"The giant golem... it’s glowing red-hot!?"
The change was unmistakable, even from their vantage point high in the sky.
"It’s that black box!"
It was exactly as Jin had feared. If this continued, the machine would either explode or melt into a puddle of slag. Either way, the ancient artifact would be lost forever.
"Magic Canceller!"
In an instant, Reiko activated the Magic Canceller built into her bracelet.
Yet, the red glow persisted.
"The distance is too great!"
The Magic Canceller, which forcibly reverted mana into free ether, had one major drawback: its short effective range.
While the unit mounted on Pegasus 1 possessed a massive power source to extend its reach, the version in Reiko’s bracelet was only intended for close-quarters combat. The giant golem was simply too massive for it to handle from this distance.
"If I augment it with my own mana...!"
Determined to overcome the lack of output, Reiko immediately redlined her internal magi reactor. She funneled the resulting torrent of mana into the bracelet.
Amplified tenfold, the waves from the Magic Canceller finally penetrated the giant golem’s black box and forced it to a halt.
The red-hot glow on the frame began to fade—a clear sign the temperature was dropping.
"...Well done, Reiko."
"Jin-kun, thanks to your automata... no, thanks to your daughter, our national treasure has been spared. I shall refrain from asking how you achieved such a feat."
As the outer shell turned black, it became clear that the intense heat had oxidized the mithril plating.
At that moment, a sharp crack rang out as Reiko’s bracelet shattered. Maintaining a tenfold output had pushed the device past its breaking point.
<Free ether levels restored. Last resort protocol suspended. Crisis averted. Self-defense level 0.>
<Upper arm malfunction: 40 percent. Forearm malfunction: 30 percent. Leg malfunction: 20 percent. Locomotion remains viable.>
Despite the alerts, the giant golem began to walk forward again with slow, heavy steps.
"It still hasn't stopped!?" the Empress cried out, her voice thin with alarm.
"Activate."
Jin engaged the magic tool he had just finished crafting.
"Adjusting the frequency... wait."
He was using a method of comparative resonance to analyze the mana leaking from the golem’s control core. During the process, Jin felt a slight tremor in the resonance levels.
It was a faint fluctuation—one he only sensed because he was holding the device—but more importantly, the source was right next to him.
"...Your Majesty?"
A shared resonance existed between the unique mana signature of the Empress and the energy emanating from the giant golem’s control core.
"...Could it be?"
A theory flashed through Jin’s mind. If he was right, it would explain perfectly why no external control device had ever been found.
"Your Majesty, I’m going to lower the airship a little further. Once we're in position, I need you to command the golem to ‘Stand Still.’"
"What? Jin-kun, do you mean...?"
"Lord Jin! Do you intend to put Her Majesty in harm's way!?" Flora interjected.
"Flora, stand down."
Jin was already pouring his focus into maneuvering the airship, leaving him no time for a detailed explanation. Sensing the urgency in his silence, the Empress set her doubts aside and prepared herself.
The airship descended until it was hovering only thirty meters above the ground—at an altitude where the golem’s massive arms might just be able to reach them.
"Your Majesty, now!"
"Stand Still!"
The command was, quite literally, a magic word.
<Halt command received. Ceasing operations. Transitioning to standby mode.>
The giant golem came to a dead stop, a mere three meters from the castle wall.
"...That was far too close for comfort."
Once he was certain the danger had passed, Jin brought the airship down into the courtyard. He disembarked alongside the Empress and her knight.
After the initial damage to the courtyard was temporarily cleared, they set about resolving the situation.
"...It makes sense why there was no control device. It seems only those of the imperial bloodline are capable of commanding the giant golem."
Jin explained his findings, noting that his makeshift mana sensor had detected an identical quality between Her Majesty’s mana and the energy from the golem’s control core.
"I see..."
The gathered officials—the Empress, Chancellor Jung, Magic Technology Minister Degauss, Magi Engineer Maestro Gebalt Ackermann, and Marcus—all nodded in solemn agreement.
"We cannot thank Lord Jin Nidou enough," the Empress said, her voice heavy with regret. "After all, it was our decision to keep the golem in the courtyard for the sake of prestige, despite his recommendation to return it to the underground vault."
The Chancellor nodded in support. "Indeed. We never suspected it possessed such... volatile functions."
The 'functions' in question were the self-defense protocols that would have resulted in the machine heating up and either melting down or exploding.
"As a weapon of war, I imagine it was designed to deny the enemy any technological secrets should it be captured—while taking out as many of them as possible in the process," Jin observed.
"A level of sophistication far beyond modern magi-engineering..."
"Is there no way to remove or disable that specific function?" Chancellor Jung asked, casting a hopeful glance at Jin.
The implication was clear to everyone present: if only the imperial bloodline could control it, the nation would be defenseless—or even endangered—should that bloodline ever fail. While stating such a thing directly would be treasonous, the meaning was felt by all.
"Now that I’ve identified the necessary mana data, I should be able to construct a magic tool for emergency shutdowns."
"Truly!? Then I must ask you to do so! No, I insist!!" the Chancellor exclaimed, practically jumping at the offer.
Jin gave his word that he would create the device as soon as he had the materials.
With that, the giant golem incident was finally brought to a close.
Gebalt and Marcus took charge of repairing the heat-damaged sections of the artifact. The Golias units that had been warped by the golem’s magic were slated for a more gradual restoration process.
True to his word, Jin finished the emergency shutdown tool by the end of the day.
Only then was the giant golem finally returned to its resting place beneath the palace.
"Lord Jin Nidou, your service during this crisis was nothing short of exemplary. Therefore, in recognition of your great merit, I hereby appoint you as an ‘Imperial Honorary Advisor’."
The title was one the Empress and Chancellor had devised after exhaustive deliberation.
It was an honorary post, carrying no bureaucratic burdens or obligations. However, in terms of social standing, Jin now ranked above a count and just below a marquis.
Critically, the title granted him the right to enter the Imperial Palace without prior notice and to request an audience with the Empress without an appointment.
Jin was the first person ever to hold this unique station, and it was intended to remain exclusive to him.
Jin performed a formal salute. "It is an honor, Your Majesty."
The Empress felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had considered granting him an honorary countship or even land, but she had correctly guessed that he would loathe being tied down by such things.
"This robe shall serve as proof of your rank."
The garment was a masterpiece: black fabric embroidered with silver thread on the left chest and back depicting Jin’s family crest—the 'Two Bars in a Circle'—while the gold emblem of the Shouro Empire adorned the right chest.
"Thank you."
He was informed that wearing the robe would act as a near-universal pass for the palace.
"I say ‘near-universal’ because restrictions might still apply during wartime or martial law," the Empress explained.
"Ah, understood."
"Then again, those are exactly the times when we would need you most... perhaps I should just make it a total pass," she mused, showing her characteristic lack of formality.
"And for you, Reiko Nidou. I grant you the title of Honorary Associate Knight."
"I... I must—"
Reiko began to speak, but Laojun’s voice intervened through their link.
(Accept it, Reiko. This honor reflects directly upon My Lord.)
"...I humbly accept," she said, performing a graceful curtsy.
A black mantle bearing Jin’s family crest was draped over her shoulders.
The appointment of an automata to such a rank was entirely without precedent.
The news of these appointments was quickly transmitted across the nations via manaphon. Before long, the name of Magi Craft Meister Jin Nidou and his automata, Reiko Nidou, would be known throughout the world.