"An advanced fire spell?"
Shards of the shattered golems showered the street.
The walls of nearby buildings had been gouged out, and several bystanders were injured by the debris. Others appeared to have suffered burns from the heat.
"What were you thinking, doing that in the middle of the city? Elsa, look after the injured."
"Mm."
Jin ran toward one of the buildings. A large crack had formed across its facade, and one section looked as if it might collapse at any moment.
"Fusion."
Jin began making repairs using Craft Magic. With a pulse of magical energy, the structural integrity returned, and the threat of the wall collapsing vanished.
"Th-thank you so much..."
Over where Elsa was working, the treatment of the injured seemed to be nearing completion. Once things had settled, Jin and Elsa looked toward the direction from which the spell had originated.
A single magi-ritter stood there. Several other ritters who had arrived from the same direction were currently scouting the area for suspicious individuals.
"Captain!" Gloria raised her voice as she ran over, glaring slightly. The magi-ritter looked back at Gloria with a sheepish expression.
"S-sorry. It seems the power was a bit higher than I intended."
"A bit? The residents have been caught in the crossfire! Captain, you always do this! Please, learn the meaning of moderation!"
"But if I had left them alone, the damage would have been far worse..."
"I understand that! That is why I am telling you to show some restraint!"
Looking closely at the person Gloria was admonishing, she appeared to be a woman in her late twenties, slightly shorter than Gloria. Her hair was cut into a similarly short style but was a vivid, striking red.
Her eyes were a bright brown that bordered on red, giving the immediate impression of someone skilled in fire-attribute magic. Though, the current scientific theory held that there was no actual correlation between hair color and one's specialized attribute.
Her breastplate was notably well-filled, boasting the kind of volume that Reinhard would likely have found to his taste.
"Gloria, were you here as well? What is the status of the damage?"
A carriage was parked behind the woman addressed as Captain, and a voice called out from within. Upon hearing the speaker, Gloria immediately snapped to attention.
"Yes! There is damage to the buildings, but emergency repairs are already complete. Casualties were minor, though several people were injured by the aftereffects of the Flame Lance. However, they have been treated with the help of someone capable of using healing magic."
After answering while standing perfectly straight, Gloria pointed toward Elsa, who was still tending to people in the background.
"I see. We shall ensure the residents receive sufficient compensation later. I will give Jessica a stern talking-to as well. But for now, cleaning up this disturbance takes priority. Jessica, take command."
"Hah!"
The woman Gloria had called Captain responded to the instructions from the carriage with a sharp salute.
In the meantime, the female ritters acting as her subordinates captured three suspicious men near the wagons. It appeared these three were the ones who had brought the golems this far. Although they were wagons, no horses were attached; the men had evidently pulled them through the streets themselves.
"Take these men back for interrogation. As for those two golems, have a team come to collect them later," Jessica ordered before walking over to Jin.
"Thanks to your quick actions, we were able to capture two of the golems. You have my thanks. I am Jessica Norton, Captain of the Klein Kingdom Royal Female Ritter Corps."
"I am Jin, Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea."
"Oh, a guest from Egerea? Is the woman providing medical aid your...?" Jessica trailed off, looking toward Elsa.
"Yes, she is my sister, Elsa. And this girl is my other sister, Hanna."
Jin introduced both Elsa and Hanna as he spoke.
"I see. I must offer my thanks to your sisters as well. Now then, a certain personage in the carriage over there wishes to thank you all directly. Would you be so kind as to accompany me?"
Since a Captain of the Royal Female Ritter Corps was referring to them as a "certain personage," Jin could make a fairly accurate guess as to who it was.
"Very well. We'll come."
Refusing now would likely only cause more headaches later, so Jin accepted the invitation.
"Is that so? You have my gratitude. Your sisters should come along as well... Gloria, you were off duty today, were you not? Enjoy the rest of your holiday. I shall see you at the royal palace tomorrow."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
Having been dismissed by her superior, Gloria cast a brief glance at Jin's group.
"Well then, Jin-dono, Elsa-dono, and Hanna-dono... I apologize for things becoming so hectic at the end. I'll take my leave now. If you have need of anything, please do not hesitate to visit my home."
With a polite bow, she departed.
"Now then, Jin-dono, this way."
Jessica Norton beckoned them toward the carriage parked at the edge of the central street. As they drew closer, the sheer quality of its craftsmanship became apparent.
"I cannot officially reveal their identity, but I shall simply say they are a noble personage of this kingdom," Jessica explained as she opened the carriage door.
"Lies-sama, I have brought them."
