The day’s various commotions eventually settled, night fell, and morning came once more.
Today was the fifteenth birthday of Ernest Lilm Andrew, the third prince of the Kingdom of Egerea.
Throughout the morning, nobles who weren't participating in the Golem Party flocked into the castle from the city. The sheer number of arrivals, combined with the presence of the guarding soldiers, made for a noisy atmosphere.
Jin, Reiko, Elsa, and Beena watched the spectacle from a distance. Count Kuzuma and Reinhard were not with them, as they were required to attend the formal birthday ceremony as high-ranking guests.
"Sigh, I'm so bored," Beena groaned.
"…Agreed," Elsa added.
Since Jin was equally bored, he spoke up. "Should we play a game or something?"
"A game?"
Jin thought for a moment. He wanted something easy to make, fun for a group, and required no prior skill or experience. The first thing that came to mind was sugoroku.
"Alright. Let's see… would this table work?"
"What are you planning?"
They were currently in Elsa's room, simply because it was the most spacious and well-furnished. From the set, Jin selected a Te-e table—a tea table—measuring about sixty centimeters square.
"Surface Treatment."
He cast the spell to make the tabletop smooth and white. Then, using ink, he began drawing a path of squares.
"What are those? 'Start'? 'Goal'?" Beena asked, peering over his shoulder.
Once Jin finished the basic board, he began to explain. "This is a game from my home called sugoroku. Basically, you roll this die—" He quickly used Craft Magic to fashion a die and rolled it to demonstrate. "—and move your piece forward the number of squares shown. The first person to reach the goal wins."
"…Seems simple enough," Elsa remarked honestly.
"Yeah, it looks simple, doesn't it? But this is where it gets fun. I'm going to add conditions to some of the squares."
"Conditions?"
"Things like 'lose a turn' or 'go back three spaces,'" Jin explained.
"I see. So it's all down to luck."
"Pretty much. Alright, let's give it a try with this for now."
With that, the sugoroku board was complete, with special conditions written on roughly one out of every ten squares. Jin quickly crafted colorful playing pieces for everyone, and the game began.
"Move three spaces."
"There! Move six spaces and—gaah! 'Lose a turn'!?"
"Four."
They enjoyed the new game as they played through the rounds, eventually nearing the goal.
"Roll a four, roll a four… Aww, a two."
"I hope I get a five… Ah!"
No one could afford to relax; landing on a 'Go back 20 spaces' square just before the goal would send a player flying backward.
"I did it!" Jin cheered, becoming unexpectedly competitive despite his age. He took first place.
"Aw, I lost. Okay, roll a two, roll a two… Yes! Second place!"
"…I lost. One more time."
The game of sugoroku was a hit, proving to be an effective way to kill time.
Lyla, Leeza, and Kate from the Royal Secret Maids had been watching from the sidelines with expressions that suggested they wanted to play as well. For the second round, Jin decided to include them.
Initially, they declined, insisting they were on duty. However, Jin persuaded them with the logic—sound or otherwise—that keeping the guests entertained was also a crucial part of a maid's duty. They eventually agreed to join.
"Kyaa! It says 'Go back ten spaces'!"
"Oh no, I lose a turn!"
"Come on, six! Give me a six!"
The room became quite lively. Thanks to the game, the ice between the group and the maids seemed to have finally broken. They spent the rest of the day playing sugoroku until Reinhard and Count Kuzuma returned in the evening.
When they finished, Jin used his magic to restore the table to its original state. Lyla, in particular, watched him do so with a lingering, reluctant look in her eyes.
"Now then, tomorrow is finally the Golem Party," Count Kuzuma said, beginning his briefing on the final arrangements. "Formal attire is required, naturally. Jin, I believe you have your own magi craftman jacket. I have also prepared one for Beena, so please wear it."
"Eh? A—for me?"
Count Kuzuma smiled warmly and pulled a sophisticated crimson jacket from his luggage. "You should wear this to the event," he said, handing it to her.
"Th-Thank you very much!" Beena stammered, hugging the jacket tightly to her chest. As the Count looked at her, his expression softened visibly.
"There is an order of entry for the castle," the Count continued. "First the cabinet ministers, then the nobles serving in the castle, the invited guests, local nobles, and finally distant nobles."
Reinhard and Elsa fell into the category of invited guests.
"Last of all are the magi craftmen; that's where Jin and Beena will be. The formal greetings to the King and the Prince are for the nobility only, so the two of you just need to observe."
Jin was relieved to hear that. To be honest, he wasn't fond of flashy parties.
"Since we'll be positioned far from Count Guarana, Beena, you likely won't be spotted."
He said this to reassure her, though Elsa pouted slightly at the mention of the man.
"That being said, no weapons of any kind are allowed into the venue, and there will be a limiter placed on magic tools. Lady Reiko, you likely won't be permitted to enter the room."
"I cannot accept this," Reiko interrupted, having remained silent until now. "My mission and the very reason for my existence is to protect Father."
"Now, Reiko," Jin said, admonishing her. "I appreciate your concern, but we can't ignore the rules this time. We have to make sure we don't cause any trouble for Count Kuzuma or Reinhard."
Reiko nodded reluctantly. "…Yes, Father."
"An-Anyway," the Count continued, "the nobles who brought golems will step forward one by one before the King and the Prince to announce themselves and give a brief demonstration for the unveiling." He looked at Jin. "What do you think we should have Lotte do?"
Lotte was a maid golem, and the Count worried she wouldn't be capable of a flashy performance.
However, Jin turned the question back on him. "Is there anything specific you would like her to do?"
The Count hadn't expected to be asked for his preference, but he gathered his thoughts. "W-Well, I suppose… a dance, or perhaps a sword dance."
"She can do that," Jin replied simply. "Let's see…"
Jin's gaze swept over the Royal Secret Maids one by one. He skipped Lyla and stopped on Rianna. "I think I'll ask for Miss Rianna's cooperation."
"Eh? Me? What exactly do I need to do?"
To the bewildered Rianna, Jin said, "Just think about your movements for a moment."
He then had Reiko produce a small magi-crystal.
"Trans Info Level 2."
"Kyaa!"
"That should do it."
"Wh-Wh-What was that just now!?" Rianna exclaimed. Even as the unit leader of the Royal Secret Maids Unit 2, she was completely flustered.
Jin explained that he had merely copied her movement patterns, but Rianna still looked entirely lost.
Since they were not yet allowed to access the golems kept in the warehouse, Jin decided to perform the final adjustments during the preparation time before the unveiling. With the plan set, everyone retired to their rooms for the night.