"You want me to repair an automata?"
"Indeed. It is a disgrace, but our Klein Kingdom lacks any capable magi craftmen. They have all thrown in the towel."
Princess Lieschen spoke with a look of profound regret.
"I had heard rumors that an excellent magi craftman lived in a remote village, but thanks to that fool Earl Walter, the man was driven away."
"Eh?"
Jin found the story strangely familiar.
"Hmm? Have you heard of this as well? Honestly, those old nobility are so preoccupied with protecting their own vested interests that they give no thought to the welfare of the country or its people."
As she spoke, the princess glanced at Jessica beside her.
"Jessica here is part of the new nobility. Truly, there are times I think we ought to replace the entire aristocracy."
"Princess, please, that is quite enough..." Jessica gently interjected.
"Hmph, you're right. I should not be venting my grievances to guests from another land. Regardless, Jin, you shall accompany me to the Royal Palace at once."
It seemed matters had progressed beyond the point where he could refuse. Jin resigned himself and gave his consent. However, he didn't forget to add a disclaimer.
"I cannot fix what is broken if I do not have the materials."
At that, the princess’s expression clouded with concern. "Mmm... and what exactly would be required?"
"It depends on the extent of the damage," Jin explained. "I won't know for certain until I have performed an examination."
With the first step established as an inspection, the carriage carrying the group departed, escorted by four royal ritters on either side.
The interior was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate the princess, Jessica, Jin, Elsa, Hanna, and Reiko. This was hardly surprising, given it was a carriage drawn by four horses. However, the ride was not particularly comfortable. Still, the stone-paved roads made the journey more bearable—primarily for Jin.
The carriage headed for the structure at the far end of the Central Thoroughfare: the Royal Palace.
"Is it truly alright for us to go along?" Jin asked.
Jessica was the one to answer. "We are heading to the Royal Palace, but this specific wing is the equivalent of a detached palace. Security and administration are more relaxed there compared to the Main Palace. Furthermore, since this carriage is for the exclusive use of royalty, the inspection process is simple."
Princess Lieschen added a further clarification.
"I am the Third Princess. I have two older brothers and two older sisters ahead of me. Moreover, a princess who has not yet come of age has no right of succession. Thus, though I am royalty, I am treated with little gravity."
Jin recalled that Prince Ernest was also born to a mistress. He had a sneaking suspicion that such royals tended to be more capable, though he naturally kept that thought to himself.
The Detached Palace was a building located to the left—the western end—of the Royal Palace's main facade. It differed slightly from Jin's mental image of a detached palace, but he accepted that every world had its own standards.
As it was Hanna's first time in a carriage, she was completely absorbed in the view from the window. Elsa also watched the passing scenery with a look of quiet interest.
"We have arrived. It is here."
The carriage door was opened from the outside, and a step stool was provided for their descent. Reiko was the first to step out, scanning the area for threats. Naturally, everything was clear.
Jin took Hanna's hand to help her down, while Elsa stepped down on her own, looking a bit envious of the gesture.
"Jessica, good work. You may stand down now."
The princess spoke, but Jessica shook her head. "No, I shall accompany you until the end of the day."
"A serious one, aren't you? If only you were as skilled with magic as you are with duty... well, no matter."
With a sigh, the princess passed through the entrance of the building, which was quite grand for a detached palace.
Jin and the others followed, led by Jessica. Jessica looked slightly dejected by the princess's remark.
There were fewer people about than expected. It seemed this place was also short-staffed.
What caught Jin's eye were the automata. They wore maid uniforms and were clearly being used to compensate for the labor shortage. However...
"Hmm, why are they in such poor condition?" Jin murmured.
Elsa nodded in agreement. "Jin-nii, the automata here move strangely. They're jerky."
Having grown accustomed to the golems Jin produced on Hourai Island and Kunlun Island, she had developed a keen eye for the nuances of their movement.
Whether she heard their conversation or not, the princess walked on in silence until she stopped in front of a certain room.
"It is here."
Placing her hand on the door, the princess turned back and spoke in a sorrowful voice.
"Jin, I beg of you. Please, fix her."
Then, she pushed the door open.
The walls of the room were adorned with tapestries depicting flowers and butterflies, and the floor was covered in a soft, moss-colored carpet. The atmosphere was clearly that of a nursery.
"Wow, what a cute room," Hanna whispered.
"Indeed. This was my nursery when I was small," the princess replied, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Please remove your shoes before entering."