A voice full of youthful energy rang out from within.
"Oh, is that so! I am Lieschen Physis Klein!"
"...Eh?"
"A princess of this country?"
"Is she a princess...?"
Despite Jessica's attempts at discretion, the Princess sat there having boldly announced her full name.
"...Sigh."
Inside the carriage, Jessica let out a heavy sigh. Beside her sat the Princess, a girl with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes.
She was dressed in what was likely outdoor attire; while it lacked excessive frills or decorations, the refined quality of the garments clearly spoke of her high-born status. Jin, Elsa, Hanna, and Reiko sat on the opposite bench.
"Do not sigh so, Jessica. They say happiness escapes you when you do."
The Princess spoke to soothe her guard, but Jessica only looked more exhausted.
"And whose fault do you think that is...?"
At the weary retort, the Princess gave a wry smile.
"As a member of the royal family, it does not suit my nature to hide behind vagaries and secrets!"
Jessica let out yet another sigh.
"...Sigh."
"Setting aside the despondent Jessica for a moment—the reason I called you all here is, first, because I wished to express my gratitude."
The Princess began. She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, but her mature manner of speaking was likely the result of her royal upbringing.
"Gratitude... for us?" Jin spoke up as the group's representative.
"Indeed. I was watching. That automata of yours protected a child who had fallen, and you neutralized two golems by dropping them into a pit. Your elder sister was also busy treating the injured."
"I have the Far-vision Magic Eye, you see," the Princess added, pointing to her right eye.
"Lies-sama! You shouldn't just reveal that!" Jessica hurriedly scolded her for her lack of restraint in revealing state secrets, but the words were ignored. The Princess didn't look even remotely sorry.
"A Magic Eye... I see."
A Magic Eye was, quite literally, an eye that possessed magical power. They were exceptionally rare, said to occur in only one in every tens of thousands of people.
Their effects were varied: some allowed for X-ray vision; others could see through disguises or illusions to reveal the truth; some were charm-type, like the ones once held by the "Golden Destruction Princess" Elena. The Princess possessed a variety that allowed her to see across great distances.
"I had just slipped out of the castle to see how the city fared. I rushed over when the commotion started, and that was when I saw your impressive work."
She sounded quite dignified, but Jin couldn't help but think that the moment she admitted to "slipping out" of the castle, this Princess fell firmly into the "disappointing" category.
Though not necessarily because of her royal blood, her features were finely sculpted, and her slightly upturned eyes were clear and full of spirit. She possessed an undeniable air of refinement, but her behavior was purely tomboyish.
"I have given my name. Pray, let me hear yours as well."
Prompted by the request, the group introduced themselves.
"Ah, my apologies. I am Jin. This is my sister Elsa, and this is my other sister, Hanna. And this is Reiko."
"I am Elsa."
"I'm Hanna!"
Elsa stood and performed a brief, informal curtsy by pinching the hem of her skirt. Hanna gave a cheerful greeting. Reiko remained silent and expressionless.
"I see. So you are Jin. You are the Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea, yes? That brings me to the second reason I called for you."
Princess Lieschen paused, her tone becoming slightly more hesitant.
"The Third Prince of the Kingdom of Egerea is named Ernest-sama... if I recall correctly. Do you know him? If you do, tell me—what kind of person is he?"
The Princess asked the question with a faint blush on her cheeks. Oh? Jin thought, though he answered honestly.
"Let me see. I believe he has just turned thirteen."
"H-hmm. One year my senior, then."
"He is quite an intelligent person, and he has a great love for golems."
"...Oho. It sounds like we would get along well."
"He is also very considerate of those who serve under him."
"So he is kind, then."
"Princess, could it be that there are marriage talks...?"
"Yes, that is... Wh-wh-wh-what are you saying?!"
Having halfway nodded at Jin's leading question, the Princess suddenly realized what she'd admitted and turned bright red. In that moment, she looked exactly her age.
"Well, it wouldn't be unusual for there to be talk of marriage between royals, and you seemed very keen to know about a prince from a distant land."
Jin was occasionally quite intuitive in the strangest ways.
"W-well, yes. For now, it is merely an informal inquiry," the Princess replied, looking down at her lap. She was actually quite charming when flustered.
"I think he's a wonderful person. Though, I'm afraid matters between men and women are a bit beyond my expertise."
When Jin concluded with that, the Princess nodded.
"Y-yes. That was very helpful. You have my thanks....And finally, there is an automata I would like you to repair."
I wonder if the Klein Kingdom is just full of disappointing people... Jin mused.