Jin finally had a chance to observe the golem with his own eyes.
It stood a little over two meters tall. Judging by the external appearance of its armor, its physique was moderately muscular. It was less like a bodybuilder and more like a gymnast.
The problem, however, was that armor.
(...I can't even identify the material?)
The metal had a dull, dark gray sheen, a material unknown even to Jin, a Magi Craft Meister. That alone was cause for surprise, but he quickly found another shocking point.
(I can't read its movements. Is it really a superior form of Form Drive?)
The venue was buzzing with chatter.
The man who had declared himself a late entry went by the name Jix. He claimed to be a citizen of the Celuroa Kingdom, and his golem was apparently named Phantom.
(A phantom, huh...)
As Jin pondered the suggestive name, a tournament official approached him for a consultation.
"Jin-dono, regarding those individuals—we are currently debating whether to permit their late entry. We would like to hear your opinion as the chief judge."
"Hmm, let’s see... personally, I believe it’s better not to deviate from the schedule. I don't think it's wise to set an irregular precedent for the future."
Jin wanted to say that the golem was incredibly suspicious, but since he lacked concrete evidence, he couldn't speak with absolute conviction. He felt a pang of frustration.
Perhaps because of his soft-spoken opposition, the committee—including the tournament chairman and other officials—eventually reached a conclusion via a majority vote fifteen minutes later. They would allow the late entry.
<Attention, everyone! We have the results of our deliberation regarding the recent interruption!>
The tournament official began the announcement.
<On this occasion only, we will permit late entries. Furthermore, if there are any others among our spectators who wish to join the competition, we invite you to participate as well!>
In the end, their strategy seemed to be to avoid the appearance of favoritism toward Jix and his golem by opening the gates to everyone and actively "recruiting" participants.
"How foolish! What are the officials thinking?"
Moments like this served as a reminder that the philosophy of meritocracy still remained deeply rooted in the Celuroa Kingdom.
It was then that Jin was summoned by King Cesar.
"Jin-dono, what is your take on this?"
"Well, I certainly don't think it's a good idea to set such a precedent."
"No, I don't mean just that... though that is certainly part of it."
King Cesar was uncharacteristically hesitant.
"It is about that golem called Phantom and the man named Jix. To be honest, it is hard to believe that a craftsman of that caliber has remained hidden until now. And..."
After a brief pause, King Cesar continued.
"That man Jix claims to be a citizen of the Celuroa Kingdom, yet he has a slight Egerea accent. Of course, it wouldn't be unnatural if he had lived in the Kingdom of Egerea for a long time, but something about it bothers me."
"I see..."
Jin suspected that this was a discrepancy noticed only because King Cesar had spent so much time traveling through various countries during his years as the crown prince.
"I still feel it would have been better to deny the late entry."
"I agree. However, I have entrusted this tournament to the officials. Even as King, I hesitate to exercise absolute authority over such matters..."
Furthermore, the crowd was energized; it was clear they welcomed the development. This, too, was likely a reflection of the national character.
"...Regardless, I have memorized the faces and names of the officials and those who supported this."
King Cesar whispered the words in a low voice, almost as if talking to himself.
Knowing that the King also harbored suspicions, Jin returned to his seat and instructed Reiko and Laojun to maintain even tighter surveillance.
Laojun monitored the area using both the feed from Reiko and data from the Watcher. Since it was a clear day, the high-altitude surveillance was unaffected.
Jin then leaned in to whisper a warning to Elsa.
(Just in case, you should be ready to deploy a barrier at any moment.)
(Mm. If you say so, Jin-nii.)
In the end, no other candidates for late entry appeared, and Jix and his golem were officially admitted as contestant No. 41.
The finals were reset and prepared to start anew.
Nine units in total—the eight original finalists plus the one newcomer—lined up at the starting line.
<5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Start!>
<Oh! No. 41 is fast! So fast! Incredibly fast!>
Phantom demonstrated overwhelming speed, setting a staggering record of exactly four seconds.
