"Hmm? Oh, what’s this? The design is different, but it was surely made by the same craftsman!"
"Right?"
"...Excuse me."
The young man and Beatrix were already lost in their own conversation.
He also had blonde hair and emerald eyes. Since she had called him 'Brother,' Elsa assumed they were siblings. More importantly, she wanted the knife Jin had made for her back.
"...Um, could you please... return that to me?" Elsa spoke up, her voice small and hesitant.
The young man looked at her, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Hmm? Oh, what a beautiful young lady. Might I ask your name? I am Albert Bertin de Silicanite."
"E-Elsa." Though flustered by the sudden attention, Elsa politely introduced herself.
"Elsa, is it? A lovely name. It has a Shouro Empire feel to it."
Albert took Elsa's left hand and pressed his lips to the back of it.
"W-What are you doing?!" Startled, Elsa reflexively jerked her hand away.
In the Shouro Empire, there was no custom of kissing a woman's hand. From her travels abroad with Reinhard, she had encountered the gesture before, but this time it was accompanied by a wave of pure revulsion. A slimy sensation lingered where his lips had touched, as if a slug had crawled across her skin.
Albert, however, showed no remorse.
"Well, well, what a shy little thing. Perhaps you aren't used to the ways of the nobility? Don't worry. I shall teach you, little by little."
As he reached out to grab her, Edgar stepped in, gently but firmly blocking his hand.
"Pardon me. Please refrain from troubling my master any further."
For a moment, Albert looked stunned. Then, his face twisted into a sneer, and his tone shifted instantly.
"Hmph. You might be arrogant enough to own an automata, but do you think a commoner girl has any right to choose? I am thirteenth in line for the throne, and I am telling you that I’ve taken a liking to you. You should feel honored."
"That is your subjective opinion," Edgar replied. "My master does not wish for this."
"Hah! That doesn’t matter. I want it, and that is all that counts!"
Albert raised his left hand. In response, a squad of armed soldiers appeared—ten in total.
"Look. These are my guards. Beato, we’re taking Lady Elsa with us. We can question her about the dagger at our leisure later."
Beatrix sighed. "As you wish, Brother."
Beside her, eight more guards and a young boy appeared out of nowhere.
"Now, Elsa, come along. If you behave, I won't have to be rough."
"...Lord Albert, do you truly believe such lawlessness will be permitted?" Stearena, who had been struggling to process the rapid escalation, finally stepped forward to protest.
"Hmph? And who might you be? I don't bother remembering hags. Oh, wait, I recall now. Stea-something? Does a mere magi craftman think they can lecture me?"
"S-Social status is irrelevant! Lawlessness is lawlessness!"
Albert simply laughed in her face.
"Lawlessness? How so? I am merely offering hospitality to a woman I find charming. It is a peerless honor to serve at my side, is it not?"
"As I said, that is your opinion. There are many women who would find it repulsive."
"That is quite enough. This city is my father's territory, and I am his heir. What belongs to my father belongs to me. What is wrong with taking what is mine?"
He wasn't listening at all. Stearena was appalled. Was the 'Selfish Young Lord' truly this much of a fool?
"Enough talk. I’m bored with this chatter. Elsa, come."
"...I refuse."
"Oh? In that case, things are going to have to get a little unpleasant."
At Albert's command, one of the guards stepped forward.
"Master, please stay back," Edgar said, standing protectively in front of Elsa. "Maron, Plum—please protect our master and deploy a barrier."
Addressing the Secret Mobile Unit guards who were protecting Elsa from the shadows, Edgar stood his ground against the armed soldiers. In response to his call, Maron and Plum manifested on either side of Elsa.
"Hmm? You had more guards? Hmph, so you aren't just some commoner. Interesting. I’ll enjoy interrogating you even more once I get you home." Albert wore a smile that bordered on madness. "You seem proud of your automata, but all of my guards are automata as well."
The Celuroa Kingdom was the most technologically advanced among the Allied Kingdoms, particularly in the fields of automata and golem engineering. Many had been trained by the former chief magi craftman of Unifilar, Donald Carroux Alpha; even though the organization was gone, their techniques remained.
"And these are special models! First, let's dismantle that clever little doll of yours."
With a flick of Albert’s chin, the guard automata lunged at Edgar. They were lightly equipped for the city—a buckler on the left arm and a short sword at the hip—but Edgar was unarmed.
