"So, these are the 'invasion faction' golems, are they?"
Laojun had decided to show the footage to Jin, who had just arrived.
"I see. It looks like they prioritize practicality, with aesthetics being a secondary concern at best."
"Yes, My Lord. Furthermore, please take note of the fact that they are capable of constructing a control system for four arms."
"You're right. That is quite the feat."
In the current Planet Ars, even constructing a four-legged control system properly was beyond most.
Humans have two arms. However, making the left and right arms perform entirely different tasks is surprisingly difficult. Even when it appears someone is using both hands simultaneously, in reality, they are usually switching control between them in extremely rapid intervals.
Jin felt a renewed sense of respect for the technical prowess of the Progenitors.
"Even though they're called the 'invasion faction,' their approach seems more moderate—or perhaps more gentlemanly—than I expected. I wonder why that is?"
Jin voiced the question that had been on his mind. He wanted to hear Laojun's thoughts on the matter.
"My Lord, the Progenitors were originally a peaceful race. It is likely that even the radical faction among them only goes so far."
"I can understand that, but then there's the matter of the Disaster."
The Disaster—a mobile base that had once threatened to bring catastrophe to Planet Ars. It had been neutralized by Jin and was now being put to constructive use as Avalon.
"I believe that was more a case of the Control Brain running wild."
"I suppose that's one way to look at it."
If he was told it wasn't a deliberate act of the Progenitors themselves, Jin could accept that for the time being.
"Aside from that, these parts here and here look like they could be useful for reference."
Thinking that the four-armed structure might be applicable to working golems, Jin had Laojun perform a thorough analysis of the construction.
Even though they were deactivated, Jin decided against trying to analyze the control system itself, fearing it might be detected.
Having gained several pieces of useful information, Jin said, "You've done well, Laojun. And thanks to the Shinobi Squad as well."
He thanked both Laojun and the Shinobi Squad for their hard work.
"My Lord, once the markers are set, I intend to withdraw the Shinobi Squad."
"Yeah, that's fine."
"The only concern is the missing third unit of the deformed golems, the one presumably designated 'Tri'."
"True."
The fact that the other ninety-nine units were arranged in such perfect, unbroken order only made the missing one more conspicuous.
However, no amount of thinking would provide an answer they didn't have. Jin decided to put the matter out of his mind for now.
＊ ＊ ＊
Around the same time, at Avalon.
Fritz and Gloria had moved into their new home in the Family Wing and were busy unpacking. It was an apartment comparable to what would be called a 3LDK layout in modern Japan.
"Wow, it really is spacious."
Since single residents lived in 1DK units, it was only natural for him to feel that way.
Of course, Fritz's family home was much larger, but having spent so long as a soldier living in the field, he had grown accustomed to a much more frugal lifestyle.
"Bedroom, study, and... a guest room? Does that sound about right?" Fritz asked.
"I think that's perfect," Gloria replied. "But are you sure about this? Letting me display my collection in the living room?"
Gloria's collection consisted, naturally, of swords. She had brought twenty of her favorite blades from her family home in the Klein Kingdom, and they were now proudly displayed on the wall.
"Of course. I like swords too, after all."
"Thank you... Dear."
"O-Oh."
The two of them turned bright red after the exchange.
Just then, a golem approached them. It was Magenta, the golem gifted to them by Jin and Elsa.
"The kitchen setup is complete."
"G-Good work."
Since Fritz was a soldier and Gloria a knight, neither was particularly skilled at domestic chores. Having Magenta there to assist was a tremendous help.
"It's starting to feel like a home."
Outside of his own family estate, Fritz had only ever stayed in castle dormitories, guardhouse bunks, field tents, or inns. Even at Avalon, they had been living in assigned rooms, so this was effectively the first time either of them had been able to customize a space to their own tastes.
In truth, they had spent the last two full days moving things back and forth, and they had only just managed to get everything organized to a somewhat satisfactory degree.
"Well then, we have three days of leave left."
The wedding had been on June 3rd, and today was the 8th. Leave was normally one week, but since Fritz had deployed immediately after the ceremony to exterminate the fifty-four Death Sea Serpents that attacked the east coast of the Kingdom of Elias, his leave had been extended by one day until the 11th.
Since the custom of a honeymoon didn't exist in this world, the couple had spent every day relaxing in their new home.
"It seems Jin-dono and his family traveled the world on something called a 'honeymoon'..." Gloria remarked.
"Shall we try going somewhere as well?" Fritz suggested.
"That sounds lovely."
With that decided, they resolved to take a short trip for a night or two. After discussing their options, they settled on visiting the Klein Kingdom's capital, Alban, and the town of Ekishi in the Shouro Empire.
In other words, they would visit their respective family homes.
However, there was one problem: the distance between them.
The recently established Warp Gate network still consumed a massive amount of mana and was reserved strictly for emergencies, so they would have to use the scheduled airship flights.
Currently, two round-trip flights operated daily to the capitals of various nations—one in the morning and one in the evening. These flights were also used to transport mail, food, and daily necessities. Seats were strictly reservation-only, but few people traveled for private reasons, so they were generally available.
"Alban is no problem, but... ah, I know."
"Dear?"
Fritz, who had been deep in thought, seemed to have come up with a better idea.
"Let's go to Loizart and consult Jin-dono."
"Ah, I see. But I wonder if Jin-dono will even be there?"
Gloria, knowing how often Jin traveled, looked a bit worried. It would be a wasted trip if he weren't home.
"Well, if he isn't, we can just do some sightseeing in Loizart."
They could visit his own family home another time, Fritz added.
"If that's the case, then I agree," Gloria said.
They decided to go to the capital of the Klein Kingdom, Alban, on the 9th to visit Gloria's family, and then to the Shouro Empire's capital, Loizart, on the 10th. The 11th, the final day of their leave, would be a day of rest to ensure they weren't exhausted. Managing one's health was, after all, part of the job for an Avalon executive.
＊ ＊ ＊
As it turned out, visiting Alban first was the right choice.
Spica 7, the Quinta in charge of Alban who operated under the name Bargo, spotted the two in town and overheard their conversation. Upon learning that the couple was counting on seeing Jin, Laojun immediately reported the news.
"Alright, let's make sure we're in Loizart on the 10th."
Having made the decision, Jin moved to the mansion in Loizart along with Elsa, Reiko, Yuu, and Mio.