The official declaration ending the mock battle rang out.
As for the outcome...
"A draw!"
"Wh-what?! Are you kidding me?!"
"How was that a draw?!"
"The winner couldn't have been more obvious!"
The crowd's reaction was more than just a few disgruntled voices; it was a thunderous chorus of boos. Yet the head referee, Vice-commander of the Royal Knights Hugus Unlock, remained perfectly unperturbed as he bowed toward the King.
"Hmm. A draw because neither side landed a decisive blow, was it?"
King Adalbert Nemo Elias I nodded with a knowing look.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magi Technology Citranella de Zaus Firenziano started to protest.
"Firenziano," the King interjected, "the Vice-commander of the Royal Knights is a combat professional. You must not contest his decision."
The King’s firm words forced her to swallow whatever she had been about to say.
Meanwhile, Tomax Bartman turned to Jin. "Jin-dono, no matter how you look at it, Volk won that match!"
"Well, it was originally a mock battle meant to confirm performance levels," Jin replied, remaining "outwardly" calm. "It’s probably for the best that no official winner was declared."
"Jin-dono, are you truly alright with this?" Tomax asked. Jin simply nodded in silence.
Among the cabinet ministers, the group was divided: roughly twenty percent accepted the judgment, while eighty percent objected. Interestingly, among that twenty percent in favor of the draw, three individuals were particularly vocal in their support of the ruling.
In truth, Jin had suspected this farce would unfold exactly as it had. He knew this because the secret command the New King had given to Volk was:
Very well, Volk, let us see your power. Listen carefully—you are to bring the match to a 'slightly advantageous draw.'
This information had been relayed to him by Reiko's sensitive hearing, and Laojun had already deduced the intent behind it.
(He likely intends to flush out the Magic Federation faction... or rather, the faction opposed to the advancement of magi-craft... right here and now.)
During the reign of the Former King, the Kingdom of Elias had become a stronghold for the Magic Federation, causing many of its brightest minds to flee the country. Consequently, the nation had suffered a significant regression in terms of culture and civilization.
The New King grieved over the state of his nation and was clearly trying to do something about it. If his plan was to uproot the remnants of the Magic Federation that were still deeply entrenched in the political sphere, Jin was more than willing to cooperate.
However, it was too early to make a definitive judgment.
(If that’s the case, the New King might be quite a cunning fox—or rather, a tanuki.)
In the world of Ars, there were no animals equivalent to the tanuki of Japan. The closest relative was a creature called a tagun—an omnivore that looked like a cross between a badger, a raccoon, and a masked palm civet. Since the local animals didn't have a reputation for bewitching people, the term "sly old tanuki" didn't really translate.
Regardless, while Jin felt more than a little irritated by the farce, he was interested to see what the New King’s next move would be.
"I have indeed received these gifts in celebration of my enthronement. Magi Craft Meister Jin Nidou, you have my gratitude."
The King's voice echoed across the parade grounds. The applause started sporadically at first, but it quickly grew into a thunderous, standing ovation.
Everyone present understood the truth. They knew whose golem was the real winner.
Magic Technology Minister Fiorina de Dorante and Undersecretary Citranella de Zaus Firenziano shared that sentiment. Only Vice-commander Hugus Unlock wore a hideous scowl.
He was the traitor within the Kingdom of Elias—the vanguard of the Magic Federation. In that sense, the New King’s strategy had worked perfectly.
There were four remnants of the Magic Federation left in the central leadership of the Kingdom of Elias, including Hugus. They were determined not to let this opportunity slip away—the chance to eliminate both the Magi Craft Meister and the Chief Administrator of Avalon in a single stroke.
Once the ceremony concluded, the King and the royal family withdrew to the Royal Palace, followed by the cabinet ministers and then the guests of honor. The general public was to leave last.
Jin and Tomax Bartman headed toward the palace, escorted by ten mounted magi-ritter. A celebratory banquet was scheduled to be held at the castle.
They traveled slowly in the same automobile they had arrived in. But just as the Royal Palace came into view, the vehicle came to a sudden, jarring halt.
They were in the large multipurpose plaza on the Central Thoroughfare, right in front of the palace gates.
"What's wrong?" the driver asked frantically, but the automobile wouldn't budge.
"Wh-what is happening?!"
"Why won't it move?"
Even though there was no visible sign of damage, the vehicle had completely stopped functioning. The escorting knights looked on in confusion.
"This is precisely why these 'magi-devices' cannot be trusted."
A voice echoed from nowhere as several deformed golems revealed themselves.
Their appearance was barely human. They were headless, with their faces set directly into their shoulders. Their torsos were as thick as barrels, supported by three legs, and they possessed six arms each.
Three of these monstrosities appeared.
"Who goes there?!" one of the escorting knights demanded, knowing even as he spoke that it was futile.
The golems didn't answer. Instead, they unleashed the lightning-attribute magic, Thunderbolt.
"Whoa!"
The magic crackled at the knights' feet, sending pale blue sparks flying.
"Step back. Our business is with the guests."
"Don't be ridiculous! It would be a disgrace to the Royal Knights to let our honored guests come to harm!"
"I will not be held responsible if you are injured through your own stubbornness."
The deformed golems unleashed Thunderbolt again. This time, it struck the horse of the lead knight directly. The animal collapsed instantly, unable to even let out a cry. The knight was thrown onto the stones, paralyzed by the electrical discharge.
"I weakened the output, so the beast is likely still alive. You would do well to listen to my advice," the golem spoke with arrogant condescension.
"You...!"
The remaining nine knights were intimidated. They stood frozen as the golems took a step forward.
"That's right. Just stay there and watch."
The deformed golems unleashed another Thunderbolt, this time aimed directly at the automobile carrying Jin and Tomax. However, the electrical discharge hit an invisible wall far in front of the vehicle and vanished.
"Hm?"
"I won't allow that."
Two figures stepped in front of the automobiles.
"I wondered where you would strike," one of them said. "So it was here."
The first was a young girl—Reiko.
"I won't let you have your way," the second shadow added. It was Tomax's secretary automaton, Manon.
"Sister Reiko, please leave the defense to me."
"Understood. I’m counting on you."
Manon was based on the Five-Color Golem Maids. Although her physical output had been de-tuned for her role as a secretary, her barrier functions were fully intact. She could deploy both magic barriers and solid barriers simultaneously.
"Automata? How meddlesome! Succumb to my magic! Standstill!"
The deformed golem unleashed a stop command aimed directly at Reiko.