Winter had truly arrived, and the mountains visible from Kaina Village were now capped with snow.
Though the village sat on a high plateau, it was nestled among even larger mountains. Consequently, rainfall was sparse, but the land remained lush, fed by the rain and snow that fell upon the surrounding peaks.
"So even though it’s winter, it doesn't really snow enough to pile up, huh?"
Jin had been raised in the city, so he’d harbored a bit of a romanticized longing to build things like snow huts, but it seemed that would be a dream unfulfilled in this village.
"Speaking of which, Roland hasn't shown his face lately..."
He had promised Roland the merchant that he would visit once every month and a half. By that schedule, he should have arrived long ago, yet there was no sign of him. It was hard to imagine a merchant whose primary selling point was his sincerity would break a promise.
Then, one day, a visitor who was not Roland arrived in Kaina Village.
"Jin Onii-chan, Grandma is calling for you!"
Jin, who had been in the workshop crafting a stove that utilized a magi-stone, stopped his work and headed toward the main house.
"It has been a long time, Jin-san."
Standing there was the tax collector, Lishia Fahlheit.
"Lishia-san, it’s been a while. You look well."
When Jin offered his greeting, Lishia immediately bowed her head. "I—I am so sorry!"
Bewildered, Jin reached out. "Wait, Lishia-san, please look up. I don't understand what's happening."
When Lishia finally raised her head, her face was twisted with remorse. "I couldn't keep the matter of the Golem under wraps..."
"What?"
"It seems one of the soldiers who was stationed in Toka Village returned to the royal capital and started talking..."
This was Jin's own oversight. During the wheat transport, the Golem Jin had remodeled, Gon, had been seen by the soldiers and the villagers of Toka Village alike. Even if Lishia had kept her word, one cannot put a lock on the world's lips. The rumors had reached the royal capital with startling speed.
According to Lishia’s explanation:
Rumors that a Golem had appeared near Toka Village, and that someone was commanding said Golem, had reached the King's ears. The King ordered the chancellor to verify the truth of the matter.
The chancellor had investigated the rumors carefully and discovered that the person commanding the Golem was a man named Jin living in Kaina Village. Furthermore, they found that Jin was the developer of the pumps currently spreading through the royal capital and the creator of the stoves that were immensely popular among the commoners.
Upon hearing this, the King had felt threatened. He ordered Earl Walter—the lord governing this entire region, including Kaina and Toka villages—to bring Jin in for questioning.
"Right now, fifty of the Earl's men are heading for this village. Please, you must run away quickly!" Lishia concluded.
"Jin..."
Martha looked at him with a worried face, but Jin gave a small shrug. "It's all right. It's not like I've done anything wrong."
"Jin-san, this isn't the time for that..."
"If I run, won't it just make me look guilty?"
Jin said this to reassure them, but inwardly, he was feeling the pressure. Lishia, realizing she couldn't persuade him, finally sighed.
"Jin-san, a magi craftman who can create and control Golems is valuable, but anyone who doesn't belong to the state is regarded as a dangerous element. Please, be careful."
"Thank you, Lishia-san. I will."
That said, he wasn't quite sure what he should be careful about yet. For the time being, he decided to return to the workshop and consult with Reiko.
"In the worst-case scenario, we might have to flee."
"In that case, Father, it would be better to use the Warp Gate in the mountains rather than the one here. It would be best to render this one unusable."
"Yeah. It’s a shame, though."
They immediately filled in the basement where the Warp Gate was located and disguised the entrance so it couldn't be found. They had just finished when a voice boomed.
"You’re Jin, I take it?"
An arrogant voice echoed from the entrance of the workshop. Looking up, Jin saw a large company of soldiers clad in armor. They had arrived faster than he had expected.
"Yes, I'm Jin."
When Jin answered, a man who appeared to be the commander stepped forward.
"Hmph. We are taking you into custody. If you resist, we will show no mercy."
He leveled a spear at Jin. Jin pushed the tip aside with his hand.
