With the Golem horse hitched to the carriage, the preparations were finally complete.
"Step inside, please."
Jin opened the cabin door, triggering a mechanism that caused a tap step to descend.
"This is amazing."
Elsa was wearing a long-skirted dress today, so she had been worried about how to board—though she could always just jump out when it was time to leave. With the tap step, she was able to climb inside with ease.
"The interior... it’s fascinating."
The cabin seated six people, with two rows of three seats. Rather than facing each other, they were all forward-facing. The windows serving as the windshield were wide, providing an excellent view of the path ahead.
The seats were upholstered in magical beast leather and stuffed with magic silk floss, offering superb cushioning. Although a coachman’s seat had been provided, it wasn't strictly necessary since the one pulling the vehicle was a Golem horse. Consequently, the view ahead was entirely unobstructed by a driver.
"Reiko, would you mind sitting in the coachman's seat, just in case?" Jin asked.
"...Yes," she replied, sounding slightly disgruntled. Still, perhaps because Jin had previously described Elsa as being like a younger sister to him, she didn't look particularly upset.
Seated in the coachman's seat, Reiko turned back to look at Jin. He was sitting right next to Elsa. Seeing this, Reiko's expression grew a fraction more stern.
"Alright, let’s go."
Whether he noticed her mood or not, Jin gave the signal to depart. Reiko gripped the reins extending from the Golem horse and issued instructions through her magical power. The Golem horse began to walk quietly.
"Incredible. It’s moving!"
Elsa was delighted. Of course it was moving—it would be a problem if it didn't.
The carriage emerged from behind the Guest House and rolled into the square. The castle guard who saw it felt his eyes bulge. The carriage itself was unusual, but that was fine. However, it was the horse pulling it that caught his attention.
It was the color of verdigris—patina-green. In other words, it was made of metal. It was a Golem horse. He had never seen such a thing in his life.
Given that it had come from behind the Guest House, he assumed it belonged to a distinguished guest. However, he couldn't simply overlook something so extraordinary.
"He-Hey, wait a moment! You there in the carriage!" he shouted, ordering them to stand still.
"Reiko, stop."
"Yes, Father."
The carriage came to a halt. The guard was further astounded to see that the coachman was a small girl, but upon closer inspection, the child looked familiar.
"Ah, could you be... Reiko-san!?"
For some reason, he addressed her with formal respect.
"Yes, I am Reiko," she replied.
"Oohhh! I knew it! I’m the one you saved by a hair’s breadth during that Golem Incident the other day!"
"I see."
The guard was practically vibrating with excitement, but Reiko didn't remember him at all. To her, humans other than Jin were literally incidental.
"S-So then, what in the world is this!?"
"It’s a carriage," Reiko answered flatly.
"Er, it’s a carriage I built after receiving permission," Jin added, opening the door.
"Oh, you are Jin-dono! The creator of Reiko-san and the man who was named an Honorary Magi Craftman!"
The man was incredibly intense—even more so than Reinhard when he got excited.
"I see, so this is a carriage you built. I see, so the horse is a Golem as well! As expected of an Honorary Magi Craftman!!"
"Um, may we proceed now?" Reiko asked.
"Yes! Please, go right ahead!" the guard said, waving them off with a grin as they departed.
"...A strange person," was Elsa's quiet observation.
Since the square within the Royal Castle was well-paved, they couldn't really test the ride quality, but Elsa was nonetheless impressed.
"Amazing. It hardly shakes at all. I thought the carriage Jin-kun and Rai-nii modified the other day was incredible, but this is even better."
They tried increasing the speed slightly, reaching perhaps ten kilometers per hour. If they went any faster inside the Royal Castle grounds, they would likely be scolded.
"Reiko, what’s the Golem horse’s output?"
"Yes, it is at approximately ten percent," she replied.
Jin nodded contentedly, but Elsa looked on in shock.
"...Jin-kun really is outside the norm."
Deciding that the trial run was sufficient, Jin had the carriage perform a U-turn. Thanks to the independent suspension, the wheels turned effortlessly, and the carriage pivoted almost on the spot.
"What was that just now?"
Elsa looked as if she had seen the impossible. Due to her social standing, she had many opportunities to ride in various carriages, and she realized once again that the one she was currently in was beyond anything else in existence.
"Hey, Jin!"
A voice called out to them. Looking toward the source, they saw the Third Prince, His Highness Ernest, accompanied by Lotte.
"I saw you from my window! You’ve built something amazing!"
As expected, he had taken a keen interest. Jin stepped out of the carriage to greet the prince.
"Your Highness, is it alright for you to be out? Coming all the way out from the Inner Palace like this..."
Prince Ernest shrugged. "It’s fine. I’m only fourth in the line of succession. I have two older brothers and an uncle, so I’m not that important to this country."
Hearing the prince's dismissive tone, Jin offered a firm reprimand.
"Your Highness, you shouldn't say such things. To His Majesty, Your Highness is undoubtedly his own flesh and blood. Think back to the time of the incident."
Prince Ernest hung his head as he listened, but eventually, he looked up with a small smile.
"...Yeah, you're right. It might be exactly as you say, Jin. I'll be more careful."
"Please do, Your Highness."
Jin felt relieved. Prince Ernest had a selfish streak, but at his core, he was a sincere boy.
"Putting that aside, this carriage is incredible!"
His eyes sparkled as he stared at the vehicle. Jin gave a wry smile. "Would you like to try riding in it?"
"Yeah!" came the energetic response.
"Er, I already have a guest inside, is that alright?"
"A guest?"
The prince peered into the carriage and locked eyes with Elsa.
"Ah, I see. So Jin was in the middle of a rendezvous with this lady."
"Y-Your Highness!" Jin stammered, flustered.
"Rendezvous?" Elsa repeated, tilting her head in confusion.
"Your Highness, this is Elsa. She is Reinhard's cousin and a friend of mine."
"I am Elsa."
Elsa stood up, pinched the hem of her skirt, and gave a elegant curtsy.
"Well, well. Lady Elsa, I am Ernest, Third Prince of the Kingdom of Egerea."
With that, the prince took Elsa's left hand and kissed the back of it. Despite being only thirteen, his refined movements revealed the poise of a well-bred royal.
"Now, Jin, show me how it runs!"
But the moment he spoke, his excited demeanor returned, making him look exactly like any other boy his age. Jin instructed Reiko to set off, keeping the Golem horse at ten percent output.
"That was amazing! Jin, I want one too! Build it for me!"
As expected, the prince ended up wanting a carriage of his own.