Saying so, the princess neatly lined up her dark brown shoes and stepped onto the carpet. Jin and the others followed suit. Only Jessica remained standing at the threshold to stand guard.
Feeling the soft texture of the carpet beneath his feet, Jin scanned the room. In a corner sat a cradle, and beside it sat a silent figure.
"That's..."
"...Anne?"
Jin and Elsa spoke almost simultaneously.
Sitting there was an automata with blue hair. One could tell at a glance that she was the same model as Anne.
"Anne?" The princess caught the name. "That is not her name. She is Tia. She is... one of my wet nurses."
Jin did not miss the sorrowful ring in her voice. He moved to Tia's side.
She was undoubtedly an automata of the same model as Anne. Her state of preservation was actually somewhat better than when Anne had first been discovered.
However, she was completely inactive. Before investigating the cause, Jin posed a question to the princess.
"Princess Lieschen, how did you come to possess this Tia?"
The princess reacted with a start. "Jin, you ask how, rather than from whom? I see, so you can tell. Indeed, Tia was not made recently. I am told she was discovered in ancient ruins."
Jin's suspicion was confirmed.
"Tia is an automata, but she was also my wet nurse. I have been told that when I was an infant, I even nursed from her."
Certainly, if she was the same model as Anne, she would be equipped with the necessary functions. The fact that she had a nursing capability suggested she might be a specialized model.
"By the time I was old enough to remember, Tia could speak, but she had become unable to move. Even so, she told me many stories and sang me many songs. But..." The princess looked down. "Three years ago, Tia suddenly stopped moving altogether. I showed her to our country's magi craftmen, but they said her structure was different from modern automata and that they could not repair her."
Tears finally began to fall.
"Our kingdom is lagging behind in automata and golem technology. I hear the Kingdom of Egerea makes extensive use of them. In fact, many of the automata working here were purchased from Egerea."
The princess gently touched the cheek of the motionless Tia.
"I remember. Tia... Tia's body was warm. Other automata are not cold, but they are not warm, either."
Then, the princess looked at Jin and took his hand.
"I know Tia is a special automata. But I want to hear Tia's voice once more, no matter what. Please, Jin. I beg you! Fix her!"
Seeing the usually energetic Princess Lieschen so desperate showed just how much this meant to her.
"Onii-chan, please listen to the princess's request. You can do it, right?" Hanna pleaded. Elsa said nothing, but her expression echoed the sentiment.
Jin's own desire to help had already been decided. "I understand. I will do everything in my power."
He began his examination.
Although she was in better condition than Anne had been, her magical skin was deteriorating and losing its elasticity, and several magical muscles had snapped. There was distortion in her internal frame, and her joints had developed considerable play.
However, the primary reason she had ceased to function was the ether converter.
According to Jin's assessment, the magi-crystals forming the ether converter had degraded. Because the concentration of free ether in this era was too low, the device could no longer refine mana effectively.
There was no way a typical magi craftman of this country—or this era—could possibly repair this.
"H-How is it? Does it look like she can be fixed?" the princess asked anxiously.
Jin offered a reassuring smile. "It's alright. She can be fixed. However, I will need all-attribute magi-crystals."
The princess's face lit up. "I see! All-attribute magi-crystals! I shall have them prepared immediately!"
She gave a quick order to Jessica, who stepped into the hallway and returned shortly after. She had likely passed the instruction to other servants or automata.
To perform basic maintenance until the magi-crystals arrived, Jin had Reiko lay Tia down on the floor.
"Your Highness, I must remove Tia's clothing to perform the repairs. Do I have your permission?" he asked as a matter of etiquette. The princess nodded.
"Elsa, could you help me undress her?" Feeling that Elsa's gaze was a bit cold, Jin decided it was best to ask for her assistance.
"Mm." Answering briefly, Elsa set about undressing Tia. The clothes were of modern make, so they didn't crumble under her touch.
Beneath the apron and dress was slip-like underwear. As was common in this world, there was no brassiere. The lower garment consisted of drawers fastened with string.
"The drawers can stay for now," Jin said, stopping Elsa once the slip was removed. If she was identical to Anne, things would get awkward very quickly.
He then paused his hand as he was about to peel back the magical skin on her chest.
"Your Highness, I am about to perform a partial dissection on Tia. I'm not sure if it is something you should see. I leave the decision to you."
Princess Lieschen looked down and thought for a moment, but she eventually raised her head with a look of firm resolve.
"Let me see. I was the one who made the request, and above all, no matter what she looks like, Tia is Tia. I shall witness this to the end."