"What is the meaning of this so suddenly?"
The commander barked, "You! Do you intend to defy Earl Walter, the lord who governs this region?"
"No, I'm asking why I have to be taken away in the first place."
At this point, Jin finally understood why Lishia had told him to run, but it was already too late.
"Hmph. It is the King's order. Submit quietly."
Judging from the tax rates and Lishia's general attitude, Jin had thought this country was decent, but it seemed he was wrong. The man before him was the quintessential type to hide behind his authority.
"I don't particularly belong to this country. I have no obligation to follow you quietly."
Jin was starting to feel his temper flare. He was no saint; if anything, he was short-tempered. He was soft on those he cared about, but when his loved ones were threatened, he became relentless.
"Onii-chan!"
Hanna tried to run toward him, but her small frame was blocked by a soldier. Worse, the man shoved her aside, sending her tumbling onto her backside.
"Kyaa!"
"Hanna!"
As Jin stepped forward, spears were thrust out to block his path.
"Get out of my way."
Jin seized one of the spears and activated Forming. In an instant, the metal warped and twisted, bending into a U-shape.
"Wha—! The spear!"
"You! Do you dare resist?!"
Three more spears were thrust toward him. This time, Gon stopped them. Having returned from a patrol of the village, the Golem had rushed to the side of its Master, Jin, upon sensing the danger.
"Wha—! This is a Golem! So you really were the culprit!"
"Culprit?" Jin asked with a puzzled look as he picked up Hanna.
"Don't play dumb! The Golem attacks occurring all over the kingdom right now—you were the one behind them!"
"What?"
In a stroke of terrible luck, the appearance of Gon and Gen was almost identical to the Golems that had originally attacked Jin and the others. Although the colors had been changed, the design was virtually the same.
"Do you intend to feign ignorance? I have seen them once myself, and there are those among my soldiers who have seen them as well. The color is different, but Golems of the same model are attacking people and supplies everywhere!"
"What did you say?"
Jin finally realized how dire the situation was. Someone, or something, was using Golems to attack various parts of the Klein Kingdom. It seemed the Golem that had been the basis for Gon was one of them.
Tch, I should have investigated a bit more back then...
It was too late for regrets, but if he had scrutinized the Golem's core, he might have found a clue to the real culprit.
"You can no longer make excuses!"
The soldiers surrounded Jin. He turned to Hanna, whom he held in his arms.
"Hanna, I haven't done anything wrong. But it looks like I can't stay here anymore."
"Onii-chan..."
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to stay until spring. I'll come to see you again someday. Until then, stay healthy."
After he finished saying that, Jin quietly slipped a ruby (?) into the pocket of Hanna’s skirt. Then, he spoke a single name.
"Reiko!"
"Yes, Father."
Upon hearing Jin's voice, the matchlessly loyal Automata, Reiko, blew away the ten soldiers surrounding Jin in an instant.
"Wha—! You, you dare resist?!"
To the panicked Earl Walter, Jin said, "Listen, I didn't order any Golem attacks. However, I have no intention of being framed for a crime I didn't commit, so I'm leaving."
Jin handed Hanna over to Martha, called the Golem horse Koma, and mounted it. Reiko climbed on in front of him.
"I'll give you one more piece of advice. If you lay so much as a finger on the people of Kaina Village, I will crush the Klein Kingdom."
He turned the handles.
"Martha-san, thank you for everything. Take care!"
Before the stunned Earl Walter or his soldiers could react, Jin sped off toward the northern mountains. Gon and Gen followed close behind.
"Wh—What are you doing, you lot?! Pursue them! Pursue them at once!"
However, the Golems were far too fast, and they grew small in the distance in the blink of an eye. Even so, the soldiers gave chase. Earl Walter also followed on an ordinary horse.
"Onii-chan..."
"Jin..."
"Jin-san..."
Left behind, Hanna, Martha, and Lishia each prayed for Jin's safety.