The seated attendees, oblivious even to the soft drinks in their hands, were glued to the magi-screens.
One golem displayed textbook swordsmanship of incredible caliber. Another wielded a spear at speeds almost invisible to the naked eye. A third swung a colossal hammer as though it were a mere twig.
And then there was a golem wielding a weapon Jin had never seen before: a whip. It was currently performing a mock battle against a massive four-meter unit.
"A whip, huh? I haven't seen one used like that before. I wonder if they're particularly difficult to deal with?"
Taking advantage of the interval, Jin turned to Gloria, the royal knight from the Klein Kingdom sitting at the next table. Gloria moved her chair over to join them.
"As you say, Jin-dono, whips aren't very common. For one, they are difficult to use on a crowded battlefield. Furthermore, they are useless unless one is exceptionally skilled."
The former meant that their wide reach risked catching allies in the crossfire, while the latter simply referred to the sheer difficulty of mastering the weapon.
"However... seeing that, they are certainly a threat."
Jin had a vague recollection of hearing that the tip of a master's whip could occasionally exceed the speed of sound. He wasn't sure if he’d seen it on TV, read it in a book, or found it on the internet back on Earth.
The demonstration lasted about three minutes. When the trial ended, most of the onlookers let out a collective sigh of awe.
"That was magnificent," Gloria praised. As a master of the blade herself, her commendation carried weight.
The fact that the golems moved with such speed meant that their magi-sequence—the flow of magical control—was exceptionally refined. Even Jin had to acknowledge the Celuroa Kingdom's technical prowess in that regard.
"Now then, did you enjoy the entertainment?" King Richard’s voice echoed through the hall. "By the way, I presume you all have brought golems with you as well. How about it? Would you care to have them engage in mock battles with our units?"
The venue stirred with murmurs. Unlike humans, golems required neither rest nor sleep, making them indispensable guards for VIPs. It was a given that every head of state had brought them along, and Richard had aimed specifically at that fact.
"A mock battle featuring your excellent golems would provide the ultimate entertainment. Given your national prestige is on the line, I trust none of you would dream of refusing?"
No one replied immediately. Or rather, the proposal was so sudden that they had no idea how to respond. It was also likely that many had been rendered speechless after witnessing the capabilities of the Celuroan golems.
Richard continued, pressing his advantage. "It is merely a mock battle. There is no need for such grim expressions."
The attendees felt a slight sense of relief. Since it was billed as a mock battle, they hoped that while their golems might take a few hits, they wouldn't be outright destroyed.
The first to be called out was the Kingdom of Egerea.
"Let's see... Count Guarana, how about you? That golden golem of yours looks quite formidable."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
The gaudy golden golem, crafted by his personal magi craftman, Bauthes, stood out prominently in the hall. In this situation, the Count couldn't refuse, especially with his country's prestige at stake. He bit his lip, regretting the decision to make the unit so conspicuous, but it was too late now. Pinning his only sliver of hope on the words "mock battle," Count Guarana deployed his guard golem.
"And... what about you, Baron Reinhard? Your Schwarzritter overwhelmed our country's golem last year. I should like to see its prowess once more."
He spoke with feigned politeness, but it was obvious to everyone that he was desperate for a revenge match. With a silent nod from the Empress, Reinhard consented to the duel.
"And we must not forget the Klein Kingdom. You have brought along some quite impressive golems, have you not?"
The unit Prince Arthur had brought as his escort was one of the general-purpose golems Jin had crafted in the past. Given it was a mock battle, the Prince could not find a reason to decline.
"That makes three, then. One more... the 'Lord of Kunlun,' I believe you were called. I would like your squire to participate; what do you say?"
The King's voice was thick with mockery. While he had heard rumors about Reiko, it was clear he didn't even believe a tenth of what was said.
"It can't be helped. Reiko, I'm counting on you."
Reiko nodded firmly at Jin's words. "Yes. Father, I am going."
The square in front of the Guillaume Detached Palace served as the arena. Within ten minutes, Reiko and the other golems appeared on the magi-screens. Since the guard golems were all highly advanced autonomous types, they could perform such matches upon command even without their masters being present.
