in Kaina Village."
Seeing his determination, Lishia gave in.
"I understand. However, if you ever find yourself in the royal capital, please come visit my family's home."
Jin was being a bit optimistic; he hadn't considered that the soldiers who had seen the Golem would likely file their own reports. His plan was a little sloppy.