Once a jubilant Prince Ernest had departed for the inner palace with Lotte in tow, Jin let out a weary sigh and set to work tidying the cluttered workshop.
"Oh, let me help you!"
So saying, Lyla of the Royal Secret Maids began to assist, but...
"Oh, no!"
She immediately scattered the remaining materials across the floor.
"Kyaaa!"
She tripped over a tool and knocked over a storage shelf.
"I—I am so sorry!"
She accidentally kicked the materials Jin had just finished grouping together.
...If anything, she was only making the mess worse. Unable to watch any longer, Jin finally spoke up.
"Please, just stay still..."
With that, he called for Reiko. Deactivating her Stealth and appearing out of thin air, Reiko began efficiently tidying the room without Jin even needing to give her specific instructions.
"Uuu, am I... useless?"
Faced with a dejected Lyla, Jin could only offer a weak consolation.
"Well, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses—things they’re suited for and things they aren’t."
"...Beena is avoiding me."
Count Kuzuma was pouring out his grievances to Reinhard, who had come to visit his room.
"I heard you proposed to her last night?"
"Indeed....She hasn't even shown her face to me since."
So saying, the count grabbed a bottle of wine sitting before him and began guzzling it directly from the bottle.
"Hey, hey, don't overdo it."
Reinhard tried to restrain him, but the count wouldn't listen and popped the cork on a second bottle.
"...This is a severe case."
Sighing, Reinhard shook his head in resignation.
"I'm going to head out for a bit."
Announcing his departure, he left Count Kuzuma's room.
"...Whew."
"I suppose we've finally finished about half the cleanup."
The hall where the Golem Party had been held was a disaster zone of rubble and broken golems.
Maids, servants, and members of the Magic Ritter Squad were the ones clearing it away. A few members of the Royal Secret Maids seemed to be helping as well.
The reason the Magic Ritter Squad was participating was to secure reusable magi-crystals and other components from the destroyed golems.
Thus, the work was divided: the male servants cleared the heavy rubble, the maids cleaned up after them, and the Magic Ritter Squad scavenged the wreckage for usable or valuable items.
"Oh, this looks usable."
One of the magic ritters picked up a red magi-crystal.
"Found one here, too."
This time it was a green magi-crystal.
Since it was tedious work, they seemingly couldn't get through it without treating the task like a treasure hunt.
Amidst this, a voice spoke up.
"Ah, this is a fragment of the crystal golem, isn't it?"
A magi-crystal embedded in transparent quartz. It was undoubtedly a part of Celes.
"Oh, you found it for me."
"Eh?"
Looking up at the voice, they saw Stearena standing there.
"I couldn't quite give up, so I came to look for fragments of Celes. I'm so happy the most important part—the heart—has been found."
Saying this, she cradled the chest section of Celes in both arms.
"I'll be taking this with me."
With those words, she departed.
"The suppression was completed in a shorter time than expected."
"Yes. It seems there were golems present that were more powerful than anticipated."
"But the objective was achieved, was it not?"
"Yes. Item one: the amplification limit of Elradrite. It is approximately one hundred thousand times. Beyond that, no matter the method, the supplied magical power is insufficient. Furthermore, the Elradrite performing the final amplification breaks under the overload."
"Hmm. So using two in series for four hundred times is appropriate."
"As you say."
"And item two?"
"Yes. We have successfully secured detailed information on the top-tier golems of the Kingdom of Egerea and its allies. It is currently being analyzed."
"Hmph. With this, we have moved one step closer to our long-cherished ambition."
"Indeed. Not just one step, but perhaps two or three."
"That is excellent."
"Leave it to us. Also, there is one interesting piece of information."
"What is it?"
"Word is that a magi craftman by the name of Jin is quite the talent."
"Oh? That is intriguing. His affiliation?"
"He is said to be with a magi craftman from the Shouro Empire, Reinhard Randol."
"Reinhard, is it? He is also a talent I would like to have. Very well, continue to gather information."
"By your command."
"............"
Beena sat alone by the window, gazing outside. Even though it was already dark and the dense trees meant she could see almost nothing, she stared nonetheless.
"...Hah."
She let out a single sigh. After sitting like that for a while, Beena abruptly turned around.
"Hey, Leeza."
She spoke to Leeza, the member of the Royal Secret Maids standing behind her.
"Yes, is there something you need?"
"I was wondering if you could talk with me for a bit... or rather, give me some advice."
After much agonizing, Beena had decided to consult with the girl who was close to her in age.