"Then, let us begin with Marteau and Count Guarana's golem."
The golem wielding the hammer was broader than the others; it was apparently named Marteau. Count Guarana's golem, which shared a similarly sturdy frame, stepped forward to face it. The Count’s unit was armed with a mace.
"Begin!"
The golden golem and the silver-gray Marteau clashed. As hammer and mace collided, a tremendous roar echoed through the hall and sparks showered the square. The guests in the Great Hall watched the fierce exchange with bated breath. After about ten blows, the two units backed away to reset their distance.
"Hmm, they both know what they're doing," Gloria muttered. Jin was also impressed; Count Guarana's golem moved surprisingly well.
"Jin-nii, is the Count's golem using Form Drive?" Elsa asked, having noticed the same thing.
"Hmm? Jin-dono, what is this... Form Drive?" Gloria asked from her seat at the table.
"It’s a propulsion method where, instead of muscles, the golem's interior is filled with a material called magi-resin. It moves by causing that resin to deform," Jin explained simply, and Gloria seemed to grasp the concept.
"I should add that it's quite difficult to achieve agile movements with that method. That golden golem is actually quite well-made."
"I see, I think I understand. My thanks... Oh?"
A new development unfolded on the screen.
"You're doing quite well," Richard’s voice rang out. "In that case, let us see how Marteau fares when he gets serious. I wonder how long you can endure?"
"T-That's not what we agreed!" the Count stammered.
On the screen, Marteau's hammer accelerated, howling through the air. Count Guarana's golem was now purely on the defensive, barely managing to block.
"He’s going to go even faster...!"
Finally, Marteau's hammer grazed the golden golem. Count Guarana had pinned his hopes on the idea that a mock battle wouldn't result in total destruction, but those hopes were swiftly crushed.
"Aaaah!"
The golden golem’s mace was sent flying. Marteau followed up with a direct hit to the chest, and the golden knight collapsed, rendered completely inoperable.
"..."
"...That’s cruel."
They didn't particularly like Count Guarana, but Jin and Elsa liked the King's methods even less. They both gritted their teeth.
"That was a delightful bout," Richard remarked. "Next, let us move on to a match against the Schwarzritter."
A golem wielding a sword stepped forward. In response, the Schwarzritter drew its own blade.
"Ji-Jin-dono, that sword... it isn't made of ordinary steel, is it?" Gloria asked, her voice tinged with excitement. To be able to discern the difference in materials through a screen was quite a talent.
Jin wondered if she might possess a variation of the evil eye as he answered her. "As expected of you, Gloria-dono. That sword uses composite materials."
"Composite materials? You mean like the sword you made for me?"
"In principle, yes. Though this one only uses steel alloys."
It was a sword Jin had made with Reinhard on a whim. Essentially, it was a combination of hard, brittle steel and soft, ductile steel layered together. Each layer was roughly a millimeter thick, with the different properties stacked alternately. When polished, a distinctive wavy pattern emerged. On modern Earth, this was known as Damascus steel.
While they spoke, the two golems squared off and crossed blades.
"Begin!"
At King Richard's command, both units swung their swords with full force. Once again, sparks flew.
"Ohh..."
"Incredible..."
The attendees were even more enthralled by this fight than the last.
"Reinhard, I wonder if the Schwarzritter will be alright?" the Empress asked. She was no expert in martial arts and looked somewhat worried.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured," Reinhard said, hiding his own internal tension to comfort her.
"Indeed, Reinhard. The Schwarzritter's movements are even better than before, aren't they?" Fritz noted with admiration. He only knew the unit from before Reinhard had met Jin. The current Schwarzritter utilized materials from Hourai Island and had undergone performance upgrades that made it incomparable to its former self.
"It certainly is impressive." Reinhard's future brother-in-law, Mattheus, watched the battle as if transfixed. Marquis Gehren was similarly focused, his eyes narrowed as he analyzed the combat.
The two had already exchanged more than twenty blows.
"It seems the Schwarzritter has also been improved. You have my sincere praise," Richard’s voice echoed. "In a show of respect, let us face you in earnest."
Before he could even finish his sentence, the enemy golem’s speed surged.