The conversation had drifted considerably, but eventually it returned to the original agenda: how to handle their relationship with the Klein Kingdom.
"So, Jin, what are you planning to do?" Reinhard asked.
"Hmm... I wasn't really planning on doing anything. It’s too much trouble."
Reinhard laughed at the answer, but his expression turned serious a moment later.
"That won't do. They’ll take you for a pushover, and nothing will change on the kingdom's side. If they don't change, there’s a chance they’ll pull something like this again," he said, admonishing Jin.
"Yeah, I guess you’re right."
"Think about it. If those Gigant Peeders had attacked Kaina Village and caused actual casualties, you wouldn't be standing there acting so carefree, would you?"
Jin’s expression tightened at the comparison.
"True. If that happened, a resolute response would be mandatory... but still..."
『My Lord, let us make use of the name Maquina,』 Laojun proposed. 『You shall be the "soft" persona, and Maquina shall be the "hard" one. We will utilize both to handle them.』
Stearena was the one to voice a question upon hearing this.
"Who is this Maquina?"
『He is another of My Lord’s faces.』
"Ah, I thought so. I felt like I’d heard that name mentioned during the conflict..." Stearena said, looking satisfied with the explanation.
『Since the official story is that Maquina rescued the four people from the kingdom, we shall issue a warning to the kingdom under his name.』
"In that case, won't they try to look into the connection between Jin and Maquina?" Reinhard asked.
『Indeed. If they do, perhaps we should establish that Maquina is My Lord’s senior apprentice.』
Reinhard thought for a moment before nodding.
"Right. If I may add, it would be better to set it up so that Jin and Maquina aren't particularly close."
『Then how about we say that My Lord became a disciple only after Maquina had already gone independent?』
"That sounds about right. Though I doubt they’ll even have the chance to ask."
『Shall we send along several severed pieces of the Gigant Peeders?』
"Naturally. And we'll attach a document denouncing the Klein Kingdom's actions as well," Reinhard and Laojun said, driving the plan forward.
『We should also send some parts from the destroyed general-purpose Golems. Since I intend to repair them using 18-12 stainless steel instead of 5.5 nickel steel, the old parts are expendable.』
By returning pieces of the outer casing, they would force the kingdom to realize that their foolishness had resulted in the destruction of precious golems.
『As a side note, why don't we send the responsible parties currently in Toka Village back with the delivery?』
"Oh, that’s a good idea. Let’s see... Boulton, Heinz, the coachman, and... Viscount Bayer, right?"
『Yes.』
"Alright. Take them out quietly in the middle of the night and ship them off to Alban."
Having seen his broken general-purpose Golems, Jin was evidently quite angry deep down.
＊ ＊ ＊
Before dawn on July 4th.
The delivery to the Klein Royal Castle was carried out via transporter. Spica 7 of the Quinta, who was stationed in Alban, provided the positioning data, allowing the teleportation to be completed with a minimal margin of error.
On the morning of July 4th.
The square in front of the Royal Palace in the capital of Alban was in a total uproar.
"Wh-What is this?!"
"Is that a centipede monster?"
"Who are those people?...Bo-Boulton-dono? And Heinz Rush!"
"Even Viscount Bayer!"
"...Who’s the other one? A coachman?"
Chunks of centipede, golem wreckage, and several high-ranking officials had appeared out of thin air in front of the Royal Palace, all of them unconscious. It was impossible for it not to cause a massive scene.
Furthermore, even though they were just severed parts, they belonged to Gigant Peeders that had originally been ten meters long. They were a significant threat just to look at.
"There’s a letter here!...Addressed to the King of Klein? The sender is... Deus Ex Machina!?"
"Call the Chancellor! No, bring him here immediately!"
"Get the healing team! Move!"
The chaos finally subsided three hours later.
Seven people were gathered in the King’s office.
King Alois III of the Klein Kingdom, Chancellor Powell, Royal Ritter Commander Glenn, Second Ritter Order Commander Bernardo, Boulton Allstatt, Heinz Rush, and Viscount Bayer.
"Now then, Viscount Bayer, let us hear your account. Boulton, you are to point out any errors or ambiguities in the Viscount’s explanation. Heinz, you shall do the same."