"Advice? If I will suffice, then gladly."
"Thank you....Um, tell me, what do you think about a commoner marrying a count?"
"Huh?"
Beena honestly explained that she had been proposed to by Count Kuzuma and was conflicted about whether to accept.
"Let's see. If it were me, I would accept gladly."
"You think so?"
"Yes! Marrying a count is like hitting the jackpot, isn't it? It's a status you couldn't get even if you wished for it!"
It seemed that was simply Leeza's outlook on life.
"...Compared to being a magi craftman?"
"There's no comparison! I'm not saying being a magi craftman is bad, but the status is completely different. A count is a noble! A noble!"
"...I see."
Realizing she had likely asked the wrong person, Beena turned her eyes back toward the darkness outside the window.
"Milady, I am so relieved that you are safe and uninjured once again."
Mine, her wet nurse, spoke with deep emotion as she helped Elsa change her clothes.
"This is exactly why I told you before: many dangerous things happen when one goes on a journey."
But Elsa shook her head at Mine's words.
"No. There were dangerous things, but there were many, many more fun things, too."
"Milady..."
"Hey, Mine. What is 'marriage' like?"
"Pardon?"
Mine was at a loss for words, unable to gauge the intent behind the question.
"Beena was proposed to by Count Kuzuma."
Understanding dawned on Mine at Elsa's follow-up.
"I see. If you want my personal opinion... it is not a good thing."
"Is that... so?"
Elsa turned around, surprised by the unexpected answer. Mine finished putting on Elsa's nightgown and moved to stand in front of her.
"...Yes. Or rather, men... cannot be trusted. You must not trust them."
"Eh?"
Elsa was further shocked by what could be described as a bombshell statement from Mine.
"You will be seventeen soon, Milady. By the world's standards, you are at a marriageable age, but you still know nothing of men. Shall I tell you a little about them?"
"...Yes."
At Elsa's nod, Mine began.
"Men are creatures who view women as tools for bearing children. Otherwise, they see them as mere outlets for their desires."
Faced with such harsh words right out of the gate, Elsa could only listen in silence.
"When I was fifteen, I was serving as a maid in the mansion of a certain noble. My family home belonged to a reasonably wealthy merchant, but it was the fashion then to serve as a maid for a few years to learn etiquette."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"There was a guest at that noble's mansion. A noble from abroad, said to be a military man."
"Like Father."
Elsa murmured. Her father was a viscount and served as one of the commanders of the Shouro Empire's foreign stationing forces.
Mine grimaced slightly upon hearing that, but immediately continued as if nothing had happened.
"He was young and served as a battalion commander in his national army. I and another older maid were assigned to look after him. He stayed for about three months. During that time, he and I became... intimately involved."
"Intimately involved?"
Elsa, not grasping the euphemism, repeated the words back. Mine smiled sadly.
"It means engaging in the acts of a husband and wife even though one is not married."
Whether she fully understood or not, Elsa simply urged her to continue.
"That man had a wife back in his own country. I was told he already had two sons as well. Despite knowing that, I entered into such a relationship with him."
Elsa listened in silence. This was the first time Mine had ever spoken of her past like this.
"Did you... not get married?"
For a noble, it was not uncommon to have a second wife or a concubine. Indeed, Count Guarana had said as much to Elsa.
"I suppose I wasn't even fit to be a concubine to him. He never once spoke of such a thing."
After letting out a sigh, Mine continued her story.
"Eventually, his stay ended and he returned to his country. But by then, a new life was growing inside me."
"A baby... you mean?"
Elsa asked, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Yes. When the time came, I gave birth to that child. She was a lovely girl."
"A girl..."
"I intended to raise her alone. My family home was well-off enough, after all. But I don't know how he found out, but that noble said he wanted to take the child. Apparently, his wife was frail and unlikely to bear any more children. And among the nobility, a girl can be a tool for forming ties with other influential families."
"..."
"I refused. But a commoner is no match for a noble, and in the end, that child was taken away from me."
"...That's horrible."
"Yes, it is horrible, isn't it? But since I am able to serve you like this now, Milady, I am not so unhappy."
"What happened to... that child?"
Elsa looked worried.
"From what I hear, she was raised healthily alongside the children born to the legal wife, without being discriminated against."
"...I'm glad."
"Yes, that is the only solace for my heart."
"Aren't you lonely?"
When asked this, Mine smiled gently and softly took Elsa's hand.
"Because I have you now, Milady."
Elsa gently squeezed her hand back in return.