Sanjerton, the royal capital of the Kingdom of Franz. Located here was the Royal Palace, the residence of the monarch.
And at present, the interior of that Royal Palace was in an uproar.
"What was that communication from Tomax Bartman-dono of Avalon about?"
"W-Well, that is..."
When questioned by Queen Caroline de Lafayette, the Kingdom of Franz's Minister of General Affairs, Chro de Schone, hesitated.
"What is the matter? Speak plainly."
"Y-Yes."
Prompted once more, Chro de Schone reluctantly opened his mouth.
"The truth is, Kawaha Village to the south of Sanjerton was one of the bases of the Magic Federation."
"What did you say?! Kawaha Village? Isn't that practically right under our noses?!"
The Queen was so astonished that her natural tone slipped out.
"Y-Yes."
Chro de Schone shrank back, as if this laid bare the sheer incompetence of the Ministry of General Affairs' Intelligence Department for overlooking a terrorist organization's stronghold so close to home.
"...Ahem. Chro, do not look so cowed. I know full well that you and your people strive diligently day in and day out. It merely shows how cunning those bastards were....Continue your explanation."
Queen Caroline returned to her dignified, masculine tone.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
Still feeling deeply apologetic, Chro de Schone proceeded with his report.
"It appears that all the villagers there were members of the Magic Federation. That said, it seems a great many of them were brainwashed."
"Hmph. Just the sort of thing those scoundrels would do."
"They were preparing combat golems known as 'Golem wolves' there. The most dangerous among them is said to..."
Here, Chro de Schone checked the memo in his hand.
"...even tear through three-centimeter steel plating."
"How dreadful... So they brought this to a resolution before any casualties could arise, then?"
"Yes, that was also stated."
"And so, they wish for post facto approval regarding their overstepping of authority, is that it?"
"That is indeed the case."
"Very well. I grant it. If anything, I wish to thank them."
At that moment, however, Chancellor Joachims de Drow chimed in.
"Your Majesty, at times, a bit of political theater is necessary—lodging a formal complaint first before granting reluctant approval, for instance."
However, the Queen brushed the advice aside.
"Indeed, Chancellor, your counsel is quite reasonable. However, regarding this matter... regarding any work connected to Deus Ex Machina-dono, I wish to respond with utter sincerity."
"..."
"That gentleman is said to be a fellow disciple of Lord Jin Nidou, with whom I formed a close acquaintance the other day. And Jin-dono was a man far removed from worldly ambition. If so, there is a high likelihood that Maquina-dono is the same. In this case, I wish to offer my gratitude plain and simple, without any underhanded political maneuvering."
At these words, the Chancellor merely bowed his head deeply in silence.
In the office of the Chief Administrator of Avalon, Tomax Bartman was receiving a report from his secretary automaton, Manon.
"...So, word came from the Kingdom of Franz that they approve of all actions taken during this recent arrest, did it?"
"Yes."
"That is a relief, for a start."
Furthermore, Tomax Bartman added:
"...Still, even for a small village, the fact that an entire community was comprised of members is a grave situation."
"Yes, it is just as you say."
Both of them were concerned that similar cases might exist in other places and other nations.
"Should we inform each country?"
"Since that would bring shame upon the Kingdom of Franz, I believe it would be better if that information originated from their own government instead."
"True enough."
Besides, Tomax Bartman continued:
"...The performance of those Golem wolves, if underestimated, actually surpasses that of standard combat golems, after all."
"Indeed."
They possessed superior agility and enough destructive force to crush vital points in a single strike.
If their heads were lopped off, the vast majority of golems would be rendered incapacitated.
Their optical sensors (eyes) and auditory sensors (ears) would be ruined, and for some golems, their control brains would be lost along with them...
"Still, to think the one who crafted those Golem wolves was an unknown magi engineer living among the common people."
"It would be a pity to let such talent go to waste."
"Mm....Taking him under Avalon's protection... or rather, house arrest... or something..."
"In other words, you wish to bring him into Avalon's fold, do you not?"
"That's about the size of it. As long as he is here, he will hardly come into contact with shady characters, after all."
"Just as you say....I shall make a proposal to the Shouro Empire."
"Mm, please do."
In response to this, the Kingdom of Franz disseminated information to various nations, warning that there might be local municipalities under the domination of the Magic Federation and urging vigilance.
As for the outcome of those warnings, that is a tale for another day.
In the Shouro Empire, Emperor Ernst II and Magic Technology Minister Reglei were conversing.
"Mmh, to think such talent was buried among the populace. This is our empire's loss."
Having learned that Dright Coatzpert, the creator of the Golem wolves, was an exceptional magi engineer, Ernst II could not help but feel deep regret.
"We must turn our eyes more toward the craftsmen among the common folk."
"To that end as well, we should build the Adriana Memorial Hall and strive to promote technology as a whole, starting with magi-craft."
"Indeed....How is the construction proceeding?"
"Yes, virtually on schedule."
Meanwhile, as for Dright Coatzpert:
"Ah, this place is so comfortable..."
He was working in a workshop established within the Shouro Empire's Royal Palace.
Waking at 6:00 AM, following breakfast, he engaged in crafting based on order sheets requesting "make something like this" from 7:00 AM until noon.
After a one-hour lunch and break, the time from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM was his own, allowing him to immerse himself in whatever research took his fancy.
From 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM was reserved for bathing and dinner.
From 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM were lectures on general common sense, under the guise of re-education.
After that, 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM was free time once again.
And from 10:00 PM until 6:00 AM the following morning was set aside for sleep.
If Jin were to hear of this, he would likely describe it as a "model workplace."
Granted, while there were days off, he fundamentally could not step outside, and meeting outsiders required permission, so he lacked freedom in that sense.
However, Dright Coatzpert seemed to have no such acquaintances or friends to begin with, and he appeared entirely content with this arrangement.
Moreover, all daily necessities and supplies were provided only after submitting a request form and receiving authorization. Yet here again, he was so utterly indifferent to personal belongings unrelated to research that, had his caretaker-slash-guard not paid close attention, he was the kind of man who would wear the exact same clothes for over a month straight without a second thought.
"Hm, this magi-lamp I had him make as a test exceeds standard specifications."
Its quality was enough to leave Magic Technology Minister Reglei deeply impressed.
"Even among my subordinates, just how many could craft something of this caliber?...If he properly learns the fundamentals, he seems poised to grow far, far more."
Just as they were pondering this, a proposal arrived from Avalon requesting to oversee Dright Coatzpert's re-education.
Tentatively set for a three-year period, Avalon would take custody of Dright Coatzpert, after which his ultimate placement would be decided based on his personal wishes and the requests of the Shouro Empire.
"Mmh, what ought we to do...?"
The Magic Technology Minister pondered.
Having Avalon handle his re-education would surely be a good thing for Dright, he thought.
On the other hand, there was the lingering concern that once the period elapsed, he might not return to the Shouro Empire and would instead wish to remain affiliated with Avalon.
Or rather, considering Dright Coatzpert's personality as observed thus far, he would almost certainly prefer to belong to Avalon.
"Yet, that is ultimately because our nation's technological standards fall short of Avalon's, after all..."
He was well aware that this was something they needed to take to heart.
"Very well."
He decided to leave it to Dright Coatzpert's own discretion.
However, rather than letting him go permanently, he would attach the condition that once the three-year period ended, he must work for their empire for at least one year.
Over a decade later, Dright Coatzpert would come to be known as the foremost authority on quadruped golems, but that is a story for another time.