It was the Chancellor’s voice. Alois III glared at the Viscount in silence. Boulton was cowering. Heinz was also tense, feeling the weight of his superior’s gaze.
Though his mental state had stabilized and his head wound had been healed, Viscount Bayer looked pale and miserable. However, knowing he couldn't remain silent after being questioned, he timidly opened his mouth.
"Y-Yes... First, we were at the Inado Mine..."
He began to explain the sequence of events since his appointment in a halting, monotonous voice. Boulton added details here and there, and Heinz provided confirmation.
Eventually, the story reached the point where the centipedes appeared.
"...Giant centipedes crawled out from the depths of the tunnels. We were helpless and had no choice but to retreat."
Boulton immediately added his part.
"The one who saved us was Deus Ex Machina-dono. It was also Maquina-dono who exterminated the centipedes."
Hearing those words, Viscount Bayer bit his lip, his body trembling.
"You fool. Not only did you act in a way that destroyed Jin-dono’s trust, but you also brought about a disaster you couldn't handle yourselves—only to have it resolved by Maquina-dono, who isn't even a citizen of our kingdom."
The King’s voice lashed out at him.
"Did Maquina-dono truly exterminate those monsters himself?" Viscount Bayer asked, still half-doubting.
"He did. Did you see the remains of the centipedes that were placed with you? I tried to strike one with a sword as a test, and the blade snapped clean off. That alone proves those monsters were beyond our capabilities."
Only by using adamantite blades could one finally manage to cut them. Unless one possessed a vibration sword, it was not an easy task.
"Wreckage from the destroyed general-purpose Golems was sent back as well. We have lost ten of them in a single stroke!...According to the letter, Jin-dono is incensed. And rightfully so. We told him we would grant him the mine, yet we were secretly continuing to excavate it. On top of that, monsters emerged from that very mine, and now it has been reduced to a ruin."
The King’s voice was full of grief.
"...We were foolish. We have lost his trust and his precious golems. I can no longer bring myself to ask Jin-dono to create more of them."
Since gifting him a mine where they were secretly siphoning resources was an act of betrayal in itself, they didn't have the face to ask for more golems now.
"...In light of this, I must consider moving beyond a leased territory and simply ceding Kaina Village to him entirely..."
Alois III clutched his head.
"The worst of it is that we have likely made a terrible impression on Maquina-dono as well..."
Deus Ex Machina possessed the means to transport people and monster remains from Toka Village to Alban in less than a single day.
He was believed to have some connection to Jin, and while the King had hoped to deepen their friendship, this incident had achieved the exact opposite.
"...Where did I go wrong?"
After much agonizing, King Alois III reflected on his own indecisiveness and his failure to take a stand when it mattered.
Of course, acknowledging his faults wouldn't improve the current system overnight, and his worries only deepened.
Still, he could at least punish Viscount Bayer, the man responsible.
He knew this wasn't a fundamental solution. He could only hope that the old nobility would take this as a lesson and exercise some self-restraint.
"Viscount Bayer, your assets are hereby confiscated and your title stripped. You are exiled from the capital."
The King pronounced the judgment personally. Since the man had even been skimming profits, it was a deserved sentence.
On the other hand, Boulton Allstatt and Heinz Rush were let off with a reprimand and a one-year pay cut.
Additionally, it was decided that the resources from the Inado Mine, which returned in four wagons a few days later, would be ceded to Jin in their entirety.
Furthermore, the proposal to turn Kaina Village into Jin's sovereign territory rather than a mere leased territory began to be seriously considered.
＊ ＊ ＊
All of these developments within the Klein Kingdom were monitored by Laojun.
『Well, I suppose this is a reasonable outcome.』
Kaina Village becoming Jin’s territory instead of a leased one meant it would effectively become an independent land.
『It does not seem to be a final decision yet, however.』
But the probability was high. It wasn't that they desperately needed it, but it wouldn't hurt to have it.
『In that case, we must ensure it remains independent from the Klein Kingdom....Should that happen, My Lord will literally become the master of his own nation and castle.』
Laojun was secretly delighted.
『If that happens, I can develop Kaina Village without restraint.』
Laojun immediately began to draft a new development plan.