Second place went to No. 40, Donald Callow's Alte Krieger; third was Yaruidare's Bella; and fourth was Erich Siflo's Stahl Ritter. The rankings remained the same as the previous heat, save for the newcomer.
(Hmm... Even though Alte Krieger was around six seconds, that thing is significantly faster...)
As a side note, since the measurements were taken using a large hourglass, it was impossible to measure fractions of a second, and there was a significant margin of error.
<Incredible! No, simply too incredible! Overwhelming skill! Such a masterpiece was still hidden right here in our Celuroa Kingdom!>
"Long live the Celuroa Kingdom!"
"Celuroa is the best in the world!"
The announcer was ecstatic, and the spectator stands erupted in cheers.
<Next is the High Jump!>
<This is another event where the difference in performance will be clear to see!>
A special scaffolding with height markings had been prepared, standing about eight meters tall. The rule was to record the highest point touched by the golem's hand during its jump. Naturally, the measurement was corrected for the height the golem reached simply by stretching its arm upward.
To Jin, it was a rather plain event to watch.
To summarize the primary results:
1st: Phantom (Over 8 meters) 2nd: Alte Krieger (Over 8 meters) 3rd: Bella (5 meters) 4th: Stahl Ritter (3 meters) 5th: Blue Knight (1.5 meters)
The reason a distinction was made between first and second place despite both clearing eight meters was that there was a clear visual difference in the heights achieved. Phantom had likely reached ten meters, while Alte Krieger had just barely cleared the eight-meter mark.
(It really is high-performance. But what's the goal...?)
Was it a test of skill, or a sales pitch? Even Jin was having trouble grasping Jix’s ultimate objective.
Back at the venue, the final event of the morning was about to begin.
<And now, the third event: Javelin Throw!>
<The late entry, No. 41, has shown incredible specs. I’m looking forward to this.>
For the javelin throw, targets consisting of five-meter diameter rings were positioned at distances of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 meters.
The throw did not count for points unless the javelin passed through the ring. Naturally, the farther targets were worth more points: the 100-meter target was 100 points, while the 20-meter target was worth 20 points.
The javelins were standardized: 2.5 meters long, 4 centimeters thick, and weighing 3 kilograms.
<This time, the trials will be performed in reverse order of the contestant numbers. Each unit will throw three times, and the total of the two highest scores will determine the ranking. Placement points will also be awarded to the top five.>
<No. 41 has taken the javelin. I wonder what it will do? The anticipation is palpable!>
"Ah!?"
Voices of bewilderment leaked out from all corners of the venue.
"What?"
"What was that?"
That was because No. 41, Phantom, had failed to throw the javelin properly at all. The result didn't even reach the 20-meter target, resulting in zero points.
<Mr. Tolf, our commentator, how should we interpret this?>
<Well, unlike events that test simple power, the javelin throw requires dexterity. It’s a matter of 'knack.'>
<I see. So it’s a matter of what the golem is suited for?>
<I believe that is a fair interpretation.>
(...Even so, that throw was pathetic. It’s like a child holding a javelin for the very first time... Wait? Is that it...?)
Like the rest of the audience, Jin was taken aback at first, but he tried to work out the cause on the premise that everything happened for a reason.
(As I thought, that golem is a newborn... It’s likely still in its growth phase.)
The event proceeded steadily after that.
<Oh! Alte Krieger passes through the 40-meter target! 40 points!>
<Iron Warrior beautifully clears the 40-meter target! 40 points!>
<No. 29 steadily succeeds at 20 meters! 20 points earned!>
<No. 26—so close! It missed the target!>
The veteran units were clearing the 40-meter mark. They had likely practiced beforehand. There were also those who aimed for the 20-meter mark to ensure they scored. In all cases, the throwing posture involved only the upper body—specifically, throwing using only the strength of the arms.
(Is it because a run-up would ruin their control? With a golem’s strength, the arms alone should be enough.)
(...Makes sense.)
While watching, Jin continued his analysis, giving explanations in a low voice that only Elsa could hear.
<Now, the first round is complete. The highest record is 40 points; it seems everyone is still holding back their full potential.>
Then, the late entry, No. 41, readied its javelin once more.