The lead guard didn't draw its sword. Instead, it swung its buckler, trying to bash Edgar's head. Edgar dodged with fluid grace, seized the attacking arm as it retracted, and twisted with his entire weight. It was the Shouro Empire knight technique: 'Arm Reversal.'
Since these automata were designed to move like humans, their joints had similar limitations. Therefore, techniques meant for human opponents were highly effective.
The wrist and elbow were subjected to immense torque. The automaton felt neither tactile sense nor pain, so it tried to break free through sheer mechanical force. However, pulling against a twisted joint was a fatal mistake. The elbow screeched under the strain, and while it managed to pull away, the damage was done—its left shoulder was now partially dislocated.
Albert wasn't just a spoiled brat; he recognized the threat Edgar posed immediately.
"Four of you, go!"
Three more automata joined the fray, swarming Edgar from all sides. Back in the Shouro Empire, Edgar had easily handled the two Doll Soldiers owned by Elsa's father, Georg, but these guards were in a different class entirely.
Even Edgar couldn't perfectly manage four opponents at once. A shield strike caught him across the back. The impact knocked him off balance, and the next automaton kicked upward toward his face. Edgar recoiled, only for another guard behind him to kick the back of his head.
"Edgar!" Elsa cried out.
As Edgar stumbled forward, another kick came for his face. He caught the leg with both hands, spun his body, and slammed into the guard with his back. However, the weight difference was too great; the guard only staggered, then moved to wrap its arms around Edgar in a crushing hold.
With Edgar pinned in a full nelson, another guard raised a fist to strike.
"Edgar, look out!"
Edgar kicked off the ground, tucked his legs in, and then snapped them out in a powerful horizontal kick. He struck the incoming attacker squarely in the chest. The recoil sent the guard holding him stumbling backward.
The two automata hit the ground hard. Edgar twisted his body, breaking free from the restraint, but the remaining two guards finally drew their short swords.
"A-Are you truly going that far?!" Saki, who had been watching in stunned silence, finally snapped out of it. Elsa had the two Secret Mobile Unit guards, so she was safe for the moment. "Ar! Go help Edgar!"
Beatrix reacted to Saki's shout. "Oh? You're sending help? Then so will I."
She sent her own four guard automata into the mix. Ar was slightly less capable than Edgar, and the odds were now eight against two. The outcome seemed inevitable.
"Ugh! Jin! Get here quickly!" Saki shouted.
The surrounding crowd had already fled, and the nearby shops had quietly shuttered their doors. Amidst the tension, three figures came running toward them.
"...Is everyone alright?"
It was Jin, Hanna, and Reiko.
"Jin-nii..."
"Jin! Thank goodness..."
"Jin-kun..."
Elsa ran to Jin’s side while Saki and Stearena let out audible sighs of relief.
"Hmm? Who is this?" Albert demanded. "Halt!"
The selfish siblings called a temporary ceasefire to assess the newcomers, and their guard automata froze in place.
"I heard the gist of it from Reiko. Sounds like you’ve had a rough time," Jin said.
The Secret Mobile Unit had used their built-in manacams to contact Laojun, who had relayed the situation to Reiko. That was why they had been able to rush back so quickly.
However, when Jin saw the damage Edgar had sustained, his expression darkened.
"...Edgar? Were you fighting them?"
"That's right, Jin!" Saki yelled. "That guy tried to kidnap Elsa, and when she said no, he tried to take her by force!"
"I see."
Jin looked at Elsa, who was huddled behind him, then at Albert. Finally, his eyes landed on Elsa’s knife in Beatrix’s hand.
"Reiko. For now, go get that knife back."
"Yes, Father."
Before Beatrix even had time to process the command, Reiko moved. In a blur of motion, she snatched the knife and was back at Jin’s side before anyone could blink.
"Good work. Elsa, don't let them take it again, okay?...Barrier."
Realizing the knife had vanished and was now in Jin's hand, Beatrix lashed out with magic.
"Fire Bullet!"
But the magic was snuffed out instantly. An invisible barrier stood before Jin and Elsa, and not a single spark reached them.
"What is wrong with you?" Jin asked, his voice cold. "Firing fire magic at people without warning?"
Beatrix snorted. "You're the ones who stole my knife!"
Jin was dumbfounded. "Give me a break. This is Elsa's knife. You're the thief here."
"What?! How dare you call me a thief! You'll pay for that!"
"...Hey, Stearena," Jin whispered, leaning toward her. "Is this girl actually insane?"
Reasoning with her was clearly impossible. Stearena shook her head with a weary, disappointed look.
"Well... let's just say they're a little bit 'special'..."