The morning of December 7th, eagerly awaited by John—and by extension, Laojun—finally arrived.
The breakfast served was a quintessential Japanese meal: rice porridge, miso soup, a raw egg, pickled greens, grilled dried fish, and hojicha.
Setting aside personal preferences, John Dini, being an automata, cleared his plate. This greatly pleased the elderly woman who served him.
"You certainly seem to enjoy our food, don't you?"
Speaking with a slight accent, she mentioned that her family back home were rice farmers. John wanted to ask her more about it, but Daro arrived, bringing that conversation to an end.
"Good morning, John. I apologize for the rush, but are you ready to go?"
It was just before 8:00 AM. Apparently, the Chief had already begun his official duties for the day.
"Please, this way."
Waiting for John outside was... a rickshaw.
A burly rickshaw man stood ready to pull the vehicle. It was a mode of transport only possible because the roads were paved. John and Daro boarded the rickshaw and set off toward the Chief's location.
The Chief was based in a building known as the Assembly Palace. It housed the Assembly and served as the nation's administrative hub. After a ten-minute ride, the two arrived at the Palace. Since word had been sent in advance, the gatekeeper ushered them through immediately.
"This way, please."
Their first stop was an introduction to the Assembly. After a ten-minute wait, they were shown into a conference room.
"Welcome, John Dini."
Inside, eighteen legislators were seated around a large circular table. Every one of them had tanned skin and dark brown hair, and they were dressed in Jinbei-style clothing.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am John Dini. It is an honor to be here."
"Now, don't be so stiff. Please, take a seat. Daro, good work. You may wait in the lounge."
The legislator at the far end spoke. As instructed, John sat in a vacant spot at the round table while Daro withdrew.
Of the eighteen members, thirteen were men and five were women. Their ages varied, ranging from their thirties to their sixties. An object sat atop the table, but John couldn't tell what it was because it was covered with a cloth.
The legislator at the head of the table appeared to be the Chairman, serving as the group's spokesman.
"I will be blunt. We are in need of an expert... no, a master Magi Smith. We sincerely hope that you are the person we have been looking for."
"I see. I will do my best to meet your expectations," John said, bowing his head.
However, the Chairman shook his head.
"No, effort alone will not suffice. Here... take a look at this."
At the Chairman's signal, one of the legislators pulled the cloth away.
"This is..."
It was a Golem arm.
"This is a component we were using, but it broke," the legislator who had uncovered it said with a worried expression. "Tell me, are you capable of repairing this?"
"I will examine it."
John picked up the arm. It featured a skeletal structure with muscles attached. While the shoulder joint was missing, the elbow joint was still intact. It possessed bones corresponding to the radius and ulna, and the wrist utilized a mechanism similar to a ball joint.
(What is this? Judging by the wear, it's incredibly old. Yet the skeletal structure is remarkably human... and it is definitely not the work of a Magi Craft Meister.)
Just as the Chairman was about to let out a disappointed sigh at John's stunned silence, John spoke up.
"I can fix it. However, there is little point in repairing the arm alone. Where is the rest of the body?"
John looked up as he gave his answer. He had judged that if he claimed he couldn't do it here, their business would be over. In truth, he was certain he could repair it; as for its origins, he wasn't going to find the answer just by staring at it.
"Y-You truly mean you can fix it?"
"You say it can be done!?"
"You aren't lying to us, are you!?"
The quiet room suddenly erupted into a clamor. The Chairman allowed the noise to continue for a moment before striking the table to restore order.
"John, you aren't bluffing, are you? We have reached a point where there is no turning back. I will ask you once more: Can you fix it?"
"I can," John declared firmly.
The legislators began to buzz with excitement once again.
"Very well. Then you shall meet the Chief. He will explain exactly what needs to be done."
The Chairman pointed to a door at the back of the room.
"There is a staircase beyond that door. Descend to the bottom and you will find the Chief's office. You can hear the details from him. We will notify him of your arrival, so there is no need to knock."
"Understood."
John didn't bother prying into how they would send word. He stood up without hesitation, and the rows of legislators watched him go with eyes full of hope.
It was deathly silent beyond the door. The sound of John's footsteps echoed as he descended the stairs. The sign on the door at the end of the hall read "Chief" in kanji.
Hoping that the answer to these mysteries was finally within reach, John—as Laojun—opened the door with anticipation.
"Welcome, Magi Smith John Dini."
An elderly man sat behind a large desk; he was clearly the Chief. A young woman, likely his secretary, stood nearby.
"I heard from the Chairman. I understand you've declared that you can fix that arm."
"I have."
"I see. Well, have a seat."
John sat directly across from the Chief. He took a moment to observe the man. His hair had likely been dark brown once, but it was now almost entirely white. He appeared to be about sixty years old. His skin was slightly tanned like the others, and his eyes were brown. His voice was strong, and he possessed the natural gravitas expected of a national leader.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Hiro Mutu. I have served as the Chief of Mitsuho for five years now."
John recalled that the Chief's term was two years, which meant this man was currently serving his third term. He was clearly quite capable.
"I would like to confirm one thing for myself. Could you look at this?"
Hiro produced another Golem arm.
"Another Golem arm?"
John wondered if the people of this country had some specific obsession with repairing Golems.
"Indeed. Now, examine it and give me your opinion."
John took the arm and inspected it. Like the previous one, it was exceptionally well-made.
"The material is steel. It's modeled after a human forearm and appears to have a high degree of flexibility."
"Hmm. Anything else?"
"Yes... the muscles have degraded significantly. It would be useless in this state. They require full replacement."
"Can you perform such a task?"
"I can, provided I have the necessary materials."
"Truly!?"
Chief Hiro seemed overcome with emotion, covering his face with his hands as he looked down.
"Um, is something the matter?" John asked, puzzled.
Hiro looked up, his eyes moist and his face flushed with excitement.
"It seems... I have finally found the one we have been searching for."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I have only one request for you. I want you to pass through that door."
Hiro pointed to a door at the very back of the office.
"As for what follows, you must speak with the being on the other side. But first, I wish to answer your questions. Is there anything you wish to know?"
John felt that he was finally approaching the heart of the matter.
"Well then..."
There were many things he wanted to ask. Could he get answers about the script and the language? Where did these out-of-place artifacts and magic tools come from? What was the truth behind the invasion three hundred years ago?
After a moment's thought, the first question John chose to ask was:
"Do you know of a person named Adriana Barbora Tsetse?"
"Adriana Barbora Tsetse... No, I'm sorry. I don't know the name. I feel as though I may have heard it somewhere, but I cannot recall."
"I see..."
His suspicion that his predecessor, the Magi Craft Meister Adriana Barbora Tsetse, might have been involved here in the past had missed the mark.
"In that case, I have no more questions for now. I may ask more when I return."
John stood up and gave a polite bow.
"Very well. I pray for your safe return."
The phrasing of the Chief's farewell was slightly—no, quite—concerning, but John began walking toward the door Hiro had indicated.
(He called it a 'being'... Is it not human?)
John—as Laojun—reached out and placed his hand on the inner door.