"Now, starting with number forty-one, we begin the second round of attempts!"
Following its disastrous first attempt, the crowd didn't seem to expect much from the golem. However, this time its movements were transformed.
"Ohh?!"
(Oho?...Just as I thought.)
The announcer let out a cry of surprise, and a slight stir ran through the spectators.
Jin felt a sense of satisfaction that his hypothesis was proving correct.
Number forty-one unleashed the javelin with exquisite form...
"Incredible! Number forty-one’s throw struck the target sixty meters away! That’s sixty points!"
(It really did learn by watching the other golems' attempts.)
Of course, that was assuming the golem already possessed the requisite physical capabilities to execute what it had learned.
After that, the other golems took their turns in quick succession.
For the most part, they were performing notably better than they had during the first round.
Number forty, Alte Krieger, also scored sixty points, as did number thirty-five, Iron Warrior.
Number sixteen, Blue Knight, managed forty points, while both number two, Bella, and number one, Stahl Ritter, scored sixty points each.
"And now, we move to the third and final round!"
"I'm looking forward to seeing what number forty-one shows us this time."
Number forty-one slowly leveled its javelin and hurled it toward the target one hundred meters away.
"This is...! Amazing, amazing, amazing! It's soaring! It's flying! And... bullseye! One hundred points!"
(Hmm, it definitely learned. Looking at it this way, its learning capability seems to be extraordinary as well.)
Reiko was like that too. Even if it was a spell she couldn't use before, she could master it after observing everything from the incantation to the activation just once.
This was a feat that could only be accomplished if the processing power of the control core was exceptionally high.
(Thinking of it that way, that Phantom possesses capabilities significantly higher than any of these other golems.)
The real question was how the man calling himself Jix had obtained it, Jin thought.
Had he built it himself, used something as a reference, or...
(There’s still no proof that it’s the item stolen from that researcher, Jidan.)
Partly because Jidan himself was being secretive, the matter remained a mystery.
While Jin was lost in thought, the competition continued.
"Number forty has also scored one hundred points!"
Alte Krieger had also aimed for the hundred-meter mark and successfully struck the target.
"Number thirty-five, Iron Warrior—a solid sixty points!"
Some chose to play it safe to secure points.
"Number twenty-six, aiming for eighty meters... Ah, unfortunately, a miss!"
Others aimed for high scores and failed. The approaches were varied.
In the end:
"With that, all attempts are finished! Rankings are determined by the sum of the two highest scores out of the three attempts. Therefore, the results are: Mr. Donald Callow's Alte Krieger and Mr. Jix's Phantom are tied for first place with one hundred and sixty points each!"
That was how the round concluded.
"Third place is Mr. Yaruidare's Bella with one hundred and forty points! Fourth place is a tie at one hundred and twenty points between Mr. Erich Siflo's Stahl Ritter and Mr. Billford's Iron Warrior."
Following them were number twenty-nine Tarabulba with one hundred points, number fifteen Rosinil with eighty points, and number sixteen Tambaran's Blue Knight with sixty points.
"Since placement points are added for the top five, the overall rankings will shift."
"Indeed, we can see that placing in every event is vital."
The cumulative scores up to this point were as follows:
1st: Number 41, Phantom — 460 points 2nd: Number 40, Alte Krieger — 420 points 3rd: Number 2, Bella — 320 points 4th: Number 1, Stahl Ritter — 240 points 5th: Number 35, Iron Warrior — 160 points
By then, it was slightly before noon, and the lunch break began. the afternoon session was scheduled to resume at 13:30.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...And that's the situation."
"Its purpose remains unclear, My Lord. It does not go beyond the realm of speculation."
Jin was communicating with Laojun in a corner of the empty waiting room.
"There's also that armor. I wonder what on earth it's made of..."
"It would be different if we had a sample to analyze."
"Yeah, exactly..."
But there was no use complaining about it.
"Also, Phantom will likely continue to collect movement data throughout the afternoon."
"Most likely. I still have no idea how long they intend to continue this information gathering."
"Even you don't know, Laojun...?"
"Yes. There is a lack of sufficient data. However, the probability of them taking actions that would harm the spectators is currently low."
"I see. That’s at least a bit of a relief."
"I shall continue the surveillance."
"Right. I'll get back in touch."
Jin then thanked Reiko and Elsa, who had been keeping watch to ensure no one approached, and the three of them headed to their designated dining area.
It was a small reception room where Jin, Elsa, and Reiko could eat in peace.
"The food in the Celuroa Kingdom is quite delicious for the most part."
"True."
Elsa mentioned that the seasoning suited her palate, perhaps because the country bordered the Shouro Empire.
On the other hand, because it also shared borders with the Kingdom of Franz and the Kingdom of Egerea, they were served a wide variety of dishes.
That said, since it was only lunch, there weren't many courses.
"But this bread is wonderful."
"Yeah. It might be the water."
It was a good thing the food was to their liking.
Since the room allowed them to eat without interruption, Jin and Elsa completely finished the meal that had been served.
"Now then, what was the afternoon event again?"
"I believe it's the target strike."
"Ah, that's right."
"I'm both looking forward to and unsettled by how that Phantom will perform."
"I feel the same....For me, the fact that I can't identify the material of the armor it's wearing is extremely distracting."
"...Could it be... that it isn't metal?"
"Eh?...Ah, I see. There's a possibility it's the shell of a creature like a Gigant Peeder. But still..."
If they were using biological materials, it would mean the premise of the competition was being undermined, Jin said.
"...True..."
As expected, it seemed impossible to reach a conclusion without a sample.
Afterward, the group took their time enjoying their post-meal cups of Te-e. Twenty minutes before the afternoon session was set to begin, they happened to run into King Cesar, who was returning to his seat.
"Your Majesty, there's something I'd like to bring to your attention."
"Hmm, keep it brief, please."
Since there happened to be an empty room nearby, they stepped inside to talk. Captain of the Royal Guard Kirk-at took up a position in front of the door.
"Lord of Kunlun, what is it?"
"Yes, actually..."
Jin spoke about the mysterious golem attack on security units that had occurred in the Kingdom of Egerea. He concluded by saying that the current Phantom bore a striking resemblance to that attacker, though he had no definitive proof.
That alone was enough for King Cesar to grasp Jin’s concern.
"I understand. I shall be more cautious than ever....Kirk, you heard that as well. See to the arrangements."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Understood."
With that, everyone returned to their respective seats.
The clock struck 13:30. The afternoon session of the Gonpetition began.