The golem brawl was intensifying by the second.
"This is... no, this is an utter emergency!"
The event organizer and Magic Technology Minister, Reglei Gibbs von Besuvius, had declared the suspension of the competition by the Emperor’s order, but the golems were no longer listening to their creators.
Even the four golems assigned to support the event's operations had seemingly lost their minds.
"Could this be..."
Ernest XVII, one of the guests from the Kingdom of Egerea, recalled events from the distant past.
"Could this be sabotage using something like Master-Slave Rewrite Magic!?"
He was thinking of an incident that had occurred when Ernest I, the first Honorary CEO of the Royal Factory, was still a boy.
"Yes, Your Highness. This feels very similar to that time," replied Lotte, the maid golem who had been passed down through generations. She was a precious witness to history.
"Back then, there was an anti-social group called the Unifilar. The modern equivalent would be—"
"The Magic Federation!?"
The Kingdom of Egerea had also been infiltrated by the Magic Federation, and only in recent years had they finally succeeded in severing its roots.
"Yes, most likely."
"Ugh... It’s true that I didn’t implement Master-Slave Rewrite Magic countermeasures in Aaron. I regret that now."
Ernest XVII reflected on how he had grown complacent during these times of peace. However, since the omission was partly to facilitate weight reduction via air leichtern, one couldn't strictly say it was a poor design choice for a competitive unit.
"I believe Prince Ernest's deduction is correct," a voice agreed.
It was the Emperor of the Shouro Empire, Ernst Lupus von Licht Shouro—commonly known as Ernst II. The Emperor, a man in his mid-thirties overflowing with vigor, issued a sharp command.
"On the prestige of our Empire, quell this chaos!"
"Understood!"
At the Emperor’s command, Reglei, the Magic Technology Minister, gave orders to the units under his authority.
"Only those golems equipped with countermeasures against rewrite magic are to rush to the area. Stop them, even if you must use force!"
Following the order, fifteen security golems deployed. Reglei continued to scan the situation, his mind racing.
...Whether they will listen to their creators now is a gamble...
Under normal conditions, creators would have programmed the units to follow the instructions of the event organizers, but looking at the current state of the field, those overrides appeared to have vanished. If that were the case, there was a high probability they wouldn't stop even if their creators commanded them directly.
Because of this, Minister Reglei wanted to avoid taking the creators to the scene, as it would only expose them to danger if the golems could not be halted.
"I am sorry, but we must stop them, even if it means their destruction."
He lamented that they hadn't proactively pursued research into Master-Slave Rewrite Magic instead of dismissing it as taboo, but it was far too late for regrets. With a grim expression, Reglei watched the chaos projected onto the magi-screen.
A change occurred in the chaotic melee.
The frantic state in which every participating golem fought one another gradually began to subside, but it was merely the curtain-raiser for the next disturbance. The golems that had ceased fighting all began to move in the same direction, heading south toward the town of Bulurek.
The fifteen security golems equipped with countermeasures arrived to intercept them. They stood their ground to bar the path, but Bib #8 and Bib #14 immediately lunged at them. Those two units were particularly large and built for raw power; they blew past two of the security golems in an instant.
The remaining thirteen security units took up combat stances, but they were swarmed by more than twenty golems simultaneously. Eventually, every security unit was destroyed.
The manipulated side had lost eleven units in the fray, but the remaining forty-four continued their march to the south.
"Ugh, this is bad."
Minister Reglei's face contorted with anxiety. He still had over twenty security golems in reserve, but since they weren't equipped with rewrite countermeasures, they would undoubtedly be hijacked as well. Furthermore, the spectator stands for the competition lay directly in the path of the advancing golems.
"I must prioritize the evacuation of His Majesty, the guests, and the spectators."
He made the decision that the safety of the people must be his absolute priority.
"...Reiko, who is the one controlling the golems?"
Meanwhile, Jin was questioning Reiko from the guest seating.
"Yes, Father. Please wait a moment... The source is moving."
"Moving?"
"Yes. At this speed, it doesn't seem to be human."
"A golem, perhaps?"
"Most likely."
Jin speculated that the culprit had deployed a golem equipped with a magi-device like a Magi Emulator to broadcast the Master-Slave Rewrite Magic and hijack the competitors.
"Ji-Jin-sama, what are we going to do?" Rubina asked, peering at him with a worried expression.
"It's all right."
Jin patted Rubina's head to reassure her.
"By the way, is Urgan equipped with rewrite countermeasures?"
Jin had already confirmed that Blitz and Donner were protected during his check the other day.
"Yes, he is fine."
"Then that’s good."
It seemed that such countermeasures were standard for Jin-style golems and automata.
I suppose it’s only natural, considering I withdrew to Onogoro Island because of Markitus.
Jin decided to wait a little longer to see how the Shouro Empire would handle the situation. The golems weren't moving very fast; he estimated it would take about thirty minutes for them to reach the stands.
"Guests, please come this way."
Two minutes later, security soldiers arrived at the guest seating to guide the evacuation. Jin and his party were led from the elevated seating down to the cafeteria on the ground floor.
"Please wait here. Once we have confirmed that the teleportation magic circles have not been tampered with, you will be returned home."
Hearing this, Jin was impressed by the officials' foresight.
(Assuming only the golems are being controlled would be too optimistic.)
If the destination of a teleportation magic circle were altered, the guests could be sent anywhere—perhaps to a dangerous location or straight into a hostage situation.
Human soldiers were stationed to guard the cafeteria. While their raw combat strength was lower than golems, their presence provided a different kind of security now that magic was being used to turn machines against their masters.
Minister Reglei arrived shortly after, accompanied by a man in his mid-thirties. Both bowed to the guests.
"This was our negligence. I am truly sorry for putting you in such danger."
"...Your Majesty, please raise your head," Ernest XVII interjected. "I do not think the head of a nation should bow so lightly."
(Your Majesty!?)
The man standing next to Reglei was the current Emperor of the Shouro Empire.
"Prince Ernest, you are mistaken," Ernst II replied. "I have heard that the Empress I admire above all, His Majesty Gerhardt, never hesitated to bow when the occasion demanded it. Since this failure is the fault of our nation, an apology is only right."
Hearing that, Jin recalled the Empress.
(That lady did say she wouldn't hesitate to bow for the sake of what's important...)
Lordtoss took a step forward.
"It seems a golem is the root of this chaos. It is still moving even now, broadcasting the signal to encourage the disorder."
This followed a prior arrangement with Jin, as they had decided it would be better for Lordtoss to provide the intelligence.
"Oh, is that so?...You are Lordtoss of the Puppet Clan. My thanks for the information."
Emperor Ernst II immediately issued new instructions.
"Reglei, find the source at once and end this chaos. I leave the methods to your discretion."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Reglei turned toward Lordtoss.
"May I ask for more detailed information?"
Jin watched silently, impressed by the Emperor's willingness to set aside pride and choose the best course of action. In that moment, Jin made a resolution.
The other spectators continued to evacuate, but the Shouro Empire officials and Jin’s party remained on the scene.