In the very spot where Manon had engaged in a sham fight shortly before, another match was about to take place.
This time, it was between Nostalgia's combat-oriented general-purpose golem and the Jagus Principality's combat golem.
"Rokou, which golem shall we use?"
"Sire! The opponent appears quite nimble, so let us field the light-armored one."
"Very well."
Unlike the previous bout, this contest would involve weapons.
Since actual swords would prove lethal, they opted for steel rods of identical length instead.
Given the immense strength of both combatants, the weight of the rods posed no issue whatsoever.
The two golems stood about five meters apart, rods in hand.
"All right, begin!"
Duke Niestro Kirilo Jagus proclaimed the start of the match.
The Nostalgia golem made the first move. Closing the distance in an instant, it unleashed a thrust with its rod.
In response, the Jagus Golem swung its rod in a horizontal sweep, cleanly parrying the strike.
Carrying that momentum forward, the Jagus Golem launched a body tackle, but the Nostalgia golem leaped aside with room to spare, smoothly dodging the charge.
Having leaped to the flank, the Nostalgia golem took three quick strides and circled around behind the Jagus Golem.
The Jagus Golem immediately wheeled around to counter.
Yet this time, the Nostalgia golem was a fraction of a second faster.
Just before the Jagus Golem could finish turning, the Nostalgia golem drove a sweeping horizontal strike toward it.
The Jagus Golem jumped to evade the blow.
The Nostalgia golem leaped into the air as well to press the attack—only for the Jagus Golem to suddenly shift sideways midair.
"!?"
Elena's eyes widened. She had not anticipated it being able to alter its trajectory while airborne.
However, she saw through the trick almost immediately.
(It vents compressed air to shift its posture midair...!)
While a simple mechanism, it was remarkably effective.
In fact, it was surprising that no such golem had appeared before.
(It seems the Jagus Principality possesses capable engineers after all.)
Elena gained a newfound appreciation for their technical prowess.
The ability to adjust one's posture midair offered a distinct advantage in high-speed combat.
Having dodged the Nostalgia golem's rod, the Jagus Golem went on the offensive, bringing down a heavy overhead strike.
A sharp metallic clang rang out across the courtyard.
The Nostalgia golem had barely managed to block the blow with its rod.
Landing back on the ground, the two golems put distance between themselves once more.
"Hmm, this golem is proving to be quite impressive, isn't it?" the Duke murmured with satisfaction.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It is the latest model developed by our laboratory."
"Splendid, you have done well. Keep up the good work."
"Understood, Sire!"
(So it's their latest model. That explains the specialized gear... I see.)
Elena, for her part, had been reading the lips of the Duke and Rokou B. Sihalo to eavesdrop on their exchange.
(A laboratory... How intriguing. I wonder if they would let me tour it?)
To make that happen, Elena reasoned that she would need to indulge their pride and give them a sense of superiority.
Thus, much to her reluctance, she signaled the Nostalgia golem to lose by a narrow margin.
Since it was not a Hourai Island golem, she could not use a built-in manacam, relying on hand signs instead.
Even so, as long as the signal was conveyed between Elena and the golem, the motion was fast enough to escape human notice entirely.
This time, the Jagus Golem closed the distance.
It lunged with a thrust. The Nostalgia golem stepped back diagonally to evade the attack—or so it appeared.
"Oh!"
"Ah!"
Combining a forward leap with the sudden thrust of compressed air, the Jagus Golem closed in a split second faster than expected, landing a decisive horizontal blow on the Nostalgia golem.
"That is enough!"
This time, the Chancellor intervened to halt the battle.
"...Well, well, that was a splendid display of martial skill."
"You are far too kind. As expected, your golem is truly formidable."
Elena matched the Chancellor's self-serving flattery with smooth diplomatic courtesy.
Maintaining her composed demeanor, Elena turned to address the Duke as well.
"Your Majesty, this match has provided a wealth of insightful reference material."
Duke Niestro Kirilo Jagus puffed out his chest, thoroughly pleased.
"Indeed! Truly, your golem put up an admirable showing as well."
Seizing the opening without hesitation, Elena made her request.
"Your Majesty, would it be possible to grant me permission to meet the craftsmen who created such a magnificent golem and offer my personal greetings?"
"Hmm, let us see... If it is only you, Lady Elena, I shall grant permission."
Elena was publicly known to be seventeen years old, and her title was merely Honorary Advisor—a figurehead representative.
Since her two companions were actual technical specialists, the Duke was exercising a natural degree of caution.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
Elena offered a graceful curtsy to express her gratitude.
Before long, Elena found herself riding alone in a swaying golem carriage.
Naturally, officials from the Jagus Principality accompanied her: Rokou B. Sihalo and four soldiers.
"We will be arriving at the laboratory shortly."
A tall stone wall soon loomed ahead of them.
Rising prominently behind it was a structure that immediately commanded attention.
"...What is that tower?"
It was a cylindrical tower with a circular base roughly ten meters across, soaring over fifty meters into the air—a truly massive construction.
"Hm? Ah, well..."
Rokou B. Sihalo offered an evasive, hesitant reply.
(This must be the tower where Lordtoss-sama was imprisoned, just as Laojun described...)
If so, it made perfect sense why he could not give a straightforward answer, Elena realized.
With that, the golem carriage passed through the gate and rolled past the perimeter walls.