They threw at the same time. Several seconds later, a plume of water erupted in the far distance.
"Rubina's golem's stone has just made impact," Marikka announced.
Then, several seconds after that—
"Ah... and there goes Titan 2's stone. I only just caught it... any further and it would have disappeared beyond the horizon."
The result was another victory for Jin.
"……~~~~……"
Rubina looked utterly mortified, her face contorting into a sour, indescribable grimace.
"N-Next is hand-to-hand combat! Go!" she suddenly commanded.
The giant golem lunged to seize Titan 2. Reiko calmly operated her machine, catching both of the opponent's hands in its own. A pure contest of strength ensued.
"Come on! Do it!" Rubina screamed, but Titan 2 didn't budge an inch.
Just as Jin was thinking that Reiko was being remarkably restrained—
"Whoa!"
Cheers erupted from the onlookers as Titan 2 pinned Rubina's giant golem to the ground.
"……"
Rubina stood there, stunned into silence. Then, a sharp rap landed on the top of her head.
"Ow!"
"Honestly, child!"
The one scolding Rubina was a stout, matronly woman who bore a passing resemblance to Hanna's grandmother, Martha.
"Amanda... don't go too far, all right?" Marikka interjected.
The woman called Amanda ignored her, hoisting Rubina up and draping her over her lap.
Whack! A sharp sound echoed across the coast.
"Ow!"
Amanda didn't stop.
"Honestly, this girl!"
Whack!
"That hurts!"
"Running off on your own like that!"
Whack!
"How many times have I told you to think about what a nuisance you're being to others?!"
Whack!
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Grandma!"
Whack!
"Good."
Once Rubina finally offered a proper apology, Amanda stopped the spanking.
"Ancestor, I am terribly sorry. My granddaughter has been incredibly disrespectful," Amanda said, bowing deeply.
Her hair was the same red as Rubina's, but her eyes were gray. Her overall presence felt like a perfect middle ground between Martha and Mine.
"My butt hurts..."
Seeing her sniffling and crying, Jin thought she certainly acted her age.
"Please, leave it at that," Jin said, attempting to mollify Amanda.
He turned to the sobbing Rubina. "You won't do anything like that again, will you?"
"……Nn," she nodded through her tears.
"There, there... 'Cure'."
Jin cast a healing spell on her.
"You are far too kind, Ancestor," Amanda remarked.
"I just can't stand seeing a girl cry," Jin replied. He wasn't just kind; he was a soft touch.
"Sniff..."
"Come now, no more crying."
"……"
Rubina, who had been so aggressive toward Jin until moments ago, was now clinging to him and whimpering.
Reiko, having left her virtually unscathed giant golem standing, climbed down from Titan 2 and watched the scene with a wry smile.
"Good work, Reiko," Jin said, praising her.
Amanda bowed to him again. "I'm truly sorry, Ancestor. I do believe this child has a spark of genius, but the people around her pampered her until she got a big head... Today was a necessary dose of medicine."
Amanda seemed genuinely apologetic. "Even today, she took that golem and vanished the moment I turned my back... I was quite shocked."
Jin stroked the head of the clinging Rubina. "Don't do it again, okay?"
"……Nn."
Perhaps the combination of the scolding and the crying had helped her vent; Rubina seemed much more docile now.
"Well then, shall we head back?"
＊ ＊ ＊
The social gathering, interrupted by the sudden intrusion, finally began an hour behind schedule. Since they were already there, Rubina and Amanda joined the group.
"Since things have turned out this way, let’s start with the story of Beena," Jin suggested.
For some reason, Rubina was now sitting on Jin's lap, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Beena lived in Blue Land, in the Kingdom of Egerea..." Jin began. "We first met at a street stall outside the castle. She was trying to sell magi-devices for her sick siblings, but her skills weren't exactly up to par back then."
After a brief hesitation, Jin scratched his head and continued. "I took one look at the things she had on display and told her, 'These are kind of shabby.'"
"Ah, I think I've heard that story," Amanda said. She was, after all, a descendant of Beena.
"That led to a bit of a row... and well, as a result, I ended up helping her out."
"Tell me more about the row!" Rubina begged. The others looked equally curious. Often, the minor incidents tucked between the major historical events were far more interesting to hear.
"Uh... well, when I said I didn't mean any harm and was just speaking my mind, she got even angrier... and if I recall, Reiko was the one who really poured oil on the fire."
"Yes," Reiko added. "I said, 'What is wrong with telling the truth?' When Beena-san complained that her customers would decrease, I pointed out that since she had no customers to begin with, it was impossible for them to decrease any further."
The room filled with wry chuckles.
"...That was the final straw. Beena snapped and attacked me with—was it called a Stun Rod?"
"I snatched it away and snapped it in half," Reiko finished.
It seemed these sorts of stories were exactly what the audience wanted; everyone was listening with rapt attention.