My mana exhaustion had finally passed, and it seemed Halfa's physical condition had fully recovered as well. Since she mentioned wanting to take a short stroll through the city, I decided to accompany her. Shiroru came along, too—and for that matter, so did the Petit Golems in their small bodies. Numbers 1 through 3 were tucked away in my pockets, but No. 4 was riding atop Shiroru. It was so buried in her fluffy fur that I couldn't even see it, but I knew it was there.
To be honest, I hadn't really had a chance to look around the city of Aingurna much. I’d spent most of my time outside the walls for my golem research and other business.
Despite the commotion with the giant bird only a few days ago, the city had regained its composure remarkably well. According to Lowell, who had volunteered to gather information, the incident was certainly a hot topic in the taverns. However, from the perspective of the average resident, it seemed their understanding was merely that some sort of flashy skirmish had broken out in the sky for unknown reasons, resulting in both sides knocking each other out. Since the situation had settled without any major damage to the city, they didn't seem to feel a particularly strong sense of crisis.
No rumors had surfaced regarding the brainwashed victims, either. For the time being, the Guild and The Council were circulating warnings that defeating special monsters carried a risk of brainwashing, but they seemed to be withholding the fact that people who had already been compromised were still lurking within the city.
I wondered if they were wary of cornering the evil cultists too much. Or perhaps The Council had already grasped the situation and was being careful not to cause a scene before their next operation? If that were the case, there was a possibility that our Great Airship Operation had actually been a nuisance to them... but since I hadn't been scolded yet, it was probably fine. Probably.
"Oh, that's right! There's a shop I’ve been wanting to show Tort!"
"Eh? A shop?"
"Yeah! I'm sure the Petit Golems will love it, too!"
The Petit Golems?
I couldn't imagine what she meant. Having overheard the conversation, Petit No. 1 poked its face out of my chest pocket. However, it seemed just as clueless as I was, as it simply tilted its head in confusion.
Still puzzled, I followed Halfa to a nondescript building. At a quick glance, it didn't even look like a shop. I suppose that was because there wasn't anything resembling a sign.
"Excuse us!"
Halfa opened the door without the slightest hesitation. What greeted us inside was a sea of dolls. Most were wood-carved, I think—meticulously crafted and beautifully painted. They came in all sizes, and several even appeared to have articulated joints in their arms and legs so they could be posed.
"Oh, it's been a while, young lady. You're with a boy today instead of that other girl? And that little one is a doggy... no, wait. What is that?"
"Waf!"
"This is Shiroru! Is it okay if we look around?"
"Hmm, well, as long as you don't play any pranks, I don't mind."
"Waf!"
The man who spoke to us was an old gentleman with hair as white as snow. He looked to be of advanced age, but his posture was as straight as a needle.
"Go on, look around as much as you like."
"Oh, uh, yes. Thank you very much."
I nodded at the old man's words, still trying to get my bearings. Seeing that, he flashed a gentle smile before dropping his gaze back to his hands. He appeared to be carving a small block of wood with a knife.
Halfa had called it a shop, but this was likely a Doll Workshop. They might take custom orders, but it didn't look like they sold mass-produced dolls directly over the counter.
That was all well and good, but I still didn't understand why Halfa wanted to show me this place—or why the Petit Golems would be interested.
When I turned to Halfa with a questioning look, she placed both hands on my shoulders and spoke with the gravity of a teacher delivering an intervention.
"Tort, I really think you should study doll making. I feel so sorry for the Petit Golems!"
I just received a very serious critique!
I mean, I know I lack a certain artistic sense. I can't tell you how many times I’ve looked at them and wondered why they had to be haniwa. But lately, I’d grown completely accustomed to them. I even thought they had a certain clunky charm! I was sure the Petit Golems felt the same way!
I plucked Petit No. 1 from my pocket to seek its agreement... but for some reason, it wouldn't make eye contact. Every time I tried to catch its gaze, it looked away. Nos. 2 and 3 gave me the exact same reaction. Only No. 4 tilted its head, seemingly too innocent to understand the situation.
Urgh... even the haniwa body has its charms!
That said, as I watched the Petit Golems staring at the dolls with such intense interest—or was it envy?—I started to feel a pang of guilt.
"Oh? What do we have here?"
Before I realized it, the old man was standing beside us. It seemed his curiosity had been piqued by the Petit Golems.
That was a blunder. I’d let them wander freely without giving the man an explanation. He had probably never seen such tiny golems before.
"These little ones are golems I created," I explained.
"What?! To think that such ug—er, uniquely shaped golems existed!?"
Ug...?
...No, I have to face reality. By the general sensibilities of this world, the haniwa-type was apparently considered "ugly." It was just a difference in values. Nothing I could do about that.
Though, honestly, I was surprised that was what shocked him. I thought palm-sized mini-mini golems were rare enough to be the headline, but apparently, the haniwa shape was even more of a heart-stopper.
Fine. I’ll let people say those things—but only until today. I'm going to learn doll modeling here and give the Petit Golems the cool bodies they deserve!
"Alright, Petit Golems! Go find the dolls you want to use as your models!"
There were plenty of samples here, after all. If it was just a matter of imitation, I was sure even I could do it!