"I bet that was quite a surprise, wasn't it, Jin?"
After withdrawing from the presence of Her Majesty the Empress, Jin and Reinhard were relaxing in the drawing room where Jin had been guided earlier.
"Yeah. I didn't expect the Empress to be a woman."
"Yes, it wasn't exactly a secret, but by convention, we don't inform foreign nations. I was hesitant to speak of it myself. I apologize if I caused any offense by keeping it from you."
Jin waved off Reinhard's apology with a hand.
"No, don't worry about it. For my part, I just didn't expect Her Majesty to speak so frankly. That was actually the bigger surprise."
She had discussed matters concerning the imperial succession with Jin, a man she had only met today. And above all, she had bowed her head to him—even if only slightly—for the sake of her country.
"Her Majesty often says, 'I do not wish to hesitate to bow for the sake of what is precious.'"
"..."
"Well, since I've been appointed as your host, you'll be staying here for a while. Tomorrow and the day after, I'll show you around Loizart. After that, we'll discuss our next steps."
The dinner that followed was a luxurious affair.
The party consisted only of Jin and Reinhard, with two maids and a butler attending to each of them.
"I'm glad it’s just us. It’s much more relaxing this way," Jin noted.
"Haha, I thought you'd say that, so I put in a word. The Chancellor and the Magic Technology Minister will probably drop by tomorrow morning, though, so please bear with that."
"Well, I suppose... it's a formal national response, after all."
Jin was not fond of such ceremonies, as he found them stifling. Perhaps sensing this, Reinhard offered some good news.
"In exchange, so to speak, we've been cleared to go see that giant golem tomorrow afternoon."
"Really!?"
Jin’s spirits immediately brightened. While he was poor with formal occasions, technical matters were a different story entirely.
The night deepened as they continued to talk, with Reinhard telling him various things about the empire and its organizations.
Incidentally, because Reiko insisted, "I am here, so there is no need for a maid," Jin was not assigned a dedicated maid of his own. However, since someone was needed to guide him through the Imperial Palace, it was settled that he could use several maids waiting in the anteroom as needed.
The next day, the 14th.
After breakfast, Jin spoke with Chancellor Jung Folles von Kebsler and Magic Technology Minister Degauss Fruit von Manischras. Reinhard was also in attendance.
"Reinhard gave me the gist of things, and we’ve also received word via pigeon from the Guilds—the Mutual Aid Societies—in both Hatata and Amberg."
The one speaking was Chancellor Jung. He had a build similar to Reinhard's—in other words, he was quite thin.
"You have made a great contribution to our country. Therefore, we wish to treat you as an honorary citizen."
"Jin, in our country, becoming an honorary citizen does not incur an obligation to pay taxes. However, since it is strictly an honorary title, it does not grant residency. That said, restrictions on entering various facilities will be significantly relaxed," Reinhard added as a supplementary explanation.
"In short, it is a necessary measure for you to see 'that' relic," he finished in a low voice.
Jin was convinced. A national treasure—no, a state secret—would never be shown to a mere foreign traveler without reason, so this measure was essential.
"I accept with pleasure," Jin replied. The Chancellor nodded silently.
Next to speak was Degauss Fruit von Manischras, the Magic Technology Minister. He was forty-four years old with blond hair and blue eyes. His prominent hawk nose was his most striking feature.
"I have heard from Reinhard that Jin-dono is interested in our country's artifacts. I intend to take you there this afternoon."
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it," Jin replied. He felt a thrill of excitement, wondering how it would differ from the Titan or Daidara units he had built.
After that, the conversation remained mostly casual. The Chancellor left midway through, and the morning ultimately became an informal meeting with the Magic Technology Minister.
The Minister seemed to sense something special about Jin during their talk.
"Jin-dono, it was truly a stroke of good luck that we were able to invite you to our country," Degauss murmured as he departed.
Reiko, who felt that Jin was being properly evaluated, remained silent throughout but was in a good mood. She was silently relaying the content of the conversation to Laojun.
