Jin and his companions followed the male-type automaton into the building.
“There isn’t a speck of dust anywhere,” Saki remarked, sounding impressed.
Jin scanned their surroundings, observing the architecture and craftsmanship, while Reiko remained vigilant, keeping a sharp eye on their environment.
“In here. Please enter.”
The automaton led the group to a room at the end of the corridor and opened the door.
“...Welcome, travelers.”
Deep inside the room, a gaunt old man lay in a large bed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jin Nidou. These are my companions: Elsa, Saki, Hanna, Goose, and Reiko.”
“I see. I am... Kroden. The administrator of Battalf.”
“Administrator? Is that something like a bailiff?” Jin asked immediately, unfamiliar with the title.
“Not a chief... or anything of the sort. I am the only human left in this town.”
“What!”
“Eh?!”
The group couldn't help but voice their collective shock at Kroden’s revelation.
“H-How can that be?” Jin asked.
Under the circumstances, it was the only question they could think to ask, and the others clearly shared the sentiment.
“How, you ask? It is simply the inevitable result of a dwindling population,” Kroden replied.
“Then, why did the population decline so much?” Goose asked, trying a different approach.
“...Perhaps because the people lost their spirit.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Saki asked.
However, Kroden merely gave a listless instruction to the automaton standing beside him and closed his eyes.
“...Federi, recount the history of this town for them.”
“Yes, Father.”
Federi—Federi 479—began to speak in a measured tone.
“This town was established roughly fifteen hundred years ago. At that time, it was not yet a town, but a simple village.”
“Roughly twelve hundred years ago, a major turning point arrived.”
“That turning point was a cheap source of labor known as golems.”
“Golems operate using the free ether present in the atmosphere. While they were incredibly expensive to manufacture, they would continue to function for over a hundred years once completed, making them economical in the long run.”
“By roughly one thousand years ago, every household had come to own at least one golem.”
The rest of the history could be summarized quite simply: once they had acquired cheap labor, the people stopped working. Eventually, the birth rate plummeted, leading to the town's current state.
“...”
Faced with one possible outcome of a golem-dependent society, Jin’s party was left speechless. However, Jin soon remembered their purpose for visiting and spoke up.
“Please, tell us anything you know about the ‘Magus.’ And also about someone named ‘Adriana.’”
At the mention of those names, Kroden’s eyes snapped open.
“The ‘Magus’... that devil who led us to ruin. ‘Adriana’... the fool who betrayed our ancestors and sold herself to that devil.”
His voice, previously listless, was now thick with resentment.
“You lot... If you are investigating the devil, then you must be his associates....Get out!”
“Wait a moment, please!”
Jin tried to calm him, but Kroden was beyond reasoning.
Jin realized the man might be mentally unstable; after all, Kroden hadn't reacted this way when the group mentioned the Magus to Federi and Bali-gal earlier.
“Federi, Bali-gal, throw these people... out.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Understood.”
Obeying Kroden’s command, the two automata advanced toward Jin and the others.
“Now, leave!”
“Please depart!”
Jin realized that further discussion was futile. He had no choice but to give up for now.
“Fine, we’re leaving.”
With that, he turned on his heel. They retraced their steps down the corridor and exited the building.
“!”
“W-What is this?!”
A crowd of dozens of golems had gathered outside, surrounding the automobile.
They weren't just standing there, either. They were pummeling the vehicle, attempting to destroy it.
“Stop! What are you doing?!” Jin shouted instinctively.
Hearing his voice, half of the golems turned to glare at him.
“It seems our brothers have begun to run wild, sensing Father’s emotions. At this point, even I cannot stop them,” the female-type automaton, Federi 479, stated in a flat, emotionless voice.
“What did we ever do to you?!” Goose cried out, but his words fell on deaf ears. Half the golems continued to batter the automobile, while the other half advanced toward the group.
“These things don’t seem to have much of an ego. Their movements are quite primitive.”
“J-Jin, this is no time to be so analytical!” Goose’s knees were shaking.
“Um, Federi, and Bali-gal, right?...Could you please stop the golems?”
Having regained his composure, Jin made the request to the two automata.
“It is impossible. They possess only simple brains. Once they begin an action, they do not stop until it is completed. You must defend yourselves.”
While they spoke, fifteen golems continued their approach.
“So that’s your answer...”
Jin muttered with a look of profound disappointment.
“Then I’ll just do things my way....Don’t hold it against us, okay?”
Jin glanced at Reiko. With that single look, Reiko understood exactly what he wanted. She kicked off the ground.
“What?!”
Bali-gal’s surprised voice rang out.
So these things are capable of surprise, Jin thought, strangely impressed by that small detail as he watched the scene unfold.
One by one, the golems attacking them were sent flying. This was, of course, Reiko’s doing.
To the current Reiko, primitive golems were no threat at all, even if there were a thousand of them.
“Whoa...”
Goose let out a stunned gasp, his mouth hanging wide.
He was watching a girl-type automaton literally trample golems that were several times her size.
Whenever Reiko thrust out her small fist, a golem shattered into pieces; whenever she swung her slender leg, a golem was launched over twenty meters into the air.
The entire display took only a few seconds.
The fifteen golems targeting Jin and the others were disabled in roughly six seconds.
Goose was so stunned he couldn't even speak, while Elsa, Saki, and Hanna merely gave wry smiles. They had known exactly what would happen to any golem that dared to oppose Reiko.
After dispatching the golems that had targeted the group, Reiko turned her attention to those attacking the automobile.
The vehicle was protected by a barrier, meaning the golems' strikes wouldn't have been able to break it even after centuries of pounding. The same applied to the barrier covering Jin and his companions, but just because there was no real danger didn't mean Reiko was any less furious.
“Get away from Father’s work!”
Unable to hide her irritation at the golems that continued to mindlessly strike the barrier, Reiko seized one by the leg and hurled it with all her strength.
Even though it was “all her strength,” she was still operating at the twenty-percent limit normally permitted by Jin. Nevertheless, the golem went sailing into the far distance.
It was a small mercy on Reiko’s part that she didn't throw it into a building.
One by one, she tossed the remaining eighteen golems about a hundred meters away. Not a single one of them moved again.
“And what will you two do?”
Reiko turned to Federi 479 and Bali-gal 243, who were standing frozen in disbelief at her performance.
“If you get in Father’s way, I shall give you the same treatment.”
The only response she received was a single word.
“...Monster.”
“I see. In that case, I will have you remain still for a while.”
Reiko unleashed a Magic Canceller at the two of them.
The Magic Canceller was a magic tool originally designed as a countermeasure for Ether Stampedes. It could neutralize most magic by forcibly converting mana back into free ether.
Struck by the wave, the two units were instantly disabled and collapsed where they stood.
Furthermore, Reiko activated a Magi-Jammer, preventing them from generating mana from the surrounding free ether. This ensured they wouldn't be moving again for some time.
“Well then, I suppose it’s time to go. Let's leave this town.”
They dragged the still-dazed Goose into the automobile and left Battalf behind.
Jin used the Magic Canceller to easily dispel the barrier that had been covering the town.