"That makes me want to fix it up properly even more."
Thinking it had essentially fallen victim to the petty vanity and schemes of those in power, Jin looked down at Sovereign.
"I'll keep the design largely the same, but surpass the original through better materials and crafting techniques."
Smith had already finished about eighty percent of the work, but Jin gave it another thorough inspection.
"I said largely the same, but let's add a shield case to counter Master-Slave Rewrite Magic."
Along with several other minor refinements, Sovereign was finally complete.
Its exterior was 64 light silver treated with a golden finish. Since the original exterior had merely been gold-plated bronze, its structural durability was now several times higher.
"The real issue is the Domination setting..."
Jin wanted to configure it so that it would prioritize commands from whoever held a Kenji—a regalia sword—or something equivalent.
"Anyone have a good idea?"
He put the question to the group gathered around.
"Well, I think using a Kenji is a solid idea."
That way, only the bearer of the sword symbolizing royal authority could command Sovereign.
Even if the reigning royal family changed, it would still function without issue.
"I see... Instead of a full Kenji, making it a dagger-shaped magi-device where whoever holds it has command... That's not a bad approach."
"But what if that dagger gets stolen?" Elsa voiced her concern.
"True, there is that risk..."
Jin recalled the giant robot anime and tokusatsu shows he had watched long ago, where heroes piloted mechs into battle.
Without fail, there was always an episode where the controller was stolen.
As a kid, he remembered thinking, Take better care of it so nobody steals it, or Couldn't they build in some countermeasures?
"Nothing in this world is foolproof, but... all right."
Jin hit upon the idea of reinforcing security.
The sword-shaped authenticator was fine on its own, but he could install a compact magi-brain somewhere to verify whether the person holding it was the legitimate owner.
"Yeah, that sounds far more secure."
Reinhard agreed as well.
"Next is the specification for that magi-brain."
To maximize reliability, three magi-crystals would be used to cross-check and back each other up.
He would also include a mini-golem to handle repairs in case of a malfunction.
Furthermore, Laojun and Koushin—the magi-brain dedicated to security surveillance over Hourai Island, Kunlun Island, and Kaina Village—would monitor it to guard against failures.
The entire unit would be encased in adamantite and installed deep beneath the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Franz.
"How does that sound?"
"Yeah, looks good to me."
"Mm, very reassuring."
With Reinhard and Elsa on board, Jin decided to move forward with the plan.
"I suppose the authenticator should be a golden dagger."
It would use the same 64 light silver as Sovereign's armor, given a golden coloration.
Magi-crystals would be set into the hilt, giving it an appearance worthy of royal regalia—a task he entrusted to Elsa.
That was the plan.
"Mm, leave it to me."
At that point, Saki chimed in.
"Hey Jin, if it's strictly for the royal family of the Kingdom of Franz, shouldn't the magi-crystals match their lineage?"
"Huh? Specifically?"
"Kufu, the House of Lafayette has historically produced a lot of wind-attribute magi....Right, Vivienne?"
Brought into the conversation, Vivienne nodded.
"Yes, that's right. While there are exceptions, eighty to ninety percent are wind-attribute."
"I see, that makes sense. Thanks."
In other words, it would be best to center the design around wind-attribute magi-crystals, Elsa understood.
Within fifteen minutes, the scabbard, crossguard, and hilt were finished. Jin completed the blade around the same time.
When assembled, it made for a truly magnificent dagger.
"Now to engrave the necessary magi-circuits onto these magi-crystals... and done."
With that, the dagger-shaped activation key was complete.
"The last issue is its memory from when it was destroyed..."
Though it had been the result of a plot by the Celuroa Kingdom, the perpetrators were long gone. One could say the statute of limitations had well and truly expired.
"If we reveal the truth, it'll make the Kingdom of Franz look like fools for getting duped back then... Harsh as that sounds, the fact remains they failed to notice the inferior quality."
"Mm... And complaining to the Celuroa Kingdom after all this time wouldn't accomplish anything either."
They agreed to wipe the memories surrounding its destruction.
They would simply report that the data had degraded beyond recovery.
Finally, it was time for testing.
"Let's check its basic functions. Wake up."
"Yes, Creator."
Standing three meters tall, the golem possessed an imposing presence by its sheer size alone.
"All right, let's test your mobility outside."
"Understood."
Sovereign stepped out into the front courtyard under the dazzling midday sun.
"Okay, start by moving your body around."
"Understood."
Sovereign began walking, then gradually accelerated into a run. Its stride was remarkably nimble, belying its two-hundred-kilogram frame.
Gliding effortlessly, it hit roughly a hundred kilometers per hour before executing a clean pivot and heading back.
Upon returning, it performed a vertical leap, clearing twenty meters with ease. The landing was spotless.
"All right, next up..."
Jin wanted to test its hand-to-hand combat, but Hourai Island had no golems of comparable size.
Titan was far too massive, while Land was too small.
"...At this rate, I might as well just build another Sovereign-class golem."
When Jin muttered the thought aloud, Elsa offered a wry smile.
"...I figured you'd say that."
With Sovereign's testing temporarily put on hold, Jin rushed to construct a second golem.
The specifications would match Sovereign's, as would the materials. In other words, a sister unit... or rather, since it was a male-type, a brother unit.
Its exterior would be silver.
Having just made one, the work went quickly.
The brother unit was completed in a mere thirty minutes.
Before running the tests, they broke for lunch.
Today's meal was nabeyaki udon, brimming with kamaboko, shalot green onions, kryptona mitsuba, and pigu pork.
Hourai Island was in a subtropical zone, but piping-hot noodles were still a welcome treat.
Since Jin was sensitive to hot food, he took care not to rush and burn his mouth, ending up as the last one to finish.
"Now then, back to business."
This golem had no need for a sword-shaped activation key.
"Wake up."
"Yes, Master."
"Your name is Lou."
Named after the rook in chess—a castle, or a chariot.
"Understood. I am Lou."
With its name settled, Lou began its diagnostic routine.
While the hardware mirrored Sovereign's, its control system was standard Hourai Island spec.
In other words, the underlying firmware and software were entirely different.
Standard Hourai models had their own self-check sequence. Lou ran the diagnostics for about three minutes before delivering its report.
"All systems nominal. No abnormalities detected."