The discussions continued until six in the evening, leading into a dinner party.
The attendees were Duke Niestro Kirilo Jagus, Chancellor Pringles Kubo, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ben Lutraga.
In addition, Queen Katerina Leila Jagus and the Minister of General Affairs, Zain Mezibe, joined the gathering.
(Even the Queen has good natural features, but...)
Manon had conducted a non-contact scan of the Duke, measuring him at 181 centimeters tall and 138 kilograms, but the Queen was even more imposing.
She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and according to Manon's appraisal, stood 164 centimeters tall and weighed 108 kilograms. With measurements of B90-W91-H92, she was undeniably stout.
(A sign of overindulgence, as expected...)
Gajue Tsuga sighed inwardly.
Compared to the Norha Principality, the menu here was a world apart.
Cowbull (beef) steak, Glass Boar (pork) cutlets, and deep-fried kokarisk (chicken).
Barakudo (barracuda) baked in pastry, and deep-fried aji.
Barley and Moft Village tomato risotto, devil's potato soup, and topopo dishes.
Wine was served as well.
Furthermore, Manon had already verified that no drugs or toxins had been slipped into the food.
Gajue Tsuga pondered various possibilities as he ate.
(The flavor is passable, I suppose.)
The somewhat lackluster balance of broth and spices came down to the chef's culinary skill.
(Perhaps the kitchen staff has been brainwashed.)
Brainwashing dulled the frontal lobe, impairing the faculties it governed—such as emotion, curiosity, and interest—leaving a person emotionally flat, indifferent to their surroundings, and lacking passion for anything.
Because those symptoms appeared to varying degrees, it proved fatal for anyone engaged in creative endeavors.
(Someone once said that a brainwashed society loses its capacity for innovation.)
Therefore, he reasoned that perhaps researchers were left untouched while only the administrators were subjected to the conditioning.
According to the etiquette of the Jagus Principality, mealtime conversation was kept to a minimum, allowing Gajue Tsuga's party to dine in relative tranquility.
Once post-dinner tea was served, however, that restriction was lifted, and the room grew instantly lively.
"Tsuga-dono, let us set aside formalities here....You certainly are a knowledgeable man. Your earlier talk on exploration was quite enlightening."
"I am pleased to hear that."
"...Will peace envoys from the World Conference be visiting us after this?"
"Yes, most likely."
"I see....Around when—no, we can discuss the specifics tomorrow."
"I would appreciate that."
After all, such matters were hardly suited for casual dinner chatter.
"Let us change the subject, then. What varieties of golems do you possess?"
"Golems, you say?...Manon is far better versed in that area than I."
"Oh? How unexpected. Well then, Manon, tell me."
Since Manon was merely an attendant and neither a chief envoy nor a deputy envoy, the Duke addressed her plainly without honorifics.
"Yes. If I may be so bold, allow me to explain."
"Mm."
"Fundamentally, golems are constructed with a humanoid form. This design allows them to substitute for human labor and utilize ordinary human tools without modification."
"I see."
"However, their applications are not limited to that shape alone; various derivatives exist as well. The golem carriages you are familiar with are one such example."
Since golem carriages were also used in the Jagus Principality, the explanation was readily accepted.
"Other notable exceptions include golem horses."
"Mm, I have heard of those."
With the groundwork laid, Manon moved to the core of the topic.
"Presuming the golems in question refer specifically to humanoid types, I shall proceed to detail them....Depending on their intended purpose, they are categorized into clerical, domestic, civil engineering, combat, and general-purpose golems..."
Manon delivered a structured, lucid explanation.
In terms of depth, it covered only what was considered common knowledge in Avalon, revealing nothing that posed even the slightest security risk. Nevertheless—
"Mm, yes, fascinating indeed. Well done, Manon."
The Duke appeared thoroughly pleased.
Past nine in the evening, Gajue Tsuga's delegation was finally able to retire to their quarters.
As always, after ensuring the room was secure against eavesdropping, they held a debriefing to review the day's events.
"...All in all, I believe we can call today's talks a success. Excellent work, everyone."
Gajue Tsuga offered his praise to Fione Fias and Manon.
"Now, just to be absolutely certain, Manon—neither Fias nor I have been brainwashed, correct?"
That remained Gajue Tsuga's foremost concern.
"Yes. There are no brainwashing-related magical wavelengths detected whatsoever. Furthermore, neither the drinking water nor the food contained any trace of drugs."
"I see....That is almost surprising."
To Gajue's remark, Manon countered:
"Not necessarily. They may simply recognize that harming us would eliminate any chance of future diplomacy."
Those dispatched by the World Conference in the next wave were expected to be high-ranking diplomats from various nations.
Manon noted it was entirely plausible the Principality planned to brainwash those future envoys instead, bending them to their will and sending them home to act as political puppets for Jagus.
"I-I see... That is a chilling thought, but plausible."
Even the experienced Gajue Tsuga had not considered that angle.
"In that case, the real question is how we should conduct ourselves during tomorrow morning's session."
"It is quite delicate, isn't it...? We cannot let them look down on us, but we cannot afford to provoke hostility either. Diplomacy is exhausting."
Fione Fias let out a weary sigh.
"Stay strong. Once we make it through tomorrow, our mission here is complete. This experience will serve you well in the future."
"Thank you very much..."
"...So, what is our strategy? Shall I participate in another sham fight?"
By openly revealing that Manon was an automata, they could demonstrate the sheer technical superiority of the outside world.
Gajue Tsuga agreed that the concept itself was sound.
"The question is, would the Duke simply be impressed?"
Tsuga suspected that rather than feeling mere admiration, the ruler would likely desire Manon for himself.
"Even with my capabilities, I cannot fight off the entire military might of the Jagus Principality on my own."
At Manon's pragmatic remark, Gajue Tsuga offered a dry smile.
"Naturally. No single automata could ever pull that off....Jokes aside, even if they demand custody of you, could we not refuse by stating that you possess critical state secrets?"
"As an excuse, it is somewhat weak, but it points in the right direction. Having a second layer of defense would make it far more convincing, however."
Manon then put forward a proposal of her own.
"...In that case, let us declare that my creator is none other than the Magi Craft Meister."
"Will that really work?"
Fione Fias asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Yes. The title of Magi Craft Meister carries immense authority. Once that name is invoked, committing an unreasonable act against me..."
Would be tantamount to picking a fight with the Magi Craft Meister himself, Manon concluded.
In truth, Jin was far from aggressive, but people had a tendency to judge others by their own ruthless standards.
Manon judged that a man like the Duke would immediately back down when faced with such a threat.
"Mm, using both arguments in tandem sounds like our best course of action."
"Yes. Let us proceed with that plan."
With that, their strategy for the following morning was decided.