Continental Calendar 3699.
Ars humanity continued to advance, steadily overcoming the regression of culture and civilization caused by the Great Magic War.
The Pandor Continent, where colonization had begun in 3579, had reached its 100th anniversary the previous year and was developing smoothly.
"It has been over 150 years since the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister passed away. It is time we surpassed his legacy." Under this slogan, various research institutions and workshops gave birth to diverse ideas. Countless prototypes were crafted, and many new works were released into the world.
And yet, despite these efforts, no creation ever appeared that truly surpassed the work of the Second Generation.
Amidst this climate:
"Yes, with this method, we should be able to create golems and automata far superior to anything we have now!"
"You've done it, Professor."
"Indeed. We will store the golem's movement data in a supervising magi-brain, then implant that information into the control core via Write In."
"And if we improve and refresh that movement data as needed, they will continue to evolve indefinitely!"
In one research institution, a new method for creating golem control cores was devised.
"Simply following in the footsteps of the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister is a dead end. To truly surpass him, we must establish and refine an entirely new system."
There were organizations that pushed their research forward under such banners. It was perhaps the era in which magi-craft flourished most since the end of the Great Magic War.
Even those who carried the blood of Jin and the Jin Family, the rightful heirs to his techniques, never slacked in their efforts and diligence.
"The Adriana-style is certainly optimized for high performance. However, while it might be fine for someone with the technical skill of a Magi Craft Meister, it is far too costly and time-consuming for craftsmen of average ability."
"Then, what do you suggest?"
"Simplification of the structure. Naturally, that allows the control system to be simplified as well."
"Ah, I see!"
To use an arm as an example: rather than giving the shoulder, elbow, and wrist their own individual rotation functions, limiting the twisting action to just the shoulder simplifies the structure and increases overall durability.
The movements become clunkier as a result, but the control system can compensate for it to a certain degree—though only to a degree.
However, this approach cut production time by more than half and significantly reduced the complexity of the work.
"If golems can be produced at half the cost, they will become much more accessible to the general public."
Movements like this caused golems to begin proliferating. It was much like how private cars became common in ordinary households in Japan during its period of high economic growth.
Yet, as if in opposition to this trend of mass production, there were also groups attempting to create high-performance units regardless of the cost.
"First, we aim for an automata that is the spitting image of a human... no, one that is physically identical to a human! To achieve that, we must reproduce a skeleton with the same structure and muscle placement as a real person!"
That pursuit, however, ended in vain. For better or worse, humans and automata are fundamentally different.
"Hmm... as I thought, the clunkiness remains."
"Since the skeletal strength and muscle output are different from a human's, won't their movements naturally differ as well?"
"Perhaps. In that sense, it proves the Adriana-style was built with an incredibly exquisite balance."
In this way, the brilliance of the Adriana-style was re-evaluated even across the vast span of time. Taken as a whole, magi-craft was in a stage of rapid development and prosperity.
"Mmm, creating an entirely new system is a difficult task indeed."
Here, too, was another seeker of technology.
"A skeletal design with a range of motion exceeding a human's, muscle placement to ensure smooth movement, and a control system to make the gestures feel natural. Professor, we have a mountain of work ahead of us."
"That is true. But it is a challenge worth undertaking."
"Yes!"
The skeleton they designed—or more accurately, the joints—was neither Adriana-style nor the ball-joint style that had recently become mainstream.
To bend the arm, they focused on the area corresponding to the elbow joint.
To twist the arm, they utilized Forming to alter the skeletal structure from the elbow down. This was an application of Form Drive.
"This is it! We must push this concept even further."
The unit possessed a "hard" skeleton, and the joints would only bend "magically" during movement.
With this method, mass production would be simple once the control system was finalized. It was the difference between using hardware or software to achieve the same result. Naturally, the software-based approach was more cost-effective.
"Furthermore, with this system, we can magically increase the skeletal strength in response to the output!"
"You mean Hardening and Toughening."
"Precisely."
This marked the birth of a new golem system, positioned as superior to the ball-joint style but still trailing behind the Adriana-style.
"Look! If we do this, it can fly through the sky!"
"Oh! Incredible!"
"Long-distance travel is difficult, and it isn't very fast, but it is unmistakably flying!"
There were also engineers who finally realized the dream of flight by utilizing auxiliary devices based on the Jet Thruster.
"We'll be able to fly right over castle walls and enemy battalions!"
"We could even drop stones from an altitude where arrows and spears can't reach....Though, I would prefer if this weren't used for war."
Since the establishment of the World Conference and its subordinate organization, the World Security Guard, wars between nations had ceased.
However, localized skirmishes, minor disputes, and battles against bandit groups had not been entirely eradicated.
Even for combat purposes, the Adriana-style was far too expensive, while the ball-joint style lacked sufficient performance. The magic-frame style golem, which filled that gap, was truly a revolutionary advancement.
However...
"This technology is still incomplete. We shall keep it hidden until I am satisfied with the results."
"Yes, Professor."
"The magi-formula doesn't seem to be fully optimized yet. I am not pleased with the reaction speed."
And so, they continued to layer research upon research, aiming for even higher performance.
As a result, for better or worse, the magic-frame style was buried in the shadows of history by the Magic Federation Rebellion before it could ever be introduced to the world.
Time flowed on, and it was now Continental Calendar 3899.
In a certain region, a pair of petty thieves had broken into the basement of a derelict house, searching for anything of value.
In that basement...
"Big Brother, what the heck is this?"
"...It's a golem."
They had discovered two final prototypes of the magic-frame style golems.
"This? It doesn't look rugged at all."
"I heard that in the old days, the higher a golem's performance, the more human-like it looked."
"Heh, as expected of you, Big Brother. You sure are knowledgeable."
"...If we use these, our 'work' will go a lot smoother."
"Can you actually move them, Big Brother?"
"Leave it to me. I've dabbled in magi-craft a bit before....Start."
The two golems hummed to life.
"Your orders, Master."
"What are your names?"
"I am Teii." "I am Tuen."
"Alright, Tuen, Teii. Follow me."
Thus, the two high-performance golems fell into the hands of the thieves.