Laojun analyzed the dialogue and spoke to Reiko via their link.
There seem to be no ulterior motives. I would say this is one of the better countries we have visited so far. However, we cannot be completely at ease yet. Reiko-san, I leave My Lord in your hands.
"Of course," Reiko replied. She intended to protect Jin no matter what, alongside the Secret Mobile Unit (SP) lurking in the shadows.
Unaware of these precautions, Jin chatted excitedly with Reinhard.
"I finally get to see a giant golem. This is going to be great."
Finally, that afternoon arrived.
Jin, Reiko, and Reinhard descended a staircase leading deep beneath the Imperial Palace. The artifact, the giant golem, was apparently kept underground.
"I can't wait," Jin murmured for the hundredth time that day.
"Haha, you're so like yourself, Jin. But I understand the feeling. I felt the same way when I was first allowed to see it."
Reinhard was recalling when he had first come to the Imperial Palace.
"Even you, Jin-dono, will be surprised, I think."
Leading the way was Degauss, the Magic Technology Minister. Two guard soldiers walked at the rear of the group.
Degauss held a magi-lamp in his hand. It was dimmer than a Light Ball, but according to the Minister's explanation, magic became extremely difficult to use deep beneath the palace.
(Is there something inhibiting its activation, or...)
Upon passing the third basement floor, Jin felt the air change. More accurately, the concentration of free ether was noticeably lower.
This was likely why magic was difficult to use. On the other hand, magic tools that used stored mana would function normally.
(Reiko, do not let the Secret Mobile Unit (SP) come any further down.)
It was a whisper so soft no one else could hear it, but Reiko heard it clearly. She replied with a slight nod.
Reiko was equipped with a mana tank so she would be fine even in places with little free ether, but the Secret Mobile Unit (SP) units were not. If they followed him all the way down, there was a risk they would Stand Still, so Jin ordered them to stop.
Finally, they reached the fifth basement floor. A massive iron door stood before them.
"It is beyond here," Degauss said. He took a magi-crystal and fitted it into a slot beside the door.
The door slowly slid open to the left and right.
(I see. To move a golem-powered door in a place with almost no free ether, they have to supply mana from an external source.)
Jin saw through the mechanism at a glance.
"Now, Jin-dono, please, step inside."
Degauss beckoned from within. Jin hurried inside.
"Oh..."
A vast space opened up before him. It was an atrium-like room that stretched from the fifth basement up to roughly the third. And there, illuminated by the dim glow of the magi-lamp, the giant golem emerged.
It was massive, likely twenty meters tall. It was larger than the Titan Jin had built, a fact he noted with honest appreciation.
However...
(Iron... or perhaps steel.)
Red rust had surfaced on its exterior, and corrosion was setting in. It was likely due to the high humidity of the fifth basement. Iron was weak against moisture.
Its shape was similar to the Gigas units, with an unusually large lower body. This was presumably to maintain balance.
(But a high center of gravity actually makes it easier to maintain dynamic balance...)
For a stationary object, a lower center of gravity was certainly more stable. But for something that moves?
“This is called dynamic stability.”
The words of his physics teacher from his old life's part-time high school echoed in his ears. To maintain balance while moving, the further the center of gravity is from the point of contact, the easier the task becomes.
“You guys have probably tried to see how many seconds you can keep a broom standing on your palm. It’s exactly that. You can do it with a broom, but balancing a brush is much harder.”
It was the same principle as a pendulum. The longer the distance between the point of contact and the center of gravity, the longer the period of oscillation; because it moves more slowly, it is easier to recover and adjust.
(Well, it doesn't look like it's going to move anymore, anyway.)
Judging from the state of the rust, even if it had an internal frame, it looked severely damaged and unlikely to withstand the stress of operation.
"No matter how many times I see it, I'm overwhelmed," Reinhard said, looking up in awe.
Jin felt a bit bad for the genuinely impressed Reinhard, but he couldn't help but feel that the Empress he’d met yesterday had left a far deeper impression than this machine.